10.19.## continued . . .

Writing this next part is difficult. But if I don’t, it shows those bastards still have power over me, which they don’t. So here it goes . . .

I can still remember the knife and how it felt as it sliced into my skin. I can still remember all the blood and their laughs as I screamed in pain. There was so much pain.

The warriors would come to rescue me. But they would not come in time to save me from that.

From what I was told, when I was captured the children, especially the twins, were determined to come rescue me themselves. But their parents would have none of that. They were already horrified at hearing who’d they had fought while they were gone . . .

Blood and pain

That is all she knows

As she screams in the dark

It’s too late.

"Are you insane? You could have gotten yourselves killed!" Bulma was in a full tirade mode and it didn’t look like she was going to stop anytime soon.

"We had no choice. And besides, we held our own pretty well against them," defended Pendril.

"Yeah! I knocked Cell all the way down to Earth," added Pan.

"You did what?" Videl looked ready to join in on Bulma’s rant.

Kya decided it was time to intervene and put a stop to this, even though she felt like yelling a few choice words herself. "All right. That’s enough. We can punish them later. Right now we need to focus on getting Ali Mystic back."

"How do we find them? They’re dead. They don’t have an energy signature or power level we can locate," revealed Lidal.

"Great. That makes it about ten times more difficult," complained Krillin.

"Dende might be able to locate them," announced Piccolo.

"Where is Dende, by the way? And where is Mr. Popo?" asked Gohan, looking around.

The children all looked down, not wanting to say the answer out loud, thereby making it a reality. Eighteen was the one who eventually answered. "They’re dead," she said bluntly.

Her answer shocked them all but what Trunks said next took away the shock, confusing them instead. "If Dende is dead, why are Shenlong and the Dragonballs still in existence?"

The whole group looked up, staring at the Eternal Dragon floating in the sky. He had been unusually quiet, not voicing any complaints. And that confused the group even more. A gravelly voice brought their eyes back down to the one whom was speaking: Baba.

"Isn’t it obvious? Before he died, Dende must have past on his position and powers to someone else. Shenlong is still needed and making a trip to Namek is out of the question."

"She’s right. Who was the closest to Dende when he died?" asked Piccolo, turning to Eighteen and the children.

"Ali was," replied Marron in a small voice, afraid of what Piccolo’s reaction would be.

His reaction was actually rather mild. "You’ve got to be kidding," he said in a flat voice. Marron shook her head, then jumped as Vegeta exploded.

"I don’t believe this! Of all the choices! You’d think the green pipsqueak would have more sense! That girl will not be able to handle it!"

The adults all shared the grim expressions on their faces, not one of them disagreeing with Vegeta’s statements. The children exchanged looks. "What’s wrong with Ali being the Guardian?" asked Bra.

Kya was the one who explained. "Ali Mystic is human and untrained. She was given a lot of power, all at once, and most them stem in Namek abilities. Unless something is done, her body will begin to breakdown under the strain."

"But something can be done, right?" asked Marron.

Kya exchanged a glance with Piccolo before answering. "Yes. But we need to get Ali Mystic back for anything to be done."

"Which brings us back to the question of how do we find Cell and the others to rescue Ali Mystic," said Gohan.

Pendril had been mulling over an idea for the last few minutes in his head. He caught his sister’s eyes and through their rapport, Lidal knew almost instantly what he was thinking and nodded. Steeping forward, he coughed to get the adults’ attention.

"Couldn’t we ask Shenlong to track Ali down through their link? I mean, no matter how well Ma masks her energy, you’re always able to locate her Papa, through your bond link."

Piccolo frowned. "I don’t think that would work, son. The link between Creator and Dragon would have to be more of the mind, rather than –."

Eighteen interrupted him, earning a withering glare. "He doesn’t mean that link. He means the link Dende created between Ali Mystic and Shenlong to heal him."

"WHAT?!" roared Piccolo. The ones who stood closest to him backed up a bit, surprised by Piccolo’s outburst.

"Explain," demanded Vegeta sternly.

Eighteen took a breath. "To heal Shenlong enough so that he could close the rift, Dende gave him some of Ali Mystic’s energy. The good scientist there," indicating Dr. Aleks, who was given dirty looks, "stole some of his energy, remember? That was what caused the rift in the first place. Once the rift was closed, Shenlong returned to the Dragonballs to finish healing. Dende created a link between him and Ali Mystic to keep him alive and on Earth. Shenlong had just finished healing, so we summoned him to remove the link and make a wish when those bastards interrupted us and killed Mr. Popo."

