Chapter 11

PICCOLO

I was standing on top of a large rock. My white cape fluttered in the warm evening breeze, and only the desert and stillness were my companions.

My blood then boiled in alert.

Someone was approaching from behind.

I turned around and… nothing.

A shadow covered me on the other side, emerging from behind the rock.

Gohan.

He jumped above my head, ready to strike me with a kick, but I grabbed his foot. However, he spun around and, with his other leg, hit me squarely under the chin.

I fell back with a thud. Gohan jumped again, ready to punch me in the face, but I rolled to the side and got to my feet. A tearing pain emerged from my stomach. He had given me a right hook punch, and I was left breathless.

I looked at him, and I got a cheeky little grin in response.

That nerdy...

I dashed forward to hit him in the side, but he disappeared, quickly, and reappeared behind me, ready to kick me head-on.

Not today!

I blocked his blow with my forearm and threw him to the ground. HA! Who was down now, boy?!

In the next second, I fell again due to the sweep kick he gave me.

Damn it!

Gohan flew above me, crossed his palms in front of his forehead, and shouted, "MASENKOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A yellow ray of light shot out from his hands.

I only had time to jump off the rock before it exploded into a thousand pieces. I landed awkwardly on the dry, stony ground, my chest rising and falling as I stared at Gohan still floating in the sky, now laughing in triumph.

Unintentionally, I smiled at him.

That was my biggest failure.

"TENKOCHI!" I heard someone else scream.

Lettie.

I turned around, and there she was, just a few meters away.

Lettie extended her arms in front of her body, opening her hands parallel to each other, and from her ten fingers, ten balls of energy shot out like homing missiles directly at me.

I tried to dodge, but Lettie was controlling the track of the energy balls. I managed to repel five of them, however, the other five hit me straight.

Silence.

There I was, fallen for the third time, my clothes ragged and the dust from the impact floating around me.

Then, I heard Lettie and Gohan celebrate, "WE DID IT!!!!!!!"

Lying on the ground, I smiled to myself.

Yes, they did it. They successfully knocked me down.

And I couldn't be more proud.

I sat up with a grunt, feeling all my muscles ache, and watched them approach.

"Nice attack, Aunt Lettie!" exclaimed Gohan.

"Thanks," she smiled. "You were excellent, causing that distraction and– OH NO!" She suddenly acquired a look of horror and ran to kneel beside me. "Master, you're... you're hurt!"

Gently, she held my right arm, where a deep cut was tearing my skin.

"Mr. Piccolo, are you okay?" Gohan took my white cape stained with blood.

"Oh, no..." Lettie was devastated, analyzing the wound. "It was my fault, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you..."

She was unconsciously stroking my arm, and I had to contain myself as much as possible so as not to show how much I was shaking with all that proximity.

Come on! Why was I shaking? Get a grip, Piccolo!

"I-It was nothing..." I faked a cough, rubbing my free hand in anxiety. "It means your attack is efficient." I tried to smile, but I think a ridiculous face came out in place.

Lettie shook her head and took off the belt from her kimono. "Let me take care of this..." And she started wrapping the belt around my arm, covering the cut, never stopping to stroke me for even a moment, which only made my stomach feel more butterflies. We remained silent as Gohan watched us. He then giggled, and we turned to find out why.

"Hihihi…!" Gohan covered his mouth, alternating between looking from one to the other. "I think Mr. Piccolo is a bit needy!"

I held my breath and stared at Lettie.

"Why do you say that, Gohan?" she questioned.

"Well, Aunt Lettie..." he chuckled. "Mr. Piccolo doesn't need you to take care of his wound. He can regenerate himself, remember?"

It was her turn to stare at me. "Oh!" Lettie blinked at me several times. "Yes..." She then smiled. "I had forgotten."

"Have you forgotten too, Mr. Piccolo?" asked Gohan.

Now, I was the one looking from one to the other.

Had I really forgotten one of my primary skills? Or did I just… pretend to forget? Just to… just to feel Lettie's gentle, caring touch?

