Of Two Hearts
Chapter 16: Downfall
All she did was sit by him, talking with him and spending time with him. She didn't know about the way he looked at her, or the way he thought he had never seen anything prettier than the candlelight giving her a warm sheen, causing playful shadows to dance across her face.
She didn't know of the inner battle he was fighting. What were these feelings he possessed and were trying to fight? Where did the urge to get close to her come from?
Why did this goddess beside him make him lose his emotional balance? She made him a completely different person when she was near him. She made him want to do crazy things to her.
And this wasn't the first time.
There was another time between the goddess and the warrior. This time was unforgettable to the warrior because he had experienced a new feeling. He had grown accustomed to the goddess' company and her unexpected visits.
But each time she came, she had made the warrior learn something and the lesson she had for him today was a lesson in the art of love.
The expression of affection was one lesson today, and a very pleasurable one at that, as the warrior tasted the sweet warmth of the goddess' lips. His closeness to her excited him and he desired more than just their lips touching.
This compelling, mysterious side of the warrior came forth whenever they were together like this. Even as the warrior felt his own flesh press against the goddess', he was overwhelmed with a strange, unexplained feeling.
And even as their lips parted, the warrior knew this was a lesson he liked and would not forget. He would not forget his first kiss or the feelings that arose within him whenever he thought of the goddess.
But they still had much to learn in this art of love…
Goku felt himself mumble softly in his sleep, as he slipped out of his dream, but hadn't reached consciousness. He was able to feel things now and could detect people's presence. Goku opened his eyes slowly, as he felt the sunshine of Edo on him, and the cold air bite his skin.
When his eyes were fully open, he gasped. Right there above him were several men in a circle, glaring down at him.
"We caught you, you little rat," one of them spoke, clutching at Goku's shirt. He yanked him toward his face, growled, and then spun, throwing Goku over his shoulder and out of the wagon.
"What are you doing in our things? Are you a thief?"
One of the warriors turned his head to the others. "Well, don't sit there! Go retrieve Lord Vegeta while I stay here with the thief!"
The others scurried away as the single warrior stared Goku down. "You're not going anywhere. I don't know why we didn't discover you earlier, but you're dead now!"
Goku merely looked back at him, determined. "I'm not going to run. That's cowardly."
It was supposed to just be the other warriors returning with Vegeta, but the warriors alerted Vegeta in a frantic manner, enticing a crowd to follow them as they returned to the scene of Goku's discovery.
"There he is, my lord," one warrior said, pointing at Goku. "There is the thief!"
Members of the crowd looked lost. Wasn't Goku supposed to be sold off somewhere? If people in the crowd weren't confused, they were angry like the warriors were. That is, everyone except Chi-Chi.
She looked curiously at Goku, though he didn't see her. She tilted her head, getting a good look at Goku. He seemed a little familiar…
He was in the dream she had another night ago. He was special to her then, and had a place in her heart. Now, she held a warm, soft tunic in her hands. It had come from somewhere, and she did not know where, but this scent and warmth was familiar… Then she realized what Vegeta was saying.
"Stay back!" he told the crowd, waving his arms so they would make way. He glared at Goku and resumed speaking to the crowd. "My servant has followed me home, but don't hurt him. That's my job. It's the master's duty to punish a wandering servant, and that job I will do! It's also time to get rid of this servant."
In reality, Vegeta saw this as his chance to destroy Goku for the last time, and he could impress the crowd and the Ox-King with his fighting skills.
Vegeta frowned at Goku and got into his fighting stance. "Prepare yourself, you knave. You're going down."
He began to gather his ki, but he stopped suddenly as he felt a hand grip his shoulder roughly. He scoffed and turned to see the intruder, Chi-Chi, shake her head at him.
"Don't! Don't tell me you're going to kill this man! You don't even have proof that he stole!"
