First and foremost, I would like to thank the people who reviewed the last few chapters. Your input is greatly appreciated. Thanks for sticking with me this far.
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.
Chapter Six
Gohan watched as his mentor approached the crystal ball on unsteady feet. Piccolo, what are you doing? he thought to himself. You're going to get yourself killed! Then Piccolo crumpled in front of the ball, seeming almost entranced by the vortex of color. "Piccolo!" he screamed above the howling of the wind. "Piccolo, get up! Fight it!" Through his mental link with the Namek, he could feel that something had happened to him, that his mind was no longer his alone, and he pushed free of Krillin's helping hands.
"Gohan, what are you doing?" Krillin shouted over the wind's cacophony.
"I have to help Piccolo!" Gohan answered, the wind whipping his hair around his head. "His mind doesn't feel right!"
"What do you mean?" the midget called again.
The demi-Saiyan did not hear him. His ki flared up around him as he struggled against the wind in an attempt to reach the downed Namek. "Piccolo!" he screamed again. "Fight it, Piccolo! Don't let him take you!" Slowly but surely, Gohan made headway in the wind, ignoring both the howls of the wind and the high-pitched chanting of Uranai Baba.
Krillin found himself helplessly watching his young friend fighting the wind. He clenched his hands into fists and grimaced as the demi-Saiyan was bent nearly in two against it. He turned his head when the vortex became too chaotic to watch. What on Earth is happening here? he thought to himself. Baba's ball has gone haywire, and all the telepaths are down for the count. Ahhh, I wish Goku was here…he'd know what to do!
Not all of us are out yet, Krillin, came Tien's voice. Wordlessly, Krillin turned his head in time to see the triclops prop himself up on his elbows and knees. What on Earth did Gohan say to you?
Krillin shook his head in amazement. He never would get used to mental speech, though that would probably be for the best, judging by what had just happened. He began to forge his way over to the downed fighter just as Gohan reached Piccolo. The things I do for these people, he thought to himself. Then his world exploded without warning, and he was flung backwards, away from Tien. His last conscious thought for a while was wondering what had just happened…and where the pretty stars had come from.
From on top of the Lookout, the Guardian of the Earth leaned heavily on his staff, gasping for breath for what seemed like hours.
"Kami?" Mr. Popo, his caretaker and friend, asked. "Are you all right?" The round, dark-skinned djinn set down his watering can as he walked toward the elderly Namek. "Is something wrong with Piccolo?" The short djinn had lived on the Lookout for centuries, serving under each Guardian in turn. This one seemed to be the most interesting…after all, not many Guardians could say that they had literally cast out their personal devil. This Guardian also happened to be "father" to one, and neither he nor Piccolo were thrilled with the fact.
"Yes, Popo," the Namek gasped, "it's Piccolo. There's something wrong with him…it feels like something is trying to control him."
"Why don't you do something about it, Kami?"
"If I did that, Popo, I could destroy both his mind and mine. The being in his mind would destroy him in a heartbeat if it thought I was a threat. There's also the possibility that Piccolo would not accept my intrusion, and his own defenses would destroy us before he could stop them." Kami then shook his head as he transferred more of his weight to his staff.
"Oh, my," exclaimed the djinn as the full meaning of what had been said settled on his shoulders. "You mean to say that this thing that's affecting Piccolo can harm you as well?"
"Precisely."
Mr. Popo turned away from Kami, full of thought as to how the situation could be rectified. Unlike the Guardian, the djinn did not hold any grudges against the self-proclaimed demon. In some ways, he even sympathized with Piccolo. In his own heart, he thought that Kami had made a glaring mistake when he had denied Piccolo those many years ago. "Please reject it, Piccolo," he mumbled into the wind. "I feel that the Earth will have a need for its Guardian soon."
Tien forced himself to his feet as quickly as possible when he saw Krillin's body launch itself away from him. The triclops had a lot of experience with the realm of the mind, but what he was now witnessing with Krillin and Piccolo, and what had happened to Chiaotzu and himself, was far beyond his current level of understanding. Before the day had begun, Tien would not have believed that the situation unfolding before him was even possible. Now, he was beginning to reevaluate his predicament.
"All right," he growled into the wind. "What do you want?"
