Chapter 2: Pure-Hearted Purpose

On the other side of Bloody Pond…

Gine sighed and shook her head, unsure of what to do. Her son landed on the ground again and groaned as he held his aching back. "It's... it's just not working..."

Gine frowned. "Ka... Goku. You have to get all the selfish desires out of your head. For your family! You have to push the thoughts of wanting a good fight out of your head and focus exclusively on saving your family!"

Goku sighed and stood. "I'm trying! It's hard. I really do want to save my family and friends! They mean everything to me. But... I just can't help wanting to fight such strong opponents..."

Gine groaned and rubbed her face. "You're just like your father..."

She shook her head. "Come here."

Goku stood up and walked over to his mother. Gently, she grabbed his hand and stroked it gingerly with her thumb. She sadly smiled. "The last time I held your hand like this... you barely knew me. Just a couple of days out of the chamber... dressed in armor that was too big for you... still just an infant..."

She looked up at him. "Do you remember, Ka-"

She stopped herself and cleared her throat. "Goku?"

Goku frowned and shook his head. "I really don't. I'm sorry. I fell into a ravine when I was still little. Grandpa Gohan said that I nearly died."

Gine chuckled and shook her head. "Just my luck, honestly. I had always hoped that you would just forget the whole Saiyan heritage thing. Violent and hateful... I never expected you to make friends with weaker creatures like Earthlings... but I'm not upset that you did like Bardock and Raditz are..."

Gine let go of Goku's hand and clasped hers in front of her. "It almost makes me laugh that you forgot about us and just... had a better life as a result..."

She took a serious look on her face. "That's why you have to give up your selfish desire! You have a better life than we ever could have given you! You have a wife and child! You made a family to love you! And you can't let your Saiyan instincts get in the way of that, Kakarot!"

Goku flinched. But in his heart, he felt kinda happy. He had never really desired a mother before, but this feeling he was feeling was really nice. He watched as Gine blushed and started to correct herself. "I'm sorry. I mean, you can't let your instincts get in your way, Go-"

Goku gently grabbed her hand and smiled. "You can call me 'Kakarot' if it makes you more comfortable."

Gine looked up at her son and a wave of pure relief washed over her face. Her lower lip began to tremble and tears welled in her eyes. "Are you sure?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, Mom, I'm sure."

Once again, emotion overtook her and Gine started to cry. She leaned into her grown son's chest and just cried, enjoying every second of hugging him, which he returned in kind. Her sobs echoed out across the entire Hellscape, sobs of joy and relief.

As Goku found himself genuinely enjoying this moment, he recognized the smell of Gine.

Suddenly, vague memories of long ago rushed through his mind. Memories of a scared and lonely infant crying for comfort. Crying for this warm and gentle touch. Experiencing such a feeling for the first time since he could remember, he realized that this was something that deep down, he always missed. A mother's love.

Goku smiled when Gine finally backed up and wiped her face. The two smiled warmly at one another. Goku chuckled. "Okay. Let's give it one more shot!"

Gine nodded affirmatively. "You can do this, Kakarot! I believe in you!"

Goku gripped his fists and began to pump himself up. The Saiyan closed his eyes and focused. "Okay! Family! Gotta focus on my family! Gohan and Chi-Chi! This isn't about fighting strong guys! This isn't about pushing my limits! This is about..."

Goku leapt with all of the force he could muster, taking off like a rocket. "MY FAMILY!"

Goku flew up towards the Heavens, one thought repeating itself in his head. "Gotta save my family! Gotta save my family! Gotta save my family!"

Gine watched as he flew up and smiled. From behind her, a gruffer voice spoke up. "You think he'll make it this time?"

Gine turned to see her husband and eldest son walking up, both staring up at the sky. She nodded. "I think he will. Kakarot is a good person, unlike us. He'll make it out of here."

Bardock grunted and closed his eyes. From behind a nearby spiky rock, he and Raditz both had watched Gine and Goku's entire interaction with their heads hanging low. He reflected on the premonition that he had viewed as he died. "I think you're right. Kakarot still has more to do in his life. He won't die against Prince Vegeta and Nappa."

Raditz remained silent, staring up towards his brother with a hard, but noticeably not hateful, look in his eye.

Near the Heavens under Snake Way…

Goku had his eyes shut tight as he got closer and closer to the Morality Barrier. His selfish thoughts were repressed. He was screaming his only goal in his head like a mantra. "Gotta save my family! Gotta save my family! Gotta save my family!"

Goku collided with the barrier and, to his surprise, it was much softer than before. He plowed into it and it stretched. He was going to do it! He was going to break through!

