A RAINBOW FOR HER
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of the DBZ characters. I do, however, own the fic all of this is in. That is all.
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The sandy beach was swept away by the tides of the oceans, revealing hidden, multicolored sea shells that were awaiting the sunlight. The sea gulls cawed in the distance, circling high above the cliffs that watched over the shores. The silent swim of the fish was deafened out by the tumbling roar of the blue sea waves. The light blue sky shimmered with light above the wakes in a cloudless wonder. In the distance, Earth met the Heavens, creating a two tone look of blue.
Yet, as she walked down the endless beach of a far away island, Android 18 did not care what went on around her. From her immortal mind, everything was a blur that mixed together into one big pile. Nothing was beautiful to her anymore. Nothing mattered. Nothing was worth living for. All the things she had known had died of age or tried protecting the fragile minds of life. 18 desperately wanted to go with them but her own infinite life prevented her from doing so.
It had been only two years since Krillin, her one and only love, had died from an unknown disease that had raged on inside his body for more years then she knew. Her daughter, Marron, had grown up quickly that it seemed that it had been yesterday she was the small girl that her mother had held in her arms so tightly. All of the original Z-Fighters had died in fights, as they saved Earth like they had did so many times before, or were now close to death. The newer were strong but they lacked what the first had inside. They did not face the same kind of enemies that their mothers, fathers, and so on, had faced in the past. Those who dared to disrupt the peace were now weaker and less likely to put up a fight.
18 sighed as she stared straight ahead, her body still swaying to the hissing wind. Krillin, I miss you more then you will ever know, she thought to herself as she kept her eyes from misting with tears. There were so many memories that flooder her mind when she was on the beach.....
~*~*~
"Okay, okay! I give!" Krillin cried out in laughter as 18 playfully pushed him into the cool water of the ocean. He moved back some, a wave of foam splashing into his back. From farther up the shore, Marron gurgled happily as the small child patted a mound of sand together with a yellow shovel. Her parents gave her some quick glances every now and then as they played their own game. The child paid no heed to her parents frantic sprints along the waves.
"Finally." She said as the water bubbled to her bare ankles.
"Ah. It sounds like you have been trying for a long time."
"I have."
"Oh?" The human raised an eyebrow at that. The other stared back as she tired to hold back a smile. Krillin took her hand, a small smile on his own lips. At first, 18 did not return it for she was afraid. Afraid of the feelings that she had towards her husband even though she had been married to him for a few years now. Then, after a few moments, a soft change turned her pink lips into a hint of a smile, gently light up her face.
"Ah. I got you to smile again."
"Yea, yea."
"Soon, it will be bigger then it is now."
"Don't push it." 18 gave him a look that had mixed emotions on it. Krillin didn't back up like he normally did but his smile did fade some. Yet, the warm look on his face didn't as the mists of the depths swelled onto the shallow shore.
~*~*~
18 sighed again as she moved her body onto the flat rocks that grouped together on one part of the beach. Sea grass grew in the cracks that were in between them while deep puddles of salt water held groups of life inside. There were few birds on the rocks around her, some barely noticing the android. Other's flew away, not knowing what to do with the strange being that had seemingly come out of nowhere.
Sitting down upon the rock, she pulled her knees up to her chest and placed her arms around them. She stared up into sky, the tears not being able to held back for much longer as she remembered.....
~*~*~
"Hold on for one more moment, 18." Krillin whispered as he slowly lead her up the rocks. 18 had a blindfold on her eyes as she blindly walked forwards, placing all of her trust into Krillin.
"Can you please hurry up? We've been at the beach all day." She said irritably, putting all the anger she had inside her into her voice. "I am tired."
"I know. But I want to show you this."
"Fine. Just tell me when you are ready to show me."
"Almost." Krillin took both of her hands and continued to lead her to where he wanted to be. As the moments went by, 18 started to become more impatient. Thought she wanted to go home, she went along with whatever the other was planning to do. "Okay. This is the spot."
