Shattered Soul: Chapter Two

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Path to the Past:

Piccolo was furious, to say the least. Chi-Chi had no excuse to harm her son like that. And what was her reason, anyway? Did she blame her son for her husband never being there? What was the point of harming an innocent child? Besides, as far as Piccolo was concerned, only he was allowed to beat Gohan up and get away with it. Everyone else would suffer at the Namekian's hands... or, Piccolo would die trying to help his student. Piccolo could not believe that Chi-Chi would try to harm her child that way. She harmed Gohan without actually harming him every single day. She harmed him by not allowing him to train. But that wasn't serious. And what was the crap where she pulled on Gohan's hair? What was Chi-Chi even thinking? Piccolo had no idea. He was just furious.

Vegeta tailed behind Piccolo silently, lost in his own thoughts. During his time under Frieza's rule, Vegeta had been abused. But that was Frieza, someone he had hated since he was born. That abuse was necessary for Vegeta to become the warrior he was today. Even if he hated Frieza's guts, it sort of made sense why Frieza hurt him. To make him stronger, to mold him into the perfect weapon. Naturally, when Vegeta's body broke, his spirit refused to, and that plan sort of backfired on Frieza when Vegeta was partially responsible for the tyrant's death. But this? This was not necessary, not beneficial in any sort of way. If anything, it was harmful to everyone. If the boy was not ready for the androids, which were to come in three years time, then the world would be doomed. Like it or not, Vegeta recognized that Gohan was a powerful, and valuable ally to have during a battle. Especially when he becomes angry.

Speaking of the half-Saiyan, Gohan was still shivering in Piccolo's arms. The boy hadn't stopped shaking since Vegeta and Piccolo had rescued him from Chi-Chi. The Namekian had an odd look on his face - one Vegeta wasn't familiar with. He had seen that look on Bulma's face when she touched her stomach, swollen with a child. Vegeta had assumed it was just a mother-child thing, but clearly, he was wrong. Piccolo's face, for once in the time Vegeta had known him, was open and Vegeta could read the Namekian's every emotion. There was concern in the Namekian's eyes, panic settling in as Gohan refused to settle and sleep. Piccolo clutched Gohan to his chest, blasting away. Vegeta cursed under his breath and caught up, turning Super Saiyan to do so. Vegeta could literally feel his heart begin to melt as Piccolo looked down at Gohan. Grief, rage, sorrow, fury, and most of all... pain. All those emotions were conflicting across the Namekian's face as the Lookout came into view. Vegeta suddenly gained a huge amount of respect for Piccolo. If that was Bulma, her father or mother abusing her... Bulma shaking in his arms, terrified for her life... hidden bruises and a hidden voice... Vegeta would have snapped. He respected the Namekian's ability to hold it together.

They landed on the Lookout, Kami and Popo running to them. Kami's jaw dropped in horror at Gohan's state, Popo bringing his hands to his mouth and shaking his head, tears gathering in his onyx eyes. Kami rushed to Gohan, dropping his staff. He loved every person on Earth as he loved himself, and he had a special relationship with Goku. As such, Kami was horrified at the state of Goku's son. Kami put a hand on Gohan's sweaty forehead, getting a glimpse of his mental state. Kami broke the connection, holding his hand to his chest. Kami couldn't stop the tears that gathered and fell off his face. Vegeta could feel a huge increase in Piccolo's ki, the Namekian panicking at Kami's reaction. Popo quickly took Gohan from Piccolo, running the small boy into the Lookout's main building, most likely to give the boy a place to sleep. Vegeta sensed as the other Z Fighters, minus Goku and Chi-Chi, landed on the Lookout, out of breath and concerned for the boy. Vegeta bowed his head and walked over to the others, determined to give them the update so far.

(Piccolo's Point of View)

Piccolo was panicking. He had grabbed Kami by the shoulders and was shaking the older Namekian. He was so, so, so close to losing it. "How is he Kami?! Will you stop being weak for ONE SECOND and tell me how he is?! I need to know, dammit Kami!" Piccolo swore. He tore away from Kami, who was shaking his head in despair. As he ran, Piccolo rummaged through Kami's memories and stopped dead.

(Initiate Flashback mode!)

Gohan was handing his homework page to his mother. It looked to be just a few days after they had returned from Namek. Hope was still strong that Goku might return to them through the use of the Dragon Balls. Chi-Chi viciously took the page from her son, scowling down at him. Gohan looked at the ground, unsure of why his mother was being so violent. Gohan simply brushed it off as grief and looked up at his mother. She was scowling, her eyes closed.

"You got everything right." she growled. Gohan nodded and waited to be given something else to do. She glared down at him, grabbing a strand of hair and tugging on it. Chi-Chi ignored his squeak of pain and forced him to look up at her.

"I will not allow you out of my sight again." she hissed. Gohan gulped nervously, his Mommy wasn't like this! "You won't be seeing any of your father's friends again, Gohan. You need to stay home, where your Mommy can protect you." Gohan opened his mouth to protest, but Chi-Chi cut him off. "I don't care, Gohan. You try to run and there will be hell to pay. You can be sure of that." she snarled. "They won't accept you, Gohan! I caught Piccolo threatening to kill you because he hates you. Krillin only puts up with you because you're Goku's son, and all the others simply share a dislike of you." Gohan's jaw opened and his eyes widened. "Only I can love you!"

