Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Mystery Within ❯ Pieces to the Puzzle ( Chapter 6 )

The Mystery Within

Part I - Prelude to Terror

Written by Namek Kaia

Disclaimer: I own nothing except original characters and attacks. And don't use them without my permission. You won't like the consequences.

**Author's Note**

Yeah, I know I said that the next chapter would be a dark chapter. But then I remembered that there was actually somewhat of a plot to this story. Yes… there is a plot! It may be a bad one, but it's there! Anyhow, enjoy! This chapter is a little slow, but I'll try to get the story to pick up in the next couple of chapters.

Chapter Six

Pieces to the Puzzle

Piccolo found himself in a large white room. Ah, yes... the dream again. He had it every so often, more and more of it revealing itself each time. And each time it became more vivid… this one being the most detailed yet. He made sure to pay attention to every aspect so that he would still remember them when he woke. But most of it didn't really make sense to him. It always started with him standing in this strange room. Millions of voices came from nowhere always saying the same thing. "Help her. She needs your help," they would say. He was glad that the voices were no longer screaming at him. They were more like a whisper. Now they sounded like ghosts, giving their final plea before they faded away into nothingness.

Eventually they stopped. Two eyes then surfaced, holographic in appearance. They appeared so far away from him, yet they were so large that he felt like he were staring this person in the eye. The eyes were deep, such as if you were to look at them long enough they would tell you a long and compelling story all their own. They were a dark brown with highlights of a fiery red, causing them to look as if a raging fire burned behind them. Then a voice came, more dominant than the others but still as soft. "I want you to see," it said. It was distinctly a woman's voice, but one he had never heard before. "Too see what has past, and what is to come," she finished.

Suddenly the room around him dissolved. He was now on some sort of battlefield. Destruction was at every glance. But he found he was not on Earth. This planet was red, with purple water and a sky of the same color, although the plant life remained their natural color of green. He also noticed that there was a small sun and two moons that circled the planet. He was on some other planet far away, but why? What did this have to do with anything?

He looked at the chaos around him. There was a war going on. Between who, it was hard to tell. He saw many different types of species. Almost half of them looked human. The other majority looked very different. They had blue skin and spiked, dusty red hair. Then it sparked in his mind... they looked like Niko's father. Piccolo had always thought it strange that the man was her father although he seemed to be a whole different species. So her father wasn't from Earth… but was she? Could she be a part of the species who looked human? Before he could ask himself any more questions the planet dispelled around him, just as the room had done before.

This time he recognized his surroundings as Earth. He was in the city where Androids 19 and 20 first appeared. It was before they had been discovered by the Z fighters, for the city was in tact and peaceful. Soon enough, after being sure to take in every detail he could, he was looking himself in the face. He had seen this part of the dream so many times that he had gotten used to it. He nearly jumped out of his skin the first time he saw himself. He had realized then that this wasn't something he was seeing as it happened. It was more like it was being played for him… and he was only there to watch.

So he watched himself hunt for the Androids. This had to have been the thousandth timed he had viewed this same thing over and over. He never understood why he shown this. He had seen it firsthand already, when he himself had been looking for the Androids. What was different? What had he missed? He thoroughly searched the scene for something that seemed out of place, something he hadn't seen before. Just as he was about to become annoyed and stop searching, he saw it.

Android 20 was now destroying the city with lasers he projected from his eyes. The tall buildings exploded and came crumbling down to the ground. As he watched the tallest of them all begin to crumble, something shot into the air. It was that hooded figure that had confronted him months ago. What was he doing here? As Goku led the Androids and the others to a more isolated place, this hooded shape watched as the group left. Piccolo noticed that the only movement it made was the slight turn of its hood as he watched them fly farther and farther away. As soon as the assemblage was out of sight, the figure shot off in another direction with amazing speed. So he didn't follow the rest of them? What was he up to? Once again, the scene around Piccolo disappeared. Only this time it was more like a blink than a slow process.

On this occasion, he knew in an instant where he was. This was the battle with Cell. He had only seen this part of his dream a few times, although he already knew exactly what he was supposed to see this time. He stood on a cliff far away from the battle, though he could still distinguish what was happening. Gohan had recently transformed to the second level and was getting the better of Cell. Below him, Piccolo could see a small boulder. Crouched behind it, he again saw the hooded figure… the hideous shape that hid its face behind that stupid hood. The person he almost had grown to despise. He thought it a clear sign of cowardice that this person… or thing always hid his face in the shadows of his hood. He was hiding something else aside from his appearance, but it angered him more than it intrigued him.

On the battlegrounds, Cell had already returned from King Kai's planet, killed Trunks, beat up Vegeta, and blasted Gohan's left arm. Now Cell and Gohan were about to release their Kamehameha waves at each other. All the while, Piccolo watched as these horrible events were replayed before his eyes; the very same images that had haunted his memory for over a year now. And not once had the thing below him moved. It disgusted him. These people who he became so intent on watching were dying in the distance and he made no attempt to even help. Then a new addition to the dream was revealed to Piccolo.

By this time, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin were all attacking Cell. Only then did the mysterious creature move from his hiding place. Piccolo was nearly stunned. He was actually going to help? Unbelievable. Then Piccolo had a thought. What if he was in fact going to help, but to only help the other side? It made perfect sense. Cell looked to be winning, but he was growing weak. He wouldn't be able to keep it up forever. That's why the figure had moved. He was going to help Cell. But why? Piccolo had no idea, but it was the only explanation that made any sense.

