The Past Returns
Part Five
Ami helped Kaori and her daughter Talia in putting the food that Chi-Chi was cooking for Gogeta's birthday party up in containers. No one would want to eat now considering what happened. They arrived not too long after Goten called them. Everyone else was outside trying to figure this all out. Gogeta sat at the picnic table with Yamcha, Krillin, 18, Gohan, Videl, and Pan.
Gogeta thought about what Videl had told them, which wasn't much in his opinion. Videl told them that they guy who attacked her, Ox King and Chi-Chi didn't mention his name, that he knew someone who wanted Chi-Chi and the Ox King started this all by killing someone's father. Goku and Chi-Chi knew Ox King was a bad man in the past but he changed his ways upon meeting Goku so they never knew about the enemies the Ox King made, especially anyone from outer space, which left them with nothing to follow on.
Gogeta looked over to where his grandfather had fallen and saw Goku and Goten wrapping the Ox King in a large cloth. Ami had told them, she'll make a special coffin to put him in considering his size. There was talk of bringing the Ox King back with the dragon balls, but it didn't seem to be the right to do. They couldn't constantly use the dragon balls for their own needs. They had to make sacrifices and accept what life had given them. Gogeta's eyes drifted over to Vegeta and Trunks standing together far from everyone.
Vegeta looked as if his pride was hurt. Gogeta figured it was due to how easily he was beaten in the fight. Gogeta knew pride was very important to Vegeta and to be beaten like that must have angered and hurt him greatly. It angered Gogeta as well to be defeated like he was. He remembered Vegeta always speaking fondly of pride and embedding in him that he should always have it. Looking more closely, Vegeta looked as if he was upset about something else. Trunks was talking to Vegeta and the conversation looked to be serious. Gogeta wondered what that was about.
Sighing, he looked away. 'This is my fault,' Gogeta blamed himself. 'I couldn't protect my mother. I'm suppose to follow my father's footsteps into being the next world protector and look what happens.' He stood up and walked away from the picnic table to another table by his house where his gifts were on. There were several gifts in large and small boxes all decorated and wrapped nicely in various papers and bows. Gogeta looked in the window of his house and saw all the food that was prepared for his birthday party being put up by the women in the house now. He clenched his fist as his ki began to rise in anger.
'Some birthday this is. My grandfather was killed and my mother was kidnapped and taken to only Kami knows where.'
Gogeta's ki went even higher as his anger rose. He tried to sense out his mother's ki but he couldn't find it. Of course Goku tried and fail and he had a connection far deeper than anyone would ever have with his mother.
'I've been defeated…defeated by some aliens. I should've been stronger than this. I should've been able to handle them,' Gogeta thought to himself and his anger went even higher. This caused a ripple that everyone soon felt. The ground started to rumble violently, and everyone's eyes went to Gogeta who was causing the small earthquake.
Krillin fell on the ground as he lost his balance. Trunks and Vegeta held onto a tree to keep their balance as they looked at Gogeta in surprised. Everyone else either stumbled to the ground or held on to something or someone to keep their stability as Gogeta let out a roar of anger. A blinding light of energy escaped Gogeta's body and the earthquakes tripled.
Goku rushed to Gogeta's side. "Gogeta, stop! That's enough!" Goku ordered as he placed a hand on Gogeta's shoulder. "Calm down. Getting angry right now isn't going to solve anything!"
Gogeta lowered his ki and the earthquakes stopped. As everyone recovered from the quake, Gogeta faced his father angry. "It's my fault! I should've been stronger! I should've been able to beat those aliens! I should've been able to save my mother!"
"I know. I feel the same way. I feel I let Chi-Chi down, too, but the fact of the matter is that we were caught off guard. They were at full power when they fought us and we weren't," Goku said calmly. "Besides, we didn't know they were coming here to take her as you suspect. Trust me, if I had known they were coming after Chi-Chi, there's no way they would've gotten her."
"I know, Dad, but I should've never been caught off guard. I have Saiyan blood flowing in me. I'm part of a legendary race of great warriors and I couldn't save my own mother!"
"I know how you feel. My wife was taken from me. Don't worry, I promise we will find Chi-Chi no matter what," Goku assured Gogeta.
****
The first thing Iris noticed when she woke up was that she was surrounded by green men with two antennas sticking out of their heads. "Who are you? Where am I?"
