Hello again! I hope you enjoyed the prologue enough to continue on and see what happens next.
Now that the fateful decision has been made in the beginning, it is now time to see how one little action at the start of the Dragonball timeline will ripple throughout the main story.
Based on MasakoX's What If series "What if Gine went with Goku to Earth?", but a retcon with some changes of my own on how I think the story would have went down had Goku's mother escaped planet Vegeta with him.
Onwards!
DISCLAIMER: The following is a fan-based work of fiction. Dragonball Minus, Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball Super, and Dragonball GT are all own by FUNimation, Toei Animation, and Akira Toriyama.
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CHAPTER 1: EARTH
Blackness. It was total.
A shudder went through her, but she didn't stir. A noise, a beeping sound that grew louder and louder. She was dreaming about something, but the beeping kept interrupting...
Gine waked with a start, jolting upright in her seat. Her mind was clouded in fog, having completely forgotten the dream she had just moments ago. In her lap she could see her infant son cradled in her limp arms. She didn't remember his name.
Was he named Kakarot? She tried to recall.
Yes! She remembered. Yes he was. His name was Kakarot.
With that detail in her mind, she looked around. Gine saw that she was inside of a space pod. The incessant beeping came from a blinking red light on the control panel. It indicated that they had arrived at their destination. The engines were not running, and outside the viewport was a blinding light. She looked out to see that they were sitting inside a crater the pod had made from landing.
She wondered for a moment why she was even there. Gine had always hated these first few minutes coming out of induced sleep, no matter how much she got used to it in the Frieza Force. But the fog in her mind finally cleared as the pod's stasis mode fully deactivated.
After a few more moments, all of her memories came rushing back to her. Those of Bardock, of having to save Kakarot, planet Vegeta's doom, the threat of Frieza, all of it at once as she fully came to. Then she remembered the last thing she saw before falling asleep, the bright light of her home planet exploding against the dark expanse of space.
Planet Vegeta was gone. Bardock was dead. All of her friends, her comrades, her entire species. All gone. Destroyed by Frieza. And she watched it all while trying to save her youngest son.
Gine sat there in the pod for a long while, trying to let everything that had just happened sink in. She had no idea how long she and Kakarot had been asleep. Months probably. But the memories were as clear as they really had just happened to her only moments ago before the sleep that reduced their travel time took over.
Kakarot woke up too, his yawning and cooing broke her out of her starring into nothingness. She looked down at him and he looked back. She remembered now that she was here because of him. She wanted to save him from Frieza, and she chose to go with him.
Sadness and joy washed over her simultaneously.
She and her baby were alive. Somehow, they had escaped from their planet's destruction undetected; and judging by what they were seeing, they had made it to the frontier world she had selected.
"We made it." Gine said to herself quietly. She wished that Bardock could hear her, wherever he was now...
Gine shook her head. There will be time to reflect on everything that had happened, but not now. She had to assess where they landed, and see this far-flung world that would be their new home.
She pushed the blinking light on the control panel. A piercing hissing sound filled the inside of the pod as the airtight hatch unsealed, and slowly opened outward. Cool fresh air and bright sunlight flooded the pod. She squinted and waited for her eyes to adjust. Once she could see, Gine gathered Kakarot in her arms and stood up...
"WHAT THE?!" She almost went flying out of the pod, crying out in shock and alarm. Gine nearly faceplanted into the dirt, but she landed on her knees and caught herself in with her free hand, clutching Kakarot protectively in the other. Recovering her wits, she tried to stand again more slowly. As she did so, Gine wobbled unsteadily and flailed her free hand trying to balance herself. She felt so light on her feet that she was worried that she would be blown away by the slightest breeze. Her baby Kakarot just starred up quizzically at her fumbling around.
The gravity! Gine realized. It was very weak on this planet. She judged it was probably a tenth of that of Vegeta's. Now that would take some getting used to.
Once she felt steady on her feet again, Gine very gingerly walked up and out of the crater. She then took in her surroundings, and immediately felt lost to a sense of wonder.
It seemed like they landed in a dense forest of tall, pointed trees of a shade of green she had never seen before. Above the tree line, she saw white-capped mountains that towered over them. And above that, the sky was a deep blue that made Gine feel so small against this vast wilderness. The star this planet orbited around hung high overhead, it's heat and light felt comfortably warm against her skin.
