Dragon Ball X

And here it is; the final chapter of Dragon Ball X. It's been a long journey, and as of two chapters ago became my longest story, longer than Aura Adventure, which is supposed to be my main fic. Oh well...I'm gonna focus on AA for a bit after I finish this arc. I'm happy to say that I've made the deadline that I made about finishing before I go on camp; probably the first one that I've ever kept ;)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it at the end of last chapter, but did anyone notice a theme about Denkuma and offering people choices? I made that a central part of his character to highlight his sadistic personality. Not sure if anyone noticed it, but...it's there.

Now...ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

000

Zeang felt it as he flew; the evil aura that had been covering the entire planet was lifting, the horrible feeling in Zeang's heart fading.

"Oh my," he whispered. "He did it!"

Zeang had sensed Blitzo and Denkuma's struggle immediately, and for a few moments was so shocked that he almost fell right out of the air. But now...Denkuma had been destroyed, completely disintegrated by Blitzo's overwhelming Kensei-Gan. The Saiyan's Power Level had been enormous, rising beyond even the Devil's. And now Denkuma had been destroyed at last.

"Zeang!"

The cry reached the alien's ears, and he turned his enormous head to see Kenta flying straight for him, Rhuna draped unconscious over his shoulders. Zeang's stomach leapt into throat as he saw Rhuna's leg; it was bleeding, smashed apart.

"What happened?" Zeang asked desperately, as he took the Saiyan girl from Kenta, and together they both descended to the ground.

Kenta was exhausted. "Makurin told me to take her and go. Then he made some sort of white energy ball and used it as a moon."

"I know," said Zeang. "I felt him transform."

The alien inspected Rhuna's leg, completely clueless about what to do.

"I don't know how to heal this," he said, but Kenta held out his hand. Sitting in his palm was a tiny green ball.

"Give her this."

Zeang mentally slapped himself; how could he have forgotten about the Gaman Peas? Taking the Pea from Kenta, he forced open Rhuna's mouth and dropped it in.

"She can't chew it if she's unconscious," said Kenta, but Zeang simply smiled. His eyes glowed blue, and using his psychic abilities, manipulated Rhuna's jaw, chewing the healing vegetable. Then he massaged her throat until the Saiyan girl swallowed.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then Rhuna's eyes flew open and she sat up violently, panting heavily. She looked at Zeang and Kenta, crouched over her, and then at the dark sky, darkened by the Dragon's presence.

"What's going on?" she mumbled.

Zeang answered. "Arnika summoned the Dragon and wished all the dead Haviens back."

Rhuna frowned. "Where's Denkuma?"

Zeang and Kenta exchanged glances. "Blitzo killed him," said Kenta.

Rhuna's face changed, understanding and awe dawning on her face. "Wow..."

"Come on," said Zeang, pulling Rhuna to her feet, and together the three of them hovered into the air. "We need to get back to Arnika; she's waiting for us."

000

Makurin wondered the streets, staring up at the pitch black sky. Buildings were still crumbling around him, but he ignored them, concentrating on the massive energy levels on the other side of the planet, where Denkuma had teleported with Blitzo. The now tail-less Saiyan grew more and more dumbstruck as he felt Blitzo match the Devil blow for blow, before finally overwhelming him in an incredible blast.

Makurin clenched his fists.

"Damn you, Blitzo," he thought. "You always rise to the occasion, don't you?"

The Saiyan smiled grimly as he thought about his friend's new power. Once again, Blitzo had somehow managed to overcome his enemy, much like when he had killed Cuo.

Lost in thought, he reached the edge of a giant crater, formed when Denkuma had destroyed Korros. As he realised this, he remembered something.

"Where's Korros?"

As if on cue, a humming noise reached Makurin's ears, and the Saiyan looked in the direction of the source. Suddenly, a large blue sphere materialised above the crater, before disappearing to reveal the Namekian.

Korros' face was pure shock, as he stared transfixed down at his own body, before raising his hands and looking at them closely.

"I'm alive," he murmured. "I've been given another chance..."

