A/N: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Ki! Five Elements is back, baby! Thank you to all my readers who waited patiently while I took a break from this story; as promised, now I've finished the first season, so it's time for the Origin stories, and first up is Gohan! Time to see how the Avatar and the Demi Saiyan met and became close. I hope you'll like it; I put a lot of thought into making it work. Now, without any more interruptions, it's time for Five Elements!
Disclaimer – I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Avatar: The Legend of Aang
Chapter19 – The Avatar and the Oozaru child
It has been days since the Siege on the North Pole. After the Gang managed to defeat Admiral Zhao's forces, they decided to start their journey to the Earth Kingdom by sailing with Master Pakku and his crew. It was late at night, and everyone was supposed to have been asleep, but the Energybender lay wide awake in his bed. He just couldn't stop thinking about all that had happened since the day he reunited with the Avatar. Even though he and his friends have done a lot to help people and have gotten stronger, he still felt like this war was far from over and it wasn't going to get any easier. "We've all come a long way since we started this journey, especially Aang," he thought. He then remembered that he had his own purpose to fulfill once this war was over; he climbed out of his bed and walked onto the ship's deck.
He stared into the night sky, thinking about how life was so much simpler for him before he met Gyatso and Aang; he met many new fighters, learned new techniques from a few masters, gained a couple of enemies, and overall got much stronger. He could feel that he was one step closer to completing his own objective. As the Energybender was collecting his thoughts, he sensed someone coming onto the deck; he looked over and smiled when he saw the Avatar coming to gaze at the stars. "Hey Aang, can't sleep?" he inquired.
Aang turned and saw his best friend approaching him. "Oh, hey Gohan," he greeted. "Just been finding it hard to sleep lately."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Gohan offered.
"Not really," Aang replied.
"Ok." The two boys then went back to stargazing. "Nice night, huh?"
Aang nodded. "Yeah, it's nights like these that almost make me forget that we're in the middle of a war."
"We've come a long way from the Southern Air Temple," Gohan commented.
"We've been through so much since we've met and even more since we met Katara and Sokka," Aang said.
"Sure, a lot of bad things have happened, and we've made a few enemies, but some good things have happened, too," Gohan stated. "You learned Waterbending, I improved my fighting skills, Katara became a Master Waterbender, and Sokka... learned some things." The boys laughed at Gohan's last comment. "The point is that we've matured a lot and we're not gonna stop until we've ended this war for good."
"But do you really think I'll be able to master the elements and defeat the Fire Lord in time?" the monk asked.
"I have no doubt, you just have to believe in yourself, bro," Gohan answered.
"Thanks, Gohan," Aang said gratefully.
"Anytime," Gohan replied. "Try to get some sleep; you'll need your strength if you want to start training with Bumi." Aang nodded before leaving to get back to sleep. After a few minutes, Gohan decided that he should try to resume sleeping as well; he made his way back to his bed and closed his eyes. As he drifted to sleep, he began to remember how he met his Airbending friend.
Flashback, 108 years ago
Deep in the heart of a mysterious forest that was close to a nearby town, a 6 year old boy with black, spiky hair, black eyes, and a brown monkey tail, wearing an orange and blue Gi, a red headband, and a smaller sword strapped to his back was jumping through the forest. The young boy was leaping from branch to branch before he landed on the ground and started running; he looked behind him to see a Saber Tooth Moose Lion charging after him. The boy smiled as the beast ran faster to catch him. The adventurous kid continued to run with the animal right on his tail (literally and figuratively) before he started increasing in speed, gaining some distance from his pursuer. "Come on, Mr. Moose Lion, you're gonna have to go faster if you wanna catch me!" the boy taunted the animal. The beast roared as it ran faster and tried to claw at Gohan's tail. "Whoa, almost got me that time." The two continued their game of cat and mouse until Gohan suddenly turned right; the beast couldn't react fast enough and crashed antler first into a tree. The Moose Lion roared as it attempted to remove its antlers, but they stuck to the bark. "Don't worry, I'll help you!" said Gohan as he approached the animal.
He jumped onto the Moose Lion's antlers and planted his feet against a tree; with a mighty heave, Gohan pushed against the tree and forced the horns free. The Moose Lion shook its head before roaring at Gohan and turning away to leave, apparently not interested in chasing him again. "Awww, you're giving up already?!" Gohan asked. "Well, ok then! Maybe we can do this again tomorrow?!" The boy waved at the beast as it disappeared from his sight; Gohan then started jumping from branch to branch and swinging on vines with a happy expression on his face. He eventually stopped when he heard a rumbling sound; he patted his stomach as it growled again but louder. "Guess all that exercising made me hungry," he said. "I'm in the mood for fish today!" The boy wandered over to a lake where he dipped his tail in and waited; after a few minutes, a giant fish jumped out of the water and prepared to bite him. Gohan quickly kicked it away and tackled it back into the water. The two wrestled with each other while emerging and submerging; it finally ended with Gohan emerging from the lake victorious while dragging the giant unconscious fish. "Hmm, gonna need some fruit to go with this meal," he mused.
Gohan carried the fish over to a large tree. Once there, he picked up a large leaf before jumping at the tree and kicking it numerous times. When he stopped, he held out the leaf as a cluster of berries fell from the tree. He caught them all and placed them beside his fish; he sat down and started munching on the fruit. When he finished, he wiped his mouth and said, "Alright, time for the main course!" He then cut a branch off from the tree and carved it into a stake before sticking it into the fish. He placed the fish down and gathered a few pieces of wood. He then picked up a rock and struck his sword with it; after a couple of strikes, the sparks managed to light a fire with the wood. He placed the fish over the fire and waited for it to cook. When it was done, he devoured it instantly and patted his stomach which expanded for a second until he let out a breath of relief. Gohan then looked at the sky and saw that the sun was setting. "It's getting late, guess I'd better find some shelter," he decided before he sheathed his blade and trekked off.