Vegeta growled and shrugged his shoulder sharply, so Chi-Chi's hand wouldn't be touching him. "I don't have time for this, woman! Are you going to wait until he commits a crime in front of your very eyes for you to tell me, 'Oh, hurry and stop him, Vegeta!'"
He snorted and then stepped away from Chi-Chi, keeping his demeaning look on Goku. He charged toward Goku, who looked ready for him as he gazed at him, determined, in his fighting stance.
Vegeta came toward Goku with rapid punches and kicks, but Goku simply blocked them all. Seeing that their lord might have a little trouble, a few of the warriors called out, "Let us fight with Goku, Lord Vegeta! We will finish him for you in a heartbeat!"
Vegeta growled, blocking some of Goku's counterattacks, and he glanced at the warriors angrily. "Don't be fools! I can handle Goku on my own! Just watch!"
The truth was, the match was turning out to be an equal one. No energy attacks had been used yet, but the physical strength on their halves were enough to tear some clothes and shed some blood.
Seeing both of them hurt made Chi-Chi beg Vegeta and Goku to stop fighting, but she mostly had concern for Goku. She wasn't about to let Vegeta kill off a guy she had been dreaming about for a few nights now.
His presence had to have meant something…
"Stop!" Chi-Chi yelled, as her eyes followed the speed of the battle. She looked for the perfect opportunity to intervene and found it as Goku jumped back from one of Vegeta's punches.
Sliding in between them, Chi-Chi positioned herself where she wouldn't crash into Goku. Vegeta hadn't been expecting Chi-Chi to intervene, and couldn't stop his second punch from coming, which was fine, because Chi-Chi blocked it and gave Vegeta her hardest kick to his jaw.
Vegeta grunted as he fell backwards, and he wore the same surprised face as the audience. What was the princess doing, interrupting such a battle?
"Chi-Chi, what are you doing?" Goku asked, but secretly admired her feisty attitude.
Chi-Chi spun around to look at him with a frown. "If you get killed, I'll never know who you are."
Hearing this, Vegeta rubbed his sore jaw and jumped to his feet. What? He thought. She's starting to remember him? Oh, no, she doesn't! Our Saiyan bond is staying for good!
"Just get out the way, woman, and stop trying to save Goku!" Vegeta commanded.
His name is Goku, Chi-Chi said to herself, and at this thought, tiny memories of Goku were triggered in her mind. She was slowly beginning to remember just what she shared with this man…
She stared hesitantly at Goku, as if she were unsure if he were really there. "Goku?"
Vegeta saw that look in Chi-Chi's eyes, and the fact that she was still in between the battle. "Move now!" he told her. "Don't look at him like that! He's no one! You're mine!"
Chi-Chi glanced at Vegeta, and she stiffened as she felt Vegeta's effects of the Saiyan bond pressing into her mind. Then she shook her head as she felt memories of Goku emerging.
This war between the two halves of her mind was not an easy one; it was enough to make anyone snap, and Chi-Chi did.
She spun around and glared at Vegeta. "Ugh, don't you understand?!" she yelled. "I DON'T want to marry you! I never did! I won't be your wife!"
The crowd and her father looked at her as if she had lost her mind. They looked at Vegeta next, and they knew he could feel their eyes on him. Vegeta returned Chi-Chi's glare for one of his own.
"I know you wish to avoid your duties as my wife," he muttered. "But there's nothing you can do about it, so don't bloody scream it!"
Chi-Chi turned her head. "Hmph."
Vegeta stepped closer to her and looked at her determinedly. "You think I'm a fool, but I will have you know I am not," he hissed. "Do you really think I am so foolish? I know you lied to me the day you returned from the forest. You wished Goku back, and the time before that, the Dragonball Radar didn't accidentally break. I stepped on it. I knew your intents, and that is why I helped you get the Dragonballs. And I thank you for bringing Goku back to die at my hands!"
"That isn't…!" Chi-Chi trailed off as she saw Goku stare at her, confusedly. He looked at her with wounded eyes full of disbelief.
