Chapter One-Hundred-And-Four: Tayla Renewed

Back at the castle…

Lektron and Alora were now on the roof of the castle, and they had been preparing to leave when they felt a weakened ki signature and heard a hard, feminine groan.

They had were at the area where Ginyu and Gorna had been battling earlier, and where Ginyu had been sent to his defeat down below. Now, in a huge pile of rocks and rubble not ten feet away, the rocks in the pile began to roll off, and something-or someone-was crawling out from the pile.

"Gorna?" Lektron asked, recognizing the ki.

As a crippled Gorna Chloe slowly began to climb out of the rubble, Raakon Chloe could be seen flying above the roof of the stone castle in the darkening, deep purple night. Raakon slowly landed onto the roof, just as Alora and Lektron were rushing to Gorna's aid. Raakon joined them, and within several minutes, Gorna had been pulled from the pile of rubble and debris. Lektron gently cradled her, as Gorna lay exhausted in his arms.

"Where's Ginyu?" she moaned. Her face had several large blue bruises covering it, her dull brown hair was snarled and tangled, and her clothes were tattered and burned. Her hair and her body were coated with gray dust, mixed with dried blue blood. One of her boots was missing, and half of her shirt was torn to shreds. Her huge, bulbous nose had a mustache of dried indigo blood resting under it. Unknown to her relatives, several of her ribs were cracked, and her left ankle was twisted.

Raakon pulled out his battered healior's kit case and began to attend to what wounds he could do. He began to clean her facial and bodily wounds gently with sanitizing wipes, and then he began to softly dab medicine onto her many wounds and burns. Lektron, by then, was sitting on a stone bench, still holding Gorna in his lap.

None of her relatives could answer Gorna's question, and no one could sense Ginyu's ki.

"Hopefully dead," Alora quipped, brushing a lock of dark hair out of her eyes.

"Gorna, are you okay?" Raakon asked her.

Gorna groaned wearily, "Suppose…so, Raakon. Where did everyone go? I can only sense the ki signatures of us four."

"Seems that everyone has left," Lektron observed.

Raakon gasped, "Except for one!"

"Who?" Alora asked. "Anyone we know?"

Raakon said wearily, as he shivered, "Bhodie Lett…one of Frieza's soldiers."

"Where is he?" Lektron asked. "What species is he?"

"Human. And he's downstairs."

"A human?" Lektron said. "Good. I've heard that most humans are weak physically; he shouldn't be hard to destroy."

"No need to," Raakon told him. "I tied him up and left him in a closet."

"What happened with you two?" Alora wanted to know.

Raakon, as briefly as possible, gave them the story of him and Natala saving Hazel from Bhodie.

Gorna wheezed, "You should have killed him. It's not safe to let any of Frieza's people live, no matter how weak they are. Anyone who works for him needs to be destroyed."

"That's not fair, Gorna," Raakon argued. "You know as well as I do that not all of Frieza's workers are voluntary. Nama has told me about Pork and Crystalis, who were kids that had been forced to work for that monster. And Pork is Steak's son. Should he have been destroyed because he had been essentially Frieza's slave?"

Gorna said quietly and cynically, "I suppose you're right, Raakon, but those like this Bhodie should have been killed on the spot."

"I have to agree with Gorna on that one," Alora added. "Why was he allowed to live anyway?"

"Because he can lead us to Frieza-and possibly Jay-Jaypros's murderers!" Raakon's voice shook at the end of his sentence. Raakon clenched his fists, as he continued with tears in his eyes, "And I want to find Dodoria! He is Jaypros's killer!"

Lektron patted Raakon's shoulder sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Raakon-and Gorna."

Gorna whispered hoarsely, "Dodoria killed Jaypros?"

"Yes!" Raakon hissed fiercely. "That fat creature confessed all in front of Natala, Hazel, and little Caline. No remorse, no regret."

