Chapter One-Hundred-And-Eight: Beginning Of The End-But For Whom?
Back at the Angori hotel…
Natala, Kekron (who was now wearing a CRP officer's borrowed clothes instead of Tayla's nightgown), Naykiar, and Caline stepped outside of the hotel entrance; Toria was inside the now dimly lighted lobby with Rojal and Dedron on couches under her healing domes. Gohan and Hazel were staying near Gorna in a dark hotel lounge where Gorna too was under one of Toria's healing domes. Gohan had been tense ever since he saw Gorna again; he was trying to figure out how to tell Gorna the news about her husband's death. Hazel had stayed with him and Gorna to give them moral support.
Now Natala and the young people with her came across Julien and Filcor, who were standing outside of the lobby watching the thunderstorm. Filcor was the first to spot the four, and he swiftly marched over directly to Caline with a confident stride and a huge grin.
Caline's face grew paler, even for her, and she instinctively crept closer to Kekron. Kekron's stance became rigid and tense, as he came closer to Caline and hovered over her protectively, standing near her. He kept two wary deep blue eyes upon the smarmy, stout Filcor, as Filcor boldly came right up to Caline until he was inches away from her. Then suddenly, before Caline or Kekron could react, Filcor made a grab for Caline, but Caline kicked at his shin and ran out of his reach. She hid behind Kekron, with her little heart pounding wildly.
Kekron growled, "Leave her alone!" His blue eyes were almost black.
Filcor waved him away, as if Kekron were no more than a fly, and laughed at Caline hiding behind her sworn protector. "You can run from me a little while longer, my sweet Caline, but not for much longer! You see, little love, your brother and your grandfather have already agreed to our immediate wedding after the war ends."
"I'm not marrying you!" Caline screamed at him loudly. "Leave me alone!"
Natala and Naykiar were already behind Filcor, and both Naykiar and Kekron stepped in between Filcor and Caline. "You're not wed to my sister yet, Filcor, so don't you touch her right now!" Naykiar hissed.
Filcor narrowed his eyes at Naykiar. "Your brother would not be pleased with you behavior, Prince Naykiar. He has promised Caline to me, and Caline is mine by rights."
"Not until you both say 'I do'," Naykiar snapped. "My sister may wind up having to marry you, but if she does, you're not touching her until after the wedding!"
"NAYKIAR!" Julien roared, coming up behind Natala and Filcor. "How dare you turn against me like this?" He was between Filcor and Naykiar within seconds. Kekron led Caline away from the three men, and Natala took Caline into her arms.
"We won't let anything bad happen to you, little one, don't worry," Natala whispered.
"I don't want to marry him," Caline said fiercely. "I don't! I don't!"
"We won't let it happen, Caline," Kekron assured her.
In downtown Magan, below the city streets…
Shalila was thankful that she had been wise enough to gather some of the Bright Healer roses from the ruined rose gardens before she and the others had left to hunt down the Ginyu Force and Zarbon. She had used the rose oil to heal her wounds just now. Baata's series of rapid-fire ki blasts had just barely missed her, for Shalila had ducked into a tunnel and ran down into the labyrinths. She crouched down as low as she could, as she began to gather together her ki, to bring as high as she could.
Finally Baata had stopped firing his ki attacks, and Shalila could sense him closer now, for the big blue soldier had jumped down into the sewer in search of her. She was one floor beneath him, as he ran through the stone brick tunnels in search of her ki.
Baata had his scouter turned on, as he sensed about for Shalila's high ki level. The scouter finally picked up the strong ki signal that Shalila was emitting, as he ran closer and closer to her location through the tunnel that he was certain that Shalila had taken. Finally, he was down on the same floor as she was in the labyrinths.
He saw a flash of bright red-gold hair, as Shalila confidently walked out of her end of the tunnel. Baata shrank back, for Shalila's body had small strings of electricity squirming and dancing about her petite, yet muscular body. Shalila was grinning, even though her hair was mussed and her clothes tattered, torn, and dirty. Her red hair was snarled with debris, rocks, and mud, and her face was smudged with dirt. Her wet clothes were glued to her compact body, but she held a majestic air about her, as she bent down towards the ground. Her palms were lying flat against the dirty, stone floor.
"Does that mean you surrender?" Baata asked hopefully.
Shalila released a mocking laugh, and then she cried out, "ELECTRIC QUAKE!"
Before Baata knew it or could escape it, thin, netted strings of electricity, green and blue rushed along the ground, as the entire labyrinth tunnel rocked violently, as if a giant was shaking it from the outside. Baata tried to fly away off of the ground, but then a huge, heavy piece of ceiling broke away and fell down, hitting him hard in the back of his head, causing him to topple over. When he did topple over, the waves of electricity captured him before he could rise off of the ground again. Baata screamed, as the electric currents entered his big body and began to electrocute him. Strings and wires of electric ki wove in and out of his body. Shalila quickly arose to her feet, exhausted, but still able to fight.
While he was screaming, Shalila decided to shoot a Whirlwind Blaze attack upon him, not wanting to use her full energy for a second Electric Quake. The cyclone of ki whirled away from her palms and towards Baata, engulfing him with more shocking ki. While the Whirlwind Blaze and the Electric Quake attacks were attacking him, Shalila decided to shoot a series of rapid-fire ki blasts similar to those that Baata had tried to use upon her earlier.
Baata was trapped in a force field of ki, as Shalila's blasts rained down upon him. Finally the final phase of Electric Quake took place, and the last, paralyzing, shocking wave of electricity shot throughout Baata's body, and Baata screamed. Within five minutes, the ki flashes faded away completely, as Baata fainted facedown into the floor. His entire blue body was charred and burned heavily in several places, and his eyes were swollen shut. His armor had melted in many places along his body, and smoke coils was arising from his back. Baata emitted a final moan and passed out completely.
Shalila wiped her palms together, as her body heaved with relief.
"You're one bastardi who won't get to take my granddaughter to Frieza. If you live after this, I pity you when you have to explain to that lizard why you lost."
And with that, Shalila flew away, over Baata, and out of the labyrinths.
Back at the Angori Hotel…
Naykiar was now arguing loudly with Julien, "I'm not going to help you force Caline to marry Filcor, Julien! You aren't doing it for her benefit, or even our own; you're just doing it out of your own petty jealousy! If you want to get rid of Caline that badly, why don't you let her go home with the Astorians? At least allow her some happiness, Julien; it wouldn't kill you."
"I've made my decision," Julien snapped stubbornly. "Caline is marrying Filcor the minute that we know that the war is over, and that's final! Grandfather backs up my decision and has agreed, and there's nothing that you or our whiny brat sister can do about it!"
"I swear to Kami Ankor, Julien, that I'm going to do everything I can to prevent this from happening!" Naykiar hissed. "This time you've gone too far! If Ridikar were still alive, he would-"
"But Ridikar isn't alive, is he?" Julien said silkily. "I am to be the next king now, me. It's time that Caline was married once more and started producing some sons. Filcor is a fine match for her, and nothing can make me change my mind."
"That's right, young man," Filcor told Naykiar. "Caline is mine, and even now I am within my rights to do as I please with her. Why, if I want to, I can take her somewhere private and consummate our marriage prematurely; after all, Alberm had that privilege, so why shouldn't I? In fact, I think I will."
Kekron finally had heard enough, and he abruptly left his mother and Caline to confront Filcor. He stepped right up to Filcor and said coolly, "If you even think of touching Caline now or never, you will regret it. She wants nothing to do with you, so why are you forcing the issue?"
Filcor hissed at Kekron, "Stay out of this, Prince Kekron! I know that you wanted her for yourself, but you won't have her! She is betrothed to me. Now get out of my way; Caline is coming with me."
Caline shrieked, as Natala stood up, pulling the girl behind her back. She said icily to Filcor, "Caline is not going anywhere with you. You're not taking her somewhere, so that you can force yourself upon her. She is staying with us until our ruler says otherwise."
"Your people has no say over Caline's fate!" Filcor growled. "Not even your Superior Gran and Superior Granden can stop a Calmagian marriage from taking place."
"That's right, Princess Natala," Julien added edgily. "I decide Caline's fate now, and she is to be wed to Filcor, no ifs, ands, or buts. If Filcor wants to take her away for a little time alone, it is his right to do so. In fact, I am from here on forbidding Caline to have anymore contact with your people." Julien shouted to Caline, who was huddling close to Natala,
"Caline, it's time for you to go with us. You are not allowed to spend any more time with the Astorians, ever. Say goodbye and let's go."
"No," Caline said defiantly from behind Natala's back.
