Setting: A few hours before the destruction of Vegita-Sei.
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence.
Notes: ** are for thought. And I got the title from a Sarah McLachlan song. "As the walls are closing in, and the colors fade to black..." In any case, this little mini-snippet of a story sets up the next few parts, so consider this a prologue of sorts. Okay, ready? And we're off...!
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"What if we get caught?" Lee whispered, looking behind her cautiously. Ree, her twin sister, snuck her way past the guards, past the throne room, and to the training hall, with Lee following close behind.
"Then we get caught," Ree replied simply. "You wanted to see him, so we'll see him. Me 'cause I'm gonna be betrothed to him, you 'cause god knows why." Finally, they stopped at the large doors of the training hall. Ree pulled them open slightly and took a peek. "C'mon," Ree beckoned, pulling Lee to the doors.
Lee put an eye to the small crack and peered through, watching the group of children, guards, and all in all very powerful people sparring each other. Just about in the center of the room was the young prince Vegeta, sparring with an older man who was getting badly beaten. Finally, after a painful punch to the gut, the man forfeited.
Young Vegeta smirked evilly, looking down at the crouching man. "There IS no forfeiting -- it's win or die, and I just won."
The man looked up and spat. "You're just a kid, dammit," he said, trying to regain some dignity, "I can forfeit if I want to."
Vegeta laughed. And gave the man a kick that broke his neck. The body fell limply on the floor with a loud thud. "I am the prince of this planet... KID." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed himself from the room, and two guards dragged the dead body away.
"Damn..." Lee whispered, jaw dropping in awe and a bit of jealousy.
"Serves the KID right," the young prince muttered, watching the guards pick up the dead body of the man... and then, hearing a shuffling at the door, his gaze swept to a crack in the door.
And he saw her face.
Lee gasped and quickly closed the doors.
"What is it?" Ree asked in concern.
*-he saw me he saw me oh fuck what am I gonna do now-* Lee took a breath and calmed herself enough to speak. "HE SAW ME!" she yelled, loud enough for everyone in the training hall to hear.
"SHIT!" Ree yelled just as loud. "COME ON!!" She quickly grabbed Lee and zoomed down the hallway, this time not caring if the guards saw or not.
Lee closed her eyes in thought. To have the attention of the prince was definitely NOT a good thing -- especially if you were two second class females spying on him while he was training. It wouldn't even matter if their father was in negotiations with the King to get his son and Ree betrothed. That would probably be canceled... *Whoa, hold up...* Lee opened her eyes and grinned. *Maybe this ain't so bad after all.*
The guards confronting the twins at the end of the hall made Ree screech to a halt. "SHIT!" The two stopped, hovering there as they faced off with the guards. Lee turned to go back the way they'd come...
And there he was.
Arms folded, tiny frown on his face... and twenty royal guards behind him.
Lee and the young prince caught each other's gaze. Her brows furrowed; so did his. Then he smirked. Just the tiniest bit of a smirk. Lee blinked; her mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. A deep blush crept its way up her cheeks, and she closed her mouth, staying silent. He made a small 'hmph' sound. And then...
"Attack," he murmured to the guards behind him.
Lee and Ree stood back to back as the guards closed in on both sides, battle auras flaming around them.
*What now, sis? Fight or flight?*
Lee tried to think of something, anything, but nothing was in her head except for his face, his smirk, the sound of his voice, that power he held -- wait, did he realize? Did he know who she was? More importantly, perhaps most... did he know EXACTLY who she was? Specifically, did he know she was the one who left the notes around the palace for him to find, telling of how powerful she was, daring him to fight her because she knew she'd win...
*LEE!*
"Let's get out of here," Lee growled, looking at the guards in front of her -- and suddenly grinning. Realizing how perfect the situation was for her. Here was the chance to show off the power she knew she had, and there he was to see it. Even if he never got those stupid notes, he'd know her power now. And that was all he'd need to know. Bringing her hands up and away, she reared back, gathering as much energy she could muster and then some. She felt a sudden burn in her hands and chuckled, knowing how surprised Ree would be. Concentrating, feeling the energy building, building...
And then throwing her hands forward and releasing, firing a tremendously huge ki blast, twice the size of the largest man in the midst of the guards, the energy twisting like a pillar of fire with the speed not seen by many, rocking the very floors of the palace and scorching the walls.
Needless to say, a few charred skeletons were the only things in the sisters' way now.
Lee stared for a moment, not gloating, but in complete shock. She did this. She hardly knew there was that kind of power in existence, and SHE did it. Not Ree. LEE. Kicking into high gear, Lee grabbed Ree by the hand and flew off, making for the royal pods. A power like what she'd just demonstrated, used against palace guards, was high treason, punishable not by death, but by something much worse.
Young Vegeta ran after the two, stopping at the remains of the guards she'd killed. He looked down. Correction: charred and smoldering remains of the guards she'd killed. He looked up, narrowing his eyes at the two sisters, but kept his attention on Lee. And the powerful ki he sensed. He let himself grin, then turned to the guards behind him.
Two seconds later, he walked back into the royal training room, leaving behind two piles of burnt remains. After all, the two would have a better chance of escaping -- and returning afterwards -- if there were no witnesses.
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"Okay so far, sis?"
A very young Lee made a face at the speakers as she checked the systems of her pod, blowing a strand of grey hair out of an eye. "Of course I'm okay. I know how these things work. I know more than YOU, anyway." She grimaced at the dust that had settled on the panels thanks to the disuse of the old pod, but she had to make do; it was all the two could get, and they were in quite a hurry at the time.
