*(Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT. All characters and places associated with the Dragon Ball series belong to their own respected creators and I have not used them to make any profit in any shape or form.) *
Gohan was sitting outside against a wall. His head was down with his eyes closed as he was thinking of a dream he had in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber a while back. It was around five months after they got in. One day for some reason he felt very tired. He decided to stop training for the day and sleep. He ate quickly and then collapsed in his bed.
For a while it felt like a dreamless sleep. Suddenly he saw himself in a black void. He was confused as to where he was. He tried flying forward but he couldn't even tell if he was moving at all. After a while he grew frustrated till he heard laughing. He turned and saw the Earth slowly growing in size. He proceeded to fly toward it, but when he got closer the Earth wasn't the fabled blue pearl of the North Galaxy. The sky had turned blood red. The very planet looked like a ravaged corpse that scavengers kept looting. Suddenly he noticed that the Earth looked like one giant city. He tried circling around the planet for what felt like long hours, but it was all connected. He headed toward what looked like the center and saw robots busying themselves with work. All over the billboards there were signs that read 'Obey Red Ribbon'.
Gohan's body was being used against his will as he passed through many buildings as if some outside force was pushing him there. He phased through like a ghost unnoticeable. None of the sentry robotic guards saw him or anything else inside the building. He was brought down to a laboratory where he heard a man screaming and saw Dr. Gero working on some patient.
"Increase the dosage by 10% number 19. I think we can prove our hypothesis correct with this response," He told the pale Android standing next to him.
When he looked over them both he saw Dr. Brief hooked up to some wires all over his body. His head was locked in a machine and judging by the heart monitor he wasn't going to last much longer.
Suddenly Dr. Brief stopped screaming and was silent. The heart beat monitor started ringing announcing that he was dead.
"Well looks like I was correct. When a Human is brought back to life their mind can take more data being loaded into their brains than before. We were able to cram in more material into his brain. Too bad we'll have to wait another 3 months to have him brought back to try my other hypothesis. Come along 19 let's go and see if we can compute this into my latest project," The old man said walking out of the room with his servant.
Android 19 turned off the lights and quietly left. Gohan was staring at the lifeless eyes of Bulma's father and noticed that unlike others that were usually in shock or had some expression on their face, he had died staring blankly off into the distance, almost as if he were lobotomized.
Gohan then felt his body being pulled back. He tried his best to fight and stop Gero, but his resistance was futile. He was being flung millions of miles away. Gohan flew among the stars and noticed that some of them were exploding around him. Finally he noticed a ship that looked like Frieza's, hovering above the atmosphere of a planet. He saw a small figure hovering above the planet in the old amour that the Planet Trade Organization used to wear. He could barely tell that it was a young female. She kept growing in size till he was suddenly flung next to her. He blinked trying to clear his eyes to make sure they were working properly.
He saw Vegeta's young daughter Bra if she were sixteen years old. She had grown quite a bit and he guessed that her body had matured as well by the power she was pulsing out. She was staring down at the planet and Gohan recognized that look. It was the same look of disdain that her father had when he first arrived on planet. Her soft blue eyes had become a raging storm on the ocean. They were hard, cold, and unforgiving. She raised her palm toward the planet and gathered energy. A frown of disgust was on her at the planet.
'Pathetic worms, you all deserve to die for being so weak!' Gohan heard her thoughts rage in her head.
The planet exploded and heard the scream of billions of people having their lives extinguished by Bra's hands. Her lips slowly lifted themselves up as she smirked down at the space dust and began laughing at the carnage.
Gohan was pulled into the ship hovering behind her and he saw the Cold family, each in their presumed final forms and laughing at the carnage. Slowly the room faded away and three planets appeared side by side. All three of the Colds were lined up next to each other. King Cold in the middle with his sons at his side began laughing before they blew up.
He was then pulled to the Otherworld arena. He saw Cell sitting on Grand Kai's chair watching a fight with a crowd of thousands of people.
He turned and saw his daughter Pan in her early teens fighting against someone. She was bloodied and bruised panting heavily. Her opponent was a reptilian fighter that had a broken nose and he could barely stand. He charged at her swinging a sword down at her head.
Pan dodged to the side evading the blade, she then stuck out her foot tripping him. Her foe fell and dropped his sword. She then used telepathy to summon it to her examining it for a second.
She looked down at her foe and found him slowly turning toward her. His eyes begged for mercy knowing his was at his end.
She looked up at Cell who stood up he held one hand out demanding silence.
