A/N: My goal for wanting to finish this story by the end of this year is slowly slipping from my hands because I keep getting busy with other projects.

Word Count: 2,383

– My Guardian Angel –

Chapter 12: The Fallen Angel

"I-If angels were real, why didn't they stop that fire?... My father has the gall to tell me on my sixteenth birthday that my mother was an angel… He told me a story of how she was his 'guardian angel'…"

"Kakarot!" Goku shot his head up, "let's try and stay awake next time, shall we?" Goku nodded his head as he heard a few snickers in the classroom. "Class dismissed."

Goku couldn't shake the conversation he had with Chichi a few days ago. Her mother an angel? How was that possible? Could Chichi also be an angel? No…that isn't possible, he's seen her back exposed before while sparring, she didn't have any wings. Munaita, he knows he's heard that name before. He's searched around public angel records since Chichi told him, but there were no leads. There wasn't a single document about an angel named Munaita. If she did exist, that means, her entire existence had been covered up…or erased from the public eye. "Seems like your deep in thought." Goku shook his head, looking over his shoulder to see Krillin, "that's unusual."

"Sorry didn't see you there."

"That's alright, I am a little short after all," Krillin chuckled.

"Short doesn't begin to describe you," Yamcha said, placing his book bag on top of Krillin's head.

"I don't need flak from you!"

"Did you have another date with Chichi? Is that why you're so 'deep in thought?'"

"Well, not exactly," Goku trailed off, "do you know anyone by the name of Munaita?"

"Munaita? Don't think I have; do they go to the Academy?"

"Uh, no, it's just," Goku stopped for a second. Chichi probably wouldn't want him discussing her private affairs with them. After all, she trusted him with this secret, whereas not even Bulma knew about it. "It's nothing, forget I said it."

"Okay, want to go get food with us?"

"Later, I have to stop by Chief Vegeta's office." Yamcha and Krillin wished Goku good luck with Chief Vegeta and headed off.

Goku took his time getting to Chief Vegeta's office. He's not quite sure what the Chief had called him for. He hoped it wasn't for anything he'd done recently. It's not like he's failed a mission recently. But what if it was for meeting with Chichi? Had he found out? Goku gulped. No, if Chief Vegeta found out, he would've have come to him immediately, guns a-blazing. Probably along with his father too.

As Goku walked the long hall toward the office, he kept contemplating the notion of Chichi's mother being an angel. It didn't make a whole lot of sense. If Chichi's mother was an angel, does her father know about angels then too? And if Chichi's mother was an angel, what happened to her? All he knows is that she died of an illness on earth. But from the looks of it, Munaita wasn't an angel then.

"Kakarot!" Goku bumped into someone before he could look up. He hadn't been paying attention as he was walking.

"S-Sorry Raditz."

"It's alright." Raditz brushed it off. "Seems like something is troubling you to be so deep in thought like that." True, this whole situation Chichi told him had his gears going.

"I'm surprised your dimwit of a brother could think like that." Goku peered over Raditz' shoulder, great, it's Vegeta, and the other guy in their group, Nappa. He hated the fact Raditz hung out with those angels. But they were the top three ranking second-class angels. It's not like he could tell Raditz to stop being with them.

"Hey c'mon now, my younger brother is smart in other ways." At least when Raditz is around with them, he does defend Goku, which Goku appreciates. "So, what's eating you up?"

Would asking his older brother be a good idea? Would he even know? "Do…do you know an angel by the name Munaita?" The air around them grew silent. Goku's heart started to pound slightly in his chest. What was with the sudden change in the atmosphere? Did he say something wrong?

"How dare you udder that disgusting traitor's name," Vegeta grabbed the collar of Goku's shirt. Goku had never seen such a scowl on Vegeta's face before. With an intense stare into Goku's eyes, Vegeta continued, "such a name should not be discussed, ever."

"Calm down Vegeta," Raditz tugged on Vegeta's shoulder, pulling him back. "No need for such vexation. Besides, furrowing your brows like that will give you wrinkles early," Raditz teased, poking Vegeta's glabella. Vegeta growled while walking back over towards where Nappa was. Raditz placed a hand on Goku's shoulder, gripping on it hard. "It's best you stop your snooping now before you get into trouble," whispering with such belligerence.