"N-No! That isn't true!" she told him. "Goku, I would never betray you!!"
From afar, Piccolo jumped to his feet as he sensed very strong energy being distributed in one area, and it seemed to grow stronger as the energies clashed. It was a furious battle, and it interested Piccolo in wondering who it was.
What creatures could have such powers resembling his own?
He fixed the turban on his head, and jumped off the mountain he was meditating on. He broke into a speedy flight, following the energy he sensed.
Piccolo could sense the energy was stronger and stronger when he got closer and closer. He finally stopped in mid-air, shocked, as he gazed down in disbelief.
Vegeta and Goku? These two caused the incredible energy I sensed? Impossible! Piccolo thought, amazed. But when he scanned the crowd below, he couldn't sense any energy higher than Vegeta's and Goku's.
"Absolutely amazing…" Piccolo mumbled.
Below, Goku let out a battle cry and punched Vegeta hard, sending him back, crashing into a tree. "For the last time, I didn't steal anything! And don't lie about Chi-Chi anymore!" Then he gasped as he felt new, incredibly strong energy.
"No…" he trailed off, hoping that it couldn't be…
Goku looked up, and then shrunk back. "Piccolo!"
The crowd looked up and nearly passed out at the sight of a green man floating. "What is that?!" the people exclaimed.
Vegeta stood up and glanced over his shoulder, confused. Goku was looking nervous around a Piccolo? Who was this being that brought fear to the people and Goku? He looked up at him and blinked as he sensed great energy from Piccolo.
Piccolo chuckled from the air and lowered himself to the ground. "We meet again, Goku," he said, walking toward him. He passed an incredulous Chi-Chi on the way and stopped for a moment as he looked at her momentarily.
He smiled evilly as he saw Chi-Chi nearly recoil at his closeness. A look in her eyes told Piccolo something. Hmm, so you really don't remember Goku very much, he thought. That's good. I don't need you as a distraction.
Piccolo strolled closer to Goku and circled him, watching him as if he had done something wrong. He chuckled as he noticed Goku was already panting softly and had minor wounds from fighting with Vegeta. Weak prey…oh well. This will be fun instead of a challenge.
Piccolo came close and whispered in Goku's ear, "Today, I will be your opponent, and soon the ruler of this world. I already have the people. Now all I need to get rid of is you…"
Goku glared at him from out of the corners of his eyes and raised his leg to side kick his stomach, but Piccolo vanished and flew into the sky.
Goku followed and began to attack Piccolo, who blocked his moves. After endless minutes of blocking, Piccolo discarded his turban and cape, seeing this would be an easier fight without weighted clothing.
From below, Vegeta growled with anger. "You can't run away to another fight!" he yelled at Goku. "Come down here and finish this one!"
"Quiet, Vegeta," Piccolo said, and gave Goku a fierce blow to the stomach. "Goku and I have business to take care of."
"What?" Vegeta growled and flew toward Piccolo, ready to attack. However, Piccolo had blocked one of Goku's kicks and grabbed him by the ankle. He spun him around and around, and finally let go, so that he crashed into Vegeta's stomach.
They both crashed into the ground, and when Goku rolled off Vegeta, he gave him a determined look. "Don't fight me! Help me fight him!"
Vegeta growled. "I hate siding with you, but I will because I'm not about to let a beanstalk make a fool out of me!"
Piccolo chuckled. "A beanstalk. How original. Let's see how powerful you two as a team really are."
Goku and Vegeta looked at each other, nodded, and sprung into the air. Vegeta was delivering rapid punches to Piccolo, who blocked them of course, but he wasn't prepared for the deadly roundhouse kick from Goku from behind.
Piccolo cried out as he lost his balance, falling to the ground, skiing across it as if he were on a sheet of ice.
He made a deep trail in the ground, making dirt fly. He groaned as he lay on the ground.