A few moments passed as the other adults processed what Eighteen just told them. "I would think the Eternal Dragon’s mind would be too powerful for her to handle," commented Sixteen.

"She was able to handle it, while the Eternal Dragon was asleep," responded Marron. "But when he woke up, it nearly killed her."

"How did she keep from dying?" asked Videl.

"She spoke to him, through her mind, and asked him to tone down his thoughts," replied Lidal. "That means the link is really strong, mind-wise, right? So he could find her, right?"

"We’ll never know until we ask him," responded Bulma, turning to face the Dragon that loomed high overhead.

"Shenlong! You share a link with a friend of ours, correct?"

"That is correct. I share a link with the woman known as Ali Mystic," was the Dragon’s reply. His eyes flashed momentarily, as if irritated by something.

"And through this link, can you pinpoint her location?"

There was a rumble, as if the Eternal Dragon was grumbling. Then his eyes began to glow brightly, like when he granted a wish. "It is a simple matter. I can feel her presence at all times. She is approximately three hundred miles east of here, in a cave high in the mountains. And she is currently feeling a great amount of pain."

"Pain?" questioned Bulma, fearing the worst.

"I believe she is being tortured by her captors."

"Oh no," whispered Marron.

Far away, in the location the Eternal Dragon had just given . . .

Ali Mystic was living in a nightmare she couldn’t awake from.

At first, she had fought. But after landing an exceptionally good bite on Cell’s hand, he and Ginyu decided to chain her to the wall of the cave. Then the real torture began.

As Ali Mystic soon discovered, Cell had a strange affinity for cutting her in just the right places to draw the maximum amount of pain and blood without rendering her unconscious. Every now and then he stopped to lick the blood from blade before starting again. Ginyu in particular took a perverse joy in licking the blood from her skin.

They did anything they could to cause her pain and elicit more screams form her. They enjoyed it more when she screamed. Then came the worst part.

They raped her.

They tore her clothes to reveal her naked flesh to their cruel eyes as they each took a turn on top of her, inside her, violating her in the most terrible way as they used her body for their sick pleasure.

And they still weren’t finished with her yet.

Waiting outside the cave, escaping the noise from within, were Frieza, Cooler, King Kold, and Dr. Gero. It wasn’t the screams that bothered them. It was the grunts and moans coming from Cell and Ginyu as the torture session continued.

"How long will they keep this up?" asked Dr. Gero. HE stood upon a ledge just above the cave opening, keeping a lookout, although the others were sure they wouldn’t be found anytime soon.

Leaning beside the opening, Cooler wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Until they become bored."

Cooler glanced at King Kold, who was standing beside him and at Frieza, who was sat nearby on a large rock, his face a mask of contemplation. They had been awful quiet since they escaped from the Lookout. "What are we going to do about the Earth warriors?"

We should just destroy this planet and be done with it. This place and its people are nothing but trouble," King Kold pronounced. He didn’t expect anyone to disagree with him.

"Why so eager to leave Father?" Frieza looked up, his eyes boring into King Kold’s. "What is it about this place that scares you so?"

"Scares me? What a ridiculous notion!" And King Kold snorted in disbelief.

But Frieza wasn’t deterred. "Yes. Scares you. When I insisted upon coming here to exact my revenge from that Saiyan, you were reluctant to go. Even then you wanted to blow up the planet and be ‘done with it’. You never explained how Mother got trapped in that rose. Or should I say stepmother? She wasn’t my mother, was she, Father?"

King Kold looked like was ready to explode. Cooler glanced back and forth between the two, wondering who would the other first. "You don’t honestly believe what that girl said, do you?"

"I wouldn’t have, except Father’s reaction to her words go me thinking. If she had been lying, he would have laughed. Instead, he attacked her. Her words hit a little too close to home, didn’t they Father?"

The two brothers looked expectantly at the alien conqueror. Above them Dr. Gero, who couldn’t help but listen in, waited as well.

King Kold stared them down. "And what if it is true? Your mother was an Earthling. It changes nothing."

"It changes everything!" exploded Frieza. "I’m half-human! And the only reason I was once the most powerful being in the universe was because of that fact!" Frieza paused, taking a steadying breath. "Was my real mother among the warriors who returned from Hell?"

King Kold remained silent.

"Answer me!"

" . . . Yes."

Frieza closed his eyes as he asked his last question. "And are the Namek children hers as well?"

"I don’t know. Though, they do share the same mark upon their foreheads."

Frieza opened his eyes. For the first time in his life, he was unsure of what to do. He looked to his older brother to see what he was thinking and found the coldest look in his eyes. He was glaring at King Kold, who was just beginning to notice that fact as well.

