Epilogue: Unchallenged Kings
"There is a shining tower alone on the sea…you became the light on the dark side of me…"
Seal, "Kiss from a Rose (On The Grave)"
"The world is not enough…but it is such a perfect place to start my love…and if you're strong enough, together we can take the world apart, my love…"
Garbage, "The World is Not Enough"
"How's it going, Bulma?"
"I'm aligning and focussing the power now, just give me a few more minutes." Bulma said as she worked at the computer. Erik looked away from her at the assembled group.
"Well my friends…we must part again. We have our own worlds to protect…our own lives to live…so I suggest you say your goodbyes now."
Everyone nodded and began doing so. Erik walked over to Goku and his family.
"You'll be ok?"
"Dende and Tring will fix everything with the Dragon Balls…all those who died will be brought back, including our friends…I'm sure we can fix the damage too…Erik, will you be ok?"
Erik glanced over to Celeste, who was saying goodbye to Buu. Buu was nearly crushing her with his hug. He smirked slightly.
"I don't know…but I have hope…for the first time, in a long time." Erik said, and shook Goku's hand.
"Thank you for saving my life."
"Thank you for saving ours…I'm just glad this time you don't have to sacrifice its peace again." Goku said.
"Peace will invietably give way to war…it is the nature of humanity and society…but that won't stop me from trying to prevent it. That was always my belief." Erik said, and turned to Gohan and Goten. He smiled slightly.
It was nice to see Erik smile, Goten thought. It fit him.
"Thank you for believing in something even I didn't believe in…you were the key to it." Erik said. "But I'm sorry…your wives…"
"I know Erik…but like you said, Marron is strong. I know this will hurt her…but I also know she will recover…I'll do everything I can to help her…we can always…try again. We'll be fine, I know it."
"Videl will be the same. Don't burden your soul with what happened. The important thing is, they're all right…and what was done to them…was destroyed." Gohan added.
Erik sighed and shook Goten and Gohan's hands. He shook Pan and Chi Chi's as well, before heading over to Bulma.
"Ok, I'm going to open it!" Bulma said, and tapped a few final keys.
The Gateway opened with a sizzling cracking and a smell of ozone. Erik stared at it briefly and then pointed at two people.
"Set theirs first."
Bulma did so as Erik walked over to Spike.
Spike did not look good. His hands and feet were bound with complicated metal restraits that pretty much imobilized him, and he was ragged and tired from being locked up for several days. He glared at Erik.
"Now…what to do with you…you tried to kill us…you tried to kill Celeste…hmmm, what to do indeed…"
"Oh just stake me and get it over with! I'm sick of you and your gloating!" Spike growled.
"I've got dibs." Buffy added.
"No…he did help us against Agony…even if it was just to save his own skin…hmmmmm…I wonder…" Erik said, with a pondering look.
"Bloody hell…" Spike muttered, feeling utterly humilated.
"Spike…I know what you are going to get…you are going to get something that I have granted to very very few…mercy."
Buffy's eyes widened in surprise, along with Spike's. Erik pressed a button on his arm and the restraints loosened with a clank. Spike pulled them off with relish.
"Well, thank you mate."
Erik smirked and turned around.
"BUT THAT WAS A BLOODY MISTAKE!" Spike yelled as he launched himself at Erik's back, maddened by the grief the man had caused him.
Erik stopped as Spike's face contorted and his fangs plunged at Erik's neck.
Then Spike reared back with a scream, holding his head as if he had the mother of all migraines. Erik smirked and turned back to Spike.
"Oh yes, one thing I failed to mention." Erik said. "You know how Vagane said he removed the chip? He lied. He just deactivated it. That lovely jolt of electricity you got in that machine was enough to turn it back on."
"What…bloody no…but I hurt…"
"Agony. Who was as demonic as they come. And this gives me much more pleasure then killing you, Spike. Knowing you have to live deprived of all your greatest pleasures, of being unable to do anything but get smacked around with anything that has the slightest touch of innocence. That, and if Buffy wants to beat you up, you get beat up. That's much better, wouldn't you say Buffy?"
