The Mystery Within
Part I - Prelude to Terror


by namek kaia


Disclaimer: I own nothing except original characters and attacks. And don't use them without my permission. You won't like the consequences.


Chapter Ten - Winter's End, New Beginning



After their surprisingly close spar came to an end, Piccolo and Gohan flew back in the direction of Niko's house. Upon arriving, Gohan politely excused himself and said something along the lines of his mother would kill him for keeping Goten out this late. Niko told him to explain that the whole thing was entirely her fault, and that both he and Goten were welcome in her home at anytime.

Later that night, Piccolo once again hovered by the warm fire while Niko rested on the couch. She lay on her stomach, watching the flicker of the fire. Sighing rather loudly, though not intentionally, she buried her face deeper into her arms. Piccolo cracked an eye open in her direction. He could tell she was in one of her depressed moods again. He also noticed that this emotion appeared more frequently every day. Without thinking much of it before he spoke, he broke the deafening silence. "You want children, don't you?" he asked in his usual monotone.

Again she sighed, only this time with more despair. "I don't see the point in much of anything anymore," she said, a slight sign of irritation in her voice. Perhaps it was impatience.

The emotion was contagious. "Don't you give me that crap again. I don't want to hear it. And I certainly don't want a repeat of last night. You got me?" he demanded.

"Yeah, whatever," she grunted. "You don't have any idea about what goes on in my head. You don't know anything about me. And still you sit there and tell me how I should act. Were you always this way, or is this a recently developed bad habit?"

Piccolo growled back at her. "The only reason I don't know anything about you is because you don't tell me!! You're calling ME a hypocrite; you should take a look in the mirror."

"Well, what about you, Mr. 'I don't tell anyone anything about my own self, but I'll pry as hard as I can into others'!?! You haven't told me a damned thing about yourself. And I don't ask because I know you wouldn't tell me if I did. You thrive off your privacy, and I have the decency not to invade it. Why can't you give me that same courtesy?" she screamed at him, rising from the couch.

"Because I'm not hiding anything! And lies don't escape my lips every time I speak. I haven't lied to you ONCE! I just neglect to tell you anything about me when it's none of your business!" he shouted back, taking a standing position as well.

"My life is none of your business either!" she protested.

"It is when men I don't even know are trying to kill me and destroy my planet because of you. I think I have a right to know why the hell I'm fighting for my life when I've done nothing!"

"WELL I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING EITHER!!!" she cried and fell back to the couch, burying her face in her hands. The sobs racked furiously at her body. "I haven't even fought someone that I didn't absolutely have to," she started to say through her blubbering. "I've done nothing to them. They want me dead simply because I was born. Because I'm... different."

"What do you mean... you're different?" he asked calming his voice. It only made her cry harder.

"I can't tell you. I couldn't bear to risk it," she replied trying to calm her vicious weeping.

"Niko, they're already after me too. There's no use in hiding it from me anymore. Just tell me. No one else will know."

"You will know," she said to him with saddened eyes, stray tears still escaping from them. After a moment she continued. "You don't understand. I'm both ashamed and proud at the same time. My heart is continuously conflicting with my mind. I never know with which one to side. My heart wants me to tell you, but my mind knows I can't. It wouldn't matter either way. You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand? Niko you can't keep eluding this. You're going to have to tell me!" he said, raising his voice once again.

"You know nothing of what you speak! Have you any idea at all of what it's like to see every single person you ever loved killed right before your very eyes? To see their pain, their anguish, and not be able to do anything about it? To achieve everything anyone could possibly dream of, and then have it all taken away? To have your family taken away from you? Do you have any idea what that's like? DO YOU!?!?!"

"I never had a family! Is that what you want to hear? I never had a father, a mother, siblings. NOTHING! I've been completely and utterly alone since the day I was born. I couldn't even have a life of my own. I was born with this hate for someone I didn't know and yet knew all too well. Born with memories of events I didn't experience. Forced to live alone in the woods with no one to depend on beside myself. Is this what you wanted to hear? ARE YOU SATISFIED?!?" he screamed at her with such fierceness that she was actually moving away from him. She stared at him, appalled at his words. She had never thought that he could have been going through as much pain as she was. She was selfish sometimes, thinking that no other life could be as terrible as hers. Now, she saw that she was wrong. And that he was the better person. He didn't let his past effect his future. He used it to make him stronger. She was overcome with remorse, for she could not see through her own pity for herself. She was about to utter an apology, but saw that Piccolo had already left through the front door.


After a couple of days, Piccolo had still not returned. Niko had been pacing her living room for hours deciding if she should go look for him or not. What if they had captured him? Or even managed to kill him? But on the other hand, he was probably meditating out in the woods somewhere, mad as hell at her. Again, her heart and mind were conflicted, each one fighting for the win. Finally, not caring anymore, she headed out her door and took to the air, searching for Piccolo's ki. Her heart had won.

