The Past Returns

Part Eighteen

Iris carried Vegeta's wounded body in her arms delicately. She was searching for her way out of the castle but with the palace as damaged as it was with floors collapsing on top of each other, hallways destroyed and blocked by numerous debris, it was difficult for her to find a way out of the place she grew up in all her life. Iris knew this palace as she did the back of her hand but in its damaged condition, it was more like a maze now. Iris was sure the guards, servants and maids had long escape the castle, knowing it was no longer safe for them. With the blasts and violent earthquakes Gogeta and Apollo creating, Iris knew the castle itself won't be standing for long.

A loud, trembling thunder shook the palace again. Iris hid herself in a doorway and covered Vegeta's body with her own to prevent it from getting hit with the falling ceiling and other fragments. It was Gogeta raising his power even higher again. She wondered how he was doing. A large chunk of the ceiling fell on her back, but it didn't hurt her. When Iris opened her eyes, she stared at Vegeta's face which was mere inches from hers. She thought about how he didn't like her when she questioned him about Gogeta and their similarities. Iris didn't hate Vegeta for that. She understood. If she was in that situation, she would've responded the same way. It was a shame to her that it had to come to this.

'I told him. I told Gogeta not to take Apollo lightly, but he wouldn't listen. Now, his own father is gone. I should've gotten through to him. There's only one thing I can do for you now.'

Iris placed a hand on Vegeta's wounded stomach. Her eyes glowed silver as did her hand. Slowly the wounds on Vegeta's stomach and back were sealing up. The skin healed as if nothng had happened. She couldn't bring back the dead but she could heal the wound so it wouldn't look so horrible. "You may be dead but at least your wounds are closed up now."

Iris' sharp hearing picked up something familiar and very faint as she felt Vegeta's body pressed to hers. She placed her ear to his chest. Quietly, she listened and felt a weak thump. It was gone again. Iris kept her ear on his chest to listen for it again. There it was. A tiny thump, but it was getting weaker.

"Oh my…he's alive," Iris gasped. Vegeta's heartbeat was very weak but it was there. She couldn't believe it. Vegeta was still alive! In all the confusion, anger and emotions going on between Iris and Gogeta when Vegeta had fallen, it was likely they would fail to hear his heart slowly beating, especially with his ki nearly gone. "You're a stubborn man, aren't you?" She laughed on an insane high of joy. "But even someone as strong as you won't hold out much longer unless I do something about it."

Iris placed a hand on Vegeta's chest where his heartbeat grew slower and slower with each passing second. Her hand glowed silver like eyes and that strange aura soon surround Vegeta's body. Once it dissipated, Iris placed her ear to Vegeta's chest. His heart beat a little livelier. "Oh, good. It's beating a little faster but his ki is still low."

After the quakes stopped, Iris rose and looked in the direction where the battle was taking place. "You've got to come out alive now, Gogeta. Vegeta is still with us."

Trunks was in the lead as he ran to his find his father. Goten and Trunks felt Gogeta's rise in energy on the other side of the castle but felt Iris' ki much further away. If anyone was with Vegeta, it would be her.

"I feel Iris nearby," Trunks said as they ran around the corridor. Trunks stopped in his running when he saw Iris holding Vegeta in her arms. "Dad!" Trunks called out and raced to Iris. His face paled when he saw how badly hurt his father was. It was worst than what he had imagined. When he met Iris' eyes with his own, he noticed she was smiling. His father was dead and she was smiling?!

"How can you smile at a time like this?!" Trunks snapped at Iris.

"He lives," Iris spoke relieved. "I thought he was dead myself but I felt a faint heartbeat. I gave him some of my ki. It's stabilizing him."

Trunks pressed his ear to his father's chest. "I hear it! It's faint but steady!" He took his father out of Iris' arms. "Ami has a room where my Dad can be healed. Let's go!"

"How do we get out?" Ami asked. "We have to get Vegeta to the ship fast."

"I'll make a way for us," Goten said. He put his hands back performing his father's infamous technique. "Ka…me…ha…me…ha!" He aimed the blast at a nearby wall. It created a giant hole that tore through the wall, making enough space for all of them to get out. This of course caused a minor tremor. The castle was on its last legs now and couldn't take anymore hits.

