"Master Roshi, can you hear me?"
Sitting on his sofa, the old man looked around in confusion. Where was that voice coming from?
"Is that you, Goku?" He felt strange speaking into the void.
"Yes, it is I. I am speaking directly to your heart with King Kai's help."
"Ah, I see." With Goku, he was already not surprised at all.
"Have you found the Dragonballs yet?"
"Yes, they are all here with me."
"Wonderful. You can revive me now. The Saiyans will arrive tomorrow."
Master Roshi jumped to his feet. "What?" he shouted. "We didn't expect them for another four weeks. Damn it! I don't know how to reach the others." The old man cursed under his breath.
Goku did not respond to the man's curses. "Well, see you soon."
Angrily, the old man stomped over to the phone that was next to his sofa and dialled Bulma's number. At least she had to be informed. After the short conversation, she wanted to leave for him immediately so that they could call the holy dragon together.
Sitara, Gohan and Piccolo were engrossed in their training when suddenly the sky darkened. Abruptly, Sitara paused in her movement and looked up.
"What the ...?"
"It must be the Dragonballs," Piccolo enlightened the other two.
Sitara looked at Piccolo. "You mean someone just used those balls to revive Goku?"
Piccolo nodded. "And what else does that mean?"
Sitara thought for a moment. Her eyes widened in shock as she concept what other event accompanied Goku's resurrection. "The Saiyans reaching Earth."
Another nod from Piccolo.
"But that's much sooner than we expected," Gohan objected.
"You've got a point there, kid," Piccolo replied, growling.
The sky brightened again. It happened so suddenly that Sitara had to consider what had just changed in her surroundings. The wish had apparently been granted.
"Is Goku alive again now?" asked Sitara.
"I can't feel his aura." Piccolo clenched his fists. He looked up at the sky, at the position of the sun. "I don't sense any other auras yet either. Perhaps they are still far enough away. Continuing to train now wouldn't help us any more. Gohan, get some rest. Once the Saiyans arrive, we will need all our strength." Piccolo's statement brooked no argument.
Together they flew to the forest hut. As it was nearing evening, Sitara prepared dinner, but no one seemed to have much of an appetite. Again and again they cast anxious glances at the sky, feeling with all their senses for strange auras. Hopefully, they would at least have a bit of a head start.
Once Gohan was in bed, Piccolo and Sitara sat down by the fire. Only a few days had passed since the kiss, but the situation had not repeated itself since then, nor had they spoken about it. Sitara did not know what to do now. The approaching arrival of the Saiyans worried her, yet she wanted nothing more than to spend time with Piccolo.
She was all the more surprised when he took her hand and, as if it were a matter of course, drew circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. A shiver ran through her body and she felt the blush creep up her cheeks again.
'I would have liked more time,' Piccolo said. He didn't say the words aloud. They were right there in Sitara's head. Like a gentle caress.
She concentrated to answer him in the same way. She always found it a little hard to use this way of communication at first. 'Yes, an extra week or two of training would have been quite good.'
'I mean, time with you.'
This surprised Sitara. She knew he was serious. If he spoke to hers in that way, he couldn't lie. 'After we defeat the Saiyans, we'll have plenty of time.' She smiled at him.
Piccolo nodded slowly, staring into the flames of the fireplace. He looked sad. Was there something he was hiding from her?
Sitara released her hand from his, approached him and put her hands to his cheeks so that he had to look at her.
"We will make it!" she said with all the conviction she could muster. This time Piccolo managed a tight smile.
They looked into each other's eyes for a long time. Immersed in each other's souls. Slowly, Piccolo raised his arms and put them across Sitara's back, pulling her closer to him. Their faces were now only a few inches apart. They felt each other's breath on their skin. Sitara paused for another moment and then closed the gap between them.
This second kiss felt much more intense than the first. It was as if even more sensations were crashing down on her. She was acutely aware not only of his lips but also of his hands caressing her back. One of his hands moved to her neck while the other remained at the small of her back. With gentle pressure, Piccolo pulled her closer so that she left her uncomfortable squatting position and sat on his lap.
Piccolo released his lips from hers. Somewhat disappointed, she looked at him. Far too briefly. "I don't know if this is right now," he said.
"I don't think there is such a thing as wrong or right here," Sitara replied, kissing him again. Piccolo moaned slightly and surrendered to the kiss.