He cheered to himself as the barrier stretched. He could see Snake Way through the clouds. He was almost there! He closed his eyes and thought to himself as he flew up. "Mom! Thank you! Thank you so much! I would've been stuck without you!"

And then, the smile left Goku's face. "Mom..."

He glanced back down at the Hellscape below. "I..."

Goku didn't notice as the barrier got more rigid in an instant. He was too distracted by the thoughts and feelings he had for Gine. "I don't want to leave you here... I want to take you with me..."

And then, with a snap, the barrier regained its former rigidity. And, like a lead bearing in a slingshot, Goku was shot back to the ground below.

On the other side of Bloody Pond…

Bardock, Gine, and Raditz all turned as they saw Goku disappear into the clouds. Satisfied that he had made it out, the three of them went back to continue their existences. Maybe, now that they had learned the fates of both of their kids, Bardock and Gine could move on and be reincarnated.

But as they were about to flee back into the spiky expanse, a loud, rumbling crash smashed into the ground behind them. The three Saiyans ran up to the new crater and waited for the smoke to clear. Once it did, Gine gasped in horror as Goku pulled himself out of the ground.

Goku growled to himself. "D-Dammit..."

Gine cried out. "Kakarot!"

Goku looked up at his mother, seeing a mix of fear and sadness on her face. Gine questioned him. "What happened?! You were so close! You were going to make it! You..."

Gine squeezed her eyes shut as tears of anger filled them. "YOU IDIOT!"

Goku looked down in shame, sitting down in front of his family. "M-Mom... I-"

Gine shook her head. "You forgot about your Saiyan side! You forgot about us! Why can't you just forget your instinct to fight?! Why can't you-"

Bardock stopped her from shouting. "Gine... that's... not it..."

Gine turned to her husband. "This is your fault! He takes after you! His awful Saiyan instincts come from-"

Bardock gripped his wife's shoulder tight. "Gine!"

She stopped mid-shout and looked into her husband's eyes. Bardock glared down at her and pointed over to a pile of spikes with his thumb. "Come with me real quick. We need to talk."

Gine swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded. "O-Okay..."

Bardock and Gine both walked off, leaving Goku and Raditz alone together. The two brothers looked at one another and just... stared. After a few minutes, Raditz sighed and sat down next to his younger brother. "Kakarot..."

Goku frowned at Raditz. "What?"

Raditz growled under his breath, thinking back to him and Bardock alone in the cave after Kakarot and Gine had left. He remembered what his father said.

Earlier in Bardock and Gine's Cave…

Bardock sighed and turned to his chained son. "None of this is on you. We aren't blaming you, Raditz. We didn't tell you. We left you in the dark for your own good... and that's on us. I agree with you that Kakarot siding with the Earthlings was utterly stupid. But that's the life we sent him to live. Kakarot can't help the circumstances that made him... him."

Raditz remained silent, still angry at his fate. But, perhaps, just a bit regretful for what he had done. Bardock groaned. "Son... let your old man share something with you..."

The elder son watched as his father tried to drum up the proper words. Barodck finally spoke. "I've always been one to trust my instincts, and they've almost never been wrong."

Raditz scoffed. "Really?"

Bardock nodded. "Following my battle with the Heeters and their comments about Frieza, I knew something dangerous was on the horizon. Hence why I secretly stole an Attack Ball once I got back to Planet Vegeta. Before I had a chance to use it for Kakarot, my crew got sent to Kanassa and my concerns about Frieza's treachery were proven right."

Raditz turned to Bardock and Bardock closed his eyes. "You're aware of the attack I suffered on Kanassa? The one that gave me the ability to see the future..."

Raditz nodded. "Yeah. Mother told me about it not long after I met you both down here. Honestly, it sounds insane to me..."

Bardock shrugged. "Who honestly knows? I'm not here to tell you how to think. Call me crazy if you want to. But..."

Raditz glared at his father. "But what? What does that have to do with me? I'm dead. And I doubt that that is going to change."

Bardock looked at his son with a look of total seriousness. "But after hearing your reasons for doing what you did on Earth, I can't help but feel that Kakarot actually feels bad for you. Likewise, I really think you want to make up with him."

Raditz grumbled.

Bardock knelt down next to his eldest son and broke the chains that were binding him. "If you were being serious when you told us that you just wanted to have your brother back in your life, then this is your last chance to clear the air with him."

The older Saiyan helped Raditz to his feet. "I don't know Kakarot. Not anymore. I have the least personal relationship with him out of any of us. I don't care if he remembers me. But soon enough, Kakarot's gonna leave this place. If you want to find any peace in your afterlife, I'd suggest you and him have a heart-to-heart of sorts while you have the chance."

