An End and A Beginning

Vegeta looked fairly impressed at the sudden display of the half-Saiyan's power. "He's not as weak as we thought he was. Have the remaining five Saibamens deal with the other annoying Earthlings while you deal with this short one personally."

Nappa turned to his alien underlings as he pounded his fists together and looked down on the short human boy. "I will have fun with this one. Take care of the others, but leave at least one alive for interrogation. If you don't want to be destroyed like your foolish brethren, then take them seriously and kill them."

All five Saibamens complied with the order and began to attack the assembled Z-Fighters. Due to the numbers difference, Piccolo avoided facing a Saibamen opponent and gracefully landed next to Gohan. "He is not an easy opponent to take down. Do not take him lightly."

"I'll definitely need the help. Thanks, sensei," Gohan said as he readied himself in front of the Saiyan general. Piccolo crossed his arms and merely stared at the large opponent that was approaching them.

"Since you wanted to take me on so badly, I'll fight you instead of those pathetic Saibamens." Nappa leered as he ripped off his scouter. "A two versus one? A piece of cake. Be honored that General Nappa of the Saiyans is going to kill you personally."

Gohan gave an intense glare towards his opponent, his eyes flashing with anger. "I would tell you my name, but it won't matter because the only ones that will be dead are you and your short friend."

All three fighters facing off each other felt a brief spike in ki from the short Saiyan prince, who looked irritated at Gohan's last comment. "Make sure to spare the little boy, general. I want to kill him."

"With pleasure." The large Saiyan released a loud yell and began to release his ki freely.

Both Gohan and Piccolo stepped backward as they felt Nappa's power level multiplying rapidly. Gohan grunted as he destroyed some rocks and boulders that were being whipped up by Nappa's power display. "Certainly flashy, isn't he?"

"Then let us show him that we're not outmatched." Piccolo calmly suggested. His arms remained crossed as energy surrounded his body freely. Gohan followed suit and allowed his remaining suppressed ki to explode around him.

Vegeta, who still had his scouter activated over his eyes, smirked at the numbers that were on his scouter. "That brat has a power level of 5000 and the Namekian has a power level of 6000. Impressive, considering you're living on this backwater planet."

Nappa rapidly dashed forward, utilizing the ki that surrounded him to propel himself like a bullet. Gohan and Piccolo both barely dodged the man's charge and then proceeded to land behind the glowing Saiyan.

The half-Saiyan placed his finger on his forehead and created a clone of himself, which promptly hugged him tightly. "Niisan!"

"Gohan! Focus on the battle!" Piccolo yelled at the two. "Lose focus for one moment and you'll be killed!"

The original Gohan gave a small nod to the clone. "Let's do this, sensei."

Despite the sudden appearance of another Gohan, Nappa seemed unfazed and continued his attack on his opponents. He delivered high-powered ki blasts to the three, but the three fighters dodged the attacks and closed the distance to engage him in close combat.

Original Gohan attacked from the front, making Nappa focus his defense towards the strong half-Saiyan. Using a combination of punches and kicks, Gohan gave Nappa little chance or time to reply with a counterattack. While he was preoccupied with Gohan, Nappa was struck in the back by Piccolo's powerful roundhouse kick. The Saiyan general found himself falling towards the ground, but Gohan knocked the man up into the air with a sweeping uppercut.

In the air, clone Gohan nervously charged up energy in his hands. When Nappa was swept into the air, the clone released his attack. "Masenko!"

The famed Demon Blast struck the Saiyan general head on and threw him into the hard concrete. Gohan gave a thumbs up to the clone, who was looking at his hands in awe. The clone grinned and waved back at the original body.

However, instead of staying down like the Z-Fighters expected, Nappa slowly stood up with a different look in his eyes. "You dare to burn me with your feeble attacks? I will make sure all of you pay for your stupidity!"

Nappa roared as he released an intense beam of energy from his hands at his three opponents. All three managed to dodge the beam due to the inaccuracy caused by Nappa's sudden rage, but the beam continued forward. It struck a Saibamen, slicing through the alien as if its body was made of butter, and then striking a surprised looking Krillin. Krillin took the brunt of the attack and was thrown back by the powerful attack.

"NO!" Yamcha cried as he crushed his opponent into the ground and checked upon the bald monk. After feeling for a pulse, Yamcha shook his head in disbelief. "He's gone. Krillin is dead."

Those words shocked the other Z-Fighters, who looked at the scarred warrior in disbelief. Gohan turned towards the Saiyan general, who seemed much more powerful than before, with a look of complete hatred displayed on his face. He hadn't known the monk personally, but Krillin was an ally and Nappa killed him while he was fighting another battle.

