Silent One
Chapter 13
The golden sun rose over the valley, stretching it's arms of warmth to embrace everything it could reach. The first thing the light touched was a tall cliff where two emerald figures with white capes were standing. It was a chilly morning, so the sun felt wonderful on their skin as they stood there and prepared for the day's training.
Did you tell Yasmine? Tategoto signed, his eyes squinting slowly because of the brightness of the sun, which illuminated half of his young face. Piccolo nodded in response, then turned his face into the warmth of the sun and closed his eyes as the wind played about his white cape. The younger Namek smiled and tugged his father's gi pants to get his attention, then signed, Good. Why are we way up here anyway?
You're going to learn how to fly. Piccolo signed back, biting his lip to hide a smile at the excited expression his answer evoked. Trouble was, whenever Piccolo smiled, even a hidden one, it always reached his eyes and made them light up. So he really couldn't hide it completely.
Practically jumping into his father's face, the younger Namek signed, I've been waiting to learn this for a long time!
Smirking, Piccolo dodged Tategoto's excited leap and tapped his shoulder to get his full attention. Then he went through a long and detailed explanation on how flying worked. Tategoto made sure to pay full attention, his dark eyes not missing a single gesture that his father made as he signed. After the explanation, Piccolo signed, Now, try it. Just push your ki through your feet like this. The tall Namekian slowly rose about three inches off the ground and floated there with his arms crossed.
Tategoto looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes a little inside his shoes. He pressed his lips tight together in concentration as a slight down-draft started to stir up the dust around his feet, and all of a sudden he felt much lighter then he ever had in his life. Before he even realized it, Tategoto's feet were no longer touching the ground, and he let out an excited shriek as he kicked his feet at the open air while hovering six inches off the ground. I'm doing it! Look at me!
Piccolo smirked again. "Heh, that kid learns fast." Good. Now can you stay up in the air?
I'm staying up now aren't I? Tategoto signed back, emitting a confused grunt from his throat.
Rolling his eyes, Piccolo said, If you think you're so big and bad… he stopped signing and shoved Tategoto off the side of the cliff. The fall wouldn't kill him, but it would sure give a good scare. Of course, the scare was the intention of the shove.
"AAIEEE!" The little Namekian shrieked as he was shoved and started to plummet towards the dusty ground below. His heart pounded wildly as adrenaline was pumped through his system. Push down, push down….push….push! "Oof!" Tategoto's descent abruptly came to a halt as he caught himself and opened his eyes to see the ground only three feet away. Ha! Father didn't get me this time! He flashed a crooked grin, righted himself and held one fist straight up as he rocketed back up the side of the cliff with the wind rushing around him. Piccolo stepped back and smirked as he watched Tategoto rocket past him and stop about ten feet above, his small shape blocking out the sun.
Look at me! I'm Superman! Tategoto laughed wildly and held his arms out in front of him with his fists clenched as he flew in a short circle. Piccolo couldn't help but snort in amusement as he flipped his white cape over his shoulder and wiped the sweat from his brow ridges.
Superman eh? So far, you've shown me that you're even stronger then that guy... The older Namek thought as watched the younger one. Now try a landing.
OK. Here I come! Tategoto lowered, his cape flying around behind him as he sailed down towards where Piccolo was. It turned out that landing was a lot harder then it looked, because distance was hard to judge when going at such insane speeds. The young Namek tripped when he landed, and his turban came off as he somersaulted three times and found himself tangled in his cape while upside-down against a boulder.
…although I don't think you can quite land like him yet. Piccolo mused at the last moment when he watched Tategoto's "graceful" landing. Even still, he was very proud of the boy for doing so well for his first flight. "Heh. Crazy kid."
Tategoto watched as two feet appeared next to his head, and followed the long legs to the powerful torso and crossed arms until he could see his father's amused expression. Pressing his lips together with determination, the young Namek signed, I'll get it right next time. I want to try again.
Nodding, Piccolo signed back, Try all you want, kid.
