Gohan stood at the edge of the crater, quivering with suppressed rage. Raditz blinked in amazement. His scouter beeped, indicating such a high level of fighting power that even he shuddered inside.
"Leave my papa alone!" With that cry, the little boy leapt forward and rammed his head against Raditz's breastplate. The armour cracked and the giant staggered.
Gohan landed at Goku's feet after the impact. There was no longer any sign or sight of his anger.
"Gohan, how did you do that?" Goku straightened up, breathing heavily. The little boy just shrugged his shoulders.
Raditz, staring through his scouter again, grinned with satisfaction. There was no longer any sign of the child's strong fighting ability. It was obviously dependent on mood. How convenient.
Raditz leapt forward, lunged and struck the child so hard in the face with the flat of his hand that he fell to the ground and lay motionless. Raditz lunged for another blow.
"Please, don't hurt my son!" pleaded Goku.
"Why would I do that? Because he is a child? Well, unfortunately, he's already stronger than you." Raditz gathered energy in his right hand.
Piccolo cried out. "Noooo!"
Before Raditz could lower his hand, Goku grabbed him from behind and held his arms. Raditz could not reach him and squirmed with all his might.
"Piccolo, use your technique!" shouted Goku to the green one.
"This is as good as it gets for me. Take out two in one strike."
Immediately, Piccolo crouched down, put the index and middle fingers of his right hand to his forehead and concentrated. His fingertips began to glow. On his head and arms, the veins stood out with exertion. He could use the special beam cannon once more before he had to rest for a long time.
"I'm getting grey hairs from waiting. Come on, Piccolo!"
Goku could barely hold Raditz, who was still squirming in his grip. His scouter beeped, showing Piccolo's fighting power. It was now higher than when he had first attacked. Raditz tried again, pleading with him to spare him and that he would refrain from conquering Earth, but this time Goku would not relent.
"Here it goes, the special beam cannon" With those words, Piccolo let the deadly beam hurtle towards Raditz and Goku. The energy hit Raditz right where his chest armour already had cracks from Gohan's attack. The energy beam went through him and Goku. The force of the energy lifted both warriors into the air. Raditz was thrown forward, Goku backward. Raditz's face clearly showed disbelief at this event. Goku smiled slightly as he fell backwards.
"Well, that was a resounding success," Piccolo remarked dryly. Breathing heavily, he walked towards Raditz, who refused to give up even on the brink of death. If he could no longer fight, he at least wanted to sow fear and terror with words.
"You only won because Kakarot sacrificed himself, you disgusting green fellow."
"Yes, you're right." Piccolo couldn't help laughing before he continued. "On this planet there are magical objects called dragonballs. They grant wishes and can even bring the dead back to life."
Raditz spat blood. "What, are you saying: Kakarot won't be dead?" Piccolo nodded triumphantly. Now at least he had put a damper on the alien just before he died. But why did a smile spread across the face of the defeated man?
"My companions hear everything I hear. They will find those Dragonballs and revive me." Raditz spat out a gush of blood.
Piccolo's breath caught in his throat. These other Saiyajins, who were supposedly even stronger than Raditz, now knew about the Dragonballs. That made them even more dangerous.
"When exactly will your people be here?" Goku, lying a few feet away from Raditz, straightened up shakily as he asked the question.
Raditz, apparently taking the approaching death as an opportunity to talk a great deal, answered promptly.
"A year from now. Enjoy the year. It will be over quickly." Piccolo was still standing next to Raditz. He bared his teeth at his words and was about to give him the final blow when he felt an energy he knew well. He looked up at the sky.
Sitara landed silently beside him and looked Piccolo straight in the face. The latter nodded briefly to assure her that he was all right. Then Sitara's gaze fell on Raditz lying on the ground. His eyes moved up to her and widened.
"You're alive?" Gasping, he spat out blood once more, his eyes twisted, his body convulsed and he expelled one last whistling breath. His gaze broke. He was dead.
Confused, Sitara looked back at Piccolo. "Did you hear that? Did that sound to you like he knew me?"
"Now, unfortunately, we can't ask him." That was as far as he got, for the sound of an incoming plane caught his attention. The plane landed not far away and Bulma, Krillin and Master Roshi stepped out.
The three of them swarmed out. Bulma ran to Gohan while the old man and Krillin walked towards Goku. Piccolo and Sitara also approached the downed fighter.
"He's alive," Bulma called out, "He's just unconscious." She had picked the child up from the ground and now approached the rest of the group.
"Then I am calmed. His mother would be very angry if he wasn't." Haltingly, the words came over Goku's lips. His breathing was shallow and irregular. Krillin knelt beside Goku and took his hand.
"Please, Goku, stay with us." Krillin's eyes swam with tears as he saw his old friend lying there like that.
