Disclaimer-I Own Nothing
Summary- Piccolo is show as his true age this happened in the three years between Trunks and the androids and Piccolo is training with Gohan and Goku that time. Everybody realizes how young Piccolo really is Gohan is 8 in this fic
Realization
Chapter one- how it started
It was sunny and seventy five perfect for training, right now Gohan, Goku, and Piccolo are training in the mountains. They are having a blast. Goku is fighting Gohan and Piccolo with the Kamahamaha at low power and Piccolo is using his clones, and Gohan is using Masanko and they were all energenic. When lunch rolled around, they were having fun until a dark purple figure came out of no where and took ChiChi!
"STOP! The three yelled but it was to late,
"we have to follow them" Goku yelled and they did as they were told. They came to cave a little over onehundred miles away and found her and the purple figure.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH MY MOMMY?!", Gohan screamed
"She's my lunch." it said so bluntly it got both Goku and Gohan mad enough to power up to the point where the cave was starting to collapse.
"STOP!" Piccolo yelled "You are going to cause a cave in, we came to save ChiChi without killing her in the process! He's not that powerful there's no need to power up!" Piccolo then kicked the monster the neck snapping it to proove a point. Then picking up the unconscious ChiChi, Goku and Gohan calmed down, but it was too late, Piccolo threw ChiChi to Goku before the cave wall collapsed onto a shelf knocking a potion on Piccolos head knocking him unconscious, and covering him in rubble the cave collapsed, Goku Gahan and ChiChi barely got out in time.
"PICCOLO!" Gohan screamed
then Goku said "Yamcha, Tein, and Choutsu and Krillin are the closest people here I'll go get them, you start clearing out ruble, and look out for your mother I'll be back soon" with that he used instant transmission and was off.
ChiChi woke up immediately after and said groggily, "what happened,"
Gohan replied quickly,"A monster took you and tried to have you for lunch, daddy and I got mad and started to power up, Piccolo snapped the monsters neck and told us powering up would cause a cave in but we didn't listen. He threw you to us, then a jar of something crashed on his head knocking him out, the cave collapsed leaving him traped. Dad went to get help." Gohan was out of breath waiting for his mom to answer ,
"What type of help?" asked Chichi worryingly,"Yamcha, Tein, and Choutsu and Krillin, they will be here in a minute"
When they arrived they five z warriors started removing ruble trying to get to their possibly injured friend. All of a sudden, "I THINK I FOUND HIM!," yelled Tein, all the z fighters started to remove rubble to reveal a small 11 maybe 12 year old nameckian boy with antennas to long for his face. They all stared in shock to say the least till
Goku picked up the boy and said, "I'm going to get him to Kamies lookout and find out what in the name of Kami happened, I'll be back for you in a few minutes.
With that he was gone, when he appeared in front of Kami he could see pure shock and realization on the old guardians face,
" You got attacked by a purple monster called the shadower and Piccolo is under its potions effects?," asked Kami ,
"I think so, I'll get the rest of the gang so you can tell them, bye.," a moment later the z fighters materialized in front of him,
"What happened to Piccolo," they all asked in unison. "Apparently when you got attacked by the shadower, Piccolo made physical contact with its potion. The potion reveals what a person really is, most people wouldn't be affected by this, but Piccolo senior forced Junior to grow and mature a much faster rate. As we all tend to forget Piccolo really is a barley 12 year old boy, this potion will make him look and maybe even act his own age. ," answered Kami
"That's only four years older than me!," exclaimed Gohan the rest of them were in complete shock.
Piccolo woke up and the first thing he noticed is that he was 5'0 not 7'3 like he normally is, and his heart rate was threw the roof. He remember the cave and the potion upon his head before an all consuming darkness, he knew what's going on and he's scared. 'will they accept me, will they exile me, will they force me to back out alone.' he thought 'Grow up freak I need to get back to normal' then a little voice said 'I wont be normal for eight years that's a lot of time for my life to change, at least some people don't hate me or want me dead' he shudders at the memories of people trying to kill him as a baby. So he just ease dropped on the others conversation somewhere else on the lookout.
"What are we going to do?" said Tein
"We leave him to his normal life, that's what we do.," said Chichi a matter of factually.
"We can all be arrested for that, Piccolo isn't 18 years old and his body wont fool the police anymore, he needs a legal Guardian!," replied Tein .
" We all know it's a horrible idea to put him in an orphanage as adults, one of us has to adopt him or the police can arrest us all, on charges of child abandonment!," exclaimed Yamcha
"I WILL NOT HAVE THAT THING INSIDE MY HOUSE! WHY CAN'T HE STAY AT THE LOOKOUT!," screamed Chichi at the top of her lungs
"We can't force him to stay here he hates it here," they all said in a whisper
"WELL I DON'T CARE IF THAT STUPID UGLY HORRIBLE MONSTER DIES I WILL NOT HAVE THAT FREAK OF NATURE IN MY HOUSE!," Chichi screamed so loudly the little nameckian had to cover his ears and he started to cry, opened the window. He didn't know were he was going he just needed to get away from here.