Gine had never taken such a liking to a planet so quickly. It looked so... pleasant. More than that, it was beautiful! A far cry from the rugged and barren planet Vegeta, with the unforgiving heat from it's red sun and orange sky she had been so used to her whole life. Here, the light of the yellow sun was bright, but vibrant that brought out such a contrasting colorful world that it almost hurt her eyes. But it was too enticing to look away either. This green forest against the white mountain and blue sky was far prettier than any landscape Gine had ever seen from the many planets she had been to.
The air was alive with the sounds of wildlife everywhere, her Saiyan sense of smell picking up the moist and very fresh, sharp, and earthy scents of the forest. The cold and crisp air of the atmosphere she breathed into her lungs felt so rejuvenating it made her feel like a newborn breathing air for the first time again, and the sounds of abundant animals around her meant lots of fresh food to hunt.
Gine closed her eyes for a moment, lost in a surprising moment of bliss that the environment they were in gave her. No planet she had ever been to looked and felt this peaceful. She counted her lucky stars that she picked an uninteresting planet that turned out to be a hidden paradise...
Her ear perked up and her body stiffened in alarm. Her super sensitive hearing picked up twigs snapping under footfalls. Something was approaching them from within in the woods. She didn't have a scouter to identify what was coming towards them, or if it posed a threat.
Moving fast, Gine leapt into the nearest tree to hide. She temporarily forgot the low gravity and nearly overshot it. Cursing, she lowered herself and Kakarot back into the brush. She adjusted herself to see where the sound was coming from, now getting louder. Kakarot fidgeted and whined, but Gine pressed a finger to his mouth to shush him.
Through the cover, she saw a bipedal creature appear out of the thick brush. A human? Must've been, it looked almost exactly like a Saiyan except she couldn't see a tail.
It looked to be an elderly male, judging from the grey bushy mustache and the wrinkles on his face. He wore a sort of orange tunic, a fuzzy-ball tipped cap on his head, and a red pole on his back. From afar, he moved slowly but gracefully, and carried an air of ease with him that seemed to make him appear harmless.
The human was checking out the crater, looking amazed at seeing the pod in it's center. He then looked towards her direction, starring curiously at where they were. He then started walking toward them.
Did he see me? Gine felt panic rising in her. She looked down to make sure Kakarot would stay quiet. But then saw his tail hanging out below. Oh no, he could see his tail!
It was too late now. The human was right under them, with his red pole out. Was it a weapon?
She reached down to pull up Kakarot's tail when the human started to poke at it. He poked at it too hard though, and Kakarot cried out in pain.
So shocked she was by his cries that Gine lost her balance. In this weak gravity she thus leaned too far trying to correct herself, losing her grip and fell out of the tree.
She hit the ground with a thud. Kakarot landed on top of her, but the weak gravity luckily cushioned his fall. The elderly human jumped back yelping in surprise.
Gine immediately righted herself up, facing the human with baby Kakarot in a deathly tight grip in one arm.
The elderly human, now seeing what fell out of the tree in full view, looked at a loss for words. But seeing how wild-eyed this woman looked, he tensed up into stance as if preparing to fight. Even though she had been away from battle for a long time, as a Saiyan she could tell this human meant business.
She had to fight, no matter how much she hated to or how harmless this human looked, she had her baby boy to protect.
Gine launched herself at the human. With this low gravity she was incredibly fast, but was still trying to control her balance. Before she could send him flying into the trees, he simply moved out of the way. With nothing to stop her momentum, she slammed face first into the soft soil and grass. Instinctively she held Kakarot close to her chest to protect him from the impact. The loss ground of this planet hurt her Saiyan body little, and she skidded to to stop without a scratch on her.
Gine got back up. She was a little filthy from plowing herself into the dirt, and Kakarot covered in it too, but they were both unharmed.
Turning back around growling, she tried for another run at the human.
Gine threw a punch, but he simply dodged it. Then she threw kick after kick, still not hitting him. Getting angry, she went after him in a flurry of punches and kicks, but the human kept evading her attacks. He was making a serious effort though, trying to stay ahead of her movements. She was much faster than him, but she was still unused to the gravity and out of practice with hand-to-hand combat.
Then, out of luck, one of her strikes connected to him in the chest. He howled in pain as he was sent hurtling away. He skidded to a stop several yards across from the crater, stunned and clutching himself in pain.
Glad she was finally able to land a blow on him, Gine leapt up into the air. She would end this quickly by driving herself straight down towards where he landed and squash him.
