A/N: So this is it! The last chapter! After 3 years the story comes to a close and I want to thank each and every one of you guys for reading. This fanfic has had 100,000 hits and over 500 reviews! It has been read in 140 countries/territories from Argentina to Zimbabwe and has been favorited over 200 times! So thank you so much for the support!

Before I start the story, I would like to address something that was mentioned in a review. Someone asked as to why the other Z warriors didn't sense Gohan and Goku's power level and come rushing to them, thinking they might just be in distress. The other warriors did sense the power levels of the two but everyone could immediately tell that it was just Gohan and Goku so they came to a quick conclusion as to what was going on. Instead of intervening everyone individually came to a consensus that this fight was a long time coming and that they should let the father son pair handle it the way they want to handle it. I realize this may sound like a weak excuse but after everything that has happened I just felt like everybody would want to let Goku and Gohan be.

After finishing the chapter please check out my A/N at the end for more stuff (but only after reading the chapter)!

Chapter 37: Fin Filial

Goku stared at his son through the white haze of snow. It was just as Gohan suggested; he had been holding back. The strange thing, however, was that he wasn't too sure as to why he was doing so. Perhaps a part of his subconscious was telling him not to unleash his full power since he was fighting with his son. Or maybe he didn't want to fight at a power he had little experience training with. Regardless of the reason, the truth was out now and it was clear that Gohan wouldn't accept a victory or defeat unless both parties were at their best.

He let out a heavy sigh. "How did you know? How did you know I had succeeded Uub in power?"

"When it comes to sensing ki, you and Piccolo trained me exceptionally well. I could sense the power within both you and Uub. I knew immediately that you had surpassed him long ago, just as he had surpassed Kid Buu."

There was a short pause.

"I'd ask why you were still training him if you had already exceeded him in power, but to be honest – I don't really care to hear the answer." Gohan said with a tinge of spite, but that tone quickly changed. "The only thing I want right now is for you to battle me at your full power; no reservations. The fact that all this has come to light makes me want to prove to you now, more than ever, that it is unnecessary for you to live this kind of life." He spoke with the same determination that he had when he proposed the fight earlier.

Goku breathed deeply before slowly widening his stance. Drawing his fists to his side, he began to tap into the energy deep within him. A yellow aura grew from his body like a fire before it transgressed to a glow that fully encompassed him. This was followed by the generation of strong force winds that created a large dome-like clearing, covering them both from the blizzard surrounding them.

Gohan watched, arms crossed. "As I've stated before, I would never ask this of a true enemy." He shouted over the sound of the intense wind. "I would not make the same mistakes that both of us have made in the past. If an enemy were to come to Earth I would take them down quickly with no hesitation. The only reason I'm asking you to power up is to show you that I can beat you, even at your best."

Focusing on his ki, Goku continued to manipulate the power within him, releasing forceful waves of energy into the air. It wasn't long before these waves provoked Gohan to move out of the way by floating high above the ground. Exiting the protective wind dome Goku had created, the young warrior felt the snow once again lay upon his skin.

It took a minute for the Saiyan's power up to be complete, but once it was done all of the light he was emitting appeared to be immediately sucked back into his body.

Gohan was impressed at the power being displayed. Since Goku had been suppressing his ki, he could only estimate as to just how powerful his father really was. Needless to say, that estimate had turned out to be a little bit lower than expected as Goku's powers exceeded Gohan's expectations. The demi-saiyan unfolded his arms as the wind generate by Goku ceased, which caused the snow to fall on the land as normal. This obscured his vision of the land below him with thick white flakes.

"Where did he go?" Gohan asked himself aloud. He could no longer spot his father amongst the haze; nor could he sense him. The raw power released by Goku during his charge up created a cloud of energy that made it impossible to pinpoint the Saiyan's location.

"A new technique?" He thought to himself.

He continued to desperately scan the landscape for signs of movement or sound. But the only thing around him was the cold winter silence.

For several seconds he hovered there… waiting.

Suddenly, Goku appeared out of the thick snowfall like a fish emerging from dark water. It caught Gohan by complete surprise, leaving him no time to block the elbow aimed for his face.

