Part Three
"Don't get upset," King Kai assured Chi-Chi. "I don't know where Goku is, but I'm sure he's fine. He's probably just wandering around, exploring the other planets or something. You know Goku, he can't resist an opportunity for adventure."
"Yes, I know," Chi-Chi nodded shakily. "He can take care of himself… I shouldn't be worried. Just because he isn't here, doesn't mean something bad happened to him…"
Yet in her mind, she knew that something wasn't right. King Yemma said that Goku had intended to come to Grand Kai's planet. Goku wasn't a fickle person; whenever he said he was going to do something, he usually did it. What could have possibly changed his mind?
"Well, where else could he be?" Chi-Chi wondered anxiously. She tried to remember all of the places that Goku had gone to when he was dead. "What about the Supreme Kai's planet?"
"I don't think so," King Kai replied slowly. "He only stayed there while Gohan was being trained by the Old Kai. If I know Goku, he'd want to be on a planet where there are other, even stronger fighters to fight."
"Are there any other places in Other World like this?" Chi-Chi asked curiously.
King Kai shook his head. "Nope, this is the only one. Actually, my planet was another good place to train, but thanks to your husband bringing Cell to my home just as he was about to explode, it's gone! Honestly, I don't know how you put up with him… The only other place I can think of that he could be is the good people planet, only --- "
"That isn't a place that you can train," Chi-Chi finished his sentence. She sighed and sat down on the grass. "Kami, first he dies, and now he disappears from Other World. What's next?"
"Incidentally, how did Goku die?" King Kai asked, interested. "I didn't think there were any new threats to Earth since Majin Buu."
"There wasn't. I don't know how he died," Chi-Chi admitted sadly. "None of us do. We weren't there when it happened because he was training Uub. There wasn't a battle or anything because Vegeta and my sons didn't sense any new powers. It was just a normal day until we all felt him die." She paused thoughtfully. "Actually, my sons sensed his death. I don't know how I felt it; I don't know how to sense ki. I guess I just had some sixth sense that told me he was dead…"
"It's because he's a Saiyan," King Kai clarified. "Saiyans always had a close bond with their mates. If something happened to one of them, the other would feel it. But enough about that… what about that kid Goku was training? Did he know what happened to Goku?"
"No, Uub didn't know how he died either," Chi-Chi continued. "He said that Goku gave him a break from training so that he could come visit us, but he never got there…"
Remembering that day nearly brought tears to her eyes. Of all the times Goku had died, this was the one that hurt her the most. It wasn't because she never got to say good-bye --- she never got to say good-bye to him the other two times he died either --- but because she didn't get the chance to resolve things with him. If she had known that he was going to die, she wouldn't have acted so distant to him during his last visit.
King Kai narrowed his eyes. "So Goku just dropped dead in the middle of nowhere?" he asked skeptically.
"I don't know," Chi-Chi said, shrugging helplessly. "I asked King Yemma about how he died when I went to the check-in station. He doesn't know how Goku died either… even Goku didn't know…"
"What?" King Kai yelled, nearly falling over in shock. "You're telling me that Goku didn't how he died? I mean, Goku's not the brightest bulb in the box, but I think he would have noticed if he was dying!"
"Of course he would have. So how could he have died?"
King Kai frowned. "I'd better contact King Yemma and see if he can tell us more about this." He turned around so that his back was facing Chi-Chi. "Put your hand on my back so you can hear what he says."
Chi-Chi was momentarily thrown by this order. Then she remembered what Goku had told her about King Kai being telepathic. She placed in her hand on his back.
"King Yemma, can you hear me?" King Kai called out. "This is King Kai."
At once, Chi-Chi could hear King Yemma's voice in her head, almost as though he were somewhere nearby. "I can hear you, King Kai. What's going on?"
"We have a problem," King Kai told him. "Goku's wife came to Grand Kai's planet…"
"Hey, I'm right here!" Chi-Chi cut him off irritably. "Don't talk about me like I'm somewhere else!"
"Anyway, she was looking for Goku. She said you told her he was supposed to be here… and he isn't."
"What do you mean Goku isn't there?" King Yemma demanded. "It's been twenty-five years since he died; he should have arrived there by now!"
"He hasn't," King Kai said flatly. "In fact, I didn't even know he was dead. Is it true that neither you nor him know how he died?"
"Um… yes," King Yemma said awkwardly. It was clear from the tone of his voice that he was ashamed of this.
"Okay, well, did Goku say anything about what he was doing at the time of his death?"
