A child's terrified scream filled the calm air. The Z warriors looked
around, startled, in search of its source. The Namekian warrior Piccolo
seemed the most troubled by this as he looked around with narrow eyes.
"What was..." came Goku's worried voice.
"It sounded like-" Piccolo was cut off by another scream.
"Daddy!" All of a sudden, a little Namekian child was running towards them, his arms stretched out as he ran, his white robes and cape fluttering out behind him. A look of sheer terror was upon his face, and tears were streaming steadily down his cheeks.
Then the Z warriors saw why he was running.
The air behind the running boy shimmered, then a large black and red dragon appeared. The dragon wore a cruel smirk upon his scaled face as he chased the child, whom he would catch in no time.
"Khalen!" Piccolo began to run to his son.
Khalen fell onto the ground, helpless.
Piccolo reached him before the dragon did, and he covered his son's little body with his own.
The air over Piccolo and Khalen shimmered as it had done before, heralding the arrival of a dragon. This blue and silver dragon crouched protectively over the two Nameks, bearing rows of sharp teeth as it growled steadily. The dark dragon stopped, looking down at the enraged smaller dragon.
"Well, well, well, welcome to our little game, princess." The dragon's voice was deep. He chuckled slightly. The dragon he called princess roared in outrage, kneading the rocky ground with her dark grey talons. Her tail lashed in the air dangerously.
"Won't you join us?"
Piccolo eased out from under the snarling dragon, clutching his son tightly to his chest as he quickly rejoined the bewildered Z warriors. Vegeta smirked. "You wanna tell us what's going on, Namek?"
Piccolo glared at him a moment, then went back to comforting his son, wiping his still-flowing tears away with a long finger. Piccolo placed his large green hand behind the little boy's head and pulled it gently to him. Khalen pressed his cheek to his father's chest, still shaking with fear as he kept his black eyes glued to the two dragons.
"Really, Piccolo, what's happening?" Krillin asked.
Piccolo began to rub Khalen's back as he looked down at Krillin. "The two dragons over there are De'nah dragons. The dark dragon is Conleth, Dragon of the Daemon. The blue dragon is Raylinth, Dragon of Mercury and princess of the De'nah, who is Khalen's mother. He is also my son."
The warriors looked at him in surprise. Goku shook his head. "You...have...a son?"
"I don't have time to explain. We could all be in great danger in a few moments. Those are the two most powerful De'nah out there, and the princess is fully powered. I've never felt her so angry." He paused and looked down. He put a finger under Khalen's chin, pushing it up until he could see Khalen's eyes. "Khalen, will you do something for me?"
The child nodded solemnly.
"I need you to help me create a barrier around us all, so that we can stay unharmed."
Khalen nodded again, putting his small teal-colored hand up and pressing it up to Piccolo's.
"Tu sore na kalah pore tah!" Father and son spoke in unison. A half- done shield enveloped the group. Small streams and bolts of energy could be seen traveling across the transparent barrier.
When she sensed the shield go up, the mighty princess pounced, uncoiling each of the powerful muscles in her lithe body. She buried her talons in the other dragon's flesh, who had not been quick or agile enough to evade the smaller dragon.
She flew upwards, picking Conleth up. After she gained significant altitude she threw him. The blue dragon pumped her wings hard, disappearing only to reappear beside the falling beast. She slapped her sharply-barbed tail across his exposed underbelly, ripping into the scales. Silver liquid mercury beaded upon the open wounds, its poison seeping deeply into them.
Conleth hit the ground hard. The princess landed in front of him, snarling.
"Keep your fight with me, Daemon Dragon, and leave my son be." She growled her words.
He doggedly picked himself up. "Really, my dear Raylinth, would I harm an innocent?"
Raylinth roared loudly in her furious outrage. She charged at him again but was stopped by the black daemon fire he breathed.
"Mommy!" Khalen cried out as he saw his mother enveloped in the dark flames. He struggled fiercely to free himself from Piccolo's protective grip.
"No, Khalen. No." The Namek held his son firmly to his chest. Khalen's talons ripped into Piccolo's shirt as he fought to get down. Piccolo felt one come threateningly close to scratching his chest. "Khalen, stop it now!" Piccolo yelled. If the young De'nah were to even just lightly scratch him, his defensive venom would poison Piccolo and could have fatal results.
Khalen finally realized what he was doing and stopped, collapsing upon his father's chest. "But Daddy, we have to help Mommy!" His words were barely understandable through his sobs. Sparkling tears flowed steadily down his cheeks.
Piccolo began to rub the boy's back again. "We can't help her, Khalen, but she'll be all right. Mommy will be just fine." He wiped at his son's cheeks and nose with some of his shirt. His mind was searching frantically for his weyrmate's. :Raylinth? Raylinth, are you all right?:
The black flames died back. The Mercury Dragon stood. She trembled from pain and anger. Her scales were singed and a large portion of her wingsails were burnt. "So, you want to play with fire do you?"
