Chapter One-Hundred-And-Nine: Final Showdowns

In front of the Angori Hotel…

"Kekron, run!" Caline cried. "Don't let them arrest you!"

Kekron wasn't about to run away, especially with Caline in peril, but he wasn't going to submit so easily to being arrested either. Unfortunately, Filcor didn't give Kekron a choice, for before Kekron could leave, Filcor threw himself upon Kekron the best that he could. Kekron tried to push him off, but Filcor succeeded in paralyzing him. Kekron's body went stiff and rigid, but he didn't faint.

"KEKRON!" Caline screamed, running away from Julien and towards Kekron. She fell to her knees at his side and hugged him.

"Kekron," she whispered.

"Caline…" he moaned. "So sorry…"

"Oh, you're sorry, alright," Filcor said cruelly. "But that doesn't even began to describe you. You're under arrest, Prince Kekron Chloe, for resisting royal authority, assaulting a CRP officer, aiding and abetting in the delinquency of a royal ward, illegal interference with the earlier arrest of your dear mother, and attempted murder."

"Attempted murder!" Caline screamed. "He wasn't trying to kill you, he was trying to protect me from you!"

"Sure he was," Filcor said silkily.

"I hate you, Filcor!" Caline shrieked, running up to him and beating on his chest with her tiny snowy fists. "I've always hated you, ever since Carie told me the things that you did to her! You made Carie's life miserable the entire time she was married to you! You hit her, yelled at her, and even raped her! No wonder Carie killed herself-I don't blame her now! I blame YOU! You drove Carie to drowning herself! It's YOUR fault that Carie died!"

"Shut up!" was all that Filcor could say in defense.

"You ruined Carie's life!" Caline screamed again, as she continued to beat on his chest.
"And now you want to ruin mine as well! Carie drowned herself to get away from you, and I'll do the same, if you force me to marry you! If you make me marry you, I'll find all sorts of way to make your life miserable! I won't sleep with you, I'll put sand and sharp things in your bed, and I'll scream every time that you come near me! I won't be like I was with Alberm; I'll fight back this time! I'll hurt you every time that you try to touch me! I'll see that all of your meals are burned, and I'll ruin your papers and mess up your house!"

Caline's small bosom heaved up and down, and the rain was soaking her. Her pale hair was plastered to her head and face, and her dress fit onto her body like a second skin. She took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. She had to handle her confrontation with just a bit more dignity, a dignity worthy of a Princess of Chloe; Superior Gran Shalila had told her that she was worthy of being a Princess of Chloe, and Caline knew it was time to act the part. She stopped beating on Filcor's chest and stepped back. She stood up as straight as possible for her four-feet-and-six-inches and looked directly into Filcor's eyes and said in an unusually cold tone for her, "Filcor, I am not going to marry you."

Filcor was taken aback by the normally passive Caline's assaulting him and yelling at him, but he wasn't about to give up yet. "Oh, yes, you will."

"No, I won't," Caline told Filcor in that icy voice. "Not of my own free will anyway. But I am serious, Filcor, if you make me marry you, I will make your life horrible. I'll see that you'll never be happy with me, and I'll give you a hard time every day, no matter how many times you beat me or threaten me. I'll find all sorts of ways to disgrace you and make you look bad. I don't love you or even like you. And I don't want to be with you, ever. I'll make you the worst wife that a girl can ever be. And I never will love you, like you, or want you near me."

"You will learn," Filcor growled. "You are going to be mine, Caline, whether you like it or not! You and your fortune will be mine! Marriage to you will bring much to me, including your body and your money, the money that Alberm has surely left you! I will tame you, and you will learn to obey me! I am no Alberm who will tolerate your acting like a child-"

"I AM A CHILD!" Caline shrieked. "I am only eleven! I am a little girl! I want to be a little girl! I don't want to be anyone's wife! I just want to be a kid! I don't want to marry or mate with anyone right now! Why do you want a little girl, Filcor? Can't you find someone your own age?" At that point Caline fell to the ground and buried her face into Kekron's chest and sobbed wildly, her emotions having taken their toll. Kekron would have drawn her into his arms to comfort her, but he was still paralyzed.

"Caline…" he whispered. "I…won't let anyone hurt you, even if they did arrest me."

Caline continued to sob and cry into Kekron's shirt. Before she realized it, she felt Kekron's strong arms encircle her trembling, frail body. He began to stroke her white-gold hair, as he cuddled her closer. Caline wept into his chest, and slowly her sobs quieted.

It had taken both Kekron and Caline a few minutes to realize that Kekron was able to move once more. Caline looked up from Kekron's chest, as the rain hammered down upon their bodies, and she saw the kind faces of Toria-and Natala-who was no longer paralyzed.

