Chapter 33

Hello, dear readers!

This is a very special chapter and, I believe, one that many of you have been eagerly waiting for. Because of that, I'd like to bring you a little bonus that might create an emotional connection to Lettie's story from today onward.

Thanks to my mom's influence, I grew up listening to the music of a singer and composer named Enya. Her songs are majestic, ethereal, and incredibly relaxing. So, a few days ago, as I was listening to a playlist of her music, it hit me just how much Enya's style fits Lettie's personality. And get this—Enya's appearance is quite similar to Lettie's: short black hair and light-colored eyes.

That's why I'd like to suggest you read this chapter while listening to one of her best compositions, "Watermark." Feel free to put it on loop.

I also recommend checking out more of Enya's songs because she's an outstanding artist. She's even one of the singers behind The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, so that's no small feat. Here's a list of other songs by her that remind me of our beloved Lettie: "Fallen Embers," "Sumiregusa," "A Day Without Rain," "May It Be," and "Storms in Africa."

With all that said, happy reading!

-------------

LETTIE

I woke up feeling a slight ache in my body.

Where was I? What had happened to me?

Slowly, I sat up. As I ran my hands over the smooth surface beneath me, I realized I was lying on a bed, inside a room. The bed was large, covered with soft purple silk sheets.

Disoriented, I stared at my hands, puzzled by the fact that they were perfectly... fine. Not just my hands, but also my arms, head, torso, legs, feet...

And most importantly, my spine.

Yet, for some reason, there I was. Safe and sound. Feeling unexpectedly stronger than before. So, that was the peculiar recovery process of the Saiyans that Goku had told me about during our Training?

Moreover, as I examined my body, I noticed that my uniform, which had been torn and in tatters, was now completely restored.

Soon enough, I found the one responsible for all that. As my eyes roamed the spacious room with its tiled floor, I spotted him.

Piccolo.

He was standing on the far side of the room, which seemed to be a resting area elevated by a single step, gazing out at the horizon through arched windows carved into the wall, separated by white pillars.

I concluded he must have brought me here to be healed. My suspicions were confirmed when I spotted a jar of Sacred Water sitting on the bedside table.

However, he seemed so lost in thought that, despite his super-hearing, he didn't appear to notice me getting out of bed and walking toward him.

"Piccolo?" I called as I approached the divan in the resting area.

He turned to me, his silhouette framed by the rays of the sun, and looked surprised to see me. Yet something about him caught my attention.

Piccolo seemed... different. Was it just my imagination, or had he grown stronger and more robust? Even his cape and shoulder pads appeared larger. An aura of authority surrounded him, exuding immense power and…

The presence of a true leader.

But above all that, what surprised me the most was the wide smile that lit up his face when he saw me standing there behind him.

"Lettie, my love!" He gently took my hands and guided me to sit on the divan as he knelt before me. "I'm sorry. I was distracted. How are you feeling? Are you better? Are you in pain?"

None of his questions registered in my mind, because the only thing I had heard was: 'Lettie, my love!'

Did I… Did I hear it right? Did Piccolo just call me… 'my love'?

What on earth had happened while I was unconscious?!?!

I couldn't say anything, so stunned I was. I just stared at him wide-eyed, utterly confused. Piccolo's smile softened as he cupped my face.

"Please, answer me," he said in a calm tone, his thumb caressing my cheek. "Are you alright?"

I blinked several times, feeling his touch. "I-I…" I stammered, completely clueless. "I'm fine, yes. Just a bit sore."

"That's normal," Piccolo assured with a nod. "You were on the brink of death and had to drink a lot of Sacred Water. You'll feel fully restored soon."

I nodded slowly, still gazing into those small, intense eyes of his, which, for some reason, seemed even brighter now.

"What happened?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity any longer.

Piccolo sighed, looking regretful. "Android 20 attacked you and wounded you gravely. When I found you, I tried to give you a Senzu Bean, but you—"

Gently, I placed my hand over his mouth, and he fell silent. "I'm not asking about that," I said. "I'm asking about what happened to you."

Piccolo raised his eyebrows, surprised by my question, but soon his expression softened into a small, understanding smile. Once again, he took my hands in his, rubbing gentle circles with his thumbs. "Let's just say I had an honest conversation with a Friend."

