Hey you guys. I'm finally back and out of school, so I can write more now. In fact, I've been doing a lot of writing lately. I had to rewrite this and several other chapters because my computer went on the fritz and somehow my files were corrupted. And I hate rewriting because it's not as good as the original. (Grrr…) So, I'm kinda iffy about the chapters I've had to rewrite. Try to like it anyway…
Of Two Hearts
Chapter 13: Going On
Everything froze for Chi-Chi. No one else was there. Even time seemed to stop. Chi-Chi felt like someone had just twisted a knife into her heart. The pain had cut right through her core. Only Goku's words rang through her head.
Because I'm dying…
"What? No! You just need your rest!" she protested.
Goku looked at her wearily. "Don't be unreasonable…"
Chi-Chi took his hand. "It can't be true. Don't leave me," she whispered, hanging her head in despair. Goku gazed into her sorrowful eyes, moist with desperate tears, and then looked away. "When the moon comes out, I will die. And that will be in three minutes."
"No," Chi-Chi whispered, squeezing his hand gently. Goku winced in pain at that simple gesture.
"Perhaps it will help if I told you why I am dying," he said calmly. "A lot has happened to me, Chi-Chi. I don't know what you think of me, but I'm not invincible. I have weaknesses, and I have been exploited. I haven't been treated much better than an animal. My blood is poisoned, and-"
"Poisoned?" Chi-Chi interrupted, suddenly. She let go of his hand and took off her cloak and knapsack. She opened it and started to rummage through it. "I've brought things to help you, Goku. If I can find the right herbs I saved, I-"
"Chi-Chi, stop," Goku interrupted her this time. "Even if you think you can cure me, the medicine won't start working until later on, and I would be dead by then."
Chi-Chi shot him a confused look. "If I think I can cure you? I will! If you would just be quiet and let me help you-"
Goku shook his head. "It is not only because I'm poisoned from some berries I ate. I should have known that those being sour like that meant something, but I was too hungry… I began to feel sick a long time ago, Chi-Chi. Your herbs can't overpower the poison."
He sighed and continued, "Aside from the poison, I've been exposed to the awful cold, and the layers I'm wearing are not enough to protect me. I don't know if I have gotten some sort of disease.
"Lastly… I don't think you may understand what I'm saying, but just listen. My Saiyan bond with you has been broken more than once, and when that happens, one counterpart becomes subject to ensuing fatal effects… I shouldn't have made that mistake…"
"What mistake?" Chi-Chi whispered, confused and desperate. Her grip on Goku's hand was weak now, as she barely held it with her own trembling hand. The tears she had fought to hold back were streaming down her face.
Goku closed his eyes, and his breathing became labored.
"Goku?!"
"My… time is almost up…"
Chi-Chi tried to lift his face towards her, but she heard footsteps approaching. She responded quickly and dashed from her spot, heading for the darkest corner of the tent, taking her belongings with her.
Just as she rolled into safety, two men entered the tent for an inspection. They began to count inventory, and were unaware of Goku's dying state or of Chi-Chi in the corner, who had holding her breath and position to avoid capture.
Suddenly, she heard something else. Goku's voice was speaking to her in her mind. Her eyes widened, and she was surprised at this revelation.
"Chi-Chi, don't say anything and don't think that you and I have gone crazy because you can hear my voice in your head. It's a part of the Saiyan bond. But I wanted to tell you, before I left… The mistake I made… I could have avoided a lot of trouble if I had left you alone. I think… Loving you was my mistake."
"It's not a mistake," Chi-Chi whispered in the dark. "I love-"
Her words ceased to flow, as she felt a sharp pain in her heart suddenly. She clutched at her chest, and suppressed a groan. Her energy suddenly drained from her body. W-What…is this? she thought, her eyelids fluttering closed.
The last thing she saw before her eyes forcefully closed was a hint of rays of silver light. It poured in through the entrance of the tent. The moonlight…
Unbeknownst to her, Goku had died.
The two men heard Chi-Chi's faint whisper and turned around. They couldn't tell if the voice was feminine or not. "It was probably just Goku," one thought aloud. "Talkin' in his sleep, the crazy thing…"
The second wore a solemn face as he stared at Goku. "No… His chest is not rising and falling."
The first man blinked. "What?"
He got closer to Goku and examined him. "Oh… So, he is gone. We must bury him."
"In the morning," the second man sighed. "Damn. We lost a valuable slave, and the one that the Americans were paying for as well!"
The first nodded in agreement. "Come. Let us go…"
Chi-Chi didn't move until she was sure the two men had left. She crawled from the corner back to Goku, and looked him over in despair. They had to be wrong! Goku is breathing! Yet… Five times did Chi-Chi's eyes wander up and down Goku's motionless body.
He had truly passed away.
"No," Chi-Chi whispered, shakily, again and again. Her trembling hands fiercely gripped at the earth, as a powerful ripple of misery tore through her. The unbelievable pain caused a stronger wave of tears to emerge. "No… No!!"
Groans of agony strained her voice as she denied Goku's death over and over. But simply saying the words didn't erase the established truth. Goku was gone. Nothing she said or did can change it. Just knowing she was helpless caused streams of burning tears to erupt from their origins and silently grace her cheeks. Her attempts to stifle her weeping were weakened greatly. The pain was too great, and such an overwhelming force that she couldn't cope with, both mentally and physically.
Her body was weak, and her heart was nothing more than the shredded remains of her love...
All that ran in her mind were denials of Goku's death. Her shoulders heaved up and down as her body trembled.
Her last attempt to hush herself was to throw her arms around the body of her beloved as she wept into his chest.
She came here for nothing…
Must her dreams be shattered with the realization of this death? Her childhood fantasy was incinerated with this death. With this death, it proved her father's intent as true. Goku wasn't the right one for her…
And that was the most painful thing of all.
Vegeta stopped strolling by the forests, his troops following close behind. He had stopped partially because of the signs posted near, the ships leaving the ports, and there was something else…
Vegeta's Saiyan senses let him know that another Saiyan had died.