"I-I can move," Kekron whispered.

"Yes," Toria told him softly. "I reversed the paralysis effect on both you and your mother before I came out here. The CRP officer forgot to lock Natala in, and so Natala escaped from the CRP truck to come back after I removed the effect." She and Natala knelt on both sides of Caline, and Natala helped Kekron sit up. Toria kissed Caline lightly on her brow and arose majestically. She addressed Filcor directly:

"Filcor, why do you wish to make Caline marry you? I know the real reasons, but I want to hear you say them. I have looked into your heart." And Toria raised her slim hand towards Filcor and shot a small, thin ray of pink light at Filcor's head.

Filcor's body went rigid.














At the monorail station in Magan…

Dirkan was showing Guido no mercy, as he repeatedly kicked and punched at the little green monster for sending the monorail after Alora, Bajal, and Raakon. Dirkan kicked Guido hard in his stomach. Guido was crying and begging for mercy, but Dirkan was showing none. The angry Namek wasn't even giving Guido a chance to run. He was holding Guido up by the skin folds on the Basin's pudgy neck.

Guido's luck had changed for the worse when Dirkan and Shalila unexpectedly showed up, later followed by Cirono. When Dirkan had witnessed the monorail come into the tunnel after Alora, Bajal, and Raakon, he had been angered, especially since Raakon was one of the victims. He had gone after Guido immediately and took his full fury upon the murderous minion.

"Please stop!" Guido pleaded, as Dirkan slammed his fist into one of the minion's four eyes.

Dirkan responded by slamming Guido's head into a steel pole that was outside of the monorail stationhouse. He bashed Guido's head against the pole several times.

He then punched Guido hard in his face once more. "That one was for Raakon-one of the best students and closest friends that I ever had!"

He then punched Guido's face again, only this time, he also kicked Guido in his stomach. Guido spat out yellowish blood.

"And those…" Dirkan roared, "…were for Alora and Bajal, two of the finest warriors and comrades that we ever had!"

Dirkan then punched Guido hard in his ribs, and once more in his face for good measure. "And this final sendoff, toadface…is for us…and all the other people you have harmed!"

He then flew into the air, carrying Guido's terrified body with him, and when he was hovering over a garbage dumpster filled with sharp metal trash objects, he swung Guido into the dumpster by his fat neck.

But Dirkan decided that wasn't enough, so he put up his hands, screamed, "TRI-FORCE!" and shot his attack upon Guido's already bruised, broken, and battered body Guido released a final croak, as Dirkan's merciless ball of pure ki assailed him and collided into his pudgy, wounded body.

"KA-BOOM! CRASH!"

When the smoke cleared, Guido, unfortunately, was still alive, but not in very good shape. He gathered up what pitiful energy he had left and crawled out of the dumpster and along the concrete, until he made it behind a building. His ki was very low, lower than even an infant Astorian's.

Dirkan debated in his mind whether to finish him off or not, but a hand upon his arm prevented him from making another attack. "Dirkan, it's okay now, he can't hurt us anymore."
Dirkan took a deep breath and turned around to see Raakon looking at him with a weary smile upon his handsome face.

"He's right, Dirkan," Shalila added. "Guido's not worth wasting anymore time and energy on. The important thing is that all of us are alive."

She was standing on the platform, along with Raakon, who was in front of her, and Bajal with his wife, Alora, who was behind her. Alora, careworn yet relieved, was resting her dark head on Bajal's broad shoulder. Bajal had his arm around her, and he too looked very tired. Cirono was also with them, and he too held a fatigued smile.

For just seconds before the monorail had hit Raakon, who would have been his first victim, Cirono had attacked Guido, hitting him hard in the back of his fat head while Shalila and Dirkan both blew up the rail that the monorail train had been riding on. The monorail train derailed, as the railway collapsed, falling down into the city, along with the empty monorail train. As the railway began to give way completely, Shalila and Dirkan had rushed into the monorail tunnel to grab the others and retrieve them. The trapped fighters had once again been able to move, but if Shalila and Dirkan had not been there to help them, they still might not have escaped in time before the tunnel and the entire railway caved in.

When the fighters had been brought to safety, Dirkan wasted no time in flying over to Guido and taking over the attack on him. He insisted on Cirono standing aside, so that he could take out his full anger on the weakest of Captain Ginyu's men. But thanks to Cirono attacking Guido earlier, Guido had lost his concentration and had been forced to release his victims from the telekinetic hold.

Now Guido was on the run (he was occasionally smarter than most of his comrades and foes gave him credit for), and there were only two of Frieza's soldiers left to deal with: Jeice and Zarbon.

And now Jeice was standing on the rooftop of the monorail stationhouse. He fell to one knee and straightened up his back, spreading his arms out wide, with his hands bended out like a bird's wings.

