Gohan looked out the
window and sighed. Man, how much longer did he have to sit at this desk and
write? Surely his mother would free him soon. It was so warm and sunny. There
were so many places yet to explore this beautiful spring.
But he wanted to make
his mother happy. She loved him so much and wanted nothing but the best for
him. Anyone could see that. It was just….he wished she'd allow him to have more
fun. Being the son of Goku had a tremendous amount of work attached to it.
Being Chi Chi's son had it's own brand of work, tiresome work at that. In
essence, Gohan felt overwhelmed.
"Gohan! Let me see
your essay." His mother called from the kitchen.
He hopped down off
his chair and grabbed his literature paper. He hoped he'd written enough.
Dashing into the
kitchen, he thrust the paper in front him waiting anxiously for his
mother to evaluate
it.
"Hmm. Yes, I see
you've read the story. You make a good summary here. But why?"
"Why what Mom?"
"Why do the
characters do what they do? That's what the story is really about."
Gohan wrinkled his
brow a moment, then a smile burst across his face.
"I see what you mean
Mom! If I re-write it with the 'whys' can I go out to play afterward?"
Chi Chi rubbed
Gohan's head. "Of course dear. Now scoot."
She swatted his
bottom gently and sent him on his way.
Vegeta seemed to draw
great satisfaction from dragging Jikan along until they reached a cliff that
was totally deserted. The man's shirt and skin were twisted together in a tight
knot in Vegeta's hand. He knew the man was fighting the urge to scream out in
pain and when Vegeta thought he was about to lose his control, he'd twist his
fingers into his flesh and pull harder. Jikan didn't give in. Goku didn't seem
to notice this and trailed behind them a few steps.
Vegeta threw him to
the ground and folded his arms.
"Who are you really?"
Jikan spat. "I told
you my name."
"Where are you from?"
"What does it matter?
I'm here now!"
This earned him a
kick in the ribs from Vegeta. Goku winced; he knew that hurt.
"You will answer me!"
His fists clenched under his arm but his anger was tightly controlled.
"I was one of the
lone survivors on a planet that Chantisu cleared. I hid in a cave."
"Why didn't she kill
you?!" Kami knows Vegeta would have.
Jikan rubbed his
midsection, trying to alleviate the burning sensation.
"I talked her out of
it. I said I knew a planet better than mine. One that had many people on it."
"Are you here to
clear this planet as well?" This was delivered with another brutal kick, this
time to the shoulder.
"Argh! No! I swear
it! She…she wanted to change how she was living. She didn't want to murder
people for a living anymore. I came along for the ride. There was no one left
on my planet. No family or friends. So I came here."
Vegeta leaned down,
letting the man look into his eyes and feel his intensity as he delivered this
next statement,
"You lie, you die."
With that he turned
and stalked off.
Goku just shook his
head. "You're lucky. Very lucky."
As Goku turned to
leave, he didn't see Jikan's lip curl in a sneer that would have made any
warrior stop and think twice about challenging this maniac. He also didn't see
Jikan bite down on something hard in his mouth.
They'll soon see why
I'm really here, he thought with an inward chuckle. Oh yes, they'd definitely
know the true mission Jikan was on before the month was over.
Piccolo hollered,
making the ground shake as he powered up. Rocks crushed under his feet.
Chantisu thrust forward landing a foot into the Namekan's neck. He could have
blocked it but he wanted to lull her into a sense of success. He wanted her to
think she could defeat him. He quickly threw a punch combination that dropped
her to the ground. She jumped up as fast as she could, ready for more.
"You should have saw
that coming."
"I had a feeling
you'd try something like that."
"Well, listen to
that. It's there for a reason."
Piccolo hurled
himself at Chantisu, they rolled over and over struggling for dominance in the
battle. She threw a quick blast at Piccolo's chest, causing him to reel
backward. It was the break she needed. She transmitted behind him and threw
everything she had into another blow to his neck.