"You are weak. Not only can you not defeat us, but you kill a person that wasn't even fighting you. Are all Saiyans like you this pathetic?" Piccolo mocked the Saiyan general.

The muscular Saiyan let out a rumbling laugh towards the Z-Fighters. All of them had managed to subdue their alien opponents and joined the trio's side "Mocking me and laughing at me before you are about to be killed? I will wipe all of your existences from this miserable planet."

All seven remaining Z-Fighters, including the clone, rushed towards Nappa in unity. Nappa took a short step back before powering up once more. "Break Cannon!"

A beam of energy blasted its way out of Nappa's mouth and slammed into the approaching Z-Fighters. All of the attackers were either thrown back or avoided the massive attack. Unfortunately for Gohan's clone, it was caught in the blast and merged back with the original, making original Gohan shudder as he understood the magnitude of the ultimate attack.

Chi-Chi flew next to him and softly held his shoulders. "Are you ok, Gohan? I saw that blast hit you and I was..."

"I'm fine, mom. We should focus on the battle first. We can't let that Saiyan get away with what he did." Gohan replied, brushing his mother off. He didn't want to worry or anger his mother, but they were in the middle of a battle.

Prince Vegeta seemed to have heard the conversation and sniggered at Gohan and his mother. "From what I can tell, the brat is a Saiyan half-breed. If you're his mother, then you must be Kakarrot's mate. Interesting..."

"Nappa, take care of the others. I will deal with Kakarrot's brat and his mate myself." Vegeta flew towards the woman and her son. Nappa responded with an affirmative nod and continued his destructive attack against the others.

Piccolo, sensing that Chi-Chi and Gohan were in danger, flew towards the Saiyan prince to intercept him. However, Vegeta easily turned towards the approaching Namek and released a large and powerful wave of energy from his entire body towards Piccolo. "Do not interfere with my business, you foolish Namekian!"

The blast slammed into Piccolo, throwing the green alien backward as he crashed into a nearby building and collapsed into the rubble.

Sensei! Gohan mentally screamed. The air around Gohan became thicker as ki crackled around the angry half-Saiyan. He threw a protective arm in front of Chi-Chi as Vegeta approached the pair slowly and steadily. "The fight ends here, Your Highness."

"Nothing would please me more than killing your parents and making you repeat those last two words for the rest of your life." Vegeta threw off his scouter which was displaying fluctuating numbers and cracked his knuckles. "Maybe I will spare you just for that reason."

With one last smirk, Vegeta disappeared into thin air. Gohan quickly looked around, his back instinctively going against his mother's. "I'll need your help here too, mom. He's definitely stronger than me, but we should be able to delay him long enough for dad to get here."

Chi-Chi nodded. For several long seconds, neither of the fighters moved as they waited for Vegeta's attack. Finally, the Saiyan prince materialized back into the air as he delivered a solid punch straight into the stomach of Gohan.

Gohan and his mother were pushed back dozens of feet as Chi-Chi barely managed to prevent Gohan from falling out of the sky. Gohan coughed up blood and wiped it with his arm. He's unbelievably fast! I could barely even see him!

A blur smashed into Gohan and Chi-Chi again, striking both of them at once and making them tumble from the sky. Mother and son crashed into the pavement and created a sizeable crater in the middle of the street. Gohan struggled to get to his feet as he was struck in the head by another strike by the Saiyan prince.

"Is that all you got?" Vegeta jeered. "If that is all, you Earthlings are even more pathetic than I thought. A shame that you didn't even manage to give me proper entertainment. You do not deserve to live."

Vegeta began to charge ki into his hands to finish off Gohan when he was struck by two separate attacks that made him stumble forward. Behind him, a battered Piccolo and Chi-Chi stood with their hands out. Gohan's mentor was unstable on his feet and Gohan's mother looked exhausted due to her encounter with the Saibamen and Vegeta, but both of them held their ground as the prince turned towards them.

Chi-Chi stepped forward and glared at the Saiyan prince. "You will not hurt my son. I will protect him even if that means I die."

"If you think we will just watch while you kill Goku's son, you're gravely mistaken," Piccolo added.

"Weaklings always rely on other weaklings, but the elites will always win," Vegeta said gleefully, surrounding his body with ki. "Watch carefully, Kakarrot's brat. Your mother and friend here will die while you lay there helplessly."

