My Inner Demons

Chapter 7

Chi-Chi breathed heavily as she listened to the boys from outside the bedroom door, her heart clenching when Goten wailed that he couldn't believe she had hurt him. The others stood to her side, listening as the boys made their friend promise them something. Chi-Chi smiled slightly when Trunks asked the friend to read to them. Soon after she could hear both boys laughing.
"What do you guys think about their story?" Bulma asked quietly.
"Their young, it could still be an imaginary friend," Yamcha reasoned.
"Yeah, but I mean, it sounds so much like, like," Krillin said, not being able to say the name that was silently forbidden from being spoken.
"It can't be him," Piccolo stated.
Everyone turned to him, questioning looks being thrown at the Namekian.
"What do you mean?" Tien asked.
"Trunks said that their friend had told them that he hates his father. Gohan doesn't hate his father, he was broken up about the mans death that he-" Piccolo explained before he cut himself off.
"That explains it,"

"Goten?" Chi-Chi asked as she entered the boys room. Goten looked up from playing with his toys as his mother entered. It had been a few days after she had slapped him, they were to leave for the tournament in approximately thirty minutes. The boy has managed to avoid her completely.
Goten looked to the side and saw Gohan leaning against the wall, he visibly relaxed once he notice the older in the room.
"Goten, sweetie, I have something for you," his mother spoke as she entered the room and sat in front of her son.
Goten ignored his mother, not noticing the tears slowly falling from her dark eyes.
She pulled a teddy bear from behind her back and placed it near the boy, who stopped playing with his other toys. It was the teddy bear that belonged to Gohan.

Gohan stared at the toy from across the room, feeling a sense of familiarity as he stared at it again.
"It belonged to, someone special," Chi-Chi said once she noticed she had the boy's attention. Chi-Chi picked it up again, briefly hugged it to her chest before she handed it over to the smaller.
"Someone special?" Goten asked as he held the toy, looking it over before it's sent wafted up his nose. It smelled familiar to him. Slowly, he hugged the bear to his chest, feeling an overwhelming need to cry. He looked at his mother with big glossy eyes, silently asking her why he was feeling this way.

"You see, a long time ago, there was a boy, a very special boy," Chi-Chi started, her voice cracking. Bulma walked into the room but stopped when she saw what was going on. Trunks, right behind her, listened intently to what the dark haired woman had to say.
"This boy, saved the world, he was a hero! But he lost something very dear to him. He lost his father in the battle to save our planet, when his father died, he took a piece of that special boy along with him. His father didn't mean to, he didn't know what he was doing, but the boy lost a very important part of him," Chi-Chi said, her tears falling freely now.
"What did he lose, mom?" Goten asked, interested in the story.

"Well, Goten, he lost his heart and without his heart, he was sad. His sadness grew so strong and overpowering, that not even he, the greatest hero of the world, could fight it any longer. He hid his pain so well from his friends and family that they never noticed, until it was to late. He died, because of that sadness. Unknowingly, he left behind his baby brother, who would now grow up without a father and brother. This teddy bear, Goten," Chi-Chi said as she placed her hand on the bears fluffy back.
"Was that special boy's. It was his and he loved it dearly. Do you know who that boy was, Goten?" Chi-Chi asked.
"No," Goten said softly as he shook his head.
Chi-Chi smiled sadly at him.
"He's your big brother, Goten," Chi-Chi said.

Goten gasped silently, finally letting go of his tears.
"B-but why did he leave?" Goten asked, voice broken.
"He didn't mean to, Honey, he would have loved you," Chi-Chi said as she grabbed the small boy and hugged him, crying along with the boy.
"W-what is his name?" Goten asked through his sobbing.
"His name is Gohan," Chi-Chi said, speaking the name she hadn't in over seven years.
Gohan glared at the woman holding the boy, rage filling him. He stopped short at the memories running through his mind. He gasped softly at the realization. He was Gohan.

A knock drew the three's attention. Bulma stood there, smiling at the two on the floor.
"I hate to interrupt, but we need to go," Bulma explain.
"Alright, we'll be right there," Chi-Chi said, a small smile on her face.
Bulma smiled back at her and nodded, turning and leaving the room. She knew it must be hard to tell the little boy about this. Bulma still couldn't bring herself to believe that Gohan was truly gone. She still struggled to sleep properly, images of Gohan laying on his bed, covered in blood, still haunted her dreams. She shuttered, placing her hand over her mouth to muffle a sob, completely forgetting that Trunks was still there behind her. She missed the bright smile that belonged to her vest friends eldest son. She often wondered what Gohan would have looked like, had he not died. Sighing she quickly whiped her tears away and continued down the hall. Trunks stared after his mother, wondering why everyone was acting so emotional.

Chi-Chi turned back to Goten, quickly whiping both of their tears away.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you, honey," Chi-Chi whispered.
"I'm sorry to, mommy," Goten said, hugging his mother tightly.
"Alright, we have to get going," Chi-Chi explained as she stood up.
"What does Gohan look like, mom?" Goten asked, eyes shining with curiosity.
"I'll show you some pictures when we get home, okay?" Chi-Chi said.
Goten nodded enthusiastically, hugging the bear to his chest before placing it on his bed gently.

Goten took his mother's hand, not noticing how the teenager glared at them, jealousy coursing through him.
They boarded on the helicopter, flying to the island where the tournament would be held. Gohan watched as Goten and Trunks talked, constantly giggling and laughing at whatever it was they were talking about. Gohan made an attempt to talk to the boys, but was brushed off completely, ignored even. Gohan looked at them, his smile quickly slipping off his face as fear began to build up in his chest. Gohan started screaming in pain, his body fading in and out. He stumbled backward and fell, curling up into a ball as the pain continued to rip through him. He continued to scream, but no one turned to him, not even the boys. That's when he realized, he was completely forgotten.