The gift part 3
<br />
<br />
That's when Gokou remembered the video. "Maybe he's in the living room and looking at the thing," he thought half aloud and made his way there.
<br />
<br />
The television was still on, although there was no picture, just black and white flickering. But no trace of Son Gokou. Gokou frowned. ChiChi could get very uncomfortable if Gohan didn't show up on time for meals. He could visit all of his son's favorite places, or ... Gokou closed his eyes and searched the area for Gohan's aura. It was there so he hadn't deleted it. Gokou concentrated, used momentary teleportation and ... stood in the air, just one step to the side of the thick branch on which Gohan crouched like a pile of misery. Gokou almost fell in shock before he remembered his levitation.
<br />
<br />
"Gohan?" He asked carefully and put his hand on his son's shoulder."I don't even know you like that. What's the matter?"
<br />
<br />
Gohan raised his head and looked at his father. The eyes were swollen red, and tears still glistened in the corners of the eyes. "Papa ...", the little one took a deep breath, "... how ...?!"
<br />
"Like what?" Gokou asked gently.
<br />
<br />
"How could Piccolo do that ...?!" Although the Gohan only whispered the question, Gokou winced.
<br />
<br />
"What to do?", Gokou asked confused.
<br />
<br />
"So many people, my friends, he ... he killed them all and laughed. I knew that he was the big devil and that you used to fight each other, but ... but ..." He took another deep breath. "I never thought that Piccolo was as bad as Freezer ..."
<br />
<br />
"Where from ...?", Gokou began his question, but then he remembered the answer himself. "The video!"
<br />
Gohan nodded. "Everything is on it, everything! How he destroys the capital, how he torments people, little children, old people, just everyone ..." The little one poured himself away."It's terrible..."
<br />
<br />
Gokou swallowed. That was a tough job. Ice-cold anger crept up inside him. Anger at those who sent Gohan this gift. Gokou had never been jealous of the friendship between Gohan and Piccolo, he was often not with his family for a long time, so he knew in Piccolo a mentor who kept a close eye on Gohan. If this video should be to blame that this friendship broke ..... Golden energy flooded Son Gokou and his hair took on the pale gold of the Saiyans, the black of his eyes changed to green, cold and hard like polished jade.
<br />
<br />
Gohan's eyes widened and he slipped a little away from his father. "Father....?"
<br />
Gokou controlled his anger and returned to his normal form. He crouched down on the branch next to his son and put his arm around his shoulders. It was now a matter of finding the right words.He was glad that ChiChi wasn't around, she might have added fuel to the fire, as she was against her son's friendship with Piccolo.
<br />
"Gohan, do you remember Raddiz?" Gokou asked carefully. His son wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and looked at his father questioningly. "The Saiyan who kidnapped me back then?"
<br />
<br />
"Right. He was my brother, so the three of us have the same blood, the legacy of a violent people. When my grandfather found me as a baby I was already violent. If I hadn't fallen so badly on my head, I would have the whole Humanity, including your mother, wiped out. "
<br />
<br />
Gohan looked at him horrified. "Papa, you'd never have?"
<br />
"Oh yes, Gohan. Chance saved me from it. You know what can happen if you freak out. Both of us, we're basically like Vegeta. And we don't even have the excuse to be the bad half of to be anyone, like Piccolo. "<br />
Now Gohan looked thoughtful. "So I have no right to judge him, do I? Did you let him go after that tournament back then ...?"
<br />
"Not just because of that," grinned Gokou. "Even then I sensed that this young Piccolo was not the same as the one who almost destroyed the world."
<br />
<br />
He hugged his son lightly. "That's a lot to digest, I know. I would say we go out to dinner now before your mother dismantles the lock."
<br />
<br />
A faint grin crossed Gohan's face. "She really would, wouldn't she? Best not tell her about the video, it would just upset her"
<br />
<br />
"I agree," Gokou agreed and concentrated.
<br />
<br />
A breath later they were standing behind the beef devil in the dining room.
<br />
<br />
"There you are!", He said, relieved, "ChiChi has already wanted to send the whole staff to look for it.""What happened?"
<br />
<br />
"Since ChiChi is not around ...", Gokou looked around quickly in all directions, "I can tell you, maybe you have an idea who might be behind it."
<br />
<br />
In quick words, he outlined the content of the video and the effect it had on Gohan.
