Chapter 15

Death revealed my dream.

A dream so vivid that if it weren't for the constant reminder in my subconscious letting me know I was dead, I would think I actually lived it.

There I was, standing on top of a high rock formation.

The desert covered the landscape as far as my eyes could see, its gentle breeze fluttering my cape.

It was strange... I don't know if it was my shoulder pads, but something in my body carried a weight that only years could bring.

Yes… In this dream, I was older than my present young-adult self, and much, much stronger.

Standing with my arms crossed and with only the power of my Ki, I expertly made several tons of rocks from that scene float through the sky for as long as I could. However, as soon as I placed them back on the ground, each one in its proper place and with the delicacy of a feather, I went into a state of alert.

Another powerful Ki besides mine approached from behind.

When I suddenly turned around, a little green lightning attacked me, and I blocked his blow at the last moment. But he didn't give me respite. The little being immediately threw a kick at my side, but I dodged him, making him hit nothing. He then flew up and hovered above me. I couldn't see his face, for his silhouette was blurred by the sun behind him.

"HAAAA!!!!" He shouted and dove quickly towards me.

I crossed my forearms in an X in front of my face, and his blow caused such a strong impact that he fell to the ground in front of me with a thud.

When the dust settled, I finally saw him.

It was a boy, no more than seven years old, rubbing his sore head. His skin was green like mine; his muscles on his arms and legs were pink like mine; his ears were pointy like mine, and he wore a purple fighting suit, also like mine.

However, his face displayed someone else's features; of a woman, actually. A woman I knew very well. In fact, instead of a bald head like mine, thick black hair filled it with a spiky mohawk hairstyle.

"Ouch, Daddy..." he complained, with a grumpy pout. "That hurt..."

Daddy? — My present self connected the dots.

That boy… his physical aspects…

Was he... Was he my... son?

My present self barely had time to react to such information, as my future self soon took over again and, with a patience that I had never experienced in my life until then, I crouched down in front of him.

"What did I tell you about your impulsiveness, Nail?" I looked at him firmly. "You keep attacking without properly evaluating your opponent. You need to think before you act." I sighed as I saw his pout turn sad, and I stroked his hair. "Are you okay?"

"'Course I'm not." He sniffed, annoyed and still massaging his head. "I think you made a giant bump in me! My days are numbered!!! What a terrible fate for such an incredible and powerful boy like me!!!"

"Stop it." I approached him to inspect if there was indeed a bump on his head. "Who did you take after all this drama, huh?"

"From Uncle Goku!" Nail gave me an impish smile.

"Oh, right. Why do I even ask?" I rolled my eyes with a chuckle. "I think I'll leave you at Aunt Chi-chi's for a few months so you can learn some discipline and–"

"HAAAA!!!!" Another voice shouted above us and, when I turned, I spotted another little being hovering in the air, with a very high Ki.

I quickly turned to look at Nail, but he was gone.

"NOW, DAIKON!!!" Nail exclaimed from somewhere hidden, and I realized that I had fallen into a trap.

"TENKOCHI!!!!!!!!" The second little being shot ten balls of energy through the fingers of his outstretched hands.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

I successfully dodged them all, but not without my vision being blurred by the new cloud of smoke that rose. Panting, I landed on the sandy ground below and witnessed the large rock collapse into pieces from the ten energy balls it had received.

The culprit of that work landed in front of me in his tattered blue fighting suit, and gave me a big smile with a missing tooth in the front and his big blue eyes gleaming at me.

Like Nail, he was also a seven-year-old boy, but he did not have the physical attributes typical of Namekians, but rather of Saiyans.

"Oh, Daddy..." He looked down at me, upset. "You're too quick... It's not fair..."

What? — My present self questioned.

Another boy calling me Daddy?

I smiled back at him, crouched down and also stroked his thick, spiky black hair, and saw my facial features reflected in him.

Yes… That was my son too. The resemblance to me was undeniable.

Wait… Two boys… Similar sizes and ages…

Did I have… TWINS?!?!

However, once again, my future self did not allow my present self to interfere.

"Listen, Daikon," I said to this new boy, "does your mother know you've been stealing her attack techniques?"

"Don't tell her, Daddy! Please!" He clasped his hands in front of him. "I'm practicing to surprise her at the Dojo's presentation."

