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 31- Forfeits and Energy Drains

"…LIME PUNCH!"

As the crowd erupted in cheers, Gohan felt Lime pull him into a crushing hug. "I did it, I won!" Lime shouted joyously into his ear.

Gohan felt a genuine smile come onto his face; his student had done incredibly well, "Yes you did. Congratulations, you just beat an incredibly tough opponent. I'm very proud of you." Out of the corner of his eye, Gohan could see Goku talking with a distraught looking Chichi, no doubt consoling her on her loss. But that didn't matter right now; his student had just won.

"I knew I could beat her, I wasn't going to let her win!" Lime responded gleefully. "I stopped her Gohan. Now there's no chance you'll have to face her!"

Gohan felt a flicker of gratitude go through him; though he wouldn't admit it, the prospect of fighting his mother was a little daunting. He was of two minds about the issue; part of him was terrified to even touch her in a fight, but another wanted to pound her into the ground for what she'd done. With the two sides battling in him, Gohan wasn't sure he could have focused properly. Now, that wasn't going to be a problem thanks to his student.

"Thanks," Gohan said simply. Then, not wanting her to get over-confident, he quickly added, "I'm proud of you, but don't celebrate too much. You got through the first round, and that's impressive. But next round you'll be facing a Saiyan. It may only be Trunks, but he'll still be tough."

"Right," Lime responded quickly. Her enthusiastic cheering died down, but Gohan could see the glee reflected in her eyes.

"For now, rest up and watch the rest of the matches. And Lime…good job." Gohan supplied. He was about to add more when he felt a shiver go down his spine. Something was causing his ki sensing abilities to go, and whatever was causing it was something Gohan had never felt before. Using his senses, Gohan locked in on the strange sensation and found he was staring at two of the unknown competitors, Yamu and Spokowitz.

I wonder what's up with them? Gohan mused. He focused his gaze on them, trying to get a better grasp of their abilities. Gohan had been aware of them vaguely since the start of the tournament; he'd noticed them walking out of the waiting area earlier, but didn't give them another thought as he had other problems to worry about. Now that the issue of Goten was resolved and Lime and Chichi's bout were over, he found himself more focused generally. Focused enough to notice there was something almost…slimy about their ki. It was subtle; Gohan wasn't surprised he'd missed it. But upon closer examination there was a slightly black vein that seemed to run through their ki, and it almost seemed to scream out its foreign and insidious nature.

I'll definitely have to keep my eye on them. Gohan decided finally. He wasn't sure if they were the henchmen of Babidi Sensei had warned him about, but it wouldn't hurt to watch them.

"Would Piccolo and Shin please report to the arena floor?"

As the announcer's voice came over the loud-speaker, Gohan turned his attention back to the ring. Shin was definitely an unknown; Gohan was looking forward to judging how he fought during the match with Piccolo. After all, if (more like when Gohan thought) he beat his opponent he'd be facing Shin next. And while Piccolo wasn't the strongest warrior here by far, Gohan had learned long ago that Piccolo was one of the most experienced and devious fighters in existence.

This should be a good match.

Piccolo felt uneasy; there was no other way to put it. There was something about Shin that seemed to stir something within him. It was a sensation that felt vaguely familiar to him, almost like a half-forgotten memory that was itching to make itself known. Piccolo wasn't sure what it meant, but it definitely worried him slightly.

"Would Piccolo and Shin please report to the arena floor?"

Hearing his name being called, Piccolo immediately stood up. Focus; don't let the strange feeling distract you Piccolo mentally commanded himself. Though Piccolo wouldn't admit it aloud, privately he knew he wasn't going to win the tournament. He could beat almost every opponent here hands down, but there were three that he knew were beyond him. And while Piccolo knew any of the three could in theory win, he privately wanted Gohan to be crowned the world's greatest martial artist. It would ease his pride a little to know that even though he lost, his first and greatest student won. It almost felt like he would be passing the torch to the next generation.

