A/N: I see, you're all already waiting for this fight… Well, to be on your good side, I'll start this chapter directly, where I left of the last time! Enjoy! (Oh, and thanks a lot for the reviews!)
Now also many thanks at ChunkyMunky241 for proofreading this chapter!!!
Chapter 22: The Legendary
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Mr. Satan walked up to Gohan and Krillin, who still had no idea what to think about this sudden appearance – should they be thankful that they had help? Or should they be worried about how confident this Mr. Satan seemed to be? – not once even thinking about looking at his opponent, who was eyeing him with pure curiosity. Flashing them a toothy smile and a peace sign, he stopped directly between them and put a hand on each shoulder. "You kids should better hurry home now to mommy and make room for the true champ. I am the only one who can defeat this monster."
"Um, not to sound disrespectful or something like that," Krillin, contrary to the true champ not once taking his eyes of the monster in front of them, said uneasily. "But do you have any idea who we're facing here?"
Again the roaring and mocking laughter of Mr. Satan was heard throughout the forest. He removed his hand from Krillin's shoulder and instead started to pat him on the head. The young sailor flinched and rather ungently removed the hand from his head, by what the older man didn't seem to be bothered at all.
"Listen boy. I know you're just scared of this monster, but I can assure you that nothing will happen to you and your little friend here. I, Mr. Satan, have won the biggest fighting competition that was held in the last year and am therefore proclaimed to be the strongest person on this planet. All this mojo that you see here is nothing but a lie. This old legend of him is nothing; just a story that was made up to scare little kids." He straightened his body, put one hand on his hips and pointed with the other one at the monster in front of him. "But I don't believe you Cell! You will suffer the same fate as all my opponents – defeat!" he yelled self-confidently, took a step forward and started to do some warm-ups, at which both Krillin and Gohan, as well as Cell just raised their eyebrows.
"I highly doubt that," Krillin muttered and got into a fighting stance – better be safe than sorry – which movement was quickly mimicked by the young boy next to him.
"He isn't going to be a big help, is he?" Gohan whispered to his friends, once he had analyzed the fighting stance of Mr. Satan.
"That's the reason, why we have to rely on you," he whispered back, careful that neither the monster nor the supposed hero could hear him. "Either this guy is unbelievably strong or unbelievably stupid. I opt for the latter one."
"Rely on…" Gohan started to say, but was interrupted by their savior.
"Shut up there! I can't concentrate with your constant babbling! Or don't you want me to save you?"
"Sorry," the boy said out of reflex, the politeness his mother had taught him quickly resurfacing for a moment, before he turned back to Krillin and said even quieter, "Rely on me? Why me?"
"Listen, Gohan. I didn't want to believe it at first by myself, but after you managed to beat up your father-"
"He let me beat him up. I know I would've never been able to hurt him otherwise…"
"That's where you're wrong," Krillin contradicted. "You're stronger than you think you are. Much stronger. I saw you train, saw you beat up your father and heard about how you were able to tackle Radditz on Namek. This and I listened to a conversation between your father and Piccolo the night after your fight and what they said just confirmed my own thoughts. Haven't you noticed that every time you get angry – really angry – your strength rises to incredible heights?"
"Well… I…" Gohan stuttered. He knew, now that Krillin said it, that there was a true point in this story. He always would get this strange feeling in his body, whenever he got as angry as his father's friend described, a rush of power. He always felt like he would explode and lose control over his body. But this always happened just for a few seconds, minutes at the most, before he calmed down and lost this feeling again.
"See? Listen Gohan, I know this is a lot to ask of a small boy like you, but I don't think that I'll stand a chance against Cell and neither does this Mr. Satan. Get angry Gohan – you're our only hope in this fight."
While his master was still performing the ritual without being disturbed, Cell watched the exchange between this Krillin and the boy – Gohan. He didn't even bother to cast a look at the man, who was still doing his ridiculous warm-ups almost directly in front of him. He, too, had made the observation that this man wouldn't pose a threat for him. He was going to be the ultimate, the perfect being after all as soon as Gero had completed his ritual and he could start to drain the two Jinzoningen to absorb their strength into his body. Then no one would be able to stop him.
