Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.
The Long Road
Chapter 70: Fair
Piccolo:
You know, this is really all your fault.
Quiet.
I mean, not intervening sooner-
Quiet.
Alright... So, who else here thinks a lot of this is his fault-
Definitely me.
Shut up, Nail.
That wasn't me, it was him-
All the Nails in here, need to be quiet.
Hey, you're not the Piccolo who owns this body-
No, I'm the one with the least tolerance. Now-
SHUT UP!
Piccolo's eyes flashed open as he left his meditative state. An irritated growl immediately left his throat as he stared ahead. It'd been only a few days since this had all happened, since he'd been united with two of himself, and multiple Nails and one other Kami. Having his eyes opened to the greater universe beyond this one was hard for him to cope with in a lot of ways. It let him see where he'd made so many mistakes. The failure to kill Raditz like all his counterparts, lead to this... shattered world. It wasn't easy to fix people, or realities which had been permanently altered by events that couldn't just be resolved on their own again.
With the trio dead, it left him to pick up the pieces of this world. It was his world, but he could see it clearly through the lens of an outsider now. An outsider who had the misfortune of seeing the world through the eyes of a half dozen other people, including two of himself. There were enough mistakes on his part to fill the Lookout. The failure to kill Goku and Raditz outside of the Space Pod was a significant one. His failure to kill Cell was another misfortune that came to mind. Worst, if he'd been stronger he could have stopped Turles when they first encountered him. Falling to Darkness, the Majin Mark, just as Vegeta had was another failing on his part. Now he was failing to properly train Pan, someone who this world was going to need after Goku and Vegeta were gone.
And then there was the responsibility of being the strongest fighter alive right now, at least on the Earth. Goku and Vegeta were most definitely going to find a way to close the gap, it was in their nature, and he wasn't sure just how Gohan's Hellbound bargain was going to impact his strength either. For the moment he knew that there was much more riding on his shoulders. The only time he could think of a comparison was when he'd fought the Saiyans.
The forest in front of him, the untamed wilderness stretched out as far as teh eye could see. Pan's familiar energy had been spotty to pick up at best, and was moving far faster than she should have been able to, appearing days worth of travel away in hours. Either she'd mastered flight without his assistance, or she was moving with someone. The latter didn't seem likely, if only because he couldn't sense a significant power level with her. It was all very strange. But he was finally closing in on her, her power had spiked up again, and he was only a few kilometres away.
A harsh environment had certainly helped the girl's power, and had probably helped instil in her the survival instinct you needed to survive a battle. But even with that mentioned, he knew moving forward she'd need a more stable platform to train under from here on out. Then there were other moral questions he'd not considered before, not before the merger. What did he do about reintroducing her to her family? What did he tell Goku of all people when he saw him? Gohan would be back in a little under or over three months.
Did he just train her? When Gohan got back, those were all going to be something he could handle. It was Gohan's duty to take care of her, really. But now he'd at least get her on the right track towards being the kind of fighter the Earth needed. Gohan had too many bad habits as a fighter. Even with as far as Gohan had come as a warrior, exploiting natural talent, and how he'd improved his form and technique, there were still glaring flaws. And that wasn't even beginning to get into the flaws Goku had as a fighter. Despite being the best fighter he knew, Goku could drag out a battle needlessly and put everyone in danger, just to satisfy his curiosity.
A draft picked up before Piccolo's body rose from the elevated plateau above the sea of trees in front of him. His cape was caught up in it as the Namekian just nodded to himself. It started here, and it started now. He only had so much time to begin to set this world right, and part of it would mean setting Pan's course right.
The ground beneath him started to draw away as his body was propelled forward through the air, being left only with memories of other worlds, and of lives that were now his own.
I remember training Gohan in the woods, or fighting by his side against Frieza. I almost can't imagine him being there, but I also can't imagine him not being there. It created a hole in Goku's life, and a hole in this Piccolo's life. It's remarkable to think of how different things would have been with him here. Yea, we dealt with Frieza and Cell, but if Buu had woken up, or he'd not been here when Garlic had appeared at such a delayed timeline-
There was another flash of Pan's power, this time almost right beneath him.
Black eyes caught a glimpse of movement below in the trees before he heard a thud next to one of the trees.
Well, found her.
The only issue was, in the area below he could sense movement which didn't have a life force. It was familiar to two of the three Piccolo's which now compromised him. There was a brief second where he felt his eyes widen. There was no way to be sure that it was what he expected... But if he didn't know better, he would say that there was an android down there.
Without a second thought, he'd grabbed his cape and turban and tossed them aside before he descended to the forest floor below in the blink of an eye. When his feet landed on the ground, Piccolo looked around him, seeking motion instead of energy levels around him. One thing became obvious to him immediately however, there was an unconscious pair of bodies in front of him, both of them were armed. Someone had just knocked them out without much effort, they didn't look like they'd been in any serious fight.
But behind a particularly large tree in front of him, Piccolo could sense Pan's energy.
"Pan," Piccolo called, his guard still on high alert. "I know you're there. You can come out. It's time to continue your training."
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Pan:
17 had gotten very quiet after the poachers had been knocked out. Pan felt how quickly they dodged behind the tree just from his force of movement. It was uneasy as she saw 17's head against the tree, almost as if he was trying to peer through it.
It'd been a while since she'd been picked up, days blended into weeks. 17 seemed like a nice enough person. He just tried to keep animals safe. He went through local communities and seemed to make sure people were alright. He called a woman from time to time, asking about his own family. It was really strange, the monotone voice he had seemed to not reflect the kind of person he was. After the first week he even told her she was a ranger, though placated her with kid-like jobs he knew didn't need to be done. Pan wasn't so simple as to not realize she was being placated, but at least he was trying.
Which was more than she could say she'd really noticed from almost anyone... ever, well, except for her dad.
Two feet touched down on the ground as Pan's eyes widened at the noise. That came from the sky, she knew that well enough. And that told her it was someone like her dad, Piccolo, or the Demon Garlic. There was a tense few seconds before she heard the unfortunately familiar voice carry through the air.
