Tarble was lead to a couch and made to sit by Bulma. His head dropped silently as his body would not stop it shakes. He looked like a small boy that went through trauma. His eyes looked at his fingers, but his focus was on something else. Bulma had stepped away to relay the extra danger, and returned with a blanket. She placed the soft fabric over his shoulders and sat next to him, her deep blue eyes shined with care.
"Tarble, I just relayed information to make sure Goku and Raditz know what is going on. What is wrong? It is just you and me." Bulma's voice gentle and sweet as she attempted have the young saiyan relax. Tarble's body did stop shaking, but his mind was still far. "You have been acting strange ever sense you got out of the hospital. So you must have something on your mind, you were so quiet on the way here too." She continued and hoped that as she talked, he would try to open up. "I mean, you're usually the first to try teaching a new technique or help master something. But this whole time you kept to yourself…"
Tarble's gaze shifted toward her, he seemed to realize she was speaking, but with his lost look it was hard to tell if he heard her. Bulma placed her hand to his back, softly placed and rubbed along the spine. A gentle smile on her face to remind him she is a friend. "Hey now, if you don't feel like talking about you. I can talk about the next best subject, me!" Bulma laughed lightly, a small pat on his back as she leaned back.
"You know, I was surprised the second time we met. First time as well, but for different reasons. First time was just because you over powered Goku so easily, I was not prepared to see someone completely overpower him. But the second time… you complimented me on two things I prized at once." A blush came to her face as she remembered his compliment. "You had said I was as smart as I was beautiful. Most people only see one or the other, but you saw both and found them equal. It was a refreshing kind of statement. If things had been different, it would be possible that we may have gotten together. Though, that is not possible now. A happily married woman is what I am now." She leaned into the couch, legs crossed as she rested her arms across the back. "If it did happen, do you think Chichi would have gotten with Goku still? I always wonder about time, and how things could change if only one they shifted slightly. But I am happy with how things are. You visit once a year and keep my husband out of my hair about a new training method and wanting help. Which thank god, that man has a one track mind. Though I sometimes do enjoy his focus when he places it on me." Her mind slowly went to just talking, she did not know if it was anything Tarble wanted to hear. But she hoped that a friendly voice would provoke Tarble out of his near catatonic state.
Tarble remained quiet though, her voice reached his ears just fine. His breath slow, he felt tired for no reason. He felt like his mind was blank, and any attempt to fill it with thought just was washed away by the empty whiteness. Even thoughts of his friends, just vanished. Eyes lazily shifted, face twitched in an attempt to smile but failed. His fingers felt weighted and refused to move.
Chichi, Krillin, and Gohan land down and hiked up a hill. Krillin had them lower their Ki, and hide it so that the scouters did not pick up their presence. It would be bad if they all were caught by an unknown enemy. The time they traveled they attempted to think of a way to get the dragon balls, but no plan felt good enough to allow any to survive and get away. The three lowered themselves into a prone position and crawled to the edge, and watched as the Namekians had to deal with Freeza and his men.
Forced to watch as Namekians were killed, Gohan and Chichi could barely hold themselves back. Elder Moori, the Namekian in charge of the village, enacted his plan to destroy the remaining scouters on. Krillin realized after that the group that threatened the Namekians could not sense energy! The next hope that the Namekian giving up his dragon ball would be enough, but it slowly showed not to be the case.
Freeza blasted Scargo (Dende's brother) with ease, Moori soon killed as Dadoria snaps his neck. The large monster of a man stepped closer and closer to a terrified Namekian boy. Gohan suddenly snapped. "NO!" He yelled out in a burst of fury. The boy powered up to full strength and leapt down. Gohan appeared and delivered a heavy blow to Dadoria. The large alien sent flying into a nearby building.
"Krillin, distraction!" Chichi called out as she followed down to Gohan. Dadoria pulled himself from the building and glared at Gohan, only for him to be kicked into the building again. This time with a small burst of energy that sent him crashed through the Nakemian home. "Move, Now!" Chichi ordered Gohan, snapping the child from his tantrum with her yell.
Freeza surprised by the sudden group of people with scouters. "Who are they? They are not Namekians. What unit are they?" Zarbon equally confused, as he did not recognize them but noticed their scouters.
