So this is pretty overdue, but I've been quite busy these past couple months. Hopefully, the length of this chapter makes up for it, at least a little. Anyways, I recommend listening to "Monster" by Imagine Dragons. It was inspiration for Gohan this chapter. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!
"Just how much ki do you see in him?" Tsuki asked, her hand resting on Gohan's shoulder.
"Hard to tell, really. I see a lot, but I sense even more. And I do believe there's more even beneath what I can sense," Old Kai replied.
"What do I have to do?" Gohan asked.
"Do? Dear boy, you don't have to do anything," Old Kai said.
"Then how..."
"I do everything, of course! If mere common folk such as yourself could unleash their inner powers, there would be no need for magic folk such as myself!" Old Kai exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. Shin let out an undignified snort. "Oh, hush up, Easty! You're just jealous!"
"Hardly," Shin scoffed.
"Enough, you two," Tsuki admonished. The two kais immediately stopped bickering. "The sooner we can unleash Gohan's powers, the sooner he can begin training to harness them properly. He needs all the time that can be afforded."
"Absolutely right, my dear. Alright boy, come along," Old Kai beckoned, beginning to walk away.
Gohan rushed to follow. "Where are we going?"
"We must go back to the top of the mountain. I was trapped in that sword for so long that some of my magic leeched into the mountain itself. It will be more effective, and will go quicker, if we perform the ritual up there," Old Kai explained. "I also must be carried."
"I can carry you," Gohan offered immediately.
"No no, it must be by someone not involved in the ritual. And since I will likely need the Lady's help at some point, that leaves you, Easty."
"Absolutely not," Shin said shortly.
"Then there's no ritual," Old Kai said flippantly.
"East, please," Tsuki beseeched softly.
Shin visibly deflated. "Fine," he muttered.
"I knew you'd come around!" Old Kai said happily, jumping spryly onto Shin's back, wrapping his arms around his neck and lags around his waist. Shin staggered a few steps back before regaining his balance. "Onward!"
"Must be carried, yeah right," he grumbled before beginning to trudge in the direction of the mountain.
Gohan looked up at Tsuki and saw her barely holding back a smile before giggling himself. They followed Shin up the mountain. It was a mostly silent walk besides the occasional annoyed grumble from Shin under his breath. When they finally made it to the top, Shin immediately shrugged Old Kai off him. Not expecting it, the kai landed on his backside.
"Hey!" he exclaimed plaintively. "Well, I never!"
Tsuki chuckled. "Serves you right. You and I both know you didn't need to be carried up here."
Shin whirled around. "What?" he practically hissed.
"Oh, I just wanted to see if I could actually get you to do it," Old Kai said. "And apparently, I could."
"You-"
"Alright, alright. That's enough. A harmless prank, now it's over. Besides, it got us up here faster. Now we can get to the task at hand. What must we do, Elder Kai?" Tsuki asked, eager to get started.
"Right, right. Gohan, I need you to sit exactly where the sword was." Gohan made his way to the cracked earth he had freed the sword from and sat in a lotus position. "Good, comfortable?" Gohan nodded. "Good, because you're going to be there a very long time."
"How long?"
"Oh, I'd say twenty four hours. At least."
"A whole day?" Gohan asked incredulously.
"At least," Old Kai reiterated. "You have a lot of ki locked in there, boy. And I am old. It will take a while."
"But that's so long..."
"Children these days. So impatient," Old Kai muttered. "Now let's see... first we must heal you of all maladies... let me see your hand." Gohan held his injured hand out and the kai grabbed it in his own. "Hm, this is deep. It will scar, my boy. Wounds created by magic or gods do not like to be mended-"
Gohan's face darkened. "I'm aware," he said coldly, cutting Old Kai off. Shin visibly recoiled at the boy's tone, and Tsuki's expression saddened.
Unfazed, Old Kai continued. "Anyways, this sword was created by both. But, I can heal most of the damage." The tingle of magic overtook Gohan's hand, and suddenly, the wound was gone, replaced by a thin, silvery scar line. Gohan jerked his hand back, his mood soured. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the kai, looking very much like his mentor.
"Now what?" he grumbled.
