Chapter 19

Katrina awoke slowly, not even remembering when she had fallen asleep. When she opened her eyes she realized that Piccolo was still with her, his arm tightly wrapped around her waist. She would have lifted her head, but his was still resting on hers.

But right on cue, he lifted his head and softly nuzzled her forehead. It almost sounded like he was purring as his nose brushed against her forehead. Katrina couldn't help but smile. She lifted her hand and softly stroked his cheek.

Suddenly, he stopped and stared down at her. He cleared his throat and whispered, "Good Morning."

Katrina gazed up at him. "Morning." She clutched his collar lightly. "I thought you'd be training by now."

Piccolo smiled. "Nothing new will happen in one day, so think of this as your day off..."

Katrina returned the smile, but then remembered her many haunting dreams and wondered why she didn't have another one to wake up to this morning.

Piccolo saw her smile fade and whispered against her forehead, "Don't worry about it today, you don't have to worry about it today."

Katrina closed her eyes and fell into his words. "But tomorrow—"

"No buts." Piccolo interrupted. "You don't have to worry."

She wished that it were that simple, but she knew that Piccolo would rather knock her out and not worry about her vision than see her mope, so she tried her best to sink the feeling. Surprisingly, it worked better than she thought. But she still wanted to say something. "Piccolo...whatever happens tomorrow...I just—"

But he surprisingly placed a finger on her lips to silence her. "You're still worrying." He replied, cracking a small smile. His finger gently traced her bottom lip, making all of Katrina's nerves tingle uncontrollably.

Katrina's heart pounded furiously, and she was so close to him that she could feel his going even faster. She suddenly noticed that she had been stroking his jaw line with her thumb repetitively for the passed few minutes.

Unconsciously, she began leaning up towards his face until they were only inches apart. They stared at each other for a long time, neither making a move yet both of them expecting the other to say something.

"Piccolo..." She barely breathed his name, but they both heard it as clear as crystal. Her eyelids were beginning to close as she felt his hot breath on her nose. "I...I..." She stammered mutely. She couldn't think of anything else to say, not like in her daydreams from long ago when it was a romantic moment. But she didn't care, this was the only daydream that was ever going to come true.

"Morning guys!"

Both Piccolo and Katrina jumped out of their skin. They both snapped to attention and gazed over at the now 5 year old sitting across from them. Gohan still looked like he was half asleep, but his perky voice told them otherwise. "Is it time to train yet?"

"Gohan, we're sort of—"

"Yes, it's time." Piccolo cut her short. Katrina gave him a confused glance, to which he answered, I said it was your day off, I didn't say it was Gohan's or mine. He told her silently. Besides, we can't let him think that this day is any different from any other day, otherwise he'll get suspicious.

I guess you're right. She answered, a little disappointed. She had wanted to spend the entire day with Piccolo, knowing what was in store for them tomorrow. She tried to hide her disappointment as best as she could, but he still sensed it.

"Why don't you go stretch in the clearing, I'll be there in a minute." He told Gohan, who scampered off to do as he was told. He turned back towards Katrina with a small smile. Don't worry, I won't be gone for long. He gently brushed a small strand of hair out of her face, stood up and walked over towards the clearing, his cape swishing behind him as he walked.

Katrina hugged her knees to her chest and watched him warm up with Gohan. She watched him smile proudly at Gohan when he managed to get a few hits in, and realized how much she loved his smile. Tears were coming to her eyes when she realized that after tomorrow, she would no longer see that same smile...she wouldn't feel his arms around her...

She was sobbing now, but sobbing quietly. Piccolo must have been concentrating hard because he didn't even give her a glance. He's doing so much to prepare for this fight, She thought. If only he knew it would all be a waste...and because of me.

She suddenly calmed down and stared at her beloved companion. She knew what she had to do.

Piccolo hadn't even realized how much time had gone by sparring, but when it was over, it seemed to be pretty late in the day. He had taken off his turban and shoulder weights before, but he picked them up to take over to the campsite.

"Hey Piccolo!" Gohan suddenly called out to him. He came out from the campsite and hurried over towards him.

"What is it, kid?"

"Did Katrina go off to get dinner?" He asked. Piccolo kept walking towards the campsite with Gohan on his heels.

"I don't think so, she probably would have told me." Piccolo answered, suddenly getting a strong feeling in his gut.

When he reached the clearing, he understood why.

Katrina was gone.

