The Mysterious Namek
Episode Four: "A Shocking Discovery."







A warning sign
I missed the good part, then I realized
I started looking and the bubble burst
I started looking for excuses
Come on in
I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign

When the truth is, I miss you
Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so

A warning sign
It came back to haunt me, and I realized
That you were an island and I passed you by
And you were an island to discover

Come on in
I've gotta tell you what a state I'm in
I've gotta tell you in my loudest tones
That I started looking for a warning sign

When the truth is, I miss you
Yeah the truth is, that I miss you so

And I'm tired, I should not have let you go
Oooooooo

So I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms
And I crawl back into your open arms
Yes I crawl back into your open arms.
- Coldplay, "Warning Sign"

Black wax drew a thick line across crisp white paper. Eyes as dark as the marking object watched in fascination as the small hand "magically" created patterns on the flat thing. The line curved up, went around and back down. The eyes followed its every move, not even blinking.

Gohan looked up and smiled. "See, Setsu? It's a crayon. You use it to draw and color things in."

Setsuetsu licked his lips. "Cuh...crrrayon."

"Yeah, crayon. Here." Gohan handed the crayon to Setsu and guided his hand to draw a few lines on a clean sheet of paper. "See, you just push down a little and move your hand. It'll make a picture."

"Pic...picture."

He'd been increasing his vocabulary a lot over the past few weeks. Mostly the names of objects and people. More complicated terms like adjectives hadn't yet come to him. Sentences were still a long way off. But he was talking, using words in a meaningful way.

Setsuetsu bent close to the paper and streaked the black crayon aimlessly. His first piece of art consisted of childlike scribbles sprinkled haphazardly across the paper. No structure at all. Then he discovered he could trace his hand - after Gohan showed him how.

Then he seemed to realize...maybe he could draw the pictures he had inside his head.

"Crayons!" Setsu squealed in delight. He overturned the box to send different colors spilling out into his lap.

"Hey!"

The Namek ignored Gohan's complaint. He was too busy scribbling red and orange across the bottom of a clean sheet. "Fire," was his only explanation.

"Great, now he'll never be quiet."

Gohan glanced to the cave's mouth and grinned. There stood Piccolo with an armload of herbs gathered in a leather pouch. He reached into the pouch, moved to Setsu's side and produced a small twig. Bright pink berries dangled like glass baubles. Shaking it once to get the other Namek's attention, he waited.

"Setsu, what are these?"

Perturbed by the interruption, Setsuetsu frowned up at the berries. His mind was so focused on drawing that he couldn't remember what those things were called. He just grunted, "picture," and went back to scribbling on the page.

"I think he's busy," said Gohan as he watched Setsu scribble. The guy really seemed intent on getting down whatever he was drawing.

"Setsu," he touched the paper, "Can I - "

"NO!" Thin green hands instantly pushed the others away. "Nooooo!"

"Okay, okay..." He looked up at Piccolo, "Let's let him draw."

Piccolo nodded without a word, leaving the berries next to Setsu. He assumed the lotus position behind the younger Namek and stared at his back. Able to see his shoulderblades even through his shirt. The desire to reach out and touch that warm back...to comfort...burned hard within him.

"What do you want to do?"

"We wait, Gohan, and see what he's creating." Piccolo's dark eyes leveled with Gohan's. "At first I didn't like this idea. But now that I think of it...he can express himself. Primitively, but he can speak to us."

So they sat back and waited. Both watching Setsuetsu's hands fly.

Finally, after almost half an hour, Setsu pushed the crayons off his lap and examined his work. He turned around and shoved it in Piccolo's face.

It looked like a toddler's drawing. Red and orange scribbled around the bottom. Stick figures littered all around. A green stick figure inside a bubble that Piccolo guessed was the time machine. The image depicted white and purple falling from under the head. Setsu pointed to the green figure and tapped Piccolo's leg, then pointed at a squiggle in the figure's arms and tapped himself.

Then he pointed to something else and tapped Piccolo's throat.

