Disclaimer: That second chapter that I've been talking about for the past while.

I am really curious about where my readers are, now. I've already reached past MOTS's chapter number but the review number is still lower. Hmm…
And, for the record, the "Mebana" prequel may be a while. I want to dilute my fanfiction with more non-romance first.
"Let's hurry and move in the opposite direction!" Arufuredo lead them through the thick water to the other side, trying to slosh through as quietly as he could.

They reached solid ground and reorganized themselves, Piccolo leading, and continued their search for Atsarute. When they felt to be a comfortable enough distance from the band of Atsarute's soldiers, a quiet chatter among them began to form.

"Kuririn-san," Gohan said in a low dynamic, "You've been quieter than usual lately."

"Yeah, and Vegita's been pissy-er than usual."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"Well, my reason is because I miss my family. It seems like it's been months since I've seen 18 or Marron…"

"Do you think that's why Vegita's angry? Because he misses Trunks?"

"Meh… that might be part of it, but I wouldn't bet my money on it. Same goes for not being able to train. I think that it's really because of Arufuredo."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Bulma and Arufuredo keep talking all of the time, discussing science, technology, and whatever else that goes over my head when those two talk."

"You think that Vegita might be jealous?"

"Well, it's not like he could beat him in that field. I'm sure he doesn't know a snippet of anything that they're talking about, despite the fact that he's been around advanced technology all of his life. You've noticed it too. Whenever he breaks something, he goes straight to Bulma or her father to have it fixed."

"Gohan." Videl placed her hand on his shoulder on the other side of him, making him turn to her. "Are you sure that this is safe? Tension is getting kind of high among us, and even with that, we're chasing after the reanimated corpse some infamous military general."

He sighed. "I don't know, but the way things are going, I don't think that we have a choice otherwise."

.-.

Komugiko-joou was quickly regaining her strength, but her subjects would not leave her alone before she agreed to return to her homeworld… along with escorts, medical personnel, and extra guards. She didn't like the extra attention, but she abided to it for their comfort anyway.

The tank and tubes were already repaired and replaced, and her ship didn't take long (despite all of the extra precautionary steps) to take off and set course. She quickly brought herself into a brooding state, ignoring the half-dozen guards that stood attention around the chamber room. Her thoughts went not to the general that put them in this state of alarm, but the Namekku-sei-jin man that scowled at her and gave an aura of resentment towards her. Why did he put off such an untrusting air? Does he suspect my intentions as a sort of intrigue? I don't see how, as he knows little of his background… Perhaps it is his nature to be so skeptical of those unknown to him? Surely, he does not know what he is dealing with… alone and without my guidance, that walking fiend will surely rip him apart. It came in here stalking him, so surely it was waiting for the right moment to strike…

She looked back towards the bubbling glow of the tank. But, he is not alone. My best scientist and his unusual friends are with him on this mission. After they capture it and he regains his health, he won't have his defenses up so high, Atsarute will be out of the picture for good, and I will finally regain my old self with new power…

A grin crept across her face. I'll finally be able to rule a true empire with my real face and a man of genuine strength at my side. I won't be outdone as long as my plan works out, as it should. Dr. Arufuredo has been given his orders, and he will not break them per his loyalty and honor.

She pulled out the ribbon and gazed into it, trying to determine something from the streams. Atsarute is regaining strength and intelligence, but that will not matter. There is no way that walking pile of rotting flesh will be able to get assistance of any kind before it is recaptured in my name…

.-.

Piccolo's constantly changing path turned into a solid one, showing that the walking fiend must have stopped moving. Whether it had paused to rest or to plan an ambush for them was uncertain at this point. There was no way of being able to tell what its intentions were since it was definitely hiding its ki.

He made a tired slump in his shoulders as they went on, becoming more impatient with these circumstances by the minute. It was a few moments before he realized that the fighting in his head had stopped, and his father was trying to hail his attention.

What is it that you want, old man? Piccolo's eyes narrowed.

I was just thinking that the Human wench might be on to something. You're attitude here is not too different from when you tired of your training several years ago…

He audibly groaned. Not you too! That decrepit, nosey creature could not possibly be Jin!

Hold off your indigence until after I provide my thoughts to you. Do you believe this is all coincidence? I would not have thought of having you kill Uwaki and Shuran if it were the case. I would have simply had you go through a killing spree. There is much more symbolism in this situation, my son. Heh, I'm quite pleased that you decided to take that trollop's head as a trophy. It's a stroke of genius that will make everything a lot easier…

What does this have to do with Jin?