Enough of this, it's time to focus and fight. Piccolo sternly forced his thoughts back into a more neutral subject as he entered the arena. In front of him he saw Shin standing calmly, as if he were untroubled and unworried about the fight ahead of him. And something once again niggled at the back of Piccolo's mind.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this third round includes a return of one of the greatest fighters in tournament history," the announcer shouted, "Piccolo placed second at the martial arts tournament before last, and he's undoubtedly here to finally prove he's worthy of 1st place. But don't count his opponent out; Shin may be new to the field, but he wouldn't have gotten this far without skill."

Piccolo was only dimly aware of the announcer's words; that feeling was increasing, and Piccolo was finding it more and more difficult to focus. What is this feeling Piccolo screamed mentally. He knew he couldn't allow this fight to begin until he resolved this; he'd never be able to fight properly with this damn internal feeling. Staring at Shin, Piccolo tried to bring up the memory of whatever was making him uneasy.

It hit him like a bolt of lightning; Piccolo could see it in his mind. He was standing in front of King Kai next to Yamcha, Tien, and Chaotzu, trying to figure out how anyone that looked that weak and pathetic could be a legendary trainer of warriors. As he examined King Kai, he felt it. A strange feeling of calmness and serenity seemed to emanate from King Kai, and that feeling also came from Shin.

Shin is a Kai Piccolo reasoned immediately. It explained the feeling perfectly, but it left Piccolo with another serious problem. He knew deep down that he couldn't fight a Kai; the part of him that came from Kami was screaming at him not to hurt Shin. It was the cause of the uneasiness in Piccolo, and as he examined the reasoning, he began to understand why. If Shin really was a Kai, then something of immense proportions had to have brought him here. Piccolo knew from personal experience that it took an incredibly important issue to have even drawn Kami's personal attention, and it made sense that it would be the same for the Kai's. And if a Kai was here on Earth and entered this tournament, then something big was going to happen and no doubt the Kai was here to prevent it. Which meant that the Kai needed to progress in the tournament to fulfill his plan, whatever that might be. Piccolo wasn't sure he liked where his mind was going, but he knew he trusted the Kai's to have the best interests of the universe at heart.

As the bell rang to begin the match, Piccolo made one of the hardest choices of his life and did something he had sworn never to do. He turned to the announcer, calmly stated, "I forfeit", and walked out of the ring.

Gohan was stunned; he could count the number of times he'd been this shocked on one hand and have extra fingers remaining. In his entire life, Gohan had never known Piccolo to forfeit a match. It was almost an unwritten rule of the universe that Piccolo would be in a fight to the end. What could have possibly caused his mentor and friend to forfeit?

As Piccolo entered the waiting area, Gohan immediately intercepted him. "Piccolo…" Gohan began, but he trailed off, unable to articulate his question around his shock.

Piccolo turned and looked at Gohan. Seeing the absolute shock present, Piccolo sighed mentally. He knew Gohan deserved an explanation, but he was unsure if he could give one. After all, until Piccolo confirmed what was going on with the Kai, he didn't want to let out the truth. Therefore, Piccolo merely said, "I know Gohan. But trust me when I say I had a good reason."

Gohan wanted to ask; he wanted to demand an explanation from Piccolo. But looking into Piccolo's eyes, Gohan recognized that this was all he was going to get. Therefore, Gohan shelved his puzzlement and merely said, "Too bad, I was looking forward to facing you in the ring."

Piccolo said nothing, merely smiled at Gohan slightly before moving off to a corner to meditate. He had a lot to think about, and he suspected very little time to reach a decision. What was a Kai doing on this planet? As far as Piccolo knew, there was no great danger or powerful evil on this planet. He and the other z-fighters had been watching carefully, ready for such an occurrence over the past seven years. Surely if there was a problem serious enough for a Kai's attention one of the z-fighters would have noticed something building over the years. Had they missed the signs? Or did the Kai know something they didn't? And now that Piccolo knew the Kai was here, what was he going to do about it?

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Startled that someone had managed to get so close to him without being noticed, Piccolo opened his eyes to find Shin right in front of him, his shadow Kibito standing silently to the side. Piccolo didn't respond to Shin's question, merely stared back at him.

