Won the Battle, Losing the War

Disclaimers: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of the characters. If I did Great Sayaman wouldn't exist. Yes. ~bows to her applauses~

Author's Note: It took a lot of effort but I finally convinced myself to continue this story. I hope it doesn't sound to forced because I'm trying to make the story sound like I wasn't stuck on this part. ^^;;

Gohan rubbed his wrists up and down on the pole hoping to rub off the strange bonds that had been wrapped around his wrists. The hunters had indeed lead them to their camp grounds though not on invitation matters. They had stuffed them all into a small tent and strapped their arms to this decorative poles with a strong bond.

 The most that Gohan could tell about these people were that they were either his size or smaller and they all wore colorful mask possible describing their personalities and or positions in the civilization. They all spoke in the same dull language that consisted of a series of strange noises emitted from ones throat. Once translated by the crystal Gohan could find they spoke of many daily things that might even be spoken in Satan City itself.

Their clothing was scares possibly to the fact that the weather was severe that it was best to wear as little as possible. Some of them wore small skins only on the bottom half of their body while the others wore a full body outfit. This was the only way Gohan could decipher the girls from the boys.

                A small groan on his left indicated that his father and Vegeta had both woken from their slumber. Gohan had already determined their reactions to the situation and he rehearsed in his mind on what to inform them. Goku was the first to realize he was hanging from a pole stuck in the ground. He let out a shrill squeal which also awakened Vegeta from his unconscious state.

                "Did they eat him?! Did they eat him?!" Was all Goku could cry as he kicked from his captured position.

                "Great." Vegeta snapped, "And you just let them do this to us, Gohan?"

                "These people are very used to incoming visitors from other planets. They were well prepared for any escape I might plan." Gohan said simply, "Besides, we were looking for a village and now we have found one."

                "And are about to be executed in it." Vegeta hissed then turning to Goku he snarled, "Bite your tongue, Kakarot."

Goku obeyed rather foolishly finding tears come up through his eyes for the pain his tongue was going through. Gohan tried not to pay attention to his father that was yelping and cursing at Vegeta.

                "It's not as bad as it might seem."

                "So what are they planning to do with us?" Vegeta growled kicking Goku in the shins with his free leg.

                "You were right in thinking that that animal was one that they were hunting. Apparently, they were using that animal to feed to their God. And they had until morning to capture it… When Dad set it free, they decided to sacrifice us to their God instead."

                "Terrific." Vegeta sighed, "Are they going to burn us or spear us through?"

                "Actually…" Gohan said with a slight smile, "They are truly going to feed us to their god…"

                "What?" Vegeta and Goku asked uncertainly.

Before Gohan could explain any further, a small boy toddled in to the tent which they were imprisoned in. He carried a bowl of water that was with no doubt supposed to keep them alive until the time they were to be sacrificed.

"Greetings Prisoners." The boy muttered from behind his colorful mask that looked somewhat of a ashen wolf cub.

"At least they are polite." Vegeta groaned.

The eyes from behind the mask scanned over the three of them and then back to the door as if afraid that someone might see him. He dropped the bowl of water and said in a hushed voice,

                "How strong are you?"

The Z fighters were all very confused and could only blink in response to that queer inquiry. Goku titled his head slightly as if he was trying to wake his numb brain up.

                "How strong are you?" The boy hissed again getting somewhat exasperated.

                "What do you mean?" Gohan questioned curiously.

                "By the way you act, I assumed that the God's powers affected your bodies making you young again. Normally, the weak loose sense of themselves completely, but you three have all kept your older natures." 

                "So this God has done this to us?" Goku guessed, "But why?"

The boy removed his mask to reveal his young face to the trio. He was barely over five years of age. His hair was a dark midnight blue matching his eyes. All three of the Z fighters gawked in amazement at the conversation they had been having with such a young boy.

                "The God long ago came to us with the gift of wishes in return for sacrifices. One man asked for riches, another asked for food, the last asked for the ability to remain forever young." The child continued flawlessly, "As the legend goes, all of the wishes were granted as long at the God was given a supply of victims once every year. As the years drawled on, our planet had lost all the amounts of food losing it's beauty. The first man and the second man gave up their wishes for the good of the people but the last kept his wish. So the sacrifices continued till the point in which we had to sacrifice our own people in order to keep the god happy. The man who made that wish died in a hunting accident several hundred years ago. Never taking the wish back. So now we are forever doomed to continue his doing."

                "So we are the sacrifices." Gohan nodded, "I see."

                "Why is it that I am younger than the baboons on either side of me?" Vegeta snarled.

                "The spell digs out the memory you were most content and pulls you into that age." The boy continued dully.

                "Oh." Gohan cried, "I was this age when Goten was born."

                "I went on my first adventure." Goku chirped.

                "And got to see the extent of my empire on Vegeta-sei." Vegeta nodded.

                "Mom first met Dad. Mirai Trunks first met Mirai Me." Gohan counted off on his fingers, "And Videl's Mom was still alive."

                "And Trunks is too young to have the happiest moment in his life yet." Vegeta muttered, "It makes sense now."

                "So this God," Gohan asked, "He made you this way…Is their anyway to reverse the affects?"

                "That's why I asked you how strong you are!" The boy cried, "If you can kill the beast then the spell will die. We will all return to the age which the spell was first cast upon us."

                "How old were you?" Goku asked rudely as Vegeta kicked him in the shins again.

                "I was 16 years old." The boy muttered calmly, "Frankly, I didn't want to be this age when I was just declared a man in this tribe."

                "Why are you telling us this?" Vegeta hissed suspiciously.

                "Our world is dying. Since we are so young we can not reproduce any more. Our people are still welcome to diseases and other disasters. If this continues, we will vanish off this world. Besides…We can not live happily this way." The boy hissed spitefully, "My mother was sacrificed cause she was one of the youngest. My father was sacrificed because he was only a carpenter. Who needs a carpenter when you are searching for food for a hungry God? All that was spared were the warriors. We need your help even if some of us do not think so."

                "This God." Vegeta smiled darkly, "He can be defeated right?"

                "Yes." The boy nodded vigorously, "You must destroy the heart stone in his body and he will die."

                "Sounds easy enough." Goku grinned.

                "But…He's a dragon."

                "He's a what?!" All three Z fighters screamed.

To Be Continued…

Please R + R!

No Flames. Constructive Criticism Accepted!

My love of dragons has driven me to put this villain in. Muhahahaha! Also, I would like to add, I love Goku almost as much as Gohan! I just love putting in a comic relief too.