"I'M JEICE!" he announced needlessly. "And I'm gonna finish off the rest of you Astories once and for all!"

Dirkan, Shalila, Cirono, Alora, Bajal, and Raakon all encircled themselves around the remaining Ginyu Force member. All of them were smiling confidently at Jeice, and most of them had their hands out to fire some nice ki blasts upon Jeice.

Jeice laughed sheepishly; even he was smart enough to know when he was outnumbered and outmatched. "Did I say that I was going to finish you all off? Umm…I'll save that for another time! I'm not that stupid, so I'm outta here! But don't think that this is the last time that we'll see each other! See ya!"

And Jeice wisely blasted off into the stormy night, like a scarlet-and-white rocket, with everyone watching him go. Alora shook her head in amazement.

"I've never known a Ginyu Force member to give up that easily-ah, well!"

"Should we go after him?" Bajal asked.

"Let him go," Shalila said. "His ki has been lowered significantly, thanks to Cirono earlier. He's no longer worth our bother. Frieza will likely finish him off soon enough."

"True," Dirkan agreed. "It's not like Frieza has a high tolerance for failure."

Cirono sighed, "I'm sort of disappointed; I never did get to finish my fight with him!"

Bajal laughed, "I know what you mean, Cirono, I know what you mean!"















Back at the Angori Hotel…

Then, against Filcor's own will, he began to speak with his eyes staring into space:

"I lusted after Caline because she was young and pretty and sweet and fresh. And after her first husband died, I realized that Caline would come into a fortune, thanks to that traitorous fool, Dunlop. My businesses have not being doing so well lately; in fact, we were in a bit of a recession in the city of Rendor, and I badly needed Caline's inheritance to rebuild my empire. With Caline's fortune, I can save my businesses from going bankrupt. I am very close to financial collapse, and I figured that I would get a package deal: a luscious little girl as my bride and a vast fortune."

Toria said quietly, "Sit down, Filcor."

Filcor, entranced, obeyed while everyone watched on with amazement. He sat down on the curb of the hotel sidewalk, oblivious to the rain pouring down upon them.

"Filcor, do you know why that you are confessing so openly?"

"No, I don't."

"I have hit your mind with a truth spell, which means for twenty-four hours, you cannot tell a single lie, or even a small fib. So, let me ask you another question: did Carie Ryce Sedemeyer, your first wife, truly drown herself of her own accord?"

Filcor, staring widely into space, said dazedly, "No, she didn't."

"Did she commit suicide, or was she murdered?"

"She was murdered," Filcor said in that same blank voice. Caline gasped in pure shock.

"Who murdered her?" Toria asked quietly.

"I did," Filcor said tonelessly. Caline emitted a horrified shriek.

"You pushed her off of that bridge, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"How did it come to that, Filcor?"

"Carie was running away from home again. I found out her direction from one of the servants and I managed to catch up with her, as she was running along the bridge on foot. My car pulled up beside her, and I ordered her to get inside. She refused, saying that she hated me for hurting her and separating her from Caline. I stopped the car and got out, and I ran after her. I grabbed her, and she hit and clawed at me. I told her that she was going to come home and behave, or I would kill her. She said that she would rather be dead than be with me, so I, in my anger, said, 'Fine!' and shoved her off of the bridge. She fell into that cold, dark water and drowned; she was always a poor swimmer. I knew that I would be arrested and possibly executed, if they found out that I was the one who killed her, so I lied and put in a missing person's report, like I did when she ran away. They found her body washed upon the shore three days later."

"Thank you, Filcor," Toria said calmly, as she shot a small, pale blue light at his head, murmuring a few words in Ancient Astorian. Filcor's eyes closed, and he fell to his side into the mud, sound asleep. Toria murmured a few more words over Filcor's sleeping form, as he snored away.

She said quietly to Caline, who was watching her with tearstained cheeks and astonished, swollen eyes, "Caline, I am sorry about your friend, Carie. It is only until now that the good spirits have allowed me to look into Filcor's heart and soul. You need not worry about Filcor bothering you anymore, little one."

"Do you intend to let him sleep forever or something?" Kekron asked.

"No," Toria said quietly, and she produced a small silver tape recorder from her silken satchel. She played it for a minute, letting them hear Filcor's voice again, and then she quietly walked over to Elmar and placed it into his huge, meaty hand.

"Would you please take this to King Kitchator immediately and have him listen to it? Tell him it is urgent."

"Yes-yes," Elmar stammered, astonished. He left immediately, too dazed and stunned by all that just happened.

Toria said to Kekron, "I'm afraid that I owe you a tape recorder."

