*Chapter Eleven*

Nemie floated high above the valley, still in her Shatter Burst pose. The yellow light around her pulsed as she went into Super Saiyan mode. Slowly, she drifted downward toward the earth.

"Nemie!" Anai hissed. "What are you doing here?!"

Nemie glared at her sister. "Saving your butt, thank you very much. Look, we can argue later, right now we don't have time." She stepped up to Pichu and began brutally kicking her.

Pichu managed to block all the kicks and deliver a fast punch to the side of Nemie's head. Normally, it wouldn't have done much damage, but Nemie was weakened by her injuries so she rocked back in pain. Then Pichu began a vicious onslaught on Nemie.

Anai made eye contact with Gohan and made a small gesture with her hands. Gohan's eyes lit up with understanding and he quickly told Goku about Anai's idea.

"Yeah, that might work!" Goku said.

Anai positioned herself where she thought she could get in a shot while Goku and Gohan did the same.

Just as Anai had hoped, Pichu threw Nemie toward the group of Saiyans. Trunks caught her and made sure she was okay.

Anai took the opportunity she had been waiting for. She cupped her hands and brought them down to her side.

"Ka..."

Goku and Gohan echoed her, and next time they were all together.

"Me...ha...me...HA!" Three identical balls of blue energy raced toward Pichu. She was trapped in a triangle of energy, so there was no escape for her.

Anai fed more into hers, so Gohan and Goku did the same.

Pichu's agonized screams were lost in the roar of the Kamehameha Wave. Finally, when they thought they'd done enough, the three Saiyans pulled back. Pichu collapsed onto the ground, blistered and scorched. She lay limp and motionless.

"That wasn't too difficult." Vegeta said to Anai. "And you were worried."

"Not about Pichu." Anai replied. "Ryukin is a whole different story." She quickly ran to Nemie, who was getting back on her feet with Trunks's help. "Neme, you need to get out of here while you still can."

Nemie shook her head forcefully. "No. I won't leave."

"Nemie, you're not up to full strength." Trunks told her. "You're in danger."

Nemie met his gaze steadily. "I can do this. I'm not going anywhere."

"So, you defeated Pichu." Ryukin spoke up, stepping towards them. "You're lucky, that's all. Let's see how you stack up against a Military General."

"I'll take him first." Goku said walking up to Ryukin. He stared him straight in the eye as he fell into fighting position and he became a Super Saiyan.

Ryukin smirked. "You must be Goku. Yes, you're talked about a lot in my time. You and your boy. Too bad about what happened. It must have been horrible to watch your wife and children die."

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't care." Goku responded coldly.

Ryukin nodded, then sprang forward to kick Goku in the head. Goku evaded it and countered with a series of swift punches, all of which were blocked. Ryukin went to jump kick Goku, but the Saiyan caught his leg, slammed him down on the ground and tried to stomp on him. Ryukin was too fast for Goku though, and he rolled away, jumped up and slugged Goku right in the nose.

Goku wiped the blood away and kneed Ryukin in the stomach. Ryukin grunted, but he didn't back away. Goku rushed Ryukin, but the General dodged and as Goku flew passed, Ryukin clotheslined him.

Goku fell on his back with a groan. He started to get up, but Ryukin planted his foot firmly on Goku's chest.

"I grow tired of this battle already." Ryukin announced with a mock yawn. "I want to fight a real warrior." He eyed Anai and Nemie pointedly, but it wasn't one of the sisters that jumped up.

"I will fight you." Vegeta, of course.

Ryukin kicked Goku away effortlessly and spread his hands. "I'm here. Fight me. If you're not afraid, little man."

Vegeta's eyes flashed and he hurled himself at the General in blind anger.

Ryukin waited calmly until Vegeta made contact. Then he elbowed Vegeta in the chin, delivered a roundhouse kick to his side and finished with a power blast that sent Vegeta sprawling across the dirt.

"Well, that was...interesting. Anyone else?" When the group hesitated, Ryukin smiled savagely. "You know, this would go a lot smoother if you girls would just fight me now so I can destroy you. Once you two are dead, I can go home knowing I've won."

Anai curled her lip at him in disgust, but Nemie grabbed her sister's shoulder. "Anai, what about the Combined Combustion?"

Anai got that hard look in her eyes. "No, it wouldn't work. For one, you're not strong enough; the pressure could kill you. For two, it takes way too much time to gather the energy; that leaves us vulnerable to Ryukin's attacks."

"Okay, well, quit worrying about me. I can handle it." Nemie replied. "As for vulnerability, Trunks and Gohan can keep him busy long enough for us to charge it."