True to his words, Vegeta let out a yell as he immediately rushed towards the weakened fighters. Piccolo attempted to block Vegeta's rush but found his arm sliced cleanly at the elbow by Vegeta's strike. The short Saiyan slammed the Namek backward with a palm strike directly into his chest. However, before Vegeta could finish off the green alien, Chi-Chi intervened and attacked the Saiyan.

Chi-Chi's attackers were greatly slowed down due to her fights from before and Vegeta was also much faster than Piccolo, Gohan, or Nappa. Her strikes were easily dodged and blocked by the Saiyan prince, his cocky grin never leaving his face. Once Chi-Chi was on the brink of collapse, Vegeta pushed her back and then pointed his index finger towards the woman. "Bang Beam."

A beam shot out of the Saiyan's index finger and struck Chi-Chi right in the chest. Gohan watched in horror as his mother collapsed in front of him, a gaping hole in the middle of her chest. "No!"

"This is the difference between the elites and lower class scums like you. Now for the other one." Vegeta kicked the corpse of Chi-Chi and walked towards Piccolo's unconscious body. The Namek was not dead, but his ki signature was weak and he had been unable to regenerate his arm due to his weakened state.

Gohan attempted to stand up to stop the Saiyan, but his arms and legs barely heeded to his call. Damn it! Nothing has changed! I was weak in the past and I'm still weak now! And now, I have to watch the people I admire and love die without being able to do anything.

Hiro niisan, A voice whispered in his head. I can't come out and help you right now, but I can give you the power of my consciousness. It should temporarily double your power level and help you buy more time.

A shudder went throughout Gohan's body as he felt a powerful sense of ki approaching his position at rapid speed. Is that?

It's daddy! He's almost here! Real Gohan cheered. We need to buy him more time! We can't let Piccolo die!

Then do whatever you need to do give me more power, even if it's temporary. I'm not letting that bastard killing me without a fight. "Gohan" urged his other self.

Suddenly, Gohan felt an incredible amount of power surge throughout his body. His focus sharpened as he felt an overwhelming amount of energy fill up his empty storages. He stood up and looked at his hands, which were crackling with energy. Thanks, Gohan.

You're welcome niisan! Now knock that bad guy dead! You're on your own for now.

"It seems like Kakarrot is almost here. I wonder what he will say when he finds his entire family and his friends dead?" Vegeta was about to say more but was struck by a speeding bullet from behind.

Gohan freed Piccolo from Vegeta's grasp and laid him down behind some nearby rubble. "Thank you, sensei. I won't let you down."

Vegeta growled as he stood up from the sudden attack. "Your father will take five minutes to get here. I will make those five minutes your last, son of Kakarrot. A shame you won't see your father's demise."

"I might die here, but I will make sure to weaken you enough for my father to kill you," Gohan replied. He quickly powered up ki into his hands and poured out his energy into his attack. "Reibimu!"

The thin and concentrated energy beam streaked towards Vegeta at its highest speed. The prince responded to the attack with a technique of his own. "Galick Gun."

Both attacks slammed into each other in the middle. Gohan's green beam struggled against Vegeta's purple ray, but neither side gave an inch as Gohan desperately pushed more energy into his hands while Vegeta continued his offensive. After a few intense seconds, Gohan began to feel his ki reserves drop and his energy falter. If I just had a bit more power, I can beat him!

Gohan gave a small glance towards the corpse of his mother and the bloodied body of his fallen mentor. Those two had taught him to love this Earth and despite everything, had done their best to provide for him. Piccolo was strict, but trained him to his maximum potential, offered him wise and motivational words, and was his partner in life and combat. He was battered and nearly killed in an attempt to protect him. His mother, Chi-Chi, had loved him and protected him regardless of the circumstances. She knew she was outmatched, but she fought Vegeta to direct his attention away from him and towards her, and died in the process.

His allies were sacrificing themselves for him, not the other way around.

Weak. That's all you are. That's all you'll ever be. Weak.

The half-Saiyan gritted his teeth as he fueled his attack with every remaining energy he had. Hate and anger vibrated throughout his body as he felt another shift in his power level. He didn't care what he had to sacrifice at this point, he was going to win.

"REIBIMU!" Gohan screamed as his attack suddenly became much more powerful. The green beam began to cut through Vegeta's Galick Gun against all odds and began to change color, turning from green to teal.

"What is this power?" Vegeta shouted as Gohan's beam was on the verge of breaking through the purple blast. "Learn your place, you third class, half-breed trash!"

A massive explosion appeared where the two Saiyans were fighting each other, rocking the entire city with a massive earthquake and halting the battle between the remaining Z-Fighters and Nappa. Everyone looked in awe as a massive crater appeared where Gohan and Vegeta had been fighting. Gohan was on his knees, his ki severely drained, while Vegeta barely managed to stand up. Somehow, Chi-Chi's body and Piccolo's unconscious form survived the blast and were thrown near each other towards the edge of the crater.

