The police had seen me with the Dragon Ball Z people. They telephoned my parents, who rushed to the school. David had been bombarded with questions but all he would say was that he didn't know who they were or where they had gone. All the while, he was glancing at me, looking for my reaction and I kept my face a deadly blank.
Inside, I was screaming.
My parents thanked the police, invited David to dinner, and drove me home. If they had not taken away my car, I doubt I would have went home willingly. I had the sickening feeling that I had made a grave mistake by letting Gokou and the others go after Frieza without me. I had no idea what was going on, if they'd found Frieza and were fighting. If they were ok or hurt or . . . dead.
Stop it! I yelled silently. You're only torturing yourself!
We sat around the dinner table: Mom, Dad, Manny, David, and me. I stared down at my food, letting my vision unfocus so that there was only blurred colors and nothing else. I could see Frieza confronting my anime friends and family whom I'd lived with for ten years. Could see that vile warlord demanding to know where the 'puny female' was, the girl who had defeated him. I saw him striking everyone down then hunting for me who was helpless. Helpless.
"How was your day, Alicia?" my mom asked, trying to make conversation.
"Fine," I muttered, still intent on my plate. I saw Krillin, my best friend, perishing at the hands of Frieza. No chance . . .
"That's good. Was everyone happy to see you?"
Gohan, little brother, struck down. Piccolo enraged but also fruitless to defend again the attack.
"I guess."
My Vegeta . . . doing his best to block again and again. My husband collapsing . . .
"Are- are you ok?" David asked.
Even Gokou failing. Super Saiya-jin form no match. Caught off guard, laying still . . .
Frieza has won . . .
I stood suddenly, upsetting my chair, and slammed my fists on the table. Glasses overturned and plates rattled.
"This is insane!" I cried.
"Alicia," my riaru father said sternly. "Control yourself."
"No . . . No!" I shouted. "I've been too obeying. Too calm. Too feeling sorry for myself when I should be out there fighting."
"Fighting?" my mom shrieked. "Fighting who?"
"I'm sorry. Sorry for ever trying to go back to my old life."
"Alicia, what are you-"
"My name is Ally!" I looked at the four of them, panicky. "The ten days you thought I was kidnapped? I wasn't! I wasn't even gone for ten days. What really happened was I left this world to live in another. Please! Let me finish! Ten years passed by there. I- I grew up, finished High School, got a job, married, had kids. Kami! I was almost thirty back there with my two children. We were so happy. Me and my husband, Vegeta." Tears welled up in my eyes.
"Then we were told this terrible villain had escaped into the real world- this world- and we had no choice but to follow. I had no choice but to return to being Alicia, whom I had loathed and forgotten. And- and now-" I sobbed. "Now they're out there fighting for a world that's alien to them only because of me!"
"That's enough," my father snapped. "I knew you had an obsession with that- that cartoon but this fantasy has-"
"It's not a fantasy!" I cried, desperately trying to make them believe me.
"She's telling the truth," Manny asserted. "I met them and Gokou even showed me that he could go Super Saiya-jin and I know it's true," he added lamely.
My dad's eyes narrowed. "Don't you pulled him into your delusions, Alicia."
"My name is Ally," I repeated. There had to be some way for me to prove . . . I gave a little triumphant cry. Of course! Why hadn't I thought of this before? I slipped my necklace from around my neck, unclasped Vegeta's gift. I palmed the small, fragile glass bottle, feeling the warmth trapped within.
"Please glow," I whispered. "For me . . . "
And it did. Brighter and brighter until the whole room was filled with Vegeta's power. Seeing the familiar ki was saddening. I securing the two trinkets around my neck, looked up at everyone who blinked in shock.
"I'm going to find them," I stated, my voice icy and cold. "You may have taken my car but I have my two legs and I will not rest until I find them . . . with or without your help." Then I spun on my heel and marched out the front door.
Cold wind stirred the heavy air, slicing through me and ruffling my hair. I broke into a job; Vegeta's still glowing bottle pointed the direction.
"Please me ok, guys. Please . . . "
A car suddenly swerved in front of me, cutting off my path. David rolled down the window.
"I believe you!" he shouted.
I almost collapsed with relief and climbed in the passenger seat.
"Thank you," I breathed. "They're that way."
David glanced at me as he drove on. "Are you really married?"
I nodded.
"Is . . . , is it that guy who was in the office?"