He blinked, astounded. He had to be called twice by his troops.
"Lord Vegeta? Why did you stop?"
Vegeta didn't even turn to look back at his troops. Goku had died and something had happened. He was intent on finding out just what that something was. He was about to spring into the air for a speedy flight, but he remembered that was not the normal thing to do.
Instead, he sprinted and ran without word, ignoring the troops calling after him.
"When I asked him why he stopped, I did not mean I wanted him to go and leave us behind," one warrior sighed.
Sensing Chi-Chi, Vegeta was able to locate her, and he stood by the small opening of the tent, peering inside. He sighed inwardly as Chi-Chi's soft cries touched his ears. Stupid woman, venturing off for nothing, he thought. But that darned woman really does love Kakarot…
Vegeta perked up suddenly as he heard some of the men from the troops approaching several minutes later. He turned around and hushed the men as they skidded to a stop near him and were about to speak.
"I shall retrieve her, Lord Vegeta," one of the men whispered, disgusted at the scene of Chi-Chi laying her head on Goku's chest.
Vegeta held up a hand. "No. Let the woman have her tears. We will come for her in the morning."
Another man looked at him, shocked. "But Lord Vegeta! She is still in love with Goku! We came here to fetch her! Um… She is your bride!"
"Do not defy me!" Vegeta hissed, raising a clenched fist. "Now retreat and make camp!"
Because it is time for me to install a new Saiyan bond in my bride, he thought.
The morning sun was barely rising over the snowy peaks of the mountains when Vegeta woke up and came to Goku's tent. He slipped inside and sighed as he saw the scene. He could only guess that Chi-Chi had fallen asleep beside Goku after mourning for him.
"Come on, dumb woman," Vegeta grumbled as he bent over to carefully scoop Chi-Chi in his arms. He stood up and glanced over at Goku venomously before walking out of the tent, where several men of the troops were waiting their leader's next order.
"Here," Vegeta said, thrusting a sleeping Chi-Chi towards them. "Take her while I write a letter to the Ox-King. He can quit worrying about the runaway."
One of the men stuttered and blinked. "My lord… Do you think I am worthy enough to touch my lady?"
Vegeta growled and thrust Chi-Chi at him again. "Take her to the campgrounds before I kill you!"
The man stuttered again as Vegeta dumped Chi-Chi in his arms. He turned on his heel and headed back toward the campsite, ready to work on his letter.
A few minutes later, Vegeta was done with his letter. Standing up, he placed it in an envelope and placed a seal on it. He marched outside the tent to see his patient messenger and his horse wait for the letter. "Here," Vegeta said, handing the messenger the letter. "Take it back home as fast as you can."
The messenger took the letter, opened his vest up, and tucked it inside a pocket. He mounted his horse and nodded at Vegeta. "I shall do my best." He snapped his horse's reins, and the snow kicked up as the horse galloped away.
Vegeta turned back once he knew the messenger was no longer in sight. He marched around, inspecting the troops, and he stopped by one warrior who was trying to light a campfire.
Vegeta rolled his eyes and kicked some snow on the small flame, getting the warrior's attention. "Why I oughtta…" He stopped when he saw Vegeta. "Yes, Lord?"
Vegeta crossed his arms. "Where is the woman?"
The warrior pointed to the tent behind him.
Vegeta smiled as he looked at it. "Thank you."
He made it safely inside the distant tent, and saw Chi-Chi lying down on a cot. He slowly walked over to her, making sure no one else was looking. He dragged a crate to rest next to the cot's side. He sat on the crate and looked at Chi-Chi's face more carefully.
Even in her sleep, she was fitful and never seemed to be truly resting and at peace. Her eyebrows were drawing toward each other in hesitation; a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Vegeta reached out and wiped it away, and he suddenly realized how cold her face was. Vegeta kept his warm hand on her cheek, and then gently grazed it across her face, which cooled his hand.
His fingers stopped at her lips, which were as chilly as the rest of her face.
"You're so cold," Vegeta whispered, and leaned over to warm her lips with his own.
As he kissed Chi-Chi, Vegeta's Saiyan senses were beginning to rise forth from deep within him. He closed his eyes and accepted what his mind was doing to Chi-Chi's.
They were connecting in every mental way possible, and Vegeta could see what Chi-Chi was dreaming.
Dream Sequence
Why couldn't I get there fast enough?
I've failed Goku… If only I hadn't taken those few hours to sleep, I would've been able to save Goku. Is he dead because of me? I feel the tears well up in my eyes as I think about this.
I stand here out in the open of nothingness, as my tears stream down my face, exposed to the cold, to the snow dancing to the ground from the sky. May I collapse to my knees and shed all my tears?
For I do feel like a hopeless child.
My closed eyes don't wish to see another flashback of the pain from when Goku died. That was my pain as well as his.
But suddenly… I feel a gentle hand wipe away my tears and rest against my cheek. That touch is comforting. My eyes open slowly, but I'm surprised to see…
Vegeta?
I shrink back from his touch, confused and scared. What was he doing in my dream? This can't be right… I step back, my confused eyes on Vegeta's calm face. I'm afraid now. The touch feels like Goku's, but it isn't him…
My heart begins to pound as Vegeta walks toward me. He doesn't look sinister, but I don't want him coming any closer.
"Why are you crying?" he gently asks me.
"Goku," I whisper.
"He is gone now," Vegeta says, and his voice echoes quietly as I find he somehow vanishes from my sight. Only a few seconds pass before I feel a light wind blow against me from the rear; Vegeta reappears behind me. I almost jump, surprised he could do such a thing, but then he wraps his arms around me. I want to writhe and escape, but I find myself melting, leaning back into his embrace.
I don't… understand…
"Yes, yes," Vegeta gently coos, and raises an arm to pat my hair. He gently relieves my hair of its single, green ribbon, and my head falls back into his chest.
"You have me now," Vegeta says. "You are my bride."