"That's one way of doing it, Goten, but we could've been hurt. This castle is going to crash in soon," Iris pointed out a little upset. "Let's hope the other are all right."

Goten smiled confidently. "Dad has Mom. He'll keep her safe and I'm sure Gogeta will come out alive."

"Let's hope so," Iris said and flew out the giant hole first. Trunks was next as he carried his father. Ami flew out thanks to her hover belt and Goten was last.

****

"Let me go, you barbarian!" Chi-Chi yelled at Goku as she pounded his back with her fists. "Is this how you always carried me?!"

"No, but you leave me no choice. I don't want to do this, Chi-Chi."

"Then why are you?!" Chi-Chi yelled.

"Because I have no choice. Apollo viciously took you from me. He's the evil one not me." As Goku said that, a troubling question came to mind, He placed Chi-Chi down on her feet, desperately needing the answer. "Were you going to marry him?"

Chi-Chi suddenly felt embarrassed and disgusted at the thought of marrying Apollo now. "He said that I was promised to him as children, but you took me from him. Seeing I was promised to him, I felt I should go ahead and marry him. My father wouldn't have betrothed us if he felt it was wrong. Everything may be confusing now, but I have a strong feeling of my father promising me to someone."

"He did," Goku nodded in agreement. "He promised you to me."

"I don't remember that."

"You would've if Apollo hadn't erased your memory, but if you think hard enough and concentrate, you will remember I was promised to you."

"Yeah, right." Chi-Chi scoffed. Somehow, Chi-Chi felt he was being honest, but with her memory wiped, Chi-Chi still had doubts. "How in the world I got promised to you?"

"Your father promised me to you if I found you since you left to get help to save your father's castle. I didn't understand what he was talking about when he said you can be my wife, and later after we were married, you felt I initiated the thought of marriage when I touched you."

Chi-Chi looked lost. "Touch me? Touch me where?"

"Here," Goku said and placed his hand on Chi-Chi's crotch. Chi-Chi's face turned a dark shade of pink. She couldn't believe he would be so bold. "Do you remember now? Concentrate, Chi-Chi."

His touch felt familiar that she wasn't repulsed by him. Goku forced Chi-Chi to stare in his eyes and concentrate on searching for the truth. She felt herself remembering an old childhood memory that through the bond she shared with her husband was finally coming to surface.

Goku and Chi-Chi were flying fast on Nimbus. Chi-Chi held onto Goku's hand because she felt with the speed Nimbus was going, she would fall off. With Goku's help, Chi-Chi hoped to save her father's castle.

Goku looked at Chi-Chi confused. Was this human holding his hand a girl or boy? Only one way to find out. Goku place a foot on Chi-Chi's crotch and gently patted her. He smiled, discovering who she was.

"You don't have a boy's wee-wee, do you? You must be a girl!" Goku thought cheerfully.

Chi-Chi, embarrassed Goku touched her in such an intimate spot, screamed. She then pushed Goku off the flowing cloud. "Get your hand off me!!"

Goku screamed and fell to the ground and Chi-Chi crashed into a giant rock boulder. After getting their bearings, the two kids were back on Nimbus onto Roshi's island. Chi-Chi was still fuming upset and kept a good distance from Goku so he wouldn't try that again. Goku rubbed his sore head confused at why the girl pushed him off the cloud like that.

"Oww! What did I do to deserve that?"

"You did plenty!" Chi-Chi yelled back. While Goku's back was to her, Chi-Chi blushed. 'Since he touched me there, it must mean I be his wife.'

Chi-Chi gasped in shock at the memory. She look at Goku in disbelief that he did that to her when they were kids. "What kind of child were you?!"

"A naive one," Goku said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "So, you do remember."

Before Chi-Chi could respond, they heard and felt a large trembling around them. The 'quakes' were starting again and debris from the floor above them. Goku put his arms around Chi-Chi protecting her from falling debris. Chi-Chi buried her face in Goku's chest and he held her closer to him. "What's going on?" Chi-Chi asked scared.

