The Book of Atlantis

by Lady-Ravenhawk

Fourteen years of peace have blessed the earth. But all good things must come to an end. A vengeful enemy reappears, shaking the Z-Warriors to their core when one of their own ends up murdered. Hellbent on revenge, Goten sets out with his nephew & Piccolo's daughter to track down the killer with nothing but a book to guide them on the most frightening adventure of their lives.

18. Ancient

Paige grew frustrated when she couldn't heal the spider bite on her leg. It just seemed to get worse and worse as the days progressed. It was starting to turn an ugly color and a foul smelling green stuff had started to ooze from it. She kept it bound, but it was starting to wear on her. She found she didn't have as much energy as she should when she woke in the mornings. Nothing seemed to help. She debated telling the others, though she suspected Nadia knew she was hiding something.

The sun had just disappeared behind the horizon as they stepped through a portal and began to make camp. Goten crouched over the small firepit he'd thrown together, furiously working the bowdrill back and forth. He frowned at how tired Paige looked and he started to wonder if the trip was really wearing on her that much or if perhaps she wasn't sleeping well during the day. Personally, he was sleeping better at night. The colder weather always seemed to make him sleep well, especially now that he had Paige to cuddle with at night to keep him toasty warm. "You guys hungry?" he asked as he opened his pack and pulled out the capsule containing their food. "We've got bacon. And… bacon."

"Bacon it is!" Phoenix cried with a laugh. "Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm starving." He turned back to the tent. It didn't matter how many times he set it up, it always seemed to give him problems. Within minutes, he found himself tangled in the poles, cursing loudly as he tried to free himself. He sighed. "You know, you could help me!"

Goten laughed. "No. You need the practice. And besides, watching you is far too amusing."

Phoenix struggled for several more minutes before he finally heaved the poles away and stumbled forward. He plopped himself down next to Goten and watched him as he worked to get the fire going. "You know, you could always use a lighter like a normal person."

Goten shook his head, "I like doing it the way Tien showed me. Besides, lighters can run out of fuel."

Phoenix rolled his eyes, but let the subject drop. "Dude, I just realized what today is. It's Halloween! Damn, it feels weird not to be doing something to celebrate. You know Mom always makes such a big deal about Samhain." He looked to Nadia, "Mom's a Pagan. A witch. It's one of their biggest holidays. You probably know all about that though, huh? You seem to know everything. Do vampires celebrate Halloween?"

Nadia chuckled as she got out her ration of blood. "Not as much as you would think. Hard to enjoy something regular humans dress up and mock you for. You might not see it that way, but it's all about perspectives," she said as she sank her teeth into the bag, her eyes flickering over to Paige. She was starting to smell of death and looked weak. She could smell the rotting flesh from her leg and frowned. Something must have happened in the spider cave. She sighed as Goten began cooking and pulled back from her meal to look Paige over. "You are going to be dead soon if you don't speak up. Something is keeping you from healing yourself. That wound on your leg is nasty business."

Paige's eyes snapped wide and the next second she narrowed her eyes over at Nadia, but in her weakened state, it lacked the bite. She figured there was something in the venom of the spider that was keeping her from healing. It wasn't working and she wasn't getting better. She had never had an issue with healing anything before, even though she didn't practice it nearly as much as her sister did. She cursed at the concerned looks from Goten and Phoenix. "I'm fine," she hissed.

"Your leg?" Goten asked in concern. "What's wrong with your leg?" He felt like his heart stopped. Nadia wasn't one to be overly dramatic. If she said Paige's life was in danger, then he knew something was seriously wrong. Paige's energy had been low and getting lower over the past couple of weeks, but he just thought she was getting worn out with their trip. He never dreamed she had been injured. Without waiting for Paige to answer, he grabbed her foot and yanked up the leg of her pants. A frown crossed his lips as he stared at the bandage on her leg that she'd hidden from him.

"Dude! What the hell?" Phoenix cried and jumped back. He could see the nasty stains on the bandage that had soaked through. "Why haven't you healed yourself? You're usually pretty good at that sort of thing. You fixed Goten's arm! When did you get hurt?"

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Goten demanded, a fierceness in his voice. He was livid that she would hide something like that from him. He growled and stopped her as she tried to tug the leg of her pants back down. "No. I want to look at this," he said and unwrapped the bandages. His eyes went wide with horror at the sight and smell of her leg. "If we don't do something soon, you're going to lose your leg! Or worse!" He felt angry tears sting the corners of his eyes. "Dammit, woman, would you swallow your pride and ask for help just once in your life?!"

Paige gave up trying to pull her leg from his grasp, looking down at the wound with disgust. "I didn't want you all to worry. We're under enough stress as it is. I didn't think this spider bite was anything. I thought my magick wasn't working because that fight drained a lot out of us. I haven't been able to heal it. Something in her poison makes me weak. It's draining me. My healing isn't enough. I'm not strong enough." Paige looked down at the ground. "That's why I didn't want to tell you. You were going to worry about me and we don't exactly have time for that, do we? We waste enough time as is just trying to find the bitch that killed them, there's no time to worry about a stupid spider bite."

Nadia pressed her lips thin, "You should have said something. Those she-devil spiders are particularly effective against healing magicks. Their poison is designed to put a stop to it. Foolish girl. We will have to find her a stronger healer to have her cured." She finished off her blood and stood up, walking over and looking at the angry, oozing wound. "We will need to find some herbs in the woods and pack that until we can find a healer."

Goten nodded and got to his feet. "I might get lucky and find some that the frost hasn't killed off. I don't know, since it's so cold out now. But I'll see what I can do," he said, still frowning at the bite on Paige's leg. He was hurt that she didn't tell him about it. "I really wish you would've said something sooner. We could've stopped it before it got this bad."

