Nineteen: War at the End of the Universe! Arame's Destiny!

Arame braced her body for the coming battle. The sky overhead had darkened, and peals of thunder could be heard echoing around the valley. She stood there in the center of the field, Coli and her younger self stood some distance away, watching her. Mizuna was there too. Even Gine had decided to join the group.

"What do you think this Chronos guy looks like?" asked kid Arame, looking up at her mother.

Mizuna shook her head. "I don't know. Your older self simply said he had white hair and was distinctly silver. You wouldn't tell me much more beyond that. And then you complained when I said I wanted to keep an eye on you." She looked at her daughter. "You're a very impertinent child, no matter how old you get."

"So, this guy's actually gonna show?" Coli said. She looked around. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Wish I had my scouter."

Down in the valley, the grown Arame had her eyes closed. She was focusing on the environment, the changes in pressure and the energies around her. For that matter, she was focusing on anything that could tell her if her foe was approaching. Yet no matter how hard she searched, there was nothing.

Arame tapped her scouter comm. "Are you guys sure you felt something here?"

"The area you're in has the largest concentration of power reminiscent of a temporal anomaly," was Whis's reply. "He should be in that vicinity."

"Well, I'm not waiting any longer." Arame focused her energy and started building her Ki. Her aura became visible around her as she powered herself. Power rising! I'm going to get his attention one way or another.

Across the planet, those few Saiyans who were wearing scouters picked up on the enormous power signature.

One such Saiyan, a mid-class warrior, noticed the sudden surge first. "Whoa! What the hell?" He looked in the direction of the power signature. "Battle power of…forty-thousand? And rising?!"

Vehicles and ships were in motion. The planet was suddenly in uproar. All attention began to converge, slowly but surely, on the valley in which Arame stood. The scouters were no longer able to read her energy. It was just too high.

Meanwhile, Coli and the others could hear Arame yelling in the plains below.

"Chronos! I know you're here! Show your face! It's time to settle our fight once and for all!"

Kid Arame shuddered. "I can…feel that. Her…my power is…enormous!"

Saiyans began to arrive, taking up positions around the valley. Rifles were at the ready, the more powerful physical combatants took higher positions. The women who were already gathered noticed them as they began to arrive, one by one.

"This doesn't look good," Mizuna observed.

"This might draw the eye of King Vegeta," Coli added. "That'd be bad."

"I don't know how it would go," Gine chimed in. "The older Arame's power dwarfs anyone on this planet. She's a Super Saiyan too."

At last, Arame's powering ceased. There was a crackle from above, and suddenly the sky turned purple. A great burst of energy came shooting down, and a figure appeared in the valley before Arame. The next exchange was amplified, so that all gathered could hear what was being said. Even as practically every Saiyan on the planet was gathering around.

"Arame!" Chronos yelled. "You've gone to a great deal of trouble to draw me here." He looked at her with malice. "You follow me through time itself now?"

"It's the end of the line, time-keeper!" Arame replied, her voice amplified as well, though she wasn't sure why. "Either I die, or you do. But either way, our battle ends here."

Chronos laughed. "I see. Predictable for a Saiyan. You'll chase a fight to the bitter end." He paused. "I knew you were here. However, I wanted to make sure that we had an audience for this." He looked upward. "Spectators of Earth! I hope you enjoy the show as well!" He turned back to Arame. "As for you…you should know that the universe waits for our clash with bated breath. There isn't a soul alive that isn't going to see you die. After all, I should give them some entertainment, seen as how their existences are about to end. All eyes are on you. How does it feel?"

"Cut the crap, Chronos!" Arame yelled, taking her battle stance. She wrapped her tail around her waist once more. "You know what I'm here for! I don't care how many eyes are on me. They'll watch as I obliterate you."

Chronos scoffed. "Still fighting for revenge? Is destroying me all that you can think about?"

