Chapter Thirty-Two

Raditz dropped to his knees, tears jerking at his face as he watched the man take off his mask. Wiping the tears from his eyes, the Saiyan looked up to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. Seeing the same white mustache and green hat he recognized from his childhood, he shot forward and pulled Gohan into a hug.

"Grandpa," The Saiyan said in disbelief. "I-It's been a long time."

"I know my boy," Gohan replied, sighing as he patted the boy's back. This was the first time he had seen him break down like this. He worried about how much his grandson had been through. "I know."

"But how?" Raditz asked his grandfather. Shaking his head and looking at the man from head to toe, he hugged Gohan again. "I buried you."

"If you dig me up my bones will probably still be there," Gohan laughed as he pointed to the halo above his head. "The fortune teller came to me in the Afterlife. Said she needed a fifth fighter for a fight against you and your friends. I couldn't miss out on seeing you again, kid."

"Wait, who's that old guy?" Krillin asked in confusion as he watched Raditz actually show an emotion other than boredom. "He used some kind of spell on Raditz? Why's he hugging him?"

"That's Gohan," Master Roshi told his students, continuing despite their widened eyes. "Raditz's dead grandfather."

"B-But how?" Yamcha spat out, looking at the Saiyan and his grandfather speaking. That couldn't be right. It didn't look like a zombie. "It has to be one of Baba's tricks huh? Raditz said Gohan's dead."

"My sister possesses many abilities," The turtle hermit answered, stroking his beard. A smile crept on his face as he saw his longtime student breathing and kicking again. "Including bringing back the dead."

"I'm so proud of how much stronger you've gotten," Gohan told his adoptive grandson, stroking the Saiyan's hair. He had watched the boy's fight with Spike with great astonishment. "To have learned the Afterimage and become the World Champion at your age is an amazing feat. I expected nothing less from you."

"This is the part where we fight now," Raditz said with a gulp, sighing as he dropped into his signature stance. He wished they had more time to talk but he knew Bulma was waiting on him. Unfortunately, his own grandfather was the last leg of the race.

"I suppose so," Gohan said, smiling at his grandson as he dropped into his fighting stance. This had been the right choice. He needed it. "I suppose I am the only thing standing in the way of you reuniting with that lady friend of yours."

"I'm happy for y'all," The human martial artist told his Saiyan teenager as he fell into the fighting stance he had taught the boy. "I've always wanted to be Great Grandpa Gohan."

Raditz held back a smile as he looked at Gohan's flawless fighting stance, nearly identical to his own but much more refined and free flowing. Gohan hadn't lost a step at all it seemed. The Saiyan pressed the button of his scouter to scan the Human fighter. '500,' He read back to himself. 'So we're even? Is this his full power?'

"This won't do," Gohan said, scouting the indoor arena they were fighting in. "If I'm going to be fighting at my full potential I'm going to need some fresh air."

"Me too," Raditz replied, shooting through the roof of the palace much to Baba's disdain. Seeing Gohan follow him into the clouds, the Saiyan smirked as his aura flared around him. "Don't hold back."

"Not that I can anymore," Gohan exclaimed as he shot towards the Saiyan with a firm kick. Seeing Raditz's hand raise and deflect his kick, the old man grinned. "You've improved, that's for sure."

Expelling his ki outwards through his palm to stagger the Human back, Raditz lunged his body forward with speed that very few could pull off. Coated in an aura of purple flames that danced vibrantly around his body, he rammed a punch towards his grandfather.

Moving off instincts, Gohan stepped backwards with minimal effort, avoiding the cross that Raditz had thrown. Changing from the defensive back to the offensive as the opportunity presented itself, the elderly fighter sent a roundhouse kick at his Saiyan opponent. While Raditz was definitely fast, Gohan was just as fast if not quicker. Before Raditz could even see what was happening, the old man's foot made contact with his shoulder and he was sent backwards, crashing through a building.

