Just as the sun started to set, a lone figure stands atop of an over hang, simply observing the scene.
"This Planet's beauty never ceases to amaze me." The Namekian warrior sighed and turned and headed back to his favorite place to meditate.
An explosion sounded in the distance and Piccolo turned towards the sound and felt out with his ki, he found no signs of life.
"These stupid humans also never cease to amaze me." Piccolo grumbled and continued into his meditation.
After several hours later a tiny weary form stumbled into the clearing where Piccolo was no longer meditating and had actually fallen asleep.
The tiny from approached cautiously and eyed him carefully, The strange person that sat before It appeared to be asleep so it approaches closer.
Feeling weary still the tiny form, feeling no fear for the form in front of them, silently crept up to the folded legs of Piccolo and gently almost stealthily climbed into his lap and fell asleep. Piccolo being use to Gohan doing the same, did not even wake at the movement.
Piccolo could feel the suns rays as it played across his face, through the trees. It's warmth stirring his senses, causing him to realize two things, One...He apparently was very tired and through his mediation, had fallen asleep, And two there was a tiny life form curled up in his lap, also asleep.
He ever so gently fisted a handful of the torn clothes on the tiny forms back and lifted it up til it was dangling in front of his face. It was a tiny human child and more importantly, a little girl from the looks of it. Her Blonde colored hair was hanging down into her face and she was shaking.
'Is she cold or is she scared?' Piccolo thought as a more important question formed in his mind. 'Where did she even come from?'
All at once she gasped and brought her arms and legs up tight against her body and slowly rose her face to meet his gaze.
For a moment all time stood still as Piccolo stared back into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. There was absolutely no fear in her tiny rounded face as she stared back at him. She had smudges of dirt on her face and in her hair, and her clothes were ripped.
"Little One,...Where did you come from?"He spoke and watched as her eyes grew wider at his voice. Still She said nothing and simply stared back in wonder. Piccolo sighed and sat her down on the ground next to his leg.
She Looked up at him and smiled, which was weird considering no one other than Gohan did that.
"How did you get here?" Piccolo asked as softly as he could and watched as she threw her arms out and ran around in circles.
He couldn't stop the smirk that plagued the corner of his lips as she imitated a plane...'Wait...Could that had been a plane that exploded last night!' Piccolo suddenly looked towards the area that he had heard the explosion and seen the smoke that still plumed up from over the tree line. He sighed and looked back down at the barely 2 foot tall human that had stopped and was now staring back at him.
"Where are you parents?...Your Mother and Father?" Piccolo asked
"Mamma?." She asked and Piccolo nodded, She dropped her gaze to the ground and started nudging a rock with her tiny shoe.
Piccolo felt his own heart drop...this poor child was alone and now she was lost in the woods, well that was until she came across his sleeping form and decided to take shelter in his lap.
A tiny rumble came from her belly and she placed a hand on her tummy, then mumbled that she was hungry.
Piccolo looked up at the tree he was resting against and quickly noticed that it was one of the apple trees that Gohan liked to pick from so he shot a precised aimed beam and an apple fell towards the ground...he caught it easily and held it out for her. 'Why am I doing this?' he asked himself and found that he kinda pitied the girl somewhat.
She happily accepted it and bowed her head in a thank you. She bit into it and slowly chewed making little to no sound. 'Huh thats odd now, sh'e the quietest human I have ever been around.' he thought as he just sat there and watched her as she continued... when she was finished she continued to puzzle him as she began to look for something. she found a stick and started to poke at the dirt. Eventually she dug a hole and then place the core in and covered it. 'She buried it?' Piccolo questioned and quirked an eyeridge at her. He got to his feet and stretched, then popped his neck. Then he looked back down at her...She looked so much smaller now.
He would have to take her to someone who would know what to do with her. Unfortunately at the moment he could feel that dreaded pull and knew that the Guardian of the Earth was wanting his presence... "Dammit Kami...I'm busy at the moment...It's going to have to wait."