"IF PICCOLO IS THE MONSTER YOU SAY HE IS HE WOULDN'T HAVE SAVED MY LIFE IN THE FIGHT AGENST THE SAYINS. DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER MOM!," Gohan retaliated then Kami said ,
"Keep it down especially with the insults, Piccolo heard everything you just said and flew off. Goku could you please go get him back here, even at 12 he is unnaturally fast.," ,
"Yes Kami," was all goku said before he used his instant transmission and disappeared.
When Goku found Piccolo it was very obvious that he was scared and crying. The child looked miserable, almost like a kid with the flu. Then he finally decided to talk first (little did he know it would cause a complete emotional breakdown) ,"Hey Piccolo what's wrong?"
Piccolo responded in a choked sob ,"Every-everybody thin-thinks I-I'm a-a mon-monster, nobody li-likes m-me, I-I'm just a fre-freak o-of nat-nature that sho-should ha-have nev-never been hat-hatched.," Goku looked at the poor kid and picked him up. He knew that Piccolo is a loner but, sometimes Piccolo needed an adult to help him out, but the adult never came, he felt sorry for him he always had a role model and friends. Piccolo only ever had Gohan and never a parent to call his own, he wanted to change that nobody should ever be reduced to this.
Then he said, "Don't listen to Chichi she just never took time to get to know you," the Nameckian replied ,
"Gohans the only one who has, and I don't know if he likes me anymore, I'm supposed to be a mature adult fighter not this." he hugged Goku harder and eventfully fell asleep in his arms. He raised his fingers to his head and used instant transmission to get back to the lookout.
"Piccolo needs a family and he needs one soon, he never had one in his life and has to have some sort of childhood, without it things will just get worse!" was the first thing Goku said when he got on the lookout," And he can't just stay on the lookout, no offence Kami but I don't think it would be a good idea for Piccolo to stay here.,"
he replied ,"None taken I watched the whole thing and I agree strongly, but which one of you will adopt him? He can't be mistreated like he was before this point,"
"How about we draw straws the one who draws the shortest adopts him." said Krillin
"Ok" everybody said but Chichi
"no that would still mean he would be in my house I have enough work to do as it is!"
"Chichi you wont have to cook for him nameckians only drink water and just like everyone he can do some chores to he would be more of a help than work. Who knows he might surprise you and Gohans the only one who knows him on a personal level, how can you judge him without knowing him in the first place." Goku stated
"Fine but we still draw straws" Chichi said
They ended up drawling the short straw and adopted Piccolo "Where are your things?" asked Chichi
"This gi is the only thing I own, It's near impossible to get a job without a birth certificate the same reason I can't go to school. Even if I did get a job I still need a birth certificate to open a bank account. The only reason I have this gi is because of my ever ridicules cloths beam." Piccolo replied
"Cloths beam, you have a cloths beam what use is that in a fight?" asked Goku
Piccolo replied "None, none at all, but lets face it everyone has some type of useless power and or skill, the cloths beam would be mine."
"Ok lets go home you are sharing a room with Gohan and I expect you to do the laundry everyday, take out the trash, and go shopping for exactly what's on the grocery list everyday."
"OK".
"You will have the bed with the purple blanket."
"Ok"
Nightmares
Piccolo often had nightmares almost every night to be exact, that's the reason why he chose to meditate instead of sleep when he was an adult. Now that he was in kid form for a month already, he had no choice, tonight they weren't nightmares that he could wake up from they were night terrors and he couldn't wake till it was done.
Gohan heard a slight whimpering, he ignored it at first then it got louder, most of the time it stopped after a few minutes, but this time it just wouldn't stop. He turned to Piccolos bed and got worried when he realized that his friend (brother?) is scared and having a nightmare. He tried to wake him up but, no matter how hard he tried all he did is make it worse till he finally woke up his parents. From down the hall they heard ,
" NO NO NO PLEASE HAVE MERCIE! WHY?! NO PLEASE STOP, IT HURTS I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU MY POOR EXUSE FOR A FATHER DID BUT I DIDN'T HE THINKS OF HIS KIDS AS TOOLS AND SLAVES TO BE USED I'M A VICIM TO. DON'T BURN ME PLEASE, IT HURTS! CAN'T YOU KILL ME FAST INSTEAD OF THIS? WWWHHYYYY?," Piccolo screamed in fear at the top a his lungs. By the time they got in the room Piccolo was awake and crying his heart out. It broke all their hearts even Chichis to see him that way.
"Gohan why don't you sleep on the couch while we solve this" said Chichi
" But Mommm"
"Do as I said young man we will take care of this"
"ok" then Gohan left the room and Piccolo saw them and tried miserably to put a straight face on and stop crying ,
"Sorry for waking you" he said in a small voice"
"You had a nightmare we are worried for you, it will help if you tell us what it was about" said Goku
"Ok" he was quiet and almost crying when he choked out "When I was a one day old I found this little village but didn't go in. Somebody spotted me and I was surrounded by and angry mob, they tied be down and tried to make me the victim of a witch burning. I-I wa-was so sca-scared those mon-monsters only managed to burn my feet but I barley managed to get away and I couldn't regenerate at that time, and I still have the scar it never faded as a constant reminder of my weakness, and that I'm an abomination. It was a memory." Then Piccolo broke down and started crying again and Goku pulled the boy into his lap and he and Chichi tried to comfort him.
