Darkness
Disclaimer- I do not own…..I don't own….*pauses with a puzzled look* Now, what was I talking about again? *scratches head*
*
Goku frowned in concern as he watched his son fly beside him. Gohan could barely concentrate on the flight, he had to keep wiping at his steady flow of salty tears.
"Gohan… we'll get him back. Don't worry." Goku said, thinking he should say something to soothe the boy.
"I know daddy… it just…" Gohan sighed shakily and forced himself to stop crying, "It just hit me so hard. 'Specially with the mind link… It felt like someone tore a huge hunk of my soul away."
"I'm sorry, Gohan." Goku was at a loss for words. He truly didn't understand the bond that Gohan had with Piccolo, and he didn't try to make it sound like he did.
"That's all right. At least we can wish him back. Piccolo was never wished back to life using the… the… Earth's…Dra-" Gohan stopped dead in the air and began to sob anew.
"What?? What is it Gohan!?" Goku rushed to his only child's side and held him close.
"We can't use the Dragon Balls!! Kami is dead too! And that means…"
"That there are no Dragon Balls now." Goku finished the sentence. He bowed his head and shut his eyes.
"What'll we do, daddy?? I can't live without Piccolo, I can't!!" Gohan wailed, and grasped his father's shirt so tightly that his knuckles began to turn white.
"I… I'm sorry…son…I'm sor-" Goku stopped in mid-sentence and raised his head up, eyes brightening, "WAIT! What about Neo-Namek's Dragon Balls!? They're still there and you can wish a person back to life as many times as you want!!" Gohan gasped and looked up, smiling through his tears.
"Th-that's right!! We can bring him back after all!!!" Gohan leapt out of his father's embrace and began flying towards Bulma's house. "Well?!" He yelled back at Goku, "C'mon! We gotta get Vegeta and the others!!" Goku grinned and took after the now happy child ahead of him.
*
~Keket Nako, we are here~ The machine shook the child tucked under its arm to rouse her. Keket blinked, she had been in a kind of daze the whole time, unable to think of the future ahead of her.
"Is mother there?" She asked and looked up into the unblinking, red glowing eyes.
~Mother….
No file….
No file….
No file….~
"You mean you don't know? Ummm… Jezzy! Jezzy Nako. That's her name. Is she there?"
~Jezzy Nako is present with Master~ Keket closed her eyes, trying to block out past visions of her mother. If she could even be called that now. Jezzy had never been a wonderful mother, always insisting that Keket do everything on her own, but after she had that reunion with her brother… nothing had been the same. Keket's thoughts were halted for the moment as the cyborg made a landing in front of a huge laboratory. The weird thing was, the whole place was surrounded by mountains and forested areas. It was all so beautiful; hard to believe the crazy, deadly world within the lab. Keket yelped as the cyborg pushed her through the two doors that had just opened with a mechanical hiss.
"G'bye Piccolo…." She whispered softly as the metal doors slammed behind her and the darkness engulfed her.
*
"Lord Enma? There are three people here to see you." Lord Enma's assistant called out from one of the hallways and into the main room. Piccolo, Kami, and Popo entered, bowing in a gesture of respect to the Lord Enma.
"Let's see… hmmm… HEY! I know you! You're Kami! S'been awhile, eh?" Lord Enma laughed.
"Well, this time. I'm the one who's dead." Kami blushed sheepishly. "We would like to know what happened."
"You don't know how you died?!" Enma guffawed, "Now that's a new one! But all right…" he began flipping through the large book before him. "Lessee, Kami….you died of…hm, it says here that you were killed in an explosion. Same goes for your two friends here."
"Can you tell me if there is another person who died of this explosion?" Piccolo asked, remembering to be respectful, this guy could send him to hell after all.
"Hmm, nope. You three are the only ones." Enma appeared to scribble something down in the notebook.
"Was there anyone named Keket?" Piccolo asked. Lord Enma sighed, he hated so many questions.
"This is the last question I'm answering. I have work to be done!" He flipped through his book once more. "No sir, she's still alive and w-, well, I wouldn't say well. But she is alive." Piccolo was about to ask another question, but Kami pulled him away from the desk. Popo followed behind as usual.
"Piccolo, don't make him angry. Listen, we'll go to King Kai's and ask him to help us talk to Goku or Gohan. You can then contact Keket, get her to tell you where she is and you can convey the message back to your comrades." Kami smiled at his well thought out plan.
"Listen old man, she could be dead by then. I don't know what the hell a red-ribbon army is, but it damn sure scared her. And I don't think she's the kind to whine. That Dr. Gero sounds dangerous. What if the others don't get to her in time?" Piccolo jerked his arm away and scowled.
"It is our only option." Interrupted Popo. Piccolo growled low in his throat.