At any moment, the Saiyans could arrive on Earth and begin to destroy the planet. But she didn't care. This moment filled her entire mind and sensibilities right now. Why had they waited so long to give in to their feelings? Because, Sitara was sure by now, Piccolo also felt more than friendship for her or saw only a training partner in her.
Gently but firmly, Sitara pressed against Piccolo's chest without releasing her lips from his. He followed her unspoken invitation and let himself sink backwards into the grass. His right hand wandered through her hair while his left hand moved downwards in a circular motion and stroked her bottom. She shivered innerally with arousal.
Her hands massaged his muscular chest. Her lips moved slowly down from his mouth. She covered every inch of his skin with kisses. At the same time, she concentrated on their connection, the energy band. She saw it in her mind's eye. It seemed to glow. She imagined herself not only caressing him in the real world, but also caressing their connection. Again a moan escaped Piccolo, deeper this time.
With her lips Sitara wandered along his cheek, further up until she reached the hem of his turban. She slid the heavy headgear down and detached herself a little from Piccolo to look him in the eye.
The light of the stars was reflected in his eyes. Gently Sitara stroked his right eyebrow. Piccolo let out a pleasant growl. She smiled. "I didn't know you could make such sounds."
He pulled her down to him again and kissed her. Sitara's fingers wandered up from his eyebrow and then touched one of his antennae. Piccolo stiffened and drew in a hissing breath. Immediately Sitara paused in her movement and disengaged from him again.
"Sorry," she said softly.
Piccolo shook his head slightly. "It's all right. I just didn't know I was so ... sensitive there." One more time he pulled her in for a kiss, but broke away right away. "The Saiyans can be here any time. You should get some more sleep." Sitara tried to hide her disappointment, but she could tell by Piccolo's reaction that she was not succeeding well. He grinned wryly. "I'd like to get on too," he whispered. Sitara smiled. He was right. It was wise to rest a little longer now. Another kiss and she stood up. "Why don't you sleep here?" Invitingly, he pointed to the ground and used his magic to create a camp of blankets beneath him.
For a moment Sitara hesitated, then she walked towards Piccolo, knelt beside him and then lay down. Before her head touched the blankets, he slid his right arm under her. Smiling contentedly, she rested her head on his arm, turned on her side and made herself comfortable.
Piccolo covered her with one of the blankets and kissed her on the forehead. "Sleep well." Sitara made a happy sound and closed her eyes. Briefly she thought of how Gohan would react if he found her and Piccolo like this the next morning, but the thought vanished as quickly as it had come and Sitara fell asleep under the clear starry sky in Piccolo's arms.
"Sitara?" Someone nudged her on the shoulder. Only slowly did she open her eyes. It took her a moment to get her bearings. It was so much brighter than in her living room. The smell of grass rose to her nose. And the smell of the forest. Piccolo's scent.
All at once she remembered what had happened yesterday. She jerked her head up and propped herself up. Piccolo was no longer lying next to her. She felt a painful stab in her stomach.
"Something to drink?" A cup appeared in her field of vision. She looked up and gazed into Piccolo's smiling face. Instantly the painful twinge disappeared and she accepted the cup.
"Did you sleep well, little one?" asked Piccolo Gohan.
Gohan nodded. "Why did you sleep out here?"
"Let's get something to eat before the Saiyans arrive," Piccolo said as he stood up. As if by chance, his hand brushed Sitara's shoulder as he did so. She couldn't help but smile. Would she ever be able to get that permanent grin off her face?
Sitara got up, prepared a quick breakfast, which they ate together and in silence. Then they went to the plain above the forest. From here, Piccolo thought, they had a better overview and could react faster.
"Here, kid, you're going to get another fancy suit." Piccolo pointed his palm at Gohan. A flicker in the air and a blink of an eye later, Gohan was no longer wearing the torn orange suit, but a new purple one, the same model Piccolo and Sitara were wearing. A white ribbon had been placed around his now quite long hair. Sitara nodded appreciatively. The outfit made their trio complete.
Then the event they had been waiting for occurred. Almost simultaneously, Sitara and Piccolo jerked their heads up and both looked to the horizon. Two energy sources had arrived on Earth. Powerful auras. They had to be the Saiyans, no question about it.