Old Kai appraised him. "Think of something pleasant."
"Why?"
"I may have been locked in that sword, boy, but I know what your anger does to you. I know what it does to your ki. Even now, I see that little spark within you glinting dangerously, and I will not unleash it with you in this state. So, think of something that makes you happy. I need you calm, boy. I need you in control of your emotions, or this is going to be too much for you," Old Kai explained sternly. "Go on, close your eyes. Concentrate."
Tsuki approached Gohan and kneeled before him. "May I touch you?" she asked softly. When he nodded, she placed her hand on his head. "Close your eyes." When he did, she breathed out slowly, her cool hand warming against his skin.
Suddenly, images filled his mind. Gohan playing with Trunks. Jade snuggled against his side as he read a book in bed. Bulma handing him a plate filled with all his favorite foods. Krillin and Vegeta laughing at some stupid joke Krillin made, Vegeta actually smiling at him. But most prominently of all, images of Piccolo took over. Meditating together. Gohan on the Namekian's lap. Gohan reading a book to him while he meditated. Training together. Playing together. The tension in his body left him and he opened his eyes, a few tears dotting the corners.
"Come now, my child. You will see him soon enough. Keep him in your mind during this. Do this for him," Tsuki encouraged softly.
"A Namekian?" Old Kai questioned, having looked into the boy's mind.
"Gohan's guardian," Tsuki answered.
"The only one who can keep him contained," Shin said quietly. "My Lady, are you sure there's nothing we can do to bring him here? Just in case..."
Gohan looked up at the goddess hopefully.
"I can't. I have no guarantee that the journey here wouldn't hurt him. I will not risk it. Gohan is strong. He can-"
"That's precisely what I'm worried about."
"I scare him," Gohan muttered.
"I have no plans on making the boy angry. That's not how this works. The only one who is making you angry is yourself. Relax, boy."
"I know, but... after every ascent I've had, my body has a hard time keeping it under control. Mr. Piccolo helps me keep a grip on it. On myself."
"From my understanding after looking inside you, you are nearly immortal. Namekians are not. There will come a time when you will have to handle this alone, and you may as well start preparing now." At Gohan's nearly panicked expression, he pressed on quickly. "Now don't look at me like that. It is a long way off, unless you don't let me do this. If you refuse to let me unleash this, refuse to trust yourself, then you'll lose him, and everyone else, a lot sooner. So, are you going to let me do this or not?"
Gohan sighed. "Yes."
"Good. Now, clear your mind, or at least, think of your happy thoughts. And sit perfectly still!"
"Can I meditate?" Gohan asked.
"That would be ideal." Gohan nodded and mirrored the position he had seen so often over the years, hovering nearly a foot above the ground. "What's with the floating?"
"That's how Piccolo trained him. May he hover?" Tsuki asked.
"As long as he doesn't put too much ki into it. It's barely registering now, so I see no reason why not."
"What do you need me to do, Elder Kai?"
"For now, nothing, my dear. But I may require assistance about half way through. It just will depend on how much magic I have available to me. I'll let you know. Easty, you just sit there and look pretty."
Shin snorted, but took the high road and didn't retort. Gohan had not moved, now completely engrossed in his meditation. Old Kai shifted into a sitting position he deemed comfortable enough, and then outstretched his hands. For a while, it was quiet.
"Say Easty, find me a magazine, would you? I'm already bored."
For several long hours, it was quiet. Gohan had yet to move, or even open his eyes. Tsuki held an orb of energy between her hands, staring intently at an image within that only she could see. Old Kai glanced at a magazine Shin had managed to conjure. At his "Next!", Shin would flip the page for him, annoyed, but the Supreme Kai found himself reading the pages as well.
Suddenly, Gohan's eyes flashed open, and Old Kai made a confused noise in the back of his throat.
"What is it?" Tsuki asked, looking up from her orb for the first time.
"I...I don't know. It feels...like someone is knocking? Like knocking on a door, but in my head..." Gohan explained, unsure of himself. They all looked to Old Kai, who merely shrugged.
"Well, you may as well let them in!" he said simply.
"How?" Gohan asked, confused.
