"Sakira?" Trunks questioned, squatting in front of her.
"I don't understand. Why is all of this happening? I can't be Lily's mom." Sakira cried.
"Well, as much as I'd love to be able to tell you why; I can't. I can only tell you that yes, you are Lily's mother; nothing is going to change that. She looks just like you—more so than Luna, who she looks nothing like. I can't tell you why your grandmother would lie to you like she did, but we all know she did." Trunks gently and calmly spoke to Sakira.
"Why are you being so kind to me?" Sakira questioned, confused, shocking Trunks.
"You deserve just as much kindness as the next person. And, despite not knowing you all that well—yet; I do like you—a lot. My children—and even my parents like you as well. And trust me when I say it takes a lot to get my parents to like someone I date." Trunks answered, watching Sakira.
"Date?" Sakira questioned, looking up.
"Well, I suppose—seeing as we're meant to be together… But, of course, we can go at your pace." Trunks insisted, watching Sakira, gauging her body language.
"I don't understand!" Sakira cried out, confused, tears just pouring down her cheeks.
"Sakira… I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say; I don't know what you're going through. But if you allow me, I would love to try to help you in any way that you may need or want me to." Trunks sincerely spoke to Sakira.
"I don't understand anything anymore. I don't understand why Nana lied and hid everything like she did. I don't understand why I'm so special. I don't understand how I didn't know Luna and I were sisters—let alone twins. I don't understand how I can be Lily's mom. I don't understand what or how I feel when I'm around you. I don't understand why my heart speeds up so much. I don't understand why my breath gets taken away every time I look at you. I don't understand why my stomach flips around and turns so much when I just speak to you. No matter how many other men talked to me; I never felt this way. I don't understand any of it!" Sakira continued to cry, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I'm going to head out for a little bit. But before I do… I personally don't get it because I don't care to feel love connections in the way other species do, but what you're feeling is the feeling of being in love. From being around them for so damn long, I know Saiyans connect to who they're meant to be with. And knowing what I know of the Nekodian species, you connect to who you're meant to be with as well. Look at it any way you want, you Sakira, are in love with Trunks. And I'm sorry, but you are Lily's mother. So, you may not understand any of it, but think about this: despite not wanting a child with a stranger, your grandmother took that choice away from you. But you love that little girl more than anything. You always have—even before you knew the truth—and you always will. I know you well enough to know that. And you know I'm right. So, risk your happiness by running away and hiding like a scared kitten. Or move on with Trunks and his children and prove your grandmother wrong. Don't let her win; don't let her beat you from the dead. And for the love of God, don't let her make her doubt yourself to the point of tearing yourself down. Because no matter what she believed—or made you believe, you're a hundred times stronger than she ever was or could be. Hell: Lily is only half witch, and she is stronger than your grandmother. DON'T let that woman win—especially not from the grave." Piccolo firmly informed Sakira before taking off for a little bit.
'He didn't need to sound so harsh.' Trunks thought to himself.
"Is everything ok?" Trunks questioned, noticing Sakira slowly starting to stand up.
"I dropped my bag. I have to get my bag." Sakira answered, sniffling as she ran her arm under her nose.
"Sakira…" "All my things—including my clothes are in there." Sakira interrupted Trunks.
"So, your bag is enchanted. Fine. But if you dropped it, what are the chances that Coast Peer picked it up?" Trunks stopped Sakira.
"But I need my bag. Literally all of my things are in there—including things that belonged to my mom." Sakira insisted, watching Trunks.
"Ok. Ok. Calm down a little." "Here. If you think I'm just going to let you leave this hotel to go back to your house—area, you're crazier than that old bat." Piccolo interrupted Trunks, tossing a simple-looking backpack before Sakira's.
As simple as the bag looked, it was anything but; it was enchanted.
"Where did you find this?" Sakira questioned, stunned.
"In that tree outside your window—or where your window used to be. The house, which was up the hill from Trunks, was gone. So, my guess is that you were attempting to run away when you were attacked, seeing as you said you have everything you need or want in that bag—including things that used to be your mother's. You most likely have some of the things Nani gave you—or things that were once hers. But back to the house: it's gone, meaning you either shrunk it or folded it up like you fold cardboard. So, which one is it?" Piccolo answered before interrogating Sakira.
"Both." Sakira answered.
"Were there people in the house when you shrunk and folded it?" Piccolo questioned.
"Nana's body and a few of those men—unless they managed to escape like that Coast Peer man." Sakira answered, holding her bag close.
"How many?" Piccolo questioned.
"I don't know. Mr. Coast Peer… I couldn't see properly—everything was blurred. I know three or four men were holding me still while Mr. Coast Peer walked back and forth before killing Nana. I know there were at least two holding Nana down, but there could have been more. I think I heard a man by the front door as well. But that could have been one of the men who had me because I remember hitting my head and it felt and sounded like I was in a bubble for a little bit." Sakira honestly answered, still holding her bag close to her.
"Go change; we'll continue this when you get out. And don't you dare leave this hotel room. If I have to, I will stand in the same room with you." Piccolo instructed.
"Like hell you will. I won't go anywhere." Sakira defiantly replied before mumbling as she walked to the bathroom.
"What's going on? What happens when she shrinks and folds the house? And she's been up the road from us this entire time?" Trunks questioned in a whisper.
