Guarding a Planet

Name: Guarding Planet Namek
Rank: C
Award: Depend on How many words you do
Description: Planet of Icers have decided to help the Namekians by sending a Icer into the planet to help them. Enemies lurk Planet Namek, looking for the most easiest way to destroy the planet and they think that now it is the time.

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Akuhei soared through the air, using the technique of Bukujitsu, that is, the Art of Flight, that was all too common among the powerful fighters of the universe. Akuhei considered himself to be one of those few truly strong fighters – or at least, he had been before being sucked into that void. What was that thing, anyway? The nature of that temporal rift was something Akuhei was intent on figuring out. If it happened again at the right time, it could easily become a threat to everybody and anybody in the universe.

And speaking of threats, there was one now! It was a large Ki signature, though not as large as some of the others Akuhei had seen over the years. However, it was just big enough to prompt his flight today. This was a unique Ki signature, unlike anything he had ever seen before. He had no idea what kind of *something* it was, but he could sense its killer intent from a mile away. This wasn't something he was just willing to let sit and grow.

Identifying it wasn't the only problem, either. He wasn't quite sure he was up to defeating the creature on his own as he was. He needed to be bigger and better then he was now if he was going to be a part of this conflict. And that's exactly what he intended to do. There were two ways in which he could accomplish this. The first and most obvious was to spend a ridiculous amount of time training himself for the battle to come, but he didn't have a ridiculous amount of time to waste getting himself up to that level. There was only one other option, and Akuhei didn't like it.

As the Icer continued to fly off toward the distance, the destination of his trip today came into sight. It was a white tower, atop which floated a half-sphere. He didn't have to see it to know what was on top. It was a stone floor with a pathway lined by two gardens. That pathway continued to a door, which opened into a large building. In that building, there were several major locations. One was the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where Goku had spent a month of his childhood to train for an upcoming threat. He had barely lasted it. Another was the living quarters of Kami-Sama, Akuhei's other half and the current guardian of Earth.

That was his real reason for going to the lookout. He had to see his other half and fuse with him. Only after the two had put themselves back together into one being would they be strong enough to ensure victory over the creature that had entered Akuhei's senses and granted him nightmares for the better part of the last week. He had to get much stronger, and be quick about it. What better way to do so then to fuse with Kami once more?

Kami sensed Akuhei coming from miles away. He, too, had felt the presence of this deadly creature, watching through his vast senses to see its acts of destruction and evil. However, he had also sensed the presence of others around it, and it was them he watched with the keenest interest. As a matter of fact, he was quite eagerly watching just that moment as an attack on several of their number began.

The attack became quick and sudden. Two of the power signatures making up the group of travelers vanished at the outset of the combat. 'Wait,' Kami thought, 'They're still there. They're just much weaker then normal...' And what was more, the creature's strength had increased by an equal amount as the other two had decreased. The realization hit him in an instant. 'He absorbed them!' the Icer thought. 'Are there really creatures that have such power?'

Akuhei sensed it, too. The sudden burst of energy and the sudden decrease of its enemy's was a far quicker realization for him then it had been for his counterpart, however, and he had some time afterward to think about the implications. Fighting it in a group was all but futile, as it could easily absorb one or more of the stronger group members and use that power against the remaining members of the group. Then again, fighting it alone was even more dangerous. It could just absorb him and move on as if nothing had happened!

Kami was less concerned with how to fight it and more concerned with what it was doing. He 'watched' on as the remaining members of the group fought back. It was a heated battle, in which several area-affecting attacks were thrown. It ended abruptly, when one of the warriors caused a landslide that crashed into him. Apparently destroyed, the enemy's Ki signature apparently disappeared. Relieved that the crisis had been resolved before it got serious, Kami took a happy sigh.

'But what of the fighters that were absorbed?' the Icer wondered. He focused his senses in again. The Ki signatures were a bit weaker, but they were still there. They were likely just tired and fatigued from their encounter with the monster. No doubt a full recovery was in store for them. What took his attention then was a Ki signature that was all too familiar. It was almost identical to his own in every way, save that it was of an opposite alignment to him. It had grown closer to his own over the past few years, but their auras still clashed with one another. Even as he landed on the lookout, Kami was ready for him. “Hello, Akuhei,” Kami said off-handedly as the Icer warrior made his landing.

Akuhei's footfalls were soft and silent, though he held no illusions that he was sneaking up on Kami. The senses of the Guarian of Earth were far too keen for that. He wasn't surprised in the least when he was greeted even before he had announced his presence. “Kami,” the Namek practically shot at him. They both spoke at a normal tone despite their distance from one another, for each one knew that the other's acute sense of hearing would pick up the sound even across that distance.

The older Namek turned with a sigh that was quite contrary to his earlier one. This time, his hefty breath out seemed almost labored. The reason for it was simple. The clashing auras of Kami and Akuhei were not just limited to opposite energies. They hated each other as well, and avoided each other whenever possible. They tolerated each other because their lives literally depended on it, and only for that reason. Kami knew that if Piccolo was coming to him, it was something important. That didn't mean Kami had to like it.

The Guardian of the Earth spoke up when Akuhei remained silent, save for a few footfalls that brought the two closer together. “What do you want of me, Piccolo?” Kami demanded. His robes, in keeping with the ceremonial garments of the Guardians of Earth. He kept his eyes closed as he swirled around, those ceremonial robes flying out in the wake of his momentum. One end of his wooden staff clanked singularly against the stone floor, ringing out its hollow sound as the other end remained suspended in midair.

Akuhei was far less impressed then other beings would be. He knew the Guardian of Earth well. They had once shared a body and a mind, and he remembered what that felt like. He knew exactly what Kami was feeling right now. By his estimation, the Guardian of Earth was annoyed to see him. He was also willing to listen to whatever problem Akuhei deemed serious enough to suffer this reunion. He could imagine that he had no idea how serious or permanent a reunion Piccolo was thinking of, though.

“You know why I'm here,' Akuhei stated, for he was sure that Kami had sensed the fight with this creature as easily and well as he had. The way it had absorbed those people, and the way it had fought them so hard despite being outnumbered and outmatched. Kami would have no choice but to take this threat seriously. It was that fact, the simple notion that Kami was in the perfect position to be manipulated by their mutual knowledge, that brought a smile to his lips. He was allowed to enjoy the selfish manipulation in his last few moments as an independent being.

Kami smirked as well. He knew very well what his counterpart was here about. “You refer to the presence of evil that has shown itself upon the Earth,” Kami assumed. He allowed himself to chuckle a bit. Clearly, Akuhei wasn't aware of the entire situation. He had felt it himself. The Ki signature of the evil had disappeared, and the warriors who were fighting him were recovering fully. This was a perfect situation for him. His superior knowledge was in an ideal situation to send Akuhei away from the lookout feeling stupid.

He thought for a moment about exactly how he wanted to phrase his words. He wanted them to be good, perfect even, for the intent he had in mind. “My friend,” he said, turning the eyes that had lowered with his chuckling back to Akuhei, “Your fears are unfounded.” He closed his mouth and started walking away from the place where the two had been talking, toward the edge of the lookout where he often looked down on the Earth. “I sensed it myself. The presence of evil has been destroyed.

“What?” Akuhei asked, astonished. He had sensed its defeat, but... Of course! Kami was such a fool! He shook his head in disbelief. Now it was his turn to chuckle contentedly. “You old fool,” Akuhei growled at him. “Look again. Whatever that thing is, it's still alive!”

As if on cue, a short, squat man walked into the scene. His skin was the same black as coal and far more solid then the average humans skin. His round eyes complemented plump, round lips that sat below them. He wore a white turban atop his head, covering any hair he might have had atop it. A red vest passed for a chest covering, despite the fact that most of the round, fatty mass was still visible. His legs wore a pair of baggy, white pants, which clung around his body at the waist and the ankles.

Mr. PoPo entered the scene with a look of concern on his face. “Kami-Sama,” the plump man asked with great concern, “Is everything all right?” It was as if he had sensed his master's distress and responded to that call. It couldn't have come at a worse time, though. The one who served on Kami's Lookout had walked head-first into a conversation he didn't belong in. This was a matter between Kami and Akuhei. Mr. PoPo's opinion didn't matter.

It wasn't that Kami didn't respect Mr. PoPo or value his input. Indeed, he had often relied on just that in the crisis that had faced the Earth in the past. The problem was that Mr. PoPo's place was not to make commentary on this particular decision. This was to be Kami's discussion, and his alone. He turned to his faithful servant as he came rushing along. “Yes, Mr. PoPo,” he said, his pure nature making it hard to hide the strained surprise in his voice. “Everything is fine. Please go back inside and see to your other duties for now.”

Now, Mr. PoPo was no idiot. He could see the look on Kami's face, and he knew that everything was not fine at all. However, whatever this threat was, Kami had already decided to face it alone. Kami was far more powerful then Mr. PoPo as well, so what place did he have telling him no? He sighed deeply. “Yes, Kami-Sama,” the plump man responded, and he started walking off toward the residential quarters of the Lookout. 'Perhaps he's not facing danger alone this time?' Mr. PoPo mused, 'Maybe he's agreed to work together with Mr. Akuhei?'

As his aid disappeared inside of the house, Kami turned his attention back to Akuhei. “I'm sorry for the interruption,” he stated simply. “Now, let us return to matters of business.” He retraced everything he'd seen in the battle from his lookout. He was sure of it. That Ki signature had disappeared entirely. Whatever evil thing had been resonating with it surely must have died. Otherwise, how could the disappearance of his energy be explained? “Akuhei, you must be mistaken. I sensed the evil energy being destroyed myself.”