Gorna said as calmly as possible, trying to conceal her grief, "Jaypros has done wrong, but he did not deserve what happened to him."

"What happened to Farla?" Lektron asked Raakon. "Have you heard anything about my sister?"

Raakon said quietly, "I am sorry, Lektron, but Natala told me of Marya's vision of your sister's death-possibly a suicide. I doubt she is alive at this point either."

Alora kindly took Gorna from Lektron's trembling arms, and then she laid Gorna on the stone ground, cradling her head. Lektron slammed his fist into the stone bench that he had been sitting on. He put his face down into the dirty, muscled palms of his huge hands and began to weep before he could stop himself. Raakon sat down near Lektron and placed a shoulder around him.

"I'm sorry, Lektron," Raakon whispered.

Lektron said in an unnaturally shaky tone for him, "Why? Why? Why her? Why? Who or what could have…driven my sister to take her own life, if that's what happened? Farla! Farla, I am sorry!"

He looked up into the dark, relentless black sky that contained stars that heartlessly seemed to continue to twinkle and sparkle, ignorant of the pain going on down below on a planet called Calmag. Lektron's whole body shook violently; despite his deep disapproval at what Farla had done, he had still loved her dearly. Farla and Jaypros had not deserved their cruel fates at the hands of Frieza's forces. He couldn't help but weep and howl, and his howls of grief could be heard throughout the blackness of the night. Raakon hugged him as a brother and close cousin would, patting his back.

"Lektron," he whispered chokingly. Lektron rested his huge, golden head on Raakon's shoulder.

"Why did your brother and my sister have to leave, Raakon?" he sobbed. "Why did they have to get involved with each other? Why couldn't they have stayed?"

"They thought that by leaving Astoria, they would be free to live their own lives together," Raakon told him practically.

"And their folly led to their doom," Gorna said glumly. A tear or two was dangling on her lashes for Jaypros. She did not celebrate Farla's death, but she had never had thought much of her flighty cousin, even before Farla and Jaypros's affair, and so all of her grief went for Jaypros.

Alora asked quietly, "I know that the point is moot now, but wouldn't it have been easier in the end, if Nama-lan had given Farla her divorce?"

"Nama thought that she was doing right at the time, and I don't blame her," Gorna said in defense of her grandmother. "Legally, Farla had no reason to leave Cletos; Cletos may not have been perfect, but then who is? And Nama had a valid point: if everyone was allowed to leave their spouses just because they fell in love with someone else, there would be several requests for divorce a day, instead of a year!"

"But why should someone have to stay with someone that they don't love?" Alora demanded to know. "It makes more sense to part ways, if the parties involved are no longer in love, especially if they are not bonded."

"Alora," Gorna said coolly, as she felt her ribs ache. "Marriage is for life, no matter what, for better or worse. A spouse is not a toy to tire of and exchange for something else. Your Clan believes in that thing you call a Saiyan bond; do bonded mates in your Clan ever separate?" Gorna thought that the Saiyan bond was more of a psychological concept than a true lifelong union, but she knew that most Sastorians fiercely believed in it. Alora and her immediate relatives certainly did, and there had been no talking them out of their strong beliefs about the Saiyan bond.

"No," Alora said firmly. "Bonding is for life. My sister, Gran Mauria, nor I have ever known a pair with a Sastorian involved to end in divorce in any Clan." She looked at Raakon and Lektron and spoke sadly to them, "I'm sorry about Farla and Jaypros."

Raakon nodded and told her a quiet thank-you. He and the others fell into a quiet silence for the next twenty minutes.


















Back in the elevator at the Angori Hotel…

She was sitting up fully, with her small, budding breasts gently heaving through the thick, warm material of her Aunt Toria's rose-colored nightgown. She saw Caline turn towards her and cry out in delight. Naykiar whooped, and Kekron just looked at her astonished with his jaw hanging open.

"Tayla…" he whispered hoarsely.

