Her Return

Chapter Thirteen

When Goku finally entered the Time Chamber, the day was wasted, which meant that a whole year in the Time Chamber passed. When he came in, Areiko, Aya, and Vegeta were all locked in an intense training session. But when Aya had noticed Goku, she quickly stopped her punch to Areiko's stomach, placed her hands onto her hips, and then glared at Goku.

"Where were you?" Aya asked him. Goku placed a nervous look onto his face coming towards the three fighters.

"Heh, sorry. I had to talk to Dende about something." Goku replied looking at Areiko who blinked once she realized that he was looking at her. "Areiko, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Vegeta and Aya blinked turning their heads to look at Areiko who was standing behind them. She also blinked nodding her head pushing her way through Vegeta and Aya. Goku approached the door of the Time Chamber as Areiko stood behind him.

"This'll only take a minute." Goku said to Aya and Vegeta as he then walked out with Areiko following.

Aya sighed, "he's already missed six months worth of training."

"Correction," Vegeta started, "you missed six months, and Kakkarot missed a year."

Aya blinked. She then realized that she came in before the sun was going down, which meant that she only missed six months of training and Goku missed a year. Vegeta was right. Aya placed a smile onto her face.

"You're right." Aya paused, "I'm really not all that great at math."

"It's very simple."

Vegeta was about to explain it to her, but he decided not to by the look on her face. He just sighed placing his hand over his face shaking his head. "Let's just get back to training."

"Sounds good to me!"

Goku shut the door to the Time Chamber turning to face Areiko. The seventeen year old girl stared at the saiyan before trying to figure out what he wanted with her. But there was no telling what he wanted since this was Goku that she was standing before.

"Something wrong?" Areiko asked looking at Goku.

"How would you feel if we could get rid of your wild side?" Goku bluntly asked. Areiko stared at him. Suddenly joy overwhelmed her as she placed a smile onto her face that was showing the older saiyan so much joy.

"How would I feel?" She repeated, "I would be wicked happy! I would start jumping up and down!"

Goku gave Areiko a small grin, "then start jumping up and down, because I might've found a way to help you."

Areiko placed her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. She suddenly threw herself onto Goku wrapping her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. Goku grinned as he hugged Areiko. He really didn't want to let her go since this was the first hug that she actually had given him after the few weeks that she's been home.

"Thank you Goku!" for a split second, Areiko actually sounded like she used to be. "Thank you so much!"

"Are you saying that you're going to go through with it?" Goku asked. Areiko nodded her head.

"Hell yeah!" She replied placing a grin onto her face. "I wouldn't pass this up!" Areiko paused for a second. "What is it?"

"It's a ritual called the Purification Ritual. It's a ritual that can remove the tainted part of the soul." Goku explained.

Areiko nodded her head, "what happens if it doesn't work?"

Goku sighed knowing that she was going to ask that question, "your soul either becomes more tainted. Or you will become evil."

Areiko stared at Goku, "I know it sounds like a big ri—"

"If you're thinking that I'm going to back down from this your wrong." Areiko interrupted, "this is a one in a life time chance of me actually being at peace, there's no way I'm going to back out of it even though I already said yes."

Goku smiled at her, admiring Areiko's determination. "Alright, then… we'll do it tomorrow, sound good?"

Areiko nodded. "Yeah, sounds perfect."

The two of them entered the Time Chamber again. Goku began to explain everything to Aya and Vegeta. Aya was just as happy about this as Areiko was, but Vegeta on the other hand… he had his doubts. But he kept those to himself because he knew that everyone else had the same doubts as him.

Goku was able to get in some good few hours of training in before they all retired to their beds. Since the Time Chamber was kind of upgraded, Aya and Areiko shared a room, and obviously Vegeta and Goku shared one.

Areiko laid in her bed ecstatic about what was going to happen to her tomorrow. Of course she was worried and nervous at the same time, who wouldn't be? Areiko was going to be peaceful within her body if this ritual was successful.

"Do you think that it'll work?"

Areiko propped herself up looking around the room. Trying to figure out who that was talking to her. She ignored it and then laid herself back down.

