I don't even know where to begin. It's been four years since I last updated... All I will say to that is certain things in life took more importance over my fanfiction, but I finally have found the heart and motivation to continue writing. I'm not sure if anyone is still interested in this story, but I'm going to continue because I dislike unfinished tasks.
Another side note: My writing style has definitely changed over the years I've been absent, but since I'd written this story a long time ago, that means the feel of the story will be the same for the time being. Ok, enough of me talking. Let's continue with the fanfic..
Of Two Hearts
Chapter 15: Fleeting Peace
Chi-Chi nearly gasped when she saw the handgun. What baker in his right mind would keep a gun at hand like that? He had obviously been planning Chi-Chi's capture. Chi-Chi struggled to escape Togashi's hold, but he was way stronger than she was. He had her arms locked really well. Any twist or contortion would easily snap a bone. Damn it, she thought. How did we even end up here?
Jotaro froze in his spot, staring ahead at the handgun with fear. He gulped, and a bead of sweat traveled down the side of his face. Would Jin really shoot him…? The warriors alongside him also stared at the handgun in surprise and slight fear. Their swords were nothing compared to the speed and strength of a gun's bullet.
Vegeta stared at the handgun also. He also noticed that Togashi took this chance to bring a struggling Chi-Chi behind the counter with Jin, who swayed the gun across, covering the range of the warriors, Jotaro and Vegeta. "Now, this is what we are going to do. You four," Jin said to the warriors. "Put away those swords."
The warriors looked at each other in hesitation, and then hung their heads. "Forgive us, Lord," they mumbled, as they placed their katanas in their sheaths. Jin pointed his gun at Jotaro. "Step aside." Overcome with fear, Jotaro forced his trembling legs to move from his spot.
Lastly, Jin pointed the handgun to Vegeta. "You… I want you to tie up the girl."
But Vegeta silently stood there, staring at Jin with a calm face. This angered him, and he growled. "I told you to do something." Again, Vegeta said nothing and remained in his spot. He saw Jin's finger steadily curl around the trigger, and his watchful eye on his target: Vegeta's forehead. "I WILL shoot," he warned.
"Now let me ask you something before you do," Vegeta finally spoke. "Do you think this is the right thing to do? Are you certain that the girl is the one you describe? And what if you turn her in to the emperor and you're wrong?"
"I'm not wrong," Togashi growled. "Jin, shoot that fool!"
Abruptly, a door from behind opened, and Jotaro's friend, Hideki, emerged, with a small box in his hands. However, he dropped it as he looked around in shock, his mouth gaping, and his eyes wide. He looked up at Jin, who still aimed the gun at Vegeta. "O-O-Otousan," he said shakily. He had never seen his father like this before. He didn't even know his father owned a gun. "What are you doing, Otousan?" he whispered.
Jin didn't even look at his son. He was still concentrating on aiming for Vegeta. "Get out of here, Hideki."
But the boy refused. He went close to Togashi and looked up at him with worried eyes. "What's wrong with my 'Tousan, Togashi? Why is he behaving this way?"
"…You really should go, Hideki," was all Togashi said, glancing at the child. Suddenly, he recoiled and howled, as he grabbed his foot. Chi-Chi had waited for the right moment, when Togashi had let up in the slightest. Then she stepped on his foot as hard as she could. That freed her arms instantly, which she used to punch him with all the fury in her.
Jin turned at what happened, but he was suddenly thrown off his feet, as Chi-Chi tackled him. But that fired off Jin's gun. Vegeta ducked, and he heard a window shatter behind him, and the sprinkling of tiny pieces on the wood floor. Jin was cursing as he struggled to get Chi-Chi off him.
"Why you damn-"
"No, you shut your mouth!" Chi-Chi sternly cut him off, as she drove an uppercut punch to his chin.
"That's it!" Jotaro hollered. "This fight is on!" He jumped up on the counter and grabbed whatever was nearby to whack Jin upside the head. The warriors unsheathed their swords again, as two headed for Togashi, and the other two headed for Jin. Vegeta rolled his eyes at Jotaro. "The gun, boy! Give me the gun!"
Jotaro nodded and jumped off the counter onto Jin's head. Chi-Chi handed Jotaro the gun, but he yelped when Jin easily picked him off his head with one arm. Jin tossed him backwards, and another gunshot rang in the air. A bullet tore a hole in the roof.
Jin stood up and spat out the pool of blood that collected in his mouth. He growled angrily, and took a swing at Chi-Chi, who ducked and unleashed a sweep kick. As he collapsed to the ground again, Vegeta rushed over. He picked Jin up by the hair and threw him far, just as he had thrown Jotaro.