"But –"

"Stop it with the nonsense Kakarot!" Raditz harshly shouted, "best you listen to your older brother." Goku huffed, he didn't see the problem with asking. Even if she was a "traitor," as Vegeta described her. He still wanted to know.

"Kakarot, answer me this," both brothers turned their attention to Vegeta. "Why have you been observing your mortal so frequently?" Goku froze; he hadn't been expecting Vegeta to ask that question. He knew guardian angels didn't need to spend that much time with their assigned mortals. And he couldn't use the same excuse with Vegeta again.

"That's odd of you to be still doing that routine Goku, mind sharing why?" Raditz's voice sounded eerie. His brother had his hand behind his back now, preventing Goku from escaping. The three second-class angels stared intensely at Goku. Goku's head began to spin. Was he done for? What should he say?

"Kakarot!" The door to Chief Vegeta's office slammed open. "Get your ass in here. You're late dammit!" The Chief's voice boomed. Goku sighed with relief. He never would have expected seeing Chief Vegeta would make him elated. Raditz removed his hand and Goku scurried off into the Chief's office. Vegeta glared at Goku, scoffing as their group exited the hallway.

Chief Vegeta sat in his chair, pulling out a few document folders, letting out a small huff as the folders were laid in front of Goku. Oh no, now what? He hadn't been slacking off in class as much, and his performances were better during missions. He hasn't screwed up a single mission since his suspension! "Kakarot." Goku jolted, looking off to the side. "You've been making frequent visits to check your mortal correct?" Goku jolted again, did he know something? Goku averted the Chief's gaze, nodding his head. "I know you're excited about being a guardian angel Kakarot, but you do not need to observe your mortal every day." Chief Vegeta tapped on his desk, making Goku look at him. "Vegeta and your father have reported you doing this several times, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, sir." Goku squeaked out.

"You need to stop observing your mortal as much as you do already." The Chief pulled out a few pages from one of the folders. "Your performance has been lacking and your grades are declining." Goku gulped, he hadn't been studying as much as he used too since he's devoting a lot of time to Chichi. He's been getting home late and not getting much sleep, causing low effort on missions, at least not to the point where mortals get injured, just not as attentive as he should be. "Kakarot, if you don't pass all your midterms without a 95% or above, I'll put you on suspension from guardian angel duties."

"W-What?!" Goku shouted, "but that's not –"

"Those are the rules Kakarot!" Chief Vegeta retorted, "you cannot slack off in the Academy and think that you can still be a guardian angel on top of that. If you have low performance here, you won't be attentive when your mortal is actually in danger." Chief Vegeta walked over to the door of his office, "If you pass your midterms with a 95% or above, you can continue your guardian angel duties, if you don't, I'm suspending you from it until the Academy's summer vacation is over and you get your grades up by next term." Chief Vegeta sternly reiterated. He opened the door, "now scram."

Goku sulked the entire rest of his academic period. Passing the midterms huh? He wouldn't have cared less about passing if someone asked him half a year ago. But now that he has Chichi to watch after, the midterm became a serious issue. He mulled over the notion throughout the rest of his classes, instead of taking notes. How's he going to pass them?

Instead of detouring to Chichi's place, he for once came home after school. "Huh? Father's already home?" Goku noticed his father's shoes in the entryway. "He's not normally home at this time." Goku proceeded to take off his shoes and had an epiphany. His father probably knows about Munaita, if any angel knows, it's him. But, would asking him be a good idea? He and his father aren't close, Bardock might end up reprimanding him instead of telling.

He took his time coming walking into his own home. The idea of asking his father about this unknown angel made him anxious. Entering the living room, he saw his parents sitting adjacent to each other. Gine had been laughing, noticing a small grin on his father's face. Seems like the only times he "smiled" is when his mother is around. How they got together it still unbeknownst to him. "Hello Kakarot," Gine announced cheeringly, "how did school go for you today?"