Kekron said softly, "Don't worry about it. It's worth a tape recorder, knowing that Caline will now be safe from Filcor." Caline was weeping into his chest once more.

"Poor Carie," Caline sobbed. "It-it wasn't right! She didn't deserve to die!"

Kekron smoothed her hair. "No, she didn't. I am sorry, Caline."

"She was my best friend," Caline whispered. "The only real friend that I had before all of you came."

Kekron tilted her chin up with his middle and index fingers of his right hand and looked into her eyes. He then kissed her forehead gently. "Look at it this way, Caline: you helped to make her life happier while she was alive, I am certain of that, even though I didn't know you two before then. She had some joy in her life, I am sure, because of you."

"I wish I could have saved her. I failed her."

Toria bent down behind Caline and stroked her hair. "No, you didn't, Caline. Kekron is right; you brought some happiness into her life. I saw it when the good spirits allowed me to look into your heart earlier. You did all you could for her. Rest at peace about that. Carie is surely in heaven, in a much happier place. And she would want you to be happy, to obtain all that she couldn't."

"I wish I could do something to-to honor her," Caline stammered.

"Then be happy and live life fully with as little fear as possible; that is how you can honor her memory-by living, not running away. It will help her to be at peace even more, knowing that you have obtained the happiness that she could not, poor thing."

"Poor Carie," Kekron said softly. "She died before she really had a chance to live." He rubbed Caline's back, as the tears continued to slide down her cheeks for her friend.

"Caline," Toria began gently. "Carie ran away once before from Filcor, didn't she?"

"Yes," Caline whispered.

"Why did she run away the first time?"

"Filcor had raped her and made her do all sorts of nasty things with him, the same nasty things that Alberm used to make me do with him. She snuck into Magan, and I took her into the castle and hid her for three months. That was after I learned that my father betrothed me to Alberm, and I told Carie about it. Carie and I were going to run away to the other side of Calmag, you see, and study to become singers. We knew, well Carie knew anyway, this women's right's activist named Coti Damask, who was also a famous singer. Coti was secretly running an underground network for women and girls who were on the run from abusive husbands or fiancés or fathers, and Carie and I were going to leave that way. But Julien found Carie three days before we were supposed to leave to run away, and of course, he told Father, who contacted Filcor. When Filcor arrived, he took Carie into another room and beat her, and Father took me into a closet, made me strip down to my slip and whipped me with his belt, everywhere, even my face."

Natala rubbed Caline's back, and Kekron clenched his free fist in anger at the suffering of both Caline and her deceased friend.

"Ridikar did one decent thing at the time: he talked my father and Filcor into letting us have ten final minutes together to say goodbye. The last time I ever saw Carie alive, she looked awful. Her hair was tangled, and she had two black eyes. Her nose was bleeding, and there were bruises all over her arms and legs. But I didn't look any better because Father had taken the belt to my face and everywhere else."

"Carie and I hugged each other for a long time, as long as we could. I told her that she was my very best friend, and that I would always love her. She told me that I was the sister she had always wanted, and that she would always love me too. We made a vow that we would find a way to see each other again, but of course we weren't able to keep it. I later tried to mail a letter on disk to Carie in secret, but it came back stamped 'REFUSED'. Filcor must have been checking her mail."

Julien, who had been listening to this story, was now cross and sullen, for he knew that not even King Kitchator would consent to marrying Caline off to a man who had murdered his own wife. Now he was stuck with the brat for Kami Ankor knew how long! Julien ran some names through his devious mind of unmarried men whom he was certain would want to marry Caline. It wouldn't be that hard to replace Filcor. If he did it right, he could still get rid of Caline as a burden within the next couple months after the war was over. He was not about to take care of her for long. He still wanted her gone!

Julien huffed, as he stomped over towards Caline and her friends, "Well, you must be very happy knowing that you won't have to marry Filcor! But guess what, Caline? There are still other men that would be more than happy to take you off of my busy hands! Don't think that just because Filcor turned out to be a murderer that you get out of getting married again!"
Toria shook her head at Julien and said sadly, "I pity you, young man."

"Pity me?" Julien scoffed. "Why? I may be stuck with Caline for a little while longer, but it won't be forever! You don't have to feel sorry for me!"

"I pity you because of the hatred and jealousy in your heart towards a sister who has done you no harm. I pity you, Prince Julien, because you can't see past your own selfishness. And I pity you, young prince, because you will never be the ruler that Ridikar would have eventually become, had he been allowed to live."

"Would Ridikar have been a good ruler, had he lived?" Kekron asked.

