Chapter 49

After what seemed like an eternity, they were back outside, breathing in fresh air again. The situation with Laze and Haelles was forgotten for the moment, because they felt it wasn't really important. However, Bulma had an idea of what was going on.

"Kari be glad that be over!" Kari said with a smile on her face as she jumped aboard Asoret's boat.

Haelles scoffed and said: "I have a feeling that this is far from over. And it's got something to do with the Dragon Tear."

Haelles had learned about everything they had been through, and also how they had met Hope, Grobyc (whose body they took with them) and Kari.

"That's a possibility, but where are we supposed to go with it?" Bulma asked, getting on Vegeta's boat.

Once everyone was on the designated boats, Laze stood at the bow of the ship, or should I say, on the bow.

"Probably the place this whole thing started!" she said once they were off.

Vegeta smirked.

"Off to Fort Dragonia it is then!"

"Where the Bloody Hell is all this fog comin' from?!" Hope demanded, looking around in the thick fog that had suddenly appeared near Mt. Pyre.

"The Sage Of Marbule said that a Ghost Ship shows up when the fog's this thick," Asoret mumbled.

"Ooh la lah! Moi know zat! But do you really believe zat?" Ancha asked.

"I've seen a lot in my life, I'll believe anything right now!"

Laze sniffed the air, and suddenly mumbled: "Speak o' the devil…"

A large vessel about 12 times the size of both their boats in a line was rowing its way through the water, the oars seeming to move on their own account. A large Dragon skull was painted on the side, with two bones crossing behind it.

When the two boats sailed past it, the oars stopped, and they were floating just beside the vessel.

"Booga! What that?!" Kari asked, confused.

"No way! Is that…" Elvor started.

"The Ghost Ship??" Goku finished.

Everyone stared up at the large ship.

"Well! Wha the Bloody Hell're we all waitin' for?!" Laze demanded.

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"Hmmm, you're right, we won't be able to navigate our boats in this fog," Elvor finally said.

"Lil' bit solid fer a 'Ghost Ship', don't ya think?" Hope asked once they were up on deck.

They all looked around, a little bit confused as to why the ship was abandoned.

"Where be everybody?!" Kari asked.

She blinked, but when she turned around, she shrieked in surprise. Everyone looked back, noting that there were people coming out and surrounding them.

"Who on Earth are you?!" Bulma demanded angrily.

"Well, whoever they are, they don't seem to like us," Vegeta mumbled.

Laze looked around as more and more pirates began to surround them, each and every one of them wearing a shirt embossed with a leg- and armless Dragon, facing the side. It was a symbol she could never forget.

"Hold on a sec! These guys are---"

She never had the chance to finish.

"Make way, for Cap'ain Vazo ©!" one of the pirates suddenly shouted, and a couple of people moved aside, as a man walked through the crowds.

"Ye're a lil' bit yung ta be just cruising around, don't ya think?" the man said with a light snicker.

The man wore nothing but black leather clothing, which was embossed with emblems from Arni and Zenan. He had furious emerald eyes, and dark red hair that stood up in a flame, though it wasn't as stiff as Vegeta's, and this guy had two locks of hair hanging just above his eyes. There was a black ribbon tied around his forehead. Also the guy smoked cigars (easy to say cause he had one at the moment). The guy's face was enough to make everyone realize who this guy was.

"Dad!?" Elvor exclaimed, shocked out of his wits to see his own father standing before him.

The man blinked at Elvor, until he smirked and said: "Elvor. Where have you been? People had started ta miss ya, lad."

Elvor forced a laugh and said: "Long story, dad!"

Vazo snickered and took a drag of his cigar.

"Well, we're in no hurry, so I don't see why you shouldn't tell."

"And that's how we came here," Vegeta finished.

They were in the captain's hut, which was that of Vazo.

Vazo exhaled a whiff of smoke again, and mumbled: "Yeah, I figured that was the case. Ta be honest, we've had our share of encounters with FATE, and somehow, she sent us years into the future using this large discus or somethin'!"

"So tha's wha happened!" Laze said, arms crossed across her chest. "Me folks were already wonderin' why yer ship woul' jus' vanish in a puff o' smoke!"

"Talk about odd," Ancha murmured, scratching the back of her head.

"Kari remember round-thingie too!" Kari suddenly said, and everyone turned to her. "Kari be out hunting, when sky become dark and lightning hit. Then, strange round-thingie appear in front of Kari and suck Kari up! Kari then be on large isle! Kari no know how get there."

Haelles placed a hand on his chin, thinking.

"FATE had probably wanted to send Flora to the past, but it backfired, causing Kari to be transported to the future."

Vazo didn't answer and just took another drag of his cigar.

"Probably, but somethin's goin' on at that fort," he said, leaning back in his chair, and placing his feet on the table. Some other people went in before y'all but didn't return yet. I ain't too sure what they're doing there."

Goku nodded.

"Well, we'd better figure out then!"

"Kari no scared of nothing! Kari fight!!" Kari said.

"Ooh la lah! Let'z be off zen!!" Ancha said with a smile. Vazo stood up.

"Okay, I'll take ya guys ta the beach, but from there, ya're on yer own."

"Thanks dad," Elvor said.

"Don't mention it."

The trip through Mt. Pyre was rather uneventful and boring, because Laze simply cast a Deluge Element and all enemies were taken care off. However, once they came across a bridge over the area where Pyro lived, a large roar suddenly sounded, nearly making them topple over. They turned toward the sound in confusion. There was a large reptilian-like creature stuck in the ground, and when I say large, I mean LARGE!!

