Her Return

Chapter Nineteen

Areiko couldn't believe that they got there too late. Dende was dead. Which meant that there were no more earth dragonballs, which also meant that they couldn't wish back their friends, or restore the city.

Areiko entered the room with her hands shaking. She dropped to her knees near Dende. She just couldn't believe that he was dead. But the clues were so simple. His purple blood was everywhere on the floor. His eyes stared at the ceiling lifelessly. A huge gaping hole was in his chest where the blood continued to spill from.

"Rei—" Goku stepped into the Time Chamber, to only become motionless. He stared at the dead Namekian on the floor. Vegeta and Aya came in afterwards. When they saw Dende on the floor, they were completely speechless as well. They actually didn't know what to think now.

"Dende's dead…" Areiko started breaking the silence. "Which means… there… there aren't any dragonballs…"

Goku placed her hand onto Areiko's shoulder. "There's… always the Namekian dragonballs." Aya blurted out. "I'm sure that Moori will allow us to use them."

"I don't think that's the point Aya…" Vegeta said softly to her, just so she can hear. Aya glanced at him as she turned back to Areiko.

"I know that he'll allow us to use the dragonballs Aya. I'm not saying he won't." Areiko stood up still looking down at Dende. "The point is that… what if we all die? Then we wouldn't be able to get the dragonballs. Or what if we run into trouble on Namek?"

Everyone was silent. Then something hit Vegeta. He glanced around the living area of the Time Chamber, and then he spoke up. "Where are the onnas?"

Everyone looked at each other. Fear growing inside of them. Suddenly, the four of them took off in different directions to look for Chichi, Videl, Bulma, Pan, and Bulla. Aya was walking down a hallway when she heard something moving. It was coming from her right. She turned her head to see a closet door. Aya blinked a few times approaching it, then opening the doors.

Sitting there in the closet was Pan and Bulla. Their faces were stained with tear marks; even though they were still crying. Their noses and eyes were bright red, showing that they've been crying for quite sometime. Bulla stared at Aya long and hard. She then got to her feet and leapt out of the closet into Aya's arms.

Aya stumbled back catching the hybrid saiyan. Her back was pressed against the wall as Bulla wrapped her arms and legs around Aya squeezing her; sobbing uncontrollably. Pan also leapt out of the closet and latched herself onto Aya's leg. She looked down at her placing her hand onto Pan's head trying to comfort the two little girls.

"Hey… hey… everything's alright now…" Aya bent down putting Bulla's feet onto the floor. But the two little girls refused to let go of the teenager. "Shh… shh… guys it's okay. Aya's here."

Bulla started to hick-up from her crying but spoke to Aya. "Kiwa said dat you and daddy were dead!"

"Yeah! Gwandpa Goku too!" Pan added.

Aya placed a hand onto their heads placing a gentle smile onto her face. "We're not dead. She lied to you two… now, where are you mothers and Chichi?"

"She… she…" Pan started crying again before she could get her sentence out. Aya sighed lightly picking the two girls up cradling them in her grasp. She was going to head back to the main hall of the living area, but decided not too because of Dende's dead body. She turned around once more heading down the hallway entering one of the rooms.

Aya walked over to the bed placing Pan and Bulla onto it. The two girls were still crying. Aya seated herself in between them, and quickly the girls threw themselves onto her.

"Where's Gwandpa Goku?"

"And Daddy too." Bulla added.

Aya placed her hands onto their heads again. "They're coming… don't worry." Aya closed her eyes. "Guys, I found Bulla and Pan."

"Where are you?" Goku's voice came into range, sounding relieved, but worried since he couldn't find his wife or his daughter-in-law.

"I brought them into the first room on the right. Depending on which direction you're coming from. I would've brought them to the main hall, but considering… Dende's body is in there… and the girls are crying, I don't think they need to see that."

"Good thinking Aya," Vegeta came in afterwards. "Tell Bulla I'll be right there."

"Pan too."

Aya opened her eyes. She looked down at the girls. They're crying was beginning to cease, but she knew that once Goku and Vegeta walked into the room. They were going to start crying again.