Arame watched him for a moment, and then her expression softened as her mind returned to some thoughts she'd been dwelling on. "No. I think about a lot of things. I think about my future and my past. I think about my friends and my new family. I also think about you, and why you're doing this. And I've begun to understand your motivation." Her glare returned. "You see, I've spent my time readying myself for this battle. I wasn't ready before, but I am ready now. It's not about destroying you, you know. Even though I hate you with every fiber of my being, this is not about revenge! It's about saving my friends and righting your wrongs!" She closed her eyes briefly. In that moment, she saw the faces of Goten, Trunks, Kakarot, Vegeta, Bulma, Gohan, Videl, and all the others back on Earth who were watching her. She thought about the nameless people who were probably watching her as well. Even the countless Saiyans who stood around them in this great valley, watching the tension.

Arame opened her eyes. "I am ready!" She repeated loudly. "Come at me with everything you've got! I'll give you a battle that only a Saiyan warrior can deliver!"

Chronos watched her. "So you have accepted your fate."

"I have," replied Arame. She pulled the scouter from her head and crushed it. "Whether I win or die, I'm giving you everything I have."

With that, Chronos smiled. Then he laughed. "I see! Very well then, Saiyan! Our battle will shake the foundations of the universe! Of history itself! FACE YOUR DOOM, ARAME!"

Arame inhaled, exhaled…and launched herself at Chronos. They clashed with a resounding report, and their Ki exploded in a shower of energy.

And the battle to decide the fate of the universe was on.

-Break-

At first, it seemed like Chronos was simply toying with Arame. And then she appeared to gain the upper hand, however briefly it might have been. There was a flash and a roar, and the valley shook with the report.

By now, the storm had rolled in and a hard rain was falling. The dirt turned to mud beneath their feet, lightning split the sky, and the roaring yells of Chronos and Arame echoed as loudly as the thunder high above.

Arame was a whirlwind of movement, yet very few of her attacks connected. Chronos seemed to know exactly where she'd strike. He's not using his time power? I know he could make short work of me with it.

Yet apparently, Chronos saw fit to rely on his own battle power for this battle. It took Arame a lot of work, but she did manage to finally connect her fist to his side, and her foot to his skull. Chronos was knocked sideways, but came back up and slammed Arame in the gut, following up with a kick that sent her sliding away. She braced herself against the momentum by splitting her legs and digging her hand into the ground.

"What are you doing, Arame?" Chronos yelled at her. "Get serious already!"

Arame growled, raised her body a little higher, and focused her Ki. She exploded into her Super Saiyan form with a burst of golden energy that lit up the valley. With that, she charged Chronos again.

The extra speed and strength the transformation afforded her made a bit of difference, but only marginally. Chronos still wasn't using his time powers, which took Arame by surprise yet again. Her strikes became a flurry, faster than before. The clash went back and forth, with neither warrior gaining ground on the other.

"You're still not serious!" Chronos berated her as he knocked away her strikes and grabbed her by the throat. "I'm still not even trying!"

Arame raised her hand quickly and fired a spark flash into his face. The sudden stinging pain caught Chronos by surprise and he loosened his grip on her throat. Arame then grabbed his wrist and brought him up toward her body, slamming him in the gut and hammering him with a barrage of physical strikes that she knew he could feel.

This time, Chronos was the one sent sprawling.

"Ooh…not bad!" He rose and glowered at her menacingly. "I see you are as crafty as ever."

Arame flexed her neck. She then focused her energy and pushed her Super Saiyan form higher. Her aura changed as she adopted the form of her Pure Super Saiyan form, bringing her to the boost of a grade two. Her emotional state stabilized. Then she charged Chronos with a sudden burst of speed.

The battle recommenced with renewed vigor. This time, Chronos was actually having to put in a little bit of effort. He was beginning to draw on some of his marginal power reserves. This made him smile. "Now that's more like it!"

"I've got more," Arame replied.

"I certainly hope so!"

High up on the plateau, Mizuna and the others were watching the battle unfold with rapt attention. "Is that…a Super Saiyan?"

"Yeah," Coli replied. "That's the power."