"It's okay, Krillin," Goku said before closing his eyes. The life had drained out of him. Krillin howled and shook Goku's body. He would not accept it. Bulma looked to the ground, clearly struggling not to burst into tears,
Sitara looked to the old man, who seemed to show no emotion at Son-Goku's death, but she wasn't sure, for the sunglasses covered much of his face. When she turned her gaze back to the dead fighter, she noticed a flicker over his body. She blinked. Then the body was gone. All that remained was a large red bloodstain.
"So that's how it is." Confused, everyone stared at Piccolo. Explaining, the latter added, "Kami has Goku, I'll bet."
While Piccolo was telling Sitara, Krillin, Bulma and Master Roshi all that had happened, the two Saiyajins had set out from a far corner of space to conquer Earth.
After Piccolo's narration, it took a moment for the people present to react. Krillin was the first to move. He picked up Gohan's hat, which had the Dragonball with the four stars attached to it. "We need to start looking for the Dragonballs right away."
Bulma agreed with him. Gohan on her arm was still unconscious and not moving. Sitara and Piccolo turned and collected Piccolo's cape and turban.
Bulma uttered the words that were probably haunting everyone's mind, "How did that guy know where we were anyway?"
Piccolo, who had just put his cape back on, answered her. "I must be very wrong, but I think that visor on his eye can tell him strength and position of another person." Bulma listened up. Technology was something she could handle.
"Come along, Krillin." She handed little Gohan into the arms of Master Roshi. Krillin put his hat on top and followed her to the body of the dead Raditz. Bulma motioned for him to remove the device from Raditz's head. Slightly hesitant, Krillin complied with her request and handed the device to her.
Curious, Bulma began to examine the thing. She looked at it from all sides, finally unscrewed it from the side and inspected the inner workings.
"This is going to be very useful for us. We can certainly use it to find Yamcha and Tien Shinhan, and who knows, if I change something else, we can even use it to find the Dragonballs."
The Turtle Hermit turned to Bulma. "There's nothing more we can do here. I suggest we return to the island." Bulma nodded and Krillin added that he would start looking for the Dragonballs first thing tomorrow. Master Roshi turned to Piccolo. "What are you going to do, Piccolo?"
Piccolo, who by now had his cloak on and his turban on, growled and had positioned himself in a fighting stance. The stump of his left arm he had spread from his body. He gasped and with what seemed to be a great effort of will, a new arm shot out of the stump. Fingers covered in greenish slime now curved again at the end of his arm. Smiling, he looked at his hand, stretching and lengthening his fingers. Sitara, who had stood silently behind him all this time so that the others could not see her directly, grinned to herself. The shock on the faces of the three was highly amusing to watch.
Sitara loosened the band around her waist, stepped next to Piccolo and handed it to him so he could clean his hand. The eyes of Krillin, Bulma and the Turtle Hermit fastened on her.
"Wait a minute, who are you anyway?" Bulma was the first to regain her speech. Piccolo was about to answer, but Sitara touched his arm and gave him a stern look. She could answer questions herself.
"I am Sitara. Piccolo's student." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a twitch of Piccolo's eyebrows, but ignored it. The sight of the little man with the round head was just too funny. If his lower jaw wasn't attached to his head, he probably would have crashed to the ground. The turquoise-haired woman's eyes widened in amazement.
There was no opportunity for queries, as Piccolo answered the old man's question, "I won't be coming to the island with you, and I won't be looking for the Dragonballs. A year passes quickly. I'll take care of Goku's son for that long."
Resistance spread among those present. "Are you going to kill him too? Over my dead body!" shouted Krillin.
Piccolo's features slipped, "You idiot! There's a great fighting power in that little squirt. We have to use that. I will train him. Think of the two Saiyans who will be here in a year."
Bulma was about to reply something, but Piccolo cut her off.
"The little squirt is coming with me right now. Don't argue with me. Or I'll kill you."
Sitara cleared her throat loudly. She didn't think Piccolo needed to threaten so much right now. A little more soothed, he continued, "If you see Goku, tell him not to worry about his son. I will train him well." With these words, he raised his left hand and extended his index finger to the sky. Magical waves formed around the finger and Gohan lifted himself from the arms of Master Roshi and floated in Piccolo's direction. The hat fell to the earth. Bulma, Krillin and Master Roshi were frozen and gazed after the floating child.
Sitara opened her arms and Piccolo let the boy float in. Sitara gently stroked his cheek. Gohan breathed quietly and seemed oblivious to all this discussion. With a glance up at Piccolo and a nod, the two rose into the air and flew off without another word. The other three were left speechless on the plain.
When they had left the plain behind, Sitara addressed Piccolo. "How are you?" A seemingly simple question, but she sensed the answer would be long.
"These Saiyans worry me. If they really are stronger than Raditz, we have a big problem. We need to train this boy well. Even though he is still small, he has great strength."
