Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Blues for Raditz and Goku ❯ Chichi Realizes ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z. the Manga/Anime was created by Akira Toriyama and is owned by Toei Animation Company. Stellari, Fermi and Bohr belong to me.

 

This is my attempt to bridge the gap in Chichi's understanding about why Goku fights. I'm sick of her always bitching and moaning so here's my answer.

 

Chichi's Eyes are Opened

***

 

"Good, now watch," Stellari urged. Chains jingled from gold leashes that some armored Saiyans held the ends of. To her shock Chichi saw other beings in similar armor and other leathered garments. There came the rough syllables of an alien tongue. Lizard beings mingled with those that were presumably Saiyan. Armor varied but Stellari walked with her hand in Chichi's leading her through the warren of streets.

 

They stopped at one building, and Chichi narrowed her eyes at the syllables that swum into view. "Birthing center," she read.

 

"Come on," said she. Just then several armored figures almost knocked them over.

 

"HEY watch where you're going!" Chichi shouted, her small voice echoing.

 

"Move out of the way, third class scum!" shouted one of the white vested Saiyans.

 

"Who are you calling scum, you moron!" Chichi snarled.

 

"Chichi, calm down," Stellari urged.

 

"Oh you have a mouth on you, whelp!" laughed the blue haired woman who spun on them. Her eyes were exotically slanted but her gleaming grin was feral. Chichi snorted as she raised her hands to her helmet, and pushed away from Stellari. Groaning Stellari wondered what the boys would think of this.

 

"Fight, fight!" laughed several of the others. Yet Chichi circled across from the full grown woman, unaffected as she glared up at her.

 

"You apologize NOW!" Chichi pointed at her.

 

"Don't make me laugh, you waste," laughed the woman.

 

"Don't be too hard on her, Luki," laughed the blue haired girl with long braids.

 

"Watch this Lima," Luki smiled at the black vested Saiyan with gold shoulder straps. "Watch me pound this third class scum."

 

Chichi suddenly brought her hands to her helmet. A blade swished out from the top, arcing out and slashing into Luki who barely dodged it. She flipped as the blade shot back and landed in Chichi's helmet. Then a laser beam singed her legs and she fell over, looking up at the defiant warrior princess marching up.

 

"Severs you RIGHT, you bitch," Chichi laughed.

 

"Why you… you…"

 

"Don't waste your time on her. She's made her point," said Lima, pulling Luki up.

 

"You were lucky, drekface," Luki said as Stellari held Chichi back. Lima held onto her friend and dragged her away before anything else could happen.

 

"THE NERVE," Chichi snorted.

 

"Don't scare me like that!" Stellari hissed, grabbing Chichi's arm and tugging her into the domed building. Soon they strode through corridors glassed in. Females were being led to strange white rooms, and left to sit down. Loud cries of pregnant females giving birth echoed. Then Chichi leapt back as a white smocked lizard held a small baby wailing loudly. Chichi gasped to see him go into one of the other rooms across the hall and carry the baby into a glass walled incubator. The baby screamed as it was shut inside and the worker turned without a second look.

 

"Low class rank. Probably fit for a frontier world," said Melakka.

 

"What's going on?"

 

"This is where Saiyans were born or whelped. A warrior race doesn't have time to nurture its young," said Stellari.

 

"You mean they just… treat these babies like…"

 

"Yes," Stellari nodded, leading her towards another isolette. She peered in and saw a baby shaking its fists and pumping. To her shock she saw the pointed hair that stood up and a swishing brown tail flailing. It dawned on her who this howling child was and she broke away from Stellari to enter the room and stand by it.

 

"Goku sa?" she gasped, pushing open the isolette and reaching out to the sobbing screaming infant. He only looked hours old.

 

"Yes," nodded Stellari. "I… I have to go…"

 

"But…" Chichi stammered. Seeing the defenseless infant wailing and nobody coming she frowned. Slowly she reached out and lifted the infant into her arms. He blinked up at her in confusion, seizing a fold of her dark hair.

