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: Sheesh? Another update? She must be insane! Na… Just eager to get to the action! ^^

Blind. I'm really blind? The pain of this truth was ripping Gohan's heart more then those desperate spirits could. He couldn't see anything. How could he save his brother if he was blind? How could he do anything without sight? The prospect of having to go against Cell like this was humiliating and terrifying… But he couldn't think of the future right now. If he could destroy the monster perhaps his vision would return with his age. That was all the hope he could receive.

"Gohan." Goku's voice rang near his ear, "G-gohan?"

His voice was strangled with tears and Gohan understood. Goku had no idea how to comfort his son. It seemed all was lost. No one had the power to defeat the dragon now.

"Don't worry, Dad." Gohan said softly, "I got the Dragon, didn't I? Isn't it blind too."

"He has a point." Vegeta's harsh squall reached Gohan's ears on the right.

Goku looked over his shoulder at the Dragon who had just emerged from the shadows screaming in pure vehemence. It's dark eyes had gone a deathly white that was gruesome to stare at. It thrashed about against the walls possibility trying to detect them. Gohan let out a small yelp driving both Goku's and Vegeta's attention back to the boy.

His forehead was beaded with sweat as if he was concentrating hard on something beyond sight. Goku hugged Gohan tighter afraid of Gohan having another tremor but that was not so.

"Gohan, what's wrong?" Goku asked.

"I…I…" Gohan sputtered, "That old prophet told me that she could use her heighten senses of psyche to see people. Maybe I can do the same."

"You're wasting your time. She just a crazy old hag." Vegeta scowled as the Dragon drew nearer.

Gohan focused all his might on his surroundings. He tried as hard as he could to fuse the darkness into shapes but every image was only played by what his mind imagined. No matter how hard he tried the darkness remained dark. Maybe Vegeta was right. Maybe it was impossible to be able to be able to see again if already blind. Perhaps he would have to relay on his other senses… Suddenly a thought stuck Gohan hard in the gut. Ki. He was trying to hard to see again that he over looked the obvious. He could see the energy. That's what Seiko meant. She could see the energy line.

Slowly around him the world about swirled with thousands of bright lights until they finally formed shapes. And then his whole world was interpreted in the bright lights of the chi about him. One light shown strongly brightly before him giving Gohan the immediate realization of who it was,

"Dad?" Gohan gulped reaching out and touching the energy before him.

Remarkably his hand stoked the cheek of someone… His father.

"You can see?!" Goku gasped in amazement clutching Gohan's hand tightly to his cheek.

"No way!" The red light a bit father away snapped that Gohan guessed was Vegeta.

"In a matter of speaking." Gohan smiled weakly, "I can see your energy."

"That gives us the advantage!" Vegeta laughed sinisterly, "With Gohan's ki sense, we can defeat this beast!"

"Uh…What is it doing?" Goku asked as the Dragon had suddenly clasped it's face, "Is it… crying?"

The dragon was clamping it's face tightly let out strange whimpering sounds. It certainly gave the impression of a crying baby. A very big and ugly crying baby with enormous webbed wings.

Suddenly the monster let out a horrible roar and sank it's claws deep into it's eye socket allowing the blood to seep down it's bladed hands. It let out and other ghastly roar and tore it's eyes sharply from the place which they were contained.

All three of the fighters gapped as their eyes widened in horror,

"HE RIPPED HIS EYES CLEAN OUT!"  Gohan and Goku cried in unison.

Gohan cried and covered his eyes as if to block out the sight. Goku looked over at him as he whimpered and asked,

"Does that even help?"

"No. Not even a bit." Gohan muttered defectively, "Just a habit."

"That is so disgusting." Vegeta hissed under his breath, "Just disgusting. What a vulgar creature."

                The blood seeped down it face from it's empty eye sockets dripping in grossly great amounts. It let out a triumphant roar as it's eyes suddenly gusted out from the depths of it's skull.

                Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta were speechless with disgust and incredulity,

                "He…He ripped out his eyes…" Goku sputtered.

                "To regenerate them." Vegeta finished.

                "…I am in trouble, aren't I?" Gohan smiled sheepishly.

The dragon's eyes shot over to where they stood only a couple hundred feet away. It licked it's lips taking most of the blood off it's face as it stared at it's pray. Goku let out a small scream and jumped behind Vegeta and Gohan,

"We're doomed!"

The dragon lunged forwards as all of the Z gang screamed cramping close together. Vegeta squinted up as it was only seconds away and clasped his hand together forming a giant beam,

"Galactic Gun!" He screamed.

"Kamehameha!!!" Goku shouted at his side releasing his attack.

The beams collided with the monster's face forcing it to release it's own spurt of fire. Goku and Vegeta fought with all their might to keep the energy steady against the power that was quickly overwhelming. Finally Gohan thrust his hand to the blast as well shouting,

                "Mesinko ha!!!"

