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Chapter 20:
A SECOND FAREWELL?
Last time on Consumed by the past:
Goku and Gohan were finally ready for the last match in the Other World Tournament. They skipped the warm-up because Gohan immediately wanted to fight as a Super Saiyan. The battle was nothing less than an epic clash between the strongest fighters in the Tournament. When Goku's son went Super Saiyan 2, the older Saiyan had no choice but to use his trump card - Super Kaioken; Kaioken on top of Super Saiyan. As the battle continued, both were hurt, burnt, scratched, and almost out of stamina. In the end, the Kamehameha beam struggle almost blew up the entire Arena. Goku collapsed because of too much strain on his body and Gohan fell unconscious from the sky, where the Kamehameha had exploded right in his face. From there, the story continues.
The Other World Tournament Arena - once a place where the strongest fighters in the Other World would fight every 7 years for the title of Grand Champion. But today, its remains give an impression of a war zone. Craters, cracked ground and walls, collapsed pillars and a giant crater where the fighting ring once stood. A father and a son have almost completely destroyed the Arena during their epic final clash. A lot of spectators had already fled, but quite a few remained to see the conclusion of the father versus son fight. The fighter with a halo, Goku, was lying on the ground, previously collapsing and losing consciousness because of too much strain on his body due to using Super Kaioken. The two healers managed to fix him in a rather short time and waking him up. At first he was a bit dizzy with blurry vision, but he could mostly remember what had happened.
"Wh-where's Gohan? Is he alright? The last thing I remember was sending him into the sky with the Kamehameha."
"He's being healed as we speak. You almost overdid it, Goku... his injuries are very serious you know." Kaio quickly explained the situation to him.
"I... I didn't have a choice, Kaio-sama... it was the only way to knock him out."
"I know what you mean. Let's just give the rejuvenation team time to do their job."
On the other side of the central part, the boy was also lying on the ground, seriously hurt. Broken left arm, broken ribs, multiple open wounds, including two deep cuts on his left chest and his upper back. His pants were completely torn and burnt and his torso was completely uncovered and full of wounds and burn marks. His tail was probably in the best condition, giving the nature of his injuries. The moment Goku laid his eyes upon him, he couldn't believe how injured his son was; just like the time against Vegeta on Earth, Recoome on Namek and not too long ago, against Cell. For a moment he feared he had gone too far, but Gohan was an extremely resilient fighter and kind of brought this upon himself.
"What are you doing?! You missed two wounds." one of the healers raised his voice.
"It's not me... they just won't heal. Look," the other one said and channeled more healing energy into them, "they just won't fully heal."
"This is strange..."
Just then, Gohan slowly opened his eyes; seeing everything in a very blurry state. For the first few seconds, he didn't know where he was or what had happened.
"W-where... where am I?"
"It's alright, you've lost consciousness during the battle, but you're fine now." one of the healers answered.
"Oh right... the battle. Did I win?" was his second question.
"I'm afraid it's a draw, my boy." Dai Kaio offered his explanation. "You see, both you and Goku were knocked out cold and the rules clearly stated the winner would be the one last standing."
"A draw? How can this be?" the demi-Saiyan raised his voice.
"Hey hey, calm down, son," Goku joined but then noticed a scar, "Y-your chest... it... there's a scar on it!"
"Actually, and one on his upper back, too." one of the healers delivered a shocking revelation.
"Can't you fix this? Chichi is gonna come here and kill me. I'll be deader than dead." Goku panicked.
"I'm sorry... for some unknown reason we can't fully heal them. It's almost as something is preventing them from fully healing."
"Battle scars?" Gohan asked himself, "I don't mind having them," looking at his left chest, "and it's not THAT noticeable."
"Are you kidding?! It's visible from miles away." his dad panicked even more.
"If I may," Dai Kaio said while he approached the boy, "I think these will do just fine." and Gohan's torn up gi was replaced with a brand new one in a matter of seconds.
"Wow, thank you, Dai Kaio-sama," he thanked him and looked at his dad, "I'm not worried and it doesn't bother me. It was bound to happen sooner or later, right? Maybe Dende can fully heal them."
"Sheesh, I really hope so. Chichi would never forgive me for this... unless...," he jumped next to Gohan and whispered, "unless you never speak of this battle and just say some bad guys did this to you."