"There isn't anything in Gramma's book that would work, is there?" Phoenix piped up. "Gramma's really good at spells. You know she got a lot of information out of the front of the book, too. There's gotta be something in there, unless you've tried them all." He didn't like seeing Paige hurt. He was so used to her being strong and tough all the time. "There has to be something you haven't tried."

Nadia looked over Paige's wound a moment longer. "You are going to need to find a healer not only well versed in the healing arts, but in magick and who can see the wound, see how far the sickness has traveled in your body would be most beneficial," she said before she looked around. "Do what you must. I will go find the herbs you need," she said before she vanished into the dark of the night without another word.

Paige groaned. "I hate being babied," she muttered and pulled the spellbook closer to her, messily opening it to a random page. The words seemed to blur in front of her eyes. "Okay, maybe it was stupid to keep this from you, but we have enough on our plates as is. I think I saw a spell in here for something. Guidance from some ancient force. Ancestors, I'm not sure."

"Well, give it a try," Phoenix encouraged, scooting a little closer to look at the book. He'd never been one much for reading, but the old book intrigued him. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen? I know you're supposed to be careful with spells, but I don't think anything bad could come from that. I wonder what it would do."

"You're gonna keep being babied if you hide anything else from me," Goten warned. "Good gods, woman, I'mma wrap you in bubble wrap to keep you safe if I have to." He smirked at the scowl she gave him. "Well? What do you expect? Go on. Try your spell then. See if it does any good. Maybe you'll figure out how to heal yourself or something."

Nadia returned not moments later holding a few select herbs in her hands. "You are going to try reading a spell from that book?" She looked at it warily; she didn't trust it. The last spell she had heard being read from that book ended up with her and her people becoming creatures of the night. "Well, try it, but I'm going to prepare this poultice just in case you summon a zombie instead."

Phoenix threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, that's just what we need! Zombies coming to eat our brains!" He paused the next second and sobered up quickly as he thought over everything they'd been through, all the creatures they'd encountered. "Eh, maybe you better double check that spell before you cast it, Paige."

Paige rolled her eyes. "Hardee har har," she replied sarcastically. "If it's brains they're after, you're perfectly safe, Phoenix." She pushed herself up to sit and pulled the book into her lap as she squinted at the words on the page. She barely listened as Goten and Phoenix began a heated discussion about the existence of Zombies. She read furiously, trying to find some kind of spell to alleviate the pain in her leg, or heal it, or something. That stupid bitch must have had some kind of magick that interfered with her own in that stupid venom. Paige wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, feeling weaker than normal. Sweat was becoming almost a constant thing for her. The pain was incredible and she wasn't sure how much longer she had to go before she had to ask them for help with flying or even walking. She sighed and turned the pages, pausing when she saw something. S... Si... She couldn't pronounce that. But the gist of it was to send messages to departed loved ones on this sacred night. Night... An idea clicked in her head that if she could cast this spell, maybe one of her ancestors would appear in her dreams, someone who could tell her what she needed to do to heal herself. It seemed fairly straightforward enough. "I found it. Okay, so when this old geezer comes through, we will make sure it's not dangerous or going to eat our brains or whatever," she said before she closed her eyes, blocking out the pain of her leg, the scent of the rot, the aches in her body. She listened to the nature around her, drawing her strength in from that as she spoke out the words for the spell. They were almost melodious as she spoke them, bringing about a sense of calm and protectiveness. She relaxed back as she finished, looking over at Goten who had returned to frying their dinner over the fire.

A pretty, feminine laugh met their ears. "My love, I believe your niece just called us an old geezer."

Goten jumped to his feet at the sound of the voice, seeing movement through the forest trees in the waning light. He raised his fists, dropping to a defensive stance. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

Dende stepped through the trees, holding onto Rose's hand. There was an ethereal glow to them both and he had a warm smile on his face. "Well now... I think it's safe to say, we are all surprised about this." He chuckled as he saw their mouths drop open.

Goten had been prepared to attack, but he froze the next moment as Dende and Rose stepped into the light of the fire. "It can't be," he breathed, his heart hammering against his ribs. He wanted to run to them, to fling his arms around them, but the next moment he took a step back. He wasn't going to be tricked again. That had happened far too many times on this trip and he wasn't willing to fall into another trap. "Are you really who you say you are?" he demanded. "I'm not falling for another cheap spell." Although he silently begged for it to really be them.

Dende turned to give Rose's hand a squeeze before he let go and walked over to Paige. "That is a clever little spell you happened to find." Dende chuckled as he kneeled next to Paige, giving a look at Nadia before he looked up at Goten, "If we weren't really who we said we are, or appear to be, we certainly wouldn't tell you about it." He gave Goten a wink before he gingerly took Paige's leg in his hands. He winced as his hands glowed over the wound and he gave his niece a look. "You really think I'm an old geezer? I was hoping to get a few more years on me before that," he teased as he prodded the wound, looking at how far it had spread. "You should have told them sooner, but you are stubborn like Vegeta, aren't you?"

Paige looked up at him, her mouth opening and closing several times, tears in her eyes at seeing him... them... whole, unblemished, in good health. "Dende," she breathed as she shut the spell book threw her arms around him tightly. "Dende!" she sobbed.

Nadia watched them carefully, freezing in her ministrations as she looked at the new comers. "These two. These are the ones you seek to avenge? The ones who died? They are the ancient force? The ancestors?" She snorted, "I would say you don't look that old, but considering me, I know looks aren't always the truth." It felt calming to be near them. Something about them seemed to exude peace from them.

Dende smiled as he looked away from Paige's wound. "The first humans since the beginning of man, you could say. So, I suppose in that aspect, we are old geezers," he said as he finally settled down on the ground next to Paige. "This is extensive, it will take me a few hours to heal you completely."

