Risk
Chapter 28
Whiteness. It surrounded Chi-chi like a void with no beginning or end. The only person besides herself standing there was Goku's persona, Kakarrot. His cold eyes gazed at her with utter dislike at the way she had been performing so far that day. It wasn't entirely Chi-chi's fault and it seemed to belittling as he lunged at her.
"You have to try harder!" Kakarrot's voice cried out; breaking the utter silence that filled the air. At that moment, Chi-chi was doing her best to fight him; however, it became increasingly difficult to do when he suddenly transcended into a Super Saiya-jin. The golden aura flickered like a wildfire around his body and seemed to increase the pressure between the two trading blows against one another.
"I want to, but it's too difficult…" Chi-chi admitted. Kakarrot saw the emotional turmoil in her eyes and had to pull his next attack.
"Tell me, do you still hate the idea that I brought you here instead of Gohan?" Kakarrot questioned while attempting to read his mate carefully.
"I'm not challenging why you want to train with me, it's just… I thought maybe you can teach him how to control his power easier…"
"He'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about."
"Me?" Chi-chi looked dumbstruck.
"If Cell tries to kill me, I don't want you getting emotional. It can only get you killed on the battlefield. If worse comes to worse, I want you to do what you can. The last thing I ever want is for you to sacrifice your life for mine again when our sons need you right now."
"But I need you…" Chi-chi whimpered; tears filling her eyes. Kakarrot pulled her into his arms softly and carefully. Even if she was strong, she still possessed weakness that could be exploited if he used his full strength. A soft, comforting purr escaped his throat and vibrated between them. She nuzzled within his muscular frame and tried to ignore the pain she felt in her heart. For the moment, their training was forgotten.
"I want you to promise me something… something that Goku and I have been thinking about lately…" Kakarrot began; his voice soothingly soft. Chi-chi looked up at Kakarrot with confusion in her eyes.
"What is it?" Chi-chi asked; praying it wouldn't be a promise that she would have no other choice than to abide.
Nothingness. It was maddening not to feel anything from the man Chi-chi had given her mind, body and soul to. The moment Kakarrot fell was the moment she began to feel the utter fear of loss. It was far worse than the time he abandoned her when she was a little girl; far worse than his death to his brother.
This time, she knew Death had claimed her love, mate and yes, her very husband who had protected her down to his dying breath.
"Now that your protector is dead, I will enjoy adding you to my very being," Cell's tail unraveled from beneath the folded wings and aimed at Chi-chi's chest. Another tear ran down her cheek as she looked at him with a complete helpless look on her face. "There's no need to cry anymore my dear. You will soon enjoy the bliss of being part of the very perfection I…!"
The words that Cell attempted to finish were abruptly cut off when Chi-chi sent her Shintouka straight into the android's chest. She had completely avoiding the tail that could have absorbed her at any given moment. Instead of sadness, Cell saw an angered expression on her face. It was feral in such ways that it sent a chill down the android's spine when he realized that he couldn't move.
"I'll never forgive you for taking my husband's life," Chi-chi hissed with anger laced in her voice. If she were a Saiya-jin, she would be sporting the golden fleece of the warrior race as a Super Saiya-jin at that moment. Cell, still attempting to move, felt a fist bury itself in his stomach; a sense of nausea filling his body from the utter blow.
"W-what the hell? What have you done to me?" Cell gawked; feeling himself wanting to lurch. His vision blurred from the lack of oxygen reaching his lungs at the moment.
"It's called the Shintouka," Chi-chi growled. "It'll keep you paralyzed long enough for me to finish you off."
"Damn it! I refuse to yield to you!" Cell threatened; however, it was a dry threat as she sent him flying into the ground.
"Promise us that no matter what happens, that if I end up dying…"
"You won't have to." Chi-chi snorted. "He's going to finish you off."
"You must be delusional. Goku's dead!" Cell boasted.
"Not my husband…" Chi-chi spat before looking up to where Gohan stood; his eyes widening. "My son."
"You want me to fight mom?" Gohan was shocked and had tears stinging his eyes after seeing his father perish. Years ago, she was completely against Gohan fighting, but now, she was suggesting he do it in order to bring peace.
"…you let Gohan finish the fight against Cell."
"Kakarrot, he's only a child! He'll be killed!" Chi-chi practically screamed at her husband who almost seemed to have no empathy towards their son at the moment.
"Unlike us, he hasn't been wished back yet. Besides, he's much stronger than I am and if I do die, it will be up to the next generation to continue the battle."
"But…" Kakarrot kissed her softly on the lips.
"He's the one who's going to bring peace to the future, your future…"
"Yes, I promised him," Chi-chi muttered despite her motherly instincts screaming not to let her son fight this monster that could take another part of her life.
"Alright mom, I'll go," Gohan nodded morbidly and discarded the cloak that was with the outfit.
Cell, who happened to find movement after Chi-chi abandoned the battle field stood up and sized up the boy whose powers were similar to his father's.
Unlike Goku though, Gohan had lived a sheltered lifestyle that had not brought him up to fight. It wasn't until his father's first death that he was spirited away by his father's murderer and taught how to survive and battle that he gained any fighting experience. Now the only thing standing between Cell and Chi-chi was an eleven-year old boy who had lost his father and might lose his mother if he failed.
"So, you're putting your last hopes on your eldest son," Cell boasted, now able to move freely and was grateful that the Shintouka had worn off. "You people sure know how to keep me entertained."
"I won't forgive you for killing my dad Cell," Gohan growled before his power began to climb.