I close my eyes. "Your bride…?" I repeat, whispering…
Dream Sequence Ends
Vegeta held Chi-Chi's hand to make sure this connection would stay true. As long as he had physical contact with her, he could be with her mentally. He knew this was working when he entered Chi-Chi's dream and the events were occurring without frustration.
Vegeta leaned over to whisper in Chi-Chi's ear.
"Yes, you are my bride. Don't be confused. There is no one else you belong with. I will show you how our life will be. I, Vegeta, am your fiancé, and we must go home to your father, the Ox-King. Our wedding is soon, and nothing will interrupt it…"
Slowly, word for word, Chi-Chi repeated him, mumbling in her sleep. These facts were being drilled into her brain.
And so, like a tree shedding its fall leaves, so were the memories of Son Goku being stripped from Chi-Chi's mind…
Only two hours had passed since Goku's body was picked up. The men who came for him were debating on where to bury him.
"We don't have time for a proper burial," one argued. "Gosh, all we have to do is dig up a stupid hole and drop this man in there."
Another man frowned. "Should we at least say a prayer? You know, to pay respect? You never know if this man could come haunt us…"
"Shut your mouth and start digging."
The other man gulped and stuck his shovel in the snow. He began to dig, but he stopped when he heard some bushes rustling. He ignored it and continued to dig, but the same noise kept coming.
He looked at the first man doubtfully.
"What? It's just a stupid animal. Now keep digging. Goku is getting heavy."
"A-All right, Yuno…"
Soon enough, there was a three-foot hole in the ground. Yuno gently lowered Goku into the hole and spread the dirt and snow back on top, trying to make the ground look as even as possible. He stood up, clapped the dirt off his hands, and looked over his work. "Well, let us leave now. He is dead, and that is it… We will have a little service before we return to bless his remains."
Their footsteps slowly faded with a gentle breeze that swayed the green needles of a nearby evergreen tree. It hid an observing figure, shadowed in the tree. The figure had witnessed the death of the great warrior everyone had loved…
…Could Goku have truly passed on? It thought. He was the strongest warrior ever. He could not have just died like that. But, perhaps he really had. There would be no other reason for the one called Vegeta to come all this way, and retrieve that woman, Chi-Chi…
The figure left the tree, in search of the one whose energy he had felt days ago: Vegeta.
Meanwhile, the Ox-King was happy upon having read the letter from Vegeta.
Your Majesty,
I have found the girl by the ports where the foreigners from the International Coast Trade depart. She is in safe hands, and the troops and I will be on our way home as you read this. I will come shortly for the reward.
Vegeta
The Ox-King folded the letter and kept it by his side, ignoring his witnesses' wandering eyes. He pretended to avoid their look as he looked at something else. However, it would take more than averted vision to ignore persistent subjects.
"I take it that the letter is good news, my lord?" one asked. "When the troops and Prince Vegeta come home with Lady Chi-Chi, who shall receive the reward money?"
The Ox-King raised an eyebrow. "Vegeta of course. He found her. The troops do not receive anything but a pat on the back. It is their job to do what I say anyway."
"I see," the subject replied. "And what shall become of Lady Chi-Chi?"
The Ox-King sighed. "That I will have to think of, and that is not any of your concern."
The truth was, the Ox-King was stuck. Chi-Chi's wedding was very soon, so a punishment would be uncalled for. In addition, Chi-Chi's marriage to Vegeta is exactly what the Ox-King wanted.
However, he couldn't let Chi-Chi come and think what she did was okay. There had to be some sort of punishment. A little mild, yet it would make her understand…
I can't do much to a future empress. I hate to repeat, but perhaps keeping her under even closer supervision until the day she rules alongside Vegeta will have to do, the Ox-King thought, and sighed again. I won't let her out of anyone's sight ever again.
Back with Vegeta, Chi-Chi awoke from her fitful slumber. Vegeta was the first thing her eyes saw. Chi-Chi groaned and sat up, rubbing her head. "Ugh… What happened?" she slurred.
Vegeta looked up from playing with a stick and a leaf. He quickly tossed them aside and cleared his throat, looking at Chi-Chi, feigning relief.
"Whew," he sighed. "I am glad you are well, woman. Don't ever go running off like that and then lose your strength."
He gave her a chiding look. "You had me worried there. You lost all your strength and collapsed in the snow. I found you and nursed you to health," he lied.
"I did?" Chi-Chi asked, confused. She tried to remember, but all that was in her mind was the dream she had with Vegeta. Remembering him in the dream erased all thoughts of trying to remember back to before she fell asleep.
A grateful and, almost loving, smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Vegeta," she said.
"Hmm," Vegeta grumbled and stood up. He turned to walk out of the tent.
"Wait," Chi-Chi called. "Where are you going?"
Vegeta answered as he left, "Back to my own tent. You should go on back to sleep now. We leave to return to Edo in the morning."
But Chi-Chi was not sleepy. When Vegeta was out of sight, Chi-Chi climbed out of the cot and left the tent. There seemed to be nothing to do… With her hands swinging freely at her sides, she decided she would take a stroll, in hopes of remembering an area outside the palace walls.
After all, when she goes back, she'll probably never leave the palace again…
A few peaceful minutes had passed before curiosity overcame Chi-Chi. There was something strange up a few feet ahead. There seemed to be a weird rock sticking out of the ground…
Heading closer, she wondered what was going on. She crouched next to the rock, which was erected in front of a very misshapen hole. "Hm?" she mused, peering at the things closely.
There was something wrong about this scene. The hole seemed deep, and the dirt and snow was covering up something, but what? Then, there was this rock, which had something chiseled on it in horrible handwriting.
Nonetheless, the Kanji was legible. Skimming the information, she thought the person being described was quite familiar… One line struck horror in Chi-Chi's heart when it came to the name. She began to remember…
"…Go-"
"What? You've never laid eyes on a gravesite? Of course, being the sheltered princess that you are, I can expect that," a new voice suddenly spoke.
