In Search of Amity

Period 7

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Piccolo gave Dende a lawful stare then turned away before folding is arms angrily across his chest, walking several feet's distance away, Goku looked to the ground without comment and he seemed deep in though. Gohan however gave into how he felt and walked to Dendes side as he rested against the library wall, Dende didn't even flinch when Gohan came to stand beside him, so the half sayajin kneeled down to eyelevel with the guardian to try for a response.

"Dende…why didn't you tell us?." Gohan inquired, watching the guardians profile as he quietly inhale then exhaled, looking at the space between his feet and ignoring Gohan completely.

Gohan tried again to ask again but Dende continued ignored him, his heels slid inward closely to his buttocks to try and keep distance between himself and anyone around him. Suddenly Goku sprinted across the floor and over to them where he violently grasping Dende by the forearms and lifted the Namekian to his eye level.

"WHY didn't you say anything? ... Dammit you fool whilst I am here wasting my time training you just though it mightn't matter if you didn't mention something like this!" Goku yelled furiously at Dende face, the Namekian turning to the side to avoid the ear panging sound. Gokus face was tinted red from his anger, so close to loosing control that the veins in his gripping fingers threatened to explode.

"Dad stop it!" Gohan rang out, grasping his father's hands, hoping he would release his grip on Dende. At first Goku ignored it by keeping his focus with Dende whose feet dangled in mid air, then turning and to the sight of Gohan's brimming eyes he dropped the Namekian to the tile floor, stomping away without looking back. They were all distracted by running footsteps approaching them, all but Dende turned to see Savarna racing around the corner in her nightgown and bare feet.

"What's happening, your not sparring at this time of night are you?" She asked with a half laugh, her fingers gripping her robe closed against her body.

"Sorry we woke you Savarna, just go back to bed we will talk about it in the morning." Gohan told her as he walked over to escort her back to her room; Savarna pulled her arm free of his and stood her ground.

"I'm not a child and I can smell that something really big has just happened, I want to know what right now!" she told them sternly, stepping away from Gohan before he could link her arm again. Gohan looked to his father and they both knew that it was for Piccolo to explain. The Sayajin walked away to leave Piccolo and Savarna alone; Dende however remained on the ground with his knees pulled in and his head bowed shamefully.

Savarna eyed him with concern as she walked around him, she was afraid of looking into his eyes for he looked so disturbed, it was like the fear of looking at images of serial killers, your afraid to look into their eyes. When she reached Piccolo he reached out draping his hand around her upper back to lead her away to a quieter area.

Savarna moved closer to him.

"What happened, god what the matter with him" she whispered with urgency, directing her comments toward Dende whom was left behind. Piccolo licked the surface of his teeth with his lips still sealed.

"Something has happened on my home planet and Dende wouldn't tell us, I forced it out of him." he stated bluntly, no attempt at sugaring the situation. Savarna stopped pacing and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Wh… what are you talking about, planet Namek is a peaceful farming land, what possible trouble could they be having?" She asked with a smirk that quickly faded when Piccolo didn't respond.

"They are at war, with what I don't know but I know that thousands have died and more are dying still.and he didn't tell us anything for so long that its eaten him up inside" He explained after a pause.

Savarna took in everything she had herd and drew up conclusions to many of her own question, such as why Dende had changed so much, wars are the most horrid experience on earth or so she had read. Their effect on humans who survived the onslaught was remarkable so perhaps the same is said for Nameks and all living things alike.

"What are you going to do about this?" She asked, knowing that Piccolo always had a strategy in mind, her assurances where filed when he failed to answer her.

"I will need to speak with Goku, only together can we devise something" he old her, turning he headed toward Goku and Gohan and on the way stopped beside Dende, reaching down he lifted the floppy Namek from the floor by his collar and roughly dragged him along to the meeting with the sayajin. Savarna's jaw almost hung open from how brutal the treatment toward Dende seemed, she didn't enjoy his company but she didn't agree with how he was being handled.

Vegeta had sensed the fighting, he sat cross legged on flat roof of their living room staring up at the sky as Trunks walked out along with Bra, they had sensed it as well and wanted to know what was going on.

"Is it over yet father?" Trunks asked, sitting down left of Vegeta with his legs dangling off the edge, Bra sat to her father's right in the same manner, blocking a yawn with her open palm.

"Yes, but there is much more going on up there than just sparring, as I always is..." He answered, his eyes fixated to the stars and the thin clouds as they passes by.

"Do you think we should fly over and see what is going on, it is Friday after all, no work and school tomorrow" Bra suggested, swinging her legs over the railing.