Gohan kind of expected something like this from his father, "I knew you were going to say something like that. I'm sorry, but mum's been through so much lately... I can't lie to her, dad. I don't mind about the scars, I'm a Saiyan, too!"
"Gohan..." the older Saiyan could only say before being cut off.
"You know I've changed in the Room of Spirit and Time and you know that I have accepted to take your place as the guardian of Earth. Scars or not, I'm going to protect it no matter what. And as for the fight... it was everything I had hoped it would be. You never cease to amaze me, dad."
Goku needed a few seconds for everything to sink into his mind, "I know... I guess I'm forgetting how quickly you're growing up. Not to mention that you've been through more than most people won't be in their lifetime. And you're right about your mum... she needs you now more than ever."
"B-but, you will come back, right? I mean, when we get the Dragon Balls." his son almost choked on those words.
"I'd like that very much. It was a mistake not letting you guys revive me."
"I'm afraid that won't be that simple." a familiar voice spoke from afar.
It was the Eastern Kaioshin with Kibito. It seems they have returned, but why? The battle was over, there was no winner.
"I'm sorry to say that a decision has been made about you two."
"About them?" Kaio wanted to know.
"Yes, You see, blowing up a Kaio's planet is not something we exactly tolerate. We know your intentions were to save your planet, but that doesn't give you the right to use one of our planets for the sake of yours."
"But I didn't know where..." Goku wanted to apologize but Kaio smacked him on the head, signaling to keep quiet.
"As I have said, your actions were noble, but we cannot accept things how they are." Then he turned to Gohan, "And you, Gohan; we have already reached an agreement that you'll do everything in your power to help us stop and apprehend Shingo and his lackeys."
The boy lowered his head, remembering what he had done, "I know, Kaioshin-sama. I'm sorry for everything... but when you find Endou and the others, please let me know as soon as possible... I'll make them pay for everything they've done."
"How they will be dealt with will be decided by the Kaioshin council." Kibito quickly put Gohan in his place.
"That is all understandable, Kaioshin-sama, but what's that got to do with Goku returning?" Kaio was curious.
"Those are the bad news. The council has declared that Goku will have to remain here for the time being. Both of you have seriously broken the rules and some "punishment" if you will, must be given. If it were by the old rules, you both would have been detained and given duties to redeem yourselves. And believe me, for what you both have done, it wouldn't be very pretty."
"Even when we find the Dragon Balls, we can't revive him?" the young demi-Saiyan was desperate for an answer.
"How long this restriction will last is hard to say and also depends how well the search for Shingo will go, little one. Bur for the moment, your father must stay here indefinitely. On top of that, he is forbidden to use his Shunkanidou to teleport from the Other World or communicate with anyone through Kaio or any other medium."
Gohan was shocked but at the same time also angry. "B-but I won't be able to see him or hear him... I'll be all alone... again. Please, Kaioshin-sama." he begged.
"I'm terribly sorry, but such decisions have been made. And it's also time for you to leave this realm. Kaio will be informing you how matters will develop and when you're assistance will be required. Your father can teleport you from here for the last time, it's the least I can offer you."
With those words, they teleported away, probably to the Kaioshin planet, to continue planning capturing Shingo.
"Dad, do something... they can't do that. Please..." his son pleaded.
"I'm sorry, son, but there's nothing I can do. Rules are rules and I take full responsibility for bringing Cell to Kaio-sama's planet."
Gohan's eyes started filling up with tears, "... I'm losing you... again... please... I can't take it anymore. I don't care about the rules, I just want you back."
"I'm sorry, Gohan, but the Kaioshins make the rules here. I really enjoyed your visit, though. You're always welcome here, when things get back to, well, as normal as they can get here." Kaio wanted to cheer the boy up.
"Kaio is right. There's nothing I can do, either. Believe in yourself, Gohan; you're probably the strongest fighter I've ever met." Dai Kaio added his two cents.
"T-Thank you, both." the boy tried faking a smile, but didn't have much success.
Goku put his left hand on Gohan's left shoulder and teleported them back to Earth, close to their home, East District 439.
"It's nice seeing our house again; brings back so much memories." the older Saiyan was almost mesmerized by the sight.
Gohan was looking at the ground, quiet and refused to cry, just barely holding his tears. Goku, of course, noticed that, so he kneeled in front of his son, putting both hand on his shoulders.