"Tayla!" Caline cried out in delight, running from Naykiar towards her friend and leaping on the bed. Caline was now sitting next to Tayla, squeezing Tayla tightly. Tayla hugged her back briefly.

"Where am I?" she asked Caline. "How did I get here? And why is Zarbon so close?"

Zarbon swiftly leapt into the elevator, nearly landing on top of Dedron's inert body. He swept his cape behind him majestically, as he declared with a toss of his emerald hair, "Well, nice meeting you again, Princess Tayla. I'm glad that you're awake now, so that you can leave with me at once."

"Forget it, Zarbon," Tayla said steadily with a renewed strength and courage in her young voice. She looked directly into his eyes, with mahogany eyes defying golden ones. Her frown deepened, her eyes narrowed, and her lips tightened.

Zarbon looked at her staring so intently and so defiantly at him, and just for a few seconds he was unnerved. How could a young girl, a mere Astorie child, worry him so? He dared to glance into her mocha irises once more, and what he in saw them intimidated him for a few moments. Deep in Tayla's dark eyes, a storm seemed to be gathering together. She was sitting up straight, with her small hands resting stiffly on her sides, the palms laying flat against the mattress.

She said to her enemy in such a icy tone that sent a shiver or two down Zarbon's normally steely spine, "I will tell you only once, Zarbon: you will leave now. Now. I am not going anywhere with you."

Zarbon gnashed his teeth at Tayla's now more open boldness. He hissed, regaining his courage, "Listen, little girl, you don't have a choice. Get up and come with me. Lord Frieza has been waiting for you."

"He'll be waiting until Enma Daiou calls his name, which hopefully will be soon," Tayla said edgily. She climbed out of bed and stood on the floor. A brief shiver or two passed through her petite frame, as she felt the cold floor beneath her bare feet.

Zarbon smirked. "Listen, child; I don't really have time to play, but I'll tell you what: I will be on the roof of this hotel in ten minutes, and we can fight there. I am eager to see why Lord Frieza wants you for his forces so badly, and if you can actually defeat me, you may go free. But that won't be happening, little girl, for none of your people have ever been able to defeat me. Your Namek guardian, Dirkan, defeated me at one time in the Battle of Chloe, but I have become stronger since then. It would be easier on you, if you were to surrender now."

Without hesitation, Tayla replied bravely, "I accept your challenge."

A collection of gasps echoed throughout the elevator.

"Tayla…" Caline began hesitantly.

"Tayla, I think that we should wait…" Kekron began.

"We can't," Tayla told him sadly. "He won't wait, and neither will I."

Zarbon laughed. "Bold little thing, aren't you? Lord Frieza will be most pleased at that, child. Twenty minutes, little one, and no more, or I will come to take you away!" And before he left for the hole in the elevator roof, he said in a condescending tone to her:

"If I were you, I'd at least change my clothes. It's going to be hard fighting in that nightgown of yours!" And after that, he soared out of the elevator, with his wicked laughter being heard, as he arose further and further up.

Tayla looked down at her comfortable nightgown. Zarbon was right about this one thing; fighting in a nightgown probably would not be her best option.

But how was she going to change in time? And where was she going to get a set of clothes at least semi-appropriate for fighting?

She looked at the unconscious forms of Dedron and Rojal lying on the floor. She knew that they would not appreciate it, if she took their clothes to fight in. And she wasn't certain about Naykiar…so their remained only Kekron, who was at this point, dressed in a pair of light gray trousers and a sleeveless dark blue shirt.

"Kekron…" she began, as she walked up to him. "I have a BIG favor to ask of you." And she whispered her request into his ear. Kekron's eyes widened in horror at her suggestion, but finally, reluctantly, he agreed to her appeal.

Kekron told Caline and Naykiar, "You two might want to turn away for a few minutes. And do me one favor: when Tayla and I are done, try not to laugh." He was blushing furiously already.

