Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian Might ❯ The Overseer of Realms ( Chapter 3 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: LaurenaGarret 
Looking at the man in front of him, Gohan knew that he was in no way connected to the Kai's, or at least the Kai's that he knew about.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Martial Arts / Thriller / Action / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.22.2015 | Pages: 10 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 565 | Status: Completed
Looking at the man in front of him, Gohan knew that he was in no way connected to the Kai's, or at least the Kai's that he knew about.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense / Martial Arts / Thriller / Action / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.22.2015 | Pages: 10 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 565 | Status: Completed
Chapter 3: The
Overseer of Realms
Gohan had never had the pleasure of meeting King Kai, but given the description his father had given him he had come back from Yardrat and all the other information that he had received from Piccolo, Gohan had built up this imagine in his mind of what they looked like. Looking at themanin fronthim, Gohan knew that he was in no way connected to the Kai's, or at least the Kai's that he knew about.
He was short, around Gohan's height, with dark hair that seemed to shimmer in the light that was coming through the glass roof above them, like stars do at night. Over the top of his hair was a hat, similar to a kippah. His skin was white, with a teal hint to it that was barely noticeable to the human eye and seemed to clash with the bright yellow eyes that peered at him from behind thick, black rimmed, reading glasses. He was dressed in a man’s Kimono that was dark green and black in colour, and embroidered in silver and gold thread. On his feet instead of the traditional zori sandals he wore slipper like shoes, similar to the ballet flats that he sometimes saw Bulma wear, that were intricately decorated with thread and beads to match his Kimono.
'I'm sorry that I wasn't here to greet you Gohan, but I hadn't expected that you would make it out of the void so quickly,' he explained, coming to a stop beside the girl.
'How do you know who I am?' Gohan asked, his body subconsciously moving itself into a defensive position that was almost casual in appearance. He couldn’t pick up anything threatening from the girl, and she genuinely seemed surprised to see this new comer and had done nothing to make him think that she would try to attack him, at least for the most part. This guy was different. He couldn't sense anything threatening from him however something didn't sit right with him about how he knew who he was.
'I know many things about you, Gohan Son. I know that you are the son of Goku - also known as Kakarot to those of the Saiyan race - and Chi-Chi - daughter of the Ox King. You technically hold the title of Prince, but neither of your parents is interested in royal titles and prefer to be known by their birth names, or in your father's case the name that he was given upon his arrival on Earth. I know that you were able to read on your own by the age of four, were doing work that High Schoolers have problems with at age eight and had almost finished your High School diploma when the Cell games started. I know that you don't like to fight, like your father does, but you do so to protect those that you care about; a very admirable quality. Your training does not involve just one style of martial arts, but several including Turtle hermit, demon and Saiyan. But most of all I know that right now you are very confused,' the man said.
'Who are you?' Gohan said.
'I'm terribly sorry. How rude of me not to introduce myself,' he said. 'My name is Az, I'm the Overseer. This young lady,' he motioned to the girl who was standing very still and looking at him with wide eyes, 'is Trixx.'
At the mention of her name, Trixx was shaken from her awestruck imitation of a statue and looked back at Gohan, giving him a small wave.
'Nice to meet you,' she said.
'Hi,' Gohan said slowly, never taking his eyes off Az. 'That doesn't really explain anything.'
'I know. I was hoping to explain all this to you in the entrance,’ Az said. ‘We have things better set up for these things down there for when people arrive, but it wasn't until after you arrived that I realised that you would not be in the void for long before you forced your way out. I had to do a little searching to find a crack that you could use to escape and as you already know I was a little slow to get here, there are so many people here looking for me it is surprising that I get to meet any of the new people when they arrive.'
From the corner of his eye, Gohan saw Trixx look confused and he wondered why.
'Anyway, you're here now and you're safe, that is the main thing, and to make things even better Trixx is here as well,' Az said looking at the green haired girl.
'Better sir?' Trixx questioned.
'Yes, I will explain everything to you both, but for now I think that Gohan needs to change out of his damaged clothes, and we could all do with some refreshments,' Az said. 'If you would both like to follow me, we'll make a short stop to see Lani before having tea.'
Without waiting for Gohan or Trixx to reply, Az turned and started to walk down the path, expecting the two teens to follow him. Trixx didn't skip a beat and was following Az in an instant, leaving Gohan standing by himself, wondering what he should do. He could sense nothing that could be determined as threatening from either Trixx or Az, but he couldn't sense much about them at all and that was what worried him the most. No matter whom it was, Gohan had always been able to sense power levels and whether or not they meant him or anyone else around him any harm. It had proved to be an invaluable tool over the years, but right now it was failing him. Neither Az nor Trixx were giving off any form or ki that he knew how to sense. It was unnerving and he felt like he was going into a situation completely blind, something that instantly put him on defence. if sensing Gohan’s apprehension, Az stopped and looked back at Gohan.
'I probably haven't exactly instilled any form of trust in you just yet, but I promise that once you have changed I will explain everything to you. You have my word.'
Gohan wouldn't have normally taken someone's word for anything, especially when he was unable to sense anything from them, but there was something about the way he looked at Gohan that made him want to trust him and believe that this man wanted to do him no harm. All it was, was a gut feeling, but If there was one thing that Piccolo's training had taught him it was that trusting your gut was almost as good as trusting your other senses, and right now all his other senses were telling him that there was nothing threatening about this guy, other than his abundant knowledge of Gohan. His body seemed to make the choice for him, and before he knew what he was doing, he was striding across the garden in the direction that Az and Trixx had walked off in.
The small group walked across the gardens in silence, all three of them enjoying the view that surrounded them, even though Gohan was sure that the other two had seen their surroundings a number of times. If he wasn't so confused and unsure of what was going on, he probably would have taken the time to look around and enjoy everything that is around him.The garden reminded him of the Garden’s that his Grandpa had and pictures that he had seen of the gardens at Buckingham Palace in England. Large trees were placed specifically around the area, with smaller plants that complemented the tree surrounding it. Garden beds were neatly kept and there seemed to be flowers blooming everywhere. It wasn’t all trees, bushes, shrubs and plants; there were vast areas of grass that looked like they had been measured to make sure that each blade was exactly the same size. The effect was something amazing and peaceful that Gohan would have loved to explore had he been on his own.
'This is the Centre Gardens,' the girl, Trixx, said.
'Pardon?' Gohan said looking away from Az who was walking in front of them and turned his attention to her instead.
'This place that we are in, it's called the Centre Gardens,' Trixx said. 'It holds some of the rarest plants in the whole of reality and no one is allowed in here without The Overseer's permission. To be able to come in here is a great honour.'
'Really,' Gohan said looking around.
'Yep,' Trixx said, popping theP. 'This is the first time that I have been able to step foot in here.'
'How long have you been here?'
Trixx bit her lip, looking up at the glass ceiling as she thought that over. 'I don't know the exact dates but I'm pretty sure that I've been here about ten years.'
'Ten years?' Gohan said. 'How old are you?'
'Well it depends. My people don't count years; they count summers, as they are few and far between. The more summers that you have seen the older you are,' Trixx explained.