"We have to go," Sitara shouted and tried to jump up, but Piccolo held her by the wrist.
Piccolo was about to say something when a deafening bang sounded, immediately followed by a blast and a bright light. The Saiyans had already given a taste of their powers. Their energy was enormous.
The green warrior turned to Sitara, who looked determinedly in the direction of the explosion. She was ready for battle. Without taking his eyes off her, Piccolo addressed Gohan. "Gohan, go ahead. We'll follow behind." He pointed ahead of him, to the plain that had little difference from the spot they were currently standing on. Gohan wanted to protest, but realised that Piccolo's entire attention was on Sitara. He complied and trotted a few steps away from them.
Sitara turned in wonder, "Why did you send Gohan away?"
"I wanted a moment alone with you." Sitara promptly blushed and looked down at the ground.
She cleared her throat. "We can do that after the fight, can't we?" Piccolo stepped closer to her and lifted her chin. He looked into her dark eyes and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He never wanted to forget that face.
"I am grateful that you came to me from the stars and that I was allowed to name you. Back when I brought you to the village, I wished every day that you would come back to me." Sitara clasped his wrist and nuzzled her cheek even tighter against his hand.
She was so moved by his speech that tears came to her eyes. Taking a deep breath, however, she realised that this was not the right time or place to have such a conversation. "Thank you," she breathed, "after the battle we will return to our forest together, okay?"
Piccolo's eyes widened and he made a choppy movement with his head that could have been either a nod or a shake. His hand, still resting on her cheek, now moved to the back of her neck. His other hand clasped her body and pulled her to him in one fluid movement. Only a few inches from her face he paused, checking her eyes as if asking her permission. Instead of an answer, she leaned forward and closed the gap between them.
Sitara heaved a sigh of relief. Would every kiss from Piccolo be so wonderful? So perfect that she forgot everything around her?
All too quickly he broke away from her again and moved a few inches away. She had to admit to herself that she would rather have flown far away with Piccolo now than fight.
"I'm sorry," Piccolo whispered. Before she could ask what he meant by that, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and all her muscles went slack. Her legs buckled and Piccolo caught her. He lifted her onto his arms and rose into the air. She heard Gohan calling for them but Piccolo ignored him. Arriving at their hut, he opened the door and took her into the bedroom. There he laid her down on the bed.
Her eyes were wide open. Her gaze darted frantically back and forth. That seemed to be the only thing left on her body that could move. The rest of her body was limp, she could not even lift a finger. Panic gripped her and settled like a stone on her chest, seeming to cut off her air. What was happening here right now?
Piccolo squatted down next to her. 'Look at me!' His voice in her head was harsh. Like a crack of a whip, it transported her back to reality. 'Breathe easy! Sitara complied with the request. She concentrated on her breathing. The band around her chest loosened. The panic was pushed back.
'That's it,' Piccolo continued. When her breathing was calm and regular again, he continued to speak in her mind. 'Sitara, I'm sorry. I can't let you fight. I would just focus on making sure nothing happened to you and be distracted. I know you are a warrior. But I just can't. Please forgive me.' Unable to speak, she just stared at him. How could he do this to her? Why did he make this decision for her?
'This condition is only temporary and will subside on its own after some time.' He looked deeply into her eyes once more. 'I am so grateful that you have come into my life.' He gave her a kiss on the forehead, stroked her cheek once more and left the hut.
Piccolo landed next to Gohan.
"Gohan, are you ready?" The little man nodded determinedly. Piccolo removed his turban and cloak. "You need not be afraid. We have trained hard for a year."
"Piccolo, where is Sitara?" He wondered why Piccolo had returned alone.
Piccolo was about to say something, but then suddenly looked around in irritation. "Someone is coming." He braced himself for an attack. Only a moment later, Krillin was standing in front of them.
Another few minutes later, the Saiyans landed in front of them. One of them was tall and broad with a bald head and a small moustache. The other was short, had black hair standing on end and looked at Piccolo disdainfully. Both wore breastplates, like the ones Sitara and Raditz had worn.
"Tell me, isn't the green one a Namekian?" The little Saiyan's crooning voice had wafted over to them. Krillin and Gohan looked to Piccolo, who had fixed the two newcomers. So he was an alien too?
