Disclaimer: I, Goku's Daughter, do not own Dragonball/Z/GT.

Author's Note: The August 18th update. Special thanks to Rara and Lychee Green Tea for edits, and basically making this chapter more kick ass than it already was! Enjoy and remember to review.

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Sinful

Written by the somewhat infamous Goku's Daughter

Chapter Twenty: Burn

intransitive verb1 a: to consume fuel and give off heat, light, and gases a small fire burns on the hearth b: to undergo combustion; also : to undergo nuclear fission or nuclear fusion c: to contain a fire a little stove burning in the corner d: to give off light : shine, glow a light burning in the window2 a: to be hot the burning sand b: to produce or undergo discomfort or pain ears burning from the cold c:to become emotionally excited or agitated: as (1): to yearn ardently burning to tell the story (2): to be or become very angry or disgusted the remark made him burn 3 a: to undergo alteration or destruction by the action of fire or heat the house burned down the potatoes burned to a crisp b: to die in the electric chair 4: to force or make a way by or as if by burning her words burned into his heart 5: to suffer sunburn she burns easily

transitive verb1 a: to cause to undergo combustion; especially : to destroy by fire burned the trash b: to use as fuel this furnace burns gas c: to use up : consume burn calories2 a: to transform by exposure to heat or fire burn clay to bricks b: to produce by burning burned a hole in his sleeve c: to record digital data or music on (an optical disk) using a laser burn a CD; also : to record (data or music) in this way burn songs onto a disk3 a: to injure or damage by or as if by exposure to fire, heat, or radiation : scorch burned his hand b: to execute by burning burned heretics at the stake; also : electrocute4 a: irritate, annoy —often used with up really burns me up b: to subject to misfortune, mistreatment, or deception —often used in passive has been burned in love c: to beat or score on burned the defense with a touchdown pass

M-W OnLine

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He was the Prince of all Saiyans.

Hear that?

The Prince of ALL Saiyans.

But true royalty could not compete or contend to the power that he sensed at that moment. It was like a wave that went past him, through him, completely stopping him in his tracks. This enormous power, such power that he craved… had worked for…deserved… damnation!

Vegeta froze, mid-air. He knew very well just what was going on.

"So, this is what you're after?" the sharp Prince asked the silent air. He felt Goku's power skyrocket, but this other power… he knew it was Gohan's. Father and son were together. And they were fighting.

"And what will this give you, Gohan?"

Of course there was no verbal answer, but during the days and nights that Vegeta trained, he mulled over this Saiyan. What were his ambitions? What was he after? How did Kakarott fit in this picture?

Vegeta did not smile nor frown. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest as he floated in mid-air. He was supposed to be looking for Goten, but…

The Prince of all Saiyans wasn't stupid. The half-Saiyan couldn't just be here for a girl. And he couldn't just be here for Kakarott.

As the rays of the golden sun poured down on the muscular man, Vegeta smiled and with shapely resolve he decided that he wasn't going to let Gohan see his goal.

Son let father have the first strike. Goku's wide fist impacted with Gohan's cheek and, as he partially expected, Gohan bore the full brunt of his immense strength. The next punch was aimed at his nose, but Gohan dodged. Next, Goku struck at the younger Saiyan's face again, but before his fist fully impacted, a flavescent light appeared and burned Goku's flesh upon contact.

Quickly, Goku pulled his singed fist away as his pain withdrawal reflexes kicked in. He momentarily glanced at his clenched hand, not wishing to avert his attention from his opponent. The skin on his knuckles had been scorched. Not entirely, but enough so that it caused alarm. Goku stared at the smirking young man before him, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. His look of disbelief was blatant. "What was that?"

Gohan's lip curled derisively. "I can manipulate my ki into different shapes and into different areas of my body with great specificity. I simply gathered a higher portion in my face and concentrated it so that it would burn you."

In response to his complacent explanation, Goku had an urge to ask, "That quickly?" but the answer was apparent as they continued their fight. This scar-faced Saiyan had impeccable reflexes. Gohan dodged most of the time but if he was unable to, he was able to manipulate his ki to burn Goku again or he would have to come up with a counter strike.

Why didn't Gohan dodge the first strike? Goku had no time to wonder.