<br />
<br />
"What a ... !!!" the beef devil said indignantly. "Listen carefully, Gohan, old Piccolo was really a monster, no question about it. But his son obviously has a good heart and from what I've heard from Gokou, Piccolo really likes you, otherwise he would hardly be for you Sacrificed, right? That and only that should be important to you. People change, Namekians and Saiyans too. If Bulma had only judged Vegeta by how he used to be, you can take it easy that she never enters her house would have left ... "
<br />
<br />
Gohan looked seriously at his grandfather and after a while he nodded. "That's right ..." There was still a bit of doubt in his eyes.<br />
<br />
"It's best to sleep on it", the beef devil advised him and took a deep breath: "ChiChi! You are here! Gokou has found him, they both just forgot the time!"
<br />
<br />
Gokou winced, knowing full well whose head the thunderstorm was about to discharge ...
<br />
Gohan tried to look contrite and stared at the floor, which was fine with him, so his mother wouldn't notice the reddened eyes ...
<br />
<br />
....................................
<br />
<br />
Piccolo's antennae twitched when he saw the "Dragon Ball Thief". A huge kite with purple wings soared through the air only a few hundred yards in front of him, flapping wings heavily. In his claws he carried a beaten stag in the antlers of which sparkled a little orange. Piccolo checked the radar. No doubt it had to be the Dragon Ball. It would of course be easy to get the kite out of the sky, but first of all a karst mountain range, torn by gorges and ravines, spread out below them and if the Dragon Ball fell out of its antlers, it would disappear into one of the countless crevices and only with difficulty again to be found.So Piccolo told himself that it would be better to wait for the dragon to land with its prey. Of course, his decision had nothing to do with the fact that the dragon looked like a full-blown version of the playmate that Gohan had taken so dearly ...
<br />
In any case, it didn't take long and the dragon headed for an opening in the cave. Piccolo accelerated so as not to lose sight of the kite.
<br />
<br />
When he landed on the ledge in front of the cave, the dragon had already disappeared into its dark maw. Piccolo listened. From far inside came a fine whining, a sound that he knew from Gohan's dragon friend from the time when he was still almost a nestling. No question about it, the dragon fed its brood. Piccolo crept into the cave, carefully and slowly, trying not to attract the attention of the dragon or its nestlings. Daylight fell precisely on the dragon's nest through a wide crack in the vault.Two nestlings crouched in it, they were a good deal smaller than Gohan's friend had been when little Saiyan had saved him from the forest fire. The great dragon, obviously the mother, tore large chunks of meat from the deer and threw them into the throats of the hungry brood. As far as Piccolo could see, the head and the antlers were rather unnoticed, no wonder, as there wasn't a lot of meat on them. But then one of the nestlings accidentally stepped with his claw on the antlers, which protested with a loud crack, finally gave way and broke. The Dragon Ball lost its grip and rolled onto the gently sloping floor right in front of Piccolo's feet. The nestling's eyes had followed the orange thing with the single star in it. Piccolo bent down for it, and when he lifted his head he looked straight into the astonished but by no means frightened eyes.
<br />
<br />
The little dragon, he looked like the younger brother of Gohan's dragon, gave a questioning whine, which drew the mother's attention to the green intruder.Piccolo thought it was time to say goodbye. He and the mother dragon exchanged a long look, assessing each other's strengths. The rigid duel lasted only a few seconds, then the mother dragon decided to ignore the green vermin, grabbed her curious offspring by the neck and put him back in the nest. Piccolo put the Dragon Ball in his sack and left the cave before the great dragon could change his mind.
<br />
<br />
....................................
<br />
<br />
"Well, I don't really know," said ChiChi after Gohan had disappeared back into his room, "something is not as it should be".
<br />
<br />
Gokou, who dutifully piled the plates on the tray, choked and had a fit of coughing. Helpful, the beef devil patted him on the back and asked unsuspectingly what ChiChi meant by that.
<br />
<br />
"Well, Gohan's behavior, of course," said ChiChi. "You men simply have no sensitivity, but of course a mother can sense when something is wrong with her darling.Gohan was just too quiet while eating. Actually, he should be bursting with energy and look forward to his birthday like crazy ..... "
<br />
"Maybe he studied too long last night and is therefore a little tired," the cow devil tried to circumnavigate the cliff.
<br />
<br />
That was of course the wrong sentence. ChiChi glared at her father. "Are you saying that he should remain as stupid and