"Oh, really?"

"Daikon, you silly!" Nail landed next to us, visibly irritated and spitting dust. "How come you didn't hit any single energy ball at Daddy?!" He slapped his arms at his sides, huffing. "I knew it should've been ME to launch the 'Tenkochi', not you!"

"Hey!" replied Daikon, turning to face him in the eye. "Just because you were born a few minutes before me doesn't mean you can boss me around!"

And they both burst into a fight.

"Alright, that's enough!" I did the feat of grabbing both of them by the collar of their fighting suits and lifting them up to my eye level, showing a firm and severe expression. "First of all, we shouldn't even be here, training. We only came after all the crying you did to your mother earlier today, who, at this point, must be up to her neck in our chores! Have you forgotten that Goku's family is going to have lunch at home today?"

My twins' faces lit up with a smile.

"OH, THAT'S RIGHT! WE'RE HAVING BARBECUE TODAY!" they exclaimed in unison.

"Will Uncle Goku teach me a new technique?" asked Nail.

"I hope Gohan doesn't forget to bring that book about bugs I asked for!" added Daikon.

"Regardless of anything, I don't want any mess." I started walking, still holding them by their fighting suits. "And be very careful when playing with Gohan's baby. She's still very small and can get hurt."

"But she's half Saiyan, Daddy," replied Nail.

"No, she isn't," retorted Daikon. "You and I are half Saiyan and half Namekian. She's one-quarter Saiyan and three-quarters human."

"Nerd!" Nail stuck his tongue out at his brother, which he reciprocated.

"If you're well enough to fight each other, you're well enough to fly." I placed them on the ground. "Come on! The last one to our house does all the dishes after lunch!" And I took off, leaving them eating dust.

Unfortunately, I was the last one.

We lived in a house in the countryside, surrounded by nature and mountains. As soon as the boys and I stepped onto the stairs of the wooden porch that covered the facade, we smelled a wonderful smell coming from inside.

"WE'RE HERE AND WE'RE STARVING!!!" The boys dashed into the house, disappearing from my sight.

Upon entering, I was overcome by a warmth and a very pleasant feeling, as if all the life that dwelled in that house welcomed me with open arms. And I confirmed that when, as soon as I closed the front door, someone jumped on my neck in a tight hug.

"Daddy!!! I'm so glad you arrived!!!"

Still clinging to me, a girl wearing a dress, with long black hair and already in her teens, gazed at me from below, showing the most beautiful smile I've ever seen.

For a second, my present self was startled by that new presence; a presence so strong, so loving, so welcoming…

Who was this girl who also called me Daddy?

Why, when looking into her small, intense black eyes, did I feel like I was looking through a mirror? Why did I see in her a gleam full of life that I had only seen before in a woman dear to me? And why did she make my heart expand with a paternal love that I never imagined I would feel?

My future self soon took control of the situation.

"Hello, Naíma." I hugged her back, tightly.

"Welcome back, Daddy!" She took my hand and dragged me to the kitchen, which was just ahead, on the left side of the house interior, and pointed to the large dining table. "Look at this!"

Covering the entire rectangular wooden top, countless dishes with snacks, roasts, salads, pasta, cakes, pies, puddings and creams filled the dining table.

I've never seen so much food.

"Did you like it?" Naíma's eyes gleamed. "I was the one who made the desserts and… HEY!!! NAIL AND DAIKON!!! GET OUT OF MY BEDROOM NOW!!!" And she dashed down the hall while the twins screamed in terror of their sister.

It was then that I felt someone touch my arm.

A warm, affectionate and… very familiar touch.

When I turned around, my present self almost died a second time, if that was even possible.

It was her.

Yes... it was her!

Lettie, gazing at me with a smile even more beautiful than Naíma's.

My wife. I had no doubts!

Just like me, Lettie was no longer the young adult I knew, but a fully mature woman.

She managed to look even more stunning than her present version, with her short hair disheveled from running around, wearing the typical gray pajamas that I created for her, slippers and a blue kitchen apron over it, matching her eyes.

"Hey, darling. How was training with the boys?" She floated until she reached my height, then she slowly hugged my neck and pressed her lips against mine, in an intense and deep peck kiss. My heart skipped a beat when my present self realized what we were doing, but at the same time, my future self, who had certainly already done it countless times, knew what to do, and I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her back with affection. Lettie pulled away and whispered, without taking her eyes off me, "I also want to train with you later."