Gasping slightly, Chi-Chi shot her head up at the being that spoke. Her eyes widened slowly, as her heart began to pound loudly. No… It couldn't be. The winter mist was shrouding the true identity of an approaching figure that walked closer and closer into the moonlight…
Once the moonlight revealed the figure, Chi-Chi nearly fell over in surprise. "Is it…really you?" she inquired meekly. "…The Demon King… Piccolo?"
Indeed, the tall, green-skinned being stood over her, looking down at her with superiority in his eyes. His foot kicked out some snow and dirt in the misshapen hole, and pieces of recognizable clothing came into view.
He looked at Chi-Chi again. "Hmm, it's you again. I remember you. You're that worrisome girl at the Budokai."
He looked down at the body in the hole, and chuckled. "All that worrying did you no good. Goku is dead."
Chi-Chi looked away, pain dancing in her averted gaze. "Don't you think I have noticed? Please leave me alone."
She wrapped her arms around her knees and lowered her head, cursing all of this. Why… Why did Goku have to die? It wasn't fair. Why him? And then, there was the fact she wanted to cry.
She had always been told to be a strong person, never flimsy, never weak. She was a fighter; she was stronger than other women. It was like she was both a daughter and a son to the Ox-King. She was a princess, soft and elegant, yet she trained just as hard as the men did, taking in the codes of the martial arts. Most were fine to obey.
But…
There was no way she could get rid of her emotions. She was a woman. That was like asking her to get rid of her heart. All the years she had been told not to cry because she was a fighter, and it showed weakness.
…That was all crap to her now, at this very moment. Someone very dear to her was gone forever with no hopes of returning. Just the fact that these thoughts emerged caused the surfaced tears to make their way to her eyes, on the verge of flowing outwards.
Yet, she could not cry because Piccolo was here…wasn't he?
Chi-Chi blinked back her tears and looked up again. Piccolo was still looking over her, raising an eyebrow. As if he had never seen someone mourn…
Chi-Chi scoffed. "What are you still doing here? Go already."
"If I were you, I would not be talking that way," he retorted. "Your whining and tears will cease, should you see that Goku comes back to life, am I right?"
The sullen girl avoided eye contact once more. "You don't have to make it worse, all right? What do you even want with me anyway?"
Piccolo crossed his arms. "I have a deal for the both of us. I know a way to bring Goku back to life."
Chi-Chi locked her wondrous and surprised eyes with Piccolo's. "You demon… That isn't possible," she whispered. What was he thinking? A dead man was a dead man. There couldn't be a way to restore a human's soul.
Piccolo rolled his eyes at Chi-Chi. "Have you ever wondered why Goku had a monkey tail and seemed unusually strong and fast? The reason he isn't like most people… It is because he is not human. Therefore, it is possible to bring him to life."
Chi-Chi was silenced with his words. Could he be right? Now that she thought about it, Goku didn't seem like other guys his age, even when he was a boy. The most obvious factor was his Saiyan tail of course, but there were other things.
Saiyan? Yes, Goku had talked about a Saiyan bond. It still confused Chi-Chi. She had no idea, but she knew whatever a Saiyan was, it wasn't human. Then there was the fact he could ride a cloud, and his fighting techniques…
When Koto had threatened to kill Goku, he had accused him over and over of not being human, of being a beast. He had heard of the Saiyan ape killing hundreds of people.
It was all coming together, and it was true. Goku was not human.
"Will you accept the deal or not?" Piccolo interrupted Chi-Chi's thoughts. He saw her look up at him again, confused.
"Wait a minute," she said slowly. "Why would I do something to bring Goku back to life, just so you can try to kill him again? Don't think I have forgotten your cry of revenge at the Budokai."
"That IS NOT why I'm doing this!" Piccolo snapped. "Don't you see we both benefit from this deal? You can have Goku and I can have my rival. If you agree to this deal, I vow to resurrect Goku and let him train for three years before we have our promised match."
Chi-Chi studied Piccolo's face suspiciously. Of course, that was pretty hard to do by moonlight, but she dared not to get near him. "I do not believe you. How will you resurrect him anyway?"
Piccolo reached down and lifted Goku's body out of the hole. He laid Goku next to the hole, and undid the strings of a goatskin pouch tied around his waist. He brushed the dirt off it and opened it. He pulled out a gleaming sphere and showed it to Chi-Chi.
"Do you know what this is?"
Chi-Chi nodded. "Of course. That's a Dragonball…"
Piccolo held the shiny sphere tight, the moonlight shining on the orange surface. "This isn't an ordinary orb. When seven of these are collected, they can be aligned according to the number of stars on each ball. A summoning to the Eternal Dragon, Shenlong, will allow you to make two wishes. One will be for Goku's life to be restored, and I will let you have the other one too, if you agree to this deal…"
The only sounds in the night were the soft howling of the wind, and the blood pounding in Chi-Chi's ears, as she thought over this again.
This was tough. Piccolo seemed to be on the right track. Chi-Chi had heard the story of the Dragonballs before, but it was rumored to be just a fairy tale… But this ordeal had Goku's resurrection written all over it. Would she take this chance?
"All you have to do is look for the Dragonballs in seven moons," Piccolo added. "You have plenty of time. You will need these."
He took off his turban, reached inside it, and tossed Chi-Chi two things. He placed the turban back on his head, watching Chi-Chi curiously look over the things he gave her.
Chi-Chi shook a small, blue device and tapped it with her fingernail. It was made of a material she had never seen and felt before… "What in the world is this thing?"
"That is a device from the future called Dragon Radar," Piccolo explained. "This little machine finds-"
"Wait, slow down," Chi-Chi interrupted, confused. "Future? How is that possible? We are in the year 1618. How can you go back and forth in time? And what is a ma-chain?"
Piccolo slapped his forehead. He forgot he was in the medieval days. "Look, girl, just forget it. You called me a demon, and we have the power to travel in space and time, all right? And it's called a machine. It's an electric component that's designed for a purpose."