Of course, there was no answer to his demand. As he shielded his eyes against the raging winds, he was able to make out Gohan's small form against the dark glow of the crystal ball. The child had managed to reach Piccolo despite the obvious efforts of whatever had corrupted the ball, and he was reaching out to grab his mentor's arm when that burning sensation tore through Tien's mind again. The triclops cursed out loud as he clutched at his temples again. From where he stood, it seemed as if Gohan had been affected to a greater degree this time. He watched as the boy fell into a crouch next to Piccolo.
"Gohan!" Yamcha called from somewhere behind Tien. "What are you doing?"
Tien shook his head, knowing well that Gohan wouldn't be able to hear the man through the wind and the mental assault. Hell, even he had a hard time hearing him, and he was no more than twelve feet in front of him!
Then, astonishingly, Piccolo's limp form began to glow with a forbidding golden light. DO NOT INTERFERE! was the impression Tien received from the light. In the next instant, Gohan was thrown away from Piccolo like a rag doll. He leapt forward and caught the unconscious boy before he could be harmed in any other way. "What the hell?" he cursed. "What is going on? Who is doing this to us?" He then dashed over to Yamcha and Bulma.
"Tien!" Yamcha exclaimed. "What's going on up there? What happened to Gohan?"
"Yeah! Is there something we can do here?" Bulma asked.
Inwardly, Tien winced as he handed Gohan over to the scientist. Bulma always did have an analytical mind (which was why she became a scientist), but there were times when that trait became very annoying. Especially when the "help" would actually prove to be a hindrance. "Not really, Bulma!" he shouted over the wind. "Just watch Gohan for a minute!" There's something really wrong with this whole situation, Tien thought as he turned his back on the trio and began making his way over to Piccolo. I don't know why Piccolo, of all people, isn't getting back up, but if he doesn't get some help soon, there's not gonna be anyone here strong enough to take on Vegeta!
The man stumbled several times while trying to reach Piccolo. He kept his eyes open for any movement, aware that motion signified consciousness…and that no one in front of him was. Even with the growing intensity of the orb's light before him, he was able to reach the Namek's side in a moment. And that was when he discovered why he had crumpled near the ball.
"Ah, Kami," Tien breathed as he stared at Piccolo's face, in particular his eyes. The glittering onyx eyes had glazed over, leaving them an odd white color, tinged red around the edges. It gave the Namek a ghastly look that Tien hadn't seen since he had been held hostage by Daimao, Piccolo's sire. He shuddered involuntarily at the memory…Piccolo Daimao was a particularly nasty demon, and he had barely survived his encounter with him. Tien knelt down next to the Namek. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and began to focus on Piccolo's mind, allowing his telepathic abilities to "guide" him to the problem.
Tien had only enough time to gasp before he was sucked into the depths of Piccolo's mind by a force he could barely comprehend. His mind reeled with the speed at which he seemed to be traveling, though he knew beyond a doubt that he was still kneeling next to Piccolo. When his sensation of the outer world completely disappeared, Tien realized that he had been drawn into Piccolo's mind, and naturally into wherever his mind had been drawn.
The triclops was given a bird's-eye view of a reddish-brown plain, riddled with holes and stagnant pools of water. Every so often flames would erupt from the ground, sometimes illuminating a face, which would disappear soon afterwards. After what seemed like hours, Tien was able to focus on a swirling mist in the distance. There seemed to be some sort of commotion over something, and he decided it would be the best place to start looking.
I am never going to get used to this mind-travel, Tien thought as he flew over the damaged landscape. Now I just have to find out what happened to Piccolo. He continued in this manner for what also seemed like an hour, until he was stopped by a shield of some sort. He cursed out loud, unable to see through the mist and unable to continue. Tien pounded futilely on the shield when it suddenly dissolved, and he fell forward into the mist. Had he actually been a physical presence at that moment, his heart would have skipped a beat.
Piccolo was doubled over on the ground, clutching at his head as if to block out his surroundings. All around him danced things, creatures with wings and talons. An unholy chant rang across the terrain as flames leapt into the sky from nowhere, and the ground was literally soaked with blood. It was all Tien could do to keep from calling out to the Namek, when an enormous figure appeared among the ranks of creatures. As one, their eyes began to glow, red and gold, and the dance stopped.
Then, from all around, a rasping, rumbling voice spoke three simple words: I SEE YOU. The glowing eyes of the mass of creatures focused on him, though he had thought he was invisible to them, and the large figure pointed in his direction. It did not have to say anything for Tien to understand what that simple gesture meant. With a cry, the triclops leapt into their midst and grabbed Piccolo's arm, allowing his momentum to carry the both of them out of and away from that unholy circle. Tien tripped as something burst forth from the ground and held his ankle fast. Kami, no, he moaned. Wake up, wake up, wake UP!
