Final Chapter!! You've been great readers! Yes, this is the end of Touch Tones. I've introduced several original characters, tried to keep the existing guys on character, and contemplated hiding myself in the story (which I didn't, but I had an alternative version which I did). Yes, this is the end.
Nail: Doth I hope? Is the nightmare finally over?!
Kit: ¬_¬… you know… I think I'm liking you less and less when you open your mouth… But this IS the final chapter. If you'd like to see the art I've drawn for this, please visit my webpage. http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jshiley I'd like to thank all my reviewers, and Something like human (who kept me on task), and the makers of Pixie Stix…who have rotted my brain to the level of insanity it currently is at. THANK YOU, daaaa!!!
Touch Tones
Chapter 10: Resolution
Piccolo sat high above the earth in Dende's Tower, watching as the world spun. Nearly four years has passed since Meece had fought in the Budoukai. He slowly stepped back and let Meece do as she chose, her decisions always making him proud. She attended a small college, graduating with near impossible levels. Graduated in psychology (understanding the human mind is so much easier when you can actually look into it with telepathy) with honors. Shortly after that Piccolo had done the unthinkable. He let Meece go.
Kami and Nail spoke less, or rather, argued less. Twenty years of raising a child had given them all experience they never had. Twenty years of happiness, frustration, worrying and pride. They had watched as Meece changed from a frightened, confused child to a well-balanced woman. Meece had been the light in the darkness when the world seemed impossible. She was the hope they all looked to on those rotten days. She had been all of their 'angel'.
All those years cemented them into a rather strange, but comfortable family. Piccolo as the protective father, Nail as the uncle who spoiled her, and Kami as the kindly grandfather. After all their years of aggravation with each other, Meece had fallen into their lives and pulled it all together. So when the young woman left, they were thrown back into turmoil again, this time as one being. But no one took her departure more sorrowful than Piccolo.
The namek found himself turning around to look for the small child who would watch his every move. There was no loud music the teen would belt out in the late night anymore. He'd open his eyes from meditation, only to find the person who would always be sitting next to him was gone. The way Meece shadowed him, told him everything, even the clutter of her room was missed deeply.
'Dammit! I knew it would hurt, but why this much?!' Piccolo inhaled, trying to hold in the pain.
*Meece has a duty, she had to complete it.* Kami said, not tone of mocking or nagging in his voice. Piccolo didn't snap back, he simply contemplated it in silence. True, Meece had been trained for nothing more than to become a Guardian. But after Kami had brought up the subject of Dende's long life-span, it became obvious that Meece could not be Guardian of earth. It had taken months before Piccolo found the courage to break the news to her.
*I miss the way she'd always do stuff.* Nail said vaguely. Every mannerism, even the strange 'third-person' speech, was missed sorely.
A chi was approaching from the west, large enough to belong only to a Saiya-jin. Piccolo waited patiently as Son Goku approached Dende's Tower. The gentle-hearted saiya-jin landed quick, greeting Dende and Mr. Popo before walking to Piccolo. He offered Piccolo as softhearted smile and took up a meditation position beside him.
"How, is she?" Piccolo asked finally, his eyes staring far off.
"Meece?" Goku blinked. Piccolo felt the familiar tickle of irritation again, something close to the time he had to hide Meece's CD player to 'unbond with the loud toy'. "She's doing good! Still the same lil' Meece. Except for…well… you know." Goku made an uncomfortable hand gesture. Piccolo nodded in understanding. "Not too much time left before…" He trailed off again, the same embarrassed silence filling him in.
A few seconds of quietness passed, as did the span of a few dredged up memories. Goku spoke again, looking at Piccolo, "You know, we really haven't seen much of you down at home." There was a pause as Goku let another implication slide, "You really miss her." He stated, as if could pull the answer out of thin air.
The old Piccolo would have snorted, denying it and claiming only to have fatherly concern for her. But Meece's absence had left him to think for a while. "Yes." Piccolo sighed, looking down towards the earth again.
Goku stood up, stretching his legs out and dusting the imaginary dust off. Apparently he got the answer he was looking for and began to prepare to leave, raising two fingers to his forehead. "Do you want to come visit her?"
*YES!* Nail crowed, but was unable to be heard by Goku.
"I don't think I'd be welcome there." Piccolo nearly growled, his voice husky.
"Of course you would be! You raised her, she's your little girl." Goku protested, a big grin on his face. "Not too much time before she's ready, you know."
Piccolo paused, considering. *Piccolo! You haven't seen Meece in a while! Go go go!* Kami cheered, uncharacteristically enthusiastic. Almost like a wrinkled, old, green cheerleader.
