Chapter 3- Breakdown

Gohan sped over the trees, trying to sense Piccolo's energy. He felt the pulse of the Namek's Ki in a familiar spot near the waterfall. Suppressing his energy, Gohan flew over and landed on a cliff next to the waterfall. Piccolo was hovering, cross-legged in a deep meditation. Gohan hated to disturb him, but the matter was quite important.

"Um…Piccolo?", Gohan whispered quietly. Piccolo didn't move.

"Piccolo?", Gohan whispered again, moving closer. Again, the Namek didn't even twitch. Gohan got louder.

"Piccolo!", he shouted. Piccolo's eyes shot open and he glared at Gohan.

"You just ruined a perfectly good meditation. What do you want?", Piccolo asked, irritated. Gohan smirked as Piccolo floated over to the cliff and stood next to him. The smile faded from the boy's face when he remembered the reason he was there.

"Piccolo…I have something to show you…", Gohan said, looking at his feet. Piccolo crossed his arms.

"Well? What is it?", the Namek asked impatiently. The boy brought his hands up and began to unbutton his white silk shirt. Gohan removed the shirt, revealing his muscled torso and arms. Piccolo stood, staring at the boy's chest.

"So? Your body has always looked like that. What's so special about it now?"

"No…not my chest…", Gohan said, reaching in the back of his pants. Piccolo saw Gohan pull his hand out of his pants, grasping a fully grown back tail. The furry, brown tail wagged back and forth as both of them stared at it.

"What! How!", Piccolo asked, shocked. Gohan shrugged and responded.

"I dunno. I was taking a shower…and I just saw it there." Piccolo rubbed his chin and thought hard.

"The last time your tail grew back was when you fought Vegeta. Gohan, I want you to try and remember, all those years ago, when we fought Vegeta…what was going through your mind?", Piccolo asked. Gohan looked up at the sky and thought.

"It was only me, dad and Krillin. We thought that Vegeta was dead but…he wasn't. He came down and was about to kill me but…I looked up at the sky. There was a light…and I don't remember anything else."

"You transformed into an ape. I never saw it, but I could sense what was happening from Snake Way. It seems that your tail grows back whenever you are put under certain pressure or stress. Has anything been stressing you lately, Gohan?", he asked, concerned. Gohan hung his head.

"N-No…", he lied. Piccolo saw right through him.

"Stop lying, Gohan. What's been troubling you?", Piccolo asked more firmly. Gohan looked into the tall alien's eyes.

"It's…my…my dad…", he said, tears welling in his jet black eyes.

"What about your father, Gohan?"

"It's all my fault…my fault he died…I wish I would've died there…", Gohan said as he collapsed to his knees on the forest floor. Piccolo tried to console him.

"Gohan, it's not your-", he was cut off.

"YES IT IS! IT'S MY FAULT! I DIDN'T KILL CELL WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!", Gohan yelled before breaking down and crying. Piccolo placed a hand on the demi-Saiyan's shoulder, but Gohan shrugged it off. Memories of the Cell Games flashed through Gohan's mind and something snapped.

"I'm proud of you…"

"Get away from me.", he said coldly, standing up and turning his back to Piccolo.

"Goodbye…my son."

"Gohan…we need to do something about your tail…just calm down.", Piccolo said, walking next to Gohan. Gohan looked up at the green alien with a look of pure hatred in his eyes.

"NO! COME BACK! DAAAAAAADDDDDDYYYYYYYYY!"

"I said…get…the fuck…away from me.", Gohan said slowly, anger and hate dripping from his voice. Piccolo took a step back, shocked. Gohan was never one to curse; Piccolo had never even heard him mutter so much as "damn". He regained his composure and walked next to Gohan yet again, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. Gohan looked up at his teacher again, but did not say anything. He placed his hand on Piccolo's and smiled. Piccolo smiled back, but his smile didn't last. Gohan pulled on Piccolo's hand and kicked him square in the chest. There was a sharp snap of ribs cracking and the Namek went sprawling into a tree. Gohan walked over to where he dropped his shirt and picked it up.

"I warned you…don't you dare follow me. If you do, I'll kill you.", he said, putting the shirt on but not buttoning it, before turning and starting to walk away. His teacher sat against the tree grasping his chest.

"G-Gohan…", he whispered. Gohan looked back at him and smirked evilly before walking out of Piccolo's sight. Piccolo stood, clutching his chest.

"He broke four of my ribs…and he wasn't even a Super Saiyan…I better tell the others…", Piccolo thought as he started flying towards Capsule Corp…

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Author's note: I've noticed that some of you have my story on Alert, but are not reviewing. Whats up with that? C'mon, review! All it does is help make my stories better!