"Finally." 18 muttered the same word from earlier as she felt her body being stopped and turned around. After a few seconds, she felt the blindfold come off of her face. The android rubbed her eyes then looked straight ahead. At that moment, the sun was seeping into the watery horizon, half of it still visible to them. What was left was reflected off of the glassy, almost calm water. The now disappearing blue tint had oranges, yellows, and reds along the line of the two tone as it became night. What was left of the light reflected off of 18's face as she placed her hands at her side and moved her gaze along with wonder. "Krillin.....this is beautiful. I have seen a sunset once from Gero's lab but this was.......nothing like it. It's perfect....."
"No it isn't." Krillin said in a bitter tone, placing his hands in his pockets. 18 took a glance at the sunset before she looked over at her husband, who was looking down at the ground.
"Don't say that. It is."
"No. I wanted to give you a rainbow along with it. But, it didn't rain last night and...."
"Shhh, Krillin." 18 turned her body towards him. She leaned forward, placing a hand underneath the other's chin. She gently lifted it up so that she could move Krillin's gaze to meet her blue eyes. "I do not need a rainbow now. I can wait for the moment even if it takes forever."
"Then, I will find you a rainbow. A rainbow for your love." The android smiled at him, the feeling that she had felt a long time ago flowing into her body like a river. At that point in the sands of time, a kiss was shared in the ending light of day.
~*~*~
18 took in a deep breath, trying to keep herself calm. It was hard to do since everything about the beach reminded her of the promise Krillin had given her such a long time ago. Why did I come here? I did not need to feel anymore pain that will bring me tears, she thought as she closed her eyes and buried her face in her knees.
~*~*~
"Krillin, don't leave me." 18 whispered as she knelled by the bed that she and her love had shared for most of their lives. In the middle of it, covered in a light blanket while his head was propped up in pillows, Krillin laid. His face was deathly pale and as his eyes, which had nearly whitened, watched her tear stained face. They were the only thing that had not lost their sparkle in the now near death human.
"I'm sorry, 18. I tried to fight this. I really did." He whispered so low that it took a few seconds for it to register in the android's brain. "It took everything out of me."
"Not everything. You still had the love for me and your daughter."
"That is true." Krillin coughed, the life leaving him with every word he spoke. 18 placed a hand on his lips, telling him to be quiet.
"Do not speak. You need to save your breath."
"You.....know.......what....?" He coughed out again. She tilted her head at him, stroking his head gently with the back of her hand, knowing she could not silence him even at his death bed.
"What is it?" She purred, the tears still coming down her cheeks.
"I have only one regret."
"What is that?"
"That I have never gave a rainbow to you. I wanted to give you it....."
"You still remember that promise after all this time?"
"Yes. I.....never did......find....one...." Krillin closed his eyes, his chest heaving up and down. 18 continued to stroke his head, a final tear going down her cheek.
"You didn't need to give me a rainbow because our love is one. We are that rainbow, Krillin. I love you even if you didn't find a real one." After a few moments, when her husband did not respond, 18 looked down upon him. Now, he was laying perfectly still, his chest now motionless and his eyes closed. The android stopped moving her hand along the top of his head as she watched him dream in a forever sleep. There was no more tears going down her face at that moment as the stream of light came through the open window.
~*~*~
A gust of wind swirled around her, making 18 raise her head from her knees. She moved her eyes to the sides, her defenses telling her something was around. Something that had been watching her. Something that was probably a threat to her as she stood up and spun around. Instead of finding something there, there was nothing. Nothing except for the rocks and the sound of the waves behind her.
"I need to get away from this place." 18 muttered under her breath as she took one last glance over her shoulder at the ocean. As she started to leave, the android's eyes went wide and she snapped her body back around. There, in a prism of light, a single ray of a rainbow shot over the water. It's reflection went back up to the Heavens as it sparkled in the sunlight.
18 sat back down onto the rock, memorized by the awe of the creation. She got in the same position like she had been in before but she did not bury her head down. Instead, she watched the rainbow in it's beautifulness.
"Now, Krillin, you kept your promise. And I know now that you will always be with me....forever in spirit.....and love....."
~EL FIN~