She jumped too high though, as she didn't take the low gravity into account for her attack. In the time it took for her to stop midair and plunge towards the human, he had recovered enough to flip out of the way at the last possible moment.
Gine slammed into the ground, half burying her legs and sending rocks and debris into the air from the impact. The human put some distance between him and Gine, he reached behind his back and pulled out the red pole.
Gine jumped out of the hole she made and tried to face him again.
"POWER POLE EXTEND!" The human yelled.
Before Gine knew it, she doubled over and felt the wind get knocked out of her as she was pinned to a tree behind her. It made a sharp cracking sound as it snapped and bent easily beneath her back.
Trying to regain her focus after being stunned, she saw to her amazement that the red pole was now several yards long and jabbed into her stomach. How did he do that?!
She grabbed the pole with her free hand and shoved it aside. With the force she used, it shattered a row of trees next to her, some of them falling in pieces and others not quite destroyed bent over from having their trunks cracked.
The mass of shattered trees next to Gine fell right on top of her. She instinctively raised both hands and released a blast of energy that filled the foliage with a rush of air and heat as she vaporized the trees, turning them into ashes.
It was then that she realized both her hands were empty. Where's Kakarot?!
The crying from her left told her where. He was laying on the ground in his bundle, flailing helplessly. Her heart almost stopped, she was so caught by surprise by being hit with the red pole that she didn't notice that she dropped him.
One of the trees that that was leaning over from being hit by the red pole snapped in two, and started to fall on top of him.
"NOOO!" She screamed in horror as she took a flying leap towards him.
She scooped him up just before the tree crushed him, skidded on her feet then fell over. Kakarot cried in her arms, hurt by her desperate clutching.
Gine looked back at the human. He hadn't made a move against her yet. He just stood there, his face now an expression of grave concern. Was he worried about himself? Or, was he concerned for her and Kakarot?
She couldn't fight him. She had been out of battle for too long, and this human proved to be a rather too formidable opponent. With this weak gravity she'll just be tossed around, and if she failed, Kakarot would be left defenseless.
It was better to get away than fight this human, Gine decided. With her free hand she fired a ki blast at his feet. He didn't have time to react when he saw the attack coming and the resulting explosion sent him flying back a ways. Taking this opening, Gine made a dash for the woods.
She ran as fast as she could, jumping over logs and brushing past trees so quickly the branches that scraped past her left scratches.
After a few minutes, Gine slowed her pace and looked behind her. She couldn't see any trace of the human following her. They were safe for the time being.
With a sigh of relief she stopped running, panting and adrenaline still flowing from the battle. When her heart slowed down enough, she realized Kakarot was still crying.
"Shhhh, it's okay, it's okay. You're safe now, sweetie." She gently cooed. His cries subsided slightly but didn't stop. Then she heard a little rumble coming from him.
"Oh." She heard herself say.
He was hungry. Come to think of it, she was hungry too. After being in stasis for who knew how long, their bodies desperately needed sustenance.
Worry took hold of Gine again, as the problem of protecting Kakarot from that human was now replaced with having to keep him alive.
She looked up through the canopy of treetops, and noticed it was getting darker. The sun was lower to the horizon, and the deep blue of the sky was replaced with shades of pink and purple that would've made Gine stop where she was to admire it.
But she couldn't. She had to find something to eat soon.
By nightfall, she didn't have much luck.
Gine had found a somewhat safe location in an open space of the forest where Kakarot would be out of reach from predators. She got a small fire going with logs she collected, and sat against a rock with Kakarot in her arms. It was completely dark save for the warm glow the crackling campfire provided them and the starlight above. They still had not found any food.
The creatures of the woods had gone into hiding, probably to escape her since they were spooked by a Saiyan in their habitat. So far all she could do was find some non-poisonous plants for Kakarot to chew on. It should calm him down enough for now but they still needed to find something real to live off of.
She couldn't risk going back to the pod to see if there was anything they could use from it, since she was worried that human might still be there salvaging it instead, or if he went to alert more of his kind to her presence.
She wished that this planet's moon was out in full right now so they could just stomp everything in sight to make everything safe, but they couldn't. She was not sure when the next full moon would occur, or how often it did. For now, they were defenseless.
Gine looked up into the night sky, there were so many stars out. They looked very different than from what the constellations looked like back home. She wondered where planet Vegeta's system was among them. Or where it used to be...
Tears started forming in her eyes with that thought.