'How many have you seen?'
'Three,' Trixx said.
'In Earth years Trixx would be a little older then you Gohan,' Az said from his spot in front of them. 'She was fifteen when she arrived here, the youngest person to be called, before you.'
The way that Az saidbefore youmade Gohan think that maybe Az had made a mistake and he shouldn't have been called here in the first place. However, if that was the case, wouldn't he have sent him straight to otherworld? The list of questions that Gohan had was growing and he was beginning to think that Az was stalling.
They walked through a large decorative archway and down a long hallway that seemed to have perfect lighting; as if she was reading his mind, Trixx pointed up and Gohan saw that instead of a roof, the glass ceiling from the gardens continued, allowing for natural light to flood in from above them. The hallway was covered in a textured, pale yellow plaster that went from ceiling to floor. At the floor it met a dark wood that seemed to stand out more than the colour on the wall. It gave Gohan the sense that he was walking in an old house in Spain. The hallway wasn't very long and they soon stepped in through a pair of open doors and into a room that belonged to aseamstress. There were miles of fabric around the room, in different colour and patterns. Dress maker dummies were scattered all around, all in various shades of undress and in different styles, some of which Gohan had never seen before in any of the books that he had read. Az came to a stop in the middle of the room and stood on his tip toes to look over the objects that were littered around the room while Trixx walked over to one of the dummies and admired the long flowing gown that adorned it.
'Lani?' Az called out. 'Lani, my dear, are you home?'
'Overseer?' a high, melodic voice called from the back of the room.
'Yes. Are you busy?'
'I was just looking for that final something to put on Jeene's dress for her trip home. I know I've got the perfect, small feature piece around here somewhere, I just can't remember where I put it. However, that is not all that important, if there is something that you need,' the voice said, moving towards them.
'I have a young man here that is in need of a new set of clothes,' Az said.
'A young man? You're not talking about Sai or Kai are you?' the voice said and the owner appeared from behind one of the dummies. 'I swear I will never have those two in this room ever again. I'm still looking for the things that those two trouble makers moved.'
'They didn't tell you where they put everything?' Az asked.
'No. They were too busy ducking my daggers,' the woman said smiling. 'Hello Trixx.'
'Hey Lani!'
Lani was very beautiful, Gohan thought as she came into their sight.Lani was the most human looking person that Gohan had seen since he had stepped foot out of the void, as Trixx and Az called it.She stood as tall as Piccolo but that is where the similarities between Lani and his mentor ended. Her eyes were Nordic blue and seemed so bright when compared to how dark her hair was; it wasn't as black as his own, but it was a warm dark brown, set in waves that would have made both his mother and Bulma jealous. She was dressed in an outfit that Gohan had only ever seen in a book once when he was reading about the Tea Houses that Geisha's worked in. Everything, except her hair and makeup, matched the pictures that he had seen and Gohan wondered if maybe Lani was from Earth.
'Lani, I would like to introduce you to Gohan Son.'
'Hello,' Lani said smiling. 'I didn't realise that you were arriving otherwise I would have had a team uniform ready for you.'
'I didn't know I was coming as well,' Gohan replied, feeling all the tension that had been building up in his body disappear Lani's presence.
'No one really does,' Lani said. 'Not until they turn up in the void and are told everything. Now I don't have a uniform ready for you, but I do have some clothes that I think will do until I can get the uniform ready for you. While you're here though, I will quickly get your measurements.'
Lani lead Gohan over to a small step stood and got him to stand on it, before positioning him with his legs slightly apart and his arms out and level with his shoulders. Once Lani moved his legs, causing him to blush as she placed a hand on the inside of his thigh and making her wink at him, she grabbed a notebook, placed it on the stool, and snapped her fingers. Out of no-where, two measuring tapes appeared and began to measure his whole body, from thehis head, to how long his legs were. In less than five minutes, the tapes were done and they curled themselves up on the notebook on the stool. Motioning for Gohan to step down, Lani picked up the book and Gohan was shocked to see that hisnow written down on a piece of paper that had been blank before.
Lani didn't seemed phased in the slightest, instead she placed the notebook on an empty table, moved over to a chest of draws and began to go through them, picking out items and placing them neatly on the stool next to her. Once she had everything that she was looking for, she turned on her heal and walked over to Gohan, the clothes she had removed held lightly in her hands.
'Here we go. If you want to get changed now you can go through those doors over there,' Lani said and pointed to a pair of white doors to their left.
'Thank you,' Gohan said.
The change room wasn't any larger than any other change room that Gohan had ever been in, but it did have a small shower and sink in the corner that made Gohan think that he wasn't the first to have been brought here to Lani from the battle field. As he started to undo his sash, he caught his reflection for the first time in a mirror andwas able to see why Az had thought to bring him here. Stained with blood, both his and Cell's, his clothes were completely ruined and just barely holding together. As he took them off he saw that he had dried blood all over his skin, along with a layer of dirt that made him look browner then he naturally way. Once he was completely stripped of his clothes, he ducked into the shower to rid himself of the dirt, grime and blood that covered his body. It didn't take long to be rid of it and after he had dried himself he took the chance to look at the clothes that Lani had given him.
Holding them up, Gohan was struck with theof them. They were the same design as the ones that he had worn on his birthday just a few days before, except the shirt was a deep blue in colour and decorated with detailed gold embroidery. He almost felt bad that he had to put them on; if he had been given these back on Earth, they would have only been taken out for verySearching through the whole pile, the blush returned to his cheeks once more when he saw that Lani had included underwear, and it intensified as he pulled them on. As he buttoned up the last of the buttons on his shirt, a soft knock on the door caught his attention.
'Don't worry about the towel or anything else in there, I'll deal with them later,' Lani said through the door.
Even with that said, Gohan felt bad leaving everything in a pile on the floor. Striding over to the pile, he had everything neatly folded and placed on a chain within seconds. Opening the door, he found Lani standing next to it, a warm smile on her face.
'I sent Az and Trixx on ahead, I didn't want them hanging around here just in case you were going to be any longer then you were,' Lani explained. Her eyes darted up to a newly clean cut on his forehead and she reached her hand up to touch it. 'You've been through the wars, haven't you?'
'Something like that,' Gohan sighed.
'I know this is all confusing. Heaven knows I was just as confused as you were when I arrived here, but it gets better,' Lani said, and nodded towards the door that Gohan had entered through earlier. 'I'll take you to Az and Trixx; they would have everything set up for the three of you by now.'
Gohan walked along side Lani, back down the same hallway that he had come down only a half hour before, but instead of taking the pathway straight ahead, Lani lead him to the right, taking him around the building and towards a whitegazebo that had climbing plants all over it. Az and Trixx were sitting at a table in the centre, talking about something quietly, or Az was talking and Trixx was nodding every so often, when Lani cleared her throat and motioned for Gohan to take a seat at the only empty chair available.Gohan sat down at the table next to Trixx, who looked just as confused about what was going on as he was or at least until a certain point, after all, she knew exactly where they were and quite possibly why he was here. Az was seated across from them and motioned for them to help themselves to the food that was covering most of the table top as Lani picked up a tea pot and started to pour them each a cup of tea. She did with such grace and skill that Gohan wondered if she had been a Geisha before coming here. As if she had read his thoughts, Lani winked at him before turning and walking back down the path away from them.
