A/N—Okay, starting in this chapter I have added breaks (-) to help distinguish between the two planets. I hope that cuts down on confusion. Thank you again to everyone that has read, enjoyed, and/or reviewed.

Disclaimer- I own nothing

Chapter 21

Chi-Chi sat in the garden, staring blankly at the delicate flowers. She knew everyone was watching her, waiting for her to do something. Looking to the side, she saw Trunks and Goten chasing each other, laughing. Mr. Popo was a silent guardian standing next to them; she knew they would be fine. It was Gohan that she wasn't so sure about.

Dende had explained to her that her son and Piccolo had somehow joined their minds. He had been unable to tell her how or why it had happened. While the reason for it may have been unclear, the result was not. According what he had told her, the two shared every thought and emotion, at all times. She had the strangest feeling that Dende was not telling her something important. There had been a definite uneasiness about him.

Suddenly Chi-Chi started laughing, startling the others present. She put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the noise, but it burst forth regardless of her intentions.

"Chi-Chi, are you okay?" Bulma asked concerned, walking over to her.

Nodding, Chi-Chi continued to laugh. "Think about it Bulma, their minds are linked, do you know what that means?"

Shaking her head, Bulma hoped that Chi-Chi was not about to crack.

"I sent Piccolo to school!" There was a brief moment of silence and then everyone erupted into fits of laughter. Each one picturing the Namekian warrior, sitting in a desk with a schoolbook in hand.

Arriving at the Lookout, Baba snorted at the laughing group. "Well I'm here Dende, what do you need?"

"Thank you Baba." Dende bowed politely to the small pink haired witch. "Piccolo and Gohan have to travel to New Namek to face a threat. I was hoping you would help us by keeping track of them on your crystal ball."

Nodding to the Guardian, Baba slid off her perch and focused on finding the traveling warriors. As Gohan's image came into focus, those watching leaned in with rapt attention.

"Where's Piccolo?"

"Probably off after a different ball. Think about it, if they share thoughts, then they can see the radar through the other's eyes."

Chi-Chi could hear the murmur of conversation around her, but could not place who was speaking. All of her attention was focused on the lone figure reflected within the ball's depths.

Gohan glanced at the radar once again. He was confident that he was in the right place, but the endless expanse of ice and snow was daunting. Slowly powering up, he allowed the heat of his aura to melt the ice below him. Finally, after going down several feet, the little orange ball came into focus.

'That makes all seven.'

'Yeah, remember that island I passed on my way down here Piccolo?'

'Meet you there kid.'

Setting down on the tiny island, Gohan waited for Piccolo. However, he supposed that calling it an island was being extremely generous. It was no more than a bit of sand, maybe 20 feet in diameter, protruding from the ocean. Piccolo landed next to Gohan and quickly shed his cape and turban. They each placed their dragonballs onto the hot sand.

'Care to do the honors?' Piccolo offered, knowing Gohan had never summoned the dragon himself before.

"By your name I summon thee, arise Shenron!" Gohan called out. The sky darkened and a lightning filled the air as the dragon Shenron once again graced Earth's sky.

"Choose your words wisely mortal. I will grant any two wishes that are within my power." Shenron's deep voice boomed out.

"Shenron, can I describe the wish to you first?" Gohan asked. The dragon growled at him irritably but did not refuse. "Piccolo and I need to be transported to New Namek together. We want to arrive at the same location and it must be several miles away from anyone else on the planet. Is that within your abilities?"

"Yes."

"Okay, that is the only wish we need. After you grant it, can you return into the dragonballs even though we will be gone?"

"For me to do so without you present would take the second wish."

Nodding Gohan turned to Piccolo. Together, the cast a small ki sphere around them in preparation. "Okay Shenron, please grant those two wishes."

Emitting a low growl, Shenron's eyes glowed a sinister blood red. Suddenly Gohan and Piccolo felt a strange sense of disorientation as the world spun away. When the world snapped back into focus, they looked around their new surroundings.

Chi-Chi gasped quietly in shock. They had not expected the dragon to need two wishes to complete the task. The balls were nothing more stone scattered across the Earth now. They could not wish them back for an entire year.

Yamcha shot up suddenly. Looking at his companions, he said anxiously, "We taught the Nameks how to sense ki while they were here. That means the moment the dragon granted the wish, the entire planet's population would be alerted to their presence!"

"Uh-uh," Goten said cheerfully, "Gohan's too smart for that. He and Mr. Piccolo are in a bubble."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed on the chibi. "Brat, do you mean the barrier your brother uses to block ki?"

"Yep Mr. Vegetable, big brother told me about it yesterday!"

Vegeta glared irritably at the boy. He was five years old already; surely, he could say Vegeta instead of Vegetable. Scowling, he pushed the issue to the side. "Did he tell you how it works?"

Goten screwed his face in concentration, before sadly shaking his head.

"Piccolo told me a little bit about it yesterday." Bulma said. "He came over after no one could find them. Apparently the two of them figured out how to form a solid barrier that not only blocks your," she gestured to the Z-Warriors around her, "ability to sense ki, but was also able to fool a scouter."

"How is that even possible?" Tien asked.

Bulma shrugged helplessly, Piccolo had not explained.

"Gohan pulled something similar on that class trip. It was the strangest sensation. I couldn't sense anything around me." Krillin interjected.

"But that's a good thing right?" Chi-Chi asked, desperate for reassurance. "I mean, no one can tell they are there, and they are inside of a protective shield."

Tien crouched down beside her and took her hand. "For now, yes, it sounds as though they are safe. But…" Sighing he looked into her eyes. "If this bubble of theirs is solid, then they will have to drop it at some time."

Chi-Chi inhaled sharply. She knew that, but that didn't make it any easier to hear. Gripping Tien's hand tightly, she turned her attention back to the ball.

'It is beautiful here, Piccolo.'

The dragon had transported them to a small island about a mile away from a large landmass. The shaggy blue grass rippled around their feet, teased by the balmy wind. The bright bowl of sky above them a calm pale green with puffy yellow clouds reminiscent of the Nimbus. Gohan felt a shiver work its way up his spine. The serenity of their surroundings felt almost eerie due to the taint he could feel upon the very air.

Piccolo grunted in acknowledgement. New Namek was very similar to the brief glimpse he had gotten of the original planet. He could feel Nail's personality leaping in recognition.

Extending their senses out in opposite directions, they scanned the planet. Piccolo was the first to run across one of the villages. The Namekians' energy felt hazy, almost muddy, nothing like it should have. Everyone in the village had a similar feel; common ki seemed to be linking them.

'The entire planet is coated in that ki.' Piccolo growled, baring his fangs.

'Do you feel that?' Gohan pulled Piccolo in a different direction almost half a world away. 'Either most of the population is concentrated there or…'

'He's there.'