It was the first good hit Goku had gotten in during their fight and he quickly took advantage of it. As Gohan was sent flying upwards from the strike Goku hastily came around at his side, kicking his son in the ribs, changing the younger man's projection. With great speed, the Saiyan once again sped up to him. Using all of his force, he proceeded to knee Gohan in the back, sending the demi-saiyan rocketing skyward. The momentum was enough to send his son through the cloud line into the clear sky above (A/N: For imagery think about the Matrix Revolution when Neo and Trinity fly the ship above the artificial cloud line and see the real sun for the first time). Goku followed suit, planning an additional attack, but before he could land another hit, Gohan dodged out of the way and separated himself from a close proximity.

As Goku regained his balance from his missed attack Gohan took a second to catch his breath. As he did so, he held his ribs and wiped fresh blood from his mouth. The Saiyan hovered down to Gohan's level (about 50 meters above the cloud line), his new aura radiating energy.

"Better… than I thought." Gohan commented as he gasped for air. He then straightened his body, taking in a deep breath. His father's attack had knocked the wind out of him but they both knew it was going to take a lot more than that to beat him. After relaxing his body and catching his breath, he looked back at his opponent.

"I guess we can finally get started then." He said as he cracked his neck.

Goku let out a very slight smirk. "Warm up's over then?"

Gohan nodded. "Yes. And for what it's worth thank you…"

This sudden proclamation caught Goku by surprise.

"… for finally fighting at your true potential. I wouldn't want anything less."

Saying those words, 'thank you', felt odd for Gohan to say… almost as much as it was for Goku to hear.

The scene of the two, father and son, hovering above the clouds in the clear, crisp sky was almost poetic in a sense that, for a split second, everything seemed so serene. But neither of them could ignore the raging blizzard just below the surface. Despite the zen that both of them were feeling they knew the truth. They knew that this moment of peace could not last forever.

After several seconds, the two simultaneously vanished from their spots. Immediately afterwards the atmosphere was filled with the sounds of the two battling at incredible speed. Punches and kicks sent powerful shockwaves rupturing the otherwise calm sky.

The warm up was certainly over!

"HAA!" Gohan shouted as he shot a large and powerful, one handed ki beam. Goku, who had been charging upwards towards him, suddenly braced himself for the incoming attack. Holding out both hands he managed to catch the beam but not without being pushed back several meters. He finally managed to maintain his ground but he was struggling to deflect the beam.

Seizing the opportunity, Gohan powered up another ki attack using his spare hand and flung it outwards, curving towards Goku.

The blast made a direct hit with the Saiyan causing him to also lose control of the beam that he was trying to deflect. Both ki attacks made contact, resulting in a huge explosion.

As the smoke cleared Goku was revealed to be in a crouching, defensive stance. His shirt was shredded in the side from where the second ki attack had stuck him and the rest of his clothes were singed from the heat of the explosion. Blood dripped down his forearms from where he attempted to shield himself last minute.

"Damn." The Saiyan grunted under his breath. He winced slightly at the pain he was feeling. But before he had much time to recover Gohan came at him from the side, landing a kick on the same spot where his second ki blast had hit.

This incredibly painful attack sent him soaring through air with Gohan quickly behind. Goku knew he had to plan a counter attack quick, less he didn't want to be significantly more weakened from his son's assault. He therefore decided to rely on a technique he had not used in a long time; knowing Gohan would not expect it.

"KAI-O-KEN!" He shouted, turning his yellow aura red, and greatly increasing his speed and strength. He knew the limitations of his body would only provide him to use it for a brief moment, but that was all he needed.

Widening his eyes, Gohan quickly realized his father was about to turn the tables on him. Before the demi-saiyan could act defensively, Goku, who had moved at incredible speed to attack from under him, kneed him in the gut. The force sent him skyrocketing but his path was interrupted when Goku used his speed to attack him from up top, kicking him downwards back to the ground. Gohan flew with such force that once he broke the cloud line on his way down, creating a kilometer clearing amongst the clouds. By the time he reached the ground he managed to regain enough composure to land on his hands and knees. He made contact with the earth, creating a large crater with the force of impact. Immediately, he looked up at his father. As the clouds began to converge to fill up the hole he had created, he could see his father's silhouette against the afternoon sun. The red aura surrounding him was gone meaning that he had just used up a lot of energy on that attack and he was now weakened.

