The line of horses slowly stopped and Piccolo watched as beings moved about the towers and walkways. They were very beautiful in appearance, as though they would shatter if a strong enough breeze blew across them. They looked much like the ordinary humans he had seen for all his years on Earth with subtle differences but so many it left them on an entirely new palate. Ears pointed into soft curves, a stark difference to his own that were sharp angles; pale skin that left him wondering whether they saw the sunlight for more than fifteen minutes a day; and fluid grace when compared to any man he could think of looked as though they were fumbling along on their legs.
Aragorn had come down off of his steed and helped Bulma to her feet. Piccolo realized Vegeta was already halfway to his ex-wife and decided it best if he stayed with the group; he could enjoy the beauty of the woods later. As he arrived, the three were talking quietly to a rather strict looking man with long auburn hair and an ornate silver headdress. Piccolo stopped just outside their circle, not wanting to disrupt their conversation and hopefully pick up on what they were talking about.
"You are late." The strict man gazed down at Aragorn with frown.
Aragorn nodded and scratched the stubbly growth of his beard. "I know but we found four lost in the forests near here. They could use your attention, I know not whether they have injuries." The man peered around him and nodded politely to Vegeta and Piccolo and bowed lightly to Bulma before looking again at Aragorn.
"Estel, these are but three… where is the fourth?" Lord Elrond looked across the people gathered and saw only familiar faces.
"He is with a small party retrieving some of their belongings. They should be along shortly." Aragorn looked over his shoulder to the entrance to see if they were coming, then turned back when the entry remained empty.
"Very well, but we are behind schedule." Elrond looked up to the castle entrance at a man leaning on a staff dressed in heavy gray robes, a long beard and ashen hair draped across his front. " I will have someone show you to your rooms." He nodded and ascended the stairs, Aragorn at his heels.
Piccolo watched carefully as the man in gray folds talked quietly to them, low enough so that Piccolo only caught a light murmur. As the man finished he turned and stared directly down at the trio that stood out sharply amongst the elves that walked freely around them. He cocked his head lightly to one side and gazed directly down at Piccolo's prone form, a small smile curling his lip and lifting his heavy moustache slightly before he turned and followed the others into the heavy doors.
Piccolo's eye ridges furrowed and he rubbed thoughtfully at the base of one antenna as he contemplated what that look was supposed to mean. Before he could get very far however, Goku's boisterous voice echoed into the court along with a chorus of hearty laughs and within moments the twins and Goku came through the entrance, Goku carrying the time machine on his back and hunched over, walking slowly with sweat dripping down the side of his face. He caught sight of Vegeta and Piccolo and grinned widely, waving with one hand until the machine began to sway and he clamped it back onto the neon surface.
Goku set the machine down on the walkway and grinned at his friends, a fat bead of sweat rolled down his jaw. "Hi guys!"
Vegeta grunted. "Well Kakkarot, you look a little tired."
Goku scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Well it's the damndest thing but when I was going to pick up the time machine and fly it back I couldn't."
Vegeta's eyes widened. "You aren't serious." As if trying to refute Goku's idea he growled low in his throat as he tried to power up. Piccolo watched in growing anxiety, there wasn't even a single spark. Vegeta continued, his face growing a deepening shade of crimson, sweat began to bead along his forehead and dampened his temples.
Piccolo couldn't understand why, this new place, he could sense the ki signatures around him then why couldn't they use their own ki? Vegeta's energy fluxed lightly, but no sparks, no ripples, no flashes of gold. Panting, Vegeta dropped his arms to his side and looked up at Goku incredulously.
"What kind of place is this?" Vegeta spat, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Elves around them stood transfixed as if waiting for the saiyajin to explode; in rage or in body we can't be sure.
A clearing throat from behind made them turn. An elf, slim with dark russet hair smiled sweetly at them. She bowed at the waist and clasped her hands together. "I am Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond, please allow me to show you to your rooms." Goku grinned and followed obediently, Bulma and Vegeta falling into step behind. Piccolo paused for a moment, looked back at the time machine and grunted before following the others into the towering building.