Piccolo's eyes flew open wide. He made a shocked noise. "Gohan, we have to see Bulma now!"

Contrary to what Piccolo and Gohan first thought, Setsuetsu had no qualms about being flown from one place to another. In fact he seemed so curious that Piccolo almost dropped him a few times. It was definitely safe to say the mineral water, berries and broth were working. Setsu was physically stronger and more active than when he first arrived.

"What do you think it means, Piccolo?"

"I don't want to say anything until I'm sure myself, Gohan." Piccolo tucked Setsuetsu closer to his chest. His natural frown deepened. "But it'll give us a deeper insight to his past and behavior."

"Right." Gohan dove down towards the bright green lawn in front of the Capsule Corporation building. He touched down lightly. Piccolo landed a few feet away, put Setsu down and kept a hand firmly on his shoulder.

Setsuetsu remembered this place. Vaguely, but enough. Sharp things poked him here. He didn't like that...with a small whimper he pressed himself closer to Piccolo. A motion reminiscent of a frightened toddler.

"Gohan, tell Bulma we are here. I'll wait out here until she calls us in. Less chance of Setsuetsu becoming frightened."

"Right."

Gohan hurried into the bright yellow dome.

Setsu turned away from it. He pressed himself against Piccolo and shivered. Delicate fingers curled against purple cloth. His intense eyes spied Vegeta's gravity machine. To him it was a monster. He whimpered deep in his throat, his eyes squeezing shut.

"Hey, you're okay." Piccolo removed the white blanket from Setsuetsu's hands and wrapped it around his shoulders. Setsu instantly cooed in delight. He smiled that wide, innocent smile of his that lit his face and relaxed against his father's chest. Comforted by the strong heartbeat beside his ear.

Piccolo lifted Setsu back into his arms. Just in time - Setsu fell asleep. He seemed able to sleep anywhere, anytime.

Less than a moment later, Gohan poked his head out the door. His youthful face looked a little sheepish. "Okay, she's ready for us...sorry that took so long, she had to get rid of Vegeta. Let's go before he figures out what's going on."

The Namek nodded without a word and followed Gohan into the building. Setsu slept on in his arms. Not even moving as he was shifted through elevators, slipped past doorways and finally laid to rest on a soft yellow couch in the laboratory.

Bulma stood off to the side. She'd thrown a white lab coat on over her clothes and didn't look too pleased with the invasion of her lab. "So, what's this big deal you're in an uproar about? Do you realize how annoying Vegeta gets when I won't tell him what's going on around here?"

"This is more important than your foolish domestic problems." said Piccolo with little emotion. "We need to see the mummy and the scans."

"Right..." Bulma sighed. She turned to the computer behind her and brought up the scans. "The eggshells made seeing everything a problem. They must have some chemical properties that make them immune to magnetic and X-ray energy. What's so important that you have to look at it right now?"

Gohan looked anxiously from the scans to Piccolo. He knew the Namek's patience wouldn't last much longer. "Bulma, please, just do as Piccolo says!"

"Bulma," Piccolo met her eyes, "You will have to dissect the mummy. You'll see why when you look at this picture Setsuetsu drew." As he spoke, Piccolo took the paper from his belt and unfolded it. "Look at the stick figure's neck. It will explain the large amount of eggshells in the mummy's throat."

Bulma examined the childlike crayon art. There was the green squiggle in "Piccolo's" arms..

And another green squiggle in the stick figure's throat.

Her eyes widened. "I'll get my dad."

Ten minutes later, the group gathered around the dried out husk of Piccolo's future self. The body was carefully laid out on a metal table. Dr. Briefs oversaw everything as lab technicians worked delicately to remove egg debris from the gaping wound in the mummy's badly deformed neck. It had to be done slowly or they risked breaking the fragile objects apart.

"Well I'll be damned..."

Gohan and Piccolo bent over to look. Nestled inside the horrible wound was the mummified remains of another child. One who never had a chance. It was still curled up in the fetal position. Its eyes were closed as though asleep. Tiny face perfectly preserved, albeit plastered against the skull.