I wanted to find a hole to hide myself in and never come out.

I pulled my arm away from her hands, more brutally than I should have, and brought it to my chest, while I felt their confused gaze on me.

"Argh!" I grumbled. "Stop talking nonsense." I got up awkwardly, almost tripping over my own feet, and transfigured my clothes into new ones and also a new belt for Lettie. "Stand up now, both of you! In front of me. I have an important announcement to make."

They obeyed me, attentive to my words.

I cleared my throat and put my hands behind me, with my wound already healed, and looked at them with a serious expression.

"Today, it has been exactly eleven and a half months since we started our Training to fight against the Saiyans who are arriving at Earth. During this period, you've learned about the fundamentals and control of Ki, attacks and fighting practices, levitation and flight techniques, as well as undergoing intense physical training to strengthen and prepare your bodies and minds. You've practiced combat simulations and, ultimately, you've created your own special techniques, as we have just seen. And, above all, you both managed to defeat me." My mood improved a little when I saw a gleam of pride in their eyes as I talked about everything they had been through, and I couldn't help but smile. "Therefore, I declare that your Training has been completed successfully. Congratulations. To celebrate it, we'll have pizza for dinner tonight."

They stared at each other, mouths agape.

Gohan then burst into a sequence of joyful hops, which made the earth shake so much that Lettie lost her balance and fell sprawling on the ground while he dashed off running around and kicking up dust, with his arms raised above his head as he screamed, "YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!! PIZZAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

I went to Lettie and held out my hand to help her. "This kid will never learn..." I wrinkled my nose as I analyzed if she had been hurt.

"It's okay." Lettie brushed the dirt off her clothes. "He's just happy."

"How about you?" I swallowed nervously. "Are you... happy?"

In response, she floated till she reached my height, gazing her intense blue eyes into mine, slowly approached me, and hugged me. "I've already told you that I'm the happiest woman in the world, remember?" Lettie squeezed me a little tighter.

It was impossible for me. I couldn't help myself and I hugged her back, hoping she wouldn't feel my heart jumping out of control as I pressed her against my chest.

I would be able to stay all day with her like that, smelling her natural scent, so refreshing for the desert environment we lived in, with light sweet floral notes.

She then gazed at me, resting her hands on my shoulder pads, smiled and said, "Regardless of the outcome of the battle that awaits us, whether or not we will die at the hands of the Saiyans, I want you to know that this year I spent with you and Gohan was the best year of my life."

Everything around me seemed to go numb, like a dream. With my shaky breath, I ran my gaze over every detail of her face, until I stopped at her lips, and I had a sudden urge to kiss her.

To kiss her until someone tells me to stop.

It was then that the sky darkened, and large, heavy black clouds appeared above our heads.

A chill ran down my spine, and Lettie shivered in my arms, probably feeling the same, staring at those strange clouds in the sky.

Lightning and thunder roared through them.

Gohan ran towards us, but this time, out of fear, and jumped into his aunt's arms. I slipped my arm around Lettie's shoulders, leaving them half-hidden under my cape.

"What's happening?" Gohan whispered.

"That doesn't look like a storm..." Lettie showed a worried expression. "Where's the water?"

"No..." I replied with a serious look. "It's not rain... These clouds, I know them..." I widened my eyes when I realized the truth and exclaimed, "Shenron! He has been summoned!"

"Shenron?!" Lettie repeated. "The wish-granting dragon?"

"Yes… Bulma must've managed to gather the seven Dragon Balls, and now… they're making the wish to Shenron!"

"Does that mean they're resurrecting my daddy?!" asked an alarmed Gohan.

Lettie and I exchanged tense looks, and I replied, "Yes. It's very likely so…"

"But, that's good, isn't it?" she asked. "It means my brother will come back to help us, right?"

"Yeah..." I analyzed the density of those clouds, with dozens of purple rays lighting their interior. "But we don't know how long it might take him to find us. However, Shenron's appearance also means that–"

Before I finished speaking, we jumped in fright as we felt a distant but intense presence and a sinister power reaching us in such a way that we shuddered.