 

"WAAAH!" he wailed.

 

"You shouldn't be alone," Chichi whispered, holding the infant form of her husband. Tears formed in her eyes and she saw the starkness of an empty room. The tail twined around her wrist and she hugged him close with a strange emptiness.

 

"HEY, what are you doing, whelp?" snorted someone. She whirled around to see one of the white smocked figures, a man with a beard and balding patch hovering over. A spiky haired figure about her age stood nearby, blinking in confusion. Near him was another girl about her age, who held onto his arm.

 

"What are you doing with Kakkarot?" asked the boy.

 

"You're not allowed in here! Put that baby back immediately!" said Planthor.

 

"But he's all alone!" Chichi said angrily. "How can you just TREAT children like this! It's not RIGHT!"

 

"Who the hell ARE you?" asked the spiky haired boy striding out. She saw a teenaged Raditz, and gasped at the feral look in his eyes.

 

"I'm his wife you dork! Get BACK!" Chichi shrilled, holding Goku in one arm as she aimed her jewel at him. A beam slashed out and almost sizzled the teen Raditz if he didn't lift his hand to block it. Chichi turned and ran, carrying the whimpering baby in her small arms. She didn't care what was real or not, she just wanted to take him as far away from this horrid place as she could.

 

"Dammit!" cursed the teen Raditz.

 

"Why worry about a low class like that! The authorities will stop her," said the blue armored figure hovering overhead. Raditz glanced up at the face of minister Planthor and grunted.

 

"But he's due to be sent off! Father will KILL me if I don't make sure!" Raditz cursed. He took off after the strangely armored girl who had stolen his younger brother.

 

"Shit," cursed the small girl with shorter spiky hair. In her Saiyan Guise as Tomoku, she rushed away.

 

Tomoku almost tripped over the tall blue armored figure who got in her way. She looked up and saw him grabbing her arm. "Where are you going, baby sister?"

 

"someone stole a third class!" she chattered. "And it's Raditz brother!"

 

"How interesting. But you shouldn't run off after low levels," said the tall figure that looked almost identical to Bardock.

 

"But… but he's our cousin!" said Tomoku.

 

"Fine, but you're not going alone," said Turles as he reached down and took his sister's hand. The young Saiyan male was barely older then Raditz, but had started to fill out with muscle. Picking her up in his arms he carried her the rest of the way as alarms blared.

 

"Corporal Turles!" said Melaka as he rushed through.

 

"I'll deal with this. A low level isn't worth your time. This is mine to deal with," Turles said smoothly as he carried his little sister Tomoku with him. Not stopping the second class warrior Melaka moved back to let him pass.

***

 

Chichi huffed as she carried the infant in her arms. His fingers closed on her long black hair, and he had stopped crying at least. She got as far as the city perimeter, using her helmet of tricks to stop anyone who was foolish enough to get in her way. Glancing back she saw a dark shape flying after her, his spiky hair trailing like a banner in the wind.

 

"Stop you stupid whelp! That's my brother! Stop I say!"

 

"Get LOST!" Chichi shrilled. "You ain't taking him!"

 

Huffing she wished she could fly. Suddenly she tripped over a stone and rolled over. "I wish I had that blasted Nimbus," she whispered. To her shock the gold cloud shot down and drifted nearby. Chichi didn't question her luck, she leapt up onto it, and zipped away at top speed with the Saiyan in pursuit after her. Insanity predominated and the Ox Princess wished she were anywhere but the crazy planet where she was. Around her reality swirled and Nimbus suddenly flew over a vast forest.

 

She recognized it at once, seeing the spire of Mt. Pauzu ahead. To her surprise, she no longer held Goku in her arms. "What the hell… but I was holdin' onto him so tightly!" she commented.

 

Something shot overhead, and she gripped to Nimbus tightly to veer away. The streak of fire bashed its way into the earth below and she saw the flames rise up at the crater it formed. Guiding the cloud downwards the little Chichi leapt off and rushed to the rim of the crater. She felt something drawing her there. She failed to see the old man walking through the trees towards the clearing the meteor had made.

