Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Innocence Reborn ❯ Off To The Lookout ( Chapter 3 )

Gohan's arms were stretched out, making the most of the journey, beside him; Krillan did the same, both enjoying the feel of the cool air rushing past them as
they flew. Goku flew a little further back, the small form on his back gazing around, amazed by what was happening, without the memories of what he had been
through, including those of his sire, Piccolo was free to enjoy everything around him, and truly looked the innocent child he could have been, if circumstances
had been different.

Grinning back at his father, Gohan did a somersault in the air, making Piccolo gasp in surprise, nearly losing his hold. He almost slid off Goku's back before the Sayian noticed, slowing down and making sure the small Namak was safely sitting again. Piccolo trembled slightly, what if he had fallen, his scared mind implored him to grasp Goku's gi tighter and his eyes grew wide, every single part of him concentrating on not falling. Sensing his unease, Goku smiled at him "It's ok, we won't let you fall"

His words seemed to relax Piccolo somewhat and his hold loosened just a touch and he continued looking around. Perhaps if he asked, they would teach him
to fly and he could experience the amazing feeling and sights first hand, they seemed nice enough, the youngest not much taller than him, if he could fly, Piccolo
was sure that he would be able to.

None of them knew that a fair distance behind them, Vegeta was following them. After sensing the energy and seeing the light emitted whenever the dragon was
called, his frustration prompted him to find out exactly what they had wished for, they being Gohan, since his energy had been sensed near the dragon's, and probably Kakarot.

In the air, he soon sensed their energy signatures, concentrating, he identified each one in turn.

"Kakarot...his brat...that bald baka Krillan" he smirked, then paused at the last, it was familiar, but something was different, as if something had changed it, concentrating harder, Vegeta tried pinning it down, finally finding something, but it did not make sense...

"It feels like the green beans..." he frowned "but something is different...humpf!" Vegeta gave up on trying to guess why Piccolo's ki had changed, if he followed them, he would find out soon enough, then challenge Kakarot to a spar, this time he would beat him into the ground. "No matter...I'll find those baka's and what they did with the dragon balls..." putting on an extra burst of speed, his aura flared around him, bursting in a bright light as he flew on.

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"I see it!" Krillan shouted, Piccolo sat upright and leant over Goku's shoulder, his mouth dropping open and eyes wide as he saw the structure, it resembled a dome, but upside down, the entire thing was a blazing white colour, with decorative markings, on the top trees could be seen, but what astonished the small Namak most of all, was the fact that like the person he was sitting on, it was also flying. Well, it didn't move, so it hovered, but it still instigated a small gasp.

"Hey!" his small voice high pitched, a trace of surprise evident "it's flying!"

Gohan exchanged a glance with Krillan, then with his father, never in a million years could they ever have imagined this reaction from Piccolo, the fierce, determined
warrior who took each challenge in his stride, any new experience coped with nothing more than mild surprise, shock or narrowed eyes. They had seen the lookout many times before, knowing how to fly already, and with the technology available on the planet, it was not as surprising to them, although they had a similar reaction on their first sight of it. But Piccolo, or at least the younger version, had never seen anything like that to their knowledge, so the sight was more than just normal to him.

Goku nodded "yep, that's where we're heading, we're going to meet a friend of ours" Piccolo leant over a little more, trying to get a better view, his nervousness of falling now disappeared and replaced by curiosity, Goku grinned, it was interesting to say the least, to see Piccolo act this way. Gohan slowed down, flying beside his father

"When do we get there?" Piccolo asked, eyes wide.

"Not long now, then you can meet our friend" Goku answered, the trio flying ever closer to the lookout, with one very excited and inquisitive Namak.

"Why is it flying?" Piccolo asked suddenly, drawing dumbfounded looks from Krillan, Gohan and Goku, the latter scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly
and gave a lopsided grin "magic?" he offered, Piccolo seemed to accept this and they continued in silence until they reached the lookout. Landing, Goku knelt down,
letting Piccolo slide off his back and stand on the surface of the structure, his curiosity piqued, he wandered around, eyes wide and a smile on his face, when his vision hadn't been caught by something else and replaced with a small 'o' shape. The trio stood, watching the small Namakian as he looked around.

