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Chapter 6:

TRAINING COMPLETE

Note: Here it is! The next chapter. To all readers and followers: please leave a review and tell me your thoughts :).
Thanks to daisukigohan and Cruzerblade for continuing support and feedback :). It means A LOT!

More months have passed and both were training like their lives depended on it... well they literally did. Just over a month remained before they had to leave the Room of Spirit and Time or be locked in forever. Goku has mastered his Super Saiyan form as much as he could, so he was basically on-par with Gohan's level of control now. They both stayed transformed as much as they possibly could; the last month even in their sleep. The strain on the body was minimized and the energy consumption was negligible. With every fight or sparring session they gained strength and stamina, but progress was slow.

Gohan's battle suit was cracked and torn, at some places even completely gone, like on his left leg, knees and elbows. Goku was even missing a portion of his chest plate. Their faces were bruised and scratched, like all parts of their body that weren't protected by Bulma's battle suit they have been wearing since the beginning. Their Saiyan bodies have adapted to the harsh conditions in this realm. Gohan has turned from a young half Saiyan boy to a powerful, well-built young fighter, wielding an enormous power yet to be fully awakened. His muscles were buffed, proving he's been through extreme training conditions; he also grew just a little more after these last months, like a healthy half-Saiyan child is supposed to.

When he entered ROSAT, he was still a lot under his mother influence; passive, not wanting to fight until absolutely necessary. But now, he had embraced his heritage, his Saiyan legacy. He knew that by becoming stronger, he could do anything and most of all, protect the ones he cared for. But as he was also smart, he did want to finish school and get good grades. He wanted Chichi to be proud of him for his intellect and his dad for his fighting abilities. Well, as long as she wouldn't interfere with his training or let's say... his embraced Saiyan nature.

42 days left...

Progress was getting slower and slower due to diminishing effects. As he and his father were supposedly reaching their limits, any gain in strength and stamina was extremely minimal. Ever since Goku had told his son about the hidden power locked deep inside him, he wanted to bring it out to unlock his full potential. Even with the harsh training conditions, he couldn't succeed in doing that and that was bothering him more and more. He clenched his fists and looked at them.

We've both come so far, yet I'm still not satisfied with myself. I'm pretty sure I've surpassed both Trunks and Vegeta by now, but if not, I plan to. My body is becoming exhausted, even a good night's sleep doesn't cut it anymore. But I need to endure more... longer training sessions, putting more strain on the body, even if I pass out.

It was like hitting a solid wall, an unbreakable one even he could not break through. The path to becoming a Super Saiyan seemed easier than this. Sometimes he would imagine what Cell was like and how strong he had or will become. He couldn't afford being weaker than him... not with the whole world at stake, so he kept lengthening his solo training sessions... something his father did not fully approve of. He thought this would just put more strain on the body and the results would probably be counter-productive, but the little half-breed was determined to prove him wrong.

11 days left...

It's been a whole month since Gohan was doing daily training sessions of at least 10 hours or more non-stop. His body was feeling the exhaustion and the drain on his energy even when fully rested. The conditions were intense, from almost boiling hot surroundings to freezing levels. One time, he was so exhausted, the ice starting to engulf him from the ground, climbing up his body, freezing him in solid ice. He couldn't move or do anything, so the ice enclosed him completely for a few seconds before using his full power to break free. But this was the way he wanted to train, every day for as much as his body could endure.

Goku was taking a more relaxed approach and didn't train for extended periods of time. He wanted to relax his body a little, but train just enough to keep his skills and power in check. He knew rest is sometimes better than training itself. An exhausted body is not fully ready for anything.

8 days left...

Gohan woke up tired and sore, his muscles began to show signs of fatigue, but he refused to listen to his body.

As they both had breakfast, Gohan asked his father: "Dad, I want to fight you today. It's been a while since we've done some training together. I could you some change."

Goku looked at him with surprise: "I don't know son, you look pretty exhausted and beat up. I think you should rest for a day or two. Pushing you body so far can damage it."

"I know what I'm doing, dad. Will you spar with me or not?" angrily replied the young boy.

"I don't approve of what you're doing to yourself, son. Sure training hard is something, but this... training for so many hours straight without a break, barely taking time to relax and recharge. Why don't y...", before he could finish, Gohan interrupted him.