Like any good husband, I was delighted with her words, and we exchanged glances and giggles that only very intimate couples can do.

"Sorry for leaving you here doing everything by yourself with Naíma." I approached Lettie, who had already returned to the stove to check a pan. "I'll arrange things outside in a while."

"Oh, don't worry." She gave me an understanding smile. "We're both working hard lately. The boys needed to spend some time alone with you. Besides," she raised an eyebrow at me, "I wouldn't allow you to touch my kitchen. I remember very well how you let my pie burn last week."

"Well, my love..." I tilted my head with a playful smile. "You know my specialty is soup, and preferably, one made in a cauldron over a campfire on top of a certain rock formation with a tent in the back."

"Good old times, huh?" She sighed. "How many years has it been since you trained Gohan and me?"

"No idea, and I don't want to think about it either. Just the fact that Gohan is an already married adult with a baby makes me feel old."

"I can hardly believe we're great uncle and aunt, and oh, you're not old..." Lettie tasted the food from the pan. "You're just grumpy as one."

In response, I wrinkled my nose in a grumpy grimace.

Some habits never change.

"Mommy?" Naíma came back from her bedroom, with a satisfied look on her face after having certainly given her younger brothers a good scolding, who ran to watch TV in the living room area next to the kitchen. "Is... uh... Is Dende coming to the barbecue, by any chance?"

I noticed that the fair skin on my daughter's face suddenly turned red.

My present self had no idea who this "Dende" guy was. However, my future self knew, and didn't seem to enjoy the direction of that subject that much.

"Oh, sweetheart," said Lettie. "Today's just a simple lunch with Goku's family. We promise that next time we'll call him over, okay?"

"I don't promise anything." I crossed my arms with the same grumpy pout as before. "You've been talking too much about Dende, young lady. In fact, I heard that he invited you to the mall, is that true?"

"And you, like a good father, are going to let her go out with Dende, aren't you, darling?" Lettie hugged Naíma sideways, who looked quite embarrassed.

"Dunno. Gotta think about it..." I pretended indifference.

Our daughter then looked at me in such a cute way that it was impossible for me to refuse.

"Argh! Alright, alright!" I clicked my tongue, defeated. "You have my permission to go out with Dende. As long as you take your brothers along."

"Hey! We're not bodyguards!" Nail exclaimed from the couch.

"And Dende is cool, Dad," added Daikon. "Stop this silly jealousy."

"May I know what are you two doing there?" I asked. "Off to bath. You're stinking! You'll dirty this whole house."

Before I went down the hall to clean up those petulant brats, Naíma gave me another tight hug. "Thank you so much, Daddy! I'll take the boys with us. Dende truly likes them."

'Course I wasn't going to let the twins ruin my dear Naíma's date, but I agreed just to maintain my tough-guy pose while Lettie chuckled as she checked another roast in the oven. Apparently, my reputation with my wife had already gone down the drain years ago.

Soon, we were all ready to welcome our guests, taking the dishes to a table that I set up on the lawn outside, next to a portable barbecue grill, which I would be responsible for. It didn't take long, and Goku's family arrived.

This part of my dream was not so clear to my present self. I saw Goku, Chi-chi and Gohan arriving, but there were more people with them that I couldn't discern.

All I know is that Goku and Chi-chi had another son. Gohan brought his wife and baby, who also didn't have a defined face for me to keep in my memory.

It was all so strange and familiar at the same time, as if I had known everyone there for many, many years, united by a harmonious bond there in the front yard of our house. I was literally having a barbecue in the company of my biggest rival, while Lettie and Chi-chi talked like best friends, my twins played with their youngest son, and Naíma melted with Gohan's baby.

All my life, I thought my happiness would come after I conquered and dominated the world. However, little did I know that, by witnessing that moment, even if it wasn't so clear to my present self, I could feel such satisfaction and fulfillment as something as simple as a family lunch.

At dusk, after saying goodbye to everyone, the twins crashed from playing so much, and we put them to bed. Those two would only wake up the next day. One task less. Then, I kept my promise: I washed all the dishes. But Naíma, poor thing, helped me dry and put everything away, while her mother finally rested on the couch after much insistence from me. After all, Lettie had worked all morning to make this lunch a success, and I wanted her in a good mood for what we would do later.

