"Watch it!" Piccolo bellowed. "The Lookout's already in bad enough shape without you destroying what's left!" Krillin and Yamcha came to a quick and screeching halt, and gave the Namek nervous glances as they noticed the damage around them. You really couldn't tell what had come from earlier battles the day before and what had come from their heated training session. At least, not to them. But they knew that, somehow, Piccolo could tell.
"Uh... sorry Piccolo..." Krillin said scratching the back of his head. "I guess we just..."
Piccolo sighed. "I know. And I understand. Just... take it a little easier."
"Uh, sure thi..." Krillin started but stopped as he turned to face the building. "Huh? Oh, hey! They're done!"
"What?" Piccolo asked, uncrossing his arms and looking as well. Sure enough he could feel the Kis of Goku, Gohan, Bardock, and Videl again. "They still had... a month left..."
"Their power..." Appla said softly. "How are they so strong?" Everyone gathered in the center of the Lookout and gazed toward the building watching and waiting. Soft clicks started reaching them a moment later, the sounds of footfalls on the floor as the four warriors drew closer. And then their forms became discernable in the shadows of the building. A moment later they emerged into the light and brought gasps from those awaiting them.
"You... you're in Super Sai-jin?" Radditz asked in shock. "And... the girl is..."
"Yep, she transformed near the start of our training." Goku said smiling.
"How are you... able to stay transformed like that?" Trunks asked. "You all seem so relaxed."
"It was dad and Gandpa's idea." Gohan explained. "We've been in Super Sai-jin for about eight months now."
"Eight months?" Vegeta cried. /No way... the strain of being transformed so long... and how could they possibly maintain it while sleeping? Of course! They worked on the transformation itself, got used to it, to sustaining it, made it as natural as though they were always like that. Incredible/
"So, what's happened while we were gone?" Bardock asked looking around. "Was there a battle here as well?"
"Ya, things didn't go so good while you were gone." said Krillin. "Vegeta was winning agianst the Androids at first, but then four of them merged into one and started beating him. That's when Sakura and Trunks powered up, they're even stronger than Vegeta! At first... it looked like they'd win..."
"But then Cell, who had already absorbed 17, showed up." Sakura said shaking her head. "He fought us while Super 13 came here and got 18..."
Bardock stiffened a bit. "Wait, he's complete now?"
The others nodded and Yamcha continued. "He's holding a tournament in two weeks. We figure he wants to let us train, doesn't think we can match him."
Bardock and Goku both reached out with their minds. "Uh... no way!" Goku cried. "I hadn't expected that much power..."
Vegeta smirked. "So, even the great Kakkarotto can't match Cell? Well, don't worry. After my next year in there I'll be ready. So, all that training and this is all you have to show for it?" Vegeta asked, smirking, as he looked at the four Super Sai-jins. "I suggest you don't even bother with another trip in to train, it wont help."
"We don't need another trip." Goku said stretching.
Videl and Gohan looked up at them confused but Bardock just nodded. "Goku's right. Any more training would just be a waste, we've come as far as we can. We'll just have to hope it's enough."
Vegeta started laughing. "Enough? The two of you together would barely be stronger than me. You wont stand a chance."
"We're not at full power." Goku said, still working the kinks out. "No reason to be at full strength when you don't need to be, conserves energy. Just like in base form."
"You... can reduce your power, even in Super Sai-jin?" Trunks asked, suprised.
Goku shrugged. "I was able to do that on Namek, too, just not to this degree, or with this ease. It's perfectly natural now."
"So, then, how strong are you Goku?" Sakura asked.
"Ummm..." he scratched his chin, in thought. "I'd say... we're at about fifteen percent of our full power right now."
"F-fifteen percent?" Yamcha cried.
Goku nodded. "Yep!" he then turned to Chi-Chi. "You ready to head home then? I don't think Gero or Cell will try anything before this tournament, no reason to stay up here until then." Chi-Chi just nodded so Goku turned back to Gohan. "Alright kiddo, let's go home."
Gohan shook his head. "No, you and grandpa may be ready but I'm not." he said. "I can still get stronger before these Cell Games. I'm going to go in for another year."
Bardock shook his head. "It wouldn't do you any good either. You didn't push quite as hard as your father or I but you're still tapped out Gohan. Videl is too. You wouldn't do anything at this point but wear yourself out."
Gohan looked up at his grandfather and blinked. "But, I can get stronger still, I know I can!"
"Bardock's right." Goku said, putting his hand on Gohan's head. "We've done all we can for now."
"Well, now it's our turn." Tien said walking toward the building.
Vegeta snorted. "Like you'll be any help."
"He's right." Yamcha said with a frown. "The days of us being strong enough to help are long gone."
