In Search of Amity

Period 25: Friend or Foe?

"Even if he was injured he'd have regenerated, and since he's being a recluse, were going to have to track him through means than ki." Goku explained with worry, they reached the top of the stairway and Vegeta unravelled the chains that were keeping the door sealed, and tossed them to the side he pulled the heavy open the door.

"If that is true, then his insanity is what has kept him from finding us, we may already be too late." Vegeta said closing the door behind them both, the rattling of chains heard again as it was locked form the inside by an unknown source, reminding Goku of when they first entered. "That password you gave them before, did I hear the word Freiza mentioned?" He asked, trading closely behind Vegeta through the shallow water logged alley.

"That password is only given to those whom have all access to the station, all of them served under Freiza." He explained, stopping as they reached the main street and looking in both direction leaded left, Goku nodded but was curious. "Can you tell me what it mean, the whole password?" He asked, unsure if it was a smart question but he could not help himself. Vegeta stopped, keeping his back to Goku and exhaled a long breath. "It means Death becomes me oh Freiza." He answered and continued again down the street, Goku stood still and closed his eyes slowly with remorse for the princes past, a painful one it was indeed.

Gohan managed to get through the various patrons to reach the bar, once there he got the attention of one bartender who observed him sceptically, Gohan smiled to him. "Hi there, could I get six waters please?" He asked and looking down started digging around his pocket for the zeni. Finding them he looked back up to find the bartender had not moved and was watching him, his hands resting on the edge of the bar. "You have water here, right?" Gohan asked, but the barman continued staring with an unamused frown, Gohan leaned away from the bar slightly and looked around to find patrons on both sides scrutinising him.

Gohan felt the tension grow, but this was nor the time nor place, especially with his saiyajin heritage he could annihilate the entire bar, something he did not want to do. "Please, I just want some water for me and my friends, I don't want any trouble." He emphasised in the most non-threatening tone. "We don't serve saiyajins here…" The bar tender stated in a deep slur, Gohan bit his lower lip wondering how he was going to sugar this. "What makes you think im a saiyajin?" He asked, the film was thin, and the next words from either party would make or break this situation.

"Is there a problem here?" A young operates voice called from behind, Gohan turned afraid Trunks had come to let off steam, and instead he found a tall, dark skinned humanoid dressed in a long, forest green waistcoat with a strange leather beanie covering his head. "You have your drinks Korofi, get back over to your woman." The bartender dismissed the humanoid with a brush of his hand; Korofi shook his head and smirked.

From this view, Gohan notices this humanoid had no ears; only holes where they should be and one side had three, platinum hoop earrings hanging from the loose skin. "You don't understand bar man, he's with me and so are all his friends, you insult him, you insult me!" He stated confidently, leaning over the bar, rapping his fingers around the mans collar he snarls. "Are you clear on that?" He says then winks, emitting a clicking sound with his mouth, the bar tender frowns deeply and reaches down under the bar, pulling out six tall glasses and filling them one at a time with clean water.

Korofi releases him and leans back away from the bar, then to Gohan's surprise he begin picking up the full glasses of water. "Lets go take these back to your friends." He says and starts heading off, Gohan quickly picks up the rest of the glasses and follows him. "Don't we need to pay for these?" He asked realising he was still holding the zeni, Korofi chuckles at Gohan's innocents. "Bless you sir, keep your change for something worth more than Tooma's drink, you may need it later." He responded with a smile and Gohan wondered what he was saying. "What's a Cooma?" He asked. "A native beast of burden from my planet." Korofi answered and they continued walking through the patrons.

From his spot of the floor Trunks looked around for Gohan, he had taken quit some time in getting these drink, he was wishing he hadn't let him go on his own. "I'm so hungry, did anyone remember to bring anything with them?" Bra asked looking around; everyone kept his or her heads down in silence. "Oh god two days and we need to rely on their food, you saw what they ate." She exclaimed frustrated. "Things I haven't seen in even the worst city dumpsters, and the smell, god I feel like im going to barf bile." Pan added shaking her head with hopelessness.

Dende felt something in the back of his head; a sudden rush of heat like a hairdryer was pointed toward him. Turning around he saw Gohan approach through the crowd with three glasses in his hand, Dende smiled to him and then from behind the saiyajin came a humanoid carrying three more glasses. "Gohan?" Dende said standing up abruptly, eyeing the humanoid with unblinking eyes as he approached. "Hey guys sorry that took a while, had political issues and this guys here helped me out." Gohan said pointing his thumb to Korofi as he handed people their drinks, taking the three other glasses from Korofi and handing them around.

"Nice to have someone on our side for a change, hi im Trunks." Trunks said offering his hand, which Korofi gracefully took into his own. "Like wise, your friend here sure knows how to attract attention in a place like this." Korofi chuckled motioning to Gohan, then reverting his eyes to everyone else in the group who stood up to meet him, excluding Savarna who remained on the floor. Everyone except Dende introduced himself or herself and Korofi greeted them all in turn. "I didn't catch your name." Dende says aloud, Korofi turns toward him and pauses for a moment with a faint smile on his face. "Korofi." he says, offering his hand to which Dende flatly refuses to accept.

