A Tail To Remember
By Gie

A Tail To Remember
Chapter Sixteen: Fight! Part Two

The other group, composed of Vejiita, Ranma, Tenshinhan,
and Piccolo, had not been without seeing action, as well. Akane had
wanted to come, but after some 'persuasion,' or threats from Ranma
and Vejiita, she had elected to stay behind to protect Capsule Corp,
Bulma, and ChiChi with Chao-tzu, in case any Hachi decided pull a
surprise visit there.

Ranma flew next to Piccolo, throwing a curious glance every
so often to the green Namek-seijiin. Piccolo, though, was getting
tired of the 'secret' glances and questioning looks and after catching
Ranma staring once for too long, scowled and snorted in his
direction. "If you have something to ask me, Serori, then just spit it
out. Stop staring at me like a side-show."

Ranma blushed deeply and shook his head. "Gomen nasai. I
don't really have anything to say, Piccolo-san. It's just that I've
never seen an alien before."

Piccolo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Don't you ever
look in the mirror?"

Ranma smiled. "Well, that's not what I meant. You look like
an alien--green and pink skin, antennae, and all. I look like a Human
with a bad hair day--if I didn't have my tail, you couldn't tell the
difference."

"I didn't realize I was alien either, until Vejiita told me I was
a Namek-seijiin when he came to Chikyuu with that big Saiya-jiin. I
was hatched on Chikyuu, as well."

Ranma blinked a few times. "Did you say, 'hatched?'"

Piccolo nodded. "Hai. Namek-seijiin do not have gender, and
so do not procreate as such."

Ranma glanced at Piccolo for a few minutes. "Honto? I
thought you were male. Or that's the impression you give off, I
guess I should say."

He shrugged. "Humans need to assign a gender to everything.
I don't mind the male reference. It doesn't matter to me."

Ranma nodded and and turned his attention to the
surrounding area, scanning it for any signs of Hachi activity.
Tenshinhan, who was in front of the pair, stopped suddenly. "There!
Hachi at four o'clock, right?"

Vejiita snarled and blurred out of sight, reappearing in front
of a Drone, smashing it with a fist. Tenshinhan shrugged and
followed. "I guess they are." Ranma and Piccolo followed in the
triclop's vapor trail as they launched their own attacks at the group
of six Drones, who were in the process of assimilating a rather large
group of commuters that were waiting at a bus stop. Several of the
Humans had discs attached to their chests, and were in various
stages of the assimilation process--new arms, legs, antennae, and
the elongated and striped bodies and torsos had already formed.
There was no turning back for these Humans.

Vejiita blasted a few of the Human Drones that had not yet
formed or received assimilation discs and dissolved them into ashes.
Tenshinhan stared, horrified at the unemotional attack of the
Saiya-jiin. "Vejiita! Those are Human beings!"

Vejiita shook his head and spit disgustedly. "Iie! They are
Drones. They may have been pitiful Humans once, but not anymore."
He sneered in his direction and launched a ki ball over Tenshinhan's
shoulder, sending a discless Drone reeling that was about to attack
the male. "Would you rather be assimilated by them?"

Ranma darted by and destroyed the Drone that Vejiita
injured. "Pay attention! Remember, once they're assimilated, there's
no turning back. They aren't Human anymore. Tobuma and Trunks
told us that." Ranma snapped a foot out, making a Drone drop a disc,
then released some ki to flash fry it.

Tenshinhan nodded, and leaped into the fray, but was
immediately frozen in the air as one of the green paralysis beams
caught him in mid-air. A Drone quickly attached an assimilation disc
to Tenshinhan's chest and activated it, shooting the DNA-changing
nanoprobes into his system.

Tenshinhan screamed, catching the attention of the other Z
Senshi. Piccolo was the closest, and he launched himself at the
Drone, effectively turning its attention away from and disengaging
the paralysis beam from Tenshinhan. The triclops fell bonelessly to
the ground, still screaming in agony, clutching at his chest.

Ranma bolted over to the fallen Senshi and frantically tried
to remove the silver disc from his chest. After a few minutes of
fiddling with the controls located in the center of the disc, the
mechanical arms retracted from the triclop's chest. Ranma violently
threw the disc into the air and disintegrated it with his ki.

He turned his attention to the gasping Tenshinhan, who still
clutched at his chest. He gave him a once over, and helped the tall
male to his feet. "Are you all right? Do you think the nanoprobes
got to you?"

Tenshinhan rubbed his chest, wincing as a strange pain
throbbed within. "I don't know. I can't tell if the pain is from the
probes themselves, or what the disc inflicted. Shimatta, that hurt!"

