Chapter 36 - Taking the Bullet

A/N: I had another idea when watching Piccolo's first death! This is what I made!

I do not own Dragon Ball Z!

I do however own Mura, Kilo and Mizuki, plus her origins!

Please ask permission before using them!

WARNING! Contains more blood than usual!

Enjoy!

Mizuki and Piccolo panted as they were crouched on the ground, one on the left of Nappa and one on the right, both bloodied badly and unable to move for the moment as they caught their breath.

Both were currently protecting Gohan, who was stood in the middle, between them and facing Nappa directly, who had just been attacked by the child mentioned.

None of them could have prepared for the event that was to happen next as Nappa growled with anger. "I'm going to kill you, you little pest!" He roared to the young boy and pulled his hand back, his face twisted with a muderous expression.

Then he thrust his hand out, a sudden, yet invisible force of Ki shooting from that palm and towards the boy both adults were trying to protect.

Mizuki gasped and hissed, unable to stand as her ankle had been injured, another moment and she could stand.

Another moment and Gohan would be dead.

Piccolo however, was able to move and stood up, running with all the power he could muster towards his student. Mizuki saw this and cursed, forcing herself to stand and growled.

Piccolo appeared in front of Gohan and outstretched his arms, ready to take the hit he knew the boy couldn't survive.

Of course what happened next startled him the most as Mizuki appeared out of nowhere and shoved the green alien out of the way, outstretching her arms.

"Mizuki!" Piccolo shouted as she sent him a smile before her body was hit with the force of the strong waves, screams filling the air as blood sprayed from her mouth and her clothes shredded, managing to keep her decent, but taking an aweful lot of her pants legs with it, her shoes cracking under the force.

When the strength of the blast finally lifted, Mizuki's eyes had rolled back and she dropped to her knees, falling onto her torso moments later, dust bellowing around her and blood spraying from her mouth at the impact.

Piccolo stood there, shock filling him as he stared down at his closest and most valuable friend, Gohan diving to her side and calling her name, trying to get a response.

The Namek walked over to Mizuki and pushed Gohan away, dropping to his knees and turning her, lifting her so she was resting against his arm. "Mizuki! Mizuki open your eyes!" He snarled, angered and concerned all at the same time.

That blast would have injured him severely, probably to the point of death, Mizuki was slightly weaker than he was, she would certainly die from such an attack.

Piccolo would not let that happen, not after she had forced her way into his heart with her persistence and kind words. She would not die now!

"Mizuki, open your eyes dammit!" Piccolo roared and was met with the sight of her eyelids fluttering before she squeezed them shut and opened them slightly, now focused on his face, looking very weak and very tired.

"P-Pic-colo-sama..." Mizuki breathed, so low, that if he hadn't had acute hearing, he wouldn't have even heard it, even with their proximity.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Piccolo barked, checking her injuries. There was blood pooling on the ground from her various deep injuries, and every so often, she would gurgle and blood would trickle down her cheek. "I stood a chance against that attack! You just endangered yourself pointlessly!"

"I-it wasn't...Pointless..." Mizuki gasped, inhaling sharply when her body refused to take in air.

"What?" Piccolo's snarl softened as he stared down at her, if this had been anyone else, he wouldn't have cared, but this was Mizuki, the one person to actually melt the ice around his heart and made him care for someone other than himself.

"I-I had...A reason..." Her breathing was getting deeper by the second, how long did she have left? Minutes? Seconds?!

"Goku get here with a damn SENZU!" Piccolo roared, rearing back and looking into the sky, growling with both anger and a deep, knawing pain in his chest. She wasn't going to die!

"L-listen to me...Piccolo-s-sama..."

Piccolo hummed and lowered his head, his antennae bobbing slightly at the motion as he stared down at her now dull red eyes, instead of shining like fresh blood they looked lifeless, like an old blood stain. "I'm listening..." He said in a strong voice, quietened so no one else could hear, not even Gohan, who was stood behind him, trembling in fear.

"M-my reason..." She took several deep breaths. "My reason..." They got deeper. "W-was because...Was b-becau-ause..."

Piccolo shook her when she lost consciousness for a moment, his entire limbs locked to keep them from shaking. "Hey! Don't close your eyes, talk to me! Goku will bring Senzu Beans, I'm certain, just hold on!"

Mizuki smiled with a soft and almost unheard laugh. "Always the stubborn one..." She commented, her breathing stopping and her eyes rolling back once more, only for her to inhale and look at him again. She was so close to the Other World, she could almost see it.

"Speak for yourself..." Piccolo countered, a small, sad smile on his lips, the first smile Mizuki had ever seen. She couldn't help but lift her shaking hand and graze a finger over those emerald lips in fascination.

Piccolo froze at the contact, even in such a strange situation all that was on his mind was how cold her fingers were, when before, if he had touched them, they would be warm.

"I've never seen you..." She took a deep, almost dangerously long breath, almost like it was her last. "Smile before...It...It suits y-you..."

"I'll make you a deal, you hold on until Goku arrives and I'll smile more often..." Piccolo vowed, pulling her closer, she was almost unheard now, her voice too weak for even him to hear properly, even at such a close rang.

"I-I don't think...I'll last that long..." Mizuki whispered, her eyes drifting shut, before opening slowly. "I-I need to say this...B-before it's...Too late..." Mizuki's breathing got so deep, she was taking enough air to keep a person alive in space for a week.

"You're not going to die!" Piccolo snarled, pulling her closer, this time out of a protective urge he had never felt before. "I won't let you!"

"M-my reasons for...For saving you...Were...B-because I..." Mizuki's eyes widened and she gripped Piccolo's Gi, her lungs struggling to take in any more air. "I...I..."