Vegeta laughed from above. "That's it! What a battle! And here I was, actually afraid, a little concerned, that the beanstalk might be a problem! Haha!"
Beside him, Goku waved a hand to hush him. Before he could speak, the ground began to rumble, which caused the crowd to scream as the people ran for their lives.
A bright array of white ki sprung from the ground, disguising Piccolo as he rose. "You fool," he hissed. "Did you really think a few kicks would seal my fate?! This is NOT child's play!"
Piccolo let out a battle cry as he attacked.
"Goku, look out!"
Goku turned at the recognizable scream of Chi-Chi, who pointed at Goku's front. Goku spun back around, and he heard a faint denial echoing in his mind at the same time something nearly tore his body.
Immediately, he collapsed to the ground, too stunned to cry out from his injuries.
Piccolo chuckled as he brought his index finger down. He concentrated enough ki at his fingertip to aim and fire as if his finger were a gun. His ki was his bullet, his target was Goku, and he got him…
Goku clutched his chest as he wobbled to his feet, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Chi-Chi rush to his side. He could see the concern on her face, but this was NOT a good time for her to be here…
"Goku, are you-"
Goku hissed in pain, cutting off her words. "Get out of here, Chi-Chi," he groaned. "If you want me to live, then go…"
"But-"
"Don't question me!" he yelled at her, giving her a serious glare.
Piccolo concentrated his ki at his fingertip again, and he aimed his finger at Chi-Chi. "This battle has nothing to do with you, girl. But if you want to be involved, stay right where you are."
Vegeta frowned at Piccolo. "That's not necessary. Don't bring the puny girl into this."
"It is not I that brought her into the battle," Piccolo retorted. "She brought herself in."
He laughed at the confused look on Chi-Chi's face and concentrated his ki even more so that his fingertip began to glow. "Why do you look at me so? You should have known this was coming. I promised you I would take a payment that you would not enjoy. My payment… Your soul…"
Before Chi-Chi could react, the Ox-King pulled her away from Goku and led her to hide behind him. He looked at Piccolo, Vegeta, and Goku angrily. "You monsters! Don't touch my daughter!"
Piccolo gave a snort. "Oh, shut up, Ox-boy. I knew you were a dud. You and your pathetic girl. But you've given me reason to rule the world."
"Rule the world?" the Ox-King and Vegeta asked in unison, only Vegeta repeated it in an angrier fashion.
"No, he's not," Goku said wearily, standing upright. He took his hand off his wound on his chest, removing his hand from the gushing forth of blood. He growled at Piccolo. "He's not going to do anything."
Piccolo groaned, sarcastic. "Please, Goku. You know I missed your vital organs on purpose. If I had decided not to spare you, you would be dead right now, and I could carry out my plans like every other villain would when things went his way."
Goku smiled cheerfully. "Well, that's your mistake…"
His face changed expressions, as fury replaced his happy face, and he vanished. All Piccolo could detect was concentrated ki, and that distracted him from Goku's powerful strike to his head.
"You're predictable like everyone else!" he yelled.
Suddenly, Piccolo cried out as he grabbed his head. Purple blood gushed out from two holes where his antennas used to be. He collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain, and Goku brought his hands down from a twin knife hand strike.
He stepped on Piccolo's head, and shoved his face in the dirt with his foot. "Now explain what you mean by those plans…"
Piccolo groaned in agony, and a pool of his purple blood soaked the side of his face as he laid face first in the grass.
He chuckled suddenly, and felt Goku press his foot down on his head deeper into the ground. "TALK NOW…before I kill you!"
Piccolo glanced up at him. "Heh, heh… I just gathered my dark energy in a matter of seeds, to be planted in the perfect hearts… There were perfect candidates. Anyone who had worries or evil in their hearts was perfect. When I installed my dark energy in them, they acted the way I wanted…"
"So you possessed them?!" Goku yelled, and got on his knees to grasp Piccolo's neck.