Piccolo sent out through his telepathic link, knowing that the guardian had heard it.
"Its very urgent Piccolo trust me...what ever it is your doing, can wait... I feel there is a darkness on the Earth." Kami sent back through the link and Piccolo sighed.
" So now the question is, What to do with you?" He said aloud and the little girl looked back at him curiously, tilting her head to the side as she did so.
"Do?" she repeated and he once again took in her appearance. She looked like she fought a battle. Piccolo smirked at the thought and then realized he was actually considering this child and he grumbled at himself. 'Dammit, I must be loosing my mind, my touch...or both.'
Looking back at her, he finally decided that he would take her to the lookout, and maybe Kami could figure out what to do with her.
Piccolo scooped up the child and strolled over to the stream and sat her down, "Clean up" and then turned his back to her.
The little girl looked down at herself in the water and started to rub at the smudges and tried to run her fingers threw her hair...the tangles and matted debris hurt and she sniffled and winced as she pulled leaves out. She reached into the frigid water. "Ooooh so cold" She claimed and shivered. she again rubbed at the smudges that were on her face til they were gone and the turned towards the towering, green man.
Piccolo stood there with his back to her to give her privacy. ' I will have to give her something else to wear.' Piccolo thought as he felt a tug on his cape. He looked down and found that she did clean up, but that hair was tangled and matted...Piccolo leaned down and grabbed a handful of her hair and sliced it short with one of his claws, then dropped the matted locks of hair at her feet. Before she had time to react he replaced her torn dress with a simple purple one. He watched as she looked about herself and smiled up at him. Then she looked down at the locks of blonde hair that she instantly recognized as hers and ran her fingers threw the short hair that was left.
"Uh oh...Momma gonna cry," She said and Then giggled as she reached up to Piccolo with her tiny hands. "Go?" She questioned and Piccolo sighed then at her antics.
In a weird way he wasn't actually bothered by her in the least...which confused him, but he figured it was due to Gohan and his odd cheery personality that changed Piccolo. Whatever the reason Piccolo reached down and scooped up the child and then took to the sky, heading to the lookout.
The whole way there the little girl clutched to the front of his Gi and buried her face in it as well, every once in a while she would shake.
'Is she afraid of Heights?...Hmm' Piccolo thought as he rounded the top of the lookout and landed. He went to put her down and realized that she had a death grip on him, and she was trembling horribly. "Hey were not flying anymore...you can let go now." He almost growled cause he wasn't use to the clinginess and forced her to let go... she didn't whine she just stared back at him oddly. He stood back up and started walking, she walked beside him more or less but held onto the edge of his cape. it didn't bother him, not really, It just made him feel weird.
Earth's Guardian chose then to approach them and instantly looked down at the little girl who at the moment hid behind Piccolo's leg, she peered back at him shyly and he wanted to laugh at the fact that she had chose to hide behind the one being that despised children in general.
Kami Slowly got to his knees and greeted her.
"Im Glad you are safe little one...You don't have to be afraid, You can come out." he said gently and she hid further behind Piccolo's leg.
"Ha ha ha...This is rich, never would I have ever dreamed that a Human Child would Hide behind MY leg from you of all people...You must have gotten uglier while I was gone, But since your always so...I didn't really notice." Piccolo chimed and laughed again.
"She's not Human...Piccolo...She doesn't have a race...she was created out there in space, by creatures who were looking for a means of more power...which she now holds...and they have followed her here...we have to protect her. Her acting Mother tossed her out the ship window to save her life, I did what I could to drop her safely to the ground and then keep them away from her as I led her to you, These shadowed forms, They're not exactly strong as they are hard to kill...they don't give up either." Kami spoke as he glared back at the younger Namek.
Piccolo looked down at her then, shocked that this little being held so much. " If what You say is true old man...Then why can't I sense it, Her ki? or anything like that?" Piccolo questioned. Kami nodded at this and continued. "Because it's locked deep inside her."