"Don't you ever tell me no," Julien hissed. "I have authority over you now, and I order you to come with me and Filcor."
"I'm not going," Caline told him as bravely as she could.
"She's not going with you," Natala said fiercely. "She is not going to be Filcor's plaything or your pawn! Where is your grandfather? I want to speak to him immediately."
"He's busy," Julien told Natala coldly. "And he backs up my decision to have Caline wed Filcor, and that is that. Now, Princess Natala, I order you to turn the girl over to me at once or else."
"Or else what?" Kekron snarled. "Don't you dare threaten my mother!"
Julien said sweetly, "Oh, don't worry, Prince Kekron, I wouldn't let your dear mother be harmed…I'll just have her arrested by the CRP."
"Go ahead," Natala told Julien bravely. "I won't be in jail for long, assuming that there is even a jail in your city left."
"Oh, there's one standing in good condition," Julien said smoothly. "But you won't have to be in, Princess, if you just hand my sister over to me now."
"I will not hand Caline over to you," Natala told him, wondering how a young boy could have so much political power at his age. "I will not hand Caline over to any of your family unless my Superior Gran or Superior Granden order it otherwise."
"You're defying my authority, Princess Natala," Julien said in that smooth voice. "Now give my sister now."
"I'm not going with you, Julien!" Caline hissed. "I don't want anything to do with you or Filcor! I don't want to marry Filcor at all; I don't love him or even want to be near him."
"It doesn't matter what you want, Caline," Julien told her. "What I say goes. If I want to make you a maidservant for the rest of your sorry life, I can do that. If I want to make you Filcor's whore, that is my right too. You are my property, Caline, until your wedding to Filcor."
At that moment several CRP officers came up behind Julien to see what the commotion was about. "Is everything alright, Prince Julien?" Elmar, who was a private, asked.
"Not quite," Julien told him. "I may have to order someone's arrest. You and the others stand by."
"Yes, my prince."
Julien said to Natala, "I am only saying this one more time: surrender Caline to me now."
Natala shook her head. "She stays."
Julien sighed, shaking his head, as if he were disappointed in a little child for choosing a soda over juice. He said to Elmar, "Arrest Princess Natala Chloe immediately for resisting royal authority."
"Yes, my prince," Elmar, who was a huge beefy man twice Natala's size, said. He walked over to Natala holding his hand out. He intended to paralyze her, but Kekron stepped in between him and his mother. Kekron was a few inches shorter than Elmar, but even Elmar was a bit fazed to be confronted by a Prince of Chloe, Astoria.
"You are not touching my mother," Kekron told the CRP officer coolly. "I suggest you get away immediately."
"Prince Julien has ordered her arrest, young man," Elmar growled. "If you wish to post bail for her, you can follow us to the jail to do so."
"You're not arresting my mother," Kekron insisted in a deadly tone.
"Kekron…" Natala pleaded, placing a hand on his arm. "I will be alright. He is only doing his job."
"Mother!" Kekron protested. He normally always referred to her as "Mamma", but the seriousness of the matter seemed to require a more formal addressing of the woman who had birthed him.
"Kekron," Natala said quietly. "I will be alright. If you try to challenge him, it will only make things worse for all of us, especially Caline. Let him do what he has to do."
"Mother, I'm not allowing it!" Kekron snapped, and Natala drew back for just a moment. Never in her life had Kekron ever raised his voice to her. Kekron continued, "If Father was here, he would-"
"Want me to do what's best for myself and everyone else involved," Natala reminded him.
"I am not letting you go with them, Mother! I won't allow this! You have done no wrong. If that CRP officer lays a hand upon you, he will be sorry! I forbid it, Mother!" Kekron had never spoken to his mother like that before, and even he was stunned by his own behavior towards her. But he couldn't believe that Natala would just submit so easily. Caline shrank back, amazed.
Natala whirled onto him fast. Kekron protesting her actions was one thing, but him forbidding her, his mother, to do something was another thing altogether. "Kekron, you are never to raise your voice to me like that again, do you understand me? That is something that your father would never tolerate. Nor would he allow you ordering me about, no matter what the reason was. My resisting would make things worse, and my decision has been made. I am going with him."
"Mother-" Kekron insisted.
Natala sighed, "It is very unlikely that I would be in jail for long. Kekron, I am sorry to have snapped at you like that, but you have never been like this before."
"You've never been arrested before either," Kekron pointed out. "It isn't right."
"All wrongs will be righted, Kekron," Natala promised him in a softer tone. She leaned up and kissed him on his firm cheek. "Kekron, I appreciate your concern, but I cannot resist arrest; it would make things worse between Astoria and Calmag. Please try to understand. Take care of Caline." She then bent down and kissed both of Caline's soft, pale cheeks and dabbed away her tears with her thumb. "Little Caline, please don't cry; I will be okay, I promise."
"This is my fault," Caline whispered.
"Don't blame yourself," Natala told her gently. "You are fighting back, and so I am I. Goodbye for now, little one, and stay with Kekron. If anyone is truly to blame, it is your brother, Filcor, and most likely your grandfather." She kissed Caline's forehead firmly. Then she walked over to Elmar. "Do what you must."
"I am sorry, Princess, but you are under arrest for resisting royal authority," Elmar whispered, as he lightly touched Natala's arm. Natala's body went rigid and stiff, and she fell forward into Elmar's arms. Elmar hoisted the stiff Natala over his shoulder and started to carry her away to a waiting CRP armored sky truck. Natala had fainted, for that sometimes happened with the Calmagian paralysis attack.
In downtown Magan…
Reccoom was laughing, as the building exploded with millions of brick and glass fragments flying everywhere. He even did celebratory poses, dancing and twirling like an overweight ballerina, but every time he landed the ground around him shook violently, creating cracks in the concrete.
"RECCOOM!" he cried, posing in an "X" position that was almost spread-eagle.
"Everyone's gonna be so proud of me!" he boomed. "'Specially Cap'n and Lord Frieza! I got rid of the Namek! I got rid of the Namek! I got rid of the Namek! I got rid of the-"
He was interrupted by the street shaking, the street that he was dancing on. Suddenly, huge pieces of concrete began to crack and collapse into the sewer, and Reccoom stumbled and fell partway into the sewer tunnels. He tried to fly up to the surface again, but suddenly someone grabbed his ankle and easily swung the giant into the edge of the hole that he had fallen into.
Before Reccoom could react, his attacker punched him hard in his stomach while the other fist shoved Reccoom's nose up as high as it could. Reccoom tried to punch his assailant, but his assailant fired a medium-sized ki blast towards his face. Reccoom screamed when the ki attack burned his face, scorching a long, deep black scar across his face. He was now blinded temporarily, and he covered his eyes pitifully with a gigantic hand, moaning over the pain.
While Reccoom was trying to recover, he felt his attacker rise into the air. Reccoom fired a huge ki blast with one hand, but that would prove to be a mistake.
"MIRROR SHIELD!"
Before Reccoom could escape, he removed his colossal-sized hand from his eye just in time to witness his humiliating defeat by-DIRKAN?
"NO!" Reccoom screamed, as his own ki blast, a bright yellow glowing ball came back from the sky and speeded towards him, colliding into his huge body and roasting him away.
"HELP ME!" Reccoom wailed, as his own globe of ki engulfed him, trapping him in a huge, burning ball of energy. Reccoom emitted one last scream, before he finally fell down and passed out into unconsciousness.
He fell to his side and into the welcoming black void that his mind was now swimming in. His massive body was now lying on the floor of the labyrinth just beneath the sewer.
Up above, Dirkan was panting, badly burnt and scarred with a swollen right eye, but thankful to be alive. He had escaped from Reccoom's destruction of the building because he had swiftly fled to the basement--which had an entrance to the labyrinths. It seemed that there had to be a thousand ways to get to the underground labyrinths.
His ribs were broken, and his left ear and his right arm was missing; using a one-handed Mirror Shield to deflect Reccoom's powerful attack had not been easy. He closed his eyes, waiting for his arm to regenerate again, as someone suddenly wrapped a pair of slender, feminine arms around his thick green neck.
Dirkan opened his eyes abruptly and was delighted and relieved to see Shalila embracing him from behind. She removed one arm to take his pointed chin into her hand, and then she fervently kissed him, her lips infusing all of her passion and love for her lifelong companion and true love. Dirkan then captured her into his embrace and crushed her petite body against his, his one arm wrapping around her waist tightly. Shalila wrapped her legs around Dirkan's waist, as she settled herself on his hips. Both were hovering in mid-air, as they took a few minutes to remind each other of their love. Shalila gently traced over the scar where Dirkan's ear was now missing, but would grow back soon.