Sitara looked down at the sleeping boy. She couldn't quite believe that there was so much energy in such a small being. But if Piccolo said it, it had to be true.
Piccolo and Sitara landed by the river near her forest. Piccolo took the boy from her and threw him into the water before Sitara could stop him. She was about to pull him out of the river again when he surfaced of his own accord. He looked confusedly back and forth between Piccolo and Sitara. He called for his father. Screamed, cried. Sitara tried to comfort him, but Piccolo held her back.
"This is unbearable. Stop crying right now. Or I'll tie a knot in your pale neck."
Sobbing, Gohan stopped crying.
"That's better. You must be very brave now. Your father is dead. He sacrificed himself to save you and the world. He died a hero." Immediately Gohan began to cry again. "I want you to stop crying! Your father's friends have set out to find the Dragonballs. With them, they can revive your father. In one year, two warriors will come and we must defeat them. You must make your father proud."
"But I don't know how to fight. I'd rather become a scholar." The boy's weak voice barely penetrated above the roar of the waterfall.
"They want to destroy all the inhabitants of the earth. What you want is not up for debate," Piccolo snapped at the boy. Sitara took a step forward. She doubted Piccolo's tactics would persuade the boy to let him train him. But Piccolo ignored her. He was completely focused on the boy.
"But I'm still so little. I can't do it." Again he sobbed.
"I'll show you your power." Without hesitation, Piccolo grabbed the little boy by the collar and hurled him towards a mountain. Sitara sprinted forward to catch the boy, but Piccolo held her back and told her to wait. Sitara was about to avert her eyes when Gohan was suddenly bathed in a bright ball of light, from which a beam of energy was released, pulverising the mountain in front of him. Piccolo had been right. This enormous energy only appeared in the little one when he was angry or excited. The power was tied to his emotions.
The green one stepped next to Gohan, who stared in shock at the strip of bare earth that was now in place of the rock. "Did I do that?"
"Yes. I will train you to use your power consciously."
Sitara now approached the two as well and leaned down to Gohan. She tilted her head, smiled and said, "Hi. I'm Sitara. I'll be training with you."
His eyes darted to her face. The corners of the child's mouth lifted very briefly before dropping again. "My name is Gohan," he said softly.
Piccolos snorted disapprovingly.
In the meantime, Goku had come to King Yemma with Kami, who allowed him to train with King Kai. Goku began his journey across the Snake Wa to prepare for the Saiyan attack.
"You are the key to saving the world. That is why you must find out how to use your power effectively," Piccolo continued his speech to the little boy without responding to Sitara's words.
The boy sobbed. A snot thread was hanging out of his nose and he looked very scared. His clothes were dripping wet. A small puddle had already formed around him. Sitara watched the conversation and didn't know if she should intervene.
"You will stay here. Alone. If you manage to survive for half a year, we will train."
Sitara's eyebrows shot up. Did Piccolo really think that was an appropriate training method?
Gohan was now reacting as well. "What, but I'm still so little."
"You'll be fine. And if you're thinking of escaping, forget it." Piccolo's tone showed no compassion.
Gohan burst into tears. Sitara, who had been standing behind Piccolo all this time, took a step towards Piccolo and clasped his wrist. "Don't you think it's a bit harsh?" she asked him softly.
Piccolo gave her a sharp look. "Are you questioning my training method?" he hissed.
"I'm just saying. He's a little kid and he just lost his father."
"He's good at turning that grief into energy in training." With a jerk, he released his arm from her grip and turned back to the crying boy. "We're going to fly away now," he said dryly.
"Wait. Where can I get something to eat? Where is the toilet?" The boy panicked. He didn't want to be alone.
"You'll figure it out." Piccolo grabbed Sitara's wrist and pulled her along without another word. Gohan was still running after them on the ground. Shouting and screaming, sobbing and crying. It broke Sitara's heart to see this little boy like this. She wanted to fly back, but Piccolo held her wrist tightly.
Out of sight of the boy, they stopped in mid-air. "You won't leave him alone, will you?"
"I'm not going to take the risk of him killing himself out of stupidity," Piccolo replied.
Sitara and Piccolo hovered for the rest of the day over the plain where they had left Gohan. Always out of sight of the little one, but always close enough for them to intervene quickly. So they could observe that Gohan was suddenly attacked by a huge dinosaur. He ran away, the dinosaur close on his heels. As he stumbled, Sitara tried to jump out of her hiding place, but Piccolo held her back. "Wait."
And sure enough. Gohan now had an angry expression on his face, pushed himself up from the ground and was gone in the next moment. Sitara looked around. There he was. He was lying on a rock. Could he teleport? Piccolo next to her nodded as if to say: Didn't I tell you?