"Pan. I know you're there. You can come out. It's time to continue your training."
Training? Her hand was trembling even as she tried tog rasp all she'd been through as training. The forest, living like an animal, starving to death almost... That was training? Unconsciously the tremble had gotten worse, it'd become shaking.
A calming hand landed on her shoulder. For a second she almost thought it was her dad. A realization she wasn't alone calmed her enough to breathe normally before she looked up, seeing 17 still peering in the direction they both knew Piccolo was, trying to access the situation.
A second later, 17 slipped past her to walk out from the tree. She reached out immediately, grabbing at his hand before he left, but he just walked past.
"Piccolo," 17's voice broke the tension around them.
Instead of a response, there was just a deafening silence that fell down around them. The tension which felt like it split for a moment was now rising like Pan couldn't believe. It felt like any moment a fight could break out.
Slowly, her head peaked around the corner of the tree, staring at the green man who'd torn her from the arms of her mother. He looked seriously at the android before a look of relief passed his features when he stared back at her. The second he looked she felt her heart racing in fear, but there was something different about him. Every time she'd seen him before, there was always a coldness to him. It was like a different person was staring back at her now, and she didn't know how she could almost sense it beyond the look he had. There was relief on his features when he saw her, before he turned his attention back towards 17.
"The girl's coming with me," Piccolo's voice declared.
17 looked back at her before staring back at Piccolo, shaking his head slightly.
"Not if she doesn't want to. Even then I have my own questions which need to be answered."
They were still measuring one another, both of them digging in. It almost reminded her of when she saw her mother and father discuss, well, anything. They'd both announce what they wanted or what they were planning, and then neither would back down, well, until one did.
"Pan," Piccolo's voice opened up. "Your father is going to be back from the afterlife very soon, and when he gets back I want you to be ready to help him and a lot of other people defend this world. Leaving you in the forest to fend for yourself was harsh, but it was necessary to harden you to the suffering and strife that everyone must go through to achieve the strength necessary to help stop the kinds of monsters that killed your father and stole you away the first time."
So far her time with 17 had been... relaxed. He asked her if she needed things, and she just told him. Food, water, clothes, whatever, it was all just a few minutes away. They went through the forest together while he stopped bad people from killing animals. Despite his off-standish nature, Pan could tell that at the very least 17 seemed to care about her well being.
And now the person who pulled her away from her mother, looking different than before, was coming here saying that her father would be coming back from the dead? And that she needed to help defend the whole world? It seemed too fantastical. It was too amazing.
"But he's dead?" Pan whispered to 17. "How do they come back from the dead?"
"I did," 17 answered honestly. "So did my sister. There are mystical artifacts on this world which may allow it. If you're father is who I think he is, then it is very likely what Piccolo is saying is true."
"I don't want to do any of that," Pan decided after a few seconds, before looking up at the man who'd saved her from starving to death in very recent memory. 17 didn't turn to face her, his features remained locked on the green man. "I just want my dad back."
There was a sigh on the side opposite her, before Piccolo looked away from her to 17.
"I'm far stronger than I was the last time we fought," Piccolo pointed out.
"So am I," was the only response before Piccolo nodded quietly.
"Pan," Piccolo commented. "Sometimes we need to do things we don't want to do. We have to give up something of ourselves for the people around us. Sometimes people even give up their lives, like your father did."
The look in his eyes came back to her as Piccolo spoke. The look in her father's eyes, that was. The moment she told him that she loved him before running away still haunted her. It haunted her still. The strongest person she knew, in every respect she could understand, died as soon as she left him behind. She wasn't there when it ended. She just remembered running as frantically as she could as the monster's body started to pull itself back together. She can't imagine how he... died, but she knew that he did.
"..."
Training, fighting, and warring had consumed everyone she cared about. Her mother's obsession had driven her away from her. Her father had been killed because of it. And now she was being asked to follow in the footsteps of two people she loved, but feared. In the time since she'd lost... everything...
The world had been opened to her, as the great big expanse around her. The freedom and liberty of running water and blue eyes felt liberating, but beneath all of it was the harsh reality which went past the layers above. Animals killed one another for food. People killed animals for trophies, and sometimes food. People killed one another for lots of reasons. It was all so strange, and here a big green man who had made her life a living hell, was now opening his hand, promising her that he'd teach her how to fight. He'd already taught her a lot about herself.
She didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to hurt any animals, or destroy anything.
"I don't want to hurt anyone," her voice finally came through her thoughts before she looked at the ground.
"I understand," Piccolo admitted. "But you're going to find there isn't a choice but to take a path that leads to harm. At some point in the future, monsters from this world like Garlic, or monsters from another world could come here and kill everyone and destroy everything. That is why I am trying to train you. Because someone needs to be here to stop that from happening."
"This is your choice now, Pan," Piccolo added. "But you should choose what you think is right. You were strong enough to survive, you have earned that right."
What was she supposed to do? There was so much conflict to her she didn't know what to think. She knew she was afraid of Piccolo. She knew she was afraid of being hurt. She was afraid of hurting other people too. She wished she could just hide. Looking over to 17, she reached out her hand, grasping his from the side, as if looking to draw on his strength while she was standing there. It was almost a substitute of her father. 17 seemed to be very detached, but he'd saved her and helped take care of her. Unthinking, her tail nervously wriggled behind her as her eyes traced away from Piccolo worryingly before looking up at 17.
"What should I do?" she whispered towards 17.
"You should decide if you believe Piccolo, and if you want to go along with what he's proposing," 17 answered mechanically almost, before did let her hand continue to hold his.
There was a groan of irritation she couldn't hide, and it easily overwhelmed her nervous demeanour. The look she gave him only had to say 'really'. She'd wanted his advice, not for him to just restate her situation to him.
"If you are asking my opinion, it is unlikely that Piccolo is lying to you. He would do anything to protect this world. He nearly killed me to prevent my body from being absorbed by an evil android named Cell. And then, when Cell appeared and he was unable to complete the task, he immediately went on to defend me, nearly giving his own life. If you are asking me if you should trust his word, it is highly probably that he is being honest with us at this moment, especially given his logical motivation. This was in all probability a motivating factor for his ill treatment of yourself in the meantime."