He then closed his eyes himself. "Okay, Tayla, whenever you're ready." He sighed heavily.

Within less than five minutes, Tayla was dressed in a pair of trousers that were two sizes two large for her, tightly fastened with a belt, and she also wore Kekron's too large shirt and boots.

And poor Kekron was the one stuck wearing Tayla's rose-hued nightgown, which only went down to his ankles. He sighed, as he looked over at Dedron and Rojal, still unconscious. He was thankful that his cousins weren't awake to see his embarrassment; it was going to be bad enough having Caline see him that way. He could hear Dedron and Rojal mocking him now.

But then Tayla's fight against Zarbon was more important than his mortification.

Finally, Caline and Naykiar turned around, and Naykiar snickered before he thought. He then fell to the floor of the elevator and burst out into laughter.

"Naykiar!" Caline scolded him reproachfully.

Naykiar tried to stop laughing, but he couldn't. "I-I can't help it! He-he just looks so funny!"

Caline took another look at Kekron, and she turned away to hide a smile. And before she knew it, much to her shame, she started to giggle. So did Tayla. Kekron put his head in his hands.

"Sorry, Kekron," Tayla told her nephew apologetically between giggles.

Kekron sighed.

Caline laughed softly. "Kekron, we're sorry!" she exclaimed. "It's just, well…it's not every day that we see a man that looks as good in a rosy, lacy nightgown like you do!" Before she could stop herself, she fell into Tayla's side, and Tayla fell into hers, as they both laughed harder.

"Ohhhhhh…" Kekron moaned, more embarrassed than ever. "Tayla, are you sure that you can't fight in this thing?"

"It'll restrict my-my movements!" Tayla shrieked, trying to restrain her uncontrollable laughter.

Caline, her laughter ebbing away, tiptoed up to Kekron and beckoned him to bend down towards her, which he slowly did. She then kissed him on his cheek, smiling. "It's not every day that I meet a man with a sense of humor! Kekron, don't worry; you still look very handsome, no matter what you wear."

"I don't know, Caline…" Kekron groaned, although a part of him was secretly flattered. He couldn't help, but be a little thrilled that Caline thought of him as a man. But then he supposed a sixteen-year-old boy would seem like a man to an eleven-year-old girl. But no matter what, he was pleased that she thought of him as a grown-up.

"Think of it as contributing to the war effort," Caline said softly, unconsciously batting her long lashes. Her childlike, whispery voice temporarily took on a more mature, womanly tone, a soothing, melting voice that usually only an adult woman could manage. Caline rested her small, snowy hand on Kekron's dark olive arm, as she looked up into his face. She was getting used to making eye contact with a male and getting comfortable with it. Turquoise eyes melded with dark denim-blue ones that could become black at times. Kekron found himself blushing before he could stop himself, as Caline's smile grew, a womanly smile.

Caline, despite having been married, knew very little about the ways of being a woman, except for what had been forced upon her. She did not realize at the time that she was flirting with Kekron, for she had never flirted in her life, nor had she cared to. For a few moments, she had given herself, Kekron and everyone else (those were conscious) in the elevator a glimpse of her future self, a self, that if were allowed to grow and blossom, would become a healthy, loving young woman capable of living a happy life.

Kekron studied this brief part of Caline carefully, allowing his smile to mirror hers. Never in his life had a girl paid him much attention, nor had he paid much notice to girls. The few times when he had not been attending to his studies or inventions, he had been too shy to try to flirt or court a female. Not that it would have done him much good at that time, for almost all of the Clan of Chloe girls under twenty that Kekron could have courted either thought of the awkward Technician as either an older brother type or a good friend type, never a potential suitor or boyfriend. To most of the young girls in his Clan, Kekron Chloe was strong, steady, and reliable, but not exciting to be around, as he was always talking about his inventions or devices that he had created, or that someone else had created. Most of Kekron's female peers were attracted to men like Rojal, Arlon, Lukan, and Bendros, and yes, even Dedron. Kekron was normally passed over, and up until a couple weeks before he had left for Calmag, it had not really bothered him.

