Goku's feet once more came to rest upon a cold, sterile tile floor. He now stood atop Kami's lookout. The scale of the place never failed to amaze the Saiyan. The sheer implausibility of the fact that this splendid, palatial compound could be support by such a relatively narrow tower was always source of wonder to him. Another thing that he liked about this place was that, in order to tell whether or not it was a cloudy day, one had to look down.

Goku surveyed the gardens for signs of its inhabitants. Two perfectly symmetrical bows of foliage ran around the left and right edges of the grounds, sitting regally upon the head of the tower like a crown of olive leaves. The pristine marble buildings at the opposite side of the lookout glinted in the midmorning sun, as if they themselves had been carved from the winter ice.

"Hello?!" Goku called out across the empty expanse of masonry and shrubbery.

His cry rang out across the courtyard, his inquisitive tone skittering from its many polished surfaces. The call went unanswered, however. Looking about, Goku continued on across the grounds. With the air still, and the immediate area totally deserted but for Goku, his footsteps rang out as the only sound on the remote outpost. The tapping of his boots upon the smooth floor echoed in his ears as he approached the imposing marble palace.

As Goku made his way across the compound, he noticed that the echoes of his footfalls were out of time with his actual beating of his feet upon the ground. Concerned with this peculiarity, Goku stopped in his tracks, and waited for the echoes to cease. This did not happen. It didn't take him long to realise that he wasn't alone on the lookout after all.

Straining his eyes, Goku struggled to see whether there was someone emerging from the building ahead. Indeed, as he focused upon the arcing doorway, he could just barely see a figure advancing into the light. The figure was tall and slender, and moving at none too great a pace.

Impatient to meet the approaching form, Goku began to stride purposefully across the courtyard. As his bath took him ever closer to the doorway, he watched as the figure gradually surfaced from beneath the curtain of darkness behind which it had been shrouded. The individual was gaunt, quite elderly, and was draped in a flowing white robe. The footsteps of the figure were accompanied by the shrill tapping of wood upon stone, his motion being aided by the use of a tall, wooden stick.

"Hi, Kami!" Goku greeted the guardian as he emerged from his dazzling sanctuary.

"Hello, Goku." Kami replied to the Saiyan, who was now trotting over to him.

The two finally met near the gaping marble mouth from whence Kami had come.

"It is good to see you, my friend." Kami smiled, "As you might guess, I do not get visitors very frequently."

"I'm sure it's nothing personal, Kami." Goku replied, "It's just that that first step is a doozy."

"It is a that." Kami laughed, softly.

Looking back at the lip of the towering sanctuary, Goku remembered something he had been asked to do

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, "Korin says hi. I'm sure he'd have come up, but he and Yaj are busy organising a party. Hey, you should go."

"Oh, I don't much like parties." Kami replied, then his face took on a more stern expression, "This party, they're not having in the tower, are they?"

"Uh, I don't think so." Goku answered.

"Good, good." Kami said Kami, smiling once more, "Sound tends to carry from down stairs on the updrafts."

"I see. Uh Kami, I sort of expected to see Mr. Popo up here. He's usually out watering the flowers or something when I visit." Observed Goku, looking around quizzically at the distinctly Popo free zone.

"Yes, well, at this time of year, Mr. Popo is off visiting his relatives." Kami informed Goku.

"Wow. I didn't know Mr. Popo had relatives." Goku stated with surprise, "Where do they live."

Instead of answering the question, Kami simply smiled teasingly, and began to make his way over to some nearby foliage. Goku kept in toe, still awaiting a response to his inquiry.

Upon reaching the garden, Kami reached out with his free hand, and gently cradled a palm full of leaves belonging to a small tree. He peered down at the healthy, green foliage with a look of affection, before finally relieving Goku's curiosity.

"They live in a place that is far from here, yet very near." He sated, cryptically, "It is all around, and nowhere at all. It is totally unattainable, yet we have all been there. It is without..."

"Is this some kind of riddle, Kami?" Goku interrupted, scratching his head in puzzlement, "Because, I'm not too good with riddles."

"Let's just say, there are no highways that go there." Kami chuckled, "Would you be so good as to hold this for me?" Kami continued, handing his walking stick to Goku.

"Sure." Goku agreed, and took the gnarled old staff.

Goku took a moment to examine the implement before returning his attention to Kami. It was quite grotesque in many respects, its parched timber twisted and cracked from centuries of use. And yet, it carried a certain elegance and dignity in its antiquated appearance, virtues that were reflected in the wizened face of its owner.

"He is a quite remarkable person." Kami commented, his words recapturing Goku's attention. The old Namek was now down on one knee, examining the flower bed that had been at his feet, "Popo, I mean. That one man could hold so much loyalty and kindness is remarkable, even to me. He has been at the side of every guardian, dating back to a time that only the oldest of other world's creatures can recall. His hand has always made this lookout a haven of beauty and peace, even during the Earth's darkest times. I fear sometimes that I do not tell him this often enough."

"I'm sure Mr. Popo knows how much you appreciate him." Goku reassured the guardian.

"I'm sure he does," Kami replied, he then looked up at Goku, "but often it is not enough to just appreciate. You must show the consideration to let that person know that they are not taken for granted."

Goku could not keep the look of shock from his face. Did Kami know what had happened to him that morning, and was this subtle hint as to where he had gone wrong? In any case, Kami's words made sense, as always.

"I suppose you're right." Goku conceded, "So, are you all right up here on your own?"

With a groan of strain, Kami drove himself up from his knelt position. He replaced his blemished hand about the winding wooden staff, which was quickly relinquished by Goku.

"Oh, I get by." He replied, dust the residue of soil from his gown, "But it is good to have visitors."

"Yeah. Do you have any fami..." Goku caught himself before he could complete his sentence.

Indeed, Kami did have family. On Earth, in fact. However, Goku was unsure whether it was a sensitive subject. Upon seeing the Saiyan's distressed expression, Kami smiled reassuringly.

"Do I have any family, you were going to say." Kami completed Goku's sentence, "It's all right. I don't mind talking about Piccollo, you know."

"Whew," Goku exhaled with relief, "I thought I'd really put my foot in it there." His tone then became more serious, "So, I guess he doesn't visit often, huh?"

"He doesn't visit, he doesn't write, he doesn't call..." Kami listed, jokingly.

Goku grinned with amusement, before fielding another serious question.

"What relation is Piccollo to you, anyway?" he asked.

"Hmmm, now let's see..." Kami pondered for a moment, "I suppose the closest thing in human terms would be my nephew."

"Makes sense." Goku stated, "It's a shame that you two don't get along."

"It is." Kami sighed, "It can be difficult when the only other member of your race within a hundred light years utterly despises you."

"Tell me about it." Goku empathised with a wry smile.

Kami's words then sparked a memory within Goku. It was a recollection of the final visit he wanted to make before hazarding a return home.

"Say, Kami? I think I'd best be going." Goku told the ageing Namek, "I've one more place to go before I go home."

"Very well." Kami said, watching Goku make his way over to edge of the lookout, "Thank you for visiting with me, and say hello to Chi Chi for me."

Goku cast a smile over his shoulder as he leapt into the flawless, cerulean sky. Kami knew... he knew everything.