Self-insertion, language and nudity warning.



These Dreams
Part Eight





Piccolo is just full of surprises, you know? I expected him to sleep for a few hours, then wake up re-energized and be completely fine.

He slept for two days.

I spent all forty-eight of those hours at his side, holding his hand. Only leaving to eat, use the bathroom and take cat-naps.

Void didn't bother Piccolo's dreams. I know because I checked by touching his forehead and looking into his mind as much as I could. He didn't dream much, but when he did, it was horrifying. Almost everything he envisioned involved memories of his father's past. That had to be horrible for him! Can you imagine coming to consciousness with evil memories that stem from before you existed?

Suddenly the jumble I saw when we made love started making sense. From the moment of his birth, Piccolo was shunned by the world. It hurt him at first. Badly. He spent many nights afraid and alone when he was a child. As he grew older, he became accustomed to the pain and fear. It slowly made him indifferent and cold, like he is today. So that means he's carried that pain his entire life with no one to share it with.

"Oh, you poor man..." I said softly to his sleeping form. I stroked his forehead with my palm, my fingers gently brushing his listless antennae aside, "You shouldn't have to carry that around all the time..."

Then I saw that his lips were getting dry.

Okay, I knew Piccolo was resisting his own thirst to train himself. But I made an exception while he was wounded. Every four hours, I spooned some small ice chips in his mouth to keep him hydrated. Maybe that would help speed his recovery.

If taking care of Piccolo wasn't hard enough...I had other problems to deal with. Just after midnight on the first night of my watch, I felt a familiar nausea stemming from deep in my pelvis and a slight burning sensation in my most private area. A trip to the bathroom revealed a bright red stain in my underwear.

"Great, just great."

On top of all this, I just had to start my period, didn't I?! I grabbed myself a clean pair of panties, put in a pad and resumed my watch over Piccolo.

Well, that explains why I'd been so emotional and craving bananas, tomatoes and chicken all day long. I should've realized my incessant depression and quicker-than-usual temper were being exacerbated by raging hormones. I was also relieved that I wasn't pregnant. Though I doubted Piccolo could get me pregnant, I did think about it. Now, I didn't have to, at least not unless we do the deed again. Most of the time I'm pretty good at telling when I'm ovulating...and three or so weeks after I notice the signs, my period shows up.

I'm also a total moron. I forgot to ask Bulma for Tylenol before entering the Time Chamber. That means I had no medicinal pain relief what-so-ever for my cramps...and I didn't dare leave Piccolo's side to take a hot bath. I felt as if this pain was fate punishing me for what I did to him. So I spent my time curled up in fetal position on the bed, watching him sleep.

The cramps came in waves like a spiked vice centered my between my belly button and pubic bone. Whoever said exercise relieves cramps needs to be shot. If I so much as wiggled my toes, the dull ache pulled on all my innards like a black hole.

Writing was my only escape. My desire to keep you and the other Believers informed fueled my pencil as I wrote down everything Piccolo and I went through.

Hours ticked by like years. I looked at the clock. Three in the morning - or afternoon - hard to tell in this place. All I know is I was exhausted. I kept dipping in and out of slumber, always waking up to Piccolo's calm emerald face.

The second day was pretty much the same. I gave Piccolo some ice and spent the next several hours writing. I felt like a zombie.

Usually I like to be completely alone. I can stare into space without people interrupting me. I don't have to worry about someone getting annoyed at me for listening to the same song fifty times in a row. Sometimes I'll spontaneously start singing just to hear myself make music.

Now, the solitude disturbed me. I didn't like it.

Maybe I'll sing a little for Piccolo...he wouldn't mind would he? Not if I sang a nice song that soothed away the bad memories. Now let's see, what song could I sing softly without tiring my throat out? Oh! I know!

I bent down closer to Piccolo's up-turned ear and gently began an old Bryan Adams song I had stuck in my head, "Ohhh thinking about all our younger years...there was only you and me...we were young and wild and free. Now nothing can take you away from me. We've been down that road before, but that's over now. You keep me comin' back for more... Baby, you're all that I want...when you're lyin' here in my arms. I'm findin' it hard to believe...we're in Heaven. And love is all that I need, and I found it there in your heart. It isn't too hard to see...we're in Heaven..."

