Previously...
Somewhere far off, in near complete darkness, a moon was rising over Mount Paozu, and with it, an unearthly cry.
Present.
Prior to these happenings, young Gohan had taken off desperately after his father in the darkness. Kakarot had left the two of them, feeling perhaps he didn't deserve his alternate family. He had resigned to return to his position in Frieza's army. That was, if not for the feeling that kept him from straying furthermore. There was this terrible aching in his chest that made him take pause, and fall listlessly down to his knees as he gripped the grass beneath him.
I can't leave them. No, I want to go home. He thought, and looked up at the sky. Home was not here, though the little house was quite quaint, and gave him a sense of familiarity; this was not his true reality. He knew, from somewhere deep within, that Chi-Chi was right. This alternate reality he had been living in, was a sham. But, it seemed he had been here all his life. Ever since he could remember, he had lived here. His early memory was of crawling from the ravine, blood seeping down from his head, and into his eyes.
Or was it? It all seems like a dream. Why did he have such foggy memories of that place? Sometimes he recalls being rescued by an old man, other times, he remembers going off on his own. That kind, grandfather's face forever stuck with him as an important beacon of when his life had made this drastic change. When... He and the 'real' Goku, had separated on the physical plane, and remained spiritually held together by the thin threads of the universe.
Does he know about me, just as I know about him?
Kakarot thought once again, gripping the grass in his fists and tearing it out. Goku had always acted oblivious to his presence, that was until his hands were all over his precious Chi-Chi. But, it had not been the first time he and his true mate had been physically united. He knew, he swore, that he had been with her in the real world before. Was his dream of their wedding night a reality, then? When the moonlight had flooded in through the windows on that fateful night, and he had torn the lace garment at the seams, before taking Chi-Chi's virginity. And, that could only mean, that he... As one with Goku's body, had just as much claim on Chi-Chi as he. He felt his fangs elongating angrily in his gums, pain flaring at the base of his spine as he recalled that fateful night he had spent in the arms of Chi-Chi.
"Goku... Come closer to me. Sit on the bed." Chi-Chi whispered, and sat down daintily on the edge of the bed, and offered him her back.
"Will you... my sweet husband, please unzip my dress for me?"
Goku nodded quickly, licking his lips as he felt the nerve endings in his body all buzzing with his anxiety.
"Are you sure... that's ok?" He said, and glanced anxiously out the window.
"I-I should close the window, isn't it a bit chilly?" He said, and walked over to the window. Goku gulped as Chi-Chi sighed, and resigned herself to go to bed, married to him spiritually, but never by the flesh.
"Yes.. I suppose you're right, I'll just... get into my nightgown and go to bed." She said, a sad, disappointed tone in her voice.
Goku gripped the window pane, and looked up at the sky for once, in a very long time, he dared to gaze at the moon. It was very faint, just passing behind the clouds. Then, the clouds departed, revealing to him, a full dark sky, full of sparkling stars, as well as the moon, which shone brightly from the heavens. He felt a tingle down the base of his spine, and felt that phantom twitching of his tail again. What they called, 'Ghost limb syndrome'.
"Goku...?" Chi-Chi whispered, and he squeezed his eyes shut, and closed the window quickly, then pulled down the curtains, so that they were in near darkness, beside for a sliver of moonlight that cast across his face, and down the curves of her body. He breathed out heavily at the sight of her lying on her stomach, her hands behind her back, attempting to undo her own zipper.
The sight of her in that position made him want to restrain her wrists, and take her as she knelt over the bed, her dress lifted up over her backside. He growled, that ghost tail making slashes in the air.
"Goku, you don't look..." She began to say, but her throat was tightening with anxiety, as a silvery cast circled his irises, and for a second, they glowed red. He didn't look quite like himself...her husband looked so handsome in the dark...feral, even.
"Allow me to tend to your dress.." He purred, and came up behind her, taking her wrists in one hand, and searching for the zipper with the other.
"Where is it?" He snapped, and she turned her head back to look at him.
"Under the lace, pull back the lace! You'd better not tear my mother's dress, Goku!" She snapped back, but he didn't listen, trailing his hand up to play with the spiral curls dangling from the nape of her neck.
"The hair, I want it down." He growled, and she huffed at him, then began fiddling with the bobby pins until it cascaded down her back in ripples.
"What is with you tonight? You'd better be more polite to your wife if you want to share the bed with me tonight!" She snapped, and Kakarot chuckled from within Goku, and dug his fingers into the back of her dress.
"You're not mine yet. This dress, it means nothing to me." He hissed, then tore the back of it away in one wide section, baring her creamy skin to him. He pulled it further down as she screamed out with her surprise, and he yanked it off her legs fully.
"GOKU! HOW DARE YOU! That dress meant everything to me!" She screamed, her voice about to break out into hysterical sobs.
Goku and Kakarot kissed down her neck, caressing her sides to calm her as they whispered into her skin.
"You can sew it together. It doesn't matter, because you will never wear it again, not as long as I'm your life mate." He said softly to reassure her, and licked her softly at the back of her spine, where a tiny brown mole marked where if she was a saiyan, a tail would have grown.
"Yes, Goku...I love you." She said softly, sparkling tears falling from her blushed cheeks. He purred into her skin, and snapped the garters from her thighs, as he knelt down in the masses of fluffy lace to worship his mate's body.
Yes, Kakarot growled. He knew now, for a fact, that during the time they were together that night, he had bitten into the meat of her inner thigh, and afterward she had sunk her teeth into the muscle above his clavicle.
