Chapter 10

Katrina blinked. "I...I didn't—"

"You didn't know? Huh? Was that what you were going to say?" Piccolo said angrily. "Well now you do."

Katrina remained silent and only stared at him while rubbing her sore arms.

"You really want to know me? Fine, here's a basic summary: when I was little, everyone hated me and no one wanted to deal with me. I had to fend for myself and the only thing on my mind was killing my Father's killer. All that hatred for him was because my Father wanted me to follow in his footsteps to take over this planet. I finally met him at the World Martial Arts Tournament a few years back and what happens? I do follow in my father's foot steps because he basically creams me. After that the only thing I can still think about is getting back at him because he humiliated me in front of the entire world." Then he paused as it all sunk in. "There, are you happy? That's my sad story. So leave me alone!" Then he powered up and flew off somewhere.

"Piccolo, wait!" She called out but it was too late. He was long gone. Clouds rolled above her head, covering the stars and the moon. Thunder roared in the distance and the rain drops began to fall. "Great. Just great." She picked up Piccolo's cape and ran in the direction that he went.

"Why couldn't he have taught me to fly?" She muttered to herself as she dodged around the trees and followed her intuition.

But sadly as she got to the end of the forest, a cliff awaited her. A very high cliff. She stood at its edge and watched the lightning strike the ground below her. She looked down at the slightly torn cape—for when she was running, it caught on many branches—in her arms. "Piccolo..." She whimpered. She looked out over the cliff with tears forming in her eyes. "I didn't mean to make you upset...I just wanted to know you..." Then she began to shout, "Piccolo!!! I'm sorry!!!"

Her voice echoed throughout the landscape below her, but she got no answer. Depressed, she dropped down onto the ground and curled up under his cape, not knowing what else to do.

After a little while, she lifted her head. Katrina stood up and turned towards where the mountains tried to touch the sky. He's there...I know it... Then she picked up his cape and took off.

Piccolo was sitting out in the open rain. He was hunched over with his fists on the ground. His purple blood seeped from his knuckles and mixed with the puddles on the rocky ground. When he first landed near the mountains, he let out his anger by punching the wall of the mountain. His blood was stained there too.

His eyes were closed and he just let the rain soak his clothes and drip off of his antennae and his nose. He felt completely numb and torn apart. How could I have acted like that? He asked himself numerous times as the rain just kept falling.

Lightning struck the ground around the mountain, but he didn't care. He couldn't care less about getting hit by lightning. He felt like shit already, so what would be the point of worrying?

How could I have acted like that? He asked again. He remembered how she whimpered when he grabbed her. I hurt her. I'm no better than my father.

Suddenly, he felt something being draped over his shoulders and someone wrapping their arms around his neck. Piccolo looked over to his side and saw Katrina's smiling face. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and rested her face against his. "I'm sorry I'm late." She whispered.

"Kat..." He managed to mutter. His throat was a little sore because he was screaming while punching the rock wall. "Kat, I—"

Katrina hushed him. "It's ok. I understand, Piccolo. Everything's going to be ok."

Piccolo was speechless and had no idea how to feel. So he just closed his eyes and leaned back into Katrina. The rain continued to pour, and the thunder continued to roar.

After a few moments, Piccolo reopened his eyes and slowly came out of Katrina's embrace. Katrina loosened her grip on him but never totally let go. Piccolo looked at her and noticed that she was completely drenched from head to toe. "I have to get you out of the rain." He told her, and she nodded. Piccolo cradled her in his arms and stood up, the cape still draped over his shoulders. "C'mon." He powered up and flew down the mountain and into a nearby cave. He walked slowly into the cave far enough away from the entrance so that the wind wouldn't blow the rain in.

Once they were in far enough, he set her down and sat down as close as possible to her. Katrina draped an arm over his waist and rested her head on his strong neck. Piccolo wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her tightly. "I'm sorry." He whispered against her forehead.

"Don't be." She whispered back. "I made you tell me, Piccolo." Her black tail draped over his leg. "I made you tell me...don't be sorry."

Piccolo rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I hurt you..."

"Hm?" Katrina raised her head to look at him.

"Your arms..." he muttered. "I hurt you."

Katrina looked down at her arms but then back up at him. She laid her hand on his chest. "No you didn't. I'm fine."

"I'm just like him..." He mumbled and stared off in the distance.

This time, Katrina was determined to snap him out of it. She sat up and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. With a gentle hand, she turned his face towards hers. He looked into her coal black eyes and she returned the glance. "You are not like your father." She said it slowly so that he would understand. She cupped his cheek in her hand and stared back at him. "You are not like your father." She repeated. "He killed many people. He didn't care for anybody but himself and made you try to finish what he started."

Piccolo watched her with an emotionless face.

"You are completely different from him. You saved my life in more ways then one. And you're trying to protect the planet that he wanted you to rule over." She smiled at him. "You're not like him, you're the complete opposite." Katrina laid her hand on his chest again.

Piccolo's eyes went from her face down to the hand that held his heart. He grasped her hand in his own and squeezed it tightly. Then he looked back at her and smiled. "Thank you, Katrina."

Katrina could tell he truly meant it because he used her full name again. "Anytime." She answered and laid her head back down on his neck.

Piccolo rested his cheek on the top of her head and held her hand tightly. Both fell asleep soundly, listening to the combination of the pouring rain and each other's heartbeats.