Here it is, guys! The chapter you've all been waiting for! This was my first huge battle scene. I hope it's worth the wait!

Chapter Summary: The Son Family meets the traitor they've been training to fight for the last two months and get a nasty surprise. Our favorite family fights hard for their very lives.


Chapter 9

The Battle

Two Days Later

A loud snore startled me awake and I twisted in his arms to see my husband sound asleep. I kissed his forehead causing him to wrinkle his nose cutely in his sleep and shift his arm off my stomach. He didn't wake up.

I made my way around our still dark bedroom and dressed silently. A quick peek out the window showed the dark blue of the beginning of dawn. I brushed my hair and pulled it up into my usual tight bun, brushed my teeth, and left the room.

I automatically walked into the kitchen, but realized it was still a bit early to get going on breakfast. Instead, I decided to step outside for some fresh air.

Goku's favorite tree looked like a nice spot to watch the sunrise. I walked over to it and floated up to perch on a sturdy branch high up in the big, beautiful oak.

I sensed him a half second before he materialized on the branch next to me – dressed in his gi and ready to go– as the first rays of sunshine bathed the land in a dazzling, brilliant gold, turning the few clouds that dotted the sky hues and shades of pinks and oranges. The entire scene was breathtakingly beautiful. And I was relaxed enough to enjoy it.

A single streak of brilliant golden light flashed across the brightening sky and I felt a warm arm slip around my shoulders and pull me close. I leaned into him.

We both knew that was no shooting star.

Neither one of us said anything for a long while as we watched the sun climb ever higher into the sky, bringing the forest to life with its light.

The birds sang from their perches and flitted through the air. A herd of deer grazed calmly just on the edge of the trees. The distant, fierce screech of a hawk floated to us on the light breeze. The animals were all so calm, going about their lives in blissful ignorance – much like they had the morning of the Cell Games – that the world might come crashing down around us all if we failed.

I shook myself slightly. No. I couldn't think like that.

Goku seemed to pick up on my train of thought because warm lips touched my cheek and I turned to see him giving me an encouraging smile with his face only an inch from mine. I touched my nose to his. Neither of us had to say anything as we gazed into each other's eyes.

He pulled back as another presence floated up and joined us on our branch with a loud yawn – breaking the quiet calm of the morning.

I leaned forward a little bit to catch Gohan's eye and smiled a calm smile at our son as he seated himself on Goku's other side. He returned it as Goku rested his other hand on his shoulder. The three of us enjoyed the calm, beautiful sunrise for a long while, none of us wanting it to end, but the peacefulness couldn't last forever.

Peace never seemed to last long on Earth. Peace was an elusive and fickle creature, never staying long the rare times it visited.

We learned to savor those quiet moments that were few and far between, cherishing the memories like precious gems. If I learned anything being married to the strongest man in the universe, it was that things could change in a heartbeat and they did. That fact just made our time together all the more precious.

After that day, whether our family emerged intact or not, one thing was certain: We loved each other more than life itself.

We dropped down off the branch and headed back inside.

The atmosphere around our table was calm but quiet. We ate a much lighter than usual breakfast – just enough to give us energy but didn't eat too much. We didn't want to be weighed down. There would be time for that later and I planned on making a huge feast for us that night.

There was a certain confidence in the way Goku carried himself that morning as he helped with the dishes. A genuine confidence so different from the forced confidence he carried in the last few days leading up to the Cell Games. I knew watching him that morning we'd be fine.

Breakfast out of the way, we walked outside, exchanged long looks and took to the sky in the direction the streak of light traveled without a word spoken either out loud or telepathically. We didn't need to. Goku wrapped his arm around my waist as we flew, Gohan a couple of feet away on his other side.

After flying for a few minutes, Goku and Gohan flared up Super Saiyan for a few minutes for the agreed upon signal to his friends that it was time and then released their power. First, was Krillin with a small wave. Next came Piccolo. A little while later, Vegeta came up level with us. He and Goku exchanged nods. A few minutes after Vegeta, Yamcha joined us, followed shortly by Tien and even Chiaotzu.

Breaking our silence, Goku flew a little ways away and touched two fingers to his forehead. "Be right back!"