Moori stepped forward out of the group of Nameks. "I am Moori, the Namek elder. You are on the new Namek. Your ship crashed on our planet. Who are you?"
Iris groaned as a stabbing pain hit her head painfully. She sat up and realized she had a bandaged right arm and large bandage wrapped around her head. She then realized what Moori had said. He was a Namek. She remembered reading about the Nameks being a peaceful race. "I'm sorry. I was shot down by my brother's warriors. I was trying to get to the planet Earth. You see, my brother intends to take a woman from her family and make her his bride. I was trying to warn the Earthlings but apparently my brother found out about it and had my ship shot down in order to kill me."
"We know some people on Earth. One of our Nameks is a guardian of the planet there. Perhaps he can help. What is this woman's name?" Moori asked.
"I don't know her last name, only her first--Chi-Chi. Do you think you might know her?" Iris asked.
Moori thought for a moment. "Chi-Chi? Hmm, I have heard of that name before, but I'm not sure where."
"Elder," a Namek spoke. "Isn't Chi-Chi the wife of Goku, the man who defeated Frieza?"
"You're right," Moori said. "She was with her son Gohan when we used the Namek dragon balls on Earth all those years ago to revive their friends. I wonder if this is the same woman. I should get in contact with Dende. He would know." Moori closed his eyes and concentrated to contact Dende by telepathy.
Dende stood on the edge of the Lookout with Popo. He was inside his home earlier when he felt a strange occurrence on the planet. "Hmm, for a while, the planet was disturb with alien force. I wasn't able to pinpoint their reasons to be here but they seem to be gone now."
Dende. Can you hear me, Dende?
Dende stopped concentrating on the Earth and looked upwards. "Moori, is that you?"
Yes, Dende. A woman crashed on our planet. She was heading to Earth to prevent a woman name Chi-Chi from being taken away from her family. The only woman we know as Chi-Chi is the wife of Goku. Is she all right?
"I don't know, Elder. I did sense a strange disturbance on the Earth, but it wasn't near Goku's home. However, Chi-Chi isn't a common name," Dende thought aloud as he saw Piccolo land on the Lookout. Piccolo left two days ago to do some intense meditation. "We can check it out for sure if you like."
Thank you, Dende.
Dende walked to Piccolo. "Piccolo, we need to go to Goku's house to check on his wife."
Piccolo was taken back by the request. "Why?"
"I just received a message from Moori. He said a woman crashed on the new Namek. She was coming to Earth to stop a woman named Chi-Chi from being kidnapped."
"And you think it's Goku's Chi-Chi?" Piccolo guessed and turned around, heading to the edge of the Lookout. "All right. Let's go."
When Piccolo and Dende arrived at the Son's house, everyone was still outside thinking on what to do to find Chi-Chi. The two Nameks immediately knew something had happened and it was the Chi-Chi they knew that was kidnapped.
"Chi-Chi's been kidnapped," Piccolo said stating the obvious.
Goku looked up and saw Piccolo and Dende landing before him. "Hi, guys," he said sadly. "How did you know?"
"I just received a telepathic message from Moori. He told me that a woman was on her way to Earth to stop Chi-Chi from being kidnapped. We weren't for sure if it was your wife until we arrived," Dende explained.
"What?" Gogeta said jumping out of his seat and approaching the Nameks. "Where is she?"
"Moori said her ship was shot down and that she crashed on Namek," Dende explained.
"We have to get to her now, Dad," Gogeta told his father. "She can help us find Mom."
"You're right. I'm going to the New Namek to get this woman."
"I'm going with you," Gogeta said.
"All right," Goku agreed. "We'll go to the Lookout first. I can get a better concentration on the New Namek there with Instant Transmission."
Goku and Gogeta put two fingers on their foreheads and disappeared, using Instant Transmission. The two appeared on the Lookout. They said hello to Mr. Popo and Goku concentrated on finding the ki to the New Namek's planet. Gogeta put a hand on his father's shoulder to be transported since he didn't know the way to the New Namek.
****
Gogeta looked around in amazement upon seeing the New Namek. He had never been anywhere outside his home planet. It looked so serene, peaceful and very bright with the strange green sky. His curious and adventurous side was getting the best of him and he wanted to travel this planet.