Piccolo's arms went numb, so his turban and shoulder weights slipped to the ground. The sudden crash of their weight made Gohan jump and look over at his stunned teacher. "Piccolo...?"

His mouth was open slightly from the shock, but the shock faded and he bowed his head. "She's gone..." He muttered while raising his head. "And she's not coming back."

He walked over to the tree and rested a hand on it to keep his balance. When he touched its rough bark, her message flooded his mind: I'm sorry...

Piccolo could feel his eyes burning, so he quickly shut them.

"Why did she leave? I thought she was happy with us..." Gohan said more to himself than to his teacher, but he had a reply anyway.

He sharply turned around and practically roared, "Because she's a coward, that's why!!!" He turned back his back to the tree and slid down to the ground. He had to struggle to keep the tears from falling, so his entire body trembled intensely.

Gohan lowered his eyes to the ground and watched his feet kick a small dirt clod. "I don't think she's a coward..."

Piccolo remained silent for a long moment, then he replied. "Neither do I..."

Katrina collapsed beside a river bank, exhausted and sobbing. She thought running away would have been easy on her aching heart, but instead it only made it worse. She had been running north for hours, fearing that if she flew, he would sense her and come after her.

She was still wondering if he would come and get her when her stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten anything all day, so she was starving after all that running.

She tried to stand up, but when she did, her ankle twisted the wrong way. She yelped and fell back on the ground hard. She was about to take her boot off when she heard someone coming through the forest. I guess he did come after me... She thought and was about to call out when someone else came through the woods.

"Um...hi..." She said quietly, not knowing what else to say.

"Hello," He said simply. "What are you doing out in the woods?"

"I was...um—"

"Hey Tien, did you find something?" Another male voice came out of the woods, and soon he was by the river as well.

"More like a someone." The first one replied.

They both stared at Katrina for a moment as if expecting to explain herself, then the second man spoke. "Are you one of the saiyans?" He asked harshly.

"No...at least I don't think so..." She said, standing up again. Her ankle was still sore, but she managed to find her balance. "How do you know about the saiyans?"

"How do you know about them?" He replied.

"I was training with two people to help stop them." Katrina answered.

"Wait a second," The first man stepped in front of the second man. "You're Katrina, aren't you? The girl that Krillin told us about up at the tower."

Katrina nodded, relaxing her tensed muscles. If they know Krillin, then they must be on our side.

"Sorry about that, we're just keeping ourselves on our toes. It's almost been a year since Goku died. I'm Tien, and that's Yamcha." He pointed to the second man with the long black hair.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be training with Piccolo and Gohan?" Yamcha asked.

Katrina hesitated. Just hearing his name made her heart ache. "Yeah, but...I took off."

"You mean you just left?" Tien asked.

"Was Piccolo's training really that bad?" Yamcha laughed, but stopped himself short when he saw that he was the only one laughing.

Katrina bowed her head sadly. "I 't stay there."

Tien could sense that she had had a rough time, so he changed the subject. "Well, you must be hungry, I could hear your stomach from the woods. C'mon." He turned around and walked back into the forest. Katrina followed with a slight limp, for her ankle still hurt. Yamcha walked behind her.

They ate and talked, and Tien and Yamcha explained everything that Piccolo didn't. They told her about their friend Goku, who was Piccolo's worst enemy, and how with the dragon balls, they were going to bring him back to life.

"So these dragon balls can grant any wish?" She asked them. They nodded, and nodded again when she asked, "Even bringing the dead back to life?"

"Yup. But there is one problem..."

"What?"

"You see, the person who created the dragon balls, Kami, is connected to them, so if he dies, then we can't use the dragon balls—"

"Is he fighting the saiyans?" She asked.

"No, but Piccolo is."

Katrina was confused. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"He never told you?" Tien asked, and Katrina shook her head. "Piccolo is connected with Kami, so if Piccolo dies, then Kami dies and then the dragon balls turn to stone."

Katrina couldn't breathe after she heard that. It seemed like her head was swimming in a pool of darkness, because she couldn't see or hear anything.

"Um...Katrina, are you ok?" Yamcha asked, waving a hand in front of her blank eyes.

She suddenly stood up. "I've got to go."

"Wait a second!" Yamcha said but it was too late. Katrina had already started running off into the darkness of the forest.

Behind her shoulder, she called out, "I'll see you guys tomorrow!!" Then she was gone.