 

Chichi saw the curved metal sphere steaming inside. Something told her she should look, and she heard the cries of a baby, the same baby she had held minutes before. Carefully she guided nimbus to hover over and watch the hatch hissing open by the aid of two pistons on either side. Once it had revealed the padded interior she saw a strange round pod roll out with long hoses attached. Chichi leapt off nimbus and rushed over to see something smash its tiny fist through the glass bubble. A wailing infant struggled free from the glass and crawled on all fours from the shards.

 

"Goku sa!" she gasped, seeing the spiky hair and long furry tail curving from his nude backside. "That glass is sharp!"

 

Chichi rushed over and without thinking grabbed the infant around the waist. It looked up at her in confusion as she turned him over in her arms and stared into his little face. Relief filled her and she rocked him back and forth in her gloved hands. To her surprise she saw her arms had muscled a bit, and felt the curve of her breasts filling out the armored top a bit more. Still she was clad in her Ox Princess armor, but she judged she must be almost ten.

 

"But my age should match Goku-sa's," she murmured.

 

"Who's there?" asked an old man as he pushed through the trees.

 

"Mister Gohan?" Chichi suddenly yelped, climbing up the crater rim. Still holding Goku in his arms she panted as she stood before the confused elderly man with the basket slung on his back.

 

"Who are you missy? I don't recall seeing anyone out this far!"

 

"Mister you gotta help this baby! He's an orphan!" Chichi exclaimed, holding the infant out.

 

"Oh my but isn't he yours?" asked the man.

 

"No way! I'm too young! Daddy would kill me if that was true!" Chichi gave a horrified look. "Look, mister he's got no mother or father!"

 

"Oh dear, he's just a baby! But what's all this?"

 

Chichi suddenly felt realization dawning. It was Goku's memories. While she knew intellectually she had not grasped the loneliness that Goku had felt till now. Suddenly she put the child down, and she seemed invisible to the memories that flickered like a movie around her. She watched as Gohan picked up the small boy and looked at him in wonder and confusion. How the boy had squirmed and laughed to be swung around.

 

Then images blurred and she sat on a mountain face near the small one roomed pagoda with the Son family logo on both doors. Not far away she saw the clearing where her house would someday be. But the old man was fussing to try and put a diaper on a kicking screaming baby. Chichi drew in her breath sharply to see how savagely Goku fought.

 

"Watch now," said a voice. She recognized it as she turned and saw the teenaged Raditz standing over her.

 

"But you were…"

 

"Watch," said Raditz, holding her shoulder and turning her to face the mountain trail. Grandpa Gohan trod with the basket slung around his back. Yet instead of firewood a small Goku rode in it. Stones fell off the high path into the gorge below. With no safety rail, one false move would cause an unsuspecting climber to plummet to their death on the sharp rocks.

 

Letting the teenaged Raditz take her hand, the young Chichi followed him after Grandpa Gohan. These memories weren't interactive, she realized. As they rounded the mountainside she watched the bored infant squirm and struggle from the basket. Grandpa Gohan turned his head to see the baby climb out and drop to the path. "No Goku… come back! It's dangerous!"

 

Sticking out his tongue the infant toddled on two thick fat legs in the opposite direction. Chichi bit her gloved fingertips to see her future husband step precariously close to the edge. "Goku sa!" she screamed as the next step of the baby Goku hit empty air. Both she and Grandpa Gohan screamed in fear as he plummeted back, tiny arms flailing, and shot out of view. He rushed to the edge, looking down at the falling body bouncing off rock ledges on its way down.

 

"NO!" cried Grandpa Gohan. Chichi sobbed as the hand of Raditz held her back.

 

"It's only a memory. Shadows of the past. Watch," he whispered.

 

"My Goku sa!" Chichi sobbed, fighting the arm of her 'guide'. Grandpa Gohan leapt down the sheer wall, almost like a mountain goat. He slid a ways, then leapt and spun over from ledge to ledge after his child. When he reached the bottom, he stared in horror at the infant huddled on the ground. Blood dribbled through dark spiky hair, but the baby still twitched and moved.

