A/N: DB/Z is owned by Akira Toriyama only. Except for the characters I made up! I own them!
On and to answer your question Chemical Connection – yeah Goku is human in this fic!
-I Pray-
The darkness of the night was drawing in fast, the small bit of sunshine fading from the cracks in the walls, the surroundings becoming colder and more unbearable than before. It was damp; a cold uncomfortable sort of damp, where everything you touched or everywhere you sat chilled you to the bone. It was quiet…too quiet…like a tense silence that would never break unless you broke it yourself. There were a few muffled coughs and a few cries from the children. They were thirsty and starving…they were cold and tired…but there was nothing their parents could do.
Goku shivered slightly as he stared across at the opposite cell. He sighed miserably and pitifully at the poor children who couldn't settle. He felt for them and their mothers or fathers. There was nothing they could do to help them except comfort them the best they could. He winced as he sat back against the hard cold wall. His side ached from the kicks he got earlier and it didn't help that his lip and left eye felt sore. He swore somehow his lip was broken…or at least it felt that way. He guessed that was why he remained silent…but then again…what could he say? What was there possibly to say right now? He turned his head to peer over at his friends. Yamcha had his eyes closed hard trying to sleep with all his might, his girlfriend Bulma snuggled into him, trying to accomplish the impossible as well. Krillin was wide awake, staring off into space whilst 18 fiddled with her chains. Tien had his eyes closed, his face scrunching up in frustration from the fact he couldn't sleep either. His stare caught a hold of Chichi who sat alone in the corner, her knees pulled up to her chest, her face exhausted and pale. He swallowed; her pain so evident that it hurt him. She had only recently lost her father…and now this…she didn't disserve this…none of them did.
He leant his head back against the wall and let out a deep breath. He wished he could sleep…or at least try, but how could you sleep when you were imprisoned in a cell where you were freezing cold and hungry and the people around you were suffering? He closed his tired eyes, protesting against everything he thought as he tried to drift off…but a loud banging of a door and a load of footsteps brought him back to reality.
He shifted his body, confused and curious as at least ten or so men came into the stoned room. Two were carrying some sort of heavy cauldron, another carrying a small thin metal pole with a strange un-familiar shape on the end.
"What's going on?" Bulma asked as whispers and panics startled her.
"I don't know" Tien replied as he stood up. Goku stood up also, suspicion over-coming him as the few men looked at them.
"Alright set it down here and let's turn up the heat" the one said with a small smirk. Now Goku knew it couldn't be good.
"What are they going to do?" Chichi asked him quietly.
"I'm not too sure…but it doesn't look very pleasant" Goku quietly returned, his eyes fixed on the cauldron.
Minutes later, Goku and the others watched as fire erupted from the cauldron, and one man carefully placed the metal pole into its fiery keep. There was a hiss from the fire and carefully the man pulled the metal object back out. It was steaming hot…a red colour now enveloping the shape. Goku looked closer at the funny looking object. It almost looked like a capital U with a funny picture in between it. Was that the General's emblem? He wondered.
The man with the steaming pole looked around at the cells, his eyes soon coming to rest on Goku's. Then the main door opened once more, causing everyone's head to turn in that direction. It was the general, his hat no longer on his head, his jacket loosened. He peered over at Goku with a glare.
"Bring him out first. He's the trouble maker" he snarled. Five of the other soldiers nodded and raced into Goku's cell and took him with force, dragging him out successfully, his feet sliding through the dry sand.
"Goku!" Chichi called as the barred gate was slammed right in front of her. Goku grit his teeth as he was roughly dragged towards the steaming cauldron and with careful watching eyes he kept his stare on the approaching man with the weapon in his grasp.
He got closer to Goku, the man's smirk only getting wider. He reached him, only a few centimetres in between them.
