I watched Piccolo. His face was showing the first signs of emotion I'd seen there since I'd started talking. The fact Saiaiwas crying had shaken him, just as it had me. Maybe he hadn't realized how much she cared, or how much he cared as well.
"Crying," Piccolo said, somewhat protectively."I don't want her crying over me."
"Will you go back? Piccolo, please. For you andher?" I begged. Silently, I was thanking Dende. I'd finally broken downthe wall Piccolo hid behind. "And for me?"
Piccolo smirked. "That's right. You'd never exist, would you?" He paused, then smiled. "Feel lucky I like you kid." Piccolotook off flying toward Gohan's house.
I sighed in relief as I watched Piccolo fly away.
That had been too hard, too close for me. Piccolo was so much more closed
off in this time than in mine. It was so much harder to get him to admithis
feelings. But at least he was finally doing what he needed to. I hadbeenworried
I wouldn't be able to get him to realize that.
Chapter Six- Piccolo
As I flew, I thought about what I was doing. Iwas on my way back to Saiai. I was letting destiny win the fight. I wasvoluntarily losing a battle. I guess that little baka was more importantthan I wanted to admit, at least to anyone else. I could admit it to myself.She meant a lot to me. I'd do what was needed to protect her. That girlwas mine. Butshe'd never know how much she truly meant to me. At least,not for a longtime.
I landed in Gohan's yard. I could hear sobs coming quietly from inside, and at the other end of the house, eating. It wasobvious who was where. I opened the door and headed down the hall withoutknocking.
Saiai looked up as she noticed someone watchingher. Her eyes grew wide as she registered who was standing there. "Pi .. . Pikoro?" she whispered? I nodded slightly. She jumped off thebed and threw herself at me. I caught her in my arms and lifted her upso she was eye-level with me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and buriedher face in my shoulder, sobbing. "Oh, Piccolo, I though I'd lost you.I was so scared that you'd left for good." She continued crying, her tearssoaking my cape. I didn't mindtoo much; it felt good just to have thebaka near me again.
"Piccolo-San?" Gohan asked from behind. I turned.
"What, Gohan?"
"You came back."
"Yes."
"Why, Piccolo? I didn't think you were going to."
"This is mine," I said, indicating the cryinggirl in my arms. "I have to take care of what belongs to me." I held Saiaiup with one arm, and gathered her notebooks with the other. Gohan followedme to the door, but he stayed there on the step and watched me fly off.
As I flew toward the cave, Vegeta's words echoed
in my mind. "Take care of her. She's more then you realize at the moment."
I smirked. *Guess what, Veggie-baka. You were right, for once.*
Chapter Seven- Saiai
I couldn't stop crying as Piccolo flew. Itried,because I knew he didn't exactly like listening to it, but the joyof seeinghim again and knowing that he hadn't disappeared forever from lifejustoverwhelmed me. I clung to him, as he flew back, as if I was afraid toever let go, afraid that he'd be gone and I'd never be able to hold onagain.
We were almost to the cave, when Piccolo glanced at me as I rested my head on his shoulder. "You can stop any time," hesaid, watching tears still run down my face.
"I'm sorry. I'm trying, Piccolo," I said,as Iwiped my eyes. "I just missed you so much."
He smiled slightly at me, as we landed atthecave. "Yeah, I missed you too, baka. It wasn't the same not having youaround to insult. Kami and Nail aren't a challenge. And I don't enjoy acknowledging them. It's about the same as having split personalities, and I'm not crazy. Nor do I want to appear so."
I smiled back. "I know you aren't crazy. I neversaid you were, Piccolo. You're too sweet to be crazy," I said as wewalkedin together.
"Sweet?" Piccolo raised an eye. "I insultyouconstantly
and you call me sweet? You are a strange girl."
Chapter Eight- Piccolo
We were in the cave talking. We'd only actuallydone that once or twice. Talking wasn't something I was fond of. I wasn'tsurewhy we did it either. I guess it was to prove we didn't really hateeach other, as it often appeared. Saiai seemed to enjoy it, so I humoredher. She wassitting cross-legged on the floor, while I floated about 4feet above her,meditating as we talked.
"I'm not that strange . . . I just likeyou. A lot. I mean, I know you insult me all the time, but mostly it doesn'tbother me. I can handle it," she explained.
"Mostly?" I questioned.
"Yeah, mostly." She sighed. "But, sometimes, itjust gets to be too much for too long. I just broke down last time."
I felt slightly bad. I didn't mean to hurt her.I just wasn't used to doing anything else, and so my words came out harsh."Yeah, well, maybe I'll be a little lighter, baka onna. You aren't reallythat bad." I smirked. Truthfully, though, I knew she really didn't deserveall of what I threw at her. She was definitely improving. She wasn't thegirl she'd been when I'd first met her. Her mind was improving. She understoodmore and more every day. And she was growing stronger, too. She could flyquite well, and she'd mastered the ki shield.
Saiai smiled at me. "I'm not that bad? Really?"I nodded. "Thanks, Piccolo. I try to be what you want. I don't want todisappoint you."
"You haven't. Yet. And don't start now, either.I'd rather if you continued on the track of improvement," I told her.
"I promise, Pikoro. I'll keep improving," Saiaireplied. She was silent for a minute, then she shifted and rested one handon my leg. "Piccolo, can I sit up there with you? Please?"
I opened my eyes and glanced down at her. "Uphere?" I asked.
"Yeah, on your lap. Please?"
"I suppose. If you get yourself up here." Shestood and started climbing up, using my legs as leverage. I watched, amused,asshe pulled herself into my lap.
"See? I told ya you were sweet," Saiai said asshe settled herself. "If you weren't, you wouldn't let me up here."
"Sweet. Right. If that's what lives in your fantasy
world, girl," I told her as I closed my eyes again.
"Fantasy world? No, it's in my reality," she replied, closing her own eyes as she laid back against my chest.
"Sure, baka. Whatever you say, onna." I put anarm
around her waist, pulling her body closer, feeling her warmth nearme again.
She was mine, and there was no way I was letting her go again.
Chapter Nine- Kyoui
My visit was over. It was time for me to returnto my own time. I climbed into my time machine. As I programmed it, I thought about my visit.
I had discovered my purpose for coming back. Itwasn't simply to meet my 'parents' before they were my parents. It wasto bring them back together, after a fight that was a danger to my existence.I felt that if I hadn't traveled back, Piccolo would never have overlookedhis pride. He would have gone on in his life without Saiai, and in turn,I would never have existed.
I smiled as I got ready to leave this world. Saiai and Piccolo were back together now. And from my conversation with Piccolo, I was sure they would stay together, Piccolo's eyes had told me that hewould try to be easier on her, whether he'd wanted me to know or not. Ihad been able to see a lot in Piccolo's eyes. It was something I learnedfrom Saiai in my time. She'd taught me how to understand Piccolo's emotions,since he rarely openly showed what he felt.
I decided to fly by Piccolo's cave before I left. I wanted to make sure my thoughts were correct. I slowed in front of thecave. Piccolo was meditating above the ground as usual, but there was something different this time. Saiai was asleep in his lap, her head and upper body laying against Piccolo's front. He had both of his arms around her waist, holding her close. His eyes were closed, and a slight smile was on hisface.
The sight reassured me that everything was going to be fine in the next few years. Sure, they'd have their quarrels alongthe way, it was unavoidable, but I seriously doubted either of them wasgoingto push the other past the limit again. It had hurt them both a lot,and neither seemed to want to experience it again.
I sent one last smile in the direction of my 'parents' and then disappeared into my own time.