The breeze played whimsically, flowing about in powerful bursts and dancing gusts. It took Dende's scarf along for a wild twirl, shaking it like a dancer's ribbon with its flowing steps. Dende allowed the fabric to dance, paying it little mind as he stood over a barren plateau, watching the fading of Earth's bright blue sky into a mosaic of pinks and oranges. He had been to this planet once, in his childhood. He hadn't remembered it well, but it was a beautiful sight to behold. His ears twitched as their keen hearing caught the shifting of dirt behind him. He turned his head to find none other than Son Gohan.
"Enjoying the sights? Pretty good sunset spot you've got here. It's not my favorite, that's for sure, but definitely in the top ten." The half-saiyan man said as he strolled towards him, cracking a slight smile. Dende returned the smile politely. He appreciated the man's attempts to lighten the mood. He had sat Dende down to tell him about the tragedy that had befallen Earth, not long ago. It was tragic and terrible, but even still it made Dende feel somewhat lighter. Knowing that someone out there had gone through the same thing he had, well, it didn't make him feel good, but it made him feel understood. It also made him feel terrible, coming to Earth and requesting their assistance so soon after they had solved their own issues.
"Yes. The sky here is so different. I love the skies of my home, but after the dismal look of it all these years, a change of pace is welcome." Dende said. It almost hurt him, to even attempt to feel peace and calm while his people suffered on the other side of the galaxy. He tried to shake the thought away. There was no point torturing himself as such, but the guilt still clung to him no matter how hard he fought it. He let loose a sigh, shoulders sagging. A hand laid itself upon his disheartened shoulder with a firm grip.
"I know how it feels, Dende. Trust me. We've got this, though. I know it's hard while we wait for Bulma to scrounge together the supplies for a new ship, but rest assured, Slug is done for." Gohan said. His face was stalwart, resolute like carved stone. He was different from the Gohan that Dende had known so long ago. Eyes had lost their glimmer, replaced by a cold hard determination. Hands had lost their unsteadiness, grip firm and strong like a mountain. Dende nodded, with a confidence like that it was almost impossible not to believe him.
"Indeed." Dende responded. He wished that he had more to say to the man who was so willingly sacrificing his time, resources, and safety just to ensure the safety of a people he hadn't seen in decades. He just couldn't find the words amongst the storm of thoughts that wreaked havoc in his head.
"I've been meaning to ask, Dende, about your power that is. When you were entering the atmosphere, I felt it. You were about as strong as Piccolo was before he died, strong enough to face a few of Frieza's forms. I thought you were a member of the Dragon Clan, though. I didn't know that namekians that weren't of the Warrior Clan could attain power as great as you have." Gohan explained. It was reasonable of him to ask. There were namekians of the Dragon Clan that were far stronger than him, in the ancient past. Katas among them, before the Cataclysm. The strongest member of the clan for Gohan to have met would have to have been Moori, however. Moori did not boast a rather impressive battle power.
"Heh, yes, I suppose these days the power I've gained is somewhat abnormal. Something incredible we discovered about New Namek was that it wasn't as new as we thought. We found ancient ruins built by our people once we truly started to explore the planet. New Namek was created by a host of Dragon Clan members hundreds of years ago, sacrificing their life forces to craft an entirely new planet. The way they did it is lost to us now, but it was a feat that was beyond incredible. It was an attempt to create another home for us, should something go wrong again. I guess they learned their lesson after the Cataclysm. None of us knew about it, save for Nail and Guru perhaps, but they never had the chance to tell us." Dende explained.
"Wow, that's incredible. So, these ancient ruins…you found something in them, right?" Gohan guessed. Dende grinned. The man was sharp, he had to give him that.
"Indeed. A lost art, all but banned by my people in the ancient past. Namekian battle magic." Dende confirmed. Gohan raised an eyebrow and whistled, surprised at the revelation. Anything called 'battle magic' was never something that he expected out of the namekians, peaceful people as they were. The only magic he had seen out of them had been the kind to support others. Dende's healing magic, Piccolo's materialization magic, the wish-granting magic of the Dragon Balls. None of it was ever designed to do any harm. He could see why it would have been banned by their people.