But still this strange pair held his interest. Especially Gohan. He already had a strange feeling about him since he first set foot into this clearing. And now he knew what – it was power. The boy had the potential to possess a power far greater than any normal human should have access to. A power that should be able to beat him. And according to what this friend of him was saying the source of this power was lying in the anger of the boy. This knowledge made him curious towards the boy and if this story was really true.
He cracked his knuckles and his mouth curled up into a smirk. Just to find out if this was really the truth he wanted to piss him off.
He would do whatever it took to make Gohan angry.
~*~
"Kyna!" Ducina exclaimed worriedly, when the older woman was having yet another coughing fit. Like the other times, Goku backed away a bit from the bed to make place for the young woman. She gently helped Kyna into a sitting position and as soon as the coughing had subsided lifted a glass of water to her lips to ease the pain in the old woman's throat. Ducina then gave the glass to Goku, who put it back on the table, and carefully laid the other woman down. "Kyna," she now said gently. "I think you should rest. The whole situation has been too exhausting for you." While saying the last sentence, she threw a sharp look at Goku.
"I think she's right, Kyna," Goku agreed thoughtfully after a few seconds of silence that had just been disturbed by the ill woman's ragged and loud breathing. He got up from his chair and instead sat down on her bed, folding his hands tightly over hers. "I also should go now – see how my crew is doing. I have this strange feeling in my gut since I left the ship this morning. But I'll be back once I've gathered all spheres and freed my friend and then I'll tell you about my childhood, my life, everything you want to know about me."
"Do you promise this?" Kyna's question was barely audible, just above a whisper, due to the extreme strains put on her with Goku's sudden appearance and answering all of his questions.
"I promise." He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on the woman's forehead. "Thank you, Kyna. Thank you for everything."
Ducina silently closed the door behind her after she had extinguished the small flame in the oil lamp, leaving the room in complete darkness and she and Goku left the room to let Kyna sleep.
Goku just wanted to leave, when Ducina called him back. "You know she might be dead once your mission is finished."
"So may I," he answered without turning around to face her.
"She knows that."
"I know." He took a few more steps towards the stairs, which would bring him down into the bar, but the voice, this time not sounding as cold as all the times before anymore when directed at him, stopped him once again. "So you're really going to face the Beast?"
Goku wasn't too sure if this had been a question or a statement, but he answered nonetheless. "I have no other choice. As long as he and the Saiyajins are still alive, my family will never be able to live in peace."
"You do remember what she said about the prince?" she queried.
"I do. But that doesn't change anything concerning my feelings towards him. He and his men have kidnapped my friend and done just god knows what to her in the last few weeks, in which she has been prisoner on his ship. I don't even know if she's still alive. So the only thing I can feel for him is hatred until he proves to me that there's a part of him that is good. Goodbye." Without saying another word, he finally reached the stairs and left the bar, not hearing Ducina's soft goodbye.
Oh yes, he still remembered what Kyna had told him about the prince, as well as every other thing she had said to him…
According to her Vegeta was just a victim of his father's cowardice. King Vegeta had given his son, his own flesh and blood, into Frieza's care – the care of a monster – in exchange for the safety of his island – in vain. He had sacrificed his son for nothing, because the Beast broke their treaty and conquered the island Vegeta anyway to make it his own island. In the course of doing that, he and his men killed almost all Saiyajins with the exception of four – a small baby boy with the name Kakarotto, the baby's older brother Radditz, Prince Vegeta and the prince's personal bodyguard Nappa.