Makurin raised an arm, and caught Korros' attention. The Namekian swooped down, landing beside the Saiyan. The two aliens looked each other in the eye, respect flashing between them.

"We're back," said Korros eventually.

"I noticed," replied Makurin, gesturing towards himself. Silence rose again, but then Makurin spoke, almost reluctantly. "You did good...before, that is."

Korros nodded slowly. "Thank-you."

Silence.

Makurin frowned. "Hang on..."

"What is it, Saiyan?" asked Korros.

"I...I can sense your energy..." said Makurin slowly. "But...didn't the old guardian, Azimuth, make your signatures impossible to detect?"

Korros nodded slowly. "He did...perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?"

Korros grinned grimly. "I see now. Since I died, and was brought back, the enchantments that were cast on my body have been broken. My ki is no longer hidden."

"Does that mean that you'll age now?"

Korros nodded. "Yes. My Eternal Youth is no more."

Makurin closed his eyes, sensing the planet. "It's true. I can sense Geani, Mataro, and Arasha."

Korros opened his mouth to answer, but closed it quite suddenly, looking back over his shoulder into the sky.

"The Dragon is summoned," he finally answered. "Return to Arnika; she is with Azulong now. I'll go get Blitzo."

Makurin nodded, and flew off into the air, soaring over the shattered skyscrapers. Korros watched him go, and then took off in the opposite direction.

000

Arnika stared at the horizon, face alive with joy. Even she had felt Blitzo's energy, and felt Denkuma's disappear.

"You...you're incredible!"

"I'm still here," said the Dragon, whipping its tail against the ground. There was a loud crack, and Arnika snapped back around, looking at the Dragon again.

"Oh..." she said. "I'm sorry...Please; can you bring Ferris, the Havien who died saving the planet from the alien Cuo, back to life?"

Azulong seemed to be considering for a few moments, and then his booming voice rang across the land once more.

"The wish could be granted...However, I will not grant it. My creator is weak; if I use my powers to grant your wish, the strain could kill him, and I will be no more."

Arnika gasped in fear; she had completely forgotten about Hamasan. The elderly Namekian had been impaled by a laser fired by Denkuma. Desperately, she flung herself across the clearing towards where Hamasan lay. He had awoken at last, but sweat covered his face, and purple blood was slowly draining from his wound.

"Hamasan!" sobbed Arnika, tears beginning to fall. The two of them had grown very close over the past few months, and Arnika was heartbroken.

"Arnika..." Hamasan croaked. He gave a weary smile, and a slow blink. "You still need to...wish your friend back, but I'm too weak. Tell Azulong...to go back into the Dragon Balls for now. This way, the Dragon Balls...will only turn to stone...for six months."

Arnika's eyes widened, as she did some quick calculations in her head. Ferris had to be wished back within a year from his death. They had been in seclusion for about four and a half months...if the Dragon Balls turned to stone for six months, then that would leave them just enough time to get Ferris back. Quickly, she turned to Azulong, looking back up at the Dragon's enormous head.

"Azulong!" she cried. "I want you to...to go back into the Dragon Balls for six months, without granting the third wish! Can you do that?"

Azulong nodded.

"I can. Farewell for now!"

The Dragon exploded into light, and with a great whooshing noise was sucked straight back into the seven Balls, which rose into the air. The Balls were in a ring, which was spinning around rapidly, making it impossible to focus on any one ball for more than a second. Suddenly, the Balls split, separating and zooming through the sky in different directions, vanishing within seconds. Above her, the sky lightened; it was still night time, but the complete darkness that the Dragon's presence had created was gone.

Hamasan chuckled croakily, and closed his eyes slowly, but didn't open them again. Arnika made a small panicked noise in her throat, but then relaxed. Hamasan was still alive.

"Thank God," she muttered, but then her eyes rolled back, and the Havien girl passed out.

000

In unison, Geani, Mataro and Arasha swooped down through the sky, wind whipping past them, and they caught sight of the field that Arnika and Hamasan were in. Geani gasped as he saw another trio land just ahead; Zeang, Rhuna, and Kenta had just arrived as well. As he watched, another figure arrived; Makurin.

