In Search of Amity
Period 28: Unveiled truths
Having exited the firing
inferno of the docking bay, Savarna steered the ship further out into
space, with a stroke of luck the planets defences had not
triggered and their path was clear of any ships.
Switching on autopilot,
she ran from cockpit to find her father, who as far as she was conserned was loosing his mind, she found him on the floor
beside a recovering Goku.
"Dad!" she
exclaimed, kneeling down beside him and shaking his shoulders roughly
to rouse him, his eyes lay gently shut as through he were in a deep
sleep, they flickered open when she wouldn't stop shaking him.
"What happened?" he
asked, bringing his open palm to cover his forehead.
"We got away by had to
take off quick, are you ok I mean do you remember anything at all
that happened?" she asked with urgency, starting to sound like a
nagging mother which Piccolo found utterly disturbingly like Chichi, he scowl's
at her.
"I'm fine, stop
coddling me like a child girl you sound like dagger woman!" he
retaliated angrily and slowly
got to his feet using the wall as an aid, upset by his reaction however
relieved that his memory was not far gone enough to forget Chichi.
In the cargo bay Korofi bemoaned and rolled onto his stomach, pushing himself up from the ground in a push up fashion he groggily rubbed the top of his bald head, the deep wound was still sizzling and saw. Gohan came running through the hallways to find him near the cargo bay doors, approaching him with a relieved smile.
"Are you alright, man I can't believe you just turned up at exactly the right time, how did you…" Gohan suddenly stopped in his tracks, when Korofi looked up to him, his face was one Gohan reconstructed into something he could never forget.
He could not believe his eyes; he had only seen such a sight once when Lord slug attacked earth over 15 years earlier, then it was from Piccolo tearing his own ears from his head to withstand his younger self's whistling.
"Your a Namek!" he stated with a shock and Korofi nodded hesitantly, walking up to Gohan he started to make some strange grunting sounds and is face twisted painfully.
Shockingly a pair of
elongated, pointy ears protruded from either side of his head where
the holes used to be, then two long, thin antennas popped out of his
forehead above his thick eyebrow ridges. Gohan noticed the earrings
still hung from Korofis ear, only now on the lobe.
"Yes, im sorry for
deceived you Gohan, but I could not reveal my true nature to the
creatures of that planet, I wouldn't have survived their tortures
ways toward my race, after all I am no warrior." The Namekian
explained and though he had lied.
Gohan felt he was not
owed an apology by the Namek and rested a hand upon his shoulder"
No need to apologise friend, your life is your own and you have no
need to reveal it to anyone but I must say, I am surprised by your
true self." Gohan assured, but still he was confused about this
individual's motive.
"Why did you stay
there if you knew your life would be in danger?" He asked removing
his hand; Korofi gave a brief nod realising his actions seemed
strange to someone on the outside, since he was now stuck with the
earthling and explanation was in order.
"My story is a long
one, but I can cut it down to a satisfying explanation Gohan, please
let us walk, it helps the memories arise better." He indicated
with an open hand indicating down the hallways, with Gohan obliging.
They paced gently along
the floor of the hallway.
"I was born on old
Namek, but I never had a farmers dedication or a warriors heart."
He started and Gohan stopped.
"With that fantastic
display of bravery you showed down there, I say your more warrior
than you think, I mean you have the height for it." Gohan
complimented and pointing toward the ceiling, Korofi chuckled and
they continued walking.
"Thankyou but its not
the life I want to lead, I left old Namek when I was a teenager
against my fathers will, it was so I could travel become the first
Namekian explorer in history, discover things that me and my friends
as children had only dreamed of." Korofi revealed with a visionary
gaze and Gohan shook his head chuckling, Korofi looked to him with
confusion.
"Why do you find that
funny, did I say something strange?" He asked, Gohan shook his
head and looked to the floor.
"You are the only
adult I have ever met who isn't afraid to say exactly what they
wanted to become when they were young, and be as proud of it now as
he was then." He explained sliding his hands in his pockets, a
constant smile across his face.
"Ah, and that is a
good thing?" The Namek asked.
"Yes, it is a good
thing." Gohan replied.
There was a prief pause."I'm a teacher, every year I see a stream of students who come looking for an education to secure a future, only rarely they there because they wanted to be, most are because their dreams wouldn't come true in our imperfect world. They would go hungry trying to be what they always wanted, an astronaut, president or a millionaire." He reflected, and it saddened him to think about it and he wondered did he really want to be a teacher anymore?. "Your well respected, on Namek teachers are highly regarded for their ability to pass on knowledge because it is a hard thing to do." Korofi commented and Gohan laughed aloud.
"I'm afraid teachers are unpopular on earth, it just goes to show the difference between our worlds doesn't it, anyway we need to get up into the main hall, I think everyone should know the truth about you." He instigated as they reached the staircase and climbed it.