He eventually placed himself in a small cave; he took off his clothes and folded them to use as a pillow. He stared at the night sky, gazing at the half moon and the numerous stars in the firmament."The sky sure is beautiful tonight," he sighed. "Especially the moon. Though I would love to see a full moon and gaze at it for a couple of hours, I always seem to fall asleep after looking at it for a second." His mind then trailed back to the legends he heard surrounding the full moon. "This beast that appears during the full moon, some say it's an angry spirit beast while others say it's a destructive monster! I've never seen it before, yet people claim that it exists! How can I always be asleep when it appears?" he wondered before he slowly drifted to sleep.
The next day
Gohan woke up to the sun rising and shining on his face; he yawned as he sat up and scratched his head with his tail. "Morning, huh? Guess it's time for some breakfast," he thought before he put on his clothes grabbed his sword and headed out into the woods.
Inside the town, an Airbending monk and his young pupil had just entered and requested to take refuge there for a few nights. The monk had noticed that many of the people in town were busy gathering food and supplies and carrying them to what looked like an underground shelter. The monk had asked the village leader what everyone was preparing for. "The Wrath of the Oozaru," the leader replied.
"I beg your pardon?" the monk inquired.
"The Oozaru is a giant monstrous ape that appears during the full moon and destroys everything in its path!" he explained. "No one knows where it came from, only that it has laid numerous towns to waste in the last 2 years. Its stomp can create massive earthquakes, its fists can shatter mountains, its roar can level a forest, and its breath of fire can wipe out an entire city!" The leader seemed shaken up a bit from just thinking about while the monk was disturbed by this. "No one knows where to find it. Many have tried to track it down, but it only appears under the full moon, and when the day comes, it disappears completely without a trace. Our best hope is to attack it head-on when it appears, but nothing is capable of hurting it; water, earth, even Firebending attacks cannot faze it. We can only distract it so that the people can get to safety, and wait out the night."
"Perhaps I can offer some assistance," the Airbender suggested. "Allow me to assist you in this time of crisis as gratitude for your hospitality. My people don't normally bother with other nations' problems because we try to detach ourselves from the world, but I fear that this beast will eventually make its way to our homes if not stopped, so I need to see it in order to help my people prepare for it in the future."
"Hmm, very well, my friend, you may start by helping us load our things into the underground hideout," he instructed the Airbender. "But be warned, once dusk arrives, all who value their lives must get to safety immediately! Anyone still above ground when the Oozaru appears is to survive on their own." He then left to check on his people's progress.
The monk was about to assist the people in their preparations when he felt someone tugging on his robe; he looked down and smiled at his disciple. "Gyatso, may I please explore the forest?" the boy asked.
"Of course, Aang, if you hope to become one with nature and treasure its life, you must see it for yourself," Gyatso answered. "But make sure to be back here by the time the sun sets, as we must not be out when the village is being attacked."
Aang was so excited about getting to explore the woods that he didn't bother to ask about what would attack the town. The young Airbender ran off into the forest eagerly. He wandered around aimlessly while spotting many different animals; he eventually spotted a Badger frog and began mimicking it. He hopped along after it before it finally leaped into the bushes. Aang searched for the creature while calling, "Here, little Froggy! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" He then heard some rustling in the bushes and went to look in them. He spotted a pair of eyes and attempted to touch the creature, but before he could, the head of a wolf came out and tried to bite Aang's hand. The little Airbender pulled his hand away and moved back as a pack of wolves came out growling at him."Heh heh, nice doggies, good boys," Aang said nervously. "Please don't eat me."
In response, the wolves lunged at Aang; instinctively, the boy used his Airbending to blow them back, but it was a weak attack, so the pack just shook it off. Aang quickly got to his feet and started running with the wolves chasing after him. He ran through the forest as fast as he could, and although he was slightly faster than an ordinary man due to his Airbending training, the wolves were pretty quick too and managed to keep up with him. One of them actually managed to slash Aang's leg, causing him to trip and fall down a hill. Aang crashed into a stump and grasped his right leg in pain. The wolves started to slowly creep closer to their prey. The young Airbender tried to defend himself by blasting them with air attacks, but they did little to affect the predators. The wolves bared their fangs, which made Aang tremble with fear. The Alpha then ordered the pack to stop and prepared to advance on Aang alone; it jumped at the little boy with its jaws wide open. Aang closed his eyes as he waited for the wolf to chomp down on his head.
Suddenly, something intercepted the beast by tackling it before it got to Aang; the Alpha rolled on the ground as the attacker landed in front of the Airbender. Aang opened his eyes to see a black, spiky-haired boy about his age wearing an orange Gi and a red headband, and had a sword strapped to his back, standing defensively in front of him. The Alpha stood up and shook its head; when it noticed Gohan, it growled at him. Gohan glared at the wolf before looking at the kid he saved. "Don't worry, just stay back," Gohan instructed as he smiled at the boy. He then got on all fours and started circling the Alpha while growling. (A/N: Imagine Gohan under the influence of his programming from Goku's space pod.) Gohan roared and jumped at the wolf, which pounced at him in return. The Alpha came out on top when it pinned Gohan to the ground, but the young fighter countered by biting its left leg, forcing it to back away. Gohan then jumped onto the wolf's back and bit down on it; the Alpha howled in pain as it started shaking itself in an attempt toss his enemy off. The lead wolf then bashed its back into a tree with Gohan on it, causing the boy to let go of his back and fall to the ground.