"The curses broke when Nani died, but it's one of those things I couldn't tell you. But yes, she lived up the hill on your street. By now, you know she has immense power. Messing with a building's structure takes a lot of energy. Now, if she's messing with a building's structure, get out of the way. If she's shrinking a building, get out of it because if someone gets stuck in a building that she's shrinking or folding, they will be crushed and killed. It doesn't matter how strong you are; if you get stuck in a shrinking or folding building, you will be crushed to death. I've seen Nani do it several years back; it's not a pretty sight. I've seen Sakira shrink and fold her house and other buildings before, but she always ensured nobody was there. She was still pretty young when Nani did that, and it traumatized her; she swore she'd never kill anyone that way. Actually, she swore she'd never kill anyone, period. So, either those men were already dead when she shrunk the house. Or if they weren't—I don't even want to think about what they could've done that caused her to do what she did. But it couldn't have been any good. Sakira is very non-violence." Piccolo answered Trunks with a sigh.
"What now?" Trunks questioned when he heard running water.
"There's really nothing that can be done except to get her to bring the house back up and remove the bodies—if there are any. Maybe those men escaped before the house was shrunk. Maybe the bodies were crushed enough that only blood and skeletal remains remain. Maybe only blood remains because the bodies evaporated. I don't know. Either way, I need to get into that house to see the damage to know what happened. Knowing Sakira, the way I do; she's going to shut down and won't say a word." Piccolo answered.
"Hello?" Trunks was going to say something else but answered his communicator instead. Bulma was calling.
"Hi, Trunks. We're getting food right now, but it dawned on me that none of us ever asked Sakira what she wanted to eat. Can you ask her?" Bulma requested.
"I think she's in the shower right now. Piccolo found her bag for her." Trunks answered.
"She likes tacos, pasta with white sauce, General Tso's chicken, orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and white rice. There's more, but those are what I can think of right now." Piccolo informed Bulma.
"Awesome. Thank you. See you soon." Bulma replied before hanging up.
"She's your mother." Piccolo informed Trunks after seeing the strange face he was making.
"Yes, I know. But you've known her far longer than I have." Trunks retorted, watching Piccolo's blank face.
"Touché." Piccolo grumbled, looking away from Trunks.
Both men sighed when they heard Sakira's light sobs coming from the bathroom. They could tell she was trying to stifle them to keep them from hearing, but she was doing a horrible job.
"Any trace of Coast Peer?" Trunks questioned, deciding to let her be, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she'd come to him.
"Honestly, I don't know. I've only ever heard of the guy; I've never met or seen him before. I don't know who I'm looking for or trying to sense. I can tell there was a struggle. I can tell they went down the hill toward your place because of the blood droplets leading into random splotches of blood all down the road. You know—that hill is larger and longer than I anticipated. And if I had to guess, that was Sakira's thought as well. She probably thought that if she ran down the hill, she could get away faster. Unfortunately, being injured the way she was, that just wasn't the case. And from the looks of things, she was injured before she was able to escape. At one point, he had her on the side of the road—and I'm guessing that's when she contacted you—whether she meant to or not. Damnit! I should've never left that house!" Piccolo started calmly explaining, becoming pissed the more he spoke.
"Because of all the blood, her scent was dominating the area. I got hints of other people, but not enough to figure out how to locate them. She got lucky. Excuse me." Piccolo continued, trying and failing to calm down before excusing himself.
"It's not your fault." Sakira softly spoke, emerging from the bathroom, no longer covered in blood, dirt, mud, and whatever else. She wore a light blue nightshirt, dark blue sleep shorts that reached just below her knees, and black and purple-striped knee-high socks. Her brown cat ears, tail, and long violet hair were damp, and her hair reached her knees. In her hair, she wore star hair clips in front of her ears and a red ribbon in front of a piece of hair that stood straight up. Unlike the strand of hair that stood straight up on Lily's head, Sakira's had a curl at the end. She was also wearing an old, fading star necklace.
"It ain't your fault, so do even go there." Piccolo strictly warned Sakira when he saw her.
"It's Nana's fault, right? She's the one who told you to leave and let those men in." Sakira spoke, watching Piccolo.
"Yeah. Wait. She let those men into the house? She just let them walk in?" Piccolo questioned as his eyes started to twitch.
"Yeah. I heard her when I was walking down the hall from my bathroom to my room. Though, I didn't know who they were for another ten or fifteen minutes; it was quiet." Sakira answered.
"What's that?" Piccolo questioned after a few minutes of awkward silence.
"The house. This is what you want, is it not?" Sakira held a miniature version of her house to Piccolo.
"How did you know that?" Piccolo questioned, stunned.
"I'm not deaf—and you're not quiet. I could hear you talking." Sakira answered, watching Piccolo as he took the house.
"What?" Sakira questioned, slightly annoyed when she noticed Piccolo staring at her.
"You're not in disguise. I'm not used to seeing you as you are around others." Piccolo answered, watching her.
"What's the point? Mr. Trunks, his family, and their friends know what I look like." Sakira replied, taking a deep breath.
"Ok." Piccolo responded with a small smile.
"What? Why are you smiling like that?" Sakira demanded, becoming flustered.
"No reason other than you trust these people." Piccolo answered, causing Sakira to recoil a little.
"Excuse me?" Sakira questioned, turning red.
"You trust these people. Well, you trust Trunks, his kids, and his parents. Though, I think you and I both knew that from the first time you spoke to them. The others may take time, but you'll get there—especially since they're their family as well. So, what am I supposed to do with this?" Piccolo explained before questioning, teasing Sakira.
At that moment, all Sakira could do was stare at Piccolo, mouth agape, unable to speak.
"Earth to Sakira." Piccolo spoke, waving his hand in front of Sakira's face.
"Stop that. You're an ass." Sakira smacked Piccolo's hand away, mumbling.
"Thank you. Now, the house." Piccolo replied before pressing for an answer.
"Find a big empty plot of land and set it down. It may take a few minutes, but it will start unfolding and enlarging." Sakira instructed, folding her arms over her chest.
"What now?" Sakira questioned when she noticed Piccolo staring at her with a strange look.
