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Wishes of the Fallen	By : SaiyanGirl Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 4331 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Title: Wishes of the Fallen

Author: SaiyanGirl (SaiyanGirl@Gmail.com)

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Goku/Vegeta, Vegeta/Goku, implied Goku/Chichi, implied Gohan/Videl, others are a surprise! ^_~

Warning: Language, Violence, a tiny bit OOC, Death, Angst, Yaoi, Graphic Lemon

Disclaimer: All copyrighted characters appearing in this story were created by Akira Toriyama, and appear without expressed permission. Any original characters appearing are the intellectual property of the author, SaiyanGirl.

Special Thanks: A HUGE Thank You goes to Katiefoolery for beta'ing this fic. She is absolutely amazing! Without her, this story would never have been worthy of posting!

Soundtrack for Chapter Seven:

     Neverending White Lights Featuring Matt Talbott - First Days of Spring (Act 1: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies, 2005)

     Neverending White Lights Featuring Dallas Green - The Grace (Act 1: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies, 2005)

All soundtrack selections are available on iTunes.

Please Note: For all Soundtrack Disclaimer information, please see The Prologue

Chapter Seven - Clouds

     "Aaahhhh... arrrhhhhggg... mmmnnhhggghhh..."
     Cries of searing pain broke the silence of the forest, tearing through the shadows of ancient trees, contaminating the humid morning air with pain and anguish. Under the protective canopy sat a lone male, his nerves singing a symphony of fire and misery. Hot, dark Saiyan blood gushed relentlessly over his tanned skin, twisting its path along his skin as his fingers sought out the invading crystal fragments of a wounded love.
     Goku groaned in pain as his fingers dug deep into the open wound in his shoulder, ripping out glass shards that stubbornly slipped from his grasp. Although the blood seemed to pour down his arm without remorse, the lack of spurting tuned to the rhythm of his heart told him she hadn't hit anything vital.
     'Hah, vital...'
     Had it been any other moment, or any other morning, he would have laughed. Nothing about this morning was funny. Images of his wife flashed through his mind - the rage, the carnage in her face, the fire in her eyes. Even as he squeezed his eyes shut, she was still there, glaring at him with pure hatred. He couldn't escape. She wanted to hurt him; she wanted to cause him pain. She was anger incarnate.
     And it was all directed at him.
     The pain coursing through his shoulder was nothing compared to the pain which now coursed through his very soul.
     "Grrrrrrnnnnhhhhhh!"
     He flashed his fangs to the humid air as he tore another shard from his skin, his nerves screaming together in harmonious misery.
     She'd been perfectly fine right up until she'd mentioned their youngest son. Fine... If he weren't in such searing pain, he'd scoff at the thought. She wasn't fine at all - she was hiding something from him. He could have sworn he'd seen her hand tremble as she'd hid it from his view. And then there were her eyes. Whenever she normally got mad, she would stare directly at him, making sure she had his full attention. But she hadn't even looked at him - hell, she'd found every excuse not to!
     He'd been calm and reasonable with her, but then she'd just exploded, ripping into Vegeta, of all people.

     'Me, sleeping with Vegeta!? Where the hell did she get that idea?'
     So she'd sensed him on his skin - like that was a big deal! Vegeta's scent was thicker and heavier than his. So what? Vegeta had spent more time around their own kind than he had. He hadn't been thrown away like he was nothing... Goku clenched his left fist at the thought, the freezing anger turning his veins to ice. How the hell could she have gone from training together to sleeping together? Something had to be different; his scent, his body, his actions - something had set her off... but what?
      First the nightmares, and now this. He'd panicked - something he'd never done in a battle. All he could think was that he needed to give her space to calm down. What else could he have done? But he'd known it was the wrong choice the second she'd looked at him, just like Vegeta had when he'd been possessed. Her eyes... He'd barely been able to look at them. So frozen, so empty, so...

     Ablaze.
     And then she'd thrown the vase.

