Chapter 09

PICCOLO

"MASTER, I BEG YOU, DON'T LET ME GO, PLEASE!"

At the top of a cliff, I held Lettie by the collar of her uniform. Her legs shook in desperation as she stared at the cluster of trees hundreds of meters below.

"There are only six months left until the Saiyans arrive!" I replied impatiently. "You WILL learn how to fly TODAY! You've been stalling me for days with your fear of heights! Just look at Gohan!"

We both saw him crossing the skies through that plateau region, laughing in the purest joy for being able to fly all by himself the day before.

"B-B-BUT DON'T FORGET THAT I SUFFERED A VERY BIG TRAUMA WHEN RADITZ KIDNAPPED ME!" she replied, her jaw quivering. "I-I-I'M STILL NOT OVER IT! I-I-I THINK I'M GONNA NEED THERAPY!"

I opened a bold smile. "Your therapy is called Piccolo. Now, concentrate. I'll let you go in five... four... three..."

"WAIT!!! WAIT!!!" She grabbed my arm. "I-I… I… I THINK I'M ON MY PERIOD! YES, THAT'S RIGHT! IT CAME DOWN LAST NIGHT, YOU KNOW? S-SO, TODAY IS MY DAY OFF!"

"Stop fooling me around with your fallacies, Lettie! I know very well that you got your period last week because you made me buy more chocolate. By my calculations, you're feeling great now and full of energy. Three-two-one-GO!!!"

And I let her go.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Dear reader, don't worry. I'm quick enough to catch her before she crashes down there.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Come on, Lettie! Focus!

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Come on!!!

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She... She was not making it!!!

I quickly flew down the cliff.

But Lettie was falling too fast. Faster than I calculated.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I thought, that, perhaps, I wouldn't be able to reach her in time.

Did I mess up?!

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

DAMN IT, PICCOLO!

I mustered up all my Ki and accelerated as fast as I could.

My pulse screamed in my ears.

But I wouldn't lose Lettie. No freaking way.

I was almost reaching her, just three more meters and I would be able to grab her by the foot.

Lettie looked up when she saw me, and our eyes met.

She then stopped screaming and gave me a mischievous smile.

In the next second, she adjusted her body and, in a combustion of energy, flew away before hitting the trees, leaving me in a state of complete astonishment.

That shameless one tricked me!

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!" She mocked me, flying quickly through the clouds of that blue sky. "GOTCHA!"

I almost crashed into the trees, distracted by that woman's cunning, and I dodged at the last moment, to the point of feeling my cape being torn by a branch.

I propelled myself towards her. As I tried to catch up to her, Lettie squealed and flew away from me, laughing as loudly as Gohan flying somewhere else out there.

I had to admit, she really was a Saiyan.

She still needed to improve her flying technique, but she was fast. Very fast.

I chased Lettie for a while, which was good for her to get used to the air change. However, I noticed that something strange was happening to me as I flew behind her; something I may never have truly experienced.

I was having fun.

I... couldn't stop smiling!

I caught up with Lettie and we flew together. She looked like she was having the best day of her life, opening her arms and feeling the wind on her face.

"This is the best feeling in the world!!!" She gazed at me with a smile from ear to ear, and I couldn't help but return it.

Lettie then shot into the air. We went up and up, leaving a white trail of clouds behind us, until we reached a height where we could see the curvature of the Earth, and we stopped.

Panting, next to each other, we contemplated our planet in silence, above the clouds. How beautiful it was… How… splendorous! Everything so intense and blue, with its waters limiting the islands and continents with their forests, deserts, and mountain ranges...

Upon seeing all that landscape, I was overcome by such emotion that my heart doubled in size.

And Lettie seemed to be feeling the same way.

"I cannot believe it..." she said.

"What is it?"

"Six months ago, I was the unhappiest person in that clandestine arena. I had no perspective on life, much less a goal." Her face was downcast, however, she turned to me, with a look full of light and a tear running down her face as she opened a big smile. "But today, I... I-I think I'm the happiest woman in the world!"

Then, to my utter surprise, Lettie hugged me.

"Thank you…" She whispered, her face buried into my neck. "For everything you are doing and teaching us."

I froze as I received her gesture, and a memory came to my mind: the first and only time Lettie had hugged me. It was when she found out the possibility of resurrecting Goku with the Dragon Balls on the night I saved them from the lionesses. At that time, her touch caused me so much aversion that she had to pull away.