 

"Oh he's still alive! Thank Kami!" Gohan gasped. He swung down his basket and started to dig inside. High above Chichi watched in horror till she couldn't stand it any longer.

 

"No, he was only a child!" she sobbed.

 

"That is the accident that changed Kakkarot into the Goku you know as your mate," Raditz said gently, as Chichi buried her face in his armored belly. Again the dark clouds swirled around the sobbing Chichi till she felt no one holding her any longer. A bitterly cold wind whipped her cape around her ankles, and she looked up to see a featureless plane rise around her. Spires of rock jutted up, while overhead stretched a sky filled with stars.

 

"Where am I now?" she asked. Still if she looked down at her hands Chichi saw the pink gloves of her Princess armor. Taking a look at the stars she saw that they were not stellar bodies but shattered pieces of glass twirling and colliding. Again she saw Nimbus appear at her silent wish to fly. Wherever she was she could rely on the enchanted cloud to make up for the deficiency she resented. Overwhelming desire to look more closely at the jagged bits tugged her forwards so she guided Nimbus onward. Now in the midst of the tumbling flat objects she saw reflected in them small snatches of moving pictures.

 

"Memories," she suddenly realized when one bearing her image fluttered by. Grabbing it she almost cut herself on the jagged outline. The flat object was about the width of her arm, with three jagged points on the top and a triangular edge on the other side. Clearly she saw herself running from a large dinosaur as if staring at an old grainy home movie.

 

The next few memories were pleasant as she held onto her future husband by his gi. She flared in anger at his foot probing her crotch, but then realized her presumption was right when he confirmed he had grown up in the woods. Somehow if someone touched her in such an intimate place that must mean he wanted her in a grown up way, Chichi thought. Joy filled her that the boy wanted her in that strange secret way that fairytales indicated.

 

Maybe he would marry her and they could live happily ever after. Within the little girl, the adult Chichi came to awareness with sad realization. Tears dripped down her eyes, and she was no longer perched behind Goku on his nimbus but watching like a spectator with a hand on her shoulder from behind.

 

"He's a spirited brat isn't he?" asked the figure of Grandpa Gohan.

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

"This is your experience young lady," Gohan shrugged with a smile. "I guess I'm supposed to explain things a mite since it's Goku's mind you're going through."

 

"I know this part, but the first was so strange," Chichi whispered. Still in her armor she realized she was now a slender young woman. Then the armor blurred and she wore a blue fighting outfit with pink pants and weighted bracelets. Martial arts shoes and shinguards clothed her legs and feet. A high collared silk top was fastened against her neck with silk frogs.

 

"This was what I wore when I saw Goku sa again," she patted her outfit. Staring at Grandpa Gohan she saw he had changed to Master Roshi wearing his usual Hawaiian shirt and turtle shell.

 

"You're quite a pretty young lady!" he laughed.

 

"Hands to yourself you old pervert," Chichi waggled a finger at him. It seemed logical that Goku's memories would be explained by the only parents he had: an aged man and his teacher. Sure enough around them rose the red brick walls of the Tenkaichi tournament. Laughter and the crackle of fireworks echoed in the narrow streets of the island that bore the triennial tournament. People had lined up at the registration booth so Chichi found herself anxiously waiting behind them.

 

"Why am I remembering this?" she wondered. "Is it just because it's another common memory?"

 

"'I'm not sure, but do you see what Goku's come from yet?" asked Roshi from behind her.

 

"Yes," she nodded. "but I still don't get why seeing memories I've already lived have to do with ones I haven't."

 

"I'm not sure either. It's Goku who's showing you what he wants you to see," said he. Then they stood on a floating surface of white tiles stretching in all directions. She heard the shouts of a boy followed by the impact of his punches on the flats of dark hands held up. Blinking at the sun chichi inhaled thin air as she surveyed the castle at one end of the circular platform, and trees ringing the other far end.