Bardock. He was gone. And every other Saiyan was gone too, and maybe even Raditz too. Killed by Frieza. She still didn't know why. How could he betray allies who've been nothing but loyal to him?
Now she and Kakarot may be the last Saiyans left in existence. And they were trapped all alone on this godforsaken rock.
Kakarot started to whimper too as he felt his hunger overtake him. Gine held him tightly to her chest, rocking him back and forth to try and comfort him. Her stomach started to rumble too.
All alone and starving, she thought. The weight of the situation finally starting to crush her.
Deep in her mind, although she tried to suppress it, she was starting to regret coming here. With what little time she and Bardock had to make this escape work, she was so caught up in coming with Kakarot that she hadn't thought through how'd she would survive with her son on a planet they knew nothing about. And here they were, starving and hiding from the inhabitants.
She was so angry at herself that she couldn't even fight off an old man. Was she really that weak and useless? And Kakarot, he was far weaker than that. If he was left to fend for himself, he never would have had a chance.
The tears started falling from her eyes and landed on Kakarot, she was almost crying with him.
Maybe...maybe it would have been better if they stayed on planet Vegeta. At least they would have all died together as a family and not so alone, cold, lost, and hungry...
She sniffled, letting herself get lost in her despair. Then stopped.
Gine sniffed again, through her tears and the campfire smoke she noticed there was another scent in the air.
Food. Her extremely sensitive Saiyan sense of smell picked up something that smelled like food coming from somewhere.
She quickly stood up with Kakarot and looked towards where the scent was coming from. It seemed like it was coming from the direction of the tallest mountain in the distance.
Whatever it was, it brought hope to her. Maybe they won't starve afterall!
Gine took off into the forest, following the scent through the brush and up the slope. She picked up the pace, the growling in her stomach becoming almost painful. The scent was getting stronger as they got closer, giving her strength.
When they got to a clearing, she stopped. She saw what looked like a wooden dwelling with curved roofs on all four sides. The scent was very strong now, it had to be coming from there.
Her mouth started watering, Kakarot could smell the food too as he started to flail his arms out, as if trying to reach it. Oh gods, whatever was cooking in there, it smelled so delicious... then she froze.
Through an open window, Gine could see the elderly human she encountered earlier. He was setting out bowls of something he cooked onto a table. Dismay gripped her, how would she steal food from someone who could beat her?
Gine considered retreating back into the forest, but she couldn't. Her feet were anchored and could only go forward, her body going towards the scent of something that could save them.
She had been without food for too long. And what was true of all Saiyans is that no matter the danger, if they were starving, they will eat something come hell or high water.
Her stomach began to take over from her brain as she rushed towards the front door of the hut. There was no way she may find better food in the forest that smelled so nourishing. She didn't care about fighting the human now.
Without thinking, she charged through the wooden door. It shattered into a shower of fragments that flew everywhere.
"WHERE'S THE FOOD?!"
The elderly human jumped out of his seat at the table, startled. When he regained his wits and saw who crashed through his front door, he tensed up. He recognized her as the young woman who attacked him earlier, and she had a crazed look in her eyes. But then he saw the baby she was carrying, and their disheveled looks.
They starred at each other for a few moments, and then he lowered his guard.
"Please, come in, come in." He said, calmly gesturing her to enter.
Gine was flabbergasted that this human didn't start immediately attacking her. She backed up a bit, wondering if he was up to something and if she'd have to run.
He raised both hands assuringly. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you or your child young lady."
Then he waved his hand over to the contents on the table.
"You must be famished. Please, come sit down and have something to eat."
Gine followed his gesture and saw what was on his table. Her eyes glistened over at what she had to admit was the greatest sight she had seen all day. The elderly human had cooked up a feast. Multiple bowls of white spheres of something grainy, grilled fish, vegetables, soup, loaves of bread, noodles, beans, pickled eggs, and other assortments of food she had no idea what they were, but gods be damned they looked so tantalizing.
Without thinking Gine sat down at the wooden table and set Kakarot on her lap. Before the human could say anything else, a flurry of hands and stray food went flying as she and Kakarot greedily inhaled everything within reach. The bowls of white spheres immediately gone, half the bread in one bite, the fish devoured, and eggs eaten whole.
After a few minutes, she and her baby slowed to a stop, catching their breath. Then resumed again to finish off everything else on the table that wasn't already devoured. The elderly human was surprised by just how much and fast these two ate, and slightly put off by their lack of table manners. They must have been very hungry so he was willing to let that slide.
