Captive Souls

Chapter 12

After enduring a harsh and trying winter, the resurrected and the survivors and revived people began to rebuild their lives. Most of the warriors banded together to clear the rubble off the streets and plow the fields. Vegeta, not wanting to dirty his hands over doing these things, assisted Bulma in the technical part of the job of re-powering a city.

While this was going on, Chi-chi noticed every now and then a figure watching over her on the cliff and knew that Goku was making sure she was alright. He still had not returned to the others due to the fact that he felt like an outsider to them. No one besides Vegeta had any inkling that she had been secretly met him at night to comfort the Earth-raised Saiya-jin. She had attempted in vain to rid him of the nightmares he had before she returning at dawn without being missed by anyone that would need her.

Now that the spring was coming, her nights with him are growing shorter and she knew sooner or later, someone else would know that she wasn't on the ship the entire night.

'Why don't you come down here?' Chi-chi questioned telepathically. 'No one really blames you for what you've done…'

'I'm… I'm still not comfortable with the idea…' Goku admitted. Chi-chi had tried to have the Earth-raised Saiya-jin try talking to Gohan at least, but at the last minute, he chickened out. He thought that they would blame him for being their cause of suffering; which wasn't the truth since he was a pawn.

'They're not going to think that. Gohan and Goten ask about you daily you know. Your friends would have accepted what had transpired and forgiven you. As for Vegeta, I can never figure him out in the slightest.'

'Me either. I'm still not ready to return though.'

'When will you be ready?'

'I'm not sure… excuse me…' Goku vanished from the cliff's top. She sighed before returning to planting seeds.

Late one night, Goten woke to footsteps and noticed his mother heading towards the exit of the ship.

'Mom?' Goten thought silently before he woke Gohan. "Gohan! Mom's heading somewhere!"

"Huh? Where could she be going at this hour?" Gohan questioned.

"We should follow her," Goten exclaimed.

"Good idea," Gohan rose from bed and dressed before they left the ship after their mother.

O-O

Chi-chi landed outside the house like she normally would each night before walking to the door. Not far away, Goten and Gohan landed and watched from the bushes.

"Why would mom come all the way to a…" Goten started to say before Gohan covered the boy's mouth.

"Shh…" Gohan warned.

A door slid open slowly and both boys saw that Goku was standing there looking exhausted and defeated. Chi-chi hugged him softly while their eyes noticed their father was in poor shape. He had lost weight and looked weaker than he used to be.

"Goku, you're not doing well and it would be wise if you go back," Chi-chi pleaded to him.

"I said it before, I'm not sure if they'll ever accept for what I did," Goku muttered.

"I wonder what that's about," Goten whispered.

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like dad did something that he's shouldn't be blamed for." Gohan observed.

"…you're not getting enough sleep and I'm worried that you're going to waste away to nothing." Chi-chi continued. "Is that what you want? For Raizen to win?"

"Raizen?" Goten said a little too loudly before Gohan had to cup the boy's mouth shut. Of course, they were revealed by this name uttered a bit louder for the Earth-raised Saiya-jin to hear easily.

"He's not winning, he's…" Goku paused for a moment; hearing Goten's voice. "Gohan! Goten! Come out!" The bushes moved and Gohan and Goten stood up. Chi-chi was surprised that her boys had followed her out here.

"Daddy! Whatever you did, I'm sure you didn't mean to do it!" Goten explained. True, he didn't mean to do it, but he still felt like he was to blame for some of the deaths that he took with his own hands.

"You don't understand what I did though!" Goku retorted. He wanted to run away or be dead at that moment rather than face his children. What would they think about their father being the murderer and helper of Raizen?

"It would help if you told us father," Gohan asked. "We want to help, but carrying this without telling us what it is will end up devouring your strength."

"Alright," Goku caved in. "Come inside. I'll tell you about it."

Hours passed and the remains of the fire burned down to burning ember. Gohan and Goten had learned of the story and sat there with their eyes wide open. Goku rested with his back to the wall; feeling worn from telling the tale of his forced betrayal by the hands of Raizen.

"We… we can't hold you responsible father for what you did, but why did you run away from us?" Gohan questioned.

"I wasn't ready to return because I…" Goku couldn't really get much more out. He did not wish for the people of Earth to look at a former hero being the murderer of millions of lives. He had the blood of innocent on his hands and despite how often he tried to wash his hands, he would still smell, see and hear the people he murdered. Suddenly, distortion fell upon Goku and had not Chi-chi been there, he would have hit his head against the floor.