After a few seconds of silence, Shin continued, "I have to admit, I did not expect my first match in this tournament to go so smoothly. Having your forfeit was quite a shock, and I'm forced to wonder why," as he finished, Shin's gaze seemed to bore into Piccolo, demanding an answer. Any doubts Piccolo may have had about his suspicions were immediately quelled from that gaze.

"I think you know why," Piccolo responded quietly.

Shin continued to stare at Piccolo for a few more seconds, before sighing, "I suspected you would have been able to recognize me for what I am; your time as Kami coupled with the training with King Kai made you uniquely suited to do so. I'd hoped you wouldn't, but I have to admit you've handled the knowledge better than I'd expected."

Piccolo now knew without a doubt his suspicions were true, but he still needed to voice them, to hear confirmation that he was right. "You're a Kai, like King Kai, aren't you?"

Kibito snorted, "This is no mere Kai. You find yourself gazing upon the Supreme Kai, the most powerful Kai in existence."

Piccolo was absolutely stunned; he'd known about the Kais from his time with one of them, and he also had known about the Grand Kai from listening to Goku prattle on today. But to hear that the person standing before him was at a level beyond even that was shocking to say the least, and it also caused Piccolo's fears to skyrocket. Anything that could bring the Supreme Kai to Earth was definitely bad, and Piccolo needed to know. "Why are you on Earth?" Piccolo asked softly.

The Supreme Kai glanced around, and then shook his head, "I will tell you soon, but not yet. Not until I am sure my plan for dealing with the situation is underway. Until then, I would ask that you keep what you've learned to yourself. I can't allow what I've come here to prevent happen. Will you keep it quiet until the time is right?"

Piccolo hated to be kept in the dark; the idea of trusting someone like that was not something Piccolo enjoyed. But he also knew that this was the Supreme Kai, and there was only response when he asked for something.

"Yes Supreme Kai."

Gohan watched out of the corner of his eye as Piccolo and Shin spoke. He wasn't sure what they were talking about exactly, but he'd bet it had something to do with Piccolo's forfeit. Gohan was worried; he could think of only a single reason why Piccolo would have forfeited that match, and that was if he knew beyond a doubt he stood no chance of winning. And even then Gohan was unsure if he'd quit.

Is Shin really that dangerous? Gohan wondered. He'd scanned both Shin and Kibito, and neither one of them really seemed to have incredibly high kis. Still, something had to make Piccolo forfeit, and so Gohan decided to take all precautions. He was tempted to take off his Amulet, just in case, but quickly discarded that. He'd promised Sensei he'd only do that when facing the Destroyer. Until then, his full power was sealed away by the Amulet, where no one could sense it and Gohan couldn't access it. But just because he was leaving the Amulet on didn't mean he couldn't be on guard.

They could attack people close to me. Gohan realized quickly. Gohan had learned the brutal lesson when facing Cell that an enemy wouldn't hesitate to use his friends as targets to get to him. Though Shin and Kibito didn't look that dangerous, Gohan felt that Piccolo forfeit showed him it was better to treat them as dangerous than not. Take a glance around, Gohan felt relief. Most of his friends were in this waiting area. Should they make a move against them, Gohan was reasonably certain that either Vegeta or, as much as he hated to admit it, his father could deal with it.

However, there were a few others that were not here that Gohan could reasonably see as targets, namely Bulma. Glancing towards the stands, Gohan spotted Bulma sitting with Roshi, Oolong, and the other people who didn't qualify to fight in the tournament. Gohan wanted to get them down here just in case, he knew that it was expressly forbidden by the rules. Still, there had to be something…

It came to him; though Gohan wasn't happy with the idea of putting them in harm's way, he was confident they could handle most problems and keep Bulma safe. Looking around, Gohan spotted his two solutions sitting next to each other. Walking over quickly, he said, "Goten, Trunks."

Goten and Trunks quickly looked up at him, and Gohan saw that though his parents had helped, Goten still looked slightly disappointed. Changing his plans slightly, Gohan continued, "I've got a job for you Trunks and two jobs for you Goten."

