Piccolo was looking intently at Videl's eyes as she whimpered in her sleep. To Piccolo it was clear she was having a nightmare, a bad one. Tears streamed from her eyes and onto Gohan's shirt. The tears were beginning to stain the shirt and Videl's fist was tightly clenched in a ball with the shirt tight in her grasp giving the cloth wrinkles.
The expression on the half-Saiyan's face was one the Namekian had seen enough times in his life; genuine fear, concern, and love. Piccolo had known Gohan his entire life and this was one of only a few times he had ever seen these emotions be displayed clearly on his pupil's face and Piccolo dreaded seeing them. "She'll be alright Gohan. It is just a bad dream that is tormenting her." In an attempt to comfort the clearly upset Gohan, Piccolo put his firm green hand on the half-Saiyan's shoulder. "We should put her in one of the beds Dende keeps up here. It would be for the best if we allowed her to get some rest."
For a second Gohan seemed uncertain about what to do. Then in an instance that made Piccolo proud to be the master of his young pupil, Gohan spoke with a soft voice, "I just want to make sure she is ok…" His eyes never left Videl. It was a moment that warmed Piccolo's Namekian heart.
With a smile to help calm Gohan down, Piccolo led Gohan to the beds that Dende had for emergencies. Piccolo left Gohan and Videl alone while the half-Saiyan tucked Videl into the bed. She was still shaking as if it were freezing cold. Gohan didn't want to leave her side, but Piccolo insisted that they should leave Videl be. "Only on one condition will I leave her side." It was instantly that Piccolo knew what Gohan wanted. "I want you to read her mind and tell me what nightmare has terrified her."
Without a moments notice Piccolo led Gohan out of the room and shut the door. It hadn't taken long for the Namekian to read Videl's mind. Piccolo winced as the images of the monster that haunted Videl's memories went through his mind.
They had walked for a few minutes when Gohan's hand brought Piccolo out of his thoughts, "Piccolo, please tell me. I know you are having trouble getting the words right, but I want to know why she is like this." It sounded more like an order than anything else.
With a sigh Piccolo decided that he would tell Gohan the plain truth. "Gohan my friend, it isn't easy saying this. You will be able to relate to her pain. It saddens me that you both are being plagued by the same monster." Tears welled up in Piccolo's eyes as his thoughts of his own fears of the powerful man drifted back into his head.
Gohan moved in front of his green friend and he had a confused look on his face, "What does that mean? I haven't had any nightmares for a long time. In fact I don't think I have had one since around the time the Cell Games."
"Think of the last nightmare you had! I know what it was. During the time the nightmares haunted you I read each and every one of your thoughts." Piccolo had come off far more rough and gruff tone than he had intended and Gohan seemed intimidated by the sudden aggression.
Shaking slightly, Gohan brought his hand to his chin to think. His eyes widened instantly when the memory came to him. The very thought of the memory scared Gohan enough to limit his speech, "B-Broly…"
With a regretful glance Piccolo confirmed to Gohan that Videl's nightmares were of the Legendary Super Saiyan. It hurt the Namek to see his pupil hurt so. Piccolo had been overjoyed when Gohan had stopped having the nightmares. It took a long time and each night was haunted with the monster Goku had barely killed. Finally after three years Gohan managed to fall asleep and not dream of Broly. After that there were no more nightmares. That is what made it hard for Piccolo to bring Broly back into Gohan's mind. Kami help the young half-Saiyan if he learned that his own little brother was having the same nightmares that Videl was having.
A sudden pain struck Gohan's features. He put his hands against the wall of the palace and Gohan began to cry. There was no way for Piccolo to feel even sorrier for his young pupil and this display was hard for the hardened Namek to watch. "Why…Piccolo…WHY?!" At first Gohan's words were soft, but they quickly escalated into harsh yelling. In unison with the increasing volume of his voice, Gohan's power level rocketed upwards.
The pain the young half-Saiyan was feeling was pure torture for the Namek to watch. Gohan began to punch to wall which cracked and broke from the strength he was putting into his punches.
