To King Kaghani Barnasa VII,

"I write to you from the battlefield, far from the safety of our kingdom. I regret to inform you that our situation is dire. The enemy forces are overwhelming, and despite our valiant efforts, I fear that we are walking to our deaths.

My men and I will do everything in our power to hold back these monsters, but I must be honest with you, Sire. Our chances of success are slim. We will fight with every ounce of strength we have, but I fear that it will not be enough.

I implore you, Sire, to have more troops on standby, ready to march at a moment's notice. If we fail, the Saiyans will not stop at our borders. They will pour into our kingdom, bringing destruction and chaos to our people.

I beg of you, Sire, do not underestimate their strength. They are not numerous but well-trained, and well-equipped. We are doing everything we can to hold them back, but I fear that it will not be enough.

I am sending this letter to you, Sire, as a warning, but also as a farewell. I am proud to have served you and our kingdom, and I will do everything in my power to ensure that our sacrifice is not in vain.

Please, Sire, take heed of my warning. Prepare our kingdom for the worst, and have faith that we will do everything in our power to protect our people."

Marnus Harbott,

Chief Commander,

Dated: 24th Rilgha Festival, 18886 AD.

-A Translation Of The Letter Sent By The Chief Commander Of Planet Barnasa During The Saiyan Raid In The Age Of Darkness (AD). Reference: Encyclopedia Of Fallen Races, Volume 78, Page 9844.

The Uncharted Path

Balance

Darkness. A company he had almost grown accustomed to. Abyss was a playground in which his life had spent it's childhood. From his early years in the Force, spilling blood was all he had known. The light was snuffed out.

A cold hardness was beneath him. Hushed whispers and taunts were abundant. Voices that he wanted to forget, they kept coming back like moths to a cackling flame. The atmosphere was suffocating.

Even paralysed, a thought that this was not reality did cross his mind.But alas, he was not adapt at differentiating between reality and illusions. Perception and views were not his favored. Despite the lack of sight, he was steady and calm, a skill that he picked up over the years.

He registered a dull pain, a physical pain. A sensation that jogged him awake from the prison of his own mind. This allowed him to experience a sense of morbid amusement. After all, he had been subjected to such bodily harm that it was nothing but a little icing on the cake.

Oynx eyes snapped opened in momentary dizziness. A bright light acconpanied with a hot burning sensation in his vision. He couldn't see, the light blinded him. Instinctively, his hands shot up to protect his eyes, blinking and grinding his teeth to avoid the prickling rays of the damning light. He inhaled sharply and let out an involuntary groan. And suddenly his vison cleared, the images were now easy to register. The white spots in his peripheral view dissapated. A relief that was much welcomed. He began rubbing his eyes with both hands.

He also noticed that it was the young Guardian of Earth who was in the process of healing him. No wonder that was such a euphoric sensation. It was easy to get addicted to the touch of a healer. Many would purposefully injure themselves just to experience the influx of Ki.

A new wave of dizziness washed over him, suddenly the voices around him got louder and more concetrated. As if he was surrouned by a crowd. His head felt light, no doubt the result of Dende's calm inducing Ki.

He decided to try and sit up, but found himself pushed down, courtesy of his father. Opting to let the man have has way, he relaxed.

Kami's Lookout: The Sacred Temple

15:32

Clouds rolled by and a cold windy breeze blew across the sacred temple. Sounds of empty halls accompanied them.

The young deity rested his hand on his cane. Gazing down upon the blue Earth, he remained motionless and silent. Another breeze swept his robes and ruffled the trees.

A quiet atmosphere, almost befitting of the place, took hold. It was comfortable to him. This silence allowed him to rethink and mull over his short life along with the future. His past experiences and what would become.

Footsteps, slow and gentle, came to a halt just behind him. Turning back was useless, he already knew who it was. A companion that had helped him through his duties.

He focused down once again to look upon the dwellers. They celebrated their rightful win and gushed at the sudden sense of relief offered by the peace. Cheers and cries were abundant.