Chi-Chi tilted her head. "Electric?" she asked slowly.
Piccolo snatched the Dragon Radar from her. "The point is that this thing is designed to find other Dragonballs. Take the Dragonball and stand a few feet away."
Chi-Chi raised an eyebrow, which caused Piccolo to growl. "Do it!"
Chi-Chi did as she was told, and watched Piccolo turn on the Dragon Radar. She nearly flinched in surprise as she heard it beeping. "It's alive!" she said.
Piccolo rolled his eyes and came close to her. "Do you see now? That orange dot on the screen indicates the Dragonball's presence. You keep following it until you find the Dragonball. Here, keep it. Now for this…"
He took the string from Goku's goatskin pouch, and tied it through a hole in the second item he gave her. "Put it around your neck. This is a whistle you will use to call me when you have found all seven Dragonballs. You're starting off with one. You should start looking as soon as possible."
As Chi-Chi put away the items, Piccolo added, "There is something else you need to know. I won't do all this for free. You must make amends... Let me see what I want from you."
That didn't sound very appealing... Chi-Chi looked up at Piccolo cautiously as he looked over her. What could he possibly want from her? She gulped when Piccolo smiled after a few moments. "You're perfect," he said.
"...Excuse me?"
Piccolo extended his hand. "Your energy is perfect. A portion of your spirit and soul energy will be of perfect use to me."
Chi-Chi took a step back. "What do you want with my spirit and soul?"
Piccolo held up three fingers. "I have three reasons why I should have some of your spirit and soul energy. One: I said you must make amends. Your energy will be of use to my ability to gather ki faster. Two: Your spirit and soul energy will help preserve Goku's body. And three: If you allow me to have some of both, I can do a favor for you and help you detect the Dragonballs so you can look for them faster."
"..."
"The same essence that makes the Dragonball Radar find the Dragonballs can also be inside you, if you let me take some. As I said, I will be returning a portion to you. Once again, you get double the prizes," Piccolo said. "Will you do it?"
Again, doubt crept into Chi-Chi's mind. This was a lot she was agreeing to. Could what Piccolo said even be fully accomplished? She was certainly hoping so.
"...If this will preserve Goku's body until his spirit returns, then I will do it," Chi-Chi answered quietly. She stepped forward and extended her hand toward Piccolo's. She had a calm composure, but she was frightened inside.
"Good decision," Piccolo complimented, and made his hand reach for Chi-Chi's. He opened his hand and concentrated hard, closing his eyes. He hummed some sort of chant under his breath, and both his and Chi-Chi's hands began to glow a light blue color. Chi-Chi watched in bewilderment all the while, not only at what Piccolo was doing, but also at the fact her hand was so small compared to his...
Soon, Chi-Chi noticed her hand wasn't glowing light blue anymore. Piccolo's hand was glowing alone, and when he opened his eyes and pulled his hand away, his hand was glowing very brightly. He smiled, satisfied. "You have very good spirit energy. Now extend your left hand to give me your soul energy."
Fear drove Chi-Chi to obey, and she hesitantly offered Piccolo her left hand, which was faced palm to palm with his left hand. The same procedure occurred, and Piccolo took his hand back to examine the whitish-yellow glow of Chi-Chi's soul energy. "This is good as well."
He clasped both hands together, and both his fists glowed a mixture of the colors. The blinding glow caused Chi-Chi to cover her eyes. "No, don't do that!" Piccolo exclaimed. "Show me the Dragon Radar!"
I swear I won't listen to anything he says after this, Chi-Chi promised herself as she held out the Dragon Radar in front of him.
Piccolo nodded and extended both of his glowing hands toward the Dragon Radar. "Come to me, Light of the Future..."
The Dragon Radar began to glow as well. A thin ray of light from the center of it jumped towards Piccolo's hands. The moment that ray hit Piccolo's hands, he extended his hands toward Chi-Chi. The energy jumped from his hands and formed into a ball. Suddenly, it began to zoom toward Chi-Chi's body at such an incredible speed.
"What the...? Wait, what does this-"
She cut herself off as she saw the ball of energy dive into the center of her chest. She could feel the warmth of the energy, but couldn't feel anything when the energy went right through her skin. It went through her as if she was a ghost, but it didn't escape her body. When the energy was inside of her, Chi-Chi placed a hand on her chest to feel for it, but it was nothing…
Only the center of her chest began to glow softly, but it soon died out when the energy settled. She looked around and then down. The Dragonball Radar lay at her side, appearing as if nothing happened. "That energy," she whispered. "It went inside of me…"
Piccolo showed her his still glowing hands. "And I still have some of it as well."
"I thought... How is this possible? You're defying every law there is known to man!"
Piccolo shrugged. "This is what it means to come from the future. Now, you shouldn't feel too different. After all, it's your own energy. I'm done with you tonight."
He began to walk away, but he turned back after a few steps. He looked at Chi-Chi sternly. "Do heed this. Should you fail, I will find a way to take my payment from you, and I promise you it won't be enjoyable."
"Fine," Chi-Chi said, and put the items away. She watched Piccolo walk over to Goku's body and pick it up.
Piccolo looked at her once again. "Then we have a deal, Princess. I will keep Goku's body safe so that the people will not cremate him. The people will return to cremate it. If I keep the body, Goku's spirit will be able to return. If the body burns, his spirit cannot return to a non-existent body."
Without another word, they went their separate ways.
Later on that night, Chi-Chi returned to the tent where she was supposed to stay. Lying down on the cot, she stared up at the ceiling of the tent thoughtfully. Was this the right thing to do?
Could she really trust the enemy of her lover, and probably the whole world?
Piccolo could've said all these things when he knew Chi-Chi was vulnerable and very emotional. Yet, what he was saying seemed to make sense to her. The fact he was evil didn't fully occur at the time.
And then there was the weird deal he had up his sleeve, not to mention the whole thing he did with the energies.
The thing about making hard decisions was you get the common sense way after you made it.