"Come on, son. We don't have time to sightsee," Goku said already knowing what Gogeta was thinking.
Gogeta snapped to attention. "Oh, right, Dad," Gogeta said and followed his father to the Namek village.
Goku found Moori's ki inside a small hut. When Goku and Gogeta entered, they saw the Nameks surrounding a woman in bed with a bandaged right arm and head.
"Ah, Goku, you've arrived," Moori said. He looked passed Goku to see Gogeta and noticed an odd resemblance between Vegeta and Goku in the young man. "Who is he?"
"Hi, Moori," Goku said. "This is my son, Gogeta."
"Hi!" Gogeta said cheerfully.
"Your son?" Moori said surprised.
Gogeta's smile quickly faded into a frown as he wondered what Moori meant about that reaction. He ignored it as he noticed the bandaged woman in the room. "This woman knows about my Mom?" Gogeta asked.
"Uh, yes," Moori said still looking at Gogeta. 'Strange, he looks like Vegito when he came to Namek all those years ago.'
Gogeta walked passed Moori to the woman in the bed. "Can you tell me who took my mother and who killed my grandfather?"
The news about Gogeta's grandfather's death startled Iris. "The Ox King is dead?"
"Yes," Gogeta answered. "Tell us what you know."
"We can take you back to Earth with us and give you some senzu beans and then you can tell us about Chi-Chi," Goku suggested.
"Okay," Iris agreed.
Gogeta picked Iris up and walked over to his father. "Let's go."
"Thanks for telling us, Moori," Goku said and placed a hand on Gogeta's shoulder and used his other hand to perform Instant Transmission.
The three vanished and returned to the Lookout and then to their home. Everyone looked to attention when Goku, Gogeta and Iris returned.
"Trunks, give her a senzu bean," Goku said.
Trunks took out a senzu bean in front of Iris. "What is that?" Iris asked.
"It's a senzu bean. It's suppose to heal you," Trunks explained.
Iris didn't believe it. A bean healing an injured person. "A bean? That's impossible."
"It really works," Trunks said and put it in her mouth.
Iris chewed the bean and moments after she swallowed it, she felt her strength returning and her wounds healing. Gogeta sat Iris on her feet and she removed the bandages around her head and on her right arm. "Incredible. I'm healed. Are those beans magical?"
"Yeah," Gogeta answered quickly. "Tell us what you know about my mother," Gogeta said impatiently.
Iris noted Gogeta was an impatient person, but given the circumstances, she understood. "My name is Iris. I come from the planet Olympus. This started over fifty years ago. The former king of my planet, Ares, came to Earth in means of conquering it, but he was defeated by the Ox King. Ares return to his planet mortally wounded. As a final request, Ares told his son, Apollo to avenge his death. Apollo has been training for decades to do that. Several years ago, he checked up on Earth to see the Ox King and that was when he noticed Chi-Chi. Apollo decided the best way to avenge his father's death was to kidnapped Chi-Chi, make her his wife and force her to have his children."
Goku's fists clenched angrily and a vein popped on the side of his head, emphasizing how upset he was and how angry he was continuing to get. Gogeta, Gohan and Goten's expression were the same as Goku's. Trunks looked to his father to see what he was thinking but Vegeta kept up the cold, solitary stance of his arms folded and his face impassive. Whatever Vegeta was thinking, he wasn't showing it.
Iris continued. "I tried to come here in time to stop them but my ship was shot down by the ones who captured Chi-Chi."
"The first thing we have to do is find a way to Olympus," Ami said. "Iris, since you came from that planet, can you tell me the coordinates so I can plot a flight plan?"
Iris nodded. "Of course."
"There's one thing I'd like to know," Vegeta spoke eyeing Iris cautiously. "Why are you so eager to help us? If Apollo's the son of Ares, isn't he your king? Aren't you loyal to him?"
"He killed our mother. You see, Apollo is my half-brother. After his father died, our mother fell in love with another man and had me. Apollo had her killed because of that not long after my birth. He only kept me alive because I'm the only heir left. Now that he has Chi-Chi in his possession, he plans to marry her immediately, make her have his children, and once an heir is produced, he was going to kill me. Since Chi-Chi is in his possession now, he knows I'm of no use and will rush to marry and impregnate Chi-Chi."