'Now that you are a little more clean and refreshed, I think that I owe you both an explanation. More so you, Gohan, then you Trixx, at least for the moment,' Az said gesturing to them both in turn before looking at Gohan. 'I'm sure that you have a number of questions.'
'A number doesn't quite cover it,' Gohan said, picking up his cup and letting his hands soak up the warmth.
'Of that I have no doubt,' Az replied, cupping his own tea in his hands and leaning back in his chair. 'The best thing for me to do at this point in time is to start at the bottom and work my way to the top. It's longer, but something tells me that you're going to want all the information and not have me skim over anything.'
Gohan didn't know what to say to that and instead allowed Az to have a couple of minutes to think about where to begin as he sipped his tea.
'You are aware of course that there are a number of universes that interact with each other where you are from?' Az said looking at Gohan, who nodded in response.
'Yes, you've got the living word, other world and the word of the Kai's,' Gohan said.
'There are a number of other worlds as well that impact on the living world as well, they're just not as well known, such as alternate worlds, where one problem has two possible solutions and two different worlds are created as a result,' Az explained. 'The worlds that you know about are a small part of a bigger picture. The best way to imagine it is to imagine a sugar cube,' Az leant forward and picked one up from the bowl in front of him and handed it to Gohan. 'To make up a sugar cube you need quite a few sugar crystals that are all compacted together so tightly that if you were to remove one from the outer edge using water you would cause it to collapse. Each sugar crystal is a world and each world is needed to make up the realm in which you live.'
'Ok,' Gohan said, placing the sugar cube down on his plate.
'The thing is that while this sugar cube realm is important it is not the only one in existence,' Az explained.
'There is more than one?' Gohan asked.
'Twelve in total,' Trixx said before Az could get a word out. Az gave Trixx a look and for a moment Gohan wondered if the girl had done something wrong. Trixx realised very quickly that she had done the wrong thing and was waited for Az to comment. However there was no outburst or anything of that matter, Az just seemed to accept what Trixx had done and acknowledge her input with a nod in her direction.
'Trixx is right, there are a total of twelve realms in total, each one separated by a barrier that prevents the realms from intermingling with each other,' Az said. 'And they are all make out of their own little worlds just like the one that you are from. They however don't stack upon each other like sugar cubes can. They're more like a block tower that has been built by a toddler; parts are over lapping enough so everything doesn't collapse, but not enough that its straight and neat.'
'Wouldn't that cause everything to go out of balance?' Gohan asked.
'You would think so but no,' Az said. 'You see while it looks messy it does stay in balance. It needs to. If not, reality as we know it would completely implode upon itself. But every now and then there are members of each realm who believe that by tipping the scales in their favour it will allow them to get what they want, whether it be wealth or power.'
'Which is why Lord Az is here,' Trixx said and Az wrinkled his nose at the mention ofLord.
'What do you mean?' Gohan asked.
'Well each realm has aof guardians. For example Earth has a Kami,-' Trixx said.
'Or as you know him, Dende,' Az quickly interrupted.
'-after that the universe is divided into four quadrants which is given to four Kai's-'
'The one that you are most familiar with is King Kai.'
'-After the King Kai's you have the Grand Kai, who looks over them all, and then after the Grand Kai there is the Supreme Kai, who oversees the whole of the realm.' Trixx said.
'The Kai's all have their own jobs which pertain to their level on thez said, taking over once more. 'They also havewhen they canand when they are forbidden to, and, as you know, they are known to take on trainees once they have passed on to otherworld. The King Kai's look after those that are in their quadrant, they very rarely dabble with the goings on of another quadrant that is not under their control, unless the event could or does impact upon their own quadrant. Grand Kai is the same and only provides his assistance should it be needed, while the Supreme Kai is very rarely heard from and only dabbles in the matters that would mean the end of his realm or the death of a large percentage of it. The only other Kai that Trixx didn't mention is the Supreme Kai of Time. Her main job is to make sure that no one meddles with certain points of time that could change an already determined future. Other realms have different names to call theirbut generally they are separated in the same manor.'
'But Trunks was able to come back, he's the reason why my Dad didn't die of a heart virus,' Gohan said.
'If that is true, then the Supreme Kai of Time would have a good reason to allow him to do so. She obviously believed that what Trunks, was it, was going to do was better for the universe then what had already happened,' Az replied.
'Ok, but that doesn't explain what you do,' Gohan said.
'I did tell you that this was going to be a long explanation,' Az said, picking up a biscuit. 'While each realm has their ownthey cannot see what is happening in other realms, nor can they stop members from one realm jumping into another.'
'You can do that?' Gohan asked.
'It's possible.'
'A long time ago it used to happen a lot, but that changed,' Trixx said.
'Why?'
'We discovered that allowing Jumpers, as they are called, in go from one realm to another causes the twelve realms to go out of balance. Without that balance there is chaos, and the last time a Jumper used the power, we never nearly lost all twelve realms, plus if I remember correctly a few planets suddenly became uninhabited as a result,' Az said. 'Afterwards it was deemed too risky and all holes in the realms were found and repaired so it wouldn't happen again. When all this was discovered a select number of people from all twelve realms were taken from their homes, twelve to cover all the realms and one extra. The twelve were the strongest in the universe, and the extra was pretty good as well. Their job was to locate talented individuals, regardless of time or realm, bring them here and train them to be a part of something bigger than anyone could have everEach team was given a realm to look over and protect. They keep eyes on their realm and jump in when there is a potential jumper or if there is something happening under the nose of thehierarchyis in place. Most of the time they have no idea that the team is there.'
He with a delicate movement of his hand, Az rearranged everything on the table before placing a thing, round disk in the centre. He touched a black dot that was located on the edge and from the disk an image was projected up in front of them in hologram form. It looked almost like a stack of unevenly stacked papers, which were spinning around so the three of them could get a view of all the angles.
'This is a portable version of something that you will see later on, but it allows me to see the movements of the realms at any given time, as well as if any of the teams are on any missions,' Az explained as he sat back in his seat.
'Wow,' Gohan said. 'Are the realms always moving?'
'Yes, they all don't move in the same direction and they all move at different speeds,' Trixx said smiling. ‘The only time they are ever in complete alignment it during the Centurial Alignment or the Reality Alignment, where all twelve of the realms align and for the briefest amount of time there is complete neutrality between good and evil.’
‘When is that?’ Gohan asked.