"As a matter of fact, he did. He was really surprised to find out he was dead. He told me that he was flying home, when for some strange reason, he crashed. It was like he ran out of energy or something. And he couldn't use Instant Transmission to go anywhere either.
"He just assumed that he used up a lot of his energy training Uub, so he didn't think much of it. He started to walk the rest of the way, only he got worn out after a while too."
"That's odd," Chi-Chi said worriedly. "The only time he ever got worn out by flying was when he came down with the heart virus. Was he sick again?"
"No, if he was sick, it would have shown up on his record. And he said that up until then he was fine. As I was saying, he stopped to rest for a minute, and the next thing he knew, he was in Other World."
"That's it?" King Kai asked incredulously. "It doesn't make any sense! A person can't die just like that --- especially not someone as strong as Goku!"
"Whether it's possible or not, that's how it happened," King Yemma replied. "I'm sorry I can't be of any more help in clearing this mess up, but that's all I know."
King Kai thanked King Yemma and ended his psychic transmission. Chi-Chi removed her hand from his back, upset.
"Now I know something's wrong!" she moaned. "Goku was never one to get tired that easily! Even when his whole body was broken after the battle with the Saiyans, he still wanted to train and help Krillin, Gohan, and Bulma on Namek. For Kami's sake, he broke out of the hospital twice!"
King Kai nodded. "He was in the prime of his life and in perfect health… and then he just dies of exhaustion? No, he didn't die a natural death. Some other force had to have been behind this…"
"You think that there could be a connection between Goku's death and his disappearance?" Chi-Chi inquired.
"There could be," King Kai said grimly.
"What should we do?" Pikkon asked in a quiet voice. Chi-Chi jumped; she had almost forgotten that he was there.
"Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do!" she said fiercely. "I'm going to go find him!"
"That might not be a good idea," King Kai said cautiously. "Like I said, Goku can take care of himself. And even if he is in trouble, he wouldn't want you in any kind of danger…"
"I don't care!" Chi-Chi exploded. "Do you know what it's like to lose someone you love and not even know how he died? My family and I do! We did everything we could to try and figure out what could have happened to Goku; we had to spend twenty-five years without a single clue as to why he die! And if someone or something is responsible for his death and is keeping him away from me, then I want to find out why!"
King Kai could see that there was no talking Chi-Chi out of this. "All right, all right," he said reluctantly. "But at least let me go with you. Goku's my student; I ought to make sure nothing happens to his wife."
"Fine," Chi-Chi said shortly. "Where should we look first?"
"Maybe we should look on the good people's planet, just in case," King Kai suggested. "Even if he isn't there, it never hurts to look."
Chi-Chi nodded in agreement. Secretly, she hoped that Goku was there. Forget that it didn't make since for him to go to the good planet instead of the Grand Kai's planet. If he was there, that meant that he was safe, and that was all that mattered to her.
But if not…
Well, I'm just going to have to find him, she thought determinedly. For twenty-five years, I've waited for him. No more waiting…From now on I'm not going let anything keep me from being with the man that I love.
***
Chi-Chi and King Kai took another plane back to the good people's planet. It wasn't her first time there, since it was the place she had went to when she had first died. Like the Grand Kai's planet, it was very beautiful. The only difference was that there weren't any fighters training on the planet.
Once they arrived, King Kai bowed his head, seemingly concentrating on something. "I don't sense Goku's ki anywhere on the planet," he informed Chi-Chi.
"It doesn't mean anything," Chi-Chi said automatically. Her mind searched frantically for a possible explanation for this. "He could be suppressing ki or something…"
"Why would he do that?" King Kai asked, frowning.
"I don't know!" Chi-Chi snapped. "Look, if he isn't on Grand Kai's planet, then he has to be here. So let's just look anyway!"
King Kai sighed. "Geez, Goku was right about you; you do have a temper. We'd better split up then. I'll go right and you go left. I'll let you know if I see Goku."
"Fine," Chi-Chi said hastily. Without another word, she ran off in the left direction of the planet.
All around her she saw trees, plants, and even little moths floating around that reminded her of Earth. There were also other dead people in numerous parts of the planet. Some had kept their bodies like she had, and others were the little spirits she had seen on Earth.
Yet she took notice of none of this. The only thing in her mind was finding Goku.
I wish I could sense ki like Goku and the other fighters could, she thought. That would make this easier…
She looked for him throughout the entire planet. There was no sign of him. King Kai was right; if he couldn't sense Goku's ki, then he wasn't on the planet.