"It's rude to ignore people you know."

Areiko finally realized that this voice was coming from her head. She shot herself upright looking at Aya making sure that she was going to wake her up.

"Who are you?"

"Just call me a friend."

"…what do you want?"

"I want you to answer my damn question. Do you think that this 'Purification Ritual' is going to work for you?"

"Yeah, I do actually."

The voice within Areiko's head took a minute to answer. "And why do you think that?"

"Because I do!"

Areiko kept her eyes on Aya watching her roll over. "What do you want? Who are you anyway?"

"Well," the voice within Areiko's head started to sound cold, really cold. "I guess you could call me a voice."

After that weird conversation, Areiko didn't hear anything from 'the voice' again. Everything was silent for her, which worked out because she was able to sleep a little bit. But when she actually felt like she was falling asleep, a hand appeared on her shoulder shaking her gently awake.

Areiko groaned opening her eyes and rolling over to see Aya standing there in the saiyan armor looking down at her. She was sweating as if she had just gotten out of a quick training session. Aya stood upright and backed away from the bed as Areiko sat up.

"What?" Areiko asked rubbing her eyes a little.

"Everything's ready." Aya said to Areiko, "you just need to get dressed and everything."

Areiko nodded and went to stand up. "But you gotta wear this." Aya held her hand out handing Areiko a piece of folded cloth. "I'm about to change into mine."

Areiko blinked taking the cloth from Aya and under folding it to see that it was a robe, it kind of reminded her of a toga. But Areiko didn't argue, she got out of bed and put it on.

"Do you know why we have to wear these?" Areiko asked tying the golden looking rope around her waist.

"No idea," Aya answered turning around looking at Areiko's robe compared to her own. "Hey… yours is kinda… tainted with a gray color."

Areiko turned and blinked, "really?" she looked down at her robe to see that it was a darker color then Aya's robe. She blinked looking down a bit more. Aya approached her reaching behind Areiko grabbing onto an extra piece of cloth pulling it over Areiko's head.

"You have a hood too." Aya said.

Areiko pulled the hood off of her head, "eh, maybe the robe is to symbolize that I'm the one with the tainted soul compared to the rest of you."

Aya nodded, "yeah that makes since." Aya placed a grin onto her face. "Vegeta's wearing one too."

Areiko blinked. Really she couldn't picture Vegeta wearing a pure white robe with a golden rope holding it all together around the waist. That just wasn't Vegeta's style. But she would have to see for herself when her and Aya stepped out of the room.

They walked down the hall together and came to the open part of the Time Chamber. Aya was right; there stood Vegeta wearing the same exact pure white robe as Aya. He looked kind of embarrassed about it, or he just didn't like it. Goku on the other hand, it wasn't weird to picture him in a pure white robe, except, his wasn't white. It was a light red color, but a lot darker then pink, but lighter then red and orange. Dende's robe was almost a gold color, but that made sense since he was the one that was going to conduct the ritual.

Areiko and Aya approached them. In between them all was a bed that was folded from sheets that was the same color as Areiko's robe. When she approached, she realized that there were two cups of water, a book, and a jar.

"Ready Areiko?" Dende asked. Areiko nodded. Dende sighed knowing that she was curious about everyone's robe, "okay, let me explain the robes to you."

Areiko nodded.

"Vegeta and Aya are wearing white robes to show that they are friends of the person who is undergoing the ritual, at least two friends are required. The reason why Goku's robe is a light redish color is to tell everyone that he's a family member. You're wearing a light grayish robe to show that your the tainted one."

Areiko nodded. Dende stepped out of her way gesturing her towards the small bed that was lying on the floor. "Have a seat on that."

Areiko approached the bed seating herself down slowly onto it as Aya moved across the area standing next to Vegeta who was watching carefully. Dende bent down next to Areiko taking the hood of the robe and pulling it over her head. He turned grabbing onto a cup and stirring the liquid with a small little stirring rod. He then held the cup out in front of Areiko who took it within her hands.

