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: Okay. Well, another chapter as promised. Still happy! Yay!

                "Follow me." The woman said after the painful pause.

She turned sharply on her heels heading in the direction which the dragon had first emerged from. Gohan cast a bewildered glance to his father and Vegeta who were staring evenly at each other.

                "Who is she, Kakarot?" Vegeta snapped.

                "I don't know but I think we can trust her." Goku muttered, "I mean. She was killed by the dragon so she can't be that bad."

                "But she is part of that tribe that sent us down here in the first place." Vegeta protested.

The two argued a bit more not noticing Gohan rising up to his feet and running after the girl. Something about surged with familiarity. He just knew he could trust her. He caught the startled the voices behind him as he ran realizing that Goku and Vegeta were now following him. The woman waited for Gohan at the peak of the odd tunnel her gaze piercing into his . He skidded to a halt on the muddy floor before trying not to let the dirt touch the rims of her white skirt. But the woman seemed not to mind at the whole fact of that made her appear even more heavenly.

                "I thank you, little one." She spoke softly before Vegeta and Goku could hear her.

                "For what?" Gohan asked perplexed.

She smiled and touched his cheek in a gentle affectionate way,

                "For being so innocent, Ooshii Kurai. Never in my life or afterlife did I expect you to be such a amazing child."

Before Gohan could respond Goku and Vegeta had caught up to the two. The woman nodded to the two arrivals before rotating back to her current destination. Vegeta roughly grabbed her arm before she could leave again,

                "Speak Onna. Who are you?"

                "Mimi Nikko." The woman replied, "Roughly translated it means 'deaf to daylight'. My parents named me that because I was their first child who did not die in the third moon and yet I was born in the darkest of night. Dark night is a bad sign for a child. Sort as if saying they are fated to have a doomed destiny."

                "How could one be deaf to daylight?" Gohan asked curiously.

                "The same way a person could be blind to truth." Mimi smirked eyeing Gohan.

Mimi ripped her arm from Vegeta's grasp and headed down the tunnel without looking back. Gohan followed quickly in a even pace behind the woman with Goku and Vegeta trailing behind him.

                She came up to a halt again at a huge nest with all sorts of body remains that had been mutilated violently by the beast. Goku covered Gohan's eyes just in case. Course Gohan didn't protest in any way due to the fact he was sick of staring at rotting corpses. They were starting to infect his mind.

                Mimi stopped at the base of one of the carcasses dangling by it's mangled arm from the nest. She covered her face from the sight as tears filled in her dark eyes. Goku tried to say something to comfort her but was too busy guiding Gohan. But much to Goku's surprised Vegeta came up and placed a kind hand on her shoulder,

                "It's okay." He muttered darkly.

                "When I was taken, never in my wildest dream did I think he would be taken too." Mimi whispered as her tears continued to fall.

                "Life is harsh." Vegeta hissed bitterly as he glared at the corpse, "Believe me, I know."
Mimi wiped her tears her face and kept her eyes averted from the gruesome sight. She rushed to the wall and gave it a abrupt punch. There light bellowed streaking the bloody floor with light. She beckoned them to follow her through the door way and the gang didn't hesitate, except for Gohan who was still relying on the guidance of his father.

                They ducked through the hole and out into the bright radiance of day. Blinded by the sudden change of luminosity, Goku released his hands from Gohan and shielded his own eyes noticing Gohan did the same for himself.

                 A sudden cheer erupted from the mountain side that seemed to rise from the very planet itself. The whole tribe seemed to be anticipating their return and we're greeting the occasion with as much noise as they could muster. The elder version of the boy with the ashen wolf cub had now removed his mask and rushed up to them. He flung his arms about Gohan and let out a great cheer,

                "You're amazing Ooshii Kurai!" He shouted, "You saved my mother."

Gohan was too shocked with the second thing he said to protest being called that name again.

                "Your mother?" Gohan repeated, "She's your mother?"

                "Thank you!" He smiled without answering.

Gohan nodded still swimming in confusion,

                "You're welcome."

                "I told you." Goku snapped to Vegeta, "He did defeat the dragon."

                "That doesn't prove a thing." Vegeta argued.

Mirai Trunks kept his gaze on the distant horizon as his blood grew cold. The energy was moving strait to the ship. Mirai Trunks focused panic from his mind and reestablished it with determination,

                "I don't think so." He hissed as he clenched his fists, "You aren't getting here that easily."

                "Thank you for the food!" Goku shouted as they all took off.

The tribe did not seem that bad after all. In fact in the reunion of mother and son, they had treated Vegeta, Gohan, and Goku like kings. It was some treatment that Vegeta obviously enjoyed. They had waited about in the splendor for about an hour before deciding to leave. They took to the skies much to Goku's delight they he could once again do so.

"This is great." Goku cried for the millionth time, "All my strength and speed is back. Oh, how I missed it."

"Wanna race, Kakarot?" Vegeta smirked sinisterly, "Just see if your power ebbed any."

"Sure." Goku grinned brightly.

Powering up to their fullest the two rushed off in blurs of gold. Gohan was left in their dust missing the conversation while he was lost in his thoughts of the strange day. Noticing they had left him, Gohan let out a cry,

                "Hey! Don't leave me!"

He powered up slightly listening to the hum of the silver aurora about him. He had only just headed in the direction of which his father's and Vegeta's backsides were shown to him when they disappeared from his sight. He halted briefly in the air sensing some approaching chi behind him. He turned and much to his stupefaction, Goku and Vegeta were there. He waited for them to stop next to him before he spoke.

                "How did you do that?" Gohan asked in unison with Goku and Vegeta.

                "What do you mean?" Gohan spoke again, "I didn't do anything?"

                "You were behind us and then you suddenly were in front of us." Vegeta snapped.

                "Are you sure Dad didn't use instant transmission or something?" Gohan asked still stubborn in his belief that his power was imaginary.

                "How could Vegeta come with me if I wasn't in contact with him?" Goku stated reasonably.

Suddenly Vegeta was agreeing with Goku. Gohan couldn't help but feel some dread rise up vilely in his throat. He had grown stronger… That much was certain. But how? That person who had slay the beast could not have been him… Could it?

Gohan landed at the site of the ship not bothering to speak to his father or Vegeta anymore. He was tired of trying to prove he was not the Ooshii Kurai. It had brutally banged up that was for sure. Much more then what they had left it in. The three cast suspicious glances to each other before bracing themselves. The chi inside was all faint as if they were holding their breath. Gohan pushed off the sandy ground and landed on the hatch preparing to open it when it burst open. In a whirl of light Gohan found the sharp blade of Mirai Trunks sword scraping dangerously towards his throat. He let out a small gasp and Trunk released him. He stared at Gohan in bewilderment and muttered,

"Gohan? But that can't be right? You're dead…"

Vegeta and Goku landed on the other side of Gohan while he rubbed his neck where the sword nearly sliced,

                "Well, isn't that a nice way to greet me." Gohan joshed.

                "I'm glad you are all okay." Mirai Trunks laughed sheepishly, "I guess I was being paranoid and mistook Gohan's power as something else."

                "What exactly did you sense from him?" Goku asked excitedly, "Listen Gohan!"

                "Uh…a empty hole filled with energy,  I guess…" Mirai Trunks muttered, "But it's gone now."

                "Are you sure?" Chibi Trunks said hovering up to the group, "Cause the chi you pointed out to me is still radiating out of Gohan…"

                "Man." Gohan groaned, "Not this again."

To Be Continued…

Please R + R!

Short? Iunno. I can't tell. But I still hope you enjoy it. That's the end of Part 5!!!