Actually, singing to him made me feel quite a bit better. I've always wanted to sing for him and this song explains how I feel about him so much...it's just that I have horrible stage fright. It makes singing in front of people almost impossible. Even doing it for a sleeping one-person audience made my stomach knot up.

I finished the song and sighed, putting my head down next to Piccolo's. Whatever bad dream he was having disappeared...or it changed. Hard to tell.

Incredible fatigue pressed down on my eyelids. Cramps or no cramps, I still fell into a deep and dreamless asleep.

God only knows how long I slept. I picked my head up and wiped my mouth off. Ugh, I hate waking up in a puddle of drool! I glanced over and saw that Sleeping Beauty still hadn't moved. Not even a change in his peaceful expression.

"Well then maybe a kiss will break the spell," I muttered. Worth a try. I bent over and pressed my lips to Piccolo's slightly parted ones. Then I leaned back and waited.

Nothing happened. What a crock!

"I guess that trick only works in fairy tales. Oh well." I slithered off the comfortable mattress and staggered into the bathroom. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton and my right cheek was all crusty. Probably from drooling into the pillow. Gross! I turned the sink on and started scrubbing my whole face.

After taking my medicine, changing my pad and brushing my hair and teeth, I headed out in search of a quick breakfast. I poured myself a glass of milk and grabbed a banana(which I dipped in the milk between bites). Why rush around? Piccolo was still asleep. I sat there, lazily enjoying how milk squished out of the banana each time I took a bite. I know I'm weird...you're supposed to dip Oreo cookies, not bananas! Sue me for being weird.

My mood had grown sullen and dark by then. I was bored. "And now for another day of waiting..." I mumbled to myself as I returned to the sleeping area and drew aside the curtain surrounding Piccolo's slumbering form.

The bed was empty.

I pulled the tangled sheets aside. The makeshift splints were still there. I climbed onto the mattress, which was still very warm, and examined the wooden braces. "What the..."

"Looking for me?"

"Gah!" I spun quickly to face the deep, scratchy voice.

There stood Piccolo, smirking at me with his legs planted and arms crossed. His clothes were all fixed and everything, not a single thread was missing. Not one! For a guy that just slept for two days, he was surprisingly clear-eyed and alert. Not a even an eye-booger existed to indicate he was just recently flat on his back.

Wow, I guess my kiss had a delayed effect!

Either way, I was glad to see him awake. Very glad.

"Piccolo! You're okay!" I sprang off the bouncy mattress, wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. Perfect glomp!

Piccolo had no choice but to catch me in his strong arms. He didn't even stumble backwards when my tiny weight planted itself on him. "Of course I'm okay. I induced a temporary coma because the pain kept waking me up. I could still hear pretty much everything that went on around me, though."

Heat gathered in my cheeks. If he heard everything, that means...oh great! "Ahhhh no! Then you heard me sing, too! Aah!" I buried my face in his shoulder. He still smelled like the desert sand with a touch of salt. There was also another musky scent. Not really bad, but it made me wonder when he last bathed.

Well, I shouldn't talk. I needed a shower myself.

My embarrassment produced a chuckle from Piccolo. "Relax, kid. It wasn't half-bad."

"But I didn't think you'd actually hear me," I blushed even more against his heavy shoulderpad. Then I sobered and took my face away from his shoulder, but didn't look up, "Really, though...about what happened - "

"Don't." Piccolo cut me off. He caught my chin with a bent forefinger and raised my head. His voice came out a little firmer, but no louder than before, "What did I tell you earlier? Just let it go." But when I didn't look convinced, he lightened his tone, "Look...you actually did me a favor. Whenever I'm severely injured, the part I regenerate comes back stronger. So if we somehow had another weird incident like last night, well...I wouldn't get hurt quite as badly." He kept me trapped in his unwavering gaze. Unlike me, Piccolo doesn't get uncomfortable with eye-contact. "Now just forget it ever happened and move on."

"Okay," I said quietly, staring up at his green face. Oh how I love his dark gray eyes. They seem infinitely deep and mysterious, yet expressive at the same time. "Listen...no offense, but I think we both need a good bath or something."

He raised a brow, "Is that so?"

"Mmhmm...so uh..." A goofy smile plastered itself across my face, "Why don't we just take a bath together? It'll save water and give us time to talk some more. Besides, you're probably all stiff from sleeping in the same position for so long...and these damn cramps of mine are making me want to scream."