He disappeared and the others stopped to hover around the space he just vanished from.

"Wha–?"

Before I could finish my question – let alone get one word out – he reappeared with a woman grasping his forearm and a shiny golden halo hovering over her head.

I gasped.

She smiled at me as she released Goku's arm and floated slowly up to me. "Hello, my dear Chichi!"

My jaw dropped and my head got very light and – for a second – I almost felt like I was going to faint. Goku would catch me so I wasn't worried. Somehow, I maintained my equilibrium. Then I burst into tears and dove into the open arms of my mother whom I thought I'd never see this side of Earth again and hugged her close.

She wrapped her arms around me and rubbed my back. As she tried to comfort me, her shoulders shook and then she broke, too. She buried her face in my shoulder and we both wept tears of joy at seeing each other again after so many years.

After I didn't know how long, I reluctantly pulled back as Gohan floated up to us.

She smiled tenderly at him and reached out to run her fingers through his dark hair and brush the tips of her fingers down on his cheek. "This must be my amazing grandson Gohan!"

My sweet little boy grinned back a little shyly, his cheeks turning a very cute shade of pink. "Nice to meet you… Grandmother…"

Her eyes lit up and she pulled him in for a hug and he returned it.

I drifted over to Goku and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

Piccolo huffed exasperatedly. "I hate to interrupt a family reunion, but we have more important things to attend to!"

Goku nodded. "You're right, Piccolo. Let's get going."

With that, we were off again, my mother coming up level on my right and Gohan on her other side with Goku on my left.

We extended our senses as we flew, easily locating the ki we were after and the small army with her. Goku glanced over his shoulder and exchanged nods with his friends.

We flew on for quite a while longer, the scenery growing increasingly unfamiliar as we flew farther and farther from home. She was a ways out. Perhaps she thought by landing a distance from us, she might catch us by surprise. We hoped maybe we'd catch her unawares – if luck was on our side.

We kept our eyes peeled as the energies grew closer.

Gohan pointed down. "That must be it!"

I followed his gaze.

Far below and a little ahead of us sat a large, sleek ship, black as night, the finish almost seeming to absorb light with no gloss to it whatsoever.

Goku glanced at me and then over his shoulder with a smirk on his face and – in a self-assured, battle-ready tone – said, "Let's do this!"

Goku landed to my right, my mother on my left, and Gohan next to my mother as the others touched down behind us, all of us kicking up a giant dust cloud as we touched down. Goku was to my right, my mother on my left, and Gohan on her other side while the others lined up on both sides of us and eyed the ship a hundred yards in front of us.

As close as we were, we sensed a flurry of activity buzzing in the ship, the ship almost humming from the amount of energy like a disturbed beehive. We monitored the minds of the small army. Some were confident and ready, others terrified, and still others were just looking for a thrill. Very few were evil through and through. None were terribly powerful. The others could definitely handle them.

With a hiss, a ramp dropped out of the bottom of the vessel, and – like angry bees – they swarmed out, falling into formation facing off against us, trying to stare us down. We were outnumbered – there were around three hundred of them and only nine of us – but it didn't matter. Goku's friends were far stronger than they.

As the last of the army fell into their ranks, more movement on the ship's ramp caught my eye as a single person walked down it.

My mother broadcasted a message to our entire group: There she is. Be ready.

The traitor's army parted ranks as she sauntered toward us. Her eyes locked with mine, full of pure, unadulterated hatred as she came closer.

Goku had told me the combination of dark eyes and dark hair was a Saiyan thing, but the resemblance between her and my mother was a little uncanny. The shape of her face and her eyes were eerily similar to my own and our height was almost the same, with her being slightly taller. Her hair was as black as mine but had a wave to it and her eyes were black through to the irises, but there was no warmth in them at all.

She stopped in front of me little more than five feet away, her eyes exactly level with mine and her dark brown tail poised like a cobra ready to strike.

My mother snarled from her spot on my other side. "Sabi."

Her cold, dark eyes darted to my mother and she cackled. "My dead niece has come to protect her family. How sweet. No matter. You'll all be together soon."

I stared at my mother with my mouth hanging open and Goku and Gohan gasped. I knew the traitor was a member of my mother's tribe but a relative!?