'Not for a few years. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Team Ichi is in charge of the first realm, they are always doing something there as we have been noticing that the hierarchy in that particular realm likes to turn a blind eye on practically anything,' Az said, nodding to the realm that lit up when he started to talk about it. 'Team Ni is in charge of realm two, they're busy like Team Ichi, but mostly that is because there are a number of highly powerful figures that hang around in that realm. Team San is in charge of realm three, Team Yon is in charge of realm four - which is strangely peaceful for this time of the year - Team Go is in charge of realm five, Team Roku is in charge of realm six - remind me later to tell Team Roku's Commander that I've been picking up some chatter of aJumper - Team Shichi is in charge of realm seven, Team Hachi is in charge of realm eight, Team Kyûis in charge of realm nine, Team Jû is in charge of realm ten, Team Jû-ichi is in charge of realm eleven and Team Jû-ni is in charge of realm twelve. None of these teams work together, and none of them can interfere with something that is happening in another realm,' Az said. 'The twelve that were originally chosen are the Commanders and no one out ranks them, not even another Commander.'
'Except the Overseer,' Trixx said.
'Which is what you are,' Gohan said.
'Yes,' Az said. 'I was chosen as the thirteenth person to be the Overseer. My job is to look after all three realms, keep communication open between the teams and send in the Elite if the threat is big enough that it will involve a number of realms at the same time, or of the threat coulda realm. There are other things involved as well, but that’s if you break down what I do to its bare essentials.'
'So there is a thirteenth team?' Gohan asked.
'The Elite,' Az said, sitting back in his chair once more. 'They are the best that the twelve realms have to offer and they need to be for what they do.'
'What do you mean?' Gohan asked.
'The Elite are the only team that are allowed from Jump from realm to realm. They are tasked with something much more difficult than the others teams because they have to watch all twelve realms, and not just one,' Az said. 'It's their job to be on top of it all, to keep an eye ongive information to the other teams if they come across it and if an event occurs that effects more than one realm, they are the ones that deal with that event, which happens a lot more then I originally thought it would. They are in charge of taking down the most dangerous of criminals and stop others from damaging the barriers between worlds. They are trained in the harshest of conditions in order to protect and uphold values that they hold dear to their heart. When something happens that the other divisions are unable to handle, then they are sent in. It's their job to make sure that the evil that is haunting one realm does not spill over into another realm.'
'Ok, I'm still having trouble understanding what all this has got to do with me,' Gohan said.
'When a child is born it is written down in a book, regardless of the realm, the species or if they have evil in their heart. They are documented, and this is the way it has been done since the beginning of the twelve realms-'
'The Book of Souls,' Trixx said quickly.
'Every now and then a person is brought to my attention because they have a great deal of potential. The book lets me know what they are destined to do and from that I can get an idea of whether or not they could be recruited to join one of the teams. The Elites are different however. The book does not give me the power to find Elites. The Elitesthemselvesallow me to find them,' Az explained as if Trixx hadn’t interrupted him at all.
'How?'
'As Overseer I have the power to I observe the twelve realms and the Book of Souls alerts me to potentials, remember. However those in the Elite grabbed my attention in other ways. Whether it is through their sheer strength or their complete determination to help others-' Az paused and looked over at Trixx who blushed. 'I'm drawn to them and there is usually a point in which I decide that I need to intervene and offer them a position here. You however,' Az pointed at Gohan. 'You were different. I was surprised when Trixx showed up on my radar at five years old. I almost had a heart attack when you appeared right after birth. I thought I was going mad at first, until you were three and you were kidnapped by-'
'Garlic Junior,' Gohan said slowly.
'Yes. When I saw the power that you had I needed to find out more and went directly to the Book of Souls. You have an amazing amount of power for someone so young. Others who have had the amount of pure power like yours are eventually corrupted, but the pureness and the love of both your mother and father meant that it has been unable to fully take hold of you,' Az said.
'You obviously weren't watching the fight with Cell,' Gohan said.
'I was,' Az said. 'But you weren't corrupted. You didn't turn evil during that time Gohan. Yes the power went to your head, but you realised where you went wrong and you tookyour actions. Not any adults would be able to do that. However, we're skipping ahead. I knew when you were three that you were too young so I marked you.'
'Marked me?' Gohan said, glancing over at Trixx, who looked just as confused as he was.
'Not a physical mark. It's a magical one, which allows for us to intervene at the best moment and bring you here. Essentially it’s a small spot on your soul that stops you the moment before you die from going to the otherworld and transports you to the void.'
'And I'd reached that moment,' Gohan said.
'To be completely honest I wasn't expecting you for another ten years or so,' Az said picking up a chocolate chip cookie and using it to point at Gohan. 'You were supposed go to otherworld, go home, learn to control your powers on Earth and, for a short amount of time, off Earth, but for some reason you were transported here.'
'You didn't do it?' Gohan said.
'No,' Az said, his face looking completely serious. 'I was told of your arrival seconds after you appeared in the void. I was just as surprised as you are to find out that you were here that I had to go and find out when in your time line you had been transported here. Whatever happened, it happed just before you should have died against Cell.'
'The white light,' Gohan said and Az nodded.
'A typical side effect of the transportation process that happens when you are brought to the void. The void is the only place that we can bring people from other realms, because you can't transport anyone into this dimension without them becoming seriously harmed,' Az said.
'So I shouldn't be here?' Gohan said.
'Not yet,' Az said.
'So I could go home?'
'You could but that would involve me having to do something that I have vowed never to do,' Az said.
'Which is?'
'Kill you,' Trixx said softly.
'I'm not dead?'
'No,' Az said. 'We transport people here before they die, so they are completely alive.'
'Oh,' Gohan said, looking down into his tea.
'However, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth,' Az said. 'There is a reason you were brought here ahead of schedule. Call it fate, call it whatever you want, regardless you are here now and all that means is that I am offering you something that I was going to offer you anyway. Gohan, I would like you to join the Elite.'
Gohan's head snapped up and he looked at Az. 'Me?'
'Yes.'
'Why me?'
'As I said Gohan you have a lot of potential, not just power wise. I had hoped that you would have reached it by the time you came here, however that is not the case and if we were to train you here it would be interesting to see where you could go,' Az explained. 'Then there is the whole business with Cell. Not everyone would have done what you did Gohan in order to save their planet.'
'My Dad was going to.'
'But he didn't, because you realised your mistake and you chose to rectify it byVery few people can claim the same Gohan. It makes me wonder what other good you could do, and not just for the people of Earth,' Az said.
Gohan looked back down at his tea.
'If you would like to return to otherworld, I can easily arrange for that to happen and you can come back when things were originally planned. However I do ask that you think about this. While you may not believe that what you did was amazing, I do, and I would believe that you would greatly benefit if you were to accept my offer to stay and join the Elite.'
Gohan felt like he was at war with himself. On onehand he knew that his friends and family would be trying to wish him home right at this very minute and would be unsuccessful if he stayed. Not only that, if he did stay, how long would it be before he was able to see them again. How long would he have to wait to see his Mum and Dad?But was he really willing to wait however long to come back again?No, he couldn't wait. His body was humming in anticipation and he could feel his Saiyan side growling with happiness at the thought of training and breaking free of the shackles that had held it back for so long. Gohan couldn't deny that he wanted this, that he wanted to learn how to control this power that he had, and to it under the instruction of some of the most powerful beings in the whole of reality, that was something that Gohan couldn't pass up.