"I like your thinking, Erik." Buffy said, smirking herself. Erik returned and patted Spike's cheek.
"Go home William. And be miserable."
Spike growled loudly at Erik, but he knew he was beaten. He swept up his coat and headed for the Gateway.
"Oh, wait!"
Spike stopped and turned around as Erik headed over to where Bulma was sitting. He pressed a few buttons.
"Erik, what are you doing?"
"Resetting the last few coordinates. Just for a bonus on where he ends up when he gets back home."
"Oh great, where is that?" Spike groaned to himself. Erik heard him though, and looked over.
"I don't know, I picked them at random."
Spike's eyes widened.
"At RANDOM? But mate, I could wind up inside a volcano, or at the bottom of the bloody English Channel, or 10,000 feet up in the sky, or…!"
"I know. What fun." Erik said, and then suddenly he was in front of Spike. "See ya!"
And Erik shoved Spike backwards into the Gateway.
"BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Spike yelled, and then he was gone.
"Set it back to the previous coordinates, Bulma." Erik said.
"I assume that's my train." Buffy said, as she walked forward.
"Hey Buffy, once again, thanks." Erik said. "This wasn't your fight, but you came any way. You got beat up and even killed…"
"Again."
"Again?"
"Long story. The end result is, it didn't stick. That's a good thing." Buffy said, smiling slightly.
"Heh. Well…even so, for your help, we'd like to give you a little something."
Erik gestured and Chaozu tossed him a small bag. Erik handed it to Buffy.
"What are these?" Buffy said, looking in the bag. "Damn, I hoped they were credit cards."
"They're Senzu beans. I think you know what they do. I know as the Slayer, you have a special talent for healing quicker…but they could come in handy if you, heaven forbid, get your spine snapped or something…or if one of your friends does."
Buffy smiled and shook Erik's hand.
"You're a good guy Erik. I'm glad I met you."
"Same here Mrs. Summers. Have a safe trip back. You should come back about five minutes after you left."
"Oh yay, I have to go back to patrolling, can't you send me back a few hours later or something?" Buffy pouted.
"No."
"Oh well, I tried. See you guys!" Buffy said, waving as she headed for the Gateway. The Z Warriors and Legacy waved goodbye.
"Oh, and I want an invitation to the wedding!" Buffy said, and then she walked into the rip and was gone.
There were some snickers, as Erik blushed slightly. Pushing it away, he turned back to Bulma.
"I'm on it Erik."
"I see. Well…this is goodbye…for now any way. You never know what the future may hold."
The Legacy and Z Warriors exchanged one final set of goodbyes as Bulma re-set the coordinates for Erik's world.
"It's set Erik."
Wait, a new disaster may still happen! AH! I THINK I SEE TETSUO!
Everyone inhaled.
I know, I know, shut up Soulfire.
One by one, the Legacy members walked through the portal back to their world, each giving their own goodbyes. Finally, the only ones left were Erik and Celeste.
Erik smiled one last time as Celeste walked to his side.
"One last thank you…for all of you. I dragged you…"
"Erik, can the blame game, ok? We're all alive, and you finally have a future. We did it for each other. We are both blessed, not cursed, no matter what happened. Go home. Be happy."
Celeste smiled.
"Thank you all."
Erik and Celeste took each other's hands, and then they turned. As they walked forward, they gave one final wave.
And then they were gone.
Bulma pressed a button, and with one final sizzle the Gateway closed.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Well, now what?" Yamcha asked.
"As mentioned, Dende's gathering the Dragonballs as we speak. I also told Tring to get Namek's on hand, after he rebuilt them. They should be unable to undo all the damage Vagane and Agony did." Piccolo said. He was glad the whole thing was over. He couldn't wait to go to his favorite waterfall and meditate for a few days.
"What about the world population? Everyone's still screaming and pointing fingers on who allegedly did all the damage Vagane did." Trunks said.
"I think…we should have them forget."
Everyone looked at Goku. He shrugged.
"We can handle the truth…but most would never accept it. I suggest we use the Dragonballs and make them forget…like with Buu."
"I agree with Goku. Let ignorance be bliss." Vegeta said.
Everyone stared at Vegeta.
