Chapter 2
I dreamed I was running. Toward what, I didn't know but I couldn't stop. Behind me shone the Gateway, the link between anime and riaru. It was trying to swallow me up, take me away from anime. My anime. Fear built inside me, suffocating and thick and heavy.
Voices. I could hear them talking. Some would blare louder while others faded. In and out. In and out. A roller coaster of sound and confusion. I couldn't make out the words but somehow . . . somehow I knew what they were saying.
Go home, Ally! Alicia! Go back to where you belong!
Look how you've screwed up our lives.
We aren't who we're supposed to be!
And then in front of me, a figure appeared so quickly, so inhumanly quickly and finally I was allowed to stop running. It was dressed in shadow except for two eyes. Two cold blue eyes . . .
"Where is the boy?" the figure demanded, something greater than bitterness and extreme sadness masked in its voice.
***
I awoke bathed in sweat. My back was chilly and a quick glance at the clock told me Vegeta had been gone nearly three hours. I closed my eyes again and the image of two cold blue . . .
Immediately I sprang up from the pillow, breathing heavily.
Who- who was that?
Already my nightmare was drifting out of my mind. All except those eyes. A dream was just a dream but someone I knew this was more. I recognized those eyes.
Shaking, I threw back the covers. It would be daylight soon and sleep wouldn't come back to me now. I put on a robe over my nightgown and walked over to the window. Bluish tones lined the horizon, painting everything in a strange glow. Unclasping the window, I slid it up and peered outside.
A brisk wind blew my hair back, the braid whipping in the air. I shivered and was about to shut it when a dark shape flew past, causing even more of a stir inside the room. I caught a flash of green.
Piccolo?
Recovering, I leaned out the window as far as I could but all I could see was a quickly fading silhouette. Piccolo was in a big hurry to get wherever he was going but why would he come by our house? His own dwelling lay far away.
Without another thought, I called out, "Flying Nimbus!" A few seconds later, the orange cloud appeared. I squeezed out the window and landed on my old friend. We took off after the Namekian.
***
Piccolo could easily have lost us. Nimbus was fast but he was definitely faster. Instead, we broke through a cloud and there he was, arms folded and cape billowing out behind him. His back was to me though I knew he was watching me from the corner of his eye.
Nimbus came to a stop. I regarded him for a moment, then said, "You knew I would follow you."
He was silent and didn't answer. I grew worried.
"Piccolo? What is it? Has something happened?"
"Kami is dying," was the quiet reply.
Kami? God? The guardian of Earth? But . . . but how?
"Is-- is he hurt?" I asked, moving up to Piccolo's side.
"He's old, kid," he muttered. "Even Kami is mortal."
"Oh." I looked down, at my hands. When I first came to anime, my hands were the first thing I noticed that had changed. Shenlong had been the one responsible for bringing me here. Him and Kami. And now Kami was passing away. I owed him so much.
"Piccolo," I whispered, head still lowered. "Would you take me to Heaven?"
I heard a chuckle and met the Namekian's gaze. His eyes were both sad and stern and Piccolo's view of life's irony reflected in them.
"Kid," he said. "That's what Kami asked me to do. Leave that thing here."
I gave a small nod. "Stay at Dad's house," I told Nimbus.
Before I could say anything else, Piccolo scooped me up into his arms and we took off in a flash of light. I hid my face against his chest, trying to drive out some of the chilly night air.
Piccolo and I share something I can't explain. He saved me once, in this incredible healing method. It was like a part of his own lifeforce was put into me, drove deep in my heart.
I'll admit it; I was afraid. When Kami passed away, so would Piccolo. So would my friend and a part of myself.
"Hey, you're getting my shirt wet."
I looked up into his face and realized I'd been crying. Stupid weakness, I thought.
Piccolo didn't saying anything else, only tightened his arms around me and increased speed. I think in a way he understood. Maybe the demon king was afraid as well.
Soon we angled upward, rising vertically through the clouds. The air dropped drastically in temperature and made me wish I'd thought to put on some real clothes. That achy feeling rose in my stomach as Kami's Lookout came into view above us. It really wasn't as large as I imagined it and as I saw on TV once upon a time. The place seemed despondent, silent, and waiting.
Piccolo set me down. "Wait here," he told me and walked into the small palace.
I looked around. Bright flowers carefully planted and tended for circled the trees and buildings. Mr. Popo, Kami's long-time friend, came out of a small courtyard to the left. He carried a vase in his brown hands, a vase already stained with his tears.
"Un, excuse me . . ." I called softly.
