I am Kera, a Saiyan Warrior Princess

Chapter 56

Piccolo:

A shaking went through the platform of Dende's palace. Since Kera's disappearance, he and the children had stayed here almost exclusively. He could hardly stand it in the forest, at their hut. It was too painful to look at all the things that reminded him so much of Kera. After months of searching in vain, he had been on the verge of giving up on himself. Dende had come to him one day. Probably at Menka's request, as he suspected in retrospect, and had persuaded him to move into the palace with the children.

Piccolo had resisted at first and had only given in after much pleading and begging from his children. It took him a few days to realise that it had been the right decision. In the palace he could breathe a little more freely again and it did Menka and Reyak good to have company. In addition, Popo was cooking for them very well.

Some days Piccolo wondered how Bulma was doing. He knew he was a coward for not visiting her. She was going through the same thing he was. But, come to think of it, he didn't want her to see his vulnerability and at the same time feared that her pain would increase his. Through Reyak, who visited Trunks regularly, he knew that she didn't sit apathetically in the living room like he did, but had thrown herself headlong into some research project. Everyone had a different way of escaping.

The shaking died down and Dende came running towards him excitedly. "What happened?"

"I felt Kera's aura for a very short time. Now it's gone again." Piccolo's chest tightened painfully again. To feel that aura, to know that she was actually still alive, was indescribable. But the brief joy was instantly masked with a pain that again made him clearly aware of Kera's absence.

Just behind Dende, Menka ran. "Papa, I know where Mama is!"

"What?!" She had managed to track down Kera in that short time? "Where is she?"

"I'll show you." She grabbed Piccolo's hand. As he closed his eyes, he saw the place she must have seen.

"That's where she is?"

Menka nodded. "She was ... in pain."

"I'm flying off."

Before anyone could stop him, he was off. He spotted the island Menka had seen from a distance. It was small, easily a hundred paces wide and very rocky with little vegetation.

Piccolo flew close to the island over the surface of the sea. He carefully searched the island for the cave entrance Menka had shown him and, to his relief, recognised a dense bush near the entrance behind which he could easily hide.

He waited. If Menka had indeed seen this place and sensed that Kera was here, then so was she. He trusted his daughter. He just had to wait.

The position of the sun had changed only slightly when something finally happened at the entrance. First he heard a rustling. Then footsteps. Then he had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from crying out loud.

Kera and Vegeta had stepped outside the cave. At least these beings looked like Kera and Vegeta. He didn't feel their aura, though. He didn't feel any energy at all. And Kera and Vegeta had also changed externally. Vegeta was not wearing his usual armour, but a long black coat. Kera was wearing a floor-length, low-cut dress. Also black. Although Piccolo was pleased to have finally found Kera again, he faltered briefly and wondered if Kera would normally wear such a dress. Then he shook his head. No time for such thoughts.

He blinked several times. And then still wasn't sure. It seemed as if they were both surrounded by a constantly moving black mass. Sometimes it seemed almost opaque, then just like a faded mist.

Kera, or whoever she was, carried a small bundle in her arms. Was that a ...?

"She's beautiful, Aitor!"