     His fingers ceased their search as the memories returned, frozen in liquid pain. He wasn't sure what he'd felt as he watched her violently convulse before him: shock, fear - one or the other... or both. He'd been so shocked by her words he hadn't even thought to react as the glass flew towards him. The shattered vase had smashed into hundreds of razors, tearing through his flesh as if they were her own claws.
     "Nnnggrraahhaaahhh..."
     Godsdamnit - there was one still in there, and it was deeper than the rest.
     Taking the ruined cloth in his hands, Goku rolled the memory of her words through his mind. She'd blamed Vegeta for Goten's behavior, matching twenty five years of cussing in less than five minutes - it didn't make any sense. Vegeta was like an estranged brother to Goten; a sensei, a mentor and a guide all wrapped in one. Goten was still a lot shorter than Goku, but was nearly the same height as the prince - making him the perfect Saiyan to learn from. Of course he loved sparring with his son and teaching him new techniques, but Vegeta's size provided an advantage he couldn't offer.
     Yes, he was his father, but Vegeta was his hero. He respected Vegeta's heritage and saw him as the true leader of their race. And even though his son was only half Saiya-jin, Vegeta had accepted him as a full-blooded Saiyan warrior and taught him as such when Goku couldn't. Vegeta had seen to it that Goten's upbringing was very different from Gohan's - Chichi didn't have as much influence over her youngest son. Was that it? Did she think Vegeta was trying to take Goten away from her? Did she secretly blame him too?
     'Gods only know what's going through her head right now...'
     He loved his son with all his heart - he was like him in almost every way he could think of. Placing the cloth between his teeth, he remembered the first time he'd laid his eyes on his youngest son. His smiling face was the last image to appear in his mind before he bit down tightly and plunged his fingers into the depths of hell.
     "RRRNNNNMMMMGGGGHHHHHH!!!"
     His chest heaved as his shoulder burned in an incendiary haze of pain and anguish, his fingers like knives slashing through his nerves. Panting, he pulled the fabric from his teeth to wipe the blood from his fingers, the shard nowhere to be found. He was oblivious to the sweat rolling down his body, thinking only of his wife, youngest son and the crazy nightmare which had replaced his morning. Gasping in deep breaths, Goku practically stuffed the cloth in his jaw once more, biting down as hard as he could.
     "rrrmmmgghHHAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!"
     He gasped uncontrollably, the humid air stale to his lungs as the bloodied cloth clung to the sweat on his heaving abdominal muscles. He was barely aware the cloth had fallen from his mouth when he'd screamed into the silent forest, crying his pain to nothing as the last of the vase was ripped from its prison in his shoulder. Freezing anger flared within him as he stared at the lifeless shard between his fingers, mocking him as it bathed in his liquid pain and misery. He snarled viciously as he shot the ki-charged shard through a nearby tree, the ancient bark cracking and crumbling until the great Evergreen fell with a might crash, shaking the ground beneath him.
     A part of him didn't care about the tree he'd destroyed or the animals it may have killed. They didn't matter. Nothing mattered as much as his family - what was left of his family. He snatched the torn cloth from where it clung to his skin and stared deeply into the blood stains - it was useless. He couldn't even use it to wipe his forehead. Instead, he wrapped the cloth around his arm once more, flexing his thick muscles as he pulled tightly on the knot, returning his injured limb to the bittersweet haven of nerve paralysis.
     Goku wrapped his tail tightly around his waist and took to the air, grazing over the treetops. The warm air soothed his aching skin, the feel of his hair flowing chaotically over his shoulders relaxing his mind enough to allow him to focus. He had to find his son; had to make sure he was alright.
     Goten had wanted to go to a smaller high school than Gohan had, stating he wanted to be closer to home and CapsuleCorp, rather than be in the middle of an urbanized core away from everyone he knew. Chichi had found him a nice school which sat on a cliff overlooking a residential area of East City - it wasn't too far from their home, so he could come home and spar during lunch on occasion. After some manipulation and bribery with food, she'd managed to have Bulma agree to send Trunks there as well. There were only six hundred students or so, which didn't make finding him all that much of a challenge - although he had mistaken Trunks for him on more than one occasion.
     He knew he'd left his forest behind as he flew over the last mountain, the dense tree-line beginning to thin below him, trees slowly turning into small housing clusters. High enough as to ensure he couldn't be seen by human eyes, Goku scanned the ground below him and quickly spotted his destination. In an instant, he went from hovering high above the ground to walking casually along a grass field - his hair drooping to his shoulders as his right hand quickly descended from his forehead.
     Large trees decorated the rolling field behind the high school, the soft oak trim of the wide, two-story building blending within its natural surroundings. Uniformed students of all size and age were scattered across the field - some lying on the grass with their books while others were gathered in small groups. He could read the clock atop the second floor of the distant wooden building, its ancient numerals reading 8:11 a.m. Goten's classes didn't begin until 8:30 - knowing him, he would still be outside somewhere.
     Calming the aching chaos in his mind as best he could, Goku scanned the area for the youthful ki of his youngest son.
     'Ah, there he is...'
     Gazing off towards a large tree, his honed sight could make out a pair of legs sticking out from behind the vast trunk. A soft sigh of relief escaped his chest as Goku casually strolled over to the large coniferous.
     The teenager's legs were loosely sprawled out before him, his hands locked behind his wild, gravity-defying hair as he lay against the tree. His eyes were closed, his face still and tranquil under the shadows of the leaves above him. Goku almost held his breath as he searched for movement, his frown creeping into a softened smile as he noticed the easy rise and fall of the lapels of his jacket.
     He was alright.
     'Heh... sleeping. Slacking off just like his dad.'
     Goku crept around the vast trunk before coming to a subtle stop just off to Goten's right. His shoulder burned as he crossed his arms across his abs, the contact of his skin waking his nerves to just how sweaty he was. The realization suddenly raised additional concerns - concerns instantly ignored as he leaned against the tree. Just gazing down upon his son was enough to remind him of just how unnecessary his worry had been, momentarily pushing the memories of his wife's actions from his universe.

