Chapter 16: Lost or Newfound Hope?

A while later we were all home and safe. Chi-chi was remarkably cooking dinner without complaining about being an evil slave for the past few hours, but I had taken a shower and gone to my room as soon as I got back. I had changed into my pajamas from home and sat on my bed, thinking.

Pits of darkness… a tomb… the maze… a new destiny? What does it all mean? What does it have to do with me?

There was a knock on the door and Chi-chi opened it.

"Katie, dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry." I called.

"What? You should be plenty hungry, after that hard battle. You're not sick, are you?"

"I'm not sick, I'm just not hungry." I snapped. Chi-chi closed my door and left without another word.

I told her I wasn't hungry… but I am a Sayjin now, I should be plenty hungry, like she said. But those things, and the Darkness…

I sat on my bed all night thinking until I finally fell asleep. That morning I woke up, still not hungry. Gohan checked on me, but I gave him the same answer I did Chi-chi. It was another night and day and I still sat there.

This is pathetic! I'm a warrior! I shouldn't be homesick. I should be training. But did I miss my chance to leave?

Guru said after all the things I knew happened… but how right could that be? He didn't know the details…

I just sat there; upset at the conclusion I was making. Close to crying, the first time in a year, for home. No one here was close enough to confide in. No one would understand. Only a Kai would understand, but I had no idea how to contact one. King Kai was the only one I could contact.

"Katie, can I come in?" it was Piccolo. Gohan must have asked him to talk to me. I hadn't left my room for two days, and I hadn't eaten. I had to talk to someone eventually and I rather it be a friend than a shrink.

"Yes." I called to him. He came in, kind of startled to see me in the state I was in. My hair was all messy down my neck, back, and shoulders and I was in my PJ's.

"Gohan told me you haven't left your room since the battle on the Lookout. He thinks you're upset about something. I don't know why he thought I could help. Do you… want to talk about something?"

"This must be hard for you. You're not really a Mr. Sentiment kind of guy." I said, looking away from Piccolo, "You are the closest thing to a father I have here, I guess." I hoped he'd go and leave me alone. But to my surprise he came over and sat on the edge of my bed, looking right at me.

"Something is bothering you and you are going to tell me." Piccolo said rather hard.

"And why should I?" I snapped.

"Because I'm the only one around here who may be able to help you. Like you just said, I'm the closest thing to a father you have here."

He had a point. Of all the people on earth as of now, the person I'd want to talk to would be Piccolo. He just… I don't know how to explain it, he understood things most people didn't. I took in a breath and began.

"Garlic jr. compared the Dead Zone to a pit of darkness. That was the way I'd compare the tomb."

"The tomb from the dream that sent you here?"

"Yeah. And since Guru awoke the Sensory Gift within me, I've had this dream. I'm in a maze or something and I reach a dead end, and when I turn back to the hall, darkness comes toward me and swallows me."

"I think I know where this is going. The Dead Zone would have trapped you, Katie, not sent you home. And besides, Guru said you'd be sent home after you defeated some evil after the things you know are over with." Piccolo sounded more like Nail just then, but that didn't matter.

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes. You'd be there forever with Garlic jr. and all his minions."

"Thanks, Piccolo." I sighed, getting up and stretching my limbs for the first time in two days.

"So that was it, huh? You thought you'd be trapped here forever? Is it really that bad here?"

"No, I like it here, but it isn't home. Things here are so much weirder than home. For one thing, at home it's the year… I guess 2006 by now. Wow, I've been here two years already. And another thing, dinosaurs are long dead and there isn't any flying cars or any of that stuff. No aliens, not yet, anyway."

"Well, that sounds weird to me." Piccolo said with a slight smile on his face. He got up and headed towards the door.

"Piccolo, I'm not one to admit I'm scared, but I am."

"What are you scared of, kid?"

"The Darkness. It just… won't leave me alone."

"Kid, as long as you don't lose your light, you'll be fine."

"My light? What do you mean by that?"

"Not everyone could handle the type of stress you're going through. You aren't even the same species anymore. That's your light."

"Piccolo, I'm sorry if I… messed up your training or something."

"Oh, well, that means I'll have to train with you tomorrow. You better be there bright and early with Gohan."

"I'll be there, don't worry about that. You better worry that I don't find out your going easy on me. You know my true power now, so don't hold back."

"I don't think that will be a problem."

Piccolo left then, and I got dressed and left my room.

So I still have work to do here. That's fine, I guess. I'll be home in a few years, and complain about missing this place.