Ranma wiggled a finger in his ear. "Yeah, I could tell."

Tenshinhan gave him a apologetic glance. Ranma smiled at him and
clapped him on the shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go tackle some Hachi
ass." Tenshinhan nodded and launched himself once more into the
fray.

But he fell to the ground suddenly, shrieking in pain once
more. Ranma turned around and stared in horror and fascination as
he watched Tenshinhan's body reform itself into a thorax and chest,
stripes beginning to form around his body. With a horrible
squashing sound, and a pierceing cry from Tenshinhan's mouth, a new
set of legs complete with a set ot four toes burst from his sides,
while a set of antennae oozed from the top of his head.

Piccolo and Vejiita finished up the last of the Drones and
came to stand next to the speechless Ranma. "You know, Serori, he's
lost to us." Piccolo spoke emotionlessly.

Ranma could only stare at the mutating senshi. He nodded
slowly, and raised a hand, charging it with ki. The beam emerged
from the middle of the transformed Drone's back, and with a final
scream, Tenshinhan was at peace.

The three remaining Z Senshi look around at the carnage left
by the attacking Hachi. Piccolo spoke quietly. "Should we continue?
This wasn't all of them. And we don't know how many the other
group encountered."

Ranma nodded, and hardened his expression. "We don't want
this to get out of control. We can't let any other Humans get
assimilated. Let's go." He flared his aura bright and took off into
the air. Vejiita and Piccolo gave each other a glance and launched
themselves after the young Saiya-jiin.

They were met up in the air by Kurillin, Gohan and Trunks,
who looked a little roughened up since their first encounter.

Gohan waved to the three. "Konban wa, minna! What's up?"

Piccolo gave his student a small smirk, the past events
keeping the mood somber. "Not much, kid. Looks like you've been
playing hard."

He shrugged and glanced around. "We've had some fun
playing with the Drones. Where's Tien? Wasn't he with your
group?"

Ranma turned pale once again and fidgeted, tail in his hands.
"He's gone."

Kurillin gave the three a confused glance. "Gone? Where'd
he go? Did he go back to Capsule Corp, already?"

Trunks was watching his uncle's face and immediately knew
what happened. "Hachi."

Vejiita grunted in acknowledgement. Kurillin gasped aloud,
turning as white as Ranma. "He was turned into a Drone?" Vejiita
grunted again, crossing his arms as he scanned the area, alert for
any other Hachi activity.

Goku and Tobuma arrived next, and saw the looks that were
on the Senshi's faces. "You guys told them about Yamucha, Kurillin?"
Goku asked, oblivious to the real reason.

Piccolo raised an eyebrow and focused his attention on Goku.
Vejiita also made eye contact with the Saiya-jiin, but didn't say
anything. "What about Yamucha, Son? Did you find him?"

Kurillin shook his head. "We didn't tell them, yet, Goku. They
just told us that Tien was assimilated." He turned to the three that
weren't part of their original group. "We found Yamucha in the park,
partially assimilated. He was in spasms."

Piccolo and Ranma frowned deeply, and Vejiita shook his head.
"He shouldn't have ran off alone. He really wasn't listening to what
Trunks and Tobuma were saying." Ranma sighed deeply. Even though
he thought Yamucha was a walking ball of hormones, he regretted
the loss of a Senshi to fight the Hachi.

Vejiita grunted and spat disgustedly. "The bakayaro
deserved what he got. If the weakling was going to act weak, then it
was his own downfall. He called himself a senshi--he should have
acted like one."

Goku shot Vejiita a warning glare, but it melted into a
lamentive frown. "Tenshinhan's gone? That's two of our numbers
down." He glanced the way of Capsule Corp, where the rest of their
group was stationed. "Chao-tzu is going to be devastated."

Trunks turned to Tobuma. "Did you encounter any more
Hachi?"

The tri-colored Saiya-jiin nodded. "Two more, plus several
Human Drones."

"We found two more as well, and some assimilated Humans."
He turned to Vejiita. "How many did you encounter?"

Vejiita raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know, gaki?"

Ranma spoke quietly, ignoring his brother-in-law's comment.
"How can you tell the difference between a Human Drone and the
others?"

Gohan suppiled the answer. "The Original Drones have four
antennae, and thick stripes."

Ranma nodded, storing the information away. "Then we
destroyed six Original Drones, and countless Human Drones."

Kurillin counted silently. "That means there are still two
Original Drones out there, and who knows how many Human ones.
That makes eighteen."