Trunks hopped on one leg through the hallway with Goten over his shoulder emitted low moans of pain, behind him Bra and Pan followed to help and as they entered the medical bay, assisted to lower Goten to a stainless steel table.
"I need morphine, bandages and a stitching kit." Trunks ordered grasping Goten's sleeve in both hands taring it apart to the shoulder.
Bra ran to a steel cupboard on the wall and retrieved an I.V bag of liquid morphine, Pan fetched the stitching kit and bandages from a draw across the room, they came back to find Trunks holding down Goten who was started struggling.
"Pan I need you to help me hold him down, get around behind his head!" Trunks ordered. Dropping the bandages Pan moved into position holding Goten's down shoulders against the table, it took all of her strength.
"Bra get that I.V in I cant do anything with his swinging his arms around!" Trunks snapped, not meaning to be cruel but the situation was getting dangerous.
Bra hurried and
fortunately inserted the needle in on the first try, and then
reaching across adjusted the I.V stands height.
"Good, get on the end
I need you to hold down his ankles." He indicated with a nod of
his head and chin, a strand of his hair then fell into his left eye.
"Tie my hair." he
asked aloud, squeezing shut the hair infected eye as Pan leaned over
to lend a pink hair elastic from around her wrist, slicking her
fingers through his hair from forehead to neck she ties it back
securely.
"Thanks, the morphine
starting to kick in you can start cleaning him up sis." He assured
and stood back from the table.
Pan also stood back
breathing heavily and looking to Trunks she spotted it.
"Oh there's one in
your eye, here let me get it." Pan pointed out and reaching over
with her fingers, gently pulled the lavender strand out from between
his pail eyelashes.
Without thinking, he
stood still and allowed her to do so, feeling no pain or discomfort
he opened his eyes normally.
"You have a gentle
touch there, you know you would have made a great doctor Pan." He
smiled sweetly at her strikingly black eyes, in no hurry to turn
away.
Bra looked up from
Goten's wound and raised an eyebrow.
"Um, Bro he's
decomposing already, come back to reality capsule 4 to Trunks!"
Bra shouted, breaking him from his trance he did not utter a word and
proceeded to clean Goten's wound.
"Vegeta you alright?" Goku asked.
"Of course I am, instead of checking on people who are standing, check the mortally wounded in the med bay." The prince commented and turned his attention.
Goku knew Goten was wounded but also knew he was in Trunks capable hands, he was however concerned about their guest, who was wondering around somewhere in the cargo bay.
"Does anyone know anything about that guy who helped us out?" He asked generically, looking around at Savarna, Piccolo, and Dende who were in the room.
"Yes, we met in the bar you left us at, he helped Gohan get drinks from the bartender and hung around with us for a while." She explained
"Ok, does anyone know if he survived take off?" He asked to a quiet audience.
"He did dad." Gohan
spoke from the stairway leading up from the cargo bay, followed
closely behind by Korofi and Goku jaw dropped into a smile when his
eyes came to rest upon him, he was thrilled to say the least.
"Hey another Namek,
look Dende and Piccolo you got another guy on board who you can hang
around with, its great to meet you Korofi im Goku." The saiyajin
approached offering his hand to the taller Namek, Korofi froze.
"Your Goku, I didn't
believe it when Gohan told me you were his father, im sorry I doubted
your word Gohan." He said turning to Gohan with a face full of
apology and Gohan shook his head forgivingly.
Dende nodded a greeting
to the new Namekian and gave a half smirk, Korofi nodded in return
respectfully to the guardian.
Piccolo's strength was
slowly returning and he managed to walk over beside Goku, he observed
the equal hight Korofi with a calculating scowl.
"Your not corrupted,
so why are you away from the planet Namek?" Piccolo instigated
critically, Korofis lips parted to speak but Gohan intervened.
"Uh he's a
traveller, interested in getting himself in the record book as the
first Namekian explorer Piccolo." Gohan explained on impulse, he
trusted Korofi and never doubted his story, Piccolo turned to his
student with the same scowl.
"Planet Namek doesn't
have record books." He noted and Gohan mouth went dry.
"Oh well um, they
should have then." He chuckled pathetically.
Korofi felt he must
intervene.
"Its true Sir Piccolo,
I am a traveller and it is my dream to be the first Namekian…" He
tried to explain, but was cut off by Piccolo raising his palm to him.
"Shut up, im not
interested in your life story." He stated, and lowering his hand
walked away leaving everyone confused, one moment he was deep into an
interrogation that he instigated the passed it off as an interruption
to his time.
Korofi turns to Goku
uncertain of what had just happened.
"I'm sorry if I
offended him, it wasn't my intension because I have great respect
for him." He said with concerned, and Goku shook his head
assuring.
"You did nothing
wrong, he just hasn't been himself lately but forget about that,
lets get to know each other better." He instigated and led their
guest toward one of the lounges; Gohan following close behind but
Savarna and Dende remained behind with disinterest.
