Kera:

"There is the kitchen and the supply room." Piccolo pointed to the left. Through a door she saw the room described. "Next to it is the bathroom." He pointed to another door. "And here are the beds." Needlessly, he pointed to the two four-poster beds that were in a room to their right. "Up there is the clock." He looked up. In the dome-like roof Kera recognised what he meant. There was a large needle in the centre, pointing at the door through which they had entered the room. "Once the pointer has moved around, 24 hours will have passed in the real world," Piccolo continued. "Here, a year will have passed."

Kera nodded that she understood. She crossed the room and stepped through an archway. She stood on a white tiled terrace and held her breath. Before her stretched nothingness. A white void. It was as if this room she had just stepped out of was in a ... Kera had no word for it. It was a white infinity that spread out before her. An oppressive feeling came over Kera. Would she last a year here?

"The gravity is higher than on earth. You'll feel it as soon as you leave the terrace." Piccolo had followed her and pointed to the two stairs leading down the edge of the terrace. "The temperatures here fluctuate between minus forty and plus fifty degrees Celsius. They change without warning."

Kera turned around, only briefly brushing Piccolo with her gaze, and then surveyed the building she had just stepped out of. The round room with the clock hand was indeed spanned by a golden dome. To the right and left were small annexes, which she had been told were the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. While the round room facing the terrace was open and had no door, the adjoining rooms at least had windows.

"Is it getting dark in here?"

Piccolo shook his head. "That's why the beds have curtains to darken them."

"Can you walk around the building?"

This time Piccolo nodded. "It is in the void. The house is the only orientation there is here. If you lose sight of it, there's a chance you'll get lost and trapped here."

Kera took a deep breath. She felt panic rising inside her and tried to suppress it. "Let's get started." Determined, she stepped over the steps into the white void. She expected to float, but there was a solid floor beneath her. Since it was white like the entire surroundings, she hadn't noticed. She stumbled as she was surprised by the solidity of the floor and the sudden increased gravity was stronger than she had expected.

Piccolo grabbed her arm and saved her from falling. She looked up at him and wanted to smile, but then she remembered that he had taken her here reluctantly and withdrew her arm from his grasp without another word. She walked forward a few yards, concentrating on her steps so as not to react to his questioning look at her back.

Kera turned back to Piccolo and assumed a fighting stance. She would make it through this year.

Exhausted, Kera dropped to the ground beside the small table and reached for the plate of food she had just prepared. She forced herself to eat slowly, even though her hunger was overwhelming. Piccolo, who was sitting opposite her, took a few bites.

Kera looked up at the ceiling at the large hour hand. It had made a quarter of a turn since they had entered the room. They had been in this room for three months and had barely exchanged a word. They had quickly developed a routine to simulate a daily routine. After breakfast, they each trained on their own. Piccolo moved very far away from the house during this time. Kera only saw flying energy balls or small explosions in the distance, which gave her an idea of Piccolo's location. In between, she only ate a snack. Piccolo joined her every time and they trained together afterwards.

After the first few days, she was glad that she had made it to bed at all. Every muscle ached. She was bleeding from several small wounds and her suit already had the first tears. But with each day she got better. She managed to transform into the Super Saiyan without any problems and maintained this state throughout her waking phase. She wondered if Kakarrot and Gohan were also Super Saiyans in their sleep. If they were, then she definitely needed to train harder.

"Do you want me to give you a new suit?" Snapped out of her thoughts, Kera looked down at herself. The small tears that had appeared in the first few days had held up well. Until today. Piccolo had caught one of his claws in the fabric when she had dodged and now the fabric gaped open from just below the neckline to her belly button. A red stripe adorned her skin. Not a serious injury, but it burned.

"If the sight bothers you, why don't you make me a new suit?" She heard the snippy undertone in her voice.

Piccolo blinked and then leaned forward. "Why are you in such a bad mood?"

She snorted. "Me, in a bad mood? Why should I be?" The undertone had changed to sarcasm.

"Stubborn Saiyan," Piccolo muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Kera had jumped up and was looking angrily at the Namekian.

Piccolo stood up as well. "Stubborn."

"I am stubborn? You're the one who won't talk to me and only took me reluctantly." Kera felt the anger throughout her body. After three months, she had finally spoken out about what had been bothering her all along. Her scalp seemed to pulse. Her fists trembled. She concentrated on her breathing, then quickly turned and stormed into the bedroom. She pulled the curtains around the bed and let her fists thunder down on the mattress.

Eventually she stopped. She listened. Would Piccolo come and apologise to her? Or at least say something? She wanted so much to talk to him, but she was unwilling to make the first move. She had said what had disturbed her. Now he could react.

She stared at the curtain, which felt like an insurmountable wall between them. She heard his footsteps moving away from her.

She felt unable to move. Tears of anger had run down her cheeks until she eventually fell asleep.