Trunks nodded, agreeing with the shaved monk's math. "Hai.
We need to find them, fast, before we're overwhelmed by Human
Drones." Everyone turned in an opposite direction, scanning for a
sign. Goku called out as he leapt into the air. "If you run into them,
flare your ki, and we'll come find you." Everyone agreed and soon
there was no trace of anyone in the sky.

Piccolo and Gohan landed in a nearby park, and began to look
around. "See anything, Gohan?"

The young Saiya-jiin shook his head, eyes peeled and ears
open for any sign. "Iie, Piccolo-san. Don't hear anything, either."

Piccolo nodded, agreeing with his assessment of the area.
"All right, let's move on." But before they could launch into the air,
a scream of terror caught their attention. Both turned
simultaneously in the direction of the shout, and saw a heady green
glow coming from behind a picnic shelter.

"Let's go, Gohan. I think we found them."

"Hai. We should tell the others." Gohan reminded his sensei
as they ran to the origins of the scream.

"You do that, Gohan. I'll go see what's going on." Piccolo ran
ahead as Gohan paused and flared his ki to let the others know a
Hachi Drone was spotted. He soon rejoined Piccolo, who was just
starting to engage the three Hachi; one Original, and two Human.
Gohan cried out and launched himself at one of the Human Drones,
who was trying to pin back Piccolo's arms. He knocked the Drone
down, effectively breaking its hold on the green Namek-seijiin.
Piccolo flashed his pupil a grin. "Arigato, Gohan-kun."

Gohan beamed at Piccolo, enjoying the praise. "No problem,
Piccolo-san."

Piccolo jabbed an elbow into the gullet of a Human Drone that
was trying to approach him from the side. It backed off, and while
it was distracted, he released a thin stream of ki, destroying the
Drone. Gohan wrapped his tail around the Original Drone's leg, and
pulled, knocking it off balance, and making it drop its assimilation
discs. He destroyed them, and Piccolo took care of the Hachi Drone.

Ranma and Tobuma soon appeared next to the two senshi.
"You found one?" Tobuma asked, surveying the area.

"Hai, Tobuma-san, " Gohan nodded. "And two Human ones.
Did you find the other?"

They both shook their heads. "Iie. I wonder if anyone else
has..." Tobuma trailed off as he whipped his head around. "Who's
that?"

The other three concentrated on the fluxuating ki. Gohan's
eyes widened in realization. "That's Kurillin-san! He's in trouble!"
He flared his aura bright and shot off in the direction he last felt
his friend's erratic ki signature. The other three followed close
behind.

When Gohan reached the location of where he felt his
friend's warning, he was surprised to find his father, Vejiita, and
Trunks fighting against four Hachi--three Human and the last
Original Drone. He frantically searched the area, looking for the
one that lured him there. A flash of orange caught his attention,
and his sharp eyes narrowed in on the gi Kurillin normally wore.
"Kurillin-san!" Gohan shrieked, seeing his friend laying motionless on
the ground.

With a strong knee to the gut, which made the Drone bend
over in pain, Goku finished off his opponent with a savage twist to
the neck, breaking it and killing the Drone. He turned quickly and
phased over to Gohan, who had just about reached Kurillin. "Iie,
Gohan, yamero!"

Gohan ran into his father's massive chest and fell to the
ground. "Nani, Otousan? Kurillin's hurt!"

Goku kneeled in front of his son, shielding his sight from the
motionless Kurillin. His voice ran thick with emotion. "Kurillin got
attacked by the Hachi. We think he'll be okay, but we don't know if
we got the disc off his chest in time."

Gohan stared into his father's eyes, seeing the raw pain
flashing within the dark depths. "Honto?" Goku nodded and stood
up. Gohan moved slowly over to his Namek-sei companion and knelt
down next to him. "Kurillin-san? Daijiobu?"

The short male stirred slightly and groaned, slowly sitting up.
He shook his head to clear the fuzzy cobwebs. "Daijiobu, I think."
Kurillin stood slowly, prodding his chest and wincing slightly. "I was
caught completely unaware!"

The rest of the Drones were defeated in no time, and all
gathered around the injured male to hear his story.

"I heard a scream coming from this direction and when I
landed here, I was hit by that weird green light. It came from out
of nowhere." Kurillin glanced amongst the sea of faces staring at
him. His eyes rested upon the purple-haired Saiya-jiin and smiled,
nodding in gratitude. "It's a good thing Trunks-kun here was so
close, or otherwise I might be a goner, for sure!" Trunks nodded
back, silent.

"They attached the disc to you, right, Kurillin-san?" Tobuma
eyed the male's chest, noting the puncture marks.