It had only been then that Kekron learned that girls never thought of him as a potential suitor or boyfriend…after Brandesa. Brandesa had been a lovely and flirtatious brown-haired, green-eyed servant girl who had faithfully attended to Kekron's mother. Kekron had met her and liked her a lot, but she had fallen immediately for Kekron's Uncle Arlon before Kekron could tell her how he felt. Arlon and Brandesa had parted ways shortly afterwards, with Arlon promising the girl that if they still felt the same way when they returned to Astoria, Arlon would consider courting her seriously.

"Kekron?" a soft, deep, still whispery voice asked.

Kekron shook himself out of his emotional cloud, as he made himself return to the present. Caline's kiss on his wrist helped. Kekron blushed again, and he said, forgetting about his feminine apparel at the moment, "What was that for?" Caline's face was now flushed.

Naykiar laughed and answered before Caline could, "She likes you! A Calmagian female kissing a male on his wrist is a sign of her respect and admiration for him. Sweet Ankor, but would ol' Filcor Sedemeyer be jealous! And so would Alberm, for Caline never did that with him that I know of!"

Caline blushed now, her face a bright peach color, and she looked down.

"Caline, I didn't know you knew how to flirt!" Tayla teased.

"I was not flirting!" Caline declared indignantly, as she quickly returned to her normal self. Once again, she was a little girl, not quite a woman. "I don't flirt! I don't even know how to flirt!" she wailed in protest, her voice growing frantic.

"Okay, Caline, okay," Tayla said in a soothing tone.

Caline continued, "I was just kissing Kekron's hand as a sign of friendship, you know, friendship!"

"Okay, Caline, calm down," Kekron told her. "We believe you."

"I'm not sure, if I do," Naykiar disagreed, but he caught Tayla glaring at him, and he then added, "But Caline has never told a falsehood that I know of."

"Umm…I better go now. My time's about up, I think," Tayla said quickly. She began to float up into the air up near the hole that Dedron had made earlier. "Gooden boden, everyone! Wish me all the luck you can 'cause if I'm facing Zarbon, I'm going to need it!"

"Good luck, Princess Tayla!" Naykiar called.

"Farewell, Tayla, be careful, please!" Caline cried. "Don't get killed!"

"I won't," Tayla assured her as bravely as possible. She looked down at Caline, and then to her horror, she remembered about Ridikar! Did Caline know that Ridikar was now dead? Tayla realized that she had not told Caline what happened to her brother, and it seemed that Kekron had not either.

What was she going to do? Should she tell Caline now, or wait?

Better to wait…if she had to be the one to tell Caline, it would be best to do so, if she was still alive and around to help Caline through her grief that would come.

Tayla sighed and wiped away a tear for Ridikar. And then she shoved all thoughts of her suitor out of her mind for now. She had to go on; she had to fight. There would be time to grieve more for Ridikar later. Ridikar would have understood; he would have wanted her to focus on saving both her people and his.

"Good luck, Tayla," Kekron told her softly. "Please, please come back to us."

"I-I will do my best," Tayla told him. "Get out of here safely, all of you. Gooden boden fro noy! My prayers are with all of you and Dedron and Rojal!"

And within seconds, she was gone out of the elevator, boosting into the still, stale air of the elevator shaft like a humanoid female rocket.














When Tayla had left, Kekron lifted Dedron onto his shoulder with Naykiar's help. "I'll be back," he told them. "I am going to take Dedron and Rojal out of here first, and then I'll come back for you two."

Five minutes later, he returned without Dedron and with some news. "Bendros has gone to help Tayla, from what Lee and Petals have told me when I brought Dedron to them! He left before Tayla did!" Kekron exclaimed a bit breathlessly. "Bendros is alive!"

