"What happened?" Krillin muttered, grimacing as he sat up. The others were stirring around him, spread out from where the immense power blast had thrown them.
"I feel like I've been hit by a train," Gokou said, rubbing the back of his head. His fingers came away bloody.
Gohan groaned. "The last thing I remember was a great white light shooting from Ally into Frieza."
Vegeta jerked his head around, searching. "Frieza's . . . gone."
"We did it," Piccolo sighed.
"It was Ally," said Krillin. "Where is she anyway?"
They looked around at the demolished area calling, "Ally! Ally!" but she wasn't to be found. Where had she went?
Soon they began to doubt she had survived the battle and the more they thought about that great light, the more they realized it was impossible. They were a miserable, downcast group. Even Vegeta was silent, staring at the ground. Gokou punched his fist into a rock wall, feeling helpless. He just couldn't believe she was gone. Krillin walked away so no one would see the tears that formed in his eyes, spilling over his cheeks. Ally . . . He would never forgive himself for letting this happen to her.
"Hey guys!" Gohan shouted, breaking their muddled state. "Over here! I found her!"
They ran to Gohan. Ally lay amid a pile of rubbish, twisted and bloodied.
"Is she . . . is she . . . " Krillin couldn't finish.
Suddenly, he appeared. Shenlong. The Eternal Dragon. He hovered in the air above them, behind them, all around them. He didn't come from the Dragonballs. He had just . . . appeared. Everyone stared at his massive form, shocked.
It was Krillin who first found his voice. "Do something to help her," he pleaded.
"I cannot heal her."
"But you're the Eternal Dragon. You have the power."
"I cannot heal her," Shenlong repeated. "She is not of this plane."
"What do you mean?" asked Gokou, puzzled. "A- a different dimension?"
The dragon shook his great head. "Another world altogether. This girl whom you know by the name Ally made a wish deep within her heart though she did not know it. I heard this wish and brought her here."
"But that crash almost killed her!" cried Krillin.
"I was unable to control the transition from her world to ours. I have never allowed such crossovers to happen." He paused, thinking. "She is the first."
"But because of you, she is dying!"
"Only here. Her riaru body is still intact."
"Then change her back!"
"Of course," he rumbled. "That is why I came."
A bright white light encased Ally, lifting her limp body. The light seemed to penetrate every inch, radiating inside as well. They watched, mouths gaped open, as she began to change. Her hair grew shorter, a different shade of brown. Her eyes became smaller, though the lashes were longer. Her clothes that had been shredded to almost nothing melted into a new attire of a fashion they had never seen before. Indeed the person floating unconscious before them only slightly resembled the Ally they knew. Then the light streamed into her mouth, forcing her lungs to breathe again. The last thing to chance were the many wounds on her body; her fractured ankle, burned chest, and countless bruises and cuts disappeared.
Her eyes sprung open.
* * *
The light shone all around me. I could feel its warmth inside my body. Inside? I started; my hand flew to my chest. I looked down, stunned. My- my burns . . . were . . . gone . . . Wait a minute. My clothes- I was wearing the same thing I had on right before the crash. I touched my face; my eyes widened.
"I'm- I'm back to normal," I whispered. "But how?"
"You are in the Gateway," a voice answered. "Between your world and ours."
I looked up. Shenlong hovered endlessly above me.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"We'd like to know the same thing," interjected Gokou.
I turned. Well, floated around. The fact that something, some force, was holding me up had been one of the very first things I'd noticed. All the others stood not far away, a wary eye on both me and Shenlong.
"Ally?" Krillin was uncertain.
I nodded. "This is the real, the riaru, me. Shenlong, what does this mean?"
"Look behind you."
I did cautiously. "Home! It's my home! Then . . . I accomplished what I was sent to do?"
"You did."
"Then, Frieza's dead?"
Shenlong sighed. "All the time you were here, you thought that was your goal. That is not why I sent you. You will understand, in time."