"What?"
"You called me Goku."
Vegeta suddenly sweatdropped.
"I did? Dear kami, I must have been hit too many times!"
"Ah Vegeta, I knew I would eventually grow on you." Goku said, smiling the traditional Son grin.
"YOU'LL NEVER GROW ON ME KAKAROTT! THAT REMINDS ME, I HAVE TO PUMMEL YOU BRUTALLY FOR ALL THOSE BEATINGS YOU GAVE ME, UNDER VAGANE'S CONTROL OF NOT!" Vegeta roared.
"I love you too Vegeta."
"BAKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Spike yelled as he fell out of the rip.
His landing was nowhere near as bad as he thought, as he landed in soft mud.
"Ow….hey, that wasn't so bad." Spike said.
Then with a roar of its horn, a 18-wheeler drove by and sprayed up a torrent of mud, drenching Spike.
"Then again…" Spike muttered, spitting. He got to his feet and cleaned himself off as best he could. Spying a sign, he walked over and read it.
"Nowwherevile…Hicktown…ah here we are…Sunnydale, 857 MILES!!?!?!?!?!? BLOODY HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Spike cursed. Sighing, he walked to the side of the road and began walking backwards, holding his thumb out.
"Sigh. Well, it could be worse. But I will have my revenge yet, Betty! And that is not a promise, that is a CURSE!"
A car drove by Spike, paying him no mind. Spike sighed. This could take a while.
"99 bootles of blood on the wall, 99 bottles of blood! If one fell, bloody hell, 98 bottles of blood on the wall! 98 bottles of blood on the wall, 98 bottles of blood…"
Buffy stepped out in the graveyard where she had left with Christine an eternity ago. She turned around as the rip vanished.
"Ah, Sunnydale…"
With a roar, a vampire leapt up from behind the tombstone he had been hiding behind and charged at Buffy.
He ran right into Buffy's fist as she jerked her hand up in a backhand. As the vampire reeled, she spun and jammed a stake in his chest. He snarled and then exploded into dust.
Buffy smiled.
"It's good to be home."
It had taken some time, but eventually the Z Warriors and their friends and family had managed to get back together. Chi Chi and the finest cooks Bulma could hire had ensured there was plenty of good food at a celebration that seemed to have no reason and yet the greatest one: to be alive and to be happy. Such simple things…and yet they sometimes seemed impossible to obtain.
Their respective wives sighed as Vegeta and Goku raced to see who could eat the most. Gohan was having a discussion with the few people who could understand the complex arguments he was spinning. The young ones were fooling around, and generally, a good time was being had by all. Even Piccolo, who floated off in a corner, sipping water from a fancy glass, seemed content.
Finally, Gohan stood and got everyone attention with the classic tapping on the wine glass.
"I would like to propose a few toasts. Would anyone like to start?"
"Yes, let us toast to my incredible power!" Vegeta said, standing up with a broad swagger. There was scattered laughter.
"I'M SERIOUS!" Vegeta roared, although it was clear he was trying hard not to laugh too.
"Fine, let us toast Vegeta's incredible, mind-blowing, beyond comprehension, piss him off and he'll crush your head power." Gohan laughed.
"At last I get the respect I deserve…GAH! I GOT IT FROM KAKAROTT'S HALFBREED SON! I FEEL DIRTY!" Vegeta laughed, and everyone drunk.
"Let's do one for us!"
"For us!"
"For bunny rabbits!"
"Master Roshi, I think you've had too much…"
"Let's do one for Erik and Celeste." Goku said. There were various "here-here's".
"Well Dad, since you suggested it, you do it." Gohan said. Goku suddenly sweatdropped.
"Eh heh…I'm lousy at speeches…" Goku said, as he tried to think.
The words came to him.
"To Erik and Celeste…and how their eternal song of war finally became a song of love!"
"Yeah!" went the assembled group, and they drank.
"And now, we have something else…Goten, if you would…?" Gohan said.
Goten smirked as he pulled out his guitar and began to strum it.
"I've paid my dues…time after time…I've done my sentence…but commited no crime…" Goten sang.