Chi-Chi is mine. Gohan is my son.
Kakarot stood abruptly, the grass falling from his hands as he made an unearthly scream, his eyes widening as he tossed his head back, the spines of his pronged mane, a silhouette before the full moon.
"Dad, I found you!" Gohan screamed above his father's guttural cry to the sky, then stopped in his tracks.
"D... Dad?" He murmured softly, as Kakarot did not turn towards him. Gohan gasped, his eyes widening as he realized Kakarot must have... He whirled around quickly, and stared up into the sky to confirm it.
"The moon! That's right, in the darkness there's still a m-moon!" Gohan said to himself frantically, then froze up. His body trembled, and he found he could not look away from the beautiful sight of the full moon shining down on him, in its full splendor.
Kakarot managed to turn around, having heard Gohan's faint scream as his body felt like it was burning, and he screamed from the intensity of it. He turned around quickly, and caught sight of Gohan, enraptured by the moon. Kakarot looked up, puzzled. The moon was so massive. But, he hadn't transformed into a great ape. He looked down at his own hands, and turned them to look at the backs of them. Fur! His hands were covered with dark brown fur, and his nails were sharp, and black!
"Gohan, baby, Momma's coming to find you!" Chi-Chi yelled from somewhere in the forest, and Kakarot stiffened, disregarding his own odd transformation, and taking heed of his son's. No... Gohan had bulked up, his small body became covered in fur, as his eyes turned red, and teeth elongated into large fangs.
"Chi-Chi, stay back!" He clipped from his own fangs, then felt his face. He moved his bracer, pulling back the red sleeve to look at the glossy surface. His own eyes looked alien to him. As he gazed at his reflection, his eyes were crimson.
But now, it was too late to ponder on his change in appearance as the ground began to quake, and Gohan grew to immense size, breaking the ground beneath him with his weight. The great ape began to stomp his feet, and beat on his chest with his fists; completely untamed. Gohan had tapped into his Ōozaru form, but he had no control over it!
"What happened!? Where's Gohan!?" Chi-Chi said with apprehension, then gasped as she ran out into the clearing, and saw that his clothes had torn off, fallen, and he was gone. Her worst nightmare had come to pass. She had been warned by Korin, that calamity would befall them if she made the wish to make Gohan human, thus defenseless, and Goku would remain trapped in the Other World. The other, more sensible option, was to revive him, and leave Gohan as a half-breed, and subject to change at the sight of the full moon as long as his tail remained attached.
However, the positive was he could come to be strong enough to protect his mother, and perhaps even the earth one day at the risk of simply missing out on some of his studying. She could overlook that reasoning, now when faced with the reality of it all.
"..You have to choose, risk your son's life to see your husband again, or risk your son becoming a beast and destroying everything you hold dear? Either way, the outlook is grim."
He told her he would become a beast, but, not exactly what. She'd never expected that it would be like this... This massive, behemoth thing, now going berserk as she stared at it in horror. Gohan shot red ki blasts from his mouth, and obliterated all the trees in his wake. Another pass of his head, and he made great holes in the mountain.
Chi-Chi's eyes widened and filled with tears as her heart raced, and she backed up a few paces. She felt someone behind her, and gasped, as cold hands clutched her arms. She turned to look, and saw that it was Darkness Chi-Chi.
"Monsters! See, I told you! Look at him!" She pointed, and Chi-Chi looked over to Kakarot, and at last her eyes settled on his strange new features. Her body froze, and heat gathered into the base of her pelvis as she saw her mate in his Saiyå-Zarou form. He looked even more attractive with his silky coat of fur, and his blazing crimson eyes. A pressure found its way to the base of her spine, and an immense sensation of uncomfortable fullness seemed to practically pulse from within in reaction. Chi-Chi felt the back of her spine, where it had so itchy before, now shooting pains were going through it.
"What on Earth is wrong with you?! Can't you see that I was right?" Darkness Chi-Chi snapped, and Chi-Chi's knees buckled with her pain. She was helped by a hand, shoving her down. Chi-Chi yelped as the other one ground her boot on her spine, and went to grab for the sack at her waist. Though in pain, Chi-Chi could only stare up dutifully at her mate, and child as Kakarot became distracted by her, and started coming her way, while Gohan was turning his glowing red eyes to watch them all.
"Hey, what are you doing to-" He began aggressively, but was stopped mid sentence by her scream.
"Kakarot! Don't worry about me!" She said sternly. He was about to argue, before Gohan's fist came crashing down right behind him.
"SAVE OUR SON!" She screamed as loud as she could, her intention serious, full emphasis on saving him, no matter what happened, Kakarot could not kill Gohan.
Kakarot's red eyes widened, then he nodded to her firmly, then flew off to fight off Gohan's advance. Meanwhile, Chi-Chi was fully aware of the hand going for her sack of dragon balls, and she moved her arm back to grip the other's wrist.
"You traitorous bitch... those are my dragon balls!" Chi-Chi practically growled at her with her rage, and grabbed her firmly by the wrist, and flung her over her head, and cruelly into the ground. Chi-Chi then looked out to the horizon, where Kakarot was chasing off Gohan, shooting him in the back and evading his blasts to put more distance between him and them.
She then turned attention back on Darkness Chi-Chi, who was now face down, and sobbing, and had to ignore the twinge of pain in her chest as her twin sobbed into the sod.