Caline was visibly relieved. "Good. Then Tayla won't be fighting Zarbon alone!"

"But how did Zarbon get past Bendros the first time?" Naykiar wanted to know.

"Never mind that now," Kekron told him briskly, although he himself was wondering the same thing. "Help me pick up Rojal."

Naykiar did, with all the strength he could muster. At least Rojal was lighter than Dedron; Naykiar had nearly pulled his back muscles trying to help Kekron lift up Dedron earlier. Rojal was now resting on Kekron's broad shoulder. Kekron then left the elevator with Rojal.

Another five minutes later, Kekron had returned without Rojal. And within two minutes, Naykiar was perched onto Kekron's back, and Caline was nestled in Kekron's arms. Kekron decided that he could make it out of the elevator carrying both of them safely. Naykiar's arms were around Kekron's neck, and Caline's arms were around Kekron's torso, clinging tightly.

And within the next five minutes Kekron was out of the elevator, carrying both Naykiar and Caline. And within those five minutes, an event that could have turned out to be tragic occurred.

For the cables holding up the elevator shaft suddenly snapped and broke completely. The huge metal box that had contained Tayla and her companions for a while plummeted rapidly, falling to the bottom.

"CRASH! BOOM!"

Caline shrieked, and Kekron and Naykiar could barely restrain themselves, as all three witnessed the final demise of the elevator. A huge cloud of dark gray cloudy smoke emerged from the wreckage of the smashed elevator. Caline buried her face in Kekron's chest, as Kekron hurriedly flew up faster with his passengers.












On the twelfth floor

Lelina and Petalia's screams when they had heard the elevator fall and crash awoke Dedron, who growled, "What the hell is going on here? What was that crash?"

Dedron apparently had a harder head than everyone thought he had. He seemed fully revived already.

"What in the hell happened?" Dedron repeated.

"We're all alive, Dedron." Kekron's steady voice could be heard as he flew through the hole in the elevator doors that Zarbon had made earlier. He landed gently on the carpet in the hallway, and Naykiar climbed off of him. A trembling, shaken Caline was still holding onto Kekron, and he was stroking her hair, speaking words of comfort in soothing tones.

"We're safe now, Caline," Kekron assured her softly. "All of us are safe now. Kami Orchida, the East Kai, or the Supreme Kai must have been watching over us." He rubbed her back in slow circles until Caline's body relaxed. She continued to remain in his arms.

"It's been a miracle that the battles between your cousins and Zarbon didn't send us to our deaths sooner," Naykiar told him, as he mopped his brow. "You Astorians can sure be as fierce as Saiyans. No wonder Frieza considers your race a threat."

"Not enough of a threat to get him to leave us alone," Kekron said ruefully, as he continued to rub Caline's back. Caline rested her head against Kekron's stomach, as she held onto him.

Lelina and Petalia glanced at Kekron's new apparel, and Kekron said firmly, "About the nightgown…don't ask, please."

Petalia looked at Kekron--and Caline, who was still in Kekron's arms, strangely. "Since when did you two become a couple?"

Kekron and Caline both blushed, embarrassed. Kekron was the one who had the nerve to speak first, and it took him great effort. "Caline and I have become close friends, but it's not anything romantic, just friendly."

"He's right, but he's still my hero," Caline piped up. "He saved me from Norbrook and Balair and even Julien, my brother! But we're just good friends, not a couple. I'm too young to be part of a couple yet. I'm only eleven."

"True…" Petalia said slyly. "But you two look very cozy together. If you two are secretly seeing each other, you don't have to hide it! I think you two make a very charming couple."

"PETALIA!" Kekron exclaimed.

"We're just friends!" Caline wailed.

Petalia grinned. "So you are, you are…hmm. Wonder how that nasty Filcor Sedemeyer's going to take it, not that it matters. Kekron's much better than that old Filcor anyway. Looks like he has a rival. You do look very nice with her, Kekron, even if you are wearing a nightgown."

