Chi-chi ran up stairs, grabbed a towel, and wiped her face. Ten years and she had grown to love the Montana Mountains, the view of the valleys, and the snow on the tall peaks. A feral curved on her full lips, accenting the changes that have occurred as a result of Goten�s wish and training. Thirty miles today, she thought to herself.
Taking a deep breath, she untied her hair and allowed it to fall to her waist. Laughing, she watched the sun dance on the black, silky strands, reminding her over and over again the youth restored to her. Occasionally she felt guilty about her friends, but they too had the ability to wish similar things from Shenron. After drying her hair, she moved to her deep, black tail. She thought it perfectly normal to possess a black tail, not knowing how rare or attractive it was among Saiya-jin society. All she knew was the euphoric feeling it gave her each time she rubbed the delicate fur.
Goten�s tail had returned within a few days after wishing for full blood, but it was the same reddish-brown like his father�s. A rare depression washed over her at the thought of her ex-husband, but she quickly pushed it aside. Goten didn�t deserve her unhappy thoughts, but her love and thankfulness. She was thankful� Yet she longed for something she didn�t have a real name for.
Despite her upbringing and beliefs, Chi-chi filed for divorce after leaving Japan. She gave no forwarding address and the lawyer finalized everything without her presence needed in a court of law. Chi-chi never wanted anything from Goku, only to be free for both of them to find a measure of happiness. All the money, she had left in the banks, wanting to survive under her own power, never once wanting to give anyone the satisfaction that she owed them her life or money.
She recalled each day in her new home as if they occurred yesterday. Chi-chi began a routine with jogging, increasing the distances until she easily ran up and down the rugged slopes of her mountainous home. The time away from home had been lonely and healing at the same time, her efforts focused on Goten and mending the damage caused by his father. She still noticed dark circles beneath his eyes, the bitterness that seemed to grow rather than fade. Something was deeply bothering him, but he rarely spoke of the past or the decisions that he made. All he demanded was that his mother enjoy her life and never accept second best at anything.
Taking one last breath of the morning air, she stepped into her apartment, immediately sensing her son�s sorrow. Normally her son greeted her with a hug and smile, regardless of how empty he felt inside. �Goten?�
�In the living room.�
Goten had indeed changed over the course of ten years. She was taller, stronger, and as deadly as Vegeta with his Saiya-jin instincts. No longer did he allow females to fawn over him, rather he shoved them away in rude contempt. And no one ever messed with his mother.
His voice was strained, as if he were holding back the wealth of emotions threatening to consume him. She found him sitting on the couch, a newspaper lying on the floor. �What�s wrong?�
�Read it.� Goten wasn�t much for words, liking her to find her answers for herself rather than having everything handed to her.
Chi-chi trembled, prepared to simply ignore the paper and go back for another run. Goten, sensing her desire for flight, quickly rose and maneuvered her towards the couch. �Sit and read it,� he growled. Sadly, he smirked, sensing the rising fire in his mother to challenge him. She wasn�t the same, broken wife he had known all his life, but a warrior just as swift and fast as himself. His mother thrived on their daily lessons, all the more for him to resent his father. Chi-chi was a natural warrior, trapped to a house and raising a family that eventually left her in the end.
�You�re leaving aren�t you. The planet�s in danger and�� Goten was at her side in a flash, grasping her trembling hands in his warm ones. He may have become a predator, but he was still her son and she saw the love in his expression each time he met her gaze.
�We made a deal,� he whispered, annunciating each word slowly so that they may sink in better. �Where I go, you go. It�s not your job to stay at home and learn from someone else the fate of your children or friends.� Goten snarled, immediately capturing her attention. Red flames danced in his dark eyes, �Don�t mistake me for a half-breed anymore, mother. Saiya-jins, from what little I know, never leave their children, family, or mate unprotected. It just isn�t done, nor tolerated!�
She kept her mouth shut, but he instant knew what she was thinking. �Kakarot isn�t normal mother. Even Vegeta doesn�t understand him, nor does he try anymore.�
�So why are��
�I said to read the paper.� Grabbing it, he placed it in her hands, turning it to the front page for her to capture the headlines.