"In time, yes," Toria replied. "Had Ridikar been allowed to live, the entire planet would have changed for the better, especially for the women and girls. I saw that in one of my occasional visions of the future, but Diamonique tore the fabric of that vision when she took Ridikar's life. And I also saw the slight possibility in that tattered future of Tayla becoming Ridikar's queen. She would have been a strong and mighty queen, an example for all Calmagian females to follow, had that possibility been allowed to come to fruition. But that will never be now, so it is no use to speculate about something that will never happen."

"I miss Ridikar," Caline whispered softly. "I know that he wasn't always good, but he did do good in the end."

"Yes, he did," Toria agreed. "Enma Daiou will send him to heaven, I can assure you, little one, so rest your mind at peace about that."

"And you can rest in peace about Filcor not bothering you ever again," Natala promised Caline. "Not even King Kitchator will look upon Filcor with favor after this."

Caline closed her eyes, taking her mind off of Filcor for now. She sent a silent prayer for Tayla and her family.















And finally…Tayla, Bendros, and Zarbon…

Tayla was soaked now, with her heavy, dark hair clinging to her skin like a woolly scarf. She was fully conscious now, as she looked down at her small hands-which were discharging small white swirls of smoke. She then looked over at Bendros, who was still on his knees, but weeping tears of relief and gratitude.

And then she saw Zarbon lying on the ground on his back, with a round, smoking hole in his chest flank. Zarbon was moaning with tears rolling down his face. He tried to rise, but for some odd reason, his body wouldn't let him do so for a few minutes.

Tayla looked at him again, and then she looked down at her own palms.

*I wasn't dreaming after all! I actually did hit him! *

She was still in shock, as she watched Bendros struggle to his feet and scurry towards her. Still dazed, she ran towards him and hugged him around his waist. She and Bendros both sorrowfully looked at Bendros's sore tail. Bendros lightly touched the sore areas on his tail and winced every time his thick fingers brushed against a hurting area. Tayla rested her cheek against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Bendros," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I couldn't have stopped him sooner."

Bendros lightly stroked her hair. "Not your fault," he whispered. "I'm just glad that you intervened when you did."

"Are you going to be okay?" Tayla asked.

Bendros nodded, as he gingerly wrapped his tail around his waist. Tayla tentatively touched his tail without thinking of asking first; Bendros didn't seem to mind. Tayla lightly brushed her index finger against the soft length of his tail; Bendros had to prevent himself from purring, but it wasn't easy, since a Saiyan's tail was a well-known erogenous zone (which was why anyone with a Saiyan tail was particular about whom they allowed to touch it). Tayla also added her middle finger and thumb to his tail, and she gently stroked it, carefully avoiding any painful areas. It brought him some pleasure and relief to have Tayla touch his tail like that; it relieved much of the pain.

But Bendros knew that he had to make her stop, for if Tayla continued to pet his tail like that, there was a good chance that his hormones would get out of control, and that he would become aroused. And Tayla was still too young and innocent for him to allow her to stir up his body and his emotions the way that she was close to doing right now. But he couldn't hurt her feelings either, so he faked a sharp cry of pain when Tayla's fingers slipped over a non-hurting area.

Tayla drew back, startled. "I'm sorry!" she cried. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, Tayla, it's-" But Bendros wouldn't get to finish his sentence, for at that moment, they both could sense Zarbon's ki rise.

Zarbon was now on his feet again, still in his ogre-like form, and he was furious. His teeth were gnashed, and his fists were clenched. His eyes were narrowed, and they bore right into Tayla's soul. Tayla could feel those once-gold eyes burning deep within her, and she involuntarily shivered. Bendros swiftly turned around.

Zarbon's now-giant body was heaving. He growled, "You are going to pay for that, little girl! I will make you suffer before I take you to Frieza. In fact, I may keep your monkey boyfriend alive, just so you can watch Frieza or me kill him right in front of you. Killing anyone with Saiyan blood is an exquisite pleasure, one that Frieza used to enjoy doing, especially with those foolish Elite Saiyans that tried to attack him once before."

Tayla clenched her tiny fists and hissed, "Then come get me then, if you want me that badly!" She stepped forward past Bendros and closer to the monstrous Zarbon.

Zarbon lightly touched the smoking hole in his chest armor. He hissed, "That was a good shot, I will admit! If it had been any stronger, you might have actually killed me. When I'm done with you and your monkey lover there, I'm going to make you wish that you had finished me off when you had the chance!"

Tayla closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to think quickly. After that bit of time, she looked towards Bendros and said, "Bendros, I'm going to have to ask you go away from here-at least for about twenty minutes."

"Leave you alone with him?" Bendros cried in horror. "Tayla, did you hit your head that hard? Do you realize how dangerous he is? It's taking everything we have with the two of us."

"Not if I use my next attack on him," Tayla pointed out. She backed away from Zarbon and floated up to Bendros's ear and whispered her plan. The Sastorian warrior was more horrified than ever, and his angular eyes widened.

