Bulma came in a few minutes after Goku left. She had a senzu. He ate the bean eagerly, knowing that this meant that he would be back in action soon. She also had his new arm.
This arm was based on the technology used to build android Sixteen. It had its own battery system that operated independently from his body. It responded to Gohan's mental commands like his other arm did. Gohan tested the ki possibilities by generating a tiny ball. As he expected, it wasn't ki.
"This arm…" Bulma said. "This one won't turn you into an android." She shook her head. "Your Bulma couldn't have known about the nanomachines. I know because even after I found out, it was hard to pin down what was doing it. That's why I couldn't just repair your existing arm, I don't know how to take the nanomachine generator out without disabling the arm completely." She left the room so he could get dressed.
He walked over to the dresser that had his clothes on it. There were several outfits, one was his own gi, the one that he got from his own time line. His boots were sitting on the ground. The gloves were sitting on top of the shirt, which was on top of the pants. Then, he saw the other outfits.
One was one of Piccolo's, with the cape, another, was one of Goku's standard orange gi's. Next to that, to his surprise, was a suit of saiyan armor. He realized that Piccolo, his father, and even Vegeta were inviting him to dress like them. He remembered that he liked to dress like whomever was teaching him at the time. He struggled to figure out how to dress, and then, it hit him. He smiled, got dressed, and looked at himself in the mirror.
He looked pretty good, he thought. His gi was orange, and he was wearing his old, blue undershirt, with the long sleeves. He had Piccolo's cape, and Vegeta's gloves and boots. He felt that this was a good way to dress.
Nearly everyone was sitting there. He looked around, and didn't know what to say. No one was looking at him. He was afraid that they were angry at him. He tried to read their faces, but he couldn't.
"Hello, Gohan." Krillen said. "Nice to meet you." he chuckled. Everyone laughed at his joke.
"I was wondering what you were going to do, Gohan." Piccolo said. "My cape, your dad's outfit, and Vegeta's gloves and boots." he smirked. "Nice way to avoid stepping on toes. I want you to understand that we all know why you didn't tell us who you really were." Everyone spoke an agreement, even Vegeta.
"Do, I, know? What about my mother, does she?" Gohan asked.
"You mean the younger you?" Krillen asked. "Yeah, he knows." He laughed. "As for your mother, we decided it was best not to tell her. You know how your mother is."
"So mom thinks…" Gohan asked.
"Your mother thinks that you are a saiyan warrior from the far, far future. We told her that you were Gohan's grandson, but that you don't remember anything about anybody alive here." Bulma said. "That, seemed to sedate her, at least a little."
"He saved your life, in fact." Bulma said, walking out. "He was the one who noticed that you weren't just hurt." She said.
"How is he?" he turned to Piccolo.
"He's off in the Room of Spirit and Time." Piccolo said. "He's training with, your father."
"I understand." Gohan said.
"So, what should we call you?" Yamcha asked.
"Hmm, in order to avoid confusion, call me Ichidou when the little me is around." He said. Everyone agreed. "How long have they been in the Room?" Gohan asked.
"Only a few minutes. They won't be coming out until the day after next." Piccolo said.
"I don't just want to sit here." Gohan said. "Anybody want to spar?" He asked.
"I don't think so, young man!" Bulma said. "I want you to relax, at least until your dad and…" She paused. "the little you, come out of the Room."
"Okay." Gohan said.
"Gohan…" Piccolo said.
"What?" he asked.
"I want to talk to you." He said.
"Okay…" Gohan said.
The two of them flew off, far out of earshot, and far away from anyone who would be interested in hearing.
"What do you want?" Gohan asked.
"I want to know as much about the future as you can tell me." Piccolo said.
"It's useless information to you. You were dead by now in my time." Gohan said.
"I already knew that. I just want to know what the me from your world was like. I also want to know what happened, if you think you can stand to tell me."
"You want to know how everyone died." Gohan said.
"If you think it would be too hard…" Piccolo said.
"No, it wouldn't…" Gohan said. "Because it's not going to happen to you."
"Begin, then." Piccolo said.
"It all started…" Gohan began. The memories came flooding back.
Chi-Chi and Gohan were watching television. Gohan, as usual, was trying to study. Chi-Chi was watching some cooking show when a newsbreak cut in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt…" The news broadcaster broke in. "Something terrible is happening." he said. Chi-Chi looked up. "Two powerful beings, they look like teenagers. They are tearing a city apart. The king has launched his full military force, but they aren't being effective. We go now to our on the spot reporter."
Gohan looked up. "This is complete anarchy." The reporter said. "They are shooting everything they can, but it doesn't look like anything is working." Gohan got up.
"Where do you think your going, Gohan?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Mother, I have to go!" Gohan shouted. "Don't try to stop me!" He said. Gohan sounded so fierce that he managed to get away from her.
