a/n: I leave for home in four days! O.o; This is a new chapter, the next is half finished but I can't promise it will be up soon. Know I'm not giving up on it, I'll just have to struggle to get out new chapters and it will probably be sporadic updates.
Thanks to ALL the reviewers! You guys have made this more than worthwhile. Special thanks to WuffieLuver for the monster sized review. I'm glad you like the Elrond/Bulma pairing—not many have said much about it. On with the chapter.
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Saruman scowled into the darkness, if he weren't such a powerful and malevolent wizard one might say he was pouting. Freeza was perched on a chair, Zarbon sitting on the floor by his feet—they both looked incredibly bored.
"Isn't there something to do in this Kami-forsaken place? Slaves to torture? Thieves to cut the hands off of?" Zarbon drawled.
Saruman ignored him, back to the two, and mouthed Zarbon's words with a roll of his eyes. "No. We are waiting. The battle is playing out as we speak." There was a derisive snort and Saruman gripped the window sill tightly.
Freeza's feminine voice drifted in the room like a swarm of black flies—annoying and clinging. "Now Zarbon, be a good boy. You know that the wizard is busy playing."
"I assure you, this is no play." Saruman growled. Wormtongue bustled into the entry, shuffling his feet and staring at the stones waiting to be acknowledged. Saruman looked him over wearily, in no mood to be toyed with and walking a razors edge to insanity. "What is it?"
"Sir, the ents…" Grima started.
Saruman snorted. "The ents? What foolish tales have you been listening to?"
"But sire!" Grima strode forward, mouth agape and holding his hands to Saruman in a beseeching gesture. "The ents are coming. I've seen them!"
Freeza and Zarbon shared a smug look while Saruman turned with a scowl. The wizard raised his hand to strike at the interfering servant who would dare talk back to him when a great blaring cry came from the distance. With some confusion, Saruman swirled back to face the window and leaned out to gaze into the horizon. There along Isengard's borders marched the ents of old, strides as long as a horses run and they were coming on fast and angry.
Soon, great boulders rained from the skies with triumphant calls of 'hoom hoom' and the ents were rampaging across the expanse and pits of Isengard. With a great cry of anger, Saruman whirled around and stalked through the room, Grima on his heels as the lord made his way through several smaller rooms and emerged on the balcony.
No words were spoken as Lord Saruman stood gaping at the scenes that played out before him. Ents tore through what remained of his legions, squashing them under their great rooted feet or throwing them for quarter mile stretches; busting down wall and gate with far too much ease; even diverting the great rivers to drown out the deep fires and wash away the filth that he had taken so long to breed.
Freeza was chuckling behind him, Zarbon looking thoroughly amused with the situation. Saruman pointed at the ents and a small gurgle of anger and annoyance curdled in his throat. Freeza smiled without warmth. "It looks as though you have an overgrown weed problem."
A smirk grew wider on Freeza's lips as Saruman spoke. "You claim to be bored and that I am doing things wrong, then show me how you would deal with this!" The wizard pointed, irritated, out at the ents.
Zarbon searched his lord's face and smirked at what he read there. Freeza shook his head. "I don't see how this is my problem." The Icejin slowly began to levitate from the floor, Zarbon following his lord's lead.
"What are you doing?" Saruman balked.
"Leaving you to your play." A sneer and barked laughter later, Saruman stared after the two aliens as they took off to the skies.
With a seriously confused countenance, Saruman turned to Grima, the servant watching the aliens leave off in awe. Anger poured in then as Saruman glared at the man that was supposed to be groveling at his feet. In a fit of rage fueled by insufferable aliens that played his allegiance, the hell and havoc caused by the great ents bound to destroy his fortress, and now with the half-scared half-idolizing look his servant was supposed to be showing him; Saruman bellowed and swung his staff in a great arc. The side of Grima's face split under the impact and the man howled with pain as he crumpled to the ground. Saruman advanced on him again…
Outside of Isengard, the ents could hear the ceaseless tormented screaming from high in the tower. It lasted nearly the entire length of their siege of the fortress. And only when the waters stilled, the fires dampened and were put out, and the ents allowed themselves to stand and relax in the aftermath did they notice the screams had stopped and all that filtered from the high tower were harsh broken sobs.