It was almost shocking that 17 knew Piccolo. They'd fought before even. And Piccolo had tried to save him, to save the planet?
"I want you to come with me," Pan decided, staring up at him seriously. "I don't want to do it without you."
It was then that Pan felt his hand slip away from hers before he took two steps to face her directly before kneeling down. His blue eyes stared directly at her, staring through her almost before he rested a hand on her shoulder.
"My place is here," he explained honestly. "I am defending as many of these animals from bad people as I can, and my own training is too advanced for you. If Piccolo is training you, he will do so correctly."
"He stole me from my mom," Pan pointed out.
"Yes. But as I said before, Piccolo's motivation is almost always the defence of the planet. If that means killing me, or that means taking you, he will do it. It's something I learned, and agree with. It's the right choice," 17 explained. "Besides, no one would believe that I would go training with anyone. My reputation precedes me."
Wary eyes moved from 17 to Piccolo before looking back at him with a frown.
"What if I don't want to?" she asked.
"Then you can stay with me until someone else comes looking for you," 17 offered.
That was what she wanted to do. For a child of only five years, a child who was left to try and determine things on her own and find out what the right path was, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want people to get hurt because she couldn't act, but she was afraid. She also still had the images of Piccolo batting her mother aside and just dragging her off at the fore of her mind. She was afraid, and that bothered her just as much. What did she have to be afraid of? Why did she feel that way? These questions emerged to her as she stared at 17, trying to decide between her choices.
"I'm scared," she admitted honestly.
"We all get frightened at some point," 17 admitted to her. "The question is not if we are afraid, but what we do about it. If you don't want to live in fear, face what you are afraid of."
Looking over at the green figure who'd not even moved in the last few moments, Pan stared back over to 17 before nodding her head. She turned to walk away before pausing, turning back to 17 himself. With a burst of speed she surprised him, hugging him as he knelt down as tightly as she could, which after all she'd been through was stronger than she'd imagined. Her tail unfurled behind her and flicked instinctively back and forth as she held on.
"Thank you for saving me, Mister 17," she told him.
A stunned adult was left in her clutches for several seconds before she could sense him give a rare, small smile. A hand patted her on top of her scalp before he started to stand, leaving her to slip away. Water brimmed on the edges of her eyes while she looked up at him, a smile growing on her own features as she realized this was going to be goodbye. Most of the people she was separated from never came back into her life. To be divided always felt like goodbye.
"It was good to meet you, Pan," 17 told her honestly. "You'll be fine."
Taking several cautious steps back, Pan stared at the black haired man before finally approaching the green shaded man opposite him. Every step towards him panic ran through her veins as she tried to keep herself composed. Living in the woods, surviving with the wolves, nearly starving several times, and being attacked and mauled left her eyes wide as she saw him staring at her. Even with the softer look to his features, she could still remember the stern look on his features as he cast her out to survive on her own. When she stopped in front of him, she felt her trembling hand come out, reaching for his. A cautious look came back to 17, who wasn't looking at her, but was casting what she knew was a warning look towards Piccolo.
When her eyes turned back to the warrior, she saw him staring back at 17, nodding as he did. There was an understanding there that Pan could sense. Her hand ceased trembling, before landing in the midst of Piccolo's outstretched hand finally. It felt like this was the decision she was always meant to take. As soon as she did, the man who'd torn her away from her mother, who'd known her father and had left her to the harsh reality of the forests, stared back at her, keeping an impassive look on his features.
"Training will be hard," Piccolo's voice opened up. "If you give it everything you have to learn, I'll give you everything I have to teach you."
There was something reassuring, in its own strange way. Nodding back to Piccolo, she felt for the first time she might accomplish something beyond just being the child she was.
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Piccolo: Three Weeks Later
A dizzying whirl of motion would have swept over him decades earlier, but in his current form and strength, it felt like slow motion was playing out in front of him as he slid back, suppressing his power as his body shifted past an incoming kick. A tree behind him trembled violently as the blow carried through it. Pan's fist appeared to his eyes a second later, planted against the side of the old tree before her eyes turned to him like a hungry wolf. The sound of roots ripping out of hardened soil filled the air around the before the huge tree slowly broke out of the ground, creaking backwards the bark covered mass began snapping its own branches and the branches of its peers as crashed into the forest beyond in a great symphony of chaos and noise.
"Good, you're learning to hit harder," Piccolo observed as another two strikes shot towards him, swiping past his body as he dodged sharply beyond each blow. "But you're still having trouble staying on target. You're getting stronger, and you're getting faster, but you're sacrificing form to get there."
A frustrated snarl left the girl who only three weeks ago had been afraid to throw a punch at him. With another jump forward as cried out, throwing a punch towards his head as her legs lifted off the ground. Another kick shot past his nose as his head shifted back. With the same velocity as her blows, Piccolo struck back. An unpolished defence was demonstrated in turn as Pan grabbed the top of his hand, pushing herself away in the air, but leaving herself exposed to attack. A sharp strike came from his hand, now formed into a knife's chop, cutting into her ribs. A thud followed before she hit the ground, squirming in pain.
"AHH!"
"The next time you make a move like that, remember that pain," Piccolo commented bluntly as he turned away, walking casually towards a nearby rock and resting against it.
Truth be told, she was a natural, but given her family background that wasn't hard to imagine. Just like surviving on her own, even if difficult, the training had been something she was able to do. The reluctance he saw at first bled away and it reminded him exactly of her father when he was a chil-
Her father isn't the Gohan we know. I've got to keep that in mind. Well, not that he knew since his childhood.
It wasn't that he didn't want to trust Gohan. But there was enough there to make him hesitant. Gohan in this world had betrayed them for Turles. To the other Piccolo's which now made up his personality, the idea that Gohan would do that was abhorrent, out of character in the extreme, and flew in the face of everything he was in the worlds where he'd been a better person. Even the peak moments of his life of virtue, always were spurred on from the outside first.
