The Sleeping Princess

Two Choices

After bathing the princess, Chichi put away the bucket and began her search for Goten. Her motherly instincts told her that she would find him at the space pod launch outside the castle. And she was right.

Goten stood on the outskirts of the space pod launch, holding a bundle of shopping bags, and faithfully watching Prince Trunks take a guided tour into one of the pods from a newly returned soldier. Chichi clenched her hands at the sight. "Please, don't let Goten get into one of those things," she whispered. Gohan and Goku had both been sent on a mission six months ago. She couldn't go on living if Goten was sent away, too.

"GOTEN!" Chichi screamed, instantly regretting it. She couldn't help herself. Her fear of losing her youngest son was just too strong…but the fear she felt when Prince Trunks and the unnamed soldier looked up from the space pod was so much stronger. She was a servant. What right did she have to call her son away from the prince?

Chichi bowed deeply, acknowledging the prince.

"That's Kakarot's human, ain't it? What's it doing here?" the soldier grumbled, his hands on his hips.

Goten's shoulders tensed.

Chichi lowered her eyes to the ground. The Saiyans terrified her, but she wasn't about to leave without her son. Thankfully, Prince Trunks didn't have his father's temper, and he barely acknowledged Chichi's outburst.

"Hi, Mom!" Goten shouted from where he stood, turning so Chichi could see his smiling face. The stack of shopping bags in his arms was nearly taller than he was." You finished your chores early! I guess we should hurry home before it gets dark."

Chichi and Goten looked at Prince Trunks, asking the same question without having to voice it. Can we go home?

Prince Trunks gave a slight nod. Goten ran from the space pod launch and headed back to the castle. He needed to put away the prince's new things before he left.

Chichi distanced herself from the space pod launch, returning to the castle. Instead of going inside after her son, she veered off the main path and walked into a thicket of bushes. Behind the bushes was a hidden, worn out path that only she and Goten used.

She hid herself between a crevice of large rocks as she waited for Goten. Her fear for Goten and herself was overwhelming. It never used to be like this, not when she had at least Gohan or Goku on the planet to protect them. With both men gone, Chichi was defenseless against King Vegeta and his soldiers. Yes, King Vegeta had agreed not to harm her so long as she cared for the princess every day, but he could break that agreement whenever he wished. King Vegeta could be unpredictable.

The way Chichi saw it, she had two options. One, wait for King Vegeta to kill her while pretending that everything was going to be okay and continue living as a servant. Two, steal a space pod with Goten and hide away on a distant planet.

She had already made up her mind by the time Goten reached her.