Vegeta came into the room first. When Bulla's eyes caught onto her father, she started crying again. She wiggled herself out of Aya's arms and then slipped down the side of the bed. She ran over to Vegeta, her arms wide open. Vegeta got down onto his knees hugging his daughter tightly when she reached him. Bulla cried into Vegeta's shoulder, staining his shirt – well jump suit – with her tears.

"It's okay princess," Vegeta spoke softly picking her up. "Daddy's gotcha." Bulla wrapped her legs around her father's waists tightly hugging him.

Goku then came into the room with Areiko following. "Pan?"

Pan lifted her head from Aya's lap. She reached out towards Goku as he rushed over picking her up off of the bed bringing her close to his chest and hugging her tightly. Areiko looked at Vegeta and Goku for a split second then looked at Aya. Her best friend stood up off of the bed and walked over to her.

"I asked them where their mothers were." Aya said talking to Areiko. "Pan was telling me… but she suddenly started crying… you think she…"

"Killed them?" Areiko finished.

Aya nodded.

"I don't think so…" Areiko answered getting Goku and Vegeta's attention. "There was… no body. And I don't think she ate them either…"

"Princess," Vegeta turned his attention onto his daughter putting her down onto the bed. "Where did Kira take your mother?"

Bulla rubbed both of her eyes as she answered her father. "She took her as bait." Bulla answered removing her hands from her eyes and looking up into Vegeta's face.

"She knocked them out fiwst." Pan added. "Aftew she did someting horrible to Dende-chan."

"We heard him scweam." Bulla continued. "A horrible scweam too."

"What happened to Dende-chan, Gwandpa?" Pan asked looking at Goku in the face.

"Yeah, what happened to him?" Bulla then asked.

Goku sighed seating Pan next to Vegeta's daughter. "Pan…" Goku started kneeling down in front of her. "Dende… he's… he's taking a quick trip to heaven."

Pan looked at her grandfather, knowing exactly what that meant. "He… he did…?"

Bulla looked at her father. Vegeta seated himself down next to his daughter pulling her onto his lap. "Yeah… he did Pan…"

Pan's eyes started to water. "Will… will be becoming home?" Pan asked.

"Soon," Vegeta answered stopping his daughter from crying just like Goku was doing with Pan. "After we rescue your mothers and send Kira off somewhere he'll be coming home."

Pan looked at Vegeta and nodded. "Okieday."

Next thing they all had to do was figure out what they were going to do with Bulla and Pan. Soon Mr. Popo had came out of his hiding place, telling them that he would take care of the girls while they fought. Mr. Popo kept Bulla and Pan in the bedroom while the others cleaned up the blood and removed Dende's body.

After that was done and taken care of; Vegeta, Aya, Goku, and Areiko stood on the platform of the lookout.

"How are we going to find her?" Aya asked as she seated herself onto the concrete. "We don't know where to look."

"We'll just have to search for her." Goku replied. "That's the only way."

"Or she'll come to us." Vegeta replied.

Areiko stayed silent listening as they continued.

"If she comes to us," Aya started. "She'll come right back here to the lookout. And I don't want to put Bulla and Pan in danger again."

"We don't either Aya," Goku stated.

"So where do we go?" Vegeta then asked.

"You don't go anywhere." Areiko answered, gaining their attention. "She's after me, not you."

"Reiko," Goku started turning fully around to face her. "Don't pull what you did with Orx."

"Pull what?" Areiko asked.

"Pull this stubborn act." Aya answered standing up. "You wouldn't allow any of us to fight him."

"That's because he was my problem," Areiko answered. "And Kira's my problem as well."

"She's our problem." Vegeta corrected. "She killed my son, and kidnapped my wife. She's my problem."

"She killed Dende," Aya added. "When you mess with Dende, Bulma, and Trunks, you become my problem."

"Kira also killed Gohan and Goten," Goku added. "She also kidnapped Chichi, my wife. She's now my problem as well."

Areiko looked at them all. She just lost. She now knew that she wasn't going to be able to stop them all now. Maybe she could knock them out, but one of them would easily slip out of her reach and stop her instantly. She sighed, giving into them.

"Alright," Areiko started. "She's our problem."

"Okay, now that we established that she's everyone's problem," Aya began, "what's our plan?"

"Well…" Areiko got everyone's attention again. "I got one."