Gohan: Development of a Hero
This is a Dragonballz fanfiction. To my eternal sadness, I do not own or in anyway profit from Dragonballz or any of the characters in this story. This fic, as you can guess from the title, centers on Gohan, and begins right after the cell games. It is an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.
Btw, from now on, when characters speak in Saiyago (the Saiyan language), the dialogue will be shown in Bold.
Part 12 – Unexpected Visitor
"You're late,"
As the mists receded and Gohan's visions cleared, he grinned, "Sorry. It took longer than I thought to put Shrimp and Squirt to bed,"
Sensei smiled slightly, "The demons still putting you through the paces,"
"I always knew demon ran in my blood, after all, my grandfather is one," Gohan commented, "I just didn't think it would ever show so obviously…and Vegeta's no picnic either."
"What's he doing?" Sensei asked.
Gohan sighed, "I think he's getting suspicious."
Sensei's face darkened, "What would make him suspicious?" he quietly demanded.
"Well, in the last four years, my power level hasn't changed in his eyes. He can't detect the power the amulet hides; so to him, I am not improving. That goes against Saiyan nature, so I'm guessing he's suspicious. I can tell, and that's my guess as to why," Gohan explained.
Sensei sighed, "I'm sorry Gohan. I wish there was something I could do. Unfortunately, I can't alter the amulet in a way to make it appear that your power is increasing. I wish I could, but if I tamper with it, I risk losing our connection completely, and that's a risk I can't take."
"What am I going to do?" Gohan questioned.
"Just watch yourself," Sensei warned, "Be on guard, and don't let any words slip. There's no way for Vegeta to prove his suspicions, so for now, you'll just have to live with it,"
"I guess," Gohan sighed. Changing the subject, he added, "So, what's on the agenda tonight?"
Sensei slowly settled into a fighting stance, "Take a wild guess," he mocked.
A smirk slid onto Gohan's features as he replied, "You're that eager to lose are you?"
"You haven't beaten me yet," Sensei pointed out. He then screamed as he powered up. The ground began to shake as Sensei began the transformation from normal to Super Saiyan 3.
Gohan's smirk deepened as he also pulled on the power deep within him. He felt some of the tension leave his body as the energy began to course through him. Only in Dreamscape did Gohan feel complete; it was only here he could let all his guards down and finally let his full power run free. It was an exhilarating feeling, and Gohan's Saiyan side reveled in it every single night.
With a final yell, Gohan caught up to Sensei as he ascended to Super Saiyan 3. Sensei took a moment to study him, and said, "You're getting there. Any pain? Strain?"
Gohan shook his head, "Not yet. The exercises are working."
"Make sure you keep a tight rein on the energy flow," Sensei warned. "It's still fluctuating, but your control is improving. It's much better than the first time,"
Gohan suppressed a grimace as he remembered. While Super Saiyan 3 was incredibly powerful, it had one severe weakness; the energy was incredibly primal, and much like Kaioken, the power tore through the Saiyan body, leaving it incredibly weakened. The trick was all in the energy flow, as Gohan had quickly discovered. Using techniques Sensei had taught him; Gohan was able to regulate the power and keep it from dealing damage. They took a great deal of concentration, but each night of practice made them closer to second nature for Gohan. In addition, Sensei was alternating exercises specifically designed to toughen Gohan's body up in regards to energy. Thanks to this effort, Gohan was now able to hold Super Saiyan 3 for close to an hour, and each session brought his time limit up. It wasn't perfect, but Sensei assured him that it'd taken him close to 7 years to accomplish what Gohan did in the last four.
"Let's get started," Sensei declared. He leaped forward, and brought his right hand in for a punch. Gohan easily blocked it, and countered with a small ki blast. The blast was barely enough to singe, but it knocked Sensei off balance, allowing Gohan to throw a kick past his guard. However, Gohan underestimated Sensei; Sensei made no move to stop his momentum, and Gohan's kick sailed harmlessly over Sensei's head. Sensei flipped over and landed nimbly on his feet before bringing both hands forward.
"GIGA BLASTER!" Sensei shouted, and a blast of energy erupted from his fingers.
"MASENKO-HA!" Gohan countered. The two blasts detonated upon contact, and the force caused Gohan's feet to skid. Gohan waited, and quickly ducked, just as Sensei's right foot shot over where his head used to be. Gohan felt Sensei behind him; he dropped down and used his hands to propel himself backwards, slamming his feet into Sensei. Unfortunately, Sensei was able to bring his arms to block. Though he went flying, the blow hit his arms instead of his chest.