Apparently sensing my train of though, my mother said, Yes, Chichi. This is my mother's sister.

Her right hand twitched toward me as if she was ready to reach out and strangle me right then and there. In that moment, the sound of scraping gravel reached my ears as Goku slid into a ready stance, his low growl a warning.

Sabi moved a foot toward me and – in an instant – Goku was between her and me.

"What do you want with us? What did my wife do to you?"

"Your wife's dear mother is guilty of treason against King Vegeta, treason that lead to our race being nearly extinct. She is merely a half-breed. Her life is insignificant and I will not have the gene-pool dirtied by a half-breed or a traitor."

Goku looked about ready to rip her head off for the last bit. "Don't talk about my wife that way! King Vegeta was killed long ago along with nearly all of our race! My wife had nothing to do with that!"

"A couple of decades mean nothing to a Saiyan. We wouldn't have lost our race had Cressa's tribe and others joined King Vegeta's ranks to fight Frieza. For that, you all must die. However–" her eyes darted over my shoulder "–I might just spare you, Prince Vegeta. Speaking of which… where are the others? There should be several more of you–" She cakled again "–Unless they're all dead! Where are they? If you tell me, I'll kill you quickly."

The others kept their mouths shut. They didn't know, anyway. We didn't either. Denying as much wouldn't do us any good either way.

She took another step toward Goku, her mouth splitting into a sick, sadistic grin. "If you wont tell me, then I'll just take the knowledge I seek by force. I warn you, it will be very painful."

Goku's palm darted toward me for a moment before he pulled it in front of him. Stay put, Chichi. Don't let her engage you in hand-to-hand!

I know.

On an unspoken signal, her small army suddenly charged forward as she did, too and the others met them head on as Goku lunged for her.

Go! Now, Chichi! Gohan, help the others with her army!

I kicked into the air as Gohan followed our friends. I needed to put a safe amount of distance between the chaos of the fight and myself.

Things were going downhill fast for Goku. It was clear she was a very skilled fighter. Goku was having a pretty hard time with her even after his power surged into Super Saiyan. She was actually a little faster than he was and easily blocked every strong blow he threw at her. She knocked the air out of him with one solid blow to his stomach and he flew back several feet.

My mother moved in also transformed and traded many fast, powerful blows with Sabi before Goku recovered and jumped back into the fray. Sometimes, it seemed Goku and my mother had the upper hand and other times, Sabi seemed to. It was just the ebb and flow of battle. What disturbed me was Sabi held her own against the two of them. She must have been training for at least a couple decades while we only had a couple of months under our belts. Goku and my mother were strong but it was obvious she was so much stronger.

I forced my rising nervousness down and quickly thought of a way to help them.

Sabi launched a strong kick to my mother's midsection, which she dodged and countered with a blow of her own, landing her own kick to Sabi's solar plexus.

Sabi's air knocked out, I chose that moment to extend my senses and focus on her ki, and – in a matter of seconds – had her in a strong telekinetic lock. Surprise flashed across her features and she struggled, but the lock I had her in was strong.

Her surprised expression quickly turned into an angry snarl and the power boost from it instantaneous, but not before Goku rammed a foot into her stomach. When she was doubled over, Goku smashed hammer fists into her back, the force he generated slamming her into the dirt and I held her down with that lock.

Goku nodded a 'good job' up at me before refocusing on Sabi as she recovered on the ground below. Before we could think of our next move, she screamed, her energy crackling through the air and I felt the lock I had her in break. She was instantly on her feet, a murderous glare leveled directly at me as she kicked off hard into the air.

Then, I felt it… that telltale pressure on my mind and – having never dropped my guard – I took a deep breath and concentrated hard on keeping her out but it wasn't enough. Holding off the combined attack of Goku and Gohan was nothing to onslaught Sabi threw at me.

She didn't even seem to notice my efforts to keep her out and the pain was blinding and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

Once she was level with me, she rifled through my thoughts like she owned them – thankfully not finding anything vital – before Goku Instant Transmissioned up to us and rammed his fist into her face before she could react, sending her flying with a bloody lip and in that moment, the almost unbearable pain lifted. She was faster than my husband in battle, but obviously was not expecting Instant Transmission.