And what if it was all a lie? What if Piccolo had lied about the whole thing? He would've walked away with Goku's body and done what only Kami knows to it. And Chi-Chi…
If this were all a lie, would she be using Goku's 4-star Dragonball for nothing? Would this mean that she stole it from him? She knew how much the 4-star ball meant to him, and here she was risking it on a chance…
And lastly, was her decision rash? It had almost seemed she jumped at the nearest chance in desperate hopes for Goku's resurrection.
How could so many wrong things branch off an honest desire for a lover's return?
Was this really so wrong? Was it right? Was Piccolo trustworthy? There are times when people just can't have the benefit of a doubt.
Thinking over this, Chi-Chi drifted off to sleep…
The next morning, Vegeta and the troops prepared for their journey home, now that they had the runaway princess with them. Their goal was to return to Edo to please the Ox-King and have the reward money. Chi-Chi would return also, but at the same time, she was searching for the six Dragonballs.
She decided this was a risk she was going to take, despite all reason.
She rode in an open wagon, used to hold the troops' belongings and necessities. She moved to the tail of the wagon, far away from the driver of it, who was guiding the horses that were pulling it along.
"Please work," Chi-Chi whispered as she turned on the Dragonball Radar. She waited for the signal and the beeping. She stared at the screen and kept waiting. She waited and waited and waited and waited…
Waiting… Waiting… Waiting some more…
Hours could've passed, she swore, as she nearly fell asleep. She swooned and nearly fell over to sleep. Her eyelids were drooping heavily, and countless yawns escaped her lips. She struggled to stay awake, though she had to jerk her head up a few times to keep from nodding off. Fatigue had captured her for sure.
It was a fight between body and will, and the winner was obvious…
Deep breathing followed reclining as Chi-Chi finally let her eyes close. Obviously, she had stayed up too long thinking about what decision she was supposed to make. That combined with waiting in boredom led way to sleep.
In the back of her mind, she apologized to Goku…
Only ten minutes after she fell asleep, a muffled noise was barely detected. A flashing light of orange shone from Chi-Chi's obi, where the Dragon Radar was tucked…
That afternoon, Chi-Chi had a strange wakeup call. She could barely sense warm breath on her face, and soft, distant panting. Something light and tingly brushed across her face, and something sleek and warm ran across her cheek.
Okay, bad breath, and now her cheek was wet and warm?
Chi-Chi groaned and opened her eyes slightly. She almost flinched as she saw a pair of huge, brown eyes look curiously at her. "What the…?" She sat up and looked down to see a stray dog had jumped into the wagon, which had stopped moving.
She noticed Vegeta and the troops had stopped for a break by a river. That or the horses pulling the carts refused to continue without rest. But right now, the focus was the dog that had supposedly appeared from nowhere.
"Why you… You woke me up," Chi-Chi laughed, reaching out to pet the playful dog. He shrunk under her hand, afraid to be touched. He cowered and crawled backwards, toward the edge of the wagon.
"No, no, you'll-"
The dog yelped as he fell over the edge.
"Fall off," Chi-Chi finished, and jumped out. She bent over to pick the dog up, but he scrambled to his feet and began to scamper away. It was at that moment that the beeping occurred again. That could only mean one thing!
Chi-Chi happily took out the Dragonball Radar from its hiding spot and noticed it was beeping wildly when the dog was scampering. It lessened when he ran away.
That means he has to have it! She thought excitedly, and chased the dog. She followed him to a row of berry bushes by the opposite side of the river. The dog was faster than she was, and thought he was to be left in peace, until Chi-Chi arrived. The moment he spotted her, he fled from a hole he was digging in the ground.
"Don't run away. I just want to see…"
Chi-Chi trailed off as she spotted something in the hole. The dog had buried a lot of junk, but something was protruding from the pile of dirt. The beeping of the Dragon Radar was rapid again. Could it be…?
Chi-Chi ran to the hole and slid to her hands and knees. She began to dig in it, throwing dirt over her shoulder as she did. The dog came back and sniffed around, confused. What was she doing in his hole?
"Yes, yes!" Chi-Chi squealed, as she lifted her prize from the wet soil. It was dirty, but she finally had it. In her hand, she held the 6-star Dragonball. "One down, five more to go," she murmured. So this thing does work after all, she thought about the Dragonball Radar. He wasn't lying...
Chi-Chi looked down when the dog looked at her curiously.
"You silly dog," she said happily. "You don't know it, but you've helped me a lot." She petted him a few times before returning to the troops' location. She brushed the dirt off her clothes and hands, and jumped back into the wagon, placing the Dragonball inside her own leather pouch with the 4-star.
She had absolute perfect timing, because one of the approaching men from the troops returned, and he wasn't suspicious. He seemed too worried to wonder if he made a wise choice leaving Chi-Chi unattended again.
"Why do you worry, Tsuda?" Chi-Chi asked.
The concerned man crossed his arms as he looked down at the ground. "This is the route to Edo, but look at the sky, Princess. We must take shelter before the snowstorm takes us to our graves."
"I suppose we should expect snowstorms since we are in the mountains…"
"Yes, Princess, but we are unable to continue on this route. We'll never arrive in Edo without facing the snowstorm, and the nearest shelter is a cave miles back… Some of the others wish to find shelter, while others wish to press forth into Edo."
"What did Vegeta say?"
"His Highness ordered that we take shelter. I just hope we make it back safely."
Tsuda frowned as he looked up above. Oversized, grayish-white clouds stretched across the sky. The sun had completely disappeared, and it was growing darker. In only a few hours, it would be as dark as nightfall.
"Tsuda!" a voice commanded from the head of the troops. "Return to your position immediately! Lord Vegeta orders us to retreat south!"
Tsuda nodded at him and jumped into the wagon with Chi-Chi. "I will protect you until we arrive at our destination, Princess."
In time, as Tsuda predicted, snow was descending onto the piled plains, accompanied by winds that were growing stronger. It had been an hour, and the troops were doing their best to run from the snowstorm and keeping their lives in the process.