The halls were enormous and beautifully decorated in leafy plants and thick tapestries. Goku openly gawked around him at the surroundings, pointing excitedly to whatever caught his fancy and elbowed Bulma or Vegeta, each taking it with a sigh and nodding at his ramblings. Piccolo tried to linger behind a few paces to keep from being associated with the saiyajin who appeared to be gathering quite a bit of attention from the elves that walked the halls. Arwen stopped beside a wide door and opened it, inside was a plush room with a bath, bed and several couches covered in plush pillows. Bulma squealed in delight to find that the room was to be hers and told the men that she would see them later before slamming the door shut. Halfway down the hall Piccolo could still hear her giggles of glee.
Goku disappeared shortly after Arwen had mentioned that the room to their left led to the kitchens, Vegeta apologized—Piccolo noticed how his speech had changed from the snappy short comments around Goku, to the full and rich language of the court –and followed Goku down the hall to the kitchens. Piccolo rolled his eyes, leave it to the saiyajins to think of their stomachs before knowing about their surroundings. Arwen smiled politely at him as they continued on their path.
"These two rooms here will belong to your friends when they are finished in the kitchens. I only mention it in case you meet them again before I get the chance." She smiled and turned her head quickly away. Piccolo nodded and suppressed a snarl of annoyance. He knew he was out of place even here in this new world but it didn't make the uncomfortable silence and awkward looks any easier to bear.
He heard her small exhale of relief as she paused before a door near the end of this seemingly endless hall. She pushed it open and motioned him in. "This will be your room for the duration of your stay. I hope you find it comfortable." She smiled politely, masking much of her discomfort.
"Thank you." Piccolo entered, shutting the door quietly behind him and surveyed his surroundings. The room was quite large, a poster bed with ornate carvings sat to one side, raised on a platform. The walls looked of sandstone, a creamy tan with creeping vines scaling each wall. A large, dark tan couch wound around one corner, an array of colorful pillows strewn across it. But, Piccolo's favorite feature by far had to be the large bay windows, which he discovered much to his delight—though he would never admit it aloud—that they were really French-style doors. Surrounding them were thick velvet drapes the color of wine; thin, white gauze sheets draped over the panes and flitted in the breeze as doors were opened. They opened onto an impressive patio that overlooked the surrounding forest and he could see the glint of a river twining off to the west. He stood against the marble railing and smiled down onto the rich garden below his feet.
Perching on the railing, Piccolo balanced himself perfectly and sat lotus style, breathing deeply of the clean crisp air as it blew by him. He set his chin to his chest and smirked as another breeze blew across his face.
He wasn't sure how long it had been, possibly less than an hour, maybe closer to two when he heard a knock on the door to his room. He said nothing, slightly soured by the interruption of one of the best meditations he had ever had when the knock came again followed by the opening of the door.
Footsteps echoed along his room followed by a tentative, "Kala?" Piccolo furrowed his brow and sat stone still, waiting to be found, not quite ready to give up the serenity of his spot just yet. Apparently his intruder had noticed the open door and flapping curtains and soon a visitor was standing out on the patio along with a tranquil Piccolo.
"Excuse me for intruding, but Lord Elrond would like to see you." The elf shifted on his feet. Piccolo didn't move. Setting a hand on Piccolo's shoulder the elf spoke quietly. "N'moina onnier?"
"Yes, I'm coming." Piccolo spoke low, his voice hiding his irritation as he unfurled his legs and stood on the balcony edge. The elf looked up at him in awed shock and watched as he stepped down from the ledge and back into his room.
Hurrying ahead, the elf opened the door and quickly escorted Piccolo back through the hallways he had walked through earlier. He could sense Goku and Vegeta somewhere in front of him and finally spotted the back of Goku's head as he stood in a doorway surrounded by several elven women. Piccolo saw Vegeta in the corner, frowning deeply with his arms clamped to his chest, anger seething from his eyes. Piccolo smirked.