"Fine for the most part," Goku shrugged his shoulders. He turned to his father, who had gone back to his usual scowl. Goku cleared his throat, "Father," he called out rather quietly. Bardock peered over at his son from across the living room, a face telling Goku to spit out what he's wanting to say. "Uh, well," Goku rubbed the back of his neck, wondering how to word this, "who was Munaita?" His mother had let out a small gasp. He looked over to see her eyes had widened. "What? What did I say that was wrong?"

"Don't speak of that traitor in this house."

"Funny how Vegeta said more or less the same thing earlier," Goku annoyedly thought. "Look, I just want to know who she is, that's all."

"She's a traitor to our race, a disrespect to us all." Goku had seen his father angry before, but he's never heard such bitter words come from him before like this.

"Now dear," Gine started with, "what she did was…well…not morally right in line with the Overseer…I don't think it's right to be so angry after what's happened all those years ago. What happened, happened."

"What did happen though? I've tried to do my own research, but there doesn't seem to be any recordings of her anywhere." Goku heard his mother sigh and turn her attention towards him. Looks like they were going to be there a while.

"Munaita is, well, was one of the best angels of our time. As in the time Bardock and I have been alive. She was top of her rank, an elite status, which is difficult for angels to achieve, let alone a female angel. She was kind of an unofficial icon." Gine chuckled, "anytime someone brought it up to her, she would get flustered, saying she was only doing her job as an angel." Gine light-heartedness grew somber, as she looked down at the floor, "she had been given an assignment by Chief Vegeta. She was to guard a monarch due to there being several assassination attempts on the said monarch. She was reluctant to do it but from what I understand the position was forced upon her by Chief Vegeta, where she became this monarch's guardian angel for the time being." Gine paused, Goku noticed her lips were quivering a bit, "but unbeknownst to all of us, she had broken the first law of the Overseer's rules. I…I remember we had been called to the Overseer's lookout, Raditz couldn't have been more than a year old and I was still a guardian angel at the time myself…"

"To those of you who stand in the crowd are to lay witness to what Munaita, of elite status, has done this day." The Overseer shouted. A multitude of angels were surrounded in an enclosed circle, with the Overseer and Munaita in the middle. The looks of disgusts and anguish fell upon the faces of the crowd, as Munaita was on her hands and knees on the cold tile ground. "Munaita, state what you have done before them!"

"I…I had been assigned to guard a mortal against…assassins…" She trembled.

"What happened?"

"He saw me, he saw my wings, I had been exposed."

"And what did you do?" Munaita didn't speak. The Overseer walked over, lifting her head, raising his voice that could shatter an eardrum, "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"I didn't erase his memory!" Munaita wailed, "I didn't erase his memory! And I fell in love with him…I trusted him with the fact that I am an angel. I'm sorry." The Overseer let go of her head.

"You broke the law, you went against the most important law out there, 'by no means are you to mingle with the mortals of the earth, lest ye be punished. Erase mortal's memories upon revealing yourself, lest ye be executed." The Overseer lifted her head once more, "but I am fair and will spear you from execution, but in exchanged, you'll never be allowed in the heavens again..."

Gine had stopped recanting what happened, trying to wipe her tears. "I'm sorry, it's not an easy memory to bring up." Goku felt a twinge of guilt, he didn't realize how painful it was for his mother. Although he was still curious as to what happened to Munaita, he didn't want to pressure his mom to relive the memory again. "She…" Gine started up again, trying to finish what she had started, "she…she…"

"She was cast to the earth, the traitor's wings ripped right off her." Goku's eyes widened. His mother's tears started flowing again. Her wings had been ripped off? Goku started trembling, he felt like he could picture Munaita screaming as her wings were being ripped apart from her back.

A fate worse than death.

Sorry for the short chapter this time. I thought if I went any further with this chapter, it would get to cluttered. Plus, what I had outlined for this chapter, the ending bit I had planned I decided to rework into the next chapter. I think it will work better there.

I'm back in school full time, so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up. Thank you for the continued support, stay safe everyone!