'PAPA!'
Meece's telepathic voice boomed through out the entire area of Dende's Tower, causing both Piccolo and Goku to lurch. 'Papa, it's time! Quick…,' There was no command to her plea, just a press of urgency. Piccolo had lunged to his feet the second she called out to him."Fine! Let's go, now." Piccolo stood stiffly, waiting for Goku to get ready. The saiya-jin nodded and placed a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. Raising his fingers to his hand, he closed his eyes and prepared to use instantaneous transmission. The pulling sensation that followed was something like getting your hand stuck in a vacuum cleaner, or much larger. With a brief flicker, they both vanished…
Only to reappear in a hospital. People rushed about, carrying blankets and pushing small carts full of strange looking tools. Meece's chi was fluctuating wildly, slowly disturbing the clocks in the area to run backwards. The entire place stunk of disinfectant, urine, and an overpowering air freshener scent, irritating Piccolo's sensitive nose. The looks he got weren't exactly comforting either, the people looked like they were about to faint or kick him out. Piccolo stood in the hall, slight tremors running down his arms. Goku was guiding him to a small room to the left of the hall.
Lenchi dashed out of the room, his blond hair fraying in about every direction like a giant hairball. His mane was in a poor attempt of a ponytail wrapped low on his neck, the cloth holding it together unraveling. The past twelve hours were visibly hectic for the tri-clopse, but it looked like he hadn't slept in a week. "P-piccolo-san! Quick! Meece just asked for you!" He quickly donned a soft smile and relief flooded all three of his eyes as he spotted Piccolo. For three years, Piccolo learned to tolerate the youth except in his more 'blond' moments. Strangely, the currently blond tri-clopse was having a 'blue' moment, acting far too subdued and obedient than usual.
"I know. I heard it." Piccolo grunted, walking past the young man and into the room with his shoulders set. But once he entered the room, he allowed himself to sag slightly, looking more humble. A lone nurse was scribbling on a clipboard at the foot of a bed. The woman gave him a confused glance before she identified him and nodded briskly. The nurse turned back to the foot of the bed, finishing her writing and depositing the clipboard in its holder before retreating from the room. Tucked into the jumbled blanket of the bed was Meece herself.
'Hi,Papa.'
She brightened, lose green hairs sticking to her damp face with perspiration. A flush of exhaustion was dashed across the bridge of her nose. Piccolo smiled, but his brows drew downwards in concern. One large hand was placed on her forehead, his age-old gesture of comfort. He could feel the reassurance pour off Meece almost in waves. Goku and Lenchi were in the hall, giving father and daughter a time to become reacquainted."I would have visited sooner, but I didn't think… it was appropriate." Piccolo apologized.
*He was sweating bullets the whole time though.* Nail informed Meece. The woman chuckled, a deep gravely sound. Obviously she had been straining her vocal chords.
*But it's good to see you again, my dear.* Kami smiled, an astral form of him appearing in Meece's head.
'You make it sound like you haven't seen Meece in years, Kami. You visited just this morning.'
Meece's eyes twinkled. 'But what a morning it's been.' She shifted on the bed, twisting her arms around in front of her. Piccolo froze as he looked down."Papa, Meece would like you to meet Oboe." She rocked her arm forward, causing the blankets in her arms to shift. "You're a grandpa." She smiled brightly. The small baby in her arms, squawked, a small fist shooting out of the bundle. The baby blinked one, twice, and a final third eye before focusing on Piccolo. A tri-clopes.
The baby boy had three eyes, like his father, each a blazing mix of green and rich brown flecks of color. Small curls of green hair were ruffled from the blanket, the green too light to be Meece's deep color. Oboe yawned widely, making snuffling noises with his upturned nose.
"Would you like to hold him, Papa?" Meece lifted Oboe higher, holding his head carefully. Piccolo looked up suddenly, shock and fear writ on his face.
"I…I can't." He swallowed. Meece smiled again. "I don't know how."
Meece's message was loud and clear, a hit of a giggle in her voice. 'You raised Meece just fine, you can hold him.' She sat up slowly, taking a hold of one of Piccolo's thick arms. The baby slowly was transferred into his grasp.
"But… you were never so…small. What if I,~" Piccolo's eyes widened as the child was placed in his arms.
*You won't.* Kami assured him, carefully helping Piccolo out. He could have easily fit the kid in his two hands cupped together, but at the same time was afraid of breaking the newborn. Oboe stared at Piccolo in fascination, squinting when he made his soft noises.
