AN: Those who read this when it was first posted will remember Chapter 10 as being Illumination. Unfortunately, this is what I get for not outlining. I had always hated it in school, and thought it wasn't necessary. Lesson learned! I honestly could not link things together well and keep the chapters at a reasonable length. I had uploaded as I did for feedback. It seems it's worth continuing! Oh, ignore the dashes. FFNet doesn't seem to like separated paragraphs or blank lines, and I refuse to use line breaks for such minor changes in scene or VP.

And this was supossed to be a one shot!

Gohan woke slowly. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out why his face felt so tight and sticky. He touched one cheek and realized that his face was covered in tears. Bolting upright, he scrubbed at his face, wiping away the evidence of ... what? Grief? Despair? Once again, his life was spiraling out of control, and he didn't even know how to slow if down, let alone stop it.

The rational, logical part of his mind, the one that thrived on figures and facts and books, was insisting that it was simply impossible for his dream tormentors to be who and what they appeared. But another part simply pointed out that he had seen many things that were "impossible" already; what was one more?

He hugged his knees to his chest. This was all too much. I'm going mad. I have to be. And I can't ask anyo—! His breath stopped as he thought of the one person he could ask. He scrawled a quick note for his mother and crept out of the house before he lost his nerve.

-

He liked this time, early morning, when the night was spent but day had not yet begun. It was quiet, peaceful. His preferred time to meditate.

Thus Gohan knew exactly where to find him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Piccolo, but I need to talk to you."

The Namekian warrior didn't even open his eyes. "Sit down."

Gohan sat cross-legged and tried to get his thoughts in order. Piccolo waited patiently.

Finally, the young Saiyan decided to just get it over with. "I think I'm being tormented by demons."

Anyone else, even his friends and family, would have greeted this statement with anything from laughter to (in his mother's case) alarm. Piccolo, however, merely inclined his head forward a little.

"I know something of demons, both from my own past, and from my fusion with Kami. I will try to answer your questions."

Gohan stared straight forward and tried to will down the blush he could feel creeping up his cheeks. "I think ... that it's a succubus. She's been coming after me every night. And it's driving me crazy. I can barely sleep anymore. It's starting to affect my training, and it's definitey affecting my life."

"Hmmm." Piccolo thought for a moment. "I must admit that I do not know much about them, other than the basics. For now, I can only advise that you meditate and work on your mental discipline. Some research may offer other ideas. Now, what of the others?"

Gohan swallowed hard. "What others?" he stammered.

A slight smile curved his mentor's lips. "You said 'demons'. Meaning more than one."

Gohan started to reply, and stopped, letting out the breath in a long hiss. "The other one is my ..." he trailed off, still unable to assign the man that title. "... is Raditz," he finished.

Piccolo opened his eyes for the first time and looked over at Gohan. "Raditz? Interesting."

Gohan nodded. "I think I also talked to my great-grandfather, Gohan. He said that Raditz is supposed to be some kind of guardian for me, as part of his penance. That's why I came here."

"And what do you wish me to do?"

Gohan shrugged. " I don't know," he admitted lamely. "Tell me if it's really happening or if I'm just going nuts."

The Namekian chuckled. "Which answer would you prefer?"

"Well, if I was going nuts, then I could just take some big white pills to make everything happy and it wouldn't matter." Gohan sighed. "But I'd rather hear the truth. Even if it's going to drive me crazy."

Piccolo laughed again. "What do your instincts tell you?"

A sigh. "That it's all just as I told you. I'm being attacked by a succubus and defended by a man who kidnapped and threatened to kill me." Gohan rested his chin in one hand and stared gloomily off into space. "And I have no clue what to do. He claims it's for my own good, and I can't figure anything out because I'm asleep and he keeps sending me deeper every time."

"So confront him." At Gohan's startled glance, Piccolo continued. "You know how to step outside your body to train with your mind. It is easier to see spirits then. Call him out while you are still awake."

Gohan mulled the idea over. "Yeah, I guess. It's just ... whenever I think of him, I freeze up inside. Something just snaps in me. I can kind of control it. What am I supposed to do if he does show up?

Piccolo tilted his head to one side in acknowledgement of his young friend's confusion. "Trust your instincts."

"Thanks a lot, Piccolo," Gohan said cynically. Then, "Actually, thanks. I think that might actually help. I'll try it tonight."

-

As Gohan sped back towards his home, trying to get back before his mother woke, Piccolo turned his attention inward, and then beyond. I know you're here.

A silent chuckle; Piccolo remembered that laugh all to well. Yes.

Why?

There was a long silence. Finally...

I like him.

The living warrior considered the words of the dead one carefully. Very well.