Tategoto did a handstand, then bent his legs forward and allowed his feet to touch down. He picked up his turban and dusted it off, then wiped his antennae back the same way he had seen his father do as he put the turban back on. Piccolo just watched, pleased and amused as his own flesh and blood dove off the edge of the cliff and shot back up towards the sky. He slowly crossed his arms as the wind played about his cape, perspiration glistening all over his body where the skin was exposed as he watched the boy fly.
"Damn it." Piccolo muttered, "Sometimes I can't believe myself." With that last comment, he lifted off and flew towards Tategoto, shooting past him so fast that it sent the boy into a brief spin.
"Ack!" Tategoto did a flip in mid air as his father shot past, and he turned to see him waiting for him about thirty feet away with his arms crossed as casually as if he were standing on the ground.
Down below, a black hovercar was pulling up and a dark shape stepped out. Neither of the Nameks saw this because they were too focused on each other. Well, Tategoto was too focused anyway. Piccolo was just watching him in amusement as he flew closer and tried to catch him.
Piccolo let Tategoto get about an inch from catching him, then dodged him, watching his determined expression as he made another attempt. He ducked it, smirked and dodged left, then right and straight up, tossing out comments like, "Too slow. Try again. Faster! C'mon." Little did he know that Tategoto was reading his lips and able to figure out most of the things he was saying.
Yasmine just laughed as she watched and got out her camera to take some pictures. Piccolo had mentioned that he liked the pictures she had given him before, and figured that more wouldn't hurt. After all, memories are priceless, especially ones that come with growing up.
Piccolo was flying to the left as he dodged another one of Tategoto's grab attempts. Tategoto tried to grab his cape as it billowed up like a bird's wings, but he flew lower, pulling around behind a tall, thin cliff. He could sense the Tategoto's approach, and moved around to the other side of the rock until he came out behind him. The boy didn't see his father behind him, nor did he realize that he was being "followed" as he flew in a circle around the entire cliff.
Flying closer, Piccolo caught Tategoto in the back with a weak jab that scared the little guy out of his skin and caused him to flip over. By the time Tategoto had turned to see who did it, Piccolo was already flying away in another direction with a contrail behind him, and he quickly frowned in determination as he took off after him.
Piccolo's clothes rippled in the wind as he looked back to see how close Tategoto was in relation to him. Tategoto was about three feet behind his father, and closing in fast. Damn kid learns fast! He thought, finally glimpsing Yasmine out of the corner of his eye as he flew past her car. She waved briefly, he didn't have time to respond. Tucking up his legs to dodge Tategoto's grab, Piccolo pulled a graceful loop that brought him around behind his pursuer. Tategoto started to get a little smarter, seeing as the direct approach wasn't going to work. He frowned, grinning at the same time like his father often did when he was planning something mean. Doubling his speed, Tategoto suddenly dove down and looped straight up, then came down right on top of his father.
"Whoa!" Piccolo barely dodged by stopping on a dime as Tategoto shot past him towards the ground. The little Namek came right back up, missing the next grab.
Why aren't you trying to catch me? Tategoto signed as he paused a moment to rest, hovering about ten feet above Piccolo.
It would be too easy. Piccolo signed back, smirking.
Yeah right! Try it! Tategoto retorted as he flew away with his cape flapping in the wind behind him.
"You asked for it." Piccolo muttered, shoving his arm out to the side to flip his cape over his shoulder. He powered his ki, balled his fists and shot off after the green shape in the distance. He flew past Yasmine, who was laughing, so fast that her hair billowed out behind her briefly.
Tategoto looked back just in time to see his father blur out of sight. One second later, a pair of strong arms grabbed onto him and the green hands attached to them quickly signed, I told you so. "Gotcha!" Piccolo grunted as he signed the other comment to Tategoto.
Tategoto windmilled his arms to throw Piccolo's arms off, then turned around, wrapping his legs around his waist and his arms around his neck. His hands were occupied, so he couldn't sign, but he had that 'now I got you' look on his face. Piccolo just smirked, feeling the boy's wild heartbeat against his chest. He didn't, however, expect what Tategoto attempted next upon landing.