"Fi luven, Dirkan," Shalila whispered into his good ear.
"Fi luven toi, Shalila, fi luven toi." Dirkan normally spoke more Standard than Astorian, but he felt that this moment appropriately called for Shalila's native language.
Back at the Angori Hotel…
Kekron stood with his fists clenched and his teeth gnashed. Caline was afraid to go near him now; she feared that he might blame her for his mother's unjust arrest. She took a few steps back-right into Filcor, who had cleverly slipped around Elmar and Natala to get to Caline. Filcor wasted no time in scooping Caline up into his arms, and Caline screamed, kicking at him.
Kekron ran up to them. He yelled at Filcor, "LET HER GO!"
Filcor smirked, as he held a struggling Caline and turned her around forcibly towards him.
"Let her go, Filcor!" Naykiar growled.
"Shut up and stay out of it, Nayke!" Julien hissed.
"LET ME GO!" Caline screamed at Filcor, as Kekron came closer to them.
Filcor grinned. "I don't think so, sweet Caline." He then seized her small rounded chin and roughly kissed her on her lips, showing possession of her. Caline responded by sinking her tiny teeth into his bottom lip, and Filcor screamed, throwing her down. Caline had actually torn out a huge piece of his lip, and she spat it out onto the ground. Filcor's fat bottom lip was bleeding heavily, with amber liquid oozing from it.
"You little slut! How dare you do that to me, your future husband? You're just as stubborn and bratty as Carie was! No wonder you girls got along so well! But unlike Carie, you're going to learn to obey me and respect me as your husband and master! And here's your first lesson in obedience!"
Furious, Filcor drew his hand back, intending to give Caline a hard slap across her delicate face. His hand swooped down towards Caline's cheek, but Kekron quickly seized his arm before his hand could even come close to Caline's face. Kekron wasted no time in twisting Filcor's arm behind his back as hard as he could. Filcor screamed in agony, as Kekron shoved him to the ground facedown into the mud.
"Don't you ever lay a hand on Caline again, ever!" Kekron shouted. "Do you understand me? Don't ever touch her again!"
Filcor struggled to his feet and threw his weight at Kekron, shoving him backwards.
Kekron nearly toppled over, but he didn't fall. He punched Filcor hard in his face, but Filcor shoved him into a lamppost. Kekron's arm hit the lamppost, but he ignored the pain the best that he could, as he flung himself at Filcor, shoving him back. Filcor raised his hand and aimed it towards Kekron's arm. Kekron knew that Filcor intended to paralyze him, so Kekron sent an electric shock through his arm, not enough to cause serious damage, but enough to shock Filcor significantly. Filcor cried out and released Kekron. Kekron stepped backwards while Filcor was crying in his agony and asked, "Have you had enough?"
"I…" Filcor moaned, as he sank to his knees.
Julien roared at Elmar, who had just returned, "Elmar, I want Prince Kekron Chloe arrested!"
"For what, my prince?"
"A number of charges," Julien said with a smirk. "One of them being assaulting a CRP officer, and the others include resisting royal authority, aiding and abetting in the delinquency of a royal ward, and illegal interfering with the earlier arrest of his mother, Princess Natala. Arrest him at once!"
"Yes, my prince!" Elmar commanded, running over towards Kekron and Filcor.
"NO!" Caline screamed. She ran up to Julien and begged, "Don't let Natala and Kekron go to jail, please!"
Filcor ignored her. "If no one minds, I'll just arrest Prince Kekron myself." He then stumbled over to Kekron, who leapt out of his way. Filcor almost fell facedown again, but Elmar was there to catch him.
"You're not taking me so easily," Kekron promised both of them.
"Don't be so certain, Prince," Filcor mocked, as he struggled to his feet. He was going to deal with this upstart once and for all.
On the streets of Magan…
Jeice was doing several celebratory poses, similar to Captain Ginyu's Dance of Joy, not too far away from where Cirono had been defeated. Jeice then decided to go back to see if Cirono had finally perished or was still unconscious.
He walked over to where Cirono had fallen to his defeat, and he gasped in horror to find a shocking sight.
That "Calmagie runt" was gone.
"Where did he go?" Jeice wondered. He turned on his scouter to search for Cirono by ki sensing, and it beeped. Jeice was excited then.
"Aha! I found you!" he called, as he levitated just slightly over the city sidewalk and flew into a nearby alley where the ki signal was registering no higher than a fifteen on the scouter scale. When Jeice had first taken Cirono's ki level reading, Cirono had a level around at about two-hundred, high for a Calmagian, but still not very strong, at least compared with the strongest of Frieza's soldiers.
Jeice chuckled to himself; surely that Calmagian lad had been damaged so badly that he was close to dying, for that had to explain why his ki level was so low. And who else could be around? Jeice crept further into the alley and saw a dark, slender figure crawling around in the darkness. The Ginyu Force member flew into the air and pounced upon the slinking form.
"Now I've got you!" Jeice crowed.
Jeice did capture something, but it was not Cirono.
Jeice's eyes bulged in horror, when he realized that he was now resting upon a huge, black doglike creature with three pointed ears, glowing orange eyes, and eight legs. Calmagian, like Astoria and Earth, had their share of dogs, but the Calmagians called their dogs "barkins", and this "barkin" was a canine very popular for use as guard dogs. This particular barkin had escaped from a kennel, and was known, like most of its species, to be huge and vicious; his entire breed was trained that way.
The barkin growled at Jeice and showed its huge, yellowed teeth. "GRRRRR!"
"Ni-Nice doggy!" Jeice pleaded, as he climbed off of the dangerous beast.
Unfortunately Jeice had angered the "nice doggy" a bit too much for the animals' liking. At that moment, the barkin chomped down onto Jeice's hand, its sharp teeth tearing into Jeice's thick red skin and tough bones.
"OWWWW!" Jeice screamed, as he tried to shake the barkin off, yanking his arm away.
But the barkin continued to clamp onto Jeice's arm and shook it, as Jeice screamed and cried in agony.
"HELP ME, SOMEONE!"
Finally Jeice fired a small ki blast at the barkin's ribs, and the barkin abruptly yanked his teeth out of Jeice's arm and howled pitifully. Jeice took that time to fly away, and he was well into the air, when he felt a sharp pain in his buttocks.
"OUCH! OWWWW!" Jeice screamed, and he looked around in horror to see that the vicious barkin had now sunk its angry teeth into the tight flesh of Jeice's bottom. Jeice tried desperately to shake the barkin off of him, but the barkin hung on for dear life, his teeth piercing flesh, bone and muscle of Jeice's buttocks.
"OWWWW! OW-WEE! SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE GET THIS MUTT OF ME!"
Jeice continued to thrash and writhe, but that only made the barkin cling to him tighter.
At the monorail station in Magan…
Alora, Bajal, and Raakon were frozen in place above the monorail tracks, held captive by an invisible force. All three had tried to struggle against it, as they heard the horrible automatic whistle of the monorail train moving steadily along the monorail tracks.
"CLICKITY-CLACK! CLICKITY-CLACK!"
Raakon was the only facing forward towards the coming monorail train, and he tried desperately to form a Shield Field, but the strong force holding him still would not even let him do that. Sweat poured down his face, and he heard a soft, terrified sob from Alora.
Raakon was amazed to hear Alora crying; he had not known Alora to cry since the epic Battle of Chloe when she had mourned her fallen comrades. Most of the time Alora was a stoic heroine, but Raakon couldn't blame her for her tears. He felt like crying himself.
There was nothing he could do, as the train's moved steadily towards him and his brother and sister-in-law.
"'Lora, please don't cry," Bajal moaned, but he almost wanted to cry himself. He had literally wet himself when he realized that the monorail train was coming to crash into them and crush them. "So, sorry, 'Lora…"
"Bajal…" Alora whispered through her frightened tears. "Love you…don't say it often, I know, but I do…"
"Love you too, 'Lora…so sorry. Rina's going to be left an orphan now…poor kid…"
"WOO! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The monorail train's piercing whistle echoed throughout the stormy night.
A few tears slid down Raakon's chiseled cheeks; he was going to be a father again for the third time, and now he would not live to see his new baby. Would Natala even live to have their third child? He would never know now.