Blinding snow was being thrown at the troops' faces as the winds were blowing harder. Apparently, south wasn't the right way to go, but it was better than walking into the heart of the storm, rather than walking into it, with their faces forward.
But now, it was getting worse.
"Lord Vegeta!" one warrior tried to yell over the wind. His voice was barely audible, no matter how loudly he called Vegeta. He looked behind him to see that the horses pulling the wagons were struggling to walk.
"Lord Vegeta!" he shouted again. "Can you hear me?! None of us can barely walk! This is a gale, not a wind!"
Vegeta was at the head of the troops, walking on the path to the single cave. He had tied his cloak together with Chi-Chi's, and draped it over his and Chi-Chi's shoulders. He was protecting her as they continued the journey.
Vegeta shouted back to the warrior, "Stop whining! The cave is only a few more miles! Don't speak to me until we get there!"
A few miles sounded like nothing, but not when one was walking through a blizzard with persistent winds and subzero temperatures. It took another hour until the cave was finally in sight.
"We're finally here," Vegeta told Chi-Chi as he helped her step through the knee-high snow to the mouth of the cave. "It's dark and quiet. Let me see if it's safe."
The moment Vegeta left her side, Chi-Chi noticed a faint beeping coming from her obi once again. Chi-Chi turned away and slid the Dragon Radar out from its hiding spot. "Is it in this cave?" she whispered.
She didn't have time to check, as she heard a surprised scream come from inside the cave. She whirled around and saw a recognizable flash of black zoom out of the cave.
"Vegeta?" she questioned, as she saw him tumble backwards into the snow. He got up after his body made a deep imprint in the snow. "Those mad beasts!" he snarled.
"What?" Chi-Chi asked, as she walked over to help Vegeta up. He ignored her hand and jumped to his feet. "That cave is full of wolves! I was nearly sliced!"
Chi-Chi laughed, which only made Vegeta angry. "Why do you laugh, woman?! Do you find it entertaining that I walk away like this?!"
"Walk away? It looked more like running to me," Chi-Chi responded with another laugh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing, but the look on your face…"
Vegeta brushed the snow off him and frowned, seeing the troops had arrived. "I wasn't afraid!" he said rather loudly. "The Great Vegeta is never afraid! I only wonder why they attacked."
"You startled them," Chi-Chi answered. "And if you tried to force them out of their home, well… Yes, they're going to try and defend it."
"I have a plan," Tsuda announced. He went to one of the wagons and opened a pack containing their weapons. He retrieved some bows and arrows. Then he dug up some sticks and rocks in the snow.
He sneaked toward the cave and whispered, "What we have to do is shoot flaming arrows in the cave. If that does not drive the wolves out, some of us will follow up with lit torches. In the meantime, pull the wagons up to guard the entrance, but you have to unload the horses quickly. Some of us must stand guard outside. Agreed?"
Everyone was quick to concur because they didn't want to stand out in the blizzard any longer.
A few warriors created fire with the rocks, and lit the tips of the arrows, and the sticks that served as their torches. They fired the arrows in the cave. A few wolves emerged from the cave, but others were growling and yelping in fear of the fire.
A few minutes passed, but the pack of wolves still remained. "It's time for the next plan," Tsuda said to the others. "Get your torches!"
The other warriors were quick to respond, and fearlessly rushed into the cave.
In the meantime, the wagons were slowly guided to the cave's entrance. The horses were unattached from the wagons and held down, so they wouldn't run away or jump at the sight of the wolves.
Now having a worse threat, the wolves fought back, but they were no matches for an enemy they feared: fire. They emerged, and one pounced as soon as it reached the cave's entrance. With a grunt, Tsuda waved a flaming stick at it.
The same wolf and all that were in its pack quickly fled, as the warriors in the cave chased them a few feet away.
"It won't be long until they return! Make haste and take shelter!" Tsuda told the troops. "Lord Vegeta and Lady Chi-Chi shall be sheltered first!"
Chi-Chi took her chance, entering the cave, and moved to the farthest corner in the cave. There, she noticed, had to be another Dragonball, as the Dragonball Radar was beeping wildly.
She looked over her shoulder. Some of the men were hurrying in loading necessities in the cave, others were bringing in the horses, and some others were coming in to rest.
Chi-Chi didn't have the time to browse for the Dragonball, or explain the Dragon Radar to everyone if it didn't stop beeping. She felt around for the Dragonball. Surprise met her when her fingertips brushed something.
Grasping it, she felt the object. It was large and round… But it was bumpy. It had to have been a rock.
Chi-Chi let it go and continued to feel around in the dark, but all she got were rocks. It would help if I had a candle about now, she thought.
"What are you doing, my lady?" a recognizable voice asked.
Chi-Chi glanced up, and could see half of Wakaru's face with the small ray of light from outside. She saw he was carrying something, as his arms were outstretched and full.
"I believe it would help if I built us a fire, my lady. Then you may seek what you lost," Wakaru stated. He went to the center of the cave and dropped the firewood he got from one of the parked wagons.
As she saw Wakaru light a fire, Chi-Chi also noticed the rest of the troops had entered the cave, along with Vegeta. Uncertainty rose within Chi-Chi.
Here she was, the only girl in a cave full of men… Not good.
Still, they wouldn't think of anything like that… At least Chi-Chi hoped.
Soon enough, the cave was illuminated with the warm glow of a campfire. The sound of angry wolves lashing outside could be heard also.
"I am sorry we had to do such a thing, but we can't let them in," Wakaru stated as he neared Chi-Chi. "What is it, my lady?"
Surprised at Wakaru's second appearance, Chi-Chi turned some more, giving him her back. "Um, nothing. I... I dropped my earring. I can find it now because of the fire you built. Thank you."
Wakaru tilted his head. "Well, all right… I wish you a good night's rest. If that is possible in this cave... I apologize that this is not fit for a princess…" The sound of his footsteps faded away as he retreated to another part of the cave.
