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: OMG! Can it be possible? A three way chapter update? Amazing! She must be possessed or something…

Okay for the last time this isn't yaoi so the biggest thing between Goku and Vegeta right now is a mutual friendship. Don't scare me like that. ^^ Hey, he cares but not that much!

Goku turned about just to see the fangs of the beast snap out at their heels. It swept his massive hand upwards missing them the first time but smashing them against the stone wall the second. Only temporally stunned, both Vegeta and Goku struggled free just as the claws inched about their bodies. It began it's death grip just as it had done for Gohan. The two let out agonizing screaming as the torment continued. Goku closed his eyes trying to block out the pain. He had to stay alive for Gohan, for Goten. He had to save Goten for him. They needed to save his youngest son to avenge the painful death that Gohan had to endure. With this determination stuck in the back of his mind, Goku refused to pass out. But Vegeta was slipping…

"Stop."

A voice so smooth and eerie rose in the absence of the screaming. The grip the Dragon had on them loosened causing Vegeta to let out seeping gasp of air. With the hefty amount of pressure on his body and lungs, he quickly passed out next to Goku. Goku tried not to fret about it knowing if he tried to wake Vegeta back up he would loose concentration of his own wake too. He squinted through his weak vision to a sight he didn't think was possible. His eyes widening in astonishment as he stared at who had just saved them.

Gohan stood before the monster his form glowing by some possessed light. His arms were both broken, one shattered in several places with dried blood caking over most of the skin. One half of his face was stained with blood from a gash above his left eyebrow. But he still stood glaring at the monster with his demoralizing gaze. Eyes… His eyes were actually focusing in on his target. But they still were empty…  His lips were curved up in a dry smirk as if he were speaking to a animal he was about to slaughter.

"I've had enough of watching." Gohan hissed in a eerie voice fused with an ancient power, "It's bad enough you have killed innocent victims but to kill Gohan is too much. Now you take his friends. It stops now."

Goku blinked in bewilderment trying to understand why Gohan was speaking in third person. He was Gohan right? Or was he? As if the boy could hear his thoughts, Gohan continued,

"Gohan … You wouldn't let me free. I know why. This is a favor for you, my lost hero. But I think it's time I stretched my legs." He smirked wider, "Take a walk. Smell the flowers. Butcher a dragon."

"Who are you?" Goku gasped.

Gohan glanced in his direction briefly and then turned back to the Dragon.

"Why, I'm Gohan. Don't you recognize me, Dad?"

Goku couldn't bring himself to answer that and Gohan seemed satisfied. Gohan turned back to the Dragon as his eyes flashed a blood red,

"Dead men tell no tales." Gohan mocked, "But they never said anything about dead children."  

A bright white light enveloped about Gohan's feet slowly moving upwards healing his whole body. It stopped at the tips of his hair revealing a fully restored young boy. Gohan flexed his arms and glared awfully at the beast as it completely released Goku and Vegeta. The two toppled to the floor roughly.

Gohan held his arms strait down as his energy wrapped about his feet. He closed his eyes and muttered under his breath,

                "You take over now, Gohan. Take your revenge. Use your power."

A sudden light left Gohan as Gohan took back control of his form. He lifted his arms up spread evenly out on either side of him as he kept his head bowed low in the shadows. Finally he looked up at the beast his eyes clashing into a dark purple,

                "Let's see how you like this…" Gohan hissed as he lifted his hands above him as if accepting a spirit bomb. His whole form was wrapped about in the folds a blinding white lights.

The lights overtook the whole tomb filling it with Gohan's screams and energy. The planet rocked painfully back and forth without any sign of stop. Goku slid down the wall as he found himself blacking out. The last thing he saw was the reassuring face of his son surrounded in the blinding heavenly luminosity… he's alive

                "There they are!" Chibi Trunks cried after opening the capsule doors and spotting the girls in the distance. Mirai Trunks blinked past his agony of realizing Gohan's fate and nodded for Chibi Trunks to got after them. Although it seemed pointless to go after something so trivial, Mirai Trunks joined his other form. Goku… Dad… and Gohan… I can't feel any of your energy anymore. What is going on?

                "I don't know what's got you so worked up." Chibi Trunks scowled, "I don't sense a thing."

The two jumped to the sand covered earth. Mirai Trunks landed in a squat as Chibi Trunks tucked into a roll and flipped back to his feet rushing over to the two girls. A sudden power wave struck over their bodies. Mirai Trunks blinked at the sight of the narrow beam of yellow shooting up into the sky. It erupted slowly spreading out in great waves of powerful energy destroying everything in it's path.