Inside the hut, which was not far from the battlefield, Sitara lay on her bed. Her breathing worked and her eyelids continued to lift and lower reflexively to keep her eyes from drying out, but otherwise she could move nothing. Silent tears leaked from her eyes and spilled onto the blanket. Anger and disappointment alternated. Why had Piccolo trained with her in the first place if he didn't want her there anyway? She felt betrayed. Hurt. Sad.
When her anger took over again and pushed the sadness aside for a moment, she fought doggedly against the immobility. None of her muscles obeyed. How had Piccolo managed to make her unable to move even her little finger? How long would this state last?
Out of the corner of her eye, Sitara noticed a change in the light. How long had she been lying here? Sitara felt drops of sweat forming on her forehead. Apparently her body was reacting to the effort she was putting in to move.
She took a deep breath to calm her hammering heart a little. Breathing through her nose was difficult. It was swollen shut from all the crying. Sitara concentrated on the battle going on near her. She felt the energies of two very strong warriors. They had to be the Saiyans. Another aura seemed vaguely familiar, but she didn't know where it came from. It was much smaller than Piccolo's, but it could also increase her fighting power. Piccolo's and Gohan's auras she recognised without difficulty.
She noticed vibrations in the ground. Could the effects of the fight be felt all the way here, or was she just imagining it? Was her body playing tricks on her? The urge to intervene became overwhelming.
There! Had her little finger just moved? Spasmodically she held on to this feeling and tried to bring more movement into her body.
A blow hit her in the head. Two breaths later she realised that it was not she who had been hit, but Piccolo. The rigidity had prevented her from feeling his pain, it flashed through her mind. If she could now feel something again, perhaps the paralysis would finally dissolve.
She kept cheering herself on inside. The pain in her head, which was actually Piccolo's, spurred her on. Her little finger began to move up and down. From there she sent signals up her hand, into her other fingers, then up her arm. Little by little, the rigidity loosened. Piccolo was in for a treat when she got out of here and flattened those Saiyans.
Finally she could lift her arm again. Slowly she lifted it, curled and stretched her fingers. The rest of her body was still unable to move, but at least her arm was free. She allowed herself a few breaths of respite before turning her attention to the next part of her body. She focused on the battlefield again. A few miles away, a new energy had appeared. It had to be Goku. No one else had such a powerful aura. Gohan's fighting power increased briefly, then sank back down. Had he just attacked?
Sitara focused on her connection to Piccolo. What if she could send him energy? Why hadn't it occurred to her before to at least support him in this way rather than being angry with him?
She closed her eyes and saw the golden ribbon in front of her. As fast as she could, she strode along it. The thread was longer than usual and the further she went, the more arduous it became, as if her feet were wading through mud rather than walking on a solid surface. In the distance she saw Piccolo's figure waiting for her at the end of the ribbon. He had his back to her. She called out to him.
Slowly he turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. "I was hoping to see you again." His lips twisted into a brief smile.
Sitara kept walking. Every step an agony, a struggle. She held out her hand. At last Piccolo turned to her, spread his arms. The last step Sitara let herself fall. Piccolo caught her and wrapped his arms around her. She felt his strength, sucked in his scent. She had forgotten in that eye-gaze why she had been angry with him in the first place.
"I so wish we had had more time, my star"; Piccolo said softly, kissing the top of her head.
Confused, she looked up, wanting to look into his face. But Piccolo was gone. An unpleasant coldness spread where his arms had been a moment ago. Sitara looked around in the darkness. Images, like man-sized photographs, emerged from the distance, shot towards her, past her and disappeared into the dark nothingness behind her. She recognised an image of herself, lying injured in Piccolo's arms, smiling as she sat by the fire preparing food. Images of Gohan crying, training, eating, smiling. Then images of her again.
The images repeated themselves, racing past her at an ever faster pace. Then she realised. They were Piccolo's memories. His most beautiful memories.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a glint. She looked down. The golden band beneath her feet was dissolving. Individual pieces of it flew upwards. Sitara turned and began to run. She didn't know what would happen if she fell off that band, but she wasn't eager to try it today either.
Sitara's mind connected with her body again. Then she felt the pain. As if someone had reached into her chest and was crushing her heart. Panic seized her. It was difficult for her to breathe. Her legs and arms seemed to be on fire, her head felt like it was about to explode. She cried out. She had never experienced such pain since she had landed on Earth. It was as if not only her body was feeling the pain, but her mind as well.