Goten and Trunks were immediately on their feet; Gohan almost never asked them to do anything. "What is it big brother?" Goten questioned.

Kneeling down so they were eye level, Gohan continued, "My match will be starting any second and I need someone to hold the Sensu beans while I fight; can I trust you to keep an eye on them for me?"

A look of pride came over Goten as he straightened slightly; Gohan was asking him to do something important! "I'll keep a close eye on them big brother,"

Gohan smiled as he handed over the bag. Phase one completed. He didn't actually need someone else to hold the bag, but it was worth it when he saw the dejection on Goten's face fade. Time for the next part. "I was wondering you guys would mind sitting with Bulma for a few matches."

"Awww…why?" Trunks complained.

Gohan explained, "I just figured she'd be getting kind of lonely up there with only Master Roshi and Oolong for company. Also, I know she would appreciate having someone sit with her who could actually tell her what was going on. After all, it's not like she can see for herself."

"No, I suppose not…" Trunks responded.

"Come on guys, please?" Gohan added.

Trunks and Goten looked at each other for several seconds before sighing, "Alright."

Gohan's smile widened, "Great. Why don't you head up there right now so you can get settled before my fight?"

As Goten and Trunks moved off, Gohan's smile faded. He didn't like the idea of putting Trunks and Goten in the line of fire if it came to that, but they were the best choice. They had a good reason to be up there, and they were both incredibly powerful fighters. He just hoped they weren't needed.

"Would Kibito and Gohan Son please report to the fighting arena?"

Gohan turned quickly and headed for the arena. He could see out of the corner of his eye Kibito doing the same.

I guess it's my turn

Shin watched as the other z-fighters moved so they could get a better view of the fight. He also watched as Yamu and Spokowitz moved off to a grassy area close to the fighting ring but away from the other fighters. Waiting until he was sure that Gohan and the two people hopefully about to enter a trap were out of earshot, Shin then said, "There's something you need to know,"

Immediately, the z-fighters turned to look at Shin. Shin spared a glance at Chichi and Goku, as he said, "it's time,"

A look of sick resignation came over Goku and Chichi's faces. God, I wish there was another way, or something I could do. Chichi mentally begged. She didn't want to do this; the mere idea of allowing her baby boy to be hurt caused her heart to ache. But she knew two things; Shin would send her back to Otherworld before she could even blink if she tried to stop this, and as much as she hated to admit it, the evil he described needed to be stopped at any costs.

Meanwhile, a look of confusion was on the face of the other z-fighters, "What do you mean 'it's time'", Lime demanded.

"In a few moments, Kibito will convince Gohan to ascend to his full power. Once he does so, Yamu and Spokowitz will move in and attack him for his energy."

"What makes you so sure they'll attack?" Krillen asked.

"Because Gohan is who they are looking for," Shin explained, "they need his energy for the nefarious purposes of their master."

"Well, it doesn't matter. Gohan could move in circles around those two in normal form, much less at full power," Lime spoke firmly.

Shin nodded, "You are correct. However, I am going to prevent Gohan from escaping."

"WHAT!" the z-fighters shouted.

"Why in the world would you do that," Piccolo demanded. He may trust the Supreme Kai, but this was Gohan.

"I can assure you, Gohan will not be permanently harmed. As soon as we are sure our plan is working, Kibito will heal Gohan of all that was done to him. But we need to let them go so we can follow them to their master. If we don't, their master will resurrect the most powerful being the universe has ever known." Shin stated.

"If you think we're just going to sit here while you do this, then you're dead wrong," Travis stated fiercely. He and Gohan had sparred many times, and Travis liked him. No way in hell was he letting some weird aliens hurt him.

'That is no way to talk to the Supreme Kai," Piccolo admonished sharply.

Stunned silence met his statement. Travis looked puzzled, "My master Tien has mentioned a King Kai as some sort of high being of good. But I've never heard of a Supreme Kai."

Shin sighed, "I do not generally involve myself with this realm unless it was a matter of grave importance. That should tell you how serious this situation is. I wish that Gohan didn't have to be hurt; it pains me to have to allow it to happen. But believe me when I tell you I've tried every other way to find their master, and none have worked. I'm afraid Gohan must be hurt for us to stop him."

