Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

By Feraligreater328

Chapter 2: A Family Reunion, Part 2

In a deeper level of Hell...

Goku followed Gine deeper into the spiky depths of Hell. The mood was silent and tense. After her initial outburst, the Female Saiyan had fallen into a sad silence. Goku didn't know what to say...but she didn't feel untrustworthy. And the intense sadness on her face and in her voice genuinely made Goku feel bad. Finally, after a long while of just walking, Goku spoke up. "So... you're name my Mom...?"

Gine nodded silently.

Goku continued. "...and... your name is Gine?"

Once again, a silent nod.

Goku scratched his head. "And you're down here with Raditz and... my Father?"

Gine nodded again, this time with a grunt. Goku nodded. "Okay then... I think I get it. So, you guys are down here because you're all as evil as Raditz was, right?"

Gine's shoulders slumped. "Yes, Kakarot..."

Goku frowned. "My name is Goku, if you don't mind."

Gine turned and looked at him, letting a small, sad laugh slip out. "Yes...Raditz told me about how you 'went native' on Earth. But...you lead a happy, peaceful life...right?"

Goku smiled wide. "Life on Earth is pretty nice. I'm happy that I got sent there as a baby. Grandpa Gohan treated me well, and I made so many friends like Bulma and Krillin and Master Roshi! I love my life on Earth."

Gine cracked a sad smile. "You left the Saiyan race behind and lived a life you were happy with. As a Mother...I guess that's all I could really ever hope you'd end up doing. Racing to make sure your pod made it off of Planet Vegeta really was worthwhile..."

And then her frown came back. "If I had just been faster...I could have told Raditz about you and we could have avoided all of this..."

Goku was really confused. He bluntly asked Gine the first question on his mind. "Okay. So... the Saiyan's are evil but...why are you down here, Mom? You don't seem like the bad sorta person."

Gine shrugged. "I wasn't ever a fighter but...I guess I just ended up down here because of my relationship to the Saiyans. Our race was made of nothing but violent killers. It's not like we didn't have our death coming..."

Goku shrugged. "I guess if you feel that way. I just don't think you deserve to be down here is all..."

Gine warmly smiled. "I appreciate that Kak-"

She paused and then cleared her throat. "Goku."

Finally, the two of them arrived at the cave that Gine was living out of. She turned to Goku and sighed. "I know that we've just met but...could you please find it in your heart to try and forgive Raditz? We're all already dead and just...I don't want our existence to be spent in-fighting. This is the first time we've ever been together, as a family, and-"

Goku placed a caring hand on Gine's shoulder and smiled. "Sure thing, Mom. We can try and talk this out if it'll make you happy!"

Gine smiled and teared up. She wrapped her tiny, soft hands around Goku's larger hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you so much..."

Goku and Gine both walked into the cave together and Goku was surprised. A pseudo-home had been constructed in the cave. To stone slabs for beds, a basin full of water, and a pile of chopped meat from several hell beasts decorated the cave.

Goku looked around and eventually met eyes with Raditz, bound with chains on a nearby slab. Raditz glared at his brother with contempt. Goku glared back. And then...Goku's eyes fell on him.

Sitting at the back of the room, an intense look filling his eyes, the scar on his cheek casting a faint shadow as the light hit it, was his apparent Father. The intense Saiyan stood and Goku could feel his power. He was much stronger than Raditz and definitely stronger than Goku himself. The older Saiyan stomped up to Goku and glared right into his eye. There was a long silence.

And then, Goku swallowed the lump in his throat. "Y-you're...my Father..."

The Saiyan nodded. "I am. And you...are Kakarot?"

Goku nodded. "Y-yeah...I go by Goku now but...yeah..."

The older Saiyan sighed and closed his eyes, he seemed very calm as he stood there. Finally, he opened his eyes and nodded. "My name is Bardock. Pleased to finally meet you, kid."

Bardock offered Goku a handshake and Goku accepted. After that, he turned and walked back to his seat, sharing a quick look with Gine as he did. Once he sat down, Gine motioned for Goku to do so as well. While Goku sat, Gine picked up Raditz's chained form and sat him on the ground between Bardock and Goku. And then she sat opposite of Raditz.

Gine smiled, in spite of it all. "Our family...sitting in a circle together..."

She lowered her head. "I never thought I'd see the day...at least...I never thought I'd see the day this soon..."

Bardock took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Gine's calm speech instantly began to waver. She trembled in place and he voice cracked. "I never had considered that...you'd both be so young...that you'd both end up down here...that..."

Finally, Gine began to openly sob. "How could you two kill each other?! We worked so hard to make sure that you both lived. Bardock fought with Frieza and I made sure that Raditz's return orders never came and that...that Kaka...Goku made it off of Planet Vegeta in time and..."