Not watching where he had been going, Piccolo gave a small yelp of surprise as he bumped into something, looking up his surprise grew even more, as the 'object' he had collided with, had the same green skin and antennae as Piccolo himself did, the only difference seemed to be in the structure of the face, leaner than Piccolo's own features, his clothing, a white robe with an inscription on the back, and the height. This new person was at least twice his height, closer to three times, and held a knarled stick in his right hand.

The figure smiled "Hello"

Piccolo grinned "hi" he watched the taller figure for a few more moments before exclaiming "you look like me!"

Kami chuckled "yes I do don't I" he studied what must be the young form of Piccolo-Daimaou junior for a few more seconds before he spoke again "I am Kami, and what is your name little one?"

Piccolo frowned for a second, then drew himself up to his full height and answered in a defiant tone, which might have held some weight in his older self, provided little more than amusement in this age "I'm Piccolo, and I'm NOT little!"

Kami smiled again 'Same personality' he murmured to himself 'Same old Piccolo, I doubt he will ever change, he looks much nicer in this form though, perhaps now he can have the chance to..."

Cut off from his thoughts as a shout of 'Kami' reached his ears and Gohan ran up to the elder Namak, grinning in wonder at Kami's somewhat rejuvenated form, Goku and Krillan just behind him, doing the same.

"We're glad to see you"

"Yeah" Krillan added "you look really young now...I mean..." he gulped "not that you didn't before, but that you look a little younger now and..."

Kami chuckled "do not worry about it Krillan, I am enjoying this new youth as much as I am sure Piccolo shall, though it is a good thing I did not lose my memories, or I would not have been a very capable guardian, now would I"

During this exchange, Piccolo had wandered off, exploring the lookout further, Mr Popo, noticing the small child, followed him, aware that this younger form did not have the knowledge of flying and if he fell off...well, he didn't want to think about that possibility. Piccolo meanwhile was in awe at everything around him, he did not remember much of what had happened to him before Gohan had found him, but that this was possibly the best place he had ever been too, one memory he did know was of being lonely. Hopefully, this would not happen now.

Kami meanwhile was discussing the wish with the others, answering questions and asking some of his own.

"Yes" he smiled "The wish did give me this youth, it will be nice to see how this turns out, perhaps Piccolo can get the chance of a normal childhood, at least, as much of one as he is able, and I hope that when it is over, he will remember it, although he will most likely be somewhat mad, but" an amused smile passed over Kami's face "that is to be expected"

"We're going to try and give him all the things we had as kids"

"Like a birthday party!" Goku interrupted Krillan, a large grin plastered across his face "with balloons and lots of presents...and food!" Gohan looked at his father, slapped himself and held his head in his hands, eternally glad that he was not as strange as his father, perhaps all that studying had been a good thing, he thought, making a note to thank his mother when they got back.

Goku stopped, turning serious "Do you think there was anything wrong with this wish?"

Kami shook his head "It should have no undue effects, and I think that it will do Piccolo some good, he did not have a normal childhood and was forced by many experiences, the most prominent of which being the memories of Piccolo-Daimaou, to grow up all too fast" he turned to Gohan "If he had not been forced to do so, he would not look as old as he does normally, being that he is only a few years older than yourself, did you know this?"

A nod answered him "Yeah" Gohan murmured, "dad told me, it really surprised me, and I thought Piccolo was the same age as dad..."

Kami sighed "When he hatched, Piccolo retained all the memories from his sire, Piccolo-Daimaou, everything he had wanted, including the destruction of your father, was passed onto him. So he grew up hating everyone and everything, merely training, and because of this, he forced himself to age quicker than normal, if he had not, he would not be much older than Dende, and in this younger form, he is not much more than two years in earth time and six in Namakian"

The trio nodded. Suddenly they were shocked out of their thoughts by a scream; they whirled around to see the small Namak being held by the scruff of his clothing by Vegeta, whilst the turban lay useless on the floor. Piccolo squirmed, trying in vain to hit Vegeta.