Goten relaxed, feeling the warmth and comfort from them. He could barely believe his eyes. "Rose!" he cried gleefully and rushed forward to hug her tightly. "Oh my god, I thought we would never see you again," he gasped, tears stinging his eyes. He buried his face in her shoulder, not wanting to let go of her. There was a warmth that seemed to emanate from her and he found himself fighting the urge to cry.

Rose smiled as she hugged him back. "Goten, you don't have to do this," she said softly to him as she pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "We understand that you're upset, that you're hurting. It's admirable that you want to avenge our death, but we don't want you to risk your lives for us." She and Dende had been watching closely, keeping an eye on them as they went on their journey and helping them where they could. Even in death, they still tried to protect their loved ones.

"Yes, we did," Goten answered quietly. "She's not going to get away with what she did to you and Dende. I can't stand the thought of your killer just running around out there scott-free. It's not fair that you died the way you did. We won't wish you back because you asked us not to, but we want to avenge your deaths."

Rose pulled back from him and cupped his face in her hands. "You do what you feel you must do. But I want you to know, we can rest peacefully even if you don't," she said softly before she took his hand and moved to sit next to Paige. She pulled Paige to lean against her and ran her fingers through Paige's vibrant pink curls. "Just as stubborn as your father," she said with a small smile. "You keeping these boys in line?" she asked teasingly with a wink over at Phoenix.

Paige smiled up at Rose, feeling like she was a young child again, found out that she was in trouble, "I do my best to keep them in line. We just, it's not easy letting you go with the image that was left with us. Your bodies bleeding there on the tile. Alice wasn't ready. She wasn't ready for you to go. "

Dende lowered his hands a moment over Paige's leg. "Fate rarely chooses us when we are ready to accept responsibility. More that fate chooses us before that time so that we may test ourselves and overcome that challenge may we feel confident in our own choices."

"Aw, man, I hadn't really thought about Alice," Phoenix said, leaning back on his hands as he frowned at the fire. Maybe it was rude to admit, but it was the truth. He very rarely thought about Paige's sister unless she was right there with them because, well, to be honest, he thought she was boring. She was so quiet and serious, always focused on her work instead of having fun. She acted like she was so much older when in reality Alice was only a year older than he was. Though now that he thought about her, he felt a little guilty for being gone so long. He knew how important Paige was to Alice, and Dende even more so. "Is she alright?" he asked suddenly, looking over at Dende. "Alice, I mean. What about the rest of our families? Or do you all even know? Can you see them from, you know, the other side?"

Dende smiled knowingly over at Phoenix as he worked his healing magick into Paige's leg. "Rarely a day goes by that we do not watch over you all. Everyone back home is fine, but they are missing you all terribly. Alice watches over you all too, you know. Haven't you noticed that should rain, or a storm comes upon you that it is gone within a few minutes? Or a cold gust of wind that turns into a gentle breeze? And she is looking out for the entire planet. She wants you all to come home, but more than that, she wants you to come home victorious," he said with admiration in his tone. "But that won't happen if you don't start asking for help when you need it, silly headstrong girl." He carefully tilted her leg, exposing the nasty looking spider bite a bit more. "A few more days of this and you would have lost your leg. And as far as I know, you didn't inherit the namek's ability to regenerate limbs, did you?"

"No," she answered She looked sheepish and just smiled at him, wiping at the tears on her face. "I thought I would see you in my dreams. But this..." She swallowed, "Gods we miss you guys. We miss you so much." Paige could hardly believe her eyes, watching Dende and Rose. They looked so happy. It was rare for Dende to not have his brow creased in worry as he watched over the planet. She gave a choked sob and reached out for Goten, squeezing his hand, "Gods, we miss you so much."

Goten felt his frustration with Paige melt away as she reached for his hand and he squeezed hers back as he ran his thumb over her knuckles, still thinking about her sister. "That sounds like Alice. I think she always did secretly approve of your shenanigans, even if she pretended not to," he teased Paige.

Dende chuckled. "More than you know," he said as he moved his hands over her leg. "Nasty spider bite," he murmured to himself. "It's easy to forget how frail we can be when we are as strong as we are. Broken arms, spider bites, keep in mind limitations. Keep in mind what this venture is teaching you, to keep level heads, maturity, limits and how to surpass them. I know you grow weary, but remember that anything worth doing takes time. Otherwise this would be over before you knew it and you would not have learned anything of value. It would be rather boring, wouldn't it?"

Goten snorted. "I think I'd almost take boring right now," he answered, watching as Dende continued to work to heal Paige's leg. He wasn't exaggerating; it was taking much longer to heal than it normally took Dende to heal wounds. He shook his head at her. "I guess it'll make for one helluva story when we get back though, huh?"

Dende nodded. "Quite the tale, I am sure," he agreed as he looked over his shoulder at Rose. "Hard to believe half the things and creatures you have already encountered," he said with a smile, "But I think you are getting close. Even Antonia needs to rest, that spell she uses to jump around takes quite a bit of her magical energy, it is likely she travels to a place rich in magick to replenish after she travels."

Phoenix's interest picked up at that and he looked hopefully at Nadia. "Do you know of any place like that? You know, one even more magickal than the other places we've been to?" he asked eagerly. "If we could corner her there before she has time to rest, we could end this." He couldn't deny the excitement he felt at the thought of being done with this trip, of returning home victorious and telling their exciting tale.

Nadia closed her eyes for a moment, thinking over the places she could remember that they hadn't been. "Only one place comes to mind. The sacred elven forests. So much magic is saturated in that place they say that the very trees can walk."

"Cause that isn't weird or anything," Phoenix commented with a snicker. "Dude, that's like some Lord of the Rings shit, isn't it?" He grinned brightly at the thought.