"Betrayer." Cooler’s tone was frigid, his face a mask of fury. "You betrayed your spouse, Queen Frozena and you betrayed the code of our people when created this . . . abomination. You don’t deserve to live."

King Kold was seething. "How dare you speak to me that way."

"You. Are. A. Traitor."

"I did it to create the strongest warrior the universe had ever seen!"

Cooler looked affronted. "We are the superior race! Earthlings are weak! And so are you!"

Before anyone could blink, Cooler flew forward and cold-cocked him, sending him into a rock face. Within moments, King Kold dug himself out and sped back, landing a punch that sent Cooler crashing into the cave and disturbing Cell and Ginyu, who were about to start another round of torture with knife.

"What the hell –?"

"Who the fuck –?"

Picking himself up, Cooler flew at top speed, ramming straight into King Kold. The two began to exchange blows that made the mountains quake around them. Cell and Ginyu scrambled out of the cave, Ginyu with his armor only half on. They stared at the fight, then turned to Frieza, who felt slightly numb as he watched his father and brother fight.

"Why the hell are those two fighting each other? What happened?" demanded Cell. Beside him, Ginyu finished putting on his armor. Having served Frieza and his family a long time, he knew that depending on their mood, questioning them could be a hazard to your health.

"It’s none of your business." Turning away, Frieza ignored them as he continued watching his father and brother pulverize each other.

"Why you –!" Cell was outraged, to say the least.

"Save your breath. His mind is on other matters. Besides, I can tell you what happened," announced Dr. Gero, calmly landing beside Ginyu.

"It seems that girl you two have been toying around with in there was telling the truth. Frieza is half-human, explaining his power."

"Then why is Cooler beating up King Kold and not Frieza?" questioned Cell.

"Cooler claims Kold has violated some code. Called him a traitor and called Frieza an abomination," was Gero’s explanation.

Cell rolled his eyes in irritation. "Of course they’d fight over something like this. No wonder their species is extinct. They have too much pride to let each other live."

Dr. Gero raised an eyebrow. "If their fight continues to escalate, they will draw the attention of the Earth’s Special Forces, no energy signature or not."

"Too late," announced a voice from behind them. The four evil warriors whirled around to find just what Dr. Gero had predicted: Earth’s Special Forces all lined up on the ledge above the cave. Piccolo, Vegeta, Gohan, Sixteen, Trunks, and Goten.

"Why don’t you just give up now and save us the trouble of kicking your ass?" suggested Goten, smirking.

"I’m not about to surrender to a snot-nosed punk like you," snarled Captain Ginyu. He charged straight at Goten, who luckily blocked just in time. They began exchanging blows, forgetting the others.

"Idiot," muttered Dr. Gero, shaking his head.

"If you can handle these guys, I’ll take the feuding family," said Trunks, heading for King Kold and Cooler. Piccolo exchanged a glance with Gohan, then followed after him. Before anyone could say anything else, a body landed hard on the ground before them. It was Captain Ginyu, out cold.

"Who’s next?" asked Goten cockily.

"You won’t find me so easy to defeat," snarled Cell, leaping into the air. But before he could reach Goten, Gohan suddenly appeared between them. "Why don’t you try taking me on first?"

"With pleasure."

While a new fight began between Cell and Gohan, a few yards away, Piccolo and Trunks were interrupting another one. Cooler felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to meet Trunks’ fist. "Maybe you should worry about us instead of your father."

Cooler wiped his mouth, spitting out blood. "You’ll pay for that."

Trunks didn’t bother to answer, instead making a ‘come on’ motion with his hands. A little ways away, Piccolo was getting revenge for his wife, working out all Kya’s grief and shame on King Kold. Back by the cave, Vegeta and Frieza were circling each other, tense and evaluating.

"I’ve waited a long time to take my vengeance upon you," remarked Vegeta.

"Then why are you still waiting?" questioned Frieza, implying Vegeta’s cowardice. With a growl, Vegeta attacked.

On the ground, Dr. Gero was evaluating the situation and had come to a decision. It was time to retreat. But before he could get very far, Sixteen cut him off. "Going somewhere, Doctor?"

Some minutes later, a pile of unconscious bodies began to grow right outside the opening of the cave, with Ginyu the start of it. Next came Dr. Gero, then Cooler and King Kold. They were soon joined by Cell, but not yet Frieza, who was proving rather stubborn as he fought Vegeta in the sky. Piccolo and the others stood back, knowing for certain the outcome.