"It's incredible," Mizuna gasped. "I can't even follow her movements anymore."

Mizuna could only see the results of their clashing. Flashes of energy, the resounding reports of their strikes, and the subtle flashes of gold that she knew were her daughter. Despite her more reserved nature, her Saiyan blood was pumping at her close proximity to such a battle.

There was a sudden echoing boom, and the two warriors became visible. They were locked in each other's grips, staring one another down with malice. Arame's emotion had returned to her.

"You fight like a woman possessed!" Chronos growled. "Where was this ferocity before?"

Arame bared her teeth, almost fang-like. "Shut up and die!"

Then they were at it again.

Chronos struck hard to Arame's left, but she deflected his kick and lashed out with her fist at his solar plexus. But he wasn't there, and her fist only hit air. She backpedaled as he came down from above with a diving kick. From a backward curl, Arame launched herself and connected both of her feet to his head, sending him reeling. However, Chronos recovered quickly as she tried to capitalize on the momentum. She kicked again, but he grabbed her foot and sent her sailing into a nearby rock.

Arame was back at him in an instant, attempting to launch a Ki powered fist into him.

Suddenly, Arame froze in midair.

Chronos relaxed and stepped up next to her slowly. "This has been…entertaining, Arame. However, the game has gone on for long enough." As he stood next to her, Chronos brought both of his hands down on her back and slammed her into the ground with enough force to crack it."

She yelled in pain but managed rolled away.

"You dirty sneak," she hissed. "Using your time powers at last?"

"I've grown weary of this little struggle of yours," he replied. "You should have known it was futile from the beginning."

Arame struck at him again. Once more, she froze mere inches from him.

Chronos furrowed his brow. "Such bravado." He lashed out and grabbed her by the throat in a vice, holding her up and constricting her windpipe. She pulled at his hand, struggling for air, and glared at him.

"It was a noble gesture, but ultimately a futile one," he told her plainly. "Though I must give you credit. Your attacks actually did hurt."

High on the ledge, Coli and Kid Arame stared in shock. "He can stop time around him?" Coli said. "That's hardly fair!"

"Bastard," Kid Arame hissed. "He's seriously gonna kill her…me…whatever—with such a dirty trick?" She looked up at the others. "We have to do something!"

"We can't do anything!" Coli replied.

There were hundreds of onlookers around the plateaus and in the valley below by now. They were all rooted to the spot in fear at what was happening before them. Unnatural for Saiyans certainly, but the powers on display were like nothing they'd ever seen before or would ever again.

Chronos held Arame up high and yelled out to the Saiyans gathered. "Take a good, long look, Saiyans of Planet Vegeta! This…is a Super Saiyan! This golden warrior is your ancient legend given form! Yet even she is powerless before me!"

Adding insult to injury. Arame's rage was building again. Despite the fact that her vision was darkening, her body was flaring its power once more for one more desperate move. There was a sudden eruption of power from Arame's body.

Chronos's grip was loosened and then torn away as his singed body went flying. Arame uttered a ferocious roar as her Ki flared around her in a mighty explosion. She gasped for air as she knelt on the dirt, having fallen to her hands and knees.

Arame looked up at Chronos as he rose from the ground several meters away. "I've still got some fight in me…"

Chronos raised his hand and scoffed. "Wasted effort."

Suddenly, something slammed him from the side and sent him flying.

Arame blinked in surprise. Her kid self was standing there, her aura flaring and her face contorted with rage.

"What are you doing?" Arame yelled at her. "This is my fight!"

"I know," she replied.

At her words, Arame realized what her younger self was saying. It was still her after all, no matter how old she was.

"This guy controls time around himself too?" Kid Arame asked. "You should have mentioned that earlier."

Arame rushed up to her. "You need to get out of here! If anything happens to you, I'll—"

"—Disappear?" Her kid self looked at her with an expression that said she knew what the risk entailed. "You need backup."

