A Mother's Scorn
Chapter 2: A Friend's Devotion
By: Jo
In the darkness of space, a strange ship was drawing in on the Earth's atmosphere. At the command was a woman, with revenge burning in her heart. This woman had lost two children and a husband to the warriors of Earth. She was once a pacifist who despised the business that her family had taken to. It was her rage that drove her to murderous intent, her rage that made her forget her love of peace.
"How long before we reach the Earth?!" Queen Aisu demanded.
"We shouldn't be entering the Earth's atmosphere very soon, your majesty." One of Aisu's soldiers named Waji replied.
"Gooood," Aisu lulled with a insane lust to her voice. "I will very soon have the lives of those who took my dear Freiza, Cooler, and Cold from me. I will have their heads to display to all who opposed my family."
Later at Dr. Brief's complex.
"Aaaagh!" Goku screamed as he shot up from the bed he was just sleeping in. "Did you feel that, Vegeta?!"
"Gyyuuuuuur…..snoooooore."
"Oh come on Vegeta wake up," Goku harassed. "We need to train!"
After annoying Vegeta long enough, Goku finally managed to fish him out of bed. The two had a quick, though large, breakfast with Bulma and her family then quickly began training. Everyone was curious why the two were training so intently because neither had told anybody else about the approaching danger they had sensed.
The two spent half the day training testing their strength against each other inside one of the Dr. Briefs' gravity chambers. They both knew that even though the chi they felt was similar to Freiza, that it was much stronger than his and the rest of his family as well.
"Don't you think we should tell the others Vegeta?" Goku asked as the two continued fighting.
"What good would it do us to tell them?" Vegeta snapped. "They would just be running around terrified as if this were the end of the world."
At about that time, they heard someone pounding at the gravity chamber's door. Goku turned the gravity machine off and went to the door. As he began to open it, it swung open right in his face. Standing in the doorway was Bulma who was quite pissed.
"Why didn't you two tell us about the chi?!" Bulma demanded.
"What do you mean?" Goku asked pretending he knew nothing. He quickly realized that she knew all about it as he saw Krillin standing behind her with a guilty look on his face. Goku knew that the other warriors had sensed the power as well.
"Don't you play stupid with me! Krillin already told us about the huge power approaching the Earth!"
"Well I … uh.."
"You shouldn't leave us in the dark like that! It isn't fair," Bulma argued. "We have every right to know."
"Leave him alone woman," Vegeta stated with his arrogant attitude.
"You better watch yourself Mister," Bulma hissed pointing a finger at Vegeta. She then turned to leave and Krillin came in to apologize.
"I didn't know you hadn't told them, Goku," Krillin said. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure they would have found out soon anyways. The power we are feeling isn't far away it will probably arrive here tomorrow morning."
"Are you serious Goku?!" Krillin was shocked. "I can't believe they are going to be here so soon."
"How is everyone else doing?" Goku asked.
"Well, Tien, Chiotzu, and Yamcha are all training together and Piccolo is off training on his own as usual."
"What are you worried about those weaklings for? They won't do us any good in the battle. They would only be a thorn in our sides." Vegeta sniped.
"Oh come off of it Vegeta," Krillin groaned. "I'm going back so I can train with people who aren't full of themselves. You should come too Goku."
"I might but right now I'm going to stay here and train so that I can use the gravity chamber." Goku replied.
"Suit yourself," Krillin said and he left the two alone.
"Why do you bother with those weaklings Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked.
"They are my friends Vegeta," Goku said.
"Who needs friends," Vegeta relpied. "All you need is strength."
"That's just what you think."
Back at Chi Chi's place.
"This really sucks," Goten thought as he was sitting at his desk staring at a book but not paying any attention to what was on the page. "I really want to go out and do something. I want to go see Trunks. Geez Mom is such a psycho sometimes."
Goten sat in his chair thinking for a while. He wanted to get out but he was afraid of what might happen. After awhile though, his fear started to fade. He started thinking about running away.
"Hmmm How would I do it thought?" Goten contemplated. "Ah, what am I worried about how for. I guess I can just get a few things together and sneak out the window."
With that Goten began gathering some of the things that he wanted to take. Both necessities and other things he wanted to have with him. Then he started to climb out the window and was halfway out when he heard the door open. When he turned around to look he saw his older brother Gohan looking at him.