"...Cramps?"

"Monthly thing, remember? A warm bath relieves the pain. We both need a good bath anyway," I scrunched my face up and laughed, "I can smell myself and you know it's bad if you can smell your own body odor. Ewww."

Piccolo closed his eyes and sighed, smirking wryly, "You just like seeing me without any clothes on."

"Always, big guy. You have a body that would make any man jealous." I wiggled my eyebrows at him affectionately, giggling when his eyes widened at my audacity. "Seriously though, this is my I'm A Bitch Week. I'd probably claw your eyes out at the slightest provocation, so you don't have to worry about little ol' me jumping you." I let go of him and used his body as a pole to slide down to the ground. His strong arms easily accommodated my sudden drop.

The Namek crossed his arms as soon as they were free. He turned his head and peered at the bathtub situated in another room. "I suppose I'll join you for a while. It won't replace a hot spring, but I'll survive."

"Cool!" A little happy bubble formed in my stomach, "You start the water. I'll get the towels and the bubbles. We'll meet somewhere in the middle, I hope."

Piccolo reminded me of a contented cat just awakening from a nap. He was already in the tub, chest deep in the water with his head back and his arms crossed. Fluffy white bubbles surrounded his green skin. Well, HE was chest deep...the steaming, bubbly water came up to my collar bones when I dropped my towel, lined up my soap and shampoo and joined him amidst the mountains of glistening whiteness. Our combined mass displaced a lot of water. Some overflowed onto the floor with soft pattering sounds.

"Mmm, nice." I cooed as the hot liquid engulfed me. I submerged myself completely to wet my hair, surfaced and settled across from him.

"Not too bad," Piccolo answered neglectfully without opening eyes. He didn't even move when I planted my butt between his feet and draped my legs across his. If I'd been any taller than I am now, we probably wouldn't have fit together in the tub.

I grabbed his knees with my toes and chuckled, "You look like a merman over there."

"Sorry, I don't come with fins." He opened one eye and smirked.

"Very funny," I flicked water at him, but he didn't react.

Awkward silence settled between us. I got irritated and shoved a glob of bubbles away. Dammit, I hate it when I can't figure out how to say what I want to say!

I hooked an index finger around Piccolo's left big toe and carelessly jiggled it back and forth. "So um...about what happened with Void the last time we fought her...you know, the dream catcher."

"Yeah?" Piccolo didn't indicate whether or not he liked me fondling his toes. He simply nodded his head, waiting for me to continue.

Fluffy white bubbles drifted forward across the water and attached to my chin. "Well...you saw what happened when I touched her with it. It burned her pretty bad. If it's a weakness we have to exploit it as much as we can. I mean, what if it's the key to beating her, huh? Then what do we do? Make a giant dream catcher and burn her to death?"

"She's too smart for that." Piccolo tugged his foot free of my probing fingers and draped it over the edge of the tub. A huge slew of bubbles attached to his leg and made it shimmer. Piccolo has such sexy legs for a guy! They're so long and lean, like the rest of him, he's never really "pumped" unless he's powered up for a fight. He just seems big because I'm so little.

"Welllll..." I squished a handful of puffy whiteness in my palm, "we have to make some kind of plan, and I'm horrible at planning."

"Hmph."

More grumbling from me. I sat up indian style in the tub and stared down at the water's surface. Between the islands of bubbles, it was pretty clear. I let my eyes lose focus and stared blankly at the shimmery liquid for who knows how long. Oh come on, Piccolo, please tell me you're planning something in your head. I'm too scattered for that. You're a million times smarter than I am...think of something!

I brought my gaze back into focus. Something flickered on the water's surface. A reflection.

A very black reflection.

My breath caught in my throat. Void's reflection smiled at me. Next thing I knew, a cloudy scarlet liquid oozed into the water. It was coming from between my legs. Not just a little drip that swirls and disappears, either. While I looked on in horror, the water surrounding me turned brilliant red. I didn't feel any pain, oddly. That didn't make it any less frightening. I was bleeding to death!

"Oh my God!" I jumped up into a standing position with my heart lodged in my throat.

Water splashed as Piccolo jerked erect, "What's the problem?"

I pointed to the water, "Look!"