'I'll do it,' Gohan said, looking up at Az and Trixx.
'Really?' Trixx said.
'Really,' Gohan said smiling.
'Excellent,' Az said. 'I am so pleased to hear it. Now we have got part one of this whole discussion out of the way, it is now time to move onto part two.'
Gohan had never had the pleasure of meeting King Kai, but given the description his father had given him he had come back from Yardrat and all the other information that he had received from Piccolo, Gohan had built up this imagine in his mind of what they looked like. Looking at themanin fronthim, Gohan knew that he was in no way connected to the Kai's, or at least the Kai's that he knew about.
He was short, around Gohan's height, with dark hair that seemed to shimmer in the light that was coming through the glass roof above them, like stars do at night. Over the top of his hair was a hat, similar to a kippah. His skin was white, with a teal hint to it that was barely noticeable to the human eye and seemed to clash with the bright yellow eyes that peered at him from behind thick, black rimmed, reading glasses. He was dressed in a man’s Kimono that was dark green and black in colour, and embroidered in silver and gold thread. On his feet instead of the traditional zori sandals he wore slipper like shoes, similar to the ballet flats that he sometimes saw Bulma wear, that were intricately decorated with thread and beads to match his Kimono.
'I'm sorry that I wasn't here to greet you Gohan, but I hadn't expected that you would make it out of the void so quickly,' he explained, coming to a stop beside the girl.
'How do you know who I am?' Gohan asked, his body subconsciously moving itself into a defensive position that was almost casual in appearance. He couldn’t pick up anything threatening from the girl, and she genuinely seemed surprised to see this new comer and had done nothing to make him think that she would try to attack him, at least for the most part. This guy was different. He couldn't sense anything threatening from him however something didn't sit right with him about how he knew who he was.
'I know many things about you, Gohan Son. I know that you are the son of Goku - also known as Kakarot to those of the Saiyan race - and Chi-Chi - daughter of the Ox King. You technically hold the title of Prince, but neither of your parents is interested in royal titles and prefer to be known by their birth names, or in your father's case the name that he was given upon his arrival on Earth. I know that you were able to read on your own by the age of four, were doing work that High Schoolers have problems with at age eight and had almost finished your High School diploma when the Cell games started. I know that you don't like to fight, like your father does, but you do so to protect those that you care about; a very admirable quality. Your training does not involve just one style of martial arts, but several including Turtle hermit, demon and Saiyan. But most of all I know that right now you are very confused,' the man said.
'Who are you?' Gohan said.
'I'm terribly sorry. How rude of me not to introduce myself,' he said. 'My name is Az, I'm the Overseer. This young lady,' he motioned to the girl who was standing very still and looking at him with wide eyes, 'is Trixx.'
At the mention of her name, Trixx was shaken from her awestruck imitation of a statue and looked back at Gohan, giving him a small wave.
'Nice to meet you,' she said.
'Hi,' Gohan said slowly, never taking his eyes off Az. 'That doesn't really explain anything.'
'I know. I was hoping to explain all this to you in the entrance,’ Az said. ‘We have things better set up for these things down there for when people arrive, but it wasn't until after you arrived that I realised that you would not be in the void for long before you forced your way out. I had to do a little searching to find a crack that you could use to escape and as you already know I was a little slow to get here, there are so many people here looking for me it is surprising that I get to meet any of the new people when they arrive.'
From the corner of his eye, Gohan saw Trixx look confused and he wondered why.
'Anyway, you're here now and you're safe, that is the main thing, and to make things even better Trixx is here as well,' Az said looking at the green haired girl.
'Better sir?' Trixx questioned.
'Yes, I will explain everything to you both, but for now I think that Gohan needs to change out of his damaged clothes, and we could all do with some refreshments,' Az said. 'If you would both like to follow me, we'll make a short stop to see Lani before having tea.'
Without waiting for Gohan or Trixx to reply, Az turned and started to walk down the path, expecting the two teens to follow him. Trixx didn't skip a beat and was following Az in an instant, leaving Gohan standing by himself, wondering what he should do. He could sense nothing that could be determined as threatening from either Trixx or Az, but he couldn't sense much about them at all and that was what worried him the most. No matter whom it was, Gohan had always been able to sense power levels and whether or not they meant him or anyone else around him any harm. It had proved to be an invaluable tool over the years, but right now it was failing him. Neither Az nor Trixx were giving off any form or ki that he knew how to sense. It was unnerving and he felt like he was going into a situation completely blind, something that instantly put him on defence. if sensing Gohan’s apprehension, Az stopped and looked back at Gohan.
'I probably haven't exactly instilled any form of trust in you just yet, but I promise that once you have changed I will explain everything to you. You have my word.'
Gohan wouldn't have normally taken someone's word for anything, especially when he was unable to sense anything from them, but there was something about the way he looked at Gohan that made him want to trust him and believe that this man wanted to do him no harm. All it was, was a gut feeling, but If there was one thing that Piccolo's training had taught him it was that trusting your gut was almost as good as trusting your other senses, and right now all his other senses were telling him that there was nothing threatening about this guy, other than his abundant knowledge of Gohan. His body seemed to make the choice for him, and before he knew what he was doing, he was striding across the garden in the direction that Az and Trixx had walked off in.
The small group walked across the gardens in silence, all three of them enjoying the view that surrounded them, even though Gohan was sure that the other two had seen their surroundings a number of times. If he wasn't so confused and unsure of what was going on, he probably would have taken the time to look around and enjoy everything that is around him.The garden reminded him of the Garden’s that his Grandpa had and pictures that he had seen of the gardens at Buckingham Palace in England. Large trees were placed specifically around the area, with smaller plants that complemented the tree surrounding it. Garden beds were neatly kept and there seemed to be flowers blooming everywhere. It wasn’t all trees, bushes, shrubs and plants; there were vast areas of grass that looked like they had been measured to make sure that each blade was exactly the same size. The effect was something amazing and peaceful that Gohan would have loved to explore had he been on his own.
'This is the Centre Gardens,' the girl, Trixx, said.
'Pardon?' Gohan said looking away from Az who was walking in front of them and turned his attention to her instead.
'This place that we are in, it's called the Centre Gardens,' Trixx said. 'It holds some of the rarest plants in the whole of reality and no one is allowed in here without The Overseer's permission. To be able to come in here is a great honour.'
'Really,' Gohan said looking around.
'Yep,' Trixx said, popping theP. 'This is the first time that I have been able to step foot in here.'
'How long have you been here?'
Trixx bit her lip, looking up at the glass ceiling as she thought that over. 'I don't know the exact dates but I'm pretty sure that I've been here about ten years.'
'Ten years?' Gohan said. 'How old are you?'
'Well it depends. My people don't count years; they count summers, as they are few and far between. The more summers that you have seen the older you are,' Trixx explained.
'How many have you seen?'
'Three,' Trixx said.
'In Earth years Trixx would be a little older then you Gohan,' Az said from his spot in front of them. 'She was fifteen when she arrived here, the youngest person to be called, before you.'
