Sorry if this part is short. For some reason the blocking bug has bit me. Enjoy! Also, I forgot to mention that Piccolo is going to wear his father's outfit only for the first part of the story. Don't worry; he will be donning his cape and turban.

The Boy and the Namek

Chapter 2

Gohan swung his wooden sword around, trying to mimic the forms he had seen his father practice during the lax season. Of course, his balance always seemed off, and his arc was never straight. Without Goku to show him what to do, Gohan was basically left swinging a stick. He soon grew tired from his constant swinging, and had to stop to catch his breath. Gohan put his sword down and sat on the front steps of his house, looking up at the sky and wiping sweat from his brow. It was early morning, the next day since his father left the previous evening to gather lemongrass in the dark forest. His failure to come home in the time he promised greatly worried Chichi, distracting her so much she could not concentrate on morning chores. Gohan felt a little worried as well, but he had faith in his father, and maintained that he would keep his word to his family. The bright side was Chichi's distraction made her oblivious to Gohan's lagging in his chores and studies for the morning. As soon as he had gotten the chance, the boy had slipped out the door to practice with his sword.

'Dad said he'd be back soon,' Gohan thought, watching clouds roll by in the bright blue sky. 'He wouldn't keep us worrying on purpose.' The boy shivered as a dark thought crossed his mind. He had heard of monsters in the forest preying on anyone who dared stay in their territory for too long, but Goku was traveling by dragon, so he shouldn't have been in too much danger… Gohan sighed and put his chin in his hand. 'I just hope he gets enough lemongrass so Mom won't yell at him.' Gohan yawned and stretched, bending to pick his sword up again. Heavy footsteps from the path ahead made the boy pause, his fingers touching the smooth wood of his sword. Something in the weight of the footfalls made Gohan nervous, so he didn't want to look up right away. However, he didn't have a choice when he heard a familiar grating voice sound above his head.

"Ohayo, Son Gohan," said Lord Vegeta, smiling in a none-too-friendly way. His bodyguard, Nappa, stood beside him, a daito slung over his huge shoulder. Gohan smiled as pleasantly as he could, but he felt his cheek twitch with nervousness.

"Ohayo, Lord Vegeta-sama," he said, his voice slightly shrill. He picked up his sword and sat back on the step of his house. He bowed his head to the nobleman, feeling very, very small underneath the contemptuous gaze of the gargantuan Nappa. Lord Vegeta seemed completely unabashed by the boy's nervousness.

"Might I ask where your father is, young Gohan?" he asked. Gohan gulped. He figured the nobleman had been patrolling the rice fields and noticed Goku was not among the workers.

"He's…um…" For some reason, Gohan felt like it wasn't safe to tell Vegeta exactly where Goku was, for fear of making his father sound shifty to be skipping his work. Luckily, at that moment, the door to the cottage opened, and Son Chichi stepped out into the sunlight. Her expression at seeing the two high-ranking villagers at her doorstep was, at first, surprised, but she quickly hid it behind a polite smile.

"Why, Lord Vegeta-sama," she said pleasantly, stepping down to stand by her son. She bowed, and Vegeta inclined his head. "What a pleasant surprise; what brings you out to the farming district so early in the morning?" Vegeta smiled, showing his teeth.

"I just happened to be in the neighborhood," he said, "and I noticed that your husband wasn't out in the fields yet. Is everything alright?" Chichi made a funny little noise that sounded like a nervous laugh.

"Oh, Goku just went out the forest to pick some lemongrass," she said, shrugging one shoulder. "He'll be back later today; I'll get out to that field myself in just a little bit. He took our plow dragon, so I'm afraid I've got my hands full." Vegeta's smile dropped a little bit, one eyebrow rising.

"Gone out, has he?" he said, placing his arms behind his back. Chichi nodded, still smiling. Gohan looked back and forth between the two of them. "Well, I hope he won't take too long, seeing as your farm has been…lagging as of late."

Chichi dropped her pleasant smile and frowned at the nobleman.

"And, what is that supposed to mean, my lord?" she asked, putting as much disdain into the last two words as she could. Vegeta chuckled and shrugged, holding his hands up innocently.

"I'm just saying…You know that every farmer who owns a plot of workable land has a quota to fill of what they provide to the village. As farmers, it's your job to keep up with the needs of your community. Your farm has been, well, lacking in the providing department. These last couple of seasons were a little lean in your area, and you've been short in your quota. I'll admit, I've been a little more lenient than I should be, but I couldn't help it; I'm a giver. But this season I'm going to need you to be more productive. So, I hope your husband gets back soon; the sooner he gets working, the sooner you can fill your quota." Chichi's face contorted in rage, but she spoke calmly, which frightened Gohan more than if she had started shouting.

"I'm sorry you think we've been…lacking in our efforts. I assure you that we do our best with the land and soil we have. Of course, if we had the resources to hire workers…or if sharecropping was allowed in this village…" She mimicked Vegeta's innocent shrug. The lord's lip curled.