"You have lost my friend. As per the rules, your planet will be destroyed; you and your species will suffer an eternity in Hell, for not being perfect. Only I am perfection. I decide who can live and die. Had you actually conquered my fighter you would have had to face me. If you think she was difficult, what chance would you have against me?" Cell asked.
Cell nodded toward Pan who stared back at her opponent. Before he could formulate a response she used the sword to cut his head clean off. His head fell from his body she picked it up smiling.
"I claim this sword and this head as my prize! All hail perfection himself Pharaoh Cell!" She cried to the masses.
The people got up cheering, bowing, and stamping their feet chanting "Pharaoh Cell!" over and over again.
Gohan felt himself being tugged into King Yemma's palace where he found the wizards Bibidi and Babidi residing at Yemma's desk judging the various souls of the dead. Some were sent off to Heaven, others to Purgatory, and most of the confused ones down to Hell. They were cackling in madness as they saw a poor family being dragged away from each other being sucked down into Hell.
Gohan then felt himself being sucked down through a black hole and landed in a dungeon. He wasn't alone. Around him were the Kais. All of them were unconscious; Old Kai's body was shrunken up to a small corpse. He looked like he wasn't fed in months. Kibito Kai just stared ahead in one direction unresponsive. King Kai and his fellows were battered and bruised. Suddenly the door opened and foul meat was thrown in. Gohan barely heard "Dinner is served!" before the door shut.
Immediately the five normal Kais ran to it. Tripping over each other and began fighting each other like animals for it. They tore each other's antennas, smashed their faces into the ground, and even bit each other in frenzy for food.
Eventually South Kai took the food and quickly stuffed it into his mouth. He roared in glory of his triumph and then went back in his corner to watch his fellows. The others crawled back to their corners wimping in their defeat to lick their wounds and try to eat again…whenever the time would come again.
Gohan was brought out of the dungeon atop Hell itself. It was no longer the barren waste land that his father described. It was a raging inferno. Fire was all around him. The intense heat caused Gohan to cry and try to use his Ki to create a barrier around his body, to no avail. He saw hundreds of Demons torturing others. Ripping them to pieces and feasting on them, throwing them around like rag dolls or standing on them so they would be burned on the ground. No one was safe as everyone that fell from King Yemma's station was met with a Demon waiting and tackled onto the ground below where they screamed for mercy.
Gohan was dragged many miles till he finally reached the only place not on fire. An ancient, decrepit, looking castle that was surrounded on all sides by Demons and other foul things he couldn't begin to describe. He found himself in a room that was dimly lit. He heard a cruel laughter coming from further down the hall. He saw a figure sitting in a massive throne.
The figure stood up and he recognized it as Piccolo Senior. The Demon King was looking down at an array of bodies sprawled onto the floor. He couldn't make them out at first, for they were too blurry. But slowly they began to clarify and he recognized it as everyone he knew. From his family, to the Briefs, Dende, Mr. Popo, Master Roshi, Hercule, everyone was there on the floor with halos above their head.
His father was at the front and he lifted his head up slowly. Tears were falling down his face in droves. He was beyond injured and his voice quivered like a small child.
"Have mercy…please, please!" He cried from the floor lifting up his right hand toward the Namek.
Suddenly a figure walked out from behind the Demon King. The person stepped in front of the Demon King and the room lit up. Gohan was appalled to see it was his mentor and best friend Piccolo.
No longer was he wearing his signature cape and turban. Instead he wore his signature purple gi with a strange symbol on his chest. Gohan had never seen his old mentor like this. His entire body just radiated pure hatred toward Goku. He smiled in a taunting manner down on the Saiyan.
"There is no mercy Son Goku." Piccolo said in a calm voice before stamping on his hand.
Goku cried out in pain and curled up into a ball weeping to himself. No longer was this the proud, strong father that Gohan looked up to. He was reduced to a shell of his former self. A man trying his best to escape his version of Hell, but no matter how much he begged, cried, fought, or tried it was no use.
Suddenly both of the Nameks raised their hands and began blasting everyone to ashes. Gohan knew that they wouldn't reform at the beginning of Hell. They were gone…gone forever.
At each one Gohan cried out in pain as if this vision were real. His mother and grandfather were killed by King Piccolo. His brother and wife were then vaporized by Piccolo. Gohan began breaking down crying, yelling at them to stop, but they didn't hear him.