Goten found this a little strange, Dende used to be a warm nature character. "Do you two know each other?" he asks looking back and forth between the two. ""No."" the two say simultaneously, Goten nodded but was unconvinced. Gohan decided it was time to change the subject. "Ok guys I got your drink how about you start drinking them." He said with enthusiasm and everyone with a glass sat down to relax. "I hope you don't bring us anything from your name sake, Korofi." Dende says with a momentary glare.

Vegeta and Goku had walked up and down the same street twice with no sign of Piccolo anywhere, it was starting to get dark outside and without any light, and there was no chance of finding him. "This is insane, how far could he have gone and why?" Goku says frustrated by the fruitless results they had gathered in almost five hours of searching.

"Don't ask me what your sons ex babysitter gets up to on his time off, you should have more ideas than me of where to find him." Vegeta answered angrily, folding his arms across his chest and pouting his lip. Goku sees something small lying on the road near the gutter, walking toward it became increasingly recognisable, he runs to it scooping up the small object covered in mud between his fingers.

"Its part of Piccolos cape, he was here!" he shouts to Vegeta who approches in a casual walk with arms still folded. He scrutinises the corner piece of cloth. "It's been here for at least two hours, lets get moving before we find more than just a cape in eth gutter." he orders and the pair starts jogging down the other main street.

Back on the bar floor everyone was getting to know the stranger Korofi, he was a lone pilot who travelled the universe, discovering new worlds that he never thought possible. "So what made you want to leave your home planet in the first place, which you haven't even told us what it was?" Pan asks, in her hand her empty glass, Korofi seems distant for a moment as he ponders his words. "It no longer exists, blown up by Freiza many years ago, I was six months sold when I left there and it happened about two years later." He explained with the same saddened tone.

Pans eyes widened. "You were six months old, did your parents take you or something?" She asked with deep curiosity, Korofi gave a ragged shake of his head. "Well, where I come from children mature extra quickly, it would have been like a teenager from your planet leaving home." He clarified and tried to make it clear that it was not his preferred subject to discuss. "Oh I see, that all makes sense then because on out planet when you're six month old you can't even walk yet!" Goten adds with a hearty chuckle, Gohan then remembered his sister in law back home. "Bro you will be hearing plenty of six moths old stories by the time we get back aye, see Korofi, Goten's going to be a father." he announced slapping Goten's back. "Ah congratulations, children are always a good thing in life." He said genuinely happy for the man.

For at leats an hour now he wondered, why the young red headed girl was sitting silent and detached from the rest. "I'm sorry miss I didn't get your name." Korofi instigated, everyone went silent as they awaited Savarna to acknowledge him. She looked up slowly to him. "I am sorry, my names Savarna." she whispered, blinking here eyes lethargically and Korofi nodded, holing out held his hand for her to shake, Savarna observed it with uncertain at first, he seemed approachable and honest enough and everyone seemed to trust him, thus she took it in her own and shook it.

"I'm sorry Korofi she's worried about her father, you haven't actually met everyone from our journey, there is my father Goku, Trunks father Vegeta and Piccolo who are here somewhere on the planet." Gohan explained openly, Korofis eyebrow ridges merged closer. "Piccolo, your father is a Namek?" He asked Savarna with a slight tone in his voice, confusing Gohan greatly by this revelation.

"How did you know Piccolo was a Namek?" He asked observing their guest with uncertainty. "I have heard of him when I visited Namek once, they told me about him and that he was half a god." Korofi said turning to Gohan, who laughed along and shook his head. "No no, he's not half of a god he was once a half of the earths caretaker named Kami." Gohan clarified.

"Dende here actually took over from Kami, when he and piccolo merged back into one entity." Goten added, Korofi looked to Dende who had been sitting most of the conversation as an observer, mainly at Korofi. "I congratulate you on that honour, many Namek's would have wanted it. Now if you will excuse me a moment I need to use the restroom." He said standing and leaving the groups sight.

When his back turned and he was out of ear shot, Bra leaned in closer to Pan. "My god he is gorgeous!" she giggled and Trunks gave her an eyeful look of shock. "Gorgeous, you hit your head when we landed sis, we don't even know what he is!" He said with widened eyes, Bra rolled hers. "Its just a comment Trunks, im not marrying the guy, jeez." she replied and repositioned her mode of sitting, closing her legs beneath her.

"What's the deal Dende, why don't you like the guy?" Trunks asked, sitting with his hands together and knees resting on the inside of his elbows, ankles crossed. Dende shook his head, flattening out his lips he looked at the floor. "Nothing, he just reminds me of someone." He replied, then looking up when he heard Savarnas throat clearing, she was stressing out and in turn drying her mouth and throat, frowning he looked beside his leg and found he still had a half glass of water left, grasping it he held it out toward her. "Take it, your going to feel worse if you don't." He said kindly, holding it out in front of her as she lifting her eyes to look at him, nodding faintly she took it and slowly drank a few mouths full.

Thankyou for reading.

Go to my deviant art page and click on the image called A new allie...Korofi to meet Korofi.