Note: Okay, I admit it, it's taken me FOREVER to balance my time between work, writing, and real life (and I'm STILL not entirely sure I've done it). Also, I've been writing like mad in my LiveJournal (primarily for SAMURAI 7), and being part of six communities is TOUGH for writing! (Strangely enough, none of them are DBZ communities... they're all just straight writing communities, but on all of them, I requested my SAMURAI 7 pairing of Kambei and Nasami... don't ask me why I didn't think to choose Kurenai and one of the DBZ guys, but there it is.) But for those of you who patiently waited for me to post the next chapter of TWISTED TIMELINES, here it is at last! Hope I don't disappoint...

I was surprised at how much of a following this little story of mine has gotten! (Although admittedly, since AND THE GREATEST OF THESE went up, a lot more people have been reading this...)

Enjoy!

Twisted Timelines

Chapter Ten

"So, does anyone have any ideas what our next move should be?" Tien asked as he, Yamcha, Piccolo, Krillin, Vegeta, and Kurenai flew to Kami's Lookout.

"Not a single one," Kurenai sighed, holding Keiki tighter as the baby squirmed in her arms. "But I feel awful leaving everyone on Earth behind while we escape to safety." Her eyes were still haunted after seeing the destruction at Capsule Corporation and the near-loss of Gohan.

"We can always wish people back with the Dragonballs," Krillin reminded her. "At least, those who haven't been revived before."

"But shouldn't we at least swing by Capsule Corporation, Master Roshi's, and ChiChi's to get everyone else?" Yamcha called.

Piccolo shook his head. "We don't have the time. Capsule Corporation is in ruins, and both the island and Goku's house are remote enough that the Androids won't be getting there right away. That buys us a little time to plan, for what it's worth. And the Androids are already going to be mad as hell when they find out Gohan is still alive."

"True," she sighed, and she shivered in her husband's arms.

Vegeta glanced down at her and saw the flicker of fear in her eyes as she watched their daughter. And now everything's changed, he thought. This is no longer just about protecting her while she was with child. Now Keiki has become something more... but now she can be taken away.

"I won't let it happen," he whispered, and his wife looked up at him. "I won't let them take you... or her... I swear it on my honor."

"I know," she murmured.

Slowly, the slender tower came into view ahead of them, and the group banked upward to head toward the Lookout. But as they flew past Korin's, they heard a loud "Yo!"

All of them put on the brakes in mid-air as Korin and Yajirobe approached the railing.

"Hey, who's the runt?" Yajirobe called, pointing at the baby Kurenai held.

"The 'runt' happens to be the daughter of Kurenai and Vegeta," Piccolo said, nodding at the couple.

"Wow, Vegeta's a dad? Who'd have thought it?" Yajirobe smirked. "Guess you're not such a tough guy after all, huh?"

"Better be careful, Yajirobe, Keiki's already strong enough to kick your butt!" Krillin laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the ronin said belligerently, while Yamcha, Tien, Vegeta, and Krillin laughed louder.

"Ah, so that's the little one?" the cat asked, peering myopically at the baby, and Vegeta flew closer so that Korin could see the child. "Mmmmmm... hard to say which of you she looks like more, but her power is incredible."

"You're surprised?" Vegeta said in amusement.

"Not really, no," Korin admitted as Keiki giggled and patted the top of the sage's head, who blushed bright red while the others laughed. "Hey, cut that out!"

The baby gurgled at him, and just patted his head again, so Korin took a step back from the railing out of Keiki's reach.

"So, um, you're going to Kami's. Good idea, you should be safe there... at least for a little while. Oh, and Kurenai..." The sage handed her a Senzu bean. "Not that you really need it, but this should help you get back on your feet a little faster."

"Thank you, Korin," she said gratefully, taking the bean and swallowing it. For a moment, she closed her eyes, and then as her usual power surged through her, she opened them again and smiled. "Much better. At least now if it comes down to a fight, I'll be able to help." For what it's worth... she added silently.

"We should get going, though," Piccolo reminded them. "Thank you again, Korin, we'll see you soon."

"I see dark times ahead of all of you," Korin said somberly. "I wish you luck, my friends, because you're going to need it."

Finally Piccolo and the others arrived at the Lookout to find Kami and Mr. Popo waiting for them.

"Welcome, my friends," Kami said gravely. "I'm glad that you were able to make it here safely. Earth faces a terrible crisis like never before."

"We know," Yamcha said heavily, his hand over his stomach where the Android had nearly killed him. "We were able to take down the first two Androids, but those others... not even Kurenai was able to stop them."

"I wasn't the only one," Kurenai reminded him as Vegeta set her on her feet. "Gohan also tried to stop them, but in the end... he wasn't any more successful than I."

"And yet, I understand that your daughter managed something of a miracle," Kami said, looking at the baby she held.

"She brought Gohan back to life!" Krillin said in awe. "No wish, no Dragonballs, nothing! She just... did it!"

Keiki, in the meantime, was eagerly cooing and reaching for Mr. Popo, who was smiling at the baby.

"I see," Kami said softly, looking from the baby to Kurenai. "And... I think you know why, don't you, Kurenai?"

The woman nodded.