The Eternal Warrior landed only a few seconds after the others, and they all watched as Kenta dashed forwards, pulling his unconscious sister into his embrace, stroking her hair.

"She's OK, Kenta," said Rhuna gently. "Just exhausted."

Geani's blood ran cold as he saw the body lying next to Arnika's, and he gasped.

"Hamasan!"

The swordmaster dropped to his knees beside the Namekian, inspecting his wound. Desperately, he tried to mop up all the blood, but failed. As he struggled – Mataro and Arasha watching in fear – Hamasan's eyes quivered, and he woke up again. A sad smile crossed the old alien's face.

"It's no use. I'm finished..."

Geani shook his head wildly, losing his composure for the first time in over a century. "What are you talking about? How could you say that?"

Hamasan coughed, and looked at his old student. "I can say it...because I know it's true. I've accepted my fate. You should accept it too..."

Geani opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by another cry.

"Hamasan!"

Geani leapt to his feet as Korros fired down from the sky. In his arms hung Blitzo's unconscious body, limp in the Namekian's arms. Korros placed the exhausted Saiyan roughly on the ground and crouched down beside Hamasan.

"What happened to you?" he asked desperately. Behind him, Geani, Mataro and Arasha stood close, fear in their eyes. Rhuna, Makurin and Zeang looked on sadly from a short distance away, sensing the Namekian's end was near. Kenta was still kneeling on the ground with Arnika in his grasp. Blitzo laid beside them.

Hamasan coughed violently again. "Denkuma got to me...I'm sorry, Korros. I was too weak."

"No! You weren't weak!" cried Korros. His pent-up emotions were pouring out at last, his heart opening up. "You were the strongest of us all!"

Hamasan smiled. "Maybe in your eyes...but I was weak. And now...my time in this realm is done..."

Korros gasped. "Leave? But...we're only just free! Denkuma's gone! You can't die now!"

The younger Namekian glanced around wildly. "Someone...does anybody have a Gaman Pea left?"

"I do."

Zeang hurried forwards, pulling the only remaining Gaman Pea from his pocket, and he pressed it into Korros' hand. The Namekian stared at the alien for a single second in thanks, and then turned back to Hamasan, holding out the Pea.

"Take it. Eat the Pea...please!"

Hamasan closed his eyes and shook his head. "It's not my fate to do so...my destiny lies elsewhere."

"Then fuse with me!" shouted Korros pleadingly.

"No...My destiny is in the Other World. But before I go...there's something to be done."

Summoning all of his strength, Hamasan raised his arm and placed it on Korros' chest. There was a bright flash, and a wave of air seemed to run up his arm and into Korros' body. The warrior gasped, his mouth hanging open as he felt a new power enter him.

"What...what is this?" he whispered.

Hamasan gave a final smile. "There...my son...the Dragon Balls have been passed on to you. I name you the new guardian of Haven...protect this planet well, my son." Hamasan's voice grew strained, and his eyes were closed. His head fell. "T-Take care."

And with that, the old Namekian passed away at last.

"He's...He's gone!" whispered Arasha, and rested her head on Mataro's shoulder, tears streaming as her master died. Mataro looked devastated, and Geani stared without blinking at the lifeless body of Hamasan. But no one was more broken than the green fighter leaning over the old Namekian. As his Father passed into the void, Korros lowered his head and wept.

000

6 Months Later

000

Arnika held her breath as she placed the last Dragon Ball next to the others. As the seven Balls finally returned to one another, they began to pulse, glowing slightly under the bright sun, which reflected off their shiny surfaces back into Arnika's eyes as she stood back up. The sky above was a bright and happy blue; not a single cloud in the sky.

"Here we go," the girl said, looking over at Kenta.

They were just out of town, on the grassy plain before the cliff that fell to the sea. So many months before, Makurin had destroyed a giant meteor with Grenadier Shockwave a mere five hundred metres away. The smell of the salty water filled Arnika's nostrils.