Kurillin nodded his head, consciously rubbing his chest. "Hai.
I don't know if those nanoprobe things are in me, or whatever,
though." Everyone took a step back unconsciously. Gohan's normally
cheerful face started to become extremely pale.

"If they are, Kurillin-san...."

He turned his attention to the young child and occasional
sparring partner, concern etched in his features. "What are you
getting at, Gohan-kun?"

Gohan glanced at the others surrounding him, before his
pasty face focused onhis friend. "If they are, Kurillin-san, then the
Dragonballs will have no effect on you." He swallowed audibly and
continued with a notable quiver in his voice. "We won't be able to
wish you back."

Ranma blinked a few times, staring at the pale-faced senshi.
"What do you mean, Gohan-kun? I thought you could wish anyone
back with the Dragonballs, as long as they've not been dead for over
a year."

Goku nodded somberly. "That's right, Serori-kun, but you can
only be brought back once."

"And I used my chance quite awhile ago. The Namek-sei
Dragonballs wouldn't work either, because of that bastard Friiezer."
Kurillin's face turned dark with anger.

"What about Tien and Yamucha?"

"They've been wished back by Porunga, Namek-sei's Dragon.
Shenlong, Chikyuu's Dragon, will be able to resurrect them." Kurillin
explained. An idea formed in his mind. "Should we start gathering
the Dragonballs?"

Goku frowned. "Iie, not yet. If we wish them back now, they
stand a chance to get assimilated again. We'll wait until we've
defeated the Hachi, and then wish all of the people assimilated by
the Hachi back."

Piccolo nodded, agreeing with the plan. "Good idea, Son. You
can start gathering them, but it would be best to wait until the
enemy is defeated."

"Are you all done babbling, yet?" Vejiita spoke, slightly away
from the main group. "Are they all gone now?"

Trunks nodded. "That was the last one, Otousan."

Goku snickered to himself. "Otousan..."

Vejiita whirled around, aura flaring. He had heard what Goku
said. "What's so funny, Kakarotto-baka?"

Goku shook his head, smothering his giggles. "Nothing,
Vejiita...'Tousan...." Goku burst into another fit of giggles.

Vejiita growled under his breath, but did not take the bait
the third-class kusotare offered. He threw Goku a glare that
promised a dirty death in the near future and began to stomp away,
grabbing Trunks' tail as he moved away. "Come on, gaki." He gave
Ranma a quick glance. "Coming, Serori?"

Ranma gave his own future son a glance and nodded. Both
Tobuma and Ranma gave the remaining people a wave before they
launched themselves into the air. All four resident Saiya-jiin of
Capsule Corp took off in a blaze of light.

Piccolo gave the rest of the group a glance. "Now that we
know what we're up against, it's a good idea to step up your training."

Goku nodded. "Hai, Piccolo. The three of us have been
training with Serori, Seiika, and Vejiita for the past week." Goku
blinked a few times. "Although we just lost Seiika-chan."

Gohan looked confused for a minute, then brightened. "Oh
yeah, I forgot about the babies!" He smiled brightly. "At least
Bulma-san and Seiika-san know what their children are going to look
like when they grow up."

Kurillin shook his head in wonder. "I still can't believe that
Bulma and Vejiita got together!" A coy smile graced his lips.
"Although it does make some sense...they have the exact same
temperment! Only someone like Bulma could handle Vejiita's pride,"
Kurillin laughed at the irony, "And only Vejiita's pride could handle
Bulma's stubbornness." Goku and Gohan laughed slightly at Kurillin's
remark.

Piccolo turned his attention to Kurillin. "Do you think you'll
turn into a Drone?"

Kurillin patted his chest a few times and shook his head. "Iie,
I think Trunks got the disc off in time. I would have mutated by
now, I think."

Piccolo nodded in agreement. "All right, then." He began to
float into the air.

Goku frown slightly. "Someone should tell Chao-tzu about
Tien. The little guy's going to be devastated."

Piccolo grunted. "I'll tell him."

Goku looked wide-eyed at the once Piccolo-Diamao. The
once-Devil of Chikyuu was actually acting like a true part of the
team. Goku couldn't be happier for his enemy turned friend, and
sensei of his son. "Are you sure, Piccolo?" He got a nod in response.

Goku turned to Gohan and ruffled his unruly hair. "We should
go too, Gohan-chan, and pick up ChiChi. Your 'Kaasan is more than
likely worrying herself to pieces." He smirked at Gohan's sudden
frown. "And you probably have a pile of homework waiting for you,
as well. ChiChi's not going to let you out of her sight for at least a
week."