"No…" Piccolo sighed. "I just told you I infected them. Now if you kill me, you'll never be able to reverse the invasion…"
He breathed slowly. "It's not as if you could kill me anyway. I have you too…"
Before Goku could question his statement, Piccolo seized Goku's tail, using his closeness as an opportunity. He rolled over, bending Goku's tail in an abnormal direction, and pulled with all his strength.
Goku let out a bloodcurdling scream as he released Piccolo and grabbed his backside, where his tail was no longer attached.
Piccolo couldn't stand up, but he laughed, waving Goku's tail as if it were a flag. He couldn't stand up because his antennas served to keep his balance, and now Goku couldn't stand up either because his tail helped him keep his balance.
Meanwhile, Vegeta found this situation humorous, and no longer saw Piccolo as an enemy. What a clever mind, he thought. I never would have thought about using my own energy to manipulate subjects.
Vegeta sighed. This was the end of everything. His plans wouldn't work now. One plan was to establish a sufficient Saiyan bond with Chi-Chi, but that failed. Chi-Chi was so unknowingly resistant, and attached to Goku. The second plan was to marry her and rule all of Nihon, which in turn, would help him rule the world. And now he saw that Piccolo had the same intent to have the earth to himself too.
But Vegeta thought Piccolo was an interesting person with an evil mind, much like himself…
Vegeta walked over to Piccolo and looked down at him, smiling. "Reverse the dark energy, partner. I have a better idea in mind."
"Partner?" Piccolo repeated, disgusted.
Vegeta held out his palm toward Piccolo, and ki glowed in his hand. He would transfer his energy to keep Piccolo alive. "Well?"
Piccolo looked around, and then growled. "All right…"
He closed his eyes and concentrated hard, shutting out everything else except for focusing on withdrawing his own evil energy he installed in the people.
Waves of black energy drained from many directions and came back into Piccolo's body. Once Piccolo took back all of his evil energy, Vegeta gave him some of his own energy. Then he maneuvered himself to carry Piccolo over his shoulder.
Vegeta looked up into the sky, and sighed. He began to fly away, with Piccolo sprung over his shoulder. He knew Piccolo would have no strength to fly after this humongous intake of energy. It drained him, just like it drained the victims.
"V-Vegeta!" Goku cried, lifting his face from the ground. He saw Vegeta was flying away, as if he were bored with today's events. He had Piccolo with him. This couldn't be good…
"Where are you going?" Goku yelled after Vegeta. "Bring back the enemy!"
Vegeta stopped flying in the air. He turned around and shook his head at Goku. "YOU are the enemy! I will never team up with the likes of you again to fight such an amazing mind! We'll be back to take care of you without interruptions! So keep training, Son Goku!"
He turned and continued his flight across the ends of the sky. He left, just like that…
"S-So, it's over?"
Chi-Chi looked around the area. There was blood on the ground, which was split open and shaped in the way of people's bodies. There were two antennas, a turban, a cape, and a tail lying on the ground…
There was Goku on the ground too, sitting in his threadbare clothes, groaning in pain. This time, he was grateful to have Chi-Chi by his side. She looked him over, shaking her head in sympathy.
"Are you all right?" she asked, touching him in various places to test for pain. She wiped away whatever trails of blood she found, and was careful not to touch his open wounds and bruises.
"I'm fine," Goku sighed, and then looked up at the sky, angrily. "I just wish I had the strength to go after Vegeta and Piccolo… But they promised we would meet again in the future, so I will wait until that day."
Chi-Chi sighed as well, not understanding how Goku could let evil go like that.
She looked at his lower body, and then at the back of him, where his tail waved no more.
"You're hiding your pain," she noticed, as she saw Goku tense when she observed him. She slowly reached out and touched the spot where his tail used to be. Goku flinched slightly under her touch, and Chi-Chi pulled her hand away.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I know it still must be sensitive after Piccolo pulled it out. I'm sorry about the pain."