"Tayla, have you gone insane?" he whispered. "Don't you remember what happened the last time that you did that?"

"Yes, I do," Tayla told him softly. "But I've learned my lesson since then, and I know that I can handle it this time. Please, Bendros, I don't want you nearby to get hurt. You trusted me this far."

"But this, Tayla?" Bendros exclaimed. "If your plan doesn't work, your grandmother and Dirkan will rip my tail out!"

Tayla smiled wryly. "They know how hardheaded I am, so just tell them the truth: that you couldn't stop me, because you can't, not really."

Bendros sighed, "I don't like this, Tayla, I don't like it at all."

"Formulating a plan?" Zarbon asked smoothly.

Tayla ignored him. "Please, Bendros, just go. I don't want you to get hurt any more than you already have been. I can't have anyone in my way when I do this, please."

Bendros wasn't happy about letting Tayla take on Zarbon alone at this point, but he reluctantly consented. He touched her shoulder. "Be careful, little Tayla. Come back to us alive."

"I will," Tayla promised him bravely, holding up seven fingers in a silent Seven Moons Oath.

















Bendros flew away from the cliff, still uneasy about allowing Tayla to carry out her plan alone; he just hoped and prayed that Tayla knew what she was doing. He was now standing on a low mountaintop, trembling worriedly and silently praying for Tayla's safety.

Back at the cliff, Tayla was now facing Zarbon, as Zarbon chuckled, "Well, it looks like that your monkey boyfriend abandoned you! Interesting, I've never known a monkey to turn into a chicken so quickly."

"You quit insulting him!" Tayla hissed. "It's just you and me now, Zarbon, so let's get this over with. I have a life to get back to."

"As do I," Zarbon said silkily. "I have a sweetheart wondering if I am still alive, and I intend to get back to her in one piece."

"I hope that she doesn't mind that 'one piece' in a body bag!" Tayla retorted.

Zarbon huffed, "You'll be in a body bag before I will!"

Tayla threw her hands back beside her, cupping her little palms together, as if she were about to bowl a strike in a bowling game on planet Earth. The pink-orange ball of ki grew slowly from her hands once more; she was going to use Power Globe again.

She threw her ball of ki into the air when it was the size of a basketball, and as the ball grew larger, she leapt right into it, and the Power Globe engulfed her once more. Zarbon watched on, as if he were in a stunned trance; he had never seen an Astorian make this move before. He was not sure exactly what Tayla's attack was, or what it would involve for both of them, but he could sense its great power.

Zarbon turned on his scouter, and he was horrified to learn that Tayla's ki had been raised significantly, almost to twice her normal power. He then tensed, as if he were a prey animal prepared to run for its life from an inescapable predator.

Tayla, now fully encased in her powerful, yet potentially dangerous (for both her and Zarbon) Power Globe, shot down towards Zarbon in her huge ball of ki, like a small comet. Zarbon dodged it, and he leapt out of its way. Tayla's Power Globe nearly crashed into a tree, but Tayla was now able to steer it away successfully before it crashed into it.

Zarbon tried to fire at the Power Globe, but his powerful ki blast bounced off of it harmlessly, and he cursed. Tayla managed to manipulate it to go even faster, even though a greater speed would take its toll on her ki and life force. She pressed her slim body against the wall of the Power Globe-and this time, she managed to make it crash into Zarbon's unfortunate body!

"NO!" Zarbon screamed, as electricity a hundred times stronger than Electric Touch, shot throughout his body. His body was also burning, as if Tayla's Power Globe were melting it away. Tayla decided to take a chance and smash her Power Globe into Zarbon's body a second time. Zarbon screamed, as if Tayla was running him through with a white-hot sword, and she saw some of his protective armor burn away into almost nothing. Zarbon's hair was now more black than green, and the right side of his face was severely scorched with blackened third-degree burns combined with second-degree burns. His right eye was swollen shut, as Tayla drew back her Power Globe up into the thundering sky.

She wisely dropped her Power Globe for now, and she flew away a little further to power up for a Double Janus Bolt attack. She put her hands quickly into a praying position, the same way that she had done before with Balair and Vegeta, and then she tore her palms away from each other and put them in ninety-degree angles. Two icy bolts of light shot from hands, and zipped towards Zarbon with a loud, piercing whistle. The first bolt whizzed towards the center of Zarbon's now exposed chest, but Zarbon was fast enough to dodge both oncoming lasers, and when he ducked low enough, both ki bolts crashed into each other and dissipated. Tayla moaned in despair, as Zarbon threw back his head and laughed.

He then levitated up into the air until he was almost at Tayla's level, and he shot a huge, yellowish-white burst of ki towards her, but Tayla deflected that back at him with Mirror Shield. While Zarbon was being hit with his own powerful attack, Tayla took that time to throw back her hands to form a Power Globe attack once more.