"Battle magic, huh? So, that's what you've got your hands on." Gohan said. He had to admit, he was interested. Magic was something he had had rather limited exposure to, after all. There was a scholarly part of him that was interested to see just how magic worked. He was itching to see what forces and energies compelled the arcane and just how they were different from the bodily and spiritual properties of ki.
"Yes. It was never something I would have sought out, but after Slug's attack…we needed something powerful. It was hard to get to. It only exists because a very long time ago there was apparently a feud between the Dragon and Warrior Clans. The Dragon Clan was afraid that it would turn into an all-out war, and that they would have no way to defend themselves from their martially superior brethren. So, an ancient namekian from the Dragon Clan, Gastro, created battle magic. After the feud died down, he locked the knowledge away so that no one would ever come across it again." Dende continued. Gohan absorbed the information. Though the pursuit of a scholarly path was something that was pushed on him by his mother rather ferociously, Gohan had to admit that there was a very prevalent thirst for knowledge residing inside of him. "So, Gastro's books were my teacher. I'm the first Dragon Clan Battle Mage in hundreds upon hundreds of years."
"Well then, show me how it works." Gohan said. Dende turned towards him, and raised an brow worriedly. Gohan was never someone that enjoyed the thrill of the fight. Not like his father. However, if he was going to fight alongside Dende in this upcoming battle, he needed to know what the namekian mage had under his belt. That, and he was just itching to see it in action.
"I would not hurt a friend, Gohan. This magic can be dangerous, and volatile." Dende stepped over the words carefully, clearly taking care not to offend Gohan. Gohan shook his head and beat a fist against his chest with a grin.
"I can take it, Dende. Come on, I want to see what this battle magic can do." Gohan said. He stomped one foot into the ground, and then the other. Dust started to kick up in an angry cloud around his feet as he raised his power level. He wouldn't go Super Saiyan, it would be a bit of overkill, he thought. Dende deserved a bit of recognition with the energy that radiated off of him, at least.
Dende nodded, slowly starting to understand Gohan's intentions. He unlimbered the staff from his back and tapped it twice upon the ground. The white characters that were painted upon its ebon face flared to life, an arcane purple glow racing around the letters and outlining them brightly. The energy of the magic that flooded through Dende's body felt different to Gohan. Ki was like a river flowing through the body. It surged and raced, but it followed all the proper channels to bring power through every part of a fighter's body. The magic in Dende was like a tempest, trapped by a steel shell. It raged and slammed against Dende, threatening to break free of him, but Dende kept it contained inside of himself with an iron determination.
Dende surprised Gohan by making the first move. With a sweeping arc of his arm, arcane energy spiraled around the staff before blasting in a roaring line towards him. Gohan sidestepped the beam of magic, and it hissed past him with a crackle like a campfire. He smiled, impressed. Dende had clearly changed after all this time. He wasn't timid or unsure. He was focused, his magic like a nail and Dende was the unwavering hammer. Dende's lips moved, muttering some words of power under his breath, and around the head of the staff several orbs of violet energy began to form. They spiraled around each other in a flurry before blasting towards Gohan.
Gohan flitted and flipped between the bolts of magic, flipping over the last attack and landed upside down, held up by his cybernetic arm. With a firing of pistons and a surge of energy, Gohan twisted around in the air towards his opponent and used his other arm to launch a beam of yellow energy. Without a moments' hesitation, Dende tapped his staff against the ground once and quickly pierotted around to draw a circle around himself. A glimmering column of cerulean energy sprouted up around him seconds before Gohan's attack would have struck home. Like a beam of light striking a diamond, Gohan's energy struck the magic shield and blasted off in a dozen different directions as it was refracted by Dende's defense.