"Keep it up old man," The Saiyan taunted, blasting back into Gohan's range. Gohan predicted this and lashed out with a two punch combination. Slipping one and blocking the other, Raditz was able to counterattack with a flipping axe kick. "I didn't know you could move so fast. My blood's boiling."

Gohan's mind wandered as he just barely avoided the Saiyan's attack by slipping out of the way with it. He hadn't remembered his grandson being this skilled the last time they'd ever fought. Gohan pondered on if he'd been baited into the counterattack or if it was just luck. However Raditz wasted no time in following up on the attack with a crossing straight that Gohan was forced to roll with.

Gohan's eyes widened at Raditz's fluidity and speed. His grandson had definitely gotten better in the two years he'd been gone. He had come quite a way from the rowdy little Saiyan child that had crashed on Earth many years ago. Gohan had always believed in the boy's potential but to see him grow in power so quickly was astounding. He had transitioned from an overly aggressive fighter into one of the more polished fighters in the world.

Lost in his thoughts, the elderly Gohan was unable to move out of the jab that Raditz had thrown, noticing it far too late and being knocked to his feet. Grimacing as he pushed himself back to his feet, the martial arts master patiently awaited his grandson to present him with an opportunity to counterattack. Seeing it, a mean jab of his own launched towards Raditz as he slipped under the Saiyan's hook. Surprising the old man, Raditz managed to effortlessly avoid the jab with the afterimage technique.

This carried on for several minutes as both combatants relentlessly charged each other, both of the two getting their fair share of beatings in and getting beat on. Shock waves ruptured the air apart as their fists collided at the high speed they were moving. The fabrics on their fighting uniforms ripped apart as sparks of ki fizzed past both Gohan and Raditz's bodies. Before long, both fighters were decorated in a second skin of sweat and bruises.

"I guess we see where Raditz gets the way he fights from," Yamcha commented, watching from below as the two fighters lashed out at one again. Gohan was just as skilled as his Saiyan friend was but it almost seemed like he knew what the Saiyan's next move would be.

"That Gohan sure is something else," Roshi admitted, watching the way Gohan moved. Waiting till the last possible minute to weave or counterattack, the Turtle Hermit flashed a grin as the similarities between he and Raditz showed. "There's a reason he was my strongest student before you three came along."

"I was wondering how far you'd come in your training," Gohan said to the Saiyan, stopping midair. Hunkering down to channel his energy, the Human began charging a Kamehameha Wave. "This will give me my answer." He finished, unleashing the fully-charged attack at the boy.

'That thing's huge,' Raditz thought to himself, charging a Kamehameha blast of his own. He had to be quick, he could feel the heat coming as Gohan's attack charged towards him. 'It's bigger than Roshi's.'

"KAMEHAMEHA!" The Saiyan yelled, sending out his fully charged attack. Though smaller than Gohan's had been, it met the other destruction wave in the middle of the clouds, splitting apart entire clouds and hissing wildy as the entire city was cloaked in a blue blanket of light. Struggling for supremacy over the other, both beams pushed towards the other as the two Kamehameha users poured more energy into the attacks. "HA!" Raditz added, pouring all of his energy into the attack.

In a bang and then a flash, both Gohan and Raditz were sent falling to the ground. Striking the ground, both were quick to their feet. While Raditz had hunkered back into his fighting stance, his grandfather simply turned to Baba with a raised arm.

"I quit," Gohan said to everyone's shock. Raditz stood frozen in his offensive stance, gritting his teeth. Of course his grandfather had found a way to concede. "My job is done."

"What do you mean!" Baba squealed from the sidelines as her final fighter was defeated. Pulling the Dragon Ball out she sighed. "That wasn't what we agreed to! You know I hate losing to my brother."

"We weren't done fighting," Raditz told his grandfather as his aura died around him. He knew it was just like Gohan to stop in the middle of their fighting. "You don't get to do that this time… not when I don't know when I'll see you again!" The Saiyan said sadly.