He noticed a Ki signature making it's way towards them. Piccolo he recognized. Along with the others that closely followed him. Of course his mind immediately wandered over to Gohan. The boy who took on the abomination and came out on top.

His energy was low, not fatal however. He waited patiently for them to arrive. Their exhaustion hindered their speed but they were steady.

"Mr Popo..."

Not a word was needed to be said as the genie in question rushed inside the building just as the fighters landed on the platform.

Piccolo was the first one to arrive. His face was wet with moisture that also dripped. He was heaving, a sure sign that the flight took out more from him than he would admit.

His hands were red from blood that was not his own. It stained his Gi as well. But it did not bother him. Gohan's life was on the line and he would be damned if he let the boy die.

His arms were trembling as he placed Gohan on the tiles. Blood began to pool around him and the viscous liquid spread upon the wite floor.

"Dende!" He heard Piccolo call out to him.

Dende raced towards him, his cane was discarded. He slowed down in front of them and knelt. Gohan's breath was uneven and despite his lack of consciousness, it was obvious that he was in pain.

"He aready lost a lot of blood, Dende!" Piccolo almost broke through his emotionless mask at that. A surprise if he ever saw one.

A nod was all he responded with. Focusing his Ki into his hands, a familiar warm glow enclosed them, and then Gohan's body as well. A hum followed along with a serenity that was previously absent.

He heard chatters amongst the warriors and caught some of them. Vegeta made snide comments to Turn while Goku tried to lighten the tension. Ridding his mind of the unnecessary thoughts, Dende put all his attention on the task at hand.

"Will you lot shut the fuck up!?" The older Namekian shouted to the group and in response Vegeta flipped him the bird. "Vegeta!"

Dende looked down and began, starting from the very fatal wounds and then working his way up to the smaller cuts and scrapes, Dende could already see the blood getting thinner, the color that Gohan's face had lost.

"Cell did a lot of damage to him while he was in hist first Super Saiyan transformation. And the toll of spending too much energy is evident. Many of his blood vessels are ruptured, he has multiple fractures, i can even see a rib poking out. And not to mention that his internal organs are failing him." The young deity muttered to Piccolo, then looked up a him. "He was running mostly on adrenaline. This is going to be extremely difficult and might take a while."

Goku walked up besides his elder and squatted. The Saiyan smiled at him and patted his shoulder to encourage him.

"Don't worry, Dende. We have all the time on the world."

He frowned in concentration. Healing so many wound was taxing. His energy was draining faster than he expected. Sweat poured down his brow. He tried hard to heal a rather large cut on the boy's face.

Gohan grunted and groaned in pain, consciousness returned to him but his wounds were still not healed completely. Dende observed that he would scrunch up his face every now and then. The energy around him slowly diluted as the worst of his injuries were gone.

The broken bones were joined again and the large cuts were sealed shut. All internal organs were patched up and the blood that leaked internally was removed via telekinesis. The swelling muscles returned to their normal size and all scrapes were dissolved into his skin.

"Whozzat? Where?" Through slurred words, Gohan woke up and opened his eyes. "Dende? Zzat You?

Smiling a little in relief at him, Dende let himself relax into a more comfortable position. Slowly, he sat Indian style on the floor and kept on healing.

"...It's me." He stated and tilted his head. "How're you feeling now, Gohan?"

Dende looked at the half Saiyan quizzically, waiting for response. He would have laughed at the disoriented face his friend made, but he was God of Earth now and these gestures were not befitting of him.

"I uh...i feel better. Better than before at least." Gohan said and placed a hand on his head. "Though I am a bit dizzy."

Nodding at the boy, Dende stood up and smiled.

"That is to be expected. You released quite a lot of energy..."

Goku placed hand on Gohan's shoulder, he gave a gentle squeeze and smiled when his son looked at him. Piccolo merely stared at him, no emotions were betrayed. The air picked up and blew across them. The boy slowly shifted and started to sit up. Goku backed up and gave him some space. With grunts and groans, he got into a comfortable position.