Piccolo was starting to get ticked off. Hadn't he just been over this? “I already told you, you're wrong!” he snapped. He was practically snarling at his alter-ego now. He was quite clearly fed up with his nonsense. “If you could get over yourself and your position as Kami of Earth, maybe you would've thought of the simple thing to make sure. Look again, old man.”

Kami had never been one to take anything like that laying down, and so just to prove his point, he did as Piccolo suggested. As he turned about and faced out toward the Earth, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He extended his perceptions beyond what he would normally bother with. And there it was, plain as day. The evil energy was still there. It was weaker then before, but it was steadily growing in power. A bead of sweat appeared on Kami's forehead. He wasn't too proud to admit he was wrong, even to Piccolo, but this was disturbing. “What does it mean?” Kami wondered.

Kami's eyes opened at once when he saw the presence of this identical evil signature there. He had been so sure that it wasn't there anymore! How could it have completely disappeared like that? Every living thing gave off a Ki signature. Only an Android could hide it, and they never gave off an aura to begin with. This energy could therefore not be coming from an Android. And yet, he was so sure it had been destroyed. He turned and looked to Piccolo for an answer to his question.

Piccolo knew exactly what was going on. The creature had indeed been destroyed. In fact, it had been all but obliterated. However, almost wasn't enough to kill it. It had survived the attack, and with only a few particles left, it was beginning to regenerate itself. The implications of that simple realization were dire, and they were the last confirmation Piccolo had needed to come here.

“Think about it,” Piccolo prompted, and Kami listened. Piccolo thought for a few more seconds, trying to think of a good example he could feed Kami. One hit him just about as soon as he started thinking. “What happens when a Namek's arm gets chopped off?” He was confident that Kami would be able to get what he meant with just that, but he was prepared to continue just in case he wasn't. As he waited for the answer, a small smirk crossed his lips.

However, Kami didn't get what Piccolo was hinting at. Was he suggesting that the evil presence was that of a Namek like Lord Slug? He sighed of insufferable irritation, but humored Piccolo. For no other reason then to get him to move on to his point, he gave him the quick and correct answer. “Because of the damage, their power level drops sharply,” Kami stated, “But I don't understand what you're trying to say. Surely you don't think this could be the work of a Namek? That kind of evil hasn't been seen in one of us since Piccolo-Daimyo.”

“You idiot,” Piccolo muttered, putting two sharp-nailed fingers on the turban that laid over his right temple. He honestly couldn't really hold that against Kami. He hadn't seen the manner in which the creature had reappeared. He walked him through the explanation, entering into the second part that would make it impossible for Kami to miss. Before he did so, though, he took a deep breath to steady himself and thought about his course. Was he really doing the right thing? But then, there wasn't really any other choice.

Akuhei thought about how to phrase the next question. He wanted to make absolutely sure Kami got it this time. There was no other option, if his goal today was going to be served properly. He had set up the lesson admirably. Now it was time to drive the bottom line home. “Now,” Akuhei asked, “What happens when that Namek regenerates the arm they just lost?”

Again, Kami looked strangely at Akuhei. He still didn't get how the physiology of a Namek applied here, unless the evil Ki was indeed coming from a Namek. He thought deeper then that for a moment, though, keeping his answer in mind. “The power level jumps back up to full capacity again after a short recovery period,” he replied as he kept right on thinking. So, what was Akuhei getting at? He didn't realize what he meant for a good few more moments of thinking.

You see, even when a Namek has a limb severed, they continue to release a noticeable energy signature. This was true even of Nameks who regenerated from nothing but their own head. That this one didn't meant that it had been completely destroyed beyond the ability to generate a Ki signature. That meant it had been almost completely broken down into pieces so small that nothing should've been able to bring it back. However, if those particles had begun to multiply and reconstruct the creature in its place...

“You can't possibly mean...” Kami muttered. This was very bad. What Akuhei was saying, if it was true, meant that they were facing an enemy that had to be completely obliterated. It couldn't be fought in the same way a human being or other mortal could. In essence, the creature was godlike, hard to kill, capable of absorbing the power of others and able to reconstitute itself from a single cell. What worried Kami was not the implication his rash and violent other half was making, but that he couldn't find any proof to present as a counterexample. “You'd better hope you're wrong,” Kami said. “If you're not, there's no way even the two of us together could stop him.”

“Well, then,” Akuhei said, “It's a good thing we won't be fighting him ourselves. Not technically, anyway.” It was time to reveal his final plan, to see whether or not the Namekian called Kataz would be able to put himself back together into a single, powerful being. “There is one way we can fight him, and only one way.” He had already put on his serious face, but it intensified as he continued on. “We have to fuse ourselves back together!”

Kami wasn't sure Akuhei recognized the repercussions of what he was asking. If the Kami of Earth were to just disappear without a successor to immediately take his place, there would be a lot of bad that happened. He couldn't go along with that idea. “There's too much at stake,” the guardian finally answered. “I will not risk harm to the Earth for the sake of just destroying one of its threats!” He'd spoken his mind, and that was the end of that.

Akuhei was honestly surprised. He thought that Kami would cooperate after obtaining the knowledge of what the evil being was capable of. Indeed, Akuhei was sure that he'd feel there was no choice. Still, though, the guardian of the Earth, the one person who was charged with its safety, was refusing to do the one thing that would allow them to face and possibly destroy the creature! “What!?” Piccolo exclaimed. “What are you thinking!? Neither one of us can fight it on our own!”

“No, Akuhei, we can't,” Kami admitted. But he was aware of more then just their own inability to act. He knew that Piccolo wasn't used to it, for he had been a major player in every crisis the Earth had faced since Vegeta and Nappa. However, Kami had been overshadowed years and years ago by Son-Goku, and he had resigned himself to an observer and chronicler more then an actual guardian a long time ago. He knew Piccolo wouldn't like it, but that's the way it was becoming for him as well now. “However, there are other, more powerful fighters on Earth who are much stronger then either of us. We can still leave this to them.”

And he was right. Akuhei wasn't satisfied with that answer. “What are you saying!?” he exclaimed. There wasn't anybody that was as powerful as even young Gohan used to be left in the world, possibly the universe. Nobody was capable of truly defending the Earth from its threats. He had to make Kami understand that he wasn't possibly going to be able to skitter on through by leaving it to stronger people, like he had in the past. He had to make him see it, but how could he do that? He scoffed in disbelief. “There isn't enough time for that, anyway,” Akuhei continued, “We've got to fuse back together!”

Kami closed his eyes and shook his head, one hand behind his back and the other holding on to his staff. “No, Akuhei.” He turned away from him and back to the many scenes unfolding on Earth. “You have my answer. It may be that defeating the source of this evil can only be done in time if we join ourselves back together. However, neither one of us can be sure of that. If we're going to join ourselves back together and deny the Earth its guardian, I need to be sure there's no other way. I'm sorry, but you and I both know that isn't the case. My answer remains the same.”

Akuhei took that answer for what it was. This refusal was absolute. In order for Kami to change his mind, something drastic would have to occur to trigger it. He wouldn't just give up. “Fine,” Akuhei said. “We'll wait, and people will die. And when enough have died to convince you to give up your foolish play for inaction, I'll return. Maybe then you'll see that I was right. Maybe then we can finally stop this from getting any bigger.”

The guardian of Earth didn't show it, but he was affected by Akuhei's words. What if he was right? What if people were going to die because he had decided not to fuse with his counterpart? No, he couldn't think like that. It was exactly what Piccolo wanted him to do. If he was going to keep to his moral values of goodness and justice, he had to continue being the Guardian of Earth. He couldn't allow what he stood for even now to be torn apart by tainting his spirit with evil once again. He didn't react to Akuhei at all.

Seeing that he clearly wasn't going to get a reaction, Piccolo scoffed again. “Don't forget what I said,” Akuhei bade him. “I wasn't joking, and I'll be back when my prediction comes to pass.” He walked toward the outer edge of the lookout as he spoke. Still, he saw, he wasn't being acknowledged by Kami. No matter. He would force a reaction, and a positive result, out of Earth's guardian by returning when he had no choice but to listen. Kami would be sorry before the end.

Until then, all that Akuhei could do was wait. He decided that the best way to do this was to go and meditate somewhere. That would allow him to increase his own strength by even just that little bit before he finally fused with Kami, which he was still sure was going to happen. Malcontent in the result of this visit, Piccolo let himself fall off the edge of the lookout, breaking into flight as he neared the trees. Floating just above the canopy, he went out in search of a quiet, secluded spot.

No sooner then he had jumped, Kami broke his impassive stance. His staff dropped to the floor and his free hand went to his forehead. What a crisis they had found themselves in! If he allowed this to continue unchecked, he was sure that he would not be able to keep it under control later on. Perhaps Piccolo was right? Even now he could feel his resolve weakening, for the creature was reaching full power once again...

Kami was most disturbed as he stood upon his lookout. Piccolo did have some good points there. They had been the kind he had to dismiss rather then arguing, because the greater of two evils was threatening against him if he listened. He didn't like that feeling. He never had. If only he could stop these kinds of situations in the first place, he wouldn't have to worry about it. If only he were stronger... He was starting to sound like Piccolo there. That scared him.