Nappa, his body weakened due to the constant attacks by the Z-Fighters, landed next to the prince. "Prince Vegeta, are you alright?"

Vegeta replied by spitting on the ground while weakly grabbing the Saiyan general for support. "That damn half-breed brat managed to land a lucky shot on me, that is all. This time, I'll finish him."

"Back away from Gohan." A new voice stated firmly.

All the remaining warriors looked up and saw Son Gok floating in the air, his eyes filled with concern and controlled anger.

"Father." Gohan managed to mutter before he collapsed onto the ground.

Goku floated down onto the ground, landing directly next to his fallen son. He surveyed the destruction around him and his eyes laid sight of the fallen bodies of his wife and friends. He began to fly towards Chi-Chi, but Nappa jumped in front of him. "You'll meet the same end as your foolish comrades!"

The Earth raised Saiyan barely acknowledged the general as he slammed a fist into the stomach of the large man. Nappa was instantly blown backward and skidded through the pavement, creating a trench in the street. Even Vegeta flinched at Goku's power.

For a moment, Goku was silent as he picked up the dead body of his wife and recovered the severely battered Piccolo. He flew back towards Gohan and gently laid both bodies near his son. His eyes watered as he looked at his fallen wife. "I'm sorry that I was late."

He pulled out two Senzu beans and fed them to Piccolo and Gohan. Both fighters immediately rose as their injuries were healed and their energy was replenished instantly. Gohan looked up to his powerful father and bowed his head. "I couldn't protect mom and couldn't defeat either of them. I'm sorry, father."

To Gohan's surprise, Goku patted his head softly and bent down towards his son. "It's not your fault. I should've come here earlier... If I was just a few minutes early, Chi-Chi would still be alive."

"I convinced her to fight and now she's dead because of my foolishness," Gohan replied bitterly. "I couldn't even protect her and watched her die."

Piccolo, who was silent in an attempt to regrow his arm, stood up next to his student. "She made her own choice and you made yours. She died because she loved you and wanted to protect you, do not think that it was your fault."

"If anything, it's the fault of these Saiyans. We'll revive her with the Dragon Balls, don't worry." Goku turned his head towards the prince, who was standing alone.

Vegeta scoffed at the sight in front of him. "Are you done having your family time?"

Goku ignored him and turned towards Tenshinhan, who was gripping his bleeding shoulder. "Where's Chaozu?"

"He's dead along with Krillin." Tenshinhan grimaced. "He blew himself up to stop Nappa from finishing me off."

"Chi-Chi, Chaozu, and Krillin. And nearly Gohan and Piccolo also." Goku muttered.

Suddenly, Nappa appeared from the ruins of the buildings and landed next to Vegeta. He looked worn out, but he was still emitting a strong amount of ki.

"Gohan, Piccolo. I need you to take down the big guy while I fight the little guy. I know you two can do it." Goku requested to the two rejuvenated warriors.

Student and mentor both nodded at the same time. "We won't hold back," Gohan promised.

Goku gave his son a faint smile before powering up and charging towards Vegeta. Piccolo and Gohan instantly followed suit and collided against Nappa, drawing the Saiyan general away from the fight between the Saiyan prince and the third-class Saiyan.

The son of Goku looked calm as he stood in front of his opponent. His extreme rage and anger from before were no longer present as Piccolo remained by his side.

"You're lucky you didn't finish your fight with me. If you did, you would've been dead." Gohan taunted. "Now, I'll finish this for the people you've killed today."

Nappa laughed at Gohan's remark. "You think that you can defeat me because you got one lucky shot on Vegeta and managed to fight on even grounds with me while I was toying with you? You haven't seen anything yet, little brat."

Gohan went into a fighting stance and surrounded his body with ki. "I'll make sure you feel nothing but pain before you die."

It was Piccolo that decided to rush out first wordlessly. The Namek crashed into Nappa at full speed, striking the general with his powerful legs. Gohan followed immediately with an attack towards the large man's back, firing a ki blast towards his target.

The blast hit the general's back squarely, making Nappa scream in pain and rage. He didn't fall, but Gohan could see him unbalanced on his feet. General Nappa looked at his opponent with his expression full of pure hate as he powered up once again like before. "That will be the last hit you and your friend land! There is no more holding back!"

"Good, because neither will we," Gohan replied, allowing his replenished ki to flow through his body.