"Please," Hideki quietly begged, hearing his father's cry of pain. "Please don't hurt 'Tousan…"
"Well, your father is being a very bad man!" Jotaro yelled, as he unloaded the bullet cartridges from the gun.
Meanwhile, the warriors had taken care of Togashi quickly with the fast slices of their katanas. A river of blood had flown from his corpse down to the hallway and down to the main area of the bakery. After having taken care of Togashi, the warriors reunited with Chi-Chi to gang up on Jin.
Jin rose to his feet and looked around. His friend and partner was dead. Four warriors carrying swords were ready to attack. Two great martial artists, one male and the other female, were ready to make him beg for mercy at their hands. One boy was there to make the outnumbered state greater.
Jin growled again and charged towards them. He ignored his son's plead to stop fighting, and even pushed Hideki aside. He swung a fist at one of the warriors, who easily cut off his hand. Jin hissed and clutched at the bloody bone where his wrist used to be. Still, he came towards them.
"Persistent bastard!" Vegeta said, as he grabbed his throat. He yanked Jin towards him, and raised a knee, which rammed into his stomach. He kept kneeing Jin in the stomach, and didn't stop, even after he had thrown up food and blood. He only released Jin when he felt him trembling and heard him slurring.
After Jin collapsed to the floor, he slowly lifted himself up. Vegeta glared at Jin. His clothes were threadbare. He had bruises and cuts all over. He had a black eye, several teeth missing, and was squirming in his own pool of blood. He had one hand, and was trembling as if the air were freezing cold.
"Do you still feel like being a persistent bastard?" Vegeta asked, crossing his arms.
Jin weakly shook his head. "P-Please…don't…d-don't kill me…"
Vegeta looked thoughtful, and was about to speak. But the sobbing of Jin's son cut him off.
Hideki came stumbling towards Vegeta, with the wooden box in his hands. "P-P-Please don't kill my…my 'T-Tousan. I'll g-give you everything I h-have," he blubbered. "J-Just don't kill my 'Tousan…"
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "What? Well…"
He looked around to see if anyone else agreed about letting Jin live. No one was so eager to kill Jin, now that they knew a child had witnessed the bloody riot, the death of a friend, and his father's life being in danger.
Vegeta sighed. "Let me see that," he said, taking the box from Hideki.
He opened it up and frowned. It was just a bunch of marbles and stones. What would he want with a marble collection? Wait!
Vegeta peered closely. One marble wasn't like the others… He reached for the largest one in the farthest corner of the box, and pulled out a Dragonball.
The 3-star! Chi-Chi thought. This is the 'marble' Jotaro was talking about.
"I will take this," Vegeta said, and handed Hideki the box back. "Keep your toys."
Then he nudged Jin, who was close to the point of passing out, with the toe of his boot. "Where do you keep your money? I'm taking that too."
"…H-Hideki… Show the man the money b-box…"
The boy obeyed, and was reluctant to hand over the box. But there was no choice. Vegeta was intent on taking his payment. After taking some yen, he gestured toward the door. "Let's go," he announced to everyone else. But Jotaro stayed behind for a moment.
He went over to Hideki, who was crying alongside his unconscious father. Jotaro knelt to his friend's level. "Hideki-chan… I'm sorry. I think you should come over to the inn and spend the night tonight."
"B-But, Jo… Who will clean all of this? Who will repair the damages? And what about my Otousan?"
"I don't know, but what's more important is you being safe, and I know you will be safe at my place."
The next morning, the troops were ready to leave. All they waited on was their leader's order. After spending the night at the inn, Vegeta had quickly said his goodbyes. He grew irritated that Jotaro prolonged his goodbyes, especially in saying goodbye to Chi-Chi. Hideki wasn't very helpful either. As for him, it was decided that he would live with the Shinichi family. The village leaders and guards discovered Jin had died during the night, and that the bakery wasn't in good condition to be run.
And since Hideki was only a boy, and now an orphan, he was going to stay with Jotaro and become his 'brother'.
That also left Jotaro's wish of not being an only child fulfilled.
"Darn," Jotaro grumbled, as he kicked at the dirt. "I knew she would have to go, but I didn't know it was this soon…"
"Well, she said she was staying here for one night, Jo," Hideki reasoned. "Go on and say goodbye to her."
Jotaro sighed and walked spiritlessly to Chi-Chi. "Darn it all. I wish you didn't have to leave, Sachiko. It was a lot of fun being with you and, um, I figure you already know this, but I really like you. You listened to me, and you weren't mean, and you're so pretty and all…"
The boy trailed off, blushing, and bit his lip to stop himself from saying anything else. He had been rocking back and forth on his heels as he spoke, but he stood as straight as a pencil when he felt Chi-Chi kiss his cheek. After she pulled away, she smiled at him. "I'll miss you too, Jo."
