Chapter 4: Promises
Slanted saffron rays filtered into the darkened room. The arrows of sunlight glanced off of a young face. Ebony lashes curled upwards as the lids themselves hid the intense sable pools beneath them. Irregular lumps in the baby blue blanket hinted at the body hid below.
Goku gazed at his son with warm adoring eyes. He shuddered as he thought about how he might have lost his pride and joy. But, underlying the rush of pride he felt was an undercurrent of extreme guilt.
"I sacrificed my friend to save my son... There was nothing else I could have done ...Or was there. God... I feel so ashamed. I should have never done it. But how do you choose between a longtime friend or your only son..." His thoughts echoed in his mind.
He sighed. Vegeta was already back at Capsule Corporation with his family. He hadn't said anything but Goku wondered if their actions were knawing at him in any way, or was he really as cold hearted as he made himself out to be. He brushed his sharp ebony bangs out of his line of vision. He was merely content to watch Gohan sleep. He silently padded in and sat on the edge of the soft mattress. He smoothed Gohan's wild locks away from his face.
Gohan began to stir as he felt a comfortable presence near him.
His tired eyes opened half mast as he observed his father sitting next to him.
"Otousan?" His voice was dry and whispery, like dead leaves being blown across a sidewalk on a fall day.
"Hai?" Goku's voice was as hushed as his son's was. He leaned down to let Gohan focus more easily on his face.
Gohan looked around as he observed his surroundings. His eyes roamed over his desks, traveled over the landscapes of his walls and then back around to his father.
"Home?"
Goku nodded and smiled at his son, his heart filling with love for his child.
Gohan seemed to look past him for a minute and then turned tiredly towards his father again. He was glad to see his father, but something felt out of place. Like a fly on a wedding cake, something was wrong.
He frowned slightly as he racked his mind for it and with sudden clarity it came to him. His friend was missing.
"Otousan, where is Piccolo san?"
Goku blanched. His face turned pale with a greenish tinge to it. His eyes blossomed with swirls of shame, guilt and pain. He closed his eyes and tried to compose himself before his son could see.
Too late.
"Where is he?" Gohan's tone grew more insistent. His curious gentle eyes held his father in their grasp, gently trying to coax the truth out of him.
With a sigh that sounded from the depths of his heavy soul, Goku spun the tale of what happened that day. Gohan watched as his father lowered his head and spoke of that day not to long ago. He opened his mouth to say something but then snapped it shut in anger as Goku continued. His once soft eyes took on a hard edge to them. His wounds were for the most part healed.
Goku finished his story with a whispery sigh. He raised his head to glance at his son's reaction, knowing it wasn't going to be favorable but hoping that it wasn't murderous either.
His eyes met his son's. He gasped.
Gohan's eyes were a fathomless ebony. Their depth, which usually held love and happiness, now held hate and loathing as well as pain.
"Gohan?"
"You left him..." Gohan's voice was soft ...dangerous...
"I..."
"You left him...
"We had no choice... It was either him or you." Goku strained to make his son understand the only choices that were available to them at the time.
"I can't believe you... That you AND Vegeta would leave someone whom needed your help... That violates everything I came to believe and trust in you, dad.." Gohan said to his father, his gaze harsh and judgmental.
Despite his healing wounds, and wounded heart the young demi saiya jin leapt out of bed, swaying slightly on his feet. He grabbed the desktop for support for a minute, then let go.
He started out the doorway.
Goku stared worriedly at his oldest son. He got up and sped after his departing son.
"Wait! Gohan, what are you doing?" He called after his son.
The young warrior stopped. He turned his body ever so slightly until he could look over his shoulder. His eyes flared aquamarine as his sable locks lightened to gold. Then he spoke.
"You may have given up, Father. But not me. I will train for as long as it takes to get Piccolo back. I don't care how long it takes me or how much pain I endure. I WILL get him back. As my sensei once told me, 'Failure is not an option' . Broly is gonna have a helluva fight on his hands when he sees me again."
And with that Gohan proceeded to train. Goku merely stared at his son with sadness, guilt and a hint of admiration.
He decided then and there, that when Gohan went to search for him, he wasn't going alone.