"And bad mistakes…I've made a few…" Trunks added his voice to Goten's.
"I've had my share of sand kicked my face, but I've come through!!!!" added another half a dozen voices. "And I need to go on and on and on and on…"
And then everyone was singing, even Vegeta and Piccolo. How they all knew the words or why some were doing it didn't matter. There were many songs in life…and right now, a song of victory just seemed right.
"WE are the champions…my friend. And we'll keep on fighting…till the end…"
"We are the champions…" Mr. Satan and Buu sang.
"WE are the champions…" sang all the humans.
"No time for losing…" sang everyone.
"BECAUSE WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS…OF THE WORLD!"
Unlike the loud, boisterous noises of the party, the other area was as quiet as could be, save for the occasional breeze. It was early evening and there was no light save the stars.
The area was composed of only two manmade structures. A small iron fence surrounded a small area. It looked simple, but the fence hide incredible technology that ensured that nothing would damage what it surrounded.
The second thing was four graves.
They stood there, neat and clean as if they had been tidied an hour ago. There were no dead leaves, twigs, or any debris on them.
Between the four graves, carved to perfection, was a small angel statue. It stood, an eternal guardian, one small hand out.
The air was silent.
Then Erik walked from the shadows, looking down on the graves with sad eyes. In his hand he held four white roses. Slowly, he laid one on each grave, solemnly and with respect. Finally, he stood and walked towards the angel statue. He lowered his head.
"Well…Dad…Mom…Tam…"Booger"" Erik said, smirking a bit at the nickname he'd given his youngest sister. "I know you can hear me…I just wanted you to know…that I'll always remember you…and my vow…as long as I live. I will protect the innocent…the Pure…but now I will do it for them, not you. I have avenged you…and you have saved me. Thank you."
Slowly, Erik opened his metal hand, and at that time the moon came out from behind a cloud. Silver beams of light shone off the locket.
"…I don't need this any more…I'll always have you with me, no matter what." Erik said, draping the necklace on the angel's outstretched hand. "Thank you…and goodbye."
Wiping away a tear, Erik turned and walked back to Celeste. She had stood, watching. Erik had never brought anyone here, not even Christine. It was a place only he had known about. But he had insisted she come. He knew they would want to see the future they had wanted for him.
"They were good people." Celeste said.
"Celeste…once my dream was only to avenge them…that and only that…I thought I had no fate but to shoulder cruelty even as inflicted it…and I would have gone on forever that way…but you…you changed everything."
Erik leaned down, and Celeste rose to meet him as they kissed. Although he never saw it, for a moment the stone lips of the angel moved upward in a smile, and then resumed its position for the rest of its time.
Erik broke the kiss, staring into Celeste's eyes.
"Thank you for giving me a new dream…Raven."
They kissed again, longer, fuller. Eventually, they broke as the moon began to slip behind another cloud.
"So what now?" Celeste said.
Erik turned away from her, lookingt into the darkness.
"The dark…they come out in the dark…looking for prey…" Erik said, and looked back to Celeste. Celeste smiled.
"Let's show them what it truly means to be a hunter, my love."
And then the two were gone, vanishing into the darkness. For a moment, all that was left were their two shadows, and they they blended together, forming one shadow before the moonlight vanished just like they had.
There was no light in the ruined rock either as pebbles began falling from a section of shattered mountain.
Then the hand burst out, clawing at the air, and then a whole sheath of rock fell away as Riot shoved himself up and out. His torn bloody fingers were already healing.
"Brother…" Bloodbath whispered, and Riot reached down and pulled his sister up. She was too weak to dig any more, and he had been forced to dig for her. But he had made it out of the avalanche they had been buried in from the spasms of the Gateway.
Riot shook, his legs unsteady. He had barely made it. Had he been human, he would have been dead, without question.
But he was not human. But even so, he had barely managed to hold on, trying his best to keep his body together enough as the Gateway collasped as he and Bloodbath tumbled through it, tearing them both to atoms.
They had made it by the skin of the teeth, the Gateway finally collasping as their ruined, torn apart bodies exploded out the other side of the Gateway, half a second after they were clear. But the destruction of the Gateway was not without consequence, as the resulting explosion had shattered half the mountain and buried him and his siter under untold tons of rock.