Gohan sighed audibly. "Hai, Otousan. Let's go face the
music." Gohan levitated up to where Piccolo floated. "Sayonara,
Piccolo-san. See you in a month, if I'm lucky." Gohan, on an impulse,
gave his sensei a quick hug, and disappeared in a bright vapor trail to
where his mother, and his books, awaited his return.

Piccolo's eyes were wide in surprise as he stared at Gohan's
rapidly fading ki trail. He was brought out of his daydream by
Goku's hand on his shoulder. "He cares deeply for you, Piccolo-san.
Treasure it." And with a smile and a wave of his hand, followed in
his son's ki-print.

Kurillin left as well, with a wave and a good-bye to Piccolo,
leaving the green Senshi standing alone in the square.

He smiled slightly as the three vapor trails faded out of
existance. 'Don't worry, Son Goku. I already know, and do, as well."
Piccolo flared his aura bright and with a flash, vanished from sight.

Vejiita flew along, silent, en route to Capsule Corp. The three
others with him were silent as well. The events that transpired
within the battlefield had given the four Saiya-jiin many things to
think about.

Soon the domed landscaping that was known as Capsule Corp
came into sight. All of a sudden, Vejiita stopped in mid-flight,
holding his hands up to his temples. scrunching his eyes up, as if in
pain .

Ranma, who was flying next to his brother-in-law, paused
when the familiar dark presence left his side. "What's up, Vejiita?
Do you sense something?"

Vejiita stood silent, eyes closed in concentration.

Trunks glanced at Tobuma, a concerned look flashing across
both of the Saiya-jiin features. "Otousan? What's wrong?"

Vejiita finally opened his eyes. "Iie, gaki." He flared his aura
bright and shot through the sky, a comet slicing through the clouds.

Ranma gave his son and nephew a confused look. "What was
up with that?" Both younger Saiya-jiin shook their heads and
shrugged their shoulders, not knowing what to say. Ranma lowered
his eyebrows in concentration. "Well, whatever it is, it seems it
affected Vejiita a fair amount."

"Is it something going on at home?" Tobuma suggested.
"Vejiita-ojisan shot off in that direction."

Ranma turned towards Capsule Corp and stared hard. "Well, I
don't sense anything wrong. Akane is sleeping right now, and I don't
sense any unfamiliar ki." Something unreadable flashed in his eyes.
"It might have something to do with Bulma. Or your un-born self,
Trunks-kun."

Trunks blinked a few times. "Me? How?"

Ranma shrugged his shoulders. "Well, since you are still part
of Bulma, Vejiita can sense if something's wrong with the fetus.
Until you're born, yours and Bulma's ki are connected." He nodded at
Tobuma. "It's the same with your Okaasan, Tobuma. Your unborn
self and Akane are connected, as well."

Tobuma stared at his father. "So, you're saying that you can
sense the fetus's ki? It's only a week old..."

Ranma nodded absently, still concentrating on the events
going on at Capsule Corp. "Hai, I can sense it through our Bond.
Once it was pointed out to me, I could distinguish it from Akane's ki.
It's really close to Akane's...only silghtly different. Akane's ki
pretty much masks the presence. That's why we couldn't tell Bulma
and Akane were pregnant." He smiled and turned to his future son.
"It has the beginnings of your ki signature, Tobuma-chan. Vejiita
was right when he said that you were on the way." Tobuma blushed
and nodded.

Trunks smiled at his cousin's embarrassment, but soon turned
his attention back to Capsule Corp. "So do you think something's
wrong?"

Ranma shook his head. "Iie, not that I can sense. Bulma
might have called out to Vejiita through their Bond, and that's why
he stopped suddenly. Especially if she yelled...you know how loud she
can be."

Both Tobuma and Trunks nodded their heads enthusiastically.
"Hai. That much has not changed." Trunks smiled, a genuine smile
brightening up his face. "'Kaasan always had a healthy set of vocal
cords on her. You could hear her calling you from one end to the
other of Capsule Corp. She never needed to use the intercomm
system."

Ranma shook his head. "Well, let's get back. Everyone there
will want to know what happened out here, and we should let them
know of the...losses..." Trunks and Tobuma nodded solemnly and
auras flared, the three Saiya-jiin headed for home.

And that's Fourteen--and another loss to the Z Senshi. Poor Tien...Anyway, I won't be posting for a little while--I got to actually write now...Boy, you all are demanding on one's fingers...I think I see bone...lol Anyway, What's up with Bulma? And what are the Hachi on the Tokemonu up to? You'll find out next time...Review, please! Gie-chan.