"Aw ga too." Tategoto said, speaking something that sounded like gibberish as he made an attempt to speak with his mouth for the first time in his life.
Yasmine heard it as well, grinning as she strode over to meet them. She had understood what he'd tried to say. After all, she had spent most of her life training people to speak to the deaf as well as help teach deaf people. Some of them did learn to speak, even though they would always sound strange when they spoke.
"Did you hear that?" Piccolo commented in total shock. "I think he just said 'I got you.'"
"He did." Yasmine said back with a grin. "He's figured out that not everyone uses their hands to talk."
Yeah, kid, you got me. Piccolo signed quickly to Tategoto, still smirking as he crossed his arms and looked over at Yasmine, tilting his head. "He can learn to speak? Even if he can't hear?"
She nodded, wiping her hair back with a sweep of her brown hand. Having recently gotten a manicure, her nails were painted bright red and looked like jewels on the ends of her fingers. "Some can, some can't. From what I've seen though, I think that little guy can do anything."
Piccolo dodged one of Tategoto's attempts to tackle him and said with an amused tone as he crossed his arms, "You got that right. He's already figured out how to fly, and I only had to explain it to him once. Heh." He looked down and grinned in spite of himself, and Yasmine raised her camera. One click was all it took to freeze that grin in time.
"So it seems that I'm not the only one who has a son…" A figure rasped as he watched from deep in the shadows, which hid his features.
"What do you see, dad?" Asked a second, smaller voice.
"Piccolo has spawned. Hah. He won't get in the way when I conquer the world! HA, HA, HA!" The first figure broke into insane laughter as he grasped the shoulder of the younger one and yanked him back into the shadows. "Careful of where you stand. You might be spotted and then our plans will be ruined."
"Sorry." The younger form replied as he was yanked and lost his footing. A red jewel attached to some part of his body glistened in the light.
"Come on. Let's have a little fun with that wrinkled wretch they call Kami." The older figure snickered. The younger one snickered as well, and followed the older one into the darkness.
Sparkling sheen rained down onto the brightly colored petals, dribbled down the leafy stem and soaked into the soil. Soft humming filled the air as a jet-black figure with white button-like eyes, a clown-like red mouth and a slightly Jamaican sounding accent darted about.
"It seems that summer is setting in." Mr. Popo said brightly as he watered the brightly-colored flowers.
"Yes, indeed." Kami replied, reaching his wrinkled old hand out to touch one of the blossoms. A butterfly with bright blue and yellow wings drifted past his fingertips to land on the flower he was touching. The delicate insect crawled forward and onto the end of the green finger that was touching the flower. Kami just chuckled quietly as he brought his hand closer to his face so he could see the butterfly better. "It seems so peaceful."
"Agreed." Mr. Popo smiled and started lumbering towards the door to water the plants that were set up inside. A few seconds later, he was sent flying back out like he'd been shot from a cannon, and the watering pail clattered to a stop next to him with water spilling out the top.
Kami's blue cape rustled as he whirled to face the door where Popo had just been thrown from. There were two figures standing there, but hidden by shadow so their features couldn't be seen.
"Hello, Kami." The older one said with a snicker. "We meet again at last." He slowly stepped out of the shadows, and the younger one stayed close behind. The two figures were wearing cloaks and hoods that covered everything except for their faces. But the older one's short stature was more then enough to give away his identity.
"Garlic Jr.…" the old Namekian sneered as he clutched his wooden stick tighter. Then he noticed second figure, and a frown added another crease to his already wrinkled brow.
"Oh yes." Garlic grinned, reaching a pale blue-green hand up to push his hood off as he grabbed onto the other figure's shoulder. The second figure was only about an inch shorter then Garlic. He pulled his hood off to reveal a skin tone paler then his father's with less green patches on his face and head. His beady black eyes were narrowed and seemingly fixed on something more interesting then Kami. There was a glittering, blood red jewel on his forehead, and his features held the smoothness of youth. "Say hello," Garlic said to the younger figure.
"Hello." The younger figure said coldly, then flashed a chilling grin that bore his fangs.
"Meet my son. Onion."
To be continued…