At the beginning of the night, Lettie and I told Naíma that we were going out to train and we didn't have time to come back, which made her extremely happy, because, what teenager wouldn't want to have the whole house to do whatever they wanted, especially when the two pests she called brothers were sleeping like rocks and unable to stop her from watching her movies and eating all the ice cream left in the fridge?

"Please, come back only tomorrow!" She waved at us from the front door on the porch with a big smile. "Oh, and I love you! Have a good training!"

Naíma had barely closed the door before Lettie looked at me with a mischievous smile that I knew very well. The same one she gave me when she learned to fly when I trained her with Gohan to defeat the Saiyans, many, many years ago.

She wanted to race a flight to where we would train that night, and if you're a sensible husband, you'll know that it's impossible to refuse such a request.

We flew off with such an impact that we left a mini crater open where we had previously set up the lunch table on the lawn.

Through the clouds we went, with a remnant of the Sun just setting on the horizon, painting the sky with shades of purple, blue and pink, and the stars already shining overhead.

No matter how many times Lettie flew, she always smiled when she felt the wind against her face, and I smiled when I saw her smile.

I won the race, and I think my wife let it on purpose, for she knew I had lost to the boys in the morning. As always, Lettie was kind.

When she landed next to me, we contemplated the scenario that would be part of our training that night; a scene so well known and so, so beloved: our Camp on top of the rock formation.

Everything was there, but better. The tent, now old due to the effects of time, was surrounded by other two, which housed Naíma and the twins when we visited the place. The unlit campfire was also still there, in the same place, with the same cauldron still swaying in the night breeze on its wooden stand.

Lettie and I wouldn't exactly train there, at the Camp. We would go to an open field a distance away, as we would never have the courage to destroy a place that brought us so many precious memories.

When we arrived in the open field, we positioned ourselves in front of each other, separated by a few meters and illuminated by the large full moon above us.

We exchanged a little smile and gazed deeply at each other.

How could Lettie remain as beautiful as the first time I saw her on Master Roshi's island? I should be careful, or I would be easily defeated just by her look.

A silence fell between us. It seemed like even the nocturnal animals stopped to watch our fight.

Lettie then lunged forward to attack me. I blocked her blows with my arms crossed, pretending to look disdainful, just to show off to her, which only made her attack with more force. We both had that dynamic. Lettie liked to attack and I liked to defend, each exploiting the other's strengths and weaknesses.

The adrenaline of our combat became so intense, and our Ki rose to such a point that it made the earth shake with each blow, defense or attack.

At one point, just to tease her, I increased the weights on Lettie's uniform, and she gaped her mouth in a mixture of laughter and indignation. "So, you're playing dirty, darling?" She narrowed her eyes at me with a bold smile. "Alright, then. I'm going to play as well."

Lettie levitated, hovering high in the sky, and her Ki increased exponentially.

It was then that something happened.

My wife transformed, right before my eyes.

An aura of power surrounded her, her blue eyes shone like two headlights, and her short black hair suddenly turned blonde and flaming like fire.

Staring at her from below, my present self could not believe such a view.

What... was... that...?!

What kind of transformation was that?!

Such was the power that emanated from Lettie, that lightning came out of the clouds, and thunder echoed like bombs.

She then raised her hands and ten energy balls formed on her ten fingers.

"TEN…KO…CHI!!!" Lettie fired them at me.

My present self was still so stunned by what I was witnessing that I didn't have time to dodge. Lettie's attack hit me with full force, raising a gigantic cloud of dust around me, and I fell to the ground, defeated by my opponent.

But I didn't get up. I remained fallen on that sand, without moving a muscle, with my uniform all torn and tattered.

Lettie's Ki decreased and I felt her quickly fly towards me.

"Oh, no!" She took me in her arms, running her hand over my face, the same way she had done to me on my deathbed in our fight against the Saiyans. "Babe??? Are you okay?! Did I go too far?"

I remained with my eyes closed, without answering her.

"PICCOLO!" She shook me in despair. "Talk to me!"

I opened my eyes suddenly, and it was my turn to give her a bold smile.

Lettie barely had time to gasp in surprise before I kissed her, ardently.

