Author's Note: This little story is almost done, isn't it? One more part after this, and we're good. I'm curious, what else do readers who pass by think of this old story of mine? I changed one detail in this story, thanks to reviews, that being Piccolo's age. Technically, Piccolo is five years older than both Gohan and Chi-Me, which would make the two of them almost 10, since their birthday is somewhere in the middle of May. I had Piccolo turning 25, even though I knew it wasn't correct, because for the people who don't know about Dragonball, a full-grown 15 year old may seem a bit strange. But, now, this story is once again technically correct, so thank you for pointing out my chosen error. Oh, and as a parting comment, I did figure out how to make section breaks, even though they look a bit stupid in my compromised form. So I'll look into changing all the previous chapters to make up for that confusion. I hope you all like this second to last section. Happy reading.
The Plan
Part IV
Bulma walked into the room where Chi-Me was finishing wrapping her gift. She was tying a dark green ribbon around the neatly wrapped in purple and blue Happy Birthday wrapping paper. "Hey Chi-Me," Bulma said kindly. "Is that your present to Piccolo that you're wrapping there?"
"That's right!" Chi-Me said proudly.
"It looks small, what are you giving him?" Bulma asked.
"If you really need to know, it's a poem that I've been working very hard on lately for him. I sure hope he likes it. I've worked so hard." She confessed.
"I'm sure he will," Bulma assured her. "Even if he doesn't 5how it. Oh, and when you're done, put it on the table with the others, and come help the rest of us with the preparations."
"All right, Bulma," Chi-Me answered.
With a wink, Bulma left the room, and went back to watching over the party arrangers to make sure everybody was doing the right thing. Chi-Me put the card on the fully wrapped gift, and looked it over. Pleased, she stood up and walked back into the family room and put her gift with the others that lay there. "I wonder who the other presents are from?" She asked herself. She then read the names on the cards. "One from Dad, one from Gohan, one from all of us...he's gonna get a kick out of that one, Yamcha and Puar, Tien and Choazu, Krillin, and the last one's from...what? Vegeta?! It can't be! But that's what it is...weird. I wonder what it could be?" She said and thought about it for a moment. But she was soon interrupted by a noise from behind.
"Hey, Chi-Me! Wanna help me out with the cake icing?"
It was Gohan, looking out the kitchen door at his sister, awaiting her response.
She looked away from the presents and looked at her brother, then answered. "Sure Gohan! I'll be there in a minute!"
"Ok! Meet you in here as soon as you're ready!" Gohan said cheerfully and slipped back inside the kitchen.
Chi-Me looked back at the pile of gifts and then at the one from Vegeta. "I guess I'll just have to wait and find out what's in there later." She told herself. "Now about that cake!"
With that, Chi-Me ran into the kitchen to help with the icing of the huge cake, still deep in thought about what Vegeta's gift could possibly be.
-----
"No...No...over a little more to the left...that's it...yes...NO!" Bulma said as she directed Yamcha and Tien in putting up a banner.
"Make up your mind, Bulma!" Yamcha complained. "Just tell us when the damn thing's centered, ok?"
"Or is that too much for you to handle?" Tien added in.
"That's what I was trying to do, but you kept on moving too far to the left!" Bulma insisted.
They moved it over a little bit to the right and then Yamcha said, "Is that better now?"
Bulma looked at it for a moment, and then said in a satisfied voice, "Perfect!"
"Finally..." Tien said flatly. "Now what?"
Yamcha looked down at Krillin, who was blowing up balloons. Then he called down to him. "Hey Krillin, mind lending us a hand again?"
Krillin looked up at them, a light blue balloon in his mouth. He pinched the end and took it out, then said, "what do you want me to do?"
"You see that tape there?" Bulma asked Krillin, pointing to a roll of tape.
"Yes." Krillin answered.
"Take off two pieces, and put them on the corners Tien and Yamcha are holding up." Bulma told him.
"What the woman says." Yamcha remarked.
"Ok," Krillin agreed. He walked over to the roll of tape and picked it up. After ripping off the pieces, he elevated up to the banner, and placed the tape on the corners like Bulma told him to do. "There." He said when he was finished.
"Looks great!" Bulma commented.
Yamcha and Tien then got down from their ladders. "Ok, now what do we do?" Tien asked.
"You can help me blow up the balloons." Krillin offered. He walked back to his spot on the floor and continued to blow up the balloon he was blowing up before.
"That's all right, we can leave that job to you, Krillin." Yamcha answered.
"Thanks a lot..." Krillin said sarcastically as he tied the balloon.
------
"Oops..."
"Oops, what?" Chi-Me asked her brother. Gohan was supposed to be mixing icing to put on the top of the cake. "What happened?"
A single glance gave that answer away. The emerald-green icing had somehow spilled onto the counter top. "What did you do, Gohan?" Chi-Me asked impatiently.
"It wasn't mixing fast enough, so I..." he answered.