"NO! Have you any idea what I've been through in my life? Seeing you die, my friends die, all those horrors from the Saiyans, Frieza, even the androids. I'm just a kid and I've seen more horrific things than most people will in their entire lives. I was powerless, always, never been able to protect anyone. I was the one who needed protection, every time. Piccolo died on Earth because of ME, Krillin died on Namek and I thought I had lost you again that time too. I've cried so many nights until I couldn't cry anymore, same happened with mum. And then you got that heart virus, another blow to both me and mum. Seeing you in such pain in your bed, I can't take it anymore, dad, I just can't."

He turned away from Goku and looked at the ceiling: "I'm grateful for all you've thought me, dad, I really am. Not just here, but through my whole life since I can remember. I can rest the last day or two, but not today or tomorrow."

"... Gohan...," was all that his father could say.

"If you love me, you'll respect my wishes, dad. Or are you afraid I might beat you?"

"That's enough Gohan," answered his dad. He then took a deep breath and continued: "Alright, you got yourself a sparring match. I'm doing this because I trust and support you. Who is more powerful has nothing do with it and you know it," said Goku with a serious voice, getting up from the table.

Gohan put on what remained of his training suit and proceeded to the exit when Goku stopped him with these words: "I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you and your mother. I never meant to."

His son stopped but didn't look back at him: "I know you are but don't worry, it won't happen again. I've made myself a promise I intend to keep." But then he turned around and winked at him with a little smile: "Come dad, let's spar."

Gohan was not angry with his dad neither with anyone else for that matter. Sure his childhood was full of traumatic experiences and memories, but that's not why he lost his temper a few minutes ago. He was just fed up with the fact that he was always too weak to be able to defend the ones he cared for. He was always loved by his parents and Goku did what any father would to, protect his own child and friends with his life. It was time for the little half-Saiyan to repay that debt to him, to his family and to his friends.

His father joined him outside a few minutes later. The little Saiyan was feeling a little bad because of losing his temper... he loved his dad more than anything and he respected him too, but at the same time, he desperately needed to get stronger to keep his promise to himself. As Goku went past him, he wanted to say something, but couldn't get any words out of his mouth.

"Ok, let's do it. The usual?" Goku finally spoke.

"Yeah, no holding back," agreed the little demi-Saiyan.

For a few seconds they both stood still, like they were waiting for each other, until disappearing and reappearing in the air. Exchanging blow for blow, both were equal which was not a surprise at all, not after all these month here. They've been at it for hours and hours. As the battle went on, Gohan's power started dwindling because of his exhaustion and lack of rest... just what Goku had avoided with his training. He also knew if he went easy on his son, he would never forgive him, so he started his relentless attacks. The little Saiyan received a fist right into his face and a moment later a kick to his stomach. He couldn't defend against all of his father's attacks... not in this state he was in. More punches hit Gohan in the face and made him bleed from his nose and mouth.

Trying to recover from the last blow he flew back and made some distance between them, but to no avail. Goku had already appeared behind his back, grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground with full force. The young Saiyan got on his feet and rushed towards his opponent, trying to hit him back. He managed to hit him a few times, but in return also received a barrage of hits. Goku dodged one of his punches by ducking under his fist, creating an opening for a direct punch into his son's stomach which made Gohan cough out some blood and fall to the ground.

"Enough Gohan, you can barely stand, let alone fight. You're too exhausted," said his father, trying to put some sense into his son's reckless training.

"N-no... I c-can... still... f-fight," answered Gohan and slowly picked himself up.

He suddenly fired a Ki blast at this opponent, but was deflected, so he rushed straight at him with full speed. Again engaging in hand-to-hand combat, Gohan was determined to give every bit of remaining energy into this fight. Soon he started noticing and feeling his body can't keep up with him anymore. The strain on it was just too much, but Goku kept attacking him, not cutting him any slack, just the way Gohan made his request. The fight became one-sided, so the older Saiyan decided to end it, before it gets out of hands. A final kick sent Gohan flying backwards, landing on the ground a few dozen meters from his dad, where he remained motionless.

I'm proud of you Gohan, but this is just too much even for you, thought the full-blooded Saiyan while watching his son lying on the ground.