"That's enough, Petalia," Kekron scolded her.

"Filcor is going to have a fit, if he believes what she believed earlier," Naykiar spoke up. "Especially since Julien's reinstated his engagement to Caline. Jules isn't going to like the idea either. In fact he-"

Caline's face paled until it was almost translucent, and Kekron's body tensed. He abruptly released Caline and whipped around towards Naykiar. His eyebrows knitted together, and a deep frown fell upon his face. He walked almost angrily towards Naykiar and stopped when he was right in front of him. Kekron towered over Naykiar, who was not much taller than Caline, by a good foot and a half. Naykiar began to tense when Kekron looked down on him with a scowl on his face. Kekron crossed his arms and stared down at Naykiar. Naykiar could barely meet Kekron's eyes now, for he realized what he had now said.

Kekron said edgily, trying to remain calm, "Naykiar, why would Julien be able to reinstate Caline's engagement to Filcor-oh, sweet Kami Orchida! Of course! Julien is-"

"In charge of all of us now," Naykiar said icily. He now remembered that he was angry with Prince Kekron Chloe. "Kekron, isn't there something that we should both tell Caline-or rather, something that you should have told her, much earlier."

Caline looked at Kekron. "What is it that you were supposed to tell me, Kekron?"

Kekron hung his head down, deeply ashamed. He said quietly to Naykiar, "How did you find out?"

"Filcor Sedemeyer at least had the decency to tell us the truth," Naykiar told him in a new steely tone. "You didn't, Prince Kekron, and I wonder why. Maybe Julien is right to reinstate Filcor's engagement to Caline, after all. I don't like the idea or approve of it, but maybe Caline needs to be with someone who has been honest with us. At least Filcor hasn't let us down. I'm not sure that I would want to see my sister with a deceiver, such as yourself."

"Deceiver?" Caline asked, puzzled. "Kekron's never lied to me."

"No, he probably hasn't," Naykiar told her quietly. "But he has a kept a secret from you."

"I didn't intend to!" Kekron protested. "I was waiting for the right time-"

"The time is now, and I will save you the trouble of telling her. I am her brother, and I have that right over you," Naykiar told Caline's hero coldly. He walked over to Caline and rested a hand on her shoulder, saying quietly, "Caline, I am sorry, but Ridikar has died. That was originally why I came looking for you earlier before Zarbon showed up."

Lelina and Petalia both gasped. Dedron groaned, as he tried to rise.

Caline whispered, "No, no, Ridikar can't be. HE CAN'T BE!" Her whisper rose to a loud, horrific shriek. "How did he die? How did he?" Her blue eyes welled up with tears.

"He was killed in battle, protecting Tayla," Naykiar told her simply, barely able to restrain his own grief.

"So Tayla knew that Ridikar had died?" Caline asked frantically. "And she didn't tell me? Why? And Kekron knew too? Why didn't they tell me?"

Kekron began, "Caline, I-"

Before anyone could stop her, Caline flung her past Naykiar and at Kekron. She was furious and hurt, her grief for Ridikar combined with her anger at both Kekron and Tayla for not telling her sooner. She came at Kekron, preparing to hit him with her small fists. Kekron looked at the angry, grief-stricken young girl, and he lowered his ki significantly, so that she wouldn't injure herself, if she assaulted him. As dismayed as he was, he could understand her anger and pain.

Caline was now standing right in front of him, but she couldn't bring herself to hit him. Instead she lowered her fists, unclenched them, and broke down into tears. No matter, how angry she was with Kekron (and Tayla) right now, she couldn't hurt him physically, never. But why hadn't Kekron told her earlier? Why? Why hadn't Tayla told her?

"Why didn't you tell me?" Caline screamed at him. "Why didn't Tayla tell me? I had a right to know! Ridikar was my BROTHER! And Tayla saw him die, and she didn't tell me? And why didn't you and her tell me that Ridikar was dead? WHY? WHY?"