With a shout loud enough to wake the dead, Tien yanked Piccolo's form upward as he tore himself out of the Namek's mind. His final glimpse of Piccolo's mind was of the plain bursting into flames completely. Then he was back in his own body, throat raw from shouting and adrenaline surging through him. Beside him, Piccolo gasped as he opened his eyes and sat up, dazed and looking for all the world like he had just fallen out of a tree.
The winds coming from the crystal ball had ceased entirely, and the magical orb took on an angry red hue as the colors of the vortex swirled faster and faster. The energy emanating from it began to crackle.
"What just happened?" he muttered, focusing his eyes on Tien's face.
Tien shook his head, amazed that he had actually managed to break free of the otherworldly being's grip. "Piccolo," he said finally, "I think you've made a new enemy."
The Namek frowned. "What else is new?" he growled. "You know what I meant."
"I don't know how I pulled us out, Piccolo. I really don't."
Yamcha suddenly appeared behind them, a worried look on his face. "The chit-chat's nice and all, you guys, but Baba just got 'the look' on her face. You know, that 'get the hell out of there while you still can' look? She wants us outta here!" The man was rewarded with two blank stares. You've gotta be kidding me, he thought. "Move already!" he shouted. He glanced up at the ball, fully aware that Uranai Baba had ceased her shouting and was now gesturing frantically at him.
"I'm gonna regret this," he muttered to himself as he grabbed both men's arms and pulled them both back with him. "Piccolo's gonna kill me when this is over." Bulma rushed up to help him with Tien, setting Gohan down behind her.
You're damn right I'm going to kill you, came an angry voice in his head. Let go of me!
"Not until we're clear!" Yamcha exclaimed, wondering where he had gotten the guts to stand up to the demon-spawned Namek.
Then, before the astonished eyes of the four conscious Earthlings, the crackling ball began to rise, spinning violently. Piccolo alone was able to hear the low chanting of Uranai Baba. "What's happening now?" he heard Bulma ask. "What's going on?"
Piccolo gritted his teeth and growled low in his throat. "Get down!" he hissed.
"What?" the woman asked, unable to hear him.
"Get down!" the Namek bellowed, reaching out to Gohan and pulling the child over to him. "The blasted orb is about to explode!" He hugged the boy to his chest and turned his back to the crystal ball, sheltering him.
Realization sunk in finally, and Bulma shrieked. Yamcha pulled her to him and imitated Piccolo, knowing that she wouldn't be able to withstand an explosion on her own. Tien looked about wildly for Chiaotzu and Krillin. "You guys!" he shouted. "Where's Krillin and Chiaotzu? I can't see them!"
"Leave them!" Piccolo shouted back. "They'll survive the blast!"
And it was at that point the corrupted ball exploded. Shards of crystal were hurled across the landscape, imbedding themselves into the tree and warriors alike. Piccolo turned his head too soon and earned himself a score across the side of his face. He whipped his head back around and grimaced.
Uranai Baba stood amidst the flying shards, chanting in the Common language. "Be gone, foul presence, and tarnish this place no more! I bind you thus, to no longer extend your physical influence to this realm. This I command, and this you will obey!" she shouted. When the final words of the spell were uttered, all activity stopped in the field. An eerie silence replaced the faint whistling of the projectiles, and with good cause: Baba's spell had caused them all to fall harmlessly to the ground.
Slowly, the defenders of the Earth stood, one by one, and began brushing themselves off. Bulma had taken her notebook out and was torn between staring at Baba and scribbling notes. At the same time, Gohan, Krillin, and Chiaotzu all woke up, apparently released from whatever had held them unconscious. "Piccolo, what happened?" Gohan asked as his mentor set him down on his feet. "Are you all right?"
Yamcha laughed as Piccolo growled and twisted his face into a grimace. "Kid, that's the question of the day."
Krillin and Chiaotzu both rejoined the small group at the same time. "I'm beginning to think that stuff like this is going to happen to us for the rest of our lives, you know. Why couldn't I have just stayed with the monks?" Krillin groaned.
"Because you never would have met people like us," Tien replied sourly as he surveyed the damage.