"We weren't but I was just testing you," Gohan admitted, walking to his grandson and giving him a hug. He held the taller Saiyan for almost ten seconds before sniffing and wiping a tear that came to him. It had been quite some time and shortly, it would be much more. "I have about twenty minutes left before I have to go back. I don't want to spend it fighting."

Raditz sighed, knowing that Gohan was on borrowed time. It bothered him knowing that he'd have to say goodbye again soon. He wished he could tell him about the Dragon Balls and about Bulma and how he had mastered the Oozaru. He didn't say anything though, choosing to cherish what little time the two had together as he and Gohan walked over to where everybody awaited him.

After twenty minutes had passed, it was time for Gohan to return to the Afterlife. After bidding his grandson and friends farewell, Gohan handed the final Dragon Ball to Raditz before fading to nothingness. Raditz grimaced and felt his already heavy heart tug at him as he watched his grandfather return to his heavenly home. He already missed Gohan again.

Back on Roshi's island, the final orb was placed with the other six they had gathered from the Red Ribbon Army previously.

As the Eternal Dragon was summoned, lightning cackled around the small island as darkness flooded the sky. Swirling across the sky before looking down at who had summoned him forth, Shenron's roar bellowed through the air as the emerald dragon spoke.

"You who have summoned me," The dragon roared. As he flashed his crimson eyes, Shenron continued. "Speak your wish and have it granted."

"We wish for all the damage that the Red Ribbon Army did to be erased," Raditz stated clear enough for Shenron to hear. "Every life they've taken and buildings they destroyed to be restored."

"It shall be done," Shenron growled, flashing his eyes once again as a golden flash flooded the sky. As he disappeared the Dragon Balls rose to the sky and scattered across the globe. Raditz, seeing this, managed to hover up and grab one before they could shoot to whoever knew where.

"Now if anybody wants to make a wish they have to come see Bulma and I," The Saiyan said with a smirk on his face. Putting the ball in his satchel, Raditz's heart fluttered as he felt Bulma's signature energy return to her body. There was so much he had to tell her. So much training they had to get to.

"Where are you going now?" Yamcha asked, turning to Raditz. "After you return to Bulma that is?"

"I still have to find Gero," Raditz grumbled, shooting into the sky as he prepared to leave the island and his friends. "Just because my woman lives it doesn't mean that I don't want his head." He finished, afterwards blasting in the direction of Capsule Corporations after waving goodbye to his brothers.

The Crane Hermit sat to himself in his dojo, watching as one his two pupils trained in front of him. He had just gotten news that his brother, Tao, had been killed. Though he couldn't show it, Shen was devastated. He was already asking around for any intel he could get on the battle.

"Master, we have a visitor," A three eyed man said, coming in with the lilac haired Ranfan. Putting a finger to the woman's head he waited for his master's approval. Things were heating up. Better to cut all loose ends early. "Should I assassinate her or let her explain?"

"Let her speak," Shen sneered, turning to see who had dared to enter his dojo. Seeing the purple hair that reminded him of his past, the crane hermit stroked his beard. His eyes narrowed as he saw his own granddaughter in the triclops' grasp. "Ahh, don't you look like your grandmother's twin?" The Crane Hermit snickered teasingly.

"Hello grandfather," Ranfan sighed, released from Tien's clutch at his master's nod. "Pleased to see you again."

"So, why have you shown your face?" Shen interjected. He hadn't heard from Fanfan in years, not since their daughter had died in childbirth many years ago. "How is your grandmother during these times?"

"Nana died years ago," Ranfan answered, looking down as she revealed this. Wiping a tear from her eyes, she stared at the Crane Hermit. "I came to train. There's somebody I need to get stronger to beat."

"Who is that?" Shen asked with a smirk. So, his own bloodline had returned to the Crane style.

"The World Champion." Ranfan said, bowing to her grandfather as a sign of respect. She knew of the cruel crane school. Her grandmother had told her to avoid it as long as she could but she couldn't. She was the great Master Shen's granddaughter. "A turtle student." She made sure to add.

Power Levels

Raditz: 500

Gohan: 500