Super Saiyan was taxing on the body, even when he had mastered it. The sheer amount of strain it put on the mind as well as the body was insane. To control that much power compressed into every single cell was extremely difficult. The moment of transformation was almost euphoric, the colossal energy flowing through your veins was a different feeling altogether. However, the cool down was just as much of a pain. While in the legendary state, it felt as if he could take on anything and everything, his more primal instincts took control and and made him quite a lot Saiyan like. And that was the same with every other member of the race who could transform.

Not to mention the ascended state. That was just...Diabolical...Its better not to mention.

"About time you woke up, brat." The voice belonged to none other than his mentor. "We were beginning to think that you'd rather stay like that."

Gohan cringed at his words and scratched the back of his head like his father did. He saw the rest of the warriors standing around him, each with a different emotion on his face. Exhaling slowly through his nose, he raised his head and met the eyes of Piccolo. His own set widened at the disappointment he saw in those black orbs of his teacher. He shrunk a little at the stare he received. His father though nudged Piccolo with an elbow and muttered a 'not now' that he picked due to his heightened sense of hearing. Confusedly, he looked at his father who waved him off.

Yamcha walked towards him in long strides, he carried Android 18 in his arms, Gohan observed. Taking a moment to give him a once over, the scarred man chuckled. Krillin joined Yamcha to his right and offered the boy a hand. He grabbed the extended limb and pulled himself up.

The taller man placed the enhanced being at the support of anearby wall and joined the rest. A smile adjourned his face, the victory and it's pleasure was too much for him to conceal.

Footsteps from behind made him turn around to see Mr Popo walk out of the temple with a golden tray. The tray had the seven Dragon balls on it, all arranged masterfully in a beautiful orientation. The genie kept walking until he was at the center and then flung the balls onto the white marble floor.

The balls rolled on the ground and then came to a stop. The familiar ethereal glow encased them in a divine melodious hum. A sense of excitement flooded his veins as he stood before the mystical objects.

Dende walked forwards with a stride not arrogant nor shy. His footsteps caused ripples among the air. A reminder that he was indeed God and not mortal. His energy pulsed around his body while his hands extended outwards.

A heavy breath was all he took and silence consumed the sacred Lookout. His presence was finally acknowledged and the warriors gave him a wide berth. The deity locked his eyes at the round orbs. This wasn't his first time nor was it the last, so he chanted.

"Eternal Dragon, By Your Name I Summon You Forth, Shenron!"

The sight was breathtaking. No matter how many times he experienced it, the magnificence surprised him. An expression of awe took his face. His eyes travelled over to his friend, who stood at the center and oversaw his creation. Without a doubt, he was impressed.

The sky had darkened to the blackest void the moment Shenron had been awakened from his slumber. Divine light shrouded his being, from the base of his tail up to his massive head. His eyes glowed a crimson red that held wisdom and power beyond his own understanding.

The green dragon towered over the Lookout, his body streched for miles-wrapping itself everywhere-until he could not see besides his body. Energy cackled and lightning struck, the amount of concentrated heat was enormous, enough to make his skin sweat.

The booming voice again caught him off guard. It was deep, with a touch of roughness that he couldn't quite place his finger on. However, he had to admit, the marvel was truly divine.

But wait, the dragon said two wishes, and if memory served him right, the legend stated that Shenron granted was one wish. He immediately looked at the short deity with questioning eyes, but before he could voice his opinon, his father had already asked.

"Hey Dende, wasn't it supposed to be one wish?" His father was just as confused as him. He scratched that head of his and laughed. "Or maybe Shenron just made a mistake."

Dende however remained stoic. Actually, he looked a bit... Smug? No it was probably just his mind playing tricks, Dende did not do smug.

"It's nothing like that, Goku. I increased Shenron's capabilities to two wishes when i recreated him."

Now that was impressive. His friend not only managed to revive Shenron but upgraded it as well. But then again, he was God in the most literal sense. And this was well within his power.

