Adia snarled maliciously as Tien bound her arms behind her back.
Although he did so gently, the simple gesture made her angry.
"Is she secure?" Vegita yelled as he plopped Bulma down on the floor, and glanced around assessing the situation.
"Yeah, but she hasn't resisted us yet, why would she now?" Tien asked.
The Prince huffed. "Because she's at her goal, she's home!" He watched as the outer hull of the ship began to regenerate. 'Bio ship...'
Bulma dusted her jeans off and stood up, using some colorful words to describe Vegita for dropping her. "What about Piccolo, Kami, and Gohan?" She thought aloud. "They aren't here!"
Krillin shrugged. "I bet they left shortly after us. They'll be along."
Nodding, Bulma looked around. "Where do we start? We're here to get Mia out right?"
'Yes...save Mia.' Vegita raised his gaze to the ceiling. 'The only chance to postpone the extinction of my race for at least another generation has passed by...Now it's only a matter of time before there are none left.' He felt his muscles budge in protest to his mind. 'A once proud race...and now...only a handful left. If it only means mixing our blood with another race, lets keep the line going...but I can't do this without you Mia. You're our races last hope for continued survival.'
Stepping forward he instructed, "I can guarantee we didn't come unnoticed, so lets keep moving and keep our powers down!" He took a few paces forward, and then added, "Leave Mia to the Namek for now. If he needs our help, he'll find a way to let us know."
Piccolo led the way as he carried his son protectively in his arms. 'How did that fire start?' he wondered. 'Something like that just doesn't happen. Something caused it.'
Kami nodded, reading his thoughts.
"Piccolo...you know what happened as well as I. We can't run from the truth."
He looked at his son, slumbering in his arms.
"I know...but...that only means it was a mistake to bring him. I should have let him stay on Earth with Goku." He peeked around the bend in the hall and waved to Kami and Gohan that it was safe.
"You mean...Ezekiel did all that to the ship?" Gohan's eyes grew wide and he shook his head. "But that would mean he's got some kind of uncontrolled power like I did!"
Piccolo nodded, and Kami smiled, knowing there was so much more to it than that.
"Gohan...Ezekiel has the blood of Piccolo's father in him...and he hasn't the knowledge or the strength to fight it." The god explained, pacing slowly and deep in thought. "So each time the urges come, he lashes out."
Gohan wrinkled his nose. "What causes the urges? I mean, don't they have to be instigated?"
Piccolo growled furiously. "Since I didn't keep doing the will of Damioh, he seeks to keep his legacy going through him...so he's contacting him from..."
"Hell!" Gohan felt his breath leave. "But if he can reach out to him all the way from there, why isn't he trying to make you do it?"
Piccolo closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. "I have made my decision to create my own legacy and have fought his..." He opened his eyes and looked down at Gohan, "I decided to fight him while I was training you Gohan." He smirked. "You brought out the best me."
The boy smiled, although sadly, rather surprised that Piccolo had at last said it aloud. "But that means the curse has been transferred from you to him." Gohan shook his head. "It's not right."
"Damioh isn't right, and don't expect him to ever fight fair." Kami intervened. "For all that I am good. Damioh is evil."
Piccolo sighed, amazed at his own sentimentality. "Kami, give Gohan and I a moment please."
"Of course." Kami turned and walked a few paces away.
Kneeling, Piccolo looked eye to eye with his young student. "You know what I'm going to say Gohan..."
Biting in his lower lip, he nodded. He had been dreading this moment and fantasizing of it all through his tender years. And now it was here.
Piccolo lowered his voice. "I was never going to speak these things to you...but I find I'm being faced with a decision that will decide the future of my mate and son." He leaned in closer to Gohan, summoning up the courage to speak. "Of everyone I know, you are the one I trust and will continue to trust as long as I continue my existence here. Regardless of whether I have a mate or not, I am, and always will be proud of you." He swallowed hard, hoping he Gohan understood the meaning of his words. "That's why I'm asking you to take my son from me now."
Gohan remained still, taking in each word his sensei said. He felt his breath shudder as Piccolo leaned closer, gently placing Ezekiel in Gohan's ready arms.
"Where I'm going he'll be in immediate danger...and I can't bring myself to take him with me."
Gohan nodded, and replied, with each word said a piece of his soul being sold, "If anything happens to you, I promise to take care of him like a brother."
Piccolo smiled softly. "Thank you Gohan. You have to find the others and stay with them. I'm the one Krill will want to deal with here, not you or the others." Piccolo began to stand, keeping his eyes locked on Gohan. The little Saiya-jin took a hand up, and took the scruff of his cape, keeping him down with him. With all the innocence and sincerity of his father, Gohan placed a gentle kiss on Piccolo's lips, closing a pact that would last as long as they themselves.
"Good luck Piccolo-san." Gohan whispered.
Piccolo stood and they each took a step back, not wanting to leave but ready.
Kami approached. Knowing time was short, the younger Namek placed his hand on the little head of his only son, saying a possible goodbye, and then addressed Gohan.
"Thank you my friend."
With one last look at each other, Piccolo turned away, knowing he was horribly close to his destination, and he didn't want to put his best friend and son in danger. Kami followed only steps behind as Piccolo led the way down a dark corridor.
Gohan, watching them retreat, felt a tear pull at his eye.