Why isn't he here?
she thought desperately. What happened to him all those years ago?Just then, she heard a voice calling out her name. "Chi-Chi? Chi-Chi, is it you?"
Startled, Chi-Chi turned around to see a woman with dark hair and eyes standing behind her. "How do you know my ---?" she started to ask, but stopped in mid-sentence. She took a closer look at the woman. She had seen her before, in a painting in her father's castle…
"Oh my… oh my goodness!" Chi-Chi gasped, hardly daring to believe it. She swallowed. "Mom?
The woman nodded, beaming. "Yes, it's me."
Chi-Chi let out a scream and embraced her mother tearfully. "Oh Mom! It's so good to see you!"
"I missed you so much, honey," her mother said softly. She gazed at her daughter in amazement. "The last time I saw you, you were only a baby… you've become so beautiful."
Chi-Chi flushed. "The only reason I look this way is because I got to keep my body. A little while ago, I was an old woman. Is Dad here too? How is he?" The Ox-King had died several years after Goku had.
"Yes, he's here," her mother replied, laughing and crying at the same time. "Don't worry, he's fine. In fact, he's never been better! He's told so much about how you've grown and your family…"
She took Chi-Chi's hand and led her to a nearby tree. "And what of you, my daughter? How have you been doing?"
For the next hour or so, Chi-Chi got a chance to what she'd longed to do since she was a little girl: speak to her mother. She told her all about her life: about Goku and their sons, about the various trials… everything up until Goku's death and her own.
"It sounds like you've had an interesting life," her mother commented.
Chi-Chi couldn't help but laugh. "It has been interesting," she agreed.
It was odd, but years ago, she would have said that her life was difficult. After all, she kept getting separated from her family every time a new threat came to Earth. She lost Goku to those threats plenty of times. Now that her life was over, however, she had to admit that her life had been a good one. She was grateful for her family and the time that she had with them. If she had to live her life over again, she probably wouldn't have changed a single thing.
"So where's Goku now?" her mother wanted to know. "I'd very much like to meet him."
"I'm trying to find him. I guess that means you haven't seen him?"
Her mother shook her head. "No, I haven't."
Chi-Chi groaned in frustration. "I wish I knew where he is. I need to see him; there are things I need to tell him…"
"Don't worry, dear," her mother said, giving her a hug. "You'll find him, I'm sure of it. After all, your father raised a strong daughter."
"I'm not as strong as others," she admitted ruefully.
"Yes, you are," her mother insisted. "Your father told me about all the times your husband had to leave, and you were able to go on. Not just anyone can endure the pain you have. I'm very proud of you."
Chi-Chi smiled through her tears. She had always wondered if her mother would have been proud of her, especially since there were many times when she had behaved rashly and unreasonably. It felt so good to finally hear her mother say that.
She wanted to stay with her mother for a little longer, yet she couldn't. "I have to go now," she said regretfully, standing up. "I have to find Goku."
Her mother smiled. "I understand." She hugged her again. "It was so good to see you. Come back and visit me again, all right?"
"I will," Chi-Chi promised. "And when I find Goku, I'll bring him here so you can meet him!"
"I'm looking forward to it! Good luck!"
Chi-Chi waved good-bye to her mother as she left. Wait until I tell Goku this! she thought excitedly.
Her excitement quickly faded at the thought of him. Oh Goku, where are you? I hope I find you soon…
After a while, she met up with King Kai. "Sorry, Chi-Chi, I couldn't find him anywhere," he said grimly.
"Neither could I." Chi-Chi thought hard. "Where could else could he possibly be?"
"Wait a minute!" King Kai said suddenly. "There's Snake Way! He could be hanging around Snake Way."
Chi-Chi shrugged. Where else did they have to look. "Okay, let's go."
***
"Goku!" Chi-Chi called out, cupping her hands over her mouth. "Goku! Are you here?"
She and King Kai had reached Snake Way and were continuing their search for Goku. So far, he was nowhere to be found. The only thing that they could see was the endless yellow road and the numerous clouds.
"Goku!" Chi-Chi yelled frantically. "Where are you? Say something!"
She paused, listening for a response. There was none.
"All right, Goku, the joke's over!" she shouted, trying in vain to believe that this was all some trick he was playing on her. "This isn't funny! Come out right now!"
King Kai shook his head. "It's no use. He isn't here."
"Then where is he?" Chi-Chi demanded, panic consuming her. "He has to be somewhere! He couldn't have just vanished into thin air!"