Conleth bared his teeth and braced himself, quickly calling upon a shield to protect him.
The Mercury Dragon opened her jaws wide and breathed a jet of liquid mercury, with temperatures that varied from extreme heat to extreme cold in waves. Her mind's energy lashed out in her most powerful mental attack the psyburn.
As the grey mercury flame engulfed Conleth's body, the psyburn did so to his mind. It wrapped his mental energy, suffocating it and turning it upon itself. Conleth fought back with his dream eater attack, which did almost the same as the psyburn.
Suddenly, Khalen looked up. "Daddy, we need to help Mommy! She hurts! Can't you feel her?" He pushed on Piccolo's chest.
Piccolo gave his son a hard look and then sighed, putting his son down on his feet. The little boy wiped his tears away with his sleeve, then held his hands out in front of him. "Kevari suh takae nuii foron..." The sky turned black over the two dragons now battling with ethereal and elemental powers. "...cenar matae ranah kih tarahana!"
Little Khalen, as the Dragon of the Maelstrom, had a great deal of power and energy, and he unleashed all that he could. Thunder's sonic blast hit Conleth, then multiple lightning bolts. Hail pelted him with enough force to rip through his scales while winds battered him and knocked him to and fro.
Princess Raylinth was not completely safe from her son's barrage of attacks, but was from the brunt of it.
Khalen's maelstrom died down as the little De'nah fell back against his father, completely exhausted. Piccolo picked him up gently. He looked up to his father with heavy lidded eyes. "Did I help her, Daddy? Did I help Mommy?"
"Yes, you did." Khalen's eyes slowly closed and his head fell limply against Piccolo. He kissed the little one's forehead, rubbing over his back again.
The group of warriors were somewhat stunned. They had never seen Piccolo display affection of this magnitude, not even to Gohan. Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan just stood there, not understanding any of this.
Two more large blasts of mercury flame and daemon fire erupted, this time hitting the shield as well. The sweltering heat could be felt through the shield. Finally, the two dragons faced each other.
"This is getting me nowhere," Conleth muttered to himself. Today was not victory's day.
Raylinth snarled at him, clapping her wingtips together and causing bolts of energy to race over her blue and silver wings.
Conleth snapped his great jaws in frustration. "Until another day, princess." He winked out.
The princess snorted. She turned, tiredly making her way to the group. The shield went down and they could smell the acrid smell of daemon fire. She put her snout down to Piccolo, nuzzling him as he held their son. "Is he okay?" she asked as quietly as a dragon could.
Piccolo nodded, shifting the boy in his arms. Raylinth spoke a few words and the dragon disappeared, leaving a beautiful but battered blue- skinned woman with wings, horns, and a tail. She put a taloned hand on the back of Khalen's head, then kissed his cheek softly. She looked up to Piccolo and sighed. Piccolo brushed the cerulean blue hair from her face, then caressed her cheek. He pressed his lips to hers lightly, assuringly.
Princess Raylinth smiled weakly at her weyrmate. She looked over the others, studying them. "Are these your friends? The ones you were telling me about?"
Piccolo nodded as she looked over the Saiyans wearily. This princess had needed to run off many a Saiyan arrogant enough to think he would be even somewhat of a challenge to the De'nah. She recognized the Saiyan prince as one who had been smart enough not to try anything, as arrogant as he was. She nodded at him, like royalty often does to one another. "Great Prince."
Vegeta knew he could not ignore such an honor. He returned the nod. "Your Highness."
She ran her eyes over the other three: another Saiyan, a half-Saiyan and a very short human. She smiled at them.
A spell of dizziness washed over her, then. Raylinth reached a hand out and spread her injured wings, trying to get balance, but it was in vain. Goku rushed forward, catching the mighty De'nah princess in his arms. "Whoa, princess! Are you okay?"
She nodded, rubbing her head and leaning on Goku thankfully. Gently, he shifted her into Piccolo's free arm where she laid her head against him, closing her eyes. "You need rest, my lady," Piccolo said as he looked down at his wife. He looked up then, glancing at the others in turn. "I've been talking with the other De'nah, and we have come to the conclusion that it may benefit greatly if you were to train with the De'nah."
"Us?" Krillin asked, incredulous.
"Really? Gohan added. "And the others? Videl, Trunks and Goten too?"
Piccolo nodded. "The princess and her generals, the Dragon of Flame and the Dragon of the Arctic, have agreed to train you, along with some other skilled dragons."
"Well, that's an opportunity I can't pass up," Goku said, smiling broadly.
Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan nodded in agreement.
"Good," said Piccolo, "we'll be off then. Raylinth and Khalen need to rest to regain their energy. I have learned the technique that shall take us to the home planet of the De'nah. Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah."