But there, kilometers above the ground in her company, the only thing I wanted was to hug her back. However, I didn't feel worthy of doing that.

How could Lettie say she was the happiest woman in the world? How could she insinuate that such happiness was because of me? How could I, Piccolo, after everything I made them suffer, still gain her gratitude?

Do not think that, even after months, I've forgotten that terrible day when Lettie got sick with her period. Do not think that the painful feeling of guilt had left me.

The image of her body destroyed with blood running down her legs and Gohan also injured with a black eye never left my head; they were always, always with me.

But Lettie's warmth and affection wrapped me there, and I hugged her back, which filled me with a sense of peace and comfort that was coming from the inside out.

She then pulled away, leaning on my shoulder pads, and said, "There's only one thing that makes me sad."

"What?" I worried. "What's wrong?"

"It's just..." She looked away and hid a smile, blushing on her cheeks. "I-I think that from now on, you won't carry me anymore for not knowing how to fly, right?"

I stiffened, breaking into a cold sweat. I must have definitely turned redder than her. So... did she mean she liked it when I carried her in my arms?

Suddenly, without knowing why, I felt a pang of regret for having taught her how to fly.

The silence between us was already becoming awkward, especially because I was still holding her waist. I'm glad Gohan decided to show up, shouting at the top of his lungs, "AUNT LETTIE!!! YOU DID IT!!! YAY, COOL!!!"

I don't know if I was relieved or disappointed to see her move away from me to meet him in the air, but I soon laughed when I saw them making a synchronized dance in celebration.

Gohan then said, "The last one to the Camp makes dinner! Nah-nah-nah!" And he dashed off.

Lettie looked at me with a still shy smile, shrugging, and flew after him, with me also following them soon after.

That night, I was the one who made dinner.

***

"Put those feet away, Lettie. They are way too close together."

About two months later, we were training in the late afternoon in an open area. Lettie was ahead of me, lifting a thousand-pound rock. Gohan watched us sitting nearby, sweaty from having also done the same exercise minutes ago (only with a smaller rock), while drinking water from a skin.

"One hundred and ninety-eight..." Lettie said as she crouched down, through gritted teeth and her face red. "One hundred and ninety-nine… Two hundred!!!" And she dropped the rock next to her.

"Excellent." I nodded, arms crossed.

"Good job, Aunt Lettie!" Gohan applauded. She walked to him and also drank some water.

"Thanks, sweetheart." She fanned herself from the heat.

"Could it be that today, after our Twaining, we can explore that forest on the other side of the valley?" asked Gohan.

Lettie placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes to better see the direction her nephew was pointing. "I think so." She turned to me. "Is it okay for us to go there?"

"Yes. But we're not done yet. Come back here."

As Lettie jogged back to her position, Gohan asked, "How long until our Twaining ends?"

"About... five more minutes," I replied. "Come on, Lettie." I raised my hand to the side of my head. "I want you to jump at this height. It's not to levitate, it's to jump, okay?"

"Okay!" She flexed her knees, rubbing her hands. "Leave it on me!"

Lettie pushed herself up and jumped.

As she placed her feet on the ground, the earth shook.

"You're still making a big impact," I said. "You've got to be lighter."

"Can I go explore the forest while you finish the Twaining?" Gohan blinked his big black eyes, with his hands between his legs like an innocent little angel.

"No," I answered. "You should not explore these places without adult supervision."

"Pwetty pwease, Mr. Piccolo!" He clasped his hands in front of him.

"That trick doesn't work on me anymore. My answer is no."

"But, I'm a Saiyan!" He pouted angrily. "I already know how to defend myself! Last week, Aunt Lettie and I managed to confront that pack of lionesses and we won it without a single scwatch!"

"Gohan, obey him," she said in a firm tone. "If he said no then it's a no."

"Thank you." I gave her a nod.

"You're welcome." She faked a bow.

Gohan sulked, his pout even bigger, and Lettie and I exchanged amused glances. It was interesting how she never took away my authority in front of Gohan. Ever. She might even disagree with me, but she would always come and talk privately if something I did or said didn't please her until we got into an agreement.

"Okay, just one more exercise, then." I stretched my arm high above my head. "Lettie, I want you to jump from this height. If the ground shakes when you touch it, you won't have dinner tonight."