�Trunks, Bra� They must feel.�
�Worry about Vegeta instead.�
�I don�t understand. Her kids��
�Haven�t really been home in the last ten years. Don�t ask how I know this just that I do. Vegeta is truly alone now. All he had was Bulma, even if he didn�t love her. She had accepted him for what he was and enjoyed the time he had chosen to give during her human life. Why she never wished to become a Saiya-jin or eternally young is beyond me. Anyway, enough about Vegeta. You never really liked or trusted him anyway.�
She frowned. Until now, Chi-chi would have thought the same thing. �That�s not true� entirely.� Goten�s brow lifted, amused at her outburst and the blush that crept from her neck down. �He has to be the most arrogant and selfish bastard I ever met, conceited at himself. However, he�s extremely loyal to family and children. More than�� she stopped herself, tossing the paper aside and storming to the window. Chi-chi refused to cry, that part of her life was over now and she wasn�t going to degrade either of them by living in the past again.
�The funeral is tomorrow.� His mother nodded, leaving the room to gather her thoughts. Damn it! Even now I can�t get him away from her! Goten, if it was the last thing he did, was going to rid her of every influence Goku had on her. She still loved him, despite everything he had done to her�
Trunks watched the casket lowered into the ground, the priest softly whispering prayers to his mother�s passing spirit. It wasn�t really her that bothered him. She had lived her life, refusing to wish upon Shenron to become young again. He had cried for a brief moment when given the news of his mother, but it was his father that concerned him. Trunk wasn�t the best son, nor was he what his father wanted or needed him to be. Vegeta seemed haunted and empty without Bulma, as if she were the only barrier to something far worse than loneliness. Why won�t he let us in? His eyes fell on Gohan, the quiet Saiya-jin who had continuously searched for Goten and his mother. They had simply vanished. Trunks had sinking feeling it was because of Goku, but no one spoke of it. His gaze scanned the large crowd, falling on two people in the back, both clothed heavily in black.
The taller one hovered close to the short one, his stance protective and comforting at the same time. Power surrounded the tall figure, and a lethality that quickly had Trunks on the alert. Beside him, he heard loud sobs and he quickly re-focused his attention on Bra. She was the closest to her mother, even if she had been away for the past ten years earning her degree. �Bra?�
�I�m ok.�
�Don�t lie to me!� Trunks snarled. Startled, she stepped back, and instantly he regretted losing his temper. They all had been different, none of them understanding how they had become full Saiya-jins over night and who had been responsible for the change. �I�m sorry.�
�No you�re not. How Pan puts up with you; I�ll never know.�
�Pan? What about her? I thought she hated�� Trunks made a mental note to corner the volatile female. It was long overdue and a welcome change to his office environment.
�Forget it. How�s dad? He didn�t come.�
�Did you expect him to? He�s probably hiding somewhere; you know how he is.�
�He hasn�t been happy for a long time,� she whispered.
�He made mom happy. She died with a smile on her face.�
�He�s so broken��
�He told you this,� Trunks hissed.
Bra shook her head. �It�s a feeling I get around him. He doesn�t even get angry anymore, just tired. Dad stopped training.� Trunks immediately knew it was bad; his father lived and breathed fighting.
None of them saw the fallen prince, hovering above them in a tree. His aura was very low, almost to the point of fading out. His mind screamed he should do something, that the only person who gave a damn was now several feet under the ground. Weary from exhaustion, needing sleep, he simply sat there. His body was numb and cold and he truly understood what it meant to be alone. He could no longer claim he was the last Saiya-jin in the universe, yet it wasn�t enough. Stupid female! You were the only decent thing in my life! What reason do I have to spare this planet now?
There wasn�t a day that went by that he hadn�t contemplated suicide. The act was forbidden on Vegeta-sai, a cowards way out of life and the way of the warrior. Not that it matters. There�s none here that knew the old ways or traditions!