 

"Kami's lookout," she murmured, remembering Goku's description. He had not told her much of his three year training, but judging from the red gi figure sparring with the portly turbaned one, she knew it was Goku.

 

Suddenly they stopped and the slender teenaged boy turned to her with surprise and delight. Chichi rushed up, eagerly looking at the boy who peered at her strangely and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Goku!"

 

"You found me," Goku said with the exhilaration of a fifteen year old. Judging from the lanky arms and legs he must have just gone through his major growth spurt. Right now he equaled her in height, his body still muscular but thin and gawky.

 

"Goku, what's the point of this? Why are we on Kami's lookout."

 

"This is where I trained for three years," Goku nodded. "Lemmie show ya around!"

 

"But Goku…" Chichi panted but stopped when Goku dragged her by the hand behind him excitedly. She dashed to keep up with him jogging toward the large building rising majestically off the platform. Through the meander4ing corridors Goku showed her intricacies of a secret training facility only the strongest knew. In wonder she saw the strange rooms and the weird ordeals he had undergone far from human civilization.

 

"Always away from everyone else. No wonder you've got no manners," Chichi laughed. Goku took her hand and faced her with that grin she loved so much.

 

"Well, I had to."

 

"You're always training! Why?" Chichi asked.

 

"To save the earth. Kami asked me to. And I couldn't refuse," Goku said, drawing himself up to his full height. Suddenly the logos on his gi changed and his features blurred. Fully blistered with muscle, Goku's massive chest stretched out the gi. She saw the earth open and ground crackle and sizzle around her. To her horror she saw as Gohan and Krillen screamed from the lizard figure aiming beams at them.

 

"Oh no, Gohan!" she screamed.

 

"Stay back," Goku said, holding her arm. "You can't interfere. You have to see this. We're on Namek."

 

"Oh god, why!" Chichi gasped, seeing a white vested Vegeta fighting for his life against the leering lizard. Slashing his tail, the smooth androgynous face leered and raised a finger to the beaten battered warrior huddled over. Blood dribbled from the cracks in Vegeta's armor, and Chichi felt sympathy for him.

 

"Watch," Goku said sharply in a voice she dared not disobey.

 

"You bastard, you slew my people and my planet. You'll pay!" Vegeta said, face twisted with hatred.

 

"Don't make me laugh. You're still a worthless monkey. Now die," Freiza laughed harshly. Gasping Vegeta shivered in horror, rooted to the spot as Freiza's finger aimed at him. A thin beam shot through and pierced the left side of Vegeta's breast. Chichi gritted her teeth to see it punch through to the other side. Vegeta gasped, heaving blood bubbling down his chest. Then he fell backwards, crashing to the scorched grass while the others watched helplessly.

 

"Freiza why! He couldn't hurt you!" Goku said angrily from behind Chichi. Pushing away he rushed over and leaned over the fallen prince. Voice breaking he pleaded, begged Goku for vengeance and Chichi picked up her skirts to stand by her husband. It was heart wrenching to see the helpless Prince with tears in his eyes grabbing at Goku's arm and pleading him to stop a madman.

 

Then she watched as Goku dug a hole and gently placed Vegeta into it. Respect and infinite sadness filled her husband's dark eyes as he covered the battered broken body. Why was Goku so compassionate to a monster like that? Seeing the monster watching them with slatted eyes and a madman's leer she knew why. Whoever this Freiza was he cared nothing for human sentiment.

 

Then she watched as Krillen levitated and screamed for help. His body swelled like a balloon, spinning under the gesture of Freiza's clawed hand. Goku's desperate scream of "Krillen!" as his friend exploded into atoms scattered over the planet's face. She saw the terror and outrage on Goku's face to watch Freiza merely laugh as if he'd only squashed a bug.

 

"Oh no, I didn't realize it was like this," Chichi whispered, burying her face in her hands. As much as she bitched about Goku's friends she was horrified. No one should watch their best friends killed before them.