---
It was cold floating around in his mind. He could feel Kami there, supporting him blindly without body, and he felt oddly at ease. The pain pulled away and all Piccolo could remember was being drug to the corner and slowly falling into himself. If this is hell, the humans have been sorely mistaken. He grunted soundlessly, no voice or noise in this void.
And so he floated. Aimlessly drifting in the spaces and gaps of his mind, not even really able to hold a cohesive thought no matter how hard he struggled to think of something, anything. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours or days, it didn't matter here in this null were nothing existed except his floating bubble of self and the warm embrace of Kami that always seemed to elude him even though he could tell that it was only a little bit away. And then, after that eternity that could have been nanoseconds, the pain returned. Piccolo grit his non-teeth and the thoughts slowly came back and he pieced together syllables and thought This, THIS is hell, as his body screamed with shattered bones grinding; wounds pulled open and seeping, all the horror of his beating bleeding back into his jangling nerves.
A thick taste on his tongue, blood and stale air, and something else that was vaguely familiar in its bitterness. And then a tortured breath and what had been horrible pain before felt dull and nothing compared to the screaming of his lungs and splintered ribs. Kami and the Kai's but he hoped that he wasn't coming to life just to feel this pain and die again. Heated hands, familiar in their strength and the power in them were pushing ki, blessed and merciful and beautiful in its intensity. He opened his barrier, felt it fall away in one solid chunk like a sheer of ice off an iceberg and the pain was forgotten as pure energy sucked deep into his bones and he could have kissed whoever it was that bled it all away.
A second breath, easier than the first and his floating mind settled back into his head, noises and ki signatures noted but not read and he knew he was alive even if it was so surreal. And those damned hands were gone, blessed heat taken with them and the pain came back in throbs. Piccolo opened his eyes slowly, dull evening light merciful to them and the looming head of lilac swayed in front of him. He opened his mouth and croaked out what he hoped had been the boys name and failed at smirking as the boy beamed at him, nodding his head. Mirai asking how he felt, and then he could feel the ki, his own, strong and steady and powerful. The bones of his body were sliding slowly into place, his liquid muscles that allowed abnormal stretch and growth moving them painlessly to place where they healed and soldered back where they belonged, light itching and tingles along his whole body as everything mended.
A smile stretched his lips and he grinned up at the young demi and told him exactly what he knew to be true, "I'll live."
He could see others beyond the boy as he stood. Goku seemed relieved and in his own way Vegeta appeared a little relieved too. Piccolo resisted shaking his head at the look and sat up slowly, the whole world spinning wildly around him. He had just made it, sitting properly up and was intent on sitting for a full minute until the world decided to stop playing around and stand still when a body hit his back to the earth. His initial reaction was to stiffen and punch out, but he was still a little disoriented and soon grew very disoriented as said body gripped him and split his still healing lips back open with a forceful kiss.
Eyes widened in surprise and the scent of sandalwood and lightly turned earth clouded around him; he finally recognized the tumbling flaxen hair. Piccolo's mind reeled with this bit of information but before he could get angry his hands had already found themselves tangled tightly in the silky locks and was pulling the elf closer. A knee pressed into his still bruised gut and he gasped, pushing Legolas away with more force than necessary.
The elf rocketed backward, landing heavily on his elbows and tailbone. Legolas sat there, surprised and staring at the equally surprised and shocked expression of the Namek. Slowly, Legolas' shock slipped from his face into anger and embarrassment and he straightened himself as he stood glowering. Sharp pain sliced back through Piccolo's stomach and he clutched it with a low growl. Definitely something vital bleeding in there. He grit his teeth as he stood, bent over at the waist and straightened slowly with a small grimace on his face.
Legolas felt like slapping himself in the forehead like he had seen the humans do when they've done something foolish and gingerly touched his fingertips to Piccolo's arm that still curled around his middle. "Forgive me, I was not thinking."
Piccolo raised an eye ridge at him, wondering exactly which part he was apologizing for. He slowly released his stomach and prodded at the tissue and sighed mentally. He shook his head and waved a hand in dismissal, "Forget it." Not noticing the almost hurt look in Legolas' eye as he was dismissed so easily.
Mirai miraculously appeared from somewhere to his right with a full water bladder in his hands. He held it out to Piccolo and the Namek smiled gratefully at him before uncorking it and swallowing the entirety in three heavy draughts. He took a great gasp of air as he finished and looked the demi-saiyajin squarely in the eye. "Thank you."