Anai paused, and her stern look turned into one of indecision.

"It's our only chance Anai!" Nemie said desperately.

"Uh..." She stole a glance at Gohan and she took a deep breath. "Let's do it."

The girls quickly explained to Trunks and Gohan what they needed to do. They agreed without question.

Gohan and Trunks approached Ryukin together. "We challenge you."

Ryukin sneered. "Well, this is exciting! Two against one. The legendary Gohan and Trunks, no less."

Anai and Nemie stepped back from the three about to fight and shared a concerned look. Nemie grabbed Anai's hand and they positioned their free hands close together, palms facing Ryukin. They closed their eyes and summoned the power deep within themselves. A tiny bluish bubble began to glow between their open hands.

Ryukin dove for Gohan and Trunks. He kicked out, barely missing Trunks. Gohan jammed his knee into Ryukin's head, and Trunks began punching his stomach. Ryukin flung Gohan away and smashed Trunks into the ground.

Nemie gasped, now worried about the two boys.

"Nemie! Concentrate!" Anai snapped. The bubble slowly started to grow.

Trunks drew his sword and tried to thrust the blade into Ryukin's gut, but the General batted the blade aside. Gohan was ready with a couple spinning kicks. Ryukin blocked them all and shot Gohan with a blast that sent the young Saiyan crashing into a bunch of trees fifty feet away.

"Come on guys, hold on..." Nemie muttered.

"Sis! Push it!" The bubble turned from blue to an orangish color.

Trunks slashed at Ryukin with his sword, but Ryukin grabbed it and broke it in half with one hand. Trunks jumped back with an angry shout. Ryukin held a broken half out in front of him and laughed.

"Hmm, this is going to be fun." He acted as if he was going to throw it at Trunks, but at the last second he changed direction and hit Gohan, who was rushing up from behind, in the shoulder. Gohan rocked back, moaning in pain, clutching the jagged piece of steel that was now buried in his flesh.

"Oh sweet Kami!" Anai cried. She tried to run for Gohan, but Nemie stopped her.

"Anai, come on! We need more power!" The bubble was now a basketball-sized orb.

"They're not going to make it."

"Shut up and push the energy!"

Gohan jerked the shard out of his arm and gritted his teeth against the pain. He let loose with a barrage of ki attacks, and Trunks followed his lead. Ryukin staggered back from the force. When the blasts died down, Ryukin was left bruised and charred.

Trunks jumped on Ryukin and showered him in ruthless blows. Gohan attempted to stop the bleeding in his shoulder as fast as he possibly could.

Behind the fighters, Anai and Nemie still forced more power into the growing ball. It was turning bright red now.

The battle went on, with Ryukin throwing the two Saiyans around and the both of them coming right back, just as strong. Gohan was losing a lot of blood and he was beginning to slow down. Trunks received a busted lip, a hard blow to the head that sent him staggering, and an injured knee.

Suddenly, Ryukin looked up and saw the immense ball of now white fire that the twins held between their hands. It was getting to the point where the girls were having trouble holding it; it was too big. The heat radiating from it made sweat pour down their faces and dampen their shirts.

Ryukin's eyes grew huge with fear. He threw Trunks and Gohan away from him again and rushed at Nemie and Anai, hoping he could get to them before they let the burst go.

"We have to set it off! There's no more time! NOW!" Anai shouted.

Nemie nodded, and the two girls both screamed in rage as they released the gigantic fireball.

Ryukin stopped in mid stride and turned to run away, but the fire surrounded him in a split-second. He shrieked in anguish as the inferno burned him close to incineration.

Nemie squeezed Anai's hand, then together they pulled their hands apart. That caused the orb to react; it exploded outward, catching everyone in the valley.

When the blinding light and horrible heat dispersed, only a pile of ashes lay where a feared warrior once stood. Fortunately, the heat was contained in the center of the blast, so the others were left with only minor burns.

"He's...dead!" Trunks crowed.

"We...did...it..." Anai said raggedly, slumping where she stood.

Nemie stood straight for just a moment, then her eyes rolled back into her head, her knees buckled and she collapsed onto the ground.

"Nemie!" Trunks ran, actually limped, for her and knelt down at her side. She was breathing tiredly, but other than that she was fine.

Anai sank to her knees from exhaustion, but in a second Gohan had scooped her up in his arms and was spinning her around.

"You did it, Anai! You defeated him!" He hugged her tightly, despite the pain in his arm.

"No Gohan, we defeated him. All of us together." She replied weakly. She pulled back from his tight embrace and looked into his eyes. Then she grabbed his head and jerked him down so she could kiss him. Victory at last!