Upon arriving at his place of meditation, she apologized and asked him if he would come back. After he refused, she promptly told him that there would be no more lies ever again. That she promised him. However she neglected to inform him that she still wasn't telling him anything. But she wasn't going to lie to him, just not tell him, as he had done to her. "And besides," she added, "you wouldn't have anyone to train with, and the threat is still out there." Piccolo didn't like the idea of going back, but he thought that perhaps she was right. Niko was an exceptional training partner. She had endurance like he had never seen before. He had to at least admit that. He complied and followed her back to the house. They both agreed not to dwell on the past, to only be concerned with their futures. But Piccolo's heart still yearned to uncover her secret.


*****


The days passed quickly, and the weeks even faster. Each night Piccolo stayed with her. Not necessarily in the same room, but nonetheless, he was there. He kept a watch on her, to make sure she didn't try to hurt herself again. And she looked after him, making sure that he wasn't taken capture... or worse. But no threats came. Soon enough, winter had ended and summer was on it's way again. Gohan's visits had become more frequent. By now, he was practically a member of the household. Now that more food could be harvested, Niko sometimes invited him to stay and eat dinner on most nights. She had become quite attached to him. He wasn't as anti-social as Piccolo. He was most of the time in a good mood and talking about numerous things. She always enjoyed his company, and the feeling was likewise.

At night, they would sit on the couch together while Piccolo meditated nearby, blocking out their conversation. They talked about everything imaginable. Conversations included science, times past (although not Niko's), the many wonders of space, their beliefs, their hopes, their dreams, and countless other things. Niko also told him of their current situation. Gohan instinctively insisted on helping. After a long disagreement, Niko finally agreed, seeing that there was no way of changing his mind.

During the days, all three of them trained together. Sometimes they teamed up and went two against one. Other times, one of them would take a break while the other two fought. Piccolo had noticed that when Gohan and Niko trained together, it was so invigorated. Even when Gohan transformed to Super Saiyan, she was able to keep up easily, and even push him at times. To most, it looked like two animals ripping at each other's throats. But to a select few, it was a passionate art. Their movements were so smooth and effortless; a true sign of experienced fighters.

In addition to building strength, they also traded some signature moves. Gohan demonstrated the Kamehameha, Solar Flare, and numerous other moves. Piccolo showed her the basics of the Mesenko and Special Beam Cannon attacks. She wasn't able to execute them all, but she got the hang of most of them. Then Niko proudly performed some of her own signature moves. Most were just typical blasts, although they all were capable of doing great damage, no matter the opponent. "Now this one is a little something I have created myself," she beamed with her glowing eyes. "But you'll be able to see the extent of its power if I had something to compare it to. Gohan would you do the honors?"

"Do what honors?" he asked slightly confused.

"Release the biggest Kamehameha wave you can manage. But once released, that's it. Don't feed it any additional ki, got it?" she demanded.

"Alright, you got it," he replied and flew off so that a distance of fifty feet stood between them. He took his fighting stance with his hands in front of him, his wrists together. "Ka... Meh... Ha..." he began, now bringing his hands to his right side. "MEH......" he screamed, gathering all the energy he could. Finally, after collecting all the energy he could bear to muster, he released his massive attack. "HAAAAA!"

Niko waited only moments after he released his blast to make her move. Holding her arms upward into the air, she spun around many times in a perfect circle. Small bursts of lightning surrounded her as the light that emitted from her hands grew larger. "KIROKINAMEH!!!" she shouted in a quick ramble of speech, stopping abruptly to face Gohan and release her attack as well. Both Gohan and Piccolo watched as her purple shaded blast pushed the Kamehameha wave backward. Gohan was barely able to dodge it at its amazing speed.

"Whoa!!" came Gohan's surprised words. "You have GOT to show me how to do that! That was so awesome. It's even more powerful than the Kamehameha! How in the world did you manage to come up with it?"

"Practice, I guess. I could show you, but it'll probably take some time," she offered.

"Yeah, great!" he exclaimed. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow I guess. I think it's time for us to call it a day. Sound good?"

"Sounds great."

"What about you? Will you be joining us tomorrow?" she asked, directing her question at Piccolo.

"No thank you," he stated dryly. "I have more important things to do than have some girl teach me a trick."

"Are we a little... jealous?" she teased.

"Hmph," he grunted and turned away from both of them. Niko only winked at Gohan.

"Come on guys. Let's go," she said, taking flight toward her house. Gohan followed close behind. After a while, Piccolo also flew in the same direction. As they arrived, Gohan once again explained that he had better get home and do some studying. With their good-byes said, Gohan leapt into the air in the direction of his home. Niko went inside, followed by Piccolo.