Jotaro blushed again, and a wobbly smile came to his lips as he held his cheek. Only after he had been staring on dreamily had he noticed that Chi-Chi was walking away to the wagon.
"Sachiko, wait!" he said, snapping himself out of it. "Will you ever come back to Shinoto? Will you ever come back to see me?"
Chi-Chi turned back. "One day… Perhaps one day I will. There's something else you need to know as well."
Say you really like me too! Jotaro thought. Say you really like me too! Say, 'Wow, Jotaro. You're so handsome. I think I really like you too!'
"My real name is… Chi-Chi."
Hideki's eyes widened. "What? P-Pr… You are Princess Chi-Chi of Edo?"
Jotaro's mouth hung open, and then he looked at Hideki, smiling dreamily again. "Did she just say she was the princess? Did the princess actually kiss me? I was just kissed by the prin...princess of-"
He sighed and fainted. Hideki rushed to his side. "Jo? Jo! Wake up!"
"Oh Sachiko?" Vegeta sarcastically called from the wagon. "We have to go now."
Chi-Chi looked at Jotaro, Hideki, and Vegeta hesitantly. She quickly waved goodbye to Hideki. "Farewell, Hideki. Um, I'm sorry about Jo." She headed over to the wagon and got in, where Vegeta frowned. "That dumb boy… At least his people were kind enough to give us directions. Now we can finally return to Edo."
It was another day before the troops finally knew where they were going on their own. They had finally reached familiar landmarks that would lead them to Edo. Now it was a matter of keeping everyone's determination alive. It was imperative that no one should be lazy. Fortunately for Chi-Chi, she didn't have to do much except come along. However, she did contribute to the group and often cooked. Right now she was searching for things of the wild to eat.
So far she had mushrooms, roots, and blackberries gathered. Something was missing… This wasn't enough food. Chi-Chi looked around at the plains the troops had stopped at. Snow had covered up nearly everything, but it was steadily melting away as Spring was arriving. Trees were a reliable source of food now.
Chi-Chi searched for any tree that wasn't bare. Any kind of fruit-producing tree would be appreciated about now. Apple, orange, cherry, banana…
There was a tree that still had some leaves on it up ahead. That was the greenest tree she had seen in a long time. It was hers now. She headed over to it and studied it. The branches were strong and pretty easy to use to climb. There were a few fruits in the tree that survived the winter. They were frozen, she was sure of.
Chi-Chi left the basket at the roots of the tree, and climbed until she was seven feet off the ground. She looked around the branches. No fruit here. But wait! Something was settled in a scoop of branches at the farthest limb. Chi-Chi scooted closer to look curiously. It was just a bird's nest. The mother bird would be returning soon to warm the eggs.
But one of those eggs didn't belong. And that was because that egg was actually the 2-star Dragonball.
Chi-Chi used the cloth she was to collect the fruit in carefully to cradle and lift the Dragonball out of the nest. She didn't want to accidentally touch the other eggs. She had been holding her breath as she brought the Dragonball out slowly.
But now she sighed with relief and happiness. At last, she thought with content. At last, I have all seven Dragonballs. Tonight I will make my wish to revive Goku. I haven't forgotten about him at all…
Chi-Chi looked up when she heard the mother bird calling and flying back to the nest. She quickly climbed the branch above her, and discovered that a few pears were dangling in the comfort of the leaves. They weren't in the best condition, but at this point it didn't matter. Food was food. Chi-Chi took the few pears, and climbed down the tree.
She was once again anxious for nightfall to arrive, so she could make her wish to the dragon.
She really hoped the story of the Dragonballs was true. They had to be able to bring Goku back…
It seemed forever before the troops finally made camp at a forest at sunset. By this time, the troops were ready to have some dinner, which Chi-Chi agreed to go find. She didn't mind it because this was also her chance to make the wish. Go deep into the forest, find some goods to bring back, and make the wish before she does…
So she did. She brought a basket to store the natural goods, and her leather pouch where the Dragonballs were kept. She quickly collected the bountiful goods, and ventured to the heart of the woods, an area where she was sure she could hear nothing but her own footsteps.
Choosing a spot with a tree stump, Chi-Chi set down the things and opened up the pouch. She laid out the Dragonballs in the correct order on top of the stump. Next, she brought the wooden whistle that hung around her neck to her lips. She called for Piccolo once on the whistle, and sat back, waiting for his arrival.