At the same moment, she surrendered and held my face. I grabbed her head from behind her hair and brought her closer. For a moment, I pulled away and whispered, "Come here..." I picked her up and flew off. The same way she liked when she hadn't yet learned to fly.

I knew exactly where I would take her.

When we arrived at the Hot Springs, we saw its night view. It was still gorgeous, just as it was during the day. But now, in addition to being illuminated by the moon and stars, it was also illuminated by several fireflies floating over the natural pools, and by algae that shone beneath the waters.

I didn't even realize when we were already naked in the central lake. Lettie wrapped her arms around my neck and, hugging each other, we brought our lips together, kissing slow and soft as we moved our heads.

The place where I had seen Lettie's body destroyed by my own hands so long ago, now became the place where I loved her with all my soul; my heart aflame and swollen with the purest, deepest feeling I had ever felt.

We made love until the early hours of the morning.

When we returned home, we found Naíma sleeping on the couch, with a big empty bucket of popcorn resting on her lap and a movie about dancing princesses playing on TV.

In silence, while Lettie cleaned up the remaining clutter in the living room and kitchen, I picked up my daughter as if she were still the baby I once held and carried her to her bedroom. When I placed her in bed, I covered her and kissed her forehead, however, when I turned around, her hand pulled me and, still with her eyes closed, Naíma smiled and said, softly, "Good night, Daddy. You're the best dad in the world. I love you..." And she fell asleep again.

With a smile full of pride, I left her bedroom and closed the door. Next, I went to check on the twins. Nail had fallen out of bed and was sleeping face up on the floor, while Daikon did the feat of wrapping the blanket around his neck to the point of almost suffocating him, sleeping upside down. After ensuring they were both back in safe positions on their beds, I also left and closed the door.

At last, Lettie and I changed in our bedroom and went to bed. Under the blankets, she snuggled to rest her head on my chest.

"Do you know what the boys told me today?" she whispered.

"What?"

"That 'Daddy's the strongest man in the world'."

Even with the dim light from the moon through the wooden window shutters, I saw her smiling at me. I let out a chuckle and replied, "We all know very well that your brother is the strongest man in the world, not me."

"Well, that's not what I, Naíma and the boys think..." Lettie intertwined her fingers with mine, gave me a peck kiss and fell asleep in the next second.

I stayed there, lying in silence with her, staring at the ceiling. However, despite the peace I felt when going over everything I had experienced that day, my present self was full of doubts and questions.

Why was I having that dream right when life left me there on the battlefield with Vegeta and Nappa? What did it mean? Was all of this just a hallucination that death had caused me?

But, it felt so real…

Every second I lived on this day seemed to translate a deep desire that little by little grew in my heart as I spent that one year of Training in the company of Lettie and Gohan.

Could it be that, after giving up on conquering the world and after asking myself for so long what my next dream would be, did I get my answer?

Was living in the company of Lettie, our children, and the rest of our family what my soul longed for? Was living a simple life, sharing everyday moments, and training after a pleasant day what I wanted most?

The answer to these questions came, and I was overcome by a powerful feeling of the purest and most complete…happiness and contentment.

But then, everything changed.

All those good feelings were replaced by a horrifying chill when I felt a presence approaching our house.

An evil presence.

The bluish moonlight in our room turned bright red, bringing with it an aura of terror.

My pulse immediately raced, causing me to break out in a cold sweat, and I tried to wake Lettie. But she didn't wake up. She continued sleeping as if nothing was happening.

I ran out of our bedroom and went to check on our children. They also seemed not to have felt that haunting presence that surrounded our house and remained in their beds, the way I had placed them.

Without even thinking twice, I transfigured my pajamas to my purple fighting suit, to be at least prepared, ready to face whoever was there threatening my family.

When I left the front door and ran onto the lawn, I looked up at the sky, searching for that presence. The moon was the color of blood; not only it, but the entire surrounding landscape had transformed into a macabre, dark and tenebrous scene, causing goosebumps throughout my body.

"WHO'S THERE?!" I shouted. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

It was then that I saw it; a figure hovering high above, glaring at me with the most evil look I've ever seen.

I couldn't identify what or who it was. The only thing I knew was that just looking at him made my stomach church in panic.

"W-WHAT DO YOU WANT???" I asked, not without my voice cracking.

