Chapter 13
Above the Clouds
"Piccolo!" Bulma set down her cup with a loud clink and rose from her chair. Brussi and Mai followed suit. Brussi gripped the handle of her weapon, though she didn't remove it from it's place on her hip. Her expression made it clear she didn't trust this newest stranger. Mai couldn't help looking a little bemused. She started twisting her sleeve hems absently.
Bulma motioned to the women, smiling a little, "These two are Brussi and Mai, the ones who where in the crashed ship."
Mai stood still as Piccolo swept his gaze over her and her friend. The tall Namek had his arms crossed. The caped shoulder pads forced him to stand at an angle within the doorframe. He didn't give much attention to the Saiyan, his expression was wary but not overly so. If he was concerned at all about her weapon, he didn't show it. Instead, he seemed to dismiss Brussi as a threat.
His focus settled on Mai. She could see a glimmer of suspicion in his eyes, his face drawn into a slight frown. He didn't blink or turn away when she stared back at him. She found she couldn't keep the contact up for long. It felt like he was trying to probe her heart and soul and force out any deception with the power of his gaze alone.
Mai averted her eyes a little. She had the strangest urge to pull her vest closed or conjure up another layer or two of cloth. She stared at his chest, though she didn't find the sight of his muscled arms much more comforting. A little bit of fear bubbled through her. A whispery little voice in her mind commented, He knows you're female, he's not stupid like that Emperor...
She bit the inside of her cheek, her mouth taking on the taste of metal and salt. The sharp pain made her wince slightly. She touched the small gash with her tongue and felt it heal. It shook her from her thoughts. She found herself breathing a little too quickly.
Forcing her feelings to calm, Mai bowed her head and said, "My name is Mai, brother. My mother, Rea, was a refugee from the disaster on our planet a few hundred years ago."
She thought she heard a quick intake of breath, but when she glanced up his face held the same expression as before. Mai dropped her gaze back to his broad chest. Her fingers started picking at some loose threads on her sleeve ends.
The silence lasted a few more seconds, then Piccolo uncrossed his arms and turned back the way he came. He said over his shoulder, "Follow me."
He didn't wait for an answer, simply strode away. Mai blinked and stared after him. She looked back at Brussi, unsure of what to do. His terse statement hadn't been an arrogant command but it had implied he wasn't used to being questioned.
Brussi's frown deepened. Her hand was still tightly gripping the weapon handle. She shook her head quickly. The silent gesture advised caution.
Bulma walked briskly around the table, coming to Mai's side. She placed a hand on the Namek's arm. Pulling Mai forward, she said, "Don't worry. Piccolo isn't as tough as he seems."
She followed the statement with a bright smile and what seemed to be a forced laugh. Mai didn't think the woman was as convinced as she tried to sound. She found it hard to resist Bulma's urging and followed with one last confused look to Brussi. Brussi growled but didn't stop them, choosing to tag along behind them. The weapon was retrieved from its place on her hip and she once again held it ready to aim.
The trio quickly traveled to the outdoors again, Bulma setting a fast pace. Piccolo stood a few paces away from the entrance. His arms were crossed again and his feet were spaced a little apart. He appeared somewhat tensed, like he was readying for a confrontation.
Bulma continued to pull Mai forward until they were halfway to the male Namek. At that point, she switched to pushing instead. She smiled again, "You two will want to talk privately."
She gave Mai a quick pat on the arm and headed back to the Corporation building. Bulma glanced at Brussi, who was scowling now, but Mai couldn't see the native woman's expression or hear if she said anything. Mai signaled to Brussi to stay where she was. The Saiyan bared her teeth. She held her ground, though she kept the weapon up.
Mai returned her attention to the other Namek. She took a steady breath and approached until she was standing before him. She flicked her gaze up to his eyes, then let it fall again to his chest. His stare was still a little too much for her to take.
"You say your mother was a female Namek." His deep voice was surprisingly neutral for all the wariness in his stance.
Mai nodded. It had been more a statement than a question, but she thought he wanted confirmation regardless.
"And you? Are you some hybrid?" The voice didn't fluctuate, still sounding calm and only partly demanding.
Mai shook her head. She kept her eyes lowered, hoping that would help ease the jittery feeling in her stomach. "I am completely, Namek, brother. I was egg-born, I had no Pida."
Piccolo didn't comment on that. She wondered if he held to the faint prejudice that some had felt towards egg-birth. The thought that he might saddened her a little, though she could understand. Even being born in that manner herself, she felt the natural way was better. It conflicted with the respect she felt for her mother and wasn't something she had ever managed to reconcile.
"Hmph." Piccolo closed the gap between the two of them. He studied once Mai more.
Mai found herself suddenly flipped around, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and her back crushed against the male Namek's chest. The ground dropped away quickly from her feet. She dug her nails into Piccolo's arm, her stomach lurched as she was dragged upwards.
At first she thought he was picking her up, though she didn't know why, but then she saw she was much higher than he could possibly lift her and his own feet dangled inches lower than her own. The fear from earlier returned. She struggled against his hold.