They both stopped for the last time as the child immediately feel asleep in Gine's lap while she finished off some soup and chugged a glass of water in the same gulp. Everything on the table that could have been eaten was gone. The human did manage to sneak a bite of some white spheres and fish before they disappeared, but was glad that these two had their fill.
Gine sat there for a long moment, savoring the lingering taste of everything she ate, and the fullness of her belly. There was nothing on planet Vegeta that could remotely compare to the sweet and filling pieces of joy she just ate. Nothing.
"That was the best food I've ever tasted!" Gine thought aloud, her smile lighting up her face.
The elderly human chuckled, "Well, I'm very pleased you enjoyed it." He said warmly, "It's not often I have a guest to give me a second opinion on my cooking."
Gine looked down at Kakarot sound asleep in her lap, his face as lit up as hers from such a hearty meal. She ruffled his hair, and looked up to the human.
"Thank you so much." She said to him.
"You are most welcome my dear, you clearly needed it more than I did." He gathered the plates and set some of them in the sink. He started washing some of the bowls when he decided to brave a question.
"Now, if I may be so bold to ask, what are you doing out here?" He asked kindly. "It's not often you find a young woman wandering this far out in the wilderness with a baby."
He saw how protectively she held the child in question. She still didn't trust him but he decided to take his time to let her open up.
Gine still felt scared by this human, remembering how he easily tossed her around earlier. But he seemed to have no intention of harming them, especially after feeding them.
She subconsciously relaxed a bit and sat there, starring into space. "Well... It's a long story, and I'm not sure if you would even believe me."
The elderly human walked back to the table with two empty cups and a kettle of tea.
"Well, I think I can believe in strange things, for I have seem plenty in my life. Although..." He set the cups down and poured tea in them. "Would what you have to tell have anything to do with that strange metal sphere where we had our little skirmish?"
Gine picked up her cup and sipped the tea gingerly, hoping its warmth and exquisite taste would calm her nerves.
"As a matter of fact, it does." She said after setting down the cup.
"Really?" He face turned to that of amazement as he sat down.
Gine nodded.
"Well then, I guess you have quite a tale to tell." He remarked. "Why don't you start with who you are."
The old man realized something and slapped himself in the head. "Oh, pardon me, where are my manners?! Allow me to do a proper introduction."
He extended an open hand to her. "My name is Gohan. Son Gohan."
She looked at his outstretched hand and took it. She guessed handshakes were a universal greeting afterall.
"Gine." She said.
"A lovely name... Nice to meet you, Gine." Said Gohan. His gentle smile under his bushy mustache somehow made Gine feel safe in his presence.
Gohan then pointed towards Kakarot in her lap, who was now starting to stir awake again. "And the child?"
Gine ruffled Kakarot's hair. "This is my son, Kakarot."
Gohan smiled at the boy when he looked at him, "Hello, little Kakarot."
Kakarot smiled back and giggled. Gine couldn't help but smile too at how her boy seemed to welcome this old man.
"I think he likes me." Gohan said, amused by how the boy giggled at him.
"Seems like he does." Gine answered back. For some reason she felt much calmer. If her little boy felt open enough to laugh with this human, then she could feel comfortable around him too.
Gohan focused on her again. "Well then, Gine, how about you tell me where you two came from."
Gine took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Well, you see..."
Over the course of an hour or so, she carefully explained to Gohan everything. That the metal sphere he saw was their spaceship, that she and her son were from another planet named Vegeta. That they were a part of a warrior race called Saiyans who worked for the galactic emperor Frieza, who had them conquer planets in his name. She explained the Saiyans' ability to change into Great Apes when they looked at the full moon, how Saiyan babies were used to purge all life on whatever planet they landed on, and the different classes of Saiyan warriors. Then she recounted how one day Frieza inexplicably turned against the Saiyans and destroyed their planet, her and Kakarot's escape to this planet with the help of Kakarot's father, and how she and her youngest son may be the only survivors. It was really difficult for her to tell Gohan about Bardock and Raditz without crying, but she did her best.
Gohan just sat there and listened, mesmerized by the tale that was far stranger than he ever could have imagined. By the time she was finished, his tea had gotten cold.
"You're from outer space?" Was all he could say, his voice filled with awe.
Gine nodded, "Yes."
It was a lot for Gohan to take in. He sat there in utter amazement at these strange beings, aliens, from another world that showed up literally at his doorstep. He never would've imagined that his world would've open up so incomprehensively vast when he woke up that morning. Life sure was funny that way.
