The Saiyan Heritage and the Loneliness of the Warrior

LETTIE

Our group continued talking after Vegeta left.

"What I just can't accept," said Tien, now fully recovered, "is that even after facing these Androids head-on, we still couldn't stop them! It's absurd!"

"Guys, I'm sorry," Krillin lowered his head. "But as soon as they showed up, my legs froze. I couldn't fight. Oh, if only Goku were here!"

To my surprise, Piccolo replied, "Don't worry. Even Trunks, who turned into a Super Saiyan, was taken down with a single blow. The strength of our opponents is beyond our imagination. Even if you had joined the fight, the outcome wouldn't have been different, Krillin."

"But what really happened while we were buried?" I asked.

Trunks, Tien, and I remained silent, waiting for an answer. I noticed my fiancé seemed a bit hesitant. Krillin looked at him for a moment and, cautiously, replied, "The Androids… didn't want to fight Piccolo."

"Really?" I responded, confused. "Why not?!"

Piccolo pressed his lips together, deep in thought. "I believe it was because of my fusion with Kami," he finally answered. "They realized I had increased my power, and for some reason, they didn't want to face me just yet."

Everyone exchanged curious glances. Then, my fiancé repeated what Android 17 had told him earlier, about everything being a game to them.

"So, this is all just a joke to these bastards?!" Tien clenched his fists at his sides, absolutely furious. "At this rate, we'll never defeat them! If not even Trunks or Vegeta in his Super Saiyan form could do it, I doubt Goku will be able to either!"

His words were like a bucket of cold water. Harsh, but realistic.

"They're behaving just like they do in my timeline," Trunks admitted, troubled. "However, I have to say that the Androids in this era are stronger than the ones in my future. At least in my timeline, I could fight them almost evenly."

A heavy silence fell upon us.

"To be very, very honest…" I let out a long sigh. "I'm tired of getting beaten up."

Krillin placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a sad smile. "We all are."

"What a fine career we've chosen. Saviors of the world," I squeezed his hand and returned the smile. "And we don't even get paid for it! Ugh!"

For the second time, Piccolo surprised me by letting out a chuckle. Then Trunks started laughing too, soon infecting Tien.

We all laughed for a few seconds. It felt great. We needed that moment of relief. It gave me that same sense of a close-knit group of friends that I had felt years ago, back when we gathered to fight Nappa and Vegeta.

But now, our bond was even stronger.

"Well, guys…" Tien took a deep breath after the laughter faded. "Our future looks obscure. What do we do now?"

"I think the safest course of action is to take Goku somewhere more secure," Piccolo suggested. "At a time like this, we can't risk his life."

"Yes." I nodded, resting my chin on my hand. "And we need to figure out a plan for after my brother recovers from his illness."

"That's true," my fiancé agreed, but then his expression darkened. "There's something else I haven't told you… and it might not be good news."

Great. Now what?!

Everyone turned their attention to him.

"When I fused with Kami," he continued, "the Dragon Balls ceased to exist."

We gasped, stunned. Piccolo went on, "I have to admit that, at the time of the fusion, I… I didn't even think about that detail. Not even Kami himself warned me, since he was in such a rush to complete the fusion and…" His voice trailed off.

I knew what he meant. Kami was so desperate to help Piccolo that he hadn't even considered the consequences of the fusion—the disappearance of the Dragon Balls.

At that moment, his son's well-being had been more important than anything else.

Piccolo looked deeply troubled talking about his father. His voice carried sadness and longing.

"Either way," he continued, "the result would have been the same. If I hadn't fused, the Dragon Balls could have disappeared if either Kami or I had died at the hands of the Androids. But now, we need to be more cautious because if one of us dies…"

His voice faded again, and everyone fell silent, lost in thought about the implications of his words.

"So…" I placed my hands on my hips. "We need a new Namekian to become the Guardian of Earth—someone who can create new Dragon Balls."

"But who would take on that role?" Trunks asked.

Good question.

Who?

No one said anything for nearly a full minute.

"Well…" Piccolo finally spoke. "Let's take this one step at a time. Since the Androids made it clear they're in no hurry to find Goku, I think we have a decent window of time to hide him until he fully recovers. Trunks, how long does the medicine take to work?"

"Around two weeks, or even less, considering it's Goku."

"Alright." Piccolo nodded. "Let's be smart and make good use of that time. What do you all suggest?"