He looked down at the water, then up at me. A flicker of confusion passed his angular features, "Cyndi...there's nothing there. Are you...okay?"

My eyes darted to the water. It was clear again. Not one bubble or molecule out of place. I felt utterly stupid and helpless, how would I explain this when I had no proof?

"Um...I-I just remembered I didn't wash my hair yet. Yeah...I'll just get the shower running and wash my hair." I slipped from the tub with a flushed face. Grabbed my shampoo, conditioner and soap and scooted over to the shower set up on the wall. There was a drain on the floor, but no other walls.

"Cyndi?"

I ignored him.

Piccolo got quite an eyeful of my nakedness while I scrubbed the top of my head first, then pulled the rest of my hair over my shoulder and coated it in shampoo. When your hair is as long as mine is, you never bunch it on your head to wash it, all you'll do is create horrible tangles! If it wasn't that time of the month and I hadn't been so terrified by what I saw in the bathtub, I would have enjoyed knowing that Piccolo was watching me "preen" my mane. But it was impossible to enjoy anything in my state of panic. I rinsed, squeezed out most of the water and applied the conditioner. More waiting while the conditioner sank into my hair, then another rinse. I finished up by using my fingers to brush my wet bangs back into place and then washing my armpits and between my legs with the soap. The faucets squeaked as I shut them off. I dried myself quickly and put on some deodorant.

The whole time, Piccolo sat there in the bubble bath and watched me with a confused look on his face. I avoided his gaze, struggling with all my might to avoid bursting into tears. Unbalanced hormones and fear just don't mix.

"S-sorry..." I mumbled to him, for lack of anything else to say. I hurried away to pull my clothes on and figure out what the hell happened.

Five minutes later(four of which were spent throwing up), I was fully dressed again. I'd nearly finished wrapping my hair in a towel when a large hand touched my back. My nerves were so fried by then that I released a blood-curdling scream and wrenched away from the touch.

It was only Piccolo...who now had both hands over his ears with a pained facial expression. I scream from my diaphragm at pretty much the same frequency as a person whistles, so I can imagine that must have hurt.

I couldn't take it anymore. The tears came slowly, burning my cheeks on the way down. I gave up the fight and sobbed quietly.

"Something obviously happened back there, Cyndi. You wouldn't act like this if nothing was wrong." Piccolo's voice was very soft and calm. He knew that yelling at me while I was like this would only upset me more.

"You wouldn't believe me," I sniffled pathetically, avoiding his gaze yet again when he tried to tip my chin up.

Piccolo flashed me a sardonic, lopsided smile. "You'd be surprised at what I believe, kid. C'mon, let's get you settled down so you can tell me just what went on back there." He ushered me from the bathroom and pushed me gently down to sit on the nearest bed.

I was glad he stayed with me, I don't think I could've walked on my own power. It took me quite some time to regain control of myself. Briefly I remembered the time I told Piccolo I felt braver when he was around...boy was that the truth!

"I was staring at the water and kind of daydreamed a little. All of a sudden I saw Void's reflection and them I could've sworn I saw blood gushing out of me and into the tub. Way more blood than my body could afford to lose." I shivered in disgust and chewed my lower lip.

Piccolo took the information in quietly without comment. His expression didn't offer me any clues to what he was thinking.

Suddenly his lips pulled tight and his nose wrinkled. Anger flashed through his dynamic granite eyes. "She's getting stronger. Every dream Void devours feeds her strength!" Piccolo gripped my shoulders fiercely and gave me a small shake, "Cyndi, I know it's tough, but you can't let her mess with your mind! Remember, she's lurking in your subconscious and she'll attack you in any way she can. This monthly bleeding you have probably makes your mind more vulnerable than usual. You must stay alert. Don't let her break you down."

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled.

Piccolo shook me again, "C'mon, I need you, kid. You've come too far to just quit now."

I need you. I looked up at his face when I heard those words from his mouth. "I need you too, Piccolo...help me through this. I won't quit, not while I'm still breathing."

"That's more like it." He gave my cheek a pat and stood up.

I blushed when I realized he was still butt-naked, mostly because of what came to eye level when he straightened. A little late, but I got my peep show. I resisted the urge to grab it.

Unaware of my brief delight, Piccolo turned and walked off to get dressed. I twisted around and watched his naked form move around the corner. He was so graceful, even the simple act of walking seemed imbued in sensuality. Oh if only he realized the power he has over me.