The way that Az saidbefore youmade Gohan think that maybe Az had made a mistake and he shouldn't have been called here in the first place. However, if that was the case, wouldn't he have sent him straight to otherworld? The list of questions that Gohan had was growing and he was beginning to think that Az was stalling.
They walked through a large decorative archway and down a long hallway that seemed to have perfect lighting; as if she was reading his mind, Trixx pointed up and Gohan saw that instead of a roof, the glass ceiling from the gardens continued, allowing for natural light to flood in from above them. The hallway was covered in a textured, pale yellow plaster that went from ceiling to floor. At the floor it met a dark wood that seemed to stand out more than the colour on the wall. It gave Gohan the sense that he was walking in an old house in Spain. The hallway wasn't very long and they soon stepped in through a pair of open doors and into a room that belonged to aseamstress. There were miles of fabric around the room, in different colour and patterns. Dress maker dummies were scattered all around, all in various shades of undress and in different styles, some of which Gohan had never seen before in any of the books that he had read. Az came to a stop in the middle of the room and stood on his tip toes to look over the objects that were littered around the room while Trixx walked over to one of the dummies and admired the long flowing gown that adorned it.
'Lani?' Az called out. 'Lani, my dear, are you home?'
'Overseer?' a high, melodic voice called from the back of the room.
'Yes. Are you busy?'
'I was just looking for that final something to put on Jeene's dress for her trip home. I know I've got the perfect, small feature piece around here somewhere, I just can't remember where I put it. However, that is not all that important, if there is something that you need,' the voice said, moving towards them.
'I have a young man here that is in need of a new set of clothes,' Az said.
'A young man? You're not talking about Sai or Kai are you?' the voice said and the owner appeared from behind one of the dummies. 'I swear I will never have those two in this room ever again. I'm still looking for the things that those two trouble makers moved.'
'They didn't tell you where they put everything?' Az asked.
'No. They were too busy ducking my daggers,' the woman said smiling. 'Hello Trixx.'
'Hey Lani!'
Lani was very beautiful, Gohan thought as she came into their sight.Lani was the most human looking person that Gohan had seen since he had stepped foot out of the void, as Trixx and Az called it.She stood as tall as Piccolo but that is where the similarities between Lani and his mentor ended. Her eyes were Nordic blue and seemed so bright when compared to how dark her hair was; it wasn't as black as his own, but it was a warm dark brown, set in waves that would have made both his mother and Bulma jealous. She was dressed in an outfit that Gohan had only ever seen in a book once when he was reading about the Tea Houses that Geisha's worked in. Everything, except her hair and makeup, matched the pictures that he had seen and Gohan wondered if maybe Lani was from Earth.
'Lani, I would like to introduce you to Gohan Son.'
'Hello,' Lani said smiling. 'I didn't realise that you were arriving otherwise I would have had a team uniform ready for you.'
'I didn't know I was coming as well,' Gohan replied, feeling all the tension that had been building up in his body disappear Lani's presence.
'No one really does,' Lani said. 'Not until they turn up in the void and are told everything. Now I don't have a uniform ready for you, but I do have some clothes that I think will do until I can get the uniform ready for you. While you're here though, I will quickly get your measurements.'
Lani lead Gohan over to a small step stood and got him to stand on it, before positioning him with his legs slightly apart and his arms out and level with his shoulders. Once Lani moved his legs, causing him to blush as she placed a hand on the inside of his thigh and making her wink at him, she grabbed a notebook, placed it on the stool, and snapped her fingers. Out of no-where, two measuring tapes appeared and began to measure his whole body, from thehis head, to how long his legs were. In less than five minutes, the tapes were done and they curled themselves up on the notebook on the stool. Motioning for Gohan to step down, Lani picked up the book and Gohan was shocked to see that hisnow written down on a piece of paper that had been blank before.
Lani didn't seemed phased in the slightest, instead she placed the notebook on an empty table, moved over to a chest of draws and began to go through them, picking out items and placing them neatly on the stool next to her. Once she had everything that she was looking for, she turned on her heal and walked over to Gohan, the clothes she had removed held lightly in her hands.
'Here we go. If you want to get changed now you can go through those doors over there,' Lani said and pointed to a pair of white doors to their left.
'Thank you,' Gohan said.
The change room wasn't any larger than any other change room that Gohan had ever been in, but it did have a small shower and sink in the corner that made Gohan think that he wasn't the first to have been brought here to Lani from the battle field. As he started to undo his sash, he caught his reflection for the first time in a mirror andwas able to see why Az had thought to bring him here. Stained with blood, both his and Cell's, his clothes were completely ruined and just barely holding together. As he took them off he saw that he had dried blood all over his skin, along with a layer of dirt that made him look browner then he naturally way. Once he was completely stripped of his clothes, he ducked into the shower to rid himself of the dirt, grime and blood that covered his body. It didn't take long to be rid of it and after he had dried himself he took the chance to look at the clothes that Lani had given him.
Holding them up, Gohan was struck with theof them. They were the same design as the ones that he had worn on his birthday just a few days before, except the shirt was a deep blue in colour and decorated with detailed gold embroidery. He almost felt bad that he had to put them on; if he had been given these back on Earth, they would have only been taken out for verySearching through the whole pile, the blush returned to his cheeks once more when he saw that Lani had included underwear, and it intensified as he pulled them on. As he buttoned up the last of the buttons on his shirt, a soft knock on the door caught his attention.
'Don't worry about the towel or anything else in there, I'll deal with them later,' Lani said through the door.
Even with that said, Gohan felt bad leaving everything in a pile on the floor. Striding over to the pile, he had everything neatly folded and placed on a chain within seconds. Opening the door, he found Lani standing next to it, a warm smile on her face.
'I sent Az and Trixx on ahead, I didn't want them hanging around here just in case you were going to be any longer then you were,' Lani explained. Her eyes darted up to a newly clean cut on his forehead and she reached her hand up to touch it. 'You've been through the wars, haven't you?'
'Something like that,' Gohan sighed.
'I know this is all confusing. Heaven knows I was just as confused as you were when I arrived here, but it gets better,' Lani said, and nodded towards the door that Gohan had entered through earlier. 'I'll take you to Az and Trixx; they would have everything set up for the three of you by now.'
Gohan walked along side Lani, back down the same hallway that he had come down only a half hour before, but instead of taking the pathway straight ahead, Lani lead him to the right, taking him around the building and towards a whitegazebo that had climbing plants all over it. Az and Trixx were sitting at a table in the centre, talking about something quietly, or Az was talking and Trixx was nodding every so often, when Lani cleared her throat and motioned for Gohan to take a seat at the only empty chair available.Gohan sat down at the table next to Trixx, who looked just as confused about what was going on as he was or at least until a certain point, after all, she knew exactly where they were and quite possibly why he was here. Az was seated across from them and motioned for them to help themselves to the food that was covering most of the table top as Lani picked up a tea pot and started to pour them each a cup of tea. She did with such grace and skill that Gohan wondered if she had been a Geisha before coming here. As if she had read his thoughts, Lani winked at him before turning and walking back down the path away from them.