For what felt like an eternity Sitara endured the pain. Eventually it ebbed away, becoming a dull memory. When she could breathe deeply again, she sat up carefully. She allowed herself two deep breaths and stood up. Swaying, she held herself upright. Her legs were cramped from the exertion and protested, but she forced them forward towards the exit of the hut.
Sitara blinked into the bright sunlight and propped herself against the wall of the house. Two deep breaths again before she rose into the air and flew in the direction where she had last seen Piccolo and Gohan. She kept herself close to the ground so she wouldn't fall too low if her powers failed. She flew slowly as her body still protested, but she ignored the signals of exhaustion.
As she approached the mountain range, she saw a picture of destruction. Many rocks were only partially there, collapsed, almost pulverised. On the ground she saw impacts of energy balls that had scorched the earth. She searched the area with all her senses. She sensed no energy signatures nearby. Far away two very strong auras, but there was no one here on the plain. She turned cautiously around a rock and saw the shallow crater that had formed on the ground. She narrowed her eyes and realised that a figure was lying there.
She landed, unable to fly any further, and ran the last few yards, stumbling again and again, catching herself and running on. If there was still danger lurking here, she didn't care. She had to keep running.
She reached Piccolo's body. She threw herself on her knees beside him and felt his body. There were cuts and bruises everywhere. She felt at his throat for his pulse, but there was nothing. His chest was not moving. No breathing. The realisation hit her like a blow.
"Piccolo, please get up," she whispered. She shook his body. "Please!" She was screaming now. No one was here to hear her cries of despair. No one was here to tell her what had happened. She had known what the dissolution of the energy band meant, but she had not wanted to believe it. The pain she had felt had been Piccolo's pain and the breaking of the bond. Sitara had not died with Piccolo, the bond had broken, in the most painful way possible. It was as if he had taken a part of her with him.
Her despair and panic now turned to sobs. Tears obscured her vision. She stopped jerking Piccolo's lifeless body and laid her head on his chest. On the chest that no longer allowed her heart to beat. She let her tears flow freely.
She did not know what to do now. She could only remember life with Piccolo. What could she do without him now?
In the distance, she felt the earth shake from time to time. They were probably still fighting. She didn't care. Let them destroy the entire earth.
Some time before.
Dazed, Piccolo straightened up. That big bald man - Nappa the little Saiyan had called him - had hit him hard on the head, briefly robbing him of consciousness. He saw Sitara's face flash before his inner eye. He shook his head. He could not allow himself to be distracted.
Where was Gohan? That was when he saw him. He was jumping straight away from Nappa. Had he finally overcome his inhibitions and fear to attack the Saiyan? Perhaps the training had finally borne fruit. Pride spread through Piccolo's chest.
But the moment of triumph lasted only a short time. Gohan had delivered a good blow, but now stood transfixed while Nappa gathered energy in his hand. He could not let that happen.
Piccolo leapt forward. He had no more time. He could only put himself between the boy and his attacker. Nappa's energy hit him with full force. He could not stop the energy, only deflect it away from Gohan. Dust swirled up, obscuring his vision. The light blinded him. Pain spread through every fibre of his body.
So this was it. The moment he died. He had sensed that his life was about to end. That was one of the reasons he had wanted to train Gohan. He wanted to leave a mark on this world, he didn't just want to be remembered as the evil Demon King. He wanted to prove that he could do more.
When the energy beam faded, a shallow crater had formed around Piccolo. When the fog of dust had cleared, Piccolo stood for a moment longer and ordered Gohan to flee. The pain in his body took his breath away. He bled from countless wounds. Then he fell down. Gohan, ignoring his words, knelt beside him in despair. "Hang in there, Piccolo. Papa will be here soon, then we'll fight together." Tears stood in Gohan's eyes.
Slowly, Piccolo raised an arm and placed his hand on Gohan's head. He stroked the boy's black hair. He turned his face to Gohan and tried to smile.
"Gohan, with you and Sitara I almost felt like I had a family. Please, tell Sitara..." He gasped, barely having the strength to speak. "...that I am sorry we cannot return to our forest together. Farewell, my little one."
His hand sank limply to the ground. Gohan howled with rage.