Then again, his own desire to fight Goku and prove he still deserved to be powerful, had lead to him being a slave to Babidi. His own arrogance had allowed Gohan himself to make several desperately poor decisions and mistakes. His failures as a warrior hadn't saved his friends mroe than once as well.
He wasn't just training a young warrior to one day stand at the front lines of defending the Earth, the only home he'd ever known, and a place where he'd lived multiple lifetimes as its guardian, he was redeeming his failures. He could already see the opportunities here. Especially since Pan was already starting to get up, her eyes peeled on him.
"Take a drink," Piccolo remarked, pointing to a nearby pot of water he'd brought with him today.
Slowly her features turned from a harsh cut, to a calmer demeanour.
She's a good kid.
When she walked over to the pot and sat down with her mug, she started to drink a few seconds later as Piccolo's senses reached out across the world, sensing everyone else. Trunks being gone at the moment, was something none of them wanted to find out, even if Vegeta already knew. Goten and Goku's energies were spiking right now, and that was exactly what he always had come to expect. He trained with them for years, and Goku had been a bit concerned, or suspicious as to why he'd started to train on his own again, but he knew Goku would give him some privacy. He would at least for now, anyway.
He's going to want to test himself against me, sooner or later. I'm going to need to make sure that my meditation is perfect if I'm not going to disappoint.
Putting her cup down, Pan got up and marched towards him, her eyes filled with something akin to anger.
"How am I supposed to do this if I can't hit you?" Pan demanded finally. "It's not fair."
"Fight's aren't fair. If you aren't strong and smart enough to win, you lose," Piccolo told her bluntly. "I'm only letting myself move as fast as you can. So if you're going to win, you'll win because you've figured out my movements. Not because you're going to sloppily throw punches at me."
"... It's not fair," she shot back again, crossing her arms angrily.
"What? That you're a hundred times stronger and more focused than you were three weeks ago? Or that you're too slow in body and mind to hit me?" Piccolo shot back. "If you don't like-"
It was almost there. His own guard had been down because more often then not she'd always waited for the training to begin. There was fraction of a second before for the first time he raised his hand to block, grabbing her fist and throwing it aside. Her entire body followed her hand, before her feet skid across the open ground around them before hopping back towards him, lashing out with far better placed kick than she had prior. Another block was raised this time as she landed a blow on his guard.
The two remained frozen in place as she breathed in and out angrily at him. She looked furious. Good, this was providing faster results? Then he'd make her angry more often-
Sweeping her kick aside she lunged for him, striking out towards his abdomen with her small frame. Using his superior reach, Piccolo kept her at distance while backing away, letting her overextend. It didn't take long before he'd flanked her again, this time delivering a knee to her from the side. Her eyes widened and hollowed out before she gagged, coughing up saliva and hitting the ground once again.
"Better," Piccolo observed. "But you let your anger control you. Learn to control that, and you'll be much better off."
An angry flinch came from the huddled body on the ground as she resentfully stared up at him.
"It's not fair," she repeated.
"Deal with it," Piccolo's voice reverberated back, his own annoyance rising up. "I don't like putting up with whining while I'm training, kid."
Something changed in the air when she pulled herself up, her fists balled as her entire body trembled with real anger. This wasn't just frustration. There was a ripple he felt first through the energy around them before the ground rumbled below him. A flash of white light came in front of him, leaving to him being caught unaware, stepping back with widened as as he did. It was only through sensing a shift in the air that he managed to side step the glowing ball of anger that Pan was, punching past him with an aura burning around her body.
Grit teeth were bore out as she turned towards him, her eyes filled with a rage he rarely saw. That was an impressive amount of power for someone that young. Even as she was left stalled in the air, Piccolo couldn't take his mind off the reservoir of strength that would have been required to manifest this much power from such a diminished position. Even if it was a spike, she was stronger than most of the adversaries he faced on Earth prior to returning from Namek.
In a quick motion, Piccolo shot his elbow out, catching her in the side of the head before the body dropped, all of its power vanishing as rapidly as it appeared.
Just like Gohan.
The realization was there and Piccolo couldn't help but give a small smile. Not from the life this body had left, but from the lives he'd lived before. The familiar came back to him, as if wandering out of his past like an old friend you didn't expect to see. Walking over to the body which was just breathing, clearly unable to move much further, Piccolo grabbed her arm, dragging her towards where they'd camped.
She'd earned a breather, he was going to allow her to rest for an hour before they continued. It only seemed right, given the new peak she'd risen to.
They were going to need to start focusing on ki concentration in a more dedicated way, soon. Maybe after she obtained some more discipline of mind, she would start seeing the openings she needed to land attacks on a foe of equal or greater strength. But for the moment, even he would admit she was impressed, even if her form was extremely flawed.
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Pan: Week Five
The ground had air swirling around her as she concentrated. Across from her Piccolo was just floating there. He'd finally made her her own proper training clothes, stating she needed them. It was strangely familiar, she remembered seeing a few people wearing clothes like it at the World Martial Arts tournament. An orange fighting gi with a blue suit beneath was now her main form of dress, rather than the tattered rags of what had been left of the clothes 17 had gotten her.
But it was the thing she was trying to concentrate on right now which put her in the greatest unease. Trying to find yourself? Trying to harness something within... it was hard to explain, because she knew it was there. She'd felt it several times in her life, and had been feeling herself tap into it more and more. She could sense the barriers she needed to open, she'd even taken to the air with it as if it were as simple as running. She felt stronger with every passing day.
"That's good, focus your energy, bring it to the surface," Piccolo's voice emerged in her head as she lost concentration for only a split second, wanting to focus on himself instead of the power within.
Every day of training had been exhausting. Every day she woke up with more energy, but she went to bed more tired than the day before. She was frustrated, she got angry about it, sometimes she resented Piccolo. But every time he knocked her down he taught her a lesson, either with his orders or with his fists. She didn't understand at first, but every time he tried to impede her, he was teaching her. Every time she got knocked down, she was learning to stand better on her own. It was something she never felt before.