"Yeah, if there is some sparring going on I'm sure we can get in a bit on the action" Trunk agreed, Vegeta nasally exhaled and at first his two children thought is was one of disapproval to their idea, then standing he floating off the rooftop before turning to his two offspring who watched him with interest.

"Well, this was your idea are you coming or not?" he asked looking from one to the other, the brother and sister looked at each other, the answer was inevitable.

"Hell yeah!" Bra called joining her father in the air and Trunks smirked before making a high bound off the roof to join the others, the trio departed for the lookout in the warm night air.

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"You haven't said a word since we sat you there you know Dende, why didn't you tell us." Goku asked with a gently yet firm tone he had apologized for his outburst earlier yet Dende would not speak, whether it was fear, regret or anger silencing him Piccolo who was looking patients couldn't care less.

"Now you listen, I know everything you know about your time there because I saw every slash, every blood spill, every beheading and every burning carcass that you did, the only thing I don't see is why you hid it from us… was it fear that they would follow you hear?" Piccolo pressed then waited for a response, no answer from Dende who just stared at the floor with his elbows propped up on his bent knees.

"Were you trying to forget that it ever happened, run away and get a fresh start?" He suggested pacing slowly in a single line back and forth and still there was no answer, not even a movement of his fingers or blink of his eyelids.

Piccolo looked over his shoulder to Goku, Gohan and Savarna who sat quietly listening, the warrior licked his lips and tried to find another reason or word or name that would provoke a response from Dende.

".. Did you think they would kill the other if you said anything?" He suggested and noticed Dende blink and sallow the lump in his throat; this meant he was getting warmer so he shuffled closer so as to intensify his interrogation. Piccolo kneeled down on one knee directly in from of him, his gaze piercing through Dendes eyebrow ridges.

"You are afraid aren't you, afraid that if you say anything they will know and they would kill the ones that you hold closest who they haven't already killed" He hypothesized, and with each sentence another small but notable reaction would come from Dende, his toes would curl in his shoes or his skin would twitch.

Piccolo eased back slightly to let Dende speak up, but as he did the words suddenly came to him and the images appeared in his mind.

"First was the one called Jephthah, he died just before the others got you out and one of the, especially who risked almost all his strength just to smile goodbye means a lot to you" He retold, Dende shuffled uncomfortably as Piccolo came closer to the truth and his actions caught Gohan and Gokus attention.

"He was your brother wasn't he….Cargo." Piccolo revealed and knew he knew he had hit the highest point. Dende eyes finally looked into Piccolos and they were brimming with anger, he couldn't help it anymore.

"Yes… that's why alright, they can hear everything we said and felt everything we felt, that's why I couldn't say anything. I was drowning in my own head trying to stay sane with it." Dende pledges with heavy breathing, with his body still tense he stood up abruptly and walked in circles lashing out his anger to the air as everyone around him looked on.

"They came in the day time, no fear and no cover from the darkness, I was with Murri when it happened, we were walking near the huts when he sensed something…he said to me --Dende, you stay here while I go and see what is happening, I will not be too long-- then patting me on the shoulder he walked off with his walking stick over the shallow ridge, minutes and then hours had passed and I tired of waiting.

Dende stops pacing and starts turning in circles on the spot

" I went to investigate and couldn't believe I didn't sense it, I saw black smoke and the stench of burning flesh, it was disgusting," He uttered with a snarl as he watched his feet beneath him. I don't need to tell you what I found when I got there... from that day on I was frightened so I walked from village to village to find only more dead bodies. At least some of them had escaped but to where I had no idea." he recollected, stopping to catch a breath before he continued.

"For over a month I traveled alone, I was almost dead when I discovered a battle consisting of some of our finest warriors, fighting against something in the sky that glowed red and orange like fire with blood and a booming voice that shook the planet." He stated with shaky hands and a slack jaw.

"When it was over hundreds had died and that's where I met Jephthah rediscovered Connor, Thrum, Cargo, them and some other warriors made me what I am now." He revealed standing still for a moment for all to see the man he had become and it was then that he stopped; exhausted from all the energy he was using to explain the past, he tried to sit down only to fall down with his back against a nearby flowerpot.

"All life was about was finding new areas to settle in, protecting the children, fighting against monsters as they killed us off like flies…thrum was killed about 5 years ago. Jephthah died as they sent me here through the portal and the rest are probably dead by now too." he dreaded rubbing the inner corners of his eyes with his fingertips.

There was silence for a moment.

"What about the dragon balls... why didn't you use them?" Gohan suggested, Dende rested the back of his head against the pot.

"Because Murri is dead, there is no one qualified to replace him, there are no longer any Namekian dragon balls" he answered confidently, stressed and spent of his energy. Gohan bit his lower lip; their chances of a positive outcome had just thinned out dramatically.

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Thank you for reading.