"Twins." Gohan breathed. "Setsu's a twin. I didn't know Nameks could have twins!"

"That would explain why the egg never made it through my mouth." Piccolo pointed to the wound, "Look at the shape...the egg was too large and hardened before it got past my throat. So I guess that means I suffocated, rather than died of that tiny wound I saw earlier. I must've lived just long enough to see Setsuetsu born and died before I could pull the second child out." He touched his own throat, "No wonder he's so interested in my throat. He is trying to find his brother...or trying to tell me he had a brother."

"Or that he misses him." Gohan volunteered solemnly.

Bulma reached down to touch the baby. It didn't crumble. Perfectly preserved. "We should name him. Better than calling him Twin Two. Piccolo? He was your son, you name him."

A deep sigh rushed from Piccolo's nose. He gazed down at the tiny baby. The head was barely larger than his fist. He felt his emotions swirl just as they did the first time he saw his own mummy. A blink removed the tears welling in his eyes. "Zither...call him Zither. It means 'eternal sleeper'."

No, he couldn't stay here.

Piccolo spun and brushed out of the room. He clutched the wall around the corner, the other hand clapped over his eyes. Lips grimacing to bare his fangs in almost physical pain. His knees weakened and he slid down to sit on the hard tile floor, coldness seeping through his clothes. He never knew this child...why did seeing its remains affect him so?

Tapered emerald fingers slid sideways and down. Moisture glistened between the eyelids. Piccolo's dark eyes opened to focus on Setsu's form a short distance away. Setsuetsu was awake and looking at him. The tears Piccolo's eyelids held back cascaded down his green cheeks.

Setsuetsu rolled off the couch and crawled up to his father. He kissed Piccolo's mouth and caressed the tears off his face in an odd display of affection. Then he tasted his tear-moistened fingers and touched them to his own eyes. He looked again at Piccolo's baffled expression.

"Shhh-shhh...daddy...daddydaddy." Setsu whispered as he brushed away the new droplets. "Daddy..." He touched Piccolo's throat. "Shhh..."

Piccolo caught Setsu's hand. "No, Setsu, he's not there. He died. You know dead."

"Dead..."

"Yes, like the deer that didn't wake up."

Setsuetsu showed a pain expression. Somehow, someway, in a corner of his mind he believed he'd find his brother. Dead meant he'd never wake up. Dead meant gone.

A firecracker would've had a less explosive effect.

"NO!" Setsuetsu burst out, pounding his fists into Piccolo's chest. The blows didn't even hurt. "NO! NO!"

"Setsu, I'm sorry."

"Noooooooo!" the younger Namek scrambled to his feet and stomped against the tile floor. Why was his brother gone? Why couldn't he see him? It made him...angry. "No! NONONONO! WANT! WANT!"

"Setsuetsu, do you want to see him?" Piccolo stood up and caught Setsu by the shoulders.

That quieted him down.

"Come."

Back in the room, Gohan and Bulma looked up when Piccolo entered. Setsuetsu was right behind him.

"Cover the mummy. We only want the baby. My future self would only confuse him more."

Bulma jumped up. "Right."

Paper and cloth rustled. A minute later the miniature mummy named Zither was lying on top of a clean sheet. Against the whiteness, the body looked like a piece of sculpted charcoal.

Piccolo nodded and stepped aside so Setsuetsu could enter. He led him gently up to the table. "See? Dead."

Gohan ran a hand through his spiky hair. Edging to Bulma, he said, "Hey...let's give them a minute. Help me with that problem on my homework?"

Bulma looked down. She ruffled Gohan's hair. "Sure! Let's go see what you've got."

Piccolo and Setsuetsu didn't even notice the other two leaving.

Setsu walked immediately to the table. He looked down at the tiny figure. Reached out to touch one withered antenna. Tears welled in his eyes when he got no reaction. He lifted the mummy into his arms and held it to his chest, weeping quietly. His grief was so great his knees caved in.