"Go back to your meditating, and at the next knock, imagine yourself opening a door. That should do the trick."
Gohan gave him a somewhat distrustful look before closing his eyes and going back into meditation.
"Who could it be?" Shin asked.
"Well, I have quite a big portal of magic open right now. Could be a number of people, if they're able to lock onto magic," Old Kai said.
"Wait, no, stop," Tsuki spoke up, almost panicked-sounding. "My brother, or whoever is helping him..."
"Oh, no need to worry about that, dear," Old Kai interrupted. "I would've recognized that energy in a heartbeat. This being, while faint, feels distinctly Kai. Actually, a lot like yours, Easty."
"Like mine? You mean like a Supreme? Impossible. They're all dead-"
"I'm very much aware. But this mountain holds a lot of magic. Someone with unfinished business may have given out a shred of their own magic before they passed, perhaps unwittingly," he said easily.
"But... is that even possible?" Shin asked.
"Easty, I stopped asking myself that question long ago. It's made life easier."
"...you've been in a sword all this time."
"Indeed. And that made life easier too!"
As Gohan closed his eyes, he tried to clear his mind yet again. It took a while, as now he was listening for the knocking, waiting for that feeling of invasion. But nothing would come. He sighed, eventually giving up, his mind wandering back to Piccolo, wondering how his mentor was doing...
And then, just like that, the knocking started again.
Excited now, Gohan focused in on the knocking. At first, he was at a loss on how to answer. Then, remembering what Old Kai had said, he imagined himself opening a door. At first, he saw only emptiness, and then... a light. Pinkish, dull... steadily growing brighter. And then, taking shape. Finally, a small being, barely taller than himself, stood before him.
She was beautiful, Gohan decided instantly. She had pale pink skin, and hair so white it seemingly glittered. It struck him then that she looked a lot like Shin, even dressed similarly. She smiled at him, practically beaming, though tears were in her eyes.
"My Gohan," she whispered, almost in awe. "My child."
Gohan cocked his head. "West?" he asked, surprised.
She nodded fervently. "Yes! Yes, I'm West! Your mother! Well, spirit mother. Can I... may I hug you?" she asked, almost shyly. When he nodded, she stepped up to him, hesitantly putting her arms around him. And when he in turn wrapped his arms around her, her embrace tightened and he felt tears against the side of his head, dampening his hair.
"How are you here?" Gohan asked quietly.
West sniffled and pulled herself away, swiping at her tears.
"I'm not entirely sure, actually. I remember being beaten...being beaten so badly by that pink monster, the pain... and then it was over. I knew I was dead, but... I wasn't crossing over. We had always been told we would cross over when we died, but I couldn't. I've tried. Tried so many times, but I don't know how. I've been stuck in the in-between. I've been trying so hard to reach out. To you, Lady Tsuki, East, your father..."
Gohan's face darkened at the mention of Amat.
"Oh, no, Gohan...Amat... he was the most wonderful person, you must believe that. I loved him so much. I still love him."
"How much have you been able to see? He's trying to kill me!" Gohan almost snapped.
West's eyes saddened even more, if at all possible, and more tears began to well. "I know. I've been screaming... screaming so loud... and no one can hear me. I've tried to tell him to stop, to stop trying to murder our child. How could he try? How could he even think about harming a hair on your perfect head? That is not the god I loved; he is not the same man." The tears spilled now, running freely down her face. "I've screamed and screamed, I thought I would have no voice left. My heart has broken so many times, I thought it couldn't possibly break anymore, and now, with you here before me, with that hatred in your eyes, I feel it break again, and I find all I can do is ramble... That is not my Amat. My Amat would never try to kill a child. Would never try to kill his child!" she said indignantly, voice broken.
Gohan softened. "Shin said the Darkness changed him," he said gently, feeling compelled to comfort her.
She nodded slightly. "It did... That place, it destroys all happiness and joy. He used to be such a happy soul, so kind, so loving..."
Her image wavered, and she looked surprised for a moment, before realization crossed her face, and she smiled.
"Finally!" she gasped.
"What? What's happening?" Gohan asked.