But his anger was still blaring. Goku's foot aimed a hard kick at the half-Saiyan's kidney spot. Gohan blocked it easily and palmed Goku in the chest, causing saliva and other bodily liquids to expel from Goku's mouth. Goku recoiled swiftly however and thus continued their open-handed fight.

To the untrained eye, blurs of black and orange could be seen across the blue sky as both men moved at tremendous speeds. They blocked, kicked and punched, weaving through the air and clouds in what may have been a stamina fray, but neither Saiyan was able to land a solid, disabling hit on the other.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed and both men were still evenly matched. Gohan and Goku pulled away and smirked at each other. They were like mirror images of each other, especially in stance, looks and power. The only main difference was hair style and clothing.

"Are you tired, old man?" Gohan asked. His chest rose and fell slowly.

Goku shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving the younger Saiyan's face. "I haven't even gotten started."

Both men pulled their fists to their waists and powered up. Golden energy hissed like a snake and compressed air. And the Earth trembled beneath them.

Gohan threw a ki ball at his father and watched Goku block it whilst still keeping their gazes locked. His father made it look so easy. Gohan's smirk widened then as he received a barrage of ki balls from Goku. Effortlessly, Gohan raised his ki to surround him, to encase him like a protective shield and each ki ball dissipated without a chance.

"I guess our warm-up is over."

He swore he heard his father growl – or something equally animalistic in nature – as he charged towards the older Saiyan. Goku's knee retracted up in some sort of defense-attack, but the demi-Saiyan managed to dodge around it before attempting to elbow Goku's midriff viciously. As if the older man had eyes in the back of his head, Goku manoeuvred away from the heavy strike and sent a ki blast at his opponent. Not surprisingly, Gohan absorbed the attack and was left unscathed.

Goku took to the air then and threw down another barrage of ki balls. The sight resembled a plummeting hail of fire, and again, Gohan dissipated it all with his own blazing, golden aura.

As the smoke settled, Goku transported himself behind the younger Saiyan and, before Gohan could react, he latched his arms around Gohan's throat in an impenetrable strangle hold. Squeezing tightly when the demi-Saiyan struggled, Goku pulled the young man down to the ground head first. For a good ten seconds, the older Saiyan was able to drag Gohan across the ground before pulling him out of the dusty earth and throwing the heavy body into the mountain.

As the body sailed towards the rocky terrain, Goku clasped the heels of his palms together and unleashed a mighty Kamehameha wave which he targeted directly towards the falling Saiyan.

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Goku was not altogether surprised when Gohan did not appear particularly damaged. His scarred face was a little scratched but he appeared to be hardly bleeding. Gohan's armour was dirty, but there were barely any obvious cracks could be found. And the worst part was, this Saiyan was still smirking.

"My turn."

In a terrifying flash, Gohan appeared before Goku and grabbed his father's face. Using his fingers as fine anchors, he held the older man in place and, before Goku had any time to react, Gohan struck the Saiyan's stomach with a strong uppercut. Goku let out a yell into the large hand as Gohan squeezed tightly. The demi-Saiyan could feel Goku's strong resistance as the older man thrashed in his grip and, as quickly as he could, Gohan created a ki staff between his free fingers.

His intention was to strike Goku in the shoulder.

But Goku would have none of that.

A sudden power surged through the older man, separating father and son. And then all Gohan could see was a deadly destructo disk fly towards him.

To his surprise, Goku watched the demi-Saiyan imitate his exact movements. Destructo disk nullified destructo disk in a brilliant light show.

"Although your dear friend could do that technique, it wasn't enough to save his life." Gohan's voice was cold and smooth, but oddly, strangely, he wasn't mocking the older man. He was saying it like it was the honest truth.

Krillin.

Goku's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched in anger. His resolve to kill this man intensified ten fold. His hand fisted wrathfully and the older Saiyan was determined to break this man's bones, rip his flesh, and exact revenge on him.

He was the Prince of all Saiyans.

Hear that?

The Prince of ALL fucking Saiyans.

And the Prince felt that there was something unnerving about Gohan. That question. The way he carried himself. He did not have an ounce of royal blood, but there was a regal quality to Kakarott's son. Something worthy. Something deserving. Something… of destiny.

This made Vegeta examine his own life. The life that had become almost nothing. Train. Get stronger. He had his wife and son, but that was it. To be better than Kakarott.

Vegeta was born to be more.