Piccolo whirled
around but it was too late. The punch was landed. He picked her up and threw
her as hard as he could. She flew ten to twelve feet before she crashed into a
large boulder.
"That's enough for
today. I think you need to rest."
Chantisu wiped her
bloody lip and rubbed the back of her head.
"If you say so." She
would never admit that Piccolo was right.
She got up and walked
up to him.
"Thank you, Piccolo.
I appreciate you sharing your time and skill."
Piccolo bowed
slightly. That was akin to a hearty "You're very welcome" in Namekan.
"You know, I just
don't know what's happening to me. I don't usually do that much thinking but
now I think a lot. It's totally strange."
"Thinking isn't all
that bad."
"It's messing up my
training. I can't concentrate on important things."
"What's taking up all
the space in your head?"
Goku was sitting next
to his friend, picking apart a weed. He sighed. He needed to talk to someone
about this. It had been his secret for the past few weeks.
"Don't tell anyone
but I'm thinking about Chantisu. I found out that when we were babies we were
promised to each other. To be mated when we were 18. I like her a lot and I
like being around her. She's very different. She's strong. She's smart. She's
peaceful and she doesn't yell."
Piccolo grunted.
"Well what are you
going to do about it?"
"I don't know. I have
an urge to be with her but because I'm married, I don't think I should. I know
in the end it would be okay but it would probably hurt Chi Chi anyway."
"Piccolo, what do you
think?"
"About Chantisu?"
"Yeah. I just talked
to you about it for a half hour." He rolled his eyes.
Piccolo grunted
again.
"Talk to Kami. I have
a feeling he is more in tune with this whole pre-destined-life thing."
"Hm. What would you
do?"
"I'd probably stop
eating for a week. See if that helped clear my mind."
He threw the weed
down and jumped up.
"Well, thanks for
listening. I'll go talk to Kami now."
Piccolo thought, why
is everyone thanking me these days? He just nodded once.
They took off in
opposite directions.
"Bulma, wake up!"
She felt her body
being turned over onto her back.
"Huh?" Vegeta nipped
her neck.
"Oh Vegeta, I was
sleeping."
"Yes, I know…." He
purred into her ear, running the familiar shivers up her spine. His hand
stroked her back following the nerve reaction to his voice.
She wrapped her arms
around his neck and pulled him down on top of her.
"You've been so tense
lately. What's going on?"
"Nothing." Nip.
"You're lying."
"I know." Another
nip.
She sighed and
relaxed into him. Of course he wouldn't share with her what was on his mind. He
never did.
But it didn't matter
when he did these kinds of things to her. All she wanted to know now was that
he'd do those things. It was exactly what he was planning.
He landed gently on the
beautifully groomed grounds of Kami's Lookout.
Goku was greeted by
Mr. Po po who was pulling weeds around a tree.
"Goku! What a
surprise." He winked.
"You've been
expecting me?"
"Yes, Kami has been
watching you closely. Go in." He pointed to doorway to Kami's palace.
He wasn't sure how he
felt about that. At least he shouldn't have to explain it all over again.
Walking into the high-ceilinged room, his feet clattered on the marble floor.
This place never failed to help him feel small, which wasn't a bad thing since
sometimes it seemed like the world depended on him way too much.
"Come Goku. Sit
before me and we'll talk."
Goku knelt down in
front of Kami. He laid his wrinkly green hand on the top of Goku's head. Goku
waited while Kami read him.
"You are deeply
troubled but yet excited."
"Yes, Kami, that's
true."
"She is part of you,
you know. It's pre-determined karma. You can ignore it but you can't escape
it."
Goku sighed, "That's
what I was afraid of."
He stood and then sat
on Kami's pallet.
"What should I do?"
"I am not here to
tell you what you should do. But I will share something with you. It would
please all the Gods if the children of the universe would love each other more.
We never meant for you to own each other. True love is free and true love is
not jealous."
"Whoa." Whispered
Goku. This idea felt right but his society didn't see it this way. He'd have to
follow his heart.
"Should I tell her?"