"Sorry, Natala, Kekron, Arlina, and you too, my little unborn child…" he whispered, as the glowing lights of the train cast itself upon him and the others. "Sorry, I won't be there for any of you anymore…love all of you…so much…"
The monorail train was coming closer and closer, as thunder crackled in the background. Raakon closed his eyes and whispered:
"Tayla, I'm sorry too…sorry that I won't be able to help protect you anymore…love you, little sister…so brave…you are…was lucky to have you as my baby sister…so sorry…"
The train came closer and closer…within seconds, it would crash into them, and three brave Astorian fighters would soon be on Snake Way, headed towards Enma Daiou's office.
Raakon closed his eyes, not wanting to see his own impending death.
"CRASH! SQUEAK! SCREEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHH! BOOM!"
A planet-shattering noise was heard, which included the sounds of crushing metal and stone and a loud, mutilated train whistle. A bright light flashed, brighter than most ki attacks, and…
"KA-BOOM!"
A giant, massive brown cloud erupted from the ashes, and then there was a deadly, calming silence heard, except for the thunder still roaring in the background.
But no voices could be heard anymore.
At the cliff where Tayla and Bendros and Zarbon were battling…
"Tayla?" Bendros asked. "Tayla?"
Silence.
The bodies of Tayla and Bendros were covered with severe second and third degree burns. Bendros's entire shirt had been burned away, and a huge blackened crescent-shaped scar was imprinted deeply into the muscular flesh of Bendros's broad back. Much of Bendros's thick black hair had been burnt away as well. His legs were covered with second-degree burns, but thankfully no major bones had been broken. One of Bendros's ribs had been cracked, and his shoulder had been dislocated. But since Bendros had dislocated that shoulder several times in the past, he had been able to pop it back into his socket immediately. He had taken the majority of the damage from Zarbon's last ki attack, although Tayla was the one who was unconscious.
She was lying on her side, with a sleeve missing off of the pale green shirt that she had borrowed from Kekron. Tayla's shoulder was exposed, and most of the soft flesh on that shoulder and the arm below it were decorated with blue, bloody cuts, burns, and bruises. Her right eye was swollen and blackened. Bendros gently tried to shake her, but Tayla would not stir.
"Tayla? Tayla? Please wake up. Tayla?"
Bendros was kneeling beside Tayla, as he brushed several locks of her dark hair aside. He saw a steady stream of indigo blood gently seeping down the side of her face, some blood flowing into her tangled tresses. Bendros took Tayla's carotid pulse, and he felt a small beating that gave him some hope. She was still alive!
"Tayla," Bendros whispered urgently. "Please wake up, please?"
"It's no use, young man, she's out of the game."
Bendros looked up into the smug face of Zarbon who was watching contentedly with his arms crossed. Zarbon shook his head and smiled.
"You've both lost, admit it. Your people's heroine is out cold, and you alone couldn't take me down. Just hand over the girl to me now, and I'll let you go, although Lord Frieza could use one such as you as well. But Princess Tayla will do for now. Give me the girl."
"No!" Bendros hissed. "She's not going anywhere with you! Doesn't your army have enough powerful fighters?"
"Quite a few, but we lose so many all of the time. Lord Frieza wasn't too happy to learn that all of those Mid-Elites and Lower Elites he sent to Calmag perished. He's not too pleased with me right now, as you can understand, for I insisted on their coming here. Hand-delivering Princess Tayla to him personally will more than mollify any anger that he has. Allow me to take the child; I'll just pick her up myself."
Zarbon bent down towards the unconscious form of Tayla, as he turned on his scouter. Tayla's ki was registering less than a thousand now, as he bent closer to pick her up. While he was occupied with taking Tayla away, Bendros took that opportunity to throw his weight upon Frieza's Head Commander and knock him to the ground. Zarbon growled savagely, like the beast that he now was, as he and Bendros rolled around in the muck and rain, punching at each other. Bendros's fist crashed into Zarbon's eye, but then Zarbon punched Bendros in the sorest part of his ribs. They continued to wrestle around for ten minutes, punching and hitting each other every chance that they could.
Finally, Zarbon took that opportunity to grab the tip of Bendros's tail and squeeze it again, twisting it as hard as he could. Bendros's screams echoed throughout the night, as the thunder roared, and the rain continued to pour and pour. Zarbon then threw Bendros off of him and shoved him down, as Zarbon rose, still holding Bendros's tail. Zarbon's hand moved further down the length of his opponent's tail, twisting and bending it every chance that he could. Bendros was now down on his knees, screaming, as Zarbon squeezed and twisted his tail from behind.
"About to give up, monkey?" Zarbon taunted, as he continued to wind Bendros's tail around his fist, squeezing harder than ever.
"Bastardi!" Bendros screamed. "AWWWWWW! AHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOO!" Tears were now freely streaming down his face. His heart was pounding wildly, trying to escape from his chest. Bendros's face was contorted, and his fists were clawing the dirt, as Zarbon continued to twist and squeeze his tail. Zarbon smiled, taking delight in Bendros's pain.
"If this tail causes you so much trouble, monkey, why keep it? I don't understand you Saiyans sometimes! Your race is a most puzzling one, half-breed. Ready to give up now?"
"No, no," Bendros panted, feeling as if he were about to faint.
"Foolish boy, but then monkeys aren't highly known for their intelligence, aren't they? Well, monkey, it's been fun, but I don't have much time to play anymore, so I'll just ship you off to the next dimension, okay? But first, I'm going to torture you just a bit more."
"Nooooooooo!" Bendros moaned.
"Yesssssssssssss!" Zarbon laughed, as he kicked Bendros hard in his bottom, with the force of a battering ram. Zarbon then punched Bendros's badly burned back with his free fists, making sure to hit Bendros in the most painful areas. He then continued to kick and punch at Bendros while twisting his tail harder and harder. Bendros began to scream louder and wail.
"Would you like to die now, monkey?" Zarbon asked. "I can arrange it, if you wish."
Bendros sobbed loudly, his mind becoming delirious.
"Mamma…help me," he whimpered. "Mamma, Tayla, Aunt Alora…where are you?"
"Going insane, monkey?" Zarbon chuckled. "I've heard of Saiyans going insane, if their tails are squeezed for too long! It'd be interesting to see a crazy monkey for once, although I think all Saiyans are crazy enough already."
"TAYLA!" Bendros screamed. "Tayla, where are you? Why have you abandoned me? Oh, Mamma, Aunt Alora, where are you all at? Oh, why doesn't anyone come? Why?"
"The brat can't hear you, monkey, so give it up!" Zarbon snapped, bending Bendros's tail, as he tried to break it.
"Tayla, help me, please!" Bendros screamed. "TAYLA!"
"She can't hear you; why are you bothering, monkey?" Zarbon demanded to know.
"TAYLA!"
Zarbon said with a smirk, "I'll tell you what, monkey, I'm going to be nice and put you out of your misery right now. As Astories like to say, 'Gooden Boden!'"
Zarbon then raised his hand, and a ball of sparking ki formed in his palm. He would aim it at Bendros's head, and then it would be over for the brave Sastorian warrior.
Bendros cried and sobbed in his insanity, "Tayla…Tayla…so sorry…why, Tayla, why? Why were you knocked out?"
The ball of ki in Zarbon's hand grew larger and larger.
"TAYLA!"
"TAYLA!"
Somewhere in the black, light-headed void in Tayla's dormant mind, she heard a terrified scream.
In the void, she heard Bendros screaming her name, and in the darkness of her mind, she frantically ran towards Bendros.
In the black netherworld of her thoughts, she could see clearly Zarbon torturing Bendros, twisting his tail and kicking and punching at him. Then she saw Zarbon holding a glowing, sparking ball of energy-a ki ball that would definitely destroy Bendros because he couldn't defend himself.
Tayla was seeing all of this in her unconscious mind, as she ran towards Zarbon and the agonized Bendros. She ran faster and faster, but she could not catch up. The image of Zarbon tormenting Bendros was moving further and further away from her, as Tayla ran madly in the dark world of her thoughts. She could never catch up to them.
She heard Zarbon call out to Bendros, "Say hello to Enma Daiou for me!"
Tayla continued to run towards them in her mind, as Zarbon was about to throw his ball of ki at poor Bendros.
Zarbon laughed, "HAHAHAHAHA!" as he threw his hand back with the ki ball.
Tayla then screamed, "NO! BENDROS!"
Bendros screamed, "TAYLA!"
And before Tayla knew it, she could see in herself holding out her palms together-and shoot a stream of pure white ki from her small hands.
Zarbon's shocked expression greeted the oncoming attack, as Tayla's bolt of ki burst forth into his chest. In her darkened unconscious mind, she clearly saw Zarbon release Bendros and fall backwards into the ground. Bendros fainted.