Mizuna was watching with fear. Now both versions of her daughter were down there with that dangerous enemy. All she could do was watch. Or could she? I'm no fighter. My years of service are behind me, and I was never good for much anyway. A power level of 450 like mine wouldn't last long against a monstrosity like that. But I'm not just going to sit by and watch my daughter sacrifice herself like this! There must be something I can do!

Chronos approached the younger Arame slowly. The older one stood and joined her younger self, ready to leap in on the defensive.

"I see that you will irk me at every turn, Arame," Chronos said menacingly. "No matter when or where I go. Some part of you will find me and hinder me."

"I'm not afraid of you!" yelled Kid Arame. "You might be stronger than me, but I'm going to defeat you regardless!"

"Arrogant brat!" Chronos readied himself for battle. "You'll make a much easier target. If I kill you, then your older self will cease to be!"

The older Arame put her hand on her younger self's shoulders. "Listen closely," she told the young one. "Stay close to me and follow my lead. We might have a chance working together."

The younger Arame was flooded with a rush of Super Saiyan power. Her outward appearance didn't change, but her body got a sudden boost in energy like she'd never felt before. However, it was only temporary. That meant that this had to be done fast.

"This is…incredible!" She gasped.

The older Arame powered up to her full strength. "Ready, kid?"

"You should know, Arame," the younger Arame replied with a smirk.

They charged Chronos as the same time.

For a moment, it seemed like Chronos would have an advantage. Yet after the first strike, it became clear that these two were fighting on the exact same level. Two Arames, fighting side by side, breaking his guard left and right.

Chronos took a sharp kick to the side of the head followed by a sweep to the legs, followed up with a slam to the face, and that was followed up by a judo slam by his neck to the ground. Then he was picked up again and sent sailing across the dirt by the older Arame, only to have the younger Arame come flying at him and knock him into the sky with a sharp uppercut after a gut punch.

The older Arame fired a barrage of Ki blasts that all hit home, and the younger Arame flew up and slammed Chronos back to the ground with both hands. They both prepared to rush him again, but this time there was a burst of energy that sent them flying backward.

"ENOUGH!"

He froze the young Arame and made a move for her.

The older Arame retaliated by leaping up to him and kicking him sharply in the face, knocking him backward. However, a sudden Ki blast from him sent them both soaring into the dirt several dozen meters away, the superheated air singing their skin and armor.

Kid Arame got up and spat out a mouthful of dirt. "He's strong…"

"Yeah," replied the older Arame, struggling to speak, "and he's not…even using his real power yet." She looked down at her younger self. "This fight's going nowhere, but…I need you to get out of here."

"I can't just leave you out here by yourself!"

Suddenly, they both felt a jolt. Chronos had used his time stopping power on them once again. He stared them down from some distance away.

"This has been rather entertaining," Chronos declared loudly. "Alas, the battle must end here. I am horribly behind schedule and you're holding me up. The both of you can simply stay there and die." He raised his hand and prepared a powerful Ki wave. "This is where it ends."

"I'm…frozen again," Kid Arame said fearfully.

The older Arame growled in frustration. But at the same time, she felt a new tingling in her head. It was emerging at the base of her skull. She thought she could draw it out, but there was little reaction from the sensation. She wondered if it was linked to the time freeze.

Then she closed her eyes. Not that it matters. I gave it my best shot…but I still wasn't strong enough.

Chronos fired his Ki wave and the light engulfed the two Arames.

…

But then it stopped short.

The older Arame opened her eyes again and found Mizuna standing before her, holding the Ki wave back with everything she had.

Mizuna grunted with the effort.

"Arame!" She said as best she could through gritted teeth. "Remember what I said! Both of you!" She looked back at them. "You've made me the proudest mother on this rock."

Something knocked the two Arame's out of the way, and the Ki wave engulfed Mizuna.

They looked up to see that it was Coli that had moved them. However, Mizuna was vaporized. When the energy died, there was nothing left.

The Arames stared in shock.

…

I've lost her again.