"Piccolo I will keep her here...I need you to go warn everyone and with Goku gone...We should get as many people knowledgeable about the situation as we can." Piccolo nodded at instantly turned and began walking away, when he felt a tug on his cape. He looked down and there she stood looking up at him with worry in her eyes. "Go?" She asked and he shook his head, "No...You stay here...You'll be safe here." He spoke firmly and she looked down to her feet again. "No Leave Natalee...Natalee go with you." She grumbled but with Piccolo's Superior hearing he heard her clearly.
Piccolo stared at the girl, 'So her name is Natalee...odd name, but whatever,' Piccolo thought as he didn't speak another word and simply took off, leaving Kami and the child behind. That pleading look sh was giving him, pulled strangely at his heart. 'Ridiculous! I should feel nothing for this child,' He growled at himself as he headed for the Son's residence to retrieve Gohan.
Back at the lookout, Kami watched as the little girl stared over the edge, in the direction Piccolo had headed. 'How strange it is that this child took to Piccolo like she did, I of course led her to him...but i never dreamed that she attach herself to him...and to almost mourn him leaving her here.' Kami thought as he nodded towards Popo to go fix something to eat for her.
Kami approached her later, She had followed Popo outside and was currently sitting almost in the flowerbeds, watching the flowers gently sway. She looked so small and dainty to Kami then and he soon found himself joining her. She looked up him with such an innocent smile, it made him falter for a moment. He looked to the flowers then, "Natalee, Is it?" He asked and she nodded and her smile widened, 'This child radiates such warmth, how could anyone even dream of harming her?' She placed her hand on her chest and repeated her name, Kami smiled back, 'Her happiness is contagious'. He thought.
"So, You like Piccolo?...He doesn't scare you?" Kami asked, barely able to contain the smirk. He knew the answer but he wanted to hear it.
She stared back at him in curious wonder then asked.
"Pic...col...o?" She paused on every syllable as if trying the name out...however the look she gave him, told him she had no clue who the name belonged to.
"Yes, He brought you here." Kami stated and watched the realization set in, it lit up those exotic green eyes. She instantly pointed in the direction that Piccolo had left in and repeated his name fully. Kami nodded and smiled more, 'Oh I'm sure that He'll hate me for this but I can't resist this,' Kami sniggered inside.
Natalee Smiled brightly and then it faded as she looked back to the flowers.
"Natalee loves Piccolo...Piccolo reminds Natalee of greatest friend...Kada. Piccolo gave Natalee new dress and cut Natalee's hair." She sounded happy but Kami noted the sadness that was in her eyes. Then it hit him what she said.
"He...Cut...your...hair?" Kami asked shocked
'Why on earth would he do such a thing?' Kami asked himself and for a moment he was lost in thought, til Natalee's voice came again.
"Yup, He cut all the mean, ouchie tangles out, Natalee likes it better now," She proudly claimed and shook her head, causing her short blonde locks to float about her head, almost like a halo. Kami couldn't help it, as he reached over and ruffled her hair. She giggled and then launched herself at him. She embraced him as much as she could with her tiny arms, however what she said as she done so shocked him more.
"Natalee likes Kami and Mister Popo too...All Natalee's friends?" Kami felt his heart skip.
He gripped her on her sides and held her out in front of him and replied, "Dear child who could not be? of course we are your friends."
Just then he felt Piccolo and the others returning to the lookout, "And Speaking of Piccolo, He's back, as well as some more people to be your friends." Kami claimed as he placed the girl back to her feet and rose to his.
Everyone landed and nodded to Kami, Natalee was peering at them from behind his robes and when Piccolo landed last she stealthily moved to him. Kami watched as she broke free of the tree that Piccolo was standing near and waited for the realization to set in, It was extremely hard to hid the smile that threatened to appear on his lips, giving her away.