Raw sadness overcame Gine's voice and her words just turned into inelegant blubbering. She sat there, shaking and sobbing into her hands. Goku looked guilty. He glanced over to Raditz and saw that, in spite of him still feeling evil, his older brother also looked as if he felt really guilty.

Bardock had a stoic look on his face that said this was something he regularly dealt with, but he didn't say a word. The all sat there for a good 10 minutes and just listened to Gine cry.

Finally, Goku spoke. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I tried to talk to Raditz and I tried to reason with him..."

Gine wiped her eyes and glared at Raditz with utter disappointment. "I've heard..."

Goku nodded. "He kidnapped my son and-"

Bardock and Gine both snapped at that. "SON?!"

Raditz groaned, clearly having left that part out. Gine's eyes were still streaming with tears, but a gentle smile crept across her face. "You have a son...I'm...I'm a grandmother...?"

Goku smiled. "Yep. You're the Grandma to my son, Gohan. You'd probably love him, he's such a gentle little guy!"

Gine was giving a full-tooth smile. This was news to her, but it was just enough to lighten up her overcast heart. Bardock couldn't help but smirk. "My bloodline has continued..."

His smirk turned into a frown and he smacked Raditz on the back of the head. "The hell is wrong with you?! What kind of stupid bastard kidnaps their own nephew and threatens to kill him?!"

Goku cocked his head. "What did he tell you he did?"

Gine frowned. "He said that he kidnapped an ally of yours and threatened to kill them..."

Bardock shook his head. "That's the appropriate thing to do, but instead he kidnaps his own blood. Disgraceful."

Raditz finally spoke up. "What the hell do you people expect me to do? If I had come back empty-handed, Vegeta would have blown me into dust!"

Raditz snarled at his family. "You all sit here and act like you have the higher ground in this argument when two of you have been dead and one of you has had a vacation on Earth! Do you know what my life is like, constantly under threat of Vegeta killing me or Nappa killing me or one of the Frieza Force getting bored and killing me?! I was nothing in life and was hoping that maybe my brother, the only flesh and blood I had left, would be willing to side with me! And then I finally find him and he forsakes me for the inhabitants of a worthless planet like Earth!"

Goku frowned. "The people of Earth haven't done anything wrong! They're innocent people who can't even fight back!"

Finally, Bardock and Raditz found some common ground as they both shouted at Goku. "Who cares?!"

Goku flinched back. Bardock spoke harshly. "We didn't send you to that planet to make friends Kakarot. You could easily have dominated that planet and served as their King if you put your mind and your strength to it. How could you ever consider siding with a bunch of worthless humans over your own brother?!"

The room was silent again. Finally, Gine spoke. "We...have no right to question Kakarot's life. We sent him to that planet with no one to teach him or guide him. If he found a different life that he's happy with, we have no right to disparage him for that..."

Bardock sneered. "He's behaving like a human rather than a Saiyan and-"

Gine screamed at Bardock. "And look where acting like Saiyans got me, you, and Raditz, Bardock!"

That shut Bardock right up. Gine glared at her husband. "We're in Hell! Kakarot wasn't before he fell down here! He's in the right! We weren't!"

Bardock and Raditz both fell silent, neither had anything to say in response to that. Gine stood and shook her head. "I'm...I'm sorry K-...Goku. I'm so sorry, Goku. I wanted to have a family reunion but...let's just get you out of here."

Goku looked at his Mom, seeing the sadness in her eyes. He took her hand and she yanked him off the ground and out of the cave, leaving Bardock and Raditz sitting in silence.

Hell, The other side of Bloody Pond...

Goku was confused as Gine lead him to an open area on the other side of Bloody Pond. "I don't understand, Mom. I thought you said that the 'Morality Barrier' was keeping me trapped down here. How are we going to get me out?"

Gine took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her face. "Goku, why do you want to escape from here? Tell me."

Goku cocked his head. "I want to save my family and friends from the other two Saiyans that are coming to Earth. So, I have to get to King Kai's Planet so I can get the strength to beat them."

Gine nodded. "And that's it? That's the only reason you want to get out of here..."

Goku smiled. "Well, I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to fighting with these Saiyans too! I can only imagine how strong-"

Gine cut him off. "That's the problem!"

Goku was confused. "Wh-what?"

Gine shook her head. "Goku! You have to let that go or the Morality Barrier will never let you out of here! Your selfish desire to fight, no matter how small, will keep the barrier strong against your attempts to escape it!"

Goku's jaw dropped. "B-but...how do I get rid of that? I can't stop wanting to fight strong guys! I love fighting strong guys!"

Gine sighed and shook her head. "I swear...you really are just a nicer version of Bardock..."

Gine took and deep breath and smiled. "Well, worry not son! I'm your Mother and if there's a way to get you out of Hell, we will find it! Together!"

Proofreading: StevenBodner