The Alpha then barked at its pack, ordering them to advance on the boy; pretty soon, Gohan was surrounded by ten wolves, (including the Alpha) ready to rip him to shreds. Aang watched worriedly as the predators formed a circle around his defender, since if he ended up losing, they would both be wolf chow. Gohan stood his ground as his eyes moved warily from wolf to wolf. The first wolf, probably the Beta, lunged at Gohan but was kicked away. Another one pounced at Gohan and landed on the boy's back, pinning him down. Gohan grabbed that wolf's tail with his own and tossed him into another wolf. Two wolves tried to attack Gohan at the same time, but he jumped back, making them crash into each other before kicking them both away. One wolf managed to get a hold of Gohan's right arm while another one got his left; the boy smirked before he bashed the wolves together, causing them to release him due to headache pain. Gohan smiled until he felt a sharp pain near his back; he looked behind himself to see that one of the wolves got the best of him and bit his tail. "Lucky dog," Gohan muttered before he collapsed in agony. The remaining two wolves, one of them being the Alpha, slowly approached the paralyzed Gohan.
Wanting to help, Aang created a ball of wind and threw at the wolf that held Gohan's tail. The airball crashed into the ground and created a dust wave that stung the wolf's eyes and nose, making him release Gohan's tail. Getting his strength back, Gohan immediately kicked the wolf in the muzzle as the other two turned to Aang in anger. Before they could attack, Gohan skull bashed the other wolf before grabbing the Alpha's tail and tossing him away. Gohan then stood in front of Aang and drew his sword; the ten wolves regrouped and stood before the two boys. Gohan swung his blade madly and sliced off a piece of bark before pointing his weapon at the pack. Deciding not to do something they'd regret, the wolves backed down and left the two boys. Gohan sighed as he sheathed his weapon. He then went over to Aang, who was grasping his leg in pain. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked the Airbender.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Aang replied while rubbing his leg. "Though, I think one of them got my leg."
"Let me see," Gohan instructed. He inspected Aang's leg and saw three red lines going horizontally. ""You need help. Let me take you to my home so I can patch you up." The spiky-haired boy placed one of Aang' arms over his shoulder, and the two began to walk through the forest. The duo eventually made it to Gohan's cave; there he rested Aang against a rock while he went to gather some ointment. Gohan mashed up a few plants and mixed them together. Once the ointment was made, Gohan brought it over to the injured Airbender. "Hold still, this is gonna sting... a lot," he warned Aang, He pressed the ointment against Aang's ankle, which made the Airbender hiss in pain. After he patched Aang's leg, Gohan started sharpening his sword.
"Thanks for saving me and patching me up," Aang said to the spiky-haired boy. "My name's Aang."
"My name's Gohan, and you're welcome, Aang," Gohan replied.
"So, you live here?" Aang asked.
Gohan nodded. "Yeah, I've been wandering for as long as I can remember," he answered. "I usually travel around a lot, so I'm not in one place for long."
"Just by yourself?' Aang questioned.
"It does seem like I'm lonely, but I do get to meet a few interesting people on my journey," Gohan said.
"So, where are you going exactly?" Aang inquired.
"Nowhere in particular, I just go to different places hoping to get stronger," Gohan responded. His stomach suddenly started to growl, as did Aang's. "I guess we'd both better get something for lunch." Gohan then helped Aang up and carried him through the woods; they eventually stopped at a berry patch and hid in the trees. They stayed there for about five minutes before Aang asked, "Uh, what are we waiting for?" Gohan put his finger to his mouth, telling to stay quiet before he pointed over to the berry bush. An Armadillo Bear had just rolled over to the bush and was munching on the berries. Gohan pulled out his sword in response, which surprised Aang. "W-What are you doing?" he asked. "I'm about to get our lunch," Gohan answered as he prepared to jump at the beast, but at the last second Aang instinctively grabbed his tail, causing him to stop his assault and dangle above the animal. The animal stopped eating and took a few sniffs. Aang quickly pulled Gohan back up as the creature turned around, only to see no one. The Armadillo Bear continued to sniff around as the boys hid in the trees; the animal eventually started smelling the tree the boys were in, but after a few whiffs, it backed away and ran off.
Aang sighed and rested against the tree as Gohan laid on the branch, glaring at him. "Great, it's gone, now can you let go of my tail?" he asked bitterly.
The young Airbender realized he was still holding Gohan's tail and let it go. Gohan reclaimed his appendage and started massaging it. "Why do you have a real tail?" Aang inquired.
"I don't know, I was just born with it," Gohan replied. "Now then, what was that all about?! Why'd you stop me from getting our lunch?!"
"W-Well, I didn't want you to get hurt?" he answered, though he didn't seem sure.
"I would've been fine. I've done this kind of thing before and you just saw me take on a pack of wolves," Gohan retorted.
"Ok, but you can't just attack an animal to eat it! The monks taught me that all life is sacred, even that of the tiniest insect," Aang said. "Plus, I'm a vegetarian, so I couldn't stand by and watch you attack it like that. I'm sorry."
"It's fine, but I guess we'll just have to get something else to eat," Gohan amended. The two then got up and began searching the woods for something to fill their stomachs. Pretty soon, they found numerous fruits for Aang to eat and a large fish for Gohan to munch on; although Aang was a little disturbed by the capturing and eating of the fish, he decided to let it go and just eat his own food in peace. After a few minutes, Gohan asked Aang, "So, what are you doing out here in the woods alone?"
"I'm actually not here alone," Aang replied. "I'm on a trip with my guardian. He said I could explore the woods while he helped the villagers. Which reminds me, I have to get back to the town before the sets."
"How come?" Gohan inquired.
"Gyatso wants us to get to safety before the village gets attacked," Aang answered.
"Who would want to attack the village after sunset?" Gohan questioned.