"I think the best decision is to go into hiding," I replied. "We can move my brother somewhere even more strategic and secure." I started pacing over the rocky ground. "His house is already pretty isolated, but it could still be tracked since it's close to villages. Where else can we take him?"

"Master Roshi's house!" Krillin exclaimed. "It's literally in the middle of the ocean, on a tiny island! It's the perfect hiding spot!"

Everyone exchanged thoughtful and optimistic glances. Yeah… it seemed like a solid plan.

"That's a great idea!" Tien agreed. "In the meantime, I'll pick up Chiaotzu and train a bit more. Any and all techniques might come in handy now."

"Besides," Trunks added, "we have the advantage that none of those Androids seem to have any kind of radar to track us."

"Then, is everyone in agreement?" Piccolo asked, and we all nodded.

For just a brief moment, I allowed myself to look at my fiancé before we took off. He still carried that same aura of authority I had felt when I woke up in his room at the Temple.

The aura of a true leader.

I had never been prouder of him. Piccolo noticed my gaze on him, and to my utter despair as a hopelessly romantic woman, he gave me a wink.

I almost squealed.

Almost.

***

"There!" I pointed to a spot at the top of a hill as I flew with Piccolo, Trunks, and Krillin. "That's Goku's house! We made it!"

We landed in front of the familiar grassy yard, instantly greeted by the delicious aroma of roasting meat wafting from the kitchen chimney. My sister-in-law was surely preparing a feast for when her husband recovered.

These small details are what keep our hopes alive.

Krillin took the lead and ran up to knock on the door. It took no more than five seconds before it was practically flung open by a frantic Chi-Chi.

"GOHAN, MY SON????? Oh, it's you, Krillin."

We stood there, stunned, as the poor guy teared up and rubbed a massive lump on his bald head from the impact of the door slamming into him.

Gently, I stepped forward, bringing Trunks into view. "Sweetheart, this is Goku's wife. Chi-Chi, this is the boy from the future who warned us about the Androids. His name is Trunks. He's also the one who brought the medicine and—"

Chi-Chi launched herself at him. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!" she sobbed. "I-If you hadn't b-brought the medicine, my husband w-would already be d-dead!!! You're an angel in our lives!!!"

Piccolo and I exchanged surprised looks, as did the others. Even Yamcha soon emerged from one of the rooms, asking about the commotion.

Trunks, visibly flustered, hesitantly returned the hug, giving her a few gentle pats on the back while murmuring comforting words. Of all the things he had expected from time traveling, I doubt he anticipated receiving this many hugs.

"How's Goku?!" Krillin asked anxiously.

"Fortunately, he's doing well," Yamcha replied. "He just took another dose of the medicine and is resting now." He scratched his head. "Wait… if you're all here, does that mean you defeated the Androids??"

"We'll explain everything later," Piccolo answered. "Right now, three Androids are searching for Goku as we speak, so we need to get everyone to Master Roshi's island immediately."

His words carried such conviction that Chi-Chi and Yamcha didn't even question him. Their mouths fell open, and they simply nodded.

The problem was, we didn't have a proper means of transport to move Goku and the family's luggage to Master Roshi's island. However, Yamcha suggested borrowing a small cargo plane from Capsule Corporation. After a quick call to Bulma, who was already home safe, he and Krillin flew off as fast as possible to retrieve the plane.

While Trunks helped Chi-Chi carry bags to the yard, Piccolo found me folding some of Gohan's clothes in his room.

"Where do you think he is?" Piccolo asked, his tone subdued as he ran his fingers along the spines of the neatly arranged books on my nephew's desk.

"Bulma said Gohan was already on his way back when we called. He should be here soon." I glanced at the dinosaur-print pajamas in my hands before turning to Piccolo. "Don't worry, love. I'm sure he's fine. Our boy is smart."

Piccolo lowered his shoulders but remained silent, his expression melancholy.

"Do you think…" he began, "do you think Gohan will be happy about the news?" His eyes gleamed as they met mine. "About… our engagement?"

I put away a few pairs of socks and walked over to him, taking his hands in mine with a gentle smile.

"Do you remember when we trained that year against the Saiyans and got caught in that huge storm, so the three of us stayed inside the tent, talking?"

"I remember…" Piccolo chuckled through his nose. "Gohan suggested that after the battle, you and I should get married and give him a little cousin to play explorer with."

"You stormed off in the middle of the rain, totally outraged." I laughed as I recalled the hilarious scene. "You splashed water everywhere."

"That's true…" Piccolo admitted. "I think the idea of marrying you and having children felt so utopian to me at the time that it was practically inconceivable." He furrowed his brow. "But at the same time… it also sounded so… good."