"I don't care what you say, that's MY family! They may be beasts to you, but my Kakarot will always protect me!" She said, her teeth snapping as she clenched her fists.
"And no matter what, I'm not going to let you take that, or my dragon balls away from me!" She cried out, and felt her pain radiating from her back again. Suddenly, Chi-Chi felt so hot, she tore her jacket off, leaving her in jeans and a tee shirt. She groaned and arched her back, her spine tingling where... Memories flashed through her mind. Goku's tongue tickling the little spot there playfully, why had he always done that when they were intimate? She thought it was just him being silly, but now; mixed with that painful sensation, she felt that small tickling flicker at the base of her spine.
Darkness Chi-Chi chuckled lowly, and she pushed herself up off the ground with both hands. Her face, and the front of her body were dark and shadowy as she hovered there. Then, she began to slowly sit up, and the dark, shadowy nature of her features gave her a sudden revelation.
Where darkness lies, there be peering eyes. Some be a sweet caress, others be dark, leering spies. Darkness nearing, pathways meeting... Chi-Chi thought; recalling the song her mother and father used to sing to warn her.
"Tiny ifrit, play me a riddle..."
Darkness Chi-Chi sneered, then stood, and ripped her cheongsam away from her body. Beneath her garments, she wore black, shiny armour with just a tinge of a purple hue. The armour bikini was identical to the one she wore as a child, yet now fitted her other self quite well, her womanly body, rippling with muscle in some places, as she raised her hands up from her abdomen, and placed two hands by the sides of her long, black tresses. From nothing, a red helm began to form, with a sharp, curved blade atop it as her weapon, much more deadly than the one she had used as a child.
Chi-Chi gasped as she felt her own garments changing, and looked down to see that she was wearing identical armor as well, except hers was the familiar blue and pink that she remembered. Both of the women's dragon balls rolled out from their discarded garments, and gathered in between them, in a divot in the earth. There were five of them in total. They looked up in wonder, as a voice called down from the heavens.
"You must overcome your Darkness, Chi-Chi! Defeat her, and you shall drink of the Ultra divine water!"
"Yes, Master Korin!" She said, nodding, and looked down at her enemy.
"Winner takes all?" The other sneered, and pulled the blade from her helm with two flattened palms.
"You can't have any of them, not my dragon balls. Or my family." Chi-Chi snapped at her, and the other one laughed at her, "What makes you think I want those beasts to be my family?" She snapped, and flung her blade at her. Chi-Chi was quick to dodge it, jumping to the side, as the other one ran forward, and caught it in her helmet like a boomerang.
"I know what I desire, and if I were you, I would want my life, too." She said, and watched as the other furrowed her brow and grit her teeth angrily at her.
"Shut up and fight me!" She shouted, and Chi-Chi smiled back at her, knowing she had hit a sore spot.
"Here I come!" Chi-Chi yelled, and ran towards her, quick as lightning.
Kakarot fell back as Gohan lashed his long tail in the air, and hit him, sending him flying back for hundreds of feet, his body smashing through tree trunks as he was thrown violently. His pupils blanketed over with white as his body was struck, again and again, parts of his armour breaking off and shattering into pieces. His scouter was cracked, and fell off of his face as he continued to tumble backwards, until at last righting himself.
Kakarot panted, his head hanging, then clenched his fists to summon the power that he could feel within him. With this form, he was ten times stronger than an Oozaru, and as Saiyå-Zarou, he should be able to overcome him. Gohan turned, and sniffed the air with his massive muzzle, drool falling down from his sharp teeth in streams as he searched for the familiar scent. Kakarot slowly, silently phased behind the remaining tree trunks back to his son, determined to defeat him, and return him back to the boy he once knew.
If he didn't rescue Gohan, he would never be able to live with himself. To be crushed beneath the foot of his own child, his mate buried with him, that shame could not befall him. He would do what he had to, even if that meant doing the last thing he wanted. Kakarot honed in close, coming at Gohan from the side, avoiding his tail, and mouth all at once.
He flew forward; and aimed for his arm. Kakarot made two twin spheres in his hands, and pulsed them outward; one severing the ligament to his shoulder, the other, hitting him hard in the fold of his furry elbow. Gohan bellowed, tossing his head back as his arm was hit, then cried even more as Kakarot took hold of it, and used all of his strength to push him with it, and sent him smashing into the side of Mount Paozu. Kakarot was amazed by his own strength as he heard the great ape's bones breaking.
"I'm sorry, son, but this is the only way!" He shouted up to him, then shot out another beam, pinning his wrist to the wall, rocks falling, and hitting off Gohan's head as he roared, and let off a red blast from his mouth. It just barely whizzed past Kakarot, his fur hot with the sensation. He touched his arm, and felt the heat of it. It should have burned off, but it seemed like this fur was flame retardant.
Gohan reached out with his other arm to punch at him, and Kakarot was quick to counter it, wrapping his body around it, and pinning that arm to the mountain as well. The great ape shook the mountain side as his other arm was restrained; his feet still free to stomp, and make craters in the earth. Kakarot was crushed up against the mountainside as he pinned his arm against it, he coughed, trapped between the wall, and his arm. Gohan screeched angrily, stomping his feet, and was able to make an unbelievable escape, flipping his body upwards, and managing to somersault up onto the top of the mountain, freeing his arms.
One hung contorted to his side as he squatted there, panting, and the other came away, freeing Kakarot from his entrapment. He pulled away from the wall, and circled around his son. He didn't want to cut off his tail if he didn't have to, if only he could hold him off from killing him until the sun rose once again. Then, Chi-Chi and Gohan would be safe.