"Um mom sent me up here to see how you were doing," Gohan said. "Now…what are you doing?"
"I'm just going out for a while…please don't tell mom."
"You are wanting to get me in trouble to huh?" Gohan said.
"Well I'm going either way. You can be nice or you can just try to stop me right now," Goten said as he went the rest of the way out the window and ran off.
"Oh man," Gohan sighed as he walked downstairs.
"So how is he doing?" Chi Chi asked Gohan as he walked in the kitchen. Chi Chi had been working on that night's supper.
"Um… he's doing fine. Just studying like you wanted him to." Gohan replied.
"Ooooh, I'm so glad he's studying." Chi Chi said in a very happy tone. "Maybe I did the right thing before."
Gohan couldn't help but think to himself that this wouldn't have happened if his father was still there. He knew just what it was like to face his mother's wrath, but he missed having his father around.
After a while, Goten had arrived at Bulma's place at the Brief's complex. It was already dark so he snuck to Trunks' window and looked inside. There he saw Trunk's laying by himself on the bed. He tapped at the window, but Trunks didn't notice. So he tapped again just a little harder and he could see that he had caught Trunks' attention. He motioned for Trunks to let him in.
"What are you doing here Goten?" Trunks inquired.
"I came to see you," Goten replied. "Mom and dad aren't staying together right now and Mom wouldn't let me see you."
"Why did you bring your stuff with you?" Trunks asked.
"I ran away."
"What?!"
"I ran away. Mom won't let me train, she won't let me visit my friends, she says you all are nothing but bad influences. I have to spend all my time studying in my room. I hate it." Goten said as a tear streaked down his face. "I just wish mom wasn't mad at dad. Maybe its all my fault because I sneak out…"
"Oh don't be that way Goten," Trunks said. He pulled Goten close to himself and gave him a hug. "You shouldn't blame yourself for their problems. Parents don't always get along."
"I can't help it though….it all happened yesterday after I snuck out to see you."
"You know that you can't stay here." Trunks said still holding Goten close to him. "As soon as your mom finds out you are gone this is the first place she will come."
"I know…" Goten sighed. "I wasn't planning on staying here actually. I was going to stay in the forest. So that nobody will find me."
"Not even me?" Trunks asked.
"No, no." Goten blurted out. "I … well I kinda wanted you to come also."
"But my mom would be worried sick."
"You don't have to stay then. Just come visit me."
"Okay Goten. Mom doesn't mind me doing what I want during the day, I just have to be home at night."
"I'm going to go now, you should follow me just this once so that you will know where I am staying." Goten said.
The two set out into the forest that night. Goten found a small spot where he decided he would stay for a little while. It was a small corner between a rocky area that was surrounded by trees.
"Are you sure you can live out in the wilderness like this?" Trunks asked very concerned for Goten.
"I think I will be okay."
"I have to be getting back now Goten. I will come out here first thing in the morning to make sure you are doing okay." Trunks pulled Goten close to himself and then gave him a kiss.
Trunks left to go back home leaving Goten standing alone in the forest. After he was gone, Goten started looking for some branches that he could make a makeshift house out of. He lined up lots of branches to make walls and then laid a few over top and piled leaves on it.
"This seems like it might work..." Goten pondered. "But…hmm well maybe it should be more sturdy. Maybe if I put some mud into the branches for the walls.
Goten started looking for some water and he found a small stream. He mixed the water with some dirt to make some mud and then he took it and stuffed it in the gaps between the branches and some on the edges of the roof branches to hold them in place. After he was done packing the mud, he was quite dirty so he took a small bath in the stream where he got the water from.
Back in his small home, Goten used a blanket that he had packed and used his bag as a pillow. He drifted to sleep rather easily looking forward to seeing Trunks when he woke up. For his father, this night's sleep didn't come so easily.
Goku was exhausted from his training that day but he couldn't go to sleep. He tossed and he turned but all he could do is worry. The full weight of what had happened to his family just now really getting to him.
"What is the matter with you?" Vegeta asked. Goku's inability to sleep was also keeping Vegeta awake.
"I uh I just can't sleep tonight." Goku said.
"You are lying," Vegeta accused. "You are worried about your family. I know you better than you think."
Goku sat up in bed and looked over at Vegeta. "What should I do?"
"Go to sleep and stop worrying."