"I... forgot to ask him," Aang admitted sheepishly. "I guess I'll just have to ask him when I get back to the town. Bye Gohan, see ya later!" The Air trainee tried to leave, but his leg ached and he tripped; he would've fallen on his face if Gohan hadn't caught him. "Phew, thanks."
"You're still hurt from your run-in with the wolf pack, so you shouldn't strain yourself," Gohan advised him. "Let me help you get back to town."
"Sure thing, thanks," Aang said gratefully.
The two started walking together through the woods to reach the village. "So, you're an Airbender?" Gohan asked Aang, trying to start up a conversation.
"In training," Aang corrected. "My caretaker is the one teaching me Airbending. What about you? Are you a bender?"
"I am, I'm an Energybender," Gohan replied. "At least I would be if there was someone to teach me."
"Don't you have someone to train you?" Aang inquired.
Gohan shook his head. "That's why I spend most of my time in the woods. I have to train myself and figure out how to use my abilities," Gohan explained. "Many of the places I've traveled to don't have Energybenders since they're rare, and no one else wants to train someone whose bending was meant for an outcast."
"What about your parents, can't they teach you?" Aang suggested.
Gohan's face suddenly turned sad. "I don't...my parents are gone," Gohan answered. "At least, that's what I think. I don't really remember much about them or my little brother; all I know is that something happened to them two years ago, and they were gone. I've been alone ever since."
Aang looked at the Energybender with pity. "I'm sorry to hear that, Gohan."
"It's not your fault, besides I got over it," Gohan said, but Aang got the feeling that he was lying.
"What about friends? Don't you have any friends?" Aang asked.
"My travels kinda make it hard for me to have friends," Gohan responded. "Besides, most people that I've met have no interest in being friends with me since I'm different even amongst the benders."
"Well, you can be my friend, Gohan," Aang offered.
Gohan smiled at the little monk. "Thanks, Aang. I'd like that."
The two boys eventually made it back to the village; they stumbled in and looked around for Monk Gyatso. They eventually spotted him carrying food into the underground shelter. "Hey, Gyatso!" Aang called to his master. Gyatso looked over and saw his student coming toward him while being assisted by another boy. The Air master put down the food he was carrying and rushed over to his pupil. "Aang, are you alright?! What happened to your leg?!" he asked.
"I got into a bit of trouble, but it's okay, my new friend here saved me," Aang explained as he gestured to the Energybender.
Gyatso eyed the young boy curiously, which made Gohan a little nervous. He then noticed the brown appendage sticking out of Gohan's back. "He's got a tail!" Gyatso stated.
"Yeah, he was kinda born with it," Aang said.
"What an interesting young man," Gyatso mused. "What's your name?"
"It's Gohan, sir," Gohan answered.
"Please, call me Gyatso," the monk insisted.
"Well, nice to meet you Gyatso. I just wanted to make sure that Aang got back to you safely," Gohan said. "So, I'll just go now." The Energybender turned to leave and started walking away from the Air Nomads.
"Hold on a minute," Gyatso spoke, getting Gohan's attention. "Where are you going, boy?"
"Back to the forest," Gohan replied.
"But it's almost sundown, and I don't think the forest will protect you from the monster," Gyatso argued.
"Monster?" Gohan questioned.
"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you about that," Aang remembered. "What's going to attack the village?"
"Well boys, on the night of a full moon, a giant monstrous ape appears and does truly terrible things," Gyatso explained. "Which is why we must beware, for once the full moon appears, no one is completely safe from this monster's rampage."
"Oh, then Gohan shouldn't go back into the forest alone," Aang realized.
Gyatso nodded. "Yes Aang, and so, I ask that you stay with us for the time being as gratitude for helping Aang, at least until morning," Gyatso offered.
"I don't know," Gohan said, feeling unsure about this.
"Come on, Gohan, it'll be great to spend the night with some friends than by yourself, right?" Aang asked.
Gohan thought about this for a minute before replying, "Okay, I'll stay with you guys! It's better than being alone!"
"Alright!" Aang cheered.
Gyatso smiled at his pupil's enthusiasm. "Alright boys, wash up and get ready for bed. We can only get a few minutes of sleep before the full moon is out," he instructed the children. Moments later, the villagers had finished loading supplies into their underground stronghold and were awaiting the rise of the full moon while trying to get some sleep, hoping that the Mighty Oozaru would not appear tonight. The village leader was assembling benders and warriors to fight with; there were many Waterbenders, Earthbenders, and Firebenders who had traveled from their nation to aid the town, as well as non-benders from each country. They set up defenses all over the villages and placed lookouts for the leader to be alerted to the great ape's approach beforehand.
Late at night, inhabitants were waiting patiently inside their homes; some were sleeping while others huddled together in fear. Inside their place of refuge, Aang, and Gohan were snoozing soundly while Monk Gyatso was keeping watch. The Energybender then woke up and rubbed his eyes; he got up and moved to exit their hut. "Where are you going, young one?" Gyatso asked Gohan when he noticed him leaving. "I have to use the bathroom, I'll be right back," Gohan assured the monk. The monkey prince entered the restroom to do his business; when he was done he fixed himself and prepared to go back to his friends, when at that moment, the full moon had appeared. The moonlight had caught Gohan's attention, and he looked up, catching a glimpse of the full moon. "Wow, I always forget how pretty the full moon is," he thought. "I could stare at it for hou..." His thoughts suddenly stopped, and his mind became blank as he continued to stare at the full moon. His eyes grew wide, his pupils changed from black to red, his heart began to beat faster, and his tail started twitching wildly. Suddenly, his teeth sharpened into fangs and his muscles expanded slightly while ripping through his clothes.
