I lay down beside Gohan who was snoring pleasantly. I envied how he could sleep so easily and peacefully even when he knew danger was ahead. I propped my head up on one elbow. Poor kid, I thought fondly, brushing his dark bangs from his forehead. He had no idea how hard his future would be. I sighed. No one did. If only I could change it so they wouldn't have to go through all that suffering. Tomorrow would be a big day, the day that would decide all our fates.
I heard the scuffling of feet and looked over my shoulder. It was Krillin.
"Did I wake you?" he asked.
"No." I turned back to Gohan and pulled his thin blanket up to his chin. He twitched, muttering in his sleep, then lay still. I smiled sadly and looked at Krillin who had sat down beside me. "Just thinking."
He looked troubled. "Ally," he said at last. "You didn't tell Piccolo you wanted to leave, did you?"
"No."
"Did he- did he hurt you?"
"He didn't."
Krillin stared at the floor. "Ally, I must ask. Are you really a spy? Piccolo and Vegeta seem so sure you are."
I lifted his chin with my finger. "You really want to know?"
He nodded.
"No. I'm not."
Krillin searched my face for a moment then nodded again. "I always knew you weren't. What happened between you and Vegeta? He just took off and the next thing we knew, you showed up with him."
"It was the weirdest thing, Krillin," I said, sitting up. "He shows up out of the blue and offers to take me back to you guys. No catches, no conditions. At first, I didn't know what to do. I mean, he hates me. And then on the way here I fell off his back and he . . . well, he saved me."
"Wow. That makes twice now!"
"Twice what?" I asked, confused.
"Twice that he's saved you." He touched the bandages that covered my chest.
I gasped. "You mean, he gave me these burns?"
"He did it to save your life though. On the way to Guru's you- you stopped breathing," he choked, the memory apparently still fresh in his mind. "We- we didn't know what to do. Vegeta said he could use his lightning technique but it might be too dangerous. We had no choice but to let him and he shocked you back to life."
"I didn't know," I whispered. "Thank you, Krillin, for telling me." I had died? I was shaking, my arms wrapped protectively over my chest. That explained a lot of things.
"Krillin?"
"Yes?"
"I... I'm scared."
He moved and I lay my head in his lap, crying quietly. He smoothed my hair, humming a soft tune. I began to drift asleep.
Footsteps were heard coming toward us. Piccolo.
Krillin's eyes narrowed.
"I want to speak to the girl," Piccolo told him. "Alone."
"It's ok, Krillin," I said.
He looked unsure but stood and walked to the entrance, never taking his eyes off Piccolo.
"Gokou says Frieza will be here within the hour," he said once Krillin was gone.
I just gazed at him.
He looked uncomfortable. "Look," he said, the word coming out more as a growl. "I know when I'm wrong and I was wrong about you."
"Why the sudden change of mind?"
He shrugged. "Too many things go against my misconception."
"So you're being forced to believe me?"
He grinned that devilish grin of his. "Something like that."
"Well," I sighed. "It's a start." With great effort, I got to my feet. "We'd better go on outside, if Frieza's due any minute."
He agreed then produced a long stick from his cloak. "Here."
"A crutch? You made me a crutch?"
"If you don't want it, I can easily use it for firewood," he retorted gruffly.
"No, no. It's a wonderful gift." I took it from him, tucked it under my arm, and tried it out. It made walking much easier, allowing me to keep weight off my ankle. I looked up at him. "Thank you, Piccolo."
"Thought you might need it." He bent over Gohan, shaking the boy gently to wake him. Gohan seemed to instantly know what was going on and jumped up.
"Ally! You can walk around now!"
I grinned. "Watch out, Frieza!"
"Outside," Piccolo ordered, giving Gohan a light shove.
Gokou and Vegeta stood side by side, their jaws set and faces determined. I could feel the hatred in Vegeta; Frieza had destroyed him home planet, his life. Gokou was calm as he always was before a great battle. Two fugitive Saiya-jin, once enemies, were now teamed up together to defeat a greater evil.
"They've been like that forever," Krillin told me.
"They know Frieza's almost here. Can't you feel it?"
He nodded. Sweat glistened on his brow as he struggled under Frieza's awful power. I shuddered as wave after wave of sickened terribleness assaulted our senses. He was searching, searching for the puny female.