"I don't like this any more than you do, "he said and used his hand to lift Gohan's face, so they we're looking at each other, "but no matter what, you know I love you and your mother very much. I've made a mistake by teleporting Cell and it's a mistake I must correct."
Gohan couldn't hold his tears anymore; they started pouring all over his cheeks and chin.
"We'll see each other soon... I promise... for real this time. I must be going now..."
The boy wrapped his hands around Goku's neck, like he was holding on for dear life.
"P-Please... d-don't leave... please... d-don't."
Goku also tightened his grip and a single tear actually slid down his own cheek.
"I don't want to, but I must. I love you very much and I'm so proud of you."
"I... I... love... you... too. D-don't.. go... please."
The boy didn't want to let go, so Goku had to struggle a bit to get free from Gohan's tight grip.
"Tell your mum I love her very much and that I'm so sorry for bringing this upon you two."
Gohan couldn't do anything; he just stood there, like a statue, crying and looking at his father, losing him again. For a split second, he was the happiest son in the universe when Goku agreed to be brought back to life, but everything came crashing down once Eastern Kaioshin "punished" them both. All the wounds from the past were ripped open; Gohan blaming himself now more than ever. Because of his arrogance, Goku had to sacrifice himself and by doing that, he was now punished for it - being denied contact with his son, or anyone else for that matter and not being able to be revived with the Dragon Balls, indefinitely.
"Take care, son. Bye." the older Saiyan said and vanished into thin air.
"No, dad... come back! DAAAAAAAAAD! DAAAAAAAAAAD!" he screamed as loud as his lungs would let him.
"Nooo... NOOOOOOO!" he burst into his Super Saiyan form and exploded with anger.
Chichi came running from the house, hearing his screams and feeling the tremors, caused by his transformation, seeing his son on hands and knees on the ground.
"GOHAN! GOHAN!" she started screaming and started running towards him.
The moment he had heard her voice, he instantly reverted back - it was like Chichi was a turn off switch for his transformation. She didn't hesitate to wrap her hands around her son, trying to calm him down. She knew exactly what had happened... she knew Gohan all too well. It took quite a few minutes for Gohan to calm down and during that time, Piccolo was on the scene as well, having felt Gohan's exploding energy.
"It was Goku, wasn't it?" was her first question.
"Y-yeah," he said while wiping tears from his eyes, "he teleported me back."
"Oh, sweetie. I miss him too, but you know how your father is. And your tail... it's...it's back. How?"
"It all started when I was training with Vegeta..."
He managed to explain everything from Endou all the way to the Tournament to Chichi and unknowingly to Piccolo, too - who was hiding behind some trees close by.
"As long as you're alright, Gohan. So that means that Goku wants to be revived but it's going to take a little while because of all that nonsense with the Kaioshins. I can hardly wait for all 4 of us to be together."
"Mum? What?!" the demi-Saiyan's eyes shot wide open.
"You're getting a baby sister or brother in about half a year. The doctors confirmed I am pregnant."
"When did you..."
"When Goku was still alive, just before the Cell games.
Gohan wasn't stupid; he knew very well how babies were made, thanks to Chichi and her studying material. He was very happy to hear that, but at the same time, kind of sad - his sibling will never get to know his or her dad for quite some time.
"Now that that's out of the way... how about I make you some lunch? I'm really happy that you're back. I missed you."
"I missed you too, mum. It was great hanging out with dad and Kaio-sama. I really miss dad, though."
"I know you do, but now that things are a bit different, you'll probably be seeing him sooner rather than later. We just need to get the Dragon Balls back from that evil what-it's-name-is."
"Can I stay outside a few more minutes... just to let it all sink in?"
"Sure, Gohan. I'll go in and start preparing lunch for the both us."
While walking towards the round house, Chichi remembered that Gohan wasn't a child anymore; well according to his age of 10 (physically 11) he still was, but this child was the strongest being on Earth. She slowly embraced the fact that Gohan will never be just a scholar or a scientist; he'll be a fighter too - something that he's proud of. After all, he made a promise to his dad to keep the Earth safe but at the same time, a promise to her that he'll also study. She did protest against his son having a tail, but Gohan convinced her that it's a part of him now and he's not getting it removed.
"Welcome back." Piccolo greeted him when appearing from the forest.
"It's nice to see you too, Piccolo. I don't know where to start." Gohan replied with a sad voice.