Gohan let out a bloodcurdling cry, his transformation taking a full swing. His body continued to expand as black fur grew from his body. His pupils disappeared and his eyes became entirely red, his ears became pointy, and his mouth grew into a muzzle. The young boy's body rose all the way toward the ceiling and continued to expand, cracking through the canopy.
"Sir, it's the full moon! Just like the in legend!" the village lieutenant called.
"Yes lieutenant, indeed it is about to begin," the village leader said. "This is the hour that we have prepared for!"
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant agreed.
"Send out troops to escort all of the villagers to the underground bunker! Tell all the benders and warriors to get into their positions! We must protect our home at all cost!" the leader ordered.
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant saluted.
Village troops began going into homes and escorting people out before leading them into their safe haven, while scouts remained positioned in watchtowers, keeping a lookout. Benders and armed warriors were preparing for battle. One of the troopers entered Gyatso and Aang's place. "Airbender, it's time to go!" he told them. "We'll be right with you," Gyatso replied. The soldier nodded before leaving to continue his job; the monk went over to his sleeping student and shook him lightly. "Aang, wake up. It's time for us to move," he said. Aang woke up and yawned. "Where's Gohan?" he asked when he saw that his friend wasn't present. "He had to use the bathroom; he'll catch up with us," Gyatso answered. "Now let's go, boy." The two Airbenders left their place of refuge and joined the multitude of people being led into the underground shelter. They both glanced over to the restroom where their third party was supposed to be before looking away. Suddenly, there was a loud noise of something crashing on the ground. Everyone turned around and became horrified when they saw that the giant beast they wanted to avoid was already in the village.
"Sir! Sir!" the lieutenant cried. "The Oozaru… it's in the village!"
"What?! How did it get in without being spotted?!" the leader questioned.
"No one knows, sir! But it's here!" the lieutenant responded.
"Tell the troops to finish getting the civilians to safety!" the leader ordered. "Get as many Earthbenders as possible and have them form a barrier around the beast!"
"Yes sir!" the soldier obeyed.
The Oozaru stood in the building that was the bathroom before jumping into the air and landing in the center of the village; it roared before smashing its fist into one of the empty buildings, causing it to crumble. People screamed in fear and started hastily running toward the shelter. The two Airbenders were lost in the crowd and became separated from each other. Many Earthbenders surrounded the monster and bent a massive stone wall around it, but the mighty beast just smashed his way out. "Ready the catapults!" the leader ordered. The ape went back to smashing buildings while the catapults were brought forth. Once they were set up and loaded, the leader yelled, "Fire at will!" and numerous boulders went flying into the sky before colliding with the Oozaru. The beast only roared in anger as it threw its fist forward and smashed one of the catapults. "Benders, attack now! Hit it with everything you've got! Soldiers, reload the catapults!" the Village leader instructed. Waterbenders came and launched a wave of water from wherever they could pull it out from in the village, Earthbenders tossed large chunks of the earth at the beast, and Firebenders shot enormous flames at it; all the attacks hit the ape continuously and simultaneously, but the monster countered by letting out a massive roar that created a shockwave that shattered some homes, destroyed the catapults, and blew all of the defenders of the village away.
"Sir, none of our attacks are doing any damage to it! What should we do?!" the lieutenant asked.
"Don't lose heart, my comrades! This is our duty, so we must see it through to the end!" the leader stated.
The Oozaru then opened its mouth and let out a beam of light; the blast flew over the protectors' heads and crashed into tall buildings. The explosion took out four homes and two watchtowers, and left a gigantic crater in the ground. All of the fighters stared at the monster in terror as it glared back at them and roared again; the village leader quickly pulled himself together and resumed giving orders. "Waterbenders, try to muzzle the beast! I want to make sure it can't use that strange breath of fire again! Earthbenders, see if you can restrain its limbs! Once it's immobilized, we'll attack it with unrelenting force! Firebenders, I want you to set that monster on fire! Make sure it burns! And everyone...!" He stopped speaking to look at the full moon in despair. "Better pray to the spirits, we might be joining them soon enough."
Aang got up and looked toward the Mighty Oozaru; he started shaking in fear as it continued to attack the people of the village. He then spotted the damaged bathroom building and thought, "Gohan must still be in there! He's probably hiding from the monster; I've got to help him!" The young monk ran over to where the chaos was taking place while Gyatso had made it out of the crowd and looked around for his pupil. "Aang! Aang!" he called, but he got no answer. He then saw Aang running toward the battlefield and cried, "Aang, stop! Come back!" before rushing after his disciple.
The battle raged on as the village began to catch fire. Waterbenders used the last of their water to create an ice muzzle and bend it around the Oozaru's mouth, preventing it from roaring or firing attacks. Earthbenders had bound its feet to the floor and were trying to do the same to its arms, but the Oozaru swung its tail at them, knocking them away as it broke its restrains. Firebenders were tossing flames at it, but the beast used its arms to block them. It then grabbed one of the soldiers with its massive right hand and began to crush him. The warrior screamed in pain, and the monster threw him into a pile of rubble. The ape them punched the ground and picked up a massive chunk of the earth; it tossed the rock at the warriors, who ran in different directions to evade it. Since the Oozaru could not roar with the ice muzzle, it started pounding its fists against its chest.
Aang ran past the crowd and made his way to the battlefield; he quickly hid behind one of the damaged homes to avoid being spotted. He then looked over at the wrecked bathroom and thought, "I gotta get to Gohan!" He continued his path to where his friend was; some of the soldiers saw Aang trying to slip past the beast and the leader ordered them. "Get that child to safety immediately!" However, the Oozaru saw Aang and glared at him. He threw his left fist at the young Airbender, but before it could strike him, it was hit in the face by a fireball, making it miss its target just as he was grabbed by Gyatso and hidden. The heat from the fireball managed to melt some of the ice muzzle and crack apart the rest, freeing its mouth. It grasped its face and stepped back a bit. "I think that did it, sir!" the lieutenant noted. The monster roared again before smashing both fists on the ground, creating an earthquake that was too strong even for the Earthbenders. Gyatso remained hidden with Aang as he spoke to him. "What were you thinking, child?!" he asked. "How could you be so reckless?! I taught you better than that!"