Before Frieza the world of the Saiyajins was – if not completely – different from the present. Still, Saiyajins were warriors, brutal and most of them ruthless. They loved the thrill of a fight and the bloodshed caused by this. They fought, but didn't necessarily kill, for the fun of it. They even lived in what could be called peace with the surrounding islands and countries. But that was the past, many many years ago and mostly forgotten, covered by the fear they started to cause once Frieza had appeared in their life. He gave them everything they wanted, made their kingdom a part of his spreading empire and made them to what they are now feared for. Pirates, killers, ruthless and murderous. With exceptions. Some of them still held onto their honor – "Just like your father," as Kyna had told Goku with a proud smile on her face. But with the years, Frieza took away privileges he had given them and started to break treaties made with the government, his tyranny becoming more evident with every single action of him. And then the prince was born – and with the prince the hope of the oppressed and used Saiyajins of a life without the Beast. But when the prince had been ten years old the unexpected happened. Frieza sealed a treaty with the King, which would give the young Vegeta into his care in exchange for safety of the kingdom. But in the end everyone knew what had happened.
Kyna was sure that Vegeta's childhood had been worse than they could imagine. She said Frieza would make the prince's life hell on earth, because if he hated one thing, then the Saiyajins – more than anything else on this planet. But not because he couldn't stand them – this was just a small factor. The biggest factor was that he was afraid of them, because one Saiyajin should be able to defeat him.
That was another quite interesting part in what she had told him. A tale older than herself, older than every living thing on the planet, about one warrior, one Saiyajin with incredible and unimaginable strength, born just every thousand years. This warrior, The Legendary, and only he would be able to defeat the Beast. Frieza had heard about it and had tried to find out everything about this legend. And his information said that thousand years, plus or minus a few years, were up since the last Legendary had lived. His fear of this warrior was the true reason for the massacre on Vegeta about twenty-five years ago. Only three Saiyajins he let live, because two of them were still young and easy to control and the oldest of the three was the best one to get to the prince – his bodyguard.
Goku was quite fascinated by this tale, because he knew now that stories – rumors – could be true. The best example was the legend of the Dragonballs. But now, a warrior, a legendary fighter with this much power caught his interest – especially now that he knew that he belonged to the race this fighter was born into. Too bad the chances that this fighter would be or was born were slim to none with the almost complete extermination of the Saiyajin race. Goku really would've liked to meet him and maybe even have a spar against him – even with the knowledge that he wouldn't stand a chance against The Legendary.
~*~
Cold sweat was running down his face. What should he do now? He knew he had to fight, but he was almost petrified, knowing that he was probably the only one who would have a chance to defeat this monster. He was just five years old, almost six, and six year old children don't have a responsibility like that weighing on their shoulders. He so wished his father would be here. His father would surely be able to defeat Cell. He didn't want to face this monster, at least not with this knowledge. He had no idea how to trigger this strength they should now rely on. Okay, it was triggered by his anger, but how could he get angry enough?
"Gohan," Krillin jerked him out of his thoughts. "We shouldn't waste anymore time."
"I know," Gohan whispered back. So, he didn't know how to get angry enough to develop this power, but he had to try. He wouldn't give up without a fight. Piccolo and now his father had taught him too well to do that.
"Okay, I count till three and then we'll attack at the same time. One, two…."
Before Krillin could finish his countdown, a now straight standing Mr. Satan, who had just finished his warm-ups and seemed now to be ready to fight against Cell, interrupted him. "Okay Cell, be ready to die!" With a loud roar he lunged at Cell, who didn't even look up to face his new opponent.
"Stop!" Krillin shouted, but too late. Mr. Satan's fist connected with Cell's jaw, but had no effect on the latter. He still stood still like a brick wall, not moving an inch. Satan just wanted to throw a kick at him, trying hard to ignore the throbbing pain in his fist, when he felt something hard hit his jaw and then his back hitting something, before darkness engulfed him.
Gohan and Krillin just managed to stare at the monster in front of them, who just managed to slap a grown-up man into a tree almost as if hitting a fly. "So, now that this nuisance can't bother us anymore, the fight can begin. Or what do you think, Gohan?" Cell asked the boy smirking.
In response he just got deeper into his fighting stance, each one of his muscles almost bursting with tension. He had finally made up his mind. "Krillin, go free the Jinzoningen. I'll take care of Cell."
"Are you sure of this?"
"I am."