He looked me over. You all right, Chichi?

I'm okay. She only gave me a bad headache.

He blew out a breath and stayed level with me as my mother joined us in the air, all of us keeping our heads on the swivel, while the battle between the rest of the Z-fighters and Sabi's army was well underway on the ground below.

In fact, I was pleased to see the growing pile of unconscious bodies, happening to look down just as Gohan tossed another onto the pile. He glanced up at us and gave me a small wave and I gave him a thumbs-up. He grinned a carefree grin that was identical to his father's signature smile and then focused on his next target.

Goku gasped suddenly. Sabi's masking her ki! I can't sense her! Be on guard, Chichi. There's no telling what she's got in store.

I acknowledged him with a nod.

I detected it a nanosecond before it hit – an invisible wave of ki moving so fast there was no time to react, no time to defend myself. From one moment to the next, I found myself safely in Goku's arms as the shockwave of the attack passed harmlessly by us, ruffling our hair. Goku lowered us to the ground, sat me on my feet, and immediately shifted into a fighting stance, as I detected tendrils of his ki sweeping the land.

It's no good. I still can't sense her at all. She's not just masking her ki – it's like she doesn't exist. She could be anywhere.

I narrowed my eyes in concentration, trying to track her by her thoughts, but it was no good. Like we had demonstrated during our training, we could only connect with someone telepathically – and attack – if we could sense the person.

In the mean time, the battle with her forces was winding down, their numbers having dwindled quickly. I only sensed about five more still standing and even they were dropping like flies. Within a few seconds, they fell with a few swift blows from Piccolo. They never stood a chance.

As soon as that was over, Gohan ran over to us and glanced worriedly at his father. What's going on, Dad?

We can't sense her at all. She's not just masking her ki. It's like she doesn't exist at all. Be ready, Gohan. She could be planning anything.

He inclined his head and slid into the same stance as his father, keeping his head on the swivel.

In the same second, we all sensed her and our heads snapped up just in time to see a huge blast aimed straight for us and we scattered just in time, the explosion kicking up massive amounts of dirt and debris. Before she could hide again, I seized her and floated up to her to move in a little closer.

I sensed her power building, readying herself to break free like she did before, but I was ready. I wrapped tendrils of energy so tightly around her body, I could see bands of red welts and burns beginning to form around her limbs while Goku and Gohan rejoined me, adding their own locks on top of mine.

Sabi snarled loudly in frustration and yelled out, summoning her power and her ki signature skyrocketed. Her eyes turned teal, as her energy built and then exploded out in shades of brilliant gold with enough force it threw us back a few yards.

I didn't have time to get nervous before she attacked me, landing a very fast punch straight up my jaw. The pain that exploded in my skull was intense and immediate, far more intense than when she rifled through my thoughts and I was dazed, almost falling out of the air.

The last thing I heard was an agonized, "NO!" from Goku before my hearing left me, before my sight left me. Not left. Taken. The rest of my senses shortly followed them one by one. She was in my head. Goku was, too, but was thrown out easily before we could link our minds.

I felt her reach through me – felt tendrils of her thought reach down to my limbs as her powerful mind clamped down on my consciousness and I was locked in my own head. Locked in an ever-shrinking corner of my mind, completely unaware of the outside world, only pain.

A thought that wasn't mine reached me in the blackness: You are mine. You are powerless to stop me.

I was a puppet. For the first time, true hopelessness consumed me. I had failed.

Another venom-laced thought reached me: Hmm… now that you're under my control, what should I have you do first?

She was silent for a moment, then, Ah! I know.

Suddenly, it was like a thick curtain was lifted off my face. Suddenly, my eyes were mine.

The first thing I saw was Goku and Gohan in their Super Saiyan forms launching attack after attack on Sabi and breathing hard. Holding nothing back, they gave her their most powerful attacks, but every explosion did nothing.

Nothing.

In their anger, they didn't notice that right away. A subtle shimmer surrounded Sabi that was separate from her Super Saiyan aura, almost like a mirage.

She was safely cocooned in a strong shield.

For the briefest of moments, Goku's eyes darted back to me then went back on Sabi and he did a double take. Gohan followed his father's gaze.