Nappa charged at Gohan first, his aura filled with killing intent. The little boy dodged the rapid punches of the general and countered with a barrage of punches of his own. Piccolo immediately came behind the general to flank him, but Nappa sensed his ki and blocked Piccolo's attacks.

Both Piccolo and Gohan barely managed to block Nappa's attack, as the general pushed out a fist towards each opponent. Gohan rushed in towards the torso to utilize the opening that Nappa created, while Piccolo did the same towards the back side. Instead of being easily taken down, Nappa managed to block the combination attack with his speed. "Do you really think I'll leave an opening that easily?"

The half-Saiyan backed up and fired more ki blasts towards Nappa while Piccolo attempted to hold down the Saiyan general. The blasts struck the giant, but also hit the nearby Piccolo. The Namek glanced at Gohan and gave a small nod to the boy. Gohan knew what his mentor was saying. Regardless of anything, Nappa had to be taken down fast and they needed to assist Goku quickly.

From a distance, Gohan continued to fire more and more ki bolts at the enraged Saiyan while Piccolo kept him busy. Each ki blast barely managed to leave a mark on the tough skin of the bald fighter, but each blast also slightly weakened him. After several rounds of fighting with Piccolo and being struck by Gohan's attacks, Nappa looked exhausted as his speed and ki levels dropped tremendously. He no longer looked like the confident warrior that had managed to push back the Z-Fighters. Instead, he looked more like a cornered animal that was fighting with its final breath.

Gohan rushed in to assist his teacher as the duo fought Nappa with overwhelming speed. The drained Saiyan general had resorted to defense but still struck his opponents to give himself some space. However, every time he threw his fist out to attack, Nappa created a small opening. Piccolo instantly recognized this and landed a clean blow to Nappa's head when the general attempted to strike Gohan.

The bald warrior staggered backward from the powerful blow as Gohan immediately took advantage of Piccolo's successful attack. "Masenko!"

A yellow ray launched out of Gohan's palms and flew straight into the Saiyan general. Gohan continued his attack even as Nappa was flown backward and shot through several buildings and houses. Piccolo stood by and watched his student blast the Saiyan with his arms crossed.

After several seconds of pouring out his ki into the Masenko, Gohan finally relented and halted his attack. The Namek and half-human flew towards where Nappa had landed, which was quite a distance away. Nappa had landed in a nearby park and was surrounded by scorched trees and craters as he stumbled onto his knees. The bald warrior was barely able to raise his head up towards the two Earthlings floating above him. "If I hadn't been weakened by your friends before, I would've been able to easily defeat you."

"Save your excuses, general," Gohan said as he landed in front of his enemy. "This is the end for you."

Piccolo glanced over at Gohan, who looked poised to kill the man in front of him. "Do what you need to do, Gohan."

There was no mercy in Gohan's eyes as he gave one final look to one of the last Saiyans. "Reibimu."

The concentrated beam struck the Saiyan general's armor and broke through it, cutting a hole into Nappa's heart and coming out the back. Nappa collapsed onto the ground with a large thud, the ground slightly shaking due to the beam.

Gohan looked over at the man he just killed. He had never killed a man face to face. All the enemies he killed, if he killed any, in his previous life was from a distance away and he never knew who he killed. Yet the first man he killed in this world, and perhaps the first man he had ever killed, laid right in front of him. The man had died by his own hands. It felt strange and unreal.

He, as a 5-year-old, killed a much older man with his own power.

"Come on, Gohan. Your father will need our assistance against the other Saiyan," Piccolo urged the boy.

The young boy nodded as he stared at the body one last time before flying away with his mentor.

"You should be honored to have an opportunity to fight me." Vegeta proclaimed confidently as he and Goku looked at each other in the middle of the fields. "A low-class trash like you don't get to fight an elite class warrior like me."

Goku had flown out of the city and lured the Saiyan prince in order to prevent further destruction to the civilian area and to prevent the rest of his allies from being hurt. Yamcha and Tenshinhan insisted that they came with him, but he turned them down. This was his fight and his fight alone.

The lower class Saiyan remained silent as the prince continued to talk. "Our strength is analyzed at birth and we are assigned different ranks and roles based on our strength. You were one of the lower class warriors, a Saiyan with barely enough power to be considered a "warrior." That is why you were sent to this pitiful dustball, a planet filled with weak humans that don't know how to use ki."

"True strength can't be measured. While you continue to talk, the warriors you fought before will only train harder to surpass you. Even a lower class like me can defeat the likes of you if they train hard enough. Nothing is undefeatable." Goku shot back.