"Do you have more than one set of ears?" Piccolo inquired, getting in Sakira's face.
"Are you referring to my human-looking ears?" Sakira questioned, stunned.
"Yeah. Since when have you had those?" Piccolo questioned, staring at her ears.
"Since I was born. Nobody knows how or why, but after being on Earth for so long, Nekodians started gaining human attributes: mainly just ears and noses. Also, our finger and toenails look like most humans; however, we—or I can change mine into claws at will. Because Lily is only half Nekodian, I don't know about her nails; I don't know if she has claws or not." Sakira explained.
"Oh, they can. I found that out when Mom and I first gave her a shower at the hospital. She also has little fangs." Trunks immediately spoke up, causing Sakira's cheeks to heat up again.
"Right. Her fangs will most likely get a little bigger. I don't know anything about Saiyans, so I don't know how teeth and that work for you. But for Nekodains, after their baby teeth fall out and the adult teeth grow in, they're usually longer—and a little sharper." Sakura awkwardly explained.
"We have fangs, but they look like regular human's teeth until we mark what's ours." Vegeta explained, hearing Sakira as he, Knickers, Kishu, Teddy, Goku, Gohan, Goten, and Pan walked through the door.
Sakira turned redder than a fire hydrant at what she just heard before her nose started bleeding a little.
"Are you ok?" Kishu questioned, not realizing Vegeta severely embarrassed Sakira.
"Ye-yeah, I'm ok." Sakira replied, wiping her nose.
"Maybe she's just hungry. It has been a while since she had the Senzu Bean. That elder person said she needed to eat something after so long." Teddy proudly deduced.
"Yeah. I'm sure that's all it is." Sakira nervously replied.
"What's with the little house?" Knickers questioned, changing the subject. He knew Vegeta embarrassed Sakira and that she was uncomfortable. But he also saw Piccolo holding Sakira's shrunken house.
"That's my house. I shrunk and folded it up to get away from those people." Sakira answered.
"So, you turned the bad people into dolls?" Teddy questioned, interested.
"Uh…" "If anyone was in that house, they're dead now." Piccolo interrupted Sakira, silencing everyone.
"Well, those people deserved it at least." Pan spoke up first, understanding the situation to a point.
"Yep." Everyone agreed.
"So, what are you doing with the house?" Kishu questioned, curious.
"Mr. Green Slug wanted it." Sakira quickly answered.
"My name is Piccolo, Little Girl." Piccolo shot back.
"Yeah? And when you start using my name, maybe I'll start using yours." Sakira retorted, narrowing her eyes.
"Touché—Brat." Piccolo replied before mumbling.
"I heard that." Sakira snapped, using a small spell on Piccolo.
When the smoke cleared, Kishu, Teddy, Pan, Goten, Vegeta, Goku, and even Knickers couldn't help but laugh out loud when they saw Piccolo. Trunks and Gohan stood there, trying their hardest not to laugh like the others.
Instead of his usual attire, Piccolo donned a floral, flowy, bright cotton candy-pink dress, a face full of makeup, and a sizeable flowery hat.
"The house. And please, give Piccolo his dignity back." Trunks interjected before Piccolo could start yelling.
Sakira didn't reply; she snapped her fingers, removing everything she put on Piccolo and replacing it with his standard attire.
"I'm going to set the house back up where it's supposed to be, let it grow, and then wait. I'm sure if it's back, whoever is left, including that Coast Peer, will show up in hopes of getting the brat." Piccolo answered, causing Sakira to flare up again.
"Ignore him. Seriously, Piccolo? I can't help you every time you piss her off. I know you know her better than me, but you need to stop calling her a brat; she's already stressed enough as is without you antagonizing her." Trunks stopped Sakira before scolding Piccolo, having enough.
"Fine. I'll be back. I have a house to plant." Piccolo replied, annoyed.
"Hey, where are you going? I'll go with." Goku and Gohan offered right away.
"Yeah, I'll go with you as well. It's always best to have some kind of backup." Vegeta insisted.
"You can go to Trunks's place if you want. And then you can fly up the hill to the east. Meet me there." Piccolo answered before using his instant transmission.
"You've been just up the road—a hill away from them?" Vegeta demanded, narrowing his eyes at Sakira.
"I wasn't aware that Trunks and his children lived down the hill from where Nana and I were living, so don't look at me like that. If you want to get mad at someone, look at Piccolo; he knew." Sakira retorted, staring at Vegeta with just as much annoyance.
"I'll be back. Are you coming, Kakarot?" Vegeta informed everyone before heading out. Something in Sakira's eyes made Vegeta nervous, so he left instead of fueling the fire.
"Do you want me to go?" Goten questioned, watching Trunks.
"I don't care. You can stay if you want to. You can go if you want." Trunks replied, going to sit on the couch.
"Can I go with?" Pan eagerly requested.
"Not on your life—or mine. We don't know how long this will take, and I don't want to risk the chance of you not being here when Grandma, Mom, and Bulma get back. We'll be back." Gohan replied, using instant transmission along with Goku.
"Sorry." Sakira apologized to Trunks, leaning against a wall.
"Why are you sorry?" Trunks questioned, confused.
"Stressing you out. Don't try to lie or deny it: I'm pretty good at reading people; I can tell you're stressed." Sakira replied.
"You're not that good at reading people, it seems. I'm not stressed. A little annoyed, yes. But I'm not stressed. And while it may have to do with you, it's not because of you; it's because of what happened to you. Coast Peer. I trusted him. He told me all about Lily and what she went through. Though, now, I don't know if all of what he said was true. I know quite a bit of it is true, but I don't know about everything. He was near Lily. As crappy of a situation as it was, she's probably alive due to being stuck in the hospital. Who knows what he would've done to her if she hadn't been in the hospital?" Trunks insisted before asking.