Their eyes widened and for just a moment, both seemed relieved to look into my eyes and see that I had control of them, see that I was still there.

Goku glanced at Gohan with very wide eyes and then Goku's gaze settled on Sabi, a new emotion on full display: pure, unadulterated hatred and it was a look I didn't think he was capable of making at all, but he was. He lunged for her and she knocked him away.

Then, I blinked and felt a semi-truck slam into me. Goku saw what happened before I did and I knew he was trying to stop or he would have hit me a lot harder. As it was, we both went flying several feet in a tangle of limbs, but he stopped us and gently but quickly disentangled us, but remained by my side.

Against my will and a little bit confused at first, I was made to float in front of him, facing him. Static electricity crackled around me as my arms lifted, my palms settling on my husband's chest – directly over his heart – and wrapped tightly around his gi.

It was then I knew what Sabi had planned.

I couldn't warn him. My mouth wasn't mine. The only thing I could do was give him a pleading look as I felt my energy churn and shift in my body and crackle down my outstretched arms.

I knew Goku sensed where my energy was being directed, but he didn't even try to fight me. I knew he wouldn't. Sabi knew he wouldn't. His hands wrapped gently around my wrists, trying in vain to pull my hands away without hurting me, but I wouldn't budge. All the while, energy continued to charge in my palm.

The look he gave me was absolutely heart-wrenching. His eyes softened and crinkled when he saw the panic I was sure shown through mine.

I felt tears gathering in mine and I tried to furiously blink them away, but they fell. He reached up and stroked my cheek and then closed his eyes as his brow furrowed in concentration and I felt his presence just at the edge of my awareness and I knew he was trying to fight her off as my energy was right on the verge of being released – enough energy that it would have gone straight through him.

It was no good. Her consciousness was too deeply… engrained in mine.

Another presence joined in: Gohan. Even with the two of them mentally working together, they couldn't free me.

Then, I felt small, very strong arms wrap around my midsection from behind, gently but firmly clasping around me and – using just enough force – Gohan managed to pry me away, the orange fabric of Goku's gi tearing some in my grip, creating just a few inches of space as the battle just at the edge of my awareness raged on. And then, the energy released, and all I could do was howl my despair in my head as the explosion temporarily blinded me.

Screaming for his father, Gohan released me and I was forced to whirl on the spot in that second. I watched in absolute horror as my hands shot out before he had time to try to fly to safety and wrapped around his throat, squeezing with a power that wasn't entirely mine. Like his father, Gohan refused to fight me. He only stared at me with wide eyes.

That expression on that face aimed at me… my boy was afraid of me. With everything I had – which wasn't much – I smashed into the wall holding me prisoner in my own head and for just one glorious nanosecond, I had just enough control to lessen the pressure on Gohan's neck.

Sabi locked me away again and I felt my fingers tighten. You will finish him like you did your husband. You're in my control. You can't stop–

I had heard enough. First, she made me… I refused to think of what my own hands and energy had just done to my husband and thenwhat they were about to do to my son.

I cracked.

Through that crack, a sea of untapped power was just visible – like looking down a crack in the Earth's crust at an underground pool of lava – and just on the edge of my control. I felt myself slipping and squeezed my eyes shut as I dove into the inferno before I could second-guess myself.

NO! DON'T YOU DARE! I'LL KILL THE BOY MYSELF RIGHT NOW!

I violently and easily threw her out of my head, angrily yanking her control away from my limbs – dropping my hands in the process – as I surrendered myself to the rage boiling through me. It seared my every nerve ending and made them come alive again, raw and crackling like an exposed livewire.

The rage kept building and building, climbing higher and higher, as it translated into massive power and I was sure I was going to be vaporized from the intensity of it all. Or maybe torn apart.

I didn't care. I wasn't scared. I welcomed it. Rage was all that existed. No fear. No doubt. Just pure rage and I was lost in it and the newfound, incredible power it brought.

The power burned through me like an out of control wildfire, and felt like it was pulling me in all directions at once, threatening to tear me to ribbons.

Just when I thought my body couldn't take any more of it – just when I thought I really was going to be torn to shreds – it exploded out as a primal scream tore out of my throat almost painfully.