Everybody was there; Arnika, Kenta, and their father Don, who had been brought back to life along with everybody else. The scientist had been overjoyed to see his children again, having believed them to be dead for months. Standing near Don was Korros, his arms folded. Hamasan's old turban was wrapped around his head, hiding the Namekian's antennae. The fierce warrior had opened up a lot over the last six months, but still preferred to be alone at times. Despite this, Korros was proving to be a loyal and valuable friend.

To the side, standing in their usual line, was Geani, Arasha, and Mataro. Now that Denkuma had been destroyed, there was no longer any reason to hide underground, although all three of them still trained vigorously. Despite this, they had all found other interests; Geani proved to be an immense well of information, reading countless books on history and making his own additions, and on occasion, corrections. After all, he had lived through a lot of it. Meanwhile, Arasha had discovered a spectacular talent in cooking, creating delicious meals with every attempt. Her name was becoming a rather popular one amongst the food critics in the city. And finally, Mataro played various sports, and had even landed a few parts in plays and TV shows as a skilled actor. However, his favourite pastime was going on the internet and playing with technology.

Kenta, meanwhile, had begun to write a book about the war against Denkuma, starting from when the Saiyan's arrived on the planet. The Saiyan's - as well as Zeang, Geani, Mataro, and Arasha – all insisted that their names be changed. Kenta had complied, giving them all rather exotic names that made their eyebrows rise.

Zeang, on the other hand, aided Don and Arnika with their inventions, making corrections and testing various creations. Still, the duo managed to trip him up several times with machines that even he couldn't fathom, and loved nothing more than outsmarting him. During these times, Zeang tended to fold his arms and grumble a lot, but he secretly enjoyed the challenges.

And finally, the three Saiyans did what they did best; trained endlessly, sparring with one another and occasionally destroying Don's gravity chamber. Still, with the threat of Denkuma gone, the Saiyans had an opportunity to ease up on the fighting for a while. Of course, being Saiyan's, they didn't.

And all of them had helped in the cleanup after Denkuma's short reign. Many cities on the planet had been razed to the ground by the Devil, but with the help of nearly every single person on the planet, things were looking hopeful. A good third of the cities had been almost rebuilt already; experts estimated that Haven would be back to normal within another two or three years.

But there was still something left undone; their original task still hadn't been fulfilled...until now.

"Well," said Rhuna, as she stared at the balls. "We finally did it; looks like we kept our promise, eh Kenta?"

The Havien smiled sadly. "Yeah, I guess. I can't believe how closely this cut; one week until the deadline. If the Dragon Balls had have taken any longer to recharge before making the third wish, we wouldn't be able to bring Ferris back."

"Let's not wait any longer," said Geani. "Arnika; it's time to summon the Dragon."

Arnika nodded, and stepped up to where the seven sacred stones sat on the grass, twinkling under the sun. "Prepare yourself," she said, glancing around at everybody. "Azulong's pretty big."

And with that note, she flung her arms into the air. As if sensing what was about to happen, a fierce wind picked up, blowing across the plain. The Dragon Balls glowed simultaneously, and Arnika began her chant.

"By the ground below and the Heavens up high,

Rise up now, rise to the sky!

To make my wish I sing this song,

So now come forth, great Azulong!"

The assembled group watched with baited breath as the girl spoke the rhyme. As she finished speaking, there was a short silence. Ten seconds passed.

BOOM!

A lightning bolt split the sky, thundering down and striking the Dragon Balls. Although she was expected it, Arnika screamed and fell backwards. Likewise, the Saiyans all gasped, Kenta gave a cry of fear, and Don cowered. Even the Eternal Warriors quailed under the sight.

Only Korros stood unmoved, gazing at his birthright with a small smile on his face.

Above them, the sky turned completely dark, all natural light fading. Screams sounded from the city as the sun was seemingly put out; the citizens had no idea what was happening. Korros smirked. If they were shocked by this, they had another thing coming...

The lightning ended, leaving the Dragon Balls sparkling on the ground, shedding light to the surrounding area like little orbs of fire. Suddenly, a shape burst from the spheres, a colossal shape made of pure light. As they all watched, the light expanded, growing to preposterous sizes, before fading to reveal the Dragon in its place.