Jolting himself upwards, Gohan flew directly at his father, trying to get to him before the clouds finished converging (if he lost eye contact, then Goku could use that time to move and catch him in a surprise attack).

Realizing he was in a weakened state for the temporary moment, Goku quickly thought of his options. As Gohan charged upwards at him he noticed he was directly infront of the sun at that point.

That was it!

With the young warrior almost upon him, and the clouds close to converging, he put his hands to the side of his face to use yet another technique that he hadn't utilized in a long time.

"Taiyo-ken!"

And with that, a blinding flash of light was sent towards Gohan.

"AHHH!" The demi-saiyan yelled as he covered at his face.

"K-Kuso…"

While his son was incapacitated, Goku took the opportunity to attack. Using his instant transmission he teleported right behind Gohan and delivered a devastating sidekick that sent the younger warrior hurtling towards a mountainside.

As he crashed into the ice-covered rocks, Gohan knew that he was in trouble. He could sense Goku charging at him again. His father planned to take full advantage of his temporary blindness.

"Curse him!" The demi-saiyan thought to himself, as the pain from the Taiyo-ken still radiated through this eyes.

"Wait…"

He was coming to a quick realization. He could sense his father… he knew exactly where he was.

"Relax your mind Gohan." He told himself. "If you relax your mind and focus solely on his energy, then you can defend yourself against his attacks without your eyes."

The charging Saiyan struck out his fist, aimed for his son's face, when in the last second Gohan threw up his hand to catch it.

"Huh!" Goku let out, surprised at Gohan's recovery from the Taiyo-ken. But upon a closer look he saw that his son's eyes were shut and still twitching from the assault they were just given. Swinging his other fist around he attempted a second shot, but it as was quickly blocked as well. Freeing his fists from Gohan's grasp, he attempted to deal one punch and kick after another… but without success.

The onslaught caused Gohan to back up, deeper into the mountain. The rough rock was constantly shattering upon contact with his back but the entire time he managed to block all of the attacks while remaining blinded. The fight continued to until the two fought their way out from the other side of the mountain.

Once back in the air, Gohan lost his footing and just barely dodged out of the way from a heavy punch aimed towards his chest. He decided to go on the offensive and released a surge of ki, which created a shockwave, ejecting Goku away. The Saiyan was projected at an angle perpendicular from the mountain they had just fought through, into another mountain 300 meters away. It crumbled on top of himm giving Gohan the time for his vision to be restored.

A few seconds went by before the effects of the Taiyo-ken wore off. By that time, all the rocks from where Goku had crashed, settled. Gohan caught his breath while he waited for his father to emerge. His back was raw from being grinded against the rock and every flake of snow that hit it caused a stinging sensation.

Suddenly, golden light began to emerge from underneath the boulders from where Goku was. The light increased in intensity until, finally, the residue of the mountain scattered in all directions revealing the Saiyan in the center.

Gohan managed to protect himself from the boulders he was in the way of by using a simple ki shield. It wasn't until all the rocks had cleared his path that he made a direct beeline for his father.

The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat again, causing massive destruction to the land underneath them.

After another 30 minutes of non-stop combat, the strain was starting to get to both of the warriors as their attacks became slower and sloppier. However, the stress of battle appeared to be affecting Goku more than his son, …and both parties knew this. Defeat seemed imminent but Goku knew he had one more card up his sleeve.

It was his signature attack…

… the Kamehameha!

After constant fighting, the two distanced themselves for a break.

They stood approximately 20 meters apart from each other on the rugged terrain that had served as their battlefield, soaked in sweat and blood. The snow was letting up, giving them a clearer view of each other.

Goku stood up straight.

"You've done well Gohan." He shouted so that his son could hear him. "You've done very well."

Gohan narrowed his eyes. Was his father patronizing him?