I was broken and reborn.

My eyes snapped open, and I found myself engulfed in a brilliant golden aura, the world shimmering and distorted around me from the heat I put off.

I leveled my gaze at Sabi just in time to see her slam a fist into Gohan's stomach and punch him to the ground. Working on pure instinct, I lunged at her with a snarl both physically and mentally before I could fully process what just happened to me. My fist collided with her stomach, her ribs yielding to the force of my blow with a satisfying crack as I tore through her psychic block as if it was no more substantial than a thin layer of ice covering a body of water.

Shock. Panic. Anger. Pain.

All of those feelings and sensations flooded into me and I relished them. I scared her. Her terror made her angry like a cornered lion and she tried to counterattack, but I easily blocked her right fist with my left and checked her as I landed my right fist in her stomach and her breath whooshed out and she doubled over.

I landed a hammer fist on her back and she went down, slamming hard into the ground, kicking up a large amount of debris. She was down, but her hair was still brilliant gold.

She very much wasn't out.

Her teeth bared, she leaped out of the crater she made with an angry snarl into the sky and vanished, moving too quickly for me to keep up with her. That time, even though I couldn't see her, I could still sense her and sensed a sharp jump in her power as she charged a blast.

A nanosecond before she appeared, I sensed her in front of me and it was all I could do to dodge the blast, but I did. It missed me, but it was very close. She managed to singe a little of my hair, the blast of heat as it passed by intense.

So focused was I on dodging the blast, I dropped my guard in my head for a just a moment and then I realized the blast was only a distraction a half a second before she surged into my head leaving me scrambling to push up my defenses but she torn them down as fast as I could form them.

My heart pounded and I breathed hard. Whatever ground I had gained in the battle was lost.

I sensed a shift in her emotions, from shock and panic to steely determination and a fair bit of anger as her lips twisted into a sick, sadistic smile and she found her stride. She pulled ahead, and suddenly, I was reduced to only just being able to block her blows. I had no hope of landing any more blows of my own. My earlier confidence yielded to desperation as I fought to maintain control of my own body and fought to stay alive.

Out of nowhere, a fist connected with Sabi's jaw, sending her flying, and the immense pressure on my mind lifted.

A new presence entered my head the second I needed it most, reassuring, strong, and very confident as the very much alive owner of that reassuring presence joined me in the air, a brilliant gold aura surging around him as well.

I wasn't able to form a coherent thought from the anger and desperation surging through me so I acknowledged him with a flicker of a new and equally as powerful emotion: relief. The front of his gi was singed through to his skin, the last remnants of his gi top hanging on his shoulders by a few tatters but… he seemed okay.

He pushed further into my mind. I welcomed the sensation as his steely confidence engulfed me, snapping me out of my panic. My eyes drifted closed.

He went deeper and opened himself completely to me, so there was no wall at all between us, nothing guarded. His thought flowed into me as mine flowed into him. His calm slowed my pounding heart, pulling it in time with his, forcing my ragged breathing to do the same.

As our bodies fell into perfect synchronicity, as our thought converged like two rivers about to join at a single point and then seamlessly merged, his sensation and feeling became mine and mine his as we had practiced so many times before.

We were vaguely aware of a blast exploding around us as our minds linked and then merged, the explosion harmlessly dissipating around us from the shield we formed.

Our eyes snapped open and immediately found Sabi, the strange little shimmer in the air from our shield and the heat from the blast slightly distorting her like a mirage. "You have pushed us too far. No second chances, no turning back."

She snarled and charged toward us in a flare of brilliant gold ki. She punched and kicked viciously, but – exhausted as she was – she was no match for the two of us even if she was faster. We easily blocked every blow she threw at us, our fighting styles merging every bit as seamlessly and completely as our minds.

Two feet collided with Sabi's stomach, causing her to spit up blood and sent her careening away from us with a chunk of her armor around her stomach missing – revealing a portion of a thick, corded scar stretching diagonally across her stomach before she wrapped her arms around her midsection.

She dropped out of the sky and was barely able to stay powered up, her hair flickering back and forth between black and gold.