"Oboe… you named him, like me." Piccolo rumbled, watching as the baby tucked in his arm quivered. Carefully, Piccolo offered one of his large fingers to Oboe, watching so the nail wouldn't hurt him. The baby gurgled, his hand unable to reach the finger with his newborn hand-eye coordination. Suddenly the baby's nose crinkled, his face almost folding in on itself with soft infant skin.
"Wha…what's he doing?!" Piccolo panicked, jerking his head to up Meece.
"A-chu!" The baby sneezed, a noise much softer than any adults own. Piccolo looked down expecting to see a baby with maybe red or blue hair now. But to his surprise, Oboe still had green hair.
"Yeah, I guess that was one thing that he didn't get that I'm thankful for." Lenchi's voice came from the doorway, his hand tangled in his mess of now-blue hair. "No more split personality."
Meece had been listening without speaking the whole time, birthing had drained most of her strength. 'Not necessarily.' Meece said cryptically, something she'd picked up from Dende. Her power of clairvoyance was one she kept to herself, rarely telling what she could foretell. Piccolo gave Meece a quick look before shooting his attention back to the baby in confusion. Something so small, so weak, was stirring up emotions similar to what he felt for Meece.
*You think Meece changed your life, lets see how you handle being both a father AND a grandpa.* Kami spoke. Oboe's third eye blinked, almost in confusion as Kami spoke. *He can probably hear us, you know, if he's anything like his mother.* Oboe's chubby hand had finally caught onto Piccolo's finger, and he was treated to a strange amount of squeezing from the baby.
The nurse came into the room pushing a bassinet. "Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Tenshihan needs her rest. And we should let baby Oboe rest too." She smiled at the parents and Piccolo. Meece carefully brushed her hand over the lick of green hair on Oboe's head, smiling happily. A simple telepathic message was passed from mother to son as the baby was moved to Lenchi. With a whimper, Oboe was placed in the bassinet and the nurse began to bustle about the room again. Lenchi hovered over his son, a look of pride etched into every line on his face.
"I should let you get rest. Twelve hours just to have a kid, you are stronger than I." Piccolo bent over Meece's bed, brushing her green hair back from her eyes.
'Papa, you haven't even tried to spit up a kid of your own yet. How would you know?'
Meece teased, her eyes drifting shut."I've raised Gohan, Goten, and you on my own, I KNOW I can't raise another without removing my ears." A smile flickered across his face for just a moment. Piccolo removed his hand from her head and placed a kiss on her hair.
'Meece is glad… Meece stayed on earth.'
Meece's thoughts were becoming fuzzier as she drifted off. 'Meece… is home.'To a human, the years seem to creep by as children, and then slowly pick up speed once they are adults. People will sit back and reminisce about the time they managed to fit ten people into a Volkswagen and went to a nudist beach. Children don't, they are too busy spending their time how old they are in fractions (3 1/2) and playing in the dirt as if it were a themepark. If they remember something, it was that time a week ago when they dropped their ice cream on the ground. Children live in the future, adults live in the past.
Nameks, however, seem to dwell in both. They remember the past, unwilling to make the same mistakes twice, yet are mindful of the future. Dende was watching the earth with one eye while trying to complete a project on his own. He was tending a small, grayish egg.
'Empty nest syndrome,' the young Kami thought. "Mr. Popo. Can you bring me the blanket please?" He placed one hand over the egg and finding it slightly chilled. Dende remembered something Guru once told him. 'The most joyful sound is the patter of little namek feet.' Meece had proved just how much he missed that noise, and before he knew it he spat up an egg of his own. The god barely managed to quell a blush from some of Nail's rather raunchy comments. It was the 'big brother's watching you' syndrome never hoped to experience.
Someone was standing behind Dende offering a blanket. But to his shock, it wasn't Mr. Popo. It was Piccolo. The larger namek looked over Dende's shoulder with semi-interest at the egg. Then he looked over at Dende before returning his gaze to the egg. "…. Doesn't look a thing like you." Dende promptly facevaulted.
"Baby!" A delighted, high-pitched voice squealed. With that, Piccolo was nearly knocked over by a green blur that dove at his back. A small child was clinging to the fabric between Piccolo's shoulder blades, leaning over his shoulder in the process. "Are all babies lil' and round?" He asked. His green hair was wildly ruffled, the light green tips hanging in his eyes while the darker green roots crossed in all directions at once. His eyes were wide as he stared at the egg in front of them, and he let his third eye blink in confusion. Meece's decision to stay on earth was now the result of Oboe, for she couldn't bear to leave her son, and didn't have the heart to move him to a different planet. Of course, her father had a large part in her decision.
"Oboe, what did I tell you about jumping on people?" Piccolo rumbled, trying to reach the boy on his back. The child giggled and twisted out of his reach, dropping to that 'un-itchable' spot that everyone has (trust me, they do).