Mai heard a sharp zap zap and Piccolo jerked quickly to one side. He whirled around. Mai's head spun as he did. She wondered momentarily if she threw up her rice dinner whether he would drop her or not. Her stomach certainly felt keen for the task. She focused her eyes on the source of their turnabout.
Brussi stood on the ground, her weapon aimed up at Mai's abductor. She glared at Piccolo. She ground out, "Better let her go, Namek, or I'll see how well you heal from a blast to the head!"
Piccolo growled. He raised his free hand and a small ball of light gathered in his palm. The glowing object quickly sped away towards Brussi. The Saiyan barely had time for her eyes to widen before the ki blast tore into her weapon. The gun exploded, knocking Brussi backwards onto the grassy lawn.
"Brussi!" Mai resumed her struggling. Piccolo's arm gripped her tighter. He turned away and continued his flight up into the sky. Mai pounded on his arm with her fists. "Let me go! How dare you attack my friend that way! She was only worried!"
"She's not hurt," Piccolo responded in an annoyed tone. "And quit struggling."
"Let me go!" Mai kicked Piccolo's legs. He countered by growling and gripping her even tighter, making it hard to breathe. She gasped, her heart was racing now, the combination with lack of oxygen had her dizzy and close to hyperventilating. She couldn't suppress the rising panic. The little voice was screeching now, He's strong, too strong! He's taken away your only protection!
Mai's vision went fuzzy. She raked her nails across his arm, digging as deep into the skin as she could. They didn't cause more than scratches, but she continued, her frenzy fed by the sight of the flowing blood. She renewed her kicking with vigor and tried to twist out of his grasp. Feral little roars erupted from her throat.
"Grrr... stop that!" Piccolo demanded. He sounded beyond annoyed now. He squeezed her again. That simply enraged her more. He growled and tapped her neck with the edge of his hand. Darkness quickly followed.
The next thing Mai felt was her head thumping lightly against tile. Her body soon joined it, coming to rest on the smooth surface. One arm was pinned under her and the other draped over her side. She grit her teeth. A dull ache radiated from the base of her skull. For a moment, she wondered if she was still on the floor of the seraglio hall and the memories of the days since were some sort of delusion.
She opened her eyes a sliver, bright light caused her to wince as it intensified the pain in her head. White tile stretched before her, the expanse broken up by twin rows of trees and flowers. What looked to be a small palace was situated at the other end.
Two figures stood a little bit away. The tall one she recognized as Piccolo. He was rubbing his left arm, which had some blood dripping from it. The purple liquid formed polka dot pools on the creamy tile at his feet. She gasped as she observed the features of the other.
He wasn't as tall as Piccolo, perhaps only a little taller than Mai herself. His green skin was a lighter hue, his body the slender type of a non-warrior. He wore a white robe and violet vest.
A-another... Namek? Mai blinked as she watched the new Namek place his hands over Piccolo's wounded arm. A familiar, warm light gathered and spread in waves over the injuries. The skin was quickly healed. Piccolo crossed his arms again after the other pulled his hands away. They were talking now, though Mai couldn't understand what was being said.
The shorter male Namek nodded to Piccolo, then turned his attention to Mai. He didn't seem to be surprised she was awake. He came over to her and held out a hand. His gentle voice said, "Let me help you up."
Mai took his hand. She used the leverage to help free her pinned arm and managed to get to her feet without wobbling too much. The ache in her head had faded now. She found herself looking right into the other's eyes.
"Thank you, brother," she said with a little bow. "I am called Mai. May I have your name?"
The other Namek chuckled, not unkindly. He said, "My name is Dende. You don't have to be that formal."
Mai's fingers caught the edges of her sleeves. She tugged on the cloth, frowning a little. She was beginning to wonder how many others there were. A cautious hope flickered to life. "I thought all other Nameks were dead. How many more are there?"
Dende looked a little startled at that question. He said carefully, "There are a few hundred living on New Nameksei."
"A few... hundred?" Mai felt light headed. Her eyes stung with tears, though she didn't know if it was joy over the fact her people had survived the disaster and Frieza or sorrow that there were so few left out of many thousands. "Please, tell me... I knew of the attack and the storms, but how did this all happen?"
Dende glanced at Piccolo, then back to Mai. He came to her side and placed his hand lightly on her arm. "Why don't we go inside? My companion, Mr. Popo, can bring us some water or tea."
Mai nodded her agreement. She didn't look at Piccolo again. For some reason, Dende made her feel safe, calm. She knew if she turned her gaze to the taller Namek she would lose all sense of peace. Dende guided her to the palace. The near silent footsteps of Piccolo came behind them.
Mai studied the building as they stepped inside. She couldn't help but shiver because, in some ways, the airy palace reminded her of the seraglio. Cool tile and marble had been the same materials the Emperor had used. There weren't any gem studded panels or vast arrays of exotic plants here, though. And the light seemed to come mostly from the sunlight streaming through the arches and windows.
She thought this palace, even though spartan, had a warmer and more calming feel.
Dende led the other two into a dining area. It had a simple wooden table and chairs for furniture. He pulled out a chair, inviting Mai to sit down. She thanked him quietly. She settled into the chair as the other two chose their seats. Dende sat to her side and Piccolo took position across the table from Mai.