The shrill noise of the whistle caused a flock of crows to speedily fly out of the tallest trees. Scattering leaves floated out of the trees. The crows' outstretched wings made the sky look dark. Come to think of it, Chi-Chi noticed, this whole forest was creepy.
It was dark, cold, and lonely. Everything here seemed dead or deserted. It almost had a haunting touch to it, complete with the impending feeling that a wandering loner could try to jump a traveler…
Chi-Chi embraced herself as a chill suddenly went down her spine. It was almost silly to think she could die here. This wasn't the time to be thinking about "what ifs". The important thing was now was to make the wish and make sure Piccolo was here.
Several minutes had passed, in fact, and Chi-Chi was beginning to wonder just where he was. She took in a breath to blow into the whistle's mouthpiece, but she stopped when she heard leaves rustling.
"Save your breath."
Chi-Chi looked up to see a tall silhouette walking out of the deeper darkness of the forest. It stepped into the last rays of sunlight before Chi-Chi, who was glad to see Piccolo. She seemed relieved at what he was carrying, as she stood up to reach out and touch it.
"You've brought Goku," she noted softly.
Piccolo snorted and turned Goku's body away from Chi-Chi's touch. "I told you I would save him for you. The people returned to cremate him the next day for the official funeral, but I took him away. Now make your wish."
Chi-Chi blinked and looked at him, dumbfounded.
Piccolo rolled his eyes and set down Goku's body. He stood before the Dragonballs and then looked at Chi-Chi. "Now repeat after me. 'By my command, I summon Shenlong.'"
"Um…by my command I summon Shenlong?" she tried quietly.
"Louder! No hesitation!"
"Oh…all right…"
"By my command, I summon Shenlong!" she said with confidence. She stepped back as she saw the Dragonballs glow brightly. Beams of light shot up from them and formed into a humongous, white silhouette of a dragon in the sky. Gusty winds blew in the air as the form was taking shape. Chi-Chi had backed away from the scene, very lost and afraid. What in the world was happening before her very eyes?
The silhouette faded into the green mystical creature, Shenlong. "Who has summoned me?" he inquired in his deep, booming voice. Chi-Chi blinked again and again, astounded at this. "Uh… I did," she said quietly. Beside her, Piccolo gave a shove. "You can't talk like that! Stop being so shy! Now tell the dragon who you are."
Chi-Chi stepped closer and looked up at Shenlong. "I summoned you, sir, Great Dragon creature…. thing. Can you really grant any two wishes?"
Shenlong's eyes glowed red at this question, as he growled. "Do you not know to whom you speak?"
"I'm sorry," Chi-Chi said quickly. She didn't want to upset him. He had to have the power of a god, she figured. "May I present you with my first wish?"
"State what you must…"
Chi-Chi looked down at Goku's body and then back up at Shenlong. "I wish you would bring Son Goku to life…"
"Hmmm," the dragon hummed. "Your wish has been granted."
On the ground, Goku's body began to turn into a shining, white color. Above him hovered a thin, blue form that looked just like Goku. "His spirit," Chi-Chi whispered, as she watched it descend into the body. The body glowed again for a last time, and the deed was done.
Piccolo crossed his arms, smirking. "And now, it's my turn for a wish."
Chi-Chi looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean? That isn't what we agreed to. You said I could have the second wish if I did what you asked, and I did."
Piccolo frowned. "Don't be a foolish girl. Yes, you agreed to lend me your energy. Yes, you collected all seven Dragonballs. I told you if you failed, I would take a payment from you. You didn't do everything I asked."
"…And what have I done wrong?"
Piccolo held up eight fingers. "This is how many days it took you to find the Dragonballs. I said seven…"
Chi-Chi couldn't believe this. "You're robbing me of a second wish because I found the Dragonballs one day later? Why does it matter? You still have what you want!"
"You fool!" Piccolo exclaimed. "How simple can you be? When you agree to something, you agree to all of it. And may I add that you have no idea how easy this deal was for you?"
"Easy? These eight days have been everything but easy!"
Piccolo chuckled under his breath. "Now I see why you get along with Goku so well. You both are so simple minded."
Only that tiny voice of reason kept Chi-Chi from hurting Piccolo for his words. She knew she wasn't going to defeat him, but he was just pushing her patience. However, she had to remain calm with him. "What do you mean?" she asked through clenched teeth. Piccolo glared at her. "The Dragonball Radar has broken, hasn't it?"
Chi-Chi nodded, and Piccolo sighed.
"I lied to you, Princess. The Dragonball Radar was a fake, and that is why it broke so easily. The energy I gave you was mostly your own. That and your desire is what helped you find the Dragonballs. Nothing from the future had anything to do with it."
So that was it. "What?" Chi-Chi whispered.
