I keep finding editing mistakes, and I'm really sorry, I'll try to catch them before I publish from now on.

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Nozumi had spent the rest of her free time figuring out what she was going to do with everything. The silks and leather she put in a large chest in her room along with the jewelry; the trinketsand swords she arranged on her mantle; the book went onto the couch to read; and the chainmail she put in another chest in the trophy room, wrapping the chainmail in muslin before she laid it in, on top of several wrapped parcels. The rock she had taken outside and put in the garden, not really wanting it to sit in the house. She had gone back downstairs to look around, feeling restless. She wanted to spar, but knew Piccolo wouldn't oblige her. Once he had his mind set he seemed to just tune her out. Maybe he'll let me go for a walk, she thought, going outside.

He was meditating under the tree and she walked over, putting her arms behind her back, "Pic-co-loooo."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. She was smiling slightly, her hands behind her back. For some reason, he felt she looked sneaky, "What?"

"Can I go for a walk? It'll help me clear my head," she wheedled.

"Whatever," he said, closing his eyes.

"Thank you!" she said brightly, resisting the urge to hug him. She turned and ran back inside, looking for her shoes. A long walk in the woods was just what she needed, maybe she'd even find some strawberries. She grabbed her swords and ran out the back door, eager to get under the cool shade of the trees.

xxxx

She licked the berry juice of her fingers and hummed as she walked. She had been walking for an hour and had found several bunches of wild strawberries, which were her undeniably favorite springtime food. She was looking for a stream to wash her hands in, and she had heard one in this direction earlier. As she got closer, she began to feel uneasy. She stopped and strained her ears to see if she could hear anything. No, just the stream about ten yards ahead. That was it, there were no birds singing anymore! She dropped down behind a bush and tested the air, trying to catch any smells of gamy meat or a predator. All she could smell was the earth and the trees, and the strawberry juice on her.

She got back up and drew a sword, she may not smell, or hear or even sense anything, but that creepy feeling remained.She walked silently toward the stream, ready to fight or jump up a tree if she had too. Something snapped a stick somewhere and she spun toward the sound, her knife ready. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she waited, and she saw two large, brown eyes looking at her. She sighed and waved her hand, and the deer bounded off. She turned back and walked to the stream, noticing there was a clearing ahead. She looked over a bush and saw a large form lying very close to the small waterway, its nose just inches away from the pristine water.

It was a deep red horse, and as she walked through the bushes she expected it to bolt up and run, but it lay motionless. She resheathed her blade and walked forward, seeing a tiny palomino foal lying in the sun close by. Nature's not all that fair, she thought, reaching out to touch the mare. Its body was cold and stiff, she had been dead for at least half a day. Nozumi turned toward the foal, noting sadly that it was a very pretty shade of white. She kneeled down and touched its scrawny neck, when it jumped up, screaming shrilly. Nozumi fell backwards and stared as it ran to the edge of the clearing and turned around, snorting at her.

It was probably only aweek or two old, its legs were still thin and knobby, and it was tiny. She held out her hand and crooned to it, inching toward it. The foal wanted to run, but it had no where to go, its mother insisted that they stay here. Nozumi scratched it under the chin and crooned, her hand going to her sash to untie it. The baby smelled her hands and began sucking on her fingers, obviously hungry. Nozumi smiled and tied her sash around its neck, deciding to take it back with her, after all she couldn't leave it alone to starve or be killed by some hungry wolf or lion. The foal followed her instinctively and Nozumi paused at the edge of the clearing and looked back at the mare's body, feeling immensely sad.

When they reached the house, Nozumi checked to make sure Piccolo was ignoring her and she took her sash of the foal's neck, sneaking in the kitchen door. As soon as she got out of its sight, it whinnied for her, and Piccolo's head snapped around and he stared at it. Nozumi ran outside and looked over at him, the foal coming up to her and chewing on her gi.

"No," he said when she came toward him and opened her mouth.

She ran over, the foal following her and running into her. "But Piccolo, it's just a baby, it'll die!" she said, hugging its scrawny neck.

"No."

"Please Piccolo, you can't be that mean! I promise it won't be any trouble," she pleaded, "I can feed it before we spar and it won't get in the way, I promise."

He glowered at her, but she continued on.