It was magnificent. Azulong's bright green scales positively shone, casting a ring of light for a hundred metres, his red eyes blazing like small coals.

"I-Its incredible..." breathed Mataro, unable to believe his eyes. The Dragon turned its head to face Arnika, who rose back to her feet. Unlike last time, Arnika was completely confident, and looked Azulong in the eye.

"You have summoned all seven Dragon Balls," boomed Azulong. The Dragon's gravelly voice rung in Arasha's ears, and she took a step back. She wasn't the only one. The only two who faced the Dragon unflinchingly were Arnika and Korros; the Namekian seemed to be enjoying everyone else's discomfort. "What is your wish?"

"Azulong!" called the Havien girl. "I wish for you to bring Ferris, the Havien swordsman, who died defending the Haven from the alien Cuo, back to life, restoring his body to complete health."

Silence. Then the Dragon spoke.

"This wish is acceptable," said Azulong, and everybody let out a deep breath in unison. As they did so, the Dragon's eyes burned like a pair of brilliant flares. "Your wish has been granted."

"Yes..." whispered Arnika, and she shared an excited glance with Kenta. The two of them had missed Ferris greatly.

"And now, three requests have been made of me," added Azulong, and everybody turned their attention back to the scaly beast. "This means farewell. My powers cannot be used again for a full year. Goodbye."

"See ya," murmured Mataro in relief. The Dragon was beginning to rattle his nerves. With a low grumble, Azulong exploded into light, and the seven Dragon Balls hovered high into the air, spinning in a ring around and around. Suddenly, they split, flying off in several different directions. Yellow light trailed after every one. The Dragon Balls had scattered.

"So, it's done then." Geani bowed his head. "At last."

"But where's Ferris?" asked Rhuna. Geani looked at her.

"Just wait," he said hesitantly, flashing back to his own rebirth, half a year before. It had taken up to a minute for people to return. "Any second now..."

As if on cue, a large blue sphere burst into being, ten metres above their heads. The blue light faded away, and inside was man. He wore a blue gi, with a black strip of cloth acting as a belt. Under the gi was a red shirt. Strapped to the man's back was a leather sheath, though it was empty. The sword that belonged in the sheath, Shinsou, was safely back at Don's house, kept in a safe hidden in the floor. The broken blade had been reforged by Geani.

The man's eyes were closed, and he descended slowly to the ground. The wind blew at his brown hair, but the man didn't open his eyes until he touched the ground.

Ferris had barely come back to life before he was smothered in a hug by both Arnika and Kenta at once. The siblings wrestled their older friend to the ground, laughing and shouting incomprehensible words.

Eventually, they climbed off, and Ferris rose. Confidently, he looked around with his handsome blue eyes, taking in his surroundings.

"Ah," he murmured. "Haven."

Ferris turned to Arnika and Kenta, who both had wide grins on their faces. After a few seconds, the returned the smile, and embraced them.

"I should have known that you'd wish me back to life," he laughed. "And I'm very glad you did."

The man looked past them, at a small man, who was beaming at the trio, glad to see them together again.

"How's it going, Don?" called Ferris, and the scientist called back.

"Very well, my old friend. Good to see you back on your feet at last."

The swordsman nodded, and then looked at his student, Kenta, and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"How you've grown," said Ferris, full of pride. "I see you've carried on without me. Your power is outstanding."

Kenta grinned, blushing. "Yeah, well...I had some help."

The boy looked over at the Eternal Warriors, and Ferris followed his gaze, frowning.

"Can't say I've met you three before. I'm Ferris. Thanks for looking after Kenta while I was away."

Geani shook his head, smiling as well. "He looked after himself just fine. Kenta's not a boy anymore."

Ferris laughed. "He'll always be a boy in my eyes. You'll have to tell me more about what's happened later on. I heard something about a demon, or something?"

Arnika was confused. "Huh? How could you know about that? You were in Other World, weren't you?"

Ferris smiled mysteriously. "Oh yes. However, I received training from a being who told me of the events happening back here. I was pretty worried at one point, but it seems you all pulled through."

"Who was it?" asked Kenta, interested.