"Wh-What was that???" Lettie hugged Gohan close to her and curled up against me.

I looked up at the dark, gloomy sky and replied, "It's them... The Saiyans. They're coming, sooner than we expected."

***

Our pizza night wasn't as good and fun as I planned, even though I brought a surprise small chocolate pizza to please Lettie.

An atmosphere of tension hung in the air as we ate around the fire, in a mix of silence, anxiety and restlessness, as if, at any moment, the Saiyans could appear right there, in front of us. Any nocturnal noise was a reason for us to straighten up in a state of alert.

When we were done eating, Lettie addressed Gohan, "Sweetheart, say 'good night' to Mr. Piccolo. You've got to rest."

He just nodded and came to me. Then, once again, I was surprised to receive a tight hug from him. "Good night, Mr. Piccolo. I want you to know that if my daddy couldn't be resurrected, I wanted you to become my new daddy."

That hurt me more than a blow to the chest. How could Gohan want that, when I was to blame for Goku's death? The only thing I could do was stroke his hair with an uncomfortable lump in my throat. "G-Good night, Gohan. See you tomorrow."

In silence, Lettie took him to the tent to put him to sleep. Meanwhile, I added a few more sticks and dry leaves to increase the fire, and walked to the edge of the Camp, with my arms crossed and scrutinizing the surrounding landscape, not letting go for a second of feeling the strength and presence of the Saiyans that were getting closer and closer.

I heard footsteps, and Lettie stopped beside me. "I have a bad feeling."

My heart sank, and I replied, "So have I."

Silence.

"I-I..." she said, softly. "I'm afraid we're going to… die."

My heart sank even more, and I replied, "So am I."

Lettie let out a shaky sigh and turned to me, "Do you think this is... being selfish?"

"No." I frowned. "The only selfish one here is me."

"Why do you say that?"

It was my turn to sigh, and I looked at her sideways. "If you or Gohan die, we can resurrect you with the Dragon Balls." I looked away, not having the courage to face her. "However, if I die, the Dragon Balls die with me, and then… it's over."

Lettie frowned, perplexed. "Huh?! What are you talking about?!"

"If I die, Kami-sama dies too," I said bitterly. "He's the creator of the Dragon Balls. Without our presence, they disappear."

I dared to look at her again, who seemed confused by what I said, and I wet my lips. "Lettie, I thought a lot about what you told me about me being an alien, too. For you to understand in a few words, Kami-sama and I are of the same race." I paused for a second. "A long time ago, Kami-sama kind of... extracted the bad part of himself, giving rise to my father, Piccolo Daimaoh." I took a deep breath. "Because of this, our lives are, in some way, connected. If something happens to one, it happens to another."

Lettie looked shocked, her eyes teary. "So..." she said, still staring at me. "You stay."

"What?"

"You will not join the battle against the Saiyans." She panted. "You'll stay here, in safety."

"No way!" I turned to her. "I'm not going to sit here with my arms crossed while you and Gohan are in danger with these maniacs. I need to go... to protect you."

"But who's gonna protect you?!" Lettie rose on tiptoe, and we stared at each other for a moment. She then lowered her head and leaned on my arm, looking suddenly weak, and said, "Master..." A tear ran down her face. "What will happen to me if you go away?"

I pressed my lips together when I felt her touch. Why was she doing that to me? Why was she making me suffer more?

"Please," I said, "don't call me Master anymore."

"Huh?" She pulled her arm away, confused.

"Your Training is over. There's no need for you to call me Master anymore. Just call me Piccolo. No more 'Piccolo Junior', much less 'Piccolo Daimaoh'". I turned forward at the landscape again, with my nostrils flared and my voice full of disgust. "I don't want to be involved with anything else related to my father."

There was silence.

"Okay." Unlike mine, her voice was soft and calm. "If that's what you want, then I'll do it. However, do know that this doesn't change the respect and admiration I have for you."