"Hey, Piccolo?"

Piccolo poked his head back around the corner. "Yeah?"

I linked my fingers together in my lap, "Can we try the bubble bath again some other time?"

Piccolo's stone face disappeared for a brief moment. He allowed himself to smile a genuine, natural smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes and revealed a dimple in each cheek. It wavered just long enough for him to say, "Sure, kid." Then he disappeared from view, but the light of his unrestrained smile stayed long after he'd gone.

The glowing white floor felt warm under my butt. I had no idea why Piccolo wanted me to sit out in the void...especially on my side...just sitting up required considerable effort. We've been training our minds for two months now(I've improved a lot, according to him). He never hid anything from me.

Until now, that is.

I can't believe this. According to my pocket calendar, it's my birthday. Call me spoiled, but I'm used to people being extra nice to me on my special day. Piccolo was pretty much the opposite.

I woke up this morning to find him bent intently over something. He gave me a sharp look and said to eat a good breakfast and go sit in the white void. So I did. I've been here for almost half an hour, gazing dully at the barely-visible septum that divided Reality from Anime - he told me to sit near the divide.

Geez...what is Piccolo doing? Building a house?! I stared at the whiteness above, contemplating the activities to come. Maybe he was planning something really cool as part of our training!

A swish sounded off to my left. Piccolo came out and seated himself in the lotus position in front of me without offering an explanation for his delay. We were facing each other, him in Anime form and me in my Real one, both on our correct sides of the room.

I folded my hands in my lap, "So why are we out here? Please humor me."

"I'll answer that in a minute," the Namek grumbled sullenly. "First I have to get this foolishness out of the way. Close your eyes and don't move."

"Uh...okay." I rested my elbows on my knees and did as he said. He was up to something. I couldn't resist smiling.

A rustle sounded as Piccolo stood up, moved behind me and squatted down. He slid his wrist under my hair to hold it out of the way. His careful hands pulled a thin leather rope against my skin. I felt him tying a careful knot in the back. He lowered my hair after a moment and moved back around to where he was sitting before.

"You can look now."

I lowered my head and opened my eyes. I was right, it was a black leather rope. But the dime-sized charm literally took my breath away. It was a perfect yin yang set in silver - one stone was fiery red and the other ice-blue. Real gems buffed so smooth they practically glowed. On the back I found a purple stone shaped like a lightning bolt. A symbol only he and I understood.

The gift was even more special to me because Piccolo made it with his own two hands.

Speechless, I jerked my head up to meet Piccolo's dark eyes. Words finally came to me, "It's...beautiful! Thank you! I'll never, ever take it off!" I lunged forward, kissing him through the thin veil separating our Realities. It rippled wildly when our lips met.

Piccolo pulled back and smirked sexily at me. He gave me a light, friendly smack to the head, "Happy birthday, kid." Then he got serious...very don't-goof-off-now serious. "Now...settle down, the party's over. We're gonna do something a little different this time, so listen carefully."

I sobered, though swallowing my elation was difficult. Celebrating the fact that Piccolo acknowledged my birthday at all would have to wait for later. "So what're we doing?"

"We're gonna create a mixed image." He said calmly.

"Duh, what?"

That made Piccolo roll his eyes. He hates the word 'duh'. "We're going to meditate together like we always do. Only this time we're going to picture things the way they look in our own Reality. It'll be chaos at first, but with a little fine-tuning we should be okay," he explained. "As you saw in the bathtub a few months ago, Void can twist your perceptions. We must be ready for a trick like that. Now...we're doing this without the vial. Just let your mind go blank like I taught you and let's see what happens. Think of something you're familiar with. I will do the same. Don't get nervous if you see a hybrid image, it's supposed to look that way." Piccolo held his hands palm-out against the faint sheen. "Ready, kid?"

"As I'll ever be." I reached up and placed my tiny hands against Piccolo's large ones. The line between our Realities rippled fiercely when we made contact.

Piccolo and I have been practicing meditation without the vial of potion for quite a while now. He taught me how to hum until my mind noticed only the sound and nothing else. It was really funny at first - because I've been singing for several years now, I've developed a vibrato(where the voice shakes). It kept sneaking into my hum, thus distracting me. Turns out I wasn't breathing right.