"You don't want to know. I doubt you'd have her though. Or if you did, I'd most likely be dead." Sakira softly spoke.
"You know what he'd do to her? How?" Knickers, Kishu, Teddy, and Pan questioned, curious.
"I've seen it done before—to full and half Nekodians. It's not pretty. Of course, it depends on who's doing it. Until a little bit ago, I had only heard of Coast Peer; I had never met or even just seen him. I've always heard he's one of the most ruthless hunters there is. Top three—and he's number three is what I was told. There are two that are worse than him from what I understand. I don't know who they are though. Nana or the gree—Piccolo never told me names. All I know is they're part of the reason I have to stay hidden. I also know, the more ruthless the hunter, the worse the torture." Sakira explained, shuddering a little.
"What did these people do?" Pan questioned, curious.
"MmmMmm…" Sakira shook her head, refusing to answer that question.
"Ok." Pan replied, confused.
"Will anything happen to Piccolo if it rains?" Sakira inquired.
"No." Everyone answered at once.
"He actually needs water to survive." Pan proudly answered.
"I didn't think it was supposed to rain tonight." Trunks spoke, thinking a little.
"Why do you ask?" Knickers questioned, curious.
"Ok. No, it's not supposed to rain." Sakira answered before conjuring up some kind of orb.
"What are you doing?" Trunks questioned, standing up.
"Nothing dangerous or even bad. I'm just going to send some water their way." Sakira answered, searching for Piccolo and the group.
"There they are." Sakira spoke, spotting Piccolo, Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan.
"I know that area. I've passed it two or three times." Knickers spoke up, recognizing where Sakira had once lived.
"Look! There's a house growing!" Teddy excitedly exclaimed, looking into the orb—from afar.
"Do you want to see it closer?" Sakira questioned, noticing the children trying to see the orb.
"Can we?" Kishu, Teddy, and even Knickers and Pan excitedly questioned.
"I don't care. Just be careful not to knock it over." Sakira replied, watching Piccolo.
"Sounds like they're arguing about something." Goten noted, standing behind Sakira.
"Yeah, but I can't hear them clearly." Sakira replied.
"With Dad and Piccolo one can only guess." Trunks sighed, getting Sakira's attention, which got Knickers's attention.
"They don't get along?" Sakira questioned.
"Depends on the day." Trunks, Goten, and Pan answered.
"Now, let's see… Let's just do a light drizzle." Sakira spoke to herself, sprinkling some water over the orb.
"Hahaha! Look at them." Pan laughed when she saw Piccolo, Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan getting rained on.
"How long are you going to make it rain on them?" Kishu questioned, interested.
"Not long. The two didn't do anything to deserve a major storm." Sakira answered.
"What did Grandpa and Uncle Piccolo do?" Teddy questioned, interested.
"I don't like how Piccolo called me a brat in the way he did. It's not a normal—I don't want to say playful way. He said it in a way that bothered me for some reason. I don't know why, but it did. As for Vegeta… I don't like being accused of something I didn't know anything about. I didn't know you lived down the hill from me." Sakira answered Teddy to the best of her ability.
"What would you have done had you known? Would you visit them more?" Goten questioned, knowing only a little about Sakira.
"Umm… Hold that thought for a second." Sakira replied, ceasing sprinkling water on the Piccolo, Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan. Instead, she conjured up a large cup of water.
"Cool!" Kishu and Teddy excitedly exclaimed when Sakira formed a small sphere of water.
And like that, she dropped it on the orb, sending it to Piccolo.
"Ooh! Direct hit!" Kishu declared.
The next one went to Vegeta.
"Look at them scrambling around." Pan enthusiastically insisted.
"Dad and Gohan are trying to figure out what's going on. I can tell by the looks on their faces." Goten spoke with a smile, trying not to laugh.
"Piccolo looks like he knows though." Knickers noted.
"Most likely." Sakira sighed, standing up.
"Is that all?" Kishu questioned, kind of upset.
"For me. But how would you like to drop want on them?" Sakira questioned, trying to entice them.
"Any of them?" Pan questioned, her curiosity peaking.
"Sure. Just make sure Piccolo and Vegeta get it the most." Sakira replied.
"Yeah!" Kishu, Teddy, and Pan determinedly exclaimed.
"But wait. We're not witches, wizards, or warlocks; we don't have any magical abilities. How are we supposed to send water at them?" Knickers questioned.
"Picture a sphere of water in your head." Sakira instructed.
"What's a sphere of water?" Teddy and Kishu asked, confused.
"Umm… All a sphere of water is a ball of water, like this." Sakira replied after thinking a little before creating another sphere of water.
"Ok. Now what?" Pan questioned, watching the water float above Sakira's hand.
"One: make sure the orb doesn't get knocked over. So, no pushing or shoving around it, please. Two: make sure you have good concentration so that the sphere doesn't pop or fall to the floor. If you can't concentrate on keeping the water floating like this, this won't work. Ok?" Sakira started explaining.
"Uh-huh." Teddy answered in awe.
"Yes, we understand." Pan, Knickers, and Kishu replied.
"Teddy, right?" Sakira spoke to Teddy.
"Yes, that's my name." Teddy replied.
"Who do you want to throw water on—in the orb?" Sakira questioned.
"Umm… Uncle Piccolo; he called me cute." Teddy replied after thinking for a second.
"You don't like being called cute?" Sakira questioned.
"Nope. I'm not into that girly stuff." Teddy confidently answered.
"Good to know." 'I think she's a cute little girl.' Sakira replied before thinking to herself, making a face.
Just looking at the look on Sakira's face, Trunks kind of knew what she was thinking; he had seen or heard it with many others before.