I turned to her and shook my head, irritated. "Respect?! Admiration?! How do you say such a thing, Lettie?! What kind of respect or admiration can you have for me? Have you already forgotten everything I did?!"

"I already told you that you've changed." Her intonation was still low, but firm. "Why do you keep insisting on this?! Why do you feel so… resentful towards yourself?!"

I leaned down to her height and replied, through gritted teeth, "Do you want to know why?! So here it goes: because every time I look at you, I see someone I can never become. Since the first time I saw you on Master Roshi's island, I noticed something different about you. Your eyes had such an intense gleam, that I had to look back at you just to check if I hadn't seen things. And there it was, that gleam again." I paused, gazing intensely at her. "Do you have the slightest idea of the effect you have on people? Did you forget that Raditz said that even your mother softened after your birth and wanted to save you? And I'll say more: do you want to know why everyone on that island was surprised when you got onto Goku's Flying Nimbus?" I approached her until we were face to face. "Because only the pure of heart can do it."

Lettie widened her eyes upon hearing that revelation, filled with tears. 

With an expression of pain and anguish, I continued to speak. I needed to get that out of me, "I will never be able to get onto the Flying Nimbus." I hit my chest. "And the fact that I know that there could still be something rotten and filthy here inside... freaks me out."

Silence.

Still gazing at each other, my lips trembled, betraying my state of mind, and I had to clasp my hands to my sides to control the crying that emerged from my core. Damn it. I didn't want her to see me like that. What would she think? That I was weak?

However, in response, just as she did earlier that day, she floated until she was at my height and gently cupped my face. "Look at me," she asked. "The past only keeps us from the good future that lies ahead. What you need to do now is focus on what you want, on what you wish, and on what you dream of.

I lowered my head, allowing myself to be supported by her warm and welcoming hands, and finally I let a tear fall, which was lovingly wiped away by her thumb.

I couldn't understand... Lettie told me to focus on my dream, but... what dream?

The only dream I had throughout my life (if I could call it that) was to continue my father's rubbish idea of world domination, but now...

"I have nothing left to dream about, Lettie... And I don't even deserve it."

She landed on the ground and placed her hands on my chest, gazing deeply at me. "You do have a dream, and you deserve it. It is right here." She touched where my heart would be and gave me the sweetest smile. "Seek, and you will find."

I squeezed my eyes shut to stop any more tears from flowing and opened my mouth to confess a guilt trapped in my heart, "Lettie, I..."

She put her index finger on my lips and said, "I know what you're going to say. Yes, I forgive you for everything you did, including killing my brother. And know that Gohan forgives you, too."

I gasped as I was completely surprised by her statement. How was it possible for her to know what I was going to say?

Lettie then lifted my chin and made me look at her. "Now, what about you?"

"What about me?" I replied in an incredulous whisper.

She curved her lips in a sad half-smile and asked, "When are you going to forgive yourself?"

I froze. I simply froze with that question to which I feared knowing the answer.

Lettie blinked slowly with a little smile and gave me one last affectionate squeeze. "Good night, Piccolo. Thank you for everything, including the pizzas." And she walked to the tent and got in.

When I found myself alone there in the middle of that Camp, I felt such weakness in my legs that I fell to my knees on the ground. The stars twinkled overhead, and I couldn't help but think that two of them, in fact, could be the two Saiyan Space Pods coming toward us.

Now, looking at the tent, I thought about the other two Saiyans there inside, and my weakness gave way to strength.

I might not have a dream or prospect of happiness given everything I've done in my past, however, just as Lettie and Gohan showed during the Training, I now had a goal:

I would protect them. Even if I had to lay down my life for them.

And to the great Piccolo Daimaoh, my father and predecessor, I have a message for you:

I have always known you. You have always been there in my mind.

I know who you are now, and all that you've made of me.

But now I understand you, and I will not be part of your designs.

I know who I am now, and I name you my enemy.

Because I want to be more than this devil inside of me.