"That trick doesn't work on me anymore either." She narrowed her eyes and gave me a pretentious half-smile, and I lost the argument.

She jumped at the height I asked and fell as lightly as a sheet of paper.

"Yayyyy, finally! It's over!" Gohan ran to us and pulled his aunt. "Come on, let's go before it gets dark and the animals all go to sleep!"

"Okay, okay!" Lettie tripped over her own feet as she was dragged by her nephew. "Take it easy, we won't be able to explore everything today."

"Twenty minutes, huh?!" I crossed my arms as I saw them walk away.

"Alright!" Lettie waved at me. "See you at Camp! Bye-bye!"

"Bye, Mr. Piccolo!" said Gohan and they both flew off until they disappeared from my sight.

I pursed my lips and grumbled, for the simple pleasure of doing so, and also flew off in the opposite direction towards the Camp.

While crossing the river, I decided to catch some fish, because Lettie and Gohan liked to eat them with their soup. Okay, I know. My rule was that they should fish or hunt when they wanted to eat some meat, but... I guess it wouldn't hurt to do them a little favor every now and then, would it? After all, they were doing very well in Training; excellent, even.

It was dusk when I arrived at the Camp. There were still a few minutes left till their return. I left the fish next to the unlit fire and sat in my spot to meditate and relax for a while.

A minute passed, and I thought that, maybe, I should lit the fire for Lettie. Their weekly break would only be tomorrow, so she must be tired, and I'm sure she'll appreciate my help.

And so I did.

There. Now, back to my meditation.

Another minute passed, and I thought that, maybe, I should clean the fish, as Gohan could choke on their bones. And a Saiyan dying from a fishbone would just be the most ridiculous thing ever.

And so I did.

There. Now, FINALLY, back to my meditation.

Several minutes passed, and Lettie and Gohan didn't return.

It was already dark, and another five minutes passed, then ten minutes, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty…

I began to get nervous. Nervous and irritated. I stood up and walked back and forth around the Camp. Those two idiots must have been too distracted by some silly plant or animal and stayed there exploring, forgetting our agreement. HA! But when they arrive, they'll see! I'll throw away all these fish and put out the fire and hide the wooden spoon and–

"MASTER!!!!!!!!!!!" Lettie popped up through the sky and landed next to me with such impact that the entire earth shook and I almost lost my balance.

"WHAT THE HEC–" I started to speak, but froze when I saw that Lettie was looking terrified and, worse than that, she was crying.

"It's Gohan!" she exclaimed.

I felt a chill down my spine. "What's wrong with him?" My voice came out a whisper.

"I-I..." said Lettie. "I mean, w-we were exploring the forest, like we do every day. We were almost about to leave when we heard a strange noise." She panted nonstop. "Th-That's when we saw that T-Rex, passing through the trees, and w-we needed to hide."

"Why didn't you fly away?"

"The trees were too dense in that region. There was no way out! I called Gohan to hide behind some large bushes, but he panicked due to the dinosaur and ran the opposite way. I-I..." She sobbed. "I-I... I couldn't go after him at the time, because the T-Rex passed right behind me. When that thing moved away, I started looking for him, but I couldn't scream his name, otherwise the creature would find us!"

Lettie massaged her chest, clutching the collar of her kimono in anxiety. "It was getting dark, and I couldn't see anything anymore. I ran through the forest after Gohan, until I found a passage between the trees and flew out. I shouted his name everywhere, but he didn't respond."

"And his Ki?!" Now, I was the anxious one. "Could you feel it?!"

"That's the problem! Sometimes I felt it, sometimes I didn't..." Lettie opened her mouth and her arms. "I-I can't tell!"

I placed my hand on my chin, thoughtfully, and pondered, "Gohan must be scared. His emotions may be overpowering his Ki and interfering with his tracking."

"Th-That's what I thought." Lettie clasped her hands in front of her body." That's why I decided to go back to the Camp and..." she looked at me with teary eyes, "ask for your help."

There was silence, and the only sound I heard was my heart thumping in my ears.

I pulled back my cape and placed my hands on my hips, circling around my own axis as I thought, feeling the irritation consume me again. I knew it, I knew that this "nature exploration" nonsense would only bring me problems!