As he blasted through the air and found the incredible fight ahead, Vegeta felt this unsettling hurt boil in his stomach. Vegeta wasn't bothered by the fact that Goku was facing his own son, or that Goku could in fact kill his own son. He was not even unsettled by the possibility that Gohan may be stronger than any Saiyan he ever knew, but the proud Prince was perturbed because…

Well, what was his purpose in life?

Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, was born to be more.

Yet he was not.

Instead, he stood at the top of the cliffs, and like a hawk he watched father and son trade excruciating blow upon blow.

And if worse came to worst, if Kakarott would kill his own son, then…let it be.

This was the decision that Vegeta, the Prince of ALL Saiyans, made.

At times, Gohan would gain the upper hand in the fight. And then, when they were not evenly matched, the tables would turn and Goku would have some sort of advantage. His stamina, Gohan noted, was excellent. He was even slightly surprised that his father was doing this well. Goku was able to retract, power up and just do what he had to do to survive…

In anger or not, Goku, his father, was a force to be reckoned with.

At one point of their fight, Goku had knocked Gohan down with a heavy downward fist. Gohan groaned, his hands clinging to his head from the damaging blow. Then when his charcoal eyes looked up, he saw the older Saiyan gather ki in his palms.

He knew it was the famous Kamehameha wave as he heard his father chant the syllables. "Ka….me….ha…" Goku's eyes widened considerably when Gohan mimicked him. Hands were drawn to the side, cupping a ball of copious, blue energy.

And then Kamehameha wave met Kamehameha wave, clashing in an eloquent destruction of burning energy.

Goku's energy burned with a clear blue colour of purity and power. Gohan's ki beam was similar, but his seemed of a darker shade of blue. They were equally matched, struggling to push the other to annihilation. Both men roared as they drew power from their souls, pushing their bodies to their limits. In what felt like several long minutes, the Kamehameha waves broke, almost shattering like glass but surrounded by billowing, smoky wisps.

The grey sky turned darker as the clouds seemed to coagulate. Both Saiyans took a moment to rest; a moment to study each other, a moment to catch their breaths.

Gohan was the first to speak, "We seem to have a visitor."

Goku nodded, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "I noticed." The smell of the air seemed almost salty to him. Strange. Did anger mess around with one's senses this much? "Leave Vegeta out of this," he warned. Goku's eyes never fell on Vegeta; however, there was a protective tone there. What was he doing here anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be looking for Goten?

That made Gohan still, his pupils straying to the Prince on top of the cliff. "Why?"

Goku tightened his fist. "Why what?"

"Why should I leave the Prince out of this? Because he means a lot to you?" His dark eyes refocused on his father and waited for an answer.

After a moment of silence did Goku reply, "This is our fight." His answer was plain and simple, but Gohan knew the truth.

The half-Saiyan lowered his arms, feeling Goku's power climb again. "I see why he detests you so much."

Goku almost didn't want to ask. "Who's he? Vegeta?"

Gohan shook his head. Instead of replying, he ended the short conversation completely by starting round six with a brisk backhand at his father.

Goku managed to dodge the strike and countered with a ki blast.

Thus, their fight continued.

Videl was in a state of uncertainty but she stayed strong for the little boy in her care. She could feel the rise of Gohan's power and she worried for him. He did not discuss much on his business or explain his plans for the future, but she knew he was destined for something great and he was clear that he wanted her to be a part of it.

Videl felt that whatever had attacked them had vanished, and this smoothed the worry lines off her face. In distracting Gohan's younger brother, the two sat down together in the grand kitchen and ate ice cream. Goten was on his third bowl and he was frowning.

"What's wrong, Goten?" she asked gently, her eyes focussed only on him.

Goten placed the spoonful in his mouth and, his voice muffled, said, "I feel Daddy…" Then his eyes narrowed. At his observation, Videl also felt a massive presence…

Then Goten yelled out loud, his spoon flying across the counter top. "It's Mr. Piccolo!" Videl stared at him and waited for the boy to elaborate.

Goten made an adorable, goofy smile and explained, "He's an alien from Planet Namek. He doesn't really like my dad but I know he likes me."

Videl felt another strange presence but remained tight-lipped. Would Piccolo, whoever this alien was, be able to push his way through the androids to get to this boy? "Are you positive he's coming here?" Her lips dipped in a frown and an eyebrow rose in question.