"I'm sure," he said, and turned to leave. Chichi crossed her arms, glaring after him. Before they reached the bridge, however, Vegeta turned his head, a sneer curved on his face. "Just remember: if your farm doesn't fill the village quota this year, I'm going to have to evict your family. I'll find someone else who can work this land to its potential." With that, the nobleman turned and strode across the bridge, Nappa following close behind.

Chichi let out a snarl, tugging on her hair.

"That stuck-up, pompous, short….!" She was too angry to finish the insult. Gohan tilted his head towards her, a questioning look on his face.

"Mom, what does 'evict' mean?" Chichi's angry expression slipped, changing from worried, to falsely cheerful, to just uncomfortable. She patted his head gently.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Everything will be fine. As soon as your father gets back…things will be fine…" With a slight inhale of breath, she started down the stairs, picking up a basket next to the firewood pile. "I'm going to go the market to get some bread, since we seem to be out of that too. Don't leave the property, okay?" Gohan nodded, and she left without another word. Gohan got up and went back to practicing with his sword. But he couldn't concentrate on the form he wasn't sure how to execute. His mind lingered relentlessly on Lord Vegeta's poke at his parent's work. His parents worked harder than anyone in the area. It wasn't easy for them to work a plot of rice land with just two people. Gohan helped as much as his mother let him, but he was only six. To hear the governing lord talk like that, like his parents were slacking off on purpose, burned his gut like nothing else. Gohan stopped swinging the piece of wood and crossed his arms, pouting.

"What a jerk," he said to a passing field mouse, "acting like my parents are lazy. They're not lazy!" He stomped towards the rice fields, only a short walk away from the family cottage. The fields were small, only twenty meters square, and packed to the brim with rice paddies. They would have been sufficient for one or two big paddies, but Goku insisted many smaller paddies produced more crop than one big paddy. Gohan knelt at the lip of one small paddy, and watched his reflection ripple in the water. With the harvest just past, there were only sprigs left over underneath the water. "Why can't he just leave us alone?" Gohan asked his reflection. "Why can't everyone in this town leave us alone? I mean, what's wrong with us? What did we ever do to them, or him?" Gohan suddenly felt the need to sing, and he wasn't sure if he could stop it.

That Lord, Vegeta, he's such a bully.

That Lord, Vegeta, most mean around.

The rest, as bad: they're always teasing,

I wish there was more to Mount Pouzu town….

Gohan got up, feeling very alone, and ran away from the paddies. He ran away from his house, all the way to the tree line, where the Son family property ended. Faced with a wall of trees, Gohan looked up into the sky. He wasn't meant for this, this life of poverty and farming. His heart was too adventurous, and he liked to read too much. Well, not as much as the other children; they liked to read their school books and history lore. Gohan liked to read adventure stories about things that didn't actually happen. He wanted to learn how to fight, like his father. He loved his family, but he wished they lived somewhere else. He didn't realize he started singing again until the words were already out of his mouth.

I wish I could find somewhere to go away,

Somewhere exciting and not mild

Where I could just be me,

Not who they want me to be,

Because a farmer's life isn't for this child…

As the last note died in his throat, a frantic cawing interrupted Gohan's lament. He looked around in time to see Icarus the dragon land with a great thud behind him. Gohan's spirits lifted at the sight of the purple dragon, but then plummeted when he realized Icarus's saddle was empty.

"Icarus, where's Dad?" Gohan asked, hurrying over to take the dragon's reins. Icarus squawked, whisking his tail back and forth vigorously. He looked horribly upset. "Did something happen to Dad?" Gohan asked, pulling Icarus's face close. Icarus's eyes widened meaningfully, and he jerked his head toward the trees. Gohan glanced at the forest, and then back towards his house. Something must have happened to his father, if Icarus came back without him. He knew that he should wait until Chichi got back from town to tell her what had happened, but if Gohan was right and something had gone wrong in the dark forest, then his father might be in trouble, injured even. There might not be time to wait for Chichi. Gohan looked up at Icarus, and felt his resolve settle: he would go to look for his father himself.

Icarus landed on the low side of the quarry just as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. The flight from Mount Pouzu to this spot in the forest had taken longer than Gohan had expected. Though the dragon knew where the lemongrass glen was, he had to pick up Goku's scent before settling down in a sure spot. By then, it was late afternoon. Gohan looked up in awe at the wrought iron gates that stood imposingly before them. Beyond the gates, a massive red-and-black castle loomed like a twisted monster. Gohan tried to spur Icarus back into flight, but for some reason, the dragon refused to move. Something about the gate and the surrounding wall made him too nervous to fly over it. He cawed and stomped his feet, trying to turn around, but Gohan held the reins tightly. "Calm down, Icarus," he said soothingly, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "It's okay. I'll go, you stay here." He dismounted and approached the gates, his shoulders trembling. Something silver glinted at the base of the gates, and Gohan gasped when he realized the thing was Goku's broadsword. Gohan picked it up by the grip, but it was too heavy for him to lift. "Daddy," he said quietly, gazing up at the imposing castle. He gently set the sword down, and cautiously pushed open the gates.