"VEGETA!" Krillan shouted, "Let him go, what's Piccolo ever done to you!"

Vegeta smirked, holding the squirming figure higher and looking it in the face, he scowled. "So this is the green bean huh, I thought you had done something with the dragon balls and now I know what" Piccolo managed then to strike out with his hand, but this only angered the Sayain.

"Lemmie go you big bully!" he yelped, trying to get free. Vegeta growled again, then smirked, tossing Piccolo a few meters away, he chuckled. "If you're Piccolo, let see how you deal with THIS!" going into a battle stance and without warning, before any of the others could get close, let his body be surrounded by a strange glow, spreading to his hands and sent a ki-blast towards Piccolo.

Whimpering slightly, Piccolo watched as it headed towards him, coming closer and closer until, at the very last minute, sent back a ki-blast of his own, colliding with Vegeta's and propelling them both backwards, Vegeta did not expect this and was unable to prepare, the twin blasts hit him, sending him flying to the very edge of the lookout, whilst Piccolo, drained from the effort, collapsed on the floor. Vegeta stood, scowling, and glared back where the Namak lay, before doing the same to Goku.

"I'll get you for this Kakarot!" he shouted, hovering a few meters in the air before he shot off, leaving a ki-trail behind him.

Watching as Vegeta left, Goku sighed, running to join Gohan and Krillan who knelt by Piccolo, Kami on the other side, all looked concerned, but Piccolo seemed to be coming to just as Goku arrived, groaning slightly. He sat up, rubbing his head, he was not injured, just overwhelmed by what had just happened, nothing he had ever known could have prepared him for this, it unnerved him.

"Piccolo!" Gohan helped him sit up straighter "are you ok?" Do you remember what happened?"

Piccolo shook his head "I feel ok, but I dunno what happened" he shuddered slightly "that fireball thing was coming at me and..." he had vague recollections of another blast hitting it, coming from his hands, but it was all a blur. "...I don't remember what happened next"

"You don't remember your ki-blast?"

"Ki-blast, what's a ki-blast?"

"I'll take that as a no" Krillan said, seeing his confused expression "we'd better get back, your mom'll be worried sick, us going off like that" he told Gohan, who nodded, looking at his father "dad, you ready to go?"

Goku nodded, picking Piccolo up again and hoisting the slightly shaken Namak on his shoulders, thanking Kami and Mr Popo for their help, then left the lookout.
They flew for a good while until they stopped, hovering above the ocean, where, in the distance, Master Roshi's home could be seen, Krillan said his goodbyes and left them.

"Gohan?"

Looking up, he saw Piccolo watching him "yeah?"

"Why did that strange man say 'well, this is Piccolo' and stuff, and what about that Kami person talking about a wish and childhood and stuff?"

Gohan slapped himself mentally, he should have known Piccolo would still have his sensitive hearing, now he knew about the wish, and there would be no choice but to explain it "I'll tell you later ok?"

Piccolo nodded "ok"

By now they could see their house, through one of the windows Chi-Chi could be seen, and even from here the frustrated expression was plainly etched on her face, a look Gohan and Goku had seen many times, both gulped, having a feeling they were really in for it this time, Piccolo didn't know this and was unaware. Their suspicions were confirmed as they landed and made their way to the door, they didn't get near before it opened, a very angry Chi-Chi glaring at them, her hands filled with a pile of books. She sent a glare towards Goku, who gulped, letting Piccolo off his back, passing Chi-Chi into the house.

She turned her attention back to the duo, and without a word giving them each a pile of books, then pointing into the house. Gohan sighed and walked in, Piccolo following him, very confused. The door shut. Chi-Chi watched the two, Gohan opened his mouth to say something but Chi-Chi shot him a glare that stopped him in his tracks.

"Study, Gohan, Piccolo, NOW!"