"So Whats going on Kami...Piccolo said that the Earth was in danger." Krillin asked and Kami nodded and replied. "Last night there was a space pod that crash landed here and now there was only one survivor...A small child, she holds a power that a race of shadowed beings are hunting for...they call her the God Child."
"And Where Is she Kami?" Piccolo growled out...he was sure that she would have made herself known and embarrassed him...but no such action happened and she was oddly not present. Kami smiled and pointed at Piccolo. "Where do you think she is Piccolo...are you loosing your touch?"
"WHAT?!" Piccolo lost his composure slightly and heard a small giggle behind him. He whirled around to find Natalee was indeed behind him.
"How did you get behind me?" He announced and then everyone was looking around Piccolo at the child that stood there.
She giggled and wrapped her tiny arms about Piccolo's leg, Everyone awed at the same time and Piccolo Sighed in defeat.
"Natalee's Friend came back...and brought more friends." she chimed and inside Piccolo couldn't help but smile...he didn't dare let it surface but it did somehow warm him at the thought, that this small child looked at him this way, it only puzzled as to why, He didn't really do anything to warrant such.
Then She looked up at him with those Green eyes and reached up to him...'Great! now she wants me to pick her up...well no that's not going to happen and... Wait, What is she doing?' Piccolo thought rapidly as she tugged as high as she could on his pant leg which wasn't far and pulled, almost like she was trying to climb up his leg. 'This Is Ludicrous!'
"Here little one... I'll Pick you up...Piccolo really isn't that...Nice to kids." came a snappy voice that belonged to non other that Yamcha and he did in fact scoop her up, A growl emitted from Piccolo's throat before he could stop it and whipped around to ignore the shocked gazes everyone was giving him.
" Not true! Piccolo very nice...you mean...put Natalee down!" Piccolo's ears twitched at that and he slowly glanced back at her and Yamcha over his shoulder and saw Natalee pointing to the ground and giving Yamcha a hard time. Piccolo found himself actually smiling about that and turned around to face them. everyone was laughing except Natalee...and It took a minute for Piccolo to actually notice that she was getting upset and was starting to emit some form of power. When it did register, Piccolo quickly rushed to them and jerked the child out of his hands, instantly started coaxing her to calm down.
"What happened? Is she ok?" Krillin asked and started to approach, Piccolo threw up a hand to stop the short man in his tracks.
"Deep breaths it's ok...I'm right here...That's right...There now." Piccolo whispered in Natalee's ear and she instantly calmed and snuggled deeper into his arms.
Piccolo turned to everyone and then looked to Kami who nodded but he had that same fear that Piccolo felt inside.
"Did anyone else sense Natalee's odd power?" Piccolo asked and watched as they shook their heads no.
Piccolo looked down at her now sleeping form...'Now really...What the Hell was that just now?' he thought as he left Kami to explain the rest to the group and went inside to find a bed to lay her in.
"She's Not Human..." That is what Kami had said...and now Piccolo realized.
' But Then what is she? and why me?' He questioned as he, without thinking entered his own room and laid her on the huge bed. It made her look even more tiny and helpless. He shook his head and said quietly," I would be a fool if I underestimated this strange child. She appears so harmless and so innocent...and yet what he just witnessed from her, all because she didn't like Yamcha's statement of him...'Why was she so defensive of me?' Piccolo thought as he gently moved a strand of her blonde hair out of her face.
His fingers accidentally grazed the skin of her forehead...and was swarmed with images and memories of her. they moved so quickly about him that it made him dizzy...when everything stopped moving he was staring at a memory of Natalee running and giggling through white flowers, a voice called out to her and Piccolo watched as she looked to him...or rather behind him, a form walked past him and when he saw the form, everything fell into place, all his questions about Natalee suddenly answered as he watched the Namekian toss her up happily and catch her, pulling into a snuggling embrace and react to her as she was his own child...he resembled much like Nail and himself that it was easy to see why the child had attached herself to him...It all made sense now.
