Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Shift ❯ Wakeful Dreaming ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three: Wakeful Dreaming

'No-yet still steadfast, still unchangeable,
Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel forever its soft fall and swell,
Awake forever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever-or else swoon in death.'

-John Keats, excerpt from

"Bright Star, Would I Were

Steadfast As Thou Art"

There she was, haunting him, haunting his dreams, her form forever fleeting. She was always just beyond his reach-why could he not take her?

"You let me fall, Gohan."

It was her voice, but it was so not her voice; this voice was cold, accusing, completely devoid of any warmth or joy or pity. But then…for what should she rejoice? Didn't she have a right to accuse?

"I-I don't want to die…Gohan!" Interrupted.

"Prince Vegeta."

A monotone computerized voice replaced the girl's now. She faded away into the deep corners of his mind which his conscious thoughts could not reach.

"Prince Vegeta, wake up."

Gohan obliged, slits slowly opening, as buds at dawn. Though the Saiyan pod was still dark, a very faint light could be detected outside the ship. His eyes slid over to a small monitor on which a tiny dot was blinking and words were being typed out in some language with which he was unfamiliar.

"Prince Vegeta: entering the orbit of 'Maiynar.' Fourth planet from unnamed star 4876-34. Life: present, level eight civilization. Atmosphere: breathable. Prepare for descent?"

In the darkness, the corners of Gohan's mouth curved up into a sinister smile. "No. Hold present course."

"Yes, Prince Vegeta." He leaned his upper body forward, maneuvering so that he could stare out of the single porthole at the planet passing below.

It was quite small-less than one-quarter the size of Earth. But there was life, abundant life from what the computer had said, and that meant that the Kais still cherished the planet. He placed one palm on the pane and shivered. So cold.

Gohan closed his eyes again.

*****

"But-no! Why?!" Goku slipped to his knees, lacking the strength to keep his body upright. He stared at his hands in disbelief. How could his own flesh and blood… "Why?! It-I can't understand this…this senseless killing!"

King Kai laid a land reassuringly onto the man's shoulder, comforting him as best he could. "No one understands it, Goku. But you must help us determine what has triggered this change and, more importantly, how to amend it."

Goku lifted his head and stared into space, myriad thoughts running rampant through his mind, all vying for his attentions. 'Gohan…why are you doing this?' His boy was so gentle, hesitant to harm even the most vile of creatures-his son had wavered against Cell!

And yet here he was…destroying entire civilizations, whole worlds…his own world, with a cold fist, showing neither remorse nor any sign of stopping.

"He's nearly wiped out the whole quadrant." The fighter turned and looked into the Kai's eyes at this statement. "Goku," his voice was grim, more so than he'd ever heard before. "Goku…he must be stopped. By any means."

Any means. Goku closed his eyes, feeling them stinging with unshed tears as he lamented his son's fate. They'd been apart for seven years-for seven years. He'd missed seeing some of the best years of Gohan's life. And apparently something had happened-but what could trigger such a rash decision as this? "Let me… let me go to him…"

"Goku-you know I can't do that. Not even in as serious a situation as this. A request like that could only be granted by...well, by someone higher up than me."

The father opened his eyes. "Then let me speak to him. Maybe…maybe he'll listen to reason." But in his heart, he felt whatever madness had driven his son down this path had placed him beyond reason's help.

King Kai nodded, and Goku placed one trembling hand on his back, closing his eyes.

*****

He was slipping…no, not slipping, falling…plummeting off a cliff, back into the darkness of hypersleep, awaiting the computer's message that another planet had come within range, when a voice entered his mind…strangely familiar. He felt its urgency, its confusion, its anger.

'Gohan? Gohan-answer me! Gohan!'

He frowned-he knew that voice. He remembered it from ever so long ago. "There's no need to shout…Dad."

On King Kai's planet, Goku's eyes shot open in shock. Gohan's voice-it was so cold, so uncaring, so…evil. This voice…could it really belong to his son?

"Been keeping tabs on me, have they? Good…I was starting to worry I wasn't taking drastic enough measures, but apparently I'm making some impact."

'Gohan… what are you doing?'

He smiled. "Little something I picked up over the years-it's called revenge, Dad. And I'll tell you, it feels good. To know that those who hurt you are, themselves, hurting… ah, ecstasy."

'Gohan, this is wrong, you can't do this! You're using your power to hurt others-what could anyone have possibly done to have you do this?'

From the safety of his pod, the demi-Saiyan smirked. "So many things happened. So much death, it didn't seem like a bit more would-"

'Why?! Gohan!' His voice rose in pitch, shrill and pleading. Gone, gone were the times of years past, when he could simply shake a finger at his son and say in a condescending tone, "No"-not that'd ever truly needed to with Gohan. Such a sweet child, who only wanted to lead a peaceful life with his parents, no fighting.