"And you promise he won't be permanently hurt?" Krillen asked.

Shin nodded, "You have my word as Supreme Kai. Now, will you stand down and let me do this. Please?"

Slowly, most of the z-fighters nodded. They looked uneasy, but they agreed. Only Lime and Travis still looked defiant, but Shin expected that to some extent. It didn't matter; as Shin felt Gohan began to power up, he prepared himself.

It was time.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the unexpected forfeiture by Piccolo in the last round was surprising and disappointing, but I can promise you this next round will make up for it. On one side we've got Gohan Son, the son of the legendary fighter Goku. No doubt he is here to prove he is his father's son. On the other side we've got Kibito, an eager newcomer ready to test his mettle."

Gohan ignored the announcer; all of his attention was on his opponent. He settled himself into a fighting stance, and prepared himself. Kibito still didn't look dangerous, but Gohan decided to play on the defensive at the start. Better to see what Kibito can do before I get to aggressive Gohan thought. Therefore, he'd let Kibito come to him.

As the bell sounded, Gohan tensed and waited. And waited. And waited. After a minute, Gohan realized that Kibito wasn't moving. Deciding to try and get the ball rolling, Gohan stated, "I don't know how your friend got Piccolo to forfeit, but I can guarantee that won't happen here."

Kibito simply stared at Gohan for several moments before saying, "You are the Saiyan Gohan, slayer of Cell?"

Gohan was surprised; it wasn't exactly common knowledge that he'd won. Who was this guy? "Yes, I am." Gohan replied.

Kibito nodded, as if Gohan had confirmed something, "I thought as much. I am curious; could you show me your Super Saiyan form? I would greatly like to see the full power of the man who defeated Cell."

Instantly, Gohan was suspicious. The request was too innocuous to be genuine; Kibito definitely had ulterior motives. Given that Gohan didn't know those motives, he was concerned about showing his strength. But, if Kibito was planning anything, Gohan knew he'd be better prepared at Super Saiyan 2. Taking a deep breath, Gohan made his choice.

"You want it, you got it." Gohan supplied as he powered up. Gohan screamed as the power filled him, rushing through him and driving him quickly to his desired level. A second later, he was a Super Saiyan. The second after that, he was Super Saiyan 2. Finally, when he'd reached as much power as he could with the Amulet on, Gohan readied himself for action.

I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm ready for it.

Yamu's eyes widened as he watched the dial go up. "Look at this, Spokowitz."

Spokowitz watched as the dial increased rapidly, spinning over and over until it finally stopped. "Unbelievable…that's an amazing level of energy for one person,"

Yamu smiled sinisterly as he said, "Let's get him."

"Absolutely astonishing," Kibito complimented.

Gohan ignored his words; he simply waited for Kibito to make his move. As he waited, Gohan suddenly felt two kis moving towards him. Extending his senses, Gohan realized that Yamu and Spokowitz were coming at him. Gohan wasn't sure what they were up to, so he tried to turn towards them. However, to his shock, Gohan found his body wouldn't move. Gohan was shocked for a moment, before he began to try harder. Despite his best efforts, Gohan's body seemed unable to move.

What the hell is going on? Gohan thought fiercely. Something seemed to be keeping him from moving; Gohan couldn't move, couldn't speak. He was for lack of a better term, frozen. Only his eyes seemed unaffected, and yet Gohan could see no reason why he was immobile. And then he felt it. It was on the edge of his senses, barely detectable, but it was there. Some sort of ki field seemed to surround him like a skintight shield, keeping Gohan stuck. Gohan glanced around, trying to locate the source. And then he saw the slight smile on Kibito's face, one that seemed to scream everything's going according to plan.

Kibito is doing it Gohan decided. It made perfect sense; after all, why else would he have wanted Gohan at his full power if not to judge how much power was needed to hold him. Gohan had to admit, this was an impressive technique. But the more he thought about it, the more he decided that Kibito wasn't doing it. Kibito didn't look like he was concentrating, and the field would have to require immense concentration to work. Then who…

Shin Gohan realized suddenly. He was the only logical choice; who else would help Kibito in such a manner? But if that were the case, why were they doing it? And what were Yamu and Spokowitz planning on doing? Could they be working together? But why would they…

OH. SHIT.