Gohan remained on the rock. He had got up without any problems, but he could not get down. By nightfall, he curled up in a ball. Sitara saw that he was shivering and he must have been hungry too. Deciding quickly, she fetched two apples from a nearby tree, placed them behind the boy and was gone again with the next breeze. She hovered next to Piccolo, who had taken up a position not far from the rock.
"Didn't I tell you not to interfere?"
"It's only two apples. So hold your feet still."
"Don't you dare bring him a blanket, too."
"I don't know what good that will do, but fine by me." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. A clear sign that she didn't want to talk any further. Silently they watched as the boy ate the apples, complaining that his mother's food tasted better. Ungrateful little man, Sitara thought. She squatted down next to Piccolo and stifled a yawn.
"So you're my student."
Sitara was surprised to hear Piccolo speak up and had to think for a moment what he meant.
Then she grinned. "The expression on their faces was hilarious, wasn't it?"
Piccolo had to grin now too. Then he started laughing. Sitara loved that sound, which seemed to come from deep within him. In the last year he had been making these wonderful sounds more and more often.
"What am I to you?" The question had left her lips before she could stop it. She was a little afraid of the answer. What if she was simply a diversion for him. A pastime. Or even a burden. Annoying. He probably wouldn't answer at all.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Piccolo did not look at her. Sitara was about to rise when he began to speak.
"You are the woman who came to me from the stars..." Good. That sounded positive, at least. "...Stayed with me and showed me the good."
Sitara was taken aback. She had not expected such honest words from him. Then she smiled and said softly, "Thank you."
After two breaths, she continued:. "You are my saviour and my friend, without whom I no longer wish to be." Without thinking further, she threw her arms around his neck and breathed a kiss on his cheek. Piccolo stiffened. The warrior, who could react to attacks in a split second, froze. Sitara immediately broke away from him, her cheeks flushed. She muttered something and flew off into the night.
Piccolo stayed close to Gohan, not without his thoughts drifting to Sitara again and again and touching the spot where her lips had grazed his skin as if in a trancelike state.
Sitara felt torn between the urge to lie down in bed and give in to her tiredness and the desire to continue being near Piccolo. What had she been thinking, getting so close to him? She feared that she had now unnecessarily strained their relationship. Piccolo didn't seem to like it at all that she had embraced him. He had stiffened completely.
Her flight slowed. A thought she had repressed for the last few hours now slowly crept back into her consciousness.
What had this Raditz said to her? You are alive? That could only mean one thing: He knew Sitara.
There was only one way to find out. Sitara turned in the air and flew back to the place where the fight had taken place.
She landed at the edge of the crater where the remains of the space capsule lay. With one hand on the ground, she slid down the steep slope to the capsule. In the glow of the full moon, she looked at the craft. Not much could be made out, but she was sure that her capsule looked the same. The round shape of the capsule, the red seat cushion. The resemblance was unmistakable.
Sitara left the crater and landed next to the lifeless body of Raditz. She crouched down. Even after looking at his face for a while, she was none the wiser. Her gaze wandered to his clothes. The breastplate also looked like the one she had worn when she arrived on Earth.
That was the last bit she had missed. There were too many similarities for it to have been mere coincidence. Sitara was a Saiyan.
She sat down, drew her knees up and rested her forehead on them. She felt a burning in her eyes and gave in to it. Tears ran uninhibited down her cheeks. Four years she had been on this earth without a memory and today the solution had been within her grasp. So close, just missed. Why hadn't she come sooner? Maybe Raditz would have recognised her and it wouldn't have come to a fight. Perhaps he could have explained to her why no one had been looking for her. And above all: what her real name was. Maybe that was the key to her memory.
Sobs raced through her body. She couldn't remember feeling so much frustration and sadness in the last four years.
The moon had moved a little further across the sky when she felt Piccolo's presence. She did not turn around. She wished he would fly away again. She did not want him to see her tears. But he came closer, knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. Sitara did not dare to lift her head. She was not yet ready to look at him. He continued to speak. "He could have given you answers to probably most of your questions. I wish it had gone differently. Maybe you'll get another chance when the other two Saiyans come in a year."
Sitara nodded against her knees. She actually hadn't thought of that in her frustration.
"Will you come home with me?" asked Piccolo. His voice was soft, almost tender. She had never heard him talk like that before.
Slowly Sitara raised her head and wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand. Piccolo had straightened up again. Gratefully, she took his outstretched hand. Contrary to her expectations, he did not let go of her, but rose slowly into the air. Sitara followed him.
Silently they flew back to the rocky landscape where they had left Gohan and landed on a flat rocky outcrop.
Gohan, as expected, was still on the rock he had teleported to during the dinosaur attack.
Sitara and Piccolo sat down. Shivering, Sitara put her arms around herself. Piccolo moved closer to her, the air shimmering, and already she had a blanket around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully at him. Together they waited for the night to end.