Goten rolled his eyes. "The trees will probably try to eat you too," he said and had to stop himself from laughing when Phoenix pouted. He wasn't sure if they were ready to go to such a place if the creatures there were even more magickal and powerful than what they'd already been dealing with. "So, ah, these elves. Are they nice or are they going to try to kill us too? I'm just tired of walking blindly into shit. We might want to be a little more cautious and actually plan what we're doing before we go to this place Nadia's talking about."

"Smart, they are not very fond of people who trespass on their land. If they find us, we will most likely be shot or captured. They will know we are there before we know they are. Quite an elusive bunch. Who knows if they are aware if Antonia is slipping in and out of their forest? If they are, they haven't been able to dispose of her yet. That could be a bargaining chip if we do get caught."

"Great," Goten said, rubbing his forehead. He sighed and looked at Paige, squeezing her hand again. "What do you think? If it's our best bet for catching Antonia, then I think we should do it. But we have to be careful. I don't like our odds of being able to get in there and get out unnoticed. Something like that takes stealth. Something some of us lack," he said, looking pointedly at Phoenix.

"Whaaaaaat?" Phoenix asked loudly. "Dude, I'm like a frickin' ninja if I wanna be."

Rose threw her head back and laughed at that. "Phoenix, for all your good qualities, being quiet has never been one of them." She put her hand on her mouth and giggled again. She looked to Dende as he worked, "I wish there was more we could do to help them."

Dende gave a knowing smile to his mate and nodded, "Only so much spirits can do. That spell you used to bring us here will wear off in the morning and we will have to say goodbye again." He sat back, lifting his hands from Paige's leg to inspect the wound for progress. It no longer smelled of rot and death, but there was still some more healing to do. "Do us a favor and don't get bitten by any more spiders, yes?"

Paige gave Dende a tired look. "You can count on that," she said sleepily. Now that her leg was nearly healed up, the exhaustion was starting to wear on her. "I feel like I could sleep for a week."

Rose rubbed at Paige's shoulder. "You all should have brought senzu beans with you. That would have restored your energy better. But a good rest would do you well. You can't run yourselves ragged and expect to be able to fight Antonia when you find her. Don't forget that she has Fasha's son with her as well." She frowned sadly, "I don't like the idea of you three fighting them. They weren't raised the way you were. They won't fight fair."

Paige nodded. "Papaw taught me how to deal with those kinds of people," she said bitterly. "We knew that they wouldn't fight fair after what they did to you both." She sighed and watched Dende work, his gaze intense as he concentrated. "I suppose we will have to worry about Fasha, too. Probably pulling some strings of her own."

Rose shook her head. "No, actually. Apparently, Fasha's been dead for years. We weren't able to find out when it happened exactly, but at some point, Antonia killed her. Something about revenge. I believe Jenny told us that Fasha was the one to kill Enye and I Hashem, who turned out to be Antonia's parents." She hung her head sadly. "It's tragic, really. They all could've done so much good for this world, yet they chose not to."

Dende nodded, "I heard Goku had just convinced Enye to live a peaceful life just before they were murdered. I suppose one could take comfort in the fact that they are sharing each other in their own little slice of paradise. Though they fear for their little girl. It was just an entire botched life. Victims of their own kind. It is very sad."

Nadia scowled. "They are Atlantians, they were doomed from the start." She had no sympathy for them after everything they had done to her people and this world. "They respect no one."

"I don't feel sorry for them," Goten said firmly. "They made their choices and now they have to deal with them. I don't care how bad someone has it, they can always choose to be good, to do the right thing. Using that as an excuse is a cop out." He crossed his arms over his chest and snorted. "Antonia didn't have to kill you. That was her choice. And now she will pay for it."

The former Guardian just smiled at Paige's fierce look and turned his head to look at Goten, his antennae twitching in the night air, "Yes, I do realize this. However, you know how I have spent my whole life as a peacekeeper, a healer of sorts. You cannot blame me for looking for the good in even the darkest of situations. In the darkest of people." He turned back to finish healing Paige. "Goku has the same gift. He found it in Vegeta, did he not?"

Paige pressed her lips thin at the mention of Vegeta. "Papaw isn't evil, he wasn't lost from the start," she argued as she remembered the story that he had told her about when he had come to the Earth, what he had tried to do. She couldn't see the similarity and didn't appreciate Dende comparing Vegeta to Antonia in that moment. "They are nothing alike!" She swallowed hard as Dende just gave her another smile and finally sat back from her.

"You have your leg back, Paige. Don't go getting bitten again anytime soon," Dende said as he leaned back and looked up at the stars, taking a deep breath of the crisp night air. "No, Vegeta isn't like her at all, only because of the changes and opportunities that have been given him. He has better reasons to keep the peace, that he changed. Do what you must, but do not let it control you. Do not let it force you to see the world in that black and white color."

"Again, it comes down to a choice," Goten emphasized. "Dad told me what Vegeta was like when he first came here. But Vegeta chose to change who he was. Antonia could've made that same choice and she didn't. Hell, knowing Dad, he would've taken her in and put her on the right path if he'd had the chance," he said with a slight chuckle. His father always fought to see the good in people. And while he admired that, Goten didn't think there was any good left in Antonia. "I mean, lots of them chose to change their ways. Tien wasn't always a good person. Neither was Piccolo. But they changed. Antonia made her choice. She doesn't want to change."

"What about Orion, the Saiyan who's traveling with her?" Rose asked. "Has he been given the chance to make that choice? Will you give him that? Or will you kill him too?" It always made her sad to see a young life end before their time and she couldn't help but think that Fasha's son hadn't been given the chance to make that choice on his own. He had only grown up to know hate and revenge, to live outside of society because that was how Antonia lived. And Rose didn't think it was fair to condemn him to death for that.