"But that's not possible," Goku spoke. "Chi-Chi can't have anymore children."
"Why not?" Iris asked.
"Chi-Chi's too old to have any children."
Iris' eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How can that be? From the information we have on her, she has to be fifty-four. She's still very fertile."
"Maybe to you, but not to humans," Kaori said, sitting besides Yamcha. "Females on this planet become infertile starting in their late forties to fifties."
"Really?" Iris said stunned. "I didn't know your lifespan was so short. My people don't become infertile until much later. This isn't good. If Apollo finds out Chi-Chi is infertile, she can be in greater danger than I realized."
"What do you mean by that?" Goku asked.
"Well, if Chi-Chi can't have children, Apollo won't have any use for her, therefore he may kill her."
"I won't let that happen!" Gogeta shouted angrier than ever. "We have to get to Olympus now! I'm leading the attack in and I will take care of Apollo!"
"Gogeta, no! You're not experienced enough for that," Goku said.
"I want to do it," Gogeta said firmly. "You told me that you wanted me to take your place as world protector one day because you won't be around forever. It's what I've been training to do all my life. I want to fight Apollo. I want to prove myself. You've been through enough fights, Dad. It's time for someone else to fight to protect the innocent and I can do it. Let me prove myself."
There was so much of himself and Vegeta inside of Gogeta that it amazed Goku everyday. Gogeta was right. It was time for him to step down and let someone else be the hero. Goku did that with Gohan when he faced Cell, but Gohan took that job on with much reluctance. Gogeta took it on willingly. He pushed himself in training just as much as Gohan did, but his will to be stronger was much different from Gohan's. Sure Gogeta wanted to protect like Gohan and his father did, but Gogeta loved to fight and wanted to be stronger than everyone else. Gohan never wanted that. Gogeta had both his father's will to be stronger than anyone else, but he had Goku's love to protect people weaker than him. Given the way he was raised by Goku and Chi-Chi, it helped shaped him in the man he was becoming.
"All right," Goku agreed. "You will fight Apollo while the rest of us will fight off his warriors and rescue Chi-Chi."
Gogeta nodded. "I won't let you down, Dad."
"Ami, how soon can you get a ship ready to go to Olympus?" Gohan asked.
"As soon as I find the fastest direction to get to Olympus, not to mention the food that has to be stocked in the ship and packing…" she worked everything in her head. "I say it will take us a day and a half if I get started on it now."
"Once you tell Ami the coordinates, Iris, you can stay with us until we leave," Videl offered.
"Wait a minute. What about a ship?" Yamcha asked. "Do you have one ready now that will leave in a day and a half?"
"There's a ship ready at Capsule Corp. I've been remodeling the one Dr. Brief created that Chi-Chi and the others were going to use to get to Namek. I've been working on it because I wanted to travel to the new Namek planet after hearing the stories Bulma and Gohan told me. I've never been in outer space before or to another planet. It sounds like fun," Ami said. She heard Trunks groaned but continued. "Anyway, the new ship is able to seat eight instead of five. I'm going--"
"No, you're not!" Trunks argued.
"You need me to pilot the ship to Olympus and to fix it in case something happens," Ami explained and looked around to everyone else. "I know Goku and Gogeta are going but who else?"
"Not me," Krillin said. "I quit fighting and I'm too old. If you guys got defeated when you were tired, I don't stand a chance against them. Plus, I've been on enough outer space adventures to last me a lifetime."
"You're just too lazy," 18 snorted.
"Are you going, Dad?" Talia asked her father.
Yamcha shook his head. "I'm with Krillin on this one."
"I'm going," Goten said. "I want to help rescue mom."
"Trunks and I will go as well," Vegeta said. "The rest of you will stay here. There's no need for anyone else to go. We were caught off guard today. We won't be again. I'll show those freaks what happens when they mess with Saiyans."
"Saiyans?" Iris repeated. "You're a Saiyan? I thought your race was wiped out by Frieza."
"It was but Vegeta and I are the only full bloodied Saiyans left. Gohan, Goten, Gogeta, Trunks and Pan are our descendents," Goku explained.
"This is a surprise. Wow, you might have a chance after all. Apollo and his warriors are very strong but since he's going up against Saiyans… we've heard of your race, but we thought you were all gone."