When she woke up again, she peered cautiously through the curtain. Not a Piccolo in sight. She looked at the small clock that hung above the doorway to the terrace and helped her plan her day because it showed 24 hours. According to the clock, it was time for breakfast. Kera stretched. Then she remembered why they had started arguing yesterday. The tear in her suit. She searched through all the drawers of the two chests of drawers that stood next to the beds. But they were empty. Neither new clothes nor needle and thread were to be found.

"Breakfast then," she said to herself. While she listlessly ate some bread, she reached out to Piccolo. She felt his energy far out, much further away than usual. She wondered if he was avoiding her. Usually he had at least nodded to her briefly after sleeping before he left for his training.

Kera tried to distract herself and started training. Piccolo didn't come near the house at lunchtime and not afterwards either. She continued training alone. She could guess his location thanks to the flashes of energy and explosions that appeared at irregular intervals, but until she lay down to sleep, she did not see him.

Sadly, she lay down in bed. What if this continued now? Again she felt tears welling up, this time born of a mixture of anger and sadness.

Many days passed without her seeing Piccolo. Her motivation to train sank to zero. Every movement was executed only half-heartedly. She found it harder every day to maintain the state of a Super Saiyan. The urge to fly to Piccolo grew every day.

One day, Kera stood on the surface in front of the building and felt the sweat running down her body. Right now it was so hot in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber that breathing was difficult and even standing still was exhausting. She sank to the ground after having fought a battle against an invisible opponent. The ground seemed to glow, but she hardly noticed it. The tear on her suit had widened and barely covered the upper half of her body.

In the distance she tried to make out Piccolo. The air flickered and played tricks on her eyes. Flashes of light appeared and disappeared again. Was it Piccolo or her imagination?

Subconsciously, she noticed that the temperature was dropping. Piccolo had told her that the temperature fluctuations were unpredictable, but such heat was generally followed for a while by a temperature at which it was quite bearable before the degrees dropped far below zero again.

Suddenly the ground vibrated. Kera concentrated on the spot where she thought Piccolo was and saw a large cone of light flashing there. Something about it felt wrong. She had to get to him.

In her mind she called his name. That was all she was capable of. Gasping, she remained lying on the ground.

In a blur, she saw Piccolo step in front of her and take her in his arms. Then she noticed again that someone – Piccolo – was giving her something to drink and that she was lying on her bed in the room. He had put a damp cloth on her forehead and sat on the edge of the bed.

She smiled gratefully, closed her eyes and let herself sink back into the cushions. She felt Piccolo's closeness so overwhelmingly. Not only was her soul responding to him, but so was her body. They hadn't been physically closer since the night after Piccolo had merged with Kami. She wanted to feel him again, to feel that feeling again, what he triggered when he was inside her.

"Why were you so reluctant to take me?" The question had left her mouth before she could think about it any further. It was bothering her so much.

"Is that why you're so mad?" Kera opened one eye. He had phrased the question neutrally. Hesitantly, she nodded. "I see." After a pause, he replied. "I was unsure if it would even be possible to go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber without you. Our connection can withstand hundreds of miles without a problem, but what if one of us is in another dimension? I wasn't sure I wanted to try that out."

"But that's definitely why you should have taken me with you." She turned to him, bracing herself on one arm.

"Yes, that's right. I hesitated to take you because I wasn't sure we'd get to train."

A big question mark formed in Kera's mind at first. But when she saw him blush, she felt heat rising in her cheeks as well. He leaned down towards her. His mouth was so close to her ear that his breath tickled her.

"I can't forget what you said to me on the plane. That you'd like to be in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with me for a year, to find out what all you could do in that year." The tip of his tongue ran along her ear. Kera's face seemed to glow.

"Is that why you kept your distance? Because you wanted to focus on training?" she asked breathlessly, struggling to concentrate.

Piccolo groaned in agreement.

Kera let herself sink back onto the cushions. Piccolo had followed her movement. He had his right arm propped up on the bed and his face was only a few inches from hers.

Kera cleared her throat. Despite the water, her throat felt dry. "We might as well keep training now." What was she talking about? Her body cried out for Piccolo's touch.

"I know. But even my self-control has limits," he murmured, stroking her cheek with his free hand.

Kera sighed. She put a hand to his cheek and traced the contour of his face. "I missed you," she whispered as he moved closer to her face.

He fleetingly touched his lips to hers, questioningly, as if he wanted to know if she agreed. Determined, she put her other hand to his cheek and pulled him down to her. She opened her mouth and played her tongue around his. Piccolo let out a moan.

He put distance between them again and ran his thumb over her face. "I don't know if I'll be able to concentrate on training after this."

"We'll find out," she whispered as her hands roamed down his neck to his chest. Kera stroked his muscles, biting her lower lip. How had she gone months without being this close to him?

Piccolo's hand moved from her face to her neck to the torn strap of her combat suit. He slipped a finger under the bit of fabric and tore the last remaining threads. For a brief moment he looked at her questioningly then. A curt nod from her let him continue.

Kera pulled the other strap over her shoulder. Agonisingly slowly, Piccolo pulled the fabric down her arms, exposing her breasts and stomach. Kera suppressed a sigh and felt the touch of his fingers on her skin, his warmth burning into her.

