Life With You

Part 31: Sacrifice

Though Goku wore a cheerful demeanor on the outside, inside he felt as Piccolo, Dende, Krillin, Trunks and Gohan looked: apprehensive. As he was when facing the Artificial Humans, Vegeta left, preferring to arrive separately.

Krillin explained their reason for the glum faces. With Dende reviving Shenron instead of creating a new dragon, people who have died already can't come back. That included their group except Gohan and Trunks. Goku already suspected this but brushed it off as it wasn't a big deal.

Keep being positive. They can't see you worry. Then they'll worry and will lose confidence in fighting. Especially Gohan.

"Come on. Let's get going or we won't make it by noon."

"Son," Piccolo addressed Goku as they walked to the temple's edge, "why are you late?"

"Hmm?"

"You were to be here at eleven. It's almost half past. What took you so long?"

"Oh." Goku hoped no one noticed his tardiness. "Me and ChiChi were talking."

"That's all?" Piccolo was very suspicious. "You weren't doing that mating thing, were you?"

Gohan stopped walking which led Trunks to bump into him while Krillin threw his hands up. "Ugh! Piccolo! Why would they do that now? They had plenty of time for that!"

"You weren't living with them for three years!"

Four pair of eyes turned on Goku. They waited for his answer.

"It wasn't like that. Come on. Let's go or we'll be late."

Everyone leapt off Kami's Temple and flew at an easy pace. With their speed, they expected to arrive five minutes before noon. Gohan flew besides his father while everyone else stayed behind. "How's Mom?"

"Good. She can't wait for us to come home."

"I can't wait to go home, too. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"I told you to not worry. Everything will be fine." If only Goku believed what he said. Everything was riding on Gohan. Gohan didn't have the battle knowledge as he but Gohan was a quick study.

Gohan's far stronger than I was as a kid. It's not like I wanted Gohan to do this. I wanted to beat Cell but Gohan's our only option.

****

"Sit down, ChiChi. You're gonna put a hole in the floor."

ChiChi wouldn't stop pacing. She couldn't shake the bad feeling swelling in her heart.

"I can't do it alone anymore and that bothers me more than you will ever know!"

"You really think I would have Gohan fight if I didn't need him? Don't you think I want to send him away like I did on Namek? Cell is too strong for me. I need Gohan."

What did Goku mean by that? Why can't he do it anymore? Goku isn't old. He had a year in that room. Why can Gohan do it and he can't? Why didn't he go back in that room?

"ChiChi!" her father called again.

ChiChi glanced at the clock. It was past noon. "Has it started?"

"Not yet. Goku was going first but Mr. Satan will."

"That fool." ChiChi rolled her eyes as she returned to the room. "We're gonna see an execution live." Mr. Satan set up fifteen tiles to crush with his hand. When only 14 were crushed, ChiChi squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Only 14? I can crack thirty easily."