Aang looked away in shame before saying, "I'm sorry, Gyatso, but Gohan is still trapped in that building. He needs my help!" he pleaded. "He's my friend, and I have to help him!" The monk sighed before saying, "Very well, let's go get your friend." The two Airbenders ran toward the latrine just as the Oozaru turned toward their destination and opened its mouth; it fired another gack beam at the loo, destroying it entirely. Aang and Gyatso stared at the place where the bathroom once was in shock; logic told them that their friend was definitely dead, but what sold it was that among the wreckage was Gohan's sword, shattered into 3 pieces, and his clothes, torn to shreds. The Oozaru faced the sky and fired multiple energy blasts towards the heavens; the blasts came raining down and started new fires with the beast in the center of it, pounding its chest again. Gyatso managed to protect himself and Aang from the attacks by creating an air dome. The monk looked at his broken-hearted pupil with pity; he placed his hand on the crying boy's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry Aang, but we can't stay here. We have to escape now while we can!" The boy continued to cry until he stopped as his eyes started glowing white.
"Retreat! Retreat!" the village leader ordered. The fighters struggled to run away; some of them were injured from the battle, so they were moving much slower than their comrades. The lieutenant stumbled and fell to the ground, and his left leg was then squashed under chunks of stone that went flying from the destruction caused by the great ape. The soldier cried out in pain, which caught the village leader's attention; he rushed back to his second-in-command and heaved the rubble off him. "J-Just go on without me sir! Just go!" the lieutenant insisted. "A good leader never leaves a man behind!" the leader stated as he picked up his follower. The two hurried to safety, but were stopped when they saw the Oozaru looming over them; the beast opened its mouth at them, and prepared to fire another energy attack. The chief and lieutenant closed their eyes as they waited to die, before the beam could be launched, a strong gust of wind slapped the Oozaru in the face, causing it to fire its attack elsewhere. The beast looked over to where his attacker was and spotted little Aang with glowing white eyes.
"You monster! I'm gonna make you pay for all that you've done!" the Airbender declared. The air around him started to build up until the young monk was covered by a dust tornado. "Aang," Gyatso said in shock as he felt the power his pupil was unleashing, and when the tornado ceased, Aang was gone and in his place stood an elderly man with white hair and a long white beard, dressed in a Fire Nation robe and the fire prince's crown. "Avatar Roku!" Gyatso exclaimed as he stared at the man in awe. The old Avatar turned toward the Airbender and looked at him with his glowing white eyes before smiling. "Hello Gyatso, long time no see, my friend," he said before turning back toward the beast; the Oozaru fired a beam at Aang's predecessor, but the experienced Avatar created an air dome to protect him and Gyatso. "I didn't think I'd have to be this world's Avatar again, but it seems I am still needed," Roku observed. "Tonight, the Wrath of the Oozaru ends!" he declared as he bent a giant column of earth that struck the great ape in the jaw, knocking it flat on its back.
"Gyatso, we can't allow this beast to destroy this town any further, so I'm gonna lead it away from the village!" Roku informed him. "I want you to help get the villagers to safety!"
The Air Nomad nodded to his deceased friend, and Roku created an air vortex just as the beast rose to its feet. Roku quickly struck it in the face with a fire attack; it roared in pain before jumping to attack Roku. The old Avatar swerved on his tornado and sailed toward the village gate. The Oozaru jumped from place to place as it tried to catch its prey. Roku then sailed over the village gate and landed on the ground to create a pillar of earth to ride on. The Oozaru smashed through the barrier and continued to pursue the Avatar. Roku led the beast all the way to a waterfall within the forest before stopping to face him. The great ape landed right in front of Roku and glared at him; he then reached for the Avatar, but Roku launched himself to its face with Earthbending and struck it once again with Firebending. Roku didn't stop blasting the beast's face with Firebending until he was struck from the sky by the Oozaru's fist.
The Avatar quickly used Airbending to catch himself. He then created two pillars of earth from the ground with the great ape in between them. Roku clamped his hands together, moving the earth pillars closer to the monster, trying to squash in a giant rock sandwich. The Oozaru spread its arms out to stop the stone walls from crushing him. Roku struggled to keep the pillars in position while the Oozaru struggled to hold them back. Eventually, the earth columns crumbled from the pressures the two opponents were applying to them, and the monster roared with great force, launching the past Avatar into the water. The Ape roared while pounding its chest with its fists. Suddenly the water from the lake began to rise; Avatar Roku stood atop a water vortex as he bent a giant tidal wave at the Oozaru. The water pushed the Oozaru back a bit before swirling around its entire body and encasing in ice. At first, it looked like the monster was defeated, but the ice prison started to crack before shattering completely, with the Oozaru being free. Roku created multiple ice and rock spikes and launched them at the Oozaru. The great ape shielded its face from the spiked attacks. It then roared again as it tried to swat the Avatar out of the sky.
