Azule-san
Okay, so this is not necessarily a genuine fanfic. It�s more of a retelling from Piccolo�s POV. Based on Piccolo�s first death against Nappa, for the sake of Gohan.
BOOM!!! Though I was panting hard from the strain, I managed to smirk as my blast hit Nappa square between his shoulders. Kuririn dropped to the ground a good distance away, unable to move from the explosion. Gohan stood towards the right, in shock from the events.
The huge saiyajin spun around to face me, teeth clenched, eyes practically black with rage. �How can this be?! You�re tougher than you look!�
That was quite a comment, especially from the mouth of a saiyajin. All the same, I clenched a fist and said, �The Earth doesn�t go down easily!�
The fight was about to begin again, but just then, a terrific energy overtook my senses. Could that be Goku? Vegeta, the smaller, yet more powerful of the two aliens, checked his scouter, only to gasp in shock. �Someone�s definitely on the way, Nappa�with a power level of 5,000!�
�WHAT? FIVE THOUSAND? THAT CAN�T BE RIGHT!!� Nappa was indeed in shock.
�I do believe Vegeta is actually worried!� I declared.
He must�ve heard me for the small saiyajin raised a fist, �Nappa! Kill those three now! Their help might pose a problem against Kakkarot!�
Just then, I felt Gohan�s ki flare up as he shouted to me. �PICCOLO! YOU�VE GOT TO RUN!! I�LL HOLD THEM OFF SOMEHOW UNTIL DADDY COMES!!�
One had to admire such determination, especially for a mere 5-year-old in his first battle. Still, I snorted and replied, �Don�t be ridiculous, boy. You can�t handle them alone.� It�s not like I would leave him alone to die anyway.
That�s when Nappa turned towards my young student. �You think you can hold me off, huh? Well we�ll see!� He charged with a mighty yell. Instinctively, I chased after him, hoping to stop his attack.
But Gohan showed that he was fast overcoming his fears and leapt up, kicking the brute smack in the face. The impact was hard enough to send him flying inches above my head and into a pile of rocks. Even Vegeta was surprised.
Gohan landed on the ground, panting from the rush of adrenaline. All the while, I was trying to piece together what just happened. �I�can�t believe it!�
KABOOM!! A slightly bloodied Nappa sprang from the rubble and crashed into the ground. Raising his head, he stared at Gohan menacingly. �Now�I�ve had enough!!�
His left hand rose up, a white aurora erupting from it. Pebbles and rocks sprang into the air and broke into dust. By now, it wasn�t just Gohan that stood, frozen in fear. I knew what was coming and I knew right then and there that my promise had to be fulfilled. I had to make sure the son of Goku got through this.
With a mighty yell, Nappa unleashed the blast. It bore down on the small boy, who threw his hands up over his head in an attempt to shield himself. His scream of terror pierced through my ears, over the roar of the energy-generated winds.
Flashbacks invaded my mind. First, Gohan was standing up to his waist in water before me, asking about where his father was. Next, he was complaining about how sour the apples were that I�d given him. Then, he was sitting across from me at our camp, laughing about something.
All at once, I took off towards him, struggling against my weakness and the strength of the wind. I had to get there! I just had to!!
As I advanced, another memory invaded my mind. Gohan was lying right by my side as I sat by the campfire. Something inside of me told me to reach out and touch his forehead, so I didn�t resist it any further. As I pushed the shocks of hair out of his eyes, I hissed, �Don�t worry kid. I won�t let anything happen to you. I promise.�
It echoed in my ears as I dove directly in front of Gohan, stretching out my arms and planting my feet. I heard him cry out behind me, but it was lost in my own scream as the blast ripped through me. I don�t know how long it went on, but eventually, it all came to a stop. The dust cleared and I saw Nappa, who was surprised to see me standing there, torn to shreds.
�Pi-Piccolo?� Gohan�s voice shook as he sat up from the dirt, staring at me. At that moment, I wanted to laugh out loud. I did it! I kept my word. I had kept Nappa from killing him. Instead, I managed a slurred, �G..Goh�han�run!� before collapsing to the ground.
I felt his hand on the back of my shoulder, �Why�why did you save me?�
I wanted to tell him the truth, but my pride still reigned over me like a storm cloud. �I told you�to run�H-Hurry.�
Even from my quickly deteriorating vision, I could still see tears building up in his eyes. Though he knew what was going to happen, he wasn�t about to leave. He was being a loyal friend, just like always. Despite my condition, I felt a surge of warmth rush through me. Too bad he wasn�t my son. He looked at me pleadingly. �Don�t die Piccolo! Daddy will come soon! P-Please don�t die!�
I felt Nappa advancing slowly, getting ready to finish the job. I wanted Gohan to get out before he became the victim, but there was no getting to him. So instead, I asked him to turn me over so I could talk to him a little easier. Gohan nodded, sniffling, and gingerly shifted my position. I felt the air sting my tortured chest and my breathing was reduced to shallow gasps. I knew I didn�t have long.
Gohan leaned closer, �No�Piccolo�
�Oh the shame�� I rasped. �Piccolo�The Great�the incorruptible evil�saving the son of my arch nemesis�heh..hehheh.� I managed to smile at him, not wanting him to feel as if I was too arrogant to do so. Somehow I knew this was very hard on him. �It�s because of you�you�re softness infecting me�and you�you were the only one�who ever talked to me�without getting scared.�
I heard him gasp, as my vision blanked out completely. He must�ve realized this, for he put a hand on my chest to let me know he was still there. Feeling my energy fading away quickly, I continued. �Those few months�I spent training you�weren�t really�s-so bad.� That was it. I allowed my eyes to close. �Don�t die�Gohan��
That was a few days ago. After my death, Gohan proved that he did have the power that myself and Goku had seen all along. It gave me a terrific sense of pride as I watched from Other World as he battled Vegeta to the brink of destruction. It made my sacrifice all worthwhile.
THE END