Unnoticed on the ground, King Kold slowly opened any eye. Coward he was, he had feigned being knocked out. Taking a quick assessment, he planned his escape. Startling Piccolo and the others, he jumped to his feet and was in the air before they could react. Much to Frieza’s surprise, King Kold grabbed him and then used instant transmission to disappear before Vegeta could land the final blow. The resulting words that fell from Vegeta’s mouth had most of the warriors below blushing.

"If you are finished Vegeta, come down here and give us a hand. We still have to get these four back to the Lookout. Then we can go hunt the two escapees," snapped Piccolo, angry with himself for letting King Kold and Frieza get away.

"We have to find Ali Mystic first," Gohan reminded him.

"If she’s still alive, which I doubt," said Vegeta as he lowered himself to the ground. His remark promptly earned him glares from all around.

"I detect a faint life signature in there," announced Sixteen, pointing to the cave.

The warriors entered the cave single file, with Vegeta in the lead and Trunks bringing up the rear. They were unsure of what to expect. The smell of blood reached Vegeta first but he did not falter. The cave expanded wider a few yards within, taking away the need for single file. It took a few moments in the dim light but Vegeta and Gohan were able to spot her first, chained to the far wall.

In a choked a voice, Gohan ordered, "Goten. Trunks. Take Cell and the others back to the Lookout."

At the back of the group, Goten and Trunks exchanged a look. They hadn’t seen her yet. "But what about –," began Trunks.

"Now!"

Gohan had never, ever, spoken to them in that way before. Trunks and Goten immediately turned around and hurriedly head back, giving up the argument without even trying. The boys were in fact seventeen and eighteen, but Gohan still had not wanted them to see the state Ali Mystic was in.

It was a horrible sight. Clinging to her body were shreds of fabric, all that was left of her clothes, making it easy for them to see what had been done to her. Harsh bruises mottled her once light brown skin. Blood still flowed from the various cuts all over her body. A sticky white substance dripped between her legs, making them realize the truth of what had happened. Her head hung low, her cheeks stained with tears and blood.

While the Eternal Dragon had said they were torturing her, hearing about it and seeing the proof of it right before their eyes are two completely different things. Piccolo, Gohan, and Sixteen stood still, not quite believing their eyes.

Vegeta was the one to step forward to Ali Mystic’s side, placing surprisingly gentle fingers to her neck to check her pulse. Realizing she was unconscious and not dead, Vegeta raised his hands and quickly broke the chains around her wrists. She instantly fell into his arms. He walked back across the cave, where Piccolo took off his cape and silently handed it to Vegeta, who gently wrapped her in it.

"Let’s go," said Piccolo quietly. Vegeta nodded. Swiftly the four warriors left that awful cave and flew through the air back to the Lookout where their friends and family waited for them.

Their grim faces upon landing quieted them all, even Baba. Kya approached the men timidly, reluctant to ask what was on all their minds. "Is she alive?"

"Barely," replied Piccolo.

Bulma’s lips set in a determined line as she rolled up her sleeves. "Alright then. Vegeta, bring her through here. There are a couple rooms still intact with a bed to place her in. Kya, would you fetch some water so we can bathe her? Eighteen, would you and Videl start tearing up some sheets for bandages? I have a first aid capsule that should take care of anything else. The rest of you stay out here." And with that, the four women began to hustle busily.

On the way to where Bulma directed, Vegeta passed by Pendril, who noticed something fall from Ali Mystic’s still figure. Leaning down to pick the object up, he realized it was Ali’s silver butterfly necklace. Glancing up at Ali’s motionless form in Vegeta’s arms, Pendril decided he would keep it safe for her until she was able to reclaim it. Slipping it over his head, he returned to his sister’s side.

Once he had dropped off his burden in Bulma’s capable hands, Vegeta joined the others in waiting, not the easiest of tasks when you’re worried about someone you care about.

The twins joined Piccolo, who stood at the edge of the Lookout. Feeling a tugging on his cape, Piccolo looked down at Lidal’s fearful face. "Will Ali be all right, Papa?"

"I don’t know, Lidal." Seeing she was on the verge of tears, Piccolo sat down, putting his arms around both Pendril and Lidal as they sat down with him, finding comfort in his presence.

"I just don’t know. But I hope so, for your sakes."

My world was nothing but pain. Then, blissful darkness. I didn’t know I had been rescued. I didn’t know the children were worried about me. I didn’t know that Bulma and the other women were working frantically to save my life. All I knew was that darkness that had relieved me of my pain and I didn’t ever want to wake from it. I wanted to slip away and never return. But someone was in the dark with me and he wouldn’t let that happen. His name was Shenlong.