The Oozaru finally got his prey when he grabbed Roku with its right paw; he then put his left paw on his right one and started to crush the Avatar to death. Roku acted quickly by emitting fire his hands, hoping the beast would release him to avoid getting burned, but the ape held on tight as it continued to apply pressure. The old Avatar then created a gale sphere around himself, protecting him from the Oozaru's deadly grip; the Oozaru was persistent in its attempt to crush its prey, but the old man held firm. Sweat started to slide down Roku's face as he gritted his teeth from the strain of fighting against the Oozaru's strength; the monster opened its mouth and fired an energy beam at the Avatar in the air dome, blasting him several feet away in the forest. The monster roared again, thinking it was victorious, when Roku suddenly jumped into the air and descended toward the earth, slamming his fist against the ground. The surface began to split apart as a deep trench was dug into the soil. Roku then rose on an earth pillar as he raised his hands high, pulling out large portions of Magma from within the earth's core. Roku then condensed the magma into balls of heat; he thrust his hands at the beast, hurling the magma orbs at it.
The Oozaru felt a surge of pain when the magma balls pelted its fur; it held its massive arms to defend itself from the raging hot attacks. Roku continued to pound the beast with his magma bombs, until its body was smoking and its fur was singed. Roku then used the last bits of magma to create a fist and then hurled it at the monster. The Oozaru was pushed back more, causing it to dig its feet into the dirt. The beast countered by opening its mouth as wide as it could, and letting out a massive energy attack. The beam soared through the air toward the old Avatar. "That trick's not gonna work on me anymore, beast!" Roku declared as he held up his hands. The blast stopped right at the palms of the Master of all Elements; Roku struggled to control the attack, his arms threatening to give out from the strain of the attack. The Oozaru wasn't finished as it fired more Ki attacks at its opponent, but they all stopped at the Avatar's hands. Finally, Roku gave a mighty yell as he launched the multiple energy attacks back at the Oozaru. The attacks hit the beast dead-on, consuming it in a massive explosion.
Back in the village, Gyatso was guiding children toward the entrance of the underground shelter; suddenly, the town was struck by a massive gale force. All of the villagers covered their faces to shield themselves. The wind was so great that it blew out the rest of fire in the village. When the wind died down, everyone could see the light from the explosion before it turned into a cloud of smoke. "Roku," Gyatso muttered. The Air Nomad brought out his glider staff, opened it up, and ascended to skies to fly toward the battlefield.
When the smoke cleared, Roku stood on his stone pillar taking heavy breaths while the Mighty Oozaru was lying flat on its back. The fur on its arms and legs were burned, its chest had a large burned mark, and its forehead was bleeding as well as its mouth. The Wrath of the Mighty Oozaru had ended. Roku sighed in relief, and when he did, the stone started to crumble. It fell to pieces, causing the retired Avatar to fall to the ground; he created an air vortex to slow down his descent. Once he touched the field, he slowly approached the downed beast. Roku stared at it for a few minutes before pulling more magma from the earth's core. He shaped them into two spears and raised them above the beast; one was near its head, and one at its heart. He slowly raised his hand as he prepared to finish off the creature. Before he could strike, someone shouted, "Avatar Roku!" The old Avatar looked up to see Gyatso landing beside him. "What are you doing?!" he asked his old friend.
"I'm ending this threat once and for all!" Roku answered.
"You're going to kill it, aren't you?" Gyatso asked. Roku gave no answer as he held a neutral expression. "I know it's your duty to protect the world, but killing a creature that is a part of it isn't right."
"This is a monster, Gyatso! It's been doing nothing but causing pain and misery wherever it goes!" Roku argued. "It must be stopped for good!"
"But all life is sacred! Even this creature's life is precious, you can't just end it!" Gyatso pleaded. "There has to be another way."
"There is no other way!" Roku shouted. "This is just like the time where I had a chance to save this world from a war that is soon to come! I could've ended it before it could even begin, but I let my own personal feelings blind me from killing Sozin, only for him to not make that same mistake with me! I cannot make that mistake again! I must end this threat now!"
With nothing more to say, Roku brought his hand down, bending the spikes to impale the beast. At the last second, two energy blasts came out of nowhere and destroyed the magma spears before they could strike the Oozaru. "What was that?!" Roku demanded. "Look!" Gyatso cried as he pointed above the great ape. Standing on the air right above the monster were two beings. The first one had spiky black hair in the shape of the leaves of a palm tree, wearing an orange gi. The 2nd person was a child with green skin, pointy ears, and antennas, wearing a red and white robe with the symbol that meant "Kami." The newcomers descended from the sky and landed in front of the benders. "Who are you?!" Roku asked.
"My name is Goku, and I can't allow you to kill him!" the 1st man announced.
"Him? You talk like it's a person," Gyatso stated.
"He is a person," Goku revealed.
"He is a vicious monster!" Roku argued.
"No, he's not! He's just a boy..." Goku said as he formed an energy disk in his right hand and tossed it at the Oozaru's tail, slicing it clean off. "…And he's my son!" The two benders stared at Goku in shock while the Oozaru began to change; its body decreased in size as its fur disappeared. Its pupils came back, and its fangs disappeared. The great ape groaned one last time before it finished changing back into Gohan.
"How is this possible?!" Roku questioned as he and Gyatso stared at the boy in awe.
"It is an ability passed down from our family," Goku replied. "People like us are born with tails that allow us to transform into giant destructive apes during the full moon. However, if we cannot control this transformation, then our instincts tend to take over, forcing us to destroy everything in our path. And when morning comes, we can never remember what we've done." Goku looked over to his son, feeling one emotion: guilt. "Ever since his transformation began, I've been keeping an eye on him. Doing what I can to minimize the amount of damage he could cause. I should've cut off his tail sooner, but I wanted him to grow stronger with it. I didn't consider the risk; please do not blame him for the pain he's caused. As his fathter, he is my responsibilty and his faults are mine to bear." The Saiyan bowed humbly to the men.