"Goku." The women looked up a little surprised then scuttled away like fish in a pool after a stone has been cast in the center. Goku smiled brightly.
"Hey Piccolo. These people are so nice. They say their elves isn't that neat?" Piccolo said nothing and Vegeta snorted. "I always thought elves were really short and worked with Santa!" Goku beamed.
Piccolo's face faulted and Vegeta closed his eyes and shook his head. Before he could be berated, Goku was saved when Lord Elrond entered from a side door followed by the man in gray that had watched Piccolo intently. Now Elrond motioned them to sit. Goku plopped into the nearest chair, grinning widely. Vegeta sat down with grace and dignity, folding his hands in his lap, his back ramrod straight. Piccolo entered further but remained standing.
The man draped in gray stepped forward, ran a hand through his beard and smiled warmly at them. "My name is Gandalf the Gray." He settled himself slowly into a large chair and crossed his legs at the ankle. "I know that you are all here by some kind of accident. Something that is quite difficult to explain in the terms you would normally use…however if you could try to enlighten me it would be my pleasure to help you find your way home." He scratched his beard.
Goku's eyes brightened. "Sure! Let me think for a second." Vegeta snorted and Goku shot him a dirty look. "Okay, it's like this…during an intentional idea to skip into an alternate time, we miscalculated and wound up here. Now out means of getting back needs to be fixed or we can't return."
Vegeta's eyes widened and he looked at Goku with shock. Goku blinked back at him, slightly puzzled at the drool pooling at the corners of Vegeta's mouth. Piccolo smirked lightly.
Gandalf nodded his head sagely. "I see. So that thing you have brought with you…that is the device you need to fix?" Goku nodded his head. "Well, is there anything we can get you?"
Goku chewed on his lip for a moment. "You really should ask Bulma, she's the one that works on technical things."
Gandalf's eyes widened. "The lady?"
Goku nodded, "Sure. She's really good with things like that."
Gandalf looked to Elrond, the Lord nodded and motioned a servant to go to the lady's chambers. Gandalf turned back to the trio and narrowed his eyes. "Now, there is a more pressing matter that comes to attention. Because of your disruption of this time, your services are needed for something very important."
Goku's face stiffened, the boyish features disappearing as his war face was brought to the surface. "Has our appearance caused some kind of rift?"
"No. There is a war going on in Middle Earth. Here, in this time. For some reason, your threads have been weaved into it." Gandalf looked at each of them in turn. Piccolo's face was grave, eye ridges drawn down deeply, and a heavy frown pulling his lips together in a thin line. Vegeta had narrowed his eyes, but other than that minute fact he hadn't moved. Goku, however, looked excited.
"What are we part of exactly?" Vegeta spoke up, eyeing Kakkarot as if he were going insane.
Gandalf motioned for them to stand and soon they left the small room and were lead down a small hall into a larger room where several beings sat looking as though the world were ending. —Certainly we can not deprive them of that and commend them on only sitting quietly instead of screaming and ranting.— As they entered, a few of them watched them with interest. "These hobbits, dwarves, elves and men have volunteered to protect the One Ring and destroy it. The ring takes control of men's minds and twists them to its evil whim. It's only purpose to return to Sauromon, its evil creator."
Goku's eyes had widened but the story and its relevance had not been lost on him. Vegeta frowned. "So why don't you just destroy the thing now?"
Gandalf held up one crooked finger, "Ah, that's the thing. It needs to be cast into the fires from which it was created. The fires of Mordor to be exact."
Goku nodded and Vegeta scowled. "So what is it? Surrounded by demons?" Gandalf nodded his head. Vegeta turned to Piccolo and grinned. "Well it looks like you'll fight right in."
Piccolo curled his lip, a sharp fang glinting in the low light. "Watch it, monkey."
A boy stood from the circle of beings, blue eyes shining and clutching something on a chain in one small hand. "You are a demon?" He looked up at Piccolo's face, a line of fear wavering along his eyes.
