Thank goodness for manga…I'd never remember attacks or events without it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z. I'm merely borrowing it for a while.
Chapter Thirty
Goku did not have the chance to join Vegeta in his frenzied battle. The smaller Saiyan was surprisingly agile, and both he and the demon in their unpowered states were going at each other with a ferocity that Goku marveled at. But whereas Vegeta wore the deep frown of intense concentration, the creature in Piccolo's body smiled coldly. Goku knew for certain that if he tried to jump in now, the demon would either throw Vegeta to the side and go for him or finish his fight, here and now. The Saiyan had no doubt that this thing had the power to kill Vegeta at any time…he was toying with him, like a cat that has cornered a mouse.
But Vegeta was no mouse, and the demon would be left weak and defenseless after the massive offensive that would be required to bring him down.
Or would he?
That was the problem. Goku knew Piccolo's limits, and they had already been surpassed. He could not imagine the kind of power this demon had brought him, if he was fighting Vegeta evenly with broken ribs and after trying to take down Goku himself. For once, the Saiyan had little to nothing to go on, and he did not like it one bit.
And worse, what might be required to take care of this situation was the death of the demon, which would mean killing Piccolo. Even if they were somehow able to drag it out of the Namek's mind – Chiaotzu's field, not his – there was the good chance he would take Piccolo with him. Either way the Namek would not survive the encounter. The thought of this happening left a sour taste in the back of Goku's throat, but it seemed to be growing more and more likely with every series of attacks launched, and if anything, it would have to be done soon. Vegeta was tiring quickly.
"Fight me to my face, Namek!" the Saiyan in question bellowed, snapping Goku out of his thoughts and dragging his attention back to the battlefield. Vegeta whipped himself about, his eyes darting across the yard to find his opponent. "How dare you challenge me and then hide behind my back!"
Goku swept his teal eyes across the same expanse and caught no motion. He could feel Tien and Chiaotzu behind him, and with them was Yamcha, and Krillin. He frowned. He thought Krillin had been knocked out. One of the guys must have grabbed him. One down, two to go. No one had gone after Chi-Chi and Gohan.
"Ha!" Vegeta crowed triumphantly, an enormous ki wave bursting forth from his hand and roaring across the ground to his left, scorching the grass and drawing a startled yelp from the demon. It was cut off all too soon when he retaliated and knocked Vegeta's feet out from under him. Vegeta turned the fall into a roll and managed to avoid a small but intense ki ball fired from the demon's hand. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted.
Don't say that! Goku thought miserably, glancing at Chi-Chi's limp form. He needed to get her away from those two, but his glowing golden hair and aura weren't exactly conducive to sneaking about. He'd have to wait until they were fully occupied and hope she was not harmed further.
Shadow laughed right back and loosed his ki for an instant, the force pushing Vegeta back several yards. "Son Goku said that before. Take a look at him now." He silently began gathering his ki to him, and Goku took this as his opportunity.
Vegeta scowled and crouched down. "Kakarot is of no concern to me, Namek. You've dug your grave. Now go lie in it." Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Goku as he dashed to Chi-Chi's aid. He did not let on that he saw anything. Why should he? Foolish Kakarot's idiotic friends were of no consequence to him. Hell, the pathetic weaklings probably pissed their pants when the Namek changed the color of his eyes.
The Saiyan jumped straight into the air and flipped himself over the green man before shooting off a ki ball of his own. He had no need to use anything major yet, but he was slowly storing away ki for just such an occasion. He was also reasonably certain that the Namek, or whoever he was, was doing the same thing. Vegeta landed slightly off-balance and jumped up and back with his momentum. He came to rest on one knee and ready to defend himself.
"Impressive," came a voice from behind him. "Did you learn that from Frieza?"
Vegeta clenched his jaw and whirled around. Shadow leaped back to avoid the fist that would have buried itself in his gut and grunted. "I told you to shut your mouth, Namek, or you won't have one for much longer!"
"Is that an invitation to stop messing around?"
The Saiyan froze and stared at the demon. Is he kidding? he thought fiercely. I've done just about everything but bring out the heavy artillery, and he speaks of toying with me? Last time I checked, the Namek was barely strong enough to challenge me, but I'm close to going all-out and still he mocks me! He felt rage beginning to bubble up inside him like a pot set to boil, and it was comforting, familiar. "Do not mess with me, Namek!" he growled.
Shadow humphed. "I can't see why you're considered royalty," he told the other man. "Even Goku varies his threats. It's sad, really. A 'third-class' fool has more to his vocabulary than his prince."