The way his face lit up as he said that made it clear I needed no further explanation.

I knew who Piccolo had spoken to, and an immense joy flooded me as I realized that the same tender, loving Voice that had spoken to me before had now spoken to him.

It was my turn to smile, and I returned the gentle pressure of his hands.

"Oh, Lettie…" Piccolo continued, looking at me with deep earnestness. "Forgive me! I was wrong. Terribly wrong! I was so afraid of losing you, of losing our family, that I became blind."

'Our family'…

"No!" I said, cupping his face, my eyes welling up at the sight of him in such a contrite state. "You're not to blame for anything! You were being deceived." I gave him a little smile as I let my fingertips trace his cheek. "Of course, it would've been better if you had shared what was troubling you from the beginning. But I understand your side, and now I see that you've gained clarity, and that you're free."

Piccolo smiled as well, though his eyes still carried a trace of anxiety as he said, "But I need to hear it from your own lips, Lettie. Do you forgive me?"

"Of course..." I replied in the sweetest tone I could manage, gazing deeply into those eyes that once seemed so weary and burdened.

His shoulders visibly relaxed, as if an enormous weight had been lifted. Piccolo then looked at me intently and placed a hand behind my neck, gently pulling me closer to close the distance between us.

He chuckled softly and whispered, "You have no idea how hard it's been to go all these years without being able to kiss you."

In response, I leaned in and gave him a sweet peck on the lips. "You don't have to hold back anymore," I whispered back, and our lips met once more.

Unlike our first kiss, this one was calmer. There was no longer the desperation or urgency that this might be our only or last chance to do something we had longed for so deeply.

No, this kiss was different. Slow, passionate, and intense.

Piccolo ran his hand along my back, pulling me closer, while I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his lips. We moved our heads, shifting angles and tasting each other. Our touches were filled with tenderness and care.

I breathed in his natural scent—an earthy, woody aroma with herbal undertones and a hint of sweetness. It always reminded me of the untamed wilderness where we had trained together against the Saiyans.

We held each other tightly, opening our mouths more, pouring conviction into that kiss. Conviction that this was only the beginning of our relationship. The tears we had suppressed in our hearts for so many years finally fell, washing away any lingering sadness from the past.

Gradually, we slowed down, though we didn't break our embrace. For a while, we simply touched each other's faces, feeling the textures, taking in every detail of what we had yearned to admire up close.

Then, we exchanged soft, delicate kisses amidst smiles that refused to leave our lips, until Piccolo placed his hand behind my head, gently making me look into his eyes.

"Lettie, I have another request to make, aside from asking for your forgiveness."

"Go on."

"Will you marry me?"

Silence.

A reddish flush spread across Piccolo's cheeks as he looked at me with an anxious expression. I covered my mouth to stifle a bashful chuckle that escaped, unable to believe what I had just heard.

But he stayed there, patiently waiting for my answer.

When it finally sank in that my ears hadn't deceived me, I couldn't hold back anymore and began to cry. 

Cry tears of pure happiness.

It was clear how much Piccolo was holding back his own tears, swallowing hard and pressing his lips together. I let out a laugh amidst my sobs, cupped his face again, and gave him another kiss.

"Yes! Yes! YES!!!" I exclaimed.

His smile widened even more, and he wiped away a tear that rolled down the corner of his eye. Then he leaned in and kissed my forehead tenderly.

"I should've proposed to you the moment I returned to Earth!" he said, laughing in the most lighthearted and cheerful way I'd ever heard from him. "Honestly, Lettie! If it were up to me, I'd marry you today! We could even spend our wedding night here. This is my bedroom, after all, and—"

In the very next second, Piccolo stopped mid-sentence, blushing from his neck to the tips of his ears as he realized what he was saying. He averted his gaze, clearly flustered by revealing such intimate feelings—especially given his reserved and stoic nature. I found it the cutest little thing.

Chuckling softly, I made him look at me again and intertwined our fingers. "I'd love to marry you today, too," I blinked slowly. "But we still need to deal with the Androids and…" I suddenly straightened up. "OH! OH, NO! The warriors! Gohan! They… They're still fighting Android 20! We need to help them!" I jumped to my feet, finally snapping back to our current situation.