"It's all right," Goku sighed. "I just won't be able to walk for a few days."
"I'll take care of you until everything is back to normal," Chi-Chi promised. "But first, can you please explain to me what just happened?"
"That would help, huh?" Goku said, and then looked at Chi-Chi seriously.
"You were with me when I fought Piccolo at the Budokai. I almost defeated him, but he promised he would come back to fight me, and I suppose he chose now to be that time. But he caught us when we were not paying attention, Chi-Chi. I had no idea he used his dark energy to take over people's minds. He must have entered their dreams or something. You know Vegeta has always hated me, and seeing that Piccolo hates me as well, he formed an alliance with him and forgot all about his plans here. So, they are gone, vowing the same promise to return for me. I will wait…"
Chi-Chi sighed. "How could anyone hate you? I don't understand…"
Goku shrugged. "No one likes everyone."
"Just as I dislike you," a forgotten voice spoke.
Chi-Chi and Goku looked up at the Ox-King, who frowned down at them. "You had better stay away from my daughter. I will take you back to the palace to heal you, and then you will be on your way for good. As for you, Chi-Chi…"
He sighed and shrugged. "We will have to see what is in store for you. Now that your fiancé has run off, I will have to find you another suitor…again."
Chi-Chi locked her determined eyes with his. "I don't want you to find another suitor. He's right here."
The Ox-King raised his eyebrows at Goku, and then frowned at Chi-Chi, as if she had bad taste. "Not this again. We won't discuss this again right now. When we get home, I will put some sense back into you."
That night, Goku rested in the apothecary's room while Chi-Chi and her father had a private talk in her bedchamber. The Ox-King had announced to the kingdom earlier that they wouldn't have to worry about anymore evil, and that Vegeta was gone, unfortunately.
Now he was with his daughter, determined to get through to her about the issue of her marriage.
The Ox-King sighed. "Listen to me, Chi-Chi. This is for your well being. You know just as well as I do that Goku isn't safe."
Chi-Chi scoffed. "Goku isn't safe? Vegeta tried to force himself on me in privacy!"
"All right, so he was bad as well!" the Ox-King confessed. "He and Goku are both monsters that can fly and shoot light from their hands. They are in league with that Piccolo monster."
"Vegeta is, but you're wrong about Goku," Chi-Chi said, even more determined then the Ox-King was.
The Ox-King grabbed Chi-Chi by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Perhaps I am not understanding this… What do you see in Goku? Why are you so stubborn about having him?"
Chi-Chi looked him in the eyes too. Maybe he would hear her out today…
"I'm not stubborn. I'm in love. You promised me a husband, and now I want the man you promised me. And it's not just only the promise. I love him more than just because you said I was going to marry him. I don't mean to sound like a giddy child, but I love Goku for a lot of reasons. He's gentle, brave, kind, and strong… He's pure of heart and he is not like the other suitors you've sent for me. We're connected in here."
She pointed to her heart, and then sighed, looking at her father seriously. "I don't care about anything that tries to keep me away from Goku. I'm nearly twenty years old. If I want the man of my dreams, I will go for him."
"Not if I have a say in it!" the Ox-King exclaimed. "You have obviously been blinded by infatuation, Chi-Chi! You barely know anymore about him than I do! You only knew him for a day as a child and for a year or so now, but you have never honestly had a heart-to-heart talk with him as lovers do!"
He shook his head at her. "Have you forgotten that he nearly killed you? He is part animal. He is a monster. I would have to be out of my mind to let you marry a murderous stranger that nearly killed you."
He turned away from her and opened the door to her bedchamber. He looked back at Chi-Chi, who absentmindedly stared down at the floor.
"Remember what I have told you. I will find you a husband, Chi-Chi. Goku just isn't the one."
He left.
Little did Ox-King know that Chi-Chi would put up yet another fight, but this fight wasn't against him…
To be continued…
Chapter Seventeen: To Love A Stranger