"That's it!"
The demon hid his grin as Vegeta lunged forward again. This would be done all too soon. It's too bad this will not last much longer, and worse that you aren't enjoying yourself, Ma Junior, he told the Namek.
He mentally blinked when Piccolo said nothing in reply, gave no indication of ever hearing him or that he was even paying attention. No matter. He needed to pay attention to Vegeta anyhow. If the Saiyan prince had still had his tail, its fur would have been bristling. Shadow smirked. The poor man really had no idea what he was up against.
Vegeta screamed and began powering up rapidly, throwing the ki he had gathered throughout the fight into the aura that was fast forming around him and lighting the yard up like a torch. The demon concentrated his ki about himself as well, but he did not need to vocalize his progress. Half of it had already been gathered. In the corner of his vision Shadow could see the three standing humans raising their arms to their faces and forming shields of their own against the debris the warring fighters were flinging around.
It barely took a minute more before Vegeta raised his hands in front of him and gathered all the ki he could muster into them. "Gyarikku-ho!" he screamed as he felt the energy tear through his body and out his hands towards the green man. His strongest attack, he had used it against Goku the first time they'd fought, and given a bit more power he would have killed the other Saiyan. He only used it against his strongest opponents, and when he had the ki to pull it off. The Namek would be toast. He had to be, with an attack of this caliber.
Piccolo caught it easily and held it.
He realized that something was amiss when his gaze met the other warrior's hard stare, and he felt his jaw drop open. What? he thought crazily, gritting his teeth and pushing more ki into his attack. How is the Namek doing this? There's no way he could become this strong in one year's time! He glanced over at Goku, and he felt a chill run up his spine. The other Saiyan had done just that. Was it so implausible that a Namekian warrior could do the same?
Vegeta suppressed a shudder when he met the Namek's gaze again. He had not seen eyes that cold since he had fought against Frieza and locked himself in a power struggle he could not win. There was something of madness in those eyes, both Frieza and the Namek, and he couldn't determine why.
His eyes grew wide with horror as the Namek squeezed his hands together and destroyed the Gyarikku-ho. In the glittering remnants of the ki attack he saw the other warrior grin, baring his fangs, and this time he did shudder. What is this thing? he thought rapidly, taking a step away from what he had been positive was Piccolo. The Namek never could have done this! Kakarot doesn't even have that level of control! His mind went into overdrive, trying to sort out the pieces of the puzzle that had just exploded in his face.
Vegeta barely registered the Namek's movement as the green figure blurred to the right and disappeared. It was only by chance he was able to throw himself to the side before the fist aimed for his spine swiped through the air beside him. He might have heard the air parting behind him, but he did not have time to ponder the thought further as that same fist connected with his jaw. His head snapped around, and he twisted his body with the violent motion to minimize damage. That had actually hurt!
By the time the Saiyan prince realized what he was up against, it was too late for him to do anything about it. If Piccolo did not have the upper hand before, he certainly had it now. Vegeta hit the ground several yards away and rolled twice before the Namek was in front of him. He grimaced at the hard kick to his gut, and he was thrown back again. Piccolo vanished and reappeared directly above him. Vegeta quickly flipped over and caught sight of the Namek driving both knees into the patch of earth he had just vacated. That would not have been good, he determined, flinging himself to the right and to his feet. Piccolo answered the gesture by driving his fist deeply into the Saiyan's gut.
Vegeta gagged and spat out a mouthful of saliva. He clutched at the Namek's arm to keep him from breaking through skin, and the green man grabbed his shoulder with his free hand and tossed him aside. The Saiyan skidded along the ground and gasped, but he forced himself to stand and fight. His pride would allow no less.
Shadow snorted at the sight of the injured Saiyan prince. "You seem to be less confident, Prince Vegeta," he said mockingly. He darted forward and around the other man before cuffing the side of his head and knocking him down again. When Vegeta struggled to his feet he was sent flying into the trees by a roundhouse kick, which turned into a flurry of hard blows when he met the prince on the other side of one particularly thick tree. "Is this what it felt like, Vegeta?" the warrior hissed, halting the onslaught long enough to grab the front of his shirt and slam him back into that same tree. He pressed forward until his face was a handspan from Vegeta's, and he could see blood bubbling from the corner of the prince's mouth. "Is this how you felt when you challenged us for the first time? Was it exhilarating, knowing you were the strongest of the strong and unable to be beaten?"