"Anyway… Let's see… Piccolo is there, so this is where you want to drop the water. You have to make sure where you drop the water is precise—meaning you have to drop it directly on whoever you want to target. And because you have no magic, I would highly recommend you pinpoint where your target is first because you're only going to have ten seconds to drop the water. Understand?" Sakira got back on track and explained.
"Yes." Pan, Knickers, and Kishu answered.
"No." Teddy answered, looking down.
"What don't you understand?" Sakira calmly questioned.
"What happens if we don't drop the water?" Teddy asked, shocking Sakira. She didn't realize she wasn't being clear enough; she was used to only having to explain things in specific ways for Lily.
"Sorry. If you don't drop the ball of water before ten seconds are up, the bubble will burst and you will be the one to get wet." Sakira calmly explained.
"Oh, ok." Teddy replied with a smile.
"So, I'll point to where you need to drop the water this time, ok? After that, if you need help, you'll have to ask one of your brothers or—ummm… I'm sorry; I don't think I ever got your name." Sakira calmly started telling Teddy before speaking to Pan.
"I'm Pan."
"I'm Pan's uncle, Goten."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Sakira."
"Yes, we know who you are. Well, we know your name and that you're a Nekodian—and a witch. And we know what we learned today." Goten insisted with a smile.
"Can I drop the water now?" Teddy impatiently questioned.
"Oh, right; sorry. So, I'll point to the first drop, but after that you'll have to ask your brothers or Pan for help if you need it. Come here. Now, I'm going to pass you the ball of water. But remember, you only have ten seconds before it turns into a puddle in your hands. Do you want to hold the water in one hand or both?" Sakira repeated herself before continuing to explain. She then asked how Teddy would like to hold the water.
"Both hands." Teddy answered, cupping her hands together.
"Also, because I'm handing this to you, your hands won't get wet. But when you make your own balls of water, your fingers will get wet. And I will show you that next. Are you ready?" Sakira inquired after explaining.
"Yes." Teddy eagerly answered.
"Hold still. It's just going to float in your hand; it won't even touch your palms." Sakira slowly transferred her sphere of water to Teddy.
"How does it feel?" Kishu questioned, interested.
"Shh… Not right now, please. Let her concentrate." Sakira calmly told Kishu.
"Here?" Teddy questioned where Sakira's finger was on the orb.
"Yep. Just drop it. Don't worry about my hand." Sakira answered.
And just like that, Teddy dropped the water on the orb—right onto Piccolo's head.
"It worked!" Kishu excitedly shouted as Teddy stood there, stunned.
"Teddy, are you ok?" Sakira questioned, becoming concerned.
"I did that?" Teddy softly questioned.
"Yes." Sakira answered.
"And I won't get in trouble?" Teddy nervously questioned.
"No. I'll make sure Piccolo and the others know I showed you what to do. This is on me, not you." Sakira assured Teddy—and the others.
"…. That was so cool! The water wasn't cold or hot or warm—just a little wet when it splashed!" Teddy finally excitedly started bouncing around.
"Ok. Kishu, your turn. I have a feeling you need to be hands on for this." Sakira called Kishu over next, hitting the nail in the coffin.
Kishu didn't reply; he was next to Sakira faster than she could blink.
"Ok. I may be using Kishu to demonstrate this, but you must all pay close attention. This cup of water is enchanted, meaning it will not run out until I dump it out. That does not mean you can dump it over because the water will go everywhere. After I show you this, and you understand it, you may have to show Teddy again if she needs help. It's very simple; I don't need to be hovering over you—I hope. I'm trusting you here." Sakira explained, looking at mainly Kishu and Teddy but Knickers and Pan as well. Once Kishu goes, Knickers will go next, followed by Pan. And then Pan will go twice. That is because from there, it will go from oldest to youngest and start over again. Understand?" Sakira calmly instructed.
"Yes." The four answered.
"Good. You don't want to make the ball too big. Hold on… … Don't make the balls of water any bigger than this softball. I will leave it floating so you can compare easier. Or you can count. Kishu: stick one finger in the water and swirl it around three or four times. It's a clear glass, so you should be able to see the sphere starting to form. Ok. Slowly pull your finger out of the water and get ready with both hands. When it first comes out, it's just going to look like a blob of water. What you need to do is form it into a ball—kind of like a snowball. Understand? Don't worry about time; the limit won't start until the ball forms. And I think I'll change that to fifteen seconds." Sakira instructed, watching Kishu.
"Cool." Kishu marveled, forming a ball of water in his hands.
"Eh… You could probably swirl another time or two. Come to the orb. Because I spaced having you find who you wanted, you're going to drop your orb on your grandpa. So, right where my finger is." Sakira called Kishu to the orb. She was going to say something else, but he dropped the ball of water onto the orb and to Vegeta; he just couldn't contain himself.
"Yes! Direct hit!" Kishu excitedly declared, jumping a little.
'Maybe this was a mistake.' Sakira thought to herself with a blank stare.
"Don't worry too much. Kishu won't go overboard, will you?" Trunks firmly insisted after seeing that all-too-familiar stare.
"No." Kishu replied, still excited.
"Ok. So, Kishu: when it's your turn, you should do four to six finger swirls in the water if you want a decent size. Teddy: your fingers are smaller, so I'd say you can do ten swirls if you want a decent size. And again, the softball is there for if you need to make sure your water ball isn't too big. Knickers and Pan: your fingers are bigger—and about the same size, so I'd say three or four swirls with your fingers for a decent size. So, that's about it. Any questions?" Sakira informed the kids before asking.
"I have one. For when we choose who we want to drop the water on, can we have one of the others keep an eye on our target and hold a finger or something on the orb, so we know where to drop it like we'd have to do for Teddy or Kishu?" Kishu questioned, getting a blank stare from Sakira.