"We've been sparring for the past I don't know how many hours. Let's head back for a nice meal and rest," he added.

As he was walking back towards the building, he heard Gohan.

"... N...No... I...I'm not quitting."

The little Saiyan managed to pick himself up, just barely standing.

"... I... I am n-not giving UUUUUUUUUUUP!" he started shouting.

His muscles tensed, he clenched his fists and let out a short but powerful scream.

Goku turned around and had his eyes wide open. He saw a bright yellow aura around his son.

What an awesome Ki. He's completely surpassed me.

Just as he had said that, Gohan's Ki dropped immensely as he collapsed on the ground, losing consciousness. He ran to his son and picked him up. Gohan was really a mess, bloody, burnt, scratched, bruised and his training armor was practically falling apart. He put him in bed and sat by the side, washing his face with a damp cloth to wipe all the blood stains from his face. Then he put a wet towel on his forehead to cool him down a bit as he was burning. A few minutes later, the little demi-Saiyan opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, but could tell his father is sitting next to him.

"D-dad...," he mumbled.

"Shhh, don't talk. Just rest, son," he comforted Gohan.

"I-I'm sorry for y-yelling at you. I d-didn't mean to," apologized his son.

"I understand Gohan. To tell you the truth, you remind me of myself when I was about your age. I was willing to do anything to become stronger," smiled the older Saiyan.

Gohan way relieved to hear that. He never wanted to ruin the relationship with his father.

"Now..." started Goku: "no more training for the next day or two. You need to get some sleep and rest."

His son just smiled back, knowing that he was right. Even if he wanted to train, his body wouldn't let him as it needed the well deserved rest to heal and regenerate. Goku put a blanket over him and the little half-Saiyan fell into a deep sleep.

6 days left...

Gohan slept and rested pretty much for the last 2 days as his body needed time to regenerate and recover... to a certain degree. He wasn't happy, not one bit, but there was nothing he could do. It was only either rest or risk a breakdown of his body. There was always the option of eating a Senzu bean when leaving ROSAT, but Goku wanted his son to recover by himself the old fashion way. No shortcuts allowed.

As the little boy got out of bed, he still wasn't feeling like he should, but still much better than 2 days ago. Right at that time his dad walked in.

"Well, well, look who's feeling better. Had enough rest?" he asked the little half-breed.

"What happened? The last thing I remember was sparring with you and then ending in bed."

"You collapsed and lost consciousness so I carried you to bed. The stress was too much for your body," explained Goku.

"I really overdid it, didn't I? I just wanted to give it my best and use all the time here to become as strong as you, dad," replied the little boy.

"Hey, hey, don't say that Gohan. You've come a very long way, even more than even I expected. But training hard is not everything, you also need to rest, otherwise you burn out."

If it was one thing Gohan knew, it was that Goku was always honest with him. And hearing all those words from him, made Gohan... well, actually calm down a bit.

"And besides... we only have 6 days to go. Even you wouldn't be able to get any stronger in that short time. I suggest we finally take it easy and just enjoy ourselves."

Gohan accepted the fact that this was the end of his hard and ruthless training.

"I guess you're right. I was so preoccupied with getting stronger, I forgot to listen to my body," said the little half-Saiyan.

"Any more training and Bulma's training armor would fall apart. Just look at it," laughed Goku.

"Hahahaha, I guess I don't know my own strength," smiled back his son.

The older Saiyan put his hand on Gohan's shoulder: "I'm proud of you Gohan. You've really shown how much you've grown here."

"Thanks dad, but I wouldn't have come this far without you. Whoops, I almost forgot."

"What do you mean?" said Goku with surprise.

"This," and the little Saiyan suddenly changed into a Super Saiyan. "We said we're gonna be like this until we leave," he smiled.

"It's nice seeing you so relaxed," his dad smiled back, then added: "Now, just enjoy yourself these last days. No more hard training, just low intensity and an occasional spar."

"Got it."

Just as Goku had said, they both enjoyed the remaining days as much as they could. Gohan's body was finally back to normal, well, as normal as a half-Saiyan's body can be. He was well rested and the fatigue was completely gone. Their training mostly consisted of easy sparring and some light solo training, but also plenty of rest and relaxation. They were so used to being Super Saiyans all the time, the energy consumption and strain on the body were practically null. And so came the last day in ROSAT.