Raditz lowered his gaze to the ground and Bardock walked to the entrance of the cave. "I'm going to find your mother and brother. It's up to you whether you want to follow me or not."

Bardock leapt away and Raditz stood there, silently. After a moment, he raced after his father.

Back in the present…

Raditz took in a deep breath and then let it out. "I was wrong."

Goku cocked his head. Raditz didn't look at his brother, he just stared out into the distance. "My life was miserable. Vegeta and Nappa made sure it was. Neither of them has any power in their life, so turning me into a punching bag made them feel better."

Raditz spat on the ground. "I wanted someone to hold power over. I wanted someone who would listen to me. I wanted someone to look up to me. I..."

The older brother closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm selfish. And scared. And weak. And what I did to you was desperate and pathetic."

Raditz turned to Kakarot and smirked. "But I guess am I kind of proud that you stood up to me... even if it led to this..."

Raditz pointed at his Halo and chuckled. "Dammit, I'm thankful to not have to hear Vegeta and Nappa's stupid voices anymore. So I'm not going to be angry at you for defending yourself... and I'm not going to act like a half-hearted apology like this is going to make us friends..."

The older brother looked at his younger sibling with a solemn frown. "But you have to promise me that you're going to stick your foot up Vegeta's ass when you fight him."

Feeling just a small bit of understanding between himself and his estranged brother, Goku nodded. "Of course. I'll beat him, no problem!"

Raditz chuckled and shook his head. "Then I guess I can rest in peace when all of this is over."

Goku sighed. "But... I still don't know how I'm going to get out of here. I nearly made it out, but another selfish thought popped into my head and-"

Another voice interrupted. "It doesn't matter. We have a plan."

Goku and Raditz both turned to see their parents walking towards them. Bardock looked serious and Gine looked sullen. Bardock held his hands out for his sons to grab and jerked them both to their feet. Goku cocked his head. "So, you have a plan, huh? What is it?"

Bardock's voice was like gravel. "If you're too much of an emotional idiot to make it through on your own, then we'll just force you through."

Goku nodded. "Force me through, huh?"

Bardock nodded back. "Yeah. Nothing is impenetrable. You're just too weak to get through on your own. At least you are right now."

Goku pouted. "I am not weak."

Bardock snorted. "You're the third strongest person out of the four people standing here. Raditz said you're currently at about 1000 tops. Raditz is still quite a bit stronger than you with a max of 1600 and I'm in a whole different realm from Raditz..."

Bardock pointed to the sky. "So, if he and I were to launch you at that barrier with all of our power combined, and Gine were to ride up with you and direct you properly, it should, in theory, blast you straight through like a missile."

Goku nodded. "Uh-huh... I guess that makes sense. But... are you really that much stronger than Raditz? You don't feel that much stronger... like... if he's a 1600 your... a 2000. Right?"

Bardock smugly smirked and powered-up to max. "I'll have you know, brat, that my power level is well-over 10,000. I'm stronger than anything you've faced in your boring Earth life!"

Goku flinched back at the sudden pressure that was knocking into him. He was in awe at his father's true power. Bardock smirked. "Now, Gine, grab on to him. Let's get this shit over with."

Goku turned to Gine and watched her quickly shake a longing, romantic gaze out of her eyes. "Y-Yeah. Of course, B-Bardock~"

Gine quickly hopped up on Goku's back, adjusting herself and wrapping her arms around her son's shoulders and her tail around his waist. After she did that, Goku stepped onto Raditz and Bardock's cupped hands. The two of them lifted him as high as they could into the air before they both began to charge their most powerful attacks.

Bardock called up to the two of them. "Gine! You know what to do! Just like we planned! Kakarot, shield you and your mother so that we don't obliterate the two of you!"

Goku nodded and quickly formed an energy shield around himself and Gine. Gine grabbed onto her son tight. Finally, Bardock smiled. "Okay then! Happy travels, Kakarot!"

The energy blasts in Bardock and Raditz's hands swelled to maximum size and they both screamed at the top of their lungs.

"WEEKEND!" "RIOT JAVELIN!"

In a massive showing of force, the two more powerful Saiyans propelled their weaker family members high into the sky, putting out as much energy as they could stand to. Once his brother and mother were out of earshot, Raditz turned to Bardock. "Do you really think we'll be able to force them through?"

Bardock smirked and shook his head. "Honestly... No."

Raditz flinched. "W-What?!"

Near the Heavens under Snake Way…

Goku was aghast. "W-what do you mean forcing me through won't work?"

Gine sighed. "I'm sorry to lie to you like that, Kakarot. It's just... Bardock didn't want to embarrass you... he's a Saiyan who understands the concept of pride, so..."