"Ugh, it's so hot in here! The stupid air conditioner isn't working. Piece of crap," she said trying to fan herself off. Piccolo noticed that the sweat was literally dripping off of her. Her body looked tired, more so than it should have been. With her kind of skills, she shouldn't have been this physically exhausted. But she was right, it was extremely hot in the house. But he ignored her comment and sat on the couch, which had by then been moved back to its regular place on the opposite wall of the fireplace. Without another word, and unnoticed by Piccolo she walked out the back door and headed into the woods.

It had been several minutes later when Piccolo noticed that there wasn't the usual sounds from Niko coming from anywhere in the house. Had she left without him noticing? He couldn't feel her ki nearby, but then again, he usually never felt it. It annoyed him to an immeasurable extent. Then that same pang of fear crept over his body. Had she gone to the waterfall again? But why? She hadn't been in one of her depressed moods lately. After searching the house and finding nothing, he headed straight into the woods on the course to the waterfall.

Just as he had suspected, she was there. But relief comforted his body as he saw that it wasn't the same situation as before. This time she was bathing. He noticed her training clothes had been discarded and lay in a pile along the bank. She was cooling off directly under the fall of the water, letting the pressure of its impact relieve her body of tension. Such pressure would have crushed any normal person, but she continued to bask in it. The water, coming up just above her more personal areas, flowed all over her naked body, down her back, over her firm breasts, down her muscular arms, everywhere. He found himself aroused at such a sight. Her body was so... so indescribable to him. He tried to respectively look away, but was unable to do so, her body drawing him to her.

She was unknowingly seducing him. She moved her hands along the curves of her body, making him hungrier for her. Her tanned skin glistened in the rays of the sun, causing him such pleasure at the mere sight of her. His hormones were raging. His passion grew, as did his erection. He watched until he could stand it no longer. Removing his own clothing, he dove into the water, unheard over the rush of water.

He remained underwater until he was positioned behind her. He slowly emerged from the water, sliding his hands from her hips until they came to her breasts. Although startled at first, Niko quickly realized that her imposer was Piccolo. Now that he was standing firmly behind her, still massaging her breasts, she slanted her head backward to let it rest on his chest and exposed her neck to him. Taking his chance, he lapped at the water that still flowed down her neck. He could still faintly taste the saltiness of her sweat. It was almost like candy to him. He moved his lips along her neck until they reached her mouth in a harsh and passionate kiss, all the while sliding one of his hand down to feel in between her legs.

As his fingers entered her, he could immediately feel the heat emitting from her. Her moans of pleasure escaped into his mouth as his digits continuously moved in and out of her. He allowed her tongue to enter his mouth, and met it with his own.

Noticing his hard member on the small of her back, she took it into her hand and massaged it aggressively. He almost lost concentration as the violent wave of pleasure overtook his body. His hormones were sent into overdrive and he could no longer control himself. As he picked her up out of the water, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He then turned and nearly slammed her body into the wall of rock behind them, his manhood forcing itself into her on impact. She screamed in pleasure as once again a wave of pain and gratification racked her body. He wasn't intentionally hurting her, but he couldn't contain the raw ardor that burned inside him.

Pushing her body further against the rocks, he fiercely made love to her until he finally climaxed, sending his hot liquid into her body. But he still wanted more. He continued, only this time becoming softer and more sensual, taking his time to please her. Her screams became soft moans, only getting mildly louder near her climaxes. Now and then, he would bring their lips together in more harsh and fervent kisses. Then he would slowly move his lips back to her neck and occasionally down to suck on one of her erect nipples.

After a long while, he could feel the grip of her legs loosening as her body began to grow tired. She was probably still tired from her training. With one final thrust he pulled away from her, causing her to collapse in his arms. He returned to the bank and set her down carefully. He gathered up both of their clothes and once again scooped her up into his arms. He lifted off the ground and flew back to Niko's home. Going through the back door, he carried her to her bedroom and set her comfortably on the bed, covering her still-naked body with the sheets.

"You rest. I'll leave you to yourself... for now," he said with his familiar smirk.

"Will you stay with me? Please?" she asked softly.

Not being able to resist her, he pulled back the covers and climbed into the bed with her. He pulled his arm around her waist and brought her closer. "Will you rest now?" he questioned.

"Mmmm hmmm," she faintly replied. Almost immediately, she was asleep. He looked down at her beautiful face and lightly brushed a strand of hair away. While she slept, he meditated at her side. Continuously thinking 'What If?'.




Pronunciation Guide:

Kirokinameh: kee-row-kee-nah-may





***
Okay, that's all for now. Expect the next chapter soon. I've been dying to write this one, and it's finally come! I'm so excited. It's one of the turning points of the story (very suspenseful, or at least I hope to make it that way). Hopefully, you'll like it. But until that time, review and tell me how you like it so far. Later everyone! -NaK