Far beyond the fight on the mountain, the two women were locked in a stalemate.
Ching! Ching!
The two of their blades collided as they tossed them, and returned to their masters. Chi-Chi threw her weapon once again, and the other countered it just as quickly, and the blade sliced around the Darkness Chi-Chi, cutting her across the cheek, as her blade cut around her, and cut the opposite cheek, both boomeranging back again.
Chi-Chi wiped her cheek with her glove, and huffed, charging forward to face her in hand to hand combat. Chi-Chi jumped up in the air, and the other followed, both with their hands in an X across their sumptuous chests. Chi-Chi was the first to strike, slashing at her twin, but the same thing happened.
With each precise jab of Chi-Chi's flattened palms, her sharp nails to a point, the Darkness Chi-Chi was matching her hits, one for one. They grunted, and stabbed at another's hands in a frustrating battle, their forearms blocking the hits, each vigorous hit being absorbed by their aching forearms.
Chi-Chi grew agitated, and pushed off the other in mid air, then spun around, and struck her with a roundhouse kick. What she had expected unfortunately happened, as the other swung her opposite leg out, and their bare thighs slapped the muscle hard against each other with a crack of skin, at the same time as their boots landed on their faces. Pushed painfully back, the both were repelled back, and landed on their bottoms with pained grunts. After a moment to recover their wits, the both of them huffed, and put their hands on their hips angrily.
" 'Stop copying me!' " The both of them shouted in unison, then groaned with annoyance. Chi-Chi tossed her head back and made a primal roar of her annoyance, startling the Darkness Chi-Chi, whose eyes grew wide as her other version jumped to her feet quickly.
"I'M the real Chi-Chi!" She screamed, her power rushing out around her in intense red streaks that made the other gasp. She began to get up to counter her, before she was painfully crushed against the soil by a pink boot.
"You have no idea how long it took me to master those techniques, and how much it means to me!" She screamed, and ground Darkness's face into the grass. Darkness chuckled, muffled, then lifted her legs up into a scorpion pose. Chi-Chi didn't notice, as she was grinning, grinding her boot into the other one's cheek.
She struck, bending her body inward, and ensnared herself by the neck, and in an impressive feat of flexibility, placed her in a scorpion hold, and flung Chi-Chi onto her back violently, as she used the momentum to right herself quickly. Chi-Chi screamed as she was flung violently, then felt her body hit the ground hard, taking the brunt of the hit with her chest armour. Then, the other grabbed her blue cloak, and pulled her up by it.
Chi-Chi gasped, and felt around her neck where the choker around it was tightening, and gasped for her breath. She had to think fast, or else. she was going to suffocate! Darkness wrapped her cloak around her hand, and pulled it tight, bringing Chi-Chi's head to rest on her voluptuous bosom.
"He won't save you. Just like Daddy never saved me. He was too busy fetching our useless mother's wedding dress to find me, while I crawled under the bed. So, just forget all about your illusions, Chi-Chi." She whispered cruelly, and wrenched her neck to the side to stare up at the sky. Her lips moved, and she was breathless, scratching at her throat with one hand. Darkness loosened her grip just slightly, enough for her to speak as Chi-Chi gasped.
"You're wrong... Daddy did save me, and the dress...You're the illusion here, not me.." She whispered hoarsely, blinking painfully as her entire body screamed in outrage with all the pain being inflicted. Her stomach turned, and her diaphragm convulsed as she held back her sobs due to the painful memory.
"It wasn't my fault... I didn't mean it, I fell asleep while the milk was boiling...It caught on the curtain." He rasped, and the other laughed at her cruelly, stabbing her hand into her back, and jabbing her hard in the ribs, as she grinned with shiny blue lips.
"It was I who started the blaze." She snarled, and pulled the cloak tighter around Chi-Chi's throat.
"I was angry, it was time for that decrepit old crone, excuse for a mother to die." She hissed, and Chi-Chi screamed out with pain, and her hand jerked back, then lanced in between her ribs, widening the gap between them, threatening to stab at her vital organs. Blood made a slash down her pale side, and she sobbed, tears falling down her cheeks as her chest heaved, and her head rolled to the side.
Chi-Chi forced her head back, bucking, and it only served to slam their helmets together. She wriggled her legs, and Darkness kicked her behind the knees. Chi-Chi was paralyzed with her pain, as fire lit it's way up her center, burning through her core as she couldn't help but feel enraged through all the pain.
"Give up. Soon, you'll be dying, and Kakarot and the child will be mine." Darkness whispered, and Chi-Chi gasped.
"You can't have them! You won't steal my life!" She screamed, wriggling violently, her arms going behind her to try and find something to strike, but she was restrained with one of the other's arms, the other hand pushing further into her ribs. Agony sliced deep through her, and she screamed as her face lifted up towards the moon.
"It was supposed to be mine! I was thrust into this terrible dimension, to forever linger on, on a decimated planet! I died in that blaze! After that, I was never the same!" She screamed, and viciously speared her hand through Chi-Chi's ribs, and punctured her lung. The wind was torn from her suddenly, her vision hazy as Darkness Chi-Chi pulled her hand out, and up to her forearm was covered in her dark, shimmering, silvery crimson blood.
Chi-Chi breathed in raggedy, but it felt as if her lungs could not be filled, instead, they were pooling with blood as she watched the moon lowering in the sky. The pain in her body was now numbing, having become so intense, her endorphins were now kicking in.