     Underneath the black and blues of the formal clothing was a battle hardened body, sculpted by Vegeta's intense and often brutal training techniques. Unlike Vegeta and himself, Goten seemed to be putting on more muscle with every passing week; he had certainly become larger than Trunks in that regard. But his growing size wasn't hindering his speed or agility one bit - at least, as far as Goku could tell.
     The thought of Chichi having to request the school provide larger sized uniforms on a monthly basis brought a proud smirk to Goku's face. His boy was growing up, and unlike with Gohan, he had a chance to be part of it.
     "Hey, Goten."
     Goten's eyes fluttered open as the familiar voice entered his mind, wrestling him away from his morning doze. His sight darted around in front of him as he searched for the source of the voice, but his nose told him all he needed to know.
     "Wha? ... Oh, hey, dad." His voice was drowsy as he emerged from sleep, his body slow to react as his eyes moved to meet his father's gaze. "Wha... what are you doing here?"
     'Oh shit, what time is it? Wait... uhh... ?'

     Why was his dad doing looking at him like that? Yeah, he'd missed him at breakfast, but now he was looking at him like he hadn't seen him in years - like he was suddenly so proud of him or something. Kind of weird now that he could actually think about it.

     "Nothing," his father breathed. "Just seeing if you're okay."
     "Uh, of course I'm okay, dad. Why wouldn't I... ?" He peered upwards, sleepily processing the sight of the sweaty frame beside him, the scrutiny coming to a shocked halt as he spotted the dirty rust wrapped around Goku's left bicep. "Whoa! What the hell is that? Are you alright?"
     "Yeah, I'm fine," Goku answered, suddenly leaning backwards behind the tree as if he was attempting to hide the bloodied cloth tied around his shoulder. "Vegeta paid me a visit this morning." His smile suddenly curled into a boastful smirk. "I gave him one to match."
      Goten quickly rose to his feet, rounding the tree to get a better look at his dad's arm. As he approached, his senses were assaulted by the immersive heat and sweaty scent radiating from his father's muscled body. Mom didn't like how dad smelled, but he didn't really care; hell, he found it soothing - such heat and power emanating from someone who would always be there to protect him. Except now, it looked like he was in need of protecting; the cloth around his dad's arm was dripping. "Gods, it's soaked through," He couldn't help but voice his concern, his eyes following a particular stream of blood mix with the sweat covering his flexed bicep. "You sure you're okay?"
     "It's nothing Dende or a Senzu can't fix."
     He leaned in to get a better look, his father's sweaty scent intensifying as he neared his armpit. So strong; so powerful to his senses... Peering over the wound, Goten couldn't help but notice how large and defined Goku's arm truly was, the restrictive bandage forcing his veins to bulge, the thick muscles flexing to such huge and impressive size. He knew he should keep his eyes on the deep gash in his shoulder, but suddenly his eyes were creeping away; sneaking to his left to gaze upon his father's thick chest. The bulging ridge stuck out defiantly, pushing against his arm as Goten took in the sight of a hardened nipple surrounded by beads of musky sweat.
     �Looks like you two went at it pretty hard.� Hard� it was the only thing on his mind � how hard that body looked, how similar it was to another he knew� Goten let out an awkward laugh as the thought made his smirk deepen, images of his mentor suddenly commanding his imagination. Sweating under those revealing training suits, his muscles flexing as they strained against restrictive fabric in a display of sheer strength and attitude only his royal smirk could match. The teen�s mind ran wild with the idea: images of the prince and his father sparring in the summer heat, the power in his movements, his lean and impressive physique striking with phenomenal force� His face burned as he blinked, suddenly overtaken by the discomfort of embarassment. �Heh, hope you gave him hell for last week.�
     Goku could only chuckle as the memories from last week's sparring match with Vegeta floated into his mind. He'd lost the prince in the sun, only to be blindsided, turned upside down and nearly brought to tears as Vegeta's elbow crashed directly between his legs. It had taken two Senzu beans to erase the pain, let alone any permanent damage such a strike would have caused.