"Okay, then. It's settled," Ami jumped in. "Iris and I we'll work on finding the fastest way to Olympus while you guys get packing."
****
The rest of the evening was spent with everyone staying to eat the food Chi-Chi had cooked. They knew no matter what, Chi-Chi wouldn't want her food going to waste but no one's heart was in eating the meal. Well, only for a little while. Once Goku, Gogeta, Goten, Gohan, started eating, they went to it like there was no tomorrow while Vegeta and the others ate the delicious food more diligently. As Ami plotted a flight plan to Olympus on her mini computer. Iris answered more questions from Gohan about the type of people on Olympus and what the planet was like. Goku, Gogeta and Vegeta listened carefully as well since they were going to the planet. They need to know all they could about their enemy.
After dinner and cleaning up, Gogeta went upstairs to his room. He started packing for the trip immediately. Goten and Goku had helped him bring the gifts to his room. Gogeta hadn't bothered to open his gifts. He didn't want to do that until his mother was back. He looked at the gifts on his desk and out of all of them one stood out. It was a box in dark blue wrappings and an orange bow. He walked over and saw a letter attached to it. From the handwriting, it was written from his mother, but the gift was from both his parents.
"You're 18 now and you're and adult. I've come to terms with your decision to be a world protector like your father. I'll just have to trust in you to do your best and come home safely. Your father and I have discussed this and we both agree that before you face your future, you must come to terms with your past."
Gogeta blinked confused. "What in the world was mother talking about?" He placed his hands on the box about to open it but suddenly stopped. "No. I said I wouldn't open my gifts until Mom was back." He grabbed the box and put it his duffle bag. "I'll take it with me and open it on the ship with Mom."
After packing, he zipped his bags up and placed them on the floor by the door. Gogeta then noticed the blueprints for his school on his desk. It reminded him of the time he told Chi-Chi his decision to tell his mother about his future.
"Hey, Mom. Need help with dinner?" Gogeta asked as he came down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Chi-Chi looked over at her son and smiled. "I can always use some help. Are your hands clean?"
"Of course," Gogeta said walking over to his mother. "I know not to come in your kitchen with dirty hands."
Chi-Chi was making cinnamon rolls for dessert. Most of dinner was ready. All everyone was waiting on was Goku and Goten to bring the fish for dinner. She had rolled the dough up in a log and was cutting it into slices. She had log on another cutting board ready to be cut. "Take that other log on that cutting board, cut it into slices and place them on that pan over there."
"Gotcha," Gogeta said. He did what he was told, and as he was cutting the cinnamon rolls his mother spoke to him.
"So, what am I being buttered up for?"
"Buttered up? I'm not doing that. I'm just helping my mother with dinner."
"Yes, as a kid you didn't mind helping me, but as you got older whenever you wanted to help me around the house you had an ulterior motive whether it was to spend an extra hour training with your Dad or Vegeta or spend more time with your brothers instead of your lessons. So, what is it this time?"
Gogeta knew his mother had him there. She could always figure him out. "You got me. I wanted to talk to you about my future."
"And?"
"Well, I've decided not to go to college. What I've learned from the books is great but it's not what I want to do. I'm not a scholar like Gohan."
"You and Goten were alike like that. At least you two did get an education unlike your father. What is it you want to do? Fight? You know you can't make a living on that," Chi-Chi told him as she placed the last of the cinnamon rolls on the pan.
"I've been thinking about that. I thought I could open up a Martial Arts School."
"That takes a lot of money," Chi-Chi said wiping her hands clean on her apron.
"I know. That's why I went to Hercule. You know he is going to retire from fighting and close his Martial Arts School."
"He is?" Chi-Chi said surprised. "Videl never mentioned that."
"Well, it's just that it's very recent. I had a talk with Hercule and he realized retiring was the right thing to do," Gogeta said casually as he finished cutting the cinnamon roll and place them on the pan.
Chi-Chi who was putting her pan in the oven looked back at Gogeta. "What exactly did you tell him?" she said suspiciously.
"I convinced him it was time he retired since he was getting too old pulling the charades he was doing. I can't believe people still think he beat Cell."
"You weren't born around that time, Gogeta and the people were very convinced that he was the champ instead of a goof," Chi-Chi explained and then laughed at the statement herself. "He fooled them quite well."