She took several deep, calming breaths. "Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions," she muttered to herself. "Just because I can't find him doesn't necessarily mean that something bad happened to him. I mean, he's already dead; nothing worse can happen to him…"
"You're wrong," King Kai retorted.
Chi-Chi stared at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Ordinarily, you don't need to worry if anything happens to you in Other World, since nothing ever does," King Kai explained slowly. "But if your body somehow gets destroyed in Other World, then that's it. There's no way of bringing you back to life or to the afterlife; you won't exist at all. In other words, you're done for."
Chi-Chi paled. "And --- And you think that's what happened to Goku?" she faltered.
"Um --- no!" King Kai said hastily, seeing Chi-Chi's fear. "Goku can take care of himself… he wouldn't have let something like that happen."
"Then how did he die?" Chi-Chi wailed. "Something killed him, and he didn't even know what hit him." She started to cry. "What happened to Goku?"
"I can answer that," a voice replied.
Chi-Chi and King Kai whirled around. Fortuneteller Baba came floating towards them on her crystal ball.
"Baba!" King Kai exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," Baba retorted. "King Yemma summoned me shortly after you contacted him. He said that Goku's missing. Naturally, I checked my crystal ball for his whereabouts and I found him."
"You found him?" Chi-Chi asked breathlessly.
"Yeah… well… that's the good news," Baba said meekly.
"Oh, great, that means there's bad news," King Kai moaned.
"Where is he?" Chi-Chi demanded anxiously.
Baba glanced at her nervously. "Perhaps we should discuss this in private," she muttered to King Kai. "When she hears this, she's going to freak out…"
"Oh no you don't!" Chi-Chi snarled, grabbing Baba by the back of her dress. "I wand to know where he is; I can handle whatever you tell me!
"She's right, Baba," King Kai joined in. "She's his wife, for crying out loud! She ought to know. Besides, it can't be that bad --- can it?"
"Oh, it's bad all right," Baba said gravely.
"Just tell us where he is!" Chi-Chi snapped impatiently.
Baba hesitated. Then, in a low voice, she replied, "He's in Hell."
To be continued…
A/N: I know what you're all thinking: *gulps* I am so going to get flamed for the cliffhanger. "What the hell is Goku doing in Hell?!" (I know, I know, bad pun.) Don't worry, there is a reasonable explanation for everything, but you're going to have to wait for it. This was supposed to be two separate parts, but I decided to combine them both together since it would be too short.
Angel in the Shadows: I remember those books! I could never really find that darn Waldo; I wasn't too good at those kinds of books.
Tony: You'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'm glad you liked the idea of Pan, Uub, and Goten teaming up. I'm not planning for them to be in this story at all, but I'm thinking about giving them a brief mention in the next part. Yeah, it sucks that they never showed Gotenks as an adult. I thought that Goten and Trunks should have kept training and became stronger. If you think about it, it was kind of a waste that they slacked off their training at the end of DBZ.
ChiChiko: King Kai helped Chi-Chi in this chapter. A happy ending? We'll see…
Carrie: Now that Chi-Chi knows where he is, it's going to be even bigger of a task. I read your fic; it looks good!
Sakura123: Thank you, I always try to keep everyone in character. A lot of stuff was revealed about Goku's death in this part, but the exact cause of it will be revealed in the next part. You may want to brace yourself for a shock when all the pieces come together.
Lady Athena X: Tell you what, let's have no more ranting on GT. It's just a waste of space to the both of us since we don't like the show. (BTW, I agree with everything you said about Goku being a little more childish than he was in GT.) No, Chi-Chi isn't going to give up until she finds Goku, but she's in for a rough time. Now you know where Goku is. How he wound up there will be revealed soon.
Jessica C: Goku's in the worst place imaginable. Poor Goku. And poor Chi-Chi just got the shock of her afterlife... I'm so evil. *cackles*
Sara: You're right, I won't give away answers. What would be the point of posting the other chapters if everybody knew what was going to happen anyway?
Sadako-Tokumei-Kibou: You're probably even more confused now, but things will clear up soon. Yes, you're going to have to wait until next Thursday to find out how Goku got into this whole mess. Heh, heh, heh!
Lady Thundera: Actually, Chi-Chi was kind of like a ghost when she died and was looking for Gohan on the good planet. It did look like she had her body, but she, Bulma, and Videl had little tail things where their feet were supposed to be --- sort of like Casper the friendly ghost or something. Oh, well. Goku, in my bedroom? I wish! *sees Chi-Chi behind her* I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Well, now you know where Goku is…