     "Did you go 'level three' on him?"
     "Naw..." Goku pushed himself away from the tree, distancing his wound from his son's intensive study, his arms draping casually at his sides. "Last time I used the third ascension, Piccolo, Krillin and Eighteen showed up wondering when the world was going to end!" The two of them broke out into laughter which went un-noticed by those around them.
     "Gods, Vegeta must be freakin' lost when you pull that on him. Has he tried anything new yet?"
     "Well... he tried running once," Goku said as a proud smile spread across his face. "Didn't work so well."
     His son practically matched his smile as he beamed back at him. "Hah! I'll bet."
     "Yeah, I wish I could use it more often though." Goku casually glanced down at his clenching fist as he spoke, his wrist twisting upwards before snapping back in a stretch. "Takes waayyy too much energy to pass the second." Being boastful wasn't usually his forte, but lately it seemed to inspire his youngest son; seeing and hearing of such great power only drove him onwards. Some day, Goten would surpass him in every way imaginable... he was certain of it.
     "I'm surprised all that hair doesn't get in the way," Goten joked, gesturing with his hand at Goku's head.
     "Heh, speak for yourself," he joked right back. "From what I hear, you're getting close..."
     "Feh. Bullshit," Goten snorted, his smile melting into a frown as his eyes dropped to the ground. "I'm nowhere near it."
     "Oh, come on." Goku's voice dipped into a teenage-exaggerated mocking tone. His smile softened into a challenging smirk as the perfect idea came to him. "Vegeta tells me you're holding back."
     "Oh, fuck that!" His son's fiery outburst only made his smirk deepen. Vanity - it worked on teenagers every time. "He puts me through hell every time I go near him, and I try so godsdamned hard to keep up wi-"
     "He still says you're holding back," he said, cutting his son off with a casual smile. "He would know, son. You're over there practicing with him all the time... and not doing what your teachers ask you to."
     "Oh, godsdamnit..."
     Goku watched his boy's face droop as the impact of his words set in. "That's the third time this month, Goten. You gotta stop swearing at your teachers." He kept his voice light and cheery; humor was always the best way to make his son listen.
     "Oh, come on, dad! That guy's a total dick. He deserves it!" The defiant insult rolled off his son's tongue, sounding almost as if it had come from Vegeta himself. Goku could only laugh at the mental image.
     "Yeah, maybe. But he's still your teacher, and you gotta live with it for a few more months."
     "Pfft..." The sound of Goten's lips pursing together in teenage dismissal amused him to no end - the fire within him could be bothersome at times, but Goku couldn't resist being proud of his son. Halfheartedly rolling his eyes, he poked his son in the chest.
     "Uh huh... Vegeta and I are your teachers too. Remember the last time you talked back at him?"

     Goten's face visibly lost all warmth as his shoulders slumped, processing the memories of his last 'punishment.' "Yeah... always great being backhanded into a tree..."
     "Hah - I would have just made you do sit-ups until you couldn't move. But I suppose he has his own ways..." Training with Vegeta was rough, but his son was as tough as he was - there was no doubt in Goku's mind. Goten was only partly Human; his Saiya-jin side was more than capable of accepting any form of physical punishment he or Vegeta could hand him. Every hit he took only made him stronger, faster and smarter.
     "Yeah... but, hey - I've gotten a few good ones in on him while he wasn't suspecting anything!" His son's eyes shot straight up to proudly meet his gaze, as if searching for encouragement. He wasn't going to disappoint.
     "Heh, yeah, you have! You're improving faster than he can anticipate! Gods, you've spent so much time with him lately, he's gotta be pissed off you're making him work so hard." The smile he received stretched clear across the boy's face. "Just wait 'til you can ascend!"
     No sooner had the words rolled off his tongue, Goku wished he could snatch them from the air and cram them back into his big mouth.