"But it's time to end this." Goku finished, before taking his iconic stance to prep his final attack. Cupping both of his hands he slowly placed them to his side as he concentrated all the energy he had left in his body.

"KA…"

Gohan's eyes widened.

His father wasn't kidding.

Goku was quickly draining his body of almost all of it's energy and placing it into this attack. It was certainly a risk but then again, this was really the only option his father had left. Had they continued hand-to-hand combat the young warrior would have been the clear winner based on stamina alone. This was Goku's last resort.

"ME…"

Gohan flashed back to his battle with Cell almost 20 years ago, when the Android started his final Kamehameha. The demi-saiyan was weakened from battle, just like he was now, and the only way to save the planet was to counter with his own Kamehameha.

Bringing himself back to the present day Gohan fathomed that history would be repeating itself, albeit with some changes. The earth wasn't in danger from Goku and even with both of their powers combined one would be unable to kill the other. Still, it remained appropriate that Gohan counter with an attack of his own, rather than attempt to dodge it (which would have been a challenge itself given Goku's expertise). This time, however, he would not be able to pit his Kamehameha against his opponent's. Even though he had more energy left, Goku's Kamehameha was far more advanced. He had his own developed move but he didn't know if it would be enough. It seemed like a 50/50 shot. A day's worth of battling had come down to this one moment.

Placing both of his hands, palm open (facing outwards), together on his forehead, Gohan began his own chant.

"MA…"

"HA…" Goku continued

"SEN…"

"ME…"

"KO…"

"HA!" They both yelled simultaneously, unleashing their tremendous attacks at each other.

The impact of the beams created a powerful wave of force that leveled the area in between them. Each stood their ground as the strength from their attacks changed the surrounding landscape. With such an awesome display of power, both of them knew the fight would be finished after this.

From the start, their powers seemed to be matched, as neither side appeared to waver. In an effort to gain a quick upper hand, Goku pushed forth a small amount of extra energy. He could immediately feel the drain it put on his body but it was worth it. The collision line of the beams slowly started to make their way towards Gohan.

"Kuso!" The demi-saiyan swore under his breath.

Forcing more power into his attack to counter act the gain his father had made, Gohan's body was draining itself at a rate now faster then Goku and, while the collision was now heading for the Saiyan, it was traveling at a painstakingly slow rate.

It took Goku 5 minutes to even realize that Gohan's Masenko was, slowly but surely, overpowering his Kamehameha. Despite it's weak approach, the only thing that mattered was if it came into contact with him. He had very little power left and his stamina was very low. Even if he somehow managed to hold his own, he estimated he would lose the battle within the next half hour with the extra power Gohan had put in.

Sweating profusely, Goku knew he had to act. Channeling the very last bit of his energy he added more fuel to his Kamahameha. That provided enough power to switch the direction back towards his son.

Gohan felt the added energy that Goku had just delivered into his attack and he knew at that moment things were not looking good for him. It was taking everything he had to hold off the Kamehameha. He had barely enough energy to counter the extra push his father had given but even then it would simply produce a stalemate; the two ki attacks would not move in either direction. In addition, he could sense that the two had about the same amount of energy left meaning the stalemate in ki attacks would lead to a stalemate in the battle as a whole and he was not about to let that happen.

Power alone would not win the battle; it was going to take wit and talent… but how exactly was not yet determined. Gohan began to contemplate his options as the Kamehameha inched towards him. He thought about abandoning the attack altogether to fly around and catch his father off guard with hand-to-hand combat. He looked up just to see how far their attacks stretched from the radius. "No." He told himself. "The circumference is too large. I wouldn't be able to fly out of the way fast enough."

The Kamehameha was now 3/4ths of the way to him and he was quickly running out of time. Victory seemed imminent for Goku.

"Damnit!" Gohan swore again. This seemed like the battle with Cell all over again except this time he didn't have anyone to aid him in defeating his opponent by distracting them…

And that's when it came to him… an idea!

"That's it!" He exclaimed. "But do I have enough time?" His plan was going to take away some of his power momentarily. In doing so the Kamehama was going to approach him at a much faster rate and he ran the risk of being hit by it before he could perform his alternate attack.