The only Saiyan I've ever cared about. The only person I could ever connect to in my youth is dead. Sacrificing herself for me.

For years, I was bullied by my brother Kyukon, and my father Celeron cared nothing for me. He didn't even acknowledge my existence unless I was serving him food.

But my mother? She actually treated me like a living being. She cared about me. She made sure I was taken care of. She taught me how to fight and how to control my inner energy, just like her mother had taught her.

I thought she was the greatest Saiyan…someone I could only aspire to be like.

And now she's gone.

The younger Arame exploded in an anguished cry that turned into one of rage.

…

The older Arame could feel it too. She could feel the pain and the rage of her younger self. It was as though she was feeling two waves of sadness and two waves of anger at once. The compounding of the feelings pushed Arame over the edge.

She saw red.

There was an explosion of golden energy from her. The flame rose higher and higher until eventually…

It stopped.

Then, something clicked within Arame. She felt the tingling again, and this time it was spreading over her whole body. Sparks arced along her arms, legs, and torso, and her hair flickered and danced as its color changed yet again.

The flames that erupted around her were no longer golden. Now they were orange. Her hair was now the color of a brilliant sunset. Her eyes were orange as well, having shifted from the Super Saiyan greenish blue.

But what's more, Arame felt a wellspring of power surge within her. She felt reborn, and her body regenerated her stamina alarmingly quickly.

Arame glared at Chronos, her rage building again. He'd taken almost everything from her. Now, she was going to be the one doing the taking.

She watched him. First he was a great distance away. Then his face was right in front of hers. Arame didn't know how she'd moved so fast, since she hadn't used Instant Transmission, however she didn't question it for too long. Instead, she drew on all of her power and slammed her fist into Chronos's gut.

He doubled over in pain.

Then, her second fist connected with his face, and her foot sent him flying into a rock.

She rushed him again.

But he stopped her with his time power once more.

"You continue to resist me!" He growled. "How? How is this possible? You are an insect!"

She glared at him, focusing everything she had on breaking his hold.

And this time, there was a response.

As she looked at him, Arame felt the air around her shift. Suddenly, the time freeze was broken and she rushed into him full bore, taking him into the ground and beating him relentlessly.

She had no words. Not anymore. Her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of revenge and erasure. But the only thing being erased here was the Time Keeper.

Arame was blasted back with tremendous force.

"Impossible…" Chronos gasped, eyes wide. He stared Arame down. "You cannot break my power! It's not POSSIBLE!"

Arame focused her energy. The only word she said came out in a guttural roar that echoed with unearthly power around the valley. And it sounded almost demonic.

"Die!"

Once more, they clashed.

This time, they were evenly matched. Chronos kept having to draw on more and more of his energy as they traded blows, yet nothing was breaking Arame's guard. Meanwhile, she was laying waste to him.

Chronos couldn't block all of her strikes, and she was having an effect on the temporal energy around them both. Time seemed to be skipping. To the onlooking Saiyans gathered around, it seemed like the two warriors would occasionally be motionless for a few seconds, only to zip around the valley again and have it repeat somewhere else. Then they looked to be moving too slowly.

Suddenly, Chronos released every ounce of power he had at his disposal.

"THAT'S IT! THIS BATTLE IS OVER!" The valley was engulfed in his energy. The plateaus and rocks around them began to crash and crumble. The Saiyans tried to move, but many of them were caught in the rubble.

Arame and Chronos were now in the air above the valley, staring each other down.

"Where are you getting this energy?" Chronos demanded, his body sparking with power. "You should be exhausted!"

Arame made no reply. However, she did leap at Chronos.

As she did so, she got a mental flash.

Kakarot was rushing Vegeta, who still had his tail. As he did so, the low class Saiyan's body started to glow. He yelled out, at the top of his lungs, 'KAIOKEN!'

Arame felt her own vocal chords mimic Kakarot's as a sudden surge burst over her body. This time when she struck Chronos, she felt bones crack beneath her blow. The blood red glow that her body had acquired, mixing with the orange, vanished as swiftly as it had arrived.