How could Gohan have forgotten Sensei's descriptions? Kibito definitely fit the general description for Dabura, and Shin could easily be Babidi. After all, what were the odds that another pair that consisted of a big pink-skinned man who served a small man who looked harmless? How did I miss this? Gohan wondered. As he considered, Gohan realized he had made a critical error. He had relied on Sensei's statement that neither Babidi nor Dabura were at the tournament. But hadn't Sensei admitted that his description of events weren't set in stone, and that they could have changed? I've been a fool Gohan admitted.

Well, enough was enough; no point blaming himself for screwing up. Right now, he had to get out of this ki field and then he'd deal with what he'd just discovered. With that thought in mind, Gohan teleported…or rather, tried to teleport. To his shock, the field not only kept him from moving, it kept him from teleporting. That's impossible. Gohan couldn't believe it; he thought it was completely impossible to block teleportation, but obviously he was incorrect. As he felt Yamu and Spokowitz getting closer, Gohan felt a bit of panic rising within him.

Come on Gohan, focus. You can beat this! Gohan gathered every ounce of energy he could, and focused on moving his arm. It was slow, but Gohan could feel it; his arm was moving. It was like trying to move in an insane level of gravity, but Gohan was confident with more power he could break free.

Promises or not, I need more power or I'm screwed Gohan realized. Using everything he had, Gohan forced his left arm to move towards the Amulet. If he could just get to it in time, then he'd have all the power he'd need. Inch by inch, Gohan could feel his arm getting closer and closer to target. Just a few more seconds…

Before he could reach the Amulet, Gohan felt arms grab him around the neck and across the chest. Looking in front of him, Gohan saw Yamu standing there with a sadistic grin. He then felt something pierce his abdomen.

And Gohan's world became nothing but pain.

As soon as Yamu and Spokowitz reached Gohan, Vegeta moved. He had listened to the Supreme Kai explain that this had to happen, but to be honest, he didn't care. Though he would kill anyone who dared to suggest it, Vegeta was rather…fond of Gohan. Vegeta considered him a proper Saiyan warrior, and would not let Gohan be injured in such a dishonorable manner. Out of the corner of his eye, Vegeta saw Lime and Travis following his lead. He knew the Supreme Kai would no doubt be furious for his move, but Vegeta didn't care. After all, Vegeta knew he'd be going to Hell for his actions anyway, and what else could the Kai do in retribution?

He'd only gotten a few steps before he felt a form appeared in front of him and a hand grabbed his shoulder. Vegeta knew who it was in an instant; no one else would dare such a thing. "Remove your arm and get out of my way Kakkarot or I will do it for you," Vegeta growled.

Goku simply shook his head, "Believe me, I want to interfere also. But we can't."

Vegeta could see that Chichi was blocking Lime, and that Travis was being stopped by Piccolo. "I don't care what the Supreme Kai says. GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Vegeta snarled as he began to gather his energy. He would get Goku out of the way no matter what it took.

"Vegeta, stop,"

Vegeta turned and glared at the Supreme Kai. The Supreme Kai returned his look with a sad one, "I know you want to interfere and stop this. But this is almost over. A few more seconds and they'll be done and on their way. Then we'll heal Gohan and follow them, and you can have your revenge. Please, just wait it out. I wish there had been another way, but there wasn't."

Vegeta considered his options. He knew that defeating Kakkarot would take everything he had, and Vegeta was unsure whether he could do that and get to Gohan. As Vegeta turned back to Goku, he looked into his eyes and saw. Goku didn't want to do this; he wanted more than anything to leap in and stop this. But he also had realized this was necessary. Slowly, Vegeta powered down. He then said softly, "Alright, I'll wait."