                "GET INSIDE!" Mirai Trunks screamed urgently just as Chibi Trunks scooped Videl up in his arms. Chichi leapt onto Chibi Trunks back as he rushed them back to the ship.

Behind them the wave crashed over the sand threatening to kill them. Mirai Trunks leapt forward and grabbed Chibi Trunks by a free arm and tossed him in the ship with the girls. He tumbled in last sealing the doors just as the energy hit the ship. The group all fell hard into the opposite wall as the ship took the collisions.

                "What is doing this?" Mirai Trunks shouted to no one in particular.

                "I don't know." Chibi Trunks cried back, "But it aint Gohan, Goku, or my dad."

                "Or is it?" Mirai Trunks hissed remembering the yellow beam of light…

The light faded along with the screams. The glow that had overwhelmed Gohan's features subsided revealing a new person with short silver hair drooping over his uncanny violet eyes. His outfit was pure black with one symbol on the back etched in silver. Ooshii kurai it stated. Heroically Dark. The new Gohan smiled as he hovered up to eye level of the beast. Power radiated off of his every being and even the ferocious beast was a bit startled by this child's power. But it didn't want to refuse such a perfect opportunity for lunch. The dragon lunged and Gohan made no attempt to stop it. It's jaws closed about him and in one gulp Gohan was gone.

It licked it's lips greatly satisfied just to implode suddenly it's remains scattering about the whole room. Gohan hovered in the center of where the Dragon once stood his hands out in the finale of a Kamehameha. He smiled darkly and landed softly on the ground. His boots collided with the surface so peacefully that it hardly made a sound. The guts that were hurled through the room dared not to touch him and seemed to sizzle away as he walked over to the glowing light in the middle of the room. The heart stone. Gohan picked it up tenderly and stared at it's hard crimson surface,

"So this is what keeps you coming back?"

Behind Gohan, rose the head of the dragon it's jaws still reaching out to rip Gohan to pieces. Gohan didn't even turn as it opened it's jaws in the right position to swallow him again. Gohan let out a small sigh and held out a hand behind him firing a ki blast,

"Bite me." He snapped destroying the head instantly.

Gohan thrust his index finger into the middle of the stone causing it to shatter. He crushed the rest of it's pieces in his hand and dropped the handful dust on the floor. As he walked away he rubbed the toe of his foot in the dust and scraped it away in disgust. Gohan walked strait up to where his father lay just as Goku came too. Goku's eyes fluttered open coming face to face with the changed state of his son. Before Goku could say anything, Gohan interrupted him,

"I'm fine." Gohan whispered soothingly, "And so are you."

"So I am." Goku sputtered happily.

Suddenly Goku caught sight of the skull…. that skull that had tried to take Gohan's life before… It's jaw had opened and it was regenerating back onto it's body.

"NO!" Goku cried as Gohan's hair and eyes changed back to normal.

Gohan stumbled backwards until he completely passed out. His body collided with the floor with a slight thud as Goku rushed over to his son. As he ran his height increased, and when he lifted Gohan up in his arms Gohan fit perfectly. He was back to normal…

                "Gohan! Wake up!" Goku shouted desperately.

                "He's used up all his energy."

Goku spun about to see a enchanting beauty standing before him wearing a flowing white dress. Her hair was a deep violet and eyes a dark blue. She knelt down beside Goku and gestured for him to give her Gohan. Goku refused,

                "You're that corpse that stole Gohan's energy. No way!"

                "I didn't steal it." The woman replied sharply, "He gave it to me."

                "Because of you he's dead now!" Goku cried his eyes brimming with tears once more.

                "Dead?" The woman snorted, "Ooshii Kurai dead? Impossible."

She held out her two forefingers and gently touched Gohan's forehead. He let out a small groan as color regained in his cheeks. She removed he fingers quickly as Gohan's form glowed faintly and aged six years. Gohan's eyes fluttered open not purple, not empty, but his normal brown eyes that he had inherited from his father.

                "Dad!" Gohan cried happily hugging his dad close, "That was amazing!"

                "What? Catching you?" Goku gulped still dazed by the fact Gohan was okay.

Gohan didn't answer right away. First his eyes scanned over at the woman on his other side. His eyes widened in bewilderment as he asked,

                "Who are you?"

                "No one." She answered simply.

                "Okay…" Gohan muttered taking that as a answer, "So… Dad how were you able to obtain all that energy?"

                "What? What energy?"

                "The energy you used to defeat the dragon, of course. That was you right? Or was it Vegeta?"

Goku's jaw dropped in astonishment at Gohan not remembering a thing. He shook his head and let out a sheepish cough,

                "Err…well… It wasn't me…"

To Be Continued…

Please R + R!

Things looking up? For a little while anyway. ^^;;