And yes, I’ll be writing a sequel. It’ll probably be my last one for this series.

10.19.## continued . . .

I knew there would be repercussions for my actions. But I didn’t realize how life altering they would be for everyone, not just for me. And they were all becoming aware of that fact . . .

This next part I tell I know only by word of mouth . . .

A turnabout warrior

A wish going ungranted

And a life hanging by a thread

Time for the consequences.

"Okay. That should do it," said Bulma, tying off a bandage on the young woman’s lower left leg. Beside her, Eighteen began packing the supplies they hadn’t used back in the first aid kit. Kya unfurled the blankets she had dug up and she and Videl began wrapping them around the young woman on the bed, tucking her in. The young woman, known only as Ali Mystic, didn’t so much as twitch, lying deeply unconscious.

"I’m worried by the fact she hasn’t regained consciousness yet. I fear that she never will," voiced Bulma as she checked Ali’s pulse.

"Her ki is getting weaker. It has been decreasing since the men brought her," stated Eighteen, leaning against the wall. She was trying to resign herself to the inevitable and was finding it difficult.

"So what do we do? We can’t just let her die." Videl nibbled her lip, feeling frustrated.

"Actually, I can’t understand how she can still be alive. What those bastards did to her . . ." And Bulma trailed off, bowing her head.

Kya tilted her head, studying the figure on the bed before her. "It’s the link."

"What?" asked Videl. Bulma glanced up.

"It’s the link to the Eternal Dragon," continued Kya. "That’s what’s keeping her alive. I think its stronger than we thought."

"How strong?" asked Bulma.

"We’ll have to ask Shenlong."

Eighteen eyed the Shizen woman next to her. There was something she wasn’t telling them. I thought she was done keeping secrets from us.

"Well." Bulma stood and headed for the door. "We should go give the others the bad news." Eighteen and Videl moved to follow her.

"Wait." The three women froze and turned as one to face their green-haired friend. Kya was still staring intently at Ali Mystic. She turned to meet their gaze. "I think I may know a way to save her."

* * * * * *

"Why the hell did you rescue me?" shouted Frieza the second his father let go of him. The of them were high in the sky above a grassy field that expanded for miles around but Frieza took little notice of their surroundings, his angry red eyes staying fixed on the larger being across from him.

King Kold stared coldly back, his lips curled in disdain as he answered his son. "I have put too much investment in you to just abandon you now."

Frieza snorted. "You still think you’ve created the most powerful being in the universe? Well, Father, you failed. And our worst fears have come to past. The Saiyans, the monkeys, are the true powerful beings in the universe. What do you have to say to that, Father?"

King Kold snarled, reaching out to roughly grab his son by his collar and lifting him high above his head. Frieza stared at his father with wide eyes, for Kold had never handled him in such a manner, always having treated him with reverence and affection.

"I will not have a son of my blood, half-breed or not, talk in such a way! You are of the royal Akidaian line and should not speak of such blasphemy! We are the rightful rulers of the universe and our power is absolute!"

Frieza’s eyes narrowed in contempt as he listened to King Kold’s righteous reprimand. "The Akidaian race is dead, Father; their power reduced to what storytellers recount of it. And you yourself, once Lord of them all, helped further along their end with your paranoia and greed. Now you are a delusional dead man, killed at the hands of a Saiyan half-breed."

Nearly spitting in rage, Kold reared back his fist, intent on giving his insolent son a beating he would never forget. But Frieza was quicker. With one swipe of his muscular tail, he freed himself from his father’s hold before the fist could land. With a second swipe he sent the proud, regal alien to the ground, where his body made a deep furrow before halting. Overcoming the shock of being cold-cocked a second time by one of his own sons, King Kold quickly got back into the air, where Frieza was waiting for him. The fight between father and son was on.

On the ground several yards away, a lone figure stood unnoticed on a hill behind a cozy cottage. She had seen the figures in the air and now watched them fight with growing worry and fear. Tucking back an errant black hair, she turned to run back inside the cottage and to hurry to her phone to make an urgent call.

* * * * * *

"I cannot grant your wish."

"WHAT?!"

The assembled warriors and their families stood before the Eternal Dragon, gaping in shock. In her mysterious way, Kya had insisted they make a wish on the Dragonballs before speaking of her idea. So Gohan had stepped forward to wish Dende and Mr. Popo back to life. Instead of the return of their friends, the group had received the most unexpected response.

"Can’t grant our wish? Why the hell not?" yelled Vegeta, shaking his fist at the immense dragon above him.