"For now…"

Pain. That was all Gohan could feel. Nothing had ever hurt him physically as much as this did. It felt like someone was skinning him alive from the inside out. He could feel his ki being drained out of him, and each second was pure agony. Gohan could barely focus on anything but that, but he still noticed that they weren't draining the power protected by the Amulet. Apparently, the Amulet not only shielded power from Gohan, but also from anyone else that wanted to reach it. How convenient.

Dimly Gohan was aware that the ki field was gone, and that he could move. However, it didn't matter. Gohan couldn't focus enough to move. He could barely stay coherent enough to think.

Oh god, I'm going to die. Gohan thought. He felt fear rising in him. Though Gohan knew with certainty that there was an afterlife, he had no desire to go there now. Gohan felt fear begin to overwhelm his mind. He fought desperately to hold it back. He couldn't give into fear, not now.

Just hold on. The others won't just stand there and let someone do this to you. Gohan reasoned. Any second now, they'll stop this. Then you can focus on stopping these bastards. But as second by agonizing second passed, no one seemed to come. What's taking so long? Gohan wondered through the pain. Are they in trouble? Fear of a different sort rose in Gohan; he had to know that they were alright.

It took everything Gohan had, but he managed to turn his head enough so he could see the waiting area. To his shock, he didn't see his friends racing towards him to aid him. Instead, THEY WERE JUST STANDING THERE! What the hell are they doing? Why aren't they helping me? Gohan focused harder, trying to see why they were standing there. But as he looked longer, he realized something. Not only were they just standing there, but it looked like his parents were actually keeping Vegeta and Lime from coming to help him.

Why are they doing that? Gohan wondered in absolute shock. He knew he hadn't exactly given them the warmest reception when they arrived. But despite his hatred and anger at them, Gohan had always thought that his father and mother would protect him. Apparently he was wrong. Could they really hate me so much that they can just stand there while I'm being killed? The worst part was that Gohan knew his father would save an enemy from death. And yet he wouldn't save Gohan.

Gohan felt tears begin to fill his eyes, but he ruthlessly pushed them down. This was it; the final betrayal. Rage filled Gohan's mind, destroying his fear and any other emotions he might be feeling. This is it; they want to treat me this way then so be it. I'll return the favor tenfold. I will never again treat them closely or pretend with them for anyone. As Gohan's vision began to fade and the world turned to black, Gohan kept repeating one thought over and over.

They are no longer my parents!

TO BE CONTINUED…

Here we go. I hope you liked it. For those of you who voted, the final count in the question of who should win was:

Lime: 56

Chichi: 21

I apologize to those of you who voted for Chichi, but you were outvoted. Please don't flame me over this issue, as I went with the majority, and please continue to read and review. Also, I want to assure everyone that I did not delay putting this part out to let votes come in. I get the parts out as soon as I can with the free time I have available.

I thought this would be a good time to make sure the way the Amulet works was made clear, just to prevent any possible confusion about why the power it protected wasn't drained. Consider the Amulet as something that takes a vast amount of Gohan's power and places it into a container. This container is then sealed, and as long as the Amulet is worn, no one can access the power in the container outside of dreamscape.

Now to answer some comments:

To those of you who feel I'm making Shin the bad guy, I apologize. That was not my intention. Rather, I feel that someone in his position (that of essentially the supreme force of good) would be a huge fan of accomplishing the greatest good, and that sacrifices must be made to accomplish this goal. While this position has the potential to be considered arrogant and could lead to evil, it was the only way I could rationalize Shin doing what he did in DBZ to Gohan and the others to accomplish his goal. After all, the show can just have them do something without explaining their motives. I'm trying to hold myself to a higher standard, and to make my characters have some rationale or realistic reason for what they do.

Someone reviewed (sorry, couldn't find the specific review or remember the name) and said that Vegeta doesn't say 'next dimension' outside of the American show. First of all, let me say that is pretty much my only exposure to Dragonball Z. I apologize for causing you annoyance. If someone could please tell me what the proper term from the manga or Japanese version of the show is, then I'd be glad to use that from now on. Otherwise, all I can do is please ignorance and apologize.

As always, please read and review. Especially now that this story has become OVER 100,000 WORDS (sorry, never had a story get that large before).