"Solar Flare!" Krillin yelled as he suddenly appeared before the two of them, catching them in a blinding light. The Three rushed off with the last Namekian child soon afterward as the three remaining members of Freeza's party had to gather their sense.
"Dodoria, after them! NOW!" Freeza roared in anger, his eyes strained as he tried to regain his sight. Dadoria, unaffected by the solar flare simply due to not being in the radius for it, soon flew after his prey.
A game of cat and mouse soon took place, the three heroes and their new friend were forced to flee as quickly as they could. Only a Solar Flare caused Dadoria to lose them completely, and forced to head back to Freeza. Though he does not reach his master, as Vegeta intercepts the minion. Nappa had been sent to find out what Dadoria was after, Vegeta made little work with his opponent. Dadoria still attempted to bargain with information to Vegeta, divulging the reason his planet was destroyed. Vegeta's reward, a swift death before he took off to find Nappa again.
Nappa could barely keep up with the group before him, not able to see them and had to use his ability to sense energy. Still unable to follow it well, and lose track of them from time to time. When he was sure he was about on top of them though, the Ki just disappeared. Only a faint one existed, and the older saiyan just growled. "I wish Vegeta did not insist on breaking my scouter, guess he does not trust me not to go back to Freeza just yet." His thoughts of this vexed him, as he remembered himself being a trusty sidekick. Now Vegeta was getting big britches and forgetting those who helped him up. "Maybe I should have sided with Tarble, kid seemed more likely to care for his people. What am I saying?" Nappa shook his head, unknowingly distracting himself and allowing our heroes to escape. Nappa headed back to Vegeta to confirm he lost what Dadoria was after, Vegeta instead just ordered him to follow him to the Namekian village.
Chichi and the others soon enter the cave in which Bulma and Tarble were hidden. Bulma greeted them, and hugged her son as she exclaimed how happy she was he was safe. Bulma announcing the Goku and Raditz would soon be on Namek and were doing some intense training to get ready for the villains here.
"Alright! When they get here, we will have less to worry about. No way will they not be strong enough." Krillin exclaimed in his own joy.
"Yeah, my Dad and Uncle will get super strong. Way stronger then the guy with 100,000!" Gohan remarked in his childish fantasy
"Calm down, the goal will be to still get dragon balls. Not start a fight." Bulma said, noticing Chichi's face showed anger then joy. "What's wrong Chichi?"
"I can't believe that traitor is coming here… and you're all happy about it." Chichi huffed as she crossed her arms. "Next you're going to suggest we team up with Vegeta."
"I will be happy with all the help I can get." Krillin said before he looked to Tarble, still not trusting the saiyan but wished he would get out of his state. "Has he said anything?"
"Not yet, I am worried this may have been too much for him." Bulma sighed softly.
Dende then placed his hand to Tarble's leg, the small child looked to his eyes. "Maybe Guru could help him?" The young Namekian stated.
"Guru?" The others spoke as one, which made Dende spooked for a moment.
"Yes, he is the grand elder. He is a great healer, but… I cannot take you to him without knowing why you're here." Dende said as he made a stand, wishing to protect his elder if he could.
"We are here to use the dragon balls." Gohan stated quickly. "To bring back our lost friend. When he returns he will have dragon balls return to our world. At least that is what I was told."
"So you're trying to bring back one person?"
"Well two, but bringing one back may bring the other back as well. They are known as Piccolo and Kami." Bulma attempted to explain a bit more. "With them back, we can return to protecting our planet."
"Could you help save ours?" Dende asked, the others looked to each other.
Chichi then stood and place her hand to his head. "Of course, we will do whatever we can to help as many as we can."
This settled Dende's mind. "Then I suggest all of you come with me. The Grand Elder may be able to help everyone here. And you will be safer there for anyone not able to fight." The group looked to Dende with blinking eyes, unsure what he meant.
And so the group have added a new team member, and have agreed to help the Namekian people. But will they truly have the power to do so? Will Tarble be able to help them? And what will happen with Vegeta and Nappa? Let's find out next time!
(Note: I am going to stop naming chapters before I type them up. This one got hard to manage as I feel I tried to fill in too much in one chapter. Heck, I feel it is incomplete but I am running out of time to work on it.)