Unfortunately for Tayla, Zarbon recovered from his backfired attack much sooner than expected; while she was creating her Power Globe, Zarbon quickly launched another large ki flare, which Tayla could not deflect with Mirror Shield in time. She screamed, as Zarbon's ki attack swathed her, scorching her soft flesh and hair. She nearly fell out of the sky, but she managed to steady herself, just barely. Her face and hair were severely burnt, and her blouse was halfway missing, just barely covering what breasts she did have.

Zarbon squandered no time in preparing to launch another attack on the hapless Tayla, but he wouldn't get a chance to do so-

"RIBBON COIL!"

Bendros had returned, and Zarbon had not been able to escape one of Bendros's more powerful attacks in time. Once again, Zarbon was trapped in a ki netting of electric snakes and coils, as Bendros attack burned and fried him. Bendros launched a medium-sized ki blast upon him, and he called out to Tayla:

"Tayla, I will hold him off! Just get your Power Globe up once more!"

"Thanks!" Tayla cried to him.

"No problem!"

Bendros's Ribbon Coil Attack had disappeared on Zarbon, but Bendros kept rapid-firing a series of smaller, but equally painful ki blasts upon Zarbon, who could only deflect some of them. While the Sastorian warrior was keeping Zarbon busy, Tayla was finally able to finish her Power Globe attack once more.

Bendros, looking up to see Tayla encased in her Power Globe attack, shot a medium-sized ki blast at Zarbon's face. While Zarbon was temporarily blinded by Bendros's blow against him, Bendros took that time to fly away as far as possible, so that he wouldn't be in Tayla's way.
Tayla once again sent her Power Globe zooming towards Zarbon before Zarbon could fully regain his sight, and he was once again rewarded with the same burning, electrifying pain and agony as before. Before Zarbon could even attempt to strike back, Tayla's Power Globe collided into him once more, roasting him until Zarbon could feel his own blood boil, and electrocuting him until he could feel his very flesh burn.

Tayla flew into the air and dropped her Power Globe once more to rest herself for a few precious seconds. Finally Zarbon, badly burned and wounded, charged after her, but he was met with a distant ki blast from Bendros; this blast struck Zarbon in the back, piercing him like a lance.

Zarbon screamed, "AHHHHH!"

Bendros wasn't about to let up, as he fired a distant Ribbon Coil attack upon Zarbon once more, with the assault successfully tearing away at Zarbon's body. Bendros called out to Tayla:

"Tayla! POWER GLOBE-ONE MORE TIME, IF YOU CAN HANDLE IT!"

"Oh, I can!" Tayla called back to him confidently.

Tayla, now used to working with Power Globe, formed her huge ball of ki once more; within seconds, she was encased in her protective sphere again. She saw Bendros shoot a final and distant Ribbon Coil, and she chose that time to attack Zarbon.

Zarbon, still entrapped within Bendros's Ribbon Coil, shrieked in terror, when he saw Tayla's Power Globe attack coming towards him. He tried to run, but he was now so weakened that even trying to fight off the effects of Bendros's Ribbon Coil attack was too much for him. His eyes bulged in terror, as the Power Globe smashed into his body for the last time.

His body temperature began to rise rapidly, as he felt his hair and armor and skin scorch away, as Tayla's Power Globe assault burned and shocked him. Tayla kept her Power Globe up for as long as she could, as she continued to push Zarbon's body towards the edge of the cliff with it. Finally, her cavernous orb of power shoved Zarbon off of the ki, and Zarbon, too weak to fly now, plummeted towards a raging river below.

He would have met his end upon the sharp rapids in the rushing Shi River, for his ki was now lower than the weakest Astorian's-had it not been for a red-and-white-"angel of mercy".

"I've got you, Zarbon!" Jeice called out after catching Zarbon in his thick, scarlet arms. "We're outnumbered, and overpowered! You're too badly hurt to go on, and I can't take on Tayla and the rest of her family alone! We've got to retreat!"

Normally, Zarbon would have cuffed Jeice for even thinking of such a thing, but he was too much in pain to argue. He moaned, "Retreat then…and hope…Frieza doesn't blast…us…to…bits."
And Jeice sped away along the cliffside with Zarbon moaning and groaning of severe pain in his arms. He mumbled a thanks to Jeice, and Jeice just hoped that they could find the medical cruiser before any more "Astories" found them and decided to finish them off.














Tayla dropped her Power Globe, and she fell to her knees, as Bendros flew close to her and knelt beside her, enfolding the tired girl into his strong arms. Tayla rested her wearied and burned face against his scorched shoulder. She closed her eyes, as Bendros stroked her hair.