Without giving himself away, he left. Yet, despite his knowledge, someone did watch his every move, tracking him as he secretly retreated from the funeral.
Goten had to reassess everything. He hadn�t expected Trunks or Bra to act so strongly to Bulma�s death. The concern for their father was genuine and Gohan was far too damn thin. He had to think on it later; first he had to get to Vegeta. �Mom�?�
�Go,� she insisted. Even Chi-chi had spotted him, instinctively sensing the urgency for Goten to reach him in time. She�d only slow him down. �I wanted to say good-bye anyway.�
�I�m sorry mom. I shouldn�t have��
�Never regret the decisions we�ve made. Go, before it�s too late.�
Chi-chi turned and left, her thoughts in the past and the many things she had done as a child. Bulma and herself weren�t great friends, but they had a lot in common. Certain that she was safe, Goten took off, feeling the danger was Vegeta. His aura was unstable and weak, threatening to implode on itself at any moment.
Out of sight, he ran, slapping aside the hedges and thorns cutting his face. He had made a promise, something he did not take lightly. Vegeta was at the heart of the maze, holding a small ki ball in the palm of his hand. He trembled, soft whimpers lost on the thick, green walls. Vegeta raised his hand, preparing to throw the blast before something solid slammed and knocked him to the ground.
Livid with rage, Vegeta turned, ready to tear the intruder apart, but a fist punched him hard in the face, giving him little time to recover from the sudden fury of the attack. Rather than fight back, he allowed his attacker to do the job he wanted to do.
�You�re not a coward Vegeta! Fight back or I�ll break every bone in your body!�
Vegeta caught the next fist aimed for his rib cage, his eyes an unholy red. �Goten� �
His fury matched Goten�s easily, but it was the savagery in the younger Saiya-jin�s face that gave Vegeta reason to hesitate. He always thought the boy as soft and lazy. Ten years had greatly changed him, and not necessarily for the worst. �Leave now� I don�t explain my actions to you or anyone else, Goten.�
�My father cannot help what he is; however I expected better from the Saiya-jin Prince! Was I wrong to believe in you for the past ten years! If I was, I�ve wasted everything I�ve tried to accomplish and the Saiya-jin race truly isn�t worth saving.�
�What the hell do you care?� Vegeta roared. Goten ducked, aiming another precise hit to Vegeta�s side. Vegeta roared in rage, exploding to Super Saiya-jin in a flash. Without hesitation or thinking, he fought back, ending the battle before it had become.
Goten had no idea how he was struggling to breathe again, amazed at Vegeta�s strength and speed. �You�re the only person that did,� he answered. Vegeta dropped him, his expression still angry.
�It doesn�t change anything, brat.�
�Like hell it doesn�t!� Goten rose to his full height, towering above Vegeta. Instead of intimidating the shorter Saiya-jin, it only infuriated him. �I challenge you; in the tournament one month from now.�
�No.�
�Afraid you�ll lose?�
�Give me a break! No one�s defeated your father in thirty years and they�re not going to do it now!�
�He will not win the next tournament!� Goten snarled.
Startled, the two Saiya-jins stared at each other, an understanding flowing between them. �I underestimated you kid. You�re far more Saiya-jin than I gave you credit.�
�So is Trunks and Bra I see.�
�You�re responsible� It suddenly made sense and Vegeta almost laughed at the irony of not thinking of the solution himself. �What else have you done?�
�Enter and win the tournament and you�ll find out,� Goten taunted. He ducked the fist flying for his face, countering with a blow to Vegeta�s chest. It wasn�t hard, but just enough to gain Vegeta�s attention. �I know you�re far stronger than you give yourself credit, Vegeta. Stop allowing my father to rule our lives! When it comes to fighting, he�s a genius. He never forgets a single move or technique, but learn some new ones; a lot of them!�
�Why are you telling me this?�
�I believe in you and you�re the only person that has a possibility of a chance at defeating him.�
Vegeta looked in the mirror. 'I look like crap!' A week had passed since Bulma's funeral, with a beard growing on his pale face. The tan he had worked so long to obtain, had almost vanished and some of the muscles were weak and flabby. Growling in disgust, he smashed the glass and walked out of his room, not surprised to see his son and daughter headed towards his direction in concern.