"I heard everything, so you don't have to explain anything. I know it's none of my business, but meeting your father in the Other World was not exactly a good idea. Your mental wounds haven't healed, yet you do something like this and re-open them. Why?"
"Because... because I miss him! I never planned to visit him; the Eastern Kaioshin brought me there when I was unconscious, remember? It's not like I had a choice."
"I'm worried about you, kid. That Endou person has left an impact on your mind and soul, and now this. Speaking of impact... is your mind really made up about keeping the tail?"
"I'm fine... and yeah, I'm keeping it. I'm a half-Saiyan and this is who I originally was, before it got removed... twice."
"You sure you're alright?"
"I said I'm fine!" Gohan raised his voice a little.
"Easy there, kid. You just came back. Spend some time with your mum... she missed you a lot. And by the way, that little show you put up a while back... that's not exactly your Ki."
"I know. Dad said the same thing... it feels like mine and something else, right?"
"Bingo. And that something else is the remains of your "dark" power up, that you explained about. To be honest, I don't like it... there's something sinister about it. It's like it IS you but at the same time, it isn't. Nevertheless, I have to admit that you got stronger while you were away. "
"But it's not enough... I couldn't even beat dad. That Kaioken on top of Super Saiyan was too much even for me."
"I know how you feel... Goku's been one or two steps ahead of all of us the entire time."
"Heh, he won't be once I'm done with my training. Which reminds me, how's Vegeta?"
"Busting his ass off to reach Super Saiyan 2. He has made progress, but he still hasn't overcome the regular Super Saiyan barrier. If I know him... he's probably not that far from overcoming it."
"He's taught me so much since the Cell games... I think it's time I return the favor." the boy said with a smirk.
"What are you talking about?" Namekian's expression changed.
"Gohan! Lunch will soon be ready. Come in." Chichi's voice interrupted their conversation.
"I have to go. I'll see you later, Piccolo. You can come by the Capsule Corporation if you want." the boy said and went into the house, leaving the Namekian with his own thoughts.
He can't possibly think of helping Vegeta attain the next level?
After a very delicious meal, Gohan was ready to visit Vegeta; but before that, he spent some time with Chichi, helping around the house, but not saying a single word about Goku. When the chores were done, he headed to Capsule Corporation to see Vegeta. Bulma was outside playing with baby Trunks when the demi-Saiyan landed.
"Gohan! Nice to see you again." the genius greeted him with a warm smile.
"Hey, Bulma. It's been a while." he replied while scratching the back of his head.
"Y-you have a tail! What happened?" she was shocked.
"Long story, Bulma, but it's here to stay. Is Vegeta home?"
"He's in the gravity chamber, as usual. His "orders" were to let you know." she said in a sarcastic manner.
Seeing Trunks made Gohan's eyes sparkle as tiny drops of tears formed in them.
"Oh, I totally forgot... congratulations... older brother."
"Um, thanks," he smiled back, "I haven't really had time to let it sink in."
"I still can't believe it myself. This is so wonderful and Trunks will be able to play with him."
"Him?! Mum said it was either he or she." he raised his eyebrow.
"Aaaaaa, whoops, don't mind me, I'm just so happy that I don't know what I'm saying. Umm I think Vegeta is calling you, no use in making him wait."
Gohan rarely saw Bulma in such an awkward situation, but decided not to make a big deal out of this, so he just smiled and made his way into the Capsule Corp. building. Upon reaching the gravity chamber, he knocked hard three time and waited. Nothing happened. The light was clearly flashing, indicating that the chamber is active. He opened the door and saw Vegeta doing one hand pushups.
"I can come back tomorrow, if you're busy." the half-Saiyan almost wanted to find an excuse to leave.
"Ghhh... 2 more... 1 more... done." the Saiyan prince ended with his training warm-up routine.
"No need, but next time, knock!"
"I DID! Three times. You should get a bell installed or something." Gohan replied when entering the chamber; his tail waggling behind him.
"Is that supposed to be funny, kid? Wait... is that a tail?"
"And it's staying there." he immediately let Vegeta know.
"I don't know how this is possible, but, by all means. It's one of the prominent features of us Saiyans. Just don't look at the full moon or an artificial for that matter. Now... if I remember correctly, you failed at getting the Dragon Balls back AND that you didn't defeat those goons. Is there anything else I'm missing?"
"You really cut to the chase, don't you, Vegeta?"