"I'm ready."
"Me too." *
"What was..." came Goku's worried voice.
"It sounded like-" Piccolo was cut off by another scream.
"Daddy!" All of a sudden, a little Namekian child was running towards them, his arms stretched out as he ran, his white robes and cape fluttering out behind him. A look of sheer terror was upon his face, and tears were streaming steadily down his cheeks.
Then the Z warriors saw why he was running.
The air behind the running boy shimmered, then a large black and red dragon appeared. The dragon wore a cruel smirk upon his scaled face as he chased the child, whom he would catch in no time.
"Khalen!" Piccolo began to run to his son.
Khalen fell onto the ground, helpless.
Piccolo reached him before the dragon did, and he covered his son's little body with his own.
The air over Piccolo and Khalen shimmered as it had done before, heralding the arrival of a dragon. This blue and silver dragon crouched protectively over the two Nameks, bearing rows of sharp teeth as it growled steadily. The dark dragon stopped, looking down at the enraged smaller dragon.
"Well, well, well, welcome to our little game, princess." The dragon's voice was deep. He chuckled slightly. The dragon he called princess roared in outrage, kneading the rocky ground with her dark grey talons. Her tail lashed in the air dangerously.
"Won't you join us?"
Piccolo eased out from under the snarling dragon, clutching his son tightly to his chest as he quickly rejoined the bewildered Z warriors. Vegeta smirked. "You wanna tell us what's going on, Namek?"
Piccolo glared at him a moment, then went back to comforting his son, wiping his still-flowing tears away with a long finger. Piccolo placed his large green hand behind the little boy's head and pulled it gently to him. Khalen pressed his cheek to his father's chest, still shaking with fear as he kept his black eyes glued to the two dragons.
"Really, Piccolo, what's happening?" Krillin asked.
Piccolo began to rub Khalen's back as he looked down at Krillin. "The two dragons over there are De'nah dragons. The dark dragon is Conleth, Dragon of the Daemon. The blue dragon is Raylinth, Dragon of Mercury and princess of the De'nah, who is Khalen's mother. He is also my son."
The warriors looked at him in surprise. Goku shook his head. "You...have...a son?"
"I don't have time to explain. We could all be in great danger in a few moments. Those are the two most powerful De'nah out there, and the princess is fully powered. I've never felt her so angry." He paused and looked down. He put a finger under Khalen's chin, pushing it up until he could see Khalen's eyes. "Khalen, will you do something for me?"
The child nodded solemnly.
"I need you to help me create a barrier around us all, so that we can stay unharmed."
Khalen nodded again, putting his small teal-colored hand up and pressing it up to Piccolo's.
"Tu sore na kalah pore tah!" Father and son spoke in unison. A half- done shield enveloped the group. Small streams and bolts of energy could be seen traveling across the transparent barrier.
When she sensed the shield go up, the mighty princess pounced, uncoiling each of the powerful muscles in her lithe body. She buried her talons in the other dragon's flesh, who had not been quick or agile enough to evade the smaller dragon.
She flew upwards, picking Conleth up. After she gained significant altitude she threw him. The blue dragon pumped her wings hard, disappearing only to reappear beside the falling beast. She slapped her sharply-barbed tail across his exposed underbelly, ripping into the scales. Silver liquid mercury beaded upon the open wounds, its poison seeping deeply into them.
Conleth hit the ground hard. The princess landed in front of him, snarling.
"Keep your fight with me, Daemon Dragon, and leave my son be." She growled her words.
He doggedly picked himself up. "Really, my dear Raylinth, would I harm an innocent?"
Raylinth roared loudly in her furious outrage. She charged at him again but was stopped by the black daemon fire he breathed.
"Mommy!" Khalen cried out as he saw his mother enveloped in the dark flames. He struggled fiercely to free himself from Piccolo's protective grip.
"No, Khalen. No." The Namek held his son firmly to his chest. Khalen's talons ripped into Piccolo's shirt as he fought to get down. Piccolo felt one come threateningly close to scratching his chest. "Khalen, stop it now!" Piccolo yelled. If the young De'nah were to even just lightly scratch him, his defensive venom would poison Piccolo and could have fatal results.
Khalen finally realized what he was doing and stopped, collapsing upon his father's chest. "But Daddy, we have to help Mommy!" His words were barely understandable through his sobs. Sparkling tears flowed steadily down his cheeks.
Piccolo began to rub the boy's back again. "We can't help her, Khalen, but she'll be all right. Mommy will be just fine." He wiped at his son's cheeks and nose with some of his shirt. His mind was searching frantically for his weyrmate's. :Raylinth? Raylinth, are you all right?:
The black flames died back. The Mercury Dragon stood. She trembled from pain and anger. Her scales were singed and a large portion of her wingsails were burnt. "So, you want to play with fire do you?"