"Don't belly-breathe. Hum from your chest, not your throat." Piccolo had told me.

It worked. No more vibrato to distract me.

So here we were, both humming the same note several octaves apart. Our voices were like two straight lines stretching out into eternity.

Piccolo's voice faded, he'd slipped just beyond consciousness. My hum cut off a little later as I entered the trance and joined him.

I opened my eyes again and found my bedroom. Everything was exactly as I remembered it the night I left. The bed was disheveled. My bag of Doritos lay open on the computer desk. It was all there, right down to the pink fuzzy dice hanging on my AIWA stereo's volume knob.

The vivid image fooled me into believing I was actually in my room. I picked up the Doritos, unfolded the bag and munched away. Doritos are my second favorite snack in the whole universe.

Something seemed a little weird. Took me long enough to notice....but I couldn't hear my dad snoring. He snores pretty darn loud, I always hear him. I stopped chewing and listened.

Silence.

"Hmmmm..." I sucked the orange powder off my fingers and approached the door. Maybe he was asleep with his mouth shut, thus cutting off the snoring.

More silence.

I opened the door, ready to step out into the hall.

My family room wasn't there. The couch, the coffee table and the two end tables were, but the rest was missing. An Anime cave with smooth brown-gray walls and a dusty floor replaced everything else. It was a really weird mix of Anime and Real! Nothing looked like it belonged.

"Damn." I crept from the safety of my bedroom and into the bizarre mix. All the furniture in my house sat exactly where it belonged...but instead of a Real roof and walls I saw Anime stalagmites, stalactites and rocky outcroppings! I looked down at my hands. I was still Real.

Now I just needed to find Piccolo. He'd help me sort this mess out.

I drifted along through pieces of furniture and rock, examining obstacles as I passed. The rock wall off to my left had been cleared out to make a shelf. On the shelf sat a melted candle with paper so filthy that I couldn't tell if it had been written on or not. The Anime paper looked sharp and unnatural against my Real skin, but it still felt normal.

After a few moments I got that tingling feeling I sometimes get when someone is standing right behind me. I looked over my shoulder and - sure enough - found Piccolo standing there. He was in his natural Anime form.

"This is the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced," I said lightly. "It almost looks like we both thought of our homes....assuming of course this is where you lived while you were in the desert."

"You could call it that, I suppose. I only came here when the weather got nasty," Piccolo showed neither a smile or sneer. He crossed his arms and gazed down at me, "It's funny. Our thinking patterns are a lot alike. We both pictured 'home'."

"That is kind of funny," I sighed. "I guess it's where we both want to be right now." Then I shook the dirty papers and held them up where Piccolo could see them, "What are these?"

He lifted the dirty objects from my fingertips, seated himself indian-style and examined them more closely. A sweep of his hand brushed off some of the filth to reveal alien writing that I assumed was Namekian. "A memoir...call it a diary...of sorts. From the moment I became aware of my own existence, my sire's memories plagued me. I'm basically him, reborn, but with my own mind. I started writing everything down..." His voice sounded kind of sad, betraying his expressionless mask. "It was an escape, I guess, and to remind me of who I was and why I was born."

I stood craned my neck for a better look at the dirty pages. Piccolo must have used a piece of charcoal to write with, judging from the color and thickness of the symbols. The handsome Namek sat there for quite a while, reading through the pages of memories.

I started sensing mixed emotions from him. Anger, guilt, pain and sadness.

Finally I couldn't take it anymore. I reached over and shoved my hand over the paper to prevent him from reading further. "Piccolo, who's memories are these?"

"My sire's, of course. I said so before." said Piccolo without hesitation.

My hand pressed down against the mottled paper, "Your father's. Not yours, Piccolo. I mean...the stuff you wrote here isn't your life, it's his. You're not that monster anymore, you know, so why keep this? It's the past. Just rip it up and let it go. Your life began when you met Gohan all those years ago...not when you broke out of your egg and said you hated peace."

"That kid did change me for the better," Piccolo quirked his lips into a brief smirk and lifted his gaze from the writing. The smirk dropped seconds later. "But you know...when I dove in front of that blast, I wasn't just trying to protect Gohan. I was also trying to end my miserable life. Gohan had his whole life ahead of him, and I, well, let's just say I didn't see much in my future. I'd killed Goku and taught Gohan everything I knew. There was nothing left for me to do." He chuckled bitterly, "Of course I wound up being suckered into taking Snake Way and the rest is history. I'm doomed to live with my sire's shadow lurking in my past. Ripping up a pile of papers isn't going to erase it."