Sighing a little, Piccolo knelt next to Setsuetsu. "Listen...Setsuetsu."

He looked up. Tears pouring down from his eyes. For the first time in his life he was experiencing true heartbreak.

"Nooo...no no no nooo..."

"Hey," Piccolo laid his hands over Zither's miniature corpse. "Death is just a change of consciousness. Your body goes to sleep, but your spirit wakes up. It moves on to a place where you never feel pain again. The old become young again and the sick will be well when they arrive. People who went before will come to meet you when you arrive. It's called Heaven."

Setsu looked up. "...H-Heaven?"

"Yes, Heaven. Zither's there right now." Piccolo didn't know why he was explaining this in such a childish concept. Getting to Heaven was more complicated than he made it sound. Yet...it gave him comfort. As much as it seemed to help Setsuetsu. "Someday, when it's time to die, you'll see a light. Walk into it, and there you are. It's a great place. Don't be afraid of it."

Setsuetsu met Piccolo's gaze again. Hope filled his sad eyes. He placed little Zither against Piccolo's chest, wrapped his arms around and grinned through the moisture on his cheeks. "Heaveeennnn..."

"Yeah." Laying the mummy gently on the table and covering it with the sheet, Piccolo touched Setsuetsu's head. He found himself smiling when the other Namek leaned into his hand. Such a simple thing and it pleased his heart. He was just glad the others weren't here to see him with his walls down. "Now we just have to find out why you're here."

"Heeeeere?"

"Where you are right now. Come, it is time for your nourishment." Piccolo led Setsuetsu outside, gathered him in his arms and flew away.

Oddly, during flight, Setsu started to sing. More like a lot of humming and cooing without a real tune...but it was like music. His own music. As if getting closure about his unborn brother let him open up to really let the world in. Immediately upon landing he tumbled from Piccolo's arms and scrambled into the cave.

"Flowerrrrr!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes and looked down at the bush near his feet. Ah, what the heck... He plucked one of the white blossoms off the foliage, went inside and handed it to Setsu along with the fresh berries.

Seeing him smile was worth it.

After letting Setsu pick out what he liked from the stash, Piccolo exited the cave again. He headed to his favorite waterfall a short ways away. The dull roar and glistening spray comforted his mind. A brief smile flitted over his face. The water was warm. Perfect for bathing.

Piccolo discarded his cape and turban on a rock. His hands grasped the edges of his blue belt and tugged. The sash came undone, falling at his feet. Soft mounds of purple landed nearby.

Now naked as nature made him, the Namek walked on tip-toe into the warm, churning water. He dunked himself immediately and came back up again. Sparkling water rolled off his muscular body in rivulets. He shook his head like a cat and sighed. Oh it felt good, it'd been too long since he took a relaxing bath. He waded up to the rocks and stood under the waterfall. Careful hands scrubbing all the oil and sweat off his taut green skin.

Setsuetsu peeked out from the foliage. It was the first time he saw Piccolo without clothes on. He couldn't help but explore his own body a little. Wow, they both had the same parts in all the same places!

Setsu clumsily pulled off his clothes. Getting them on was impossible on his own, but he took them off like a pro. He dropped to all fours and crawled curiously up to the water.

Another green person like himself stared back at him. Setsu poked the water's surface. The picture disappeared!

"....no?" Alarmed, the young Namek crashed over to Piccolo. Grabbed his arm(startling ten years off his life) and practically hauled him back to the water's edge. He pointed to the reflection again.

"Setsu!" growled Piccolo. He looked down towards where Setsu pointed and sighed. Still such a flighty thing. "It's just your reflection. Look, I have one too."

"'flection."

"Re - ah," Piccolo rolled his eyes. "...close enough. C'mon." He took Setsuetsu by the arm and led him under the waterfall. "Here, wash off. Like this." Piccolo demonstrated scrubbing motions over his own chest and stomach.

Easy enough. Setsuetsu caught right on, which let Piccolo resume washing himself. It went well until Setsu turned around and grabbed Piccolo in a very embarrassing place.