"it's ok it was just a dream you will not be burned at the stake"
"I almost was"
"prove it" said Chichi and he took off his shoes to reveal a nasty scar that made his feet red purple and slightly blue, and they both nearly squeezed the life out of him. they hugged him till he was asleep. Chichi then knew Jr. is her son, he might have been adopted but he is her son.
The next night Chichi was there and then asked him
"This is the second night in a row how often does this happen?"
"Every time I close my eyes and see my fathers deeds or my own memories" he whispered before going back to sleep leaving Chichi wondering if she was wrong about the young green child
Chapter 3: The Ox Kings Visit
It was mid-afternoon the family was in the living room, Gohan and Piccolo were playing chess and Goku and Chichi were watching. That's when they heard the familiar "Hey Gohan, Chichi, Goku I'm here!" Chichi began to panicked, she never told her father about Piccolo and didn't know how he would react.
So she said "Piccolo go to your room and read or do something quiet till my father leaves don't go out of there! In fact here's your diner now hurry! she said as she tossed the water bottle at him. "Gohan clean the game up." Chichi told Gohan as she went to greet her father. The house shown no clue that Piccolo has been living there. The Ox King stumbled in with a pile of books as always they talked for an hour till...
"Chichi can I talk to you alone in the kitchen real quick? asked Goku nervously
"sure"
"Why did you make Piccolo go to his room like that? You pretty much grounded him for no reason!" whispered Goku
"My father doesn't know and I'm afraid he'll take it the wrong way."
"Piccolo's our adopted son, dad deserves to meet him because Piccolo is his adopted grandchild and will never be aged up in the near future. I don't think we should use the dragon balls for this, he would just be cast out again. If we don't tell him now he is bound to find out and it will hurt him more than it will when we tell him!"
"Why would it hurt him?"
"Because his new grandson has been a secret for 3 months!"
"Ok" they made their way from the living room Chichi's heart going 100 miles an hour!
"Dad I have something I need to tell you"
"What is it Chichi?"
"Did you know that Piccolo is only four year older than Gohan?"
"No, that's very young for all the things he did!" Chichi then proceeds to tell him the story
"What I have an adopted grand kid and you didn't tell me!"
"I didn't know how you would react, because of who he is."
"I haven't ever seen him, and never met him! How can I judge somebody I never even seen, I have a moral. ("Don't judge a book by it's cover"). So I would at least get to know him first! So can I meet him, where is he?"
"In his and Gohans shared room I'm call him but fair warning he isn't human."
"Piccolo come here and meet your new grandpa!"
Piccolo rushed out of his room but was very quiet around this new stranger. Not sure of how to act he just studies him before saying "Hi I'm Piccolo who are you"
"I'm your new grandpa, the Ox King."
"Why don't we learn more about each other since we know very little about each others past." suggested Chichi
"OK"
Chichi got the get to know you game.
"We pick up a card one of us reads the question and we all answer."
"Do you have any siblings?"
"No" said Chichi and Ox King
"If you count Piccolo as a brother, yes" said Gohan
"My non-brother Raditz" replied Goku
"More biological brothers than I want to waste my time counting because there are hundreds that died before I was hatched then plus one more if you count Gohan." said Piccolo
"That's alot of brothers" said Gohan and the Ox King
"My biological father only had that many because he only veiwed his kids as tools and slaves, he only cared if we died because each kid strains his health." replied Piccolo
They were all quiet till Chichi said
"Lets move on with the game, shall we."
"yes"
"What are your hobbies, or what do you like to spend your time on"
"Cleaning and cooking" said Chichi
"Tending to my people" replied the Ox King
"Training" said Goku
"Studying and training" said Gohan
"Meditating, reading, training, and chess" said Piccolo
"Piccolo what do you read, we never bought you any books I thought you were illiterate?" said Chichi
"Gohans spare books and when I was a few weeks old I used to sneak into the library at night and use their books to learn everything!"
"Why did you have to sneak in?"
"PEOPLE BURNED ME FOR BEING NEAR THEIR VILLIGE YOU THINK THEY WOULD LET ME INTO A LIBRAY!"
"PEOPLE BURNED YOU!" yelled Gohan and the Ox King
"Yes"
"Some people are just cruel almost all libraries are public you are protected by the law and have the right to be there" said Chichi
"Not green freaks"
"You're not a freak"
"That and monster is what the public and the law labels me. Only humans or human like non-freaks have the right to be in public. They judge me before they even know me!"
they just dropped the game after that, and Chichi Goku and the Ox King all agreed to have Piccolo go to a child psychiatrist and a physician under the name of Ma-Junior. After explaining to Goku what a psychiatrist and physician is.
They all lived as a happy family till Gohan was 12 at least.