Gohan's mind raced as he tried to estimate if his plan would work. In a split second, however, he decided that thinking about it was only wasting more time and he had to go for it. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. As he did so, his Masenko began to lose some it's power, making Goku's Kamehameha advance on him.

With intense concentration Gohan located the exact point as to where his father was standing, which was a lot easier said then done given the amount of energy surrounding them. Once he had Goku's exact position he focused on surrounding environment.

"Pick one too small," He thought to himself. "and you could miss him. Pick on too large and take away too much energy from keeping the Kamehameha from hitting you."

Hmmmm. "… That one."

Suddenly, behind Goku, a boulder shifted from the pile of rubble from the mountain e had crashed into before.

"Come on." Gohan thought as he sensed the Kamehameha getting dangerously close to him.

"Almost there." Goku thought at the same time. While he was oblivious as to what was going on behind him, his attack was about to hit its target.

With a little more effort, Gohan was able to withdraw the half a meter long boulder from amongst the rubble and have it floating, stationary, in the air. But by now Goku's attack was only 2 meters away from him.

"This is it!" They both thought it unison.

As Goku prepared for the resulting (non-lethal) explosion his Kamehameha was about to make, Gohan (using his telekinesis) flung the boulder towards his father.

Time seemed to slow down as Gohan contemplated which attack would hit first; his father's Kamehameha or his own telekinesis trick.

He felt the Kamehameha literally only inches away from him. Goku could feel it as well, but there was something else he felt… the harsh, jagged edge of a rock hitting the back of his head.

The blow caused him to immediately lose complete control of his Kamehameha and also served to knock him head first into the oncoming Masenko attack, which now had nothing blocking its path.

The explosion ripped through the sky and decimated the surrounding landscape. Goku had been hit full on by the blast.

With the settling dust Goku found himself laying amongst a pile of rubble, beaten. His hair back to its original color, he could no longer manage his Super Saiyan form.

Wincing from the pain he was in, he coughed as the dust around him continued to clear. His son's attack had hit him full on. It was a devastating blow that had him bloodied and incapacitated. He could barely move a muscle let alone continue to fight.

There was no denying it.

He had lost.

Goku slowly opened his eyes as he continued gasping for air after the tremendous attack. He looked around him for signs of his son, but there was none.

"Gohan…" He whispered before struggling to sit up on the back of his forearms.

"Gohan!" He yelled out this time. But all he could see was the falling snow around him; remnants the ferocious blizzard.

No answer… there was only silence.

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Instantly, Gohan appeared right over him, grabbing a small part of his shirt that wasn't already shredded. His son was bloodied from the battle but showed incredible signs of energy. The demi-saiyan had his other hand drawn back with his fingers pointed, almost as if he was about to give a death blow. But the most surprising and disturbing thing about seeing his son over him was the look in his eyes. They were cold, emotionless… they were his warrior eyes; fighting until the very end.

"G-GOHAN!" Goku shouted in a panic.

He shut his eyes as Gohan thrust his fist forward.

He heard a loud crashing sound.

After a brief moment, Goku realized that he had not been struck. Slowly opening his eyes he found Gohan's fist to be mere centimeters away from his head, bedded deep into the rock underneath him.

Staring wide eyed, his focus shifted to his son's face.

Gohan's expression had gone unchanged.

"You lose." The demi-saiyan declared, calmly yet sternly.

Without quite knowing how to respond, Goku nodded. He admitted his defeat.

Clearing away some rubble, Gohan helped to prop his father up in a more comfortable sitting position.

"Thank you." He spoke. "Thank you for letting me prove you wrong."

Goku remained silent. He was still trying catching his breath.

Gohan sighed as he leaned against the rock next to his father.

"I never understood why you put training ahead of your family. You claimed it was to protect us but you never considered the consequences it would have; the emotional strife it would put us through. Out of all my battles, the most painful experiences I've ever had were from when you left us. And you never seemed to seek any alternative. It was like it was either one way or the other. But today I've shown you that you can have it both ways. It's possible to adequately train while maintaining a family life. In fact devoting time with my family is what has made me stronger. Simply by being with them I realize just how precious they are. Every second I spend with them motivates me more and more to be the best fighter I can be, something I couldn't achieve by training alone. Instead I've found a balance… fulfilling both my roles as a fighter and as a father. That is why I will continue to train. I will continue to get stronger. That way if Earth is ever threatened again I will be there to defend the ones I love. Because if you have learned anything from this experience, be it this… There is nothing my important to me than Videl and my children and I will do everything in my power to protect them."