"Well... I guess that explains the strange armor you are wearing. And the..." He gingerly pointed towards her and Kakarot's furry appendages "...tails."
Gine let her tail flap around a bit so he could see, then wrapped it again around her waist.
"But you are not here to conquer our planet, are you?" He asked pensively. As much as the idea of aliens fascinated him, the idea of an extremely powerful and barbaric race of aliens that conquered planets and committed genocide on grand scales terrified him.
Gine looked at him and shook her head vehemently. "No. We just came here to escape from Frieza." She looked down and stroked Kakarot's hair. "I have no interest in purging planets. I'm...I'm not like other Saiyans."
Gohan, while seeming to not have judged her to be the bloodthirsty kind of Saiyan she described her race as, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Then he asked, "And... this tyrant, this 'Frieza' fellow, does not know you are here on Earth? And he won't come looking for you?"
Gine looked at him quizzically. "Earth?"
"Yes. That is the name of our planet here. Planet Earth." Answered Gohan.
"Oh." Said Gine, looking down in thought.
"Earth..." She rolled the name off of her tongue. "Sounds like a nice name for a such pretty planet. But... isn't your planet mostly covered in water? Why would it be called after dirt if it's mostly ocean?"
Gohan shrugged. "Beats me. But I don't think anybody here knows."
"Huh." Was all Gine said. But she shoved that train of though aside. "But to answer your question: no. I don't believe Frieza knows we are here. We made sure of it. I chose this planet because it was unknown."
"Really?" Asked an intrigued Gohan.
Gine nodded. "Yes. This world lies at the fringe of explored space, as far as from Frieza's empire as we could get without getting lost. There was no name for this planet in any record of the worlds we scouted for throughout the galaxy. And I don't think Frieza or anyone in the Planet Trade Organization would have any interest in this planet at all. It's too primitive and not rich in resources...no offense." She quickly added.
"Huh. None taken." Said Gohan with raised eyebrows. Gine wasn't sure if he felt assured or insulted.
"So... you mentioned that you are not like other Saiyans. Why is that? You were not a warrior or conqueror like them?" Gohan asked.
Gine looked away, feeling uncertain and ashamed.
"I have...helped purge planets before." She said with a hollowed voice. "I never enjoyed a moment of it. I hate bloodshed unlike how other Saiyans do... or did. But... I was forced to partake in conquest and killing... and I hate myself for taking part in it."
Back on Vegeta, she'd be branded an outcast if she said openly what she just said. But despite being free to speak how she pleased now, this was still very difficult for her to talk about.
"As Saiyans, we were born to be the strongest warriors in the universe. It is part of who we are, and we are taught how to kill when we are young."
She remembered when she was sent on her first assignment as an infiltration baby, and the countless planets she helped conquer afterwards before she was kicked out of the service. She prided herself for surviving the purging missions, but she loathed herself to this day for bringing so much pain and suffering on innocent people. She would never had done any of it if given the choice.
Gine looked down at herself, her eyes started to glisten. "But... I was never cut out to be a Saiyan warrior, but then again, I never really wanted to. I hate killing, even if I had to. I'm weak. Always have been. Kakarot is weak too." She chuckled morbidly. "Must've got it from me."
Gohan was silent, and Gine wondered what he was thinking now that she told him that he was sitting across from someone who destroyed entire worlds.
She looked back up at him. "We wouldn't have been able to conquer this planet anyway. But when we were escaping we didn't think that far ahead. So...I guess we'd have just lived here peacefully."
"I see." Gohan finally said, and sat there for a long time before speaking again.
"Well, if I may say so, I wouldn't call you weak."
Gine gave him a quizzical look, "Really?"
"Really! In fact, you are probably the strongest fighter I've ever come across, and I've met practically most of the best there ever were in the world." He said kindly. "A bit sloppy in technique and instinct maybe, but you have an incredible right hook for sure."
Gine took in what he said, as far as she knew it was probably the first complement she had ever received for her fighting ability. She really didn't know how to accept it, but remembered their fight from earlier. It was then that she noticed that he had a slight wince when he mimicked the punch to the chest he mentioned she did. Gine suddenly felt a wave of guilt.
"I-I'm sorry if I hurt you." She said, too ashamed to look at him.
Gohan waved his hand dismissively. "Oh my dear, please, don't worry about that. That's long in the past, and I've been through much worse."