"Would you want to be
told?"
Goku sighed again.
"Yes. I would. Thank you, Kami." Goku touched his hand.
"Son, bring her. I
want to speak with her."
"Okay Kami. Sure."
The ships were flying
in a perfect V formation. The blue metallic hulls pierced the space before them
with a lightning speed that caused no sound. The beings inside were intensely
violet. Their faces were drawn in determination. Soon they'd be landing on
their next conquest. Soon they'd rule the Earth.
To places I do not want to go.
Sometimes I can come back and sometimes I can't
The places can be pleasant.
So pleasant I don't want to leave.
Chi Chi had finished
cleaning up the kitchen and was folding the last load of laundry for the night.
Goku had peeked in on
his sleeping son. He looked angelic, eyes closed and his cheeks were so round
and sweet.
Goku walked into the
bedroom and undressed.
His body was in
pretty good shape. He'd just been sparring really the last month. No real
battle wounds to heal up. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
Was he supposed to be
here?
His life was so normal,
so right. But such a different life had been planned for him. He rubbed the
spot where his tail had been. That supposed life was gone just like the tail.
He couldn't spend his energy thinking about something that might have been,
even if it had been planned.
He jumped into bed
and fell to sleep almost instantaneously, his hair making a spiked halo around
his peaceful face.
"Goku! Goku!" Chi Chi
was shaking him awake.
"Wha- Huh?"
"Goku, there's some
one creeping around outside!"
"Chi Chi, it's
probably some kind of animal. Come to bed."
Her answer was to
plant her fists on her hips and give him the "or else" stare.
He knew he wouldn't
get any more sleep until he got up and investigated the back yard thoroughly.
Sighing, he got up
and pulled on his pants. He didn't bother with his top.
The lawn was wet. It
had rained a bit making it hard to walk without making noise. He saw something
move out of the corner of his eye. He quickly spun right, ready for just about
anything. A figure was making a hasty retreat, cutting a path through the trees
like a rabbit. Goku took off as fast as he could without flying. He didn't want
to slam into a maple.
He caught up in a few
seconds. Reaching out, he grabbed the trespasser's shoulder spinning them
around to face him. His mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"Chantisu? What are
you doing?"
She looked at the
ground. She felt ashamed for sneaking around on Goku's lawn. She hadn't meant
to wake anyone. But mostly she was ashamed she'd been caught.
"I don't know. I was
going for a walk."
"Then why did you
run?"
Chantisu raised her
eyes. Oh mamma, he had no shirt on. He was so strong and perfect. She ripped
her eyes away from his chest.
"I don't know. I got
scared."
"Of me?"
Chantisu snorted,
"No!"
Goku reached back and
scratched his head.
"You're not making
alotta sense here. There's more to this than you're telling me."
Chantisu sighed. She
felt frustration well up inside her. She'd been caught and now she'd have to
tell the truth. She didn't want Goku to get suspicious.
She laid a hand on
his wrist.
"We need to talk."
"Okay."
"Away from here."
"Okay."
He turned so that
they could walk shoulder to shoulder. She wasn't as tall as he but not so short
that he couldn't catch her face in the moonlight through the corner of his eye.
Her hair was put up loosely and her cheeks looked creamy in the bright
moonlight.
They started walking
further from the house. Goku slapped his forehead.
"Oh man. Hold on a
minute. I have to let Chi Chi know everything's okay."
"Alright." Damn, she was
looking at his chest again. It was so hard not to.
"You, um, might want
to put a shirt on. I'll wait."
Goku turned and ran
toward the house. Chantisu watched the muscles in his shoulders shift as his
gait changed. Get over it girl, he's not for you she told herself.
"What happened? What
was it?"
"It was Chantisu. I'm
not sure why she's here. But she wants to talk to me. I'm going to walk her
back to her campsite."
"Oh." Chi Chi let
this sink in a bit. "Try not to make too much noise when you come in."
She reached up to
kiss his cheek goodnight.
"I'll be quiet as a
mouse. I promise."