Tayla fell to her knees, and suddenly the blackness began to brighten somewhat, as she began to feel rain and hear thunder…
Back at the Angori hotel…
Natala, Kekron (who was now wearing a CRP officer's borrowed clothes instead of Tayla's nightgown), Naykiar, and Caline stepped outside of the hotel entrance; Toria was inside the now dimly lighted lobby with Rojal and Dedron on couches under her healing domes. Gohan and Hazel were staying near Gorna in a dark hotel lounge where Gorna too was under one of Toria's healing domes. Gohan had been tense ever since he saw Gorna again; he was trying to figure out how to tell Gorna the news about her husband's death. Hazel had stayed with him and Gorna to give them moral support.
Now Natala and the young people with her came across Julien and Filcor, who were standing outside of the lobby watching the thunderstorm. Filcor was the first to spot the four, and he swiftly marched over directly to Caline with a confident stride and a huge grin.
Caline's face grew paler, even for her, and she instinctively crept closer to Kekron. Kekron's stance became rigid and tense, as he came closer to Caline and hovered over her protectively, standing near her. He kept two wary deep blue eyes upon the smarmy, stout Filcor, as Filcor boldly came right up to Caline until he was inches away from her. Then suddenly, before Caline or Kekron could react, Filcor made a grab for Caline, but Caline kicked at his shin and ran out of his reach. She hid behind Kekron, with her little heart pounding wildly.
Kekron growled, "Leave her alone!" His blue eyes were almost black.
Filcor waved him away, as if Kekron were no more than a fly, and laughed at Caline hiding behind her sworn protector. "You can run from me a little while longer, my sweet Caline, but not for much longer! You see, little love, your brother and your grandfather have already agreed to our immediate wedding after the war ends."
"I'm not marrying you!" Caline screamed at him loudly. "Leave me alone!"
Natala and Naykiar were already behind Filcor, and both Naykiar and Kekron stepped in between Filcor and Caline. "You're not wed to my sister yet, Filcor, so don't you touch her right now!" Naykiar hissed.
Filcor narrowed his eyes at Naykiar. "Your brother would not be pleased with you behavior, Prince Naykiar. He has promised Caline to me, and Caline is mine by rights."
"Not until you both say 'I do'," Naykiar snapped. "My sister may wind up having to marry you, but if she does, you're not touching her until after the wedding!"
"NAYKIAR!" Julien roared, coming up behind Natala and Filcor. "How dare you turn against me like this?" He was between Filcor and Naykiar within seconds. Kekron led Caline away from the three men, and Natala took Caline into her arms.
"We won't let anything bad happen to you, little one, don't worry," Natala whispered.
"I don't want to marry him," Caline said fiercely. "I don't! I don't!"
"We won't let it happen, Caline," Kekron assured her.
In downtown Magan, below the city streets…
Shalila was thankful that she had been wise enough to gather some of the Bright Healer roses from the ruined rose gardens before she and the others had left to hunt down the Ginyu Force and Zarbon. She had used the rose oil to heal her wounds just now. Baata's series of rapid-fire ki blasts had just barely missed her, for Shalila had ducked into a tunnel and ran down into the labyrinths. She crouched down as low as she could, as she began to gather together her ki, to bring as high as she could.
Finally Baata had stopped firing his ki attacks, and Shalila could sense him closer now, for the big blue soldier had jumped down into the sewer in search of her. She was one floor beneath him, as he ran through the stone brick tunnels in search of her ki.
Baata had his scouter turned on, as he sensed about for Shalila's high ki level. The scouter finally picked up the strong ki signal that Shalila was emitting, as he ran closer and closer to her location through the tunnel that he was certain that Shalila had taken. Finally, he was down on the same floor as she was in the labyrinths.
He saw a flash of bright red-gold hair, as Shalila confidently walked out of her end of the tunnel. Baata shrank back, for Shalila's body had small strings of electricity squirming and dancing about her petite, yet muscular body. Shalila was grinning, even though her hair was mussed and her clothes tattered, torn, and dirty. Her red hair was snarled with debris, rocks, and mud, and her face was smudged with dirt. Her wet clothes were glued to her compact body, but she held a majestic air about her, as she bent down towards the ground. Her palms were lying flat against the dirty, stone floor.
"Does that mean you surrender?" Baata asked hopefully.
Shalila released a mocking laugh, and then she cried out, "ELECTRIC QUAKE!"
Before Baata knew it or could escape it, thin, netted strings of electricity, green and blue rushed along the ground, as the entire labyrinth tunnel rocked violently, as if a giant was shaking it from the outside. Baata tried to fly away off of the ground, but then a huge, heavy piece of ceiling broke away and fell down, hitting him hard in the back of his head, causing him to topple over. When he did topple over, the waves of electricity captured him before he could rise off of the ground again. Baata screamed, as the electric currents entered his big body and began to electrocute him. Strings and wires of electric ki wove in and out of his body. Shalila quickly arose to her feet, exhausted, but still able to fight.
While he was screaming, Shalila decided to shoot a Whirlwind Blaze attack upon him, not wanting to use her full energy for a second Electric Quake. The cyclone of ki whirled away from her palms and towards Baata, engulfing him with more shocking ki. While the Whirlwind Blaze and the Electric Quake attacks were attacking him, Shalila decided to shoot a series of rapid-fire ki blasts similar to those that Baata had tried to use upon her earlier.
Baata was trapped in a force field of ki, as Shalila's blasts rained down upon him. Finally the final phase of Electric Quake took place, and the last, paralyzing, shocking wave of electricity shot throughout Baata's body, and Baata screamed. Within five minutes, the ki flashes faded away completely, as Baata fainted facedown into the floor. His entire blue body was charred and burned heavily in several places, and his eyes were swollen shut. His armor had melted in many places along his body, and smoke coils was arising from his back. Baata emitted a final moan and passed out completely.
Shalila wiped her palms together, as her body heaved with relief.
"You're one bastardi who won't get to take my granddaughter to Frieza. If you live after this, I pity you when you have to explain to that lizard why you lost."
And with that, Shalila flew away, over Baata, and out of the labyrinths.
Back at the Angori Hotel…
Naykiar was now arguing loudly with Julien, "I'm not going to help you force Caline to marry Filcor, Julien! You aren't doing it for her benefit, or even our own; you're just doing it out of your own petty jealousy! If you want to get rid of Caline that badly, why don't you let her go home with the Astorians? At least allow her some happiness, Julien; it wouldn't kill you."
"I've made my decision," Julien snapped stubbornly. "Caline is marrying Filcor the minute that we know that the war is over, and that's final! Grandfather backs up my decision and has agreed, and there's nothing that you or our whiny brat sister can do about it!"
"I swear to Kami Ankor, Julien, that I'm going to do everything I can to prevent this from happening!" Naykiar hissed. "This time you've gone too far! If Ridikar were still alive, he would-"
"But Ridikar isn't alive, is he?" Julien said silkily. "I am to be the next king now, me. It's time that Caline was married once more and started producing some sons. Filcor is a fine match for her, and nothing can make me change my mind."
"That's right, young man," Filcor told Naykiar. "Caline is mine, and even now I am within my rights to do as I please with her. Why, if I want to, I can take her somewhere private and consummate our marriage prematurely; after all, Alberm had that privilege, so why shouldn't I? In fact, I think I will."
Kekron finally had heard enough, and he abruptly left his mother and Caline to confront Filcor. He stepped right up to Filcor and said coolly, "If you even think of touching Caline now or never, you will regret it. She wants nothing to do with you, so why are you forcing the issue?"
Filcor hissed at Kekron, "Stay out of this, Prince Kekron! I know that you wanted her for yourself, but you won't have her! She is betrothed to me. Now get out of my way; Caline is coming with me."
Caline shrieked, as Natala stood up, pulling the girl behind her back. She said icily to Filcor, "Caline is not going anywhere with you. You're not taking her somewhere, so that you can force yourself upon her. She is staying with us until our ruler says otherwise."
"Your people has no say over Caline's fate!" Filcor growled. "Not even your Superior Gran and Superior Granden can stop a Calmagian marriage from taking place."
"That's right, Princess Natala," Julien added edgily. "I decide Caline's fate now, and she is to be wed to Filcor, no ifs, ands, or buts. If Filcor wants to take her away for a little time alone, it is his right to do so. In fact, I am from here on forbidding Caline to have anymore contact with your people." Julien shouted to Caline, who was huddling close to Natala,
"Caline, it's time for you to go with us. You are not allowed to spend any more time with the Astorians, ever. Say goodbye and let's go."
"No," Caline said defiantly from behind Natala's back.