I squeezed his hands just a little tighter. "See? If Gohan wanted us to get married when he was four, imagine now that he's almost ten." I walked over to the luggage to close it. "And in the end, we actually did everything he suggested—just completely backward! First, we had the daughter, and only now are we getting married. What a mess!"

"I admit part of that is my fault." Piccolo made a playful grimace. "Sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for." I blinked slowly and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm really happy with where we are now, even with the Android threat looming over us." I sighed. "There's just one thing that worries me."

"What is it?"

"Naíma," I answered, looking at him firmly. "I'm afraid our daughter might be in danger. Do you think we should take her with us to Master Roshi's island?"

Piccolo pondered for a few seconds. "I don't think so," he finally said. "It might actually be wiser if we don't all stay in one place. That could spread the Androids out a bit more. Besides, she'll be safe with Mr. Popo." He crossed his arms and huffed. "Honestly, Lettie, for all we know, that man might be stronger than a Super Saiyan, and we're just clueless! I've never met anyone as mysterious as him!"

We both laughed.

Suddenly, Trunks burst into the room, smiling and out of breath. "Mr. Piccolo, Mrs. Lettie! Krillin and Yamcha are back with the plane! And Gohan just arrived too! We can leave now!"

Within minutes, we boarded the small yellow cargo plane that Bulma had lent us. Yamcha would be the pilot, while the rest of us sat on the side benches lining the spacious metallic interior, strapped in like soldiers heading to war. And in the very center, Goku lay on an improvised mat, in clear view of everyone.

"So," Gohan said as the plane took off, "these Androids are really that strong?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Piccolo replied beside me, arms crossed. "Stronger than Trunks had warned us about."

"And to top it off," I added, "besides Numbers 17 and 18, a mysterious Android 16 also showed up."

"But now what?" Yamcha asked. "What do we do?"

"That's the million-dollar question…" Krillin muttered.

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Chi-Chi unbuckled her seatbelt to check on her husband.

"Well, I have a suggestion," Trunks announced. "With my time machine, I can go back to the past and destroy those Androids before they're awakened. After all, we now know where Dr. Gero's lab is, right?"

"Good idea!" Yamcha gave him a thumbs-up.

"Wait, Trunks," I argued cautiously. "From what I remember, you said your time machine wasn't perfected yet. Besides, Goku also mentioned that recharging its energy takes a long time and a lot of effort. Think about it…" I opened my hands. "Even if you manage to go back, will you be able to return to the future? What if you… end up trapped?"

Trunks lowered his head, and a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. "That's true, Mrs. Lettie…"

"Hey, guys, I have a question," Gohan said. "For example, if Trunks goes back in time and destroys the Androids, what happens to the Androids from now? Will they just disappear?"

"Oh! That's right!" Trunks exclaimed, stunned. "I totally forgot about that detail!"

"What detail?" Piccolo asked, confused.

"Time travel is a lot more complicated than it seems, Mr. Piccolo. If I go back to the past and destroy the Androids before they awaken, that past's future will be safe. However, since in this current timeline they've already awakened, nothing will change."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Let me explain…" He scratched his chin. "For example, I brought medicine from the future for Goku, right? Because of that, he was able to overcome the illness and survive. But in MY future, in MY timeline, that never happened. He won't come back to life because he died from a heart disease years ago, at a time when that medicine didn't exist."

Everyone turned their gaze toward Goku, who was sleeping soundly. Krillin groaned. "This is giving me a headache…"

He wasn't wrong. This whole time-travel issue was making my temples throb with anxiety and uncertainty.

"In short," Trunks concluded, "there's one timeline where Goku survives—yours. And one timeline where he didn't—mine."

"I get it!" Gohan said. "So if we change even one small detail in the past, we could end up creating different timelines, right?"

"Exactly," Trunks confirmed.

"Wait." Piccolo raised a hand. "So, if Goku manages to destroy the Androids in our current timeline, the Androids in your timeline will still exist because they're from two different timelines."

"That's right."

My fiancé and I exchanged anxious glances. Knowing that our daughter would still have to live in a world terrorized by those Androids was terrifying.

Which led me to ask, "So, Trunks, why did you come to us?" I looked at him deeply, feeling tears welling up. "Since nothing will change in your timeline, what is your… goal?"

Everyone stared at him.

Trunks unbuckled his seatbelt and walked to the window that stretched across the side of the aircraft, gazing at the landscape outside.