 

Goku screamed in rage, fists clenched. Head thrown back he howled with the fury of one who had lost his soul. Chichi quaked in terror to see powers flaring around him, and energies crackling like lightening in the quickening wind. She wished Goku would kill that miserable monster. What was stopping him? Yet as she watched Goku's scream of rage she saw energies blurring into golden mist. Flames burst around him, engulfing his body as his hair shot upwards and he was transfigured. Suddenly in his place was the angry warrior with wrinkled brow regarding Freiza with cold turquoise eyes. Every muscle blistered with newfound power as her Goku strode up to Freiza.

 

"No more," Goku said with a voice echoing of power and vengeance. It chilled Chichi to see her husband with the fierce rage of righteous fury.

 

"What… are you!" Freiza trembled, and Chichi smiled in mean gladness to see a tyrant shaking in his boots.

 

"I am your worst nightmare. The answer to all who cry out in pain and suffering!" he rasped, striding towards the terrified white shape thrashing its tail.

 

"No… no… it can't be…" Freiza stammered. Despite his terror his hand still raised to defend against the new golden menace. "He can't be a Super Saiyan…"

 

All Chichi could whisper was her husband's name as she saw him attack. Then the planet exploded into bits around them, and she screamed his name in sorrow. Images of dying and suffering flashed through her mind and she saw every bit of what Goku had witnessed on Namek. Suddenly she knew why he had done what he had. To save Gohan, and save everyone from a horror that could destroy them all.

 

She felt his agonized decision on that distant planet where strange beings huddled around his battered body. Helping to lift him and carry him and the broken pod towards a city on an alien world known as Yardrat. Slowly watching him heal and mutter to himself as he looked into the stars and searched for that distant Earth. Hearing him cry out her name and Gohan's as he tossed in many nights of fitful sleep on the adopted world.

***

"That's why," Chichi mouthed. Standing in the darkness with the fragments of spinning glass shattering and reforming she knew it.

 

"That's why, Chichi," Goku said sadly as he stood in the midst of it all, hand held out to her. Battered and tattered gi hung off his waist and shoulder, and she rushed towards him with tears in her eyes. Sobbing she threw herself into his arms and felt him hold her tightly.

 

Rubbing her back Goku looked down at her with infinite sadness that terrified her. All the destruction he had seen no mortal should comprehend. Cupping her cheek he rubbed her lips with his thumb. Chichi felt him wipe away the tears and give her a small smile. Quaking she gripped his chest and squeezed him to her as if terrified he'd leave.

 

"Goku, I'm sorry," Chichi whispered.

 

"It's okay Chi. You had to see it. That's why I stayed away. To fight to save you all," Goku whispered.

 

"Krillen… Gohan… and Vegeta… all killed… or dying," she sobbed.

 

"I need you Chichi. More then you can realize. But I need you to understand most of all. Why I must fight," Goku whispered as he cupped her chin in one massive hand. She stared up at the turquoise eyes burning holes into her soul and finding her wanting. Even though she hated the gold spikes crowning his brow she saw love in their depths. To see his brow furrowed over angled eyes that demanded justice was just another facet of her husband.

 

"This is part of you, this golden," she whispered, touching his locks.

 

"I am needed," Goku whispered. "someone HAS to stand up to the evil."

 

"Why you?" she whispered.

 

"Because, I'm the only one strong enough. And if I don't train, I can't protect you and Gohan," he answered sadly. Chichi bit her lip and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. Leaning up on her tiptoes she pressed a kiss to his lips.

 

Goku gently held her, afraid to crush her bones to powder but hugged her tightly. Lifting her up he stared into her eyes now filled with love, not fear. "I love you," she whispered.

 

"I love you too, Chichi. Always remember that," Goku whispered. "We can never be separated ever… even if I'm far away I can still be here… in your heart and soul. That's what the bond gives us."

 

"I see," she whispered.

 

"Bond with me, Chichi. I need your strength," he whispered. Chichi nodded, and held tightly to her husband as wind whipped around them.