At seven years old, Gohan's life was about to come crashing down. He flew as fast as he could. Soon, he felt Piccolo's and Krillen's kis. He landed next to them. He looked down, where Vegeta was fighting. He had jumped in, without waiting for the others. Tien, Yamcha, and Chaoutzu soon arrived. Suddenly, Vegeta yelled out.
"RUN! I CAN'T STOP THEM!" He shouted. Suddenly, he was knocked through a building. They watched in horror as the androids destroyed the building, and everything inside.
"Stupid saiyan, like a warning would have done any good." Seventeen said.
"VEGETA!" Gohan screamed, tears down his face. Suddenly, the androids saw them. "Oh, no…"
"Piccolo!" Tien shouted. "Grab Gohan and run!" He said.
"But what about…" Piccolo said.
"Never mind us!" Yamcha shouted. "You can always gather the dragonballs! We'll hold them off for as long as we can!"
"NO, I WON'T LET YOU DIE!" Gohan screamed. Suddenly, he felt a sharp blow to the back of his neck.
"Sorry little buddy…" Krillen said as Gohan faded out of consciousness. "I guess I'll see you in the afterlife." There was no hope in his voice, only fear and despair.
"They died so I could save you?" Piccolo said.
"Yes, and Vegeta was killed because he warned us." Gohan said.
"Please, continue." Piccolo said.
"Okay." Gohan said.
Gohan sat up, and looked at Piccolo. "Where's Krillen?" He asked, standing up. "Where's Yamcha, and Tien?" He looked around. "Where's Chaoutzu?"
"They're all…" Piccolo said. Gohan had never seen his teacher that close to tears. "They, killed them."
"NO!" Gohan said. "NO, that can't be!" he began to cry.
"Calm down, Gohan." Piccolo said. "We'll stop them, okay?" Piccolo hugged Gohan. He wasn't one for affection, but the child's life had just been ruined. Gohan looked up at his teacher. He really believed that Piccolo could stop them.
"Then what happened?" Piccolo asked.
"I…don't want to…" Gohan said. "But I will." He looked into his teacher's eyes.
A few days later, Piccolo was out in the wilderness with Gohan, trying to train him. He was getting very close to Goku's power before he became a super saiyan. Piccolo was getting stronger too, and the two of them kept fighting and training, day in and day out.
On the fourth day after the event happened, the androids found them. Piccolo heard them coming from hundreds of yards away. He walked over to Gohan.
"Run." he told the boy.
"NO, I won't let you die!" Gohan said.
"Boy, I said run! If you don't the world is doomed. You're our only hope!"
"I won't run." Gohan said, stoutly.
"I figured you wouldn't." Piccolo said. "Now, when I say go, I want you to move to the left over there, so we can ambush them from the sides."
"Okay!" Gohan shouted.
"Go!" Piccolo shouted. Gohan started to run, but Piccolo hit him to knock him out before he could get very far.
Gohan awoke, and sat up. "Mr. Piccolo?" He got up, and looked over. His body froze, paralyzed. He saw a giant crater, he didn't want to go down into the bottom, but he forced himself to. He crawled down into the dark pit.
There, in the center of the pit, was a tiny scrap of Piccolo's cape. Gohan searched vainly for evidence of Piccolo. He tried to find his ki. He couldn't, Piccolo was dead.
"MR. PICCOLO!" Gohan roared. Power erupted from his body, he could feel the changes overcome him. His hair shot up, and turned gold. His eyes became a turquoise. "IF I DIE TRYING, I SWEAR THAT I WILL DESTROY YOU!" Gohan roared, anger flowed through him.
"That's what happened." Gohan said. He was nearly crying.
"I see…" Piccolo said, nodding. "I understand." Gohan was a mess. He was struggling not to cry. Piccolo smiled, and looked down at what would have been his pupil. "Gohan…" he said. "I think that he would have been very proud of you." Piccolo said. "I know I am."
"I should have…" Gohan said.
"Saved us?" Piccolo said. "You said it yourself, you were only seven. You weren't old enough, you weren't strong enough."
"I…" Gohan said. "I missed you so much…" he threw his arms around his mentor. Piccolo didn't know what to do, so he just hugged him back.
"Calm down, Gohan…" Piccolo said. Gohan let go, and began to even out his breathing.
"Sorry about that…" Gohan said.
"Don't worry about it, kid." Piccolo said. "Consider it part of my debt for you saving the world." he ruffled up Gohan's hair.
"You know why I was able to tell you that, Piccolo?" Gohan said.
"Why?" Piccolo asked.
"Because it's not going to happen to you." He said. "You're not going to get killed, and neither is anyone else." He smiled.
"You're right." Piccolo said. "Shall we go back?" Piccolo asked.
"Good idea, I'm hungry." Gohan said.
A/N: Sorry about the extra long and extra sad chapter. Thanks for the reviews everyone! I promise I'll thank you individually once I finish the story.