Mr. PoPo, as if sensing his troubled mind, was rather quick to come back to the scene. Peeking his head around the corner, he made sure that Kami had finished with Piccolo. When he saw that only the guardian of Earth was standing there, he came around, arms straight down at his sides. “Kami-Sama, you seem quite disturbed. Is something wrong on the Earth?” He was fairly certain that he was still allowed to ask those kinds of questions, even in such a tense situation. But Mr. PoPo didn't understand quite how serious the situation was, or how much he truly was needed by the guardian of the Earth.

Kami was looking at the very real possibility of not being an individual person any more. It looked like he and Piccolo may have to fuse together before too long just to be able to keep the Earth from being drastically changed. When Mr. PoPo came along, he was more relieved then angry, even though he had told him to stay away not too long before. “Yes, Mr. PoPo, something is very wrong with the Earth. I know I told you this didn't concern you before, but if it's all right I could really use a friend to stand beside me right now.”

Mr. PoPo was just that friend. Kami-Sama hadn't even needed to ask him. “Of course I'll stand with you, Kami,” the chubby little man answered. “You know you can count on me.” He took up a stand beside Kami, looking out toward the planet they watched over and extending his own senses to watch with Kami the events that were about to unfold.

And indeed, events were about to unfold, for in the forests where Piccolo now meditated, a certain pink creature had fully regenerated. It was mad now, and looking for an outlet for that anger. The next place in his path was a large city called Tokyo. It was a place that was even now doomed to be destroyed. The people of Earth just didn't know it yet. As Keru blasted off toward it, an unwitting person crossed its path, not knowing that he was about to engage in the fight of his life.

Piccolo had found his place to meditate. There was a waterfall deep within the forest, at least twenty feet high. It waters crashed against the rocks below it with great force. This was it, the place where Piccolo could do his best meditating. Without much more thought, he threw off his cape and turban. He floated over to the waterfall, and allowed himself to enter it. He didn't get very far, just until the waters were running over the back of his head and body with amazing speed. There, he crossed his legs and arms and closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

In his meditation, he did much, but as with all things it started with a retreat from the world and into the mind. As the colors stopped with the closing of his eyes, his mind sharpened. As the sound of the waterfall raging behind and over him began to fade, his mind sharpened. As the cool feel of the water and the harsh force upon his back ceased to be with him, his mind sharpened. As the world around him became nothing more then a memory, his mind sharpened.

He was still aware of his surroundings, but no longer in the way that you or I perceive them. He didn't hear sounds or feel textures, but rather sensed everything. He recognized the water running over him as water not because it was cold and wet, but because his mind told him it was water. It is a feeling that is as impossible to explain to a normal person as it is to explain color to a blind man. It was one that Piccolo knew all too well.

Through his mediation, he focused his Ki energy, moving and exercising it within his own body. The best analogy I know how to make is with a certain specialized workout machine. Nodes are strapped to muscle groups of the body. From those nodes, electrical currents are sent through the muscles to force them to constrict and relax in quick succession. The result is that the body becomes much stronger as each muscle is worked out individually.

The concept was the same. Passing Ki energy through his body, Piccolo was strengthening the muscles of it, artificially replicating the results that such a machine would make. At the same time, he was sharpening his control over his Ki energy and expanding its reserve. A double-threat exercise was always the best kind, although in truth Piccolo was doing much more then double. In conjunction with the work he was doing with his Ki, he was also strengthening every muscle group in his body at once.

However, even he didn't expect the exercise to end the way it did. As was stated before, Piccolo was aware of his surroundings only through his own senses. As those senses picked up something peculiar. He payed attention to it, and his antenna twitched as he looked for it. He would most certainly not like what he found. For this evil presence was one he knew.

He had taken time to memorize the Ki signature of the self-generating monster from before. Still, it took him a moment to identify it as the same energy. He though it inconceivable that this person would be capable of getting back on its feet so quickly, even with the regenerating capabilities he had found before. With that, he knew that the time for his training was over. He had to try and stop it.

His meditation ended all at once. The sounds of rushing water and birds hit his ears, the cold and wet feeling of the falls ran down his back and the sights of the place came to his eyes. Jetting upward, Piccolo cut up the waterfall in little more then an instant. His entire body turned to the direction of the evil presence. As his eyes began searching for an anomaly, his antenna searched for the being itself. For his senses of energy perception were far sharper then his physical senses.

At the same time, Kami was feeling what was happening. He sensed Piccolo's power reading on the move and registered the evil being's approach toward his position. “This isn't good, Mr. PoPo,” Kami stated. He didn't think to explain that any farther, but instead focused all of his attention on the battle that was about to take place. Kami knew that if Piccolo faced the creature alone he could defeat it, but would he be able to destroy every fiber of its being? That's what it would take to kill it for good.

Mr. PoPo looked at Kami strangely. He didn't get it. He, too, was sensing the battle as it approached. “But, Kami-sama, I don't understand,” the assistant said. He looked to his mentor and friend with confusion displayed in his eyes. “If my senses are correct, Piccolo is significantly more powerful then the evil without powering up. Once he reaches his full power, won't he be able to defeat the threat easily?”

Piccolo was on a crash course for Keru, the wind blowing his flexible antenna back. If he'd thought about it, he would have liked that feeling. However, his attention was on the battle that lay ahead of him. He was going to be sure to demolish this creature where it stood so that it could no longer threaten anybody else on Earth. If Kami wasn't willing to help him, he'd just have to do it all on his own. That shouldn't be much of a problem, all things considered...

Or so he hoped. In truth, he had gone to Kami because he knew he couldn't defeat the regenerating monster all by himself. If he destroyed it, it would just regenerate. Unless he could completely demolish every last particle in one fell sweep, it was pointless for him to try it. And Piccolo as he was then, while almost fully twice as powerful as Keru, wasn't nearly ready to destroy him so completely as that.

Meanwhile, on the lookout, Kami and Mr. PoPo continued their conversation. As the two looked down on the Earth with their minds, Kami began explaining to Mr. PoPo just what was going on. “You're right, Mr. PoPo, Piccolo is far more powerful then whatever this is. However, this creature is capable of regenerating. It's scope is far more drastic then mine. It's possible that even with a single remaining particle, it would be able to grow a new body.”

Mr. PoPo was still a bit confused. He had many questions, but he thought them out before asking anything. That Piccolo would have to destroy it beyond a single living particle was obvious. However, how was that a problem? Now this, he didn't understand. He spoke up once more. “But, Kami, Piccolo must be half again as strong. Shouldn't he be able to destroy every trace of the creature?”

Kami would have smiled at Mr. PoPo's question, had this situation not been so serious. He answered in the same manner as his thinking. “No, Mr. PoPo, that's not quite true. As it stands, Piccolo is nearly twice as strong. However, even that much power might not be enough to destroy every fiber of this enemy. If he can't do that with a single massive attack, the evil presence will just regenerate and attack him again and again until he can no longer fight. Piccolo may have a massive advantage of strength, but he's still heading into a fight that he cannot win.”

Mr. PoPo looked to Kami with shock. “This is terrible, Kami-Sama!” he shouted. “If Piccolo is defeated and killed...” He let that hang in the air. Kami knew the implications, he was sure. If Piccolo died, the life force that tied Kami to him would force him into the next dimension as well! That was a greater tragedy then the loss of a strong fighter like Piccolo could ever measure up to.

“I know what you're thinking,” Kami stated, “But Piccolo isn't just going to let himself be killed. However...” He thought for a moment as to whether or not Mr. PoPo had any business knowing about what he was trying to decide. Finally, he concluded that if Mr. PoPo didn't deserve to be in the loop, nobody did. “However, if things don't go well, I may yet have to fuse with Piccolo. The Earth might still lose its guardian.”

Mr. PoPo was sent reeling with that realization. Kami and Piccolo, fusing back together? Not only would there no longer be a guardian of earth, but the being of pure good that existed in Kami would once again be tainted by the presence of evil! “Kami, you can't be serious! You can't fuse with Piccolo! The Earth needs you as a guardian!”

Kami didn't turn from his focus, but he answered that statement. “I didn't expect you would understand at first,” he stated. “However, if the consequence of retaining my independence as Guardian of Earth results in the deaths of others, isn't it better if I join with Piccolo?” He knew the answer already. He just wasn't sure that was the case.

Back on Earth, Piccolo stopped dead in his tracks. He had come face to face with something the like of which he had never before seen. It was pink and humanoid, with baggy white pants and holes dotting its body. “What on Earth...” Piccolo asked. It didn't matter, and despite his shock, the Namek never lost his composure. He stood with his hands, balled up in fists, resting at his waist. “Strap yourself in,” Piccolo said, finally realizing that this was the regenerating evil. “My name is Piccolo, and I'm going to stop you!”

A bead of sweat had formed on Kami's forehead. Beside him, Mr. PoPo looked likewise distressed. They had sensed exactly what was going on down on the planet in Piccolo's location. They hadn't been able to hear it or anything, but they knew he had challenged Keru to a fight by the sudden upward spike in his power level. He still wasn't quite at his maximum, but if Kami knew Piccolo (and he did), he was approaching full power already.

Mr. PoPo glanced over at Kami as he, too, watched the action. “Kami-Sama...” he started, but he trailed off. In truth, he didn't know what to say. This had to be a hard situation for Kami to be going through. The pudgy man didn't want Kami to disappear forever. When Piccolo had been killed by Nappa, he had lost his dear friend once. He couldn't bear for that to happen again.