And even since then, he had been digging, ignoring the lose of his god-like powers. He may no longer have them, but he could still feed off pain, and he was determained to dig his way out, to find a way back to his mother and prove he was worthy of being her son.
He didn't realize it until he was out, all his efforts focussed on escaping.
"Brother…"Bloodbath moaned, as twin tears trickled from her cheeks. "Please…tell me what I'm feeling is a lie."
But Riot had no comforting words for his sister, for he felt the loss too. It was impossible…but he knew it was right.
"Mother's…dead." Riot said, not able to believe it. "And…Father is too."
"No…it can't be…how…they were invincible…" Bloodbath cried, mourning the lose of her parents.
Riot lowered his head. It couldn't be…and yet it was. The link was gone because there was no one left to link to.
But how…
The Failure.
Riot raised his head. It had to be. Somehow…by some miracle beyond all miracles…the Failure had murdered his mother and father.
Riot clenched his teeth. Yes, he knew it was true. This had to be the Failure's world. He could smell the stench of him.
"Brother…what are we going to do…?" Bloodbath said, somehow knowing what her brother felt and knew.
Riot gave no answer, grinding his teeth. He could almost feel his weakness bleeding away, like the truth had been a great wound.
He had meant to prove himself worthy of his mother's love…now the Failure had taken that away from him.
But he still had her gift. Father had given them power, power their mother had taken because she felt it had been unworthy of them. But Riot was still Agony's son…and he possessed all she had.
He would use that. He would find a power as great as the one he had had, greater, beyond all belief, and then he would destroy the Failure for his crimes.
He and his sister would have their veageance.
His eues blazing with black energy, Riot threw back his head and screamed to the night.
"ERIK! I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THEIR SOMEWHERE! I WILL FIND YOU, YOU AND ALL YOU CARE FOR, AND WHEN I DO, BELIEVE ME, I WILL SPARE NO PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The future that heads towards us is forever to be clouded…
But…at last I can sense it with a sense of hope…
For if even Agony…the Herald of Destruction, had a shard of human's light inside her…then there must be hope for anything…
But…above all else…I will never doubt my role again…
I Am Vengeance.
The End…For Now
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And so…it finally comes to an end.
This was my Magnum Opus, Atrocities. All 351 pages, 261, 256 words of it. What was originally going to be a simple sequel has become my greatest work, a DBZ Crossover novel that's in Tom Clancy territory for a word count. For these five months, I have thought of little else, and spent countless hours working on it, in writing or running ideas through for it. There may be many flaws in some cases, but I feel none has detracted from this story I want to tell. You wanted a worthy sequel to a story most called the greatest DBZ work you ever read, and I wanted to try my best to give it to you.
I hope I have succeeded. I feel I have.
But all good things must come to an end. And I am afraid I must end this with something some will consider bad news.
I am going to retire.
For over a year, I have written little else then DBZ fanfiction. And while I have written many good things, and made many friends, in the end, this is fanfiction. It is a good tempering tool…but in terms of writing for a living, in the most cynical sense, it is a "waste of time". If I ever want to do Steve proud…I must write wholly original works.
HOWEVER…I am NOT quitting.
However, my work scale will be greatly reduced. After doing a much-requested Outtakes for this, I may not write anything for a while…perhaps forever. It has been fun…but I must move on.
My web site is www.angelfire.com/de/Legacy. Hopefully I will be able to update it now that this is finished. I hope some of you will come. Then you can laugh at my crappy early works and read how dumb my earliest story ideas were when I was starting my writing 11 years ago when I was nine.
I would like to thank everyone who ever gave me a line or a scene when I was stuck, to people who gave me ideas. I would like to thank those who let me make fun of them in this work, especially my long suffering friend nahognos. Expect his revenge soon.
Now…I must go on…down the road…going wherever fate will take me…
Oh who am I kidding. I'll never be able to keep away. I'll probably be back within a week.
It's been fun guys. I hope I'll be back, and soon.
Eric "Ash The Wanderer" Mersereau.
"Every story is a great story until it begins."