Zelda stared up at Piccolo curiously. He seemed pleasant, but he was oddly
quiet. After making sure Methkaphae treated her properly, he hadn't said a
word. Occasionally the Gerudo attempted to ask him questions, but never got
more than a nod for an answer.
"Link will save us," Zelda said conversationally.
Piccolo didn't even acknowledge her. In fact, he sped up to catch up with Methkaphae. Zelda followed him like a loyal puppy.
"Look, kid, I did you a favor. Now leave me alone," Piccolo snarled.
"Don't you think Link will save us?" she asked.
Methkaphae snorted in laughter from the head of the line as Piccolo replied, "No kid, I don't. Stop harassing me."
"Stop being mean," whined the child,
Another snort from the leader and they came over a hill to the entrance of Lake Hylia.
"It's fenced off," she explained. "We'll have to climb that ladder."
Piccolo didn't climb ladders. Ever. Even a very sick Piccolo. He leaped over the fence with ease, even leaped over the wall separating the lands. Impatiently, he waited as Methkaphae and Zelda clambered up the ladder and leaped down to the ground below. The Gerudo glared at him.
"Might be why Ganondorf favors you," grumbled Methkaphae as she led them further inside.
She has no idea, neither of them do, Piccolo thought as they continued towards the lake. Zelda ran for the lake, skipping and kicking in the shallow water. Piccolo sat in the grass, leaning against a rocky cliff as she dove into the deeper waters. Methkaphae sat beside him, arms crossed. The namek stared at her, trying to tell her without words to leave him alone.
"Did I tell you that I was sick my first few weeks, maybe even months?" she asked.
Piccolo glared at her hatefully, trying to destroy her with his mind. Then he replied harshly, "You did." He turned back towards Zelda and softened up slightly. Everything the child did reminded him of Gohan. A pathetic longing filled his soul. He mouthed the boy's name and sighed sadly.
"So, Piccolo, where are you from?"
"Earth."
"Where were you born?"
"Earth."
"But...you're green..."
"So is Ganondorf."
"But..."
"My father was a Namek."
"And your mother?"
There was a pause. Piccolo glanced at her for a moment and back at Zelda. Very bluntly he answered, "I have no mother."
"Come on, Piccolo. Don't be ridiculous. Everyone has a mother," snorted Methkaphae.
"Well I don't. My father couldn't get a woman pregnant if he wanted to. Its not how Nameks reproduce," Piccolo replied.
"You mean-"
"Look! I found a Rupee!" Zelda interrupted, placing a large green gem at Piccolo's feet.
The child skipped back towards the lake, dress billowing behind her. She was soaking wet, sending beads of water across the grass. Her hair bobbed around her shoulders as she spun in the field and landed, on a hill. Laughing, she rolled down into the water and disappeared. Methkaphae snatched the gem quickly and slipped it into her baggy pants. Zelda returned suddenly with a red gem in her hands.
"This one is for you, Mr. Piccolo," Zelda giggled, dropping it into his lap. When Methkaphae reached for it, she scolded, "Oh no, you horrible lady, that Rupee is for Piccolo. You've got one!"
Piccolo grinned jeeringly at the Gerudo and slipped the Rupee into a pocket hidden in his clothes. He nodded approvingly at the Princess and watched her scurry away.
"You like her?"
Piccolo turned towards Methkaphae and shrugged. "She reminds me of a boy I used to train," he answered with a gloomy smile.
"Used to? Did something happen to him?" Methkaphae asked.
"He grew up," replied Piccolo with a hint of remorse.
"Really? Gerudos usually have the same trainer until one of them dies," Methkaphae explained. Then she added quietly, "Unless Ganondorf takes them away first."
"Come and play, Piccolo! I know you're sick, but the water's warm, I promise!" called the Princess.
Piccolo shook his head stubbornly. He might secretly enjoy children, but he would never play with one.
"Go and play with her. The only reason I brought her was because she needs to get exercise," Methkaphae urged him.
"Do you like her?" he asked.
"She reminds me of myself as a child," answered Methkaphae with a grin. "I'll play with her too, Piccolo."
"I don't play with kids. I-"
Before he could protest anymore, he was left alone. Methkaphae was suddenly in the water, wrestling the Princess into the lake and pulling her out soaking wet. Zelda giggled as Methkaphae continued tossing her into the water and playing roughly with her. Piccolo glared at the both of him from his seat in the shadows, a smile on his face.