One by one everyone was blasted to ashes till Gohan saw himself and his father laying there next to each other. Both Nameks aimed their hands at them; Piccolo at Gohan and King Piccolo at Goku. They at last had revenge on the two people that once destroyed them. For King Piccolo it was his defeat at Goku's hand, for Piccolo it was this crazy insane urge that somehow Gohan had turned him into something that he wasn't.
"I told you I would have my revenge Son Goku, and with your final defeat, nothing will stop me. The Universe is mine. All shall bow down worship me as a god. My very name will terrify people into killing themselves and their families then see me face to face. My rule is beyond all realms of space and time. At long last, I, Piccolo Daimaō have fulfilled my destiny of being the supreme ruler of all forms of existence. I hope wherever you're off to, you're eternally tormented for all of your pathetic attempts to stop me," The Demon King said smiling.
Both Nameks released their energy attacks laughing in sheer glee. Gohan saw his father and other counterpart's look of failure written all over their face before they were gone.
Gohan found himself in the black void again. He despaired at the scenes that haunted him. The Earth turned from a nature planet, to a bustling city that choked the very life out from it, the Colds terrorizing the stars as they rebuilt their empire, Cell holding tournaments to judge who would live or die, the two wizards judging the dead in the most unjust manner, the Kais succumbing to madness and becoming rabid like animals, souls being tortured by Demons, and King Piccolo killing everyone he ever loved.
He stood there for what felt like hours crying at the hopelessness of the situation. How could they fight against such evil? What was the point of all this fighting when evil would just reshape itself into a new form?
Suddenly a white light appeared that blinded him. His eyes couldn't look into it so he brought his hands up to shield himself. A figure then stepped out of it blocking most of the light. The person had teal skin, white hair, and had effeminate features. He wore a maroon colored robe with blue sash, a black cuirass that contained jewels on the front, black high heeled boots, and white spats. A blue ring was around his neck and he carried a staff in his right hand.
The person watched Gohan for a moment as if studying him.
"What I have shown you is what will come to pass, if you should fail. If your family and friends do not find a way to stop Piccolo Daimaō then no one will," The being said in a calm voice that resonated pure power.
Gohan blinked and tried to formulate a response, but couldn't find the words to speak.
"Do not be afraid, young Saiyan. You will find a way to vanquish this evil. I have complete faith in you. Your family have always faced impossible odds and come out on top. I believe you will again," The being said with a small smile.
"Who…who are you?" Gohan asked slowly.
The stranger only shook his head and chuckled. "Let's just say I am a messenger. I have already overstayed my allowed time slot by appearing before you. I was only ordered to show you, your potential future," The stranger said stepping back into the light.
"Wait! Can I at least know who sent you? Or if this is a dream or a vision?" Gohan asked.
The figure chuckled again. "Of course this is a dream my young friend. But, who says that doesn't mean this isn't a real vision? Now wake up, you've been sleeping long enough," The stranger said before vanishing into the light leaving Gohan in darkness.
Gohan woke up panting. He looked around and saw that the others had gone to sleep for now. He looked around in a daze trying to figure out what happened. He remembered the terrible nightmare and had this nagging feeling about asking Supreme Kai about the Z-sword again when he saw him.
Gohan's eyes snapped open. Why he was supposed to seek out the Z-sword was beyond him. He was curious if it was remade. He hadn't seen it since he accidentally broke thanks to Supreme Kai giving Goku some Katchin to throw at him.
He stood up and walked around the tower looking for the two Supreme Kais. It had been around ten hours since Vegeta and the others went into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Both of them disappeared into the throne room to have a long discussion with Dende. They were most likely discussing a way to try to get to Otherworld undetected. Dende hadn't tried since he found King Yemma's palace surrounded by Demons and they almost snatched him up.
Gohan walked in and saw a massive table taking up the length of the room. Old Kai was at the end looking down at a planet while Supreme Kai and Dende were standing over a model of the Check-In Station.
"You and I both know that it'll be suicide to walk in through the front door. This King Piccolo or Daimaō as he calls himself will have placed some of his best men there to guard it from any attack. No doubt some of them are either the last soldiers of the Demon-Kai war or some he may have personally trained himself. Not to mention those two wizards have probably used their magic to prohibit us from getting anywhere near the station," Old Kai told Kibito.
"I know sir, I know. I was just thinking if there was a way for Dende to quietly transport others around the Check-In station and they could sneak down to Hell through the clouds I was just thinking that maybe if he could transport everyone far enough away they wouldn't sense him," Kibito Kai responded.