"There he is," I whispered a split second before Frieza appeared, the great overlord of the galaxy. He was alone and I got the feeling we would never see Captain Ginyu alive again, being the bearer of bad news.
Frieza was a small being, smaller than Vegeta, pink and purple with two black horns jutting from the sides of his head.
I had always made fun of him, back home, because of his girlish voice and painted lips and nails. I think it was because he had no gender but still he was harmless-looking. Now in person, he was the most threatening thing I'd ever beheld. I slunk back into the shadows of the cave while Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin joined the Saiya-jin.
Frieza wasted no time getting to the point. "Surrender the girl and maybe I'll allow the rest of you invalids a quick death."
"That's a very generous offer," said Gokou. "But I think we'll decline. You see- there's a thing called friendship and basically you don't seem to know what that is."
Frieza was close to boiling rage. "You fools!" He set his sights on Vegeta. "Well, well," he crooned, smiling evilly. "If it isn't his royal Highness the traitor. I see you've finally realized how pathetically weak you are, Vegeta, and in need of help from these worthless Earthlings."
Vegeta glared daggers then laughed. "I had almost forgotten how senile you had become, Frieza, but no- I was right to begin with."
"How dare you!" Frieza howled, the force of his temper nearly blew me off my feet. This was insane! No way they could beat him. Flashes of what had happened to them during this fight flew across my mind. So many of them died and then were wished back with the Dragonballs. But . . . no! I cried out, sickened.
There weren't any Dragonballs left to wish on! So that meant whoever died couldn't be wished back to life until much later and by then it would be too late. Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta . . . no! I couldn't let this happen! I couldn't! I wouldn't! I won't!
"STOP!" I cried, tears flinging from my eyes.
"Who said that?!" Frieza demanded.
Oh boy. Well, no turning back now. Swallowing hard, I stepped out into Frieza's sight. The others tensed, ready to spring to action.
"I'm the one you want," I said through gritted teeth.
"You?" he hooted. "You? I think not."
"I see Ginyu didn't give you my message after all."
Frieza's eyes narrowed dangerously. He glanced at the others, then back at me. "You . . . " This time he was not jesting. "Where are my Dragonballs?!"
"For one thing," I said, my voice now quivering only a bit. "They didn't belong to you. And secondly- I don't have them."
"You're lying!"
"Look through your scouter, Frieza. You'll see they are gone."
He pushed a button on the side of the apparatus and the numbers clicked to life. Then it beeped, something like a zero popping up.
"You see, Frieza? I wished on the dragonballs. They're gone. Gone for another year!"
Something worse than hatred filled his eyes. "I'll kill you. Kill you all!" The world began to shake and tremble.
"What's going on?!" yelled Gohan, struggling to stay upright.
"I think he's causing some kind of earthquake!" Krillin shouted. Then came the crushing weight; Frieza's massive power pushing unbearably down upon us.
With my crutch, I moved slowly toward the ball of energy that was Frieza.
"What are you doing?" Krillin cried.
"This has to stop."
He grabbed my arm. "It's too dangerous!"
"I have to, Krillin. Don't you understand? I have to do this!"
Seeing I wasn't going to give in, he sighed. "Ok. But you won't have to do it alone." He widened his stance and together we held our ground.
"WHAT?!" screamed Frieza. "How can you possibly still be standing?!"
"We're not afraid of you, Frieza," I said, my voice calm.
"Yes you are! Yes you are!"
But Gohan and Piccolo had gotten to their feet and with nods, joined Krillin and me.
"You see, Frieza?"
The warlord stared at us, almost in a panic. This had never happened to him before.
"Your whole rule, Frieza," I continued. "Was based on fear. And when those who are afraid stand up, your throne crumbles."
Frieza's blazing eyes swivelled to each of us before falling upon the Saiya-jin who were still bent under his weight. "Oh, ho!" he cried gleefully. "The monkey-boys are still controlled! You will never break my hold on them!"
I stepped up to Gokou. I knew he wanted more than anything to test his power against Frieza but I had now discovered our strength, the only way we could win.
Gokou blinked, looked at me, and smiled. "Vegeta."