"King Kai…" came the sing-song voice, dripping with evil glee. "I can see you haven't told him yet….Why I'm doing this…"

The god cut in, 'Wha-I don't know why you're doing this, boy! No one does!'

"Tut tut, you shouldn't lie, sir. It's unbecoming of such a being as yourself…who holds such sway over mortals' lives…I'll tell you what: The next planet looks to be…" He cast a glance over to the computer screen to his left, "Oh…another few hours away. If my father can determine why this is happening, then…I'll spare this world I'm nearing. And-don't spoil it for him, I'll know. If you tell him the truth, or if he can't figure it out before the computer wakes me, then…well, I'll have to talk to you later. Need to get my rest." With that, he shut his mind to any further intrusions from the god or his father.

*****

"…King Kai?" No reply came forth, arousing suspicion in Goku's mind. Was the boy telling the truth? "You know why?"

"No… and yes."

"What?!"

The god was quick to explain. "No one in this realm can fathom exactly what has turned your son down this path, why he is doing these terrible things; but, I do know when this started, and what event occurred just before."

Event? Of course; his son wouldn't just gradually become evil…would he? Something made him snap… His eyebrow knit in determination. "Sh-show me, please. I have to see. To see as he saw it."

Nodding, the kai agreed. "That is how it must be done. The only way I can show you and yet not tell you. I will place your spirit in a world of his memory: you will see what he saw, feel as he felt. This, I believe, will not violate the pact."

*****

Three Weeks Ago

It's a strange thing, you know. Love. Real love.

The heaven that comes but once in everyone's lifetime, and it pays no heed to the conveniences of those it visits. If you don't catch it when it comes to you…if you let it go…if it dies…if you kill it…

It will not come again.

And it was for that reason that his son clung so fiercely to Videl, with all his mind, his heart, his very essence was tied into protecting and loving her, even if it was from afar. He knew; maybe she knew. All Gohan could do was wait for it to come and, in the meanwhile, hold on for dear life.

Goku felt the vital sign fluctuations of his son's body as he watched her through him, as a typical day unfolded before him through the boy's eyes.

Seven years he'd been gone. Gone from his friends, his family, his wife, his son. Weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds…every second lost now came back to him with the force of a million tiny knives slashing him, reproachful. "You missed this," or "You missed that."

Gohan attended public school now, a mystery in itself, no longer home-schooled by Chichi. With children of his own age…with this girl. Goku smiled: There was the son he remembered leaving behind, shy, polite, still ever-so-gentle. And this Videl…she reminded him of Chichi almost. So much…strong, willful, stubborn at times, but holding a good heart.

A dark cloud dropped from the heavens and rested upon Goku, filling his mind with questions: if everything was so right…what could have gone wrong?

Then, there it was. The long hallway Gohan had been walking down, and the girl, Videl, fell beside him, limp and unmoving. Goku sensed the worry-induced ki spike emitted by his son, felt the thoughts running wild through the boy's mind, the confusion, the anger as a crowd pushed in from all sides.

The girls was ripped from his arms, taken away to a hospital, and Gohan left her. It didn't matter how pure his intentions were, that he'd left to help her…it mattered that he'd abandoned her. That love.

And there was the mistake. The accident, through the fault of none save chance and fate. It was no one's fault, certainly not the kais', but Gohan didn't see that.

As he watched through the eyes as the news of her death was sent, he could hear an audible snap-the breaking of the barrier between his old Gohan and the new one, the pseudo-Gohan inhabiting his son's body.

Inside, he felt Gohan searching for an explanation. All the evil hoisted upon him through previous battles was crushing his poor soul, putting in its place a cold, unforgiving one. This was the final straw-there was no way back, nothing to return to.

His son existed now merely in name and body: there was no soul left.

Gohan was gone.

*****

Goku was jerked roughly from the memory, breathing in short, forced gasps. Eyes wide, he let the images wash from his tired mind, barely leaving any trace of their existence behind. After all, they were part of the old soul…

"He…he loved her…loved her so much…" His eyes clouded over with pity. "And…she died. She died-so he blamed the Kais."

The god nodded, his suspicions confirmed. "Now you see it. The truth. Gohan will not stop. He will not revert to his old self, he will not give up this vengeful soul on his own. You must reach him."

"I'll…I'll try again…" But he felt the cold thud in his heart, as the realization hit him and lodged itself in his own soul. He remembered his son's emotions, feeling the vast abyss of darkness, the barren wasteland which had ousted his son's gentle soul from his body…nothing he could do could help.

Nothing…

-END CHAPTER THREE-