The fight began at once. Piccolo could sense that their powers were very close to each other. Though he knew that similar powers wouldn't be enough to take the Majin down, he also knew that he couldn't let him get set. He burst forward, his offensive stance bleeding immediately into a forward punch that sailed straight for the pink blob's face, impacting it fully and sending the Majin back, its face caved in completely. Piccolo smiled as he set his stance back to its ready position. Perhaps the creature wasn't as tough as he'd thought?

However, he would soon be shocked by the reality of the situation. Keru stayed in place, the dent in his face enough to kill any other being. However, he didn't seem to be falling from the sudden loss of a face or the dent in the brain that presumably lay behind it. For several seconds he hung in the air, and all at once the folly of Piccolo became drastically apparent. Its face popped back out, a sadistic smile upon it. The creature was happy, and ready for another fight!

Piccolo wasn't smiling anymore. “I shouldn't be surprised,” he said, though he couldn't deny the feeling that had come across him. Even with a power that was considerably greater, he hadn't managed to land an attack that had even phased Keru. The real battle wasn't even nearly about to start, and the Namek knew it even as he charged in once more, this time for a long series of attacks that would leave the Majin wracked with pain.

A burst of attacks came fourth from Piccolo. First, his fist sailed outward, crashing into the Majin's belly. As he reeled over in pain, Piccolo hovered back a bit, giving him room to kick upward. He did so shortly, slamming a foot into Keru's face and causing the Majin to arch his back as his body stretched upward, unable to resist the force. But Piccolo wasn't done with just that.

He zipped in again, this time a double-fisted slam coming down to Keru's center. As the Majin was sent flying down toward the Ground, Piccolo jetted after him. He wasn't expecting what came next, for it was a pink appendage that initiated the next attack. Thankfully, Piccolo was also very quick, and he managed to get an arm up to block the Majin's attack. He spun and kicked it away shortly afterward, only to be assaulted by another pink limb from a different direction. This, too, Piccolo managed to block and deflect, but it had become clear to him that he wouldn't be able to get close.

So, he popped out a surprise of his own. As the dust from Keru's plummet to the ground cleared, Piccolo looked down to him, finding that he had the ability to stretch his limbs. 'This is about to get real,' he told himself. As if it wasn't a dangerous fight before... How was he to destroy an enemy that could regenerate from particles so small they left no power reading?

Kami's sweat beads had multiplied since the battle had begun. He could sense that, while Piccolo wasn't really putting any effort forward, the creature he was fighting hadn't gotten tired yet either. Was it also hiding its power? In truth, it was. While Piccolo was fighting with only a power level of 6,000 despite his current maximum of 25,000, Keru was also holding back considerable power. He was at 5,000 of his maximum 13,000. 'Be careful, Piccolo,' Kami thought, 'You can't keep playing games! It's too dangerous.'

Piccolo learned this the hard way a few moments later. As Keru's stretched limbs began to snake around his body, an aura of energy appeared around it. “What?” Piccolo asked himself as he sensed its power shoot above his current level. He had no time to react, however, as pink limbs shot up toward him, pummeling him about the head, shoulders and torso. It ended with a particularly brutal double-fisted punch that sent the Namek flying high into the air. However, as his momentum came to an abrupt stop, it was not worry that showed on his face. It was amusement.

Piccolo sensed the new power of the Majin. “Is that your full strength, then?” he asked. A condescending chuckle escaped his lips. “I still hit harder.” He set himself in a mid-air horseback riding stance, focusing his energies within his body. “HYAAAA!” he shouted out as his own aura appeared. His strength skyrocketed, causing everything from bushes to large rocks to suddenly levitate off of the ground, propelled unintentionally by the presence of a power level that was well over twenty thousand.

As Piccolo finished powering up, he looked to Keru. The Majin was looking up at him with a face of wonder and... longing? 'What's going on with this guy,' Piccolo thought. The Majin answered the question as soon as Piccolo had thought it, as though he could read minds. Upon hearing his answer, Piccolo would again wonder what kind of trouble he'd managed to get himself into.

“Fun, fun!” the Majin shouted. “Keru is going to have fun!” He had lost that look on his face, replacing it with a huge grin of anticipation. Again, his snaking limbs shot forward. They came straight toward Piccolo. The green man didn't move. “KERU GOT YOU!” Keru stated as his fists made their final approach. However, when they slammed into Piccolo's abs, the momentum was abruptly stopped. It was as though the Namek hadn't even felt it.

And indeed he hadn't. He'd allowed that attack to hit because he wanted to prove a point. He was almost twice as strong as Keru. The pink Majin couldn't really do anything to hurt him. Even several seconds afterward, as Keru retracted his limbs into himself, Piccolo still hadn't moved. The first movement he made was to turn his head toward the Majin, Keru's glee offset by Piccolo's determination and seriousness.

Piccolo turned his body to match his gaze, looking down at the much weaker enemy he had engaged in this fight. 'I have to do this,' Piccolo thought. 'There's nobody else in the area who is even capable of trying. If I don't do it, even Goku won't be able to save us this time, no matter what rabbit trick he uses.' The determination increased in his mind, Piccolo called out to his enemy. “Hey!” he shouted, “Stop acting like such an amateur! Let a real pro show you how extended limb attacks are supposed to look!”

Keru must have been shocked when Piccolo's arms began to snake out themselves. He hadn't really encountered anybody else who could do it, at least not on this planet. The unpreparedness and surprise mixed with the pure difference in power as Piccolo's lengthened arm shot straight for Keru, slamming into his face and pummeling him into the dirt, a small dust cloud kicking up as his body impacted the earth. For a few moments, Keru simply laid there.

That was when the dust cloud started getting even bigger. Piccolo fired off punch after punch with extended arms, knowing better then to trust one punch to deal the killing blow. He didn't seem to be stopping as Keru was driven further and further into the ground by the relentless bombardment. The Namek began sweating as his continuous attack against Keru only got more and more fierce. It was only after dozens and dozens of extended punches that Piccolo shrunk his arms back down to their normal size, flying in a ready stance. He could feel that his enemy was still alive and quite well.

And indeed, Keru was alive and ready to continue fighting. Even as he rose from the ground, the dents and holes in his body caused by Piccolo's attacks started popping back out to their normal parameters. It was as if nothing had happened to him. And, as if that wasn't intimidating enough, the Majin started laughing at the Namek as it rose. “Keru like you,” the Majin stated, pointing at him with one finger. “We should play lots more!”

“Oh, trust me,” Piccolo assured him, “I haven't even gotten started.” As it turned out, Piccolo was able to back that up, too. He pulled both of his hands back, charging energy in the two open palms. The center of that energy gathered in the center of his chest, becoming a tightly compact ball of Ki energy. When at last the charge was complete, he threw his arms out toward Keru. “LIGHT GRENADE!” he shouted, naming the attack as he sent it surging fourth. 'I don't think that's going to be enough,' the Namek predicted even before the attack hit.

He proved correct. The Light Grenade slammed into Keru, who was not fast enough to dodge an energy attack coming from the vastly more powerful Piccolo. There was no explosion large enough to cover his entire body, leaving his entire self exposed when the Ki attack took off his right arm. 'That should make it easier to fight,' Piccolo thought, However, much to his dismay, the putty of its body immediately surged out of the wound and re-formed into a brand new arm! Keru was no worse for the wear from that attack. “What... ARE you...” Piccolo asked, though the question was rhetorical.

The two shot toward each other at lightning speeds. Piccolo proved to be much faster then Keru as well as much stronger as they closed closer to his starting point then to the Namek's. As the two warriors met, an intense sequence of burst attacks began to issue between the two. Piccolo threw up arms and legs to block attacks, while Keru simply took the hits that came at him like a champ, brushing off what would've been devastating blows to anybody else as little more then an afternoon snack. Piccolo knew that shouldn't have been possible, and that it was happening disturbed him.

As he landed his final attack, sending the Majin soaring away from him, Piccolo had learned one thing. It was useless to attack the creature physically. Even the toughest of blows were little more then a game of paddy-cake to it. The only thing that could damage this thing seriously was an energy attack. Perhaps if he could summon a large enough blast, he could even destroy it for good? It wasn't a definite thing, but it was at least worth a try. He began charging energy in his hands. “Here goes nothing...” he muttered.

Even then, the creature was back on its feet. Its teeth smiled maliciously up at the Namek, its eyes promising unconditional pain and death. As it began its flight path up toward Piccolo, the Namek knew that he had to act quickly. More importantly, though, he had to strike true. He knew exactly how to accomplish such a thing already. The plan came from his mind and into action all at once, although at first he didn't appear to be doing anything...

Keru continued to close distance between himself and Piccolo unchallenged. Meanwhile, energy was still charging in Piccolo's hands. Those hands came together on his forehead, the right resting atop the left. The palms were pointed straight at the Majin that was approaching him. Just as Keru was right in his face preparing for a punch, when there was no room for any movement, Piccolo released it all. “MASENKO! HAA!!” he cried out, and the beam of energy blasted forward.

The blast hit Keru's face first, blasting down through his body and exiting where his tail bone would have been. As the husk fell back toward earth, Piccolo would normally have questioned whether or not it was now over. However, he knew better now. He knew that the creature was still very much alive, and he would be surprised if it didn't come after him again within the next few seconds. Preparing for this inevitable advance, Piccolo set himself in a fighting stance and looked down to the body that was even now regenerating itself.