"Please, I'll train even harder to make up for it if you'll just let me keep it Piccolo. It'll die!" She cried, giving him big puppy dog eyes, "Please, I'll do anything if you'll just say yes!"What is it about kids and animals? he thought, I can't believe I'm going to say this, "Fine, but the first moment you slack off, it goes! Now shut up and leave me alone!"

"Thank you so much. You won't regret it!" she cried excitedly.

"I said shut up!" he yelled, causing the little horse to run off.

Nozumi was unaffected and skipped toward the house to call Tholi for some formula. Piccolo watched the little horse tag behind her and wondered if he knew what he was doing.

xxxx

Time passed quickly, and amazing enough, Nozumi did work harder. For the first month of the little horse's stay she slept in the barn with it, Getting up before dawn to get its bottle ready, and going to bed well after nightfall. She trained all day now; Tholi had stopped assigning her work as part of the deal she had made with Piccolo. Piccolo himself was amazed that she could still keep everything as organized as it was before. Everything stayed the way it had been, and Nozumi seemed perfectly fine. She went to bed exhausted every night, but other than that she really was all right. In fact, she was more than all right. By midwinter she had grown another two inches and had put on another ten pounds, and to her delight, had curves, even though they were all but invisible under her gis.

Tholi had called the week before her birthday and said that she was going to send someone over to get them and bring them to the Temple for the month before the upcominng tournament. Yume had arrived the next morning with three horses, and they left, Piccolo refusing to ride and flew off, leaving them staring after him.She had given Nozumi a questioning look, and Nozumi had shrugged, urging her horse into a canter.

xxxx

Piccolo had arrived at the Temple in a manner of minutes and was greeted rather warmly by Tholi, who then introduced him to all the temple girls. There were at least thirty, ranging from twelve to forty, all slender and attractive. Tholi then showed him where he would be sleeping, and suggested that if he wanted to be alone he would do better to stay in the room than venture outside. He took her advice and looked around the room at the furnishings, which, for a temple were rather ornate and elegant. Instead of doors, there were thick, tapestry drapes covering the doorways to the sleeping quarters, and he could hear people talking and walking up and down the hall. He sat in the floor and looked around, wondering what Gohan and the others would think if they knew what he was doing. Still, he really did enjoy Nozumi's company more than he thought he would, and realized that two years were up.

Tholi pushed the drape aside and walked in, bowing an apology for disturbing him. She sat in front of him and looked at him steadily with her steel gray eyes.

"I wanted to talk to you about perhaps staying on for another two years," she said, "I haven't been able to find anyone else."

He looked at her but didn't say anything.

She plunged on, "I know it must be a real inconvenience for you, but the truth is that after her- performance last year, I haven't found anyone else willing to do it. And you're the only one that I trust. I can pay you double what I offered you last time."

"I don't need the money," he said, "What you're asking is, do you think I can stand another two years alone with her."

"No," Tholi said, shaking her head with a slight smile, "I'm asking do you think she can improve, and if she can, can you make her. That's what I'm asking."

"I don't know," he said, "It's possible. She's trains hard enough."

"Aren't in the least bit curious as to just how powerful she could be? Her power level is far beyond a normal fighter, wouldn't you say?" she asked, then quickly added, "It would be a shame to stop now."

Piccolo knew exactly what she was trying to do, and he unconsciously smiled. It caught Tholi off guard and she stared at him, realizing that he was quite handsome.

"I guess it would," he said, then asked something that had been wondering him,"Why is this so important?"

"Because I have a duty to make sure she-" she stopped and thought for a moment, "I love her more than I should- even with all my talk of fulfilling my duties- and I feel responsible for everything that she's gone through up to this point in her life. She deserves more than what she's gotten, and I think that you're the key."

He thought about this for a moment, letting it sink in. What wasn't she telling him about Nozumi? What exactly did Tholi mean by fulfilling her duty by Nozomi? He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. What else do I have to do, he asked himself, I don't have anywhere to be, and it's not so bad living with her. She grows on you after awhile. It's better than being alone.

"Just for two more years," he finally said.

Tholi bowed and left, pleased that he'd agreed. He watched the drapes fall back into place and smiled to himself. I'm getting soft, I think I actually care about her.