"He already tried to kill Phoenix," Goten answered. "I'm not going to give him a second try at it. If he's working with her, then he's our enemy too." His brow furrowed at them, confusion on his face. "Are you defending them? It's their fault you're dead!"

Dende looked back at Goten, glancing over at Phoenix. "Like you said, two sides to every coin and all that. Choices. I am not saying that I am defending Antonia. I believe she may have died when she saw her mother and father murdered and what is left is a vengeful spirit that needs to be laid to rest. Orion on the other hand, have you seen him at all during your venture?" he asked, curious. "It was a competition he was in and like many Saiyans, the first time in real battle can get carried away. Aside from that, why are you so eager to seek death for him? He could be under a spell. Goku, Vegeta, Trunks, your brother can all attest to the strength of Atlantian magick. They were once all controlled by a spell cast by an Atlantian."

Nadia snorted, "I do not agree with your friend, but he does have a point. All the same though, if this Orion is under her spell, then we will just have to kill him anyway because I know of no way to break that kind of hold over someone. Especially not an Atlantian spell."

"Wouldn't the spell break when we killed Antonia?" Phoenix asked hopefully. He'd been listening to their conversation carefully, trying to figure out which side he believed more. "I mean, if he's like completely under her control and she died, then what would happen to him? Would he just sort of stumble around in zombie-mode?" That seemed like a horrible existence. He remembered his father telling the story of the fight in that castle, how the Saiyans had all been trapped in their own bodies, their minds still conscious of what was happening without them being able to control their actions. They'd attacked their own family at Sigourney's instruction. Only his grandfather had been able to slightly resist the spell, just enough to speak a few simple words, but nothing more. It had been a horrible day from what Gohan had said about it.

Phoenix frowned sadly. "Don't get me wrong. I'm no fan of that jackass. He embarrassed me in front of our family and tried to take my head off. But if it wasn't his own actions, I mean, that doesn't seem right to kill him for it. Although if he did do it on his own, I'mma throw his bitch-ass the beatin' he deserves."

Rose sighed in irritation. "Would you watch your mouth, young man?" she scolded. "There's no need to speak like that. It doesn't make you sound more grown up. It makes you sound uneducated." She looked pointedly at him as he ducked his head and muttered an apology. "And secondly, it took Goten turning into a super Saiyan to beat Orion in that match. Something you have yet to achieve. I don't think you will be the one to do it, if it comes to that." She hated being strict with them, but even Rose had her limits. She took a moment to calm herself before she spoke again. "All I'm saying is do not judge him too quickly or be too eager to deal out a death sentence. You're all smart. Make a good choice. Just like Goten said. We have to live with the decisions we make. I don't want any of you to make the wrong ones. That includes you, Nadia," she said gently, looking over at the vampire. "I know you bring a great deal of wisdom to this group with your experience and age. But don't discount what Dende and I are trying to say. Remember, we are far older than even you are."

Nadia clenched her jaw tight as she looked Rose and Dende over. She had suspected that they were older than they looked. They felt as if they were ancient, something nearly as old as the earth itself. She snorted; it had been a while since she felt like she was being talked to like a child who had been doing something wrong.

Paige blinked at them, feeling shame wash over her at their lecture and she sat up, throwing her arms around her uncle who was still looking out for them even in death. "I'm sorry. I know I'm thick headed, hard headed, whatever. You and Rose both mean so much to us. To our family," she said as she wiped at her eyes.

Dende hugged her back tightly. "I know dear one. I know. And you and the boys left before you could truly say goodbye to us. To lay us to rest. It will be alright, but do not let this quest for revenge blind you to what is really important." He looked over to Goten, "I had a feeling you two would end up together. Do not fear my brother when you tell him. Be honest with him about how you feel for Paige and everything will be alright."

Goten's eyes went wide and the blood drained from his face. "Heh… heh heh… Yeah, I'm not planning on telling him anytime soon," he laughed nervously and rubbed at the back of his head. He dropped his hand and deflated a bit at the look Dende gave him. "Dende! C'mon, you know Piccolo better than anyone! You know how protective he is of her! If he found out Paige and I are dating, he'd tear me limb from limb! I…. He… Goddammit," he nearly whimpered and leaned his forehead into the heels of his hands.

Rose reached over to rub at Goten's back. "Piccolo's not going to hurt you," she said soothingly. "He may be upset, but it's only because he cares. No matter how old you all get, he will always see Paige as his little girl. It isn't personal, Goten. He just wants to protect her. I know it's hard for you to understand. One day you'll have children of your own and then you'll know what this is like for Piccolo. He doesn't want to be the bad guy. He's not trying to be some kind of dictator who controls you, Paige. He's your father and he loves you and wants what's best for you. No one would ever be good enough for you in his eyes. That doesn't make him a jerk, that makes him a good father. Be grateful that you have a father who cares so much. Many young women are not as fortunate as you."

Paige nodded, she knew they spoke the truth. Her dad was always protective of her since before she could remember. Her father once told her that she had been kidnapped when she was a baby and he had been fiercely protective of her and her sister ever since. "I suppose he has a right to be afraid. But he should know that Goten is the last person who would hurt me." She looked over at Goten, letting go of Dende to reach out for him.

Nadia couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corner of her lips. She remembered Dracula doing the same for many of their own. He looked out for his people, threatening, maiming any who would dare hurt them. She remembered one time one vampire raped another, how he had cut off the penis of the offending vampire and made him choke on it. Best not to tell Goten that now.

Dende threw his head back and laughed, "No, Miss Nadia, I don't think Goten would appreciate that right now. He needs confidence to face my brother. If you prove to him that you can protect her, Goten, he would be much more understanding."