Gine looked up at him, "You are too forgiving. Even after I tried to kill you... and after telling you that I had done terrible things before."
Gohan's expression softened. "Gine... I can spot an evil soul from miles away. You are most certainly not a bad person. Based on all the things you told me about where you came from and the circumstances which you were born into, I have no right to cast judgement on you. Besides, if you feel guilt for the things you have done, then you have a conscience, and know right from wrong. No evil soul would dwell on such things. Right?"
Gine did not feel convinced by his words. The worlds she helped conquer and the pain she inflicted still happened and could not be undone, no words of comfort could ever fix that. But... his words did touch something within her. On some level, she felt an understanding from Gohan that she had never before felt. To be able to lay bare her true feelings to someone who would not laugh or spit at her, as Saiyans have, but give her an honest and non-judgmental validation of what she believed in, that conquering worlds was wrong, was truly amazing to her. Not even Bardock understood her to such a level like this, and often mocked her for it as any other Saiyan would.
She sat there in silence as a tear fell down her cheek, feeling as if she had been heard for the first time in her life. "I guess so." She said softly.
Gohan continued. "And don't feel bad about you hurting me, dear. You were a desperate mother trying to protect your baby, and after everything you've been through recently I don't think you were in much of a position to make clear decisions."
A slow smile crept on her face, relieved to hear that he held nothing against her for what she did, even if she felt she didn't deserve it. Gine didn't know why, but there was something about Gohan in his grace and wisdom that made her feel so safe to her core.
"And..." Gohan turned solemn, remembering that Gine had just experienced a loss far greater than he or anyone could ever imagine.
"...you have my condolences... for everything that was taken from you that day your world was destroyed." He said, gently placing a hand on top of hers.
Gine sat there and tried to digest his consolation as it all hit her again. The father of her children, her eldest boy, everything and everyone she had ever known. Her home...
Gohan was the first person she had told of her world's destruction to. It was weird that for such an unbelievable loss, she wasn't even sure how her own mind could process it. But sadness overtook her, and struggled to find the words to say.
"I... I appreciate that." Gine said finally as she wiped her moist eyes. It felt strange to be so vulnerable in front of a stranger and not get ridiculed for it.
Gohan nodded assuringly, he sipped his tea and realized it was cold. He then noticed that the kettle had gotten cold too, they must have talked long into the night.
"Well, Gine, since you have just landed here, I can assume you don't have a safe place to sleep yet?" He asked.
Gine looked at him, a twinge of fear crept into her as she thought if he was going to force them to leave. Slowly, she shook her head as a 'no'.
"Very well. You can stay here then." He said simply.
Gine's head shot up at his answer. "Really?!"
"Absolutely, my dear. You must be in great need of some proper rest after such a long journey, so why don't you and Kakarot feel free to make yourselves at home."
Gine sat there stunned. This man, this total stranger whom she almost killed, had just not only fed them but also willingly offered shelter to her and Kakarot. Could someone really be this kind?
"You'd-you'd do that for us?" She asked, still in disbelief.
"Of course." Gohan said. "You can stay here for as long as you like so you can get your bearings on how to live like the rest of us Earthlings."
He gestured with both arms taking in the space of his humble abode. "The place is a bit small, but it is quiet and comfortable, and I wouldn't mind some company anyway." Gohan said smiling.
Gine was speechless. After a few moments she quietly said, "But...why? Why would you do this for us?"
"Because it's the right thing to do." He said simply, as if understanding her not knowing what to say. "You two are refugees who fled for your lives and have nowhere else to go. Here, you and your son will have a chance to live free. I cannot in good conscience turn you away."
Gine could only look at Gohan with her vision flooding with tears. She was too bewildered and touched by the pure generosity of this soul to take them under his roof. Only a few hours ago she thought she and Kakarot were resigned to die alone and afraid in a forgotten wilderness they were too weak to survive in. And yet this human they happened to come across had practically saved her and her son.
All her apprehensions of him gone, Gine got up and walked over to Gohan. She embraced him as tight as she could without crushing him, wanting to convey just how much she felt indebted to him.
"Thank you." She said as her voice broke, tears streaking down her cheeks. Gohan stood there and kindly patted her on the back.
"You're welcome, Gine." He said, feeling warmth fill his heart for bringing joy to a lost family on this day.
After a long moment, Gine let go of Gohan and wiped away her tears, sniffling. "Is there anything I can do for all you've done?" She asked sincerely.