'Now that you are a little more clean and refreshed, I think that I owe you both an explanation. More so you, Gohan, then you Trixx, at least for the moment,' Az said gesturing to them both in turn before looking at Gohan. 'I'm sure that you have a number of questions.'
'A number doesn't quite cover it,' Gohan said, picking up his cup and letting his hands soak up the warmth.
'Of that I have no doubt,' Az replied, cupping his own tea in his hands and leaning back in his chair. 'The best thing for me to do at this point in time is to start at the bottom and work my way to the top. It's longer, but something tells me that you're going to want all the information and not have me skim over anything.'
Gohan didn't know what to say to that and instead allowed Az to have a couple of minutes to think about where to begin as he sipped his tea.
'You are aware of course that there are a number of universes that interact with each other where you are from?' Az said looking at Gohan, who nodded in response.
'Yes, you've got the living word, other world and the word of the Kai's,' Gohan said.
'There are a number of other worlds as well that impact on the living world as well, they're just not as well known, such as alternate worlds, where one problem has two possible solutions and two different worlds are created as a result,' Az explained. 'The worlds that you know about are a small part of a bigger picture. The best way to imagine it is to imagine a sugar cube,' Az leant forward and picked one up from the bowl in front of him and handed it to Gohan. 'To make up a sugar cube you need quite a few sugar crystals that are all compacted together so tightly that if you were to remove one from the outer edge using water you would cause it to collapse. Each sugar crystal is a world and each world is needed to make up the realm in which you live.'
'Ok,' Gohan said, placing the sugar cube down on his plate.
'The thing is that while this sugar cube realm is important it is not the only one in existence,' Az explained.
'There is more than one?' Gohan asked.
'Twelve in total,' Trixx said before Az could get a word out. Az gave Trixx a look and for a moment Gohan wondered if the girl had done something wrong. Trixx realised very quickly that she had done the wrong thing and was waited for Az to comment. However there was no outburst or anything of that matter, Az just seemed to accept what Trixx had done and acknowledge her input with a nod in her direction.
'Trixx is right, there are a total of twelve realms in total, each one separated by a barrier that prevents the realms from intermingling with each other,' Az said. 'And they are all make out of their own little worlds just like the one that you are from. They however don't stack upon each other like sugar cubes can. They're more like a block tower that has been built by a toddler; parts are over lapping enough so everything doesn't collapse, but not enough that its straight and neat.'
'Wouldn't that cause everything to go out of balance?' Gohan asked.
'You would think so but no,' Az said. 'You see while it looks messy it does stay in balance. It needs to. If not, reality as we know it would completely implode upon itself. But every now and then there are members of each realm who believe that by tipping the scales in their favour it will allow them to get what they want, whether it be wealth or power.'
'Which is why Lord Az is here,' Trixx said and Az wrinkled his nose at the mention ofLord.
'What do you mean?' Gohan asked.
'Well each realm has aof guardians. For example Earth has a Kami,-' Trixx said.
'Or as you know him, Dende,' Az quickly interrupted.
'-after that the universe is divided into four quadrants which is given to four Kai's-'
'The one that you are most familiar with is King Kai.'
'-After the King Kai's you have the Grand Kai, who looks over them all, and then after the Grand Kai there is the Supreme Kai, who oversees the whole of the realm.' Trixx said.
'The Kai's all have their own jobs which pertain to their level on thez said, taking over once more. 'They also havewhen they canand when they are forbidden to, and, as you know, they are known to take on trainees once they have passed on to otherworld. The King Kai's look after those that are in their quadrant, they very rarely dabble with the goings on of another quadrant that is not under their control, unless the event could or does impact upon their own quadrant. Grand Kai is the same and only provides his assistance should it be needed, while the Supreme Kai is very rarely heard from and only dabbles in the matters that would mean the end of his realm or the death of a large percentage of it. The only other Kai that Trixx didn't mention is the Supreme Kai of Time. Her main job is to make sure that no one meddles with certain points of time that could change an already determined future. Other realms have different names to call theirbut generally they are separated in the same manor.'
'But Trunks was able to come back, he's the reason why my Dad didn't die of a heart virus,' Gohan said.
'If that is true, then the Supreme Kai of Time would have a good reason to allow him to do so. She obviously believed that what Trunks, was it, was going to do was better for the universe then what had already happened,' Az replied.
'Ok, but that doesn't explain what you do,' Gohan said.
'I did tell you that this was going to be a long explanation,' Az said, picking up a biscuit. 'While each realm has their ownthey cannot see what is happening in other realms, nor can they stop members from one realm jumping into another.'
'You can do that?' Gohan asked.
'It's possible.'
'A long time ago it used to happen a lot, but that changed,' Trixx said.
'Why?'
'We discovered that allowing Jumpers, as they are called, in go from one realm to another causes the twelve realms to go out of balance. Without that balance there is chaos, and the last time a Jumper used the power, we never nearly lost all twelve realms, plus if I remember correctly a few planets suddenly became uninhabited as a result,' Az said. 'Afterwards it was deemed too risky and all holes in the realms were found and repaired so it wouldn't happen again. When all this was discovered a select number of people from all twelve realms were taken from their homes, twelve to cover all the realms and one extra. The twelve were the strongest in the universe, and the extra was pretty good as well. Their job was to locate talented individuals, regardless of time or realm, bring them here and train them to be a part of something bigger than anyone could have everEach team was given a realm to look over and protect. They keep eyes on their realm and jump in when there is a potential jumper or if there is something happening under the nose of thehierarchyis in place. Most of the time they have no idea that the team is there.'
He with a delicate movement of his hand, Az rearranged everything on the table before placing a thing, round disk in the centre. He touched a black dot that was located on the edge and from the disk an image was projected up in front of them in hologram form. It looked almost like a stack of unevenly stacked papers, which were spinning around so the three of them could get a view of all the angles.
'This is a portable version of something that you will see later on, but it allows me to see the movements of the realms at any given time, as well as if any of the teams are on any missions,' Az explained as he sat back in his seat.
'Wow,' Gohan said. 'Are the realms always moving?'
'Yes, they all don't move in the same direction and they all move at different speeds,' Trixx said smiling. ‘The only time they are ever in complete alignment it during the Centurial Alignment or the Reality Alignment, where all twelve of the realms align and for the briefest amount of time there is complete neutrality between good and evil.’
‘When is that?’ Gohan asked.
'Not for a few years. Now, where were we? Ah, yes. Team Ichi is in charge of the first realm, they are always doing something there as we have been noticing that the hierarchy in that particular realm likes to turn a blind eye on practically anything,' Az said, nodding to the realm that lit up when he started to talk about it. 'Team Ni is in charge of realm two, they're busy like Team Ichi, but mostly that is because there are a number of highly powerful figures that hang around in that realm. Team San is in charge of realm three, Team Yon is in charge of realm four - which is strangely peaceful for this time of the year - Team Go is in charge of realm five, Team Roku is in charge of realm six - remind me later to tell Team Roku's Commander that I've been picking up some chatter of aJumper - Team Shichi is in charge of realm seven, Team Hachi is in charge of realm eight, Team Kyûis in charge of realm nine, Team Jû is in charge of realm ten, Team Jû-ichi is in charge of realm eleven and Team Jû-ni is in charge of realm twelve. None of these teams work together, and none of them can interfere with something that is happening in another realm,' Az said. 'The twelve that were originally chosen are the Commanders and no one out ranks them, not even another Commander.'