"Calm down, my love," Piccolo said, guiding me to sit back down. "We've only been here for about an hour. As soon as I brought you here, I left you with Mr. Popo to heal you while I fused with Kami outside in the garden. A little while later, you woke up, and here we are. The warriors should be holding their own. I'm certain of it."

Wait! Hold on!

I stared at him, frozen.

Did he just say... Fusion?

Did that mean... Piccolo and Kami… fused?

So that's why Piccolo seemed so different!

My expression must have betrayed my astonishment because he explained, "The fusion was necessary. I needed to become stronger to defeat the Androids and also…" He cleared his throat, visibly shy. "Also to speak with my new Friend."

Slowly, I nodded in understanding. "It's a shame I didn't get to say goodbye to Kami…" I confessed. "I liked him a lot. He was always so kind to me and Naíma."

"He said he would miss you both greatly," Piccolo assured me.

We fell silent for a moment, each of us honoring Kami's memory. I imagined it must have been a significant loss for Mr. Popo, his loyal and long-time friend.

"Don't worry about Mr. Popo," Piccolo said, startling me a bit. (Sometimes it felt like he could read my feelings.) "He now has someone else to worry about."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"You'll see soon enough." Piccolo then looked toward the bedroom's door. "They're here."

Confused, I also turned to the door, and when it opened, it revealed Mr. Popo entering with none other than Naíma.

"MOMMY!!!" She ran to jump into my arms. "I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE OKAY!!!"

"Huh??" I exclaimed, placing a sobbing Naíma on my lap. "How did you get here?!"

Piccolo opened his mouth to answer, but Naíma spoke first, "It was Daddy!" She flashed a wide, emotional smile. "He came to get me allll the way from Aunt Chi-Chi's house after he fused with Grandpa!"

"Is that so?!" I looked at Piccolo, incredulous.

"Yes!" Naíma continued, now brimming with excitement. "I was there with Aunt Chi-Chi and Yamcha helping take care of Uncle Goku. When we felt Daddy's pwesence, she opened the door. He came in all pwoud and said, 'Where's my daughter??' Of course, it had to be me! I was so happy he called me his daughter that I ran to him cwying. Daddy then picked me up, told Aunt Chi-Chi he was taking me to the Lookout to keep me safe, and expwained that you were hurt and he had to fuse with Grandpa! Now I'm here playing with Mr. Popo! The end!"

I stared at them, dumbfounded. It surprised me that all of that had happened in just about an hour. Piccolo must have gotten much stronger to fly so quickly from Goku's house to here.

Speaking of which, Piccolo had been listening to Naíma's recount while crouched beside us, but his cheeks were flushed. Clearly, he was still getting used to being called "Daddy." How adorable.

"Uh… I…" He cleared his throat and looked up. "Mr. Popo, thank you so much for taking care of Naíma. You may go now. I'll call you if needed."

"At your service, sir." Mr. Popo smiled, bowing, and left the room.

Once we were alone, Naíma turned to me and asked, "Mommy, did the Androids hurt you?"

"Yes…" I stroked her long hair. "They hurt me a little, but I'm feeling great now."

I exchanged a nervous glance with Piccolo, knowing I was far from being "hurt a little" by the Androids. If not for his quick rescue, the Sacred Water, and Mr. Popo's care, I would be paralyzed now.

Thankfully, Naíma changed the subject, "Oh, that's good, Mommy! Hey, now that I can call Piccolo 'Daddy,' does that mean you two are getting married? I can't stand the delay anymore!" She pouted indignantly.

Piccolo and I couldn't help but laugh at that tiny person huffing in impatience over her parents' complicated relationship. I couldn't blame her.

"Yes, sweetie…" I replied. "We're getting married."

"When??"

"Soon!" Piccolo raised his hands, showing the same enthusiasm he had earlier.

"Oh!" Naíma rejoiced. "Can I be the flower girl?"

"You can." I smiled. "But I don't think I want a big wedding. Just a simple celebration with family and close friends."

"Daddy, will you make me a pwetty dress?"

"Of course."