Her mother never paid attention, and almost never corrected her. It was a void of affection almost. Her father stepped in and solved everything for her almost right away, and did everything to protect her from the outside. She new it too. But this thing that had pulled her from the arms of her mother, that had left her to starve in the forest... he was trying to help her, even if it was as he always talked about, for the betterment of the world. She could still feel the energies flowing through the air from when her father locked himself in battle with Garlic. It was something she'd never forget. The very idea she was tapping into the same things that they did was frightening and made her chest feel bigger all at once. Without knowing the words for it, she was feeling empowered by it.
A soft white glow emerged from her arms first, before spreading across her body as she felt almost lighter. She could sense more, everything felt more real. The world seemed to slow down almost as the forest's branches seemed to slow down before her very eyes. Sounds felt more drawn out and she could sense the energy of the world around her just as she had when she'd been next to Garlic and her father, only this time it was all apart of a smooth, calm sea of tranquillity.
The world became an open space. The ground beneath her feet disappeared, and all that felt it was left was the spirit not just of herself, but of the whole world around her. She could see Piccolo without even looking at him, as well as other auras in the world around her. She could even see herself, it was like looking in a mirror all around her, and it was getting further and further away from herself.
She could see the wind wrap around her, picking up the dust and grass around her feet, one blade of grass in particular followed up her form. It danced in the air as the power she was emitting drew it into the skies above. The endless heavens of blue and white were all she then saw above as she felt her heart starting to race.
"Excellent," Piccolo confirmed with her, breaking her concentration more permanently this time.
The aura faded immediately as she felt herself breathing in and out, as if she'd just been kicked back into her body.
Staring at the figure she could swear she'd been staring at in real time without laying eyes on him moments earlier, Pan's blue eyes traced the figure as he stood there with his arms crossed.
"I... I could sense so much. The world-"
"You saw yourself and the world around you for the first time. A trained warrior can sense things around them using energy and the fluctuations around them. The material world is as much an obstacle as the one's beyond it," Piccolo remarked before smirking. "The more you learn to tap into this power, the greater understanding you'll have not just of your power, but how to be a warrior."
It was almost too much for her young mind to wrap itself around. She fell back onto her butt and just sat there, propped up by her arms staring ahead as she tried to catch up with herself.
"I'll give you a couple minutes, then training continues."
Something odd came over her while she sat there. Sensing all of those powers, and all of the energy of the Earth itself, opened something she tried to ignore every moment since her father had been left to his fate in the cave. She only had a handful of brief reprieves in her life so far. She felt alone, even as she was left here with the green skinned warrior. Concealing it the second it emerged, Pan was left sitting there, numb. It was like being left on a road in the middle of nowhere, with no beginning and no ending. There was no signs of anyone nearby.
More training was what she needed to focus on.
"Hey, when I said I'd give you a couple minutes, I didn't mean for you to sit there and sulk," Piccolo chastised.
Astonished eyes traced up to him as the stoic figured stared back at her with a piercing gaze, it was looking right through her. He saw her mood, even when she was trying to hide it.
"Now's not the time for that kind of attitude. We're going to go back to sparring if that's the case," Piccolo remarked.
It felt like she'd aged years in the last two weeks as she started to pull herself up. Only two weeks ago she remembered being so mad at how unfair the training seemed, not seeing how it was fair. Even though she still had trouble with it, she now understood what it was about. It wasn't about her landing the punch or kick on Piccolo properly, it was about the quest to get there. It was about being good enough to reach that goal.
Every step she took towards it down the long road she imagined herself on, was one more step towards being able to defend herself, and the people she cared about.
The only problem was, the she only really cared about 4, or maybe 5 people.
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Piccolo: Week 9
The badlands always had a sense of peace about them this late at night. The lights in the darkness above them were an ocean above them in their own respect. A half full moon stared down from above as well, illuminating a fraction of the surface of the earth below. Shrubs and rock formations stood in the pale moonlight, and the only thing that could really be heard was the sound of the wind kicking up the sand and dry earth.
The only contrast to the moon's light was the warm emerges of the fire in front of him. It gave warmth, necessary more for Pan than for himself. It wouldn't be much longer before the Dragon would be summoned, and then all of this would change, wouldn't it? It would have to. Training Pan had been a walk down memories which were, and weren't his own. But there was something stark which was in contrast to his prior experience unfortunately.
The tiny body sitting near him just stared into the flames, pulling her knees up to rest her chin on them. Gohan... the ones from his memories, from when he was a child, had been a happy, good spirited boy. He knew he had a loving mother and father, and seemed to embrace every moment of his life, barring his fears... and the whining.
It was impossible not to smile, remembering how soft Gohan had been when he first met him. Pan hadn't been the same way, she'd been afraid, and definitely not soft in the same way. But honestly he could guess as to why. Pan had lived an entirely different life, and couldn't be the Gohan from his memories. She couldn't be the Goten from this world even. Perhaps she had more in common with him from when he'd been alone in the early years of his life.
"You don't talk much," Pan said quietly, her eyes still locked on the fire in front of them. "..."
The statement was meant to incur an answer, and Piccolo gave a small "hmph", before turning his eyes upward towards the skies. There wasn't any need to go over anything. If it was training related, it was worth saying something. Just talking to the girl wasn't exactly going to improve their training, and he doubted she wanted him prying into much. The most he'd done so far was tried to help her when he saw the look in her eyes of someone consumed by something beyond their wanting to train. Maybe it was the aspect of loneliness he saw in her eyes.
"Do you miss your mom?" Pan asked openly.
Ah, that one was going to take some explaining.
"I am a Namekian, we don't have mothers or fathers, we reproduce asexually," Piccolo explained. "I have one parent, not two. And my parent died when I was born. I have all of his memories already, so I don't miss him at all."
No need to go into details about any other reasons why I wouldn't miss "dad".
There was just silence on the other end as Pan sat there. There was a sense that it wasn't the answer she was looking for.
"Do you miss your mother, Pan? Is that what this is about?"
"No," Pan answered honestly.
That was broad enough that Piccolo picked up on it. No, she didn't miss her mother. There was still guilt in her tone of course.
"You keep saying I have to defend everyone here one day... but I... I don't know any of them," Pan's voice trembled. "I don't have any family. I only have my dad and mom."