"Well, now I feel stupid; I didn't even think of that. Yes, you can do that if you want. But Knickers, go ahead. I want to watch and make sure all is good." Sakira answered once she regained her composure.
"Ok." Knickers went to the water with Pan behind him, waiting for her two turns.
"What does that mean?" Knickers questioned when the water turned blue once he started swirling.
"Don't worry about it; you're fine." Sakira replied with a reassuring smile.
When Knickers pulled the water ball out and formed it, it was a light blue. Sakira followed Knickers as he slowly walked over to the orb.
"I am right here. Nothing bad is going to happen. If it makes you feel better, drop it on a tree. Pan, you can start swirling if you want." Sakira insisted, watching a nervous Knickers. That seemed to calm him down a little.
As soon as Knickers dropped the water onto the orb and it hit a tree, the tree glowed blue for a few seconds before a few blue flowers bloomed on the tree.
"Huh. That's interesting. Go ahead, Pan." Sakira muttered as Pan walked over. Her water was clear like it was supposed to be; she dropped hers on Gohan.
"Is everything ok?" Knickers asked again.
"Yeah, everything is fine. Pan, please wait a second. I want to go from youngest to oldest again. I want to see how Teddy does before I talk to your dads." Sakira insisted before stopping Pan.
"Just listen to her, please. You'll still get your turn." Goten firmly told Pan.
"Sorry. I just want to see something." Sakira apologized before having Teddy go to the water.
When Teddy stuck her finger in the water and started swirling it, the water turned pinkish-purple.
"Ok. I want you to drop it on this tree right here. Kishu, please wait a second." Sakira instructed, having Teddy drop her water onto the same tree as Knickers. When the water hit the tree's base, grass and flowers grew around it.
"Ok, Kishu." Sakira permitted Kishu to swirl again.
"I think I'll target Uncle Piccolo." Kishu spoke, pulling out a light green ball of water.
"Yeah, go ahead." Sakira replied after thinking for a second. His water had hit Vegeta, and it was just regular water.
"No, wait. Sorry. I'm just going to cut your water in half, so you'll have a water ball in both hands. When you hit Piccolo, just hit his arm. With this one, I want you to drop it on the grass." Sakira instantly changed her mind and had Kishu change course.
"Do as she says, or you won't be dropping anymore water at all." Trunks strictly warned Kishu.
"Ok." Kishu replied, trying not to huff.
When the water hit Piccolo, it was just water. When it hit the grass, the grass started turning blue.
"Do I have to hit a tree or grass?" Pan questioned, walking over with water.
"No. You go right ahead." Sakira replied.
This time, Pan dropped the water on Goku.
"Knickers and Teddy: I'm going to take the time limit off these drops, but only these ones. I would like you two to drop your next drops together. Kishu: you're going to wait a second, please. Then after this, once I figure it out, the order will go back to order." Sakira instructed.
"What if something bad happens?" Knickers questioned, concerned.
"I don't think anything will. But if something does, I'll fix it. I promise you have nothing to worry about. Just drop where I tell you." Sakira insisted as Teddy stood there, antsy.
"Ok." Knickers replied, unsure.
"Knickers, you drop here, and Teddy here." Sakira calmly instructed, closely watching Knickers.
"I can't look." Knickers muttered, dropping the water with his eyes closed. At the same time, Teddy dropped her water.
"Oh, wow! What happened to Piccolo's arm?!" Kishu exclaimed, looking in the orb, freaking Knickers and Teddy out.
"What? What happened?" Knickers panicked while Teddy was on the verge of tears.
"He got wet. Nothing happened to his arms other than they got splashed with water. See? He's just fine. Annoyed, but fine." Sakira insisted right away after watching Piccolo.
Knickers took a deep breath before going to sit on the couch.
"Kishu, that was mean." Sakira told Kishu, giving him a look.
"Sorry." Kishu apologized, feeling a little guilty under Sakira's gaze.
"Are we done now?" Pan questioned, watching Sakira.
"You can keep going if you want. Teddy, do you want to continue or no?" Sakira replied before asking Teddy.
"Nothing bad happened to Uncle Piccolo?" Teddy questioned.
"Nothing bad happed to Piccolo." Sakira assured Teddy.
"Ok." Just like that, Teddy was back at the cup, swirling up a sphere of water.
"Knickers?" Sakira asked, watching Knickers.
"I think I'm done." Knickers answered.
"What about me?" Kishu nervously questioned.
"That's up to your dad." Sakira replied, taking a breath.
"Dad?" Kishu questioned, watching Trunks.
"Sit on the couch. When this goes off in five minutes, you can go back. For now, you can watch the girls.
"Ok." Kishu replied without a fight.
"Ok. So, I was going to answer Goten's question once I got done showing them what to do, but it seems I have something else to discuss with you first. Clearly, I know Lily has a different mother, but Teddy doesn't have the same mother as Knickers and Kishu, does she?" Sakira spoke to Trunks.
"No, Teddy has a different mother than the boys. Knickers and Kishu do have the same mother. What does that matter with what's going on here?" Trunks answered before asking.
"Teddy's easy to figure out; she's half fairy, yes. Her mother is a fairy of sorts." Sakira responded, kind of shocking Trunks.
"How could you know that?" Trunks questioned.
"That water spell reacts to other beings with special abilities. The pinkish-purple color indicates fairy abilities." Sakira explained.
"Yes. We actually just learned a few weeks ago that Teddy's mother, Miki, was a third nature fairy and a third air fairy. She passed away six years ago." Trunks explained.
"Miki? I've heard that name before. I don't think I knew anyone by that name, but it does sound familiar." Sakira muttered.