"Well you can stay out here if you want, I'm going in. There's no harm in trying." Tien said not stopping. Yamcha watched as Krillin and Radditz followed and then he, too, trailed after them as well.
"We have to be ready this time." Hotaru said after a moment of silence. "With no Dragonballs here we can't revive anyone now, and the Namek Dragonballs will be months re-charging. There's no way to evacuate the planet."
"Couldn't you just make new ones?" Gohan asked, looking up at Piccolo.
The Namek shook his head. "That wouldn't work. I could make them, sure, but with me being out there fighting the chance of me dying and the Dragonballs vanishing again..."
Goku crossed his arms and scrunched up his face in thought for a moment. "Oh, hey!" he cried, suddenly, a smile forming on his face. "Be back soon!" he called waving, as he placed two fingers on his forhead and then vanished.
"There he goes again." Appla said. "Now what's he up to?"
"No idea." Bardock replied.
Videl moved away from her father and over to where Sakura stood. "I was wondering..." she said after a moment. "Your clothes... their different colors but... they look like mine."
Sakura looked down at her and smiled. "Well, it is your fasion."
"M-mine?"
The Tanarian nodded. "In our time Gohan was like our big brother, and you were our big sister. As much as Trunks looked up to Gohan I looked up to you. Even took to wearing similar fasion after you... well..."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Planet Namek:
Goku appeared on the edge of a lake of green water only a few yards from a Namek village. Finding his target hadn't been hard the first time, Parunga was fairly easy to pick out among the Kis of the Nameks. However, finding one Namek he barely knew amdist all the others wasn't as simple. The Nameks in the village turned to face him as soon as he appeared, all of them easily detecting his sudden arrival.
"Umm, is this Moray's village?" Goku asked, scratching the back of his head. One of the Nameks shook their head no. "Aw, which way?" The Namek pointed off to the northwest. "Ah, thanks!" Goku said waving and then vanishing again. A moment later he was in the middle of another village. This time he knew it was the right one, Moray was standing only a dozen yards away helping with the farming.
"Goku?" the elder asked turning to face the Sai-jin. "What is it? Has something happened?"
"You could say that. Piccolo and Kami merged earlier, so now we don't have any Dragonballs. Or a Guardian, for that matter."
"Oh, I see." Moray said in thought. After a moment he turned and looked toward one of the buildings. "Dende!" he called.
Instantly the young Namek came out of the building. "What is it elder Moray?"
"It would seem the Earth is in need of a Guardian, and a new set of Dragonballs." Moray said. "Your training for creating Dragonballs is complete, and Azura has mentioned you would make a good Guardian. So, what do you say?"
"W-what? Me... Guardian of Earth?"
Moray nodded. "I'm sure Gohan would be happy to see you again as well."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Earth, Lookout:
Videl lowered her head a little. "Oh."
"Cheer up, don't worry." Trunks said kneeling down beside her. "Things will go differently in this time, for sure."
Before she could reply Goku appeared again, and he wasn't alone. "Dende!" Gohan cried seeing the young Namek.
"Hi Gohan!" Dende said with a bow.
"Dende here has agreed to be our new Guardian." Goku explained smiling. "And he's going to create a new set of Dragonballs!"
"How long will that take?" Bardock asked.
"Well... about a year."
Goku blinked. "A... year? But, we don't have that long." he pouted.
"Oh, ya. Well, if you still have the model used for the original Dragon I could use that to restore the existing Dragonballs."
"I'll go get it." Piccolo said walking off. A few minutes later he returned with the model of Shenron and handed it over. Dende set it down on the floor and held his hands over it. Golden energy flowed from his palms and down through the glass over the model and into the stone of the Dragon.
As more energy flowed into it began to glow brightly, a pulsing energy that started to course along the glass as well. Seven small spikes that wrapped around the base of the model case began to glow as well, energy arcing around them. And then there was a bright flash and a bolt of light shot from each point surging off into the distance.
"There. It's done." he said, lowering his arms. "The Dragonballs have been restored."
"Alright!" Goku cried pumping a fist into the air. "Be right back!" And once more he vanished. He was only gone for a moment though and when he returned he had the Dragonballs with him. "I think, with Gero down there, these should be up here now, instead of at my place. Besides, this way, Dende can make the wish to evacuate if needed, without Cell noticing."
"Good idea." Piccolo said. "The last thing we need is one of them using the Dragonballs."
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to go home and eat. I'm starving!" Goku said, holding his stomach. "And then I'm going to relax these next two weeks before the Tournamnet."
"Relax?" Vegeta huffed. "Ha, leave it to a third class to slack off."
Goku shrugged. "No reason to push it. We've trained as much as we can, any more would simply burn us out."
"Goku's right." Bardock said. "The four of us pushed ourselves pretty hard over the last year. We need these next two weeks to wind down, give our bodies time to recover."