Dragon Ball Z: Taro

Chapter Three: Allies

A week has passed since the death of Raditz. Gohan has been kidnapped by Piccolo to train for the upcoming Saiyan invasion. With practically no idea what's going on, Gohan is left to stumble around in the woods by himself to survive. Gohan, alone and scared, wandered through the woods in an attempt to find some food. His outfit was dirty and ragged, having been torn from loose tree limbs and bushes.

"H-Hello? Mr Piccolo? Anybody...?" Gohan whimpered sadly as he walked through the woods. "I'm all alone..." he thought to himself as the ground suddenly started to shake. Gohan looked around the corner and there stomping towards him was a large brown dinosaur. The young boy froze in fear as the dinosaur looked at him, growling. It roared and raced towards him, hungry for a snack. Gohan finally realized what was happening and screamed in fear, running away as the dinosaur chased him. He tripped over a loose stone and fell as the dinosaur lunged towards him. The fear of death awakened something in Gohan and without realizing what he was doing, rocketed to the top of a plateau where the dinosaur couldn't touch him. He looked around, realizing his situation. "Oh no! I can't get down!" He yelled in fear and despair. He looked around his area, searching for useful tools. What he found instead was something more unordinary. It was a small shack made out of dry wolf pelts and dinosaur bones. The pelts were punched through the ribcage of a dinosaur in a way that created a roof, most likely to keep the rain out. Out front was a small campfire. Gohan titled his head in confusion. "Who would be living all the way out here?" He thought, stepping closer. Gently poking his head inside, he saw a makeshift bed in the center. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of whoosing air nearby. Gohan quickly hid out of sight as someone landed next to the hut. Gohan froze upon seeing who. The blue body suiy, the glistening black armor with cracks on the lower right torso. It was all too clear who this hut belonged to. Gohan backed out of sight as Taro skewered some dinosaur meat and rabbits over the campfire, using some ki to ignite it.

"So far, so good," the Saiyan said to himself. "No major problems, haven't run into Piccolo yet. Hopefully I never will." He sighed and took off the top half of his armor, revealing the hole in his body suit where Gohan had struck him a week before. The wound was still red and irritated and stung to touch it. Taro sat next to the fire and started cooking the meat. The enticing smell flew into Gohan's nostrils as he hadn't had meat since Piccolo kidnapped him. Slowly and cautiously, he poked his head around the corner of the hut. Taro glanced over his shoulder to see a pair of eyes looking at him. He panicked, firing a small pot shot at Gohan, who dived out of the way back behind the shack. Taro got up and gathered energy in his hand. "I don't know who you are, but this meat is mine!" He yelled, stepping around to see Gohan there cowering in fear.

"No! Not you again! Please don't hurt me!" Gohan yelled as tears started to form in his eyes again. Taro calmed down and canceled the attack.

"What are you doing here, kid? Didn't you and Piccolo take enough from me already?" He growled, sitting back down. Gohan moved his hands from his face and looked up.

"H-Huh? What do you mean?" He asked, still a little scared. Taro looked at him without turning his head.

"You took everything from me! I can't go back. Not now. The others would kill me for failing a mission. A mission I didn't even want to do! But Raditz insisted. And look where that got him." Taro said with a hint of anger and sadness in his voice. Gohan walked closer, hearing the hurt in this man's voice. "I'm sorry if this has messed things up for you. I... I'm sorry about your father. It wasn't supposed to end like this."

"You... you protected me. When that bad man was about to hurt me, you stopped him. Why?" Gohan asked. Taro put his face in his hands with a loud sigh.

"I don't know, I just... I couldn't stand to see a child get hurt. I've done some horrible things in my life before, but I draw the line at hurting children." Taro said. Gohan started to relax a little, not sensing any danger from Taro anymore. Taro took a bit of the cooked dinosaur meat off the bone, eating it. "Now I'm stuck here on this barren world. Alone." Gohan smiled.

"You don't have to be alone if you don't want to be." The young boy replied. Taro turned and looked at him.

"You don't get it. Everyone on this planet considers me an enemy, someone to be destroyed!" He angrily replied. Gohan blinked innocently.

"I don't." Taro froze in shock and surprise. He didn't know what to say or what to do. "I don't think you're an enemy. If you were an enemy, you would've attacked me by now. I think you're a good guy with a rough edge, like Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan said happily. Taro sat there for a minute to process all of this before smiling at the boy.

"Wow. Thanks kid. Nobody's ever said that to me before." He paused for a moment. "What's your name?"

"I'm Son Gohan." Gohan said.

"Taro," the Saiyan replied. He looked over to the meat cooking and pulled off a piece, giving it to Gohan. After a while of this, Piccolo landed in front of the two, Taro backing away in fear.

"What the Hell are you doing!? He's the enemy!" Piccolo shouted, veins popping on his forehead. "Do you want to die!?" He started to charge a blast aimed at Taro when Gohan got in the way, standing between the two.

"Stop it, Mr. Piccolo! He's not an enemy!" Gohan firmly stated, standing between the green man and Taro.

"Get out of the way, you little brat! We have to eliminate him before he kills us!" Piccolo growled.

"NO!" Gohan firmly yelled. "He won't hurt us! Not anymore." Gohan paused, looking at Taro. "What if he trained with us? He could help us." Piccolo growled and lowered his hand.

"Fine. But if turns his back on us when the Saiyans get here, I won't hesitate to end him." He said sternly, flying off. Taro sat there, surprised and shocked that this boy, this kid than only a week ago his partner kidnapped had now saved his life. Gohan smiled and sat back down. Taro was still processing everything when night fell. He built a second smaller bed for Gohan in his hut. As the two laid down for the night, Taro looked at Gohan.

"Thank you Gohan. I don't know anyone who would stick their neck out for me like that." Gohan smiled.

"You did the same for me. It's the least I can do." Gohan turned onto his side, pulling the wolf pelt blanket on top of him. "Goodnight, Mr. Taro." Taro smiled.

"Goodnight, Gohan."