Gohan took that moment to race forwards, feet pounding against the dusty plateau. As different as the magical energy was, Gohan could still sense it. He could still analyze the structure of the magical shield that Dende had raised. His cybernetic arm rocketed forwards, glowing brightly as he filled it with his energy. His eyes darted back and forth until he found it, the weak spot in the shield. His steel knuckles collided, and the shield shattered into a thousand shards of light that glimmered and were blasted away like glass in a strong wind. Dende's eyes widened in surprise, clearly shocked that Gohan had destroyed his shield with such brutal efficiency. Gohan closed the distance and began to rain blows upon his namekian ally.
Dende responded quickly, though he was clearly upset to be confronted in melee combat. Gohan's blows were quick and decisive, but Dende managed to lay his other hand upon his staff and bring it up in defense. His staff became a spinning wheel of darkness, warding off Gohan's destructive blows. The magic inlaid into the tool gave it a supernatural strength, so thankfully there was no danger of it cracking under the strength of the half-saiyan's assault. Dende's body would be a different story if he didn't keep up his defense. A sharp right hook was met by ebonwood, and Dende twisted his wrists, just managing to fling Gohan's fist into the air. He took the opportunity to step back and with two hands he thrust his staff forward into Gohan's chest.
Gohan stumbled back, and then threw his momentum into a backflip to gain some ground and stabilize himself. Dende was already quick at work, chanting unfamiliar words out loud as power swirled around him. Three quick taps into the ground left bright spots of light on the plateau. Those spots quickly turned into snaking lines of energy that shot across the ground to attack at Gohan's feet. Gohan felt like a dancer as he twisted and turned to dodge the persistent attacks. Finally, he slammed his heel into the ground and cracks splintered across its face, the serpentine energy sinking into the abyss below him. Gohan pulled two hands to his side to form a shining beacon of azure energy, roaring a mantra that his father had taught him so many years ago.
"KAMEHAMEHA!" He bellowed into the wind, thrusting arms forwards and allowing the power to soar towards its desired target. In a flash, Dende brought his staff up and a wild surge of energy took hold of him. It was visible even, violet energy thrashing about his body like the tempest of his energy was breaking free. He drew a circle in front of himself, the energy lingering in the air, and Gohan's Kamehameha wave met the circle and disappeared. Gohan didn't even have time to be confused as he caught something out of his peripheral vision. Another violet circle had appeared around a dozen feet to his left, and barreling out of it was a spear of azure energy.
Gohan had no choice, as it was his own energy surging towards him, but to overpower himself. A corona of golden energy burst from his body, and he let go of the energy to swing his arms to the left and shield himself from his own attack. He let the energy collide into his cupped hands, and it surged like an unrestrained wave into his palms. With a grunt of determination, he threw the energy up into the air where it whistled like a rocket before it finally vanished into a shower of cerulean sparks. Gohan breathed out slowly from the effort and let go of his Super Saiyan energy. Gohan gave Dende a thumbs up before the namekian mage could raise his staff to attack him once more. It was true that Gohan's Super Saiyan power dwarfed Dende's magic, but he was crafty and quick with his arcane tricks. If Dende was this powerful, and resourceful, Gohan feared that Slug wasn't such a pushover afterall.
"That was incredible!" Gohan heard a youthful voice call from up on high. He gazed up to find none other than his pupil standing in the air, eyes wide. Trunks must have been watching them with his power level hidden so that they wouldn't notice. Gohan was impressed, the young man had certainly grown more proficient at manipulating his power level. Trunks flew down and landed in between Gohan and Dende, the latter of which was approaching after their practice bout.
"Dende, you had Gohan on the back foot! That was crazy." Trunks exclaimed. Dende gave him a grateful smile but shook his head in response.
"Perhaps in his base form I could throw Gohan off with some tricks he's never seen before. As the Super Saiyan, however? I'm afraid my arcane prowess would not hold up. It is a brilliant power and the feeling I get from it…I am sure it has some sort of magical significance, though I am not able to pin it down." Dende explained. Gohan had to wonder about that statement. He had never really been sure how the Super Saiyan transformation worked, just that it did. To think that he was somehow holstering some sort of magic filled him with a long-lost sort of childlike wonder.