Goten resumed eating his treat and, as if knowing all was right in the world, he made a million dollar smile. "I feel him coming right towards here." And with his index finger, he pressed down on the counter to make his point clearer.

And within ten minutes, Videl found he was right. Almost.

Sometimes, in any fight, in any battle, in any challenge, it took experience to make the difference between victory and defeat. Yes, there was the element of chance, there was also the factor of raw talent, and there was the skills factor. But experience and knowledge – brains – could significantly change the course of an event and, thus, the outcome of it.

Both Gohan and Goku had endured many long and hard battles throughout their lives. Their power was still staggering high, and their stamina was still unwavering.

But sometimes brains wasn't enough either.

Sometimes the determinant of an outcome to an event could be heart and passion. It was the drive to jump that hurdle, as if hurdles were put in place just to test one's motivation and resilience. One's want, one's need… Goku knew how much heart mattered and how much spirit mattered, and how, sometimes, survival depended on it.

Goku's passion in the fight was as clear as day. His anger, his frustration and his hope was there in each strike and each kick. Vegeta, the onlooker, could see it. But Gohan? The Prince also studied Gohan. He did not know Gohan's motivation in this battle. Did Gohan know who he was facing?

Vegeta did not know Gohan's heart or his soul.

But what he did see were two men, so similar and so alike in combat, that it almost gave him chills.

One of the best ways to gain an advantage in a fight was to severely disable the opponent and take away his means to counter an onslaught. The Solar Flare attack was of choice as Goku managed to execute the attack. Although blinded and mildly disorientated, Gohan remained calm. He was able to sense his father's whereabouts and he was able to dodge his opponent a few times, but Goku showed sudden speed and he snapped the joint at the half-Saiyan's shoulder.

Gohan let out a restrained howl, a kind of strangled cry. His rugged breath came deeper and quicker. Before Goku had a chance to do more damage, Gohan twisted his arm and attempted to fix it, but Goku reappeared in front him and struck his head with a heavy blow, sending the tailed-Saiyan to the ground.

The time had now come to make the kill. Time to exact his revenge. With Krillin and his friends on his mind, Goku gathered strength in his hand to make another Kamehameha wave. The hot air swirled around and then he roared and released the powerful beam of energy.

When it hit Gohan, Goku pushed harder and the electricity grew brighter. The skies turned grey, the thunder rolled and Goku yelled, his heart pushing out of his chest and out of his mouth in his battle-cry.

He fought for his friends, and he fought for his son. This hate, this injustice burned in his heart. This hate of unfairness scorched his soul. And this man would be punished for this.

Goku pushed harder, ignoring the pain in his arms, the sweat rolling down his skin and drenching his clothes. He pushed harder even when he felt his head start to get dizzy and pushed with all his strength when he saw a red spiral of ki try to impede and counter his Kamehameha wave. Goku could see that this was Gohan's own version of the Kamehameha, which held hues of black and red around the blue colour that was alike to his. Maybe this was not even a Kamehameha, because earlier in their fight, Gohan had produced a more similar wave to his own. Electricity spiralled around the cylinder of Gohan's that grew in diameter at the end of the blast. As if the ki sensed the heat of the battle, wispy smoke mingled with the air.

Vegeta trembled along with the Earth.

Videl blinked once. And then she stared. She knew it was rude to stare, but she couldn't help herself. "This," she jabbed her finger at the green man, "is Piccolo?"

The pointy-eared man struggled against the androids. He was angry, but he did not fight these monsters. He understood this was a hostage situation and he had to be careful. Piccolo knew anything could happen.

Videl took a step forward. She still wore her nightgown, which she realized was probably not the best choice of attire when outside and in the sun. Her sexy body was contoured well and it made her slightly, if not a bit more, conscious.

"Release him," she said, ignoring the flames and the heat ahead of her.

The androids actually halted and looked at her as if they did not understand.

"You heard me," she said, taking another step forward. Goten moved up with her, smiling. "Release him; he is not an enemy."

The male androids were hesitant and did not follow through until she said, "I gave myself to your Master, so heed I will not run away, nor will I let his little brother here leave." Her eyes flitted once towards the tall wall that separated her from freedom. "Leave this man alone; we need to talk." Videl looked up at the Namek as if he was a dear friend and she waited for him to return to the ground. Her heart hammered in her throat and her brain zipped through so many excuses to tell him as to why Goten was with her.