You seriously doubt that Jin even exists anymore, don't you? I believe that you made her dead to your mind…

Where did this stupid idea come from? I'd say that you're pulling shit out of your ass if you had one.

I saw it clearly. If Jin cannot exist for you, she does not exist at all, or might as well not. Chances of meeting her again were too great, and even if you did, there may be no use of it, so you gave up on it long ago…

But what does this have to do with the fucking head!

When she sees it, she will recognize it. Perhaps not immediately, but it will definitely strike a chord with her. That should be proof enough to you of who she is.

I say again, that crone cannot be Jin!

But Daimaou only laughed and retreated back in the mind, holding away all the answers that his son's mind was thirsting for to satisfy the many questions that were raised and remained unanswered.

Piccolo snapped out of this mindset just in time to keep from smashing his nose into a tree. He scowled at it, and then noticed that writing was carved into it. It was in an alien script.

The others piled behind him. "What does it say?" Bulma said towards Arufuredo.

He adjusted his glasses slightly and leaned forward. "It says, 'Halt. By the order of your General, the Puroeriun soldiers are ordered henceforth to discontinue their search for me and wait for further orders. The peach-colored aliens and their Pasuko-jin escorts are not to be bothered, as I have my own plans for them. If they indeed read this message themselves, perhaps they could be conscientious enough to await my appearance.' After that is Atsarute's signed seal."

"You've got to be kidding," Videl said, pointing to the etching in the bark, "He couldn't possibly have written that in the state that he's in!"

Arufuredo looked at Videl oddly for a moment, as if something she said confused him, but then he seemed to understand and explained, "This carving is actually rather fresh, indicating that Atsarute only recently had the capacity to write it, and it is covered with Atsarute's signature ki, showing that there was much effort put into writing this. Chances are, the walking fiend is nearby, resting."

"It said that it had plans for us, right?" Chi-chi frowned. "What do you think it's going to do? Rip our throats out like the others?"

"Perhaps, but it's doubtful. What intrigues me more is that it expected us to come. Any trap that it might be weaving seems to be more complex than it is capable of making at this moment." He sat by the tree's roots. "We should wait here until it appears."

Vegita crossed his arms and walked past the doctor, looking ahead into the woods instead of making eye contact. "Wouldn't it be better to go off and look for it before it finds us? You said that it's resting, so we can just capture it now and not have to deal with a fight or anything of the like."

"That would jeopardize the mission more than help it. Please, let us just wait."

"You can sit here all you want, but we're going to find it first! Come on, Kakarotto!"

Goku tilted his head. "I don't think we should go anywhere, Vegita. Piccolo stopped here, and it's hiding, so we have to wait till he continues."

"Is that all?" Vegita faced Piccolo. "So, where is he, Namek? What direction do we go now?"

Piccolo seemed to not be interested in the seething Saiya-jin prince before him, but answered anyway. "Nowhere."

"So you think that we should wait, too?"

"No. It's stopped at this tree." He looked up. "For all I know, it could be in the branches, watching us."

Everyone stopped making noise, looking up as well, searching for any movement or sound. Then, the ones with more sensitive ears (excluding Piccolo) could pick up a low string of slow, steady sighs from above.

"It sounds like it's sleeping," Goku said, still peering into the leaves. Then, the sighs stopped suddenly, and some rustling followed.

There was a low growl before, "Caaa…caaataalyystsss…" Its voice was hoarse and raspy, and its efforts to speak seemed very pushed.

"What did it say?" Bulma retreated back towards her husband.

It spoke again. "…Catalysts…"

"'Catalysts?' What does it mean by that?" Gohan stepped forward, trying to see more clearly into the dark canopy.

The creature shot down in an instant upon Piccolo. He fell backwards before he understood what was going on, still unable to even feel the weight of the walking fiend that was now crouched on top of him.

The others locked eyes straight onto the being. It was still dressed entirely in the black wraps it had when it infiltrated the lab, with a large, black mantle on its shoulders, serving to hide a lot of its body underneath. The only part of it that remained unwrapped was small windows left open for its eyes, which glared at the others in a cold yet wild stare.

Piccolo forced it off of him by picking himself up. The thing fell backwards, then looked about, confused. "Ss—senseless…?" It looked around, sniffing, peering, trying all means to find Piccolo, but it couldn't sense him anymore than he could sense it.

"A-Atsarute-sama…" Arufuredo attempted to approach it, but it turned and growled at him.

"Do not approach…" It sat upon the ground as a cat would. "Or die…"

I'm being a little less tactful from time to time, but everything seems to be working out in the big picture. I'm mostly just teasing like hell while I'm trying to pump out a solid storyline. Bwahahaha…ha.