Savarna observed Dende,
curios and confused by his reaction to the true Korofi.
"Did you know he was a
Namek?" She asked him from across the room, he turned to her
briefly then returned his gaze to the group leaving the room.
"Of course I did, when
someone isn't astute in the ways of blocking their mind from
outside interference, much can be revealed and also, we were born in
the same year." He stated with a confident air and Savarna rolled
her eyes.
"Do you always have to
put on an air of self assurance whenever you say anything, it gets
real repetitive after a while and frankly your real boring." She
accused the guardian with a mixture of tones and facial movements.
Dendes brow ridges came
closer together and he turned to her.
"Why do you always
have to start a fight whenever I speak, im sick of you always finding
a way for us to stop getting along." He said heatedly, surprising
her, she tensed when he started walking toward her hurriedly with a
firm expression upon his face.
He paused shortly when
he reached her.
"I'm sorry, ok im
sorry for what happened at the lookout, im sorry for attacking you
and im just sorry for everything that happened when I returned... is
that what you want to hear? What else do I have to do to make you
understand this, tell me what!" He shouted inches from her face,
Savarna eyes flickered back and forth between his, the heated
emotions from him aroused a profound anger and longing that stirred
in a deep, dark place within her.
Whipping around she
stomped away from him in a huff, she could feel the heat crawling
into her throat and evaporating out her eyelids.
"You not walking away
this time, this ends right here right now, I asked you WHAT I need to
do!" He shouted as he followed her out of the room and down one of
the hallways, she continued walking away and he followed
persistently, repeating the same question to her. Unknown to him,
tears were brimming her eyelids and her lips quivered.
"Just leave me alone,
scram!" She screamed as she walked further, he ignored her words
and followed until they entered the viewing lounge, where the
enormous viewing window was located.
She stopped at the
window crossing her arms tightly, bitting her top lip firmly as he
stopped a few feet behind her.
"Your so selfish that
you think you can continue acting like a child and get your way
whenever it suits you, I have news for you young lady its not going
to last much longer, you better start shaping up or your going to
have a hell of a ride ahead, worse than any attack I pulled on you!"
Dende cursed, he could feel his frustration going out of control and
already he had overstepped his bounds, speaking to her in such a way,
if Piccolo was himself he would have killed him by now.
Bitting his tongue he
walked an uneven circle in the centre of the room, turning back, he
was in a position where he was able to see her reflection in the
window, his breath caught in his throat when he saw her tears
streaming down her face.
"Look, im tired of
fighting you all the time Savarna." He stated with control in his
voice, the anger in him subsided slightly as he heard her sniffle in
a long breath.
Finally, she slowly
turned to face him and as he had observed, the tears stained her
cheeks from eyelids to jaw line.
"You want to know why
I hate you so much, you really want to know why?" She shouted
tearfully.
"You left us, you left
me and you promised you would come back, I lived off those words for
years as a child. I would wait and wait and wait on the lookout for
Dad to come and tell me you had come home." She expressed with
uncontrollable tears flowing, her breath almost spent and body
exhausted from crying.
"But you never did,
then Dad sent me away to live with Goku an Chi chi, he had Goku come
and DRAG me away because he knew I wanted to stay. And I thought if
only Dende were here he would have let me stay, he would have let me
stay here…" She pushed the words from her body with all she had,
inhaling a long staggering breath before continuing.
Dende listened intently,
his chest tense and his breathes far between.
"I never was myself
after that and dad knows I never forgave him for it, I never slept
happily again and I never dreamed again, all I have are nightmares of
ghosts coming out of the darkness to terrify me to awaken, all
because you left!" She relieved her conscious fully and it was
then that her anger subsided, and her true inner pain came out.
"Why did you leave,
was I a burden to you, was it a mistake that you took me from the
alley to save me. Was I a disappointment to you I just want to know,
tell me why, why did you leave me there alone?" She screamed out
in a painful display, knocking herself off balance from exhaustion,
her knees began quivering abnormally beneath her.
Dende saw this and ran
forward, catching her as they collapsed beneath her letting her dead
weight fall into his arms, he held up and embraced her as she sobs
uncontrollably against his arm.
With his arms cradling
her, he felt only shocked by the truth she had withheld from her
past, her hand grasped the shoulder of his robe tightly and refused
to let go, he responded by holding her comfortingly and gently
placing his cheek against hers.
"I'm sorry, im sorry
I wasn't there for you Sav, I didn't know how much of a mistake
it was leaving until now, but my reasons were nothing to do with
you." He whispered softly against her cheek, feeling no response
from her yet he felt an overwhelming sense of calm, he didn't want
to let her go as if to make up for all the time that he had denied
her his presents.
Looking down to her hand
on his arm, he noted she was still wearing the bracelet he had given
her on the day of his return to earth; it brought a smile to him
face.
Thankyou for reading