Goku knew exactly what was causing these quakes. Gogeta must be in a tremendous battle with Apollo to reach the ascended Saiyan level. "Gogeta. He's doing this."

"Who?" Chi-Chi asked baffled.

"Gogeta? He's our son, Chi-Chi."

Chi-Chi looked at him astonished. "I thought Gohan was our son."

Now it was Goku who looked confused. "We do have a son named Gohan, but I didn't tell you about him." He then smiled as it dawned on him. "Chi-Chi, you're remembering!"

Chi-Chi pulled herself from Goku's embrace, despite the risk of heavy debris falling on her. She shook her head in denial. "No, I'm not. I'm not remembering anything."

But that smile never left Goku's face. "Yes, you are." As the room continued to shake, Goku saw that floor above Chi-Chi was going to crash on her. "Chi-Chi!!" Goku cried out and with tremendous speed pushed Chi-Chi out of the way.

Chi-Chi fell on the ground several feet from Goku and watched as the floor above Goku came crashing in on him. Heavy pieces of metal and concrete fell on the Saiyan. Once it all fell in, Chi-Chi couldn't find Goku's body anywhere under the heavy pile. Chi-Chi looked up at the giant hole in the floor caused by the earthquakes and realized she would've been dead if Goku hadn't pushed her out of the way.

"He…he did it again." Chi-Chi thought back to when they were in her room and the ceiling and chandelier came crashing in and Goku saved her by shielding his body over hers. "He saved my life. Saiyans are cruel and vicious. Why would he risk his life for mine… again?"

Chi-Chi stood and stared at the pile of the debris over Goku. 'Go! Now's your chance to get away from the Saiyan! He's going to kill you when it's over!' Chi-Chi took a step back as if following that voice in her head.


"No!" Chi-Chi suddenly yelled out to no one in particular. Chi-Chi wasn't sure why but something inside her was ignoring that evil voice in her mind that ordered her to leave. "I can't…leave him." Where was that strong emotion to stay with Goku coming from? An hour ago she hated him. Now, she was caring for him and didn't want to leave him hurt like this.

Chi-Chi rushed to the debris and began pulling it off Goku. She knocked away heavy concrete and metal floors, tiles and furniture that crashed in above on Goku. She didn't care how heavy it was. All she knew was that she had to get it off Goku. After much digging, Chi-Chi saw a hand. "Please…be all right."

Chi-Chi kept pulling the debris away until she was able to pull out Goku's body. She saw part of his shirt was torn and his eyes were closed. "Please be unconscious and not dead," Chi-Chi begged and felt for a pulse. She laughed in relief when she felt one--a strong one at that. "He's just knocked out." Chi-Chi leaned against him feeling his strong heartbeat against her ear. "You're going to be okay."

Chi-Chi stared at Goku's face musing over her feelings thus far. "Why am I so worried about you? I thought I hated you, but I'm not feeling hate towards you. How can you do this to me?"

There was another rumble not as strong as the previous one and Chi-Chi felt the floor below her give away. Chi-Chi screamed as she and Goku fell through the floor below them and the floor below that. The whole palace was coming apart with these attacks on the castle. Chi-Chi shielded her body over Goku's protecting him, but oddly as they fell, Goku's body was shielding hers from the debris and rubble.

They passed through the rest of the floors of the palace and were now falling through what looked to be the final floor. Chi-Chi saw they were going to crash into the pool and with the height they were falling, it was going to be a hard fall. Chi-Chi screamed even louder and in the air Goku's unconscious body was maneuvered so he would fall first breaking the fall and taking most of the blow. Chi-Chi didn't understand it since she didn't move Goku. She figured the air was doing it.

As they crashed in the water, so did the other debris that was coming with them. Goku and Chi-Chi were separated once they crashed in the pool. Chi-Chi swam over to Goku and moved his body out of the way so it wouldn't get hit with any heavy debris. Chi-Chi put one of Goku's arms over her shoulder and swam the two of them to the surface. She pushed Goku's body out of the water and then her own.

