DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN DBZ.
I never understood why Goku didn't come back to life after the cell saga and so I decided to write a story on how I think a son would truly act to his own father not wanting to come back to life as it doesn't make any sense to me. This will then continue onto a more grey Gohan and thus change the story line quite a bit as instead of only studying he will also train.
PROLOGUE
STORY START
The cell games had finally ended with the death of cell as we find our heroes each standing on the lookout as they prepared themselves for the three wishes that they would ask of the dragon Shenron. The heroes found themselves about to wish everyone that died back to life when suddenly
"No wait, don't wish me back"
Surprise and even fright were the first reactions of the Z warriors as they became accustomed to the voice of their dead friend, rival or father. For one particular boy it was as if an arrow had been shot through his heart as thoughts such as 'Does he not love me anymore' began to enter his mind. Gohan couldn't even begin to wrap his head around what his father had said. His father, the one person that he truly looked up to… the one who he could always rely on to save the day… didn't want to come back and be family once more.
"Da...Dad…" the boy whispered quietly to himself before he asked in a slightly louder tone in a whimpering voice as he couldn't seem to get a hold of his emotions.
"Wa...why?"
There was a short pause as everyone listening could hear the hurt in the boys voice before they each tuned in themselves as they too wanted to know the answer to Gohan's question.
"Gohan I am proud to call you my son. You have grown strong and become a true warrior worthy of being this planets protector. You are still but a boy and yet you are more a man than I could ever be" Fatherly pride dripping from Goku's lips. "You have out done me my son and so there is nothing left for me to teach you…"
"I don't care if I'm stronger than you, I still need you here… your my father" Screamed Gohan as he struggled to hid the tears that threatened to fall down his face. Clenching his fists tightly he added. "I still need you… mum needs you… the world needs you" his voice growing softer and softer as continued his speech.
"Gohan, I am the reason you have no friends your age… I am the reason why your life has been so bad… you have not even turned ten and yet you have seen friends die, fought against evils beyond your ability and saved the world. As much as I hate to admit it I was the cause for all of it. I knew that all along but I never wanted to face it. I didn't want to leave you or your mum. For that I am a coward who was to selfish and thought if I just got stronger it would be enough" Goku then paused a moment to let that sink in as the regret could be easily heard by all those listening. After a good long minute Goku went about finishing his reason in why he wanted to stay dead.
"I wasn't strong enough in the end and it was you, my son, not me who defeated cell and saved the world. Because of this I realised that in order to keep you, Chi Chi, and everyone else safe that I need to die and not come back again" Goku finished with a tone of finality.
Throughout his entire speech however Gohan had grown more and more aggravated with what his father had been telling him and at the end of Goku's speech he muttered "You were never a coward dad" in a voice that was barely above a whisper but Goku still managed to hear it.
"Son I know that you don't want your father to be known as a coward but…" Goku was never able to finish his sentence however as Gohan continued speaking in a voice that was filled with anger and sadness. "But you have become one…" all became silent after what Gohan had said was heard by the others standing around the lookout who were still listening in to Goku's explanation before they gasped in surprise at what Gohan had just said to his father and they soon sucked in another intake of breath when Gohan continued once more.
"You were never a coward for not leaving me and mum as you were always there to protect us. Being too weak to save the world and being a coward are two completely different things. When you protected us, I looked up to you and wanted to become someone like you… My opinion has changed. A man's job is to protect his family and you have done that greatly throughout my lifetime. I did and still don't care how messed up my life is for it is not your fault that evil exists. When I said you have become a coward I meant it for only a coward would take the easy way out and that dad is what you have chosen. I will become the protector of this planet but I want you to know that it is not because of you but because I still have non-cowardly friends and family living on this planet that if the need should arise I will protect. I will inform mother that you did not want to come back to us because you would be 'endangering' us but know that I don't believe that for a second. You tell me you wish to protect us… how can you protect us when you are not even their? Goodbye father" He finished his long and heart breaking speech as he lost nearly all respect that he once had for his father and only the memories of what his father once was kept him from losing all his respect he had for his father. As Gohan finished his speech he left as he knew that the Z warriors could handle the three wishes and he could no longer stand to be in the 'presence' of his father.
As Gohan left he did not hear the soft whimpers of his father at being told he was a coward by his own son. The Z fighters watched as Gohan left with worry in their eyes as although they could each understand his reasoning but still thought that he had gone too far by calling his own father a coward. All except for Vegeta who agreed with the boy whole heartedly as he too lost a little of his respect for the man… were was his saiyan pride… to live on and protect and conquer is the goal of every true saiyan. While Vegeta didn't get along with 'Kakarot' he still always had a begrudging respect for the man as he at least protected his home. It was only the fact that 'Kakarot' acted nothing like the saiyan he was that Vegeta was angered at.
Goku however took it the worst by quite some distance as for the first time he let his friend see and hear him weep. To hear his own son call him a coward for a reason that completely contradicted his own was almost too much for the man in the orange fighting GI but being the man he was he would not change his decision… it was too late for that anyway. Goku soon ended the transmission after quickly telling his friends to take care themselves.
After Goku ended his transmission had ended silence was the only thing that remained as the broken bonds of a father and son had been displayed in front of them to such an extent that none of them knew what to say. Even 18 was at a loss for words to describe what just occurred as she now hid behind the lookout building and listened in. The silence was broken however when Shenron finally got sick of waiting and told the group to hurry up and cast their three wishes. The first wish was made by Dende once he had gotten over his shock at what his friend had said to his father. His wish was for all the people (except Goku) who died by Cell's hand to come back to life. The second wish was stated by Krillen as he asked if it would be possible for 18 to gain her body back and when he received a no, changed his wish so that the bomb inside of all the androids would be removed. Once that was over the warriors were left with the difficult task of thinking of a wish. Yamcha then muttered something about unlimited wishes but was quickly shut down by Dende who said that it just didn't work like that. They eventually decided to wish for all the damage to the earth that cell caused to be fixed before one by one they filtered out and went home. Not before Krillen and 18 had their moment of course but as soon as that ended they all left and returned home as they each wondered what was in store for earth in the coming years.
STORY END
HOPE YOU ENLOYED IT!
R&R OR R&R YOUR CHOICE.