On the lookout, Kami's sweating had only increased. Piccolo had a solid lead over Keru, his maximum power of 25,000 dwarfing the just-over 13,000 Keru was putting out. Still, though, even with a charged Masenko blast, the creature was able to keep coming. It would be back on its feet and attacking Piccolo again in very short order. “This doesn't look good, Mr. PoPo...” Kami stated. To make matters worse, the stronger fighters of Earth, who just might have been strong enough to destroy the being of evil, were nowhere to be seen. 'Where is everybody?' he wondered.

The Guardian of Earth sighed as an inevitability crossed his mind. If this thing continued to run around unchecked, he and Piccolo would be fusing together. There was no other way to look at things. This was a moral obligation that Kami had to resign himself to. With a sigh, the Guardian of Earth did just that. His only concern was for Mr. PoPo, and how hard he would take losing his friend a second time.

Regeneration was a speedy process. Perhaps regeneration wasn't even the right word? Sure, some new material was produced to make up for destroyed tissue, but most of the Majin regenerative process came from putting the trace particles in the air back together. Reformation was a far more accurate term to describe what was happening to Keru as he subconsciously put himself back together. His enemy could only watch from above as he once more became whole and ready to fight. There was no stopping him!

Piccolo and Keru simultaneously hatched plans of attack that would put the other down for at least a while. At the same instant, the two put those plans into action. Keru sped upward at Piccolo, throwing his arms out for a stretch-limbed attack. However, Piccolo moved at the same moment, and he was inside the attack before Keru could begin to land it. By extension, he was also inside the Majin's guard. Extended limbs unleashed a flurry of blows upon the Majin's stomach, getting smaller as Piccolo closed distance, winding up directly at his gut. He charged energy for a moment after, letting it loose from both hands, blowing both of Keru's arms off.

However, this was exactly the kind of thing Keru wanted. As Piccolo's unrelenting physical attack continued, he manipulated one of the severed arms out around Piccolo's back. By the time the Namek noticed the approaching limb, it was too late. It engulfed him in a bubble of pink. It looked like Keru had accomplished his goal as Piccolo shouted out in alarm, thrashing out with punches and kicks, trying to keep the Majin from absorbing him. However, all of his attempts seemed like they were to be fruitless. Before long, the Namek was completely covered by a pink membrane.

“Oh, no!” Kami shouted. He had sensed that sneak attack from the lookout. Could it be true? Was Piccolo really about to be absorbed by this Majin? “This is terrible! How could this happen?” The concern of what would happen to him, now that Piccolo was about to become a part of the creature, was also quite present in his mind. Would he be absorbed into Keru's being? Would he even exist anymore? And, most importantly of all, would it even matter in the end? Nothing seemed to be able to stop it.

“What's just happened, Kami-Sama?” Mr. PoPo asked, for he didn't understand the energy readings he was picking up.

“Mr. PoPo, this is exactly like what happened before,” Kami explained. “When this creature battled against some of the Earth's other fighters, the first thing it did was to increase its power level. It did this by taking the essence of two other fighters into its being, absorbing them and making their power a part of its own. It started exactly like this, in an attack that completely surrounded the victims in its own energy. I fear that this evil is going to absorb Piccolo, making it even more difficult to defeat!”

And indeed, that was exactly what Keru had planned. As the pink membrane finally took complete prevalence over Piccolo, it seemed that the Majin had done exactly what it had intended to do. With this fighter's power combined with his own, it would be possible to go back to that last group he had fought and defeat them! The Majin licked his lips as he began to take Piccolo into himself, his eyes lit up with delight. He never expected what happened next.

Piccolo wasn't done yet, not by a long shot. In the moments before Keru had started his bid at absorbing the Namek, he had been charging energy within his gut for an attack that would engulf the rest of Keru's body. Now, that energy was repurposed into an attack that would save his individuality. As the pink membrane finished its perfect circle of bubblegum wrapping, it lit up from the inside. It seemed Piccolo hadn't yet lost consciousness or resigned himself to being absorbed!

A sphere of energy slowly expanded out, atomizing the particles it touched. The pink covering around Piccolo disappeared in a few seconds, revealing the Namek in his struggle. He no longer appeared as he once had, relaxed and focused in his battle. Now he seemed to be exerting every last bit of himself, his veins popping out all over his body with the exertion. The field of energy around him, at first seeming to be an energy barrier, now came across clearly for what it was. It all started with a single cry from the struggling Namek. “CHOU! BAKU! RETSU! MA HAAAAAA!!”

A furious burst of energy issued fourth, with a furious Namek at its center. The rippling waves issued off of him as the dome expanded ever outward. Below him, the trees and rocks and creatures of the forest were caught in his attack, leaving nothing but an earthy crater where once there had been part of a lush forest. Above him, the clouds themselves seemed to retreat from his energy's slow advance. Behind and to the sides of him, birds flew at top speed to escape the expanding ball of destruction. However, it was too late for the creature before him to follow their example.

Keru had been at point blank range when the attack started. There was no way he could've escaped the attack, right from the beginning. It seemed now that the Majin's plans for absorbing this powerful fighter had backfired. They were about to end with Keru on the butt end. He struggled against the advancing energy, but even as he pushed with all his might to keep the energy back, he felt his body being torn apart. The vicious Namek's last stand appeared to be working as Keru's arms disappeared first, followed by his legs and torso, and finally ending with his head. All at once, his Ki signature disappeared.

“Did I do it?” Piccolo wondered as his senses dropped Keru's presence. It appeared that he had indeed destroyed the creature for good! As happy as the thought was, Piccolo didn't allow himself to feel it. This creature was a survivor, and he wanted to make sure this fight was done before he moved to the celebration. As he looked about him, he felt sadness for the destruction of what had once been over an acre of forest. It was now reduced to ash, another casualty in the fight to keep Majin Keru from threatening the world.

As Piccolo floated down to that blasted Earth, he allowed himself to relax for a moment. He began gathering energy, replenishing the stores he had used up in the recent battle against Keru. He closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to think that he just might have won. The last time Keru had been defeated, it hadn't taken this long for him to begin regenerating. Piccolo had to be the victor in this instance!

That notion was about to be shattered.

As if on cue, Piccolo registered the re-emergance of Keru's energy just as he allowed himself to smile. It wasn't gone yet! Worse, it was continuing to get stronger and stronger, restoring itself to full strength. “Oh, no!” Piccolo exclaimed. “This is bad, this is very bad! Damn, damn, DAMN! Even with my strongest attack, I couldn't completely destroy this... Keru! There's no way! It's not possible! I'm so much stronger then he is, so why can't I defeat him!?” With panic beginning to settle in, Piccolo tore off through the skies, blasting back toward Kami's lookout. As he blasted off, a single, loud, sustained curse trailed behind him.

On the Lookout, Kami saw everything through his extended mental presence. He knew what had just happened, and he knew what had to happen now. Piccolo was returning to the lookout, and when he did, the two would once more become one. The son of Kataz would be reborn in their reunion. His power, too, would be far greater then either Piccolo or Kami's. Kami estimated that their combined power would be nearly four times as great as the monster Keru.

He had to talk to Mr. PoPo now. He deserved to know what was going on. Kami had been his friend for centuries, and he was about to disappear. Mr. PoPo had been all but devastated when Piccolo had died fighting against the Saiya-jin attack. However, this wasn't like that time. This time, Kami wouldn't be coming back by a wish of the Dragonballs. Indeed, those magic wishing balls were about to disappear along with him. The Earth would need a new guardian to act in his stead as well.

He slowly turned to face the coal-black man. His dear friend, the oldest being on Earth, looked back to him. Mr. PoPo had also sensed what was going on down below. After Kami had explained that Keru may be absorbing Piccolo, he had felt the massive burst of energy and thought the creature destroyed. Before he'd gotten a chance to celebrate, though, he had felt the creature's miraculous return. Immediately, he had feared what would come of this, and now that Kami seemed to be turning toward him to explain it, his fears seemed confirmed.

“My dear friend,” Kami started, “I fear our time together is over. Piccolo has failed to defeat his mysterious opponent even with his vastly greater power. It seems now that he is returning here. This time, I may not be able to deny his request. Nobody else is stepping forward to destroy it. Piccolo and I may have to fuse back together in order to stop him from destroying the lives of millions of others.”

“Kami-sama!” Mr. PoPo cried out, “You can't! What about the position of the Guardian of Earth? You can't just leave it abandoned! And what about the dragonballs? If you go, they will also disappear. You can't just leave us, Kami, you can't!” He continued blabbing on about how much Kami was needed on the Earth, trying to convince him to stay. He didn't know then how serious the situation was, or he would have known that he had no choice but to bear with the second disappearance of his good friend.

As Mr. PoPo cried on in protest, Kami raised a hand, silencing Mr. PoPo with the gesture. “Please, try to relax, my friend,” he said, turning back to look off of the lookout. “I'm still not sure that this is what has to happen. If there's another way to defeat this enemy, I'll find it. However, if there's not, you must understand that I have to do all in my power to protect the Earth... Even if that means fusing with Piccolo.” In response, Mr. PoPo did grow quiet, but his feelings of foreboding didn't lessen in the least. He was still very afraid of losing his friend.

Kami tried to comfort him in this knowledge. “You don't have to be sad. Even if Piccolo and I do have to fuse, I'll still exist as a part of him. Don't think about it as losing a friend. Instead, think about it as a metamorphosis. Instead of Kami, a good version of Piccolo will replace me as a warrior to fight for Earth. We can still be friends through that medium, and when a new guardian is named, you won't have to be alone on the lookout any more, either.” He didn't say anything, but Mr. PoPo still didn't appear to like the thought.