She kept her gaze on Dende, refusing to really look in Piccolo's direction. She tugged more on her sleeves as she wondered whether he would get annoyed with her again. A round, ebony skinned man came into the room, drawing her attention. He looked over the visitors and said, "What would you like Mr. Popo to bring?"
"Mai, anything you would like?" asked Dende. He smiled gently.
"Um... water will be fine," she murmured, not at all sure her stomach could handle more.
Dende turned to face Mr. Popo. He said, "We'll all have water, Mr. Popo."
Mai thought it was a bit odd that Dende didn't even ask what Piccolo wanted. Perhaps he visited enough for them to know what he usually requested. They sat in silence for the short time it took the servant to bring their glasses of water. He also brought a full pitcher. Setting down the items, he asked once more, "Is there anything else, Mr. Popo can do?"
"No... wait. Yes, would you set up a room for our guest, Mai," Dende said. Mai squirmed a little, not sure she wanted to stay here. Dende gave her a reassuring look. "She'll need a place to stay, I think."
Mai bit her lip. She worried what was happening with Brussi. The Saiyan wasn't going to sit quietly until she returned. It was possible she was going to cause trouble with the Prince and Bulma. But before she could bring up those concerns, Mr. Popo had nodded and left.
She supposed she would need to wait. Right now, she did want to hear about her people. She looked at Dende questioningly.
Dende took a sip of his water, then said, "I should start with the storms. Piccolo told me your mother was sent off world."
"Yes, she was," confirmed Mai.
"Hmm... the storms were very bad. Many of the plants and animals died," he paused, "The Namek-jin suffered greatly as well. The number surviving on the planet was one."
"One! How can that be?" Mai said. She pulled a little too hard on her sleeve and a small rip appeared. She didn't notice it as she was trying to understand how only one could survive but there be hundreds now. "Were the others sent off world, too? I didn't realize there had been so many."
Dende shook his head. "That one survivor became the Great Elder of our people. On his own he managed to start rebuilding our race."
Mai thought about this. A notion finally presented itself. "Egg-birth?"
"Yes," replied Dende. "It was stressful for him and he suffered in the end for it. But he saved our people from extinction."
"And Frieza?"
Dende sighed. "He came to our planet looking for the dragon balls. He killed our people in his quest. A hero named Goku fought him, but to defeat him at that time, he had to use all of his power. The planet was destroyed as a result of the battle."
Mai lowered her gaze to the table. She picked at her sleeves more. She carried the old memories, so she understood how greedy people might search out the magical spheres. This, along with what she had been told at Bulma's, helped her to start piecing together the story. "How did the other Nameks come to be? Did someone else continue the Great Elder's work?"
"No," Dende said, he sounded a little more cheerful. "There were dragon balls here too. Friends here used those to resurrect the people killed by Frieza and used the ones from Namek to send them here."
Mai looked at Dende, confused. He chuckled again. "I don't think I'm doing a very good job. Maybe I should start over."
The next hour or so was spent with Dende detailing what had happened with Frieza. He was patient when Mai stopped him at times to ask questions. Piccolo shifted occasionally in his chair. He didn't touch his water. Mai felt he wasn't happy with the time it was taking to explain things, but he didn't interrupt.
Finally, Mai understood what had happened. She sat back in her chair, a bit shocked. All the Nameks now had been egg-born. Because the survivor had been male, there were no females left. At least, none that were known to survive. Except for her.
She pulled more threads from the hems of her sleeves. Her chest felt tight, a squeezing sort of sensation that almost pained her. She could feel the thin layer of sweat on her skin as gentle air currents cooled her. A shiver kept rippling through her.
She was the only female left.
Mai nearly jumped out of her seat when Dende's voice reached through her stunned thoughts, "Ah... you look a little pale, Mai. I know this must be a lot for you. Why don't you go rest in the room Mr. Popo fixed for you?"
Dende came over to her as he spoke. He patted her lightly on the shoulder. His smile was meant to be comforting.
Mai didn't feel comforted. She wanted to run... hide. She wasn't even sure why, only knew that the thought of being the last made her feel cold. Her gaze flit from Dende to Piccolo. Near terror shot through her. She couldn't stay here, not in this room anyway. She wanted to leave but she would have to rely on the warrior for that and right now she couldn't even face the thought.
Mai stood quickly and nodded. She swallowed though her throat was suddenly dry. Her voice shook a little. The words rushed out, "I-I'll go find him, myself. Thank you for the hospitality."
She gave both a fast bow, then ran for the nearest door. The command in Piccolo's tone stopped her, "Mai."
She wanted to kick herself for the automatic reaction as she looked back at the large male. She didn't trust her voice to acknowledge him.
Piccolo had risen from his chair and was standing a few feet away. He glanced at Mai's arms. He observed, "Maybe you shouldn't wear sleeves."
Mai looked down to find the cloth of the hems shredded and frayed. Threads dangled from the tortured fabric. She made a strangled sound, turned and raced away, her face burning with embarrassment, shame and fear.