Even far away, I saw the creature open a smile full of malice. Then, he raised his arms in the air and created a massive ball of energy and aimed it directly at my house.

No…

No…!

NO!!!!!

Before I had time to do anything, the ball of energy swallowed my house in a deafening explosion, throwing me far away.

A high-pitched noise rang in my ears as I leaned on the ground to get up, feeling a trickle of blood run from my head until it fell into my mouth. Trembling, I raised my gaze straight ahead and panted in complete despair.

My house was destroyed and, in front of me, I saw bodies fallen.

"No..." I whispered, unable to feel my own heart.

Drawing strength from where I didn't have it, I ran to those bodies and finally, I felt my heart. It almost stopped beating.

Naíma, Daikon and Nail lay in front of me.

All dead.

I fell to my knees with a thud and stared at my lifeless children.

"N-N-No..." I ran my hands over their motionless bodies, now tasting the mixture of tears and blood getting into my mouth.

"Mr. Piccolo..." A fourth childish voice appeared next to my children, and when I saw him, I held my breath.

It was Gohan, also lying on the ground with his fighting uniform in tatters. However, it was not the adult Gohan and family man who had had lunch with us earlier, but rather the kid Gohan, who was with me on that battlefield with the Saiyans.

"Mr. Piccolo…" His glazed look met mine. "H-Help me…"

In the next second, he closed his eyes and his Ki disappeared.

"NO!!!" In an act of desperation, I wrapped those four bodies in my arms, bringing them to me, in an attempt to see if there was still any trace of life in them, but it was only to confirm that there was no going back.

I had lost all my children.

It was then that I heard; a fifth voice, delicate and feminine.

"P-Piccolo... B-Babe..."

When I looked up, I finally saw her.

My wife. Also lying on the ground among the ruins of what had once been our bedroom.

Feeling a shattering pain cutting through my chest, I carefully placed our children back on the ground, and rushed towards her.

"Lettie!!!" I took her in my arms, the same way she had done with me in our fight against the Saiyans. "Love, talk to me!"

Her face was covered in wounds and cuts caused by the debris.

"P-P-Piccolo..." She coughed up blood as she squeezed my arm, with a tear tracing a trickle through the dirt that covered her. "Y-Y-You promised… Y-You promised you would p-protect us…"

And then, she stared at me, and the gleam that I knew so well vanished from her eyes, making them empty and as lifeless as those of our children across that ruined landscape.

I couldn't bear it any longer.

"LETTIE, NO!!!" I screamed with all the strength I had left as I shook her in my arms. "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"

But it was too late. It didn't matter how much I shook them or called their names.

I had lost them.

The creature, which watched everything hovering in the red skies, flew above me and laughed, devilishly and mercilessly.

"WHY DID YOU DO IT?!?!" I shouted; my eyes bloodshot with anger and desolation. "WHY?????"

"Oh, Piccolo, Piccolo..." My Enemy's voice was hissing like an evil serpent. Smiling, he opened his arms to gesture at the destruction around me and declared loudly, "This is the price of your dream."

Then, he created another ball of energy and threw it, devouring not only me but everything beyond, with its lethal force.

I didn't see anything else. Blackness was the only predominant color, making me feel as if I were floating in the empty realm of affliction.

Why did that happen? Why did I find myself in a perfect scenario with the woman I love, with our children and family, only to see them being killed in the end by such a merciless Enemy?

What did that mean?

What message or warning did it want to give me?

It was then that it dawned on me. There was only one plausible answer as an explanation.

What I just witnessed, what I just experienced, could not be my dream. It simply couldn't.

That was a vision, a premonition.

Yes…

Everything I experienced that day was a glimpse of what would happen in my life if I accepted my feelings for Lettie and we stayed together.

That was the future that awaited us. Unhappiness, destruction and death.

In both scenarios, I would break my promise: dying in the battle against the Saiyans, leaving Lettie and Gohan to fight such powerful enemies on their own; or surviving and marrying Lettie, having our children and family, only for me to lose them all in a terrible catastrophe.

In both scenarios, I would never be able to achieve happiness.

I carry for eternity the weight of not having protected them, without the slightest chance of saving them from evil.

There is no way out for me. This was my destiny, my fate, with the final decree of my miserable condition, in the threatening voice of my Enemy:

"You've failed, Piccolo.

And those who paid the price were the ones you loved."