"But I can't sleep." Goku said.
"Dammit Kakarrot!" Vegeta exclaimed as he got up from bed and walked over to where Goku was at. He sat on the edge of Goku's bed and looked right at him.
"What??" Goku asked.
"If you are so worried about your family," Vegeta said as he wiped away a tear that had rolled down Goku's cheek. "You should first worry about protecting them. Which means it would be best to focus on our enemy right now so that your family will be safe."
"Thank you Vegeta." Goku said. He knew that Vegeta was right. The most important thing right now is that he focus on the battle to come.
Vegeta went back to his bed and Goku lay back down. Both fell asleep shortly thereafter.
Bulma was staying up a bit late that night tinkering with a device she and her dad had been developing when she heard a pounding knock at the door. When she went to answer it she saw Chi Chi staring at her with fury in her eyes.
"Where is my son?!" Chi Chi shrieked.
"I haven't seen either of your boys."
"Don't you lie to me!" Chi Chi shouted. "My little Goten is missing. I went to kiss him goodnight and he was gone!"
"What makes you think he came here??" Bulma said. She was a little irritated for getting yelled at for no reason but she could understand why Chi Chi was so worried.
"Where else would he go?" Chi Chi retorted. "His father is here and his best friend is here. He has nobody else to stay with."
"Chi Chi I don't know where he could have gone too, but if you stay here for the night we can start looking for him first thing in the morning." Bulma said. "We aren't going to be able to find anything in the dark right now."
Chi Chi agreed but she didn't go to bed that night. She sat up all night long thinking about where her son could have gone.
The next day Aisu's space craft broke through the Earth's atmosphere and came soaring toward the Earth's surface. Vegeta and Goku were preparing for the moment the aliens landed and had gathered along with the other warriors of Earth.
Goku immediately found out that his son had went missing. Shortly thereafter everyone found that Trunk's had ran off at the first sign of daybreak. Goku tried to sense their presense but he couldn't sense them. He realized quickly that Goten must have planned to run away because he was hiding his chi.
Everyone sat out looking for where the boys were. They started by looking all around the complex and in all the labs until they were sure that the boys definitely weren't any where in that area. Then they all went looking in various places.
Trunks had arrived at the spot where Goten was staying. He was surprised at the little house Goten had made and also had brought some food for him. When he looked inside Goten wasn't there so Trunks began to get a little worried. Then not to long after Goten came trotting toward the house with a bag full of berries and fruits that he had went out collecting.
"You seem to be doing rather well at this so far," Trunks said with a smile.
"I'm glad you came!" Goten exclaimed.
"Of course, I had to come say good morning. Oh here I brought you some food also but it doesn't look like you need it too badly."
"Well its always welcome," Goten said.
The two spent the morning together and had breakfast with each other. Goten and Trunks lay down in the little hut side by side and were staring at the ceiling talking.
"Don't you think you should go home?" Trunks suggested. "I mean I am worried about you staying out here like this."
"Oh I can manage. I can do whatever I want living here," Goten said. "But it does get just a bit lonely."
"Well at least I am here now," Trunks said. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around Goten and the two just lay there content and continued talking.
"I like spending time like this," Goten said.
"I do to."
Miles away from where the two boys were sharing their morning, Queen Aisu's ship had landed. She along with all of her soldiers and officers marched off of the craft. Most of her followers were people who used to work for her husband and sons.
"I want you to search the area and see what you can find," Aisu demanded. "Use the scouters to find anybody with a strong chi and bring them back here to me! I want to be the one to destroy those bastards who destroyed my family!!"
Queen Aisu's followers cringed with fear at the woman who was ordering them about. They had never before seen such a drive in their leaders until after Aisu decided that revenge was all that was left for her life.
The group quickly dispersed and Aisu ordered her strongest commanders to head towards the area where the warriors had gathered because she could sense their presense even if the scouters weren't showing it.
Goten and Trunks finally got up and they had went out to play in the river together. Both of them stripped down naked and were splashing each other in the stream close to Goten's home.
"Hahaha this is so much fun!" Goten exclaimed.
"I know!" Trunks replied happily. "We should go swimming more often. I love the way the water feels."
After they had gotten tired of swimming they got out of the water and were getting their clothes on when they heard noises behind them. They both turned quickly and were confronted with two alien figures.
To be continued… :B