Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dance With My Father Again ❯ Chapter 1

Dance With My Father Again

By Light-Eco-Sage

 

Rated: T for safety and a bit of romance (Goku/Chi-Chi)

 

Summary: A Song-fic. A tribute to the father/son relationship of Goku and Gohan. After Goku's death in the Cell Games, Gohan reflects back on the life with his father, and wishes for more time.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball/Z/GT, it is owned by Akira Toriyama. “Dance With My Father Again” is performed by Byron Lee.

 

LES: This song is really sad and beautiful, and perfect for a child who just lost their father. So, I decided to do that for Goku and Gohan, since I really love their relationship, and hate how it was cut short so many times. And, for the sake of the story, let's just say that the Dragon Balls were never altered so that someone could be brought back more than once. Anyway, on with the story!

 

Gohan simply couldn't believe it. His father… the greatest Warrior alive… his teacher… and his friend… was gone.

The Cell Games had taken their toll on everyone, but Gohan, it seemed, suffered the cruelest fate. He would have to live with the knowledge, forever, that it was his carelessness, brought on by his mindless Saiyan pride, that had indirectly led to his father's death.

He could hear his mother sobbing in her room by herself. Gohan had been unable to tell his mother about her husband's death. Instead, Piccolo took it upon himself to inform Chi-Chi about the tragedy.

Chi-Chi had screamed, literally screamed, with despair. It was even worse than when he died fighting Radditz. She had known perfectly well then that it was only a matter of time before he would be brought back with the Dragon Balls, so she simply pretended that his death was nothing more than a year-long vacation.

But now that Goku was dead a second time, Shenron had no power to bring him back since he wouldn't grant the same wish more than once. Chi-Chi knew, and Gohan knew, that this time… it was forever. Goku would not be coming back from the otherworld. He was there to stay, and they wouldn't see him again until they could join him themselves.

That had been a few months ago. And things had progressed since then. One major change was Chi-Chi. For the first few weeks, she seemed dead on the inside, and nothing could get her out of a fantasy land where her husband was still alive. She still set out a place for him on the table, and still cooked enough for him. It broke Gohan's heart to see his mother acting like a zombie in the day, and crying bitterly at night.

And then, in a twist of irony, she found out that she was pregnant. Goku had given her one final child before he had gone off to the Cell Games, without even knowing it.

After the initial despair at the thought of going through pregnancy, child-birth, and child-rearing without her husband, Chi-Chi's will became steel. She decided that she would raise this baby, and would be strong for it, since it was the last gift from her husband.

But she still cried at night.

“Father…” Gohan whimpered to himself, knowing that the other Z-Warriors, especially Vegeta, would tell him to suck it up. His father had been dead for months, and he had to accept that there was nothing with the power to bring him back.

His mind wandered back through the years, back when he was just a small boy, living a simple life with his mother and father, never knowing the adventures that lay ahead of him. Saiyans have exceptionally good memories, even as toddlers, so Gohan could remember quite clearly the events of his childhood before the word `Saiyan' became a part of his everyday vocabulary.

~~~~~~~~~~

A much younger Gohan had walked in on a strange sight. It was late at night, and he had gone to get his mother to get him a glass of water, when he stumbled into the living room and saw his mother and father.

They were lost in each other, swaying in time to some soft music that issued softly from the stereo. He had never seen them dancing before, and wasn't even aware that his father could dance. He thought that his father's physical abilities ended with Martial Arts, but apparently he was wrong.

He watched quietly for a few moments, but then when they began to softly kiss each other, Gohan could no longer remain quiet. “Eww! Gross!”

Both his parents looked around, shocked to see their young son out of bed. “Gohan, baby, what are you doing up?” Chi-Chi asked.

“Mommy, I'm thirsty.” Gohan said.

“Okay, dear… hold on…” But she was cut off when his father grabbed his mother's waist.

“Hold on. The song's almost done.” He said playfully, turning to pick up his young son. “What do you say to a dance, big boy?”

“I can't dance, Daddy.” Gohan said, pouting a little.

“Don't worry, your mother and I will help you, right, Chi-Chi?” He asked, glancing at his wife.

His mother smiled and nodded, moving back into position with her husband, with Gohan nestled in between their bodies. The young Gohan clutched to his mother, but smiled brightly back at his father as they danced together. And then, just as the song was about to end, his father took him in his arms and spun him around in the air while Gohan laughed happily.

Chi-Chi took advantage of this to go get Gohan's water, but when she came back, she found that Gohan was asleep in her husband's arms. “He's really tired, isn't he?” She asked.

“Yeah. I'll put him back in bed. Hand me that water.” She handed him the water, and then he carried his small son upstairs, and tucked him back in. He set the water down on the bed-side table, bend down, and pressed a kiss to young Gohan's forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Back when I was a child

Before life removed all the innocence

My father would life me high

And dance with my mother and me

And then

Spin me around `til I fell asleep

Then up the stairs he would carry me

And I knew for sure

I was loved

~~~~~~~~~~

Tears were brought to his eyes as the memory faded back into the dark recesses of his mind. When he was that young, his parents were like Gods to him. They were his whole world, and being allowed to share such a tender moment between them was a great honor.