"Why?" she asked louder, angrily. "Why did you lie to me?"
Piccolo looked at her again. "Did you honestly think I would do this from my heart?"
"You have no heart," Chi-Chi hissed.
Piccolo laughed. "You trust too easily. I only did this to have a reason to have the second wish. You really are so simple. The Dragonballs are supposed to be scattered all over the world, yet amazingly, all of them were in Nihon. And Nihon is a large country, yet they all happened to be in your reach… It was me. I knew where they were all along, and put them in places where you can find them easily. You just went on a scavenger hunt for me, and I thank you."
He paused before continuing, "The core of this whole matter is that you agreed to find the Dragonballs in seven days, and you did not. Now it's my turn for a wish. Do you see how we both get what we want? Goku is yours, and this wish is mine."
Chi-Chi was numb with anger and silence as Piccolo walked past her to face the dragon. "Now, Shenlong… I wish for the power to harvest souls to my advantage. I wish to command the dead!"
Chi-Chi looked up at him, stunned. Not only was he a conniving liar, but also he was insane. What was he thinking, wanting to rule the dead? That was just sick and wrong, if not impossible, according to Chi-Chi.
Nonetheless, Shenlong granted this wish also, and made his fancy exit. The Dragonballs were gone, and in the midst of it all, Piccolo had left too.
Now it was just Chi-Chi in the forest, sitting in disbelief at what happened. It was just too weird for words. She turned around, remembering that Goku was still lying on the ground. "Oh, Goku," she whispered, as she saw what she thought was impossible.
He lied there, but his chest was slowly rising and falling. He was breathing. He was alive…
The story of the Dragonballs was true. All the evidence was right in front of her. This wasn't just a fairy tale. Chi-Chi smiled with relief as she got her knees beside Goku. She cradled his head in her lap, gently running her fingers through his hair, and caressing the side of his face.
"Goku?" she called to him softly. "Are you awake? Can you hear me?"
He didn't respond for a moment, until he heard her call him again. That voice, that warm touch on his skin…
He slowly opened his eyes. His blurry vision settled after another moment, and he looked at Chi-Chi carefully. "…Princess?"
Something was wrong.
The moment Chi-Chi looked into Goku's eyes, she knew something was wrong. It wasn't that she thought this man wasn't Goku. She knew it was him, but something was wrong, and not only with him, but with herself. For that moment she looked into his eyes, she swore she saw the image of Vegeta. As if she were holding Vegeta…
And suddenly, she began to remember all her times with Vegeta. The first time she talked to him, watching him fight in her father's tournament, the way he saved her from the Saiyan ape, the way he brought her out of the snow and cared for her…
Chi-Chi shook her head. Why was she remembering that? That is what was wrong. Where did these memories come from? This is why she was confused, and tired as well…
"Princess?" came Goku's quiet voice again.
Chi-Chi blinked and looked down at him. "Um…yes. It's me, Chi-Chi. Are you all right?"
Looking at him like this… Looking at Goku so fragile and calm in her arms made these same feelings come up again. The more she saw him breathing, talking, showing signs that he was alive, the more she wanted to never let him go, to never ever lose him again.
"I'm fine," Goku sighed, and looked around at the haunting forest. "Where am I? What happened?"
"We're in a forest just a few miles south of Edo. This is a long story, Goku, but I promise I won't go into detail right now. You died, and I thought there was nothing I could do. I thought it was all over, and there was no hope for you and me. But Piccolo came and-"
"He came back?" Goku interrupted, amazed, trying to sit up. But Chi-Chi gently lowered him down.
"Yes… He told me what to do to bring you back, and I listened to him. You don't know what I wouldn't do to have you back. Piccolo's ordeal was a bit preposterous, but the most important thing is that I was able to wish you back. Piccolo is gone now, but as I said, that doesn't matter."
She sighed softly. "Goku… I really missed you. Those were the worst eight days of my life. It was worse than what you said to me."
Goku looked at her, confused. "What?"
"Before you died… You said you would have avoided a lot of trouble if you left me alone. Don't you know that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me? You s-said loving me was a mistake…."
She trailed off to wipe her eyes, and tried to prevent emotion from entering her voice. She couldn't cry now. She couldn't sound so desperate now. Yet, isn't that what she was over these days? So desperate to have him back. Aching for his return. Longing for his presence. Just to simply be by him…
"It's not a mistake," she whispered, her hand brushing away the tears that managed to escape, and looked at him compassionately. "I love you, and love isn't a mistake, Goku. It's one of the best things there is. How could something so powerful and deep be a mistake? It isn't… You don't have to think that it's wrong to love someone. That's what people do."