     "At least you can reach 'level two'..." The boy's eyes fell to the ground, his voice fading into the wind.
     "Hey, come on, Goten." Goku reached out and placed his right hand on his son's slumped shoulder, slightly squeezing his fingers against the fabric in encouragement. "You'll get there in no time."
     "Gah - don't give me that!" Goten jerked his head to his right, refusing to look up at him. "I'm almost fifteen, damnit. Gohan did it when he was twelve!"
     The mention of his eldest son struck Goku with enough force to knock the smile from his face, the impact carving a halfhearted frown in its place. "Yeah... he did." Goku dropped his hand from Goten's shoulder, his voice sinking to a low, joyless tone. "I'd never been so proud of him in my life."
     His world lost all focus as he pictured his son's face, his shortened hair spiked upwards in a similar style to Yamucha's. The unforgotten memories of his older son flooded into view - he could sense Goten's concern, but his universe had been reduced to the pain the memories brought with them. And his shoulder... he could have sworn his shoulder began to burn...
     'Gohan...'
     "Dad? Hey, dad! Are you ok?"
     He lowered his gaze to Goten's face, only to find a very concerned looking teenager peering back at him.

     "Thought I'd lost you there for a sec."
     He grunted softly, feeling the air slowly escape his body until his eyes eventually focused on his younger son. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I kinda trailed off." The concern in Goten's eyes was all he needed to be reminded once more of his morning: how it had gone from good, to bad, to worse...
     "Are you sure you're alright, dad?" His son never ceased to amaze him. Headstrong and tougher than Vegeta's old armor, more powerful than any of Goku's childhood friends, and yet, he was still as compassionate as this. It brought a smile back to his face.
     "Yes, son. I'm fine."
     "A-Alright..." The teen's gaze flicked back to Goku's injured shoulder once again, frowning at the crimson stains.
     "Don't worry about it, Goten. I said I'm okay." He was trying to sound cheerful, but he couldn't quite hide a sense of force in his words - the last thing he wanted was for his son to needlessly worry about his father. He deserved to be happy, not caught in a nightmare.
     "Okay..." Goten breathed, his eyes subtly turning to the supple browns of the summer bark on the tree. "Hey, dad?"
     "Yeah?"
     "Has he even said anything to you?"
     Goku let out a frustrated sigh, the mental image of his eldest son returning to the forefront of his memory. "No..."
     "Why did I already know that...?" Goten sighed and rolled his eyes, concern returning to his face. "Gah... sometimes I wonder if he's really worth your forgivene-"
     "Goten!"
     Goten's voice was cut off by a high pitched voice calling from a distance behind him. As his son turned to see who it was, Goku spotted a group of girls rapidly approaching, the three of them sporting wide grins.
     "Oh, hey, Katty!"

     Goku looked on as his son's demeanor barely changed - the only sign being the somewhat embarrassed look upon his face. The three girls were almost identical in height, each sporting a different hair color. They came practically skipping up to the two of them, their backpacks bouncing lightly behind them. Sharing a few giggles amongst themselves, one spoke as soon as they'd stopped moving.
     "Heya, Goten! What's up?" Goku couldn't help but smirk as he saw his son's delayed reaction take a hold of him, his teenage awkwardness making a rare appearance.
     "Hi, Amy. Uhh, nothin' much - you?" His voice was suddenly much lighter than it had been not five seconds ago, punctuated by the girl's soft giggling.
     "Heehee, nothing really," Amy said, glancing back at her two friends whispering behind her. "We just kinda saw you over here and wanted to say hi..."
     With Goten's back to him, Goku couldn't see his son's reactions, but he definitely had an idea what he was doing - probably the same thing he'd done when he'd first met Chichi. Teenage Human girls were most confusing beings in the universe as far as he was concerned.
     "So, umm, who's that? Your brother?"
     "Huh?"