"Caline…" he whispered, reaching out to her, but Caline shoved herself away from him.

"Leave me alone!" she cried in her agony, as she turned to run away down the hall, away from him and everyone else. She was in no condition to be rational.

"Caline, wait!" Kekron cried, but Caline was already so far away. Lelina and Petalia called after Caline as well, but Caline answered no one. Naykiar chased after her, but Caline was too far ahead of him now. Both siblings were now gone.

Dedron finally managed to rise. "So Ridikar is gone," he said evenly. He shook his head at Kekron. "Kami, Kekron, you and Tayla sure made a fine mess of things. Tayla couldn't keep Ridikar alive, and you screwed up your chances with sweet little Caline! Not that I blame her for abandoning you, especially since you've taken a new interest in women's clothes."

"Shut up, Dedron!" Kekron snarled.

"Dedron, that's enough!" Petalia screamed.

Dedron chuckled, ignoring Petalia. "Well, that leaves you out of the running for Caline, eh? I understand that Rojal's had an interest in her as well. It looks like I just have to worry about my best friend and that old Filcor Sedemeyer. Not that I would ever do anything to Roj, of course; he is my best friend. But I'd find a way to get rid of Filcor in a heartbeat. Caline needs a strong man, such as myself."

Kekron snapped at Dedron. "Are you saying that you have an interest in Caline now?"

"That's right," Dedron said with a smirk. "I can understand why you and Rojal like her, but I have the best chance with her. After all, I have more experience with females. I am an experienced man, something Caline needs. And I prefer…initiated ladies…girls who have been used and trained beforehand, shall we say?"

"Dedron!" Petalia cried in horror.

"You've lain with women before?" Lelina asked, horrified.

Kekron stomped up to Dedron and swung his fist at him, knocking one hard punch to Dedron's fat face. Dedron fell back, stunned. Kekron had done a good job of hitting Dedron, for aqua blood seeped gently from Dedron's nostrils. Petalia and Lelina gasped at the sight of a normally peaceful and gentle Kekron attacking Dedron outright.

"You stay away from Caline, do you understand me?" Kekron hissed. "If I ever find out that you bothered or touched her in any way, shape, or form, I won't hesitate to kill you! And that threat also goes for Filcor and any other man who plans to hurt her!" And with that, Kekron turned away from Dedron and began to fly away down towards the hallway.

Dedron growled, "You weakling bastard! You're going to pay for attacking me!" He shook his huge fist in Kekron's direction, but Kekron neither saw nor cared.

Up on the hotel roof…

"Tayla! You're awake! You're okay!"

"Bendros!" Tayla shrieked, as she flung herself onto him, hugging him tightly, nearly knocking him down. Bendros held her tightly, as he tried to steady herself.

"Take it easy! Save all that strength for facing that pretty boy 'cause he's very strong, little Tayla!" Bendros was laughing however, as he hugged her. They were now standing on the hotel rooftop, in front of an old, forsaken, tall black chimney."

"Yes, good advice," a smooth voice said coolly.

Bendros turned around with Tayla in his arms towards their enemy-Zarbon.

Zarbon smirked. "A touching scene. Too bad you two won't be together for long. Shall we begin? Do you both plan to fight me at once?"

"Yes!" Tayla replied vociferously.

"That we do," Bendros said firmly.

Zarbon laughed, as he tossed off his tattered cape. "I can see that this battle's going to take a while."

Tayla climbed off of Bendros and stood as tall and proud as she could for her short height. Bendros straightened up in an offensive position.

"If we win today," Tayla said evenly. "I have a nice little message that I would like for you to take to Frieza…and it won't be a pleasant one, either."

Zarbon merely snorted. Very few had ever defeated him yet, and he didn't count on Tayla and her "monkey" boyfriend to be among the first.