Goten let Paige pull him into her arms, but it did little to ease the fear that coursed through his veins. "Shit. It's more like the other way around. She's been the one saving me," Goten said with a scoff. "Oh yeah, hey Piccolo, I'm dating your daughter. What's that? No, I don't protect her. I need her to protect me," he mocked himself. He snorted again and hung his head before he turned an accusatory eye on Paige. "You know, if Vegeta hadn't made you so vicious, maybe I'd have a chance to be the hero at some point." He leaned into her arms and rested his forehead against hers. "We can just run away, right? Or, you know, just not go back?"

"HA!" Phoenix cried. "And leave me to tell everyone the two of you ran off together? I don't think so! Screw you, man." In all honesty, Phoenix didn't know what to think of the relationship between his uncle and Paige. He certainly never thought the two of them would be involved like that. It was weird to him. He'd always thought of Paige as family, not as one of Goten's potential girlfriends. Though he had to admit that he was impressed. Goten had never had a girlfriend for this long before, at least not to his knowledge. And he didn't think they were sleeping together. When would they have found the time? On second thought, he didn't want to know that. "I dunno, Goten, if I was in your shoes, I think I'd almost be more afraid of Vegeta. He's meaner than Piccolo."

"Yup. Not going back. We can just live like this for the rest of our lives," Goten said and buried his face into Paige's neck.

Rose laughed at that. "Oh, it won't be as bad as you think," she said and patted him on the back.

Paige looked pained, but she could see the shared look between Dende and Rose, the contentment, the peace. Never before had she felt Dende be so at peace with himself. She didn't want to see them go, she wanted them to stay with her, but she knew that wasn't an option. "Will... will you guys stay the night with us? It seems like it's been forever since we talked with you. I can't remember a day that went by when I didn't see one of you." She wiped at her eyes, trying to not be sad. She remembered their bodies, in a pool of blood, she offered a smile at them, reaching up to Dende's face and cupping his cheek in her hand, pinching it slightly like she used to when she was little.

Dende laughed, warm and comforting, "Yes of course. We can stay until morning." He settled himself more comfortably and smiled again. "Now, tell us what has been going on."

Over his initial shock, Phoenix turned bubbly again as Goten returned to fixing their dinner. "Dude, so much! We went to Ireland and had to escape from a bunch of banshees! Oh, but before that, we figured out how to open the locked part of Gramma's book. It's been giving us ideas of where to look. And there was that spider that tried to trick us - made itself look like Grandma Chichi, but, like a nice version of her. And then it turned and tried to eat us! That shit was crazy!" He accepted a plate of food from Goten, shoveling it into his mouth.

"And you still haven't learned how to put the tent together," Goten grumbled, eying the sad jumbled mess.

Phoenix aimed a kick at him and swallowed. "We've been all over the place!"

Dende chuckled, watching them all wolf down the food. "Well you certainly have been all over. And I suspect you will travel even further before your journey is over. In more ways than one. Trust each other." He looked at them all firmly, "And for the love of the Mother, be careful. The young woman who killed us is not to be taken lightly. I would hate to see any one of you join us before your time is up. You all are destined for things that have yet to come. Even if you do not know it yet. Alice, I can sense she is doing a wonderful job already. Tell her that. She is ready for this. She will need help down the road, but she is well on her way." He leaned against Rose, looking over at Goten. "Why did the spider take the form of Chichi?"

Goten swallowed. He felt silly admitting it. "The spider looked like her, but she was nice. She apologized for what she did when I was little. It's... all I've ever wanted from her. I got lured in. I should've known better," he muttered.

"Dude, Grandma isn't going to change, you know that," Phoenix said. "Besides, you've got Sabriena and my mom. To hell with Grandma. Nasty old bitch."

"Phoenix," Rose said in a warning tone.

"Well, it's true!" he argued around a mouthful of food, pausing as a bit of it fell from his mouth. "Dammit."

Goten shook his head, eager to change the subject. "So what's it like where you guys are?" he asked.

Dende smiled and shared a look with Rose before looking back at them, who were looking at them expectantly. "I can't say what it will be like for each of you, but it is perfect where we are. Green, sunlit fields, babbling brooks, a small cozy cottage. Winter when we want it to be. It's just so peaceful. And to finally share it with my other half is indescribable. We could just lay together for eternity and want for nothing the rest of our existence. We don't need to eat, but there is food. A stocked kitchen when we feel like partaking of the pleasure of cooking with each other, for each other." A happy tear came to his eye and he wiped it away. "You will have to see for yourselves when your time comes. The Mother has a plan for all of you." He smiled to himself, thinking of the plan the Mother had for Goku, the man who had done more for the universe than any could hope to accomplish in one life time. Who selflessly gave and gave, sacrificed. The Mother knew all those years ago when Tien and Goku had lost Sabriena, the Mother had felt Goku's anguish, the pain he felt at just the mere thought of losing not one, but both of those who he held dear in one night. He would be taken care of. He would not feel the pain at their loss, for it would feel as if they were still with him, until the night he was finally called home. The Mother was going to allow Tien and Sabriena to be with him on his death bed, escort his soul back with them to their own paradise.

Dende shook his head, sobering himself. "It truly is paradise," he said with a smile.

"Speaking of," Rose said, "we'll have to be getting back soon." She sighed through her nose as the edge of the horizon started to lighten. She wasn't quite ready to go back yet. While paradise was more than she and Dende had ever dared to dream of, she did miss their family. In all their lives on the earth, they had never been more attached to loved ones than they had been with this family. "The sun will be up shortly. We'll have to go when it rises. And you all need your rest, especially Paige."

Paige looked alert then, ignoring the exhaustion that tugged at her in a way she had never felt before. "Do you have to go? Seems like all you did was heal my stupid as... er… butt. I've never used that spell before. Do you know if we can use it again to bring you back for a longer period of time? Next Halloween? Alice and everyone miss you both. You know they do," she said fiercely but there was an underlying sadness to her voice and she squeezed Goten's hand tightly.