Piccolo continued to watch as the hooded shape powered up and headed toward the battle. Not long after he had leapt into the air, he abruptly stopped. They both watched as Vegeta transformed to Super Saiyan and flew toward Cell. Immediately, the figure turned back and flew with the same amazing speed as before. He was flying straight in Piccolo's direction. Piccolo tried to move but was not allowed to do so. The strange form kept flying straight towards him. If his face were visible, they would have been looking directly into the other's eyes. Finally, he flew completely through Piccolo, their faces somewhat entwining. Piccolo felt nothing, no strange feeling at all as this happened… as if they were both holographic figures. Piccolo's eyes snapped shut. It was a reflex; not even realizing he had done it. When his eyes reopened, they took in a scene of an unspeakable horror.

Death was everywhere. Bodies practically covered the ground. The Earth had been shaken so badly most of all that remained were crumbled mountains, huge caverns, and other rubble. He walked through the destruction in awe. What in the universe could have caused this? Most of the bodies he didn't recognize, but some he did. The first was Tien. His clothes had been ripped to shreds and his body was mangled. All his friends lay in the waste. Yamcha, Krillin, Chiaotzu, Android 18, Vegeta, himself... and even Gohan and Goku. Somehow even Goku had come back one last time to protect his beloved planet, only to fail.

He continued to walk. Surely something had lived through this. Maybe even the cause of this destruction was still here somewhere. No sooner than he thought it did he see the first living thing, which was in fact part of the destruction. It was the hooded figure. He looked down at the destruction he had caused. Behind him was an army of fighters, slowly making their way back to three huge ships that stood along the sunset. The figure looked at Piccolo, his face still not visible from the shadows of his hood. Once again, he flew directly in Piccolo's direction. But this time he stopped. He walked right up to Piccolo, grabbing his shoulders without warning, then shaking fiercely.

"Piccolo! Piccolo, wake up!! WAKE UP!!!" she shouted at him, shaking him with fierce strength. Suddenly Piccolo sat straight up, gasping for breath. He was covered in sweat and Niko sat next to him on the couch, her hands still resting on his shoulders.

"Just relax, you were having a bad dream," she soothed as she pushed him back down onto his pillow.

"No shit, Sherlock," he commented as he sunk back into the couch and wiped sweat from his brow. "How in the world did you figure that one out?"

She reared her fist back and punched his pillow... hard. Her fist landed no more than centimeters from his head. "Allow me to get you another pillow," she said angrily and jerked it from beneath his head causing it to thump on the couch. She then walked to the hall closet and removed another pillow. When she returned to the couch, she pounded the pillow onto his stomach, then walked to her bedroom and slammed the door.

Piccolo cringed as he heard the door slam. The sound had pierced his sensitive ears and he knew what it meant. She was pissed… and would be for a while. He had learned that she didn't get mad that often, but when she did, she had the potential to be lethal. "Great," he said to himself, "just great."

*****

Piccolo levitated by the fireplace, meditating. His right eye cracked open as he heard movement in the house. Surprise overcame him as he saw that Niko left her room. She walked to the living room and moved the couch closer to the fire with ease. Without a mere glance at Piccolo, she turned to grab an apple and a bottle of water from the refrigerator before sitting down. She then curled up her feet beside herself and promptly bit into the apple. She made no significant gesture towards Piccolo… she only stared at the fire.

It was then that he looked at her for the first time. Of course he had "seen" her with his eyes and "watched" her carefully as they trained, but this was the first time he actually "looked" at her. He noticed that she wore a tight black turtle-necked sweater with jeans. Simple, yet it seemed so sophisticated. Her brown hair, which she usually pulled back into a ponytail, now fell daintily onto her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark brown, but were enhanced by sparkles of a honey-colored tint. They were deep and beautiful, and looked as they had a life of their own. Her eyes wore her expressions instead of her face. And her face... her face captured such beauty, beauty he had never seen or cared to notice before. At that moment, her beauty seemed more precious than anything. And the light from the fire caused her beauty to flare.

Although… none of this really mattered to him. It wasn't her splendor that drew him to her; it was her spirit. She was so young, probably twenty or so, but amazingly mature. He realized what she had been through. Losing her family one by one. Being all alone with no friends. Perhaps she didn't mind being alone. Perhaps she even preferred it as he did. But the loneliness in her eyes said otherwise. Her life had been some sort of nightmare for the most part. She wasn't like any other female he had seen, which intrigued him all the more. Other females would go about crying and giving up hope over ever the smallest thing. Either that or they were screaming their heads off at someone, usually a male, for something the opposed didn't know was done. Not her. She stood strong, not giving in to petty emotions. He admired her for that. He imagined that took a lot... for a woman. But he gave no indication that he thought any of this. His face never softened, but remained firm as it always had.

At last she spoke. "Piccolo?" she asked, never looking away from the fire. He said nothing, but continued to keep her in his gaze. "I promised you, right?"

"Yes… you promised me," he answered, his mouth turning up in a smirk at the mention of the promise she spoke of.

"Well... you have to promise me something in return."

"Promise? Promise you what?"

"You must promise me that what I tell you never leaves this room. That after you hear it, it will be like you never heard it at all." She then looked away from the fire and straight into his black orbs. Her own eyes were filled with desperation. "You'll never bring it up again. Do you promise?"

"Yes, you have my word."

After a long moment of hesitation and a deep breath, she finally opened her mouth to speak.

****

Ooooh. The next chapter looks like it might be interesting, ne? Or not… This time I'm telling the truth. The next chapter is slightly dark (that is, if Jeepers Creepers was a scary movie in you opinion. * giggles * …inside joke), and it will be called "Rock Bottom". I promise this time. Don't forget that you can email me with any comments or suggestions you might have. Laterz! -NaK