"Then what is the draw back, Dende? I assume that you sacrificed something to increase his power."

It was Picccolo who had addressed Dende. He was a bit puzzled, he did not know that there would be a catch as well.

"Shenron had the ability to revive anyone who died at any point in time. I limited it to one year. I believe it is better to have multiple wishes in exchange for this price."

Piccolo seemed indifferent but I could see hints of anger on his face, especially how the corners of mouth twiched and his antenna became a shade darker. Most probably Kami's influence. And Dende had noticed as well.

"Dende, if you wanted to do something like that, you should have asked us. Or at the very least consulted with Mr Popo." Piccolo's voice was controlled, his face was stoic and he remained calm.

"I believe, Nail, that as Guardian, I have complete authority over all decisions regarding this planet." Dende said in a bit of repressed anger. "And whatever I have done is for the betterment of Earth."

Piccolo stared at him with a calculating gaze, which Dende returned with an empty one of his own. Gohan flinched at the verbal jab by Dende. Their eyes were locked in a strange battle of sorts. And after what seemed a long time did Piccolo scoff and averted his line of sight. He opted to look at the patient dragon, who awaited his master's will.

Dende kept his sights on Piccolo even when the latter looked away. His eyes were hardened. Then he too changed his view and looked at Shenron.

An uneasy atmosphere took hold upon the Lookout, the tension between the two Namekians was palpable. Even he felt a bit uncomfortable at the development. But of course his every happy father broke the silence.

"Hey, its fine, if anyone has been dead for more than a year, we can use the Namekian Dragon Balls." Goku attempted to lighten the situation. "I mean its not a bad decision if you think about it, we can wish everyone back who was killed recently and have a wish remaining."

Surprisingly, Goku's comments actually released some of the bitterness. Dende coughed in his hand and looked at Gohan directly. Deciding to forego the argument, the God addressed him.

"Gohan, since you defeated Cell," He began. "You should make the wish."

Me?

He was not shocked but it was unexpected. He was the youngest member in the Force after all. However, his doubts were drowned out by his father who pushed him forwards and whispered encouraging words in his ear.

Seeing no choice, Gohan walked till he was besides Dende. He gazed upwards at the huge mythical creature and thought about his request. He took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Shenron, revive all creatures who were killed by Cell, directly and indirectly!" Gohan stated. "Excluding those who were pure evil, and had no shred of goodness!"

The dragon remained motionless for a few seconds since the wish was made. Suddenly his eyes glowed and the energy he felt from the dragon was astounding.

"Your Wish Has Been Granted,"

Indeed the wish was fulfilled. He felt new Ki signatures from all around him. Thousands, no, millions just sprung back to life. A smile appeared on his lips as he heard his father exclaim to everyone else what was obvious.

"State Your Second Wish."

Oh, right.

The second wish, that was new. Chatters amongst them erupted, each saying their own opinion. But Gohan, he had an idea. A wish that would benefit a certain android. He turned around and looked at his elders.

"Hey guys, I think I know what we should wish for." Gohan said with a nervous edge to hs voice.

Dende placed a hand on his shoulder, a warm smile was present on his face.

"I believe Gohan has the right to make his wish." The deity turned towards the dragon and waited for him. With a smile Gohan faced Shenron and got ready.

"Shenron, can you return Androids 17 and 18 back to their original state before they were captured, as humans with no recollection of what transpired during their transition, so they can live their lives normally without fear?

Shenron growled and his eyes lit up in red. His energy cackled and his body shifted.

"That Wish Cannot Be Granted." His deep voice boomed across the Lookout. "The Androids' Transformations Are Permenant And Cannot Be Reversed Without Killing Them."

His face fell and a frown marred it. He knew that his friends protested behinf him. But his mind was made up.

"But Shenron, can you at least remove the bombs from the bodies of Android 17 and Android 18?"

Immediately, he heard a very loud shriek from Yamcha. Even Piccolo's eyes were widened with disbelief. He ignored them and kept his gaze on the dragon.