Something sparked in Marron’s mind as a memory came forward.

A few hours earlier . . .

(AN: Excerpt is from Chapter 8, if you want to take a look.)

Understanding came to Marron as she said her thoughts outloud. "Its because of Ali Mystic, isn’t it?"

"Yes," answered the Eternal Dragon, to everyone’s great consternation. "I cannot grant a wish without the approval of Ali Mystic beforehand."

"This just keeps getting better and better!" exclaimed Krillin, raising his arms in exasperation.

"What did she do?" asked Piccolo tightly.

Shenlong grumbled, reluctant to reveal the information. "She forced me to submit to her will and give up a part of myself to her. Our link is now solid and irreversible. Under her orders, she must approve of a wish before I can be able to grant it."

"How could she possibly do that?" asked Trunks.

"Her mind and spirit must be very strong indeed to exert her will over the Eternal Dragon. She would not need great power with such a spirit," remark Baba.

"So now what do we do?" wondered Goten.

Kya started to say something but was interrupted by a faint ringing noise. Everyone turned to Gohan. The ringing was coming from his clothes. After a moment of surprise, he quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

Trunks frowned at his friend. "Since when did you start carrying a cell phone?"

Gohan ignored Trunks’ question as he answered his cell. "Hello? Mom? I’m kind of busy right now – what? Slow down Mom, I didn’t catch what you said . . . Fighters in the sky? What did they look like? . . . Big, purple, and ugly? I’ll be right there, just stay in the house, Mom."

Gohan hung up the cell and looked to his friends, who had heard his side of the conversation and were left wondering. "I think I know where Frieza and King Kold are."

* * * * * *

The fight between father and son had continued unchecked for the last twenty minutes. Neither opponent was willing to let up. The sounds of the battle could be heard for miles around as fists flew and energy blasts were fired.

"Why don’t you just admit defeat, Father? You’re nothing but a decrepit has-been!" taunted Frieza, letting loose a volley of energy balls at his gargantuan elder.

"Never! Not before you do, you pampered dwarf!" King Kold shouted back, dodging the volley of balls and blocking those he couldn’t avoid, moving with incredible speed for his big bulk. He sped forward, preparing to return fire.

"Why don’t you both surrender before we wipe the ground with you?" queried a voice from off to the side of the two combatants.

Both Frieza and King Kold screeched to a halt in mid-air, looking wildly in all directions. Unnoticed by them during their fight, they had become surrounded by Earth’s defenders. Floating in circle formation around the two were Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, Sixteen, Krillin, Trunks, and Goten. On the ground below them, watching, were Chichi, Baba, Videl, Bulma, Kya, and Eighteen, her shoulder tightly bandaged by Sixteen to prevent her from fighting.

The one who had spoken had been Gohan, his arms crossed over his chest and his face set in a fierce expression that matched the other warriors with him. Frieza eyed the warriors warily while King Kold gave them all a scathing sneer. "You’ll never get me to go back to Hell. Not in a thousand years!"

King Kold raised his hand in the air as his energy level began to spike. A glowing golden ball appeared in his hand, rapidly growing to massive proportions. "I’m going to do what should have been done a long time ago!"

Gohan and the others’ eyes widened as they realized his intentions. He meant to destroy the whole planet! The energy ball continued to grow as King Kold began to cackle insanely. He’s lost it thought Frieza, backing away from his father with all haste.

"He’s gone off the deep end!" Krillin exclaimed, unknowingly echoing Frieza’s thoughts.

Abruptly, Kold was cut off mid cackle as a green force barreled into him at breakneck speed. It was Piccolo. Kold lost control of his energy ball as the green man crashed them both into the ground, sending up dirt and grass. Luckily, he managed to dodge the women, who stood a few feet away. In the air, Gohan took control of Kold’s errant energy ball, sending it further into the upper atmosphere where it exploded harmlessly.

The explosion blinded all those present temporarily, bestowing Kold with the leeway to give Piccolo a painful kick between the legs and make a mad dash to the warriors’ wives, who were still shielding their eyes. Kya was unprepared for the vice-like hand that clamped around her throat and shrieked as she was lifted off her feet, her mind flashing back to a similar situation she had experienced with Queen Frozena, escalating her panic. The women heard her shriek and as the light dissipated, they all saw her plight.

King Kold had lifted Kya up so they were eye to eye, his cold and ablaze with fury while hers were full of fear. Continuing to glare menacingly, he raised his finger to her tattooed forehead, the tip glowing as he pooled energy into it. "If I can’t destroy this irritating planet, I’ll at least get to destroy you."