I nodded again.
"What's in that?" he asked, indicating the bottle I had clasped tightly in my hands.
"A tiny portion of his power." I looked down. "He saved me once with it."
"Did he give you that medallion too?"
I shook my head. "One of my good friends gave me it. He's here as well . . . and my adopted father and brother and best friend . . . They all came back with me to battle Frieza. I fought him once . . . a long time ago . . . and defeated him. But now he's here and looking for me.
"Why you?"
"Because I'm the puny female," I answered drily. "I'm the one who took away his immortality and killed his men and blew up his ship. And now he's back . . . "
"Can he be defeated again?"
"I- I don't know."
We fell silent, listening to the sound of the car and the wind whipping through the trees.
"Alicia- Ally- are . . . are you going to leave again?"
I didn't answer. I didn't answer because I didn't know.
* * *
We were almost there. I could tell by the thick clouds of dust. I urged David on faster, knowing the fighting had already began and praying I wasn't too late. If anything, I would tell Frieza to take me and let them go. No more killing.
We came over a large hill and suddenly it was like the Earth had become silent. The breath had been sucked from us. The only movement came from the ever-present wind beating against the car. Slowly, almost as if we were moving in slow motion, David and I opened our doors, wide-eyed at the scene before us.
"No . . . "
I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. The whole land was destroyed. All of it. The trees had been blown away and deep craters were etched in the ground. I had gotten here too late. Too late. Too . . . late . . .
"No!" I took off, stumbling down the hill on shaky legs. David called my name but I ignored him. They had to be all right. Had to be ok. I shouted their names and stillness answered back. Drained, I fell to my knees, sobbing.
"Ally?"
It was the slightest mumble and the wind tried to take it away from me. I jerked my head around, unsure that I'd heard anything at all.
Then there was a groan and a dust-covered figure turned over roughly on his back.
"G- Gokou?"
I scrambled to him and even before I drew near, his injuries were apparent. I held a hand to my mouth to hold in the waves of sickness. I had never seen Gokou that beaten before. His face was contorted and bloody, his clothes tattered, and his limbs twisted at odd angles. I turned my eyes back to his face, which was trying to smile.
"No, no, Gokou! What happened?"
"F- Frieza . . . surprised us."
The mention of that monster struck terror in me but Gokou chuckled softly.
"He is dead . . . as well."
As well? I frowned. "Where are the others?"
His face fell, both anger and sadness flooded his eyes. He wouldn't answer.
"Dad, where are they?" I cried, my voice rising shrilly.
Unnoticed, David walked up behind me, quiet.
Gokou looked away. "Krillin fell first and then Gohan. Piccolo became enraged and then he too . . . "
Krillin, Gohan, and Piccolo . . . all dead? It seemed ludicrous. It was ludicrous. We had been so happy and now I would never laugh with Krillin again or joke around with Gohan or have deep discussions with Piccolo ever again.
Gokou grimaced as a stab of pain coursed through his battered body. "Don't cry, Ally. You-ah!-- you can wish us back!"
I shook my head furiously. "There aren't any Dragonballs here! And what do you mean 'us'? You're not-"
Gokou smiled wanly. "You know I can't survive this one." He coughed, spitting up blood.
I clasped his hand. "Hang on, Dad!" A thought hit me. "But what about Vegeta? Where is Vegeta?"
"I don't know," he said, closing his eyes. "I don't know. We were separated. I don't have the strength . . . " his voice faded.
"No, Gokou!"
He seemed to sigh and his hand fell out of mine limply. I stayed there, hunched over his body, weeping for my lost friends.
"I'll miss you . . . Daddy."
I felt a hand touch my shoulder lightly and stared up into David's concerned face. Without a word, I moved into his arms, needing some kind of comfort. The blaring of sirens came over to us, several police cars and a fire truck. My parents were close behind and jumped out as soon as they had stopped, running to me.
I was still crying and seeing the paramedics trying to revive Gokou brought a wave of nausea and I threw up on the ground. My mother hugged me to her.
"They're dead because of me," I sobbed. "Because of me!"
"Shh," she hushed, stroking my hair. "It's not your fault, honey."