That had been the first time that his family had danced together, and it wasn't the last time. But, to Gohan's dismay… there was a last time.

His father was dead, and he would never get another chance to share a special moment like that with him again.

~~~~~~~~~~

If I could get

Another chance

Another walk

Another dance with him

I'd play a song that would never, ever end

How I'd love, love, love

To dance with my father again

~~~~~~~~~~

His mind naturally traveled to more recent times, just before the Cell Games when he and his father got to train together, just them and his old mentor Piccolo.

Piccolo was his teacher and role-model, but he could never compare to his father.

Chi-Chi and Gohan had a lot of disagreements then. Gohan wanted to train for the arrival of the Androids, and Chi-Chi wanted him to keep up with his studies.

Gohan knew that his father would back him up, and take his side against his mother, since they both wanted the same thing.

What most notably came to mind was the time just before the Cell Games…

~~~~~~~~~~

“But, Mom! The Cell Games are only a few days away! I need to train!” Gohan complained to his mother, who was once again insisting that he do his homework rather than train.

“No buts, Gohan. I've been letting you train and neglect your school work for the last three years. Now that the Androids are gone, it's time for you to buckle down, Mister.” Chi-Chi said.

“But the Androids aren't gone! They've been absorbed by Cell, and he's now stronger than all of them combined!” Gohan looked over at his father, begging for back up.

Goku sat at the table, looking out of place in his Super Saiyan form, his normally black hair a golden blonde, and his normally jet-black eyes a strange glowing blue. Goku leaned forward. “Gohan, it would be best if you studied today.”

Chi-Chi stared at her husband a second, having never actually heard him back her up when it came to school vs. training before. (At least as far as she knew). She quickly rushed to her husband and jammed a thermometer in his mouth. “Oh, Kami, honey! Are you sick?!?” Chi-Chi demanded, feeling his forehead.

Goku just stared at his wife in confusion, a thermometer hanging out of his mouth, while Gohan, knowing that the battle was lost, went up to study.

~~~~~~~~~~

But… come to think of it… Father nearly always made me do what my Mom wanted. Gohan realized, laughing a little. That was Goku's gift. His father was the one who could get him studying and stay studying; something that Chi-Chi had never been able to do.

Maybe it's because it was my father telling me to do it. He grew up without an education, so, deep down; he really wants me to get mine. He really wanted the best for me. He wanted me to be both strong and smart.

Thanks, Dad.

And the one thing he remembered most about all those lost arguments with his mother was the prize he always received the next day. He would often wake up and discover that a dollar bill had been `placed' under his sheets.

Gohan's sense of smell wasn't as good as a full-blooded Saiyans, but it was still good enough to know who placed it there. His father.

~~~~~~~~~~

When I and my mother

Would disagree

To get my way I would run

From her to him

He'd make me laugh just to comfort me

Then finally make me do

Just what my mama said

Later that night when I was asleep

He left a dollar under my sheet

Never dreamed that he

Would be gone from me

~~~~~~~~~~

Gohan pulled himself out of his memories. Those were the last times he had seen his father alive and happy. It was the last time he had seen him as the father he had grown up knowing… eternally happy… sometimes a little childish… but so strong.

He couldn't help, and he was not afraid of admitting… that he missed his father desperately.

~~~~~~~~~~

If I could steal

One final glance

One final step

One final dance with him

I'd play a song that would never, ever end

Cause I'd love, love, love

To dance with my father again

~~~~~~~~~~

He could hear his mother in her room, where she normally slept beside her husband before he died. Gohan didn't need to guess at what she was doing, because he knew. She was sitting on his side of the bed, clutching his pillow to herself with one hand and her swollen stomach with the other, and weeping bitterly at the loss of her husband and her love.