"Now this will only hurt a little bit" he said, the others grinning. Goku pulled back, slightly frustrated for he couldn't get out of their grasps. He etched his back to avoid the steaming metal coming towards him. But before he could protest or do anything, the metal shape was burnt into the top of his chest. He winced and clenched his teeth hard together, his eyes snapping shut from the painful hot impact. But after a moment, it was removed and he was roughly dragged back into his cell.
He fell up against the hard rock wall, the uneven bricks digging into his back. He groaned his back aching and the top part of his chest burning.
"Goku" Chichi called, soon interrupted when she was grabbed also. Goku's eyes widened as he saw them drag her out. Yamcha was pulled out, though he put up a fight, Krillin and 18 to. Goku watched horrified as another cell was opened and young Hector was grabbed as well. He swallowed and shut his eyes when he heard the whimpering and calling of Hector as the object was burnt into his young fragile chest.
"They're branding us. We're his slaves now. He just wants to make us suffer more the bastard!" Goku almost yelled, he turned his back to them all, trying to block out the screams. He placed his hand on his chest and took in a deep breath. First they were killed or kidnapped…now they were burnt and engraved with the General's signature. Did he really need to do this? Didn't he already have enough? He had killed, destroyed and taken. What the hell else did he need? Pleasure? Was that it? Did he just want to hurt them for pure pleasure? Goku turned back around to see Chichi and Yamcha thrown back in, branded as well. Chichi ran up next to him, some tears threatening to fall. Goku stood closer to her protectively, his eyes dark and angry as he stared across at the general…and all the general did was smirk…and stare back.
The sun had gone down and inside the prisons it was quiet. The soldiers and the general had left and all there was the cold and quiet walls of the cells. Most of the survivors were sleeping at last, some only sitting silently. Goku was sat against the wall, his eyes focused on the cell opposite. His face was that of worry, his eyes intensively staring at the middle aged woman he knew well. She was sat up against the cold wall like many others, tears in her old dull and miserable eyes as she rocked her baby back and forth. Goku knew for a fact that her child was dying. He could tell that her baby was loosing his strength. She had tried to breast feed the child, but he refused it and only cried. There was nothing she could do now for her child…only wait until the time came…to let him go…
Goku swallowed hard, trying to get such thoughts out of his head, but as always that failed. He couldn't stop thinking about everything and anything! He was the positive one! He was the one who always kept the villagers going! He was the one who brought hope! But it didn't seem like he was anymore…
There was the sound of scraping as someone approached him. Though it was late at night, he could still see easily that it was Chichi. She sat beside him quietly, her hair long and slightly knotted at the ends, some of it hanging around her dirty face. She swallowed quietly before looking up at him with those innocent concerned eyes of hers.
"Hey" she whispered carefully.
"Hey" he returned friendly with a small weak smile.
"Are you ok?" she asked a little louder, her stare never leaving his as she spoke.
"Just worried about people I guess" he spoke looking back down at his chained ankles.
"I know how you feel. I hate to see them locked up like this. Especially those poor little children"
"I know" Goku whispered barely enough to hear…"I just feel that…I should do something. I mean, I just….don't know what to do. I have to help them Chi, I have to do…something"
"Hey" Chichi hushed him by taking a hold of his hand, "You're not to blame for this, so why should you have to do anything?As far as I'm concerned, you've done enough for us"
"What have I done?" he asked sadly looking into her eyes, "What have I done that's helped? It was my idea to come over here in the first place"
"It was better than just standing there and letting them kill us"
"We're going to die either way Chi…this way's just slower…and more painful"
"Don't speak like that" she almost shouted, her eye brows knitting together to form a frown, "That's not true! Things happen for a reason! Maybe we were meant to stay alive and come here! Maybe we aren't going to die here either!"
"And what reason was there for those people to die?" he asked her, his face cold and drawn.
"I don't know…" she whispered, "But what I do know is, we're lucky to still be alive Goku. Those people who had their lives taken…don't you think they'd rather still be alive? Life is precious Goku, no matter what the outcome is, having life is something we should treasure. We won't get it again" she told him gentler than before. He smiled lightly at her, his hand still in hers.