With a bit of firelight, Chi-Chi could detect a shiny object amongst the rocks. She sighed with relief as she reached for it, silently thanking Kami she found the 7-star Dragonball.
All right! I found two Dragonballs in one day! She thought happily. How lucky is that? And I managed to do it without looking very suspicious.
Glancing at the other men who distanced themselves, Chi-Chi hoped she could get some sleep tonight with all of these snoring men…
She was packing up the Dragonball Radar and the Dragonball, lost in her thoughts, and completely unaware of an approaching Vegeta. She hadn't heard his footsteps, but she certainly heard his voice and an awful crunch...
That sound echoed in her ears, and her heart stopped suddenly. Slowly casting her eyes to the floor, she saw Vegeta's boot, and the shattered fragments of the Dragonball Radar under it...
He crushed it!! Her mind screamed. That fool crushed the radar! He crushed all hopes of finding the Dragonballs!
"...Are you all right, Chi-Chi?" Vegeta asked for the second time, and looked down at her when she failed to respond. He saw what she was looking at, and lifted his foot. He raised an eyebrow at the jagged pieces on the floor. "What have we here...?"
He picked up a few of the pieces and looked over them curiously. "Strange. I've never seen anything like this..."
"It's probably just some debris in the cave," Chi-Chi finally responded, flustered. She quickly slipped the Dragonball inside her leather pouch and looked up at him, trying to hide all hints of frustration. "Did you say something?"
Vegeta shrugged and dropped the pieces. He crossed his arms and looked down at her. "I was asking how you were. Do you need anything to sleep tonight? Perhaps a blanket? Or even better...me?"
"...No," Chi-Chi said. "I-I'm fine."
After convincing Vegeta that she really was fine by herself, Chi-Chi found she could now let out her feelings in solitude...almost. She clenched her fists and cursed the fate of the Dragonball Radar. Her only chance to find the Dragonballs was gone forever. That meant she had to look for them all alone, and what if they were all over the world? And why did the Dragonball Radar have to be made of such a strange and obviously fragile material?
Chi-Chi had felt it herself. It was made out of a material she had never ever touched before, and it was said to be from the future, so she believed it was strong... But it was obviously weak to pressure and the weighted crush of a boot. It was so silent... The light crunch would never have made anyone think everything was fine, and that their only hope for resurrecting a loved one wasn't gone forever.
It was amazing how a circumstance could change from brightly optimistic to a dark disaster.
No, it couldn't be true... Not after all this hard work she had done... Not after everything she sacrificed and gave to Piccolo...
What do I do now, Kami? Chi-Chi thought desperately. I won't cry, but I'm so lost...
'Sleep on it' a voice inside her said. 'You won't find true comfort, but sleep on it.'
Using her knapsack as a pillow, she lied down and turned over, closing her eyes tiredly, trying to push out all traces of despair. She used her surfaced, bright thoughts to lull herself to sleep.
I won't fail you, despite all of this. I won't give up on you. I'm on my way to reviving you, Goku. Just hold on a little longer...
To be continued...
Chapter Fourteen: Hesitation
A/N:
(1) The concept of using one's care and energy to preserve a body and keep it from cremation will seem familiar if you've seen Yuu-Yuu Hakusho. The first time it was used was when Keiko had to preserve Yuusuke's body the first time he died. Now Keiko and Chi-Chi are sharing the same roles. Poor Goku and Yuusuke.
(2) In my other fanfic Learning To Love You (which I shudder thinking about), I made the mistake of thinking Shenlong granted two wishes. This time, I kept that idea in because one: I think it makes the story a tad more interesting, and two: This is AU. Just wanted to clear up any confusion…
Lady Kouga: Thanks. Things look a little hazy now.
Candy the Duck: Yes, Goku is dead…
Gogirl: That would be a tease. However, I had to do this to Goku.. As I said in the beginning, my computer has been having a lot of problems too, and I hate it. I'm self-conscious about the rewrites. As you read this, I will be reading the chapters I missed of Finding Goku!
Carrie2sky: Lol. Yeah, it doesn't look good now. I like being cruel.. Thank you for your review.
Caryl Mc: Yes, Goku is dead. I know I'm being evil. Hehe. You really don't like this. Am I the devil? Hmm, that's an interesting thought. Can you die with Goku? No! Then you can't review my fanfic! Hehe. This isn't a Romeo/Juliet kind of thing, I promise. Although it's starting to look like it, doesn't it? There will be a ray of hope. I promise.
Noname: Lol. I can't make it like this. I know things look bleak for G/CC, but I PROMISE it's not like Romeo/Juliet. I want to make this as my own thing, even though originality is hard to obtain for fan work. Can't be very original when you're writing a fairy tale, huh? Thanks for the review.
Lady Thundera: nod Vegeta's doing his best to wipe out all traces of Goku in Chi-Chi's mind. Thank you. Curtis H. Hoffmann is the official DB/Z manga translator, and in the 15th manga, there is a side note that explains Chi-Chi's alias. Tokumei Kibou means "anonymous desire". I don't know where you heard the other meanings. This makes more sense to me anyway. Chi-Chi did want to remain anonymous and her desire was to have Goku. It's a pretty name.
Moon girl16: Yeah! You know cliffhangers are cool. Run away? I think I will once the story progresses. Thanks for being so patient.
Lady Athena X: It's ok. I don't think I'll be updating as fast as I used to. I'm sorta glad I've got this up though. Yeah, now Chi-Chi's plan is ruined. Ox-King won't be a very happy father once he hears of this. I like Chi-Chi's alias. I was hoping no one had it when I joined Fanfiction.net. Thanks for waiting.
POOPDECK: Thanks. I'm afraid updates won't be as fast as they used to be, which was once a week. I'm still trying to update frequently though. Lol. Vegeta and Goku both want the same girl, so it's pretty obvious from here.
Goku-lover21: Thank you.
DBZ fan: I have, and I'm glad you like it.