"He was...an odd fellow. He liked jokes, but he had a bit of a strange sense of humour. He had an entire planet to himself, though it was only about a hundred metres in diameter. It was weird; he had a sports car, but he didn't have anywhere to drive it too."

"So, what was his name," asked Mataro. Ferris looked at the new face, and smiled.

"Most people knew him...as King Kai!"

All three Eternal Warriors gasped, as well as Zeang and Korros.

"You can't be serious!" stammered Geani. "You met a Kai?"

"I didn't just meet him; I trained under him. He taught me things I'd never have thought were possible, and we became good friends."

"That amazing..." sighed Arasha, astounded. "To train under a Kai is one of the greatest privileges one can earn. Consider yourself blessed."

Ferris nodded. "I do."

"So," called a voice. "Let's see your new strength."

Ferris was confused, but then smiled. He had heard that voice before; the confident air, the arrogant tone. Ferris looked past Kenta and Arnika to see Blitzo, standing alongside Rhuna and Makurin. Blitzo was smirking; his challenge hung in the air.

"Ah, my friends," said Ferris, stepping forwards to face them. "I want to thank you; I know of your deeds to save the planet. First from that revolting fish-faced freak, and then from the demon. Haven owes you a great debt.

Makurin waved his hand. "It was nothing."

Rhuna caught Ferris' eye and grinned sheepishly; the last time they had spoken, Rhuna had threatened to kill the Havien.

"Well, Blitzo...you wish to see my power?" asked Ferris, turning back to the strongest Saiyan. "Very well. Stand back, you two," he said to Kenta and Arnika. The siblings gave him a wide berth, leaving him a large area to power up in.

And power up he did. Hunched over slightly, Ferris began to charge his energy. It was incredible, and the ground beneath his feet began to crack. The Eternal Warriors looked impressed, and even Korros looked mildly surprised. Kenta watched, mouth wide, as Ferris' Power Level passed his own. Despite all his work with Geani, Kenta had still been surpassed by his old mentor.

"Wow," he thought. "You were always better...I guess training with a Kai has its benefits..."

Ferris' strained yells grew louder and higher in pitch. Zeang pulled a small device from his pocket; the last remaining Scouter. Miraculously, it had survived through everything, and Zeang had brought it specially for this moment, to test Ferris' power. In awe, Zeang fitted the Scouter over his left ear. The energy tracker latched onto Ferris' rising Power Level immediately, the number on the tiny green screen growing larger and larger.

"47,000...49,000...52,000..." muttered Zeang, his eyes widening. Finally, Ferris gave one last scream, and his energy levels maxed out completely. Wind blew around them all, propelled by the massive white aura that flamed around Ferris' body. Zeang's Scouter beeped.

"Astonishing!" whimpered Zeang, unable to believe his eyes. "55,000!"

"You're kidding me!" murmured Rhuna. "He's almost as strong as us!"

Blitzo simply bowed his head, eyes closed. A smug smile was on his face. "Not bad, Ferris. You've gotten a lot stronger than the day we met."

Ferris' mouth was drawn into a snarl as he held his power level at its absolute highest, but at Blitzo's comment he gave a smirk of his own. "Oh, I'm far from done..."

"Huh?" whispered Kenta. "What's he doing?"

"You mean...he's not at his maximum?" muttered Geani in shock. This stranger – trained by a Kai – was full of surprises.

Ferris began to focus once more, and to everybody's amazement, his white aura doubled in size. Blitzo's eyes shot open.

"Kaio..." bellowed Ferris, and his aura changed from white to a deep red. Blitzo's eyes bulged, and he took a step backwards, as Ferris' power skyrocketed.

"KAIO-KEN!"

Arnika let out a shriek and tumbled over again as Ferris' energy doubled. It was unbelievable. Even Korros shouted in disbelief, and backed away. Zeang's mouth hung open, jaw quivering, as the numerical display on his Scouter blinked a few times, before the entire Scouter exploded. Small shards of metal and glass rained down onto the grass under the alien's feet, but he barely noticed.