"Don't you ever tell me no," Julien hissed. "I have authority over you now, and I order you to come with me and Filcor."
"I'm not going," Caline told him as bravely as she could.
"She's not going with you," Natala said fiercely. "She is not going to be Filcor's plaything or your pawn! Where is your grandfather? I want to speak to him immediately."
"He's busy," Julien told Natala coldly. "And he backs up my decision to have Caline wed Filcor, and that is that. Now, Princess Natala, I order you to turn the girl over to me at once or else."
"Or else what?" Kekron snarled. "Don't you dare threaten my mother!"
Julien said sweetly, "Oh, don't worry, Prince Kekron, I wouldn't let your dear mother be harmed…I'll just have her arrested by the CRP."
"Go ahead," Natala told Julien bravely. "I won't be in jail for long, assuming that there is even a jail in your city left."
"Oh, there's one standing in good condition," Julien said smoothly. "But you won't have to be in, Princess, if you just hand my sister over to me now."
"I will not hand Caline over to you," Natala told him, wondering how a young boy could have so much political power at his age. "I will not hand Caline over to any of your family unless my Superior Gran or Superior Granden order it otherwise."
"You're defying my authority, Princess Natala," Julien said in that smooth voice. "Now give my sister now."
"I'm not going with you, Julien!" Caline hissed. "I don't want anything to do with you or Filcor! I don't want to marry Filcor at all; I don't love him or even want to be near him."
"It doesn't matter what you want, Caline," Julien told her. "What I say goes. If I want to make you a maidservant for the rest of your sorry life, I can do that. If I want to make you Filcor's whore, that is my right too. You are my property, Caline, until your wedding to Filcor."
At that moment several CRP officers came up behind Julien to see what the commotion was about. "Is everything alright, Prince Julien?" Elmar, who was a private, asked.
"Not quite," Julien told him. "I may have to order someone's arrest. You and the others stand by."
"Yes, my prince."
Julien said to Natala, "I am only saying this one more time: surrender Caline to me now."
Natala shook her head. "She stays."
Julien sighed, shaking his head, as if he were disappointed in a little child for choosing a soda over juice. He said to Elmar, "Arrest Princess Natala Chloe immediately for resisting royal authority."
"Yes, my prince," Elmar, who was a huge beefy man twice Natala's size, said. He walked over to Natala holding his hand out. He intended to paralyze her, but Kekron stepped in between him and his mother. Kekron was a few inches shorter than Elmar, but even Elmar was a bit fazed to be confronted by a Prince of Chloe, Astoria.
"You are not touching my mother," Kekron told the CRP officer coolly. "I suggest you get away immediately."
"Prince Julien has ordered her arrest, young man," Elmar growled. "If you wish to post bail for her, you can follow us to the jail to do so."
"You're not arresting my mother," Kekron insisted in a deadly tone.
"Kekron…" Natala pleaded, placing a hand on his arm. "I will be alright. He is only doing his job."
"Mother!" Kekron protested. He normally always referred to her as "Mamma", but the seriousness of the matter seemed to require a more formal addressing of the woman who had birthed him.
"Kekron," Natala said quietly. "I will be alright. If you try to challenge him, it will only make things worse for all of us, especially Caline. Let him do what he has to do."
"Mother, I'm not allowing it!" Kekron snapped, and Natala drew back for just a moment. Never in her life had Kekron ever raised his voice to her. Kekron continued, "If Father was here, he would-"
"Want me to do what's best for myself and everyone else involved," Natala reminded him.
"I am not letting you go with them, Mother! I won't allow this! You have done no wrong. If that CRP officer lays a hand upon you, he will be sorry! I forbid it, Mother!" Kekron had never spoken to his mother like that before, and even he was stunned by his own behavior towards her. But he couldn't believe that Natala would just submit so easily. Caline shrank back, amazed.
Natala whirled onto him fast. Kekron protesting her actions was one thing, but him forbidding her, his mother, to do something was another thing altogether. "Kekron, you are never to raise your voice to me like that again, do you understand me? That is something that your father would never tolerate. Nor would he allow you ordering me about, no matter what the reason was. My resisting would make things worse, and my decision has been made. I am going with him."
"Mother-" Kekron insisted.
Natala sighed, "It is very unlikely that I would be in jail for long. Kekron, I am sorry to have snapped at you like that, but you have never been like this before."
"You've never been arrested before either," Kekron pointed out. "It isn't right."
"All wrongs will be righted, Kekron," Natala promised him in a softer tone. She leaned up and kissed him on his firm cheek. "Kekron, I appreciate your concern, but I cannot resist arrest; it would make things worse between Astoria and Calmag. Please try to understand. Take care of Caline." She then bent down and kissed both of Caline's soft, pale cheeks and dabbed away her tears with her thumb. "Little Caline, please don't cry; I will be okay, I promise."
"This is my fault," Caline whispered.
"Don't blame yourself," Natala told her gently. "You are fighting back, and so I am I. Goodbye for now, little one, and stay with Kekron. If anyone is truly to blame, it is your brother, Filcor, and most likely your grandfather." She kissed Caline's forehead firmly. Then she walked over to Elmar. "Do what you must."
"I am sorry, Princess, but you are under arrest for resisting royal authority," Elmar whispered, as he lightly touched Natala's arm. Natala's body went rigid and stiff, and she fell forward into Elmar's arms. Elmar hoisted the stiff Natala over his shoulder and started to carry her away to a waiting CRP armored sky truck. Natala had fainted, for that sometimes happened with the Calmagian paralysis attack.
In downtown Magan…
Reccoom was laughing, as the building exploded with millions of brick and glass fragments flying everywhere. He even did celebratory poses, dancing and twirling like an overweight ballerina, but every time he landed the ground around him shook violently, creating cracks in the concrete.
"RECCOOM!" he cried, posing in an "X" position that was almost spread-eagle.
"Everyone's gonna be so proud of me!" he boomed. "'Specially Cap'n and Lord Frieza! I got rid of the Namek! I got rid of the Namek! I got rid of the Namek! I got rid of the-"
He was interrupted by the street shaking, the street that he was dancing on. Suddenly, huge pieces of concrete began to crack and collapse into the sewer, and Reccoom stumbled and fell partway into the sewer tunnels. He tried to fly up to the surface again, but suddenly someone grabbed his ankle and easily swung the giant into the edge of the hole that he had fallen into.
Before Reccoom could react, his attacker punched him hard in his stomach while the other fist shoved Reccoom's nose up as high as it could. Reccoom tried to punch his assailant, but his assailant fired a medium-sized ki blast towards his face. Reccoom screamed when the ki attack burned his face, scorching a long, deep black scar across his face. He was now blinded temporarily, and he covered his eyes pitifully with a gigantic hand, moaning over the pain.
While Reccoom was trying to recover, he felt his attacker rise into the air. Reccoom fired a huge ki blast with one hand, but that would prove to be a mistake.
"MIRROR SHIELD!"
Before Reccoom could escape, he removed his colossal-sized hand from his eye just in time to witness his humiliating defeat by-DIRKAN?
"NO!" Reccoom screamed, as his own ki blast, a bright yellow glowing ball came back from the sky and speeded towards him, colliding into his huge body and roasting him away.
"HELP ME!" Reccoom wailed, as his own globe of ki engulfed him, trapping him in a huge, burning ball of energy. Reccoom emitted one last scream, before he finally fell down and passed out into unconsciousness.
He fell to his side and into the welcoming black void that his mind was now swimming in. His massive body was now lying on the floor of the labyrinth just beneath the sewer.
Up above, Dirkan was panting, badly burnt and scarred with a swollen right eye, but thankful to be alive. He had escaped from Reccoom's destruction of the building because he had swiftly fled to the basement--which had an entrance to the labyrinths. It seemed that there had to be a thousand ways to get to the underground labyrinths.
His ribs were broken, and his left ear and his right arm was missing; using a one-handed Mirror Shield to deflect Reccoom's powerful attack had not been easy. He closed his eyes, waiting for his arm to regenerate again, as someone suddenly wrapped a pair of slender, feminine arms around his thick green neck.
Dirkan opened his eyes abruptly and was delighted and relieved to see Shalila embracing him from behind. She removed one arm to take his pointed chin into her hand, and then she fervently kissed him, her lips infusing all of her passion and love for her lifelong companion and true love. Dirkan then captured her into his embrace and crushed her petite body against his, his one arm wrapping around her waist tightly. Shalila wrapped her legs around Dirkan's waist, as she settled herself on his hips. Both were hovering in mid-air, as they took a few minutes to remind each other of their love. Shalila gently traced over the scar where Dirkan's ear was now missing, but would grow back soon.