The demi-saiyan stood up, brushing dust off of his tattered clothes. He gazed at the sun, starting its descent against the late afternoon sky. The snow was clearing up, just a few flurries here and there.

He sighed turning back to his father.

"I suggest you stop your training with Uub and go home to be there for them. You no longer have a reason to keep training at the intensity you have been. While you may have experience your stamina has suffered because of your age. It showed at several points in this battle. Let me, and the others, carry on the torch as Earth's protector."

Gohan then dug into a pocket in his shirt to retrieve a small brown pouch. He opened it and poured the two senzu seeds it contained, onto his hand. After taking one, healing his wounds and replenishing his energy, he flicked the other seed onto his father's lap.

"I can't forgive you for everything you have done but it may not be too late for you to have a relationship with mom and with Goten. They want someone who will be there for them; someone they can rely on. They deserve that much." He turned his back towards him ready to set off in flight. Before doing he turned his head back one last time. "Go home Goku… and take care of your family…"

He turned his head back to face the horizon.

"… for once."

The demi-saiyan proceeded to fly off into the sky…

…leaving his father behind.

From that point on things changed. Gohan no longer dwelled on his past. The angst and pain he had felt from hid childhood had been expelled during the fight with his father; a type of resolution for all those years of suffering. He had said what needed to be said and done what needed to be done. From then on he was no longer inhibited, except for one detail…

Likewise, things changed for Goku as he took his son's advice. He halted his training with Uub, for whom he could teach nothing more, and dedicated his time to his family and friends. He would still train but it wouldn't be as severe as it had been in the past and it was always with Goten and/or Vegeta and Trunks. No matter what, at the end of every day, he would end up home. He soon realized it was were he belonged and he was actually happier for it. He was finally with his family, except for one detail.

That 'one detail' for both of the men, was that the day of the fight was last time they ever saw each other.

Each would continue to live their own lives but they were indeed separate lives to be lived. It was something Gohan wanted because no matter what happened, he no longer trusted his father.

Because sometimes time doesn't heal all wounds… because sometimes there can simply be…

…no more forgiveness.

The End

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A/N: The reason I wrote this story was because I wanted to provide a different take on Gohan and Goku's relationship. I wanted to analyze it from a standpoint of rejection and abandonment, which I believe is more realistic than 'Oh, that's just how Goku is', which is taken on by a lot of people in the DBZ universe. And I chose this ending, which I had planned out from the very beginning, because I wanted to make a point that not all stories (fiction or non-fiction) end happily ever after. While I certainly believe that family members should try to work things out to the best of their ability, the reality is - sometimes that's not possible. Sometimes, if a situation is severe enough, that there can be no more forgiveness. That's life. And occasionally, life can be a tragedy. Not everything is going to be perfect. We have to work hard to maintain relationships, to show people that we really care for them. Family members are meant to be there for one another, not abandon each other in times of need. These are the messages I was trying to convey in this story.

Now that that is out of the way let me thank everyone again for their support. I hope you enjoyed the ending, even if it's not what you expected. If you want to ask me questions about the story I will be doing an IAMA on the website Reddit next weekend (Most likely Saturday around 6pm EST). The title should be 'IAMA fanfiction writer TheMaskedOtaku. AMA'. All of that basically translating to 'I am a fanfiction writer TheMaskedOtaku. Ask me anything.' This is just to serve as a fun Q&A where you can ask me anything about my story and the process of writing it. If you can't find the topic when I make it, look for it under my Reddit username, which is also TheMaskedOtaku.

Finally, before I go I just want to mention to keep an eye out for some one-shots and short stories that will probably be coming out soon. I have a few ideas in my head that are pretty developed and I just need to get them on paper.

Thank you!