"I think my time to cross over is here at last! Maybe this is what it was waiting for all this time, this unfinished business Lady Gami must have foreseen and made me stay for!" she said, relief lacing her voice. "Gohan, when you see Amat, can you tell him something?"
"Depends on how hard he's trying to kill me at that moment," Gohan replied dryly.
She smiled wryly. "In daylight and darkness, my heart will always burn for you, and you alone. Will you tell him that?"
"If I can. What does it mean?"
"That was the vow we gave each other before we ran off together. A wedding vow, of sorts. Oh, my ring! If you can, I think my ring is still hidden! I buried it under the tree in the grove. Ask East where the grove is! Give it to Amat, or at least show him it!"
"He's going to be trying to kill me," Gohan reiterated.
Her face fell. "I know. But I also know you will kill him. I feel it." She pressed her finger to his chest, just over his heart. "Trust your strength, and do not be afraid of yourself. You are strong, my son. But it will not just be your strength that wins the day, but your-"
"Anger?"
"Your love, child. Your love. Your anger burns bright, but your love fuels it. You have only ever angered because those you love were in danger. That will not change. Amat is strong, but it is not love that fuels his anger, his strength. Love always wins. Always." She faded more. "My time has come. Goodbye, my son. And thank that Namekian for me, would you? I owe him much, keeping you safe and giving you all the love Amat and I could not."
And with that, she was gone.
And Gohan was yanked back to the present.
With a gasp, Gohan opened his eyes, breathing rapidly.
"About time, boy!" Old Kai exclaimed.
"We've been calling to you," Tsuki added.
"I- what happened? What time is it?" Gohan asked, confused. He glanced before him, at Old Kai and Tsuki sitting before him, their hands outstretched to him. Shin appraised him from his spot beside them.
"Well I daresay, it's about time for your unleashing to be complete!" Old Kai said.
"What? But... I was only talking to her for a few minutes... It's really been twenty four hours?"
"Thirty, actually," Tsuki said.
"Who were you talking to, Gohan?" Shin asked.
"West. I was talking to West. I swear it was only a few minutes..."
"Time flows differently in the mind. You saw West? You spoke to her?" Tsuki asked, intrigued.
"Yeah, she was stuck in the in-between, I guess? I don't know, she told me a lot of stuff..."
"Yes, yes, very nice," Old Kai said dismissively, standing up, Tsuki and Shin following. "Well, up you go, boy! Let's test this out!"
Gohan stood. "What do I do?" he asked, unsure.
"Just try going Super Saiyan... Wait until we get a safe distance away!" Old Kai exclaimed, shuffling backward. He looked around him for some cover, but saw none. "My Lady, perhaps a shield?"
Tsuki smiled and nodded. "Here East, give me your hand. We will make a double shield, yes?" she asked, grabbing Shin's hand. He nodded, and the two used their free hands to create an energy shield around the three of them.
Old Kai poked at the shield, yanking his hand back as the energy shocked him. "Good, good, seems strong! Alright, boy! Go for it!" he called to Gohan.
Gohan looked at them, unsure still. He then changed his stance subtly, and focused in on himself.
"Just go Super Saiyan," he whispered to himself.
And he let go.
The moment he let go of his reserves, the air around him crackled and sparked, and the ground around him buckled. Lightning bounced off the shield harmlessly , but marred the ground before it. His hair stood on end, shifting to the gold, and then alternating between blonde and black before finally settling on the black again. A cry burst forth from the boy's mouth as he felt his ki rapidly maxing out over his Super Saiyan II, and then rushing even further past.
The shield around Tsuki and the Kais wavered as Gohan's ki bore down on it oppressively. Shin let out a small gasp, and he felt Tsuki's hand tighten around his as she sent more of her own ki into the shield. He followed her example. Old Kai, sensing the impending danger, grabbed both their hands and thrust his own energy into the shield, determined to not be knocked off the mountain.
Finally, finally, Gohan felt his ki peak, and with a final cry, he finished his ascension. His blue eyes locked onto the three as they finally let the shield drop, and he took in the look of awe and... was that fear on their faces? He looked down at his hands, the lightning still crackling around his fists, and he couldn't stop the thought that crossed his mind:
A monster. I've turned into a monster.