"No." Piccolo looked down, suddenly feeling overly protective of him. "You have nothing to fear from me." He smiled down at him, trying his best not to make it look threatening.
"Frodo, I do not want you to travel with people you fear." Gandalf dipped his head, tugging at the end of his beard.
Frodo nodded his shaggy head and uncurled his hand, a golden ring sat in his palm. Piccolo looked down at it with disinterest when a voice slowly twisted in his head. A small hissing at first but it grew until he recognized words in the noise. It nested in his head, feeling as though a pound of sledge had been shucked into his skull. "Take it." The voice slurred. "Imagine what you could do with it. You could rule as your father wanted. Take his place as the strongest…rule the earth with a steadfast fist. Come…just take it…he is offering it to you…if you don't take me the monkey will and then what will you do…" the voice snaked and squirmed. Piccolo's eyes widened and his lips curled up into a snarl. Frodo shied away, still holding his arm out. Suddenly, Piccolo grasped his head in both hands.
"Get out of my head! I am nothing like my father! GET OUT!" Sweat dripped down the side of Piccolo's face and ran along his jaw. He fell to one knee, growling deep. The room of men sat up rigidly in their seats or stepped back, save for Goku and Vegeta. Goku's face was stricken with worry and Vegeta looked like he didn't know if he should be scared or laughing.
Suddenly, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. Piccolo looked up at his friends, beads of sweat dripping from his chin. His head pounded as bad as it had when Gohan had played him a disk of flute music. He stood, seeing Frodo still standing, now with his fingers curled protectively around the ring. He was smiling up at him.
Piccolo stood, squaring his shoulders and looked across the room of men. They all had breathed a sigh of relief but some were still staring at him with large eyes. Piccolo frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.
Frodo smiled up at him. "My name is Frodo. I'm glad that you are coming with us." He pointed over his shoulder to three other small ones. "That is Sam, Merry and Pippin. We are Hobbits." Piccolo smiled down at him, a rush of calm cleaning the remains of contemptuous filth from his mind. He suddenly thought of Gohan as a boy and he smiled again.
"My name is Piccolo."
Sam stepped forward, Merry and Pippin pushing him from behind. "What are you, sir? I mean if you don't mind my asking, it's just that we were curious. We've never seen a creature like you before." Sam looked at his feet and fiddled with the corner of his cape.
Piccolo looked to Merry and Pippin, both wouldn't meet his gaze. "I'm a Namek."
Sam smiled a moment, "Oh…well then, I can't say I've ever heard of one of those before. It's a pleasure to meet you, seeing as how you're on our side and all." Piccolo nodded and Sam retreated quickly to his seat, Merry and Pippin flushing and quickly following behind.
Vegeta was grinning up at him when Piccolo turned around. Piccolo narrowed his eyes and frowned. Gandalf clapped him on the back warmly and walked a few paces further into the room. "As you can see, we have a room full of strong, able bodied men to escort our brave Hobbit to his destiny. I suggest you take some time to get to know one another before you leave at first light."
The group murmured a moment before Gandalf pulled out a chair. "We shall start with the members that have been caught up in this plight." He motioned to Goku who had chosen a chair closest to the wizard.
"Well, my name's Goku." He smiled brightly at everyone. The hobbits smiled brightly back, the others smiling politely, some not at all.
The wizard motioned to Vegeta. The Ouji frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Goku elbowed him in the ribs. "Come on, 'Geta. We're going with these guys you might as well know who they are."
Vegeta growled at him. "Fine." He snapped. "I am Vegeta, prince of all Saiyajins." He scowled at Goku. Piccolo snorted from his spot in the corner.
Aragorn's eyes brightened. "A prince? That would certainly explain your courtside manner. We have another prince amongst our group as well." Vegeta's eyes narrowed. Aragorn motioned to an elf seated three seats down. He sat rigidly, long flaxen hair combed back from his face. He nodded politely. "I am Legolas Green Leaf, Prince of Mirkwood."