Slanted saffron rays filtered into the darkened room. The arrows of sunlight glanced off of a young face. Ebony lashes curled upwards as the lids themselves hid the intense sable pools beneath them. Irregular lumps in the baby blue blanket hinted at the body hid below.
Goku gazed at his son with warm adoring eyes. He shuddered as he thought about how he might have lost his pride and joy. But, underlying the rush of pride he felt was an undercurrent of extreme guilt.
"I sacrificed my friend to save my son... There was nothing else I could have done ...Or was there. God... I feel so ashamed. I should have never done it. But how do you choose between a longtime friend or your only son..." His thoughts echoed in his mind.
He sighed. Vegeta was already back at Capsule Corporation with his family. He hadn't said anything but Goku wondered if their actions were knawing at him in any way, or was he really as cold hearted as he made himself out to be. He brushed his sharp ebony bangs out of his line of vision. He was merely content to watch Gohan sleep. He silently padded in and sat on the edge of the soft mattress. He smoothed Gohan's wild locks away from his face.
Gohan began to stir as he felt a comfortable presence near him.
His tired eyes opened half mast as he observed his father sitting next to him.
"Otousan?" His voice was dry and whispery, like dead leaves being blown across a sidewalk on a fall day.
"Hai?" Goku's voice was as hushed as his son's was. He leaned down to let Gohan focus more easily on his face.
Gohan looked around as he observed his surroundings. His eyes roamed over his desks, traveled over the landscapes of his walls and then back around to his father.
"Home?"
Goku nodded and smiled at his son, his heart filling with love for his child.
Gohan seemed to look past him for a minute and then turned tiredly towards his father again. He was glad to see his father, but something felt out of place. Like a fly on a wedding cake, something was wrong.
He frowned slightly as he racked his mind for it and with sudden clarity it came to him. His friend was missing.
"Otousan, where is Piccolo san?"
Goku blanched. His face turned pale with a greenish tinge to it. His eyes blossomed with swirls of shame, guilt and pain. He closed his eyes and tried to compose himself before his son could see.
Too late.
"Where is he?" Gohan's tone grew more insistent. His curious gentle eyes held his father in their grasp, gently trying to coax the truth out of him.
With a sigh that sounded from the depths of his heavy soul, Goku spun the tale of what happened that day. Gohan watched as his father lowered his head and spoke of that day not to long ago. He opened his mouth to say something but then snapped it shut in anger as Goku continued. His once soft eyes took on a hard edge to them. His wounds were for the most part healed.
Goku finished his story with a whispery sigh. He raised his head to glance at his son's reaction, knowing it wasn't going to be favorable but hoping that it wasn't murderous either.
His eyes met his son's. He gasped.
Gohan's eyes were a fathomless ebony. Their depth, which usually held love and happiness, now held hate and loathing as well as pain.
"Gohan?"
"You left him..." Gohan's voice was soft ...dangerous...
"I..."
"You left him...
"We had no choice... It was either him or you." Goku strained to make his son understand the only choices that were available to them at the time.
"I can't believe you... That you AND Vegeta would leave someone whom needed your help... That violates everything I came to believe and trust in you, dad.." Gohan said to his father, his gaze harsh and judgmental.
Despite his healing wounds, and wounded heart the young demi saiya jin leapt out of bed, swaying slightly on his feet. He grabbed the desktop for support for a minute, then let go.
He started out the doorway.
Goku stared worriedly at his oldest son. He got up and sped after his departing son.
"Wait! Gohan, what are you doing?" He called after his son.
The young warrior stopped. He turned his body ever so slightly until he could look over his shoulder. His eyes flared aquamarine as his sable locks lightened to gold. Then he spoke.
"You may have given up, Father. But not me. I will train for as long as it takes to get Piccolo back. I don't care how long it takes me or how much pain I endure. I WILL get him back. As my sensei once told me, 'Failure is not an option' . Broly is gonna have a helluva fight on his hands when he sees me again."
And with that Gohan proceeded to train. Goku merely stared at his son with sadness, guilt and a hint of admiration.
He decided then and there, that when Gohan went to search for him, he wasn't going alone.