"That Is Within My Power."

His smile widened even more so and his eyes lit up at the revelation.

"Then that's my wish, Shenron."

Those eyes glowed red once again and returned to their mean state. He could feel his heat thumping hard against his ribs. His breath quickened in anticipation. He knew that this wish would be met with resistance but he didn't care.

"Your Wish Has Been Granted. Farewell."

And with a mighty bellow, the giant being was shrouded in a bright light that nearly blinded everyone. The Dragon Balls floated up and shot into seven different directions. Their powers were sealed for an entire year.

The light show died down, sky returned to it's original color and the heat of the energy emitted by Shenron disappated. Gohan turned around to his friends and smiled at them.

However, it seemed that they were not on the same page as him. In fact, two were even angry at his actions. His mentor of course and as expected Vegeta.

"You idiot boy!" Vegeta screamed at him. "Wasting a wish on toasters! Have you no sense?!"

"For once, I agree with Vegeta. That was entirely unnecessary, Gohan." Piccolo reprimanded him in an even tone.

"Yeah Gohan. You could have wished for something else. I mean they did try to kill us." Trunks chided in with his own comment.

He had expected these reactions. All three of the were, in their own way, justified. But he disagreed with them.

"That may be, Trunks. But, they didn't kill any of us. And I distinctly remember Android 17 aiding Piccolo against Cell." He replied.

"That still doesn't change the fact that they are the enemies." Vegeta countered. "And allowing them mercy will only serve to make them seek revenge."

"...Then I'm willing to take that chance. After all, we granted you mercy too, didn't we?"

Vegeta snarled at him, not able to come up with an argument. He settled on glaring him from his position.

"And you too Piccolo. Or have you forgetten the predicament at the tournament you fought in?" Gohan shot at his teacher who did not answer back. "Everyone deserves a second chance, besides, the androids were once humans before they were forced to carry out the will of Doctor Gero."

"I'd like to believe that the androids can change. They didn't choose this life, y'know." Gohan said. "And even if they decide to act out, most of us are strong enough to easily take them down."

He saw his father smile at him and he returned it. Goku walked forwards and ruffled his hair.

"We should respect Gohan's choice." His father said affectionately. "And he's given some really convincing reasons too."

The rest of them agreed with his father but there were a few who still disagreed. In his aid, Dende spoke up.

"The wish has already been made. So we will only do what can be done now." He stated. "I can keep an eye on them and if something happens, i will pass my judgement. Until then, we act accordingly."

No one dared to go against the Guardian. His word was final and what he said is what will happen. Gohan smiled at his friend.

"Also, Android 18 has already left the Lookout." Dende said.

So he looked at the wall where she was resting anf indeed, the android was not there. He was surprised but he shouldn't be. It wasn't like he could sense her or anything.

"It is time rejoice. Go home to your families and friends." Dende said as he walked back into the temple. "And when a new threat arises, I will call upon you. For now, celebrate your victory. Earth is grateful to you once again."

"Earth's Special Force is now dismissed."

Behind the pillars of the Lookout, hid a certain android who, coincidentally, listened to the conversations upon waking up. The first thing she had seen was a huge dragon and witnessed the boy who had defeated Cell, make a wish to bring back the dead.

Although it was the second wish that shook her. She was about to leave but the boy's said her name to the dragon and she stopped. She hid behind a large pillar and waited.

After the wish was made she immediately sense her body for the SDI but couldn't find it. Her blue eyes widened and she snuck a glance at the dragon who had begun to disappear.

Then she was there for the argument that took place. Something about that wish made her feel uneasy. And when the boy defended her, well, it made her heart skip a beat.

While in Cell's body, she was half conscious and only had the memory. She remembered how he had freed her from that prison. Thinking about the boy, she was a bit mixed in her feelings.

Not seeing any reason to stay, she took to the air and wandered off. Her thoughts however remained fixated on her saiviour.

Son...Gohan.

SDI- Self Destruct Ignition.