Quietly, Goku sat up and glanced at her worriedly. He knew that she was sincere in this. Not by just her voice, but the way she appeared. Her face said it all in that one look. The look that made him want to do crazy things to her sometimes...
"I'm sorry," he said ruefully. "I didn't mean to make you like this. I'm so sorry I hurt you…"
He slowly came closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He looked her in the eyes, equally sincere. "I really care for you too."
He pulled her closer in a gentle embrace, stroking her back slowly. He thought that would be the right thing to do in a sensitive time like this. That, and he had missed her too. He missed a lot of things. He missed her eyes, her smile, the sound of her voice, her gentle touches. He just missed her.
Goku got to hold Chi-Chi quietly for a few minutes, until something decided to ruin their peace and quiet.
Goku's stomach.
Chi-Chi smiled and pulled away. "Oh boy… You should've told me you were hungry. I found some food here in the forest. You can have some." She handed him a small portion of the collected goods before rising and turning to leave. But Goku frowned at size of the food in his hands. "…Chi-Chi, where are you going?"
She turned back and looked at him, a bit regretful. "I have to return to the campsite before Vegeta or anyone else becomes suspicious. I'm sorry I can't give you more food and stay with you right now, but I have an idea. How about I meet you tonight at the river? I'll bring you more food then. Is that all right?"
Goku nodded and smiled. Chi-Chi returned the smile and gave a wave before walking away.
When she was out of his sight, Goku sighed and lay down on the forest floor. He cupped his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky in thought. He still wasn't completely sure how he was able to come back, but he was grateful to be alive again. He wondered if everything was the same. He examined himself.
He was still wearing the same clothes, and had the same possessions. Still, something felt out of place…
Goku felt for the goatskin pouch fastened around his waist. Nothing was there, and that concerned him. Panic impulses raced in his mind. He always carried the pouch, which contained his greatest treasure. Confused, he wondered aloud, "Where's Ojiisan's Dragonball?"
He got to his hands and knees to search, in case he had somehow dropped it.
"Heh. How foolish are you?" a voice uttered wickedly from the treetops. Goku looked up, and his eyes blazed with anger, as he saw Piccolo slowly descend to the ground. He whispered his name venomously as he saw Piccolo smirk, looking him over.
Goku's anger for Piccolo was unexpectedly replaced with curiosity. How did he just appear here? Had he been watching him and Chi-Chi this entire time?
"Piccolo?" he whispered doubtfully. "It was you, wasn't it? You brought me back-"
"You're a bothersome little pest, aren't you?" Piccolo interrupted, crossing his arms. He sighed. "I don't see how anyone could like you, except for that pathetic girl, Chi-Chi. Isn't it? Then again, she doesn't care for you."
Goku growled. "Liar!"
Piccolo smirked. "Do you really think so?"
Goku clenched his fists. "What do you know about Chi-Chi? What have you done to her?"
Piccolo raised an eyebrow. "So quick to anger… It isn't what I have done to her. It's what you two have done to each other, starting with her. That would explain the disappearance of your 4-star Dragonball. What a selfish thing she has done…"
"What are you talking about?" Goku whispered.
"Why don't you stop to think for a moment? You died, and that girl couldn't tolerate it. She had to have you back, and the only way to do so was to make a wish upon Shenlong, using the seven Dragonballs. She stole the fourth from you. She didn't care if it belonged to you and that it was your greatest treasure. She didn't care if it was the last thing you had to remember your grandfather by. She had to have it, and stealing it was the only way…"
"N-No!"
"Yes!! Yes, she did! How else could you be alive? And she went through great trials to obtain the other six, including thievery, assault, and murder. She committed all these selfish acts to have the Dragonballs. She jeopardized lives, even ended one, just to wish you back. And on top of all that, she is a runaway! She can't help but hurt other people!"
Goku jumped to his feet. "It's not true!!" he yelled.
"That's all you can say, but you know it's the truth!" Piccolo objected. "But she didn't tell you the entire story, did she? Do you see what a cruel person she really is? She had her father worried, had Vegeta and the troops slave to find her, and has ruined others' lives, just for your sake, Goku. It was a selfish thing to do, and you know it."
Piccolo looked up in thought, though a smirk was on his face. "You would be defending her if you had something to say. But what can you say? You know that I'm right. And even if you did have something to say, you would disagree with me because you have benefited from that girl's actions."
"…S-She would never…"
Piccolo laughed. "You're ridiculous if you think you and this girl would last. So many couples promise eternity, but they end up falling apart. Even the ones who are destined… Like marriage, perhaps? Oh, doesn't that sound familiar? Just face it, pest. Chi-Chi never loved you, and you had no place in her heart, just as she has no place in yours. If she did, she never would have done this to you, and just accepted that you were dead. The girl never loved you."