Vegeta sniggered at Goku's remark. "You are foolish and naive. There is no way you or any of the pathetic humans on this planet can defeat me, the prince of all Saiyans."

"I guess I'll have to defeat you so that they have a chance to prove that you're wrong." Goku gripped his fists tightly and activated his Kaio-Ken times Two.

"There is nothing to prove. There are walls that you can never climb over even with hard work, and I will be that wall you are unable to climb over." The prince replied as he went into his fighting stance.

The two warriors remained silent and inspected each other for a long minute. The air vibrated with energy and the clouds darkened as two Saiyans, both with very different backgrounds and heritages, emitted large amounts of ki. Finally, both warriors sprung into action at nearly the same time.

Goku's right fist collided into Vegeta's arm, unleashing a wave of wind. Vegeta grunted and replied with a punch of his own, aimed directly at Goku's muscular torso. The Earth warrior was thrown backward by Vegeta's attack, but immediately rebounded and struck the Saiyan prince's left leg.

Vegeta cursed as he was taken aback by the blow and lashed out with a roundhouse kick from his right leg. Goku managed to block the kick, but Vegeta quickly bore in and struck Goku's chin with an uppercut. The third class Saiyan's head snapped backward but instantly rushed forward as he headbutted his opponent directly on the forehead, making the Saiyan prince dazed for a moment. Goku slammed a punch into Vegeta's stomach and launched Vegeta into the ground.

A sizeable crater was created from Vegeta's crash landing and Goku floated above the Saiyan elite. "You shouldn't be treating me like a joke because I will defeat you."

"Grr." Vegeta let out as he rose to his feet. "Fine. I will hasten your death if that is what you desire."

The prince of Saiyans shot out of the crater directly towards Earth's protector, his power output much higher than before. Suddenly, Goku found himself on the defensive, fending off the high-speed attacks of Vegeta. Despite being powered by his Kaio-Ken, Goku was struck by a rapid punch into the chest and then kneed in the back as he found himself tumbling out of the air.

Even the rapid strikes by the prince were not enough to knock Goku out of the air, as the Earth raised Saiyan immediately shot back up and challenged Vegeta for supremacy. However, Vegeta easily dodged Goku's attacks and landed a solid blow on Goku's face. The strike finally managed to make Goku tumble out of the air.

As Goku struggled to get up, Vegeta kicked his fallen opponent and mocked him. "I treat you like a joke because you are one. Your power is nothing compared to mine. Too bad this will be the lesson you learn."

Confident of his abilities, the elite Saiyan warrior allowed Goku to rise back onto his feet. Instead of having an angry or worried look on his face, Goku looked at Vegeta with a grin. "You can really fight... Guess I have no choice then. Kaio-Ken times Three!"

Vegeta stepped back as he felt Goku's power level spike once again. "What kind of sorcery is this? Your power level can climb higher?"

"I'm not finished yet, Vegeta. You better not hold back." Goku surged towards Vegeta, his speed even faster than before.

With an ear shattering yell, Goku punched Vegeta's guard. Vegeta was pushed backward and before he could look up to see his opponent, Goku was already behind him and swept the prince's legs under him with a roundhouse kick. Before Vegeta could land on the ground, Goku launched an uppercut, throwing Vegeta into the air, and then punched Vegeta's stomach squarely.

When Vegeta landed, he coughed up blood and collapsed onto the ground from Goku's surprising display of power. "Damn you, half-breed! You will pay for making me bleed."

From his position, Vegeta charged up ki into his hands and released the energy at Goku. "Galick Gun!"

"Kamehameha!" Goku quickly formed energy into his hands to counter Vegeta's attack.

Two beams met crashed into each other in the middle, creating an intense wave of air and whipping up dirt and rocks nearby.

"Your blast might look like mine, Kakarrot, but I am far stronger than you!" Vegeta screamed as he continued to pour his strength into his purple beam.

Goku's feet began to crack the ground as the amount of energy he was sending and receiving was tremendous. "We're too evenly matched. I have no choice but to do this... Kaio-Ken times Four!"

The Kamehameha's power multiplied as the blue ray that was evenly matched with Vegeta's Galick Gun suddenly overpowered the purple beam and headed towards Vegeta.

Vegeta gritted his teeth as he poured every bit of his ki into his attack "I will not be struck again by beams of you lowly Earthlings!"

His resistance to the attack was futile, as Goku's Kamehameha broke through and blasted into Vegeta much like Gohan's Reibimu. The prince of Saiyans shot through the sky and went beyond the clouds, disappearing from sight.

Goku collapsed onto the ground with visible strains on his body. The Kaio Ken had taken everything out of him and he was sitting at his limit. He barely registered the fact that two new ki sources appeared nearby.