"I'm glad we were separated... I'd never want to be like you." Chi-Chi said lastly, and slumped her head back listlessly onto Dark Chi-Chi's shoulder. The other giggled, feeling she had won, she began to release her from her tight grip, letting go of the cloak where it had made an angry red slash on her throat.
"Well, you'll be buried here, and I shall return with a new life for myself." The other giggled, brushing back her midnight back raven tresses with a bloody hand to see if Chi-Chi was still breathing. She looked, and saw that her gaze was fixed upwards, tears running from her eyes as she stared at the source. Darkness tilted her chin back, and looked up to see what it was, before suddenly feeling her throat tighten.
She clawed for her throat, and screamed as she felt something there, tightening painfully. Yet, no matter how hard she scratched and struggled, she couldn't remove the black, silky rope around her throat, that now lifted her up above Chi-Chi, as the real one turned to look up at her. "What are you?! Are you one of them!?" She screeched, then was thrown hard into a tree, it's trunk shattering, then with a groaning of the great oak above her, it fell, crushing the Darkness Chi-Chi beneath.
Chi-Chi fell to her knees, and frantically began digging through her garments for her pouch of senzu beans, hyperventilating. At last, she found it, and fumbled for the tiny green beans, before falling sideways on the ground. She crunched it between her teeth, gratefully. Her side that was pulsing out blood healed quickly, and Chi-Chi took long, heavy draughts of breath as she refilled her lungs with fresh air, and fell asleep.
"Yippie! She did it! I knew my Chi-Chi was a fighter! Yeah!" Korin enthusiastically shouted, punching and kicking the air as they saw the fight go down from The Lookout. Soft laughter was heard, as Kami and Mr. Popo were also happy she succeeded.
"I suppose I was wrong about your student, Master Korin. She is quite the contender. And, even Kakarot continues to amaze me." Kami said with amusement, as he placed his hands behind his back and nodded.
"Most impressive! Not to mention, that transformation of his! Whatever is that magnificent fur coat?" Mr. Popo said, smiling down admirably, as they looked down to the surface of the darkness, where Kakarot and Gohan were fighting until the break of dawn.
"Saiyå-Zarou." A voice came from behind, and they turned to listen. Calliope strolled over towards them to look down, and confirm it.
"It is a form of evolution that has existed since Permian time. Back when Namek was a fledgling planet, and Sadala was still in it's primitive beginnings. Our people were advanced beyond the technology of this time when we came to find them, and provided the ancient Saiyå with education on gardening, in order to save their planet from over-consumption. Even then, only the strongest of them could attain the form." She explained at length, and the others nodded.
"Yes, that is a curious observation. Imagine if the Namekians hadn't been so kind to help feed the Saiyans, they probably would have attempted to consume us." Kami said grimly.
"I doubt they would enjoy our flesh. Our bodies are 90% water, hence the need for frequent hydration. The other percentage, is stretchy and hard to chew." She stated, and the others all nodded with interest. Calliope knew quite a lot about Namekians, and Kami found himself eager to educate himself on his own race that he knew so little of.
"It looks like Gohan is returning to his previous form with the rising of the sun. Shall we check on him?" Mr. Popo stated, and they all agreed, and headed inside the temple to the designated room reserved for the sleeping, who needed healing.
"...Calliope? I trust you to enter alone. We shouldn't wake him yet, not until you say he's ready." Kami said gently, and leaned on his cane in front of the door. She understood, thanking him in Namekian.
The door creaked open slowly, and she carefully made her way in, her bejeweled garments slightly jingling as she walked softly into the room with two large canopy beds, all brightly colored, with shades of purple, green, gold and orange to inspire happiness. "I'm coming in." She whispered to alert him, and came up to the side of the bed as the child remained still.
"Gohan...? Have you returned to this plane yet?" She said, taking his small hand. She took a senzu bean from where it had been tucked in her clothing, ready to offer it to him. She gently attempted to pass it through his lips, but the child had not yet stirred.
"..Perhaps his mission is... incomplete." A baritone voice resounded from the other bed, and Calliope turned to listen to it. She looked down with sorrow.
"I'm so sorry. I tried my best." Calliope whispered, and sat on the edge, placing her hand on the bed.
"You have done more than enough, no-one has asked for you to come. Once I can leave this place, I'll travel to the darkness and-" Calliope shushed him, placing her hand over his.
"Piccolo. Please, don't fight against the Darkness. Now is your time to rest." She said gently, and he sighed heavily with his annoyance, keeping his hand still as the female insisted on holding it. A purple hue began to glow from his green complexion, and immediately she leaned forward, and felt his forehead.
"You're burning up. I'll bring you more spring water." She said, and Piccolo huffed at her, retracting his sensitive antennae into his skin as her hand hovered near them.
"Of course, I'm thirsty, what else would I be?!" He retorted in annoyance, and Calliope responded with a musical giggle.
"Perhaps... My presence has influenced your fever...?" She teased, and he sat up quickly in bed, sending her scrambling backwards.
"I am not ill! I was infested with an infuriating parasite, but by no means can I not throw you out of this bedroom this instant!" He growled, baring his fangs, then the door burst open, and he froze up.
"Children, my stars! Did I hear you bickering once again?" Kami said, and was followed by Mr. Popo, who was toting a tray with a pitcher of spring water and glasses, then Korin, and his disciple Yajirobe the samurai toting a potted senzu bean plant as a gift.