Keru had reconstructed himself once more, full-bodied and ready to wreck havoc on whatever he saw. Looking around him, he noticed that the landscape had been changed. Normally, that would have amused him, but right now he was angry. He had been solidly defeated by that green man even though he had fought at full power. Despite his attempts to absorb him, he had gotten away! It was the second time in quick succession that Keru had been so easily defeated. He needed to hurt something, bad. The Majin extended his senses to look for that something right away.

Piccolo had been flying at top speed. Just now, he was passing the point where he had been meditating earlier. That was where his fight with Keru had truly begun, the place where he had first prepared himself for the onslaught of unstoppable chaos that was about to come at him. He didn't even stop to pick up his turban and cape, however. This ordeal had not only drained him, it had left him noticeably shaken. He didn't care about his weighted clothes in the face of this opponent.

He streaked through the air at blinding speeds, heading straight for the lookout with one thing in mind. Nobody else was going to come down from the heavens to defeat the Majin menace that was walking free on the earth. It had to be him, and in order to gain the power for the fight that was to come, he had to fuse with Kami. Only in this way could he hope to ever defeat Majin Keru. He only prayed that this hope would be enough to sustain his ambition of killing him outright.

Keru searched through the surrounding area with all of his focus and concentration on finding some sort of life sign. At first, he appeared to be finding nothing. However, as he continued his focus, his senses finally payed off for him. There was something in the mid-range of Keru's current perception, a heavy concentration of thousands upon thousands of weaker life forms. That was just the kind of place Keru needed to be to let his frustrations lay bare. Without another thought, the Majin streaked off toward that location.

Could post it all in one post..

The lookout was finially within Piccolo's vision. Not long now and he'd be back at the lookout, prepared to fuse with Kami. He increased his speed beyond even what he was doing now, making his final approach faster then common sense allowed for. A landing at those speeds would be unstable at best. Piccolo wasn't thinking at that moment, though, he was just doing. Everything he could do to get some leverage over Keru, he would do.

He stopped all at once, hovering over the lookout and looking down to Mr. PoPo and Kami with a glaring seriousness in his eyes. He slowly floated downward, planting both feet firmly on the lookout's ground. He didn't say a word at first, he just stared at the two across from him. Everybody present knew what he had come for. Even he didn't know how disappointed he would be by Kami's response.

Piccolo stepped forward at a brisk pace, the dirt and dust and grime from his fight with Keru still all over him. “Kami,” he called out, “You know why I'm here. We don't have time. We have to fuse now!” He was being insistent, leaving no room in his voice for argument. He was convinced that this was the only way to get things done, and he wasn't about to take his time while Keru was still on the loose.

“No,” Kami replied flatly, sending Piccolo back on his heels. “I'm still not convinced that you even needed to fight that thing to begin with. There are others out there that are stronger than you, Piccolo. You should have a little faith in their ability to control the situation for the time being. Until the situation on Earth has proven to me without a doubt that there is no other way to defeat Keru then to join together with you, I'm not going to let the Earth be without a guardian.”

Piccolo was now officially furious. “You old fool!” he shouted at him. “Don't you get it? Nobody else is anywhere near him! If we don't take care of business right now, that monster isn't going to have anything standing in its way!” He knew from the look on Kami's face that it was already too late to change his mind, though. He didn't even wait for Earth's guardian to respond. “Fine, have it your way,” he said in a cold voice, and he drifted toward the middle of the lookout. He could do some more meditating while Kami finally got around to making his decision.

Piccolo's fury did nothing to sway Kami's opinion. He was thankful that Piccolo was smart enough to know that. This way, he didn't have to flat out refuse him. He allowed his counterpart to walk away and begin his meditation. It allowed him to re-focus himself on the events that were even now unfolding upon the planet's surface. What was about to happen there would leave the old Namek stunned, each and every one of his senses assaulted by what was happening.

There is no longer a city of Tokyo. It was abolished in 1943 and joined with the Tokyo Prefecture. In its place, there are now twenty-three “special wards” that take up the core of what was once Tokyo City. In those wards alone there are nearly 8 million people. However, the total population in the entire prefecture of Tokyo rises to 12 million. This is the area known as Tokyo Metropolis, which is considered to be the capital of Japan. In it and the areas surrounding it, there are a total of over 30 million people. It is the largest metropolitan area on earth.

It was to this metropolitan area that Keru found himself attracted now. As he zoomed through the area, the presence of so many weak Ki signatures caused his mouth to hang open, his tongue lolling out in anticipation of the fire that would soon consume it all. He couldn't quite see it all yet, for it was little more then a small blip on the horizon. He could feel everything that happened within it, and though he wasn't keeping track of any individual actions, he could feel the busy and bustling life that existed there.

As he flew, he had time to think. Just what was he going to do with all those people down there? Would he kill them out-right, or would he play around a bit first just for a little bit of fun? The question was really rhetorical. Keru had already decided that he just needed to hurt something, and bad. What was effectively a city of 30 million would do just fine toward meeting that goal. None would be left alive in light of his singular attack.

There were towering buildings below him. Cars drove about on the streets of Tokyo Metropolis, their drivers heading toward work or home or any of a million other places. There were children roaming around through candy shops, picking out their favorite flavors. In the park, children were playing games with one another, happily laughing as they ran about. There were mothers there as well, watching as their children mingled and conversed with friends. The streets themselves were crowded with massive throngs of people walking to and from their destinations.

In the air, there was one being. This was a being of malice and hatred and evil, a being who would just as soon kill a person as look at them. As he looked down to the city, his grin was not in appreciation of all the good things he saw. It was a smirk of pure amusement, one that came from his imagining how good it would be to get all of his anger out against an opponent who couldn't even dream of fighting back against him. This would be an outlet through which all of his frustrations could be laid loose upon the people of the city.

Two fingers extended out from his hand. His arm rose to the area just in front of his face. Keru's attention was focused beyond it, however, at the metropolis below. There was a spark of Ki energy that seemed like it would be a fleeting thing, leading up to something bigger. However, it was the spark itself that became that bigger something. Before long, there was a small ball of black energy sitting at his fingertips. That ball grew and grew both in size and intensity until it was as large as a basketball. This was all the power Keru needed. Without further hesitation, he threw the ball down toward the ground.

Nobody knew what was coming as the Death Ball hurtled down between a pair of skyscrapers, rocketing toward a lush, green park. The children, playing their games, didn't notice the attack until it was too late. The ball hit the ground, exploding in a huge flash of light. It was this flash that the people noticed. Games stopped as the explosion approached them, washing over their innocent existence and extinguishing it in a single instant. Mothers ran for their children to keep them safe, but it was all in vein. Before they had a chance to reach their beloved young ones, the burning light had engulfed them. Their pain was short lived, perhaps mercifully so. In little more then an instant after they witnessed the death of their children, the light engulfed them as well, and they were no more.

The extent of the damage was not limited there. All across the prefecture, buildings began to topple, then were incinerated by the oncoming wave of energy. Glass and asphalt and concrete and flesh and bone were all vaporized in an instant as the blast spread ever outward. Before long, the entire prefecture had been eaten up by the attack. The surrounding provinces were not spared either. While they at least remained alive, large portions of their cities had been eradicated from existence as well. Nobody knew what had happened just then, save for one thing that was quite clear to all.

There is no longer a place called Tokyo Metropolis. It was once a place composed of 23 special wards and a few outlying provinces and populated by 30 million people. It was established in 1943 in place of Tokyo City as the capital of Japan, and it was wiped from the face of the earth in 2008 by a monster named Majin Keru.

Everybody with the ability to sense power levels knows that when a massive power appears, it assaults the senses. It can be overwhelming, even harmful if the power is big enough. The same is true of massive energy signatures disappearing. There is a void where the being of power once was. It can be bewildering, crushing, and if the circumstances are right, it can cause the person who senses it to go insane.

In Tokyo metropolis, there had been 30,000,000 people. Each one had a power level somewhere around 5, some much higher, some lower. If those people had been a single entity, its power level would have been over 150,000,000. As the individual components of each resident had been wiped out by an attack more powerful then they could stand up to, all that energy had collectively disappeared from the senses of everybody who was looking in an instant. Three of those people were in Kami's lookout.

The first was named Kami. As he felt that attack approach, he was apprehensive. Somebody had to act now and stop that attack before it killed everybody! He knew that there were those capable of doing it. All he could do now was hope that one of them would act. None did. As the energy of the people of Tokyo Metropolis disappeared, he dropped his staff. It fell from the lookout, plummeting to Earth as Kami's senses were left with a void where there should have been millions. He couldn't think, he couldn't react, he was having trouble even breathing in the face of all that death.

Another was Mr. PoPo, the oldest being on Earth and the dearest friend of Kami-Sama, guardian of Earth. When the attack hit, he didn't know what he was feeling. He was utterly confused. What was this void? When he'd had a few seconds to sort it out, he fell to his hands and knees. “How could this happen!” he cried out in a trembling voice. Before very long, the man had broken down into tears, unable to even see through the blurry wetness in his eyes.

The last of those beings was a seasoned Namekian fighter named Akuhei. He had seen death before, but even he was sent into a temporary state of shock at the scale of what he sensed now. In his meditation, he recovered more quickly then either of the other two that were with him there. He stood from his kneeling position, turning toward them both with a look upon his face more grave then any he had worn before in his life. “Well,” he stated, “That's it then. I wonder how many more will have to die before you realize the truth, Kami. There is no other way.”