"Daddy!" Goten cried.

"He doesn't look very good," Gohan noted.

"He refuses to eat and has fits. We need to take him back now before he gets worse," Chi-chi admitted.

The landscape was scarred with signs of battle. Goku was beside himself fighting Dusk instead of Raizen; the evil warlord was nowhere to be seen. Both warriors had torn clothing while the mask remained on Dusk's face. No matter how scathed his body became, the mask seemed flawless and untouched by either fist or blast thrown towards the cloaked warrior. It was almost though it was made of an unbreakable material that was unlike what had shattered during Goku and Raizen's fight. The battle between them seemed like it had last for days and there was no sign of either one of them wishing to back down.

"How can you truly protect this world?" Dusk questioned. "You're pitiful and have to rely on those around you to give you strength."

"I'm not pitiful!" Goku yelled at the masked figure; his aura intensifying into a golden one. Unfortunately, he was not able to transform into Super Saiya-jin in the slightest. It seemed almost though he couldn't reach it due to this figure's crushing power.

"You are to blame for their deaths…" Dusk motioned to the dead bodies of his allies on the ground. The last person Goku ever wanted to see in the pile of rubble was the blank stare of his wife looking emptily in the heavens with her face fixed in that of horror.

"NO!"

A horrified yell echoed through the empty room. Goku sat straight up in pure shock and horror breathing hard. He had once again awakened from one of the many nightmares that plagued him. The sight of being on Raizen's ship almost made him believe that he was still living the nightmare in reality. Attempting to stand, he felt his legs give out before he fell to the ground with a thud.

"I wouldn't try to run clown," a familiar voice said from around the corner. Goku's eyes widened when he saw Vegeta appear from behind the wall and look at the younger Saiya‑jin with anger in his eyes. Looking away, Goku felt guilt in the pit of his stomach. Why didn't Vegeta just let him die? Why did he spare his life?

"I can't stay…" Goku barely managed to get out.

"You have any idea how much that woman's been pining over you? She's spent the last several nights now next to you while you recovered in one of the medical tanks on the ship. Had I not put you into one of them, you would have soon succumbed to starvation and died."

"What if that's what I want?" Goku turned; his eyes flickered wildly. If he had the strength, he would have attacked Vegeta; however, he recoiled from the needle moving slightly in his arm. Ignoring it for the moment, he looked angrily at Vegeta for an objective to why the Saiya-jin Prince refused to kill him where he was.

"Honestly, is that what you want or is that what Raizen wants you to do?" Vegeta questioned. Goku found himself at a loss to answer the question and looked down.

"I… I'm not sure anymore."

"Stay here. Your mate will come here with food. And don't you dare try to escape because you won't get too far." Vegeta warned before leaving.

'He treats me like a prisoner. I guess I should be treated like one after what I did.' Goku thought silently.

"He's probably planning to kill you when you least expect it."

'If that's true, why does he wait?' Goku looked around the room trying to find a way out only to see the door his only escape route. Getting up off the ground, he curled back up in the hospital bed with his back to the door. He wasn't in great shape to try to run and he knew that if he attempted to do so, Vegeta would drag his ass back in there without any effort.

"He's awake?" Chi-chi questioned.

"Yes, but he's not acting normal. I think you will need to spend time with him woman," Vegeta snorted. Chi-chi grabbed the tray and ran out towards the medical room.

Goku did not need to turn around to know that Chi-chi had entered the room. Her soft footsteps against the metallic floor were quickened and before he knew it, she was sitting in a chair behind him.

"Are you hungry?" Chi-chi asked.

"A bit," Goku turned over. What he saw wasn't the wife he married, but a weakened version of her. "What happened to you?"

"You made me think I was going to lose you," Chi-chi admitted. The tears silently ran down her cheeks; almost though she was afraid to full-heartedly cry in front of her husband and mate in disrespect.

For once, Goku was at a loss of what to say or do to help her. He wanted to comfort her and say that he wouldn't leave her; however, he still hated himself for what he had done to her and the others on the planet. The people of Earth would never forgive him for what he had done to them and of course he couldn't truly blame them for the trouble he caused.

"Chi-chi…" Goku was barely able to get it out before timidly pulling her into his arms. The tray of food crashed onto the floor and Chi-chi would have picked it up had Goku's arms not firmly wrapped around her. A low purr escaped his throat in an attempt to comfort and reassure the Earthen female.

To Be Continued…