She settled on the truth. "Goten is safe. I – I mean we would never harm him. His brother just wanted to know him."

Piccolo's body tensed, his dark gaze flicking over her meticulously, as if he was scanning her before returning to survey the safe, smiling little boy.

"His brother?" Then he "oofed," when something plummeted into his chest.

His lips curled in a slight smile when Goten held him. Goten's innocent smile never faltered. "Mr. Piccolo!"

The Namek did not reciprocate the hug but touched the young boy's head gently. "Are you alright, Goten?"

Goten nodded. Piccolo noticed there was some residue of ice cream left on his face, smeared all along his sticky chin. Looking down, he then realised that some of the brown dessert had smeared a little into the collar of his cape. Bah. "I had fun here with Gohan."

Brother?

Gohan…

Gohan?

"Gohan?" Piccolo managed to ask.

Goten nodded again, more ardently this time. "Yup, my brother Gohan."

Before Piccolo could ask further questions, Videl floated up to the air and scouted the sky urgently. Something inside her dropped. She felt like an anvil had fallen inside of her, pulling her heart down with it. Something was wrong. And it was something bad that she was unable to stop.

Gohan's power dropped immensely. Why? Why did it hurt her? Why did her body react like this? Was his power, his aura, so great and so good, that it enveloped her into some sort of euphoria, something akin to drugs? Did he…his power…his presence sustain her?

She could not fully describe this sudden pain throbbing under her flesh. Videl felt tired and yet at the same time she was restless, trapped in her own body.

She just wanted to jump out of her skin and stop this hurt.

Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ignoring the androids who were staring at her, ignoring the fires and flames and ignoring the two reunited companions, she felt him. She felt him in the fight. She felt him when he increased his power. She felt his power drop again.

Why? He said he was the strongest! Was that a lie? Or was that arrogance?

Something horrible twisted inside of her gut. Her feet touched the green ground and she hurried to Piccolo and Goten. "I need to find Gohan. I need to…" Her eyes drifted to the androids and the sad desperation in her eyes fortified in intensity. "Help me. If the androids try to stop me, please help me. Help me stop them."

Goten immediately agreed even though he didn't quite understand the situation. Piccolo nodded. She was the one who stopped the androids when they ambushed him, and she was the one, he realized, who took care of Goten.

Though, he couldn't be sure yet if she was friend or foe, her sudden spike in energy startled him, and the determined, yet shaky voice, convinced him enough.

Impressive.

That was the one word Vegeta could come up with as he looked down at the fight silently. He saw Goku fought hard. He kept pushing and pushing, even as his eyes started to tear up from the harsh winds.

Gohan's blast was not a Kamehameha anymore. The wave seemed to have acquired a life of its own, hissing as it struggled to break the other blue Kamehameha to bits. And it did, slowly, biting the energy to a place Vegeta could not fathom. But Gohan's face looked ragged, worn out and the look in his eyes was cold, dark, and not wild.

Void.

He exuded a type of serious calm that even unnerved Goku, and even Vegeta. This calm Goku had never seen before was so exact, and… Goku wanted to say 'emotionless' but that wasn't the right word.

Saiyans were passionate, spirited people, especially when it came to fighting. This Saiyan lacked this passion, that spirit.

He almost seemed to be giving up.

But the moment his thoughts came to such a conclusion, the demi-Saiyan's power rose so drastically, so dangerously that his counter-blast chomped away at his Kamehameha wave. Goku had no choice but to let go and step away from the resulting damage.

And as he side stepped, he felt a strong hand on his throat and deadly calm eyes boring through his.

"You fight well," Gohan remarked darkly, squeezing hard to disable his father.

Goku choked, panic playing at the edge of his sanity. "Same to you." Even with only one arm, this man was still strong. And, just as he was about to execute a counter-attack, the younger Saiyan let go abruptly.

"Before I kill you, I would like to ask you something."

Goku licked his bloody lip and waited.

"How far will you go to save your son?" Gohan discerned no mockery in his tone; it was an honest question.

Goku stared back at him coldly. "I will do everything in my power and my very soul for Goten."

Then Gohan smirked and with his free hand, he threw a small, insignificant ki ball at Goku. In response, Goku charged forward, sending two destructo disks and an onslaught of melee attacks. Gohan was able to keep up and he was able to create a ki staff in his hand to help him fight back. Like a sword, he slashed at his father, tearing skin and clothing. He even made the older man cry out when he succeeded to stab his father in the shoulder.

