Risk
Epilogue
Porunga hovered within the heavens above Gohan, Piccolo and the other hundred Namekians on the planet's surface. Goku, in the meantime, was lying on the ground unmoving besides the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He had yet to regain consciousness since his battle with Majin Buu had ended; so how is it that the strongest protector of Earth still merely out of it?
Though it worried the elder son, he had other things to consider first and foremost. Without hesitation, he began to word his wishes properly for things to go back to normal. The first wish was to restore all life except for those who were impure. Yet, when they got to the second wish, it was then that Gohan finally looked back to Piccolo.
"Has dad awakened yet?" Gohan asked.
"We could ask Porunga to awaken him," Piccolo suggested.
"Right," Gohan asked the Namekian to translate that into their plausible second wish.
However, such a wish, despite its intentions, never seems to go heard.
"THIS WISH CANNOT BE GRANTED… THE ONE NAMED SON GOKU REFUSES TO AWAKEN…" Porunga replied in such a cryptic tone.
"What?" Gohan felt like this was the time his father and mother refused to return to Earth shortly after battle. "My mother, Son Chi-chi alive isn't she?"
"SHE IS, BUT THE WARRIOR REFUSES TO AWAKEN FOR ANOTHER REASON…"
"No…" Gohan sank to his knees, tears forming in her eyes. "Is… is there a way he could wake up?"
"IT IS BEYOND MY POWER TO…"
"If it's beyond your power, then why could you bring countless others back, but cannot awaken my father?" Gohan yelled at the eternal dragon that hovered there silently while a mere mortal had taken his anger out against a being with mystical powers one could never phantom. Yet, were these powers not enough to bring back the one that had saved the very universe from its destruction?
"Goku!" Chi-chi's voice yelled across the darkened landscape. Gohan looked out and noticed his mother running towards them. When she finally fell to her knees next to him, she muttered his name and shook him softly. "Please, wake up…"
"Mom, he won't wake up… he's…" Gohan started to say; however, the motion of Piccolo's head shaking told the young male not to say another word.
She looked up at Porunga and held her husband in her arms. "Is he not able to wake up because of what happened in that last battle with Majin Buu?"
"THAT IS PART OF THE REASON…"
"Do you think it's possible to reverse that damage done?" Chi-chi asked.
"IT IS POSSIBLE."
"Then I wish for any damage physical and mental to be erased from my husband's body."
A soft glow surrounded Goku's form and moments after the wish had been made, she looked down almost caught by surprise. A smile crossed her face and fresh tears, those of happiness lined her eyes.
'…months passed since the incident and though each day was a difficult readjustment for myself and my family, I am grateful now that I took what risks that were necessary to get this far in life.'
Chi-chi closed the new journal that she had started keeping shortly after the incident. It helped her cope with her feelings when her husband and mate were not around. Truth be told, she hadn't thought of her life any more complicated than when the events that lead up to this peaceful and promising future opened up to her.
At first, she was surprised Gohan was now a high school student and after a bit of arguing about if Goku really agreed to such a bizarre thing, Chi-chi laughed off the odd behavior and eventually accepted that her son needed a more enriching experience with peers his own age. This in time led to a new relationship that he openly shared with Videl, who in time fell in love with Son Gohan.
Despite the heckling and prospect of having grandchildren in the future, Chi-chi only hoped that her future daughter-in-law had more children than she did. Goku on the other hand was indifferent, but from time to time, he wondered if he too could give Chi-chi the kind of family she always wanted.
Late one evening by the time everyone went to bed, Chi-chi was in front of the mirror brushing her hair when she felt the comforting and strong arms embrace her from behind. She glanced behind her with an amused look.
"Chi-chi, can we?" Goku asked innocently. It was then Chi-chi realized what that mischievous glint in his eyes meant.
"Goku, remember back when we were fighting Buu how uncomfortable I was?" Chi-chi asked. She felt tense in his arms at that moment; not that anyone could blame her after all that transpired.
"Yeah, what about it?" Goku questioned.
"Well, I can't have any more kids…" Chi-chi looked away, fearful of what had transpired.
"Chi-chi, of course you can have more kids… though after what…" Goku started to say before he was interrupted.
"No I can't! You forgot that when I was raped by Lamoch, I… I was pregnant with his child…" Anger crossed the Earth-raised Saiya-jin's face. He would have left; however, Chi-chi grasped the front of his shirt. Those hands were visibly shaking and had she not held him, he would have torn through hell to maim the man who touched the woman in his arms; the woman he loved with all of his being. "…afterwards, Shin somehow cancelled the child's conception, but the price of that is I can't get pregnant anymore…"
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Goku asked. His voice was filled with pain; pain that invoked sadness, hurt and bitterness.
"Well, I was worried that you would end up getting a divorce from me after all that transpired, especially when I don't recall vividly how I reacted when I was being raped…"
"Chi-chi…" Goku muttered her name softly. Though he was more worried about her safety after she had been abducted, he couldn't be angry at her. It was impossible; no, improbable to be when she wasn't herself at the time.
"…oh, you deserve someone else, someone who can make you a better family than I could…" Chi-chi felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt utterly ashamed for confessing all of this, but she felt with each tear her heart possibly breaking. Every minute with him almost seemed like her last one; however, the Earth-raised Saiya-jin had yet to release his mate.
"Chi-chi…" Goku was still trying to get his wife's attention. It felt oddly familiar how they were talking like this; almost though it happened once before.
"…someone who could be completely normal… someone who could love you better than…"
"Chi-chi!" Goku finally got frustrated at her babbling and had to say her name a little harsher to snap her out of her delirium. Surprise etched on her face, almost bewildered why he raised his voice to her in such a way. Was he going to say something rude and leave after all she said? She braced herself for what he was about to say. This was it. Was he really going to leave her after all? "If I really wanted anyone else in the world, then tell me why I'm still here?"
"Goku, you…" Chi-chi started to speak again, yet, the Earth-raised Saiya-jin pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. They stared at each other for what felt like hours when in reality, only a few moments passed by.
"Chi-chi, it doesn't matter if you can give me anymore children or not… I love you for who you are and I wouldn't change you for anyone else…" Goku reassured. "…besides, I always felt like I couldn't express myself in any other way besides fighting and like this…" His hands gently brushed the sleeves of her shoulders down to her elbows; exposing her soft milky shoulders and revealing the cleavage of her breasts. "I love you Son Chi-chi…"
"Oh Goku… really?" Hope seemed to fill her heart. Perhaps there was a silver lining despite the tragedies and misfortunes they had gone through.
"I wouldn't trade you for anything else in the world," Goku promised Chi-chi. A joyful laughter filled the air and she kissed her husband softly on the lips. He pulled her closer as the lights dimmed in the room; their happiness and future finally secured.
It was a risk to have a relationship with this man, let alone be still married to him. For both Goku and Chi-chi, they had taken many of these risks in the past that lead them to this moment where not even the trials of time were enough to keep them from each other.
In the end, the greatest risk that kept them together was love.
Fin.
Well, that's it. The story's finally over and I will admit, this was the most challenging story I ever had written up to this point. I like to thank every reviewer and silent reader who's followed this story from start to finish. In nearly three years since I started, I never imagined it to have grown to be one of the most beloved stories I had the privilege to write. I hope that all of you will have the chance to read more of my stories that I will get a chance to publish. Other than that, feel free to leave your closing feedback and other comments.
~Chibi Mirai Gogeta