The Book of Shin

My interlude with Piccolo was, due to circumstances, short. Still, it was enough for the time being. It was a few minutes before Piccolo\'s assault on my mouth let up, and then it was only to move to the crook of my neck, nuzzling like a lost kitten. He paused a moment and spoke.

\"Surely the Supreme Kai did not come to Earth merely to put the moves on a Namek,\" he said, his statement more a question. He pulled back to look into my eyes, his obsidian depths locking with my own.

Would it be so unheard of if I saiyes?yes?\"

\"No,\" I sighed. \"There are other reasons.\" I paused, weighing my words as he bent to nuzzle the other side of my neck. \"There are things happening which I would rather were not allowed to continue.\" I began. \"However, much of these activities are shadowed, even to me. For instance, I know the people responsible are on Earth, but I don\'t know where. Because of that. . .\" I paused again, knowing that the wrong word could upset him far more than necessary.

He pulled back again as I hesitated. Our eyes locked again, and I took a deep breath. Important things first. \"Gohan will be fine.\" His eyes widened as his fingers tightened. I hurried on with my explanation. \"Two servants of those responsible are here at the Tournament to collect energy. Once Gohan powers up, they\'ll take it from him. It\'ll be pretty painful, but he\'ll live. I\'ve put him in Kibito\'s care, so he\'ll be good as new within a few minutes. In the meantime, I\'ll be following the two who were sent here back to their master\'s den. Would that I could spare you this, but to do so would tear apart the Universe, so this is the best way I know.\"

And then I waited, hoping for trust, readying myself for denial. There was an interminable moment where all was still but for the grackles hopping in the grass around us. Then he let out the breath he hadn\'t realized he was holding, and leaned his forehead on my shoulder.

\"If you say he\'ll be ok, then that is all I need to know.\"

Piccolo. . .

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear. \"Even if all the forces of Hell fly at him, if the Universe be torn to shreds and Creation dissolves into chaos, if All That Is, Is No More, I promise you that in the end, when all is said and done, he will be happy.\"

He sighed, pulling back once more. \"That is all that matters to me,\" and then our lips met softly, once more, flavored with a gentle desperation born of worry and love.

It was at about that time that Goku returned, setting the wheels in motion of everything that followed. We stepped away from the trellis, and he was faintly surprised to see that none of the flowers were showing any effect of being crushed, though their perfume lingered around us.

* * *

I preceded Piccolo back into the waiting room, stopping in my customary place by Kibito. \"You know what to do,\" I murmured, looking up at him.

He gave a very slight grimace as Gohan bounded past with a quick apology for the hold up. \"Yes, I will not fail.\"

He then followed Gohan out, and I stepped up to watch. I noticed the manner of the others as he stood up out there. There was an intensity that hadn\'t been there before, like so many wolves watching a cub hunt. Watching to critique, and if needed, step in.

Ah. Yes, I couldn\'t let them do that.

\"When Gohan fights,\" I said, quietly, \"You must not interfere, no matthat hat happens.\" This was greeted by most of them with a puzzled, yet agreeable silence, most thinking,
\"Well, okay, sure. . .\" Piccolo sighed, nodding ever so slightly. But Vegeta, of course, wasn\'t about to just take it.

\"Why the hell should I listen to anything you say?\" he asked. \"Who the hell do you think you are to tell a Prince of-\"

\"Vegeta!\" Piccolo interrupted. \"Show some respect! That\'s the Supreme Kai you\'re addressing!\"

Which is one of the only three (1) ways to silence a Saiyajin Prince-tell him he\'s outranked. Saiyajin have a strong sense of rank and place. Well, they do until their pride starts talking. But I get ahead of myself.

It was only a few moments after this, and then the fireworks began. Gohan lit up like a signal flare at the urging of Kibito, and as predicted, Yamu and Spopovitch took the chance offered.

Gohan felt them coming, and would have fought them, but I, as you know, froze him. That was not a thing I especially wanted to do, but it was necessary. Couldn\'t have him vaporize my only lead, as satisfying as it might have been.

I was able to (pretty much) keep my cool until he screamed. Ohh, that made me so mad. As though I hadn\'t been before. But there\'s a difference between being angry about abstractions and things that haven\'t happened yet, and being angry about things that have been witnessed. All sorts of ungodly things started running through my head when he screamed.

grrrr. Fuck with my kids will you, Babidi? As though messing Videl up were not enough, you\'ve gotta mess with my Gohan. . . fuck you, Babidi. . . Fuck you and all your sniveling grey-skinned bitches. . . (2)

My increasingly violent thoughts were interrupted by Goku\'s words to Videl.

\"I\'m sorry, Videl,\" he said. \"But we can\'t interrupt. I trust him.\"

I looked over when he said those words. That was his son up there. That was a lot of trust in me, and he knew it, his eyes pleading and warning all at once. Yes, I understood.

Another weak cry from the sparring grounds drew our eyes back to Gohan. His glowing hair was dulling, its natural crow-feather black bleeding into the fading gold, the emeralds beneath eclipsed by inky depths that were rolling back into his head.

Yamu withdrew the machine from Gohan\'s body, grinning when he saw the reading on the energy gauge. A few words between the two of them, and they flew off. Kibito was quick to catch Gohan\'s crumpling form.

I ran up to them, Piccolo and Goku right behind me, the others behind them. Gohan\'s breathing was slow and slightly erratic, but a quick check at the wrist revealed a steady-if weak-pulse.

I ran my fingers through his silky hair. \"Heal him, Kibito,\" I whispered, then bent down to briefly press my lips to his forehead.

I turned to Goku. \"I have to leave now, and follow those two to their \'master.\' I\'d like your help-we may need all the help we can get. But I understand if you feel that you\'re needed here more.\"

And with that, I launched myself into the air, the faint sounds of a bickering prince my fanfare as I left.

Here I come, Babidi. Your hours are numbered.

Because no one messes with my kids.


____________________
Shin\'s Footnotes:

(1) The other two ways being to kill him or kiss him. I\'ll leave the kissing to the other Saiyajin.

(2) Yes, I know. But hey, I\'d been listening to Vegeta all day, what do you expect?