Staring into the face that had been the cause of all her pain and shame over the past decades, Kya suddenly felt a burning anger coursing through her, overriding her panic. That anger became her fuel as her body erupted into flames, her spirit melding with the fiery element that she usually felt so at odds with. King Kold screamed as he released his grip, the flames severely burning his hand. The fire retreated as Kya fell to the ground in her normal form, panting from exertion. Despite the agony of moving his hand even a little, Kold reached for her once more, snarling.

But again, a figure barreled into Kold to stop his actions. It wasn’t the green form of Piccolo this time though. It was the white and purple form of Frieza. Blow after blow, Frieza blatantly beat his father, while Kya stared on in astonishment. Did Frieza just do what she think he just did? Did . . . did he just protect her from his own father?

Piccolo rushed to Kya’s side, helping her to her feet, as Bulma and the other women hurried over to check on their friend. Gohan and the others watched from above, surprised and wary of Frieza’s sudden attack on King Kold. It just didn’t make sense.

Under Frieza’s furious attack, it took King Kold a few moments to regain his bearings. Fending off the incoming punches, he began to grapple with his son, trying to gain some sort of leverage.

"What do you think you are doing? Attack the Earthlings, not me! Preventing them from sending us back to Hell is more important than your grievance with me!"

"Actually, it isn’t. Not in my mind."

Momentarily flabbergasted at this unexpected reply, King Kold was unable to prevent Frieza from overpowering him. Within seconds, he was pinned facedown on the ground, with Frieza’s three-toed foot pushing his face further into the dirt.

"I’m tired of it all, Father. At this point, I’d rather go back to Hell then spend one more second in your presence."

Frieza pressed down with both his feet, applying pressure to Kold’s neck and back. Abruptly there was a loud CRACK! as Kold’s spine snapped, effectively paralyzing him. King Kold howled in pain and then passed out as Frieza gave him a harsh blow to the head.

Frieza turned to face Gohan and the other warriors as they landed around him, staring in shock at King Kold’s still form. Resigning himself to his fate, Frieza spoke.

"He won’t be giving you anymore trouble. And I won’t give you anymore trouble either. I surrender."

If any of them had been prone to fainting, they probably would have done so at that moment. As it was, there was oxygen deprivation all around, as everyone was either gasping or gaping. Kya’s eyes bore down at her son, as her thoughts whirled in confusion and bewilderment but Frieza avoided looking at her.

"You want to surrender? But why?" asked Gohan. Krillin elbowed him smartly, giving him a look that plainly said, Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Frieza frowned at the half-Saiyan. "Why are you asking? Just take me back before I change my mind."

Unwilling to let it go at just that, Kya stepped towards her son, undeterred by her husband’s protesting hands. Frieza’s fierce glare stopped her about a foot away. Undaunted, she asked the question that had been weighing upon her mind. "Why did you save me? When King Kold was about to grab me, why did you protect me from him?"

Frieza’s hard eyes drilled into hers but when she didn’t avert her gaze, he gave in to her plea. "I have been told that you are my mother. I want to hear it straight from you. Are you the one who gave birth to me?"

Kya let out a lengthy sigh. "Yes. I am." She paused. "Who told you?"

"That strange, dark-haired girl." Kya blinked. Ali did?

A sudden thought occurred to Frieza. "She told me to keep me from killing that Namek boy. Is he truly your son as well?"

Kya nodded. "Yes. Pendril and Lidal are my children." Meeting his gaze once again, she added, "I am sorry for abandoning you."

Taking a deep breath, Frieza replied, "I apologize as well. For the grief I have caused you." He paused. "I regret what might have been."

"Alright. That’s enough. Time to get going," announced Baba in her imperious way as she floated by on her crystal ball. Frieza obediently followed, lifting his father’s unconscious body over his shoulder. As Baba opened a portal to the Otherworld, he looked back at Kya, who was fighting back tears. "Good-bye . . . Mother."

In a flash of light, they were gone. Piccolo stepped forward, placing a comforting arm around his wife as she leaned into his reassuring presence. Will you be all right?

Kya wiped her eyes. I will be. "Let’s get back to the Lookout."

* * * * * *

Marron, Pendril, Lidal, Bra, and Pan stood off to the side by the Dragonballs, while the adults stood several yards away, involved in an intense discussion. Shenlong was gone, having returned to his slumber at the request of Piccolo, sense there would be no wishes granted anytime soon.