He jerked his head up and the vase smashed on the polished floor.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" I hurriedly bent and picked up broken pieces.
"No, no, it is I who am sorry," he insisted. I handed him the pieces apologetically and he kindly smiled. "I should have paid more attention. Piccolo said you were out here."
"Causing more trouble, Ally?" The Namekian returned from inside the palace.
I sighed. "Only the usual, Piccolo."
"Well, stop. Come with me."
I nodded. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Popo."
"And you."
Piccolo turned away and I fell into step at his side, solemn once more. "How much longer, Piccolo?"
"Not long, kid. Not long."
"Is . . . is he in pain?"
"Yeah."
"Are you?"
A pause. "Yeah."
I stared down at my bare feet padding silently on the stone walkway and wondered why Kami asked to see me of all people. And as we came to a stop just outside a closed door, my unease grew worse. I glanced up at Piccolo and for the first time noticed the strain on his face. He could feel Kami weakening. Could feel him dying.
And I could too.
Piccolo opened the door, walked in the room, and moved over to the side. In a thin-mattress bed pushed up against the far corner lay Kami, the god of this Earth. He looked so frail, like he could be blown away by a single rushed breath and yet I could feel the great power within him.
Suddenly I felt very foolish. Why was I here? Why was a girl like me allowed to stand barefooted and in her pajamas in front of the being who protected all other beings? My eyes flew to a position of respect and I made a move to back out of the room.
"Ally." The word was strained and glazed with pain but refusing to give up to death just yet.
I didn't know what to do. Silent, Piccolo had left, offering no help. I knew what I wanted to do. So I did just that.
Kami seemed surprised as I slid my arms around his neck and gently gave him a hug. I pulled away, tears sparkling in my eyes.
"My name is Ally," I said, as if he didn't already know.
Kami smiled, a smile that made my heart go warm. He lay in his deathbed and yet still he was kind. "I know who you are," he said in that pain-shadowed voice.
I glanced down at my hands, tightened them into fists to stop their shaking. Kami had to know everything about me. About riaru. But did he know how things in the Dragon Ball Z world were supposed to have been. Did he?
Kami shifted in bed, trying to sit up more. "There is not much time left, child. Listen- listen to what I have to tell you quickly." A weak hand reached for my own and I took it.
"There- there is something coming, young one."
His warning cut into me like a frozen knife. "Something's coming?" I echoed, frowning. "What is it?"
"A fog-- a- a threat."
"A threat?" I echoed again. "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't Gokou-"
"Child of riaru, only you can hold--" Kami spasmed in pain, gripped my hand like a vice.
"Kami, what-"
"Trials, doubts coming. You must wait, look for it. . . Soon . . . very soon . . ."
"But what?" I desperately tried to find out. "What is coming?"
"I am sorry. As the guardian of Earth, I cannot directly interfere."
"Yeah, yeah, but you can't just- can't you just tell me?!"
"Purple . . . a purple shadow . . . from ahead . . ." He collapsed back onto the thin pillow, breathing in great gasps like he couldn't get enough air after so many words.
A few minutes passed helplessly listening to him struggle and I knelt beside his bed. "Kami . . . Kami, please . . ."
He opened his eyes again and the sad depths cut over to me.
"Kami," I repeated. "Just answer me this: is this new threat powerful?"
". . . yes."
I bit back a curse. The Z fighters would have to be warned of this.
"How soon, Kami?"
"I . . . I do not know for certain. A day. A month."
Not much time. We would all have to train hard to prepare. There hadn't been a battle since Frieza escaped to riaru . . . because of me.
I gave a swift nod of my head and stood. "Ok. I'll go tell the others."
"No!"
Kami's outburst startled me. "Why not?" I demanded. "We have to prepare!"
"Not - not until the future returns. Only then will you--" He tensed as another spasm ripped through his tired body. "-- will you know-- know what to do! Listen . . ."
He pulled my face close to his and whispered, "Remember why you stayed. Remember what you changed and brought forth. Only you can heal the wounds that will come and make another decision. What you do could change it all." His voice dropped lower and I strained to hear. "Remember . . . what . . . you . . . forgot."
A sigh escaped his lips and his eyes slid close. I didn't move, frozen in his words. The silence overwhelmed me and the only thing that dared to slice it was one beating heartbeat. My heartbeat. Mine. Only. One.
I snapped back and stumbled to my feet screaming.
"PICCOLO!"
***
The wait seemed endless. I packed back and forth, ignoring how cold it was. The sun shone in the morning sky, offering little warmth. Thunder crackled and shook the Lookout. The day would be a wet one.