Gently he stroked her arms, her collarbone, along the hollow between her breasts to her belly button. A shiver of arousal ran over Kera, not unnoticed by Piccolo. A grin settled on his lips.

Kera put her hands to the neckline of his suit and ripped the fabric in two. A smile of satisfaction and desire spread across her lips.

"Good thing you don't have your cloak and turban on," she murmured as he disengaged himself from her, stripped off the suit and stood before her in all his glory.

She gasped as he leaned down to her and in one fluid motion stripped her suit off over her legs. A low rumble escaped his throat as he looked her up and down. She reached a hand forward and he intertwined his fingers with hers. She pulled him to her on the bed. He lay down beside her.

As if by magic, the curtains of the four-poster bed closed and bathed them in dim grey light, which only allowed the contours of the other to be guessed at. Each breath sounded more intense now.

Piccolo pulled Kera against his bare chest. Kera felt this touch bring her to the edge of her control. Eagerly, she put her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. Immediately he opened his lips and played his tongue around hers. He groaned as she caressed his feelers with her hands.

Kera couldn't be close enough to him. She put all her passion into this kiss, into this touch. His hands explored her body, pausing now and then at one spot before continuing to caress her.

"I promise you that after this fight we will spend a lot of time together," Piccolo whispered in her ear. His hot breath tickled her.

"Thank you," she replied and placed her lips on his again. This kiss was not as stormy as the one before. It was full of feeling. It was her way of telling him that she too promised him a return to the forest.

Piccolo turned Kera onto her back, wandered kissing down her neck to her breasts. She arched her back towards him. Her ears seemed to rush, her skin seemed to burn. She wanted to feel him now.

Kera directed Piccolo's head back up and pushed her legs under his body. There was a hungry flash in his eyes as he slid down slowly.

Vegeta:

Vegeta paced back and forth in front of the palace entrance. Where the hell was that green one with Kera? Twenty-four hours could seem like an eternity. He finally wanted to get back into that room and train. His defeat against Cell was hard on him. He had to become stronger and faster. He would succeed.

Then he finally felt their auras again.

Trunks, who was also waiting with him, whistled through his teeth when he saw Kera and Piccolo.

Kera's hair was blonde and she was wearing a battle suit Vegeta had never seen before. Her trousers looked like Piccolo's, but her top was a slim Saiyan breastplate. Apparently, like Kakarrot and his son, she had trained herself to the level of a Super Saiyan as a normal state. Piccolo's powers had also changed.

"It's about time." Vegeta walked up to her and looked Kera directly in the eye. "Show me your power!"

Kera grinned. He ignored Piccolo, who loomed over him.

He watched as she bent her knees slightly, clenched her hands into fists and then began to roar. A golden aura surrounded her. He concentrated only on her, on her aura. Yes, her energy had clearly increased. Immediately he felt the tingling inside him. A fight, that would be something he desperately needed now.

Kera relaxed and lowered her energy again. She stroked her spiky hair once, "That was about half my power."

Vegeta was more than impressed, but only nodded in acknowledgement. "When I get out of this room again, we'll have a training fight."

"By all means." She held up her hand for him to high-five.

Vegeta glanced briefly at Piccolo again, then disappeared into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

When the door had closed behind him, he took a deep breath. Now it was time to reach a new level again. For two days he would stay here and train every waking minute. He would not lag behind Kakarrot or Kera. He would prove it to them.

Kera:

Kera and Piccolo were going to stay at the palace for the remaining days before Cell's fighting tournament. Popo cooked them wonderful meals and they enjoyed their time.

"Goku, what are you doing here?" Kera heard Piccolo's voice from outside and ran to him.

Kakarrot was there. He was wearing light trousers, a t-shirt and a college jacket. She was surprised for a moment. She had never seen him in normal clothes before. He greeted her with a cheerful smile.

"Kera, wow, you've trained to be a Super Saiyan as a normal level too. And you surely had a pretty intense ..." Piccolo shot him a warning look. "Uh ... training," Kakarrot completed the sentence.

She smiled. "To what do we owe the honour of your visit?" she asked the other Saiyan.

He turned to Piccolo. "Can you and Kami part ways again?"

"No. That's why I hesitated for so long to merge with him again." Kakarrot cursed. "What's going on?"

"The humans are gathering their armies against Cell and intend to attack him. I fear there will be many deaths. We need the Dragon Balls back."

Piccolo swayed his head back and forth as he considered. Then Kakarrot clapped his hand against his head. "But of course! I'll ask one of the Namekians if anyone fancies becoming the new God of Earth."

Piccolo nodded. "That might work. But how can we reach them?"

"Simple. I'll look for an aura that feels something like yours." He put the index and middle fingers of his right hand to his forehead and remained quiet for quite a while. Then he cursed again. "They are too far away. I'll try from King Kai's."

A moment later he was gone.

"Do you think a Namekian will agree to come to Earth?" asked Kera Piccolo.

Piccolo looked up. "I hope so."