In contrast to Goku's power, it continued to rise as a disheartened cry escaped the young boy's throat. Lightning began to crisscross the aura and flaxen hair stood on end. Dust and debris forced all of the warriors to shield their eyes from the hurricane-like winds that kicked up. Those who were there for fortune and fame were blown away by the boy's powerful essence of chi as it flickered wildly like an untamed fire.
Upon completion of Gohan's power up, the boy looked older and more primal than he did before. Unlike the others, Gohan had unlocked the ability and experience to ascend the limitations of a Super Saiya-jin, in which would later be referenced as Super Saiya-jin 2.
"You Saiya-jins are alike. You believe there's another level to this damn nonsense and…" Cell's words were cut off by a blast to his right arm that had completely disfigured him. A smirk flashed on Gohan's face that seemed to feign innocence.
"You were saying?" Gohan joshed morbidly.
"No child's going to defeat me!" Cell growled while regenerating the limb he had lost. If he was not careful, he could end up losing far more than that.
"Be careful Gohan," Chi-chi called out to his son.
"You shouldn't talk like that!" Chi-chi looked at Kakarrot with worry on her face. She had known him to act so unpredictable in battle, but for him to predict his death before the battle was totally uncalled for.
"Have you ever wondered why Earth is always targeted?" Kakarrot asked his wife. She shook her head. "Most of my enemies came because of me. I'm the reason that this planet's taken more than its share of battles. If I do die, then it will give you the peace you've longed for…"
"I don't care if you have to fight as long as you come back to me, back to our sons…"
"True, but after awhile, you might get sick of it; get sick of the idea that I'm coming home with more scars or having to find the dragon balls because someone died. I hate people threatening this planet and want to do everything within my power to protect it. I know I sound more like Goku saying it, but that's because I'm conveying what we feel is the same thing."
Gohan threw another punch into Cell; jarring Chi-chi out of her sweet memories of her husband. Her eldest son had the monster on the ropes. It wouldn't be long before he was put down for good.
"Finish it Gohan!" Chi-chi cried.
"I will mom!" Gohan called back.
"Damn you! I'm supposed to be perfect!" Cell yelled angrily.
"You brought this on yourself Cell. It's over." Gohan warned before summoning a familiar blast. "Ka… me…"
"Curse you!" Cell attempted to counter it with his own; the power building within his hands.
"…ha… me…"
"I won't let you win!" Cell released his blast; the ground cracking and quaking beneath his feet.
"HA!" Gohan sent the blast screaming at Cell, the blast completely cut through the android's attack and destroyed Cell completely.
"It… it's over…" Chi-chi smiled despite the tears running down her face. She ran over and hugged Gohan who slipped out of Super Saiya-jin 2. The boy buried his face in his mother's chest and released tears of relief and sadness for a love one lost.
"Now that it's over, we should wish those who lost their lives to Cell back to life," Piccolo muttered.
"Hey! We can bring Goku back to life too!" Krillin grinned. Chi-chi shook her head. "What? What do you mean?"
"He can't come back…" Chi-chi whimpered sadly while looking at her husband's body laying there. It almost looked like he was asleep, except for the blood pooling from beneath his body where the blast struck his heart.
"Yes he can, we can bring him back with the Namekian dragon balls!" Krillin told the female. "Surely you want to see him again don't you?"
"Mom?" Gohan looked up at his mother that looked past Krillin. She suddenly fell backwards and fainted. "Mom! Mom, wake up!"
Darkness surrounded Chi-chi and she looked around for any signs of life within this void. It was much more threatening than in the Room of Spirit and Time that she spent most of her time with Goku and Kakarrot aiding her. Almost though she had thought of them, they appeared, each within their separate bodies.
"Goku? Kakarrot?" Chi-chi looked between the two Saiya-jin that just randomly appeared there.
"Chi-chi, I'm going to miss you," Goku softly spoke with a sad smile.
"What are you saying," Chi-chi looked at Kakarrot for an answer.
"We're visiting you to let you know we don't want to be wished back." Kakarrot explained.
"But… I need you…" Chi-chi looked sadly back at Goku and felt the tears threatening to fall any moment.
"You have Gohan and Goten. They'll keep you safe." Goku attempted to reassure his wife.
"Besides, if worse comes to worse, they'll protect you and keep you safe." Kakarrot and Goku began to fade away; almost though the darkness was swallowing them up.
"Please… don't go…Goku… Kakarrot…"
"NO!!" Chi-chi cried out; waking outside farther from the group. She noticed that the others were looking sad. She wondered if Goku had talked to them in order to let them know that he wouldn't be returning.
"I suppose there's no reason for me to continue hunting for Son Goku if he is dead," Sixteen muttered cryptically. He left Kami's Lookout without another word.
'Yes, he's dead…' Chi-chi thought sadly before noticing something underneath her husband's shirt. She pulled it out and noticed that it was a golden ring with her and his names on it. 'When did he do…?'
"I'll be back soon," Goku smiled softly to his wife.
"You better be, you promised we'd spend the rest of the days before the Cell Games together," Chi-chi berated her husband. Then again, who could blame him for being so secretive at times?
"I will. I wanted to get something special… something I wanted to give you after all of this is over…" Goku reassured the female.
'I see… I let you down when you needed me… I shouldn't have walked away…' Chi-chi clutched the ring in her hands and felt fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. Despite their victory over Cell, she had lost the one thing that could never be replaced. 'Thank you for all you did… I forgive you and I love you…I wish you were here with me…'
Almost though listening to Chi-chi's thoughts at that moment, Goku sat there outside of the check-in station feeling the wind blowing through his hair.
'I'll always be with you Chi-chi…' Goku thought sadly while looking up at the sky.
To Be Continued…
A/N: I would like to apologize for the delay in completing this chapter. This was a particularly difficult chapter to write and hope that you have enjoyed it despite the bittersweet ending of it.