Dark, cottony clouds crowded the sky and muted the sun offering little light to bog below clinging to its vibrancy. A sudden gust of wintry air whipped the white cape of the lone figure atop the cliff. As the wind dies down the cape hangs low, threatening to dip in the rushing river beneath the meditating Piccolo. His breath is steady and slow. Keeping entirely calm to remain levitating over the water. The waterfall's crash below, a sound he thoroughly enjoys, aids in his focus. Another gust blows through and plays with his cape. But along with it comes the sudden feeling of intense pressure. A power, ki, flared in the distance and almost instantly died away. He snapped his eyes open and glared in the direction of the ki though he could see nothing unusual.
The ki wasn't one he could identify. It was stationary far off in the distance before vanishing like a blip on a radar. Its lack of familiarity worried him some, its disruption to his meditation making him grimace in annoyance. He decided to cut his meditation there and move on. He'd have to ignore the unknown presence for now lest he is late. Piccolo turned towards the city and shot off into the air. Though the trip covered a lot of ground, he had it done in no time. Swiftly leaving the bog and soaring over the forest before finally reaching a large, dome-shaped house at the riverside.
Piccolo landed outside Goku's home and knocked on the door. He could hear the muffled voices inside chatting merrily. Too many voices for his preference, but he recognized all the tones. He folded his arms and looked aside. Planning to get back to his routine as soon as this event was over. The door opened and revealed his friend beaming up at him with open arms.
"Piccolo! We thought you weren't going to make it!" Goku laughed, trapping him in a hug. Piccolo bristled but withstood the short torment. Once finally released, he nodded a quick greeting to Goku and stepped in after him. Everyone he knew was gathered inside. Streamers and assorted decorations dangled on the walls in blues and oranges and from the ceiling in twirling strips. Piccolo furrowed his brow, this custom was beginning to lose him.
"What is this again?" He asked.
"It's Goten's birthday," Goku chuckled as he leaned over, "he really wanted you to come." Piccolo nodded slightly and stood aside, folding his arms. Not many children around for a child's party. Chi-chi sat with Goten in her lap, giving a somewhat wary smile to Piccolo upon catching his eyes. The hum of chatter warmed the air. Comfortable and sweet. Each pair stuck close together and hung on each other lovingly. Piccolo grimaced faintly to himself and rested his back up against the wall. There wasn't much for him here. But he owed much to Goku and saw no harm in attending the small ceremony. A small tug on his cape drew his attention. He glanced down and found Goten smiling up at him.
"Are you ready Mr. Piccolo?" He asked. Piccolo raised his brow.
"For what?"
"To fight dad! And Vegeta and Gohan and-and-and-and! Well, everyone!" Goten cheered as he bounced about excitedly.
"Like a miniature tournament." Gohan clarified.
"Ah, I see," Piccolo nodded with a short chuckle. He halted Goten's excited bouncing with a hand on his head crushing one of his large, black hair spikes, "of course. I'm ready to fight." Goten cheered and raced over to his father and brother. He tugged on both of their arms trying to get them to follow him. They were led outside by the rambunctious child. The rest of the party followed soon after. They all loved a good fight. Mostly participating in one, but they all loved watching one. Once outside, they all shot off into the air to find a more appropriate place to have their match. The air was much more chilled now. The children's mothers were following from behind in one of Bulma's planes.
Piccolo had to wonder why they hadn't learned how to fly themselves yet. Everyone would be capable of teaching them how and it's not too difficult a technique. He watched the ground passing swiftly below and let the thought pass.
The wastelands where Piccolo was meditating is the perfect arena for a friendly brawl. Spacious and far from any form of civilization. Everyone landed in the grass, waiting for Bulma's plane to land before deciding where the safe distance would be set. They had to keep the spectators very far away just in case their fight got too… extreme. Goku and Gohan stretched together in preparation. Vegeta chose to forgo stretching in favor of boasting to deaf ears. Piccolo cracked his knuckles and watched the horizon where he sensed the strange power.
"Who's up first?" Goku shouted, catching his own fist in his opposite hand.
"I'm taking you on, Kakarot!" Vegeta cried. He squared up to Goku immediately. He was a bit shorter than Goku, glaring up at him as he approached. No one had any arguments so they retreated to give the pair space.
"Who are you betting on?" Gohan muttered. He started nudging Piccolo with his elbow, a hint of humor in his voice.
"I'm going with the obvious one," Piccolo answered and shrugged.
Pleasantries were done swiftly. The two Saiyans launched at each other in the blink of an eye. Vegeta threw a dozen swift punches. Each was met with a skillful block. Goku caught Vegeta's fist and yanked him closer before kneeing him in the gut. Vegeta buckled slightly before leaping away and firing several, spherical projectiles of ki in his fury. Goku dodged the volley by vanishing and reappearing, blinking through the bombardment to avoid the blasts. With each blink, he came closer and closer to his opponent. Once close, he swung his leg at Vegeta's head. Vegeta caught his leg with ease and spun Goku around before throwing him into the dirt.
Piccolo found it hard to focus on the match. He forced himself to follow the two swift fighters, but his mind was on a different worry. Spectating wasn't the distraction he hoped it would be.
Vegeta delivered a heavy blow to Goku's face, leaving a darkening bruise. Goku kicked Vegeta away and blinked backward. He reeled his arms back with his palms facing each other, a blue energy gathering between his hands.
"Kame… Hame…" He started, baring his teeth. He was preparing a Kamehameha, a powerful ki beam attack. Vegeta recognized this attack and flew erratically as fast as he could to escape it. He was sure to keep the group of spectators out from behind him to avoid any friendly fire.
"Ha!" Goku released the accumulated energy. Vegeta avoided the beam by a large margin and turned to Goku to gloat about his poor aim. His mocking laugh was cut short by a sharp scream a short distance away from their battlefield. Everyone snapped to attention to find the unfortunate soul dropping out of the sky with smoke trailing off of them. They hit the Earth with a limp, loud thud. The spectators were frozen a moment in shock before they raced off to find the victim.
"Did you bring a first aid kit with you? Or any Senzu beans?" Bulma asked Chi-chi. The dark-haired woman shook her head but called the question ahead to the rest of the group. No one had brought any. It was supposed to just be a friendly fight. The flying teammates slowed to keep pace with those who couldn't take flight. Piccolo pushed ahead faster than them and was the first to land behind the shallow crater.
The body laid in the dirt and debris absolutely still. Their flesh was burnt and covered in open wounds. The burns he could account for, but he had no idea where all the open wounds came from. A lengthy tail draped over the alien's legs in their collapsed state. Thick silvery hair hid their identity, but the more important point was the amount of blood beginning to stain the dirt.
"Who is this?" He muttered to himself as he knelt beside them. If they had any ki before they fell, it was virtually impossible to detect now. Not a good sign. Piccolo pressed his fingers against the flesh of their neck. 'Still alive…' Gohan and Videl landed behind him and carefully approached.
"How is it looking?" Videl asked softly.
"We need to get them help. Fast."