"We met Poppy; she said they were friends. Poppy said you two were friends. But what about Knickers and Kishu? Their mother was human." Trunks explained before questioning.
"Are you sure about that—about her being human?" Sakira questioned, unsure.
"Yes, very sure. Because of a wish made by other Saiyans twelve years ago, anyone with human and Saiyan in them—even just a tiny bit, became full Saiyans. That also includes anyone in their family—to a certain point. So, Goku and my dad are full Saiyans while Chi-Chi and my mom were human. That made Gohan, me, and Goten half Saiyan and half human. Gohan's wife, Videl was human, so their daughter, Pan, was a quarter Saiyan. Mai was human, so Knickers and Kishu should've been born half Saiyan and half human, but nope; they're full Saiyan. For some reason, Mai was not changed into a full Saiyan. I suppose I know why now. But moving on. Now, I didn't think Miki was human, but I had no proof, so it was assumed Teddy was full Saiyan as well. However, as we found out, Miki was fairy and human, making Teddy half Saiyan and half fairy. Because fairies aren't human, it couldn't be taken over by Saiyan. Just the same as Lily: the Saiyan blood in her couldn't take over the Nekodian blood in her, thus making her half Saiyan and half Nekodian. Now, back to Knickers and Kishu. Why did the water changed colors when they made balls of water?" Trunks insisted before getting back on topic.
"So, Pan was already full Saiyan when Knickers and Kishu were born?" Sakira questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes." Trunks answered.
"What's going on? What's wrong with us?" Knickers and Kishu questioned.
"Nothing is wrong with you. They're different, but you two have strong psychic abilities. But because you've never used them before, they're dormant. My magic is stronger than your abilities, so only a little of your abilities, whatever they may actually be, fused with my spell. That is why, when the spears of water hit Piccolo and Vegeta, they were only water. But when they hit the tree or grass, more life grew into them. You said that Pan was born before the wish to become full Saiyans was made, so that may be why she doesn't have psychic abilities. Maybe it had something to do with the wish. I honestly don't know why. And maybe she does have some kind of physic ability, but it's so deep down that it can't be reached—or be reached yet." Sakira sincerely explained.
"What the hell?! What did I ever do to you?! What did they ever do to you?!" Vegeta exclaimed, appearing with Piccolo, Goku, and Gohan.
"Aww man! I didn't get to go back!" Kishu exclaimed, upset.
"Pick whoever. Nothing will get wet." Sakira insisted, handing Kishu a sphere.
"Go ahead." Trunks sighed.
"Yes!" Kishu went to throw the ball. However, one ball turned into four and hit Vegeta, Piccolo, Goku, and Gohan.
"What the hell?" Vegeta demanded.
"That's what you get for accusing me of something I didn't do. And you for calling me a brat in the tone you used. And you two—well, you can talk to Pan, Kishu, Teddy, and Knickers—once. I allowed them to throw water on you, so that I could answer a question Goten asked. However, I don't think I ever got to that question because we discussed other things. But that's not my place. Also, don't get mad at them, because again, it was my magic that was used." Sakira answered Vegeta—and Piccolo's stare.
"I only hit Piccolo once, I swear." Knickers frantically insisted.
"Not all of that was you, was it?" Piccolo questioned, seeing a look plastered on Sakira's face.
"What's going on?" Vegeta questioned, catching something.
"Is something going on?" Bulma and Chi-Chi questioned, walking in with Videl, Lily, Chiulma, and Vego.
"Sakira let us drop water on Grandpa, Uncle Piccolo, Grandpa Goku, and Uncle Gohan! It was awesome!" Teddy excitedly declared as Lily ran to Sakira and begged to be picked up.
"Sakira had shrunk her house earlier—before being attacked. She gave the shrunken house to Piccolo in order for him to put it back where it was and enlarge it again in hopes of drawing Coast and the others back. Dad, Goku, and Gohan went with him. Dad said something that pissed Sakira off, and Piccolo upset her, so while they were gone, she used some orb to locate them, and then sprinkled water on them. Goten asked her a question, so she let the kids drop water on not only Dad and Piccolo, but Goku and Gohan as well. For the most part, the water was normal—except Sakira's magic influence. But when they started making their own balls of water, Knickers's turned blue. Teddy's turned a pinkish-purple. And Kishu's turned green. But Pan's remained clear. She had them do test runs: when they dropped the water on trees and grass, they grew flowers or turned blue. The water was just water when they hit Piccolo. Kishu freaked Knickers and Teddy out by saying something, so he got put on timeout."
"But after Sakira assured them that everything was fine, Knickers was done with dropping water, and we talked because my children were involved. I explained to her about the wish made by other Saiyans to make anyone and their families who may be human, become full Saiyans. Sakira said Teddy was easy: the water turned pinkish-purple because she's half fairy. Knickers and Kishu, she explained that their water changed to blue and green because they have strong psychic abilities. She doesn't know if it's because of the wish or not, but they have psychic abilities, and Pan may or may not have them. Again, Sakira doesn't know for sure. She also doesn't know what their psychic abilities actually are." Trunks explained, pausing once to take a breath.
"And despite what she believes or understands, Sakira is good with the kids." Trunks added, making Sakira blush big time as she held Lily.
"I have a different question now." Goten spoke up after thinking about everything.
"For me?" Sakira questioned, slightly confused.
"Yes. So, if Knickers and Kishu have psychic abilities for whatever reason, does that mean my twins, Vego and Chiulma also have psychic abilities? Their mother, Bulla, and I were also half Saiyan and half human before that wish." Goten asked his question.
"Bulla is my younger sister. She's elsewhere, choosing not to be part of the family anymore for personal reasons." Trunks explained.
"It's certainly a possibility. However, I can't know for certain." Sakira honestly answered.