The last day...

Goku was the first one to wake up and Gohan following half an hour later. They made their beds, Gohan swept the floor and Goku did the dishes. Both used the bathroom to wash and take a bath so they can start their day fresh and clean. As everything looked in order, Goku stepped to his son.

"Well, this is it. It's been a long year, but we've managed to stay to the very end. You ready?"

Gohan just nodded and followed his dad to the door. Goku opened it and they departed from the Room of Spirit and Time; their home for the last year, or one day, depending on at which side you look at it, and made their way through the long hallway, leading to the exit of the palace.

Piccolo, Vegeta, Trunks, Tenshinhan, Dende and Mr. Popo were waiting for them at the entrance. Bulma, Krillin and Yamcha were long gone, since Vegeta insisted they leave as they have nothing to do here, but Tenshinhan stayed as he was maybe going to enter the ROSAT.

Piccolo turned to the entrance: "They're finished."

"I think you're right," said Tenshinhan.

Indeed it was Goku who first exited the palace and made his way to the others.

"Hey gang, what's been happening?" he asked.

"Goku, why are you a Super Saiyan?" was the first thing Trunks asked.

Just at that second, Gohan also exited the building and replied: "He's not the only one."

Everyone looked at Goku's son, shocked by the fact he is also a Super Saiyan.

What? Kakarot's son has transformed as well? How is this possible? thought Vegeta.

Is that... Gohan? I hardly recognize him. He's really changed in the ROSAT, were Piccolo's thoughts.

"Well Trunks, it was a part of our training, to get used to the form," explained Goku.

That's why they don't look like regular Super Saiyans. They're relaxed, they made this form their normal state. Damn it, he's always one step ahead of me, cursed Vegeta.

"I don't think I completely understand," questioned Tenshinhan.

"Yeah, me too," added Trunks, confused.

"You fools! Don't you see? They are so used to this form, they don't need energy to transform, they can just use it to power up, not even wasting any to stay Super Saiyans," ranted Vegeta at them.

"Heh, Vegeta, you always were the first one to figure things out," smiled Goku.

"Don't patronize me Kakarot. How the hell did your son accomplish this? Since when was the legendary transformation reduced to a child's play?"

"Gohan worked very hard and besides, he was way stronger then you and me at his age. It was bound to happen one day, we just sped it up," smiled Goku, scratching the back of his head.

Vegeta didn't say anything, he just crossed his arms and turned away, angry and almost insulted.

"By the looks of your outfits, you must have had a hell of a training going on," was Piccolo's observing.

Gohan responded faster than his dad: "You have no idea," he smiled at Piccolo.

"So, what happened? I sense Cell's Ki, which means his still alive," asked Goku.

"Humph," grunted Vegeta in the back.

"Well yeah, we were unable to defeat him. He's absorbed #18 and is now complete and far stronger than before," explained Vegeta's son, Trunks.

"Wow, he must be really strong then if even you guys weren't able to defeat him," was shocked Goku.

"YET!" replied Vegeta and continued: "Once I go into that room again, I'll finish him off on my own."

"But father, Cell is having a rematch with us in just 2 days," Trunks reminded him.

"One day is more than enough time for me," replied his father.

"Hold on Vegeta. It's Piccolo's turn now. We all have agreed to take turns, and after him it's Tenshinhan," explained Goku.

"I'll pass my turn," added Tenshinhan, "if Vegeta and Trunks were no match, there's no point in me going into the ROSAT."

"A wise decision," said Vegeta with an arrogant tone.

"Well ok, then I guess it's settled; after Piccolo you two can go in," continued Goku.

"But what about you and Gohan? There won't be enough time, unless we only take 12-hour turns," said Trunks surprisingly.

"Don't worry about us," replied Goku looking at Gohan, "we're not going in."

"W-what?" was shocked Vegeta.

" We've done all we can, so we're just gonna relax for the next 2 days."

"But you don't know how powerful Cell has become. Don't be naive Goku," Trunks reminded him.

"I appreciate the concern Trunks but I'm not worried about that," answered Goku.

"Are you saying you've become stronger than all of us?" interfered the Saiyan prince Vegeta.

"Well yeah, quite a lot actually," smiled the Super Saiyan.

"WHAT?" was astounded Vegeta.