The new stream of energy quickly stopped the fires pursuit towards the trio but only temporary. Gohan's wounded arm gave way. The extreme loss of blood was finally grasping hold as Gohan felt himself passing out,

                "I…I can't hold it."

                "Gohan!" Goku shouted through gritted teeth.

                "We need you, boy!" Vegeta hissed in his frustration.

                "I'm sorry." Gohan whispered as he fell forward.

His hair and eyes transformed back into the normal colors of his birth as he fell to the earth. Goku reached out to catch his son but Vegeta had already grabbed his wrist and pulled him sharply to the left. The blast struck the earth behind them sending them hurling through the air. Goku landed hard onto Vegeta's back and the two skidded roughly against the jagged rubble.

 "GOHAN!" Goku shouted through his pain to the son behind him.

The two came to a halt a few feet away allowing the smoke to bellow over them. Goku waved his hand through the smoke trying to see his son as Vegeta groaned from being his cushion. Goku stood up at the groan with no thanks or apology to him. As soon as the smolder lifted Goku could see his son laying only inches from the dragon's snapping jaws. Goku screamed out in apprehension trying to save his distressed son but Vegeta grabbed him in a strangle hold so he wouldn't go off to suicide.

Gohan opened his eyes just to stare, or rather sense into the deep abyss energy of their foe. It let out a horrible roar as Gohan stumbled backwards from it. It didn't give Gohan a chance to run even if he could. It snatched him up in seconds squeezing the life out of the tiny boy. As his bones cracked, Gohan screamed out for help. His wounded arm quickly shattered under the pressure and his other arm broke shortly after it. Gohan bawled in his agony hoping for someone to rescue him. He wanted to be saved…

Goku kicked and struggled hard against Vegeta as he watched his son die in the monster's clasp. His eyes filled with great tears of sorrow knowing he couldn't get free. Finally, Gohan went silent. Numb with shock, Goku stopped struggling too. His eyes followed Gohan's fall as the monster released him. His limp body hit the ground with a thud. His chest didn't rise or fall anymore. His skin was a stony ashen color, as if his life had been stripped from his body.

He is dead… Vegeta realized in shock, He isn't breathing. I don't feel his chi. He's dead…

"NOOOOOOOO!" Goku screamed his hair arching upwards in a unknown wind, "GOHAN!"

Vegeta held onto Goku for his life as a huge golden energy covered over the two of them. Vegeta watched as Goku's tear filled eyes that were brimmed with hate were shrouded into a deep bluish green.

"Kakarot!" Vegeta shouted urgently, "You can't turn super sayian. You're body will die through the stress of the power!"

"I don't care." Goku screeched, "Gohan! I have to save Gohan."

"You can't save him if he is already gone!" Vegeta shouted his grip on Goku quickly failing as the uncanny wind picked up.

"He isn't gone." Goku hissed, "I have to save him!"

He clenched his fists so tightly that blood entered his hand in a small pool of crimson. Goku raised his bloody fist to his chest as his pupils disappeared leaving only the white membrane of his eyes visible.

"Kakarot, stop!" Vegeta screamed as his feet were lifted off the ground, "Stop it now! You'll kill us both!"

The dragon turned it dead to the two as the energy wrapped over them both. It seemed highly amused in the light show and ignored the empty shell of the boy for now.

"No! I must save Gohan!"
                "Darn it! Gohan's dead!"
                "No! He can't be!!!"

"DARN IT *GOKU*! LISTEN TO ME! GOHAN IS DECEASED!!!!!" Vegeta screamed finally reaching the boy.

The wind died quickly allowing Vegeta's feet to collide with the earth again. Vegeta let go of Goku finally and stumbled back onto his butt. He let out a weathered sigh of relief just for Goku to turn about to him,

                "You called me Goku."

                "No, I didn't." Vegeta snapped defiantly.

                "Yes, you did." Goku hissed biting his lip.

                "Okay… Now is no time to argue!" Vegeta hissed climbing to his feet and snatching Goku up by his armpits and taking to the air.

The dragon bit the dirt right where they had been seconds before. It let out a roar of anger and charged after them.

Mirai Trunks suddenly stood in his tracks frozen with a sudden agonizing feeling. He gripped his heart and fell to his knees. Chibi Trunks stared at him in bewilderment as his eyes became clouded over.

                "Gohan…He's dead." Mirai Trunks said in a harsh whisper.

A few feet away from the hunters fell the hunted. Chichi and Videl sat on the sanded ground outside crying… Though the didn't know why.

                "Gohannie!" Videl wept.

                "Oh… Why do I feel so awful?" Chichi asked to no one in particular…

Gohan's limp form lay on the ground his bones vibrating with the great steps of the monster. He lay completely still…as if asleep. A sudden glow fell over him and bodiless mouth hissed the words,

                'When angels deserve to die…'

And Gohan twitched…

To Be Continued…

Please R + R!

Muahahahaha! I just keep leaving worse and worse cliff hangers, huh?