Once Upon a Dream
Part Sixteen
They trod paths that no mortal had ever walked upon to reach their destination. It was a fascinating thing, the path they were currently on, because the color of it never wanted to stay the same way for long. Katrinka looked at the dark green path, blinked once, and glanced back at a pink one.
"Why is it doing that?" she asked, keeping her eyes riveted to the ground. She didn't want to stray from it -- Michael told her that was a huge mistake -- and the air about her was nothing but a deep sort of mist. She didn't even know if there was a ground outside of the path. She sighed silently, hoping that they reached the end soon.
"We're almost there," he said kindly as if reading her mind. But he chose not to answer her previous question. "Not too long now."
"I'm just so nervous, you know? I haven't ever seen them before..."
"Don't be. You're parents really love you and are most definitely proud of you."
She changed the subject, hoping to get her mind off things. "Heaven is a really nice place. I hope I end up here." She chuckled. "Maybe I can send a postcard to Vegeta. Does Hell get mail?"
"You be surprised what afterlife someone ends up in," He gave her a knowing look. "Vegeta just may end up in Heaven."
"You've got to be kidding!"
He shook his head. "He may acquire enough good deeds to overbalance the bad ones. As for you, you don't go to an afterlife." He fell into a purposeful silence and walked on, seemingly faster than ever. Kat had to trot to keep up.
"Hey wait up!" Then she sensed his urgency, like a cold knot in her stomach. "We don't have much time left, do we?"
"No," he agreed. "We do not."
And then, as the saying went, there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel.
***
Katherine was waiting for them, hands on her hips and looking quite impatient.
"Hurry up now, I haven't got all day. Disaster is about to strike the heavens!"
Kat raised an eyebrow at her behavior. "Who're you?"
"My name is Katherine," she bowed low. "The Guardian of the Dead at your service." She was suddenly startled as Kat threw herself into her arms and began to sob wildly.
"Kaasan! I thought that I would never get to meet you!"
Michael stood off a little ways to the side, smiling at the touching scene.
"Katrinka?" She said her name with a little roll on the 'r'. "Is that you sweetheart?" She pulled the still sobbing woman back a little to get a good look at her. "Well, you do look a lot like your Tousan." Then she hugged her again as Kat's sobs slowly ceased.
"Look at me," Kat smiled weakly while rubbing her eyes. "We need to get going. I don't have time for this. But it's just so nice to see you at last!"
Kathy nodded. "I finally get to meet my baby all grown up in person!"
This just left her confused. "Huh?"
"I've been watching over you. Sort of as a Guardian Angel. I stopped you from making all sorts of stupid mistakes. Vegeta did an okay job with raising you, though it could have been better. I've already spoken to him about that."
"I forgot to ask! Where are we in time? Are we in ancient Vegeta-sei's time or my own?"
"Katrinka, we don't have a certain time that we are in. We just are."
"I don't get it."
Kathy sighed. "This is something else I must yell at that idiot for."
"Wait Kathy," Michael told her. "How could Vegeta possibly begin to understand this?" He turned to the still confused Kat. What she means is that the afterlife transcends all time and space. It is the only constant in an infinite amount of inconstants."
Kat felt as if her head was going to explode from all the information she had been getting in such a short amount of time. "Please stop for now. I don't think I can learn anymore."
Her mother was quite ready to drop the whole thing. "Sure. Let's go see your Tousan."
***
'The new souls,' Katherine had said, 'were a little disoriented from the transition from life to death. Kat could understand. I mean, one moment you were alive and in familiar surroundings and the next moment you were not. It was bound to confuse some people. The others, however, were the ones who knew they were dying.
Michael had left them soon after the tearful Kat had gotten control of herself saying that he had things to attend to back at home.
"For a little while," Kathy said, "you feel a little odd. Another one of my jobs is to help ease the transition. Your father had it a little easier than others because I was the first person he saw when he awoke."
"So where is he now?" Kat asked.
Kathy pursed her lips. "I have no idea." Seeing her face fall, she was quick to continue. "But rest assured we will find him." They continued to walk, looking around for any sign.
"Have you see someone named Appuru around here?" The goddess asked everyone they saw.
"Is that his name? Appuru?"
She nodded. "No one ever told you that?"
She shot her a look. "Kaasan, you had me stay with Vegeta."
"You're right. No one told you anything. Most saiyans are so out of touch when it comes to things like that."
Kat thought of Vegeta, *her* Vegeta and sighed. "Tell me about it."
After looking for quite some time, they saw hide nor hair of him and time was running out.
"Let me try this," Kat rose high in the air, took a deep breath, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted. "Appuru where are you? Katherine and your daughter have business with you! Hurry up or the universe is doomed!"
Kathy nodded in approval. "Now why didn't I think of that?"
Her daughter smiled. "Because you're not as smart as I am." The goddess groaned and smiled as well.
Suddenly this *huge* man appeared around the path. Both his hair and his tail were jet black but he was the thinnest saiyan Kat had ever seen. He was also the mildest looking.
"You rang?" he grinned widely. "Katherine so nice to see you again! It's good to finally get to meet you, Katrinka. I had been watching your progress on Vegeta-sei and you have done quite well."
Kat stood there, mouth open, gaping at him. "You're not at all what I expected." She slowly circled him, taking in everything.
"You were expecting someone handsomer weren't you?" His grin appeared to have gone up a wattage.
"Stop it," Kathy laughed. "We're not here to listen to your bad jokes. You know what's going on, don't you?"
"Who doesn't! It's all Heaven talks about."
"Then you know we have to tell her."
Kat's head jerked up. "Tell me? Tell me what?" They continued to talk as if they never heard her.
"I guess you're right. She'll never be able to kill Astor otherwise."
"But the knowledge may kill her!"
"It's a risk that we have to take."
"Kaasan, Tousan, please tell me what you're talking about!" She looked back and forth between their faces, noting the expressions of both worry and trepidation. Worry concerning how she would take the news and trepidation for what might happen when the secrets out. Her mother took her gently by the arm and waved her hand. The scenery changed to one that mirrored that shadow realm she was in as she walked the path but there was a large mirror only a few feet away.
"Katrinka," Kathy said softly. She and Appuru moved to either side of her. "Look into the mirror. What do you see?"
Looking closely she came to the conclusion that she saw the same thing that she always saw when she looked into a mirror. Herself. "What is this supposed to do?"
"You see, you a special person. A *very* special person." Her father said. "You know what you are a godchild and the Time Warrior but you are something more."
Kathy pointed to a place in the mirror. "This is how you look on the outside. Speaking like a sci-fi fanatic, this is your host body."
Kat blinked. "You're acting like I'm someone else entirely. What in the world are you talking about?"
Her father decided to come out an say it. "You are two people. One is Katrinka, our daughter, and the other is..." This is when he trailed off, unwilling to continue.
"Yes? Who's the other person?"
Her mother continued. "The other is, Katilyn, better known as the Creator."
I know my parts seem to be getting shorter and shorter but this seemed like a good place to stop. Feedback greatly appreciated.