"I can't sorry; I can only teleport directly outside or inside the Check-In station. I was lucky last time. They were changing the guards and I was able to sneak up behind the door. I saw King Yemma being sucked down into Hell through one of his own black sucking holes and his ogre attendants being tied up. One of them just saw me and I escaped before they could land a hand on me," Dende said shaking his head.
"You were lucky then, I doubt you'll be able to get back in the same way twice. I might be able to get to a few of us in, but it'll be tricky. I'm not sure if the wizards blocked my ability to use Instantaneous Movement. Bibidi studied our techniques greatly before attacking us with Buu. I'm sure his son has filled him in on my own abilities after he died. Could Goku get in using Instant Transmission?" Kibito Kai asked Dende.
The Namek should his head before speaking. "No, he said earlier that he can't even sense anyone. Not King Kai, Otherworld itself, or anything. Whatever it is that Daimaō's planned…it's been planned in great detail. He's thought of everything we would think of immediately. We just need to think of something he won't expect."
"Excuse me for intruding, but I think I may have a solution," Gohan said announcing his presence.
The three overseers turned toward him and nodded at him with a smile.
"Ah Gohan, come in. Any idea would be helpful at this point. Although I'm sure you're not just here to help us find a way to sneak into King Yemma's palace," Kibito Kai said.
"I am here more so to ask you something, but as for my idea. Why not seek out Fortune teller Baba? Perhaps she knows some back routes that'll get us close to King Yemma's palace?" Gohan asked.
"I do not know this Baba, but perhaps she is our best hope. I just hope she wasn't in the crosshairs of the Check-In station being attacked. Does she have a home on Earth that we can go to?" Kibito Kai asked.
"She does and if anyone on Earth would know it's her. I would've also asked Piccolo since he merged with Kami, but he's not here," Gohan said.
"I'll have my dad seek her out; I believe he's been to her home. At least we'll be able to see if she made it out okay. Now as for my question I'm curious was the Z-sword ever remade?" Gohan asked.
Kibito looked surprised at the strange request before speaking. "Yes we had it slowly remade over time. After Buu was defeated I brought it over to a smith I know personally. He was able to remake it and even added some Katchin to it make the sword more deadly and also lighter. When melted and applied to other metal the properties mix and cause some interesting effects. For this it made the sword easier to wield since the weight is dramatically different."
"Why do you want it though? I don't doubt your abilities, but I don't think a sword is going to help you. Perhaps we should let Mirai wield it since he has fought with a sword all his life?" Dende asked.
"I had this weird dream a while back in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I won't divulge too much into it, but the sword came up in it. Is it possible to perform a spell on it or something?" Gohan asked the Supreme Kais.
Kibito Kai shook his head, but Old Kai looked down scrunching his face in thought. He looked like he was wracking his memories for something.
"Actually…there may be something we can do. In regards to the Demon King, at least. There is a spell that could be done. But, I'm not sure if anyone besides a Kai can get it done," Old Kai said slowly.
"What are you talking about ancestor?" Kibito Kai asked him.
"I'm talking about an exorcism spell that could work, but it's a long shot. I don't even know if it'll work at all," Old Kai said.
"What are the requirements for it?" Gohan asked.
"I'll have to spend some time inspecting the blade. But, with me being trapped in there for so long, I believe some of my own life force was slowly infused with the blade. So perhaps all I'll have to do is perform a small spell so that anyone with a pure heart can do the exorcism," Old Kai said.
"But, how will that help us stop Daimaō?" Gohan asked.
"If we were to stab him and perform the spell, we could possibly separate his soul from the Demons he fused with, thus incredibly decreasing his power. Our best bet is that it will kill him or at the very least knock him unconscious so we can figure out what to do with him," Old Kai responded.
Gohan nodded. It wasn't much, but it was the best they had at the moment. Perhaps with this spell they'll be able to stop the Demon King and help everyone in Otherworld.
"Okay I'll go get my dad and have him see if he can find Baba at her home," Gohan said turning around and leaving.
"Let's hope she knows some way into Otherworld…I doubt even these Saiyans can take on the entire Demon Realm all by themselves," Old Kai said his companions.
*Jason9000: Hey guys, not much of an author's note since I'm busy. Hope you all enjoyed as the plot thickens. Sorry about not updating as much, college is getting rough. Also I described a certain character and I implore you not to reveal who it is in the reviews. If you want you can send me a pm with a guess, I'll tell you if you're right. Please review as they are greatly welcomed.*