All that came from the ground, was a long part of the neck, and the two frontal claws, and the thing already touched the ceiling if it looked up. The creature roared again, making the whole cave rumble.

"When did that get there?!" Asoret asked, confused.

They continued on past, not sure if they'd like what that creature had in store for them if it got its claws or teeth on them.

When they came out on top of Mt. Pyre, the sun had risen to high above them, shining its furious rays on them, threatening to burn them up. El Nido was in for yet another heat wave. Everybody was staring up at the large sculpture standing before them. A majestic fortress, surrounded by a ravine in a circle around the fort of about half a mile wide, and 3 or 4 miles deep, with only one part of land with a portal that lead toward the entrance, which didn't even close the ravine. The earth they were standing on had been smoothed out, and embossed with ancient Dragonian symbols. Around the large Dragonian structure of about 12 miles high, were six statues of large Dragons of 9 miles high, and each Dragon was facing the fort.

They had arrived at Fort Dragonia.

They entered Fort Dragonia in silence. The first hall was empty, safe for a large slab, standing out in the center. There was a diagonal part with some text on it, with a strange circle in front of it.

"You must accomplish the preparations before you can attend the ceremony. Return the crystals to their grand master," it read.

Haelles shook his head and said: "We don't have time for that."

He turned to Hope, and asked: "You have the Dragon Tear, right?"

Hope nodded, and handed the crystalline orb over to Haelles.

Haelles took it gently and placed it down on the circle. That's when it happened. The entire place seemed to shake, causing almost everyone to look up in confusion. When it stopped, Haelles scooped up the Dragon Tear, and handed it back to Hope. Hope nodded her thanks, and they restarted their way.

They continued across the bridge, none of them speaking a word. Their footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway, while they did their best not to look down. For below them, was a loooooooong way down.

Suddenly, Haelles, who had been walking ahead, stopped dead in his tracks, causing everyone to bang into him with loud screams and curses. Haelles got up without apologizing, and took a few sniffs of air, as if something was wrong.

"That's odd," he murmured.

"What is?! The fact that you just stopped?!" Bulma asked, a little pissed off.

"No, Same's here, and for some reason, she's not all that happy."

The golden haired, sapphire-eyed female took heavy gulps of air as she ran through the fort. With two steps at a time, she raced down the stairs. Her hair was done in a loose ponytail atop her head, like she usually had it, and she had the Einlanzer slung across her back. The mystical sword was glowing a furious white light, as if it was glad to be back in Fort Dragonia.

Her feet banged hard against the floor, her hands were clenched into fists, but only one hand was moving back and forth in time with her body. The other was grasping a pouch she had slung over her shoulder, because the contents of the pouch was fragile. Something in the back of her mind had drawn her here, and for some reason, her anger kept on increasing.

Finally, she arrived in the main-hall, where the large cylinder rested. Now that she was there, she finally realized why. She stopped for a few moments to catch her breath. Perspiration was rolling past the diagonal scar on her face, and her tail whooshed around behind her angrily. A furious frown was placed over her face, and the hand on her pouch reached inside.

She pulled out the largest piece she could feel, and studied the blue gem, as well as the hexagons on the shard. There were a lot more pieces in her pouch, but this was the largest shard she had found, almost as big as her palm. She held it in her hand, and wrapped her fingers around it. A strange glow emitted from it when she gently blew on it with her eyes closed, then placed it back in her pouch with the other shards.

Then, she stepped forward and allowed the doors to open up. With eyes overwritten by nothing but fury, she looked up in anger.

"Well, well, well, I see you decided to come here," a dark figure said.

"I have not come here to chat!" the woman screamed, and reached behind her.

"I did not expect that," the figure said with folded arms.

"No, you probably expected THIS!!!" the woman screamed as the Einlanzer lashed out, barely missing the figure's head, seeing as he ducked.

He smirked, and punched her in her guts. The woman groaned, but didn't utter a sound beside that. She kicked him aside, and the figure flipped around, then shot at her, the same time she did.

Furious screams followed as the fight started, and ended just as quickly.

They ran like the wind, not really liking the screams that were coming from further up ahead.

"Wha the Bloody Hell is goin' on there?! Wha's Same doin'!?" Laze panted.

"That's what we're going to find out!" Vegeta said and they continued to run, but it was too late.

The second they entered the room, they gasped. Because there, hovering near a large pedestal, hung a man, but part of his face was burned away, revealing a robotic skeleton. However, the human half was one that was easy to recognize.

"YAMCHA?!?!" Bulma screamed.

Who saw that one coming?

Reviews:

Alexis: That's okay. No, they don't get back to school. They do meet a few old friends and enemies though.

Ryu: Thank you.

samicat: I'll try.

Bulma BriefsYue Lover: Hmmm… you're saying he knows you have a boyfriend? Well, first, tell him what Laze would say. "Bloody Hell!! Stop pesterin' me, ya bloody bastard!!" If he doesn't stop then. "If you don't stop, I won't be responsible for the consequences." And if he still keeps it up, say: "Don't say I didn't warn you," and just suckerpunch him. That's what I would do.

Ciria: She's been mentioned alright, but it was never mentioned she was a Saiyan. Hey! Asoret was the one who asked, remember? He didn't know that he had a cousin. Much like the elves in Lord Of The Rings. About Haelles, yeah, I promised my friend I'd get him back. And uh, no one knew about their relationship.

The Mad Orange: Now. Dunno.

I already told this, but if people desire for me to write a side-story about all couples [lemon style] please tell and I'll see what I can do. I'm not that good at lemons, but that's my own opinion. Also, if you know another couple you'd like to read a lemon about from this story, do tell. [Dragons are allowed as well.]