Vegeta's mouth worked to form words, but no sound came out. Snarling, Shadow pulled him from the tree and threw him towards the yard. The Saiyan made no attempt to catch himself, and he landed in a heap on the ground he'd scorched only moments before. "Is this how being the strongest feels?" he growled, advancing on the prone form of the shorter warrior.
The world around them shrank until it encompassed only Vegeta and the demon, the others forgotten in this loaded moment. The short battle had come down to this, the moment the outcome would be decided, where nothing mattered except the here and now, and neither the human witnesses nor the mighty Super Saiyan could interfere. As Vegeta had said so many times in battle, this was it. This was the fateful, all-consuming moment both warriors had anticipated, and it only had one ending.
Vegeta raised his head and locked gazes with his opponent. Shadow saw disbelief there, and humiliation and anger, and what he thought might even have been a glimmer of fear. "What…are you?" the Saiyan whispered, his harsh breathing loud in the crisp night air. "You are no Namek."
He was rewarded with a crooked smile. "Ma Junior is a Namek and a demon, Vegeta. It is not difficult to conceive the idea of you defeating a warrior that used only half of his full potential, is it? No matter. You'll know soon enough."
Vegeta grimaced to hide his surprise and confusion. He had no idea who this Ma Junior was or what he had to do with Piccolo, but he did know when a battle came to a close. And judging by the way the other warrior held himself, the careful manner in which he moved now that heavy combat was done, either he or Goku had hurt him – and he would pay for it. The Namek was bleeding, and it would only be a matter of time now.
This Ma Junior that Piccolo claimed to be raised one hand and concentrated some of his sparking ki there. "Did you know, Vegeta, that the souls of those killed by a demon cannot reach the Afterlife? I believe it's time I found out whether or not Ma Junior is ready to embrace himself."
Damn it, Vegeta thought weakly. He could do nothing more, and already the edge of his vision was darkening. At least I won't be awake to see his ugly face. He braced himself for the lethal attack he knew would come, but the Saiyan's strength was spent and he blacked out before the other warrior could deal the final blow.
Thus he was spared the sight of a blazing golden ki wave racing towards the demon above him. Shadow, however, whipped his head around when he heard Goku's hoarse cry, and he got an eyeful of it before it hit him. Desperately he swung the hand that held the gathering ki ball around and threw his half-formed attack in the way of the wave instead, but it did not deter the blast and he was forced to dive out of its way. The ki wave caught his side and hurled him once more across the yard and into the shadows of the tree line.
The Super Saiyan dashed forward the instant he heard the demon grunt with the force of the attack. He knew the other fighter would emerge soon; he hadn't meant his attack to be lethal, but as a diversion. His ploy worked, but what now? So Goku had saved Vegeta's life. So he'd been able to get Chi-Chi over to the other warriors, crawling inch by inch so she would not be injured further. What would he do when the demon came out again? How could he buy his friends the time they needed to escape? And worse, how was he going to get Gohan off the field?
The humans, all but forgotten in the scuffle that had erupted, were standing together as a group and watching the spectacle fearfully, but they had no intention of leaving Goku alone with that…monstrosity. Yamcha might not have been thrilled with confronting the demon one-on-one, and he certainly did not want to repeat the experience, but if needed he would not hesitate to attack. Chiaotzu knew he would not last long in hand-to-hand combat, but if the thing that had taken over Piccolo was distracted, he and Tien could try to oust it themselves. And Tien knew he was the strongest of the humans, and as such he could not let Goku fight alone. The battle might be raging now, but if there was an opening he would take advantage of it.
As expected, Shadow emerged angrily from the trees – knocking two of them out of his way – and saw Goku setting himself in the middle of his yard. "Touching," he growled. "But all you've done is postpone the inevitable." He allowed his aura to flare out around him fully, and the clearing that had once reflected the soft golden glow of Goku's aura now deepened into a brilliant red-violet hue.
Goku narrowed his eyes. "Your fight is with me, demon. Remember that." Behind him he heard Krillin stir and groan as someone – presumably Yamcha – helped him sit up.
Shadow came to a stop not too far from where Gohan lay, and Goku felt himself twitch involuntarily. With that demon so close to his only son, and without Piccolo to save the day if something went wrong, the Saiyan was nervous. He could focus on the other warrior as long as Gohan stayed down, but if the boy woke up…
Shadow caught a glimmer of the man's last thought, and he smirked. Did you hear that, Ma Junior? If the boy wakes up, the 'invincible' Son Goku can be destroyed. I imagine he can be destroyed if anything happens to the boy as well. He blinked when Piccolo did not respond vocally, but he colored his mind with rage and forced it at him. The demon hissed and pushed it back. He did not need that kind of distraction.