I let out a frustrated sound. How much longer?! I had been standing out here for at least an hour. Something should've happened by now! My bare feet padded on the stone and then stopped. I thought about what Kami had said but the warnings just seemed to jumble and confuse themselves in my head. I shoved them away, not wanting to think about it until later.
A door opened and closed and Piccolo strode calmly to stand before me. I looked up into his piercing eyes. A feeling came over me. Of happiness, I guess. Or wonder. I just stood on tiptoe and threw my arms around Piccolo's neck. He was startled at first and then squeezed me back a little.
It was amazing! The increase of power I felt in Piccolo took my breath away. Not even on TV had it seemed so great. I gazed up at his face, smiling, and he gave me a puzzled look.
"You knew Kami and I would fuse, didn't you?"
I shook my head. "I knew of the possibility though."
"Figures."
I grinned wider. "I'm glad you did."
"Yeah, well, it was either this or bye bye me."
"You made a good choice, Piccolo."
"Guess so. Come on, kid. Let's get you home." He picked me up and headed toward the Earth far below.
"By the way, Piccolo," I said, twisting around. "When will Dende get here?"
The look on the demon king's face was priceless. I laughed as we zoomed toward the mountains, Kami's last words forgotten for now.
***
The mist had grown to a light drizzle of cold rain, easily soaking through my thin nightgown. Piccolo formed a ki shield for warmth but gooseflesh still raised on my arms. Restless night catching up to me, I relaxed my head on Piccolo's chest. My eyes drifted close and after a moment, I opened them again.
"Why are we slowing?"
"We're being followed," he answered calmly.
"By who?"
"Not sure." He came to a stop, turning around. "I need my hands free, Ally. Where is that cloud thing of yours?"
"I sent it to Gokou's, remember?"
Piccolo muttered a curse. "Ok, you'll just have to swing around and hang on."
I nodded and did as he said, clinging to the folds of his cape. My heart beat loudly in my ears and I could hear the Namekian's through his gi. "Piccolo?" I whispered.
"Quiet," he muttered back, crouching in midair. "Can you tell who it is, kid?"
"Uh-uh."
After a while, Piccolo tensed up. Then I heard a voice say coldly, "Oh, it is just you, Namekian."
Piccolo snorted and instantly relaxed. "It's that 'mate' of yours, Ally."
I popped my head over Piccolo's shoulder. "Hi, Vegeta!"
The Saiyajin Prince's dark eyes narrowed further, if that were possible. "What are you doing?"
"Taking a morning flight," I said brightly.
He crossed his arms and glided around to glare at me. "Why the hell are you in your underwear?"
I wrinkled my nose. "It's called a nightgown, Vegeta. And I didn't have time to change."
"At least stop flashing everyone!"
"I'm not--"
"Children, children," interrupted Piccolo. "Take your squabbling someplace else."
"Hey Vegeta!"
Vegeta immediately groaned. "You felt it too, Kakarot?"
Gokou appeared, Gohan behind him. "You guys having a party?" He craned his neck to look behind Piccolo. "Ally!"
"Morning, Dad. Gohan."
Gokou's head tilted to the side. "Why are you in your pjs?"
"Good question," added my anime brother, floating over. "We felt an enormous power increase over here and came to check it out."
"You and I are leaving," growled Vegeta and scooped me off Piccolo's back.
"Vegeta!" I squalled as he shot away from the others. Over his shoulder, I could see Gokou waving goodbye and sighed, twisted back around to execute a dirty look at Vegeta.
"What's gotten into you?"
When he didn't answer, I folded my arms. "Kami almost died earlier today. That's where I was. Piccolo and Kami fused in order to prevent it. So that's the power increase you felt. Now, stop being sulky."
"I am not sulky."
"Yes you are. Sulky and short."
He dropped me. Just like that. I didn't scream or flail around, only waited patiently as the ground raced closer. A few feet above the treetops, there was a flash and Vegeta raced into the sky again with me in his arms.
"One day, woman, I will not catch you."
His dark eyes glittered and I laughed, twining my arms around his neck.
***
"So that's about it," said Piccolo, shrugging. "Dende's on his way from Namek and I'll have to teach him how to be god. Simple."
The three of them stood on a small cliff overlooking the valley below. Their faces were solemn and if one studied the eyes of the strongest warrior in the universe, a few unshed tears might've been noticed.
Kami had been a great friend to Gokou all through his life. Even though the old Namekian in a sense wasn't really dead, it still pained him to know his friend was gone at last.
The Saiyajin felt a light touch on his arm and Gohan smiled at him wanly. Gokou returned it, already feeling better.