We summoned our power to charge up two big blasts but before we could bring the energy out – from one second to the next – Goku partially severed our link without warning and grabbed me around my middle and yanked me out of the way just as an energy beam shot through the empty air I occupied just seconds prior.

He pulled me back on my feet and looked me up and down.

I'm okay, Goku.

I sucked in a sharp, startled breath as I suddenly became aware of a very large energy emanating from somewhere around the ship. It was then I realized Sabi wasn't the one to fire that beam.

The angle was wrong.

The beam came from the direction of the ship.

I turned wide eyes on Goku, but he had his full attention focused on the ship, his teeth slightly bared. He looked fierce and ready, but through our link, I felt his heart pounding.

The tables had turned once again and not in our favor.

Between one heartbeat and the next, the owner of that massive energy appeared next to Sabi, bent over her and hauled her to her feet.

My mother flew next to me, staring at the new enemy in horrified confusion. "What!? No! I killed you, Gorlick! I saw the blast go straight through you!"

Goku and I screeched, "He's Sabi's mate!?"

"Yes…" was my mother's simple, quiet reply.

He smirked evilly at us as he stood up straight. He was tall like Goku and had a similar build to him, but his skin was more leathery and tanned, and very, very dirty – maybe more dirty than tanned. It was hard to tell which.

Then – moving so quickly I lost sight of him for a second – he appeared directly in front of me, my face inches from his chest. My eyes burned and watered from the overpowering stench rolling off of him in waves and it took all I had in me not to retch on the spot.

Overwhelmed as I was by his stench, I didn't see his hands shoot out toward my throat until it was almost too late. A nanosecond before he had me, Goku landed a solid punch with a loud snarl across the reeking Saiyan's jaw, stunning him just long enough for me to bound backwards out of range of his arms – and his stench.

Sucking in breaths of fresh air, I took up the opportunity to shore up my psychic block, but I felt Goku's familiar presence brush my last bit of exposed thought. I dropped my wall as he dropped his, and we merged, our thoughts flowing together again, and then we lifted a wall around our mind, a wall so strong we were positive it was impenetrable.

It was a very good thing we did that when we did, because Sabi's mate recovered very quickly. We felt one big, powerful presence slam into our linked minds, but our wall held as they physically lunged for us, Sabi's mate viciously attacking Goku and Sabi coming straight for me as our confrontation devolved into a brief smattering of hand-to-hand.

I nimbly dodged her left leg aimed for my stomach in a powerful kick and whirled around so my right foot connected with her side, somewhere around where her kidney was, but she blocked that effortlessly. She grabbed my foot quicker than I could retract it and flipped me, throwing me hard to the ground, but I never hit.

I was caught midair in Goku's strong arms and he released me as my mother and Gohan darted in and knocked Sabi and Gorlick back several yards. I knew I didn't have to worry about hitting the ground. With our minds linked like they were, we were instinctively monitoring each other's fights and knew when the other needed help.

I charged Sabi, but she flew backwards many more yards, getting herself well out of range as her mate followed her. For a second there, I thought maybe they were backing off. I hoped they were, but that hope was short lived as I sensed a powerful surge in their energies as Goku materialized next to me so we floated shoulder to shoulder.

We knew what that spike of energy meant as we sensed it pool in their hands. Standing shoulder to shoulder and cupping all four of their hands together, the blast appeared and steadily grew larger and larger.

I realized with a start they were merging their energies and using that to create a super blast, far larger and more powerful than anything they could have possibly done on their own.

Taking the opportunity as they were busy charging their blast, Goku quickly charged up and fired a powerful Kamehameha Wave with a loud yell, but once the dust cleared, they stood unharmed and unaffected.

We gasped.

My mother brushed our consciousness and we let her in. Goku! Chichi! Quickly do as they do! It's your only chance!

Without a response, we wordlessly shifted into the same stance as Sabi and her mate, cupping our hands together like we saw them do.

We had a lot of ground to cover; their already huge blast was still growing quickly. Since we had mastered fusing our minds, letting our energies converge came easily. Not just easily. It felt natural, our energies merging every bit as seamlessly as our thought.

That done, we immediately began charging our own blast and it grew quickly, bigger and bigger until it seemed to catch up to the blast Sabi and her mate charged up, and then, with roars, they fired and so did we.