"It was all because of my mother," he revealed.

Silence.

"My mother suffered so much because of the Androids that she thought it would be good for at least one world to have peace, a world where they were defeated. But our main goal was to find out the Androids' weaknesses by observing them in a fight against Goku. That way, I could learn something to use against my Androids, or, in a last, desperate measure, we had even considered bringing Goku to my timeline using the time machine to defeat them."

As Trunks spoke, I couldn't help but think about the devastated world he came from. How did people even survive amidst such destruction and ruin? What were the lives of families like—of fathers, mothers… children?

How did they sleep at night? How did they find food? Just imagining my little daughter crying, trembling in fear because of the Androids, felt like a sharp, double-edged blade piercing my heart.

Suddenly, someone took my hand.

Piccolo.

As if he knew exactly what I was feeling, he intertwined our fingers, trying—through that simple gesture—to give me a sense of peace, security, and maybe… hope.

But what about Trunks? I looked at him, standing by the window, his expression weighed down by burdens, battles, and, above all, grief. A deep, harrowing grief for all those he had lost in his timeline.

How much longer would this young boy have to endure so much pain?

"I'm sorry." Trunks suddenly shook his head, his eyes widening as if snapping out of a trance. Then, he sat back down on. "The strange thing about all of this is that I arrived in a past very different from my own, with entirely different circumstances. I arrived long before Goku showed any symptoms of his illness. And in this world, instead of two Androids, three of them appeared, and their power is beyond anything we imagined. I can't help but wonder… if this is all my fault. My fault…"

His voice faded into the air, and he began biting his nails so violently that they started to bleed.

I wanted to cry. Cry and hold him. To cradle him against my chest as if he were that baby who was now safe and sound at Bulma's house, probably playing with a stuffed animal or sleeping—free from fear and worries, just as every baby should be.

"There's no reason for you to feel guilty," Chi-Chi said, and everyone turned to her as she sat beside Goku. She then smiled. "If you hadn't come to this time, Goku would have already died from the illness." She caressed her husband's face. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Trunks."

Chi-Chi and Trunks exchanged such sweet smiles that a warm sensation spread through all of us. My heart swelled, and for that brief moment, I felt a true sense of peace.

"Hey, Aunt Lettie…" Gohan tilted his head toward me. "Why are you holding hands with Mr. Piccolo?"

I looked down and only then realized that Piccolo and I still had our fingers intertwined.

"Oh, you don't know yet, Gohan?" Krillin asked.

"Know what?" Chi-Chi inquired, now casting a curious glance our way as well.

Piccolo blushed beside me, and I could feel my own cheeks heating up. Still, we kept our hands firm, steady, and united. With a meaningful look, we exchanged a small nod and a soft smile.

"Gohan, Chi-Chi…" I began, nervous but unable to stop my smile from growing. "While we were away, some things happened and… in that time, Piccolo proposed to me, and I… I accepted."

Silence. My sister-in-law and nephew stared at us, unblinking.

Then, Chi-Chi threw her arms into the air and burst into laughter, "OH!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! THIS IS WONDERFUL NEWS!!! IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!! SO THAT'S WHY YOU CAME TO PICK UP NAÍMA AND CALLED HER YOUR DAUGHTER??"

"Yes," my fiancé answered, looking quite bashful.

Chi-Chi jumped up and hugged us, crying tears of joy. Even Yamcha congratulated us from the cockpit, while Krillin proudly boasted that he had been the first to know and had always suspected our romance (Piccolo shot him a disapproving glare that shut him up immediately).

Gohan, however, remained frozen, his gaze locked onto us.

"W-What is it, sweetheart?" I asked him cautiously. "You don't like the news?"

Gohan slowly unfastened his seatbelt, stood up, and stepped in front of Piccolo and me. Then, he broke into a wide smile, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Mr. Piccolo… does this mean that from now on… I can call you Uncle Piccolo?"

My fiancé's eyebrows lifted, and he stiffened. His grip on my fingers tightened—but I think it was unintentional.

Something about Gohan's words struck him deeply. Piccolo swallowed hard, as if struggling to hold back a lump in his throat. His eyes shimmered, glistening with tears he fought so bravely to contain in front of everyone.

What would he say? How would he react? Would his strict nature make him reject the boy who loved him so dearly?

Slowly, Piccolo released my hand, pulled Gohan close, and wrapped him in a warm embrace.

"Yes." He smiled. "From now on, I will be your Uncle Piccolo… and you will be my dear nephew, Gohan."