     Goku couldn't stop the giant grin from spreading across his face as he leant against the large tree once more, his son's surprise brought to life as he erratically spun around to face him, only to instantly return to face the girls.
     "Wha? N-No! That's... m-my dad."
     "That's your dad!?" one of the girls shrieked, her mouth hanging open as she stared dumbfounded at him over Goten's shoulder.
     "Heh. Hi there!" Goku pushed himself away from the tree as he greeted them. All three suddenly blushed as he approached, shying away their wanton and embarrassed eyes. One of them stepped towards his son and leant close to him.
     "Whoa, Goten. Is that really your dad?" The whisper would have been barely audible to Human ears, but was nowhere near capable of escaping Goku's honed senses.
     "Uh, yeah. He is."
     As Goten looked up to gaze upon his father, he had an idea about what had struck his friends. The thin sheen of moisture on his skin highlighted and accentuated every ridge and curve of his hard body. Thick muscles protruding proudly into the morning heat, rugged locks drooping lazily upon his shoulders, into his eyes... Even in the shade, it was something to look at. Turning his head, he could see the three girls were fixated upon that bare chest, obviously too taken to care about how impolite they were being.
     "My name's Goku. Nice to meet you all!" He waved playfully at them, trying to attract their gaze.
     "Hey, look! He's got the same belt you do!" One of the girls regained herself enough to approach him, reaching out to run her fingers along the tail wrapped around his waist. Her delicate touch caught him completely off-guard, overwhelming him as he felt lightning shooting up his spine. He could barely stand upright, could barely see straight, could barely hear her speaking. "Wow... it's so soft!"
     Fire danced along his skin as pleasure ignited his nerves - the sensations echoing between his legs, enlarging their presence as they flared across his body. He wanted to purr, wanted to moan, wanted to pull her close and have her tear his pants off. Everything in his mind was screaming at him to stop, to get a hold of himself - she was his son's age for gods' sake! But the sensations... Oh gods, her hands were gentler than Chichi's - so soft, so delicate... His mind cried no, but his Saiyan instincts easily eradicated any reason he had within him, demanding he give into the wondrous pleasure. They pounded in his head, destroying the voice that told him to pull away, tempting him closer, empowering his hand to reach for...
     "Hey, Mina! That's not nice!"
     As fast as the sensations had appeared, they were gone. The world came back into focus as Goku spotted his son's hand on hers, guiding it away from his tail.
     "But..." Her protest was sincere, her voice lacking any form of embarrassment or remorse. "It's so soft and cute! You have to tell me where you get them!"
     "Oh... I, uh, make them myself!" Goku half-lied. He was barely capable of speech, let alone clear thought - his body still tingled from the erogenous force that coursed through his pleasure centers.
     "You do? Really? How?"
     "My dad spends a lot of time outdoors - he's really good with furs and stuff." His son must have noticed his reactions - he silently thanked him for deflecting the girls' attention away.
     "Oh yeah? Well, uhmm... d'you think he could make us some?" Just like Chichi, persistent to the very end.
     "Yeah, maybe." His son was becoming as persistent as they were, although he knew Goten was definitely out-classed in the attitude department compared to a group of teenage girls.
     Off in the distance, the reverberating chimes of the school's clock sounded, accompanied by the natural winds of bamboo flutes which were carried by the soft breeze. Students from all over the fields began rising to make their way towards the ranch-styled building.
     "Aww shit." The girls' expressions descended into looks of annoyance as the chimes signaled the end of their freedom for the day. "Hey, Goten, come on! We gotta go."

     Goten looked over at the three of them as they turned to leave, only to glance back at his father. "Yeah, okay - you go on ahead. I'll catch up."

     "Okay! Heehee... nice to meet you, Mister Goku!" They didn't give him a chance to respond - they scampered off, giggling and gabbing excitedly amongst themselves.
     "Oh my GODS, I had no idea Goten's dad was so hawt!"
     "Did you see that chest? Those muscles!!"
     "The abs! Mmm!"
     He could only grin wider, his Saiyan pride hungrily feeding on the girls' compliments. His son, however, looked about as embarrassed as a teenager could get.
     "Gods, I'm sorry, dad."
     "Heh, nothing to worry about." His grin had decreased somewhat in size, but he still reveled in the girls' worship. "But you need to get moving."
     "Yeah, alright. I'll see you later, then." Goten turned towards his high school, suddenly snapping his head up. Goku watched as his son tracked movement along the skyline - he could easily feel the glowing ki of Vegeta's son as it streaked behind the few clouds in the sky.
     "Show-off."
     Goku chuckled to himself as he overheard his son's muttering. "Hey, Goten. Why don't you come home during lunch? You can show me what Vegeta's been teaching you lately."
     The teen broke his gaze with the sky to look over at him, smiling in agreement. "Yeah, okay. Tell mom not to make me anything." His son waved to him over his shoulder as he began to jog down the field, chasing after the three girls. Goku smiled as he saw him catch up, the four of them slowing down to a near crawl as they neared the doors to the building.
     'He's okay...'
     Goten was alright - she hadn't done anything to him. He almost laughed - what could she have done to him anyway? Goten could yell louder than she could for starts... From what he could tell, Goten didn't know anything was wrong. With any hope, nothing would be.