"Your father will be back soon-"
"I know," Pan almost whispered. "..."
"You have more than just your mom and dad. You have other family," Piccolo remarked.
That don't know you exist for the most part, except for that buffoon Mister Satan.
"Only my dad cares about me," Pan's voice almost choked. "I... I'm... I don't have..."
Great, here comes the crying. Maybe she's not so different from Gohan.
But there was no tears. Well, there was no sobbing. She went dead quiet as she stared at the flames, and he could almost sense her loneliness and resentfulness pouring out. He could guess as to why. To have lived in isolation, and then to have probably the only person she ever had seemingly care about her stripped away was traumatic. Nothing else filled the void but a pack of wolves and an android. It was hard to imagine being lonely like that anymore, even for him. There was a time where he was the only person he had in the world... only himself and the life of a bitter dead man. It was hard to ever have been in that head space.
It'd been Gohan, in two of his lives, that showed him what it meant to have a friend. And in this world, no matter how flawed, it'd been Son Goku.
He'd not even realized he'd unfolded his arms, and that he'd reached out, placing his hand on her shoulder. She stopped stiffly before turning her eyes towards him, and he managed to look back.
"Tears don't help training," he remarked, but he couldn't help but let loose a small, genuine smile.
He couldn't bring himself to say the truth. He cared about how life turned out for her. Part of him knew telling her would take focus away from the training, another part reminded him that he was the teacher. But the smile, he knew, could say more than any open statement ever could.
Her eyes slowly opened as her mouth, which had been wound tight only a second early, slowly opened in near bewilderment, before the first real smile he'd seen in months appeared across her features, her arm brushing away what tears there had been. A half trembling nod came a second later before she stared back at the fire, before looking up at the stars above.
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Pan: Week 12
A white aura trailed behind her as she dashed towards Piccolo for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. Familiar bruises were forming across her arms and legs from where she'd blocked Piccolo's counterattacks. The sun hung in the air directly above her as she dived in towards the Namekian in front of her. When he side stepped her, this time she was careful to keep her guard up in the direction he was still in. She could keep track of his energy, of his light, knowing where he would be. When the strike came, she absorbed the blow, before rolling around his extended fist and striking out towards him with a hard right swing, aiming directly for where she thought he would be.
Even still, he ducked her.
A small laugh escaped her all the same as she kept him on a backfoot, striking out at him with another series of punches, before she kicked towards his side. When he stepped back, she swept forward with her leg still extended from where he'd just been standing. This time she'd made the mistake she'd been avoided for days, overextending herself and opening up to attack. The worst part was she realized it as well. An unimpressed look cross her teacher's face before he swung his fist in, connecting with her back and shoulder, sending her skidding across the surface of the Earth.
It was hard to bounce off the ground like she normally did and jump back into things. Instead she hit and then the drag across the rough dry dirt began. Skids in the earth were left in her wake before she felt her face rubbed raw across the scraping earth beneath her. A cut opened up across her right arm as she grabbed the ground itself to slow herself down finally. A mound of dusty soil built up around her hand as the air was filled particles before she finally found herself come to a complete halt. When her lungs filled with the dust tinged air she coughed several times before starting to gather herself up. A bit of blood dripped from her arm as Piccolo started to walk towards her from where he stood.
She could already hear why she took such a bad hit before he said a word. A mocking tone followed.
You got sloppy. You left yourself open. You-
"Sloppy. I thought you'd learned to get around that over the last week. You got hit that hard because there was no reason for you to make that kind of miscalculation. And if I'd been a real opponent coming to kill you or someone important to you, you'd have just killed yourself or put yourself out of action at best," Piccolo scolded her before gesturing his arm for her to come at him again. "Again."
Wiping some sweat and dirt from her forehead, Pan just breathed in evenly, trying to keep herself under control.
"You're the one who told me to be more aggressive," her quills came up defensively.
"Does aggressive mean stupid?" he countered.
Now her anger rose. The increasingly common white aura emerged around her as she almost breathed fire.
"I'm not stupid," she snapped.
"Don't act stupid, and you won't be called stupid," Piccolo told her, crossing his arms as he did. "And I told you to come at me again. I didn't tell you to sit back and be defensive, either in words or in actions. You make a mistake, I'm going to call it out. I always do. Now deal with it."
Deal with it.
The words itched her brain as she felt herself getting angrier. Deal with it? It was a flaw Piccolo pointed out to her all the time. She would claim something was unfair, it was rigged, and she'd get angry about it and get even more sloppy. So much of the training he kept trying to remind her that it wasn't about it being fair, at least how she thought of fair. A conscious part of her mind tried to keep that in place as she stared back at him angrily, trying to control herself. She was trying to do what Piccolo asked.
Deal with it? Fine.
An air of irritation and anger still followed her as her body blasted off towards him as fast as she could. She felt the waves of light around her bend with speed before she appeared to his side, throwing a punch she could almost guess would be blocked. As soon as she did she was right, and her follow up was dodged with grace, leaving her almost exposed. When Piccolo came in to exploit the opening, she tumbled in the air, shifting around his strike, leaving his arm exposed. Grabbing it and planting her feet on the ground, she thrust her body forward with all her strength as she turned away from Piccolo, hoisting his arm as hard as she could.
A surprised Piccolo flipped over her head before she dived straight towards his back, trying to land both her feet before he disappeared in front of her. She could still sense him, in effect she could still see him. He came down from above, chopping towards her with one hand. In rapid motion she blocked it as she found her footing almost immediately before turning about, casting a short kick towards his knee. Within a fragment of a heartbeat his leg stepped back, preventing the blow from landing but offsetting him. Now was the time. Finally with a leap from the ground, she threw her arm out. Two concerned eyes followed her movement as she went to land her fist on his face, trying to land the first real hit she ever had on him. The only problem was that she hadn't paid attention to his other arm.