Sensei flipped in mid-air, and landed gracefully. He smirked, "Not bad Gohan, but we're just getting started,"
"Bring it on," Gohan responded. The two traded blows back and forth, neither one giving or gaining in the fight. As Gohan became more involved in the battle, his body instinctively moving from block to attack, from energy blast to kick, his mind wandered back to what he'd learned today.
Who am I going to get to train Lime? Gohan worried. It was a big concern; Gohan knew that the longer he let Lime adapt to his style of fighting, the harder it would be to fix later. But he didn't know who to get; Gohan wanted to keep the number of people who knew about Lime low, but he also needed to do what was best for his student. What was the solution?
Gohan's musings were interrupted when he felt a blow slam into his jaw. Gohan's head snapped to the left, and he felt a knee slam into his stomach. Gohan bend over the knee as he tried to recover, but before he could do anything, he felt a sharp blow hit him in the small of his back. Gohan hit the ground with tremendous force; he found himself sitting in a small crater. Gohan struggled out of the crater and tried to stand up, only to have his feet cut out from under him with a sharp kick. Gohan looked up just as Sensei appeared in front of him, with a ball of energy in his hands pointed at Gohan.
"And you're dead," Sensei stated coldly. Gohan could see the fury in Sensei's eyes, and knew the source; his father, Piccolo, and Sensei had all said not to let the mind wander during a battle, no matter what. He had just made a rookie mistake, and one that did not sit well with Sensei. Gohan braced himself, sure a few angry words were about to head his way.
Suddenly, Sensei's head jerked up, and a look of puzzlement came over his face. "What the…" Sensei began. He turned his just in time to take a kick to the jaw. As Sensei went flying, a small figure landed between him and Gohan.
"You leave my big brother alone, you big meanie!"
Gohan stared. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing in front of him was Goten; but this Goten was different. He had gold hair, teal eyes, and Gohan could feel he was powerful. In short, Goten was a Super Saiyan.
"Go…Goten?" Gohan gasped in surprise.
Goten turned, and grinned happily, "Hey big brother. How'd you grow your hair long? You looked SO cool!"
"G..Ho…Wha…you can go Super Saiyan?" Gohan finally managed to say.
Goten nodded sheepishly, "Yep. Trunks taught me, so we could spar better."
Gohan head was starting to hurt, "Trunks can go Super too?"
Goten nodded eagerly, "He can, but he says he looks cooler than I do. He says its because his dad is stronger than my dad. But that's not true, is it?" As Goten said the last part, he looked worriedly at Gohan.
"Of course not…well, I mean, I haven't seen Trunks in Super, but…wait a second. Does anyone else know about this?" Gohan asked.
"Nope. Trunks and I just do it when we fight alone," Goten declared.
"I…see. Actually, I have another question Squirt. How did you get here?" Gohan questioned.
"That's what I'd like to know,"
Goten whirled and settled into his stance as Sensei approached. As he got closer, Gohan saw an expression he'd never seen on Sensei's face before. Pure, unadulterated astonishment.
"You better stay back," Goten warned as he stuck his tongue out at Sensei.
Sensei ignored Goten for a second as he looked at Gohan, "Have you been teaching him what I've taught you?" he demanded.
"No, at least nothing that could get him HERE," Gohan responded. "I'm not sure how he got here."
"Well, why don't you ask him," Sensei pointed out.
Gohan knelt down in front of Goten, "Squirt, how did you get here?"
Goten's brow furrowed, "I'm not sure. I was dreaming…I was having the BEST dream. There was tons of cake, and candy, and ice cream, and I just ate and ate and ate and…"
"Goten," Gohan interrupted, before his brother went off on a tangent.
"Right," Goten remarked, "I felt you, and thought I'd share. So I just wished I was with you, and then I was. I brought you some ice cream, and…HEY!!!" Goten had put his hand in his right pocket, and a panicked look came onto his face, "Where'd the ice cream go? I had it right here…I'm sorry, big brother,"
Gohan put on a hand on Goten's shoulder to soothe the stricken expression on his face, "It's okay Goten. I wasn't that hungry anyway,"
"That's…unbelievable," Sensei murmured.
"What do you mean?" Gohan asked.
