::Prologue::
Goku watched helplessly as his planet and friends were destroyed before his very eyes.
"It's all my fault..." he whispered, tears streaming down his tanned face. He could have stopped this....done something...but he hadn't. He'd given up, because at the time, it'd seemed like the best thing that he could possibly do for everyone...for the earth. Gohan was a lot stronger than he was. He'd seen it for himself back in the hyperbolic time chamber. And so he'd thought...No. He didn't think...and thats what started it all. His eyes watered, and a fresh stream of tears spilled over, mixing with the blood and bruises already present.
Everyone...Piccolo especially, had warned him...pleaded that he stop this. But he ignored them. He'd been confident, so sure that Gohan would be the one to bring down Cell. Gohan had always possessed hidden power. He'd known it even before Raditz came to earth. He just needed someone to bring it out. Someone like Cell.
Or so he'd thought.
He could still hear them even now, in his mind begging...he'd ignored them all. Watching. He knew his friends had thought him insane, sending his son to fight. And suddenly Gohan had fallen and didn't move. Piccolo went balistic.
"Goku! Don't you understand?! Your son may have the power, but he has no desire to fight!! He doesn't lust for battle like you!!"
That's when he'd realized his mistake. But it was to late. Everything began falling apart. He'd screamed for Krillen to hand him a sensu bean, but before the little man could even reach for one, Cell had the bag in his hands. Everything happened so fast...Yamucha, Krillen and Tien had been the first to die. Goku had tried to save them, but he was still worn out from his first battle with Cell, and was no match for the Android's new surge of energy.
"You've disappointed me Goku," Cell drawled after another of Goku's failed attempts. "I expected so much more."
And then he'd broken Goku's back.
He'd forced him to watch as one by one he killed off his friends. Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo. Trunks as a result of trying to protect Vegeta, and Vegeta out of revenge for his son. As the Saiyin Prince lay dying, choking on his own blood, Goku could make out six gasped words: "This....is all.....your fault....Kakkorat!!!"
And Piccolo......Piccolo who seemed to be up to something, luring Cell away...Goku understood. He tried to move, to go over to his still unconscious son, but he was paralyzed. His spine was broken in half from Cell's vicious assault, and his body was useless. Dimly he felt a diminishing life energy. Cell had defeated Piccolo.
And what happened next, was a nightmare.
Cell, in an attempt to make the mangled Goku rise, taunted and ruthlessly toyed with the innocent warriers young son, torturing the now barely conscicous Gohan in an attempt to get a reaction from the boy's father. Goku had tearfully pleaded..begged him to leave Gohan out of it, to at least let him die in peace-
Cell laughed.
And then Dende had shown up, had tried to make it to Goku to heal him. But Cell caught him and made quick work with the young Namek. Now Goku knew they were doomed. Without the dragonballs, everything was hopeless.
"Oh Kami.." he prayed desprately for the life of his son...his planet, but no one answered.
Cell soon became bored with the now lifeless Gohan..what was the fun of torturing something that couldn't feel the pain? And so he decided that it was time to be done with the Earth, a planet that, after all it's promise had offered him no challenge what-so-ever.
The planet looked much like the planet Namek had looked minutes before it's explosion. Goku had stopped trying anything. His son...everyone was gone. And soon he would join them.
"I did this..," he thought painfully. "I caused all this to happen...I let Gohan...everyone down.....I deserve to die.." And suddenly through his fading eyesight, he could make out a figure in the flames. Time seemed to have stopped, and he could no longer hear Cell's sadistic laughter.
"Son Goku," the figure cried out. "Do not give up hope so quickly. Do you really wish
to save this Earth?"
Goku strained to see through his blood clouded vision.
"Yes" he answered weakly. "My son-"
"I cannot change the fate of your son or friends." the figure interrupted. "But your heart is pure. You've sacrificed yourself numerous times for the sake of others. Would you be willing to start over? To have another chance at life? Think carefully Son Goku. Your world could change drastically because of this decision."
Goku thought. His mind was fading, his body dying. Anything had to be better than this outcome...the destruction of the earth...of his son and friends....It was his fault it had ended this way...and maybe...just maybe if he lived, he'd find some way to save it.
"Yes," Goku answered softly. "I want to save the earth."
"Hear me well then." The figure replied. "This World is doomed. There is nothing you can do now to save it. But in another time, a new revolution is beginning, and a new fighter is about to emerge. Would you be willing to fight? To dedicate perhaps your entire new life fighting?"
"Hai." He whispered almost incoherently. Everything was fading...the flames...the voice..even his tears. He closed his eyes. He didn't see the flash of garnet eyes looking gently down upon him, nor did he hear her last words.
"Never look back Goku....never regret."
And then Son Goku died.
King Kai looked on in horror. Goku had failed??! And the earth... But suddenly he'd felt another presence...one not of this plane. He struggled to pick up a power level, but felt nothing. Yet, he knew that this was a powerful being. Time had completely stopped, except for the mysterious stranger and Goku. Straining, he listened hard, trying to catch something of the words of the stranger, but could only hear Goku's half.
What's going on? he wondered suspiciously. It was as if the stranger knew he was there, and was deliberately blocking him out. He heard Goku say 'yes' and die. And then he'd faded out of existence-
But that was impossible! His soul should have went to the afterlife..he should be delivered to King Yama! But it was as if..as if the Saiyan had never existed here. And now that stranger was gone too!!
"Something weird is definitely going on....." King Kai muttered suspiciously.
He watched on sadly as the earth was destroyed.