"How would you know for certain?" Chi-Chi demanded while Goku eagerly questioned.
"Could they do the water thing like we did? I mean, they could at least create water balls, couldn't they?" Pan suggested.
"Yes, but that's not up to me." "Go ahead—if you would." Goten interrupted Sakira.
"Kishu, do you want to show them how to do it?" Sakira offered Kishu the chance to teach Vego and Chiulma.
"Can I?" Kishu eagerly asked Trunks.
"That's fine by me. But do not freak them out like Knickers and Teddy." Trunks permitted and warned Kishu.
"Come on. This is fun. But where do we drop the water now?" Kishu questioned Sakira after having Vego and Chiulma follow him.
"The orb is still active. They can drop them on any tree or grass." Sakira answered, walking over to the orb.
"Ok. Watch me and then do what I do when it's your turn. But only one at a time." Kishu eagerly instructed, showing Vego and Chiulma how to swirl the water.
"Sakira, is everything ok?" Trunks questioned when he noticed Sakira intently staring at her orb.
"Ok. Now, you…" "Wait." Sakira suddenly stopped Kishu, sitting on her knees after setting Lily down.
"Sakira?" Trunks questioned, becoming concerned when Sakira started moving the orb around—and that she wasn't responding.
"Poppy." Sakira finally spoke, homing in on someone.
"Poppy?" Everyone asked, confused.
"Son of a flippin' biscuit eater!" Sakira snapped, seeing a man chasing Poppy.
'She's good at censoring herself.' Everyone over nine thought to themselves.
"Kishu, is that your ball water?" Sakira questioned, watching Kishu.
"Yes." Kishu slowly answered.
"Bring it over. Teddy, I need you to create a ball of water as well." Sakira ordered.
Kishu and Teddy did what they were told. Just by looking at her, they didn't want to argue with Sakira.
"Do you see that man?" Sakira questioned.
"Yes." Kishu answered.
"I want you to use this slingshot to shoot the water at him." Sakira told Kishu.
"What do you want me to do?" Teddy nervously questioned.
"You're going to drop our water onto Poppy. Don't worry; everything is going to be fine. Sorry if I'm scaring you." Sakira answered Teddy before apologizing, feeling her nervousness.
"Now?" Kishu questioned, pulling the slingshot back.
"No. Teddy, you drop your water first. Now, please." Sakira calmly instructed after taking a breath.
When the water hit Poppy, she was surrounded by a pinkish-purple orb, stopping the man in his tracks and confusing him.
"Now, Kishu." Sakira ordered.
"What did I do?" Kishu questioned.
"You turned a fairy hunter to stone. I'll turn him back at a later time." Sakira answered, scratching her head.
"Are you ok? You seem—I don't know—apprehensive?" Bulma questioned, concerned.
"I don't know. I wasn't aware that there were any fairy hunters left." Sakira replied.
"What did I do?" Teddy nervously asked.
"Shoot. Hold on." Sakira replied before pulling the sphere holding Poppy through her orb to them.
"You made sure Poppy was safe." Sakira answered, popping the orb Poppy was sealed in.
"Sakira? … Thank you for saving me!" Poppy cried, hugging Sakira.
"Uh-uh. Not me. This little girl and her brother saved you." Sakira insisted, giving Teddy and Kishu the credit.
"Teddy and Kishu Briefs? You know them now?" Poppy questioned, stunned.
"I've known them for a little while now through writing. But I guess I've known them in person for a few weeks now. Maybe a good chunk was my magic, but it was them who saved you. Teddy put you in an orb and Kishu turned the hunter to stone." Sakira replied.
"Either way, I am forever in your debt. And you two as well; I owe you big time—especially the daughter of my best friend, Miki! Whatever you two want!" Poppy cried, hugging Sakira's face before hugging Kishu and Teddy.
"Can you tell me about my mom?" Teddy questioned, watching Poppy.
"If it's ok with your dad." Poppy replied, realizing she may have made a mistake.
"After dinner." Trunks answered. He liked Miki; she was a good girl who carried Teddy and gave birth to her. Teddy had every right to know what she wanted about her mother, just as Knickers and Kishu had the right to know about their mother.
"We'll talk later." Kishu insisted with a smile.
"And she will come to me first before giving you what you want. I know that tone." Trunks sternly informed Kishu and Poppy.
"Of course." Poppy replied, making Kishu groan.
"Can we do the water trick now?" Vego eagerly questioned.
"Oh, right. Might as well. Sorry about that." Sakira sheepishly apologized.
"Do you remember what to do? Or do you need us to show you again?" Kishu questioned.
"I remember." Vego replied, going to stick his finger in the water. Sure enough, when he started swirling his finger in the water, the sphere was yellow.
"My turn?" Chiulma asked after Vego pulled his yellow sphere out.
"Yes." Sakira answered.
"Oh, cool." Chiulma marveled when the water turned light red.
"Hey. We can't reach." Vego immediately complained when he and Chiulma couldn't reach the orb.
"Hold on, Shrimp." Pan instructed before lifting Vego into her arms.
At the same time, Goten lifted Chiulma.
"Where do you want them to drop their water?" Goten questioned, watching the orb.
"Go ahead and drop them on the statue of the fairy hunter. But one at a time." Sakira answered, rubbing her head. She was becoming a little dizzy from hunger.
When Vego dropped his water on the stone fairy hunter, moss grew.
When Chiulma dropped her water, vines grew on the stone fairy hunter.
"Do you want them to drop some water on Piccolo as well?" Kishu asked Sakira, oblivious to anything wrong.
"Sakira, are you ok?" Trunks questioned, standing up, concerned.
Sakira was sitting on her knees, face-down, on the coffee table. And then, just like that, the orb she had been using to keep an eye on things vanished, as did the cup of water…