Suddenly everything changed and there was screams everywhere...This Namek was shoving the child into a woman's arms and hurrying them into an escape pod.
"KADA!!!!...Kada no...Kada you come too...with Natalee...Please... KADA!!!!!" Natalee's frightened voice rang out and Piccolo felt it in his heart as he watched the Namek smile sadly and kiss the top of her head and then closed the lid. He waved goodbye and launched it and Piccolo watched as shadowed forms attacked not by one but by hundreds and Kada was instantly overwhelmed and was taken down in a matter of minutes, but that would have given Natalee enough time to escape. He gave his life to save her...And she knew it.
Piccolo finally came back to and found that Natalee had somehow climbed back into his arms...or maybe defensively, he had picked her back up in his subconsciousness. He looked down at her face...she had a saddened look about her face...And she had a death grip once again on his Gi top. At this point it no longer mattered to Piccolo as the emotions from what he just witnessed ran rampant through him.
"Piccolo...Is everything ok...I sense much turmoil in you, What has happened?" Came Kami's voice and Piccolo turned around with Natalee cradled in his arms. Without looking at the guardian Piccolo asked. "Kami...Did you see her memories too?"
"Earlier today...She allowed me to... why...did you?" Kami questioned curiously and Piccolo nodded.
"Hmmm That's interesting as since I am the Guardian of Earth, Only I should be able to do that...so why you?"Kami continued to ask and Piccolo interrupted the Guardian's thoughts.
"Did you see Kada?" Piccolo asked then and looked up to Kami...The older Namek stared back him strangely, "She spoke of that Name but I did not see this...Kada...Why?"
'My...I have never seen a face like that one on Piccolo's face...what could have done that?' Kami thought as he looked at the distraught expression that the once hate filled Namekian that stands before him, wore...'Piccolo looks as if he could crumble into pieces'. Kami then concluded as he looked down at the child that had wrapped her tiny hands deep into Piccolo's gi.
Worry now flitted across Kami's mind. "Piccolo...What did you see?"
"I saw what she seen...and I think what others seen that were connected to her...and I saw them...the shadowed creatures...thousands and thousands of them blanketed the ground, covering everything in darkness and evil. This Namekian named Kada...I think acted as her father figure...he lost his life saving her... Kami... this poor child was locked into a pod and launched but not before she helplessly watched him die. Piccolo explained and the whole time he did not notice that the others and filled the doorway, observing.
"Kami...I could feel it...Her heart... breaking...It stayed inside me even after I woke."
"Well that defiantly explains why she is attached to you." Kami softly smiled and looked back up to Piccolo, who looked as if he suddenly realized that he was showing weakness as his usual scowl was back on his face. Piccolo gently pryed her hands from his gi, placed her on the bed and pushed past Kami and the others as he rushed oustide.
Piccolo stood and watched as the sun started to set, casting shadows across the lookout floor and He couldn't quite put his finger on it but, something felt wrong. A stale air blew across the lookout and there before him stood a figure completely shadowed and small dark plumes of blacked ash swirled about it. Then there was Two..." Shit... WE GOT COMPANY!!!!" Piccolo yelled and instantly raced back to the others as more and more of them started surrounding him.
Before he could reach the Temple Palace and the others he was completely surrounded and by then another problem presented it's self.
This strange darkness that they were emitting was strangling and he felt a strange sense of fatigue overcome him almost as if they were sucking the life from him. He could sense the others coming to his aid. He knew that if they tried to reacue him, they too would be ensnared so he yelled for them to stop.
Natalee was awoken by the disturbance and became instantly aware that her treasured friend was not present. and when she heard his voice she looked to to find him surrounded by those mean bad creatures... just like Kada.
"Kada" she whispered and in an instance she leaped from the bed and before anyone had time to react she bolted out the door and ran straight for Piccolo.
Piccolo watched in horror as Natalee ran towards him. " No...Stop Natalee...go back...they after you...go back!"