Meanwhile, deep in the castle, Tien the clock and Yamcha the lantern argued while cleaning up bat guano that had somehow escaped their notice in one of the many lavish hallways. A ghost or two passed them every once and a while, circling the columns or phasing through the ceiling, but the two objects paid them no mind. Normally it was easy to keep the castle clean, but for some reason the rainy season had encouraged the local bats to invite themselves in.

"You just had to talk to him," snapped Tien, shoveling guano into a burlap sack and glaring at the living lantern. "You just had to invite him in. Had to make the guy comfortable, eh? Now look at us; we're on clean up duty, and that poor man is stuck in the tower." Yamcha turned his paper nose up at the scolding clock, dusting the wall where he could reach.

"I was just trying to be friendly," he retorted. "We haven't had a human here in eight years…I thought it might be nice to entertain a visitor." Tien snorted.

"Yeah, well, you've certainly got your wish now; we'll be 'entertaining' this guy for the rest of his life, and ours." Yamcha gave him an even look.

"Given up already, huh?" he said, shaking his head disapprovingly. "I thought you were better than that, Tien. What about your wife, or your son? You want to give up on them too?" Tien's three eyes darkened and he turned his round face away.

"I just don't see an end, that's all," he said, a pout in his voice. Yamcha sighed and went back to cleaning up.

"Did you hear that guy earlier?" he asked. "I think I heard him actually talking to Piano, like, out loud." Tien rolled his three eyes.

"Poor fellow; the eldest has already gotten to him. Who gave the lord the bright idea to put prisoners in the tower where his brother is perched?" Yamcha snorted.

"No one gave him the idea; he's just still a sadistic jerk like he always has been. He probably thinks being trapped in a tower with a possessed gargoyle is a fitting punishment for trespassers."

"Hello?" Gohan peeked inside the huge castle doors, and gazed around in astonishment at the great entrance hall. He had only seen paintings of castles in the town's market area, sold from the cities where the emperor lived. He wondered what kind of people lived in a castle as grand as this, so far out in the middle of the dark forest. "Hello?" he called again, moving farther into the entrance hall. "Is there anyone here? Daddy? Daddy, are you here?" Gohan jumped at a sound that reminded him of wind blowing, and the door slammed shut. Frightened, but determined, Gohan headed towards the columned hallway he saw leading to the interior of the castle. "Daddy, can you hear me?"

In the castle kitchens, Launch the tea caddy was busy preparing powdered ginger tea for the demon lord, grumbling to herself about how ginger wasn't a reusable commodity, when Chiaozu the prayer beads shuffled up to her, rattling with excitement.

"Mommy, Mommy! There's a little boy in the castle!" Launch looked around at him, her wooden eyebrows raised. Her coloring was yellow and purple, so her voice came out harsh.

"A boy in the castle? Don't be silly, Chiaozu; you're the only kid around here. Unless you saw a ghost, because that's entirely possible." Chiaozu shook his beads and the pendant that was his head.

"No, Mommy, I saw a boy; a real human boy!" He hopped up and down vigorously. "It's the biggest thing ever! We've never had a boy in the castle before!" Launch sighed and went back to grounding up ginger roots.

"Yes we have son," she said sarcastically, "and that's the lord. Don't make up stories, it's not becoming." Chiaozu rattled again, making a groaning noise.

"But mommy-!" But his whining was quickly interrupted by Krillen the sandal, as he ran into the kitchen, trembling with excitement.

"You're not to believe this!" he said, huffing slightly from his run. "There's a little boy in the castle! A real human boy!" He smiled, still breathing heavily. "I thought you might want to know." Launch sneezed, and turned into her gentler purple and yellow form.

"Oh, my," she said, putting a hand to her wooden face.

"I told you so," said Chiaozu.

Tien and Yamcha scooped the guano into a basket and started down the hall towards the grand staircase, which spiraled up several stories, each level leading to another hall deck. Ghosts roamed all the decks, varying on whether or not they used the stairs. Tien kept ranting to Yamcha as they entered one of the many sitting rooms. As Yamcha dumped the waste into a fireplace, Tien continued his scolding.

"He'll probably keep us cleaning up this miserable place for the rest of our unnatural lives!" he raged, kicking a pillow, and then cringing when it growled at him. "Of all the bull-headed, short-sighted, dim-witted -!" Yamcha rolled his glowing eyes as he shoveled the guano onto the coals. The stuff may have smelled bad, but it made excellent fire fuel. The lantern did his best to tune out the yapping clock, when an unfamiliar sound stopped both of them dead in their tracks, or speech.