"You know how much I
despise mice."
Goku laughed. "Yeah.
Ok."
He kissed her cheek
and turned to leave.
"Don't you want a
shirt?"
"Nah, it's not that
cold out."
He did, however, slip
on some reed flip-flops before heading out the door.
Chantisu was waiting
at the edge of lawn. She saw him coming and cursed him silently for not putting
a shirt on. It was going to make communicating clear thoughts even harder.
"Ready?"
She nodded and they
started walking. Goku waited as she gathered her courage and thoughts.
"Goku?"
"Hm?"
"I've been thinking a
lot lately. I'm feeling very strangely. I like it here and I like the new
friends I've made. I even like it that Prince Vegeta lives here. But…"
He waited patiently.
She didn't finish. He prompted, "but?"
"I don't feel like I
belong here. I feel off-balance most of the time. I'm lonely with no family and
no home. It's just…there isn't anyone really like me here."
Goku waited a moment then
answered, "Actually that isn't really true. We're both a lot alike. We were
both expected to be warriors who murdered innocent people. We both decided that
was not for us. We both used to have tails…" He grinned at his own joke.
He glanced at her
backside and she took the opportunity to look at his bare chest again. It was
sculpted and firm.
"What happened to
yours anyway?"
"Oh that. Well, it's
a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Yeah. I want to
know."
"Oh alright. Short
version though. I realized what a terrible thing I became when the moon was
full. I caused so much terror and pain. I had to change that. So, one day I
found a very sharp knife…"
"You did it by
yourself?" The shock was evident on his face.
"I bled for quite a
few days and it's still sensitive back there. I guess I should have had some
help."
Goku just shook his
head. This woman was really something. She was incredibly strong and
principled.
They walked quietly
for a bit, their shoulders brushing once in a while.
"This is the only
time I don't feel restless."
"When?"
"When I'm with you. I try not to think about how we were supposed to be
together. But it seems like that's all I can think about these days. I've tried
training harder with Piccolo and even fasting but nothing is working….Goku….I
just don't know what to do!"
With that exclamation
she dropped down onto the ground and began to weep into her hands.
"I know you have a
family and a wife. I love your wife! She's so good to me…." She hiccupped and
sobbed.
Goku knelt beside her
and pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her back. He laid
his cheek against her hair. It felt like home for both of them.
"Shh. It's ok. It'll
be okay."
She pulled slightly
away but not enough to break his grasp.
"How?" she managed to
squeak out.
He brushed the tears
from her cheeks.
"My love for Chi Chi
is always there. It will never waver. She knows that. Right now, you need me."
Chantisu shook her
head. This was not what she had wanted. She had just wanted to explain herself.
And yet it felt so good to be held by him, to be touched by him. It felt like
it was totally meant to be.
"What are you
saying?"
"I'm saying that I
can love Chi Chi and still love you too. It's okay."
"How can that be?
Won't she be furious?"
Goku laughed a bit at
that.
"Well, you'd think
so. But the truth is I've been thinking about you a lot too. I've wondered what
it would have been like living a totally Saiyan life with you. And you feel….so
comfortable to me."
He sat back on his
heels. That had been one of the longest speeches he'd ever made. He hoped it
had made sense. It had all just come rushing out of him. He took a breath.
"Chi Chi knows that
we're bonded for life. It won't change anything. And she wants me to experience
everything I want to experience. Why else would she let me run off to other
planets for months at a time? She knows I need to help people. And right now I
want to help you."
She looked at the
ground. Her hair fell around her face hiding it from him. She felt ashamed
again.
"I don't need your
help. I just want to be with you."
"I know. And I want
to be with you."
He gently lifted her
chin and looked into her hazel eyes. They were deep and he could see her heart.
It was pure and gentle. Leaning in so slowly that the seconds seemed like
minutes he brushed her forehead with his dry, warm lips. She leaned into the
kiss and experienced it fully, memorizing the way he felt to her.
*Poem by Tad Stuck.
Used with permission.