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Once and again…

Chapter 2


It's raining outside, in the old days I wouldn't have let that stop me from training, but now… I dunno. All I can think about is what tomorrow will bring, I never used to be like that, tomorrow never mattered and everything was here and now.

As I sit here at the kitchen table, I constantly think about the past, nostalgia is now my best friend. The one memory that stands out most hurts the most, but I find it helps if I smile while thinking about it….

"Reach for the light, reach out until you feel the warmth against your fingertips… and remember it's only as far or as close as you want to be." He expected me to believe that, believe that I would see the light again from my place of darkness. For a long time I didn't see it, almost giving up hope.

"Goku" he began saying.
"Your alive, you are here Goku with the ones that love you, please you must try" he tried to lift my spirits, but it was close to impossible.
"Its hard, Dende" I told him.

I was sitting on the south side of the lookout, downed in my jet-black suit with grey tie; my legs folded, he stood beside me.
"Of course its hard, if it was easy I wouldn't be here now would I? It's a challenge Goku, a challenge to forgive those around you…. and yourself" He said, aware that I still blamed Yamcha and Piccolo to some extent, though it was wrong of me.
"Its harder, when its something that cant be amended," he added.

That made me want to turn around and blame him too, it was after all his dragon that couldn't bring my son back.
"You know, I really want to blame you for something Dende, but Ill stop myself because I know it wont help." I said, my chest burning a little at that point.
"You have another son, Goku, he needs you now more than ever, you should go to him." He suggested, I stood up and noticed that his height almost exceeded mine.

Wiping the stream of tears as they run down my cheeks, I nod in agreement.
"I do have another son, and he's back there now waiting for me. Lets get this over with my friend." I said, laying my hand over the back of his neck, I lead us to the north side of the lookout.

Everyone should be there waiting for us, amongst the columns of palm trees in the courtyard.


We arrive; I walk to Chichi standing motionless in her black kimono, her back to me.
Around her stands almost everyone I knew.
Yamcha, Bulma, Trunks, Goten, Krillin, #18, Marron, Dr. Briefs and his wife, Ox King, Master Roshi, Oolong, Puar, Tien, Chaozu and Vegeta.

As I stand beside her, her hand reaches down to squeeze mine firmly. I returned the gesture and look at the bouquet of small, long stem roses in her other hand. I can't get over how striking the blood red petals are.
Goten was playing with Trunks nearby, but stopped immediately when Dende walked around to the lookouts edge in front of us.

I had asked him if he would deliver a eulogy, which he graciously accepted. Though my son had died years ago, the moment I returned to life I promised that a funeral be held that I could attend.

As Dende began speaking, I prepared myself for the wave of emotion that may soon follow. Saying to myself how sorry I was, sorry for not asking him if he wanted to fight, for just assumed he would do what was needed.
Piccolo was right.
He was an 11-year-old boy, wanting to impress his father, and impress me he did.

Dende stops for a moment and I look up, he seems deep in though...
"I have said all that I can, I now ask Goten to please step forward and deliver our Son to his final resting place.," he announced, looking down to Goten who nods understandingly. I watch as my young son turns and fetches up the small urn beside him, and then cautiously walks to Dende's side. He was only 7 years old at the time, but none the less full of strength and nobility.

Under our guardian's watchful eye, Goten removes the lid, gently tipping the urn on its side allowing the contents to pour out. We all watch with a saddened happiness as Gohan's ashes are scattered to the wind, floating with the different current that he meets.

I felt Chichi's hand loosen its grip around mine, she stepped away toward the edge, I looked to find Bulma, #18, Mrs. Briefs and little Marron following her. Once there, each of them took a rose from Chichi bouquet. One by one lobbing them off the edge, watching them fall freely against a mid afternoon backdrop… a final departure.

They stood there for a while, as if quietly praying, reliving their memories I supposed. Once each of them was done, they stepped back away from the edge returning to their spots. Bulma was the last, she started crying and little Trunks had to walk her back to the rest of us.

A life long friend then steps out from the group.
"Gentlemen, please stand by." Tien requests, we all knew what we needed to do, and complied. Each taking our places around the lookouts rim, each with our fists clenched tightly. Gathering energy slowly until Tien was ready to begin.
"Attention!" he shouts and we faced the heavens, I personally saw the clouds slowly clearing above me, and there is the sun smiling at me warmly.

Tien takes a slight stance and reaches toward its light.
"TRI BEAM ATTACK!" He shouts, shooting his powerful attack into the skies, its yellow aura striking

"SPIRIT BALL!" Yamcha calls launching a light blue ball of energy, training the tri beam cannon

"FINAL FLASH!" Vegeta launches his fury, almost no holds bar as the bright gold ki rushes past the clouds in a thick string….

"KAMEHAMEHA" Krillin calls out mightily, holding strong our most well resourced attack, he looks to me with a sad smile, and I nod to him.
Now it was my turn, im the last in line to say farewell, I inhale quickly in hale a breath.

"KA..ME..HA..ME… HAAA!" I deliver, my heart pounding as the energy filters through my veins and fills my chest, the adrenalin kicking in.
Our ki attacks raged on without a break, their peaks reaching out past the atmosphere and toward the sun, vanishing in its wake.

I suddenly feel a wave of energy hit me from afar, holding the kamehameha steady; I look over into the distance.
From amongst the clouds and high treetop canopies, a fuelled attack is launches, I instantly recognise its signature and then I see it.

A long, corkscrew spiral shoots up through the clouds…. The Special Beam Cannon.
"…Piccolo" I remember whispering, I knew he couldn't stay away, no matter how hard he tried.

He refused to attend; in truth I couldn't find him when I was engaging everyone. I felt so guilty, Gohan loved him so much…


I lost so much after dying, but I hadn't lost everything and that made me realise I needed to go on.

That was eleven years ago, and on that day I finally found it in me to forgive Yamcha, though I think I was really forgiving myself… It was never his fault.

And Piccolo… well… I haven't seen him since that day in the cell ring, so things there are still pending. It would help if I knew where he was, or if he's even alive… no one has seen him.

Now its December, it's an extra cold one this year and we are running low on gas for the heater. Bulma is pregnant again; I can't wait to see how this one turns out. I wonder, a fighter like its father or shopaholic like its mother.

She told me about her research, turns out the heart virus is genetic; she called the other day and told me she gave it a name … S.H.C.A … pronounced (sh-kay). It stands for 'Saiya-jinn Hereditary Cardiac Anomaly'

Chichi and I were terrified, for Goten. What if it decided to show up him, and what about Trunks and Bra? They are at risk too.
Then Bulma, bless her heart, told me she had a case of antidote for us, Trunks was flying over the same day. When I saw them I almost flipped, identical to the ones that Trunks of the Future brought me long ago.

And the other parts of my life, well, I see Krillin often I suppose. He comes by and visits with Marron, she's a young woman now and looks so much like her mother. Goten and him go out to all the big events, there's a formula one race on soon, and they asked me to go, but I refused. Even though Trunks and Bra were also going, I still didn't feel the need.

You know, it may come as a shock but aside from Goten, the only other person I train with is Vegeta. At his request, we train at three times a week at 4am on the dot.
He insists that we be prepared, which I agree on 100 percent, you can't predict the future… at least not this future.


Thankyou for reading…. Please review.

That takes care of the first person chapters , now from now on you will see third person perspective. Enjoy!