"Daddy? Hello?" The two of them froze, and then slowly turned around. Out in the grand hallway, a little boy with long black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a green and yellow tunic and green pants, passed by the archway leading to the sitting room. His big eyes searched the surrounding area with concern and fear. He couldn't have been older than five or six, yet there was great intelligence in his eyes. He passed by the sitting room without noticing the two possessed objects. When the boy was gone, Yamcha and Tien looked at each other in awe.

"Did…Did you see that?" asked Yamcha. Tien nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again. Quickly, the two of them ran out into the hall and stared at the boy as he approached the grand staircase.

"That's a kid!" Yamcha exclaimed, elbowing Tien hard in the side. Tien grumbled.

"Yes, I can see that's a kid," he said tersely, crossing his short arms. Yamcha nodded, his smile slightly manic.

"And….What does that mean…?" he prompted, nudging Tien insistently. Tien shrugged.

"We're probably going to end up in another world of pain when the lord finds out about it." Yamcha groaned and shoved Tien.

"No, you idiot! What are kids?" Tien shrugged again.

"Small?"

"No."

"Messy?"

"No."

"Annoying?"

"No!" Yamcha put a hand to his papery face. "Innocent!" he said, exasperated. "Kids are innocent! Don't you get it Tien? This kid could be the one who lifts the curse!"

That certainly got Tien's attention. He whipped around and started at Yamcha.

"Do what now?!" he gasped, his three eyes wide. But Yamcha, too excited and preoccupied to answer, pelted after the boy. "Yamcha!" Tien hissed. He hesitated, then followed the lantern after the boy as he approached the grand staircase.

Gohan stared up at the spiraling staircase, rising from the entrance hall all the way to the top deck hall. He wasn't sure if he had the energy to climb all those stairs at once, but if he wanted to find his father, he had to start somewhere. Taking a deep breath, Gohan put a foot on the first step.

A quick patter of footsteps made Gohan turn his head. It came from a smaller doorway that led away from the grand staircase. He hesitated, then quickly followed the sound to the doorway. The doorway led to a smaller, yet just as tall, stone staircase, leading up a narrow tower. "Hello is anyone there?" he called. No one answered, but a red glow appeared at the top of the stairs. Someone, or something, was holding a lantern up there. Gohan gasped and ran after the light. "Wait! Do you know where my dad is?" The lantern glow grew smaller, and Gohan ran faster. "Wait, please help me!" Gohan didn't notice how fast he was running until he nearly tripped over the top of the staircase when he expected another step. "Ouch!" He rubbed his knee where it bumped the floor. Gohan looked around, and frowned. The glow came from a red lantern hanging on a hook from the ceiling, but there was no one around who might have been holding it before. "Hello? Is there anyone here?" At first there was no reply. Gohan moved a little farther into the room. The room was large, but it was dimly lit, the only light source being the lantern and natural light from the quickly setting sun. The room was dank and dark, round and made entirely of cold stone. Moss formed in corners and in between cracks in the stones, and the support beams creaked loudly. If Gohan hadn't guessed he had climbed a tower, he would have thought he was in a dungeon. The room seemed empty, but then a small moan sounded from the opposite wall. "Hello?" Gohan called nervously. There was another moan, and then…

"G…Gohan?" Gohan gasped.

"Daddy!" The boy ran across the room to his father, who was chained to the wall by his wrists. Goku smiled weakly at his son. He couldn't move his arms to hug the boy, since they were chained above his head, but he curled his body over as best he could to embrace his son. Gohan buried his face in his father's tunic, his arms wrapped around Goku's middle. "Oh Daddy, what happened to you?" He looked up into Goku's face, his eyes wide with fear. Goku laughed half-heartedly.

"I just got into a little trouble," he said lightly, curling to get closer to his son. "It's nothing, really." Gohan winced as he felt his father's chest.

"Oh, Dad, you're so cold, and you're clothes are wet! I've got to get you home, or you might get sick." As if in confirmation, Goku shivered and let out a horrible cough.

"I'm fine, son, really; it's just a cold." Goku didn't dare tell his son that he was nearly delirious from fever; never drying off from the rain and being thrown into a drafty prison tower had left him in a horrible condition. He cast a glance at the large window directly adjacent to the doorway. Outside, just in his line of sight, an ugly gargoyle carved in the image of a pterodactyl sat on the very edge of a balcony. Goku wasn't sure, but he had an unsettling feeling that the gargoyle was watching him. "Listen, Gohan; I want you to get out of here." Gohan looked up, alarmed, at Goku.

"What? But, Daddy…" Goku shook his head.

"I mean it, Gohan," he said seriously, a shiver wracking his body again. "You have to leave. I can't explain, but you have to leave, now." Gohan shook his head, and pressed his face further into Goku's tunic.

"I can't leave without you," he whimpered.