"So, Dende, you're this adept at magic and you say you're still outclassed by Lord Slug?" Gohan asked. He would never truly know how he stacked up against an enemy until he met them fist to fist. That being said, he would prefer to know all he could about the enemy before he had to face them. He often thought to himself that maybe, just maybe, if they had known about the androids and what they were; if they had known what they were capable of, they might have stood a chance. There was no point in dwelling on things like that now, though, not when there was just another fish to fry.
"Indeed. Slug is in a league entirely his own. For you, a difficulty fighting against me is having never combatted a true practitioner of magic. My brother, Cargo, got knocked completely off of his feet when I ported one of his attacks like that. You handled it with speed and finesse, compared to him, I would say." Dende said with a chuckle, recalling the fond memory of his Warrior Clan brother being bowled over by his own energy. "Slug, though…he is a master of magic. While he was born of the Warrior Clan, and his physical prowess absolutely shows it, his absorption magic has its own terrible traits. When he forces a namekian to fuse with him he gains not only their physical power, but also their knowledge. Long ago, he must have fused some powerful members of the Dragon Clan. Every single trick and spell up my sleeve, Lord Slug has countered with brutal efficiency." Dende said miserably. Gohan couldn't help but sympathize, as he was in the same position not long ago. Every day it seemed like no matter how hard he trained; the androids were there just to prove that it wasn't enough.
"He absorbs their knowledge, even of magic? Then when he absorbed Moori, did he…?" Gohan asked, face taking on a vision of worry. Dende sighed heavily and nodded.
"Yes. We don't even have the Dragon Balls on our side any longer. When Slug took Moori, he also took over ownership of New Namek's set. He used them to wish for eternal youth, and then he rendered them inert." Dende said, confirming Gohan's suspicions. A darkness swirled around inside of him, brushing against his soul. He had known that it was a longshot, considering the circumstances, but he still couldn't help but admit he had been holding out hope. Sure, his father couldn't be wished back due to the nature of his death, but the others? It pained Gohan still to know that there was nothing that he could do.
"I only know as much about the Dragon Balls as I've been told about, but Dende that glove you have. Are those not Dragon Balls?" Trunks asked, pointing to the leather glove wrapped around Dende's hand, knuckles inlaid with glimmering orange stones.
"Well, they are, in a way. They're a failed attempt to make full wishing stones, on my part. Creating Dragon Balls is a difficult process, and Moori never finished teaching me how it worked before everything happened. I tried my hand at it to try and give us an edge over Slug, but they didn't come out right. I was able to create the stones and give them the right properties, but I wasn't able to reach out to bind a dragon to them." Dende said with a sigh, raising his eyes and looking at the failed Dragon Balls on his hand.
"So, why do you wear them around if they don't work?" Trunks asked brazenly without an ounce of tact. Gohan shot a glance at him and had half a mind to elbow him in the ribs. Trunks caught his look and looked away sheepishly, giving Dende an apologetic smile.
"Oh, they do not work as Dragon Balls properly do, but that does not mean they do not have any use. The Dragon Balls have a capacity for magic that must be reached before they can grant a wish. This is why your planet's set spends a year inert after usage, as they have to build up the requisite energy to perform the requests asked of them. These also build up magic, but a substantially smaller amount. So, without a dragon to bind the magic to, I decide when the energy they build is used, and it operates in a rather peculiar way. Here, I'll show you." Dende said with a small grin. He turned to face Gohan, and folded his arms behind his back. "Gohan, hit me."
"Are you sure?" Gohan asked with an eyebrow raised. Dende merely nodded, the grin not leaving his face. Gohan shrugged, and cocked a fist back before letting it fly towards Dende's jaw. The stones on Dende's glove shined brightly, and something strange happened. The dirt beneath Gohan's feet shifted. What was once solid and compact became loose and unsteady. Against all odds, even though he was in perfect form, Gohan tripped. It was a small stumble, and he caught himself rather quickly, but the damage was done. Gohan's fist slipped past Dende's face, missing its target entirely.