"I just don't want anyone else to suffer"
"I know" she told him, "And I don't either. We just got to be strong remember?"
"Yeah…sure…"
"Oh come on Goku! Please don't be like this! Please don't do this to me! You're all I have now!" she almost begged. He suddenly looked at her face, remembering the fact that the Ox-King had passed away.
"I need you Goku…I need you here and I need you to be positive and to believe we're going to get out of here. Maybe not for yourself, but at least for me" she croaked out, her eyes watering up.
"Please Goku; you don't know how much I look up to you and how much you mean to me. I don't want to loose you…" she whispered trailing off her words. He licked his very dry lips and let out the breath he was holding.
"Your not going to loose me Chi. I'm going to be here for you always, like I promised" he whispered back, his eyes never shifting from their gaze into hers. She smiled slightly, a little happier with his response.
"Thank you" she whispered gently, "I'm going to be here for you to" she told him. He swallowed as a sudden feeling rose up in him. Her face…her beautiful fragile face was inches from his. He didn't know what it was, but her small perfectly round lips were begging to be kissed. He had never felt such a feeling, such a desire like now. Why did he suddenly feel like doing this to her?
She watched his eyes as they glanced down at her lips and back up into her eyes. She looked at him, a little confused, yet she didn't refuse what he wanted to offer. She leant in closer to him, her eyelids getting heavier and her nose touching his gently. He closed his eyes and brushed his lips across hers almost as if teasing her. She couldn't help but resist as she made the kiss and affectionately she cupped his cheeks, rubbing them gently with her thumbs. Goku kissed her back, his mouth moving slowly and gently with hers. They fitted together perfectly…almost as if they were meant to. She did say things happened for a reason didn't she?
The kiss lingered on, his lips moving with her more firmly than before, her hands holding him to her closer than before. He wanted to touch her with his hands, but he couldn't, for they were bound behind his back. All he could do was kiss her, and he guessed right now that was all that mattered.
Seconds later he felt her pull back, but she didn't pull back too far as she got her breath back and rested her forehead against his. Goku moved back a little this time to look into her eyes. For some reason they sparkled before him, even thought there was no moonlight to make them shine, nor any tears…but they shined even so. He smiled gently, a small meaningful smile as he let her rest her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, letting herself fall to sleep whilst Goku rested his head on hers in thought.
He was in a haze, a kind of confusing one if that. He had just kissed her…he knew that much…but why did he kiss her? He could fee the desire to, but why did he desire it? He had known her all his life and he practically knew everything about her, but not once had he had such a feeling before. He admitted he found her attractive in everyway and he loved her smile and her long dark strands of hair, but he had never thought anything deeper than that.
Was it just because he needed comfort? Was it just because she did to? He sighed and closed his eyes slightly to fall asleep. Whatever that was, it scared him…not because it was something un-familiar, but because he liked it. He liked the feeling and he liked her taste and how her lips felt upon his. He soon fell asleep though, those thoughts erased for now. But across the sandy floor the middle aged woman with the child in her arms could only smile warmly at the two as they snuggled up together in an unbreakable peace.
She always knew they were close and it made her heart heat up with joy at the thought that they could be closer. She looked down at her baby and gently she kissed his forehead, letting a tear fall down her cheek as she did. She let her head rest up against the wall and she closed her tired eyes and let the hope of sleep take her.
Maybe tomorrow would bring hope she thought as she drifted off into the world of peace…
OMG this took me ages! DAMNED SCHOOL! I get like 5 pieces of homework a day! Never mind the coursework as well! GRRR! Ahem…. (Calms down), yeah, anyway, here was the chapter. Sorry for taking so long. Heh (Sweat drops) hope it wasn't too bad, so please review and let me know what you think!
Kami bless you all!