"You think I don't know that?" he asked, venom in his voice. "I guess that's what we'll have to do… Can you use your Instant Transmission again?" Piccolo turned to Kami.
"Yes, we will have to. Grab my arm like before." Piccolo did as he was told, though he'd rather break the old man's arm. Within seconds, they were flickering in and out again.
*
"Vegeta!!" Goku landed in front of Capsule Corp. and banged on the door. Bulma opened it and smiled at her old friend.
"Well, hey there Goku! Come to spar with Vegeta?"
"No, this is serious. We need his help…" Goku's face was a mask of seriousness, a far cry from his usual happy, playful smile.
"I-I'll go get him…" Bulma whispered, suddenly sensing the urgency in the air. Gohan tugged on his father's pant's leg.
"Dad? I'll go find the others if you want, it'll save time." Gohan's childish features were scrunched into a look of pure determination.
"All right. I'll sense out your energy when I tell Vegeta' what's going on. He'll want an explanation." Gohan nodded and flew into the air.
"See you-" Gohan was cut off as he heard a familiar voice sound through his head.
*Son Gohan* Came the voice of Piccolo, but Gohan knew that was impossible. *Gohan, can you hear me?* The half saiyan was sure he heard his teacher's voice that time.
"Piccolo? Is that you?" The child smiled hopefully.
*Yes. But don't get excited, I need you to listen.* Gohan's smile faded and he nodded
"I'm listening."
*I need you to stand by for directions, there's something you have to do for me.* Piccolo was happy to hear the child, but he kept his voice firm to make sure that the boy understood the seriousness of the situation.
*I will explain what happened to me later, all right. So no questions about that. Don't move from the spot you're in until I re-contact you, understand?*
"Of course sir! I'll be waiting!" Gohan smiled and felt the connection between he and Piccolo dissolve.
"GOHAN!" Goku yelled in his son's direction. "What're you DOING??"
"Piccolo just contacted me!" Gohan flew down next to his father. "He said not to go anywhere until he contacted me again."
"Are you sure? Well, okay… Piccolo is the dead guy after all. We'll wait."
*
Keket found herself in a dank and dirty looking room. It appeared to be a dungeon of sorts, but why would there be a dungeon in a lab?
"Um, where am I?" She asked the machine who had dropped her unceremoniously on the cold floor.
~Holding room…~
"W-what's that?" Keket turned to peer up at the cyborg towering over her small form.
~Ask questions later. Doctor will be here soon~ With those words, the creature left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving Keket surrounded by darkness.
"I'm scaaared…" She sniffed and balled up tightly against a wall. She just knew there were creatures in here, just waiting to gobble her up when she closed her eyes.
*Hey, Keket. Can you hear me?* Keket let out a choked sob; she could have sworn she heard Piccolo. But it was just her mind playing cruel tricks on her.
"Piccolo… I'm scared…" she whimpered.
*Hey! You're there!* Piccolo sounded relieved. Keket hiccuped again. 'He would sound relieved if he were really there' she thought miserably.
*Hey, hey…kid… it is me.* He called out to her mind in his most soothing voice. *Little one, I'm here… don't cry.*
"P-piccolo?" Keket called out into the darkness, fighting back a sob.
*Yeah, yeah I'm here. You just can't see me.* Keket could almost feel him drawing his fingers through her hair gently.
"Piccolo…what happened to you?? I woke up..and you weren't there… and I couldn't…I couldn't.." She stopped as another sob worked it's way past her lips.
*Shh, I'll explain all of that soon. Just tell me where you are, I'm going to get someone to help you.*
"I…I'm in the mountains somewhere, it's surrounded by a huge forest." Keket sniffled and tried to think of a particular detail that would help Piccolo. "Um, there was a huge knotted tree next to the lab. It was taller than the rest."
*Good, I think I know where that is. You did good… I'll get someone there to help you. Just stay strong for me, okay?*
"I'll try… but I'm scared Piccolo. Please… help me… Dr. Gero will be here soon and I don't know what to-" Keket stopped mid-sentence as the door to the room she was in creaked open and the doctor himself, stepped inside.
*
A/N- this story is really starting to suck. I don't know if I'm gonna finish… *yawns* well, thanks to those who review and to those who don't- …..thanks anyway for reading thus far. ^_^ I'm going to beddy.
Nuke: PICCOLO!!!!!
Piccolo: Damn it girl! I told you not to yell! What do you want??
Nuke: Come read me a bed time story.
Piccolo: *veins pop out* WHAT? You're kidding, right?
Nuke: *sniffles* Well, if you wanna just let me lay here with no sleep, I understand. *cries*
Piccolo: All right all right!! Just shut up for the love of Kami!
Nuke: n'kay!!!*grins*
Piccolo: I'm gonna kill you…..