"Trunks, you need a hair cut! Bra, grab my training uniform and let's go."
Skidding to a halt, they could only stare in confusion as their father walked by and grabbed a sandwich from the table. Turning his head, "What are you waiting for? We have one month to get ready and I will not be made a fool of!"
"One month for what, dad?"
"The martial arts tournament!"
"Dad, I can't take a month off from..."
Trunks gasped, finding himself pressed against a wall with a hand around his throat. Despite his father's lack of training, his strength was nothing to sneeze at. "I own that company brat and if you don't want it leveled to the ground, I suggest you tell them you're going to be busy for awhile!"
Letting Trunks go, he glanced at his daughter and almost smiled. She looks like her mother, yet something's different about her too. What have I been missing? How long have I been depressed and isolated from my kids? "Go to Gohan's and tell him to meet us with Pan. This is not a request."
Bra quickly ran off, noticing her father was keeping a close eye on Trunks. "Hurry up. I want our hair taken care of before we start."
I hate training! Trunks fumed, not daring to voice his displeasure. Maybe if I sneak off, they'll forget about me and...
"Forget about it! Trunks, disgrace me and I'll make sure you regret it!"
"Dad, no one stands a chance against us there, so why bother?"
Vegeta smirked, saying nothing. "Boy, if you can last five minutes with the real competition, I'll give you the rest of Capsule Corp."
Trunks gasped, "Really? I can have the company?"
"Last five minutes against Goku's rival and its yours, however, if you don't, I take it."
"Dad, do you know anything about running a major corporation?"
"Are you calling me stupid, brat?"
"I'm twenty-seven dad, not a brat!"
Vegeta easily saw the Saiya-jin traits now, mentally thanking Goten for the changes. To his great pleasure, Trunks had stopped dating every damn female under the son. "Where's the closest hair place?"
"In town."
The shop was small, with one customer finishing up and paying the barber. When he saw his next clients, he tried not to laugh, but he had never seen anything like the hair that was on the shorter man in his life. Trunks groaned, hoping his father kept his short temper and didn't kill the guy or send him into traction. "Sir, I need a haircut."
"Make that two haircuts," Vegeta demanded, crossing his arms.
"Dad? Isn't your hair tradition?"
"What's the point when there's no one left to pass it down too? Look at your tail, it's purple, not the common color of brown or red."
Trunks hated seeing his long hair cut short again, but he had to admit it was more attractive. Grumbling in disgust, he remembered that he had a lot of work to catch up on, but Vegeta never changed his mind once he made it up. After he was finished, he walked outside and waited for his father, trying to figure out what had given him the spark to live again.
Mom tried for years to make him smile or laugh, but he grew further and further apart from us. Why won't he talk to me? His father stepped out in the sunlight and for a moment, Trunks was speechless. Vegeta's hair was cut short and slightly stood up, giving more definition to his facial features. The beard had disappeared, but the glint in his father's eyes had grown.
Vegeta knew his son was confused and wanted to explain, but he barely understood himself. Waiting in a park, eating hotdogs and ice cream, Bra finally joined them with Gohan and Pan.
"Where's Kakarot?"
"Training. He seems to think there's going to be a real challenge in the tournament this year and wants to enter."
Why am I doing this? Vegeta asked himself again, discouraged at the news.
I believe in you... Those simple words gave him the fuel he needed and he lifted his shoulders in pride."We better not disappoint him then."
Gohan and Pan paled. "You're not serious, are you? Dad hasn't been defeated in close to thirty years."
�That�s because we allow him to win. He knows every move we make, the way was we attack and our desperate decisions when we�re about to lose. That's going to change, starting now. Two, we're going to use the first three days in the time chamber. The first day will be with the four of us, while the second and third will be with family members only.