Goku wasn't a quitter though, and before Gohan pulled his ki staff out or make it blow up inside of him, the older Saiyan pulled on the staff, so Gohan was forced closer to him. With Gohan's only good hand on the weapon, Goku let out a large ki blast, knowing it was highly unlikely that Gohan would be able to defend himself.

And Goku pressed hard, so hard that Gohan was pushed back and had to let go to protect himself. He was surprised to see that Goku still had this much energy, but as his skin burned, his thoughts strayed.

Was Raditz ready? What would he tell his Uncle of this day when they'd meet again?

Then there was his brother, Goten. Someone so unlike him…someone that he could have been. His inherent curiosity had been what drove him to take and learn about his brother, but, then again, curiosity does drive people to learn. And learning was so important to him.

Goku roared pushing the blast again but he felt his body ascend to another level. It was like unlocking some door to a realm within himself that contained so much more power than expected. Electricity pulsed around him and then the sky flashed bright again.

But Gohan did not seem to notice this new level of power Goku had found. Instead, her face – Videl's face – flashed before his eyes. He had learned so much from her, from Earth's customs to culture. The biggest lesson she imparted to him, he felt at that moment, was to learn to set one's self free. That in itself was so ironic since she was anything but free as she was locked in that house with him.

In the end, he did not regret taking her from her home. He did not regret teaching her to use ki or making love to her. Every step he made to this point… he did not regret.

And, as he felt his body become consumed in a thunderous fire, he could not seem to push away, that was all he could think of.

I do not regret anything…

This man before him, Goku, his father, was trying to kill him. That was okay. Gohan almost screamed then from the pain, but then he remembered the dreams, the memories Raditz had tried to wipe away… This man loved him. This man who had a wife who also loved him.

Then he could not feel anything but numbness and the pain that came rushing in. And all that was left was the sky.

The wave finally collapsed on him.

Goku stared at the body on the ground. His armour was dirtied and cracked open, many parts scattered on the ground, but Goku read his power. Gohan was like a fountain that never stopped releasing energy. Yet he met the dusty ground with a thud.

"You fight well," Gohan started again, coughing. He climbed to his knees, his palms flat on the ground. He coughed again as blood and spit splattered out. There was almost no part of his body that was unscathed this time.

Goku did not say anything. He did not even seem bothered by the wound from his shoulder.

"What are you waiting for?" Gohan could not say it one breath.

Goku dithered for a good moment before saying his next words, "I'm not going to kill you."

Gohan tried to laugh, but it came out as a painful chortle. "You are being too compassionate by allowing me to live further." He touched his stomach which was oozing blood. "You should hate me." He then gripped the bloody, coarse dirt under him. "You should punish your enemies accordingly." And he coughed again, his chest heaving.

Goku's gaze met Vegeta once as he replied, "I don't hate you."

Gohan nearly laughed this time and, whilst shaking his head incredulously, Gohan licked his cracked lips and looked up at the tall man before him. Like in his dreams, his father seemed… Godly almost. He shivered. "I took what you loved, yet you still spare me. Is that how easily you forgive your enemies?" He coughed more blood but did not falter as he continued to stare at his father.

Goku's face twisted in pain and then he shook his head. "I will not murder you."

Finally, Gohan laughed. This was a kind of laughter that wasn't a joyful laugh, but there was something very humorous behind such a sound. "Is this how poorly you fight for the ones you love?" He coughed and laughed bitterly, his body reverberating with each sound he made. "Is this how much you fought for me?"

The wind howled and the sky cracked with lightening. A sudden chill ran down Goku's spine. The chill was one of dread, fear and confusion, all rolled into one. Somehow he managed to move his mouth but he could not form any words. Not until Gohan coughed again and blood poured from his side could he speak. "Fought for you?" he asked, his voice soft.

Gohan heard him. "How far did you go to save me?" His breaths came in and out quickly as Goku's eyes grew wider till they could not expand further. "Did you fight your brother Raditz with all you had… did all you could… to save me…like you do now… to save Goten!?"

A loud clap sounded through the air and Goku's jaw dropped. When those words registered in his mind, there was a sick tingling beneath his skin. He began to tremble and he could only say one thing: "Gohan."

As if the rulers of the heaven heard that name, the fuming clouds mixed furiously and almost completely blackened the sky.