The pitiful attempts at joking around were brought to a halt as Uranai Baba floated over to the warriors. She flew through the center of the group and levitated higher, coming to a stop in front of Piccolo. The irritated Namek crossed his arms in front of his chest. The two beings glared at each other until Baba waggled a finger accusingly in his face. "I don't know what you could have possibly done to piss off something in another realm, boy," she said coldly, "but you have a powerful enemy."
"You know that I haven't done anything outside of this realm, witch," Piccolo snarled back.. Then he smirked. "I can say the same thing about you," he said, glancing at her hands. If you were really as powerful as you think you are, you would have been able to control your ball, he told her mentally.
Baba narrowed her eyes as she studied his face for any hints of knowledge. A sly one, this Ma Junior is, she thought. "Fine, Ma Junior. I'll cede this one to you. But I'll not be concerning myself with your mess. I am leaving now." With a simple gesture, Baba teleported herself back to the check-in station of the Afterlife. A small puff of smoke was all that signaled her departure.
"What was that all about?" Gohan asked the Namek.
Piccolo, came Tien's voice, this is nothing to play around with. There's something out there that wants you for some reason or another, and it's not from this realm. You need our help with this, Piccolo. Tell them what you saw, or else I will.
"Kid, I'll tell you later." Human, he snarled back at Tien, you have no right to tell me what I shall and shall not do. It is none of their business, and I'll tell them only if it becomes necessary. And if I find out that you have told them, I will tear your head from your body and keep it as a trophy. "What I will say to you all know is that the Earth is going to be attacked, and soon. We need to find Goku, and we need to bring him back here now."
"So we should start looking for the Dragonballs?" Krillin asked.
Predictably, Piccolo turned the full force of his glare upon the midget, and he quailed immediately. "I am going to train now," he said after half a minute. "Find the Dragonballs and let me know when you do. The wish we make now must be worded carefully…Son Goku must be brought back as quickly as possible." Then he took off so abruptly that he startled Krillin into falling over. He was out of sight in mere seconds.
The humans that remained were left in an uncomfortable silence. Bulma was the one to shatter it. "Well, according to the Dragonball Radar, the balls became active a few days ago. If we all search for them now, we should have them in a few days. Right?"
"Right!" Gohan exclaimed with a smile. "Then I can see my dad again! It'll be great! And then you guys can all see what a Super Saiyan is!" He made off as if to begin the hunt on his own, but Bulma called him back down.
"Wait a minute, kid!" she said, sighing. "I need a break. Everything that's just happened has been a scientific impossibility, and my head is reeling. Get back to me in an hour or two, okay? I need a nap and a super-long bath…can you take me home, Yamcha?"
The scarred warrior shrugged. "Sure, Bulma. I'll see the rest of you in a few hours!" He lifted Bulma into his arms and took off in the direction he came from, back toward the Capsule Corp. complex.
"I'm going to get something to eat first, Krillin," Tien said. "I'll meet you at the Kame House." Then he, too, was gone, and Chiaotzu followed suit.
Krillin turned to Gohan. "Well, bro, it looks like it's just you me again. Why don't you come back to the Kame House with me and get something to eat? We've got a lot of ground to cover later and only a few days to do it. You'll need the sustenance," he joked. His mood then took a turn for the serious. "Did you notice something new about Piccolo, Gohan?"
Gohan lifted an eyebrow and ran one hand through his hair. "No, I didn't, Krillin. Why would you think that?"
"Well," the midget said matter-of-factly, "he threatened Yamcha already a few times within the last few weeks, and I think he threatened Tien earlier, if I didn't mistake the looks on their faces earlier, but he hasn't done anything about it!"
The boy frowned. "Now that I think about it, you're right, Krillin. But he's been a good guy for a few years now. At least with me, he has, and I think that maybe he isn't afraid to show it any more."
"If you're defining Piccolo as 'good' because he hasn't killed any of us recently, then I suppose you're right. If that's not it, then you really need to straighten out your definitions, kid," Krillin chuckled. "But come on, let's get something to eat."
"All right!" The human and the demi-Saiyan flew off in the direction of the Kame House, both believing that the excitement was over for a while.
They did not know how wrong they were, or of the perilous situation the Earth had just been placed in. For as they flew, they were being watched. And the eyes of the watcher smoldered with anger.
* * * * *
Thanks for reading! Questions, comments, and feedback are welcome. Or you can just tell me that I have lost my mind. Which is quite possible. *grins at image of authoress trying to find her head*
~Dreamwraith