     Standing amongst familiar trees, gazing at a house he knew to be his own, he'd never felt so lost in his life. No idea what to say; no idea what to think. His feet were flat against the heated earth, his mind raging; every possible scenario in his head was as unlikely as the next. What was he thinking? There was no way he could control what was bound to happen. Even if he knew the right words, if such words even existed, what were the chances of him finding any of them? For all he knew, she was still fuming, angry at him for leaving her - but what else could he have done? What could he do now?
     As he stepped out from under the protective canopy of the ancient forest, his mind became an abyss, blank and lifeless.
     "Chichi, I'm really sorry..."
     'No, that's not good enough'
     "Chichi, please don't be mad with me. I'm really sorry..."
     'Grr... Think, Goku, think!'
     His feet carried him from the soft grass of his backyard to the warmth of the wooden porch without him ever noticing. It wasn't until he was face to face with the sliding glass door of his kitchen that he stopped, his breath suddenly held captive as his heart leapt into his throat.
     'Gods, please tell me she's calmed down...'
     Drawing in a deep breath, Goku slid the door open and padded inside.
     "Chichi?" He called out to her, silently praying to Dende that she would respond. "Are you down here, hun?" His luck was out - no answer.
     Stepping in from the door, his senses were suddenly attacked by a strong smoky scent and overly-rich spices. His nose crinkled in disgust - it didn't smell like anything she had made before... What was she doing?
     The violent reds and oranges of the blaze upon the stove answered in force.
     "Aaaaahhhck!" His worry evaporated as fast as the moisture in the air, instantly replaced by fear. Smoke rose into the ceiling as the stovetop burned, the flames shooting up against the range hood. "Chichi! Where are you? The house is on fire!"
     Goku staggered as close to the fire as he could get, grabbing a large dish towel along the way. The heat seared at his body as he swatted the large cloth at the flames. He grit his teeth in frustration, swinging the cloth at the flames until they took it as their own, his fingers singeing as the towel was reduced to ashes in his grasp. "Shit!"
     Flames continued to rise, creeping along the stovetop, edging closer to the embedded cutting board. He was out of options. If the fire reached the cutting board, it would spread to the walls. And once the walls caught fire... It was all happening too fast - the fire, the smoke, the fear - he couldn't think. With the heat from the flames searing his skin, he gathered his wits about him, storming out of the kitchen and returning with a wooden bucket filled with water. He threw the water onto the blaze, feeling a rush of success as the flames died down significantly. Within seconds, he was back with another bucket of water, then another, until the blaze had finally been doused, leaving behind the charred remnants of Chichi's potatoes.
     Goku stood panting as he stared at the ruined stove, sweat rolling over his heated skin, his chest heaving as he held the bucket in his hand.
     "Phew - that was close!" He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, slicking his hair back out of his eyes. The smoke in the kitchen made his eyes water as he stood panting in his own thick scent, wondering where his wife had gone.
     'She probably left to go find help...'
     He kept his relieved gaze on the ruined stove - it was lucky the whole kitchen hadn't gone up. Chichi would be mortified by the sight, but it was nothing he couldn't rebuild, or have Bulma redesign. But where was she? If Chichi had gone for help, then why wasn't she back yet?
     Deep in thought, he placed the empty bucket on the countertop and stepped back, almost losing his balance when his heel caught on something soft.

     "Whoa! ...Huh?"
     He looked down.
     His heart stopped.
     "No..."
     His entire universe came to a crashing halt.
     "Chichi!?"
     There at his feet, lay the body of his wife.
     In a flash he was on his knees at her side, clutching her body against his own. She was cold - lifeless. He stared into her deep, empty eyes as though his gaze alone would bring her back.
     "Chichi..."
     And then he saw the thin trail of dark red seeping from her ear.
     "No..."
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Wishes of the Fallen