Chichi bit her lip. She bit her lip so hard that it bled. The red liquid tasted bitter and salty, but there was something about it that made her not repulsed by it. The tangy flavour distracted her, soothed her. The slight burn, the slight pain, distracted her from her thoughts. It distracted her from her fears and from her nightmares.

She missed her son.

She had tried to name him Einstein and she wanted him to be a scholar. Goku wanted him to be a fighter, but Chichi wanted none of that.

If she knew her son today, she would have learned that Gohan considered himself to be both. He knew how to survive in the Universe. He could take down any opponent. But at the same time, he absorbed valuable knowledge wherever he went. He knew so many things and picked them up so well. He had the best of both worlds.

Chichi touched her chest with the tips of her fingers. Then, as if to say a prayer, she held her hands together. "Bring my son back," she whispered. In her mind, she saw a laughing face, but it wasn't Gohan's. Chichi swallowed hard as her heart became heavier. Not again. No, not again. "Bring my Goten back." And then she sucked on her tiny wound.

The sky cracked but it did not rain yet. Goku's face flashed with hurt and confusion. He did not answer his son. He could not answer his son.

His son?

Then his legs gave away.

Gohan coughed. "Let me-" and again, he coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. "-die here."

The older Saiyan was still speechless. He stared down at his son's scarred face.

"I-I didn't turn out the way," Gohan coughed twice again, unable to dislodge whatever was making it so hard for him to breathe, "you p-probably wanted me t-to." He almost smiled but instead his body writhed.

Goku seemed to be trapped in his own silent world. All he did was touch Gohan's face. This act brought some urgency to Gohan, and it showed in his eyes.

"Goku!" He managed to turn to his side and sit up. Then he struggled to touch his father's shoulder. "Y-you need to…listen to me."

A haze finally lifted from Goku's eyes, yet he said nothing.

"W-when I'm gone, they'll think…you're dead." He stifled his cough. "T-there is going…to be a b-big war." The coughing fit tickling his throat was almost too much for him.

And then finally, his father said something. "A war?"

Breathing was getting more and more difficult. "A-androids. Gero." And time was slipping. "It has…already begun… Destroy them."

Goku's eyes narrowed at his son, not completely understanding. The fact that this was Gohan… It was too surreal. Goku grabbed Gohan's arm as if to see whether this man was still solid in this world.

"Stop." Then the half-Saiyan breathed out slowly, his hand found his father's on his arm. "Use…dragonballs." And he patted the hand that was much like his own.

"Why are you telling me this?"

And the sky cracked again, as if in some sort of agony. A drop of rain fell to the dusty ground, and Gohan smiled slightly. It was a sad smile. "You need to protect Videl when I'm gone. She's carrying your grandchild." Then he could not hold back his coughing.

"Grandchild?"

Gohan nodded, his smile sharpening to a smirk. "So finish me off already. It's too late to save me."

Goku's eyes burned.

"I killed your friends." His shoulders squirmed upwards before removing Goku's hand from his arm.

Goku's heart twisted. It was full of conflict,

Then Gohan's tone suddenly became cold. "I'm not a good person. I could even kill my own brother!"

Then everything but the elements froze in time. Froze as if there was some supernatural force watching, waiting, itching to interfere.

Those words sunk in Goku's head, and the thunder rolled louder, the sky flashed white from thunder…and from the final blow.

And after the light, the thunder, the flash, it truly rained.

Like all of those years ago, it rained. Thick and heavy raindrops; it was as if the Gods were crying.

He remembered it had rained like this before. On the day his oldest son was gone.

And again, today, his oldest son disappeared.

Lightning flashed again, visions blurred.

Gohan was gone.

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Author's Note: This chapter has been revised many, many times but Gohan was meant to die here. So don't hate me, I had planned his death years ago. It makes good entertainment. And the ending is ambiguous for a reason.

Next chapter will most likely come out October 18, since school will start in September and it is someone's birthday on September 18th – so I can't make promises for a September 18th update. But you know, something(s) – coughreviewscough - could really encourage me to make it a September update…hehehe.

Poll time. It may sound like a dumb question… but it holds significance!

Who likes Videl's hair short in the series?

A) Yes, it's awesome. Like Rihanna's!

B) No, long is beautiful

C) I don't care.

D) Other

And please, please review!!

Kiss kiss