Goku smiled, "Wow, Vegeta he really looks like a Prince too." Vegeta snorted and shot Legolas a dirty look. Piccolo, not missing a thing smirked at the back of Vegeta's head.
Legolas smiled and thanked Goku for his compliment. Piccolo could nearly see the hairs prickle on the back of Vegeta's neck as he bore holes into Legolas' skull with his eyes.
Aragorn saved the whole room much frustration and bloodshed as he continued. "This would be Gimli, a deadly four feet when wielding an axe." Gimli nodded, sitting a little straighter in his seat. "The man there is Boromir, son of the King of Gloin."
Vegeta's nose curled. "Another prince then?"
Legolas shook his head, golden locks spilling across his shoulders. "Aragorn is the rightful heir." Aragorn gave Legolas a disdainful look and shrugged his large shoulders. Vegeta sniffed.
Gandalf stood. "Well, seeing as how the formalities are over, it would appear that it is time for supper." Lord Elrond nodded and smiled lightly to the others as they stood. Goku leapt up, rubbing his stomach and grinned.
As they all filed out—Goku nearly leading them to the dining hall—Piccolo waited for them all to exit before following them quietly. The dining hall was quite beautiful. High cathedral ceilings were decorated with large chandeliers covered in flickering candles. The drapes were drawn back from the high windows and a star-pricked sky shone dully through. Everyone sat, Elrond at the head of the table, Goku practically drooling as the food was lain out. The servants looked at each other and walked quickly back to the kitchen. Piccolo snorted, it would seem that the saiyajins stomachs were already well-known.
As plates were passed, Piccolo denied everything that was passed to him with a shake of the head or holding a hand over his plate. Legolas sat across from him and frowned. "It isn't wise to start such a strenuous travel on an empty stomach." Piccolo looked up at him, the usual slight frown on his face.
"I don't eat."
Legolas picked up his glass and took a long draught, eyeing Piccolo the entire time. When he set his glass down he frowned. "I don't know why you would think yourself needing to lose weight. You have a lot of mass but I don't think an ounce of fat could be squeezed off of you."
Piccolo shook his head, his antennae swaying. "You don't understand. My race does not need to eat unless severely injured. It helps speed up the metabolism." Legolas' eyebrows rose in surprise but he smiled in understanding.
When a pitcher of water was set before him, Piccolo filled his glass and closed his eyes. Everything else had been clean, crisp and pure; he couldn't help but wonder if the water would be the same. Sniffing the water and swirling it in his cup like an expert of vineyards, Piccolo took a sip and grinned. It was almost sinful. He couldn't taste a single impurity. When he opened his eyes most of the table was looking at him queerly. Piccolo narrowed his eyes and frowned deeper, then took another sip. He grinned again and nearly sighed, he didn't care if they stared at him for the rest of the night the water was just too damned good not to obsess over.
Goku grinned around a mouthful of meat, "I know what you mean, Piccolo, everything here is so much fresher…it's like…" He paused, scratching his head.
Vegeta smirked. "It's unspoiled, Kakkarot. Everything is unspoiled." Goku's eyes brightened and he nodded taking another large bite. The rest of the room peered at them over their glasses, sniffing the water and taking tentative bites of the food. Lord Elrond shook his head and finished his meal.
Lord Elrond bid them to try to get some sleep before the morning and smiled when Piccolo asked quietly if he could have a jug of water for his room. "I'll send someone up with it shortly."
Piccolo nodded and began to leave when a curious thought struck him. "Lord Elrond, could I visit the gardens?" Lord Elrond nodded, smiling lightly again.
Legolas returned from the hall and paused. "Lord Elrond, the Lady Bulma would like your council. She seems…urgent." Piccolo rolled his eyes, the woman was probably having a heart attack about how the women in the palace were treated.
"Of course, but first I must find someone to escort Piccolo to the gardens." Legolas looked confused for a moment. "Unless of course you wouldn't mind." Legolas nodded his head.