"Fi luven, Dirkan," Shalila whispered into his good ear.
"Fi luven toi, Shalila, fi luven toi." Dirkan normally spoke more Standard than Astorian, but he felt that this moment appropriately called for Shalila's native language.
Back at the Angori Hotel…
Kekron stood with his fists clenched and his teeth gnashed. Caline was afraid to go near him now; she feared that he might blame her for his mother's unjust arrest. She took a few steps back-right into Filcor, who had cleverly slipped around Elmar and Natala to get to Caline. Filcor wasted no time in scooping Caline up into his arms, and Caline screamed, kicking at him.
Kekron ran up to them. He yelled at Filcor, "LET HER GO!"
Filcor smirked, as he held a struggling Caline and turned her around forcibly towards him.
"Let her go, Filcor!" Naykiar growled.
"Shut up and stay out of it, Nayke!" Julien hissed.
"LET ME GO!" Caline screamed at Filcor, as Kekron came closer to them.
Filcor grinned. "I don't think so, sweet Caline." He then seized her small rounded chin and roughly kissed her on her lips, showing possession of her. Caline responded by sinking her tiny teeth into his bottom lip, and Filcor screamed, throwing her down. Caline had actually torn out a huge piece of his lip, and she spat it out onto the ground. Filcor's fat bottom lip was bleeding heavily, with amber liquid oozing from it.
"You little slut! How dare you do that to me, your future husband? You're just as stubborn and bratty as Carie was! No wonder you girls got along so well! But unlike Carie, you're going to learn to obey me and respect me as your husband and master! And here's your first lesson in obedience!"
Furious, Filcor drew his hand back, intending to give Caline a hard slap across her delicate face. His hand swooped down towards Caline's cheek, but Kekron quickly seized his arm before his hand could even come close to Caline's face. Kekron wasted no time in twisting Filcor's arm behind his back as hard as he could. Filcor screamed in agony, as Kekron shoved him to the ground facedown into the mud.
"Don't you ever lay a hand on Caline again, ever!" Kekron shouted. "Do you understand me? Don't ever touch her again!"
Filcor struggled to his feet and threw his weight at Kekron, shoving him backwards.
Kekron nearly toppled over, but he didn't fall. He punched Filcor hard in his face, but Filcor shoved him into a lamppost. Kekron's arm hit the lamppost, but he ignored the pain the best that he could, as he flung himself at Filcor, shoving him back. Filcor raised his hand and aimed it towards Kekron's arm. Kekron knew that Filcor intended to paralyze him, so Kekron sent an electric shock through his arm, not enough to cause serious damage, but enough to shock Filcor significantly. Filcor cried out and released Kekron. Kekron stepped backwards while Filcor was crying in his agony and asked, "Have you had enough?"
"I…" Filcor moaned, as he sank to his knees.
Julien roared at Elmar, who had just returned, "Elmar, I want Prince Kekron Chloe arrested!"
"For what, my prince?"
"A number of charges," Julien said with a smirk. "One of them being assaulting a CRP officer, and the others include resisting royal authority, aiding and abetting in the delinquency of a royal ward, and illegal interfering with the earlier arrest of his mother, Princess Natala. Arrest him at once!"
"Yes, my prince!" Elmar commanded, running over towards Kekron and Filcor.
"NO!" Caline screamed. She ran up to Julien and begged, "Don't let Natala and Kekron go to jail, please!"
Filcor ignored her. "If no one minds, I'll just arrest Prince Kekron myself." He then stumbled over to Kekron, who leapt out of his way. Filcor almost fell facedown again, but Elmar was there to catch him.
"You're not taking me so easily," Kekron promised both of them.
"Don't be so certain, Prince," Filcor mocked, as he struggled to his feet. He was going to deal with this upstart once and for all.
On the streets of Magan…
Jeice was doing several celebratory poses, similar to Captain Ginyu's Dance of Joy, not too far away from where Cirono had been defeated. Jeice then decided to go back to see if Cirono had finally perished or was still unconscious.
He walked over to where Cirono had fallen to his defeat, and he gasped in horror to find a shocking sight.
That "Calmagie runt" was gone.
"Where did he go?" Jeice wondered. He turned on his scouter to search for Cirono by ki sensing, and it beeped. Jeice was excited then.
"Aha! I found you!" he called, as he levitated just slightly over the city sidewalk and flew into a nearby alley where the ki signal was registering no higher than a fifteen on the scouter scale. When Jeice had first taken Cirono's ki level reading, Cirono had a level around at about two-hundred, high for a Calmagian, but still not very strong, at least compared with the strongest of Frieza's soldiers.
Jeice chuckled to himself; surely that Calmagian lad had been damaged so badly that he was close to dying, for that had to explain why his ki level was so low. And who else could be around? Jeice crept further into the alley and saw a dark, slender figure crawling around in the darkness. The Ginyu Force member flew into the air and pounced upon the slinking form.
"Now I've got you!" Jeice crowed.
Jeice did capture something, but it was not Cirono.
Jeice's eyes bulged in horror, when he realized that he was now resting upon a huge, black doglike creature with three pointed ears, glowing orange eyes, and eight legs. Calmagian, like Astoria and Earth, had their share of dogs, but the Calmagians called their dogs "barkins", and this "barkin" was a canine very popular for use as guard dogs. This particular barkin had escaped from a kennel, and was known, like most of its species, to be huge and vicious; his entire breed was trained that way.
The barkin growled at Jeice and showed its huge, yellowed teeth. "GRRRRR!"
"Ni-Nice doggy!" Jeice pleaded, as he climbed off of the dangerous beast.
Unfortunately Jeice had angered the "nice doggy" a bit too much for the animals' liking. At that moment, the barkin chomped down onto Jeice's hand, its sharp teeth tearing into Jeice's thick red skin and tough bones.
"OWWWW!" Jeice screamed, as he tried to shake the barkin off, yanking his arm away.
But the barkin continued to clamp onto Jeice's arm and shook it, as Jeice screamed and cried in agony.
"HELP ME, SOMEONE!"
Finally Jeice fired a small ki blast at the barkin's ribs, and the barkin abruptly yanked his teeth out of Jeice's arm and howled pitifully. Jeice took that time to fly away, and he was well into the air, when he felt a sharp pain in his buttocks.
"OUCH! OWWWW!" Jeice screamed, and he looked around in horror to see that the vicious barkin had now sunk its angry teeth into the tight flesh of Jeice's bottom. Jeice tried desperately to shake the barkin off of him, but the barkin hung on for dear life, his teeth piercing flesh, bone and muscle of Jeice's buttocks.
"OWWWW! OW-WEE! SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE GET THIS MUTT OF ME!"
Jeice continued to thrash and writhe, but that only made the barkin cling to him tighter.
At the monorail station in Magan…
Alora, Bajal, and Raakon were frozen in place above the monorail tracks, held captive by an invisible force. All three had tried to struggle against it, as they heard the horrible automatic whistle of the monorail train moving steadily along the monorail tracks.
"CLICKITY-CLACK! CLICKITY-CLACK!"
Raakon was the only facing forward towards the coming monorail train, and he tried desperately to form a Shield Field, but the strong force holding him still would not even let him do that. Sweat poured down his face, and he heard a soft, terrified sob from Alora.
Raakon was amazed to hear Alora crying; he had not known Alora to cry since the epic Battle of Chloe when she had mourned her fallen comrades. Most of the time Alora was a stoic heroine, but Raakon couldn't blame her for her tears. He felt like crying himself.
There was nothing he could do, as the train's moved steadily towards him and his brother and sister-in-law.
"'Lora, please don't cry," Bajal moaned, but he almost wanted to cry himself. He had literally wet himself when he realized that the monorail train was coming to crash into them and crush them. "So, sorry, 'Lora…"
"Bajal…" Alora whispered through her frightened tears. "Love you…don't say it often, I know, but I do…"
"Love you too, 'Lora…so sorry. Rina's going to be left an orphan now…poor kid…"
"WOO! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The monorail train's piercing whistle echoed throughout the stormy night.
A few tears slid down Raakon's chiseled cheeks; he was going to be a father again for the third time, and now he would not live to see his new baby. Would Natala even live to have their third child? He would never know now.
"Sorry, Natala, Kekron, Arlina, and you too, my little unborn child…" he whispered, as the glowing lights of the train cast itself upon him and the others. "Sorry, I won't be there for any of you anymore…love all of you…so much…"
The monorail train was coming closer and closer, as thunder crackled in the background. Raakon closed his eyes and whispered:
"Tayla, I'm sorry too…sorry that I won't be able to help protect you anymore…love you, little sister…so brave…you are…was lucky to have you as my baby sister…so sorry…"
The train came closer and closer…within seconds, it would crash into them, and three brave Astorian fighters would soon be on Snake Way, headed towards Enma Daiou's office.