Conleth bared his teeth and braced himself, quickly calling upon a shield to protect him.
The Mercury Dragon opened her jaws wide and breathed a jet of liquid mercury, with temperatures that varied from extreme heat to extreme cold in waves. Her mind's energy lashed out in her most powerful mental attack the psyburn.
As the grey mercury flame engulfed Conleth's body, the psyburn did so to his mind. It wrapped his mental energy, suffocating it and turning it upon itself. Conleth fought back with his dream eater attack, which did almost the same as the psyburn.
Suddenly, Khalen looked up. "Daddy, we need to help Mommy! She hurts! Can't you feel her?" He pushed on Piccolo's chest.
Piccolo gave his son a hard look and then sighed, putting his son down on his feet. The little boy wiped his tears away with his sleeve, then held his hands out in front of him. "Kevari suh takae nuii foron..." The sky turned black over the two dragons now battling with ethereal and elemental powers. "...cenar matae ranah kih tarahana!"
Little Khalen, as the Dragon of the Maelstrom, had a great deal of power and energy, and he unleashed all that he could. Thunder's sonic blast hit Conleth, then multiple lightning bolts. Hail pelted him with enough force to rip through his scales while winds battered him and knocked him to and fro.
Princess Raylinth was not completely safe from her son's barrage of attacks, but was from the brunt of it.
Khalen's maelstrom died down as the little De'nah fell back against his father, completely exhausted. Piccolo picked him up gently. He looked up to his father with heavy lidded eyes. "Did I help her, Daddy? Did I help Mommy?"
"Yes, you did." Khalen's eyes slowly closed and his head fell limply against Piccolo. He kissed the little one's forehead, rubbing over his back again.
The group of warriors were somewhat stunned. They had never seen Piccolo display affection of this magnitude, not even to Gohan. Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan just stood there, not understanding any of this.
Two more large blasts of mercury flame and daemon fire erupted, this time hitting the shield as well. The sweltering heat could be felt through the shield. Finally, the two dragons faced each other.
"This is getting me nowhere," Conleth muttered to himself. Today was not victory's day.
Raylinth snarled at him, clapping her wingtips together and causing bolts of energy to race over her blue and silver wings.
Conleth snapped his great jaws in frustration. "Until another day, princess." He winked out.
The princess snorted. She turned, tiredly making her way to the group. The shield went down and they could smell the acrid smell of daemon fire. She put her snout down to Piccolo, nuzzling him as he held their son. "Is he okay?" she asked as quietly as a dragon could.
Piccolo nodded, shifting the boy in his arms. Raylinth spoke a few words and the dragon disappeared, leaving a beautiful but battered blue- skinned woman with wings, horns, and a tail. She put a taloned hand on the back of Khalen's head, then kissed his cheek softly. She looked up to Piccolo and sighed. Piccolo brushed the cerulean blue hair from her face, then caressed her cheek. He pressed his lips to hers lightly, assuringly.
Princess Raylinth smiled weakly at her weyrmate. She looked over the others, studying them. "Are these your friends? The ones you were telling me about?"
Piccolo nodded as she looked over the Saiyans wearily. This princess had needed to run off many a Saiyan arrogant enough to think he would be even somewhat of a challenge to the De'nah. She recognized the Saiyan prince as one who had been smart enough not to try anything, as arrogant as he was. She nodded at him, like royalty often does to one another. "Great Prince."
Vegeta knew he could not ignore such an honor. He returned the nod. "Your Highness."
She ran her eyes over the other three: another Saiyan, a half-Saiyan and a very short human. She smiled at them.
A spell of dizziness washed over her, then. Raylinth reached a hand out and spread her injured wings, trying to get balance, but it was in vain. Goku rushed forward, catching the mighty De'nah princess in his arms. "Whoa, princess! Are you okay?"
She nodded, rubbing her head and leaning on Goku thankfully. Gently, he shifted her into Piccolo's free arm where she laid her head against him, closing her eyes. "You need rest, my lady," Piccolo said as he looked down at his wife. He looked up then, glancing at the others in turn. "I've been talking with the other De'nah, and we have come to the conclusion that it may benefit greatly if you were to train with the De'nah."
"Us?" Krillin asked, incredulous.
"Really? Gohan added. "And the others? Videl, Trunks and Goten too?"
Piccolo nodded. "The princess and her generals, the Dragon of Flame and the Dragon of the Arctic, have agreed to train you, along with some other skilled dragons."
"Well, that's an opportunity I can't pass up," Goku said, smiling broadly.
Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan nodded in agreement.
"Good," said Piccolo, "we'll be off then. Raylinth and Khalen need to rest to regain their energy. I have learned the technique that shall take us to the home planet of the De'nah. Is everyone ready?"
"Yeah."
"I'm ready."
"Me too." *