I turned to her so abruptly that I scared her. "Honestly, Lettie! How could you lose the boy?! You should've been more alert and taken better care of Gohan! You're practically his mother!"

She frowned, gaping her mouth in indignation, and replied, "Well, and you're practically his father!"

I clenched my jaw, feeling my cheeks burn, and we glared at each other for long seconds, with our chests rising and falling in agitation. Her words made me clench my hands so hard that my nails hurt me.

Lettie also blushed and looked away, hugging herself. Then, still overcome with nervousness, she shrugged and turned to me with red eyes. "You could've gone with us to protect us! Instead of staying here doing NOTHIN–" She suddenly stopped talking, and I followed her gaze, which saw the burning fire and the fish I had cleaned. She flushed once more and covered her face, sobbing in a silent cry. "Forgive me... I-I've failed..."

All my anger disappeared, and I watched her.

Lettie looked so small... So helpless...

I stared at my feet and pressed my eyes, taking a deep breath, and reflected on whether it had really been necessary for me to be so rude to her. Showing harshness in a tense moment wouldn't help anything.

Damn it. Just when I thought I had gotten better, I would make a mistake again. I needed to control myself more.

"It's okay," I finally said, in the softest tone I could. "I... I shouldn't have placed all of Gohan's responsibility on you alone. As your trainer, I am also responsible for him. I'm sorry I scared you."

Lettie nodded understandingly, walked over, and touched my arm. "So, you will help me?" She gazed at me from below, swallowing hard as she showed an expression of pain. I could feel her skin against mine. She was holding me with strength; a good strength, not an aggressive one, but pleading and affectionate.

"Of course," I replied with conviction. "We'll find him."

We flew off and left the Camp. For the next few hours, we circled that entire region and beyond, calling out to Gohan and trying to track his Ki.

But it was useless.

The weather was cloudy, which made the night even darker, and all we heard was the typical sound of nocturnal animals, and the only thing I felt was Lettie's tension. We would separate and join together across the skies from time to time, only to share the same news of no sign of Gohan.

It must have been after midnight when we decided to end the search and return to the Camp. We were exhausted from the tiring day of Training, which affected the quality of our flight.

The fire had already gone out, and the fish also smelled bad, and in the end, I had to throw them away.

Lettie was so devastated that she didn't want to eat anything, and I watched her go to the tent with tears running down her dirty face.

"Hey..." I called her, and she turned to me with a blank look, which made me feel uneasy. I cleared my throat and continued, "We can still feel Gohan's Ki, so that means he's not dead, he's just somewhere we can't locate. Take some rest and recover your energy, we'll try again this morning, okay?

She just nodded and got into the tent, and I was left standing in the middle of the Camp with my mind and heart disturbed.

I went to my spot next to the campfire and lit it. Then, I took off my cape with shoulder pads and the turban, and massaged my tense and sore muscles from the hard day, frying my brain by thinking about where Gohan could be.

Fifteen minutes later, a melancholic Lettie got out of the tent, all disheveled and with the blankets under her arm. She walked with slumped shoulders until she stopped in front of me.

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

She then sighed and said, "I spent the last seven months sleeping in Gohan's company, and now, I can't sleep." Her eyes gleamed with neediness. "Can I sleep here next to you?"

Gosh, why on earth did I find that vision so cute?

"But didn't you sleep by yourself before that?" I asked, ignoring that feeling. "When you lived in the clandestine arena?"

"Yes..." She didn't even wait for my answer as to whether or not she could sleep there and she already arranged the blankets on the ground. "But now, I think I got spoiled."

I just let her be, shrugging, and she lay down, with her face buried in Gohan's blanket, and we remained silent with the crackling of the flames.

"Piccolo..." I heard her say, softly. "What's to become of me if we don't find him?"

I turned to her, showing a very confused expression. From the moment she agreed to be trained by me, even though it was unnecessary due to our similar ages, Lettie always called me Master; maybe because she thought it was cool or because she thought that using that title gave her the impression that our Training was something to take seriously. However, that was the first time she called me by my name since then; that she addressed me as an equal, and not as a student.

With my mouth half open, I watched her sit, hugging her legs, gazing at the fire with her eyes full of tears. My heart beat in a strange way. It was fast, but it also seemed... dilated, and I had an odd urge to touch her to comfort her.