"Certainly, Lord Elrond." He motioned to Piccolo and walked quietly down the hall. Piccolo followed obediently, craning his neck now and then gaze out at the stars through the windows. He knew Legolas was watching him queerly from the corner of his eye but he no longer cared, he just wanted out in the open. He had too much contact with people, more than he cared for and was itching to be free.
Several minutes of silence followed, save for the clicking of boots on the tile, and Piccolo began to think that going to the gardens was a waste of time, he could have been in his room in solitude by now looking down at it. However, Legolas soon halted and pulled a large door open. A rush of pleasant air swept across him and Piccolo took a deep breath and let it roll out of him in a slow growl. Legolas tensed, then watched carefully as Piccolo stepped slowly out of the door and onto the walkway of the gardens.
Piccolo was soon oblivious to the world around him except for the lush vegetation and the clear, brilliant sky. He walked leisurely around the gardens, stopping to scoop a handful of water from a fountain and taking a sip of the amazingly sweet water. He touched leaves as he walked through, gently stroked foreign flower pedals with his finger pads and looked up into the alien sky. He suddenly had the feeling he was being followed and paused, listening intently.
Legolas had been intrigued at how zombified the Namek had gotten and followed him soundlessly into the garden, leaping over low bushes and peaking around trees. He felt ashamed to behave so rudely, but he was sure that Piccolo hadn't wanted company, and the being intrigued him.
Never had Legolas seen someone of his colors before, or his bulk for that matter. Piccolo's impressive size had daunted many of the elves and Legolas had heard them speaking quietly in the halls. They hadn't exactly been afraid, mostly curious and respectful of the alien's space. And now after seeing him, Legolas could understand why. He was very quiet, especially compared to his companions—mostly the tall brunette and the lady—and he didn't seem to enjoy being around people very much. Not that Legolas could blame him after seeing the way that everyone had reacted upon first seeing him. It must be tiresome to be whispered about and ogled after walking past a group of people.
"Alright, whoever is there, you may as well come out and join me." Piccolo's deep gravely voice was quiet in the darkness and Legolas froze. "There is no point in hiding." Feeling as though he had treaded too far, Legolas turned to leave when a breeze and blur made his mind swim for a moment and he nearly walked into a broad green chest clothed in violet.
"How did you do that?" Legolas looked up at him, not afraid but more in awe. The Namek had been near the fountain, some twenty feet away, he had just seen him standing there gazing at the stars.
Piccolo frowned, "A family secret. What do you want?"
Legolas shrugged his shoulders and smiled up at him, then let it slip and frowned himself. "I'm not entirely sure."
"If you've come to stare you can leave now. You'll have plenty of opportunity to gawk at me all you want on the trip." Legolas' smooth brow furrowed and Piccolo figured he had him pegged wrong. "If you've come to talk you can save your breath."
Piccolo stepped out of his way and Legolas moved forward a few feet before pausing. "I'm sorry to have intruded on your solitude. It never truly crossed my mind, and I apologize."
Piccolo looked at him for several minutes. "Forget about it."
Legolas took it as an apology accepted and motioned to the door. "Would you like me to show you back to your room?"
Piccolo shook his head. "That's alright. That's my balcony." He pointed to it and Legolas laughed.
"You're going to fly up there?" Piccolo didn't smile. Legolas thought hard for a moment before asking tentatively, "Can Namek's fly?"
Piccolo grinned. "Some. But not here." Legolas pushed his hair back into place and was about to pose another question when Piccolo blurred again and he saw him half way up the wall, leaping from a gargoyle head and swinging up onto his balcony. After staring in awe for a moment Legolas whistled lightly with his teeth and left the gardens.
Piccolo noticed the jug of water on a tabletop and brought it with him to the balcony. He sat it on the floor close by before settling back onto the railing and turning his face up to the sky.
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a/n: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'm still working, slowly, but surely. Feel free to drop in any comments or suggestions.
Ja ne!
~Nnif -.-