However, it wasn't Goku's insistence that removed Gohan from his side. A horrible growl sounded behind them, and all of the sudden Gohan was ripped away from Goku and tossed in another corner of the dungeon room, his head hitting the wall and causing spots to appear before his eyes.

"Gohan, run!" Goku cried, struggling against his chains. Gohan groaned and rubbed the back of his head. A large shadow swooped down on the boy and grabbed the front of his tunic, lifting him up off the ground.

"What are you doing here, boy?" the shadow snarled, white fangs glinting inches from the boy's face. Gohan choked, unable to speak out of fear. The shadow grunted, and dropped Gohan onto the floor. Gohan looked up at the shadow, huddling to the wall in an effort to make himself a smaller target.

"Who…Who are you?" he asked, his voice quavering in fear. The shadow glided away, moving closer to Goku. Narrow eyes glittered in the dark.

"I am the lord of this castle; this is my domain." Gohan gulped, but tried to open himself up slightly.

"Wh…Why is my daddy locked up?" he asked. "Did he do something wrong?" The shadow rumbled like a growling bear.

"He trespassed here. No one comes here. His encroachment is a breach in my domain." Goku tugged against the chains more vigorously.

"Let him go!" Goku snarled, glaring up at the shadow. "He's only a child; he has nothing to do with this." The shadow turned and slapped Goku across the face. Gohan let out a small yelp, staring horrified at the red mark forming across his father's cheek.

"Silence, peasant!" the shadow snapped. Gohan felt hot tears welling up in his eyes.

"Please, leave my dad alone!" he pleaded, crawling towards the shadow on his hands and knees. The shadow glowered at the child. Gohan fought the urge to turn away. "Please, let him go. I'm sorry he made you angry, or came here without being invited. But, you can't keep him here." The shadow let out a low rolling laugh that sounded like thunder.

"Oh, can't I?" he said, stepping menacingly towards the boy. Gohan cowered a little, much to his embarrassment. But he didn't break eye contact.

"Please, he's sick. He's cold and shivering, and he could die if he doesn't get warm. We're poor, but I'm sure he and my mom will pay you back for whatever he did. Please, let my daddy go." The shadow looked contemptuously down at the child, his fangs showing a grimace.

"Forget it, boy," he growled, turning away. A cape swished around the shadows feet. "Your father foolishly stepped where he didn't belong, and he will take his punishment." He turned back for a moment, eyes blazing. "If you're smart you'll leave, boy. Leave now, while I'll still let you." Gohan hesitated, seriously considering on heeding his father's order, but instead, he straightened, stood up, and looked directly into the monster's eyes.

"No," he said, as firmly as he could manage with his shaking voice. "I'm not leaving my dad here. If you want a prisoner, you can have me instead."

The shadow balked, eyes widening. Goku gasped and thrashed against his chains.

"What did you say?" asked the shadow.

"No! Gohan, don't say that!" Goku begged, gazing at his son in wide-eyed horror. The shadow ignored the man, moving closer to the boy.

"You would take your father's place…here?" he asked, his voice slightly astonished, as if he was trying to hide his surprise but failing at it. Gohan looked at his father, then back at the shadow, and nodded.

"If I stayed, instead of my daddy, would you let him go home?" Goku let out an angry snarl and yanked at his chains, so hard he nearly dislocated his shoulders.

"No, Gohan, you can't! Leave him alone!" The shadow peered at Gohan, its dark eyes narrowed.

"Hm." It circled him, looking the boy over from all sides. "You're weak on the outside," the shadow spat, mouth curling contemptuously, "but you have some power in you. Dormant power; I can feel it." Gohan gulped; he had no idea what the shadow was talking about, but he didn't care. Maybe that meant it would take him on his offer. The shadow halted in front of him, fangs glinting in a smirk. "That power….it could be useful." Gohan saw a movement that could have been the creature crossing his arms. "If you stay here, it is for forever," said the shadow. "You can never leave if you agree; imprisonment is permanent. Do you understand, kid?" Gohan swallowed hard, wringing his hands. He was about to agree, but then he realized he wasn't sure if he should. This was his freedom he was putting on the line; he was only six after all. And, he didn't even know what his…captor looked like.

"Can…Can you come where I can see you?" Gohan asked, his voice small. "Please?" The shadow shifted, almost as if he were hesitant. Then, slowly, the shadow stepped into the light from the large window outside the tower, where the sun was in the middle of setting. Gohan's eyes widened as the huge, mysterious shadow morphed into a six-foot tall man, with green skin, pointed ears, a round, bald head, and two antennae sprouting from above his brow. Gohan's gaze moved over the pink exposed muscles of the man's arms, the deep maroon cloak that shrouded his shoulders, and the angry black characters that spelled the word "demon" on his dark blue gi. The green man's face was smooth and somehow young, yet at the same time weighed down with years belonging to an older soul. His black eyes burned with anger, but his brow was furrowed in something Gohan wasn't sure he could identify. He could sense the hate and anger radiating from this horrible creature, yet he felt something…else. Gohan inhaled slightly, and shook all over, but he did not break eye contact or give ground.