Gogeta raised a doubtful eyebrow at his mother. "Cell destroyed a whole army with a sweep of his hand and Hercule fooled the planet that he was the strongest by breaking a stack of phone books and punching a hole into a bus?" He shook his head and resumed his task. "Vegeta's right. Humans are gullible."
"Need I remind you that you're half human," Chi-Chi told him.
Gogeta laughed. "I am and proud of it. I'm a child to a smart human. Anyway, I also told Hercule I was going to enter the next Martial Arts competition and when I win, I'll open up my own school. Hercule decided it was best to retire and he's going to give me the money to open up a school. Goten is going to help me teach the students. We'll both be making a good living that way. Plus this scores points for Goten with 18. You know how she is with money and she didn't want her daughter dating a guy who couldn't support himself financially."
"That's true," Chi-Chi agreed. 'He got his persuasiveness from Vegeta that's for sure.' "If this is what you want and it makes you happy, all right."
Gogeta put his pan in the oven and closed the door. "Really? You're not mad."
"No, you're making a living and that's what I wanted for my children. Gohan's making it as a scholar and you and Goten are going to make one with this school. Plus, I know you will do your best to come home safely. It won't stop me worrying about you though." Chi-Chi said as she pulled her son in a hug. "I'm proud of you no matter what you do."
Gogeta returned the hug. "Thanks, Mom."
Gogeta stared at a picture on his desk next to the blueprints. In the picture were his parents, brothers and grandpa. "Grandpa, I promise to avenge your death. Mom, we're coming to rescue you."
To Be Continued
Joanna: My ideas are bland? I think their pretty good, different and original. I have to disagree with your review on that. I like how I write my stories and a lot of other people do to so I must have some appeal if they keep reviewing and reading it. Although I love DB, I'm more interested in the DBZ stories so I will continue to write in that time period. I seem to think I have good cliffhangers and surprises so I don't see how you're not wondering what will happen next. I try my best but I'm not good with detailed descriptions and I prefer to not to use a lot of similes and metaphors in my stories. That's just the way I write.
Raquel: Yeah, this one has a lot more action than Unexpected Love. I think in my author's notes in the beginning I labeled it Romance/Drama/Action-Adventure.
Xshiny: Now that school is out, you'll have more time.
Negi Ramen: Yeah, where have you been! Hee. Hee. Oh, you're gonna hate Kira even more. Hee. Hee. DB should be ending soon. Yeah, I feel bad about killing the Ox King off especially now seeing him on DB.
Moon Girl: You might be surprise at who fights whom.
GD: Could that third thumb be from Gohan? Maybe because you're used to seeing Inuyasha at night that it's easier to sleep? ::shrugs::
Lady Athena: I always liked the Nameks. I guess because they were so peaceful and helpful to Krillin, Gohan and Bulma on Namek and how they helped out at the end of DBZ.
Sammi: Thanks for the answers! I have a couple of more questions. I can't help myself. This fulfills a little fantasy of mine of if I had a chance to talk to G/CC what would I ask. Goku, when you discovered ChiChi was pregnant with Gohan, what was your reaction? Did you even know what pregnant meant?
Jen: Thanks. Vegeta and Gogeta will have more interaction together.
Gogirl: Favorite couple has to be tortured some. It shows how much they love each other. ::reads prediction:: I won't confirm nor deny. I'll leave you in the dark. Hee. Hee. About the spoilers, while you may want to read ahead and learn what happens there are others that do not, who prefer to wait to see what happens. There was no need to tell me about DB. If I wanted to see the rest of the eps, I could easily go to CN to check the schedule. I thought you were aware I tape all DB episodes and I bought several DVDs of the show and I'm going to buy Part Two of the Piccolo Jr. Saga so there wasn't a need to tell me in advance. I don't plan to make this as long as UL but it is unfinished and yes, I've see The Princess Bride.
Chuquita: You'll find out in the next chapter about Apollo.
CB: Some christen school. You're gonna have to wait on those questions. I'll throw in sneak peaks every now and then like Apollo meeting ChiChi in the next chapter. G/CC wedding is very soon. Too bad you can't watch it, they were showing a lot of nice G/CC moments this week.
Danichan: Wow, you got a lot of people coming over for Thanksgiving. Maybe you can invite Goku over with a chance of food actually being left for you.