"How long do you want to spend?"
"Five years for each day."
"Why so long? Do we need that much?"
"If you want to beat the main competition, then it�s imperative we have the same amount of time he's had. Even Kakarot won't be expecting this and I'm curious to see what tricks the brat has.�
"Who is he?"
Vegeta thought about telling Gohan, but he had a feeling Goten hid for a reason and it involved Chi-chi. "You'll find out at the tournament."
Pan looked around her father's arm and laughed. "Trunks, I'm going to win again."
"No way! Capsule Corp. is at stake and I'm not losing to anyone!"
"Who's going to take it?"
"Dad."
Gohan started to laugh, "I was wondering how you talked him into fighting. The last time was his allowance for a month."
"Bra, are you going to enter?" Both women glanced at Vegeta, hoping he would agree. He fiercely protected his daughter, but the time had come for him to let her go and allow her to make her own decisions.
"I expect both of you in the finals."
"Our one disadvantage is not knowing the instant transmission."
"Actually, I do know it, but I never practiced it."
"How?"
"I learned it from Kakarot when we were fused together." Vegeta lifted into the air, "We have less than a month to get ready and I want the four of you with me."
Vegeta was asking for their help and they didn't have the heart to let him down. If I had had half the courage my future son did... Maybe it's not too late to find it. If it's one thing he had learned over the years, he couldn't fight his battles alone or with anger as his weapon.
"Why are we still here then?" Gohan taunted, starting the race to Kami's look out. "First family to win, gets to stay the second day."
"Move!" Vegeta ordered.
Gohan and Vegeta arrived first, with Bra shortly behind them. To their surprise, Trunks and Pan were flying neck and neck, giving it everything they had to beat the other. He could have won easily, but he knew Pan couldn't power up and chose to make it fair. When they landed, she whirled on Trunks and almost hit him if her father hadn't stopped her. "Dad, let them go first. Trunks would have won and I don't want his or anyone else's sympathy."
"Who said anything about sympathy?" Trunks growled, his face turning different shades of red. "I was trying to fight fair, but if you want hard ball, then I'll be more than happy to compensate!"
She has a lot of Kakarot in her, but her attitude is Saiya-jin. Would he have been different if he had remembered who he was? "I'm changing the plan. Gohan, take Pan and go. We'll take the second day and you'll rejoin us on the third."
Trunks and Pan continued to glare at each other, sparks flying in the air around them. Gohan picked her up and ignored her furious protests. When she set her mind to something, she was as bad as Chi-chi and rarely changed it.
Goten found his mother sitting in a tree, gazing at the cloudy sky. To his relief, the full moon was covered by the approaching storm, but he could still feel the pull it had on them.
"Are we going to keep training?"
"Do you want to win?"
"Goten, I'll be satisfied if I make it into the finals. We still haven't decided on if we're going to reveal ourselves in the beginning or wear disguises with code names."
"The last one."
"I've never been this nervous."
He smiled and jumped up beside her. "You'll do fine. With the exception of Vegeta, they won't be expecting us."
"Won't he tell them?"
"He could, but I doubt it."
"How are we going to hide our power levels from Goku?"
"We can't if we stay here. We'll have to go where the tournament is and finish our training there."
Goku stopped training and looked towards West City. 'Strange, I'm sensing a familiar power level, but it's stronger than I remember. Who's the second one?' They were trying hard to mask it and his curiosity was slowly getting the better of him. As he was starting to teleport, his stomach growled, making him forget what he was going to do.
Finding a fish, he ate and started to think about the upcoming tournament. He thought about asking Vegeta to join him, but the prince rarely spoke to anyone anymore. I never get a good fight, not since the adventure with the dark star dragon balls.
He thought about Goten and their last words. A twinge of guilt made him look at the stars. Goku tried to look for him, but he had disappeared with Chi-chi not long after she had filed for a divorce. I never meant to hurt him.