So, he depends on the boy staying down, does he? he hissed to himself. Then let's remedy that. Shadow found the mental link between mentor and student, foster-father and son, and followed it to its end in Gohan's mind. Tentatively at first and then with more force he began to exert a pressure on the link, urging the boy to awaken. Gohan! he whispered with Piccolo's voice. Gohan, wake up! We need you!
Slowly the child responded to his mentor's prodding, and he responded quickly. Piccolo? Piccolo, are you all right? Gohan asked groggily, his mind clouded. What's happening?
Wake up, kid! Shadow put enough inflection into the phrase to make it sound like Piccolo was in pain, and that was what did the trick.
Gohan's eyes flew open, and he sat up straight and gasped. The demon was beside him instantly, an evil grin on his face.
Oh, Kami, what did he do? Goku screamed to himself. "Gohan!" he called anxiously. "Don't move!"
"Wha-? Dad?" Gohan closed his eyes as something lifted him off the ground by the front of his shirt. He heard his father's voice, but it sounded farther away than it would have if he was the one picking him up. Was it Piccolo, then? What was his mentor doing? His vision was still fuzzy. He blinked blearily a few times to clear it and then cried out when the face before him came into focus.
The demon sneered at him, his eyes smoldering with anger and his fangs bared in a toothy grin. "Good evening, brat," he growled. "Glad you could join us for the entertainment."
"P-Piccolo!" he squeaked. "What are…" Then he remembered what had happened, how this thing who wore his mentor's body had attacked his mother and himself, how he had thrown his mother away like a rag doll, and he gulped. "Don't!"
Shadow turned his stolen head towards Goku and smirked. "See your child, Goku," he exclaimed. "See him and remember, as the father killed the father, so shall the son kill the son."
Goku's eyes widened with fright for the first time in years. Kami, he's referring to Daimao! No, he can't! He won't do it! He couldn't do it! But his own soul betrayed his thoughts, and he knew deep in his heart that if Piccolo had no control over his body he could never stop the demon from murdering Gohan.
The demon whipped his body around and kicked Krillin in the face, halting his furious charge forward and sending him flying through the air again. The midget landed in a heap at Goku's feet, but the Saiyan couldn't tear his eyes away from his son. He tensed his muscles for attack, but the other warrior dug his talons farther into the boy's skin. Gohan's cry of pain forced Goku to freeze again.
"The mighty Super Saiyan, the man responsible for the death of the most powerful being in the universe, cannot even save his own son," Shadow growled lightly. "It is ironic, is it not?" His gaze swept the group, from Vegeta, who was beginning to stir, to Yamcha, Tien and Chiaotzu, who all wore identical expressions of anger and helplessness, to Goku, who looked ready to explode. His vision rested on the glowing Super Saiyan, and he smirked again. "You are unable to charge to the rescue. If you do, I kill him. If you stand there and do nothing, I kill him."
His voice lowered to a rumble, but Goku was still able to hear him. "You do not know how wonderful this feels," Shadow said harshly. "What pleasure it brings. I hold your world in my hands, Goku. Now I know how you felt at the Budokai, that wonderful little rush when you learned you were the best of the best. Goku," he hissed, and suddenly he was beside the Saiyan, inches from his face and still holding a terrified Gohan, "have you ever heard your wife scream?"
Goku shook himself out of the red haze that clouded his vision and gaped at the demon. Had he been thinking, he could have landed the blow that would have finished the battle for good right then and there. He was a Super Saiyan, and the other creature had not mustered his full strength. But he was torn and confused, and above all wishing those words had not just come from Piccolo's mouth.
"It was music to my ears. It has been so long since a human has shrieked in terror because of me. She sounded…terrified. Did you know she was calling for you, even as I dragged her into the night?"
Control yourself! Goku thought fiercely, shaking himself violently again. It's all lies! It's not real! Don't listen!
And suddenly the demon was out of reach, as if he had realized the danger he had placed himself in. "How about your son? Have you ever heard your boy shrieking in fear, Goku?" He let those words sink in before continuing, and Goku felt something inside him tear. "Would you care for a demonstration?"
Gohan stared up into Shadow's withering gaze and whimpered as the demon traced a talon along the side of his face, drawing blood from the resulting scratch. "Piccolo, stop it!" he wailed. "Please don't do this! Make it stop!" Inwardly the boy was crying while the Earth's defenders stood frozen in fear, but he knew it would mean his father's death to let his weakness show. Piccolo! he cried silently. Help me!