"Do we have a deal?" the monster asked. Gohan looked from the angry green face to the fearful pale one of his father's. Goku shook his head, a plea on his mouth. Gohan felt resolve settle like mud in his stomach, and then he looked back up at the demon, and nodded.

"It's a deal," he said. The demon smiled evilly, and Goku screamed.

"No, Gohan, you can't!" With a flash, the shackles binding the man broke into pieces, freeing him at last. Goku ran to Gohan and seized his son's shoulders, his face desperate. "Listen to me, son," he said shakily. "You can't stay here. It's too dangerous. You're only a child. I'm an adult, and I can take my punishment. It's not your job to protect me." Gohan opened his mouth to reply, but the demon lord promptly grabbed a hold of the back of Goku's tunic and dragged him away. The man fought against the monster's hold, but the demon was far stronger than he. Shocked, Gohan reached out a hand to his father.

"But, wait…Daddy!" Goku reached back.

"Gohan!"

"Daddy!"

The demon lord quickly spirited the farmer down the tower steps and through the castle to the entrance hall. Goku fought back as hard as he could, but the pull was too strong.

"Please, please," the grown man sobbed, looking imploringly up at the evil lord. "Please, he's my son!" The demon put out a hand and blasted the front doors open with just his energy.

"He's made his decision," he growled, stopping dead at the threshold between the entrance hall and outside. The tips of his brown slip-on shoes didn't even cross the line. "You need not worry about him anymore." Goku groaned, tears brimming in his eyes. The demon lord raised the man to eye level. "If you ever show your face here again, I'll rip your heart out," he hissed. Goku gave him a grimace that was both angry and depressed.

"You're doing that right now, monster," he spat. The demon gritted his teeth and grunted, then flung Goku bodily out of the castle. The toss was so powerful that Goku flew all the way across the stone bridge to slam against the gates. The impact was hard enough to knock Goku out, but not hard enough to break any bones. From inside the castle, the demon lord raised two fingers. Goku's unconscious body floated upward, suspended by invisible power. The demon flicked his fingers, and the peasant farmer flew over the gate and above the trees, destined to land far outside the forest line, right in the middle of his property. He was out of harm's way from the saibamen, who didn't move outside the shelter of the trees, but the cold winter night would leave him in dire straits when Chichi found him an hour later, well after sundown.

The young demon's hand lingered in the air, reaching out slightly to the outside world.

"Lucky devil," he snarled, snatching his hand back bitterly. With a flick of his wrist, the large doors slammed shut, launching an echo through the castle that upset even the ghosts. He turned from the door and stomped down the hall towards the prison tower, his heart weighing heavily with resentment.

The demon lord climbed the stone staircase of the prison tower, one hand on the wall. As he neared the top, the sobs of the little peasant boy grew louder and louder, making his sensitive ears twitch in discomfort. When his foot touched the top step, Yamcha the possessed lantern swung across his path to perch on a small stone outcropping meant to hold torches.

"My lord?" he asked, a tentative smile on his paper face. The demon glared at him.

"What?" he snapped. Yamcha's smile faltered only slightly, proving his resolve.

"My lord, since the kid's going to be staying here for…well, ever, maybe it'd be a good idea to let him stay in one of the resident rooms." The demon growled and swept past Yamcha, his cape nearly knocking the lantern off his perch. "Or not," Yamcha snorted.

Gohan shivered in the cold prison room, tears sliding unchecked down his face. The gargoyle on the tower balcony glared at him from the corner of its eye, a sneer seeming to curl on its beak. The door creaked open, and the demon lord stepped inside. Gohan looked up at him, and let out a sob.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked wretchedly. The demon raised a brow ridge in confusion. Gohan sobbed noisily, rubbing his eyes with the sleeve of his tunic. "I'm never going to see my dad again, and I didn't even get to say goodbye to him. It's not fair!" He let out a wail and threw himself onto the cold floor, crying and beating his fists. The demon grimaced, momentarily disarmed by the child's helplessness. But then he caught the stone eye of the gargoyle, and let out an angry snarl.

"Stop that whining, boy!" he shouted. For some reason, the kid cried even harder, making the demon's ears sting. "Shut up!" Still, he cried. Finally, the demon lord roared with the force of a mountain lion. "Silence! Or I will slit your throat!"

Gohan's crying ended in a hiccup when he heard this utterance. He looked fearfully up at the green man, his eyes double their size.

"Wh…What?" he squeaked. The demon lord crossed his muscular arms, a scowl on his face.