Piccolo didn't even acknowledge her. In fact, he sped up to catch up with Methkaphae. Zelda followed him like a loyal puppy.
"Look, kid, I did you a favor. Now leave me alone," Piccolo snarled.
"Don't you think Link will save us?" she asked.
Methkaphae snorted in laughter from the head of the line as Piccolo replied, "No kid, I don't. Stop harassing me."
"Stop being mean," whined the child,
Another snort from the leader and they came over a hill to the entrance of Lake Hylia.
"It's fenced off," she explained. "We'll have to climb that ladder."
Piccolo didn't climb ladders. Ever. Even a very sick Piccolo. He leaped over the fence with ease, even leaped over the wall separating the lands. Impatiently, he waited as Methkaphae and Zelda clambered up the ladder and leaped down to the ground below. The Gerudo glared at him.
"Might be why Ganondorf favors you," grumbled Methkaphae as she led them further inside.
She has no idea, neither of them do, Piccolo thought as they continued towards the lake. Zelda ran for the lake, skipping and kicking in the shallow water. Piccolo sat in the grass, leaning against a rocky cliff as she dove into the deeper waters. Methkaphae sat beside him, arms crossed. The namek stared at her, trying to tell her without words to leave him alone.
"Did I tell you that I was sick my first few weeks, maybe even months?" she asked.
Piccolo glared at her hatefully, trying to destroy her with his mind. Then he replied harshly, "You did." He turned back towards Zelda and softened up slightly. Everything the child did reminded him of Gohan. A pathetic longing filled his soul. He mouthed the boy's name and sighed sadly.
"So, Piccolo, where are you from?"
"Earth."
"Where were you born?"
"Earth."
"But...you're green..."
"So is Ganondorf."
"But..."
"My father was a Namek."
"And your mother?"
There was a pause. Piccolo glanced at her for a moment and back at Zelda. Very bluntly he answered, "I have no mother."
"Come on, Piccolo. Don't be ridiculous. Everyone has a mother," snorted Methkaphae.
"Well I don't. My father couldn't get a woman pregnant if he wanted to. Its not how Nameks reproduce," Piccolo replied.
"You mean-"
"Look! I found a Rupee!" Zelda interrupted, placing a large green gem at Piccolo's feet.
The child skipped back towards the lake, dress billowing behind her. She was soaking wet, sending beads of water across the grass. Her hair bobbed around her shoulders as she spun in the field and landed, on a hill. Laughing, she rolled down into the water and disappeared. Methkaphae snatched the gem quickly and slipped it into her baggy pants. Zelda returned suddenly with a red gem in her hands.
"This one is for you, Mr. Piccolo," Zelda giggled, dropping it into his lap. When Methkaphae reached for it, she scolded, "Oh no, you horrible lady, that Rupee is for Piccolo. You've got one!"
Piccolo grinned jeeringly at the Gerudo and slipped the Rupee into a pocket hidden in his clothes. He nodded approvingly at the Princess and watched her scurry away.
"You like her?"
Piccolo turned towards Methkaphae and shrugged. "She reminds me of a boy I used to train," he answered with a gloomy smile.
"Used to? Did something happen to him?" Methkaphae asked.
"He grew up," replied Piccolo with a hint of remorse.
"Really? Gerudos usually have the same trainer until one of them dies," Methkaphae explained. Then she added quietly, "Unless Ganondorf takes them away first."
"Come and play, Piccolo! I know you're sick, but the water's warm, I promise!" called the Princess.
Piccolo shook his head stubbornly. He might secretly enjoy children, but he would never play with one.
"Go and play with her. The only reason I brought her was because she needs to get exercise," Methkaphae urged him.
"Do you like her?" he asked.
"She reminds me of myself as a child," answered Methkaphae with a grin. "I'll play with her too, Piccolo."
"I don't play with kids. I-"
Before he could protest anymore, he was left alone. Methkaphae was suddenly in the water, wrestling the Princess into the lake and pulling her out soaking wet. Zelda giggled as Methkaphae continued tossing her into the water and playing roughly with her. Piccolo glared at the both of him from his seat in the shadows, a smile on his face.