The memory that Piccolo was viewing soon changed. He could see the house, but not the people inside. Chi-Chi's screams of how only she could love Gohan turned into Gohan screaming. Piccolo had no idea what was going on inside that house, but he was desperate to find out. He heard Chi-Chi yelling at Gohan to shut up as Piccolo's spirit floated into the house. He thought he was going to throw up at the scene before him. Chi-Chi was hitting her son in the head with a pot that was beside them. It shattered, the porcelain pieces cutting into Gohan's hands. He had thrown his hands up to protect his head, and as a result, his fingers were bloodied and broken. What shattered Piccolo's heart was the whimpering sounds Gohan was making. Chi-Chi violently shoved her son into his room, screaming at him to get more homework done.

She went to washing the dishes, breaking every other one. Gohan was in his room, crying, as he did his homework. Blood and tears stained his page, but that didn't stop Gohan from trying to please her.

The scene changed again, to an older Gohan. A year or so, after Goku had come back. Goku was off fishing - he wasn't in the house. Piccolo could sense Goku's ki - low, having fun. Fishing. Chi-Chi was hitting her son with a belt, one of the ones she had bought for Goku, but he never wore. She was sobbing, he was sobbing even harder. She kept telling Gohan that this was for his own good, that she was helping him - protecting him. Gohan was curled on his side, not making a single sound. Tears ran down his cheeks. Chi-Chi heard her husband outside, and she flung the belt down even harder. Gohan's mouth opened in a silent scream, his back arching as Chi-Chi mercilessly hit him in the side.

As Goku opened the front door, Chi-Chi literally kicked her son into his room, shutting the door and throwing the belt in with him. She ran to greet Goku, saying that Gohan was studying. He laughed, kissing her on the cheek. Piccolo could see through the wall, and there was Gohan, sobbing silently. His knees were drawn up to his face, his arms around his knees. He was hugging himself so hard, his little forearms were turning white. His right side was bloodied from Chi-Chi's attack, his white shirt ripped. Underneath, bruises were already starting to form.

Why is this happening to me? Gohan thought to himself, his thoughts as clear as day to Piccolo. Mommy... she's hurting me... but everyone else is going to hurt me too... Mommy is just helping me. Yeah, that must be it... but it hurts. Why does it have to hurt? I wish Daddy would notice... maybe if I went to see Mister Piccolo, he could stop her! No, no... bad Gohan. Gohan punched himself in the side Chi-Chi had just bruised and bloodied. He collapsed on his bed, curling around his side protectively. No! No! No! Mommy will hurt me even more if I even try! the boy gave up on trying to comfort himself, just sobbing on his bed without a sound.

I can't talk to anyone. If I do, Mommy will notice. She'll hurt me. If I start talking... I'll tell everyone. I can't do that! I can't betray Mommy like that!

The scene changed once more, to one that was much more recent. Gohan had been trying to sneak out of his window, desperate to escape Chi-Chi. As he had one foot on the windowsill, his window open, his door opened with a creak. Gohan turned to look at his mother in fear. Shock ran across her face before hardening into rage. Gohan backed into a corner, keeping his hands out in front of him as he silently cried, begging for forgiveness. Chi-Chi shook her head and backhanded her son across the face. Goku was again, gone, training with Vegeta. Both of their kis were powerful and far, far away from the house.

Gohan fell to the ground, shaking. He dug his nails into his upper arms as Chi-Chi mercilessly kicked him in the side, screaming at him. She threw so many low, emotional blows at him. How he betrayed her. How he was a horrible son. How she had done so much for him, all she was trying to do was protect her baby boy. She grabbed Gohan by his wild, spiky hair and dragged him out to the living room. He silently cried and tried to get her hands off of him, but she would not relent. Chi-Chi threw him against the kitchen island, his head being thrown backwards and cracking against the marble.

As he held the back of his head, Chi-Chi slowly brought a knife out of the drawer. She had tears running down her face. She kicked Gohan again, throwing him to the ground. The small boy landed on his back, coughing. Chi-Chi raised the knife up, telling Gohan that she was doing this for him. He looked at her in fear as her knife plunged down. The screams that followed were the last noise Gohan had made.

Piccolo felt sick. He retched, barely able to keep the bile down. He stared in shock as Gohan writhed on the ground in agony. Chi-Chi moved the knife down his back. Gohan was screaming, scratching at the floors, desperately trying to escape. Chi-Chi carved an X on Gohan's back. When she had finished, she flicked the knife out and started rinsing the blade off. She looked down at her son, still writhing in agony. She looked down... and told him to get to his room.

Gohan used his fingernails to drag himself to his room, blood spilling everywhere. He managed to get into his room, before Chi-Chi slammed the door. She began to mop up the blood as Gohan lied there, nearly dead. His small hand felt at his back, and came back to his face covered in blood. He buried his head in his hands, silently screaming. He managed to drag himself to his small bathroom, where he knocked over a bottle of medical alcohol. He had aimed it, and it precisely soaked his back. Gohan bit down on his own hand to keep from screaming, his eyes wide. He managed to knock over the bandages, slowly sitting up and wrapping them around his back.

Piccolo could only fight the choking feeling in his throat and the sickening feeling in his stomach as he watched his student try to bandage a near fatal wound. And it was all because of Chi-Chi. Piccolo shook his head, finally unable to take the feeling any longer. He puked as he returned to his own body.

Piccolo stood in silence, then took off for his pupil. He needed to be with Gohan. He needed to see those scars, he needed to save his student.

~Next time, Piccolo attempts to heal Gohan. Will his attempt be successful, or is Gohan too far gone?~

daisukigohan: Oh my gosh, thanks so much!

Gohanforever: I have updated! Do you like it?

Sairey13: Yup, yup, and yup. You're awesome at reading characters, you know that?

anonymous: Eh, Goku is too nice to do that. Once he figures it out though...

Guest: Yup!

Democracy Prime: I just did! Do you like the chapter?