I nodded and shifted to the unmoving Prince while Frieza increased his efforts to control him. I stood between Vegeta and him, forcing Vegeta to look at me. His fathomless eyes were cold and hollow.
"Come on, Vegeta," I said softly. The wrong word might send him into a fury. "You can't do this alone. Not alone . . . "
He blinked slowly, as if waking from a dream. Or a nightmare. I touched his arm, worried.
Then he grinned his famous scornful grin. "Let's show this cocky brute who we really are."
I smiled. That was the Vegeta I knew. "Welcome back."
We all turned to Frieza. Six against one.
"We're not afraid of you," I repeated.
He bared his teeth, snarling, "You! You have been a thorn in my side long enough. He raised his hand, pointing the palm at us. A long stream of energy shot out, racing down. I held my ground. Oh no you don't . . .
My hands spread upon at my sides, my arms slightly raised. I closed my eyes, the key turned, and a new door opened. I felt the power within me, a different power than that which had defeated Burter and Jeice. Then something clicked and the power bubbled around me, encasing the six of us in a protective shield just in time to deflect Frieza's blast. They were stunned, staring at me in disbelief. I ignored them. The focus was Frieza. I would not let him triumph.
"I understand now," I said to Frieza, never taking my eyes off the destroyer of worlds. "You see, I had always thought that you were an evil person but now I see that I was wrong. You are evil. You are our weaknesses, our fears, our nightmares." I paused. Frieza had backed up, his eyes filled with . . . with what?
Fear.
I took a step toward him, the others spread out in a line.
"But our weaknesses make us stronger, Frieza. I said that I understand now, but maybe that was the wrong word. I perceive that you have done one good thing." I smiled. "You brought us together."
Frieza shrank away from us but then his gaze hardened. He had been secretly powering up and fired at us again. I was ready for it. What burst from my palms wasn't another shield. It was a counterattack, though weak.
"Final Flash!!!" Vegeta hurled his own at Frieza.
I concentrated. Come on you . . . Vegeta's deadly blast curved and smashed into me. I stumbled. Soon my pitiful attack grew stronger.
"What are you doing?" barked Vegeta.
I didn't have time to answer because Gohan and Krillin shot at Frieza. I gritted my teeth, barely stayed on my feet as both were absorbed into me like Vegeta's and the one solid beam glowed brighter. Everyone stared at me uneasily.
"Guys! This is the only way!" I cried. "United we stand! Help me!"
No one moved.
It was Vegeta who came to my side. He gave me a look then snapped at the others, "You heard the girl! We have a fight to win!"
They all flinched; Frieza had almost gotten a hold on them again. The Dragon Ball Z fighters formed a circle, me in the center.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Vegeta asked me. His voice carried none of the usual contempt.
I nodded, tears choking me. I let out my breath slowly, relaxing my muscles, closing my eyes.
"Ready," I said. "All at once or I won't be able to control it." If it doesn't kill me anyway, I thought.
I was trembling. Trust was the main factor in this. I had to trust the others. And I did. Still, I was afraid. Kami, I thought, pleaded. If you can hear me, please let this work.
The others, my friends, had finished gathering their energy. I saw glimpses of my life on Earth, my old friends, my family, school. That seemed so far away . . .
They released their blasts.
"KAME HAME HA!!!!"
"FINAL FLASH!"
"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"
"KAO KIN TIMES 60!"
A sob escaped just before my body was plummeted. Concentrate, concentrate on putting them together, not on the pain . . .
I couldn't stop it. A scream pierced the air, my scream. Suddenly, the attacks meshed. My eyes sprung open; hurriedly I searched for Frieza. He had not moved, frozen in that sweet fear.
The others filled me with their power, figures glowing red and blue and white and green. Their cries joined mine.
"Almost . . . formed . . . " I breathed, straining to let them know.
"Ally . . . ?"
"I'm ok . . . Krillin . . . "
No, no, don't concentrate on the pain. I squeezed my eyes closed.
"NOW!!!!"
Our beam, our combined power and hopes and might snaked into the air. It smacked into Frieza, cutting his scream short. My knees buckled and I fell, the ground flattened beneath the weight of this monstrous strength. The others were blown away.
It lasted mere seconds and I sank into darkness, blotting out the pain.