"Though I'm not sure if I can defeat Cell. Not until I fight him for real. You can all use the ROSAT again, but me and Gohan won't."

Gohan kept silent through the whole conversation because he didn't want to reveal anything, especially the fact that he had surpassed both Vegeta and Trunks.

Mr. Popo brought Goku's clothes so he could ditch the damaged and torn training armor. But Gohan had something else in mind. He walked to Piccolo.

"Hey Piccolo."

"Hey kid. I gotta say you've changed a lot in there."

"Thanks. Ummm... I was wondering... since you were my first mentor... I would like to have the same clothes as you," explained the not-so-little-anymore Gohan.

"Heh, sure. Accept it as a gift from me," smiled Piccolo.

He extended his arm and a bright flash appeared, giving Gohan identical clothes; purple gi, blue belt and wristbands, brown shoes and white shoulder pads and cape.

"Thanks, Piccolo. They're great," smiled the little half-Saiyan.

"If you guys don't mind, we'll be leaving. See you in 2 days where Cell is," said Goku to everyone, put his hand on Gohan's shoulder and used Instant Transmission to disappear.

"Well... what are you waiting for Piccolo? Get in the damn room, so I can go next," rushed Vegeta.

Both Super Saiyans appeared at their house. Gohan was worried.

"Dad, you sure it's going to be enough to beat Cell?"

"Hey don't worry about that Gohan. Just try to relax and enjoy yourself for the next 2 days. Now, let's go see your mum."

They entered the house and... "GOHAN? OH MY GOD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO YOUR HAIR?!" screamed Chichi and nearly fainted.

When Goku finally explained what was going on, his wife was still a bit mad.

"What do you mean he's going to fight too? He's just a child Goku and he needs to study for the exams."

"Mum, it's ok. After this I promise I'll catch up on all my studies. I want to make you just as proud as I did dad with our training," Gohan quietly interrupted his parents.

"I always knew you got the smarts from me," said his mum.

"I'm just glad you're both supporting me, dad with training and you with my studies. A good fighter is also a smart fighter. Just please don't be mad mum, but I also want to continue training while studying. You two are the most important persons in the world to me and I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, especially Cell."

"That's so sweet Gohan," said Chichi and hugged him. "Well... I guess if you're grades are good, then you can train," she continued.

"Thanks mum, it really means a lot to me," smiled back Gohan.

They spent the next two days together as a family. Having fun, picnics, Gohan helping around the house, Goku going hunting and fishing. Gohan loved these moments with his parents but his mind started focusing on Cell more and more. His father had noticed that and decided to spend some time alone with the little half-Saiyan.

"What's wrong son?" he asked.

"It's Cell. I keep feeling his Ki, thinking how strong he is and if we'll be able to beat him," replied Gohan.

"I know it's hard not to think about these things, but I've told you there is nothing to worry about."

"But still... dad, I need you to promise me something."

"Sure, what is it?" asked Goku with surprise.

"Promise me no one is going to die, except Cell," were the words Gohan could barely get out of his mouth.

"I promise," answered his father, knowing that this is something that has left numerous scars on Gohan's spirit in the past which still haunt the little boy to this day.

The last day before the decisive battle against Cell came to an end with the Son family having dinner and chatting. Gohan was feeling better but deep inside he was extremely anxious. That was also the reason why he went to bed early; he wanted some time alone to think and just be alone with his thoughts.

As he left the kitchen, Chichi whispered to Goku: "I know something is bothering Gohan. Please don't let anything happen to our son. Don't make him fight that monster."

Goku looked at her with a serious face: "I-I'm sorry... I can't make that promise. Gohan is probably our best chance we have against Cell."

"What? Our son? You can't be serious?!"

"I'm dead serious Chichi. I'm not sure I'll be able to beat him, but Gohan has the potential to. I can only promise we'll both come back.. we'll all come back."

He kissed his wife and hugged her and Chichi hugged him even tighter and said: "Just come back, both of you... please."

Note: I know this chapter was longer, but didn't want to cut anything out. The next one will probably be shorter, you'll see why when it's uploaded :D. It will mostly serve as a "finishing" chapter as it will contain a glimpse for things to come. If there are any questions, feel free to ask me, I don't bite... much :P. Thanks for all the support :).