"You stirred too fast, and the frosting mysteriously flew out of the bowl..." Chi-Me finished.
Gohan smiled weakly.
"Well we better clean it up. Just put the bowl down, and be careful. Luckily for you, Mom left to go outside for a minute." Chi-Me warned.
They got a wet towel and wiped the frosting off the counter. Then Gohan went back to mixing, this time slower.
------
An hour later, Vegeta's shift was almost up. However, he and Piccolo were still deeply engrossed in their sparing session, and he didn't realize how close it was to the end of his turn. Krillin was on his way tot he battle field, ready to start his shift and play his next part in the full plan. When he got close enough, he descended and walked the remaining distance to where Vegeta had been waiting three hours earlier. Then he sat down in the shade of the high-rocky cliff, and waited.
'Krillin, you there?'
"Goku?!" Krillin almost blurted out, but stopped himself just in tome. 'Goku?' He thought.
'Yes, Krillin, it's me.' Goku answered in Krillin's mind. 'You need to come back to the house, now.'
'Now? But it's almost my shift. What's going on, Goku?' Krillin asked.
'Plan B,' answered Goku. 'As you should know almost everything is completed, so we can start a little early.'
'How much earlier?'
'We'll start at noon.'
'But that's an hour away!'
'I know that, but things would be a lot less confusing if Vegeta just lengthens his shift and you come back.' Goku added in.
'So what you're saying is so Piccolo doesn't suspect anything, I should come back and Vegeta will take the remaining hour.' Krillin stated back to Goku.
'Basically.'
'And trust Vegeta in the most vital moments of our plan?!' Krillin asked worriedly.
'Yes.'
'That's nuts!'
'Trust me, Krillin.'
'Alright Goku, I just hope you know what you're doing.' Krillin agreed.
'Thanks Krillin.' Goku remarked kindly, and then with that, he disconnected their telepathic link.
Krillin thought about this for a moment. This whole plan now rested in the hands of Vegeta. There wasn't a strong foundation to this idea that Krillin could see. But if Goku thought it would work... "Well, I guess I better get back then." Krillin said quietly and then looked at Vegeta from his rocky vantage point. "Good luck Vegeta. We're counting on you." Krillin thought so not to be heard by either Vegeta or Piccolo. "Damn I hope this works." And with that, Krillin turned around and headed back towards the Son House.
------
Piccolo and Vegeta kept on sparing, neither one gaining the upper hand for more than five minutes at a time. Soon another hour passed by, and the b5ttle between them stayed the same. Piccolo would gain the upper hand, and then Vegeta would get it right back.
'Vegeta.'
Goku's voice thundered in Vegeta's mind, and his guard was put down. This gave Piccolo a chance to send another attack at the saiyan prince. At the last moment, Vegeta dodged his attack and shot up high into the air to buy him more time. "Kakarrot?" Vegeta asked, looking frantically around for a sign of Goku.
'Yes Vegeta. I'm talking to you telepathically. All you have to do is think your words and they'll get through.' Goku explained.
'What is it Kakarrot?! I'm sort of busy at the moment...' Vegeta thought as he blocked another one of Piccolo's attacks. 'So get on with it!'
'I understand that Vegeta, now listen...'
'And wasn't Krillin supposed to show up a while ago?!' Vegeta thundered back at Goku.
'Listen to me, Vegeta.' Goku demanded. 'We're all ready over here, to start the party. So we're switching to plan B. Basically you have to guide Piccolo over towards me, dart out of there and then I'll take over. Got that?' Goku asked quickly.
'No problem, Kakarrot. But, how do I know he'll follow me?' Vegeta asked back.
'Just get his attention and fly away. He should follow you. And you know the drill after I take over, right?'
'Yes Kakarrot. I can handle it.' Vegeta assured him, as he blasted an attack at Piccolo to counter a beam the namek had sent at him. 'Just make sure you're ready!'
'Alright Vegeta, just be sure he follows you.'
'Kakarrot! I can handle it!' Vegeta repeated, and darted under Piccolo and again flew high above him. He concentrated a large amount of energy and shot it down at Piccolo, who effortlessly countered the blast.
'Vegeta, it's up to you.' Goku told him, and then disconnected their link.
Vegeta smiled. Then he looked down at Piccolo and said with satisfaction. "Let's take this battle to a new location. Unless you're ready to give up of course."
Piccolo returned his smile. "If you truly think you will have a chance anywhere, against me, lead on. It makes no difference to me." Piccolo answered with confidence.
"Alright then. Try to keep up with my saiyan speed." Vegeta challenged him.
Piccolo only smiled at this. "Don't you worry about me, worry about yourself." Piccolo said back.
The two warriors smiled at each other and then Vegeta lead the way towards the Son House. He looked back once or twice to make sure Piccolo was following, and then strongly flew onward. "That's it Piccolo, just keep following me." Vegeta smiled again in satisfaction of how smoothly his job was going. "Just a little longer now and that foolish child's plan can go into motion."
To be continued...