Dende smiled at Paige and reached out to cup her cheek, "Oh don't you worry, I've been watching over your father and sister this whole time. Your sister knows that. You should know that Alice was able to sense your injury all the way out here." He smiled over at Rose, "We were right about her being the next Guardian."

Rose gave a small, but proud smile. "Well of course. Who else could have ever taken your place, my darling? Alice was destined for it. She's still trying to find her way, trying to learn how to deal with her responsibilities, but once she gets settled in properly, everything's going to be just fine." She could see the way they looked a little panicked, as if the night had slipped away from them faster than they had intended. "You can use that spell any time you like, Paige, whenever you feel you need guidance or help. We'll do the best we can from the other side. But it will only bring us back to this world on Halloween night, after sundown. The veil between the worlds is thinnest this night. That's why we were able to come to you." She gave another smile at Dende, "I think we could pay a visit to them once a year, couldn't we, my love?"

Dende's heart beat faster and he nodded. He liked the idea of that very much, getting to see their friends and family again. There was indeed something special about their last cycle of life and the family that they were tied to. Perhaps it was the simple fact that they were rejoined in this life. "I think we can manage that. I would imagine Bulma and the others will want to have some grand affair. If we are summoned as soon as the sun goes down below the horizon, we could stay much longer." He looked at Paige, "Hopefully, my skills as a healer will not be required."

Paige stood as Dende did and walked back to Rose. She followed him and threw her arms around them both. "I'm sorry you can't stay longer." She swallowed hard and spoke past the lump in her throat, "I love you. Both of you."

Rose smiled and hugged Paige tightly. "We love you, too," she said softly before Phoenix all but jumped on them and hugged them for all he was worth. Rose laughed and ruffled his hair as she loudly whispered out of the side of her mouth, "Keep this one in line, won't you?"

Goten didn't want to see them go. It was like losing them all over again. "We miss you both," he said thickly and hugged them each in turn. He met Dende's eyes as he spoke again. "You won't have to heal her next time. I won't let her get hurt again. I promise," he said intensely. "And we will definitely do this next year with the whole family. They'll be so happy to see you again." He wrapped his arm around Paige and pulled her tightly to his side as he fought the lump in his throat. He really didn't want to see them go.

Dende chuckled. "Sounds like a date to me," he said as he reached over, hugging Phoenix tightly, "You are still so much like your grandfather. This journey is almost over, but do not forget the lessons being learned here. And," he looked at all of them as he wrapped his arm around Roses shoulder, "Try to make it home by Christmas?"

Phoenix grinned. "We'll be home by then. Don't you worry. I ain't missing Christmas!" he laughed. "And I'll be the one keeping them in line," he added, jerking his thumb over at Goten and Paige. He didn't let his smile falter as the sun finally crept over the horizon and just like that, they were gone. He sighed a little, missing them again already. "I guess we better go to sleep, huh? I wanna get to these elves or wherever we're going and be done with this shit. Where the hell is Nadia?" he asked, glancing around. His eyes widened when he saw the tent set up perfectly. "Oh hell, she's already in the tent. Hey! You ain't sleeping already, are ya?" he asked loudly as he threw himself into the tent and pounced on her.

Nadia oofed loudly as she was pounced upon and she couldn't help but grin and wrestled with him a moment before she pulled back and flopped back down on her blankets. "Well, it seemed like a rather personal moment out there for you all. That and I didn't really want to turn into ash just now," she said with a wide yawn as she watched Goten and Phoenix climb into the tent as well. "I would think that since they have been here, we may not have to worry about keeping watch. I feel an ancient magick in the air now."

Goten nodded his agreement as he yawned and flopped down on his bedding. "This is the safest I've felt since we started this whole thing. I think we can all sleep well today," he said as he pulled Paige to lay next to him. He ran his fingers through her hair and rested his forehead against hers. "Don't ever keep something like that from me again. I could've lost you if Dende hadn't shown up. I don't know what I would do without you," he purred to her, letting her silky locks sift through his fingers. He kissed her lips softly before he pulled back slightly and studied her for a moment. She looked tired. "Are you sure you're okay now?"

Paige felt foolish now for keeping something like that from their group. "You're right. I shouldn't have kept it from you. Must have been the poison clouding my judgment. I just didn't want you all to worry about me on top of everything else. I know how much strain we are under, I didn't want to add any more. I thought I could have healed it, but my magick... I mean, even Dende seemed to have a hard time healing that sucker up," she muttered.

"That venom must've been hellacious," Goten frowned. He slowly shook his head at her. How she had been able to travel and run and fight all that time without ever letting on that she was hurt, he didn't know. She was incredibly strong in so many ways and he admired that. A smile pulled at his lips. He had always loved her, but now it was so much more. He cupped her cheek and stared deeply into her eyes. "I'm so in love with you," he whispered. He'd told her a million times that he loved her, but this time, this was different.

Paige leaned her head into his hand, sighing at the warmth and relaxed into his embrace as he pulled the covers over their shoulders. She looked at him carefully, into his dark eyes. He said it so tenderly, so carefully. She knew, somehow, what he meant. She couldn't stop the smile on her face, recalling when Dende and Rose would speak to each other, saying something that was deeply romantic and that seemed to transcend time. "I love you, too," she whispered as she nuzzled into his hand, breathing in his scent that smelled of wood smoke. "Don't ever leave me," she said fiercely.

"Never," he answered with an intensity that matched her own. "We're going to be together forever. I'm never leaving your side. And I never want you to leave mine. I love you, Paige. In a way I didn't think I could ever love anyone. We'll always be together. I promise you. You understand?" he asked, stroking his thumb firmly across her cheek, loving the creamy smooth feel of her pale green skin. "There is no one else for me but you."