Something in the Namek's link with the boy twinged, but Shadow paid it no heed. He pulled his other fist back, the muscles in his arm bulging as he prepared to send the demi-Saiyan in his grasp through the forest and out the other side, but the hand holding Gohan spasmed and he dropped the boy. The demon scarcely had time to growl out his bewilderment when he crumpled to the ground before his astonished victim-to-be. His legs would no longer hold his weight.
His mind began to ache as the Namek threw down his hand and hurled everything he had at the demon. He howled in pain, and Gohan scrambled back
What are you doing? he snarled at Piccolo.
He hadn't expected an answer, and he was not disappointed. Furiously he beat at the barrier he had set up around the Namek to keep him from regaining control, but it did not give way. Damn! he hissed. Ma Junior must have found a way to reinforce it! On the outside the Earth's defenders stared incredulously at the warrior digging his talons into his head, but inside Shadow attempted to discover what Piccolo had done to him. Damn you, brat, what have you done?
And this time, as he waded through the rage and desperation the Namek threw at him, he received his answer.
I told you to leave them alone.
Gohan cringed as the demon before him fell onto his knees and elbows and cradled his head in his hands. His frightening aura shrank, leaving Goku's golden ki to illuminate the yard. He was shuddering with the effort of fighting off something he couldn't see and mumbling something in a language Gohan did not recognize. "Piccolo?" he whispered, twisting onto his knees and inching forward until he was an arm's length away. "Is that you?"
He almost did not hear the muffled reply. "Kid," came a familiar gruff voice, "get out of here, and do it now." The jade-skinned warrior lifted his head, and Gohan's own dark eyes met the red-tinged eyes of his mentor.
"Piccolo!" he exclaimed softly, jumping forward and catching the Namek in a hug. "You're back!"
The Namek did not return the embrace but jerked back violently. He lowered his head and grunted, which worried the boy. Gohan knew his mentor was not one to vocalize pain, and that grunt was probably the closest he'd come to doing just that – unless he screamed. "It's only temporary," he told the demi-Saiyan. "You should leave, while I can still hold him."
Goku approached the two as Gohan placed his small hands on the Namek's shoulders and choked back a sob. The boy had no words to express the turmoil he was feeling. "Is that you, Piccolo?" Goku called cautiously.
The Namek turned his head, and the Saiyan smothered a gasp before it could escape his parted lips. His eyes weren't glowing red, but they were coming pretty close. If Piccolo had had any control at all, it was coming dangerously close to breaking. "For now," came the cryptic reply. "I don't have much time. I wasn't too careful in clawing my way out." A ghost of a smile crossed Piccolo's face, only to be replaced by a grimace as he jerked again.
"What happened?" Goku asked anxiously, crouching down beside his son. "What do you want us to do?"
Piccolo locked eyes with the other warrior, and Goku could read the emotion in them, even if Piccolo could not voice it. In the depths of those onyx orbs he saw the price the Namek had to pay to force his way out. He saw how desperate he was to rid himself of this abomination, and he saw to what lengths he would go to do it. "Find Kami," the Namek finally growled, "or the witch. If they can't help, wait for the demon to slip and kill him."
"What?" Goku yelped. No matter that he had considered the same thing. It was entirely different coming from the mouth of the being that would die with the demon. "There has to be some other way!"
Piccolo glared at him and clenched his teeth. "Listen to me. Daimao wants me to become Ma Junior again, the demon that would have destroyed the world. He sent someone to merge that with what I am now, and it's working. If you don't do what I say, he'll use my full strength to wipe you out of existence. You have no choice."
Gohan buried his face in the Namek's shoulder and sobbed. Piccolo dropped his gaze and made a choked noise that, in another person, would have matched that cry, and Goku closed his eyes sadly. He did not want to be the one Piccolo entrusted this burden to, but like he said, he had no choice.
Piccolo roughly pushed Gohan away and wrapped his arms around his stomach. "I'm out of time," he whispered, and slowly he lowered his head to his knees.
* * * * *
Okay, so Riven kicked in with a vengeance. This chapter is exactly twelve words longer than the last one.
The Gyarikku-ho is Vegeta's Gallic Gun; he has no other named attacks (that I know of) before turning Super Saiyan.
Just for the record, I laughed so hard at everyone's reviews. Thank you so very much…I needed that. I hope I didn't disappoint you. And if I did, there's still some time to remedy that. *evil laughter* But really, thanks for sticking with this monstrosity thus far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~Dreamwraith