Gohan and Piccolo zipped across the sky, feeling the powers of the Saiyan elite and Earth's protector from a distance away. "Incredible. His power level has been steadily rising and it's definitely above everyone's power level."

"Your father is stubborn and powerful. Even the prince of Saiyans will have trouble dealing with him." Piccolo said as they approached the ki signatures.

Goku's son wordlessly nodded, his attention focused elsewhere. His mind was racing with dozens of thoughts as he reflected on what had happened to him in the past few hours.

While I was fighting Vegeta, I felt my power levels spike up and my ki increasing. I know you combined your powers with mine, but how did I manage to beat Vegeta's Galick Gun?

Gohan's other personality was silent as Gohan remembered the real Gohan's parting words. You're on your own for now.

Crap, did I kill him by draining his power? Gohan swore silently.

No. He is very much alive within you, but he's unconscious and drained for the time being. A familiar voice popped into his head. And the reason why you were able to overpower Vegeta for a brief moment is because of your emotions. Your hate and anger subconsciously drew more power from your body, powers that are dormant and stored away. The Saiyans are a very powerful race and emotions often allow them to grow stronger and increase their power levels in an instant.

Good to hear from you again, Hikari. Thanks for the information. Gohan gave a small grin as he realized the owner of the voice.

Remember, I will help you in times of need and guide you along the way. But I will never intervene in your battles. You must learn to fight your enemies with your own strength. Also, do not rely too much on your "dormant" energy. It can only be used ever so often, and it even drains a bit of your life force.

Gohan grimaced as he heard this. I'll do my best, Hikari.

Good luck. Remember, I trust that you'll make the right judgment regardless of the circumstances. Do what is right.

As he began to ponder upon what Hikari had told him, Gohan felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see his mentor, who was looking a bit puzzled at his student. "Are you alright, brat?"

"I'm doing fine, why?"

"Well, you were making odd facial expressions and you were muttering to yourself," Piccolo stated matter of factly.

"I was conversing with Hikari, the being above Gods," Gohan replied.

That shook Piccolo's emotionless face more than their battle with Nappa and Vegeta. "You mean, you can just talk to the being above all Gods in your head?"

Gohan nodded. "It's strange, but it's the truth."

The green alien grumbled under his breath and sighed. "Well, no matter. We're almost near the site of the battle. Be prepared to fight Vegeta and assist Goku."

"I've been ready ready since the beginning," Gohan replied back, increasing his flying speed a bit more to prove his point.

The Namek caught up to his speed with relative ease. "There is something I need to tell you before we face Vegeta, Gohan."

"What is it?"

"Your mother... She knew that you weren't her son." Piccolo admitted.

Gohan screeched to a halt as he stared at his mentor. "Y-You mean?"

"She knew. I told her because she asked on the first day. She noticed that your personality was radically different and that your reaction to her wasn't exactly the same as before. I asked her to keep it a secret, but she actually did love you. Chi-Chi told me that you were still her son, regardless of who was in Gohan's body." The Namek explained to his student as they floated in the air.

The half-Saiyan was speechless as he absorbed this new piece of information.

She knew, but she still loved me. The son of Goku and Chi-Chi thought as his body went numb. She knew.

Piccolo allowed the conflicted child take his time, a slightly look of worry appearing on his face before disappearing almost immediately. Afterward, without any further words, the two flew on and arrived where Goku was. Both of them were surprised to see Goku by himself on the ground. They quickly rushed to his side and helped him up as Goku looked at the duo and smiled. "Good to see you both alive and well. Did you defeat the bald one?"

"Gohan killed him. Shot him straight in the heart with his technique," Piccolo revealed to the other Earth Saiyan. Surprise lit up Goku's face when he heard the news.

"He was too much of a threat and he was trying to kill us to the end," Gohan stated in his defense.

Goku didn't scold his son but patted the young boy on the shoulder instead. "You did well, Gohan. I'm proud of you. I always knew you were a true warrior."

The young son gave a small smile to the Earth raised Saiyan. "Thank you, father."

"Call me dad. You're being too formal," Goku said with a small laugh. "It doesn't feel right when you call me "father.""

"Ok... dad," Gohan hesitated when using the word because it was a word he hadn't used for a long time. It was foreign to him and he felt strange trying to use that word.

Piccolo stepped in between the father and son duo and cleared his throat. "You can do this after that prince is defeated. Where is he?"

"I blasted him into the sky, but he hasn't come down yet," Goku answered.