Kami's guilt was beyond the scope of human measure. He knew that with their combined powers, Akuhei and Kami could have perhaps put a stop to this maddening loss of life. Piccolo had told him time and time again that there was no other way to protect the Earth, that they had a moral obligation to fuse back together, and Kami had ignored him. More then that, he had sat around and watched as this evil being killed 30 million people. It was all his fault! If only he had swallowed his pride as a Guardian of Earth and allowed himself to be a part of a real solution for the first time since Goku had surpassed him in power! He could have prevented this, and that he didn't meant the blood of those people was as much on his hands as Majin Keru's.

He could no longer argue. Keru had demonstrated that everything Piccolo had just said over the course of the past hour was exactly true. He should have realized it earlier. Everything he needed to see had been right there in front of his face, and he had done nothing about it. Didn't that make him a murderer, too? He was done playing the waiting game. He was done waiting around to see who would come and stop Keru for him. It was time for he and Akuhei to be that someone. “All right, Akuhei, you win. Let's join ourselves together.”

Piccolo would normally have grinned at Kami's realization. However, normally, Kami would have come to it much sooner, and millions would not have died because of their inability to save them. Piccolo didn't blame Kami, however. He knew that the old man was just being cautious. He just wished that caution hadn't come at such a high price. However, now that he was feeling that guilt, Akuhei could use it to make sure a few things that needed to happen, happened.

“Yeah,” Akuhei replied, “Fine. That's great. But we're using my body.” There was a good reason for that. He was young, very young, and therefore the being that was created would still live for several hundred years. However, Kami was already several hundred years old. If they used his body, it was only a matter of a little bit of time before they kicked the bucket. This was the better situation, and Kami could hardly argue after everything that had just happened.

The old Namek didn't like the idea of putting himself inside AKuhei's body, but he had decided to do so anyway even before Akuhei had told him. He simply nodded as Piccolo came up to him. Any normal person would have had a million questions to ask. Will it hurt? Will there really be anything left of me? Am I going to die? However, with Kami, there was now only one question that came to mind. “What do you need me to do?”

Akuhei wouldn't have known the answer to that question in a million years, if it had been left to him. However, it wasn't just his own mind locked up in that head anymore. All of Nail's memories and experiences were with him too. Nail knew the secrets of Namekian fusion. Therefore, Piccolo knew them as well. He knew exactly what to do in this situation. As he stood with Kami, their eyes locked with one another, he went over the procedure in his head.

Finally ready to proceed, Akuhei spoke briefly. “Just put your hand on my chest,” he instructed. “I'll take care of the rest.” It was similar to what Nail had told him all that time before, when he had first arrived on Namek. How very similar this was to that time! Then, the monster had been rampaging across his home planet, destroying everything and everyone in a bloodthirsty quest to get the Dragonballs. Now, the monster Keru was killing everything he saw for his own sick amusement. Now, like then, Akuhei saw himself as perhaps the last line of defense against the enemy.

Kami was no longer reluctant or hesitant. His hesitation had cost the Earth enough already. Without a moment's delay, he held his open palm out, pressing it against the center of Akuhei's chest. His eyes remained locked with his. “This is it, then,” the Earth's guardian stated. Those would be his last words as an independent being. However, they would not be his final words, in a sense, for the essence of Kami would live on for a long time hence.

Mr. PoPo was only now beginning to recover from the onslaught against his senses. When he regained his sight only to behold Akuhei and Kami standing together, he instantly remembered Kami's words. 'If there's another way to defeat this enemy, I'll find it. However, if there's not, you must understand that I have to do all in my power to protect the Earth... Even if that means fusing with Akuhei.' That's what he had said, and now it appeared that's exactly what was going to happen.

“Kami-sama...” Mr. PoPo muttered. “No... No, this can't be!” Mr. PoPo was in a rough state. He'd just witnessed the loss of more life then he could imagine, and now he was about to lose his best friend as well? He was frozen with fear for Kami in that instant, and he wouldn't be able to move until he heard Piccolo shouting out with the effort of the fusion. “KAMI-SAMA!” the man shouted out as he at once was to his feet, running toward the duo of Nameks that would soon be one being. His cry was drowned out by the noise as power burst fourth from the two, and his charging form was blotted out by the intensity of their light.

When the light died back down, Mr. PoPo was on his knees. Normally, he was a reserved person, rarely showing his emotions with more then a momentary slip-up of surprise of happiness. However, this was different. He had witnessed something terrible on a scale he'd never even dreamed possible. Now, he didn't even have his best friend to help him get through those times. All the horrible things that had happened recently... It was enough to make even Mr. PoPo break down.

He would have, too, if not for a familiar voice calling out to him. “Mr. PoPo,” a voice that sounded like Kami called out. Looking over, the man saw a sight that he had not expected. It was the same Akuhei, with his brown shoes, purple Gi and red belt. In every way, he was no more remarkable then he had always been as a fighter and one of only two Nameks on the face of the Earth. What made the sight something Mr. PoPo had not expected was the he was speaking with Kami's voice. “K- Kami?” Mr. PoPo asked.

“In a sense, my friend,” Kami's voice stated. “The Kami you knew isn't around any more, but he isn't quite gone either. When Piccolo and I united, all of our experiences and memories were joined into one body. Kami's essence is still in this body, as is Piccolo's but neither one of us is truly here anymore. We are a new being, a Namek that is different from both Kami and Akuhei, but with bits of them both within him.” He hoped he had explained that clearly.

Mr. PoPo was pretty sure he'd gotten it. Just to be sure, though, he recapped. “So then... You aren't Kami, but you aren't Akuhei either. You're somebody completely new that just has their memories. That's it, right?” He wondered about a few things then. When Piccolo had fused with Nail, he'd kept his own voice then, but this new Piccolo seemed to be speaking with Kami's voice. Was that supposed to happen? And, more importantly: “What should I call you?” he asked.

“Well,” Kami's voice said, “You can just continue to call me Piccolo. It will suit you to associate the familiar name with the familiar face, I think. Besides, I don't really have another name to go by. I can't be Kami, since I'm no longer the Kami of Earth. You should hurry and try to find one on New Namek to replace me, so that he can make new Dragonballs.” As he stepped toward the edge of the lookout, he spoke no more, but stopped before leaving to call back to Mr. PoPo. This time, it was Akuhei's voice that sounded out. “For now, Mr. PoPo, I think that you should stay inside the lookout and try to recover from that assault on your senses. You look like you got it worse than even Kami did, and he took it pretty hard. In the mean time have something that needs to be taken care of...”

He'd already lost track of Keru. Where he'd gone after blowing up Tokyo was an unknown. He couldn't sense his presence anywhere. No doubt, Keru was still around somewhere, but exactly where it was was a mystery to the new Akuhei. The first stop, then, was to recover the clothing he'd abandoned for his meditation, originally while he waited for Kami to allow him to become what he now was.

As he flew, he could feel his enhanced power permeating from his entire body. He was nearly twice as powerful as he had been before. Every muscle could make impact at far greater output then his previous power had allowed him. His energy attacks would be exponentially more powerful, now that he had this power-up in him. Perhaps it would even be enough to obliterate Keru entirely? Only time would tell.

He came across the waterfall in a fraction of the time it had taken him before. Noticing that this area, at least, was still in tact, he lowered himself toward the ground. He no longer saw the distractions of nature as beautiful side-tracks, either. They were the focus of this place. From now on, when he meditated, Piccolo knew he wouldn't be so completely introverted. Rather, he would focus on himself relative to the forces of nature. In this state of peace and harmony, he would be able to do much more than he had known as just Piccolo.

He walked over to his discarded clothing casually. He knelt down toward the ground, picking up his still-woven turban from the ground first. He brushed and dusted it off briefly. Without delay, he picked up his cape and did the same. He proceeded to put the clothing items back on, cape first, then the turban to cap his head. With his possessions back in his own care, he once again took to the skies, flying up above the tips of the trees around him.

He could see the edge of the destroyed area his Chou Baku Retsumaha had burnt up, and the immage brought another thought to mind. He was sure that the area that had once been Tokyo-Metropolis would look something like it, only in a maximized condition. That would be the next thing he did. He had to go to the place where Tokyo had once been and see the destruction for himself. He had to know the exact scope of what had been destroyed there, and if there was anything he could do to help, he would definitely do it.

He saw the crater before he had even begun to approach it. “What!? That's huge!!” he exclaimed. And indeed it was. Where once he would have come across a city, there was now a crater several miles across in every direction. “How could that monster do this!? I won't let him get away with it, if it's the last thing I do! That evil, wretched monster is mine!” He powered on the speed as he raced across what was left of the ground between him and the city-side edges of the blast. If there were survivors, which Akuhei doubted at this point, that would be where they were.

He landed on cracked asphalt. The city was in chaos. People were beyond control, panicking openly in the streets. The disasters that were still in the area were many, from house fires to people trapped in the debris of buildings that had fallen in the earthquakes that had followed Keru's massive attack. Akuhei was now on the scene, and he saw plenty that he could do to help. Turning and walking down the streets, he started on his quest to help the people who had once lived around Tokyo Metropolis and its province.

He started in a burning building. His acute Namekian ears had picked up some screaming from inside. It seemed that the fire department had not yet gotten to the scene to even begin helping to put out the fire. Akuhei moved in immediately, walking casually through the front door. He wasn't afraid of what this building could do to him. Even as a support beam fell from the ceiling, Akuhei hardly even budged, simply chopping it in half with a single quick punch and allowing the timbers to fall on either side of him.