I pulled away, staring at them with blurry eyes. "You're wrong. This is my fault. If I had never went there, none of this would have happened. They'd all still be alive. Vegeta would . . . Kami! I can't even find him! If he's gone . . . " I didn't finish. Life without Vegeta? There would be no more snide replies or raised eyebrows. No more soft kisses or lazy weekends snuggled in his arms. No more arguments over the stupidest things. No more catching him doing some task so contradictory to his usual princely, prideful attitude. The thought was too horrible to bare.
"Over here!" a paramedic shouted to some others. "This one's still alive!"
My parents and David called after me when I bolted in the direction of the paramedic, police trying to stop me. I shoved them aside, darting across the battlefield, past the startled paramedic. At the bottom of another hill, I slid to a halt, not breathing.
Vegeta lay against one lone tree, propped up as if he'd crawled there himself. I could see his chest rising and falling in heavy gasps for air, his eyes tightly shut.
"Vegeta?" I called softly.
He opened his eyes, looked at me, and they were glazed with pain.
"Ally . . . "
I moved toward him, afraid to touch him but wanting to more than ever before. I knelt beside him, tearing strips off my shirt to try to stop his bleeding from multiple wounds.
"I'm here now, Vegeta," I said, making my voice remain calm. "Everything's going to be fine."
"Frieza is dead."
"I know. Gokou told me right before . . . Frieza killed all of them, Vegeta."
He cursed, trying to sit up. The movement brought more pain and he dropped down, his head landing in my lap.
"Be strong, Ally."
"I will," I said, taking his hand. "I am."
"I know you are." He smiled though his eyes began to water. He tried to restrain them, but tears spilled down his cheeks. "Ally, I wish we'd had . . . more time together."
I placed my fingers on his lips to shush him, but he pulled them gently away.
"I don't have much time, Ally."
"No, Vegeta. You're fine. There's some people here who will help you. We'll go home and put you in a rejuvenation tank-"
He shook his head. "No time. No time . . . " Even as he spoke, I could feel the energy leaving him, draining away. "If only I could hold you in my arms one last time . . . "
"I'm right here. I'm right here, Vegeta," I told him, burying my face against his chest. I felt him shudder and realized he was weeping. My mouth sought his and found it; our tears mingled.
"I love you, Ally . . . " he murmured and it was like his words entered me and penetrated the very depths of my being. "I am . . . sorry . . . "
And then his lips went slack beneath mine and fell away. I closed my eyes, cradled his limp body against mine. His bottle around my neck, that had continued to glow, faded and turned black before crumbling to dust with Piccolo's medallion, carrying away on the wind.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this," I whispered. "Not like this . . . No, Vegeta, you can't be gone. I can't live without you." My sobs came faster and louder, tearing my apart with their viciousness. Wildly, I stared up at the sky. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, Shenlong! You hear me? IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS!" My scream echoed throughout the dead land, startling my riaru parents nearby. I tightened my grip on Vegeta, bowing my head in despair.
A bright light burst from the darkened sky above us. Everyone gasped. I didn't have to see whose arrival it announced. I knew all too well.
"Do something, Shenlong," I said in a low, deadly voice.
He sighed a great sigh. "What would you have me to do?"
"Bring them back to life and send us home."
"You are home."
I snapped my head up and met his powerful gaze. "I don't belong here."
"You do not belong in anime."
"Yes, I do. It's my home. Where I lived for ten years. You know that."
"You must make a decision," he rumbled. "Between two choices. The first one is that you would stay here. The five fighters would be brought to their full health and sent to their own world. They would have no memory of you and their lives would become as they should have."
"And me? Would I remember?"
"If you wished. The second is all of you would stay here. The others would become wholly of this world, no powers, but you would be here together."
"This is crazy!" I cried. "Why do I have to make this decision?"
"That is just the way of things."
"But- but I can't decide this. Not by myself."
"You have to. Hurry, the Gateway is closing."
This was impossible! Life without them or life with them but unhappy? I couldn't make this decision without the others.
"Shenlong, I can't decide."
"Then they will remain as they are."
I looked down at Vegeta's body.
"Be strong, Ally."
My gaze hardened, tears slipped down my cheeks. "Save them, please," I whispered, overcome with the weight of my choice. "And send them back to their own world."
Shenlong bowed his great head. "Farewell, Alicia of riaru, Ally of anime. You are a great being among us. I hope we meet again . . . someday. Farewell." And in a flash, the light, Vegeta, the others, and the Eternal Dragon were gone and I crumpled into the settling dust alone.