A/N: I am very very sorry for the long hiatus in updates! Just trying to finish up school stuff so I can finally graduate! Stuck on a 36 hour train ride with no internet, so here is the next installment of "Fragment". Enjoy!
Fragment
Chapter 3: The Resolution
"Grand Elder Moori," Goku found himself facing the wizened Namekian leader once again.
Moori eyed the Saiyan wearily. "What brings you here this time, Goku?"
"I need to borrow the Dragon Balls to save my son," came Goku's steady reply.
The days after Goku had taken Goten's life and revived him with the Namekian Dragon Balls, everyone was relieved and ecstatic. Goten spoke of skipping through the fluffy golden clouds surrounding King Yemma's castle while awaiting the king's judgement. Chi-Chi had hugged her young son, eyes brimming with tears, as she thanked Kami that Goten's story was just a dream.
It had taken every bit of Goku's resolve not to turn away from his family. If Moori did not allow him use of the Dragon Balls, he would be facing a very different scenario right now. Goten's blood would have tarnished his hands permanently.
Not that his hands felt cleansed of his horrific crime now. He had to scour his brain for lame excuses every time Goten asked to spar or venture somewhere fun with him. Goku refrained from being alone with Goten at all costs, and even avoided all contact with the boy if possible.
Goku remembered all too well how breakable his son was against just one of his formidable hands. He remembered how easy it was to betray Goten's trust that his father would protect him; how he had dealt Goten the one fate he had so adamantly refused to serve his worst enemies.
And no matter how happy and healthy Goten became as a result, it did not erase the pitiful stain of the instant when he killed his own son.
But good health was just a fleeting state for poor young Goten. Just mere weeks later, Goku could almost smell the virus ravaging through Goten's defenceless heart once more, as Goten's physical capabilities deteriorated so imperceptibly that it was almost missed by Goku's sharp senses.
Goku was baffled. Him, being a sin to Goten's well-being, had tried his hardest to stay away if only to allow his son to recover. Yet the tight grip of death refused to relinquish Goten, and Goku wondered if watching Goten suffer was punishment for his recent horrendous transgression.
Never one to allow the innocent to suffer, Goku decided to finish what he started.
"Did you decide to take his life to save him again?" Moori almost sneered.
"Grand Elder, please...the disease came back. I thought all people brought back using the Dragon Balls should return in perfect condition! Why is Goten still sick?"
Moori answered solemnly," Goku, has it ever occurred to you that maybe this is the doing of fate? If Goten was meant to die from the heart virus, your attempts to preserve his life will be futile. You cannot prevent the inevitable."
"My whole life is about beating the odds and tempting fate. I never lost because I refused to. Did you think I had any chance of defeating Frieza the way I were? But I refused to stand down. I kept fighting and fighting and finally, the power to protect everyone I held dear came upon me."
"Perhaps I am not making myself clear. Yes Goku, you tempted fate when you fought Frieza. And the civilians of planet Namek will forever be grateful for what you did. But battling with an internal virus is hardly the same as fighting an external opponent. Goten will not win by training and getting stronger."
"But the Dragon Balls can save him!" Goku argued. "It can make him better – "
"It can't. I'm sorry Goku." Moori turned to leave.
"No, you have to help him. Please, Grand Elder Moori! Please let my son live!"
Moori turned back and found himself unable to take another step to leave. Goku knelt before him, forehead touching the rough ground, his frame trembling from desperation and suppressed sobs. Moori had known the Saiyans to be a proud race, who regarded pride and strength above all other qualities. Yet here the strongest Saiyan of all grovelled pathetically at his feet, all shreds of pride vanished for a chance to salvage his son's life.
"Get up Goku, please." The Saiyan rose sluggishly to his feet, weighted by trepidation at the Elder's next words.
"You need to understand," Moori explained, "why Goten is unwell despite being revived by Porunga. His death and resurrection was not enough to eradicate the virus. You see, the virus is mutating too rapidly. If I call upon Porunga to heal Goten right now, Goten will only be free of the current form of the virus. He will fall ill again once the virus mutates. He is unable to develop immunity this way and will eventually succumb to the disease. As I told you, you cannot alter Goten's fate."
"But...but...there must be something you can do! Porunga is the most powerful dragon, so he must have some way to help Goten. What if I wish for a cure? There is a cure in the future. A time-traveller brought the cure for me. I drank it; that's how I am alive today."
"That's very interesting," Moori mused. "When you drank the cure, did you become immune to all forms of the virus regardless of how much it mutated?"
"Yes."
"Well Goku, you cannot wish for something from the future because it has not occurred yet. But there is something you can do for Goten."
"What is it?" Goku dared hope to return.
"Are you willing to do anything to save Goten?"
"Yes."
"Anything at all?"
"Anything."
A Saiyan father stood outside his yellow dome house under the moonlight. His palms were sweaty, his heart beat rapidly, and his skin tingled feverishly against the cool evening breeze. He smiled proudly at the joyous sound of childish laughter coming from inside the lighted house. He lifted his left hand to clutch at his chest briefly, a grimace gracing his features ever so subtly, and entered his home.
To be continued...
A/N: I got stuck at 300 words so it's very nice to complete this chapter! Not my best work, but it got the point across hopefully. Goku loves Goten. That's the point, plain and simple.
Hoping to read your reviews! And the review button is so big and colourful that you can't miss it now! I will do my best to update quicker next time
-A