"Piccolo is awfully rude to me...We used all our combined power bringing him back to The Lookout, when he was seconds from death." She pouted, and looked at him with baleful golden eyes. Mr. Popo set the tray down, and readied a glass for Piccolo as he resigned himself to the bed, looking away from her, muttering angrily to himself.
"Yes, you nearly gave me a stroke, Piccolo. The Guardian Obœ was also kind enough to lend her strength to us to help transport you here quick enough to give you a senzu bean." Kami said, looking down his nose at Piccolo as he drank his water.
"And I helped! I brought the entire bag with me, just to be sure." Yajirobe said, then Korin bonked him over the head with his staff.
"Ya didn't hafta eat half of it, you portly oaf! Although, I guess I won't have to feed you for some time!" The white cat mused, twitching his whiskers.
"I'm hungry already!"
"Guh... can you all please be quiet?" A sluggish voice responded, and they all immediately turned their heads, to see that Gohan had eaten the senzu bean, and was now awake again. Calliope and Piccolo both immediately rushed off the bed to attend to him, checking to see that his neck was no longer broken.
"Gohan! You're alright!" Calliope said with relief, and brushed his hair back to kiss his forehead as his eyes blinked wearily.
"Get the boy some water!" Piccolo shouted, and Mr. Popo went to work quickly to get him a glass.
"Oh dear, I'll fetch him some right away!"
They were able to sit Gohan up carefully, then Mr. Popo gently fed the water through his lips. Gohan drained the entire glass, then closed his eyes and seemed to fall right back asleep again. They let him rest, some of their worries now put to rest as well.
"His mother will be relieved." Calliope sighed, smiling as she played with the boy's hair, wishing she had some like it on her head.
"Yes. Once Goku's wife comes back, I need to speak with her immediately about the specific wish she intends to make on the Dragon Balls." Piccolo said, folding his arms across his chest as he thought on this.
"..Goku told me something while we were able to communicate with him in other world that is of utmost importance." He continued, as they all slowly filtered out of the room to give Gohan some peace and quiet to rest. Kami nodded, his staff tapping as they walked down the great staircase.
"You had better tell her immediately before she makes her wish, or else I'm afraid the fate of our future, lies in the balance." Kami responded, as they came down, and stood before a massive water fountain, where a dragon statue sprayed the water up.
"Chi-Chi is an impatient woman. She won't be happy with this." Piccolo said, and Yajirobe agreed.
"Impatient? You mean impossible. She has just as thick a skull as Goku!" Yajirobe rudely informed them all, and Korin scowled at him.
"You do realize I can still send you down there at any time. There are still two more dragon balls to collect." He snapped with warning, and Yajirobe shrunk back.
"Uh-uh, she doesn't need me, she's scary!" Yajirobe shook his head vehemently, and they all laughed.
"Scary as she may be, Chi-Chi is quite the dedicated wife. To go through all that, to become more powerful and save her husband and child. She certainly is worthy of drinking the Ultra Divine water, but we shall see how that all pans out, next." Kami said, and the others agreed as they looked down, and saw through the water, that in the Darkness, peace had at last returned.
He walked on heavy legs, carrying Gohan in his arms, Kakarot slowly made it back to where Chi-Chi rested from her battle. He had fought off Gohan until early light, and once the sun had risen, Gohan shrunk down from the Ōozaru form with the loss of the moon, then fell into a deep sleep. He had as well, his body returning to his base form; forcing him to rest from his many injuries. Kakarot at last saw a gleam of her pale skin, and blue armour, sparkling in the sunlight, and he ran to her, completely forgetting his pain.
"Chi-Chi! Wake up, it's all over!" He shouted happily, and she blinked, sitting up on one elbow, and rubbing her weary eyes.
"Kakarot..? Gohan?" She murmured, then when she saw that they had both returned, seemingly unscathed, she began crying tears of happiness. Kakarot laid Gohan in the grass beside them, and saw that he was mostly unharmed, besides covered in dirt, his clothes destroyed from his transformation.
"Kakarot, you're hurt!" Chi-Chi gasped, and saw the blood mixing with the red of his armour, and pulled at it.
"No. really, I'm ok, Chi-" He began, but once he removed his chest plate, she was better able to see the gashes riddling his body, and quickly gave him a senzu bean.
"Here, eat this. I promise, once you take it you'll feel much better." She urged, and Kakarot nodded, taking the bean. He chewed a moment as she looked over him, and watched his wounds transform, healing over.
"Amazing. I feel so much stronger!," He said, patting his rejuvenated muscles.
"Thank goodness for Korin," She whispered, then came forward and fell into his arms gratefully as he held her tight, caressing the straight black strands splayed across her cloak.
"What happened? You seem... different." Kakarot stated, his nose twitching as he looked over Chi-Chi's new garments, and licked his lips, seeming pleased by this.
"The Darkness Chi-Chi wanted to steal everything from me... Unfortunately, I had to do what I must, and I threw her to her death." She said softly, and looked over to where the large tree had fallen, crushing her body.
"But, how did I do that?" Chi-Chi whispered, and stood up, looking around herself, and seemingly giving chase, spinning around three times.
"Chi-Chi?" Kakarot said, confused, then his eyes widened when she caught up to what she was chasing, and made a cheer of triumph. "Gotcha!" She giggled, and grasped the strange, furry creature that had helped her at the last minute of the battle, saving her life.