However, as resistant to physical damage as he was, Akuhei was not immune to fire. He came across that obstruction in a burning hallway, which had created a practical wall of it between himself and the young boy in the adjacent room, who was calling for help even then. Piccolo made short work of it, though. He delivered one solid punch to the air, and the winds that it created as a bi-product were more then enough to put the flame completely out. There was now nothing between himself and the young boy.

“Are you all right?” Akuhei asked as he came into the room. The boy was no older then 9 years old, and he seemed to be alone in this small house. Frightened, he nodded his head to tell Piccolo he had no physical injuries. Akuhei didn't wait any further, he simply picked the boy up in his left arm and faced the solid wall before them. 'This building won't last much longer,' he thought as he took into account the conditions he'd seen on his way up. 'I've got to get out of here now!' Without further delay, he held an open palm toward the wall, releasing a blast of energy to blow it out. He floated through it, landing on the street beside the building to deliver the boy to his screaming parents. As he did so, he heard words of profuse thanks from the young couple, but he had no time to acknowledge them. Already, he heard the makings of another disaster in the works...

From a rather taller building, a crumbling sound issued. The building's upper half buckled, then fell. It wasn't something that happened all at once, though. First, the unstable foundation of the upper floors gave out, then the building started shedding rather large pieces. They were each falling to the ground very quickly. Piccolo knew that if he didn't act quickly, the people on the street below would feel it in a bad way.

There was no way only one of him could solve this problem, even with his increased power. Instead, he focused his energy inward. “Shishin no Ken!” he shouted out, drawing surprised stares from the people around him. That surprise was only increased when his body split into four bodies, each an exact copy of the first, and each with a power level of 11,875. The four clones streaked through the skies, heading for the area above the throngs that were endangered by the falling concrete from the unstable building, made so by aftershock of Keru's Death Ball.

The four clones covered far more ground then the original ever could have hoped to on his own. They flew from massive slab to massive slab, breaking them each into pieces small enough that they would do no harm to the people below, even with the distance they were falling. In fact, most blew away in the wind. Carried to the ground gently by the breeze, they were no threat to those they landed on. The four-part Namek saw that the people below were now safe from the falling debris, and he started on his next task: Stabilizing the building.

They worked in four different jobs toward that end. Three of them raced toward the building, using their strength to hold it in place. The fourth stayed back, using small, sustained Ki streams to melt the pieces of the building to one another. Essentially, over the course of half an hour, the quardra-Namek melted the various different cracking parts of the building into one large piece of what once was a building. Sensing no faint power signatures inside, he then used all four of his bodies to lift the still-unstable upper portion and carry it out toward the center of the crater, where he gently set it down. No harm had been done.

With that task out of the way, Akuhei saw no need to have four of him. His bodies came back toward him. As each one made contact with him, they were absorbed into his body, once again making the Namek whole. With his entire power in tact, he blasted back toward the city. There were a lot of other problems that needed taking care of. With the emergency services overtaxed and unable to rely on the ones that would normally exist in Tokyo Metropolis, the people would need his help.

Sirens blared as the emergency services struggled to deal with the crisis caused by the pink monster. No matter how many people they got out there, however, the entire force was not a match for the disasters going on within the city. That was why Akuhei had decided to step in. He soared through the streets, stopping falling objects from crushing people, pulling trapped citizens out of their cars or the debris of fallen structures, stopping burglars from taking advantage of the state of emergency and just generally lending himself to the city's aid.

The panic was far more wide-spread than Akuhei could hope to contain, even with the human emergency services at his side. It helped that he has split himself into four to cover more ground as he was able to, but there was really nothing he could do for most people. That didn't stop the Namek, cape and turban both wavering in the wind, from flying from site to site, doing what he could to help. In some cases, he prevented disasters, in others he helped in the aftermath, but in all instances he was saving lives. That was a fulfilling feeling for him, he realized, as he lifted a car off of somebody's legs.

Just a couple of years ago, that would have surprised him. He would have been the type to cause this kind of devastation on the cities of the Earth. That was before he had met Gohan and befriended him, before he had fused with Nail and Kami. He found himself a more peaceful person, more able to cope with his own self and being. He was, for lack of a better word, at peace even as worked through the carnage of Tokyo Province's outlying areas. 'Kami was right,' he thought, 'What happened to Akuhei back then was a miracle. I'm glad it happened the way it did.'

The one thing he would change, if he could, would be for Kami and Akuhei to have fused into him sooner. He would have had the power to stop that Death Ball before it hit the city. He could've kept Keru too busy fighting him to throw that death ball in the first place. There were so many things he could've done, if only Piccolo and Kami had fused sooner! It didn't matter now, though. Akuhei had always seemed to live by a set of philosophies, as had Kami. One thing that Akuhei seemed big on in particular was not to dwell on the past for longer then it took to learn from it. All of this Namek's aspects had most certainly done that.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of more sirens. 'What an irritating noise,' Akuhei thought. Still, the irritation of the siren noises made them hard to miss. He blasted off toward the area from which they sounded, weaving through the buildings and wreckage to get where he heard them now. When he got there, none of his eight eyes would like what he saw in the least.

You may or may not have ever experienced or even heard anything about the riots that have taken place in countries all over the world. They can be caused by anything and everything, from natural disasters to assassinations of world leaders. The people involved can be any race and gender, from all walks of life. However, one thing that is common to all riots. They involve people, and a great many of them.

That was just what was going on here. The people of the area had been victimized by this attack, and they were letting everybody know about it. The way they went about this was to overturn cars and shatter windows. The government response was small and ineffective. However, it was clear that if this ignorant thrashing about continued, the city and, indeed, the entire prefecture had little to no chance of ever recovering. Knowing this, Piccolo went quickly on the offensive.

He didn't want to kill or even hurt anybody, but he was left with little choice in that matter. Pulling their blows as much as possible, the four Piccolos descended upon the throng and began carving through the crowd. Open palms and closed fists both struck at the rioters, hitting in perfectly timed strikes to their abdomens and faces. Blood flew, and Piccolo couldn't tell how many he had hurt, or how many of those had been serious. When your power level was higher then your enemy's by thousands of times, it was hard not to kill, but Akuhei was doing his best.

As the last of the throng broke up in fear and retreated away from the scene of the previous chaos, police units broke off into chase. The entire ordeal had left an absolutely rancid taste in his mouth, and Piccolo spat it out upon the ground. With a frown still heavy upon the face of all four Namekian clones, the Akuhei'ss flew back into the city, searching for places where their talents were needed by innocent victims. Whether he would ever understand what drove people into such frenzy as to not care about their fellow man, Piccolo didn't know.

In a manner similar to this, the green man continued flying around the outskirts of the city that had been erased in an instant, helping out the authorities where they could be found and helping the citizens where there were none. Toward the beginning of the day, there had been thousands in unnecessary danger that he had helped to get out alive. However, as the day wore on and broke into dusk, the count of survivors found lowered. By nightfall, it seemed that only corpses were being turned up by the rescue efforts.

It would have been a beautiful night. The sky was cloudless, revealing the pure, unbridled beauty of the stars. Piccolo, however, saw none of it, standing in a city whose sky was filled with smoke. After the storm had passed through so violently, the city seemed quiet. And it was. The entire place mourned its dead. There were plenty of bodies that still hadn't been discovered. Others would never be found, incinerated completely by the fury of Majin Keru's death ball. It was a completely different place from just a few hours earlier.

The changes were twofold. In the city itself, the people had grown bitter and cold. They had been challenged in the most ultimate way imaginable, by a tragedy too great for the reckoning of human brains. Some had risen to the challenge, and Piccolo had seen their bravery as they worked alongside him to rescue the people of the outer edges of Tokyo Prefecture. Others had fallen apart, like the rioters in the street and the looters Akuhei had stopped. He had seen the best and worst of mankind today.

The Kami in him was glad to see that there were people willing to help one another. The Nail in him was shocked that so much evil and hurt could exist on one planet, or that such volumes of life could be extinguished. The Akuhei in him was cynically evaluating the people of this planet as mentally weak and undeserving of their lives on such a beautiful planet, as evidenced in the bad he'd seen. The Namek in all three sides wept for the losses today. The worst part in each situation was, there wasn't much more that Akuhei could do. What he could take care of, he had already done. There was no way for him to do more now.

With nothing left but to head home, Akuhei took to the skies. 'But where exactly IS home?' he wondered. The lookout would do, he decided, until he found another place to reside. He knew how to make his living in the wilds of this planet, for he had done so for most of his life as Piccolo. However, the oldest side of him, Kami, had spent hundreds of years in the Lookout. Of all the places in the Namek's memory, that place was the most familiar of them all. Piccolo turned himself back toward it immediately.

He was surprised by what he found there. Mr. PoPo was standing upon the lookout, yes, but there was someone else with him. He was a young Namek, but little more then a silhouette in the distance as far as Piccolo could see. As he approached, however, the image became clearer, and he saw the boy's face for the first time since he had left Namek. Smiling as he approached, Piccolo broke into a genuine smile. “Is that you?” he called as he approached. As the young Namek turned to face him, he called out his name. “Dende!”

Thus, the day ended for the hero Akuhei on a pleasant note, re-united with a dear friend and brother of Nail, who had become a part of Akuhei a long time ago.

17,000 words

17,000 PL
170 SP