"So, I can go home?"
"Yes."
I laughed, so happy was I. Home! Oh how I dreamed of returned to familiarity, to my warm bed and security. Where no one could fly or blast each other apart. That was home. A place of sanity and no pain.
Then I saw the Dragon Ball Z fighters staring up at me and my eagerness blew away on the wind. Goodbye to this world also meant goodbye to them. I didn't want it, but a lump lodged in my throat. We had grown so close in so few days, laughed and cried together. And now I would never see them again."
"Guys," I choked, and bit my lip against the tears. No regrets, I told myself. Remember. I cleared my throat and said to Shenlong, "Can I say goodbye first?"
"Very well. But you must stay in the Gateway or you will return to your anime body."
I shuddered. I didn't want to feel that gnawing pain again. The light set me gently on the ground. Gokou was the first to step up to me.
"We survived," I said as lightly as I could. The truth was that I didn't like how sad I felt. I was going home! I should be ecstatic!
He grinned. "It was fun. I wish we had more time. You could teach me those techniques of yours."
I laughed. "I don't know if I could repeat them." I stopped, my bottom lip trembled. "Oh, come here you big lug." I gave him a hug, hiding my face against his chest and just letting him hold me for a while. Forcing myself to break away, I wiped my wet face with the back of my hand. "Don't forget me, Gokou."
"Of course I won't. Oh, hey, that reminds me. Vegeta took off just a few minutes ago but I'm sure he would've liked to have said goodbye. You know how he is."
"Yeah." I suddenly regretted that I wouldn't get the chance to thank the Saiya-jin Prince for saving my life. There was an ache in my heart to see him, to not leave things unmended, and it scared me like crazy.
I pushed that thought away as I caught sight of Krillin and Gohan.
"Go back to your studies, Gohan," I said, playfully ruffling his hair. "Just don't give up on your training. You'll be as strong as Piccolo some day."
He beamed, wiping the tears from his cheeks.
"Don't be sad, Krillin," I said softly, kneeling in front of him and hugging him tightly. I held him out at arms' length. "I'm going home."
His voice was pained. "We had so many adventures, Ally. How can you leave?"
"I have to." But it sounded lame even to my ears. "I don't belong here. Look at me, Krillin." His blurry eyes met mine. "I'll always be in here," I said, placing my finger to his chest. "Just as you will always be in here, my friend." I put my hand over my own heart. "Thank you for being there for me."
He started to speak but was overcome with tears.
I saw Piccolo walked toward us, and I straightened. We surveyed each other. Then suddenly he bent low at the waist.
"Piccolo . . . " I choked.
His hand vanished inside his cape, then produced the medallion he had dropped. He laid in my shaking hands and stepped back. To my surprise Piccolo went to one knee and bowed lower than before. Without a word, Gokou, Krillin, and Gohan did the same. My tears flowed freely now. I couldn't say anything. I was so touched. Instead, I flung my arms around Piccolo's neck. He hesitated a moment before returning the hug.
Then I looked up; my breath caught in my throat. I moved away from Piccolo stiffly, staring behind him.
Vegeta strode up to me and we stood staring at each other in silence.
Finally he spoke. "You are leaving?"
"I am."
His coal-black eyes bored into mine. "So you were not a spy after all."
Vegeta, evil Prince of the Saiya-jin, was admitting he had been wrong? I said nothing.
He shifted, crossing then uncrossing his arms. "Here," he huffed and thrust something into my hands.
I looked down at the tiny, tear-shaped bottle, peering inside it. What looked like miniature bolts of lightning flickered and I sucked in my breath.
"It's . . . it's beautiful."
Vegeta grunted in reply. And then, as if realizing he'd just given me a gift, spun on his heel to walk away.
"Vegeta-" I said quickly.
He stopped, half turning. His eyebrow raised.