"I call them luck stones. If I'm in a bind I release the built up magic energy in them to give me a bit of an extra edge. It's part of the reason I've survived all of this time. Every time Slug's Demon Clan has hunted me down, I've managed a miraculous escape." Dende said with a chuckle. Gohan nodded, rather impressed. Piccolo always told him that he couldn't rely on luck, but it would be hard not to when it was so readily available to you like that.
"Well, Dende, you've certainly opened my eyes to the possibilities out there. I never knew magic was so variable. I look forward to fighting alongside you instead of against you, when it comes to it." Gohan said. Dende responded with a sad smile. While it was clear that he understood the sentiment Gohan was putting forth, Dende clearly didn't look forward to fighting at all.
"Let's head back home now." Trunks supplied, trying to clear away to gloom in the air." I don't know about you guys but I definitely built up an appetite watching you two fight." Trunks joked. Gohan snorted and slapped a hand down on the teenager's head, ruffling his hair.
"You build up an appetite snoring, Trunks." Gohan said. He remembered being Trunks's age. Growing saiyans had an appetite that was unmatched and insatiable. Though, the young man did have a point. Gohan felt his stomach rumbling, the hunger having caught up to him.
"Alright, alright. Let's get going."
Some more months passed by, and those months found Bulma finishing the spaceship that would be carting Gohan and Dende to New Namek. Thankfully Doctor Briefs had left behind the schematics of the ship he had built for Goku, on the saiyan's voyage to the original Namek. Bulma had told them that she wasn't able to install the same gravity altering mechanics that the original one had, but it should function just fine to get them to their destination.
Dende, Gohan, Bulma, and Videl all stood out in the front yard of Capsule Corp, where the spaceship was situated. Trunks, surprisingly, was nowhere to be seen. Gohan glanced up at the ship. It was a spherical machine with metals of black and white, standing on a set of four legs in a cross-like formation. Gohan reminisced about his journey to the original Namek with Krillin and Bulma. They were fond memories, coming to know the two people his father had claimed as his greatest friends. Bulma with a mind unmatched by any he had ever met and a temper to boot. Krillin, friendly to a fault and always willing to help even if he knew it wasn't in his favor. He would miss the two of them. Even now, he saw their phantoms smiling and beckoning him aboard the ship as they strolled onto the entrance ramp.
"I've stocked the ship with plenty of capsules that should hold enough rations for a trip there and a return trip. That is as long as you don't let that saiyan appetite of yours run rampant." Bulma informed the pair with a pointed look at Gohan. Gohan laughed and conceded to the point.
"I'll do my best." He chuckled, and something in Bulma's look said that she didn't quite believe him.
"The hull is decently resistant to energy and impact but please don't have any ridiculous sparring matches on board. I don't think it could handle that." Bulma pleaded. Gohan nodded in understanding. He would have to at least stick to a strict exercise regimen while on board the ship. He couldn't grow complacent, even for a few months. Not with the battle that he was heading for.
"Do you think being a Super Saiyan would interfere with any of the navigational systems or anything like that? If I can remain in that state it should help me maintain my power on the way there."
"There shouldn't be a problem with it. Whatever sort of energy that is released by your transformation hasn't caused any sort of electrical or magnetic disturbance as far as I've ever been able to tell. Hell, maybe the androids would have been easier to deal with if you did. Had to be Super Saiyan and not, oh I don't know, Electromagnetic Radiation Saiyan." Bulma scoffed. Gohan nodded, he was happy that he had that at least. Maintaining the Super Saiyan form should help to keep his body powerful since he wouldn't be able to train as hard as he felt he would need to.