"Well," he said, standing. "We'll wait for Dende to arrive."
Gohan nodded. "It will be great to see him again. Somehow I always knew I would."
Straightening, Piccolo turned away from them. "One more thing . . . there was something Kami told Ally before we fused. Don't know what . . . but we had all start training harder. Something is coming . . . and it's not Dende's welcoming committee."
***
I slammed the door behind me angrily. Ohh that Vegeta! He'd gone and locked himself in his precious gravity room when I refused to tell him why Kami had wanted me to come to Heaven and what he had said to me.
The truth was- I didn't want to think about Kami's last words. They scared me. What new enemy was coming? What new challenges would we be forced to face? Whatever it was, Kami had feared it.
"Just answer me this: is this new threat powerful?"
". . . yes."
And why tell me?
I sighed in frustration. I was, by far, not the strongest fighter of the Z team. On Namek, I had first discovered what my anime body could do and it wasn't much. Mostly just a mismatch of different attacks and ways of using the ki blasts of other fighters. Not my own power, but rather those of others.
I threw back the closet door and rummaged around for something to wear. That Vegeta could just pout in his squashing machine for all I cared. I'd go to my parents' house alone. Finding the dress I'd been looking for, a nice green thigh-length number, I slipped it on and grabbed my keys.
Vegeta was by the front door, scowling but obviously ready to go with me. For once, he'd put on some regular clothes, a plain shirt and khaki slacks. I just rolled my eyes at him when he followed me into the car. As I cranked the engine and headed further into the mountains, the heavy clouds finally split open and the Heavens wept.
***
Only one light dotted the inside of Capsule Corporation, the flickering light from a television blaring some Sunday night movie. Bulma lay on the couch, her head resting against Yamucha. Their son, only a little older than Trilku, sat on the floor, munching on a bowl of popcorn.
"Turn up the volume a little," said Bulma, the rain beginning to pound angrily on the roof. Lightning briefly lit up tree branches and was quickly followed by a rough burst of thunder.
Yamucha craned his neck to look behind her. "Storm's getting bad out there."
As if in mockery, the television flickered, lines running across the screen before going black. The house seemed to sigh.
"Shit," muttered the former desert bandit.
Bulma raised up on her elbows. "Three . . . two . . . one . . ." There was a humming noise and a blue light came on, casting a sickly glow over the three faces. "The back-up generators worked."
"I'll go reboot the system, Mama," said their son Torank, scrambling to his feet and racing off.
Thunder rattled the frame of Capsule Corporation again and the faint sounding of the doorbell was almost lost in the fury.
"I'll get it," sighed Bulma.
***
I helped ChiChi carry over the last heapful of food over to the table. The Saiyajins were already digging in. ChiChi and I, the only full-blooded humans in the room, munched off to the side to avoid getting trampled in the madness. Even Bapa, usually so polite, was munching away to her demi Saiyajin heart's content.
Looking over at Gokou in the middle of the food chaos, I said in a quiet voice, "Dad seems to be taking Kami's passing ok."
ChiChi nodded. "Kami was a good friend to him. Piccolo sure surprised me though."
"With the fusion?" I smiled. "Piccolo has a good heart. He really does. He just doesn't want us to know that."
ChiChi stared down at her plate. "Ally, what did Kami tell you? Gokou didn't know."
"Only that I remember everything that's happened to me," I answered, carefully picking my words. That was true, in a way.
"That's all?"
"Yeah, that's all." I stood and joined the guys at the table, ruffling Goten's hair. "It wasn't important, Mom. Don't worry."
***
When Bulma opened the front door, at first she couldn't see anything. The rain formed a blanket of chilly water pouring from the slick roof and blinded her vision.
"H-hello?"
A shadow appeared in front of her, silent, and took a step forward. Bulma's eyes widened as the figure took another hesitant step and then fell forward into the entryway.
"Yamucha!" the blue-haired woman yelled, dropping to her knees beside the still young man.
Kami, he's burning up, she realized as she lay a hand against the flushed cheek.
Yamucha came running into the room. "What the--"
"Come on! Help me get him into the infirmary!"
He nodded and hauled the young man to his shoulder. The stranger's eyes flickered open, sliding to Bulma.
"Kaa-san . . ." he whispered and his eyes rolled again as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Yamucha looked at Bulma questionably but she shook her head.
"I've never seen him before," she insisted.
And yet . . . and yet she couldn't quite shake the feeling that had washed over her. Maybe it was those bright blue eyes that gave her chills and raised the hair on her neck. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the Capsule Corporation logo imprinted on the young man's jacket.