*Chapter Seven*

Early the next morning, Nemie was nowhere to be found. Anai told the others that she did that a lot; she just needed time to think.

Vegeta, Goku, Gohan and Trunks spent the morning in training exercises, while Anai sneaked off to practice alone.

Sometime about noon, Gohan took a break and went to find Anai. He walked around the house and found her isolated about twenty feet from the building.

She was standing on her hands, perfectly straight, and not wavering in the slightest. As Gohan watched her, she slowly shifted her weight onto one hand and lifted the other perpendicular to her body. Still she didn't sway.

Then, in a flash, Anai tucked her legs, bent her arm and rolled the short distance to Gohan. She jumped up and delivered a punch that would have landed right between his eyes, if she hadn't stopped a fraction of an inch before she made contact.

Gohan didn't even blink.

"Impressive." Anai commented, smiling.

"You're the one that's impressive." Gohan replied.

"Not really." Anai took a step back and put her fists up. "Come on, fight me."

Gohan chuckled. "No, Anai, that's okay."

"What? Are you afraid you'll lose to a girl the way Trunks did?"

"No."

"Then fight me."

"I don't want to hurt you, Anai."

Anai snorted. "I highly doubt that will happen. Now fight me."

Gohan sighed, then threw a half-hearted punch. Anai evaded it easily.

"Come ON Gohan!" She kicked at his chest, and he blocked it without much thought.

"I really don't--" Before he could finish his protest, Anai jump kicked the side of his head, kneed him in the gut and delivered an upper cut to his chin. When she went to kick him again, he grabbed her leg in mid-air.

Anai grinned. "Now we're talking."

"Just don't say I didn't warn you." Gohan answered, jerking her around by her leg. He smashed her jaw with the base of his palm, grabbed hold of her neck, kicked her legs out from under her and threw her onto the ground. He went to slam his foot on her stomach, but she rolled away. While still on the ground, Anai rocked back on her hands and thrust her feet out to boot Gohan in the shoulder. She used her momentum to push herself to her feet, then did a roundhouse kick right into Gohan's chest.

After that, they were lost in a flurry of rapid attacks, impossible to comprehend.

It ended when Gohan flipped Anai over his knee and she went crashing to the grass. Quickly, Gohan pinned her arms over her head and held her there.

"Now THAT'S impressive." Anai said, laughing.

Gohan didn't move, and neither did Anai. Her laughter faded at the look in his eyes. He leaned down toward her, his lips just inches from hers.

"Hey Gohan?" Goku's voice shattered the moment.

Gohan gritted his teeth and rolled away from Anai. Anai closed her eyes and sat up.

"Yeah Dad?" Gohan answered as Goku came into view.

"Oh, there you are! We were looking for you. Bulma says lunch is ready."

"Um, okay." Gohan didn't dare look at Anai. He already felt stupid.

Trunks appeared at Goku's side. He saw Anai sitting there and asked, "Has Nemie showed up yet?"

Anai shook her head. "I haven't seen her."

Trunks's face took on a worried look. "She's been gone a long time. What if something happened to her?"

Anai stood up and dusted herself off. "Nemie's a big girl, Trunks. She can take care of herself."

"But what if Ryukin or Pichu or somebody attacked her?"

"Trunks, Nemie will be back. She goes off like this all the time. Don't worry."

No sooner did she say that did a shriek echo out of the woods and across the yard, accompanied by an explosion.

"NEMIE!" They all shouted in unison. Immediately, they took to the air and tried to find where the scream had come from. All they had to do was follow the acrid black smoke rising from the woods.

By the time they got to where the smoke was coming from, there was no one to been seen. Just a giant oak tree, burned in half and still smoldering.

"Nemie?" Goku called. No answer.

"Sis? Neme? Where are you?" Anai's voice was borderline frantic.

"NEMIE?!" Trunks yelled.

"I found her!" Vegeta claimed from off to the side. Everyone rushed to the spot where he crouched.

There, lying among the thorn bushes, was Nemie. She was unconscious; blood flowed freely from a gash in her forehead, staining her snowy hair crimson. She was cut in a number of other places, some of which looked like bite marks, and her clothes were torn.

Anai dropped to her sister's side. "Oh, Kami...Nemie? Can you hear me?"

No sound, no movement, nothing. Nemie's breathing was faint and ragged, but it was there.

"We've got to get her back to Mother." Trunks said urgently.

"I'm afraid to move her." Anai replied.

"If we don't, she'll only get worse." Trunks leaned down, carefully slid his arms under Nemie's knees and shoulders, and picked her up as gently as he could. She was nothing but a rag doll in his arms.

"I'm going on ahead." He powered up and flew back to the house as fast as he dared. Anai was right at his side.