"Drink it," Dende basically demanded. "And all of it." Areiko nodded her head. She pressed the cold metal of the cup against her lips, and with a quick toss of her head and the cup, Areiko gulped all of the liquid. Dende then took the cup away from Areiko watching her a bit as she made a few faces.

"What was that?" Areiko asked.

Dende looked at Areiko, "not to be rude, but you're not supposed to know." He then turned towards a box that was located behind him. He picked it up and placed it down in front of him. The Namekian then picked up the jar and took the top off. He opened up the box pulling out a bag of sand out pouring it into the glass container.

The sand filled about half of the container. He then picked up Areiko's right hand pricking her middle finger with a needle. Areiko flinched a little since she didn't know what Dende was doing. Dende then picked up the jar letting a few drops of Areiko's blood hit the sand within the jar. He then placed a band aid onto her finger placing Areiko's hand onto her own lap. Dende then reached behind him once more while keeping the box open. He placed a pillow onto the sheet bed that Areiko was sitting on. The cute Namekian looked up at Areiko, kind of looking serious, which was odd for him.

"I need you to lay down."

Areiko nodded her head laying down resting her head onto the pillow carefully. Dende then pulled out an extremely small box. He opened it carefully and placed his finger within it. When he moved his finger – and shut the box – he drew a cross onto Areiko's forehead with this black looking ink. When the ink touched Areiko's forehead, it was cold, really cold.

"Is it cold?" Dende asked looking down at her. Areiko nodded her head.

"Yeah, really cold." Areiko replied. Dende nodded then he began to put everything away and off to the side. He picked up three candles passing one to Goku, Aya, and Vegeta. They all took the candle, but with hesitation. Dende then turned back around pulling a black candle out from the sleeve of his robe. He placed it onto the only empty candle holder then lit it placing it right next to Areiko's head.

Dende then got onto his knees and held his hand over Areiko's chest as he picked up the book. He opened it to the first page and began chanting in a different language. Right when Dende started his chanting, the cross on Areiko's forehead started to get hot. She clenched her eyes. Soon she felt something tugging at her chest, like something was being removed.

Then, she felt this pain in her heart, like something was latching its hands gripping tightly refusing to leave her body. Areiko tried keeping herself from moving, but her body just started reacting. This is when Goku came in.

Goku knew his part well, since it was an easy part. He walked up to Areiko, took a hold of the black candle and the jar. Goku took the black candle off of the candle holder and into the sand that was stained with Areiko's blood. He positioned the candle so that it was upright before he set the jar on Areiko's chest.

Once the jar touched Areiko's chest, her body became like a boulder, it just dropped to the floor. Areiko started thrashing her head around. Goku rested his hands on the sides of Areiko's head keeping it still so she didn't end up with whiplash.

Dende turned the page of the book as he continued chanting. Vegeta and Aya looked on watching carefully. Aya was watching Areiko's fingers curl in as if something within her had control of her hands trying to keep themselves from leaving her body. Dende also spotted this, and began to chant louder.

Beads of sweat rolled down Areiko's face, the pain in her chest got stronger right when Goku had placed the jar onto her chest, but even STRONGER when Goku touched her. Whatever was within her, sharing the same body as her, didn't want to leave. She began to have doubtful thoughts. But she couldn't speak to try to stop the ritual, they were probably halfway done by now.

Dende stood up, chanting even louder. Aya, for some reason kept her eyes locked on that candle in the jar. She was told that it the ritual was successful it was supposed to turn a redish color. But the candle light was turning black.

"Uh… Den—"

"Aya, don't say anything." Vegeta said turning his head keeping his voice in a low whisper trying not to disturb Dende. "He knows what he's doing."

Aya pointed. "But the candle light is turning black."

"Sorry my dear, you're not getting rid of me so easily."

Areiko's eyes shot open, she screeched loudly as the light on the candle turned jet black. The jar then shattered, the sand scattered everywhere causing Dende to stop his chanting and step back. Goku also stepped back removing the sand from within his eyes. The candle fell onto the Time Chamber floor and rolled, then… it went out.