Pan angrily kicked at a rock. "I hate it when they exclude us from things because we’re kids. What could they be talking about that they don’t want us to hear?"

Marron stared sadly at the door to the room that held Ali Mystic. At fourteen, she was aware of certain facts that the younger kids weren’t. "I’m sure they have good reasons, Pan."

Bra looked at the twins, remembering something. "Hey, you guys have good hearing. Can’t you listen in on their conversation?"

The twins shook their heads. "Papa made sure that they stationed themselves far enough away so we couldn’t," explained Lidal.

Dejected, the children became quiet once more, each returning to their own private thoughts while across the demolished Lookout, the adults discussed the future of their friend, Ali Mystic.

"You want to what?"

That question had been voiced by Eighteen. Once the group had returned to the Lookout after Baba’s departure, Kya had finally come clean about her idea on how to save the life of Ali Mystic. And it was an unusual one to say the least.

Kya sighed patiently. "I can create a cocoon to place Ali Mystic in. While in the cocoon, Kaachi can alter her body so that she can sustain the changes that have been done to her. Just like she did with Piccolo and Sixteen."

"If so, then why can’t the Earth just absorb Ali Mystic like she did them?" asked Bulma.

"They placed their trust and their souls into her hands, literally. Her mind is too broken for that. The alteration must be done delicately in gradual stages over a long period of time. Kaachi and I have discussed this. It’s the only choice," explained Kya, stroking Embyr’s head, who was perched on her shoulder. "If she was a Shizen, it wouldn’t matter."

"Why is that?" asked Videl.

"Kaachi has sole dominion over all Shizen. We have no control when we die whether to stay dead or be reborn. That is for her to decide."

"You said it would take a long time. How long?" asked Gohan.

"Several years."

"How many years?" asked Sixteen.

"Most likely . . . Between ten and twenty."

There was a moment of silence as everyone absorbed the consequences of that. Dende and Mr. Popo would be unable to return. They were all so used to people returning from the dead. It was a harsh dose of reality.

Dr. Aleks had so far been watching the proceedings in a sort of surreal disbelief. But with talk of her assistant staying in the past where she didn’t belong she couldn’t remain silent anymore.

"You people are unbelievable! Mystic is not staying here! She is going in the time machine with me back to the future, where she belongs! And getting proper medical treatment!"

"Haven’t you been listening? Ali Mystic is dying! And Kya is her only hope!" yelled Videl, incensed. Embyr screeched a scolding in agreement.

"We’re not about to let you anywhere near her, not after what you’ve done," proclaimed Bulma.

"She can’t stay here. She doesn’t belong here. Don’t you people understand that?" exclaimed Dr. Aleks.

"It’s your fault she’s here and in this situation. Deal with it," replied Eighteen. "Besides, she can’t leave anyway. Not with her link to the Eternal Dragon still intact."

"Do you know what this could do to the timeline? She is not meant to stay in this time!" yelled the blonde scientist.

"Actually, she is."

In an instant, everyone’s attention was on Kya. Piccolo’s eyes narrowed at his wife. She’d been keeping something from him! "Care to explain that little statement?"

Kya hesitated. "Do you remember the disks Dr. Aleks brought from the future that couldn’t be deciphered?"

"Yeah. You discovered they were journals written in the Shizen language," replied Bulma. (AN: Don’t remember what she’s talking about? Take a look at the end of Chapter 4.)

Kya smoothed back a strand of her green hair nervously. "Well, I also discovered who they belonged to. They were Ali Mystic’s."

For a stunned moment the power of speech left the assemblage. Then it returned full force, in unison.

"SAY WHAT?!"

Kya took a step back, startled. On her shoulder, Embyr trilled in alarm. "Ali Mystic wrote those journals. And they were dated nearly two decades from now. Don’t you see? She survived. And she lived out her life here, in this time. This was all meant to be."

"That’s just . . . mind-boggling," whispered Bulma.

"It’s like fate," commented Krillin.

"So let’s carry out fate’s plan. Let’s use Kya’s idea to save Ali Mystic," stated Videl.

"What needs to be done?" asked Gohan.

Kya crossed her arms thoughtfully as she glanced around. "Well, she should stay up here on the Lookout. It’ll be safe for her here. I wonder if anything of Mr. Popo’s garden survived. It would make things easier . . ." And she wondered over in that direction.