Our blasts met in the middle, both massive and unyielding. We pushed and they pushed, giving it more oomph, harder and harder – the massive dome that formed when they met in the middle sometimes shifting toward us and sometimes toward Sabi and her mate.

We couldn't keep up that pace forever; we were running low on power. Sabi and Gorlick – who had the advantage of not being at all battle-worn – must have sensed that because he threw in more juice, forcing the giant dome toward us.

They were just too strong. He had a seemingly endless reservoir of energy to pull from while our power was just about to give out completely and it truly seemed that all hope was lost as they advanced on us, the massive dome of energy moving closer and closer.

Then, two presences joined us and threw out their own powerful, sustained blasts with angry screams. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw mother standing next to me, while Gohan stood next to his father.

Finally, the four of us began gaining ground on Sabi and Gorlick, forcing that giant dome of pure energy toward them as our steps fell into synch.

In Sabi's and Gorlick's panic, they threw in every last bit of energy they had left, every last bit of power and – for a second – they held us at bay, bringing our slow advance forward to a grinding halt. Despite the four of us working on the blast, they were still able to regain the upper hand, advancing slowly on us.

Goku, Gohan, and Mother put everything they had into it, their roars deafening. I didn't have anything more to give; I was already giving it my all and I was almost running on empty. I felt my power flickering slightly, like I was just about to lose it.

A sudden, almost uncomfortable heat boiling low in my abdomen startled me. That heat quickly radiated to my legs and down to my toes and up to my heart, my head, and then out through my arms. As preoccupied as I was helping to prevent us from being vaporized, I didn't have much time to figure out where in the world that power came from.

The energy from the weird, random power surge followed the continuous torrent of energy out of my hands, expanding our massive blast. Sabi's and Gorlick's screams changed from charging their energy to anger and terror as the massive dome was pushed closer and closer to them and then their screams were sharply cut off by a blinding flash.

Time seemed to stand still as the flash of light from the blast engulfed us, the world going blank, painfully bright white around me and utterly silent. And then, from one second to the next, the normal flow of time was seemingly restored, the blinding white dissipated, and I furiously blinked away the floaters in my blurry vision. In the same moment, the massive, deafening bang reached me.

My vision sharpened, the last of the floaters faded, and my eyes focused on a massive tidal wave of dirt and debris seconds from overtaking us and – without giving me a chance to react at all – I was on the ground with one of Goku's arms wrapped around me and then the wave swept over us with so much force we were drug through the dirt and rocks a few feet before coming to a stop.

With a scrape of gravel, I felt a weight lift off me – Goku pulling me up with him – as he looked me over. Turning toward the massive mushroom cloud billowing high above, he settled me on my feet, but didn't completely release me, his hand wrapped around my wrist and clearly on guard.

I warily looked to where Sabi and Gorlick last stood, seeing a massive mushroom cloud billowing up into the sky where the blast exploded, towering what had to have been miles into the sky as rocks and dirt continually rained down.

After several minutes, the cloud dissipated, and the dust began to settle, revealing a massive, smoking crater. The acrid stench in the air made my nose run and burned my eyes.

Was there truly nothing left of them? Were we finally safe?

Speaking out loud for the first time since the battle began, I looked at Goku and croaked, "Is it… really over?"

He closed his eyes for a moment as I sensed his tendrils of ki moving out over the land. A minute later, he looked back at me and nodded with a relieved, but very tired smile on his dirty, slightly bloody face, looking just as tired and battle-worn as I felt. "It's over! We did it, Chichi!"

I smiled back weakly.

Then, with all the suddenness of a rubber band suddenly snapping after being stretched to its absolute maximum, my power left me. The brilliant yellow aura evaporated and my black hair fell into my face. I swayed a little on the spot, my head throbbing and spinning so badly it was making me a little sick.

I was vaguely aware of Gohan gasping and mouthing something I didn't quite catch. I distantly realized he wasn't mouthing anything, I just wasn't hearing him because of my pulse pounding hard in my ears.

The last thing I saw was Goku's panic-stricken face as he darted to me, his mouth forming my name, as my legs give out and my vision goes black.