"Ah, you don't need to do anything for me, as long as I know you and Kakarot are safe, that's all that matters." Gohan said, he looked past Gine and noticed that the remnants of the door she kicked in, then an idea clicked. "But maybe, you could help me fix the door?" He pointed.
Gine looked behind her and saw the shattered door, then looked back embarrassed. "Oh, of course! Heh... I broke it, so I-I'll fix it for you." She said, then nervously scratched the back of her head. "But, um, I must warn you I'm not good with tools."
"That's alright, I can help you with that." Gohan said reassuringly.
"I can cook though!" She said with pride. "I was a chef on my home planet, so I can make you a feast sometime after the delicious meal you just gave us."
"Excellent!" Gohan beamed. "You can do that too if you like, but let's worry about all that in the morning. I think you two should get some sleep first." He said when he and Gine saw Kakarot yawning uncontrollably.
"Sounds like a good idea." She agreed.
"Then I'll go grab myself a pillow and blanket so you two can have the bed tonight."
Gine smiled and said another heartfelt "Thank you" as Gohan went off to the bedroom to grab what he needed.
Gine picked up Kakarot who was now almost fast asleep. She looked out the window to the night sky, then back down at Kakarot, and remembered something. She walked towards the bedroom where Gohan was emerging with a pillow and blanket, and asked, "When is the next full moon?"
Gohan was taken aback by her seemingly random query, but thanks to how attuned he was to tracking time with celestial objects, "About fifteen days from now, why?"
"Okay," She said, then continued, "It's just that we need to make sure that Kakarot never looks at the full moon."
"Huh? Why ever not?" He asked incredulously.
"Whenever a Saiyan looks at the full moon, they transform into an Oozaru, or Great Ape. A giant creature that will destroy and crush anything in sight. For someone as young as Kakarot, he won't be able to control the form, and will almost certainly try to kill you and me." Gine explained.
"Oh my goodness!" Gohan exclaimed. He then remembered that Gine had already covered the Great Ape stuff while telling her story. He guessed it must have gotten lost in the details of hearing such a strange tale, but seemed to be an important detail now.
"Well, I'll certainly keep that in mind." He said urgently as walked past them to the living room. He then stopped and turned back around.
"It only happens if a Saiyan looks directly at the full moon?" He asked Gine.
She nodded, "Yes."
"Would he transform if he saw a half moon or a crescent or gibbous?" He asked further.
"No." Gine said, "Only if it was a full moon."
"Hmm." Gohan said thoughtfully to himself. He set the blanket and pillow down on the floor and went over to the back cabinet.
Gine was about to ask what Gohan was looking for when he emerged from the cabinet holding two strange looking contraptions that resembled two darkened lenses of scouters attached together.
"I wonder if he were wearing these, would it prevent him from transforming?" He held the contraptions out to her. They were two pairs of darkened lenses held in red-trimmed frames.
"What are these?" She took one of them and held it up, inspecting it.
"They are called sunglasses." Gohan said, he took the one Gine was inspecting and placed it on her face.
"Oooh, I see!" She said, finally understanding. "They reduce the amount of light reaching your eyes! Yes, these would definitely help prevent him from transforming."
"Perfect!" Gohan quipped in satisfaction, he took the other glasses and placed it on a sleepy Kakarot's face while Gine took hers off. When she saw Kakarot, she burst out laughing.
The glasses were comically oversized on his face, their weird design on his innocent face and wild hair made him look ridiculously silly. Kakarot woke up from the sound of her laughing, and him knowing only that his mother was laughing, started to giggle too. The sight of his goofy-looking laughter-face being obscured by those glasses made Gine laugh harder, and Kakarot giggle more. Even Gohan started to chuckle too at how goofy the boy looked, and how fond the scene looked to him.
Gine laughed wholeheartedly for the first time her life. Free to live in the moment with her goofy little boy. No Frieza, no bloodshed, no survival, no fear, nothing but seeing how silly Kakarot looked.
Maybe 'Earth' won't be so bad afterall…
A/N: And so the story begins on Earth as it does, but with the first major change in the timeline from Gine going to Earth with Goku. Now that Grandpa Gohan knows Kakarot's real name from his own mother, he is never given his iconic adopted name, Goku. Thus, he is forever known only as Kakarot.
And, with the knowledge of the Great Ape transformation given by Gine, Grandpa Gohan is not killed by Kakarot. Will we see him survive into Z? Tune in next chapter!
Let me know how I did in a review!