Tien and Yamcha blinked and looked at each other. "Tomorrow?"

The sun was setting behind the mountains very slowly, almost as if it knew what tomorrow brought. Piccolo had been meditating on and off for the rest of the day, pondering over whether he should find Katrina or not. By the end of the day, he gave up and just sat there, pretending to be meditating so Gohan wouldn't question him.

He had told Gohan to get a good night's sleep, so he was already resting by the time the sun melted behind the mountains. He sighed deeply, wondering if he would ever see the black tailed teen again. He still had no idea what her vision was about, but he knew if had to be dead serious if it would make her run away.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from the woods. His ears twitched as he opened his eyes and gazed upon a sight which he thought he would never see again. He watched as Katrina stumbled towards him out of the forest that surrounded the clearing. She appeared exhausted.

Piccolo stood up and took a few steps towards her, not sure if he was dreaming or not.

Katrina stopped a few feet in front of him and just stared at him while she caught her breath.

"I thought I'd never see you again..." Piccolo finally spoke.

But Katrina's tone was harsher. "Why didn't you ever tell me?!"

"Tell you what?" Piccolo said, taken aback.

"Why didn't you tell me about Kami and the dragon balls?!" She asked, her voice cracking.

"I did tell you about the dragon balls, I told you that they could grant wishes—"

"If you die tomorrow, then Kami dies and the dragon balls turn to stone!" Katrina ignored his last statement to get her point across. "How could you not tell me that?!"

Piccolo sighed. "I didn't want you to worry, I don't want anyone worrying. I can take care of myself." He turned back around and started towards the campsite again.

Katrina could tell that he was hurt, but she was the one without information. But nonetheless, she gave in and followed him, limping on her now swollen ankle. "Piccolo wait."

He stopped and turned back around. "Who told you?" He asked softly.

"Tien and Yamcha. They found me when I was near a river." She answered. Then she changed the subject back. "I just wish that you would have told me..."

"Why, does it help your vision at all?"

Katrina bowed her head. "No, it actually makes it worse." She whispered. "I just thought...that I should have heard it from you. I don't want there to be so many secrets between us." She could have kicked herself after saying that.

"No secrets, huh?" Piccolo's tone was ice cold now. "All right, fine. Yes, I am connected with Kami and yes, if I die tomorrow, then he'll die and the dragon balls will turn to stone. There's my secret, now you tell me yours! Tell me your vision if there are no more secrets!" He demanded, baring his sharp fangs as he spoke.

Katrina could feel her throat tightening and her eyes burning. "That's not fair."

"What's not fair is how you're treating this whole matter!" Piccolo shouted. "You're hurting yourself and you're hurting me by not telling me." He paused, letting his words sink deep into the ground. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

Katrina bowed her head. "No...no Piccolo, I can't tell you." She stared back up at him, straining herself so that no tears would fall.

"Then why did you come back?" Piccolo asked bluntly. "Staying here and fighting isn't going to help stop your vision—"

"And leaving isn't going to stop the pain that I feel!" Katrina snapped back. "You told me that no matter what I do to help prevent something, it'll only lead to the same outcome—"

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try and stop it, Kat..." Piccolo replied.

"I am going to try." She said firmly. "But I'm still going to fight. I thought I could run away but it only made me feel worse." She decided to walk closer towards him. He didn't move, he only watched as she neared him. "I didn't want to make it look like this year was a total waste because it wasn't. This has been the best year of my life for a number of reasons, but what made it worth while was that I spent it with you."

Piccolo was speechless. He could only stare down at the teen in front of him. "Do you really mean that?" He asked after his sudden silence.

Katrina nodded. "If I had the chance to go back in time...I would have done everything the same. My only regret is that I didn't get to meet you sooner..."

In one quick movement, she was in his arms in a tight embrace. They held each other for a long time until it seemed that their arms would fall off if they held on any longer. Still without a word, Piccolo led her back to the campsite.

He sat down first and dragged Katrina down with him so she could sit against his chest. He held his arms loosely around her waist but she still snuggled as close as possible to him. Piccolo laid his cheek on the top of her head and remained silent for a long time.

Finally, he broke the silence with a voice a little below a whisper. "Kat?"

"Yeah?" She mumbled sleepily.

"I'm glad you came back." His lips brushed her forehead as he whispered.

"I am too." She replied, falling fast asleep soon after.

Piccolo smiled and soon joined her in sleep, his smile remaining for most of the night.