I reached out my hand, but hesitated, clenching my fist. For a moment, I took a deep breath, mustered up the courage, and finally reached her back, stroking her gently. Lettie closed her eyes and relaxed her body, which made me feel relieved to know I hadn't done anything stupid.

"Gohan's a smart kid," I said. "I'm sure he's fine. He might even find us first."

Lettie shook her head slowly, squeezing her eyes shut with the palms of her hands. "I can't lose him..." she whispered. "For all intents and purposes, Goku is dead. Gohan is now my only family left." She looked me in the eyes. "I can't lose him! I can't—" Then she lowered her head with a sob. "And it was all my fault, you said it yourself."

My face turned severe as I mentally cursed myself. "I was an idiot," I expressed my thoughts. "It wasn't your fault. You went through an atypical situation. It could've happened to anyone. With me, even." I chuckle to try to cheer her up.

Good thing it worked, for she responded with a little, weeping smile.

"I think that," I crossed my arms, "deep down, I'm partly to blame, for bringing you both to train in such a hostile place."

"Well..." Lettie shrugged. "At first, I thought it was a crazy idea to live in a place like this for a year." She looked around. "But now, I confess that I'll miss our Training when it's all over and I have to go back to my old life."

"So, do you think you and Gohan will defeat the Saiyans?" I asked.

"Just the two of us?" Lettie pointed at herself. "Not at all. I also share your theory that we'll have help from the other warriors and, who knows, even from my brother, if he is resurrected. Besides, you'll make a big difference." She raised an eyebrow. "Or are you going to abandon me and Gohan when it's time to fight?"

With a firm look, I replied, "Never."

We kept gazing at each other with an expression of mutual companionship for a moment. It was only when we realized that we had been doing that for longer than normal that we disguised a cough.

"S-So..." I scratched the back of my head. "What are you going to do when… it's all over?"

Lettie gave me a fearful look. "I have no idea. In fact, I avoid thinking about it."

"Why?"

"Because I would have to face the reality that I have nothing."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

Lettie chuckled scornfully at herself. "I don't know if you remember, but... I don't have a home anymore. It was destroyed by Raditz. All my savings are being spent on this Training, and the only clothes I have were given to me by you." She let out a long, tired, and dejected sigh. "When I say I have nothing, I mean it in the literal sense."

The reality of her condition hit me harder than I imagined, to the point of feeling an uncomfortable tingling.

I had never stopped to think that Lettie really had nowhere to go after it was all over. If the Saiyans were defeated (so I hoped), she would be… all alone again.

Confirming my words, she added, in a tone full of desolation and, above all, full of fear, "I'm going to be homeless again."

Her words caused me more pain than a punch in the stomach, and the atmosphere between us became awkward. Unconsciously clutching the fabric of my pants, I thought of something to say. Anything.

"Uh… You know… You… Uh… Maybe you could get a job?"

"That would be the ideal." Lettie curled her lips down as she looked at the fire. "But where? And as what?" She gave me a shy half-smile. "I wasn't raised like Gohan, you know? My academic knowledge is preeetty limited. Have you forgotten that I dropped out of school when I was fourteen? In fact, I'm the one who learns more in our explorations of nature than Gohan." She chuckled. "You've got to see it for yourself! He knows the scientific name of almost every plant and animal, it's bizarre! It is true that he'll soon turn five, but still, it's still bizarre."

I couldn't help but chuckle along. Gohan really had that effect with all his nerdiness.

"Yeah..." I rested my hands on my crossed legs. "On that, I will have to agree. But, back to you," I pointed at her, "why don't you try to get a job at a Martial Arts School, in the city?"

"As what?" Lettie laughed with disdain. "As a teacher?"

"Exactly."

She straightened her back, quite surprised by my suggestion. "A-Are you serious?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be serious?" I replied. "With the knowledge you already have acquired from everything I taught you, and what you will still learn until the Saiyans arrive, you'll be capable of teaching at any Martial Arts School. Of course, you may not enter as an advanced level teacher, but do not doubt you're already fully capable of teaching what you know." I took a stick from the firewood and turned it in my hands, looking down as I suddenly felt my face flush, and said, "I-If you want, I can go with you to the job interview."

When I finished speaking, I dared to look at Lettie. She was gazing at me, apparently stunned by my words. After a few seconds of silence, her eyes gleamed and she whispered, "You're... You're an angel...!"