The Namek looked up at the sky and swore when he saw the full moon. "The full moon. Your brother mentioned something about Saiyans showing their "true self" once they are exposed to a full moon. That damned Saiyan might be planning something!"

Gohan didn't wait and immediately shot upwards into the sky, with Piccolo right behind him. Both of them shot through the clouds as they witnessed Vegeta laughing madly by himself.

"It's too late! The full moon will finally allow me to defeat that lower class scum!" Vegeta proclaimed as he slowly began to transform.

Piccolo hurriedly turned to Gohan and pointed his finger at Gohan's hands. Instantly, a sword was created. "We have a few seconds to take him down before he transforms. His weakness is his tail, so we'll have to cut it off. I'll do my best to keep him busy, but you must cut off his tail. For all we know, he can kill us all in his transformed state."

Vegeta grew bigger and harrier as Piccolo charged and attacked him. Despite being only partially transformed, the prince still fought off the Namek's attacks. "You can not stop me! I am the prince of all Saiyans and the strongest being in this universe! Once my transformation is complete, I will kill Kakarrot and destroy this treacherous mudball!"

A single strike from Vegeta's partially transformed state created a large airwave and emitted large amounts of energy. Gohan flew towards his teacher and the prince as they both fought each other desperately. Once Gohan was close enough, he went behind Vegeta and attempted to slice off his tail, but Vegeta turned around and attempted to know him out of the sky.

Knowing that he had little time left, Gohan yelled at his mentor. "Close your eyes, sensei!"

Immediately, Piccolo looked away as he knew what was coming. Gohan flew directly in front of Vegeta, who was trying to swipe at Piccolo. "Taiyo-Ken!"

A bright flash of light blinded the Saiyan as he covered his eyes with his furry hands and screamed. "Damn you brat! I will kill you!"

Swiftly, Gohan sliced off Vegeta's tail and powered up ki into his hands. "Masenko!"

The demon blast struck the prince straight in the torso and he plummeted towards the ground. Piccolo gave an approving smirk to Gohan as they followed the path of Vegeta's fall.

Vegeta landed on the ground hard. Gohan slightly winced as he heard several bones breaking and watched as the Saiyan prince move his arms uselessly. "I... I ca..can not be defeated! I am the strongest Saiyan!"

Gohan and his mentor landed next to their opponent, their conditions still fresh despite everything they've been through. "This is where it ends, Your Highness."

"Wait!" Goku shouted as he stumbled over to his two allies. "Don't kill him."

"What?" Piccolo snapped at the other full Saiyan. "He tried to kill us. He destroyed an entire city. He killed your wife. But you want to spare him?"

Even Gohan looked at his father as if the warrior had grown another head. "If we spare him, he'll just try to kill us again!"

"He could try, but he won't be able to. I'm still stronger than him and I have both of you to help me protect Earth if anything happens. I just have a feeling about this one." Goku replied.

By then, Vegeta had passed out from his injuries and exhaustion. Gohan looked at the man who had killed many innocents, including his mother. He was so helpless at this very moment. A single ki shot could potentially kill him.

Goku grabbed the boy's shoulder firmly as he if knew what Gohan was thinking. "Trust me, Gohan."

The half-Saiyan clenched his fists as he glared at his father, and then the unconscious body. "How can you say that so calmly? This demon killed thousands of innocent lives! He killed mom! Piccolo is right! We should just kill him and get rid of this threat once and for all."

"Do you think I'm not angry about what he did to Chi-Chi?" Goku demanded. "I'm angry. Angry for all the lives he took today and for killing my wife, your mother. I may not be showing it, but inside, I feel as if I've had a part of my soul ripped out of me. But he can be redeemed and your mother can be revived with the Dragon Balls. Don't let your anger and hate cloud your judgment, Gohan. He's misguided, just like Piccolo once was."

"I was not misguided and I still intend on defeating you one day," Piccolo mumbled. "I am still against keeping him alive, regardless of what you believe, Goku. Two Saiyans are enough on Earth. We don't need a self-centered, power hungry maniac like this one."

Both of the adults turned to the young boy, with Goku having a hopeful expression on his face. "Gohan, you decide then."

Gohan wanted to kill the murderer that was laying before him himself, but a single memory flashed back into his mind.

Remember, I trust that you'll make the right judgment regardless of the circumstances. Do what is right.

The young boy sighed. "Let's take him alive."

Goku brightened at his words, while Piccolo merely frowned. "I'm not carrying him then. You do it, Gohan."

Gohan picked up the battered Saiyan with ease while Piccolo helped Goku fly. Together, the three of them, including a Saiyan prisoner, flew back towards the city.