Emboldened, I tipped my chin forward, "Neither is carrying around all that pain." I clicked my tongue and went on, "I glimpsed your dreams while you were recovering. All you dreamed about was the past and what he did. That's all you see in your meditations, too, isn't it? If you're not worried about a battle, you're thinking about this. No wonder you're always so serious and silent all the time."

Piccolo frowned deeply at me, "It's still a piece of me."

"Yeah, a piece that died a long time ago." I gripped his large wrist between both hands and smiled, "I'm not here to judge you, Piccolo. I'm just telling you that you've been alone with your pain for too long."

The paper shook in Piccolo's hand, I could hear it rattling. His lips tightened into a bloodless line. He lowered the pile of papers onto the dusty rock floor and spoke, his voice so soft I barely heard it, "I have always been alone, even in a crowd. No words can even begin explaining what it's like to feel that way and have no way to tell someone about it."

"I feel like that, too, most of the time. Except when I'm with you." Picking up the first page in the pile, I handed it to him, "Now start ripping. That part of your past is dead, so bury it and let it go." I grabbed the second sheet and held it between both hands, "I'll help. On the count of three, we'll both rip at the same time."

Piccolo closed his eyes and turned the sheet sideways between his fingers.

"One..." I tightened my grip.

"Two," he joined in the count, also bracing himself.

"THREE!"

RRRRRRRRRIP! Both of us ripped our page into two halves. I continued tearing my page up until I had a nice little wad of confetti that I tossed into the air. The tiny pieces rained down like dirty snow, surrounding us.

Piccolo seemed to be having trouble with his torn pieces. His expression showed a massive inner turmoil. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter. All at once he crumpled the paper bits in his fists, turning his head so I couldn't see his face. He dropped the wadded sheets, clasped his hands together as if to pray and pressed them against his mouth. New lines formed around his lips obvious even though he was Anime. I heard him breathing raggedly through his nose. He was trembling all over, obviously wrestling with something.

Suddenly, his breath hitched. Twice. Three times. Tears as pure as morning dew seeped from under his eyelids and skittered down his emerald cheeks. They converged just under his chin and dropped off, shining like stars and making soft pat-pat noises when they landed on the paper. More followed, some coming so fast they formed separate trails across his cheeks. It was so quiet that I could hear them landing on the paper, the ground and his skin. He stayed frozen in that position for what seemed like an eternity. His majestic cape encircled him. A fallen angel illuminated from above by rays of sunlight shining through cracks in the ceiling.

No, I'm not letting him suffer alone.

I stretched a hand out towards his arm, "Piccolo?"

Piccolo's eyes fluttered open, glistening like gems, but he didn't acknowledge my presence. Instead, he snatched the paper pile from the floor and viciously ripped it to shreds. He kept tearing pages and sniffling loudly until he held two handfuls of dirty confetti clenched in his fists. He looked up at me, his tear-streaked face twisted in anger and frustration. It was clear that he wanted to speak, but couldn't find the words.

But his face said it all.

I think that's when his pain hit the breaking point. To tell you the truth, my eyes didn't stay dry either when I saw his expression.

Piccolo hung his head, staring at the piles on his palms. Undisguised pain distorted his green features. Multiple silver streaks drew glittering patterns over his aristocratic cheekbones. He sloppily pushed the pile against my palms and clasped my hands around it. His hands resumed their previous clasped position, only this time mine were folded between them. He avoided my gaze for the first time since I've known him.

"No, don't hide from me," I leaned forward when his eyes finally met mine. He looked fierce even with the wet trails lining his cheeks. "Piccolo, you're not alone this time."

Two large, green hands framed my face. Piccolo's deep voice came out hoarse and stilted, "I-I can't...I can't control it! I...I..." he broke off, "I'm a warrior...warriors don't..."

I put the ripped paper down and covered his trembling lips with one hand, "Shhh. Everybody cries, Piccolo. You've always been so strong for me, now let me be strong for you." Moving my hand aside, I framed his face like he'd done to me. My soft Real hands contrasted with his leathery Anime skin. "It's okay."