Goku glared at him. "That's not true! I may not know what love is, but I do know that Chi-Chi cares about me! And I care about her!"
A wave of anger suddenly overcame Goku, and he clenched his fists. He spun around and pointed at Piccolo with a threatening finger. "How dare you speak that way! You don't even know the first thing about Chi-Chi!" The fury inside of him could not be contained, and Goku jumped into the air. His fist swung toward Piccolo, but he found it only touched the air, and a hint of green flashed before his eyes. Piccolo had vanished again.
"Coward!" he hissed, punching the ground when he landed. He sat on his knees and glared at his fist driven deep into the ground. Goku's thoughts were on Piccolo. He had almost forgotten about him. But all the things he had done kept Goku reminded.
What made him the angriest was what he said about him and Chi-Chi.
"It's not true," he whispered, closing his eyes, and thinking about Chi-Chi. …What is going on between us? I don't even know what's happening. Is there something you're hiding from me? I need to know the truth…
He was rendered helpless as he sat in the remaining snow of winter. And this was only the beginning of the consequences a Saiyan faces when he is, in some way, detached from his destined mate…
It was almost as if fate were tempting with Chi-Chi. It messed up her thoughts. It messed up the fact that she was trying to understand her own thoughts. What the heck happened back in the forest? The moment she had with Goku… It was as if she were having that moment with Vegeta. She knew it was Goku that she was holding and talking to, but…
Chi-Chi grimaced as she rubbed her temples. Think about this. Really think about this, her inner voice said. It was Goku that you had desired for so long, but Vegeta is in your thoughts too. You like both of them, don't you? That's why you were never really certain about who you wanted to be with. Vegeta has taken over you, just as Goku had.
"But I can't want them both," she whispered. "Kami, this isn't even making sense anymore…"
Focusing her mind on what she was supposed to do, she looked at the campsite a few feet away. The basket of goods bounced against her chest as she walked closer, though it seemed farther than usual. For a moment, it seemed there were two campsites there.
Chi-Chi stopped in her tracks, startled at the suggestion that she was seeing double. "Uhh," she moaned tiredly. "It's a good thing I promised Goku I would see him tonight, because I need to rest…"
From afar, Vegeta had been watching Chi-Chi curiously. The expression on her face indicated something wasn't right. That, and the fact that it took a while for her to bring back some food made Vegeta wonder what was going on. Even more, he had seen a bright flash of light from deep in the forest.
Was it the light of a god? Vegeta had asked. No. Nonetheless, Chi-Chi knew about it because she was there. And finally, Vegeta's Saiyan instincts alerted him that another Saiyan was alive.
Goku.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Vegeta was not satisfied that Chi-Chi still had feelings for Goku. He had to direct those feelings for him. He had already once spoken to Chi-Chi in her dreams in hopes to establish a permanent fact: he was the only one she belonged with. Still, Goku managed to hold onto Chi-Chi's heart.
Luckily, Vegeta had an idea, and raised an eyebrow as he approached Chi-Chi. He took the basket from her. "Why did it take so long?"
Chi-Chi shrugged. "I'm sorry… I'm just tired, all right?"
"That is understandable. You've had a long day." Vegeta peered closer at her. "Did you see anything unusual in the forest? Did you run into someone?"
Chi-Chi shook her head slowly. "Why do you wonder?" she asked tiredly.
Vegeta continued to talk as he led the walk back to the campsite. "I wanted to be certain nothing happened, and I swore I heard voices… You really should not be talking to strangers."
Chi-Chi stopped behind him and blinked at him. Uh-oh. Maybe he was catching onto something…
Vegeta looked back, noticing that Chi-Chi wasn't following him. "Come, my sweetness. You don't look very well, and that will only worry your father a lot more. You should rest as we journey on to Edo."
But the unknown was that she was going to be resting longer than she had intended…
The sun had been replaced by the moon, and the bright hue of blue faded into the darkness of the night sky. The dim stars gave off their faint light that splashed onto the nearby river bubbling softly. An owl hooted from one of the many trees of the riverbank. And that was where Goku had been waiting since sunset. Soon, he had told himself. Soon Chi-Chi would return for him.
But she had not.
This worried Goku. He was sure he had heard her correctly. Meet her by the river tonight… This was the only river, and it was nighttime. What could possibly keep her? He was sure he had waited several hours after sunset. The question was an irritating one; one that Goku had no tolerance left for. He was going to cross the riverbank into the campsite and carefully find Chi-Chi.