He knew she heard him as she did stop...however she did not go back...the tears fell from her green eyes and he smiled back at her. Her eyes widened and then she looked down.
"No...no more...Momma gone,...Kada gone...and now you?...no...NO." Piccolo heard her broken voice. but when she looked back at him...there was an odd glow emitting from those eyes that made his breath hitch and then he felt it...a powet was growing...it kind of reminded him of when Gohan lost control.
A white blinding light, emerged, surrounding her and it was slowly building. the shadowed being that surrounded him started hissing and snarling at the light. I suddenly dawned on Piccolo.
"the light...it hurts them...Natalee." Piccolo said more to himself and watched the child, his strength wavering still and his vision was becoming foggy around the edges.
"You Will not hurt Natalee's Friends anymore...NO...MOOORRREEE!!!!!!!!" Natalee screamed as a light brighter than the sun erupted from her tiny form and Piccolo slowly felt the world drift away from him as everything around him went black.
"Piccolo...Piccolo...Come back to Natalee...please...Natalee...come to your rescue...Natalee no longer run, Please..."
Piccolo could hear her sob and soon even that started fading away like she was drifting away.
A warmth filled his being and in his subconscious mind, he could see her, running towards him and smiling happily. Tiny blonde Ringlets bounced about her face with every step she took. "Natalee?" he whispered and that name seemed to echo as he watched her.
"Kada?...Wait for Natalee...Don't leave Natalee..." Came her hurried voice and It was then that Piccolo realized that he was seeing another one of her memories. 'why?' He thought and another voice answered him.
"Because I want you to see why she was so special to me...Piccolo." The Namekian from her previous memory now stood before him.
"This child is of God Blood...she wasn't...created as everyone thinks and since me and Glendarrah witnessed her being brought into this plane of existence...Against her will I might add...we took it upon ourselves to rescue the child and teach her the ways of good...I am sorry that the Frascardians have followed her there. She knows only of love and now despair...that was my fault." He spoke and looked to the ground and then to the image of Natalee running through the flowers and laughing. A sad smile graced his face and a tear escaped the corner of his eye as he turned away..."I have met her real parents Piccolo...They can't bring her back...but they have accepted this and agreed to wait patiently for her return."
"That's why you didn't fight back when they attacked...You wanted to die so that you could stop an even greater threat from happening. It makes sense now...but Your an Idiot...This Child, she holds such a strong love for you...and yet you disregard this and even allowed her to see you die...That doesn't exactly make you her hero, you know." Piccolo growled out at the other Namek. Unhidden shock clearly readable in his face.
Kada looks down at the floor again and then replies sadly, "No...I suppose it doesn't, your right."
"She needs someone to be there with her...she needs someone to teach her how to help herself so she doesn't have to watch those she loves most...die." Piccolo spoke most calm. Kada...smiled back at him and then replied.
"Someone...like you?"
Piccolo blinked at his claim and then a white light blinded him for a moment. Sounds started to fill his ears and a warmth surrounded him.
As he opened his eyes slowly everything was blurry at first but as he blinked a few times he could clearly see that he was surrounded by the other Z fighters.
Gohan was looking directly down at him. There was a look of worry evident in his eyes and he kept looking to someone else and then back down to Piccolo.
Piccolo groaned and forced his limbs to move and he slowly rose up into a sitting position and groaned again as his head felt like it was swimming.
"Piccolo...Piccolo I can't get her to wake...And what she did after you passed out...I wonder if she even needs our protection." Kami claimed as he knelt with Natalee's sleeping form in his arms. He Place Natalee in Piccolo's arms then and Piccolo couldn't help it as he snuggled her close to his chest...at this point it didn't matter what Kada had said God or no, she had saved him. He'd do what he could personally to teach her. In his heart he had already made it a vow.
And now it seems like another person has found a way past all his walls that he has placed around his highly guarded Namekian Heart.