Chapter 14: Piccolo's Goodbye

Its crunch time. Earth is due to blow anytime now. Goku and I are teleporting all over the place trying to find anyone left. And of course, the others filled me in on the fight. I wished I had gotten to see it.

A couple of times Goku and I bumped heads, either appearing at the same place to rescue someone or passing by in the Void. We aren't very organized with all this rushing, but it's the best we can do.

First we landed on top of each other in downtown North City, and I mean on top of each other, in a pile.

The second time we knocked our heads together, coming out of the Void at the exact same time. We were lucky we didn't fuse into some horrible mutant, like in The Fly. But besides those few times we did okay.

I stopped for a quick breather, and sensed out any Ki left on earth. I found Goku easily, and then I felt a small child, most likely a boy, and a puppy of some kind, and last Piccolo.

"Piccolo! How could we pass him up? He's… near the boy, good."

I teleported to the location, and Goku appeared out of the Void in front of me.

"Hey, guess who!" Goku said, laughing.

I looked, and saw Piccolo holding the boy and the dog.

"Just who I wanted to see." He greeted.

"Hey Piccolo, long time no see." Goku said.

Then the planet started to shake, and a near-by mountaintop blew off, spewing hot lava everywhere. The boy was crying, and the puppy howled, making Piccolo wince due to his sensitive ears.

"What are you waiting for, lets go!" I snapped.

"Right, luckily I have enough Ki for one more jump." Goku said.

"So do I. Would you like to do the honors, Goku?" I asked.

Piccolo put the little boy down, and Goku held his hand and the dog. Piccolo put his hand on Goku's shoulder, and I placed my hand on Piccolo's shoulder.

"Alright, here we go!" Goku, the boy, and the dog disappeared. Piccolo and I were still on earth. Piccolo moved out of my grasp as well.

"Piccolo? What are you doing?" I asked, looking around. Earth was about to go anytime now.

"You're better at explaining this kind of thing. I need you to tell the other's why I'm doing this." he said.

"Doing what? Piccolo!"

"If I stay on earth when she blows up, I'll die too, and then the Black-star Dragonballs can never be used again. I can't make mental contact with anyone on Planet Plant right now because of the earth's spirit, so I need you to deliver a message for me."

"Piccolo, you can't! Come on, we'll go now." I tried to grab his arm, but he pulled away.

"It's for the good of everyone, Katie." He stated.

"But Piccolo…"

"Its for the good of everyone, Katie." He repeated.

"It isn't good for me and Gohan, and your other friends."

"Tell Gohan it was-"

"I won't tell him anything! We're going to Planet Plant right now!"

"Katie! Please, I have to do this! This isn't easy for me, believe me. I'd love to go back with you and see all the kids grow and have kids of their own… but I can't. I saw it when the Sayjins were coming, and I see it now. It has to be this way."

"Piccolo…"

"Tell Gohan it was an honor raising him and teaching him when Goku was gone, and I'll… miss him. You were a great student, too. You're also good at your wording, which is why you're such a great writer. I've read all of your New Destiny book series. You 2 were the first ones to call me 'friend'."

"If you stay, so do I. I can't let you die alone."

"You can't bluff me, Katie. You have a family, a husband and three kids, and the others. Who do I have? Gohan… you… and maybe Goten. That's it."

"But Piccolo-"

"Dammit, go before it's too late! I have to do this! Or perhaps you can live with the guilt of another planet blowing up because they didn't know about the Black-star Dragonballs' after effect? I can't, and I won't. As long as I'm dead, they're all safe." Piccolo turned from me. I walked around and faced him.

"Fine. I'll let you go through with this. And we won't bring you back." I hugged him, and at first he was reluctant to hug back. But he did, "You were a great mentor and father figure for me over the years. I'll write about this in great detail. Goodbye, Piccolo-san. And Piccolo, I… I love you."

"Your armor. I was in your armor? I…" he shrugged, "The same to you and Gohan."

I stepped back and teleported to Goku on the near-by shuttlecraft.

"Katie, I thought I lost you. Where's Piccolo?" Goku asked.

I stayed silent, going to one of the windows to watch the earth. We'd wish earth back, and everyone from Planet Plant to earth, and then Goku could use a Kamehameha to blow away Planet Plant for environmental sake.

Goku walked next to me, more forceful this time.

"Katie, where is Piccolo?"

"He stayed behind." I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I tried not to cry.

"Piccolo!" Goku cried out, staring at earth as she exploded. I cried then, not a lot, but enough. "How could you let him! Katie, why!" Goku was crying, just like the little boy he was now. I knelt down so I was eye level with him.

"He said as long as he was dead, the Black-star Dragonballs couldn't be used again." I grabbed hold of Goku, and we hugged, looking like a mother/son or little brother/big sister pair.

"Gohan's going to hate you and Piccolo for this." Goku said.

"I know."

When the shuttlecraft landed, Gohan came running up to greet us. His happy expression made this all feel worse.

"Hey guys! Great job! Hey, where's Piccolo?"

Goku stayed silent, and I looked at him for support. He shook his head and walked away. Gohan noticed.

"Katie?"

"Gohan, I'm sorry… he stayed behind. He wanted to tell you himself, but he couldn't contact you with earth's aura all messed up."

"No, Piccolo… he didn't-"

"The Black-star Dragonballs won't be used again because of his sacrifice. That's why he remained behind."

"How could you let him do it?" Gohan growled.

"He wouldn't let me. Besides, he would have wanted it this way. He helped everyone with his death, the only time he ever could make a sacrifice and mean it. It was his choice."

"You should have forced him, you've got more power-"

"Dammit, Gohan! Don't you think this hurts me as well? Piccolo was a mentor to me, too. You're not the only one who's going to miss him."

Gohan and I stood silent, and finally the tears came, for both of us. We hugged, tight and long, mourning the Namekian from Earth.

He was a warrior, a protector, and a guardian. He saved earth many times, and he helped me become who I am today. Goku may not have ever been as strong as he is now if Piccolo never rivaled him. Gohan and I both had a connection with Piccolo like no one else did, and we'll miss him a lot. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him now that he's gone. Thinking back, I wished I had been with him more. He still could have taught me a lot of good things. Even angels have their guardians, and one of mine was a Namekian from earth named Piccolo.

AS22: so, am I evil? I am… (sniff) but it had to be…

Piccolo: what, you think I'll never appear again? Katie can-

AS22: shut up you stupid Namekian!

Piccolo: a second ago you were crying…