Of Mr. Popo’s once pretty, illustrious garden, there remained only one solitary tree. Kya placed her hand on the bark, reaching out to it with her mind. "This is a good strong tree. It alone survived the catastrophe that has become the Lookout." She glanced back at the others. "It will do."

There was a flurry of activity as Piccolo went to fetch the comatose Ali Mystic, with Bulma tagging along to check over her vitals one last time. At Kya’s instructions, he laid her down at the base of the tree. Seeing the activity, the kids ran up to them, wondering what was going on.

"What are you doing with Ali Mystic? She’s not dead, is she?" questioned Marron apprehensively.

"No, she’s not," reassured Trunks. He proceeded to tell them what Kya was doing and why.

"You mean, we won’t get to see Ali again ‘til we’re all grown up?" asked Lidal tearfully.

"Yeah, I’m afraid so," answered Trunks. Pendril lowered his head, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. He fingered the silver butterfly that hung from around his neck. I’ll just have to hold on to this a little longer than I thought. But I will be able to return it to Ali Mystic!

Meanwhile, Kya started to glow as she built up power from the Earth. Embyr glowed as well, lending her own power to the mix to keep Kya from getting too tired later on. Gradually the glow spread to cover the entire tree and Ali Mystic’s prone form. Right before their eyes, the tree began to grow ‘til its now massive trunk towered even over Sixteen’s immense height. The branches grew thicker, becoming sturdier, as bright new leaves sprouted all along their lengths. Slowly the growth tapered off as Kya opened her eyes. "That should do it."

"Sure is an impressive sight," remarked Krillin.

"That should do what?" asked Eighteen.

"It’ll hold her weight now," answered Kya.

Reaching out to the tree again, Kya merged her mind with its being. Like prehensile tentacles, several green vines reached out from the branches, wrapping themselves around Ali Mystic’s arms, legs, and abdomen. Gently the vines lifted her off the ground, raising her among the tree’s branches. More vines shot out, wrapping around her, enclosing her in a cocoon like a caterpillar. The cocoon anchored in the branches and steadied, safe and protected for the years to come. And it would be years before any of them saw Ali Mystic again.

Silently the warriors and their families said good-bye and returned to their homes to recover from the emotional and physical ordeal of the last couple days. Before heading home, Sixteen and Bulma escorted Dr. Aleks to her time machine, making sure to destroy all the scientist’s research before letting her take off to her own time with Mr. Yondeiru’s body. And that was the last they saw of her, to their great relief.

It took several weeks for Piccolo, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Sixteen to rebuild the Lookout to its former glory. After that, only Piccolo went up there to take a survey of the Earth and to check on the cocoon. Too many bad memories for the others. Pendril often accompanied him, mostly to reassure himself that she was all right.

It was during one of these visits that Trunks went up there, looking for Pendril. Piccolo pointed out his location to him, sitting forlornly on a window ledge over looking the giant tree that contained the cocoon. Trunks floated up beside him, taking a seat on the ledge.

"Up here again, Pendril?"

Pendril sighed. "I miss her. I wish . . . I wish we’d gotten to know her better, before all this happened."

"Yeah, I feel the same way." Trunks reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "Here. I thought you should be the first to see these."

Pendril took the envelope and opened it to reveal several photographs. "These . . . these are the photos Ali took the day we went to see the pterodactyls nest." So much happened that day.

"Yeah. I finally got around to developing the film in her camera. I made copies for everyone, so that set is for you and your sister. Just something to remember her by. She was a good photographer."

Pendril glanced up from perusing the pictures. "Thanks Trunks."

"Hey, she was our friend." Trunks stood, rustling the young Namek’s thick hair as he did so. "You take care Pendril. And don’t brood too much."

With that, Trunks left, leaving Pendril to study the photos in solitude. The one he looked over the most, though, was taken by Trunks. The one where he caught Ali Mystic with a rare smile lighting up her face, holding the runt baby pterodactyl in her arms. Pendril looked up, tears in his eyes. Just make sure she heals and I’ll see to it she smiles like that all the time. And a sudden breeze came, ruffling his green locks, as if in consensus.

Fate has been realized, destiny achieved

Now she belongs in their world

All that remains

Is the metamorphosis of her wings.

10.19.## continued . . .

I guess that’s enough for now. I can hear him stirring in the next room. I should go back to bed before he realizes I’m having sleeping problems again. At least my thoughts aren’t whirling around as much, so I should be able to sleep easier now. Writing really does help. But now that I’ve begun telling my story, I don’t want to stop. I’ll just have to finish it later.

*End of the Mystic Saga*