After a few moments, Ferris' loud grunts died down, and his Power Level lowered again, all the way back down to normal, and the wind stopped blowing. Ferris was left panting heavily, a triumphant grin on his face.

Blitzo was gobsmacked, his mouth open wide enough to fit a tennis ball in.

"What...how did you do that?"

Ferris straightened up, the smug grin back on his face. "It's a technique called the Kaio-Ken. King Kai taught it to me."

"That was amazing..." breathed Arasha. "He summoned all that power...incredible!"

"Tell us," said Korros, stepping forward. "This Kaio-Ken..."

Ferris looked at him. "A Namekian, I see. Pleased to meet you, my friend. I watched your struggle from King Kai's Planet. You fought the demon well."

Korros nodded respectfully. "Thank-you."

"The Kaio-Ken doubles the user's power for a single instant. Unfortunately, the massive increase in ki could be too much for the user's body, and could potentially destroy me if I multiply my power by any more than twice. A Saiyan might be able to go higher..." Ferris added thoughtfully, glancing at the shocked trio, who were still gaping at him. "But I wouldn't be able to teach the technique to you. Only King Kai would be able to pass on the knowledge correctly."

Ferris stopped speaking, and felt at the empty scabbard on his back. "Tell me...my sword. Where is it?"

Kenta piped up. "It's back at the house."

"If no one minds, I want to see it again."

Kenta nodded. "Alright then. Let's go."

Arnika and Kenta walked back to the city, Ferris between them. The three were engrossed in conversation. The three Saiyan's looked at each other, and then quickly hurried after them, catching up quickly.

"And so it's done," said Geani. "Ferris has returned, at last."

The Eternal Warriors took off into the air, flying after the retreating group. Within seconds, they'd all disappeared amongst the buildings of the city.

Back on the plain, Zeang smiled contently, closing his eyes.

"It's finally over," he said, and took a step forward to leave as well. As his foot hit the ground, he frowned, and looked down. Under his boot was a small green piece of glass. The eyepiece of the broken Scouter. Silently, Zeang reached down and picked it up. The alien stared mournfully at the eyepiece for several seconds, and sighed.

"Will you rebuild it?" spoke a soft voice, coming from a point just beside Zeang. The alien turned to see Don looking at him, smiling kindly. Korros stepped up to Zeang's other side, and the three of them gazed at the small green glass. Zeang shook his head.

"No," he said. "I won't rebuild it. Now that the Scouter's broken, our last link to Frieza has been severed at last. Now nothing remains to tie us to that monster. We're free."

Don nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed."

Zeang crushed the eyepiece in his fist, compressing the glass into powder. Tiny shards sprinkled out the side of his clenched fingers.

At last, they were free.

000

Click!

The small sound echoed down the hall as Arnika closed the door to her laboratory. It was completely dark, except for a small light at the end of the hall.

It was a week after Ferris had been restored, an exact year since the Saiyan's arrival on Haven. Arnika frowned as she reached her bedroom; something wasn't quite normal. With a start, she realised what it was. The girl could sense an energy signature a few kilometres away; it was familiar.

"Blitzo?" thought Arnika, surprised. "What's he doing out there?"

Quickly, she went into her room and slipped on some socks and shoes, then left the house, flying under the dark sky. The moon hung above, a bright light against the black background. Stars were abundant.

Five minutes later, Arnika left the cluster of buildings that made up the city, arriving on the large grassy field that led to the cliff. In the distance, Arnika could see a small silhouette on the cliff's edge. Blitzo.

She knew that he could sense her coming, but he still didn't move as she drew nearer. The Saiyan was sitting on the short grass near the great drop into the sea, looking out over the crashing water. He had his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms folded over them. His eyes were gloomy and his expression downcast.

"Hey," he mumbled, as Arnika dropped to the ground next to him, sitting cross-legged.

"Hi," she answered quietly. "What are you doing out here. It's nearly two in the morning, and it's freezing!"

Blitzo shrugged, but didn't turn his gaze from the waves washing in to crash against the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. "Couldn't sleep, so I came out here to think..."

Arnika frowned. "What about?"