A sharp jab caught her out of the air, sending a gag from her body as he landed the blow on her ribs and stomach. She felt her body pick up into the air before he stepped into the blow and flipped around, using the momentum to land a backhand on her, sending her body flipping back. Instead of skidding this time, Pan ignored the pain as she coughed in mid air, she kicked her feet off the ground at full force, plunging back towards her teacher. Her arm slammed into his guard as she almost snarled like an animal. Piccolo's feet slid back against the ground as she followed through with him. As soon as his guard broke and he shifted to strike back at her, a moment caught her where she could see what he was about to do.
Ducking to the ground as he punched, Pan rolled under his legs as Piccolo was taken back. Instead of turning to face her like she expected, he rolled forward, creating distance. Quietly she cursed as she breathed in and out heavily, brushing some spit from her mouth as she kept her stance up, trying to measure Piccolo.
"Better," Piccolo nodded in turn.
Today was going to be the day. She could sense it. It was almost like when she was running with the wolves. All around her the energy that coursed through the world was flowing with her. She could smell it in the air and sense it in the vibrations in the wind. The illusive goal of landing the first real blow on Piccolo could be met. He wasn't infallible, and she knew how to make it happen.
When he gestured at her to come again, Pan pounced as aggressively as possible. The white aura around her glowed brightly as the ground beneath her lifted off with her, leaving behind a trail of vapour and dust as it whooshed past her. Every foot of ground passing beneath her came towards her faster and faster. Dry dirt and shrubs were in her vision as they passed by her. Rocks and indents in the flat wasteland around her all just rolled past with the world as it passed her by. The blue skies above seemed to open up as the clouds broke around them just as she made her final rush. The sun came up behind Piccolo as it was liberated from the clouds, and it was so intense, bright, and warm she almost averted herself. Sun at his back, he would be impossible to approach. Without even realizing it, she could still see the world around her as she closed her eyes, not even using them anymore.
In the far distance she could sense a familiar wolf's ears perk up.
Unable to hide it, Pan smile before her eyes opened as Piccolo's shadow blocked out the sun in front of her, just as her first strike launched. Her fist caught no air as Piccolo stepped around her, dodging his torso back as another two jabs caught nothing but air. He made one false step forward, trying to appear as though he was committing to counterattack, and Pan took the bait. Her leg shot out again as her body leaped into the air. The force of her kick as so hard she even spun around.
A frustrated noise left Piccolo as he dodged with ease. Overexposed again, she was left vulnerable to his counterattack.
"Disappointing," Piccolo snapped before he even landed the blow.
As the green fist shot towards her, Pan sensed it in the air and felt her body tilting towards the blow. Moving her arms, legs, and body rapidly as the white aura around her burned, Pan used all the momentum from her skyward kick to increase her speed. While focusing her ki, she increased her speed even more. Shoving his fist aside with both feet, she picked up more movement and used it as a kickoff to move on an angle towards the Namekian's face. In shock he'd tried to move back, gaining a short amount of distance as his guard tried to form, but was too stalled. In a lighting flash for her, she struck out with her fist in almost a split moment from where she'd used Piccolo's hooked punch as a platform. When the blow landed she felt Piccolo's cheek take the full force of the blow as her ki passed through her fist in the same motion.
His head shot backwards as his mouth opened. Stunned eyes didn't even focus on her as his head sailed back along with their bodies motion. A disbelieving mouth opened for Pan as she felt herself cry out in victory before it turned into an intense grin.
I DID IT! I HIT HIM! I-!
Bright eyes stared ahead in wonder as she felt her fist tighten as excitement overwhelmed her. For weeks she'd been stopped at every turn. In that time she slept on hard rocks and woke up every morning prepared to train. She ate anything he dropped in front of her, even meat, and she only took breaks when he allowed her. She'd stayed up at night staring at stars and looking into fires, trying to find her place in the world. And she'd come to realize that Piccolo cared, even if he didn't show it all the time, not just about the world but even about her.
And she'd done it. She'd finished the training, and now-
As Piccolo's head turned back towards her, Pan continued to smile before feeling a vicious blow cross her face. It felt like the bright, happy world in front of her had been shattered like a pane of glass. When her body rolled back in familiar motion, skipping and dragging along the ground she'd only covered seconds earlier, she came to a sliding halt on her back, her arms splayed out around her as her chest rose and fell while her heart beat.
Blinding, she felt her cheek starting to swell before she scowled, sitting up angrily.
"You're a big JERK!" she shouted angrily. "I hit you!"
Piccolo started to walk towards her this time, his arms swaying from side to side seriously as he gave her a critical eye.
"So what?" Piccolo remarked. "You think just because you landed a blow sparring is over? That just means the difficulty is going up."
Immediately her shoulders slumped as she stared back at him with almost disbelief. It was going to get harder?
Then there was something she almost didn't catch until Piccolo rubbed his cheek where she'd landed her blow with the back of his hand, smiling one sided as he did, implying with a raising of his head for her to get up.
"Not a half bad punch though, kid," he remarked. "I wanna see you do that again. But I'm not going to make it easy for you, understand? And next time, follow up."
It was impossible for Pan to hide her own smile before she nodded at Piccolo. Sore muscles complied to her as she got up onto her feet, bracing herself, getting ready for the next round. No breaks until Piccolo said stop. Even if she did well, that didn't mean that it was over.
In the skies above however, the sky started to turn black. In the middle of the day. Confused eyes scanned the heavens above as she dropped her guard. Piccolo didn't even make a remark as his head turned up as well.
"What's happening?" she asked aloud.
"The Dragon," Piccolo's voice carried around her. "Your father is coming back."
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Author's Notes:
Oh man. Pretty tired right now. Proofing while this exhausted never goes well, lol.
Anyway, I've got everything plotted out for this saga and the one afterwards. I'm excited for both honestly. This Saga's gonna be great, especially when I intro the villains and give them a bit of shine in about 10-12 chapters. I've got chapters planned coming up before the resurrection still. One last hurrah for the Hell crew, and then at least one Chapter focusing on Goku and family, and one with Vegeta and company. Though to be fair, Goku and Vegeta's families chapters may get merged int one, I'm not sure yet.