Trunks' cheeks colored lightly. "It's no big deal. I'm just glad I made it in time." He smiled shyly up at the Namek. Piccolo grinned back at him a moment before looking around for more water.
Goku tossed him the one on his hip and Piccolo nodded his appreciation. The tall saiyajin turned to Mirai with a curious look. "Hey Trunks, how did you manage to get here anyway?"
The younger ran his fingers through his hair and thought for a moment. "It's a strange story actually…"
---
Elladan and Elrohir stood beside the Mirkwood Prince as they listened in on the tale, quietly telling their friend parts of the story that they took part in, in Quenya. They were awed at the Namek, having seen him at a glance and from a distance when the Fellowship had yet to leave Rivendell. Standing near him was entirely a different experience and watching the nearly pained look that would flicker across Legolas' face now and then as he watched the green toned alien made them wonder what exactly had transpired over the several days they had been apart.
Trunks ended his tale, including why exactly his father and friends didn't have any energy and what he gave them that allowed them to have it now. He looked expectantly around the others, noticing several faces he had not met that were hanging on his every word. He turned his eyes back to Goku and Vegeta, shrugging one shoulder. "What do we do now?"
Gandalf stepped forward, an unusual twinkle in his eyes. "We must head to Isengard. There we must confront Saruman." There was a low murmur throughout the troops within hearing range. Gandalf didn't seem to notice. Instead his gaze was steady on Aragorn and Théoden. "The battle front may be won, but farther battle and the war are still yet to be."
Aragorn nodded his head in acquiescence, already making his way to gather his things and prepare for the journey to Isengard. Théoden looked skeptically around himself, Gandalf reading the look of doubt on the king's face. "Take a legion of men with you, the rest would do well to stay and treat the wounded and make reparations. Others may go to Edoras, to prepare your house for your return."
Théoden stroked his chin and looked pointedly at his nephew, Éomer for his part looked his uncle in the eye levelly. With a quick draw of breath and nod of his head, Théoden motioned for a horse. Éomer, following his uncle's lead, split the troops into groups and set them on their ways, those that remained waiting patiently to follow their King wherever he would lead them.
With a satisfied look, Gandalf turned resolutely to the Saiyajins beside him. "I would very much like to discuss the show of your power earlier." Goku beamed and immediately agreed. Gandalf nodded his head and whistled for Shadowfax.
As those that would ride found a steed, Gandalf was surprised at a clearing throat and looked down at Piccolo, the Namek watching him with a curious look on his face. "I need to discuss some things with you later." Gandalf nodded and watched as the Namek returned to his friends without looking back. The wizard tugged on the tip of his beard as he thought.
"We are prepared, Gandalf." Aragorn called, riding up beside him. "Gandalf?"
The Wizard blinked and smiled lightly, "Of course, Aragorn." He turned a ways on the horses back and called loudly to the others. "We ride."
---
Gimli sat perched behind Legolas as they traveled along to Isengard. The elf had been oddly distracted and quiet. He scratched at his beard, sighing deeply through his nose and peered around to find anything to break the uncomfortable silence.
Ahead were the leaders; Aragorn, Gandalf, Théoden and Éomer; all talking about this, that and the other. Troops in small clusters, looking organized for all of their disorder followed behind them. And above him flew three saiyajins and behind them and practically behind the entire procession of the riders flew the Namek.
Gimli grunted, terribly confused at what was happening between the members of the order. One minute Legolas and Piccolo were so close he couldn't have blown pipe weed smoke between them, the next they were avoiding each other and gazing at the other with longing looks when they were sure the other was not looking. But he had been and he had seen. Looking up at the back of Legolas' head, Gimli nodded to himself. He was going to push them together if that's what it took, and for some reason he knew that that was probably exactly what they needed.
Legolas looked over his shoulder and smirked at the deep look of thought on Gimli's features. "What are you thinking, Gimli, that requires such a face?"
The dwarf looked up at him and an odd tinkle in his eye flashed in and out before Legolas could tell what it was. "I was only thinking about the Namek." A look of surprise quickly crossed the elf's face. "It seems to me that he is in pain."
Gimli suppressed a grin as Legolas quickly looked up to spot the alien. "What do you mean, Gimli? He has no wounds, they've all been healed. You saw it yourself with your own two eyes; or do dwarves have bad eyesight as well as bad looks?" Legolas grinned at him and Gimli didn't bother to rise to the bait, he was too busy with other things at the moment.