Chi-Chi looked over Goku as it appeared that his body was still unconscious. "He might have breathed in some of the water." She looked nervous at what she had to do. "I…guess I should breathe air into him."

Chi-Chi placed her hands over Goku's chest and pounded on it three times. She then elevated his head and breathed air into his mouth. Chi-Chi ignored the warm feelings she got from placing her lips on Goku's and concentrated on reviving him. She pulled away and pounded on his chest again. Chi-Chi breathed air into his mouth once more and Goku coughed. Chi-Chi moved back, thinking Goku would awaken but he laid there with his eyes closed.

Ten minutes passed and Goku still lied unconscious. Chi-Chi pushed a wet bang off his face worried. "Oh, Goku." She saw his skin was cut on his right arm. It must've gotten cut when he fell through all those floors. Chi-Chi tore a scrap off the ends of her already torn dress and wrapped the wound on Goku's arm.

"He said I lost my memory. I don't understand, but the memories I had of you hurting me are becoming faint. I'm having trouble remembering them and the more I'm with you, the more I feel comfortable with you. It doesn't feel like a spell is on me. Something in my heart is telling me that I can't leave you."

Chi-Chi took Goku's right hand and held it in her own. "You risked your life for me--twice and I haven't shown the least bit of gratitude. I could leave right now, but I can't leave you. Where would I go anyway? I didn't want to marry Apollo. I felt I had to because he said I was promised to him, but now… promise or not…I don't want to be with him. I want to stay with you."

Chi-Chi ran her fingers through his hair. "You have beautiful black hair. How comes it sticks out everywhere but feels so soft? You're kind of cute. I don't know all that has happened between me and you, but my gut is telling me to stick with you."

There was another tremble and Chi-Chi held Goku close to her crying because Goku had not awakened. She feared he would never wake up. "Please wake up," Chi-Chi begged and buried her face in his chest. "Please."

Chi-Chi felt a strong hand in her black hair, running gently through her soft tresses and massaging her scalp. Chi-Chi pulled back immediately and saw Goku opening his eyes. "Goku?"

Goku smiled at Chi-Chi and let out a sigh of relief. "I think Vegeta was right. A bond between a Saiyan and his partner is strong. I wasn't sure I could get through you."

Chi-Chi looked perplexed. "You mean that you weren't unconscious? You weren't hurt?"

"Well, yeah I was hurt, but you didn't want to admit your feelings for me. I thought if I pretended to be unconscious something may happen and you would remember or show your feelings for me. That way you can't deny it." He saw Chi-Chi starting to get angry. That wasn't good but then it was as it proved his Chi-Chi was coming back. "Do you know how hard it was for me to hold back any screaming? That really hurt falling through all those floors and then crashing in the water."

"You tricked me?" Chi-Chi asked angry. "I was worried about you and you tricked me?!" Chi-Chi starting hitting Goku with her fist though it wasn't having any affect on him. "This is just how you scared me when you fought Piccolo! It's not funny scaring me like that!"

Goku grabbed Chi-Chi's fists. "Whether you realized it or not, but your memory is coming back." He pulled her against him and kissed her passionately as if he thought he was never going to be with her again. Even if she fought him, Goku wasn't going to let her go. He was too happy to see that she was coming back to him.

Chi-Chi was startled by the force of the kiss. It held such passion and love so much like the kiss he gave her in her room. Chi-Chi still wasn't sure about Goku since her memories were slowly coming back in different pieces but her heart was telling her this was right and she was going to follow it.

****

Gogeta flew at Apollo with such speed that Apollo didn't have time to dodge when Gogeta delivered an uppercut that sent Apollo flying upwards. Gogeta flew with quick speed to catch up to Apollo in the air. He grabbed Apollo by his left arm and leg and bent Apollo's body on his knee. Apollo cried out in pain. Gogeta slammed Apollo's back on his knee again this time drawing blood from his mouth. Gogeta swung Apollo over his head and threw him to the floor.

Apollo sat up and wiped the blood from his mouth. "So, you are strong when you fight with your head. Just because you've wised up in battle doesn't mean you will defeat me!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, you seem to be fighting as worthless as before."