"This is what did it! I have to thank this thing right here-" Chi-Chi began, then hugged it tightly to her body, and promptly fell over.
"Wha- Cheech!" Kakarot blurted out, and ran to her clumsily, jumping right over Gohan's inert form, and his discarded armour, and to his mate that was lying on the ground, blinking dazedly.
"Why do I... feel dizzy..?" She whispered, then giggled as the furry snake tickled her face. Kakarot knelt down beside her, his tail twitching at the end curiously, and pried the fur creature from her arms carefully to examine it. It had dark, glossy blackish brown fur, which was very full and healthy, as well as thick, and flexible as he tested it's movement with his hands. Chi-Chi giggled, and her cheeks flushed pink as he played with it, smirking as her legs lifted, and he was able to see where the thing had come from.
"You know, you really should be more careful with this type of thing..." He said slyly, and gave it a tug.
"Owww!" She cried, and retracted it back, holding the injured fur in her hands.
"A Saiyan's tail is very sensitive." He said, and brought his around to show her, Chi-Chi blinking in confusion as she sat up. "Why are you telling me this?" She murmured, the furry thing twitching back in response. Kakarot grinned, and looped his tail around it, caressing with a gentle touch. Chi-Chi shivered, looking down, and realized that every time his tail made a pass on the furry thing, she felt a relaxing sensation, as well.
"Well... You tell me." He said softly, and squeezed his tail tightly around the furry thing. Chi-Chi gasped, and the furry thing coiled around her waist almost of its own accord.
"What is this... Have I...?" She murmured, patting her waist, then feeling around her back. It was attached. The furry thing was in fact... attached to her spine!
"You have." Kakarot chuckled into his hand, and Chi-Chi screamed so loud that birds flew from the trees, chirping loudly in fear, until the loud screech subsided, and Gohan opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.
"Mom! You have a tail just like me!" Gohan enthused happily, his tail wagging.
Chi-Chi gulped, her tail puffing to nearly three times the size, and promptly fell back, Kakarot catching her as she fainted again. The boy and him couldn't help but share a laugh once again at her lightheadedness.
"Does this mean my mom is a Saiyan too?" Gohan asked, scratching his head, and looked down to see he was fully naked, then covered his privates.
Kakarot smirked, "Well, Saiyan genetics certainly do run through her blood, son. I knew that when I set my sights on the woman, there was something familiar about her..." He sighed, looking down at her, and coiling his tail around to softly caress her cheek.
"Cool...um, can I have some new clothes, Dad?" Gohan asked bashfully, and Kakarot nodded. "Yes. Let's get dressed, and on our way. There's still more dragon balls to fetch." He said, and looked down at the cache of golden spheres sparkling in the light.
"Ok. I can't wait to play with mom's new tail!" He said excitedly, watching as Kakarot opened a capsule, and took out new sets of red and black Saiyan armour for them.
"Me neither, Gohan." He chuckled deviously, handing his son the armour.
"Wow! Does this mean I'm ready to fight like you?" Gohan asked as he eagerly pulled on his black underwear, then stretched the armour over his head, his hair popped out, having grown so long now, it was practically past his chest.
"Perhaps while your mother rests we can sneak in a quick sparring session." He replied, and pulled his armour over his head. "If she gets mad, she can join the battle... I just love my woman's feistiness." He smirked, and Gohan grinned.
"It's just like old times, huh, Dad?" He said, and balled his hands into fists.
Kakarot nodded, making sure Chi-Chi was resting comfortably in the grass, before charging at his son.
"Make sure you... Come at me, fast..." Goku mumbled in his sleep, then his fist flew out, and punched the air, and the force of it flung him right off the couch, and onto the floor. He landed on his head, biting his tongue as did.
"Oww! Master Roshi, Launch made me eat a spicy red pepper again! Launch, stop laughing! She's mean!" He yelled in his sleep, remembering the blonde dangling a chili pepper over his nose while he slept, that always made him wake right up when he snatched it up, and it burned his tongue, but it woke him right up for training anyways, and she always had a delicious breakfast ready for him in the morning, so that made up for it.
Goku blinked once, then twice, and realized he was standing on his head, and the entire world around him was upside down. He looked around, confused by his surroundings. "Huh...? Wait, but, wasn't I just fighting with Gohan..?" He murmured, then righted himself, standing up to rub the tender spot on the back of his head, where he must have bonked it again.
"Hmm. Wonder what's cooking, sure smells good." He said, and wandered off to the kitchen.
...
The scent of fresh coffee, and sizzling bacon filled the small, cozy kitchen, as Krillin and King Kai sat at the table, drinking their morning coffee, and discussing the interesting events the previous day.
"Man, I can't believe that Raditz cried over Piccolo like that, King Kai. You really think that he's a good guy now?" Krillin said over a cup of black coffee, and the kai across from him nodded his head.
"It's crazy. I don't believe it myself, I didn't know Saiyans could cry." He responded, dipping a powdered sugar donut into his coffee.
Chiaotzu sighed as he tied on his apron, assisting Tien in the kitchen. Tien was flipping some Other World bacon, as Chiaotzu floated up next to him, and began chopping ingredients for multiple mushroom, onion and pepper omelettes. It was their specialty, making healthy recipes unlike the ones Launch had once tried to turn his stomach inside out with.