"I don't have time for nonsense. Now tell me, have you managed to beat Kakarot in that tournament?"
Gohan hesitated and took a deep breath, "Um... it... it was a draw."
"WHAT?! You gotta be kidding me? Don't tell me, he can go Super Saiyan 2?"
"Not exactly... he CAN go Super Saiyan AND Kaioken at the same time."
"That's impossible. Just the Super Saiyan takes quite a bit of energy and stamina to maintain, but putting Kaioken on top of that is practically suicide."
"I know what I saw... and felt for that matter. The combination of both was stronger than my transformation, but he struggled to maintain it."
"And how exactly, if I may ask, you managed to get a draw in the end?"
"Well... the last thing I remember was being sent into the sky by his Kamehameha. After that, I woke up on the ground and being healed."
"Tsch, you should have defeated him, but you messed it up. You didn't get the Dragon Balls back nor defeated those demons. Give me one good reason why I should even CONSIDER continue training such an excuse for a Saiyan like you. Super Saiyan 2 or not." Vegeta couldn't hide his disappointment.
"This is not the time, Vegeta. I've been through some really rough stuff and I'm not in the mood. Just tell me why you wanted to see me." Gohan hissed back.
"Is that so," the prince smirked and walked right next to the demi-Saiyan, "You're a Saiyan, deal with it! Some rough times, you say? That's your Human side talking - the weak side. You can always go home and cry about it, if that's what you prefer."
Gohan's blood began to boil because Vegeta had struck a nerve. After everything that had happened in the "demon" realm and just a few hours ago, Gohan's patience was extremely thin. He knew very well that he had screwed up, big time, not once, not twice, but three times. On top of that, now that Goku wishes to be resurrected, they are still missing one Earth and one Namekian Dragon Ball. And if that weren't enough, even if they had all 7, he can't be wished back because of the Kaioshin council's punishment. All because of Gohan; at least that's how he saw it.
"Stop it, Vegeta." were the boy's words accompanied by occasional lightning around his body, indicating his fluctuating power.
"I sense you're angry; how's your anger management going?"
"It's FINE! Everything is just FINE! Dad died, he's been punished, the Dragon Balls are still missing, Shingo is free, Wanasans are dead, the Eastern Kaioshin is mad at me... everything because ME!"
"I didn't ask for your life story boy. You complain so much, my head's about to explode." sarcastically said Vegeta.
"Grrrrrrrr." Gohan growled and transformed into a Super Saiyan instantly, making his tail change color from dark brown to golden-yellow.
The Saiyan prince was not exactly surprised, but he did notice, what Goku and Piccolo had, that his Ki is different.
His energy feels different... it feels like a second Ki signature... but how? he thought.
But the half-Saiyan didn't stop, he kept powering up, bending his knees and tensing his muscles. Vegeta took a few steps back, not because he was afraid, but because he wanted to see what the boy was up to. The gravity chamber started shaking, but thanks to Bulma installing some high-tech shock and energy absorbers all around it, it almost had no effect on the surrounding rooms and on the CC building itself. Blue lightning started crackling around Gohan as he upgraded to Super Saiyan 2 with almost no trouble at all. But he kept going and started shouting, to push more energy from the center of his body. It reached a point when Vegeta's expression changed from his usual smirk to genuine surprise.
How is he still powering up?! What the hell happened in that dimension?!
Upon almost reaching his full power, Vegeta acted by appearing behind the boy and grabbed his tail. The power up immediately stopped, Super Saiyan 2 downgraded to base form almost instantly and Gohan fell on his knees because of the unpleasant pain which practically cut off his power.
"For a moment I thought you were gonna do something reckless," the prince admitted, "I had a feeling you didn't train it."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, it h-hurts so m-much. W-why would you do t-this?!"
"Hmph, I was just a bit worried you'd blow up the gravity chamber. It would take Bulma weeks to rebuild it. I doubt her technology could protect against such a power outburst."
"I w-was just l-letting out m-my anger! I c-couldn't help m-myself." the demi-Saiyan tried explaining.
As asked, the prince let go of Gohan's tail, "Hmph, do it somewhere else next time."
When the pain finally subsided, Gohan could finally speak, "You made me really angry... it's kind of your fault, too."
"Let's cut the chit chat already. The tail is your weak point and you need to train it."
"It's why I came here in the first place. I hate to admit it, but you have the upper-hand... for now."
