Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Seasons ❯ Painful Revelations ( Chapter 15 )

Neko had heard Piccolo scream and paused in her training, mid-stance, alarmed. In all her life she'd never heard such a sound coming from her father. It was the sound of someone in horrible agony. She could sense her father's pain from inside the spacious rooms with their high, high ceilings that had been given to her and wondered what could have caused him to react that way.

She slipped out of the rooms, using one of the windows, and launched herself into the air, searching desperatly for any sign of her father. The day was wearing down and she could even see the outline of two perfectly matched cresent moons begin to show themselves, like half-closed eyes watching her, in the lavender sky. She saw the glow far off in the distance and watched as it became brighter and brighter and finally exploded in a blaze of energy towards a snow-capped mountain peak, demolishing that which nature created in an eruption of power so grand she had to avert her eyes.

"Father...what are you doing?" She asked herself, as she hung, suspended in mid-air, her twin ponytails flying out like banners behind her. She knew she had to stop him before he hurt someone! Only, she didn't know how! She had known her father was powerful and very strong, she just never realized how much! After a few more explosions and a cry of pain so rendering that she could not stand by and watch any longer. In a burst of energy, Neko shoved herself forward into the growing evening and towards her father.

Piccolo, panting and feeling the dampness run from his eyes and down his cheeks, cursed himself for being so stupid. For being such a fool as to give his heart to that cold-hearted bitch who just used him for her pleasure and then took up with the first muscle-bound human male who came along! He thought, bitterly, I hate her so much! He doubled up his fists and wished he had an enemy to take his frustration and pain out on, not just rocks and hills that feel no pain. It took him a few moments to realize that he wasn't alone any longer.

"Father? Father, what is it?" Neko asked, floating before him, a concerned look in her dark eyes. Piccolo looked at her. Her eyes. So much like his. Her hair was his too. He growled at her in anger, not really meaning to hurt her, but not being able to stop himself, "Leave me be, Neko."

"But, Father!" She cried, reaching out, lovingly, the way a daughter should when she saw her father in obvious distress, "What happened? Maybe I can help."

"You can't help!" He cried, "Get away from me, Neko! You look too much like HIM…I can't stand the sight of you right now…!"

Stunned, hurt and confused, Neko backed away, some part of her knew that her father was just lashing out at the first body to come along and that she shouldn't take anything he said personal…still, it hurt for the one she called father to speak to her as if he were disgusted with her. She tried again…

"Father…I…"

Piccolo rounded on her, screaming into her face, making her fly backwards in fear, "I am not your father, Neko! I never was and never will be!!"

"W-what?" She stuttered, shaking her head, "N-no! I know your not my real father…but you and Mom adopted me and…"

"No, only I adopted you," He said, "Your mother bore you."

"I don't…"

"What's not to understand, Neko?" He said, cruelly, ignoring the tears coursing like rivelets down his face, "Your mother wanted him even then and I was stupid enough to believe her lies that all she wanted was a child of own! And as soon as I leave she takes up with him…I wonder how long she's been fucking him behind my back!"

"Father…Piccolo…what are you talking about?" Neko asked, "Please, calm down and talk to me!"

"I'm talking about your mother and Gohan, Neko!" Piccolo raged, annoyed that he would have to spell things out for her like a damn kindergarten teacher, "Gohan is your real father!"

"Uncle Gohan?" She gasped, unable to believe, "I…I can't…why didn't anyone tell me this before? Why did you all keep it a secret? Did you think I would never find out?!"

"Obviously not." He said, with biting sarcasm, "You can stay here and finish what you began with Larajin, but I have to return to Earth. Now."

"Piccolo, I can't leave…I have to…" She began but he had all ready turned about and was flying away, his white cape fluttering in the wake of the breeze he was making. She followed after as best she could, trying to reason with him, "You can't leave yet! In a few days we are to…I mean I am to…"

He stopped and turned around so that he was in front of her, his eyes looked dead, as if all happiness and love had been stripped from them. He said, deadly serious, "I am returning to Earth. Now. If you don't want to be stranded here until you can hitch a ride back to Earth with someone, I suggest you come with me. I have some pressing business with your mother."

Neko, torn between her duty to avenge her friend's death and an even more urgent call, that of being with her family during this time of crisis, hung there in the sky, chewing her bottom lip and shaking her head, not certain what to do. Piccolo did not give her time to think about it. She realized, too late, that he'd all ready taken off once more towards the docking bays and sighing heavily, she turned towards the glimmering palace.

"Well, Your Highness," She said in a half-whisper, "Looks like our battle will have to wait." She turned about and followed Piccolo towards their waiting ship. After all, she thought, Family should always come first.

"Everything ready?" She asked, as she buckled herself in and Piccolo hit a few of the controls on the panel in front of them, they'd all ready stocked the ship with enough provisions to get them to Jalamir and back. He nodded and she felt the shift in gravity as the ship lifted up into space. Piccolo fired the thrusters and they moved forward as a great speed. He punched in the destination code and sat back, the only left to do now was wait. Wait and brood.

He closed his eyes and tried to meditate but all he could see was Alaura's face, beckoning, beseeching and looking at him with those liquid blue eyes that always reminded him of still pools of tranquil water, looking at him as if her words had been true, that she really did love him and always would. How could he have believed such lies? How could he? He did not know.

"I hate her, Neko." He spoke softly, almost too quiet for her to hear, Neko looked over and saw him with his head low, looking broken. She hated to see him this way, it scared her to see her normally powerful father, she still thought of him as her father, how could she do otherwise?, reduced to this. But, what could she…what could anyone do. She'd never been so ashamed of her mother in all her life. How could she hurt her father like this, like she didn't even care?! And Gohan…! How could he? How could he be her real father?! How could either one of them do this to Piccolo?! How could they?!

Unbuckling her safty belt, she moved over to her father and bent down to wrap her arms about his large frame, trying to give what little comfort she could. He tensed up and Neko was afraid he was going to shove her away and reject her once more, but after a moment's hesitation he returned her embrace and bowed his face into the crook of her shoulder and neck.

He mumbled against her skin and she did not catch most of what he said, only felt his tears wet where they feel against her, but he raised his head and looked into her eyes; "I hate her so much, Neko." She nodded, trying to understand, but not having been in love yet, she could not really know what heartbreak is, or how painful it could be. "I'm hurting so bad that I would gladly welcome death and even hell right now. I'm all mixed up inside, Neko…I hate her so much…but I love her too. I don't think I'll ever stop loving her. That's what makes me so much more the fool…If only I could just hate her…if only I could just hate her…"

Neko did not say anything, knowing, even at her young age of sixteen that sometimes, in some situations, words of care and concern are meaningless, lame, so she just continued to hold him and listened to him ramble on and on about how much he loved and hated her mother and again she felt torn, torn between being loyal to him, whom she loved dearly, or to the woman who bore her, who also loved her and had always been as good a mother to her as she knew how. She could not pick sides, Neko knew, but she could not stand to see either one in pain.

She knew things were only going to get worse once they arrived home again. She dreaded the outcome with all her heart. She also knew that she would have to confront her real father with the truth and prayed she wasn't just adding salt to a festering wound.