"Are you kidding me," Sensei said, "The man who trained me told me it was impossible to do what your brother just did. He dream-jumped, and somehow followed you here! It is quite remarkable, but I'm not sure…" Sensei trailed off, and a pensive look came over his face. His gaze settled on Goten, and he seemed to trying to pierce Goten's soul.
Goten shuffled uncomfortably, "Hey, what're you looking at," Goten said bravely, trying to scare the mean man.
"Nothing, I'm sorry," Sensei murmured. He looked away, but not before Gohan caught a look of understanding.
"You know don't you, how he got here?" Gohan commented.
Sensei shook his head, "I have a few…speculations, but nothing to concern yourself with. The bottom line is he is HERE, which…changes things."
"What do you…" Gohan began, but trailed off as he felt someone tug on his sleeve. Gohan's gaze turned to meet his brother's.
"Big brother, who is he?" Goten asked.
Gohan smiled, "This is Sensei; he's been teaching me for years."
Goten grinned, "Really. Like that cool thing with the long hair? You looked so AWESOME! Can you teach me, can you, can you? PLEASE! I promise to be good, I'll even sto…do less pranks," Goten begged.
"Well…" Gohan began.
"I suppose Gohan could train you some," Sensei interjected.
"What?" Gohan stated.
"YAY!" Goten shouted. "I get to learn cool stuff, I get to learn cool stuff, I get to…" Goten began to chant and he danced around, an excited look on his face.
"Goten, why don't you explore a little bit? But don't go too far," Gohan cautioned.
"Okay big brother," Goten promised, as he then turned and started to look around.
As soon as Goten was out of ear shot, Gohan whirled on Sensei, "What the hell are you doing?"
Sensei sighed, "Goten's arrival was a surprise to me, but we should take advantage of it."
"He lucked out and got here," Gohan pointed out.
"This time," Sensei countered, "but now that's he's been here, I can set it up so he automatically comes here. It'll be tough, but there are ways I can use to lessen the drain. And it'll be worth it with what you'll teach him."
"You mean what you will teach him," Gohan supplied.
Sensei shook his head, "There are…reasons why I can't do that. But that doesn't mean we should let such a valuable turn of events go to waste."
"I don't know…besides, didn't you say it would take every second to get me ready for the Destroyer?" Gohan demanded.
"I'm not saying train him every night," Sensei countered, "and one of the best ways to master something is to teach it. There is almost no chance Goten will even reach level 2 by the time it would be needed. This would be a perfect chance for you to perfect your technique against a student, while I watch and comment. And, if worst comes to worst…well, like I told you before. Always have a back-up plan."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Gohan shouted. "I will NOT allow Goten to face the Destroyer. Are you nuts!"
"Whoa, whoa," Sensei interjected. He met Gohan's fierce gaze for several seconds, before he said softly, "Gohan, I know you want to protect your brother. He's family, and I know how important that is, BELIEVE ME! But you need to think of the long term; best case scenario, it will take everything you have to face the Destroyer, to stop her and kill her. And it will take all of your attention and focus. You won't be able to be there for Goten during that time; no matter how much you want to, it just won't be possible. Wouldn't he be better off if you train him here, so he was stronger than he would have been? Isn't it better for him to be strong enough to defend himself?"
Sensei's words reverberated in Gohan's skull. His first feeling was to scream no, to tell Sensei that Goten wasn't going to be near the battle. But in his heart, Gohan knew that he couldn't promise that. He also knew that if it came, Goten would be better off if he was trained here. But, could he really do that to Goten, train him to fight monsters, like his father did to him?
"I'll tell you what," Sensei spoke, "We'll just make it once a week, and nothing too extreme. It'll just friendly sparring and technique improvement. How does that sound?"
Gohan stared hard at Sensei's impassive face. He was hiding something; of that, Gohan was absolutely sure. He had learned over the years how to read him; and Sensei definitely knew more than he was telling. But, he had also earned Gohan's trust, through countless gestures in the last four years. And the events the made Gohan a Super Saiyan proved that Sensei had reasons to keep things from Gohan. So, Gohan decided to once again trust in Sensei.
"…alright. But if I ever feel it's getting too much, it stops. Understood," Gohan stated fiercely.