Gohan stood up, walked out of the solitude of his room, and sat down outside his mother's door, listening to her crying. It was pretty late, so maybe she thought he was asleep. But he wasn't. He decided that he would sit up and suffer with her as long as she did.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes I'd listen outside her door

And I'd hear how mama would cry for him

I'd pray for her even more than me

I'd pray for her even more than me

~~~~~~~~~~

Eventually, his mother's sobs died down, and it sounded like she drifted into an uneasy sleep. Gohan sat there a little while longer, realizing how much his mother was suffering without Goku.

Without even realizing what he was doing, he stood up and walked out of the house. Without wasting a second, he took to the air.

He knew that Bulma always collected the Dragon Balls as soon as they became active again in case there was an emergency, so odds are that she had already collected all seven. He had no idea what he was going to do, but he knew that he had to try something. If he could just give him mother one more moment with his father, then it would all be worth it.

He made it to West City quickly, even by Z-Warrior standards, and snuck onto Capsule Corp.'s property. He quickly located all the Dragon Balls in Bulma's private lab.

Gohan quickly counted them. One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven. Seven little golden orbs that had the power to grant those who collected them all any wish. The only limit to Shenron's power was that he could not do anything that exceeded Kami's power, and he could not grant the same wish more than once. His father and most of his friends had been brought back to life with the Dragon Balls more than once.

Gohan quickly gathered them up, and wrote a quick note to Bulma telling her that he took the Dragon Balls, because he had to try. He was sure that she'd understand.

Once he had all seven, he took over again, flying deep into the woods so that he would be unnoticed… at least for a while.

It was dark, so the usual sky-goes-dark thing would go unnoticed.

He set the Dragon Balls on the ground and watched as they glowed in preparation to be activated. Gohan had never seen the Dragon Balls on Earth activated. But he knew from a conversation with Bulma what the password was.

He raised his hands over the Dragon Balls and spoke solemnly, like a priest. “Shenron, come forth and grant my wish.”

A few seconds passed, and the Dragon Balls began to glow more brightly than before. Lightning began to flash across the sky. Gohan took a nervous step back, and just in time. A bolt of lightning shot down and hit the Dragon Balls, causing Gohan to cry out in shock.

Then the bolt of lightning began to form into a long and sinuous body. A long, green, snake-like body, great talons and teeth as large as Gohan, and eyes glowing red like a furnace in hell. Shenron had come forth.

The Eternal Dragon growled loudly, causing Gohan's insides to shake with the sheer power of it. “You have summoned the Eternal Dragon. Tell me your wish so that I may go.” The Dragon growled in his thunderous voice.

Gohan stepped forward nervously. “Shenron. My father died months ago in the Cell Games. He's already been revived once, and I know that you can't do it again. But all I want is one night with my father. I want you to bring my father back for one night.”

~~~~~~~~~~

I know I'm praying

For much too much

But could you send back

The only man she loved?

I know you don't do it usually

But, Dear Lord, she's dying

To dance with my father again

~~~~~~~~~~

Shenron growled loudly. “You have a strange wish. I shall try.” His growl rumbled louder as his eyes began to glow red as he tried to fulfill Gohan's wish.

~~~~~~~~~~

Every night I fall asleep

And this is all I ever dream

~~~~~~~~~~

Gohan held his breath, praying with every fiber of his being that, since he wasn't wishing for his father to be brought back to life, it counted as a different wish.

Please, Dad. Come back to me. Even if it's for a little while. Gohan thought hopefully. Mom and I really miss you.

Shenron's growl stopped and his eyes dimmed. “Did it work?” Gohan asked.

“Gohan?” A voice spoke behind him.

Gohan froze, and then spun around. Standing there, in the darkness, just as he remembered him, was his father. He wasn't truly alive, as proved by the halo over his head. But he was real, and that's all that mattered.

“Father?”

“What's going on?” Goku asked.

“Your wish has been granted. You have one night. I bid you farewell.” Shenron growled and he disappeared in a flash of lightning. The Dragon Balls, as they usually did, were scattered across the planet again, to remain inactive for one year.

“You wished me back? But how? Shenron can't bring me to life again.”

“You aren't.” Gohan admitted. “I just… wanted to see you again. I had to. I'm sorry, Father.”

“For what, son?” Goku asked.

“It's my fault you died. If I hadn't been so foolish, you would still be alive, and I wouldn't have to listen to my mother crying every night.” Gohan said.

Goku's eyes grew sad. “Gohan… I don't blame you. Not in the slightest. You are the best son I could ever hope for, and I'm proud of you.”

“Come home, Dad?” Gohan asked. “Mom will want to see you again.”

Goku nodded. “Okay. Let's go see your mother.”

Together, they took off in the sky heading towards Mt. Paoz. That night, Gohan would watch his father's wonder as he discovered that he and Chi-Chi were going to have another child, and his sorrow that he wouldn't be there for his wife through it.

But, best of all, was when she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body as close to his as possible. “Dance with me, Goku. Just like we used to.” Goku nodded, and they began to sway in time with imaginary music.

As they kissed each other, Gohan just smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~

I know you don't do it usually

But, Dear Lord, she's dying

To dance with my father again

~~~~~~~~~~

 

LES: Well, I hope that this was enjoyable. Once again, the song is “Dance With My Father Again” by Byron Lee. Celine Dion also did a remake of the song, if you are more of a Celine fan.