Chronos rushed at her and hit her with a full strike, his power finally allowing him to keep up with Arame. They were now evenly matched, and it was a contest of endurance.

He hammered her guard. She blitzed to his right and knocked him back with her elbow, but not before he blasted her with another Ki surge. He rushed her again and this time his strikes connected with her.

But Arame recovered quickly and surged her Ki, allowing herself a moment to breathe.

As Chronos went flying away, Arame saw another image in her mind's eye.

Vegeta raised his left hand in front of his right, violet energy sparking around him and engulfing him.

Arame did the same maneuver.

"GALICK GUN!" She yelled as the energy burst forth from her in a wave.

What's going on? I have other attacks. Why did this one come to mind? And what is it anyway?

The wave struck Chronos head on. He took the entirety of the damage.

With a yell, he regained himself and fired two massive Ki bombs right for Arame. They struck her with a mighty explosion and she flew backwards quite a ways. When she right herself, another vision came to her.

Krillin raised his hand above his head and formed a disc of Ki energy.

Arame raised her hands high, palms up. Two massive Ki discs formed above her hands. With a yell, she sent a wave of the discs flying towards Chronos. There were about sixteen of them in all.

Their speed was too much, so Chronos could barely dodge them. However the last two he had to block.

Chronos rushed Arame, but as he got close, she raised her hands to her forehead and yelled, "Solar Flare!"

The flash of light blinded Chronos instantly. He cried in frustration.

Arame slammed her feet upward into his body, following up with a hard downward stomp that sent the Time Keeper falling toward the ground like a meteor. Arame gave chase, pushing her whole body into the descent.

She smiled maliciously as she drew close, her pupils dilating in excitement.

-Break-

"What the heck is happening to her?" Piccolo demanded as they watched the battle unfold. "Did any of you teach her your techniques?"

"I didn't teach her anything of my techniques," Vegeta replied. "I have no idea how she knows them all of a sudden."

Whis chuckled. "Well, after observing the situation, I believe I've come to a logical conclusion."

Everyone gathered looked at him.

"It seems that Arame," Whis went on, "has finally tapped into the power that she shares with Chronos. At the moment, she is drawing on the same power reserve that he is. All of his energy that he absorbed for the reset is now being used by them both for their battle, and his supply is dwindling rapidly. I believe that, at the very least, she's bought us much needed time."

Gohan crossed his arms. "So…she's like a Time Keeper as well now? At least for this battle?"

"That is correct," Whis told him. "I believe that same power is allowing her to draw on strength from history as well." He returned his attention to the fight. "Whether this will be enough to stop Chronos for good remains to be seen."

-Break-

Arame's power was draining rapidly. However, Chronos looked just as drained. He tried to rush forward, but only fell to his knee and grunted in pain. "No…where is my energy?"

With him weakened, Arame knew this fight was bound to be finished sooner rather than later. Or at least it would have been if she had any energy left to draw from. She glared at him. "It's over!"

"No! It will not be over until I have accomplished my goal!" Chronos tried to draw more power, but the well was dry. His eyes widened in fear. "It can't be…everything is gone! Every ounce of energy I drained is depleted! HOW?" He pounded his fist into the ground in his rage. Then he looked back up at Arame, and something dawned on him.

"You…" He hissed. "That's the power you've been drawing from! You've been pulling my energy for your own personal gain!"

Arame's orange glow flickered out and her body returned to her base form. She tried to build up her own energy, but it was to no avail. "We're both out of power…and this battle is over…" Her voice came out almost as rasping gasps. "I'll kill you…with my bare hands! You stole years of my life…you killed my mother…you threatened my friends! This is where you die, Time Keeper."

Chronos laughed mirthlessly. "So it has come to this? Remarkable." He looked at her with a smile on his face. "You are truly my greatest foe, Arame. Your power is untamable. This battle was intense. One such as I has never fought such a grueling conflict before, and you deserve my honor for that." He paused. "But I still have all the energy I need to reset this universe!"