"E-Excuse me?" I leaned towards her, blinking several times.

"I said you're an angel...!" she replied, with the same expression on her face.

I was even more confused. "And may I know why?"

The gleam in Lettie's eyes grew. "Because you're the first person (aside from Gohan) who actually believes that I'm capable of doing something. And I mean it, because, unfortunately, I've had a lot of experience in this area. It's quite rare to find someone like you." She gave me a kind smile. "Someone good."

What?

Someone good? Did Lettie think I was a good person?

That was impossible, and the terrible memory I had only confirmed my thoughts. I lowered my head, with a deep sadness squeezing my chest. "You call me good, but it seems like you've forgotten how I treated you and Gohan in the first months of Training."

Lettie tilted her head, with a little, understanding smile. "Look, to be very honest, your face tells me that you're not proud of that time at all. And that's good, Piccolo. It means you've changed." Her tone was full of conviction. "And do not think that I don't see that, or Gohan."

I swallowed a bitter saliva and traced the stick in the palm of my hand, feeling troubled in my mind and heart, but also with a strange feeling of welcoming coming from Lettie, inviting me to let out what was trapped inside me.

"Sometimes I think I'm not so different from my father," I said, softly, and looked at her. "You may have heard of him, Piccolo Daimaoh."

"I have." She nodded with a serious face. "As far as I know, he was a terrible man."

"Yes..." I stared at the fire with a frozen look. "He considered himself the King of Demons." I turned to Lettie and tried to look her in the eyes, but I couldn't and I gave a half-hearted smile, full of insecurity while I carelessly twirled the stick in my fingers. "Perhaps this is my fate, isn't it?" My voice cracked with the lump that formed in my throat. "B-Being a demon... and carrying my father's mistakes."

We stayed in silence, and then Lettie approached me and gently touched my arm, instantly bringing me a feeling of peace.

"Piccolo, listen to what I'm going to tell you." Her intonation was calm, but convinced. "You're not to blame for who your father was or the atrocities that he did. If he decided to get involved with strange creatures, that was his problem, not yours. And, I don't think he was a demon, to be honest. It's much more likely that you both are also just aliens, like me, Gohan, and Goku. Now, as for you thinking you're a demon, I literally just told you that you're the completely opposite, and I'm not lying when I say that I told you that with the utmost sincerity in my heart."

I opened my mouth and gasped slightly, unable to contain the trembling breath in my chest at her words.

What was happening to me?

Why did I feel my eyes burn and a huge desire to cry? Why was a mixture of pain and deep sadness tearing me up inside? At the same time I also felt a kind of relief and comfort as I reflected on everything Lettie had just said to me.

Why, when I thought about what my father was and did, a wave of repulsion little by little hit me, instead of the pride I once felt in being his offspring? Why did the idea of being the Dominator and Conqueror of the world now seem so… banal and meaningless?

Was Lettie right? Did I spend my life thinking I was a demon, but in reality, I was just an alien living on another planet, lonely and without anyone, just like her?

I didn't have the answer to any of these questions, however, I did have an answer for Lettie, summed up in a single word, "Th-Thank you..." I tried to smile at her, but what came out was a mixture of crying and laughter that escaped my throat, leaving me so embarrassed, so afraid that she would think I was weak, that I did my best to quickly wipe my eyes, sniffle and hide the redness that certainly covered my entire face.

However, Lettie remained there, showing that she didn't think I was weak and squeezing my arm affectionately while returning my smile in the sweetest way she could.

What did I do to deserve that woman's admiration and affection? Or Gohan's?

If we are to count, I did them more harm than good. Wow!, even under the circumstances, Goku had been killed by my hands!

And yet...

There was Lettie, showing that air of admiration and respect that until now I didn't know where she got them from. And Gohan, was lost somewhere out there, alone and afraid of the terrors of the night.

No. I wouldn't let them down.

I adjusted my posture and gave Lettie a confident expression. "You better sleep. We're already in the early hours and the day will be long."

"You're right." She covered a yawn and settled back into the blankets. "It was nice talking to you. Good night, Master."

There she was. My student was back.

However, before laying her head down, she raised it with a little smile. "Promise you won't leave my side?"

For the first time in my life, the bitterness I had always felt had vanished, and I answered her firmly, "Yes, I promise."