"Be safe up there, yeah big guy?" Videl said, slugging Gohan across the arm. He smiled fondly at the woman, his heart beating fast. He wished he could stay with her, but he knew what he had to do. He wished he could ask her to come with him, but he couldn't put her in that kind of danger. He just didn't want to be apart from her. There was a question lingering in his heart, wondering if she felt the same. Gohan had the courage to fight tooth and nail against mechanical monstrosities, but he didn't have the courage to ask that question.
"I've taken down two monsters this year, what's another one?" Gohan said. It was easy to joke about, but there was a fear residing in Gohan. What if Lord Slug was stronger than him? He couldn't spend years upon years figuring out another way to beat a different enemy, not this time. He gazed up to the sky, momentarily wondering what his father would do in a situation such as this one. It was a ridiculous question to ask himself, as he knew the answer already. His father would fight without a moment's hesitation. He would fight even if he wasn't strong enough and he would continue fighting until he was. Gohan would do the same. He didn't adore the thrill of battle as those before him did, but he would follow in their footsteps nonetheless. It was his duty.
"Oh, what a brave hero you are." Videl said, cupping her hands against her chest and swooning in a mocking manner. She reached up on the tips of her toes and planted a kiss against Gohan's cheek. Gohan felt a fire rise to his face but before he could respond the doors of Capsule Corp shot open with a clatter and a blur of lavender hair. Trunks raced towards them with a comically large backpack and a very obvious lack of breath in his lungs. Trunks held up a finger, begging them to wait for just a second while he caught his breath.
"Don't…leave…without…" Trunks managed, letting the last word hang in the air for interpretation. Gohan smiled sadly at the young man that he considered like a brother. He hadn't told him that he couldn't let Trunks come with him. He hoped that he would realize it on his own. Gohan had a feeling that Trunks did know that he wasn't meant to come on this trip and was still trying to squeeze his way aboard the ship anyways.
"Trunks, you're not coming with us." Gohan said steadily, trying to edge his voice with finality. Trunks locked eyes with Gohan, an obvious disappointment flashing over his features.
"Gohan, please! I know I'm not a Super Saiyan, but I'm strong enough. I can help you all, I promise." Trunks pleaded. It hurt Gohan to see the pain in Trunks's eyes. Trunks was strong, it was true. In terms of raw power he may have been around the same strength as Dende. Gohan couldn't allow the young man to risk himself, though. He wasn't sure if he would allow Trunks to come along even if he had unlocked the Super Saiyan form. Without the energy being mastered and purified it would still be too much of a risk. Gohan was still saddled by the guilt of allowing Trunks to fight against the androids, even if he had felt like there was no other choice at the time. He wouldn't have Trunks risk his life again to save a planet he had no stakes in.
"Listen, Trunks. I know you're strong. That's why you have to stay here. With me leaving the planet to help Dende, you're the only one strong enough to keep everyone safe. Videl's got a strong right hook, but you're the real powerhouse here. Stay here, and defend the planet we fought so hard to liberate." Gohan pleaded. Trunks's will wavered and Gohan could see that his words struck home. The guilt of leaving his mother here to fend for herself outweighed Trunks's desire to prove himself. Trunks nodded glumly, letting the backpack he hoisted slide off of his shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep them safe, Gohan." Trunks said, a determination shining in his eyes anew. He knew that the true reason Gohan didn't want him to come along was because it would be a danger to him. However, the words still resonated with him.
"I know you will." Gohan said with a smile. They weren't empty words. He truly believed that if a threat did arise in his absence, Trunks would rise to the occasion. He just hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Gohan and Dende said a few final farewells before boarding the ship. The door closed behind them with an ominous hiss. Gohan and Dende locked eyes, nodding to each other.
"Are you able to set the coordinates to New Namek?" Gohan asked.
"Yes, I should be able to get us there." Dende replied, heading towards the control panel. With a few clicks and beeps, they felt the ship roar to life and begin the hover off of the ground. Gohan took in a deep breath and exhaled calmly. In just under a few months, it was war all over again.