"Okay…" Saying this, he hurried past Cell to the three people, of which one was still lying on the ground and two were tied to two poles. He knelt down next to the one on the ground, untying him and trying to wake him up, while Gohan was now facing Cell.
"Okay, Son Gohan, let the game begin," Cell said, the smirk on his face not once wavering, when he, too, got into a fighting stance on his own.
Gohan swallowed hard, knowing that it would now get serious – extremely serious. Suddenly, without warning, Cell rushed forward and swung his right leg at Gohan's head, which the boy managed to block, by bringing up his left arm. But Cell immediately recovered and tried to hit him with the edge of his hand, but again Gohan parried and got down on his knees. He tried to swipe Cell from his feet, but the monster jumped, dodging this attack. When both were again on their feet, Cell looked at him with a rather satisfied look on his face. "You're an incredible little shrimp! Maybe I should use my full strength on you now."
"Hey," Krillin said, shaking the large man lightly. "Wake up."
The Jinzoningen stirred and opened his eyes. Once his blurry vision focused on the smaller man in front of him, he sat up with a start. "Cell," was the first thing he said and his eyes searched the clearing for the monster, which he found standing face to face with a small black haired boy.
"Don't worry. We're here to help you… Well, not directly here to help you, but we're here and we'll help you."
"But Cell is strong, too strong for us…"
"Don't worry… My friend Gohan might be strong enough to defeat him. His strength can reach incredible heights. Believe me. By the way, I'm Krillin."
"Juurokugou," the Jinzoningen introduced himself. "And you're sure that this kid is able to defeat him?"
"I hope so." At exactly that moment Cell attacked Gohan again, hitting his head hard against the boys', letting him stumble backwards, but didn't fall, due to the fact that Cell was holding him up at his collar and then started to beat on him mercilessly with his fists.
Juurokugou frowned. "But at the moment it doesn't look like it."
"He isn't angry enough, yet," Krillin explained. "His anger is the source of his power. Unfortunately he isn't able to control that power, yet - to bring it out willingly and to control his anger once it's strong enough. Maybe this is keeping him back. Maybe he's afraid of that, afraid of loosing control," he mused further.
Right at this moment Cell let go of Gohan and threw him against a tree. The boy bounced off of it and fell flat on the ground with a thud. Gohan lay there motionless, much to Cell's satisfaction and disappointment at the same time. The monster turned around saw that the boy's friend freed one of the Jinzoningen. "Well, that was it, I guess. The boy wasn't as strong as I hoped he would be. Who wants to try his luck next?"
"Dumbass," Krillin said smirking, while Juurokugou, who was standing next to him, was just able to stare at the scene in front of him in mild surprise. "Look behind you!"
"What?" Cell turned back to Gohan and saw that the boy in question was again standing and now walking up to him. He seemed to be fine but for one small scratch on his forehead. "So, you're still not dead. That's surprising. You're not so weak after all." He now also started to walk up to the boy until they met in the middle and stared each other in the eyes. "You should've stayed on the floor playing dead. Getting up was a mistake. Now I'm really getting curious. I want to see how much potential is still in you."
Without warning, Cell swung his fist back and hit Gohan directly into the jaw. Gohan tried to dodge Cell's next attack, but this attack was a feint. Instead of hitting him, Cell threw his arms around him to pull him into a bone breaking bearhug. Gohan screamed out in pain, what let Cell just smirk. "Well, doesn't this hurt? Get angry! You'll die if you don't!"
"Crap!" Krillin cursed. This was so not going according to his plan. Gohan still wasn't angry enough and it really didn't seem like the boy would reach the level he needed soon enough. "I have to help him!" He just wanted to run forward, when a hand grabbed his arm. It was the Jinzoningen.
"Let me do this. Even though I don't stand a chance against Cell, but I'm still stronger than you are. You should free the others and then get out of here. I'll try my best to help your friend over there."
