Three Rivers of Remembrance

Chapter Nine

Rideria and Kaizer were searching when suddenly she stopped and was unable to maintain herself in flight.

"What is it?" Kaizer asked, desperately grabbing her to hold her up.

"Kaizer, something awful has happened." Rideria said. He was shocked when he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Is it Rhyne?" He asked.

Rideria nodded her head. "I think she's dead."

Likewise, Rikola was having the same reaction. She too was desperate to find her youngest sister, telling Gowan they could not give up.

"I won't lose her!" She said as she cried. "She's a part of me! The best part of us all! She has to be at my wedding, and when the baby is born!"

"Baby?" Gowan's mouth dropped. "But, you said…."

"I know what I told father. I couldn't tell him the truth. He's had such a bad day, I just thought it would be easier if he could sleep well tonight." Rikola said. "I planned on telling him tomorrow, or when this thing with Rhyne was over."

"Oh, my sweet Rikola." Gowan said, hugging her tightly. "I love you more than anything in this world. We'll find Rhyne. And we'll make everything alright with your father." He said assuredly.

"Just find my sister." Rikola pleaded. "I can't feel her ki…..not at all. And her mind is drawing a blank….like there is nothing there."

"As soon as I take you back to the Lookout and I know you are safe, I won't stop until I find your sister." Gowan promised.

Piccolo met Gohan in mid air. "Have you found her yet?" Gohan asked.

Piccolo shook his head. "No. But everyone is looking."

Just then, they felt the ki's, which were fighting. And headed in that direction. When they were halfway there, Piccolo felt the same desperate feeling that Rideria and Rikola felt. He stopped for a moment.

"Piccolo, what is it?" Gohan asked.

But, Piccolo did not answer. He increased his speed, closely followed by Gohan.

Tekoa did not know what to do. He felt Piccolo approaching and had maybe two minutes to decide.

He picked Rhyne's lifeless body up and took to the sky. He flew for about thirty seconds, coming to the waterfall. Tekoa knew he had to dispose of her body. With no body, they wouldn't know how the fight has escalated.

Without any concern, Tekoa threw Rhyne's limp body over the waterfall and into the icy river below. As soon as he saw that she had been sucked under the water by the rapid currents, he flew away, hoping to hide from Piccolo until he could come up with a plausible story.

"This is where the fighting was." Gohan said as he anxiously looked around.

Piccolo remained stone faced and quiet, his gut wrenched in pain. Glancing around, he saw the purple blood that was on the rock and the nearby ground. He walked over and touched it. Immediately, he knew it belonged to his daughter.

"Piccolo…please….tell me what's happening." Gohan begged.

Piccolo stood up, his legs feeling somewhat unstable. "Rhyne is dead." He said, almost in a whisper.

"What?" Gohan shouted. "Dead? NO!" He screamed louder. "How can you know for sure!"

Piccolo turned and saw the pain in Gohan's eyes. "I feel it…here." He pointed to his chest, indicating his heart.

"NO!" Gohan yelled. "I WON'T BELIEVE IT!" Suddenly, Gohan felt sick to his stomach.

"The fight was between Rhyne and Tekoa." Piccolo said. "He killed her, and now he's done something with her body." Piccolo's hands drew up into fists. "I will kill him."

Rideria and Kaizer landed a few feet away. Instantly, Rideria knew her worst fears were confirmed. "Father….." She said. "Tell me I'm wrong….please…..please……"

Piccolo looked into her beautiful eyes and took her hand. "Your sister is gone." He said.

Rideria collapsed onto the ground, unable to control herself. Piccolo knelt beside her and put his arms around her. There were no words to comfort, nothing that could lessen the pain.

Kaizer was in shock, and Gohan was completely devastated. "We have to find Tekoa." Gohan said. "Maybe there is hope…..maybe she's just hurt bad…."

Piccolo shook his head. "You and Kaizer find him." Piccolo said. "Bring my daughter's body back to me if you can. She deserves a proper burial."

At his words, Rideria cried harder.

"What about Tekoa?" Kaizer asked. "You know we'll kill him."

"Do what you wish." Piccolo said, picking Rideria up in his arms. "If you do not kill him, then I will. As far as I'm concerned he's already dead. It's just a matter of time." Piccolo said no more. He leapt into the sky, headed toward the Lookout.

Together, Kaizer and Gohan went in search of Tekoa.

When Piccolo landed at the Lookout, Kami was there. "We have the Dragonballs." He said, already sensing the young Namek girl's demise. "She will be wished back."

Piccolo nodded, but still felt little comfort. He longed to know what pain Rhyne had suffered before her death. Needed to know what Tekoa had done to his little girl. He carried Rideria back to her bedroom and put her under the covers. His oldest daughter had literally cried herself unconscious.

Rikola, who had spent a great deal of the last half hour crying in Kami's arms, met her father in the hallway. She put her arms around his waist and Piccolo picked her up off the floor, bringing her as close to him as he could. "We'll find Tekoa and make him pay." She said angrily.

"Right now, you need to rest. You are in no condition to worry yourself." Piccolo told her.

Rikola looked at her father, shocked. "How did you know?"

"You dropped your guard just now. I can sense the life inside you." He said. "And don't worry. I am not angry. Life…is precious." He said, choking back a sob. Rikola had never seen her father like this, and she suddenly felt his vulnerability. She pulled him back into her arms and they both fell to the floor, leaning against the wall. Piccolo did not actually cry, but it was probably as close as he would ever come. He put his head in his daughter's lap and she stroked his face as her own tears fell down.

Tekoa headed to the mountains. Once he found a suitable cave, he shielded his ki, hoping no one would find him.

As nightfall came, he drifted off to sleep, Rhyne's memory haunting his every thought. He never meant to hurt her. Certainly never meant to kill her, yet, he had. She was somewhere in that cold ocean water, all alone.

In his dreams, he could see her struggling for air, fighting the currents. He screamed her name as he woke up, drenched in sweat as if he had been in the icy water along with her. Tekoa knew without a doubt that he was losing his mind.

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