A jolt of fear passed through Arame.

But Chronos kept talking.

"You see," he went on. "I had planned to guide the universe after the reset. But now, it must guide itself. I can reset it…with my own life energy. The process will kill me, but it will be done." His body started glowing. "So take heart, Arame! We will go together!" He cackled madly.

Arame was stunned. "No! Come on, body! I need…energy!" She tried to build her Ki. But there was nothing left. She had no energy left to fight. She couldn't fire one measly Ki blast. She couldn't even walk!

Arame sat there on her knees, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "It's not fair…"

…

'Are you just going to sit there and die while you still have a chance at victory?'

Arame could feel their gazes. She knew that the eyes of the universe were still on her. She was the last hope for them all. And even if she did die, she couldn't just surrender!

'Saiyans are a warrior race!' The prince's voice said in her mind. 'We do not cower before the enemy and whimper like babes. We stand proudly! Even in the face of doom!'

'Don't give in, Arame!' Videl's voice yelled.

'You still have an ace up your sleeve!' Goten added.

…

Arame's fire returned.

"Wait," she said. She looked down at the pouch on her belt that she had completely forgotten about. "I still have…" She reached into the pouch and fished out the two potara earrings.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh please let these work!" She looked around for someone to fuse with. It didn't matter who it was. They just needed to give her a boost in energy. She hoped that it would be enough.

At first, there seemed to be no one. Most of her fellow Saiyans were too far away or unconscious. However, there was one female lying nearby under some rubble. She was moving and trying to stand.

Arame approached her and put one of the potara on her left ear. "I'm sorry." She then put the other on her own right ear.

The two Saiyan women fused into one.

The fused warrior put her hands together and charged her Ki. The purple energy coalesced in between her curled fingers. "Please work!" She cried, two voices in unison. She outstretched her hands and yelled, "BLOODY ERUPTION!"

The purple and pink energy came out in a wild wave from her hands.

Chronos's glow had been bright, but the wave that engulfed him outshone him. It engulfed his body, and he felt himself wasting away in its power.

As he faded away, he laughed once more.

You are a truly remarkable Saiyan, Arame…you are…a truly remarkable species…I'm glad that I could die by your hands…

And then there was nothing left.

Chronos's power vanished in a cracking flash, and suddenly the fused warrior was jerked back through a time stream. She landed in the lab moments later, back in the present and surrounded by the team that had sent her off.

Everyone gathered around her. She lifted her head. "It's…over?"

"It feels too sudden," Piccolo said.

"She's still fused!" Gohan noted.

She reached up and pulled off the potara. Suddenly, the warrior split back into two once more. On one side was Arame, battered and beaten. And on the other…

…was Gine.

-Break-

There was a deep silence from everyone gathered (Beerus, Whis, Bulma). They all knew the price of the destruction of Chronos, and they knew why Arame had had to use the potara fusion. However, the possible ramifications were unclear.

"This is a major alteration," said Whis. "However, it doesn't seem to have altered the timeline in any way. I find that strange."

"You could tell that quickly?" Bulma asked him.

"Indeed," Whis replied. "It is possible that Arame's battle with Chronos was isolated from other timelines. As though the people there in that moment never really existed in that moment. And the battle they had was just a sliver of a dimension in the timestream…isolated from anything else."

Arame looked at him. "So…my mother didn't die there?"

"In that instance, no," said Whis. "Rather, she would have died with planet Vegeta was destroyed by Freeza."

Arame looked down. "Either way…she's dead. I'm glad I at least got to say goodbye."

"And you were safely sent off world," Whis went on. He smiled. "None the worse for wear."

"I still remember the fight," said Arame. "From both of my perspectives."

Beerus coughed. "So it seems the biggest change was to you specifically. That makes little difference in the end as you were already unique." He looked at Gine, who had been kneeling quietly before them. "The question now is…what to do about her?"

Arame looked to Gine. "Miss Gine? I'm sorry."