"You may be imprisoned here," he snapped, "but I will not tolerate such weakness! Do you understand?" Gohan nodded, his bottom lip trembling. The demon nodded, his face less scowling and more stern. "That's better. Now, if you would follow me, I'll take you to your room." Gohan, whose eyes had dropped down to the floor, looked back up, astonished, at his imprisoner.

"My…room?" he asked. The demon lord, who had turned to leave, looked back over his shoulder.

"What," he said, "you want to stay up here, in this cold, drafty tower?" Gohan shook his head vigorously. "Well then." The demon gestured to the door. "Come."

Gohan followed the demon up the grand staircase and down a lavish hallway lined with altars and statues. The statues varied in design; some were of fantastic gods and proud heroes from Japanese mythology, and yet others depicted horribly misshapen monsters and fiends. In the dim light from the hanging lanterns, the shadows contorted the statues to frightening intensities that scared Gohan so badly he let out a yelp and ran close to the demon lord's side. At a slight pressure on his hand, the lord looked down to see the little boy pressed close to him, one tiny hand wrapped around his three middle fingers. At first, the lord felt only surprise at the boy's close proximity, staring down at him without missing a step. But he soon got over his shock and cleared his throat.

"If you want to keep that hand, I suggest you back off," he growled menacingly. Gohan squeaked and quickly let go of his hand, eyes wide. "That's better," he said, a little less angrily. Now that things had settled down, the demon lord felt content to drop his intimidating defensive manner and relapse back to the grumpy moroseness he felt every single day of his life. He was, after all, dealing with a child; no threat could come of something so benign.

'That's what you think,' growled a persistent voice in the back of his mind. The lord shook his head, trying to ward the presence away.

'Leave me alone,' he mentally snapped. At his side, Gohan curiously looked around at the huge wooden columns and hanging blinds.

"This place sure is big," he said in wonder. The demon lord humphed, not looking at him.

"Now listen up kid; you're a prisoner here, but I'm not going to restrict you to any one room. Feel free to wander around as you like." Gohan looked up at him, a small smile crossing his mouth.

"Really?" he asked. He was still upset at having his freedom and family taken away, but there was something about the castle that fascinated him. It was like something from the ancient scrolls in the town records hall that he used to look at. No one in a poor town like Mount Pouzu could possibly dream of living in a place so lavish, not even Lord Vegeta. The demon lord nodded in answer to his question.

"Yep," he said, "just as long as you don't go outside the castle walls, or go to the center keep." At this, Gohan actually halted, his head tilted curiously.

"The center keep?" he said questioningly. The demon lord looked back at him, his face impassive.

"Yes," he said, "The building in the center of the castle. It's up a small flight of stairs and has a pagoda alter on top. You are not to go there, at all." He guessed his tone wasn't serious enough, because Gohan pressed further.

"Why? What's up there?" The demon furrowed his brow, anger starting to flare up again.

"Nothing you need worry about," he said sternly.

"But—"

"Forget it, kid!" he snapped, rounding on the boy with a vengeful look in his dark eyes. "When I say something's forbidden, it's forbidden! Got it?" Gohan shrunk back slightly, and nodded.

"Y-Yes sir," he said, his voice tiny. The demon grunted, and continued on down the hall, not looking back to see if Gohan followed.

The demon lord lead Gohan up another flight of stairs and down yet another hallway before finally halting in front of an elegant set of sliding doors painted with intricate characters. The lord nodded to the doors.

"Here's your room." He pushed the doors aside and gestured for Gohan to go inside. Gohan tentatively poked his head through the doorway. The room was huge, wider than the entire circumference of his house and twice as tall. Ornate silk rugs were spread generously over the wood floor, bright colored tapestries hung from the ceiling depicting battles between the celestial gods and demons from shadow worlds. There was only one window, tall as an oak tree with a set of blinds that could be raised and lowered to varying degrees.

In the middle of the room was a large, lush mound of cushions and quilts that could double as a sofa and a bed. Gohan let out an excited laugh and raced towards the bed. He kicked off his shoes just in time before leaping onto the heap of cushions and quilts. Oh, it was like landing on a cloud. Gohan giggled, burrowing his face into a silk pillow. For a moment, the reality of his imprisonment seemed to slip away.

"This is soooo comfy!" he sighed, rolling around like a kitten. "I've never been on a bed this soft. My bed back home…is…made of…." He broke off, a lump rising in his throat to prevent him from finishing the sentence. The excitement from a few seconds ago suddenly evaporated into nothing. Nice room or not, he was still a prisoner.

Gohan swallowed hard and rolled up into a sitting position. He flushed shyly when he met the cold gaze of the demon lord, still standing like a statue in the doorway. "Um…thanks for the room," he said quietly, twisting his little hands. The lord grunted, his face impassive.

"So, if you need anything….well, just holler. Someone will hear you…probably." He smirked, his black eyes glinting for a moment. "You're probably better off getting it yourself." Gohan's lip quivered, but he didn't let the tears rise, remembering what the lord had said about crying. The demon shifted his weight from foot to foot, almost seeming awkward for a moment, but then he quickly crossed his arms and started out the door. "Well, see you around, I guess."