The bald sailor nodded reluctantly, not feeling very comfortable with the thought to give the fate of his friend's only son into the hands of one of the Jinzoningen. But this one seemed to want genuinely to help and he had no other choice. Juurokugou smiled and then lunged at Cell with all of his strength. Krillin watched how he tackled the monster down, forcing him to let go of Gohan, who was now lying on the ground – again. This really didn't look good for them. Shaking his head to clear his mind from those thoughts and to concentrate on the matter at hand, he turned around and walked up to the girl tied to the pole.
Cell growled, when he got up again and then saw the Jinzoningen – his attacker – in front of him, also getting up again. "You! I should have killed you when I had the chance. What are you doing? Are you telling me that you want to help this boy? Come on, you know you're not strong enough to win against me."
"Probably not," Juurokugou answered smirking. "But it still doesn't hurt to try."
His opponent smirked, his attention now fully on the Jinzoningen. "I think you're wrong there. It will hurt – I'll take care of that." With a loud growl Cell attacked him.
Gohan tried to open his eyes, but it proved to be more difficult than he thought it would be. He groaned. His whole body hurt, but, though Cell should have broken every single bone in his body, it didn't feel like it. Sure, it hurt and he was a bit dazed, but it seemed that he was okay otherwise. Gritting his teeth he got up into a halfway sitting position and looked at the scene playing out in front of him. The large Jinzoningen was now fighting against Cell, but he was loosing ground with every hit Cell could land. He wouldn't hold out much longer, Gohan could see that.
He could only watch when Cell would kick his opponent in his guts, letting him double over in pain and fall on the ground, where he remained lying on his stomach. Fear started to grip him, when he watched Cell walking up to the Jinzoningen, tail swinging behind him as if planning an attack. The monster grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up again and then Gohan could hear him talking. "Tsk, tsk… You should've ran and not try to fight me." The bill-like mouth curled into a smirk – cold and cruel. "Goodnight."
Within a split second Cell's tail darted forward and went directly through the Jinzoningen's chest.
Gohan's mouth fell open and the only thing he could do was scream. "NO!"
Alarmed by the scream of his friend Krillin looked up and saw what was happening. He saw Cell lifting up the seemingly dead body of the Jinzoningen who had tried to help them and throwing him to where Gohan was still almost lying on the ground. The boy barely managed to roll out of the way, before the bulky body could hit him. Krillin gently laid the unconscious girl on the floor and just wanted to help the boy, when he heard an explosion on his right.
A huge flame shot into the air and the elderly Jinzoningen, this Gero, stood up with a satisfied look on the face. "Cell, stop playing. The ritual is almost finished. It's your turn now to drain them."
Casting one last look at his victim and Gohan, Cell turned around and walked without once glancing down past Krillin to the young man, who was still tied to the pole. No one dared to do or to say something. All eyes were glued to the monster, as it lifted its tail almost in slow motion and then suddenly, almost as fast as lightening, shot forward into – not through – the chest of the young man, who jolted back into consciousness when the sharp pain ripped through his body and cried out in agony.
Strangely enough no blood seeped out of the wound. Instead it almost seemed as if Cell was drinking from him through his tail. The screams of the young man didn't last long, for he soon started to become weaker through the loss of blood and after about one minute, when Cell drew his tail back out, his eyes closed and his body hung once again limp at the pole. Cell flexed his fists and noticed with contentment that he already felt new strength running through his body. He turned his head to the girl lying on the floor, with Krillin standing next to her.
First as Krillin felt the monster's eyes on him, he broke out of his shock and got into a fighting stance, promising himself to do everything to protect the girl from the same cruel fate the young man already had to suffer. But Cell just laughed, when he walked up to them. "Really, are all Human's that stupid? Don't you understand that you can't defeat me?" To prove his statement he just drew his fist back and uppercut Krillin into his chin, which send the sailor flying backwards.
~*~
Not that far away from the fighting scene the Prince of the Saiyajins was on his way back to the ship. He had already almost reached the village, but then he had seen on his map that the sphere was moving away from the village – into his direction. And it had been close. Hiding in some bushes and ready to take out whoever had possessed the sphere, he saw Zarbon, Dodoria and their men passing by, the larger one of them holding the desired sphere in his hand. Vegeta had ducked even more behind the bushes, cursing under his breath. Things were getting more and more difficult for him. First Kakarotto and now Frieza somehow decided to send his right hand man to retrieve the spheres.