"Is it truly over?" she asked.

Bendros closed his eyes and said, "I-I think so, little Tayla."

"Can't believe…we won…against Zarbon…" she murmured.

"You did it, little Tayla," Bendros said softly.

"No," Tayla whispered. "We both did it."

They both closed their eyes for a few minutes, as the rain finally stopped, and a shaft of sunshine burst through the dark clouds. As if wanting the clouds out of its way, the sun shoved its light through the darkness, forcing the blackened clouds to part. As if a miracle was occurring to celebrate victory, the clouds moved aside meekly, as if the sun was coercing them to do so.

And in the coming dawn, Tayla opened her eyes to look into the bright light-and see her beloved Nama and Dirkan-along with Bajal, Alora, Raakon, and Cirono! The six figures floated above in the glowing sunrise like Earth angels.

"Tayla!" Shalila cried out, rushing faster than anyone to reach her granddaughter.

"Nama!" Tayla shrieked. "Have we a story to tell you!"

"Can't wait to hear it!" Shalila called, as she and the others flew closer and closer to Bendros and Tayla.

And behind the newcomers, was a glimmering wide ribbon of scarlet, gold, emerald, aqua, orange, and violet wrapping across the almost clear Calmagian sky. The sun rested upon the band of variegated brilliance, as the rest of Tayla's family and Cirono landed peacefully upon the cliff next to Tayla and Bendros.














At the Angori Hotel, yet again…

Toria was smiling widely.

"Do you know if they won?" Caline asked worriedly. She was now standing in between Kekron and Natala, who were holding hands with her.

"Yes," Toria said calmly.

Kekron cheered, and he tore Caline away from Natala and swung her around in the air. Caline shrieked happily, as Kekron spun her around several times. Her light gold hair swirled about her and Kekron, like a wisp of airy gold.

"You're going to make me dizzy!" Caline cried, not minding in the least.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No!"

Kekron laughed and continued to spin her about until he became so dizzy that he had to stop, or he and Caline would have fallen over. Naykiar laughed and watched them.

Natala fell to her knees and cried thanks to Kami Orchida, the Supreme Kai, the East Kai, and to whomever else she could think of.

"THANK YOU!" she cried in an unusual burst of excitement for her.












Not too far away, just about twenty feet…

"Julien!" King Kitchator roared. "How in Kami Ankor's name could you allow a murderer to become engaged to Caline? Caline has already been married to one killer! Your sister does not deserve another criminal as a husband!"

"How in the hell was I supposed to know?" Julien retorted. "Everyone went by Filcor's word when that wench that Caline was so friendly with drowned!"

"Don't curse at me, young man!" King Kitchator snapped. "Your grandmother and I had a serious talk earlier before I learned about Filcor Sedemeyer murdering his wife, and she made some valid points. Many of us wouldn't be here right now, if it hadn't been for your little sister. Princess Toria came over shortly after I received the tape recorder and joined our discussion."

Filcor's sleeping body was now resting peacefully in the back of the CRP truck. He had been cuffed, since the Calmagian paralysis attack didn't work on most Calmagians. He would be held in custody until Carie Ryce Sedemeyer's death could be investigated.

"She and your grandmother pointed out all that Caline has done, and I realized how wrong I was in treating and shunning her the way that I have. We all have been. Caline is just as much a hero, er, heroine, as the brave men and women, both Astorian and Calmagian, were when they fought for us. Because of her knowledge of the labyrinths and her risking her own life to warn us about Frieza's forces coming after us all, many more people from both the Astorian and the Calmagian races have survived. She has been as brave and daring as a young man, and I intend to see that she is rewarded, like she truly deserves."

"Deserves?" Julien protested. "But-"

"But nothing, Julien. From now on, even if you are to be my heir, you will treat your little sister with the utmost respect and courtesy, just like Ridikar had wanted for her when he was alive. Princess Toria told me about that too; she is a strange, mysterious woman, but a wise one. I haven't decided yet, as to whether she will go home with the Astorian people, but I will allow her a rare privilege for a young girl-she will get to choose her own husband."

"WHAT?" Julien screamed. He felt, as if someone had thrown him into a mud puddle in his best suit.

"You heard me, young man, and you will not be running things before your time. I will make the decisions around here, Julien, not you. I am not dead yet." And with that, King Kitchator marched proudly off towards to where Kekron was once again spinning Caline around in the air.

Julien kicked at a rock, and it crashed into an already broken shop window. He was certain, from the happy news spreading throughout the city that his people and the Astorians had won, but he didn't feel like celebrating. He had a feeling it would be a long time before he would gain the respect that his father and Ridikar once had, and still had, even now.

He sat down on the curb of the sidewalk and sulked.