Piccolo growled, his face an angry snarl. "Tell me! Mizuki! Tell me!" He demanded, shaking her as she inhaled a short burst of air.

Then time froze as her eyes rolled back and she let one long and final breath. The blood stopped pumping in Piccolo's veins as his heart stopped and he watched her head loll back. Her grip loosened until her hand fell into his lap with a soft thump and her body went limp, her eyelids open and her mouth gaping as the last drops of life left her.

"Mizuki..." Piccolo said, checking for any signs of life, blood now a puddle around him and soaked deep into his purple Gi, staining it silver. "Mizuki!" He urged, shaking her slightly, fear gripping his heart. "Mizuki! Mizuki!"

Gohan sniffed and burst into tears, something he hadn't done since he had first met Piccolo, and the Namek let him, pressing his ear to Mizuki's bloody chest.

Not now! Dammit!

Piccolo's face slackened from determination to a soft and dreaded horror. He couldn't hear any heartbeat, not even with his stronger senses.

She was dead.

The Namek lifted his head and stared at her lifeless corpse. "Mizuki..." He breathed, fighting hard to stop tears falling and a small tremor from filling his voice. He felt like his entire world had fallen, died and burned away into nothing.

Nothing else mattered anymore, not the Saiyan attack, not the Dragon Balls, not even World Domination. No, he had lost everything he was determined to save, and it took the death of that everything for him to realize how much he actually cared for her.

"Mizuki..." Piccolo stared at her, his face blank as he heard the Saiyans laugh behind him and a man who's voice sounded exactly like Goku's, speaking. He gently placed Mizuki on the ground, closed her eyelids and shut her mouth as he allowed her to rest as if she was sleeping, in eternal peace.

"Goku..." Piccolo snarled and Goku hummed, turning to Piccolo, he hadn't sensed any Ki from Mizuki, so he had no Senzus remaining, using the last two on Gohan and Kuririn.

Piccolo's face seemed to warp in that moment, his blank expression melting into terrifying anger, his lips curled back into a snarl and his eyes closed as he squeezed them shut, his whole body shaking.

"You...YOU BASTARD!"

Goku cried out as Piccolo shot at him, suddenly attacking his ally instead of his enemies. Oh Nappa was next, Piccolo was going to kill ALL the pure-blood Saiyans!

"P-Piccolo!" Goku called, trying to snap the Namek back to his senses, blocking his attacks, but the death of Mizuki had increased his power beyond even Vegeta's and it took all his strength not to be overpowered. "Piccolo, calm down!"

"You could have arrived SOONER, maybe FIVE MINUTES AGO! Instead, you took your sweet time and let Mizuki DIE!" Piccolo roared, slamming his fist hard into Goku's jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Goku turned and looked up as Piccolo stood in front of him, not hearing the desperate cries of Gohan and Kuririn behind him. No, this wasn't the Piccolo they knew anymore. This was Piccolo Daimao, the man who they had defeated so long ago.

This was the Demon Clansman they all feared would return.

"P-Piccolo, calm down! We can use the Dragon Balls! She hasn't died before!"

Piccolo growled and lifted his palm, ready to destroy Goku with one blast, his eyes no longer holding any light Mizuki had awakened. It had died with her.

"Piccolo!"

Piccolo gasped and his eyes widened, Mizuki's voice had filled his head, stopping his attack, bringing him back to his senses. He looked back at the Houlamek to find that she was still lifeless.

"M-Mizuki?" Piccolo breathed, remembering himself and lowering his hand, stretching it out for Goku to take, a look of shame and anguish on his green features.

Goku hesitated, but took Piccolo's hand, raising to his feet. "I understand Piccolo..." He said, placing his hand on the taller man's shoulder, Piccolo too strained to care anymore. "It's the Saiyans over there that should pay for their crimes...For Tenshinhan, Chaozu, Yamucha...And Mizuki..."

Piccolo nodded and the two of them turned to the evil Saiyans, a growl ripping from Piccolo's throat. "You killed Mizuki..." He snarled, getting into a fighting stance, his foot scraping back, ready to spring into action. "All she was doing was protecting both me, and Gohan and you killed her..."

"So what if we did?" Nappa asked, laughing as he wiped his nose with his thumb. "We just finished a job we thought we had concluded a year ago...Now the Houlameks are nothing more than a legend, a legend that will eventually fade, even from your weak memory! If anything, we did her a favor! She was alone and pathetic! She deserved to die!"

Piccolo snarled and the Demon Clansman within returned, much more bloodthirsty than it had been with Goku. He roared and pushed off the ground, running at such a speed, even Goku missed it.

What next happened changed the future forever as the Saiyans lost, and Piccolo was the one who saved them all. All for one selfless Houlamek that had sacrificed herself so he could live.

"I'll return you to life Mizuki...Just you wait..."

~DBZ~

Mizuki smiled as a tear fell from her cheek, her hand clamping Kaio-sama's shoulder as she watched Piccolo stare up at the sky, vowing to bring her back to life.

"Thank you...Piccolo-sama..." She whispered, then looked at Yama-sama, who had brought Kaio-sama here quickly, to quell the anger of the Namek below.

She closed her eyes again and was met with Piccolo's face, saddened, but with determination shining in his black abyss eyes. "The reason I saved you, is because..." She took a deep breath, her grip loosening on Kaio-sama's shoulder. "Is because I love you..."

Then Mizuki sighed, opening her eyes to be met with Kaio-sama's back, her hand falling to her side.

"I only wish you could have heard me say it..."

A/N: I thought I'd finally write a chapter where Mizuki died instead! It made sense and I really wanted to write a sad chapter from the episode where Piccolo dies for the first time! That made me cry so much!

Please review, all comments and advice are appreciated and welcome!

Thank you!