Raakon closed his eyes, not wanting to see his own impending death.
"CRASH! SQUEAK! SCREEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHH! BOOM!"
A planet-shattering noise was heard, which included the sounds of crushing metal and stone and a loud, mutilated train whistle. A bright light flashed, brighter than most ki attacks, and…
"KA-BOOM!"
A giant, massive brown cloud erupted from the ashes, and then there was a deadly, calming silence heard, except for the thunder still roaring in the background.
But no voices could be heard anymore.
At the cliff where Tayla and Bendros and Zarbon were battling…
"Tayla?" Bendros asked. "Tayla?"
Silence.
The bodies of Tayla and Bendros were covered with severe second and third degree burns. Bendros's entire shirt had been burned away, and a huge blackened crescent-shaped scar was imprinted deeply into the muscular flesh of Bendros's broad back. Much of Bendros's thick black hair had been burnt away as well. His legs were covered with second-degree burns, but thankfully no major bones had been broken. One of Bendros's ribs had been cracked, and his shoulder had been dislocated. But since Bendros had dislocated that shoulder several times in the past, he had been able to pop it back into his socket immediately. He had taken the majority of the damage from Zarbon's last ki attack, although Tayla was the one who was unconscious.
She was lying on her side, with a sleeve missing off of the pale green shirt that she had borrowed from Kekron. Tayla's shoulder was exposed, and most of the soft flesh on that shoulder and the arm below it were decorated with blue, bloody cuts, burns, and bruises. Her right eye was swollen and blackened. Bendros gently tried to shake her, but Tayla would not stir.
"Tayla? Tayla? Please wake up. Tayla?"
Bendros was kneeling beside Tayla, as he brushed several locks of her dark hair aside. He saw a steady stream of indigo blood gently seeping down the side of her face, some blood flowing into her tangled tresses. Bendros took Tayla's carotid pulse, and he felt a small beating that gave him some hope. She was still alive!
"Tayla," Bendros whispered urgently. "Please wake up, please?"
"It's no use, young man, she's out of the game."
Bendros looked up into the smug face of Zarbon who was watching contentedly with his arms crossed. Zarbon shook his head and smiled.
"You've both lost, admit it. Your people's heroine is out cold, and you alone couldn't take me down. Just hand over the girl to me now, and I'll let you go, although Lord Frieza could use one such as you as well. But Princess Tayla will do for now. Give me the girl."
"No!" Bendros hissed. "She's not going anywhere with you! Doesn't your army have enough powerful fighters?"
"Quite a few, but we lose so many all of the time. Lord Frieza wasn't too happy to learn that all of those Mid-Elites and Lower Elites he sent to Calmag perished. He's not too pleased with me right now, as you can understand, for I insisted on their coming here. Hand-delivering Princess Tayla to him personally will more than mollify any anger that he has. Allow me to take the child; I'll just pick her up myself."
Zarbon bent down towards the unconscious form of Tayla, as he turned on his scouter. Tayla's ki was registering less than a thousand now, as he bent closer to pick her up. While he was occupied with taking Tayla away, Bendros took that opportunity to throw his weight upon Frieza's Head Commander and knock him to the ground. Zarbon growled savagely, like the beast that he now was, as he and Bendros rolled around in the muck and rain, punching at each other. Bendros's fist crashed into Zarbon's eye, but then Zarbon punched Bendros in the sorest part of his ribs. They continued to wrestle around for ten minutes, punching and hitting each other every chance that they could.
Finally, Zarbon took that opportunity to grab the tip of Bendros's tail and squeeze it again, twisting it as hard as he could. Bendros's screams echoed throughout the night, as the thunder roared, and the rain continued to pour and pour. Zarbon then threw Bendros off of him and shoved him down, as Zarbon rose, still holding Bendros's tail. Zarbon's hand moved further down the length of his opponent's tail, twisting and bending it every chance that he could. Bendros was now down on his knees, screaming, as Zarbon squeezed and twisted his tail from behind.
"About to give up, monkey?" Zarbon taunted, as he continued to wind Bendros's tail around his fist, squeezing harder than ever.
"Bastardi!" Bendros screamed. "AWWWWWW! AHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOO!" Tears were now freely streaming down his face. His heart was pounding wildly, trying to escape from his chest. Bendros's face was contorted, and his fists were clawing the dirt, as Zarbon continued to twist and squeeze his tail. Zarbon smiled, taking delight in Bendros's pain.
"If this tail causes you so much trouble, monkey, why keep it? I don't understand you Saiyans sometimes! Your race is a most puzzling one, half-breed. Ready to give up now?"
"No, no," Bendros panted, feeling as if he were about to faint.
"Foolish boy, but then monkeys aren't highly known for their intelligence, aren't they? Well, monkey, it's been fun, but I don't have much time to play anymore, so I'll just ship you off to the next dimension, okay? But first, I'm going to torture you just a bit more."
"Nooooooooo!" Bendros moaned.
"Yesssssssssssss!" Zarbon laughed, as he kicked Bendros hard in his bottom, with the force of a battering ram. Zarbon then punched Bendros's badly burned back with his free fists, making sure to hit Bendros in the most painful areas. He then continued to kick and punch at Bendros while twisting his tail harder and harder. Bendros began to scream louder and wail.
"Would you like to die now, monkey?" Zarbon asked. "I can arrange it, if you wish."
Bendros sobbed loudly, his mind becoming delirious.
"Mamma…help me," he whimpered. "Mamma, Tayla, Aunt Alora…where are you?"
"Going insane, monkey?" Zarbon chuckled. "I've heard of Saiyans going insane, if their tails are squeezed for too long! It'd be interesting to see a crazy monkey for once, although I think all Saiyans are crazy enough already."
"TAYLA!" Bendros screamed. "Tayla, where are you? Why have you abandoned me? Oh, Mamma, Aunt Alora, where are you all at? Oh, why doesn't anyone come? Why?"
"The brat can't hear you, monkey, so give it up!" Zarbon snapped, bending Bendros's tail, as he tried to break it.
"Tayla, help me, please!" Bendros screamed. "TAYLA!"
"She can't hear you; why are you bothering, monkey?" Zarbon demanded to know.
"TAYLA!"
Zarbon said with a smirk, "I'll tell you what, monkey, I'm going to be nice and put you out of your misery right now. As Astories like to say, 'Gooden Boden!'"
Zarbon then raised his hand, and a ball of sparking ki formed in his palm. He would aim it at Bendros's head, and then it would be over for the brave Sastorian warrior.
Bendros cried and sobbed in his insanity, "Tayla…Tayla…so sorry…why, Tayla, why? Why were you knocked out?"
The ball of ki in Zarbon's hand grew larger and larger.
"TAYLA!"
"TAYLA!"
Somewhere in the black, light-headed void in Tayla's dormant mind, she heard a terrified scream.
In the void, she heard Bendros screaming her name, and in the darkness of her mind, she frantically ran towards Bendros.
In the black netherworld of her thoughts, she could see clearly Zarbon torturing Bendros, twisting his tail and kicking and punching at him. Then she saw Zarbon holding a glowing, sparking ball of energy-a ki ball that would definitely destroy Bendros because he couldn't defend himself.
Tayla was seeing all of this in her unconscious mind, as she ran towards Zarbon and the agonized Bendros. She ran faster and faster, but she could not catch up. The image of Zarbon tormenting Bendros was moving further and further away from her, as Tayla ran madly in the dark world of her thoughts. She could never catch up to them.
She heard Zarbon call out to Bendros, "Say hello to Enma Daiou for me!"
Tayla continued to run towards them in her mind, as Zarbon was about to throw his ball of ki at poor Bendros.
Zarbon laughed, "HAHAHAHAHA!" as he threw his hand back with the ki ball.
Tayla then screamed, "NO! BENDROS!"
Bendros screamed, "TAYLA!"
And before Tayla knew it, she could see in herself holding out her palms together-and shoot a stream of pure white ki from her small hands.
Zarbon's shocked expression greeted the oncoming attack, as Tayla's bolt of ki burst forth into his chest. In her darkened unconscious mind, she clearly saw Zarbon release Bendros and fall backwards into the ground. Bendros fainted.
Tayla fell to her knees, and suddenly the blackness began to brighten somewhat, as she began to feel rain and hear thunder…