Blitzo sighed, and stood up, shuffling along until he was standing a mere metre from the edge. For a full minute he was silent, transfixed by the water, but eventually he answered.

"Did I ever tell you...about my friend...Gohron?"

Arnika furrowed her brow, recalling that day, only a day under a year ago, when Zeang had filled her, Kenta, and Don in about Blitzo's past, and his brotherly relationship with the pure-hearted Saiyan, Gohron, who had been murdered by Frieza.

"Zeang told me about him," she answered. "He said that Gohron was the reason that you're so different from Rhuna and Makurin."

Blitzo smiled gloomily; his heart wasn't in it. "I suppose he's right about that..."

The Saiyan trailed off.

"What are you trying to say?" asked Arnika gently.

Blitzo shrugged one of his shoulders, and shook his head. "I don't know...I guess it's just...I can't believe how close I was to being able to bring back the Saiyans. Did you realise? Three wishes? If Denkuma hadn't have showed up, we could have used the first wish to bring back Ferris...the second to recreate Planet Vegeta...and then the third to bring every Saiyan back. I'm just finding it hard to accept that my entire race is gone..."

Blitzo sighed again, and Arnika felt a wave of sorrow for her friend. Standing up from where she was sitting on the ground, she followed Blitzo to the edge of the cliff and took hold of one of his arms, leaning close to him and resting her head on his shoulder. Blitzo stiffened at the unexpected contact with the girl, but then relaxed again.

"They're not all gone..." Arnika said kindly. "You're still here, and so are Makurin and Rhuna. Besides...you might not have revived the Saiyans, but you saved every single Havien, alive or dead. We'd all be dead if it weren't for you. And that's good enough for me."

Blitzo finally turned his head, and looked Arnika in the eye, who smiled back.

"Thanks, Blitzo," she said. "For everything..."

And before Blitzo could react in any way, the girl leaned forward and kissed him. Stunned, the Saiyan's eyes widened, and his cheeks turned bright red, frozen in surprise.

Arnika broke away, giggled at Blitzo's overwhelmed expression, and then turned and skipped away back towards the city.

"Goodnight," she called back over her shoulder, and was gone.

Blitzo was blushing madly, his eyes still wide. Dazed, he stared after the Havien girl as she left.

"Goodnight..." he murmured. It was all the Saiyan could say; he was still shaken by the kiss.

Several minutes passed, and Blitzo soon gained the ability to move again, the paralysis in his mind fading, and a tiny smile spread across his face. Already flashing back to that amazing moment, the Saiyan turned to look back at the ocean, and then stared up at the stars hanging above. Somewhere out there, trillions of beings lived, some in harmony, others in war. And yet, right there on Haven, everything seemed perfect.

"The night sky really is beautiful," he thought, and as he stared up at the thousands of stars pasted across the black backdrop, there was a bright flash, and a spark zoomed across the sky. A shooting star. Blitzo smiled, and spoke to himself.

"Make a wish!"

000

And so, Dragon Ball X has come to an end...for now, anyway. This chapter was actually a lot longer than I thought it would be, but it turned out just as I imagined it, so I'm happy. Funny thing; it's actually the longest chapter I've ever written.

Ah, what a heartwarming last scene, if I do say so myself. I had fun writing it; I've been planning that last bit since chapter 6. And Ferris is back; he's been promoted from the dead guy to one of the main characters, so you'll be seeing him a lot more often now.

In case you saw that I'd marked this story as "complete", it is indeed finished. But the adventures of the Saiyans and the Haviens aren't over yet. I've decided to split the story's arcs into several different fics; as of now, this one has been renamed to "Dragon Ball X – Volume I – Eternal Protectors". Keep your eyes out the next volume. It's like waiting for a book to come out ;) Anyway, I probably won't begin Volume II for about two months, unfortunately. I've got my month-long camp, and then I'll take a short break and focus on Aura Adventure for a bit.

Special thanks to Littlmiget123 for giving me great advice and helping me out greatly; he's like my editor. Thanks, Alex! Oh, by the way, I haven't checked this for mistakes, so could you check it for me? Thanks again.

See you all next time!