The benders, understanding what Goku was saying, nodded in agreement to spare the boy's life; after all, he was just as innocent as the people he attacked, more or less. Goku looked at the green-skinned child and nodded; the kid walked over to Gohan, placed his hands on him, and started channeling energy. Gohan's injuries rapidly began healing until they were finally gone. "Since my work here is done, I will return to the spirit world once again," Roku said. "Whatever is to become of this child, I hope he will help bring peace to the world rather than destroy it. Goodbye Gyatso, my friend." And with that, Avatar Roku disappeared in an air vortex, turning back into the little Airbender; the glow in as Aang's eyes faded and he quickly passed out. The green kid (Dende) went over to the boy and healed him as well.
"So, what happens now?" Gyatso wondered.
"We have made it so that my son will no longer transform into the great ape until further notice, but I can no longer come to this world and keep an eye on him," Goku answered. "I do not want him to be alone anymore, so I ask that you look after him for me."
"You wish for me to look after your son?" Gyatso inquired.
"I know I am asking a lot, especially after the destruction you've seen him cause and considering we've just met, but my son is young, and he is not the only one of his kind," Goku said.
"An Energybender?" the monk asked.
"A warrior born with great hidden reserves," Goku corrected. "I feel that if he is to reach his full potential and embrace his destiny, then he must be guided. Monks are known to be some of the wisest people in this world, so I am confident that you're the best opportunity my son has to have a life worth living."
Gyatso started at young Gohan. He still remembered that this child was the rampaging beast that caused so much havoc, but as he continued to gaze at the child, he began to realize something. Gohan was just a young boy gifted with incredible power, power that could be used in any way depending on how the wielder was guided; power that could even change the outcome of the entire world. "This child...is just like Aang!" he thought. Aang was the Avatar, and he was destined to master all four elements in order to maintain the balance of this world, but he can never do it without someone to teach him, someone to guide him, someone to be there for him when he really needed that person. If this Gohan was the same, then it wouldn't be wise to leave the child to face the world alone. Gyatso sighed before replying, "Alright Goku, I'll look after your son."
Goku smiled before he looked over to Dende, who had just finished healing both boys and materializing new clothes for Gohan. "Seeing those boys together kinda reminds me of my classmate and I when we were younger. I hope those two can be good friends like we were," Goku said. "Gyatso, please do all that you can to help my son become a strong person."
"You have my word," Gyatso agreed.
Goku bowed to the Monk before turning to Dende. "Let's get going, Dende," he told him. The green kid nodded in response. Goku then approached his son and patted him on the head. "Take care, Gohan. Make lots of friends, enjoy life to the fullest, become a strong warrior, and make me proud. Goodbye, my son." Goku and Dende then walked away before disappearing in a flash of light that shot upward. Gyatso picked up the boys and carried them both back toward the village.
The next morning...
Gohan woke up with a small headache. He sat up and looked at the sky. "Morning already? When did I fall asleep?" he wondered. He then noticed some of the damage done to the village from inside his hut. "What happened to the village? Did I miss seeing the Oozaru again?"
"Ah, you're awake," Gyatso noticed. The Monk entered the hut, carrying plates of fruit. "The villagers prepared a meal for us. I hope you're hungry," he said as he placed the food in front of the spiky-haired boy. Gohan's stomach growled, so he decided to dig in immediately. After he finished eating, Gohan had asked the monk what happened to the village; Gyatso merely assured him, "Don't worry, child. The Oozaru did attack, but the people managed to survive the night. Some were injured, but no one was killed. Everyone's alright." Gohan nodded in acceptance. Just then, Aang started to wake up; the first thing he saw was that Gohan was sitting right next to him. Overjoyed, the young monk embraced the Energybender. Gyatso had told Aang that Gohan wasn't in the restroom when the beast attacked, that he must've wandered into the forest and hid there until the ape had left. Gohan wasn't sure what to think about Gyatso told them, but decided to believe it since he couldn't remember anything after he saw the full moon. Gyatso had announced that Gohan would be accompanying him and Aang back to the Southern Air Temple. Aang was glad about this, but Gohan was a bit nervous; he wasn't sure if he would be accepted into the Air Nation since he wasn't an Airbender.
After Gyatso promised Gohan that he would definitely be allowed to stay even if he was an Energybender, Gohan decided that he would go back with the monks to their temple. After resting for three days, the travelers journeyed back to the Southern Air Temple; they made it there a week later, and once they arrived, all the kids had welcomed Gohan with open arms. As Aang showed Gohan around the temple, Gyatso spoke to the other monks about the Energybender. When the Grand Monk asked to see the boy, Gyatso presented Gohan to him; he said he sensed great power inside Gohan, one that could help bring about balance, especially with the Energybenders returning to the world.
Even since then, Gohan and Aang had spent their entire lives together. They trained together, learned together, and explored the world together. Their powers grew over the years, as did they with the many things they did, like going to Omashu to see Bumi, finding a dragon egg in the woods with their friend Kuzon, rescuing Icarus and groups of animals from a forest fire, finding the Z Sword, celebrating Aang's graduation to Airbending master, all to the point where Aang was told that he was the Avatar. It was at that moment that their destinies became clear to them, as the two were now best friends and brothers in arms. Their bond became unbreakable, and their adventures will only continue as they travel the world with their new family, making new friends and new adversaries, growing stronger until the day where they can face their destinies head-on.
End.
A/N: Done! And now the origin for Gohan and Aang has been revealed! Sorry if this came much later than you'd like, but I was a little slow in writing this chapter, and I got lazy after a while, almost lost my motive for Five Elements. Anyway, next is the origin of Trunks, where we'll get to see how he came to live with the Fire Nation royal family. After that, we're moving onto season 2 of Five Elements! Thank you for waiting this long; hope I'm still sparking your interest in this story. TTFN AntiHero out! P.S. Sorry for the crappy ending, it was the best I could think of.