"Oh, no, laddy. I don't mean he has a physical hurt." Gimli saw Legolas' lips turn down in thought and left it at that. As the elf began to speak, the dwarf pointed into the distance. "Is that not Fangorn forest?"
The elf looked and smiled, nodding his head. Gimli let out a quiet sigh of relief and listened off and on as Legolas spoke of the trees. They rode through the edges of the forest, trying to remain hidden from the sight of any of Sauron's forces as much as possible. Gimli shrank in on himself as the old woods creaked and groaned so instead of thinking about the strange and eerie things that may live in the woods, he turned his mind inward and tried to think of what he could say to Piccolo. The Namek would be far harder to push.
---
The flying aliens decided against soaring over the forest at Gandalf's request for being as inconspicuous as possible. Instead, they walked somewhere in the middle of the procession talking amicably about the events that led them all here. Or so Trunks and Goku spoke. Vegeta grunted at points when he was asked his opinion and Piccolo threw in uncharacteristic comments about how beautiful and vibrant the scenery was. Mirai nodded as the Namek spoke, understanding more than all of them just how magnificent the area was.
"I think I'll have to visit Lorièn before we leave." Trunks smiled genially up at Piccolo. "The trees in Rivendell were great, but from the sounds of it, Lorièn is better."
Piccolo nodded. "It is."
For the most part, the riders beyond them kept a fair distance, not sure what to make of the new aliens after witnessing such a display of power; so it was a surprise to hear the sound of horse's feet draw near. Piccolo looked over casually, and frowned thinking he had a concussion that hadn't healed properly and that he was seeing double.
Mirai smiled shyly at the new arrivals and Piccolo looked between them with a quirked eye ridge.
"Elladan, Elrohir." Mirai nodded to them and they both smiled and nodded back in return.
"We've come to see how you are fairing after all you have been through." Elrohir spoke, stroking absentmindedly at the horse's mane below him.
Elladan smirked and winked at Trunks. "Actually, my brother has been staring after you and has developed an odd obsession to have you fly him."
Piccolo smirked along with the elf and looked between them all, snorting at the deep blush on Mirai's face as well as the tinting on Elrohir's.
"I assure you it is only curiosity." Elrohir stated quietly. He looked pointedly at his brother. "If it would please you, Mirai, you are welcome to ride with me if you grow weary."
A sly grin wormed onto Trunks' face and Piccolo couldn't believe what he was hearing and mentally berated himself for hidden innuendo he kept getting from their words. "That sounds great."
To the surprise of both twins, Mirai leapt agilely behind Elrohir and wrapped his arms securely around the elf's stomach. Elrohir stiffened before relaxing and beaming at his brother before riding off ahead. Elladan scowled and took off after them shortly after.
Shaking his head, Piccolo turned to see Goku watching after the demi with a curious look. The saiyajin opened his mouth to speak and Piccolo held up a hand. "Forget it, Goku."
Goku scowled like a child that had its favorite cookie snatched away. Vegeta snorted beside him and patted his arm. Goku looked down at him and opened his mouth but Vegeta shook his head. "It's nothing, Kakkarot."
This time the scowl returned with an indignant, 'hmph'.
"The twins are making their intentions known to Vegeta's son." A soft voice spoke behind them. Goku turned and smiled gratefully up at the blonde elf atop his dapple-grey mare that rode silently behind them. Legolas returned the smile and shook his head, silky hair flitting about his face. An offended snort and grumbling came from behind him, and Gimli's face soon peaked out around to glare up at the elf.
"Watch what you are doing with all of that hair, elf. I have a blade here and can easily take care of it for you." Gimli brandished a dagger and waved it around just for show before putting it away again.
Gimli's eyes rested on the Namek—Piccolo none the wiser as he glanced at Legolas before determinately looking any where but the elf—and the dwarf felt a knowing smile tug at his lips. He patted Legolas' thigh, "I am only jesting. Surely the Namek would have my head if I dared touch it."
Legolas stiffened in front of him and Gimli waited for reaction as the elf turned his head to wait as well. They were sorely disappointed if they were expecting a great flailing of limbs, snarls of anger and empty threats. Instead Piccolo's shoulders stiffened and he closed his eyes for several seconds before relaxing and opening them again.
The form before him slumped slightly and Gimli sighed aloud. No one noticed.