"But yer my GRANDPA! I luv-CHU, Poppy!" Oboe squealed with unearthly energy levels. Snuggling in to the white cape, the green-haired boy purred with happiness. Piccolo nearly growled with frustration, unable to lift the child off of himself. So with a twist and stretch of Namekian abilities, Piccolo made his arm grow at least another foot to reach the boy. Oboe gave a shocked 'meep' as he was pulled from his clinging spot.
"And I think you are loud." Piccolo told him. Oboe blinked. Kami and Nail niggled in his mind. And to Piccolo's surprise, he could feel the light push of Oboe's own telepathy as he tried to look into his mind. "But … I love you too, shrimp." Oboe closed all his eyes to bask in happiness, a grin like Lenchi's spreading over his boyishly round face. NO, NOT the perverted one, but rather the 'I-am-GOD' grin. Oboe's arms latched around Piccolo's neck as he gave his grandfather a hug.
The boy was already being trained. Meece had started with telepathic lessons long before he was able to speak and the baby took to it like a fish to water. Lenchi helped his son use his third eye as an advantage (and something about 'picking up chicks' before Meece elbowed him). But it was Piccolo who was teaching the boy martial arts. Which would explain the dark blue gi with a purple sash he was currently wearing.
Gohan, Goten, Meece, and now Oboe. Piccolo had trained three (and a half) generations of fighters. Each person mimicked him in a certain way and gave something back. For Gohan it was the exact replica of his clothes and pure adoration in return. For Meece it was the copied mental abilities and her unconditional love. For Oboe is was chi attacks and his proud respect of his 'Poppy'. The boy had learned the Makankosappa at age 5, and already possessed the ability to explode camcorders with is mind. A trick that ticked off Lunch as she tried to take pictures of her grandson.
"Poppy?" Oboe asked in a soft, subdued voice. "Didja ever feel like you were all by yourself alone?" He asked somberly. Ah, that was the twist Meece had been talking about. Oboe had perhaps the worlds strangest 'mood swings'. One minute the kid was declaring his independence to the world, and the next he was clinging to his mother, whimpering pathetically. His grandmother's legacy watered down to a more tolerable level.
Piccolo placed one grand hand over Oboe's head, gently brushing the hair back into place. Memories of Meece hit him at the gesture. "I did once, long ago. But not anymore." Through the touch, Oboe conveyed a colorful band of happy gold emotions that drifted in a sea of reds and hazy greens. Oboe's happiness was, without a poetic touch, beautiful.
'Then… does Poppy want to… eh?…Poppy?'
Oboe's brown flecked third eye widened. The child was detecting something. Piccolo leaned down, stretching his senses out to try to detect what the boy was feeling. 'Another chi is … wiggling.' The lime-haired boy sent. Piccolo could just barely feel it, the faint tickle of a weak chi struggling. Dende, again with one ear on the conversation, quickly searched for the energy himself.But when the Guardian of Earth gasped and turned a much paler shade of green, Piccolo went on the defensive. "What? Where is it coming from?!" Piccolo growled, his own chi beginning to spike. He pushed Oboe behind him unwittingly, a reflex back from the saiya-jin attack. Oboe leaned out of Piccolo's grasp, peering forward at the cluster of blankets on the table.
"Eggy is movin'." He pointed, blinking again in confusion. "Oh no! It's gotted a crack! Get the glue, Mr. Popo! We have ta fix Eggy!" Oboe squealed, reeling back in panic. Dende quickly began to sprint about, grabbing the few things that Mr. Popo couldn't carry, namely a small blanket, a few pillows, and a washcloth. Mr. Popo waddled onto the scene carrying a large basin of warm water and a few white, clean cloths.
Piccolo scooped up Oboe, stepping back to give Dende some room. The expectant namek hovered over the shaking egg, one hand poised to help should the need arise.
"Ah've never seen a egg … do stuff. It is gonna be a baby?" Oboe asked, one small hand gently grabbing onto Piccolo's pointed ear. It was a strange habit the kid had while being held, he'd grab the person who's holding him ear. The young boy was mindful not to pull though.
"Yes, a baby namek." Piccolo looked on with curiosity. Oboe looked from his grandfather to the egg, and then back again. Piccolo could feel him thinking up a question, and opened a direct connection to communicate.
'So ya saw me aft'r I hatched?'
Oboe asked, his thumb brushing over the point of Piccolo's ear as he thought.*Oh dear. Not this again…* Kami sighed. *Time to explain to him the difference between humans and nameks. And the birds and the bees.*
*Just don't tell him what you told Meece. I thought her eyes were going to pop out.* Nail remarked. Piccolo lifted Oboe a little higher to his shoulder, thinking carefully over his words.