One by one Piccolo's walls crumbled. I heard him sniffle several times, his warm breath bathing my face. Then he squeezed his glistening eyes shut, grimaced and let his forehead touch mine. Diamond-clear tears poured down his face to pool in the webbing between my thumbs and forefingers. They were ice cold at first...but the more he let fall, the warmer they became. He was leaning exclusively on me, depending on my strength to keep him upright.

Finally, I heard him make a small noise deep in his throat. He wilted fully into my arms and pressed his moist eyes against my chest. The hands framing my face slid down and gripped my shirt. Shuddering sobs shook his large green form. Three softly hitched breaths and then a low, barely audible moan; he had a rhythm for everything, even in the way he cried. It was almost musical.

"It's okay...just let it all out." I wrapped both arms tightly around his neck. Gently rubbed his back and stroked his pointed ears while his tears soaked into my shirt. Stroking Piccolo's ears is actually soothing to him(when he's Anime), though I doubt I'll ever get him to admit it.

Piccolo wept quietly into my chest for what seemed like hours. Crying for all the times he should've cried, but didn't. Gradually, his shoulders and back stopped heaving. The tautness in my tear-soaked shirt disappeared. I felt his hands slide up to my shoulders. He lifted his head and stared at my face. Piccolo's eyes were already starting to harden. He was retreating back into his protective iron shell. The tears still clinging to his cheeks betrayed him.

I wound up smiling at him. Piccolo looked so precious, maybe even a little silly too - trying to look apathetic with tears all over his cheeks. Just like a little kid forgetting to wipe the crumbs off his chin after stealing his mother's cookies.

"You're a mess." I rubbed his cheeks with my thumbs to brush away the tears.

"...Feh."

I leaned over and kissed the salty evidence of his crying off his cheeks. Slowly worked my way up to his moist eyelids. Then I followed the sharp slope of his nose and claimed his lips. It quickly heated up into a war between our tongues. Whether he knew it or not, Piccolo is a great kisser no matter what form he's in. I became aware that his arms were suddenly around me and I was in his lap.

My hands were all over him before I realized what I was doing. Our desperate kisses continued. They had no effect on Piccolo for obvious reasons, but I certainly felt hot under the collar.

I sat up on my knees so I was a little 'taller' than him. My long hair spilled past my arms and brushed against his cheeks.

Piccolo blinked up at me. "Cyndi, we can't...I'm not - "

"Shh," I silenced him with a finger and slid down to sit again. Right where his arousal would've been. There was nothing there, I might as well be sitting on his stomach for all the difference it made. "I'm not looking for that. Just let me hold you for awhile, okay?"

The handsome green man nodded. I settled against his chest and wrapped my arms around him. My head fit perfectly under his pointed chin. Piccolo didn't react to my embrace this time - except to swallow slowly and sigh. I think he was merely tolerating my affection rather than enjoying it.

I thought my point was proven when Piccolo pushed me off and jumped to his feet. He looked around with a spooked look in his dark eyes. His jaw tightened.

"Piccolo? What's wrong?" I stood beside him, gazing up at his emerald face.

Piccolo gestured at me to shut up. He frowned and growled low in his throat, a shadow crossing his features. I watched him whip around to look behind him. Nothing there. V-shaped wrinkles appeared on the bridge of his pointed nose. His scowl deepened. "Cyndi, do you sense that?"

"Sense what? Hang on, let me focus." I stared at the wall and focused on sensing energy. I noticed Piccolo easily since he was right beside me. His power felt warm, controlled and very familiar. Then came another feeling. It was cold like air blasted from a freezer. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I got that eerie feeling you get when someone walks over your grave. "Wait...I feel it! It's Void! I can't pinpoint her, though."

Everything around us darkened like a movie theater when the lights go out. An immense air of foreboding trickled up my nerves. Piccolo seemed to be feeling it too.

Sucking in a breath, the Namek hissed through his teeth, "Shit...this is bad, we have to get out of here NOW. Focus on - "

His sentence was cut off by Void's sharp laugh. It came from everywhere, making my ears ring. I sensed her power increasing. Like her laughter, it was all over the place! A black and silver energy dome flickered into being around us.

"Get down!" Piccolo shoved me to the floor and dropped down over my back.

Then the world around us exploded.