Needless to say, the older Namek's face turned purple. It was the first time anything other than his own hand and clothes touched him there. He looked over to see Setsu grabbing himself, too. "Setsu! No!" he snapped, "It's private! Hands off!"

He jerked back as if burned. "No? Private?"

"Yes, my penis private. So is yours." Piccolo's face couldn't have burned hotter. He did NOT like the idea of someone else's hand being there. Nor did he enjoy the odd sensation it created. Though evolution made the organs useless for sexual reproduction, they were still capable of erections and pleasurable sensations. Not that they had any reason to. "Don't ever touch me there again, understand? And don't fiddle with yours when others are watching. It isn't dignified."

"Diiignified..." Setsuetsu wilted and hung his head. It felt good when he touched that, he just wanted to show Piccolo too! Why'd he get so mad? He slid down to sit. Huddling up knees-to-chest under the waterfall's spray. Droplets clung to his skin, making it glisten like dew-covered lettuce.

His behavior made Piccolo sigh. Trying not to sound angry or annoyed tested his limits to their fullest. Sometimes dealing with Setsuetsu got downright embarrassing. Yet he wouldn't change a moment of it for the world. That Namek was awakening something inside him. Emotions he never knew he had. Uncomfortable as they were, he secretly welcomed their newness.

Maybe, just maybe, he could loosen up for one minute. Now if he could just find a way to show him he wasn't mad...

"Setsuetsu," Piccolo called the other Namek's attention.

Setsu looked over, tilted his head and blinked. A motion like a curious bird.

Piccolo slid into the shallow pool, sinking to sit. He submerged his mouth and exhaled forcefully. Blowing bubbles. Setsu instantly pointed and cracked up laughing. He scrambled into the water and attempted to create the same funny noise.

"Bubbles. Say bubbles."

"Bubbas!" Setsu babbled.

Facepalm.

"No, bubbles."

"Bubbas!" He submerged his mouth again, his antennae twitching mischievously. Up to something. He'd just discovered he could do something else! He could squirt with his mouth!

Piccolo watched him. "What are you - "

Splurt!

" - doing?" He gazed down at Setsuetsu with soft eyes and relaxed antennae. "So you want to be that way, eh? Try this." He splashed him.

"Aah!" Setsu gasped. Burst out laughing. Splashed back. "BUBBAS!"

And the waterfight began.

Meanwhile, back at the Capsule Corporation, things were a lot more serious.

"What's your theory now, Bulma?" Dr. Briefs snuffed his cigarette in the ashtray and leaned over his daughter's shoulder to examine the computer screen. Numbers, graphs and other scientific jargon littered the monitor. But he and Bulma could read it all like a complicated book.

And it told a fascinating tale.

"Well..." Bulma leaned back, stretching her arms and legs. She twisted her chair around to face her father. "I'm beginning to think the time machine malfunctioned soon after it was launched. Instead of going back twenty years in a few seconds, it went in reverse-real time. Yet inside the machine, time kept going forward." She scratched her head, closed her eyes and exhaled. "The machine drifted backwards through time until it ran out of power. When Setsu was born...the poor guy...he must've seen horrors he never understood. Look at this picture, it's as if the entire planet was on the brink of destruction when Piccolo's future self tried to get back here. Piccolo must've realized he wouldn't survive the trip and tried to give birth so the children could tell us everything. But that didn't work either...not like he planned."

Dr. Briefs felt a shiver dance down his spine. "Now the question is...what caused the destruction?"

Shaking her head, Bulma picked up the image Setsu drew. "We won't know until Setsu can tell us himself." She put it down again, "But dad, there's something else I'm worried about."

"Oh?"

"His immune system," said Bulma plainly. "He's never been exposed to anything. What if he gets a cold or the flu? What if he drinks stagnant water? What if he cuts his finger and it gets infected? It could kill him."

Dr. Briefs smiled behind his mustache. "Or his body will adapt and he'll be fine. He's a Namek, remember? They have highly adaptive immune systems."

"But dad, what if?"