"That's because I'm letting you fight at your top level." He smirked evilly at Gogeta. "How about we even it up and you let me fight at my top lever? That way we will know who's the strongest. You wouldn't want to defeat me thinking I didn't give it my best, would you?"

Gogeta knew this trick. Both his fathers made this same mistake before with Frieza and Cell. Gogeta himself always thought he wouldn't fall for the trick but the temptation to fight someone with great power was too tempting. Like Goku told him once--'You can win if you think you can win. It doesn't always come from brute strength, but with knowledge and strategy.' Besides, what kind of Saiyan would Gogeta be if he and his opponent didn't fight at their best?

"If you think that would make you fight better, then go ahead. I'll still win."

'Sucker,' Apollo thought smugly. 'These Saiyans are nothing but idiots.' Apollo screamed rising his power level to its limits. Gogeta watched as Apollo's muscles on his arms, chest and legs doubled in size. His power rising caused an earthquake around his castle. Apollo knew it was coming apart but he didn't care. He just wanted his opponent dead.

Apollo breathed a sigh of relief relishing his power released. He could feel his renewed strength throughout his whole body. No one was as strong as him Apollo thought. He had fought countless warriors over the galaxies while this young man had only fought a handful. Apollo was more experienced, older and knew to do whatever it took to win. Gogeta on the other hand Apollo felt didn't. "Now I'm ready."

Gogeta snorted. So what if Apollo was bigger in size. It certainly didn't mean anything to Gogeta. He had the strongest Saiyans' blood flowing in him. There was no way he could lose. "You don't look that impressive to me."

"Who cares if I don't look the part, you will feel it!" Apollo roared and charged on Gogeta.

This time it was Apollo who was quick on Gogeta. He swiftly flew in and punched Gogeta in the stomach. Gogeta felt the wind knocked out of him as he spat up blood. Apollo grabbed Gogeta's head and slammed it on his knee. More blood came out of Gogeta. Apollo attacked repeatedly with punches to Gogeta's face and chest. Gogeta took the tough blows with painful grunts and groans. Apollo's punches were a lot tougher than before. Apollo grabbed both of Gogeta's arms and kicked him in the chest with both his feet.

Gogeta started spiraling to the floor when Apollo flew in slammed his feet on Gogeta's back to put more pain to him. Before Gogeta crashed to the floor, he flipped and landed on his feet instead of his face. He looked up to find Apollo gone. "What? But I just saw him up there a second ago."

"Behind you!"

Gogeta looked back to get Apollo's boot on his face and get slammed onto the floor hard. Gogeta sat up and shook his head to get his bearings. He felt Apollo approaching. Gogeta stood and put his arms in front of himself protecting his face and body from Apollo's punching. Gogeta watched carefully with quick eyes to see when he could strike.

He found it as he grabbed one of Apollo's arms and then the other. Gogeta was smirking so arrogantly it would make Vegeta proud. "So, this is your full power? I'm not impressed."

Apollo looked startled. "What?" That was impossible to Apollo. Those were his best punches. It had to have hurt Gogeta. Apollo laughed as if catching on to what Gogeta's was trying to do to him. "Yeah, I see what you're doing. Your bluff won't work on me! I see the fear in your eyes."

"Fear?" Gogeta laughed at the thought. "If you say so. Shall I show you what I'm made of now?"

"Go ahead."

Gogeta head butted Apollo hard. Apollo's head began to ring in pain. He felt Gogeta release him and the young Saiyan elbowing him hard in the chest. Apollo grabbed the right side of his chest in pain and cried out. A rib was broken. Before he can rise and fight again, Apollo felt Gogeta grabbing one of his legs from behind. Apollo felt his whole body rising in the air.

Gogeta began to swing Apollo around as if he was nothing. He slammed Apollo's body on the cold, broken tiles once. He slammed body again over and over. It was as if Gogeta was holding Apollo's body like a bag of solid ice and slamming it on a counter to crack it.

Apollo yelled out as he felt his body being used like a rag doll. Gogeta then swung him around a few times before tossing Apollo's worthless body in a pile of rubble.

