"Did your mother ever tell you that all Saiyans used to have tails, including me?" Goku asked, starting his story.
Trunks nodded. "Yeah, I knew. Though, it was Gohan who told me."
Goku smiled, a picture popping into his head of a happily babbling and rather wild haired baby boy flicking his tail as he met a giant turtle. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot! He had a tail just like me. Now, did he tell you why Saiyans evolved with tails, or what they do to their owners?"
The lavender haired boy shook his head. No one had told him much at all about the Saiyan race except what he had learned by watching and prying information from his mentor. Which admittedly wasn't much.
The pure-blooded Saiyan laid down on his back, both arms behind his head for a pillow in the exact image of his future son. "I didn't know until just a few years ago when Vegeta came to destroy the Earth. We fought and fought as only two Saiyans could…" His voice drifted off as a reminiscent smile appeared on his face. "We were almost exactly even at that point, with Vegeta being slightly stronger. When I pushed myself, though, he realized, he did not have the strength to finish me off…not as he was, that is."
Trunks had been politely listening, but when Goku stopped, he interjected, "My Father was trying to kill you?" No one had ever bothered to tell him that. "So, he was trying to take over the Earth when you guys met? You met him as a villain?"
Goku's eyes widened, "Well…yeah. He was after the Dragonballs, so that he could wish for immortality. He was also after me, because I was supposed to have destroyed Earth myself. I mean, that's why I was sent to Earth in the first place."
"What?!" Trunks exploded, rocks tumbling off the cliff from the sheer magnitude of his shout. "You were supposed to destroy the Earth?"
Goku stopped and sighed, explaining, "Yeah. The Saiyans were planet pirates for Frieza. They would go out and destroy the planet's inhabitants for salary. Since the demand was so great, the Saiyans started sending out their own babies to carry out their missions. The space pod that they were sent in the day they were born would teach them instructions for what they were supposed to do."
Trunks' head reeled at all of this information. The mighty Saiyan race, was just a band of controlled universal planet pirates?
"I was sent to Earth, where my Grandpa Gohan found me. He had always wanted a little boy of his own, so he named me "Goku" and tried to raise me as his son." Goku imagined what he must have put his Grandfather through and gave a chuckle. "I was almost too much for the poor old martial arts master. That is, until I fell down a ravine and hit my head, losing all of my memories of my mission. From that day on, I was under no one's control except my own, and learned martial arts from Grandpa Gohan starting from an extremely young age."
Trunks could just imagine a Goku in diapers doing a Kamehameha wave at a bunch of building blocks and smiled.
"He was my master, friend, and parent. Always there, always laughing, and with an appetite to rival that of a growing Saiyan boy. He was wonderful." Goku laughed, remembering his mentor. "There were only two rules. One, was to follow my heart. And the other was to stay indoors on the night of the full moon."
Trunks understood the first rule, but the second struck him as odd. "Did he ever tell you why?"
Goku sat up and stretched his arms. "Yes. Kinda anyways." He placed both fists in his lap and said, "He told me that on nights of the full moon, a monster comes out and does terrible things. I took his word for it and stayed indoors for much of my young life. Then one night, I stepped out to relieve myself and the next thing I knew, the monster must have knocked me out when he destroyed the yard and killed Grandpa Gohan. I woke up the next morning and was all alone."
Goku's fists clenched tighter and rocks began to shiver through the air as emotions coursed through him. Trunks understood. He would have been the same way if he had been talking about the monsters that had killed Gohan.
"It wasn't until that fight with Vegeta that I found out the truth. He created a moon in the sky and right before my eyes, he transformed into a giant, fighting ape." Gokus voice shook with anger, "And that's when I finally understood. The power of the Saiyan was to transform moonlight, using their tails, and use it to change into city flattening monsters." Goku turned sad eyes to his friend, and every pebble fell back to the ground. Trunks was trying hard not to put the clues together, but the look on Goku's face made the next sentence almost unnecessary. "It was not some random monster that had killed my Grandpa. It was me."
Trunks was hit with the news. Goku had killed his Gohan. And yet, even knowing that, he kept going, kept being strong for everyone else. Kept being the hero.
He felt ashamed now for reacting the way he had, not realizing Goku knew exactly what emotions Trunks was going through. He whispered, "I'm sorry, Goku. I didn't know."
The dark haired man put a hand on his friend's dew soaked jacket. "Hey. I know you didn't know. There's no way you could have, so you don't have to beat yourself up about it." Goku laughed. "Look, with your father around, none of us should have to beat up ourselves anymore. He'd be more than happy to do it for you."
Trunks smiled, saying, "That's so strange. How did you guys become friends, then? My mom said when you died was the only time she saw him show any tears that were totally sincere."
"Really? Incredible!" Goku scratched his head, "But, you know, I'm not really sure if we are friends. Right now all Vegeta ever talks about is killing me."
Trunks coughed his amusement, saying, "Goku, you've got a lot to learn about my father if you think that means you're not friends. From what I can tell the more he loves you, the more he threatens to kill you and doesn't do it! Just look at my mother."
Goku looked up at the lightening sky, thinking hard. Finally he folded his arms saying, "Well, gosh. If that's true, I must be his best friend."
Trunks smiled. "Exactly."
I'm not much for author's notes, but this seems like the best way to respond to the great questions you guys are sending me.
First was Marc, wondering if these characters are going to be stronger than in canon. And the second question was from Freehawk which concerned whether or not Gohan was going to continue training after the cell saga.
I was planning on making Trunks much stronger than in canon, based on the fact that much of Trunks' time in the future was spent talking or waiting on his father in canon. I was imagining how much faster he would grow if someone else was there to teach him. Gohan will be much stronger as well, because in those three years, Chi Chi is not so worried about his studies since he has a regular tutor (Trunks). Piccolo will not be as strong though because not only is he not training with Goku, but with how I am planning this plot-line out he will not feel the need to fuse with Kami. Vegeta will possibly be stronger. I am still playing around with that one. But Goku can only make the people he is around stronger. Those people (Gohan and Trunks in this case) will become much stronger, just as Gohan did in canon in the hyperbolic time chamber, when he finally got Goku to not go easy on him.
After all of this, I am hoping that Gohan will be able to be balanced between studying and training if he has someone there to show him how. So, yes, he will continue to get stronger and stronger instead of stagnating as he did in canon.
That should answer your questions. Thanks. I welcome any that you guys have. It makes me know that you are really enjoying and thinking about the story. I'm sure Trunks would appreciate that. ;)
Oh, and I must tell you that it really puts a big grin on my face to see all of those hits after a long day at work. You guys, even the ones who just read and don't review, really make my day. Thanks. Hope you enjoy.