"I- I-" Now I had his attention but the words I so dearly wanted to say would not come. "I didn't know you were the one who saved me," I blurted. I wanted to run to him but the light held me back.
For a moment, his gaze was tender. But he frowned and continued walking.
"Vegeta!" I cried desperately.
"It is time to go," the Eternal Dragon told me.
I nodded, watched Vegeta move away. Tears ran down my face as the light pulled me closer to home but further away from the Dragon Ball Z fighters. The Gateway began to close, blocking the anime world from my sight. Just before I was encased totally in the portal, I heard Vegeta howl an angry sound. Then I was alone, flying through a bright tunnel.
Or almost alone.
"You will miss them," commented Shenlong, who was flying along beside me.
I stayed focused on that window to home, not wanting to think about what I was leaving behind. Or who.
"I guess," I muttered.
"Are you sure this is what you want?"
I bit my lip, nodding my head.
Shenlong glanced sideways at me. "I will be near, if you wish to find me. The Gateway opens periodically." The great dragon fell silent and I got the feeling he was waiting for me to ask him what had been puzzling me.
"Why did you send me if not to kill Frieza?"
"I sent you to make a difference in the lives of those you met in anime. You accomplished that."
I snorted. "They'll forget me soon enough."
"Your words go against your heart. If you have need of me, call my name, and I will come if the Gateway remains open for that long."
"Ok." Yeah right. As soon as I got home, I was going to take a hot shower and forget this ever happened.
"Here we are."
We slowed and my excitement rose. Home!
The light in front of us broke open to reveal my house, my neighborhood, my world.
"Farewell," said Shenlong. "Remember my worlds."
Eagerly, I stepped through the portal and suddenly found myself on the floor of my bedroom. School books and papers were spread out around me just as they had been when I left. What the-
I jumped to my feet and two objects rolled onto the floor. Not breathing, I bent and picked them up. My vision blurred. It was the medallion and bottle, my presents. They were real; somehow they had turned real. Wait a minute . . . I peered into Vegeta's bottle. The lightning was still there inside. I attached the bottle to the chain and slipped it over my head.
"Mom!" I called, running out into the hallway. "Dad! I'm back!" No answer. "Manny?" Where was everyone? I traveled downstairs. "Hello? Mom? Dad?" There was a note by the telephone.
"Alicia," I read outloud. "Manny had soccer practice. Dad's at a meeting in Huntsville. Be home later tonight. Call my cell phone if you need anything. Love, Mom."
What time was it? I looked at the clock. 6:32 P.M.. But that was impossible! I had left at 6:29 P.M.. Three minutes? I was gone for only three minutes?
I sank into a kitchen chair. But at least three days had passed away on Namek while I was there. I held my head in my hands. No one even knew I had been gone. No one knew. Was I going crazy? Had the whole thing only been a dream after all?
The jingle around my neck said otherwise.
* * *
I had school early the next morning but sleep would not come. My bed was sticky with perspiration as I tossed around uncomfortably. Finally I gave up and switched on the lamp beside my bed. I saw up, the trinkets reminding me of . . . of . . . I tried to shove those horrible images out my head, to forget what had been done to me and what I myself had done.
Flopping back down onto my pillow, I clutched Vegeta and Piccolo's gifts to my chest, allowing memories to assault my mind. Curled up in Gokou's arms. Krillin always there to comfort me. The endless battles with Vegeta. Disintegrating the two Ginyu Force members. Revealing to Dende my secret. Nail teaching me to fly with only his hand to keep me up. The pain, always constant. Piccolo making me a crutch. Discovery of how I crashed to Namek. The fight against Frieza.
So many memories. But the one that stood out from all the rest was the short time I had flown on Vegeta's back. It was still so fresh, so vivid. I could still feel the warmth of his body against mine and the steady rhythm of his heart.
At last I fell asleep. The power of Vegeta, the mighty Prince, rested on my chest, and my dreams were filled with him.