"And after that," I caressed Naíma's cheek, "the three of us will live together at home. I promise."

"Yay! Will I finally get a little sibling?"

"Two siblings, if you want," Piccolo replied, and we all laughed.

"Oh!" Naíma's eyes sparkled as she looked at us. "When I grow up, I want to marry a man just like Daddy!"

"Now, now!" Piccolo huffed indignantly. "You're far too young to think about such things, young lady! Besides, there are no other Namekians on Earth. Forget it! Humph!"

"That's true, sadly," I agreed with a laugh. "It seems the Namekian stock is out, and I snagged the last special edition." I pinched Piccolo's cheek, who didn't complain.

Naíma, however, was devastated, "What?! No way! But I remember meeting a Namekian boy when I was little. His name was Dende, wasn't it, Mommy?"

Before I could respond, Piccolo puffed up and retorted, "That's ridiculous! Naíma, it's IMPOSSIBLE for you to remember that boy! You were just a baby!"

"But I do remember him!"

"Oh, stop with that silly jealousy, Piccolo," I countered. "Admit it, you adored Dende!"

The three of us bickered about whether or not liking the Namekian boy was acceptable. According to Piccolo, he was a future romantic threat to Naíma. It was amusing.

In the end, Naíma and I won the argument that Dende was amazing, but Piccolo won the point that we'd likely never see him again, as he now lived on a new planet with the other Namekians.

Unfortunately, the cheerful atmosphere gave way to a heavy silence. Fear returned when another, more pressing matter weighed on us. Naíma then voiced the question lingering in my mind, "Do you think you'll be able to defeat the Andwoids? You'll be able to, won't you, Daddy? You'll win, right? You're stwonger now!"

Piccolo stroked Naíma's cheek. "I'll do my best to defeat this evil and protect you both. I promise."

A melancholy silence followed. Then, he sighed and looked at me with a heavy heart. "Lettie, I believe it's time to go."

"Yes," I agreed. "The other warriors must be anxious, fighting Android 20."

The three of us got up and headed to the Lookout's courtyard with Mr. Popo. Naíma would stay with him while Piccolo and I returned to help in the fight.

"My dear, listen to me carefully." I hugged her, my voice breaking. "Even if everything seems lost or you can't see any way out, there's still hope. No matter what happens to us." I looked deeply into her dark eyes. "Don't give up on fighting."

"And most importantly…" Daddy also hugged her. "Never listen to the Enemy's voice."

With that, we walked out of the Lookout. Before taking off, we turned to Naíma.

"Take care of yourself, my daughter." I gave her a sad smile.

"We'll be back soon." Piccolo nodded.

And so, we took off, leaving our daughter behind.

I admit I had to pick up the pace to match Piccolo's new speed.

"Uh… Sweetheart?" I called.

"Yes?"

"Tell me, how strong are you now?"

He thought for a few seconds before answering, "I think my powers now match a Super Saiyan."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Wow. That was quite an improvement.

"Do you feel like anything else has changed about you?" I asked.

"Well…" He shrugged. "Besides Kami's strength, I believe I also inherited his wisdom. That has certainly helped me change my perspective on…" He swallowed hard. "On my dream about you."

I nodded in silence. Then, a question popped into my mind, making me smile playfully, "So, what about that other dream of yours to conquer the world?"

Piccolo chuckled, looking at me deeply and intently, and replied, "I already did, and it's right here by my side."

----------

Of course, I couldn't end this chapter without recommending another Enya song: "So I Could Find my Way".

Here are the lyrics of the song, and see if it doesn't sound just like Lettie:

A thousand dreams you gave to me

You held me high, you held me high

And all those years you guided me

So I could find my way

How long your love had sheltered me

You held me high, you held me high

A harbour holding back the sea

So I could find my way

So let me give this dream to you

Upon another shore

So let me give this dream to you

Each night and ever more

Yet only time keeps us apart

You held me high, you held me high

You're in the shadows of my heart

So I can find my way

You held me high, you held me high

So let me give this dream to you

Upon another shore

So let me give this dream to you

Each night and ever more

A thousand dreams you gave to me

You held me high, you held me high

And all those years you guided me

So I could find my way