First when Zarbon had been out of sight, Vegeta had come out behind the bushes and had decided that it would be better for him to go back to his ship and then head back to Frieza's island. Frieza had also two – no, scratch that – three spheres and he first would be the most powerful man on the world when he possessed all seven of them. He had no doubt that Kakarotto would be following him. So getting his spheres wouldn't be that hard. Especially when he still had the woman.
While walking through the woods of the Jinzoningen, his hand resting on his pistol the whole time, he suddenly heard an agonizing scream. It didn't come from that far away and Vegeta thought it would be better to investigate. He quickly followed the screams, which steadily lost their strength, until he reached a small clearing. But he wasn't prepared for what he saw.
A boy – not just a boy – Kakarotto's son was kneeling on the ground, beaten up pretty badly and with a troubled expression on his face, next to an enormous man who seemed to be dead. Then close to a fire an elderly man was standing, watching an exchange of attacks between a large green being and a small bald man with Baldy being on the verge to lose, since he too was wounded in several places and had a hard time remaining standing.
He knew, he shouldn't care about what was going on and go back to his ship, especially due to the fact that this being seemed to be incredible strong, but he couldn't move – couldn't tear his eyes away from the fight.
Suddenly he heard a voice – it was quiet and obviously coming from the presumed dead man on the ground. He reluctantly took a step forward to make out the words, but he wanted to hear what was going on.
Gohan watched, petrified, how Krillin was slowly but surely beaten to a bloody pulp – if Cell would stop with just doing that. But it looked more like he was going to kill his friend. He's going to kill him, Gohan thought, to kill them all. If I really am hiding some kind of incredible strength I wish I could use it now! I want to use that strength to beat Cell! But how can I do it? How do I get angry and bring out this strength?
"Gohan," the voice mumbled, getting immediately the attention of the small boy kneeling just a few feet away from him. Gohan's head jerked around and stared with wide eyes at the body. Blood was seeping out of the wounds of his back and chest, but the eyes of this Jinzoningen were open and looking at him. "Gohan…" he repeated again.
Shaking lightly, Gohan slowly stood up and walked up to where the Jinzoningen was lying. "What is it?"
"Your friend… he told me…" Juurokugou coughed up some blood. "About your strength. Get angry, Gohan."
"I already tried to tell him that," they suddenly heard Cell, who had let go of the now almost unconscious Krillin and had walked up to them. "But he didn't want to listen."
Completely ignoring him, the dying warrior continued. "Don't be afraid of loosing control, Gohan. When you fight for righteousness it isn't a sin. You can release your anger. Protect the people on this island and on the world. Once the ritual is finished hell will break loose." A tear was running down his cheek and Gohan noticed that he, too, was crying. "And protect the nature and the animals in this forest that I loved…"
Before he could finish this sentence, Cell once again rammed his tail through the body, this time hitting the heart, killing Juurokugou instantly. "I didn't need his help. He was a nobody."
Suddenly something snapped in Gohan and he let out an ear-piercing scream. He felt something new – and old at the same time. It felt as if pure power was running through his veins. This feeling was incredible – it felt like he would explode!
Vegeta, who was still in his hiding place watching the fight, couldn't believe what was happening. The boy seemed to glow! He had never seen something like this before. Never.
Then one thought hit him. Could it be? Could he be? But he was just a half-breed! Son of a third class! That wasn't possible! He couldn't be –
Gohan's scream reached new heights and a golden ball of light engulfed him, which exploded in the end. When the whirled up dust finally settled down, the boy had completely changed. His black hair was now golden-blond and his eyes were of teal color.
– The Legendary!
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Whoa, long chapter… I hope I made it up to you for letting you wait so long for this… I know, it is again a cliffhanger, but I didn't want to let you wait any longer.
Please be so nice and tell me what you think of this chapter, when you've read it. You would make me the happiest girl on the world, when you do that!
Eternally yours
ChibiChibi