Paige grinned at him. "Damn right," she said with a laugh, listening to the soft snoring of Phoenix and Nadia. She closed her eyes, thinking about what they had talked about back in Egypt. She wanted that life. She could see it clearly in her mind, a nice rustic restaurant. Goten happily working in the kitchen making all sorts of masterpieces. She would be up front, decorating, making sure everything was flawless. "It's going to be one hell of a ride."

Goten chuckled at that. "It already has been," he reminded her. He carefully slid his arms around her and kissed her deeply, moaning softly in his throat. She tasted sweet and clean, like fresh fruit and clear water. He ran his hands over her back as he pulled her tightly to him, relieved to have her healed and safe in his arms. "We'll end this soon," he promised in a fierce whisper as he pressed hot, wet kisses down the side of her neck. He sucked at her skin and nipped lightly at the side of her neck, drawing his teeth sensually over the place where Saiyans wore their mating marks. "We'll be home before you know it. We'll put an end to this and everything will go back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be."

Paige moaned against him, tilting her head to the side, loving the feeling of his teeth on her neck like that. "I don't know if I want it to go completely back to normal. Got a few things we have to do, don't we? A restaurant, a home for ourselves." She licked at his neck carefully, lightly biting down at the spot on his neck where a mating mark would go. "Gods I want to mark you right now," she said as she reached down between them and rubbed affectionately at his hardening cock through his jeans.

Goten threw his head back and hissed through his teeth at the feel of her fangs on his neck, her hand on his cock. "I know," he answered huskily as he bucked into her hand. He bit his lip and looked over her shoulder at their sleeping companions. Damn, there was virtually no privacy on this trip at all. He grabbed the blanket and pulled it over them before he reached for her jeans and popped them open to slip his hand inside. It had been a hot minute since they'd messed around at all. His fingers sought out her clit, rubbing it just the way he'd learned she liked to be touched. "We will, Paige. We will. Just not yet. Not here." He sucked at her neck again as he teased the tender nub in his fingers, smiling as it firmed at his touch.

Paige bit her lip so hard, it drew blood as he touched her perfectly. His fingers twirling around her clit, teasing it with expertise. She had half a mind to think he had been so sexually active because he was learning how to perfect pleasing a woman so he would be perfect just for her when they finally got together. She stroked his cock without reservation, firmly. She let her fingers dance around the hot muscle, teasing the tip with a finger and spreading the drop of precum around. She longed to be back at home doing this with him, or even back at Dracula's castle. She licked the blood from her lips and pressed a kiss to Goten's shoulder, sucking a hickey to life.

Goten nearly whimpered as she stroked his cock. He pumped his hips into her grip, swallowing a groan in his throat as she sucked at his neck. "Paige, you're amazing," he breathed in her ear. "Gods, you do that so well." He could feel his cock leaking, his balls tingling and drawing up against his body. A low grunt escaped his throat as his cock twitched in her hand. He quickened his movements, swirling his fingertips around her clit, pinching and twisting it. "Almost too well," he added breathlessly. "I'm… nnnngh… so close already."

Paige could say the same to him, he twirled his fingers perfectly around her clit, "I know." She was so close to coming herself. "I want you so badly," she moaned softly and rocked into his grasp. She wanted to lean down and suck him off, but not with their companions so close by. "Gods, I want you. I want to see you cum all over me. I don't want anyone else around," she said possessively.

Goten gave a strangled cry as he came in her hand, the delicious mental image of her covered in white rivers of his cum danced in his mind. "Soon," he gasped. "As soon as this trip is over, I swear it." He shivered as he came down from the high of his orgasm and continued to pleasure her, using his free hand to slide her shirt up so he could capture a pert nipple in his mouth. He sucked eagerly at her flesh, working his fingers over her. "Come for me, Paige," he breathed.

Paige cried out, arching up into his hand as she felt his length swell and pulse. Feeling his hot cum pouring over her hand and imagining it covering her body sent her over the edge. "Goten!" she sobbed quietly as she rocked into him, loving the feeling of his hands on her. Gods, it felt amazing. She finally stilled, relaxing back in his arms as she brought her hand up to her face, licking his essence off of her. "Mmm," she purred, "You taste so good."

He met her eyes and held her gaze as he lifted his fingers to his lips and sucked on them, one by one. "So do you," he answered. He grinned at her and kissed her again, suddenly feeling very sleepy from the emotional night they'd had. Add to it the fact that he was now satisfied, and he was starting to nod off to sleep already. He turned Paige over to pull her back against his chest and he sighed happily into her hair. "Have I told you lately just how goddamn gorgeous you are?" he murmured.

"Mmm, I do so like hearing you say that," she purred against him and laid her head down on his shoulder, wiggling herself back against him. "Gods, I want you so much. Dende had a point, that we shouldn't lose focus on what's important," she said, "I just want to go home, start this relationship with you properly. But Antonia needs to die. She threatens our family."

"Exactly," Goten agreed. "I won't stop until she's gone. We can't let her get away with this. I don't care what happened to her, she made her choice. You know she was the one who helped burn Leelee? She threw hot coals in Tien's eyes once. And now she's murdered Dende and Rose. I have no sympathy for her and I will show her no mercy. She doesn't deserve any." He curled more around Paige, shivering a bit in the cool air. "And once she's gone, then we can focus on us."

She had almost forgotten about those acts. A devil with an angel's face. "Yeah, she did make her choice. And we know it's not because she didn't know any better." She sighed and pulled the covers over them more tightly. "What about Orion?"

"We'll deal with him when we get to it," Goten answered. He didn't know what to think about the other Saiyan, but he wasn't about to forget what he had done to Phoenix at the martial arts tournament. "I've beaten him once, I'm not that worried about him. If he is under some sort of spell, well, I don't know what to do about it, really. But if he isn't, then he'll die beside her."