"Well, I don't," Tien said bluntly, "and I'm not entirely sure I want to. But for now, what are we going to do about the Androids? None of us are strong enough to stop them, not even together!"

Piccolo growled and turned away, stalking to the edge of the Lookout. Kurenai started at the sudden change in his attitude and began to move after him, but a glance from Kami kept her where she was beside her husband.

"The way I see it," Piccolo said finally, "we only have two real options - two chances to defeat them once and for all. The first, however unlikely, is that somehow... Gohan and Vegeta must become Super Saiyans." He looked back at Vegeta and met the Saiyan prince's gaze head-on. "I know how hard you've been training, and how you've been pushing yourself to break through. But now, more than ever before, you have a real reason, and so does Gohan. This isn't just about being the strongest in the universe any more."

"It hasn't been for a while," Vegeta said flatly. "What's the point, now that Kakarot is..."

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"And what's the second?" Yamcha asked.

For a long time, the Namek didn't answer, but instead returned to his moody staring down at the Earth below.

"Krillin once said that the Great Elder on Namek told him... if Kami and I re-united, we would be stronger than anyone alive. And as much as I hate the idea, we need every chance we can get."

"But... if you re-unite with Kami... what happens to the Dragonballs?" Kurenai asked, and Kami sighed.

"They would disappear. They are tied to my lifeforce... and my individul lifeforce would cease the moment Piccolo and I merge together. They would turn to stone, never to be used again."

"What?" Kurenai whispered. "You mean... gone? There'd be nothing left of you?"

"Piccolo and I were originally one being," Kami replied. "When I became Guardian, I split into two separate personalities... I, the good, and Piccolo, the evil. But the balance has shifted within him. As the evil in him diminished, his power has grown. If we were to re-unite, my vast wisdom would augment his strength. We would become more than we were as individuals... and more than we would have been had we remained one all this time. But Piccolo's power is far greater than mine, and his body much younger. If we were to become one, I would become a part of him."

For a long time, no one spoke. Then Vegeta finally voiced the question all of them were thinking. "So... if you two unite... who becomes Guardian after you?"

"He's right," Krillin said excitedly. "All we need is for someone else to become Guardian, and we'd have new Dragonballs, right?"

Mr. Popo spoke. "There is no one else. The Namekians have resettled on their new home world, and we have no way of finding them. Only they can create Dragonballs. Someone else could become Guardian, yes, and the Earth would be protected, but the Eternal Dragon would be no more."

Everyone's faces fell. For years, they had all been accustomed to the idea that no matter what happened, if things got really bad, they would always have Shenron there to help, to bring things back to normal. With that gone, the stakes became much, much higher.

Then Kurenai became aware that Kami was watching her intently. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You know and I know," he said softly, "that there is one person who could become Guardian after I am gone... and who can create Dragonballs."

"No," she whispered, taking a step backward and clutching Keiki tighter. "Kami... I can't give up my daughter. Not now... please."

"Why not?"

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Vegeta said in exasperation, even as Piccolo caught Kami's thoughts and turned back to stare at Kurenai. Then the Namek rounded on his other half with an angry glare.

"Damn you," he hissed at Kami, "you knew all this time and you never told me?"

"She made me promise, Piccolo, and as difficult as it is to shut you out of my thoughts, there are times when even I can keep secrets. But there is a time and place for secrecy, and this is neither."

"Please," Kurenai begged. "Kami, don't..."

The Guardian shook his head. "No, it's long past time. And you have carried this burden long enough. You must now share it... with those who love you."

"So what are you..." Tien stopped in mid-sentence and turned to Kami. "Wait, you're saying that..."

And Kami and Piccolo both nodded. "Kurenai can be the most powerful Guardian that the Earth has ever known," Kami said, only his eyes betraying his excitement.

All of them turned to look at Kurenai, who stood with her head bowed, staring at her child. Even Keiki seemed to be watching her mother, remarkably quiet as though waiting for her to speak.

At last, she spoke.

"There is... another Dragon," she said haltingly. "You saw its power in the hospital when Keiki brought Gohan back to life. I said at the time, the Dragon's power lives within me. That is... not entirely accurate."

Reluctantly, she stepped from her husband's side, and carefully placed the baby in Vegeta's arms. Then she carefully moved aside the folds of her clothing to reveal a meticulously inked dragon tattooed into her flesh.

"The Dragon itself lives inside of me... inhabits me, as Shenron does within the Dragonballs. This is why I am immortal... why I never age, never suffer illness or injury or death. I am as eternal as the Dragon within me, its human avatar."

"I don't understand," Krillin began, waving his hands in front of him in frustration. "You mean... you're like Kami?"

"Yes and no," she admitted. "Kami created Shenron, and so Shenron's power is linked to his lifeforce, and limited by Kami's own power. But... the Dragon within me... was drawn from heaven itself, not created by any mortal means. It chose me as a living vessel, and its power is almost limitless. So... if I were to become-"

"No!" Vegeta said angrily. "It's not possible... I won't let it be possible!"

"Vegeta-" Piccolo began, but the Saiyan prince cut him off.

"I said NO, damn it!"

"Not even to save the life of your child?" Kami asked, approaching him and resting his hand on Vegeta's shoulder. "Or saving the lives of the people you and your wife care about?"

Tears were streaming down the immortal's face.

To be continued...