"Ok, kid. Tell me. What is Dende?" He asked bluntly.
"God?" Oboe answered, sounding unsure of even that answer. Piccolo smacked his forehead.
Taking a slightly different approach, he asked another question. He began explaining it as directly as possible. *No no! I said DON'T tell him like this!* Kami disapproved. Oboe had all three eyes wide and his jaw hanging open as Piccolo explained.
"That's…GROSS!" He squealed. "A giant flying bird brings human babies?!" Oboe looked shocked, horrified, and slightly confused all at once.
Nail could be felt trying to repress laughter. *Yeah, just leave it for Meece and Lenchi to explain, and take the easy way out.*
'Easy way out?'
Oboe asked Nail mentally. 'What's not the easy way?'*Uhh… I'll… I'll tell you when you're older!* Nail faltered. Piccolo snickered as he felt Nail fluttering around in panic. He poked is own teases at the flustered namek sharing a body with him. He received an answer which should not be repeated.
The small white egg began to rock harder as another tremble of chi escaped it. Dende had set his fangs into his lip, praying (probably to himself) that his child would hatch safely. Four sets of eyes (and one extra) locked onto the egg, and in a moment of shyness, the movement stopped.
"WAKEY WAKEY!" Oboe shouted, causing Dende to jump. Not only did the God of Earth give a lurch, but the egg did as well. A small green fist smashed through the shell before quickly withdrawing. Finally, the hard part was over. With the egg's shell destabilized, the white, flaky pieces began to fall apart. Out of the football sized egg rolled a small, sticky baby namek.
There was a moments pause as Dende stared at his baby with a slack jaw. Then Popo swooped down and cleaned the child, covered him up, and placed him in Dende's arms before anyone knew what had happened.
"Whatcha gonna name da baby?" Oboe peered at the wiggling green shape in Dende's arms. The baby namek had all the ungainliness of a newborn human, along with two antenna which drooped in front of his eyes. The pink patches on the baby's forearms were wrinkled from being in the cramped egg. Already, tiny claws were visible on the young namek's fingers and two small fangs were poking out of his mouth.
Dende toyed with his son's hand for a moment, thinking. "Cargo." He said, a smile flickering on his face. The baby smacked his lips, almost in agreement.
"Ooohh….. It…. 'S-CARGO!" Oboe announced the baby's name in incredibly loud volumes, slurring the 'its' together. The meaning of the word hit Piccolo like a kamehame to the head. 'Escargo', the kid was named after … a snail. Using his renown poker face, Piccolo tried to keep from laughing out loud. Then, in a surprising moment of seriousness and careful movements, Oboe reached up and carefully pat Cargo on the head. "Cute baby, go to sleep." He encouraged. The tiny namek cooed, his dark eyes fixing on Oboe before drifting slowly closed.
Looking from baby to boy, Dende had a knowing smile on his face. He could see great things from these two. It would be another duo, like Trunks and Goten or Bra and Meece. By the time Oboe reached 14, Cargo would finally be fully-grown in those 7 years.
"Dende-san?" Oboe looked up at the God, bouncing on his toes to get his attention. "When I visit Heaven again, can Cargo and me play?"
Handing the baby to Mr. Popo, Dende crouched down to the boy's level. "I think Cargo would like that. But now… it's time for you're training!" Dende pushed Oboe towards his grandfather, smiling as the boy gave a jump of joy. Mr Popo was setting Cargo into the bassinet the egg once rested in, carefully arranging the blankets around the baby.
"Ok! Bai Dende-san! Bai-bai Mr. Popo! I'll see ya sooooon Cargo!" Oboe waved, jumping into the air and letting his chi hold him up. Piccolo was already at the edge of the platform waiting for the boy to catch up to him. The energetic tri-clopse zipped after Piccolo, laughing joyfully the whole way.
"Like the tide to the ocean, as the rain falls in the jungle, it's starting again. A star shines brightly as one beings to burn." Dende smiled, waxing poetically. Mr. Popo lifted his head to watch as the two fighters left and nodded. "Mr. Popo… do we still have all the duct tape that Meece brought up here?"
The black genie blinked, raising a finger to his lips. "I believe so, my holiness. But… what are you using it for?"
"We are childproofing the tower! Quickly! Before Cargo grows up on us!" And with that, the two of them set out to tape all the lamps to the floor, pictures to the wall, and weave a duct tape 'railing' around the entire circumference of the tower. And for being the God of Earth, Dende was well aquatinted with the 'miraculous fixing powers' of duct tape.