"Kamehameha!" Gogeta yelled and fired his powerful attack on Apollo. It hit the king dead on.

Gogeta walked over to where Apollo's body lied. The man was near defeat. His clothes were in tatters, blood was trickling down his mouth, chest, arms and legs.


"You're worthless," Gogeta spoke. "You call yourself a great king but you're nothing but a coward. You're not that strong after all."

"At least I'm proud to admit it," Apollo said weakly. "You will. I lost. Can you forgive a coward?"

The suggestion made Gogeta's blood boil in fury. "Forgive you! After all you done, you expect me to forgive you?!"

Apollo made a 'come here' jester with his hand. Assuming Apollo meant him, Gogeta stepped forward, but it was actually the sword Apollo used to stab Vegeta that Apollo was commanding.

Apollo smiled at Gogeta. "Would you really kill your girlfriend's brother?"

"That won't work on me!" Gogeta yelled. Since he was caught up in his conversation with Apollo, Gogeta wasn't noticing the sword rising above him. "You killed my grandfather, father and kidnapped my mother! Do you actually thing I would forgive you?!"

Apollo smiled and moved his hand. 'Ah, youth. How foolish they are.' "But it still means the same thing."

"And what is that?"

The sword came down, aiming for Gogeta.

"That you're a fool!" Apollo yelled and laughed loudly in arrogance.

Gogeta frowned in confusion wondering what Apollo meant and then his senses picked up on something coming down on him. It was too late for Gogeta to move as he saw and felt the sword sliced through him.

Apollo laughed wickedly at how he tricked Gogeta and how much in pain the young Saiyan warrior was in now. "Young fighters. They will never learn."

To Be Continued

AN: Well, I can't make it too easy for Gogeta to win. After all, this is Gogeta's first fight with a bad guy and he needs to make mistakes like both his fathers did when they were in their first major fight with an enemy. I promise the fight will end in the next one.

GD: Let's hope it end with a bang! Hee. Hee. You got that right about being a girl. We rule! Bad, GD wanting Apollo to win. Hee. Hee. No need for the Dragonballs. He's still alive!! Good luck on the homework!

SSJ Chika: Gogeta's showing what he's made of even if he is a bit arrogant. Guess where he got that from.

Son Oliver: Thanks a lot! Yeah, Apollo getting pounded but came out in the end! About time I say and yes Goku and ChiChi are working it out. It's that bond after all.

Danichan: Glad you're feeling better. No, I'm not annoyed with the review. I'm sure you love the Goku and ChiChi moment here. Goku tricked ChiChi into remembering. Heh. Heh. I'm glad I'm not Apollo. I don't like snakes either. Nah, Vegeta made it. He's still living with a little help by Ami.

Lady Athena: Yay! Vegeta's alive! Gogeta's getting his revenge but he's in trouble now. Nah, Gogeta's got regular power, but it's very strong considering he has Goku, Vegeta and ChiChi's blood running in him. Yeah, ChiCHi getting her memories back just by being around Goku. It's the bond working around them. From this chapter, I saw Goku is doing a very good job getting ChiChi to remember.

Carrie: Yep, Vegeta lives! G/CC are getting back together as you see. Hee. Hee. Yeah, Apollo getting much deserve payback. That's for sure! Heh. Heh. Will Gogeta get to talk to Vegeta? That's the real question.

MoonGirl: ChiChi's starting to remember a lot now thanks to sneaky Goku.

Gogirl: Using the dragon balls seems like a cop out. I don't think they should use the dragon balls every time. It wouldn't be right and seems they are using the dragon balls as a crutch and not depending on themselves and accept life for what it is. That's why I'm not bringing Ox King back. Nah, I decide to let Vegeta live. I've got something to do. Heh. Heh. G/CC are working it. Hee. Hee. I guess something's happening between them. LOL! No, no sequel to this one. This is it right here. I made a mistake. I meant to comment on your question with my other story, but I forgot. Sorry about that. I like the idea of your story. It's good.

Chuquita: LOL! Yep, Goku dragged ChiChi out of there and it's working for them.

Lady Kouga: Vegeta's all right and ChiChi's doing well. Thanks to Goku.