Gine shook her head. "You did what you had to do. I'm sorry too."

"She's not hurting anything," said Bulma. "Plus, you said it yourselves. This is just a version of her that was taken from a different dimension."

"Bulma does have a point, Lord Beerus," Whis noted.

Beerus sighed. "So long as she can blend in here, I have no problems with this change."

Arame went over to Gine and held out her hand. "Gine…come with me. There's someone you need to meet."

Gine took her hand and stood. Arame led her into the other room, where everyone else had gathered to wait. Arame stepped up to the group, holding Gine's hand still. And she led Gine over to Goku.

"Gine…this is Kakarot," said Arame. With that, she stepped back.

Gine tried to keep herself composed, but she couldn't manage it for long. She simply embraced Goku as tightly as she could.

Gohan and Goten came up to Arame, along with Piccolo.

"That was impressive, Arame," said Gohan. "I'm amazed at what you accomplished."

"It all seemed to happen too quickly," Piccolo added, "but at least it's over."

Arame nodded. "Yeah…I'm still not sure what happened…but we're all still here. That's the important thing."

"Well," Gohan then said, "I think there's one more thing we need to do before we're completely finished with this ordeal. But this part's easy."

"Right," Piccolo replied. "South City."

"The dragon balls will help with that."

"Really?" asked Arame incredulously.

Piccolo looked to her. "Hmph. It's about time you were introduced to them."

…

The dragon balls flashed brilliantly as they were placed together.

"I think Arame should do the honors," said Bulma. A small group had gathered on the lookout, including her, Goku, Arame, Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Gine.

Arame looked at Bulma. "Uh…what do you mean?"

Bulma whispered in her ear.

"That's all?" Arame asked.

Bulma nodded.

Arame watched her for a moment. Then she swallowed and approached the dragon balls, holding her hands toward them. Then, in a powerful voice, she yelled, "Eternal Shenron! Come forth and grant my wish!"

At once, the sky darkened.

There was a sudden eruption from the dragon balls as a great serpentine form rose from them. Arame and Gine stared in awe. The entity entwined its way through the sky, and after a brilliant flash, a gargantuan snake-like dragon was hovering above them. It's green scales contrasted sharply with its blood red eyes, and they surveyed the ones gathered.

Then, it spoke with a commanding voice. "You who have gathered all seven dragon balls. I shall grant you any one wish that is within my power."

Arame stared up at the dragon in shock.

Bulma said to her. "You know what to say, Arame."

She turned to regard Bulma momentarily, then returned her gaze to the dragon, Shenron, and called out to him, saying, "Shenron! I wish for South City to be restored to the way it was before it was destroyed by invading forces."

For a second or two, there was silence. Then, Shenron's eyes flashed brilliantly. "Your wish has been granted. Farewell."

The dragon vanished, and the dragon balls glowed once more. They flew high into the sky and scattered in glowing arcs, spreading across the planet.

Arame blinked as the dark sky became light once again. "Wow…"

"That's it," Bulma said happily. "South City is back to the way it was before."

"Really?" asked Arame. "That's it?"

"You can go and see for yourself soon, if you'd like." She smiled at her. "But right now, I think you need some recuperation. You've had a long day, am I right?"

Arame smiled back. "Yeah! I could do with a good meal and a good night's rest." She stretched. "I'm about ready to collapse."

"I'll bet."

…

Arame's battle with Chronos came to a decisive end. Over the next several days, Arame spent her time recuperating.

Meanwhile, Gine became more acquainted with Earth. Specifically with her son Kakarot and his wife, Chi-Chi. The two women got along splendidly.

Arame also found time to head out to South City. To her amazement, the city was back to normal. It had been completely restored by the power of the dragon. 'Wow,' she'd said to herself. 'The dragon balls…did this?'

Before long, Arame picked up her training once again. She spent her time with Goten, who she was now romantically involved with, and she readied herself to compete in the World Tournament that was set to start in a few days.

Next: Epilogue