But the resurrection is coming. Gohan's gonna be alive again folks. But there are consequences to that. I'm really excited for the Saga after this one, as it's going to be really a microsaga dealing with it. But there is tons of drama and development on the horizon. I'm also going to try and do a bit of a tighter focus on chapters, much like this one. It dealt with a specific subject, rather than something quite as all encompassing. I hope to anyway. Sometimes you just gotta lump things together if its not significant enough on its own.
Anyway, to the responses!
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Reviews:
Pyromania101: Videl and Gohan may have some kind of complicated involvement beyond resenting each other, but it's not going to be romantic or sexual. They are kind of forced into one another's orbit by circumstances and to a lesser extent, fate. It's going to be a hell of a ride. Lol
Blades of Fury: 17's got a bit more to be played out in this story. But he's not a central character. But he is a bit more significant in strength. And Dragon Ball is really about Goku's story. Even this story has that to an extent. Goku's a major character in this story, even tagged in it. Which is another reason why he and Chi-Chi's chapter coming up is very important. :)
Kacarrot: I don't know if I've spoiled this, but Turles has a big role in the story still, and there is going to be an ironic element to his role. It's not for a while, but you'll see. There is a lot for Turles to do. When we get to his part, it might even be centric on him for a while...
TaitanoRules555: Thanks!
Thomasthetmc: Heh, I can't wait either. And I think the last Hell chapter won't disappoint. Gohan's self interest and morality will come to blows with itself again I'm sure.
Guest1: There won't be any pairing of TLR Gohan with Videl. There is still some very distressing things to go through however. Gohan's really partially a villain in his own story in some senses, but only for a window in it. The micro-saga coming up after this one is really inspired by-... Nah, I'm not gonna spoil :P
FlamelegendVargas: No Janemba :\. But I can confirm Cell Junior's role is going to be vital in the story, just not yet. :)
Hek'UnnSkipper: I can confirm, Gohan's crimes are not so easily shed. :\
Untouchable Queen: Thanks!
Luke: I'm mining this 'ere fic for that there review Gold. She's still fat with bounty I see! Lol
Prof: Power levels are something I think the Dragon Ball Community has a really tough time handling. And when I say that I mean its obsessed over, and Power Levels are largely just inventions of the story to get to a result. "Goku's x20 weaker than this guy. But his new power up makes him x.5 stronger!", that makes power levels kinda just a convention. Whenever they are in the show, they are circumvented by transformations, hidden potentials, ect, out of nowhere. I understand my opinion on the matter is unpopular. I could still pull something totally out of my ass if I wanted and make Beerus x300 stronger. But then who would care anyway? It fit the narrative of the story I was writing. And Taro, again, would not beat Beerus, especially after he shot his load on Gohan (lol). Beerus is a better fighter, and is multiple times stronger than Taro. Taro's just not able to be killed outright by Beerus... Well, unless Beerus was serious out the gate, which he rarely is. Power levels are just "blegh" to me, and I think that people look into them so much they ruin the story itself for many people. They are looking for some scientific metric to measure these people, and it's just really demoralizing. It destroys the sense of mystery in the show, or turns it into a contrived game of power ups :\. Yes, some characters are glaringly stronger than others, but among major players... EHHHHHHHHH...
Sorry for such a long response, and one that's seemingly critical of your review. I've gotten a lot of people reviewing my story over the years who are miffed with power levels. I'm fine with people have different opinions to me, but I get barked at over an issue I've addressed multiple times. If people aren't satisfied with the answer, at a certain point you just gotta kinda shrug and stop answering. Which is something I'm increasingly tempted to do with power level complaints. It's kinda like the complaints I got from people over Garlic, though to be honest it's not nearly as toxic, which is why I've kinda just accepted it for a long time. I'm not to the "okay, that's enough" level, and I really doubt I'll ever get to that point, but I might cease rendering answers to Power Levels in my review section at some point, at least in terms of complaints about them. People are free to leave reviews regarding it of course, I just may not answer those particular aspects of reviews anymore. :)
Super Mystic Gohan: You got some Piccolo and some Pan! BAM!
Masvan: Yep! There will always be a Taro-related crisis at the centre of time, and it's kinda Trunks' fault in the long way around. :D lol
Perfect Carnage: He's focused on specific goals, and has had very limited dealings with other universes, and any additional information would have come from the Trunks in him, and really next to none of them know anything about those worlds.
Tearhart: Junia's character will be further developed in this story.
Team Soda: Those bodies are all there, but I think they're all coming back at once. Which is going to be hilarious once the wishes go through, lol. It creates a bit of a mess for a few characters to clean up, lol. And they would have come back, even if Taro hadn't let them go with the Dragon's wish. So his technique kept them in him into the afterlife, but they'd be liberated when resurrected by the Dragon.
Guest2:
See my response to Prof. If you're unhappy with this answer... I'm not meaning to be rude, as I do respect you have a different opinion... but I don't really care.
Guest3: All these numbers you're throwing out are speculative. And you're right, for most of the Frieza Saga, they're pretty okay. And still don't matter much, as they were just invented out of Thin air. Oh, Frieza needs to be stronger than Vegeta? He transforms. Why? Well, because we're now adding that in for the story's narrative. Goku needs to overcome it? Well let's let him transform! :D It's very predictable, and it's not a bad thing, but it does mean those power levels are only just a writing convention. They say whatever the author wants them to say, making them arbitrary, and really not a law or science.
Storybook thumb: He knows of these forms, but Taro would have lost to SS Blue. Handedly.
G: Thanks... I think? Lol
Megacharizard: I can't wait for Gohan to get back to life. He's not done suffering while alive, lol
Rbade: Sorry about the name, I had someone who used to bounce ideas off with, whose a great author named Roseblade, and we used to call her Rblade on the forums I was on. It was just a reflex due to similarities in the name. And we've got 4 major sagas and 2 microsagas coming. :)
Brelic: Gohan would never break his promise. He's so trustworthy! ;)
SupeRfralando: He's coming back soon! It's like 2-3 chapters away!
Austin-flare-Potter: Gohan's got quite a path to power of his own coming up... No spoilers however. Things start to escalate this Saga, pretty sharply :)
Ki Ai Sky: Taro's role is near an end, but he does have one more appearance... ;)