Gohan gasped and jumped off the bed, a protest on his lips. The green man looked back over his shoulder.

"What?" Gohan shuffled his feet, his shoulders trembling. He couldn't tell if he was more frightened or embarrassed, standing before this mighty creature. It was obvious how powerful he was; energy and strength just seemed to radiate form him. Yet, there was something very vulnerable about the green man, something sad that shone out through the anger. Gohan gulped, then asked shyly, "Um, I was wondering, what's your name?"

The demon lord's eyes widened. For a second, he wasn't sure if he heard the boy correctly. If he did, it was the last thing he would have expected such a thing to come out of his captive's mouth.

"What's my…what?" he asked, his voice coming out in a whisper. The boy looked down at his feet, his cheeks growing red, but his shoulders continued to tremble in fear.

"I asked what your name was," the boy said meekly. He raised his eyes, and for a moment the lord was shocked to find he actually saw hope in those young eyes. "My name's Gohan." The green man felt something thud, hard in his chest, and his mouth suddenly went dry. Those eyes held…something….

He promptly shook himself and fixed his face back in an impassive mask.

"It's Piccolo," he said gruffly, "Piccolo Jr. I'm named after my father, Piccolo Daimaou." Gohan's face brightened.

"That's an interesting name," he said softly. "What does it mean?" Piccolo huffed and turned away.

"It means 'Other World'," he growled. He started to leave, but a small sound from the boy stopped him once more. Piccolo sighed, putting his thumb and forefinger to his eye ridges. He was starting to think keeping the kid here wasn't such a good idea. He looked back over his shoulder again, scowling. "What now?"

Gohan balked and fidgeted under Piccolo's intense gaze. He seriously considered abandoning his question for fear of angering the demon, but the sudden churning cramp in his stomach convinced him otherwise.

"Um, I was just wondering…" He hoped Piccolo could hear him, since he couldn't seem to raise his voice any higher than a squeak. Piccolo's lip curled in a snarl.

"Spit it out, kid," he snapped. Gohan shivered.

"Um, I'm pretty hungry," he said. "I was wondering if I could have something to eat, please." He looked up from beneath the brim of his hat. "I know it's probably past dinner, but I haven't eaten anything since this morning." Piccolo stared at him, his eyes slowly widening and his scowl slipping a bit. Gohan took a step back, wondering if he'd been too forward. Maybe he should have been more humble; he was a peasant talking to a lord, after all.

The silence between the two stretched for an uncomfortable amount of time. Gohan found himself unable to keep eye contact for too long, and his shoulders ached from holding still. Finally, a low sound rolled out of Piccolo's chest, something Gohan didn't expect at all. It started soft, subdued, but quickly built up until it his teeth could no longer contain it. Piccolo opened his mouth and let out a laugh that tumbled out in a continuous flood. He threw his head back and laughed so hard the walls seemed to tremble. His broad shoulders shook and his wide chest heaved with the laughter, his fangs glittering in the lantern light. Gohan would have caught the laughter as well, if it was real, light-hearted laughter. But this wasn't the kind of laughter one made when he was happy. This was cold, mirthless, mocking laughter of someone amused at the expense of another. It sent chills up Gohan's spine, and he felt the vibrations pounding at his chest. He fought the urge to shrink away from the horrible laughter, and just barely kept his hands clasped in front of him instead of covering his ears. He was sure showing any sign of fear would not be wise at this moment.

When Piccolo finally stopped laughing, he gave Gohan a sneer that could cut through armor.

"I don't eat, foolish boy," he rasped. "Never have. If you want food you're going to have to find it yourself." Gohan gaped up at him, his breath catching in his throat. Piccolo's face darkened and he suddenly stomped over to loom above the boy. This time, Gohan actually flinched. "In case you didn't realize it, you're not safe at home with your mother anymore," he said coldly. "You are a prisoner here. No one's going to coddle you like a baby and see to your every need. Yeah, you can ask for stuff, and I've got servants who might attend to you, but they're not obliged to." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "You're going to have to learn to take care of yourself now, because I'm not going to do it!" The last part came out as a yell, and Gohan stumbled backward into the bed. Before he could voice a protest, Piccolo turned and swept out of the room. Just before left, however, he paused and offered the boy another smirk.

"I wouldn't go wandering around tonight though. Strange things happen in this castle at night; wouldn't want you to be shredded by a spirit after you just got here." He then curved his mouth in a smile. "Good night, Gohan." With that, the lord left, slamming the screen shut behind him.

Gohan stared, mouth agape, at the door. A cold, sinister dread settled onto his shoulders, and he nearly lost his balance from fear right then. He turned and shakily crawled up onto the bed and curled into a ball, his eyes wide open. Only then did he allow the tears to fall.