"I swear Piccolo, I'll protect him!"
"Is she secure?" Vegita yelled as he plopped Bulma down on the floor, and glanced around assessing the situation.
"Yeah, but she hasn't resisted us yet, why would she now?" Tien asked.
The Prince huffed. "Because she's at her goal, she's home!" He watched as the outer hull of the ship began to regenerate. 'Bio ship...'
Bulma dusted her jeans off and stood up, using some colorful words to describe Vegita for dropping her. "What about Piccolo, Kami, and Gohan?" She thought aloud. "They aren't here!"
Krillin shrugged. "I bet they left shortly after us. They'll be along."
Nodding, Bulma looked around. "Where do we start? We're here to get Mia out right?"
'Yes...save Mia.' Vegita raised his gaze to the ceiling. 'The only chance to postpone the extinction of my race for at least another generation has passed by...Now it's only a matter of time before there are none left.' He felt his muscles budge in protest to his mind. 'A once proud race...and now...only a handful left. If it only means mixing our blood with another race, lets keep the line going...but I can't do this without you Mia. You're our races last hope for continued survival.'
Stepping forward he instructed, "I can guarantee we didn't come unnoticed, so lets keep moving and keep our powers down!" He took a few paces forward, and then added, "Leave Mia to the Namek for now. If he needs our help, he'll find a way to let us know."
Piccolo led the way as he carried his son protectively in his arms. 'How did that fire start?' he wondered. 'Something like that just doesn't happen. Something caused it.'
Kami nodded, reading his thoughts.
"Piccolo...you know what happened as well as I. We can't run from the truth."
He looked at his son, slumbering in his arms.
"I know...but...that only means it was a mistake to bring him. I should have let him stay on Earth with Goku." He peeked around the bend in the hall and waved to Kami and Gohan that it was safe.
"You mean...Ezekiel did all that to the ship?" Gohan's eyes grew wide and he shook his head. "But that would mean he's got some kind of uncontrolled power like I did!"
Piccolo nodded, and Kami smiled, knowing there was so much more to it than that.
"Gohan...Ezekiel has the blood of Piccolo's father in him...and he hasn't the knowledge or the strength to fight it." The god explained, pacing slowly and deep in thought. "So each time the urges come, he lashes out."
Gohan wrinkled his nose. "What causes the urges? I mean, don't they have to be instigated?"
Piccolo growled furiously. "Since I didn't keep doing the will of Damioh, he seeks to keep his legacy going through him...so he's contacting him from..."
"Hell!" Gohan felt his breath leave. "But if he can reach out to him all the way from there, why isn't he trying to make you do it?"
Piccolo closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. "I have made my decision to create my own legacy and have fought his..." He opened his eyes and looked down at Gohan, "I decided to fight him while I was training you Gohan." He smirked. "You brought out the best me."
The boy smiled, although sadly, rather surprised that Piccolo had at last said it aloud. "But that means the curse has been transferred from you to him." Gohan shook his head. "It's not right."
"Damioh isn't right, and don't expect him to ever fight fair." Kami intervened. "For all that I am good. Damioh is evil."
Piccolo sighed, amazed at his own sentimentality. "Kami, give Gohan and I a moment please."
"Of course." Kami turned and walked a few paces away.
Kneeling, Piccolo looked eye to eye with his young student. "You know what I'm going to say Gohan..."
Biting in his lower lip, he nodded. He had been dreading this moment and fantasizing of it all through his tender years. And now it was here.
Piccolo lowered his voice. "I was never going to speak these things to you...but I find I'm being faced with a decision that will decide the future of my mate and son." He leaned in closer to Gohan, summoning up the courage to speak. "Of everyone I know, you are the one I trust and will continue to trust as long as I continue my existence here. Regardless of whether I have a mate or not, I am, and always will be proud of you." He swallowed hard, hoping he Gohan understood the meaning of his words. "That's why I'm asking you to take my son from me now."
Gohan remained still, taking in each word his sensei said. He felt his breath shudder as Piccolo leaned closer, gently placing Ezekiel in Gohan's ready arms.
"Where I'm going he'll be in immediate danger...and I can't bring myself to take him with me."
Gohan nodded, and replied, with each word said a piece of his soul being sold, "If anything happens to you, I promise to take care of him like a brother."
Piccolo smiled softly. "Thank you Gohan. You have to find the others and stay with them. I'm the one Krill will want to deal with here, not you or the others." Piccolo began to stand, keeping his eyes locked on Gohan. The little Saiya-jin took a hand up, and took the scruff of his cape, keeping him down with him. With all the innocence and sincerity of his father, Gohan placed a gentle kiss on Piccolo's lips, closing a pact that would last as long as they themselves.
"Good luck Piccolo-san." Gohan whispered.
Piccolo stood and they each took a step back, not wanting to leave but ready.
Kami approached. Knowing time was short, the younger Namek placed his hand on the little head of his only son, saying a possible goodbye, and then addressed Gohan.
"Thank you my friend."
With one last look at each other, Piccolo turned away, knowing he was horribly close to his destination, and he didn't want to put his best friend and son in danger. Kami followed only steps behind as Piccolo led the way down a dark corridor.
Gohan, watching them retreat, felt a tear pull at his eye.
"I swear Piccolo, I'll protect him!"