'Except the Overseer,' Trixx said.
'Which is what you are,' Gohan said.
'Yes,' Az said. 'I was chosen as the thirteenth person to be the Overseer. My job is to look after all three realms, keep communication open between the teams and send in the Elite if the threat is big enough that it will involve a number of realms at the same time, or of the threat coulda realm. There are other things involved as well, but that’s if you break down what I do to its bare essentials.'
'So there is a thirteenth team?' Gohan asked.
'The Elite,' Az said, sitting back in his chair once more. 'They are the best that the twelve realms have to offer and they need to be for what they do.'
'What do you mean?' Gohan asked.
'The Elite are the only team that are allowed from Jump from realm to realm. They are tasked with something much more difficult than the others teams because they have to watch all twelve realms, and not just one,' Az said. 'It's their job to be on top of it all, to keep an eye ongive information to the other teams if they come across it and if an event occurs that effects more than one realm, they are the ones that deal with that event, which happens a lot more then I originally thought it would. They are in charge of taking down the most dangerous of criminals and stop others from damaging the barriers between worlds. They are trained in the harshest of conditions in order to protect and uphold values that they hold dear to their heart. When something happens that the other divisions are unable to handle, then they are sent in. It's their job to make sure that the evil that is haunting one realm does not spill over into another realm.'
'Ok, I'm still having trouble understanding what all this has got to do with me,' Gohan said.
'When a child is born it is written down in a book, regardless of the realm, the species or if they have evil in their heart. They are documented, and this is the way it has been done since the beginning of the twelve realms-'
'The Book of Souls,' Trixx said quickly.
'Every now and then a person is brought to my attention because they have a great deal of potential. The book lets me know what they are destined to do and from that I can get an idea of whether or not they could be recruited to join one of the teams. The Elites are different however. The book does not give me the power to find Elites. The Elitesthemselvesallow me to find them,' Az explained as if Trixx hadn’t interrupted him at all.
'How?'
'As Overseer I have the power to I observe the twelve realms and the Book of Souls alerts me to potentials, remember. However those in the Elite grabbed my attention in other ways. Whether it is through their sheer strength or their complete determination to help others-' Az paused and looked over at Trixx who blushed. 'I'm drawn to them and there is usually a point in which I decide that I need to intervene and offer them a position here. You however,' Az pointed at Gohan. 'You were different. I was surprised when Trixx showed up on my radar at five years old. I almost had a heart attack when you appeared right after birth. I thought I was going mad at first, until you were three and you were kidnapped by-'
'Garlic Junior,' Gohan said slowly.
'Yes. When I saw the power that you had I needed to find out more and went directly to the Book of Souls. You have an amazing amount of power for someone so young. Others who have had the amount of pure power like yours are eventually corrupted, but the pureness and the love of both your mother and father meant that it has been unable to fully take hold of you,' Az said.
'You obviously weren't watching the fight with Cell,' Gohan said.
'I was,' Az said. 'But you weren't corrupted. You didn't turn evil during that time Gohan. Yes the power went to your head, but you realised where you went wrong and you tookyour actions. Not any adults would be able to do that. However, we're skipping ahead. I knew when you were three that you were too young so I marked you.'
'Marked me?' Gohan said, glancing over at Trixx, who looked just as confused as he was.
'Not a physical mark. It's a magical one, which allows for us to intervene at the best moment and bring you here. Essentially it’s a small spot on your soul that stops you the moment before you die from going to the otherworld and transports you to the void.'
'And I'd reached that moment,' Gohan said.
'To be completely honest I wasn't expecting you for another ten years or so,' Az said picking up a chocolate chip cookie and using it to point at Gohan. 'You were supposed go to otherworld, go home, learn to control your powers on Earth and, for a short amount of time, off Earth, but for some reason you were transported here.'
'You didn't do it?' Gohan said.
'No,' Az said, his face looking completely serious. 'I was told of your arrival seconds after you appeared in the void. I was just as surprised as you are to find out that you were here that I had to go and find out when in your time line you had been transported here. Whatever happened, it happed just before you should have died against Cell.'
'The white light,' Gohan said and Az nodded.
'A typical side effect of the transportation process that happens when you are brought to the void. The void is the only place that we can bring people from other realms, because you can't transport anyone into this dimension without them becoming seriously harmed,' Az said.
'So I shouldn't be here?' Gohan said.
'Not yet,' Az said.
'So I could go home?'
'You could but that would involve me having to do something that I have vowed never to do,' Az said.
'Which is?'
'Kill you,' Trixx said softly.
'I'm not dead?'
'No,' Az said. 'We transport people here before they die, so they are completely alive.'
'Oh,' Gohan said, looking down into his tea.
'However, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth,' Az said. 'There is a reason you were brought here ahead of schedule. Call it fate, call it whatever you want, regardless you are here now and all that means is that I am offering you something that I was going to offer you anyway. Gohan, I would like you to join the Elite.'
Gohan's head snapped up and he looked at Az. 'Me?'
'Yes.'
'Why me?'
'As I said Gohan you have a lot of potential, not just power wise. I had hoped that you would have reached it by the time you came here, however that is not the case and if we were to train you here it would be interesting to see where you could go,' Az explained. 'Then there is the whole business with Cell. Not everyone would have done what you did Gohan in order to save their planet.'
'My Dad was going to.'
'But he didn't, because you realised your mistake and you chose to rectify it byVery few people can claim the same Gohan. It makes me wonder what other good you could do, and not just for the people of Earth,' Az said.
Gohan looked back down at his tea.
'If you would like to return to otherworld, I can easily arrange for that to happen and you can come back when things were originally planned. However I do ask that you think about this. While you may not believe that what you did was amazing, I do, and I would believe that you would greatly benefit if you were to accept my offer to stay and join the Elite.'
Gohan felt like he was at war with himself. On onehand he knew that his friends and family would be trying to wish him home right at this very minute and would be unsuccessful if he stayed. Not only that, if he did stay, how long would it be before he was able to see them again. How long would he have to wait to see his Mum and Dad?But was he really willing to wait however long to come back again?No, he couldn't wait. His body was humming in anticipation and he could feel his Saiyan side growling with happiness at the thought of training and breaking free of the shackles that had held it back for so long. Gohan couldn't deny that he wanted this, that he wanted to learn how to control this power that he had, and to it under the instruction of some of the most powerful beings in the whole of reality, that was something that Gohan couldn't pass up.
'I'll do it,' Gohan said, looking up at Az and Trixx.
'Really?' Trixx said.
'Really,' Gohan said smiling.
'Excellent,' Az said. 'I am so pleased to hear it. Now we have got part one of this whole discussion out of the way, it is now time to move onto part two.'