Sensei nodded, and held out his right hand. A faint glow began to emanate from it, and as Gohan watched, an object formed in the palm of his hand. When the light cleared, Gohan found himself staring at a small crystal, a duplicate of the amulet he currently wore. Gohan met Sensei's gaze, "Give this to him; it is a variation on your amulet," Sensei commented. "It will make it easier to bring him here for his sessions. However, this will also block his power. Luckily, Goten is much weaker than you were the first time. This gives me the chance to offset some suspicion."
"How?" Gohan questioned.
"I've set the level where the amulet will start hiding power as high as I could, based on his current power level," Sensei explained, "It will take him a long time to reach that level, and by then, it probably won't matter. You were too powerful for it to make a difference; I had to set it at your maximum power at the time. But for Goten, it should be okay. Give this to him, then I'll send him back to his body."
Gohan nodded, and walked over to where Goten was bouncing around, "Goten," Gohan called.
Goten landed in front of Gohan, "This place is DULL! There's nothing here," Goten complained.
"That's why it's perfect for training," Gohan explained. He then bent to down, so he and Goten were eye to eye. "Goten, I talked with Sensei, and he's agreed to let me train you here once a week."
"WAHHOO!!" Goten shouted.
"Wait," Gohan cautioned. When Goten fell silent, "Once a week, when you dream, you will wind up here. You and I will spend some time together, does that sound like fun?"
"That'll be great," Goten chimed.
Gohan smiled, "Yes it will. But Goten, this is important. You can't tell ANYONE about this place," Gohan warned.
"Okay," Goten promised.
"I mean it, Goten," Gohan repeated, holding his finger up to Goten's eyes, "Not Aunt Bulma, not Uncle Geta, and not Trunks. Absolutely no one. It'll be a secret between you and me. Can you do that?"
Goten's face got serious as he said solemnly, "I promise Gohan."
"Alright Squirt. Now, I've got something for you," Gohan remarked. He reached out, and slid the amulet around Goten's neck.
Goten looked down at it in confusion, "What is this?" he asked.
"It is how you will get here. The amulet will bring you here once a week," Gohan commented, "You can never take it off."
A stricken look came over Goten's face, "Awe, man. I have to wear it forever?" Goten whined.
"Not forever, just until I say you can take it off," Gohan continued. "That is the only way you can come here. Can you do that?"
A thoughtful look came over Goten's face, until he finally said, "Okay."
Gohan smiled, "Great. Now, it's time for you to go back to your dreams. We'll start next week. Good night Goten."
Goten response wasn't heard as he simply vanished. Gohan stared at the spot where his brother had been for several moments, not saying anything.
"Do you think he will keep quiet about this place," Sensei spoke, breaching the quiet.
"He should…I trust him," Gohan responded softly. The silence returned, and lengthened until it came close to being uncomfortable. Finally, Sensei snorted, "Let's get back to our spar. Now that you've got a student once a week, we've got to pack more into each session. Power up, and this time don't let your mind wander."
Sensei began to ascend, and Gohan followed suit. Before focusing entirely on the fight, a final thought entered Gohan's mind.
Things just got a lot more complicated.TO BE CONTINUED…
Well, here is another part. I hope my explanation of Super Saiyan 3 and why it was so taxing in the show made sense. I've always wondered why the higher levels, 3 and 4, were always so taxing to use. I think my explanation makes sense, that all that raw power can't be contained for long, and if regulated, the time could be extended. But, I'd love to hear reviews about it.
A couple of other things.
Silver Warrior: I know toothbrushes are a bit clichéd. However, I come from a military family, and I have heard stories about how effective it is as a punishment. Therefore, thought I'd stick with the traditional.
Goleta: Rest assured, I have a storyline in mind with an end. However, I'm finding as I walk towards that end, the story is growing in length. Still, I guarantee that I know where I want to end up at the end, and how I plan to get there. I may make a few minor changes to the route, but the destination will not change.
Great Saiyaman: I also apologize if I seemed harsh in my response to you. I plan on having Goku have a larger part later; however, I'm going to follow the DBZ world in this one. Goku will stay dead until the World Tournament, and that will reduce his overall role. He will have more lines and time in my story later, but again only as a supporting character.
Also, I have been considering rescinding my earlier statement. While I still guarantee Gohan will end up with Videl in the end, I feel that Syn Shenron and a few other reviewers have a good point. I may or may not expand the Lime Gohan interaction to include some romance. Nothing serious, for she still has a part to play later. But I like to keep my options open, and it could be good for Gohan to develop some skills with women. Opinions?
Anyway, please review this chapter. I'll get the next one out as soon as I can.