There was a complication in that process. One guardian warrior was walking around on patrol, and he unknowingly put himself in Goku's way. Goku had to be as sneaky as he could be against a trained guard, but the warrior had been too close for comfort at one time.
He had circling a wagon, which Goku had also been circling on the opposite side. The warrior had a feeling that something wasn't quite right, and he went around to the opposite side. Nothing was there. Goku had maneuvered himself to lie inside the wagon. He would have to wait until the warrior patrolled someplace else.
And time had passed.
The soft cackling of the campfire and the snoring of several soldiers let Goku know it was safe to emerge from the wagon. He carefully slid his body forward across the wood of the wagon, and avoided the troops' belongings as he stepped off it.
He carefully walked around the tents, listening for snoring. If he passed by a silent tent, he knew it was Chi-Chi's. Her tent was nearest the campfire, so she would be warm. However, when Goku went to her, he found that Chi-Chi was nowhere near warm.
He found her unconsciously shivering, in her sleep, from the still cold atmosphere of the snowy outdoors. Goku peeled away the blankets she used and took off his top tunic. He laid it over her, relishing in this excuse to touch her.
Then he brought the blankets back up over and tucked them back around Chi-Chi's body, and up to her chin. Goku leaned back and smiled adoringly, cherishing Chi-Chi's sleeping, angelic form by the firelight. He wished she had been aware of the fact she had caused him to worry.
Ah, what am I thinking? Goku thought.I know Chi-Chi wouldn't do this on purpose. There must be a reason why she never came. Perhaps she was too tired. Something didn't seem right earlier either…
"Shoot," he whispered. What in the world was going on? He had seen the way she had looked at him hesitantly. He remembered the way she hadn't responded to her royal title. He remembered the look in her eyes. She had almost seemed lost as to who he was.
…Could it be? He wondered. Could this have something to do with our bond? Is there some sort of disturbance?
He leaned over Chi-Chi again. He slowly lowered himself to the ground and scooted closer next to her, relishing her warmth. He wasn't sure, but he was determined to find out. But right now… That thought was suddenly pushed out of his mind.
Goku looked over Chi-Chi, and felt blush shade his cheeks. He had now realized what was happening, in this aspect at least. He was so close to her. It felt nice to be near her but… Why would he do it?
He carried out something he had wanted to do for a long time. Leaning over, closely again, he lowered his face to hers. Chi-Chi was always the one to kiss him, but this time…
Goku brought his hand to her face to gently brush aside the long locks of raven hair. They were in the way of kissing. Goku had a desire to kiss her on the lips. That was a silly thing to do, he figured. He needed Chi-Chi to be awake to witness his initiative to kiss. Secondly, he wasn't certain if she could breathe if he kissed her.
He remembered he felt he couldn't breathe when he had been kissed. Maybe it would be the same with her.
He settled for a simple kiss to her cheek, which he found he liked, and the gentle running of his fingers through her loose hair.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered to her. "I never thought a girl could be like this, but you are." He sighed, asChi-Chi unconsciously moved in her sleep, pressing herself against him. Goku resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her, and leaned his head against the back of her shoulder. His mind once again went back to the previous problem.
He was baffled as to why Chi-Chi had been so hesitant of his presence.
"I don't understand how it came out like this," he whispered again. "Please don't say you're starting to forget me. We shared too much that you could forget like this. You were my first kiss, just like I was yours. And even then, I think I'm beginning to love you…"
He felt his pulse quicken as he heard Chi-Chi's deep, rhythmical breathing. Her chest rose and fell slowly, and just watching her sent the blood rushing to his cheeks.
Goku, now realizing he had been blushing terribly like never before, snapped out of his curious and fix gaze. He backed away from Chi-Chi; he wanted to get away before his certainty that she could hear the sound of his rapid heartbeat. He felt it thunder against his chest, and could almost hear its noisy rhythm.
M-My heart… he thought with fear. Why is my heart acting weird?
He shook his head, scolding himself, as he left. His original plan was to see Chi-Chi.
Instead, he gave her the shirt he wore on his back to warm her, watched her sleep, and laid down with her, kissing and caressing her.
Sometimes, Goku wondered if he was still the same person as he did this.
He found himself lying down again in the wagon, nowhere near that warm, beautiful body of Chi-Chi's. With her was where he truly wished to be.
He sighed as he turned over, trying to clear his thoughts of what just happened. He will one day figure out the reason he enjoyed the mysterious and pleasurable feelings he had for her. He will figure out why his heart was acting weird…
"Goodnight, Chi," he whispered. "Sweet dreams…"
Little did he know, that despite all Chi-Chi had been through, she would indeed dream of him…
To be continued…
Chapter Sixteen: Downfall