Goku turned his head to Gine. "What do you mean?"

Gine kept her face buried in her son's back. "Kakarot... what really prevented you from getting through the morality barrier?"

Goku tensed up. "I..."

He could feel the wet spots developing on his back. Goku adopted a miserable frown. "I don't know you that well, but you seem like such a good person. I never really thought about it before, and I didn't get a chance to with Raditz attacking me the instant I rejected his offer... but I want to get to know you guys..."

Gine squeezed Goku tight. Goku frowned. "Mom. Are you okay?"

Gine buried her face even deeper into Goku's back, not wanting her son to see just how hard she was crying her eyes out. She squeezed them shut and thought back to the day he was taken out of his growth chamber. How, despite the other Saiyans mocking her, she just held him as tight as she could and as close as she could. And how, despite the fact that he was asleep, he held onto her as well. Everyone in the birthing center jeered her for such a weak attitude, but Gine didn't care that day. Because, in her mind and in her heart, she was feeling true love.

Gine swallowed a lump in her throat and desperately sobbed into Goku's back. "I'm so happy that I got to meet you."

Goku placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm happy that I got to meet you too. But how am I going to get out of here if I can't be forced through..."

Gine sniffled and charged an energy ball into her hand. Goku called out to her again. "Mom?"

Gine ignored him as she thought back.

On the day of Planet Vegeta's destruction…

King Yemma's eyes were wide as he stared down at the innocent soul in front of him. "Excuse me?"

Gine smiled up at him. "I politely refuse."

King Yemma was dumbfounded. "You refuse? But... you're the only person from that miserable, evil planet that even qualifies. You barely qualify, but you make the cut! You don't have a single selfish or evil desire in you, unlike the other Saiyans. Compared to them, you're practically the model soul to be sent to Heaven!"

Gine nodded. "I thank you for the compliment. But..."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Gine saw Bardock's soul brawling with several ogres as they forced him onto the shuttle to Hell. "You must forgive me... my soul might belong in Heaven as you say... but my heart lies elsewhere. So, I'm quite sorry, but I choose to go to Hell."

King Yemma was stunned. He picked up his stamper. "Understand this. Once I finalize this decision by stamping it, there is not much that can be done to undo it. And once you are sent to Hell, your soul will be cleansed and reincarnated. You, as you are right now, will cease to exist after a while. Are you sure?"

Gine smiled. "I'm positive."

King Yemma bowed his head and sighed out of his nose. And then, he pressed his stamp onto Gine's form. And so, she was, alongside the rest of the now dead Saiyan race, sentenced to burn in Hell.

On the other side of Bloody Pond…

Raditz scoffed. "What do you mean Mom came here by choice?! What the hell does that mean?!"

Bardock sighed. "That's something to ask your damn fool of a mother, not me. But... that doesn't change the fact that she is the key to getting Kakarot out of here."

Raditz was totally confused. "How?!"

Bardock glared up at the sky. "Raditz. Never forget this. Your mother is a gentle, kind soul. She deserves better than to have to deal with three idiots like us. And yet, she chooses to do so anyway."

Raditz stared over at his father in stunned silence.

Near the Heavens under Snake Way…

Goku called back to Gine again. "Mom?"

Gine smiled and gave her son one last hug. "Kakarot. I don't know if you'll understand what I'm about to say. You're a Saiyan through and through, so you might not fully grasp what I'm about to tell you..."

Goku cocked his head. Finally, Gine pulled her tear-stained face from her son's back. "I love you more than you'll ever know."

Goku flinched. "M-Mom?! What are you-"

Gine pressed the ball of energy into Goku's back, enveloping him in her spirit, wrapping him in her most selfless desire: that Goku make it back to his happy life away from his Saiyan heritage. In doing so, she shoved herself off of him.

Goku reached out to Gine as she free-fell, getting further and further away from her son.

She smiled at him and cried out at the top of her lungs. "Save your family and live well, Kakarot! That's all I want from you!"

Goku, for the second time, felt that miserable pang in his chest. He watched Gine fall, getting further and further from him and becoming smaller and smaller as she did, and he cried out. "MOM!"

The two blasts smashed Goku into the Morality Barrier and, unlike before, he went through without an issue.

Snake Way…

Goku laid there on the edge of Snake Way, staring up at the sky. It took him a minute to make himself move. Finally, he stood up and looked back over the edge of Snake Way. All he saw was a sea of yellow clouds. It had only been 2 days since he fell over the side of of the serpent road... and yet he looked so longingly at the clouds.

"Save your family and live well, Kakarot! That's all I want from you!"

Goku shook his head as those final words from Gine rang out. He then turned and continued his sprint towards King Kai's home.