"Gohan! There is nothing you could have done to stop this! Just please calm down." Piccolo's words fell onto the deaf ears of the half-Saiyan who ascended into his Super Saiyan form. The situation concerning Gohan calming down was becoming an urgent one. "Videl will overcome her nightmares just as you did. Now being like this won't help!"
This time Gohan heard Piccolo and he returned to normal. The Namek was sure that they wouldn't be alone for long due to the power spike so he decided to finish this telepathically. 'Listen kid, you know I'm here for both you and Videl. I won't let her suffer. If I have to then I will simply train her to ignore those fears.' Piccolo tried hard to make sure the mental message sounded as sincere as he really was. In response to the telepathic message, the young half-Saiyan relaxed and slumped to his knees. His power level dropped to normal, but it was already too late to avoid what the Namek had hoped they could avoid.
A warm cheery voice boom throughout the palace and seemed to sooth Gohan further into relaxation, "Hey guys! Is everything ok? I felt Gohan's energy spike and I thought you two were training without me, but it doesn't look like you two were training." Piccolo turned to face the always cheerful face of Goku. It had been a face that the Namek hated for the simplicity it implied. Piccolo knew Goku was no fool, he knew why they were up here.
"Everything is fine father…" Gohan had been the one to reply to Goku and it surprised his mentor that he did so. "You can go home dad. Piccolo and I have got everything under control."
Goku walked over to his son and knelt down to eye level with him. "You know I love you Gohan. I'm here if you need someone to talk to." With those kind words Goku hugged his son. Gohan couldn't help, but sink into the hug and bask in the warmth it brought. The full blooded Saiyan hugged his son knowing that this day had been filled with fear. Gohan's cloths smelled of fear and tears. There was little Goku could do to calm his son down, but what little he could do was working.
"Goku?! Goku can you hear me?" Goku's eye shot wide open and he stood straight up in response to the voice. He hadn't heard it in so long that he almost forgot who it belonged to.
Both Piccolo and Gohan watched as Goku stood up with a surprised expression. Gohan almost spoke up when Goku gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah King Kai, I can hear you just fine."
Gohan stood up slowly hearing his talk to himself, but all of Goku's friends knew who he was talking to. "What do you think King Kai wants with dad this time?" The young half-Saiyan spoke with a small whisper so that he wouldn't bother his father's conversation with the Kai.
"I think that it may be something of importance. King Kai hasn't telepathically called your father in a long time." Piccolo's whisper was only a little louder than his pupils, but neither seemed to notice.
"That's good Goku, because I need for you to come to my planet right away. This is very urgent Goku." The words were ones the Goku didn't want to hear. He hated leaving his son in such a bad condition over the fear for his girlfriend. Piccolo was a good friend and he had always been there for Gohan, but this was something that Goku felt that needed a father's touch.
"Are you sure it can't wait King Kai? I am in the middle of something important with Gohan right now." With the final words Goku spoke he looked to his oldest son and gave a warm smile. Goku didn't want to abandon someone when they needed him just because he was needed somewhere else.
"The longer we wait the less chance Earth will have against the threat that approaches it! NOW GET UP HERE!" The loud voice made Goku wince a bit and he now knew that there would be no talking to his son just yet.
Goku gave his son a hug and spoke into his ear, "I'm sorry I have to like this Gohan, but King Kai says that he needs me right now." Slowly Goku pulled away from Gohan and put two fingers up to his forehead. Goku found King Kai's energy signature and focused on it. With a final glance towards Piccolo, Goku knew he had one more thing to say, "Piccolo, take care of my son and my future daughter in law." With that Goku disappeared.
The aftermath of Goku leaving was a silently chuckling Piccolo and an embarrassed Gohan. That joke was one that Gohan's mother liked to tease her son with. She seemed dead set on Gohan and Videl getting married. Her reasoning was that she and Goku had gotten married at that age. It was a joke that quickly got old for Gohan. The secret in Gohan's mind was that he was planning on proposing to Videl sometime soon. If Chi-Chi found out then she would never stop hugging Gohan. He thought it best to wait until after he asked Videl to tell his mother.