Tien couldn't believe that his mother was dead. They had watched it all happening yesterday, when he saw that Tianshae was still faithful to her Master, and didn't care what even happened to her as long as she could please him. It was inevitable, then, that she would eventually be killed by the darkness she surrounded herself with. He stirred the ingredients into the egg mixture quickly, closing his eyes as he did.
It was unfortunate her soul could not be saved. But, Tien concluded, nothing could have been done at that point, she was too far gone. Tien poured out the omelette into the massive wok pan, and swirled it around up onto the edges.
"Hey, what's cookin'? I'm starving!" Goku said as he walked into the kitchen, and looked around, sniffing.
" 'Goku! You're awake!'" They all cried out in unison, Krillin nearly falling out of his chair to scramble over to him, and check to be sure he was really seeing what he thought he did. He poked Goku in the leg, and he patted his shiny head.
"Hey Krillin, hi Tien! Can I have some?" Goku asked as he walked over to the table, and took a seat.
King Kai simply turned, and blinked at him, taking a cloth, and cleaning his black sunglasses.
"So, what did I miss?" He asked, and helped himself to the box of donuts. King Kai grabbed it before he could eat them all, and huffed.
"You missed everything! And don't act like you're starving, you still raided my fridge while you were busy sleepwalking! Do you have any idea how much training you have missed?!" King Kai shouted at him, and Goku's face fell, setting down his donuts.
"Why? Is everyone ok..? Did I miss fighting the saiyans? I was just spending time with Chi-Chi and Gohan." He stated, looking at them all blankly, and King Kai nearly fell out of his chair. Krillin stood up in his chair, hovering over Goku angrily.
"Goku! Don't you get it? You were knocked out all that time, and you gave us all quite the scare!" Krillin retorted angrily, then sat and sipped his coffee begrudgingly. Goku blinked, a bit dumbfounded, until Chiaotzu floated over, and began serving everyone breakfast. Tien came over, and rested his hand on Goku's shoulder.
"I'm really sorry, Goku. It was all my fault I hit you with the hammer." He said apologetically, and Goku furrowed his brows angrily, not even tempted by the steaming omelet placed before him.
"You didn't all have to be so hard on me about it. How do you think I feel, now I'm so far behind everyone, and I can't even help you guys when Frieza gets there." Goku said solemnly, crossing his arms, and looking oddly cantankerous.
"F-F-Frieza?!" King Kai exclaimed, his face paling to a white shade.
"Yeah. I'm sure if Vegeta and Raditz are still there, that means they must have failed their mission. Raditz was supposed to recruit me, but I died fighting him. If I know Frieza, which I do, he's going to send his men to find them, and kill them as punishment." Goku nodded, Kakarot and he had formed such a close mental link, that now they could share all their knowledge at once, instead of just faint memories. Kakarot may be still in the Darkness, while Goku was awake, but in that time Goku slept, he was awake in Kakarot. Both were very closely integrated. They were, after all, two halves of the same coin.
"Hmph! We'll see about that!" King Kai huffed, and began slicing into his omelette.
"I'll have NO talk about that terrible tyrant at the breakfast table, Goku. I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're scaring everyone!" He whispered harshly, waving his knife at him, as they all looked down at their plates in agreement.
"Now, be quiet and eat. You'd better be ready, because your training will be extra hard today! They won't go easy on you!" King Kai snorted angrily, and forked the food into his mouth, the others quietly following suit. Goku nodded curtly, satisfied with this. He needed to train this body extra hard to catch up with everyone else. Goku looked down, and began eating, not even caring that the onions and red peppers he hated were laced all throughout the omelette. He needed sustenance, and lots of it.
Two helmsmen sat at the control panel of a massive ship, one human-like, the other, a tall, pockmark skinned alien, gliding through the pitch darkness of space. There was a ping on the radar, three pings, and they looked up to see what it was.
"Attack balls?" The humanoid man questioned, and the large alien clicked the buttons on the panel to zoom in.
"Looks like it. Those aren't from our men."
" What should we do, Captain Raep?" The soldier asked, and the Captain looked thoughtful as he leaned back in his seat, tenting his clawed green fingers.
"Bring them in."
"Shouldn't we ask for confirmation?" The other questioned, and Captain Raep shook his head.
"Tell the men below deck to pull them in by force. Lord Frieza would like to know about this."
"Yes, Sir. " He responded, and quickly pulled out the radio to send them a message.
"There are three unregistered space pods trapped in our gravity field. Men, pull them in by any means necessary." He said, and hung up quickly.
"This shall be interesting. I wonder if it could perhaps be those three missing Saiyans. They shouldn't have come back."
"Yes, but, where would they get those ancient ships? All our space pods are the new version. Those are the ones from Planet Vegeta."
"It's most certainly curious, isn't it, Yrrehc?"
He nodded, in agreement with him.
"Lord Frieza will leave no prisoners left alive." Co-pilot Yrrehc solemnly stated, as the hatch opened in the back of the ship.
A/N: Hmm. Alot to think about. I came up with this chapter in the span of two days, but the events I have planned I've been waiting to reveal for a long time. I thought maybe I could reveal what Frieza was doing earlier, but I wanted to finish up the arc with Vulcane first, seeing as so much was going on already. Did you think he would forget about his little pets? Ha! Foolish mortals.Also, apologies for those who wanted Vegebul, or Launchitz in this chapter, I promise next time you'll see plenty of them. We needed to catch up with some other important matters first. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the reviews, or head over to my Tumblr and use the ask me feature, and I may even give you an illustration. Hopefully my inspiration will keep flowing, and we'll get to see what happens very soon!