Three Rivers of Remembrance
Chapter Twelve
Raina was growing quickly. As three more months passed, she was already walking and trying to speak. Piccolo tried not to dote on her much, but when no one was looking, he would pick her up and hold her. It reminded him so much of the early years with his girls, when he didn't know what to do or how to treat them.
Now, he understood so much more. He believed it was all right to love, although he didn't make a habit of expressing it often. Now, he was a…..grandfather. The term itself was still strange to him, but he was growing used to the nickname he had been given. Poppy. When Raina first called him that, everyone was surprised. But, it seemed appropriate.
Gohan continued to struggle through his studies, not wanting to lose his scholarship. He hoped when Rhyne came back, they could get married and he would be able to provide a home for them. And hopefully for their children.
It was still hard for him to be convinced that Rhyne was gone. He expected to look up and see her beautiful face at any moment. But, it never happened.
Finally, the day was here. Early that morning, every fighter on Earth gathered at the Lookout. Bulma provided each one with a Dragon Radar and a hand held and very high-powered walkie-talkie before they set out.
"Let's get going." Piccolo said. "Everyone go in groups, Tekoa is still out there. He'll know what we are doing, so watch your backs."
It was agreed that Gowan would stay on the Lookout with Rikola and Raina, but Kaizer and Rideria insisted on helping in the search.
Gathering the Dragonballs was not hard, but it was time consuming. The balls were spread across the planet and in some awkward places. It was early the next morning before all the balls were found and returned to the Lookout.
Just before dawn, Piccolo put the last Dragonball down and summoned Earth's Dragon.
The already darkened sky grew even darker as the massive reptile appeared.
WHY HAVE YOU SUMMONED ME?
Piccolo spoke. "We ask that you grant us one wish."
The Dragon's eyes were ominous.
WHAT IS YOUR WISH? SPEAK QUICKLY!
"I wish for my daughter, Rhyne to be returned to this dimension, her life restored." Piccolo said, his heart beating wildly through his chest.
The Dragon was silent for a moment, but then replied.
THIS CANNOT BE DONE
"WHAT?" Piccolo shouted. "WHY?" He asked desperately.
THE ONE YOU SPEAK OF IS NOT DEAD; THEREFORE THERE IS NO LIFE TO RESTORE. DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER WISH?
Piccolo staggered slightly, completely stunned by the Dragon's words. "She's….alive? Where?" He shouted to the Dragon. "If she is alive, reveal her exact location to me!"
Again the Dragon was thoughtful.
THIS CANNOT BE DONE! THE ONE YOU SPEAK OF NO LONGER EXISTS! DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER WISH?
"WHAT?" Piccolo did not understand and was growing more and more angry.
"Dragon!" Kami yelled. "If the one we seek is not dead, but you say she does not exist, then where is she?"
I AM NOT HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS! DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER WISH?
"Dragon, I am the Guardian of Earth. I humbly ask that you, please, answer my question before we make our wish." Kami pleaded.
THE ONE YOU SEEK IS NOT DEAD, SHE LIVES, BUT THE SOUL AND MIND IS NO LONGER ALIVE. THEREFORE, THE ONE YOU SEEK DOES NOT EXSIST IN THE SAME FORM AS YOU KNEW HER BEFORE. DO YOU HAVE A WISH OR NOT?
"Not now." Kami said. "We'll get back to you on it!"
The Dragon nodded to Earth's Guardian and then disappeared. Quickly, Kami gathered up the Dragonballs and put them in a bag. "We need to hang on to these. We've got one day to find out what the hell is going on, or Rhyne might be lost to us forever!" Kami was unusually angry; worried about the girl he so desperately loved.
"I don't understand." Piccolo shouted. "She's not dead? But she does not exist? What the hell kind of dribble is that?"
Rideria stepped forward. "Father, what if she's hurt….what if Tekoa has had her this entire time? What if….he's destroyed her mind?"
Piccolo understood the magnitude of what his oldest daughter was saying. "He's held her captive, torturing her until she's gone mad." He could barely say the words.
Rideria nodded.
"We'll find her." Gohan said. "I knew she couldn't be dead, and I'll find her if it kills me."
"Come on everyone." Goku said. "We've got twenty-four hours to find Tekoa and hopefully Rhyne. Every second counts."
"He'll need water." Piccolo pointed out. "That's the only clue we may have. Check all locations near a water source."
"Father, let me go." Rikola begged. "I need to find her. This whole thing, bringing them here, it's my fault."
"No." He told her. "It is no one's fault. You have to stay here and protect that little girl of yours. I won't lose anyone else."
Making quick arrangements, everyone left in search, knowing that Tekoa could have taken Rhyne anywhere on Earth.
FLASHBACK—ONE YEAR AGO:.
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 had 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.
Rhyne's lifeless body went under the current quickly, but then resurfaced, face down. Violently, she was tossed and shaken in the strong water. She was not breathing, her heart was not beating.
However, she was not alone either. Near the side of the embankment was a woman. She watched in horror as what appeared to be a body was washed down the river, headed for the ocean.
Sabrina hurried, running as fast as she could down the grassy area near the river, hoping to head off the body. With only seconds to spare, and hardly strong enough herself to enter the harsh currents, Sabrina jumped in. She swam as fast as she could, grabbing onto the body, not knowing if the person were dead or alive.
The shock of seeing the green face was nothing compared to the pain she felt in the currents. She grabbed onto the waist of the green being and held on for dear life. Both of their lives.
When she came to a fork in the river, she swam hard, trying to redirect them both toward the calmer area of the water and away from the mouth of the ocean. Grabbing onto a few limbs in the water, Sabrina managed to do just that, pulling both her and the body out of the water. They had been washed almost six hours down the river.
Sabrina searched for a pulse or heartbeat, finding none. Because of the cold water, she didn't' know if the body had been dead for hours, or minutes. Not wanting to take the chance with the obviously female alien, she began to perform CPR. For what seemed like an eternity, Sabrina used small hand compressions on the girl's chest, and blew her own breath into her mouth.
Suddenly, the girl coughed slightly. Sabrina immediately turned her over and pushed on her back, trying to rid her lungs of water. After a few seconds, she checked for a pulse and felt one, although faint.
"Ok, kid." Sabrina said. "Now how am I going to get you to a hospital?" Not only had the girl almost drowned, but also there was a large head wound and a purple substance emitting from it. "What am I saying? I can't take you into a hospital! The FBI would cage me up along with you."
Sabrina got up and pulled the girl into the nearby bushes. "I'll go for help. You stay put." She remarked, wondering what she would do once she retrieved her SUV. Sabrina took off in a jog, hurrying as fast as she could, but knowing she had to pace herself. Six miles was a lot further than the usual two miles she ran every day. Plus, she was soaking wet and freezing.
It was over an hour later when Sabrina managed to drive her red SUV close enough to the wooded area to get back to the young girl.
Thankfully, she was still alive, but obviously cold and in shock. Sabrina lifted her as carefully as she could and put her in the folded down back part of her truck, covering her with blankets. "A good naturalist always comes prepared." Sabrina remarked to herself. "Heck, I didn't want to go camping this weekend anyway. Too damn cold."
Once the truck was going, Sabrina turned up the heat, hoping to keep them both warm.
THAT WAS A YEAR AGO……..
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