"Heh, I do, but it's an advantage I'm not satisfied with; it feels like cheating."
"Piccolo told me that you've almost broken the barrier between the regular Super Saiyan and 2. What do you say I give you a little... assistance? You know, you scratch my back and I scratch yours." was his proposal.
"I don't want anyone's help. The least from you, Kakarot's son." Vegeta angrily replied.
"I'm not doing this for you... I'm doing it for me and my family. If you don't want, then fine by me."
The boy walked to the door, but before opening it, he said, while showing his back to Vegeta, "Either way, I'll find someone strong enough one way or another; in the Other World if not on Earth and I can train my tail all by myself, too. I'll be training tomorrow at around noon where we first talked to Endou and her minion Kyuuri.
The doors opened and he exited, leaving Capsule Corp. and flying towards the forest near his home. Vegeta remained in the chamber, contemplating.
Kakarot's son offering help... to ME?! Whatever happened to Gohan, it made him even stronger. How, damn it, how?! It must be that strange Ki, whatever it is. I'm busting my ass off in here under hundreds of times Earth's gravity and that child keeps widening the gap. Damn you Kakarot; now that you're gone, I have to compete with your son. If I want to ascend, there's no other way but to actually train with the boy. I don't have to hold back against him and he'll push me to my limits and over. It's either get stronger or die trying. I'll surpass you, Kakarot... you AND your son.
Meanwhile, Goku's son was already flying towards one of his favorites spots near his home - a beautiful crystal-clear lake in the middle of the forest. This is the spot when he wants to be left all alone. The waterfall, where he usually goes, is reserved for him and Piccolo, but the lake... it was just for his solitude. As he landed, he just threw himself on his back, closing his eyes and let his mind relax, but recent events made that a bit difficult.
I hope wasn't too rough on Vegeta or Piccolo... what am I saying; rough on Vegeta? That'll be the day. But no... don't say this to yourself Gohan... you've screwed up big time and it's time to make things right. I need to focus on defeating Endou and Shingo and getting the Dragon Balls back, but for that to happen, I need to train and also wait for Kaioshin-sama to contact me... ... I can't believe I'm going to become a brother... I don't care if it is a girl or a boy... I'll protect my family with my life, just as dad would. Oh dad... you've taught me so much in my life, but forgot about one thing... how to live my life without you.
The more he remembered about Goku, the harder was to contain his tears. Maybe Piccolo was right, maybe it wasn't such a good idea seeing his dad in the Other World. He did miss him very much but the fact that he blamed himself for everything that had happened since Goku's death, it made his sadness even deeper. He thought he maybe have gotten over the guilt, but he was seriously mistaken. It was like a knife that cut new, fresh wounds in his soul. It wasn't the sadness that was almost eating him from the inside, it was the guilt. Now, he was determined more than ever to help Kaioshin-sama stop Endou. Despite that fact that they'll probably want him to capture them, he'll deal with them in his own way - the Saiyan way.
After letting his thoughts drift all over the place, and listening to some birds chirping and singing close by, his eyelids started to close, and before he knew it, he fell asleep. It felt liberating to get away from reality.
Notes: Yaaay, it's finished :), and it's not a cliffhanger XD. The Kaioshin is a bit different in my story; not so forgiving to say the least. I also wanted to "limit" the freedom of mortals (mostly Gohan, Goku and Vegeta), so they can't just do whatever they want, especially Goku, who can teleport to the Other World or anywhere else, where he can feel an energy signature, for that matter. In short; if you anger the Kaioshins, there will be consequences. And yes... Goten is on his way XD. Please review, it means a great deal to me :). Thanks!
About Gohan's two scars - I wasn't really that fond of the idea at first, but later decided to give him two - one on his left chest, diagonally from top left to bottom right and one on his upper back (both about 10 cm (4 inches) long, and about 1 cm (half an inch) wide), not because it looks cool, but because I kind of don't like the idea that no one ever had any (except Tenshinhan and Yamcha and even Vegeta, but he somehow lost them after a certain saga) even though they've been hurt so much through the series. And I know Senzus heal all and Dende heals all; but in Gohan's case, that mysterious sinister Ki is somehow preventing the two scars from fully healing. Why? Well, because both are kind of on the same position/height as his heart and that is where, at least what I believe, the Ki of a person is the strongest (including that "dark" Ki in Gohan's case).