"All right, all right," Ree replied, her voice nothing more than a ghostly rasp on the ancient communication device installed in the walls on each side of the pilot seat. "I was just concerned, that's all."
Lee flopped down in the seat and sighed wearily, elbows on her knees, leaning her forehead on her palms. "Well, don't be," she breathed out. "I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, you demonstrated that clearly before we left, didn't you?"
Lee gritted her teeth, about to make a very obscene comment at her sister, when the pod suddenly rocked violently, throwing her out of the chair and sprawling her on the floor with a hard thud. Scrambling up quickly, she made it to the controls and ran a quick scan on the inner systems. "Ree, something just happened. Felt anything just now?"
Silence.
"Ree?" Lee pushed a button and opened the pod's main window; maybe she'd be able to search for whatever caused the shake. As the clear window was revealed, Lee took a quick look outside and gasped, watching as the pod's auto-pilot swerved the pod this way and that to avoid a sudden asteroid field that it had come across. Not even come across -- somehow, the pod wound up almost in the middle of it. But how? They were too close to Vegita-Sei for the sensors to miss such an abnormal spatial anomaly before they took off. *Ree! Dammit, talk to me!*
The responding voice, which should have sounded more solid and clear considering the strength of the sisters' mental connection as opposed to the antique speakers, was more of a feathery whisper, and it frightened Lee more than the situation itself. *Oh Kami, tell me that wasn't just my imagination, tell me that wasn't what I think...*
*Ree! What the hell is happening?!*
*Oh kami, no... it's... it's all gone...*
*WHAT?!*
*... Vegita-Sei. It's... gone.*
Silence on Lee's end.
*Kami help us. We're the last ones.*
*No. We can't be.*
*The planet blew the fuck up. You tell me someone can survive that.*
*No... no no no no... kami no please...*
*Goodbye, Otosan. I will always love you dearly.*
Another silence.
*What is it, Lee?*
*He... he has to be alive...*
*Otosan?*
*The... prince.*
*... oh jeez... Lee, don't tell me you... actually...*
*Ree, please... just... leave me alone,* she moaned pathetically.
The two lonely pods continued to speed away from the remains of Vegita-Sei, passing just outside of the radar on Frieza's ship.
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There, done. I feel accomplished now. Anybody wanna see what Lee and Ree actually look like, go look up saiyajin_lee in Yahoo! photos. I've got a buncha my stuff there.
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence.
Notes: ** are for thought. And I got the title from a Sarah McLachlan song. "As the walls are closing in, and the colors fade to black..." In any case, this little mini-snippet of a story sets up the next few parts, so consider this a prologue of sorts. Okay, ready? And we're off...!
____________________________________
____________________________________
"What if we get caught?" Lee whispered, looking behind her cautiously. Ree, her twin sister, snuck her way past the guards, past the throne room, and to the training hall, with Lee following close behind.
"Then we get caught," Ree replied simply. "You wanted to see him, so we'll see him. Me 'cause I'm gonna be betrothed to him, you 'cause god knows why." Finally, they stopped at the large doors of the training hall. Ree pulled them open slightly and took a peek. "C'mon," Ree beckoned, pulling Lee to the doors.
Lee put an eye to the small crack and peered through, watching the group of children, guards, and all in all very powerful people sparring each other. Just about in the center of the room was the young prince Vegeta, sparring with an older man who was getting badly beaten. Finally, after a painful punch to the gut, the man forfeited.
Young Vegeta smirked evilly, looking down at the crouching man. "There IS no forfeiting -- it's win or die, and I just won."
The man looked up and spat. "You're just a kid, dammit," he said, trying to regain some dignity, "I can forfeit if I want to."
Vegeta laughed. And gave the man a kick that broke his neck. The body fell limply on the floor with a loud thud. "I am the prince of this planet... KID." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed himself from the room, and two guards dragged the dead body away.
"Damn..." Lee whispered, jaw dropping in awe and a bit of jealousy.
"Serves the KID right," the young prince muttered, watching the guards pick up the dead body of the man... and then, hearing a shuffling at the door, his gaze swept to a crack in the door.
And he saw her face.
Lee gasped and quickly closed the doors.
"What is it?" Ree asked in concern.
*-he saw me he saw me oh fuck what am I gonna do now-* Lee took a breath and calmed herself enough to speak. "HE SAW ME!" she yelled, loud enough for everyone in the training hall to hear.
"SHIT!" Ree yelled just as loud. "COME ON!!" She quickly grabbed Lee and zoomed down the hallway, this time not caring if the guards saw or not.
Lee closed her eyes in thought. To have the attention of the prince was definitely NOT a good thing -- especially if you were two second class females spying on him while he was training. It wouldn't even matter if their father was in negotiations with the King to get his son and Ree betrothed. That would probably be canceled... *Whoa, hold up...* Lee opened her eyes and grinned. *Maybe this ain't so bad after all.*
The guards confronting the twins at the end of the hall made Ree screech to a halt. "SHIT!" The two stopped, hovering there as they faced off with the guards. Lee turned to go back the way they'd come...
And there he was.
Arms folded, tiny frown on his face... and twenty royal guards behind him.
Lee and the young prince caught each other's gaze. Her brows furrowed; so did his. Then he smirked. Just the tiniest bit of a smirk. Lee blinked; her mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. A deep blush crept its way up her cheeks, and she closed her mouth, staying silent. He made a small 'hmph' sound. And then...
"Attack," he murmured to the guards behind him.
Lee and Ree stood back to back as the guards closed in on both sides, battle auras flaming around them.
*What now, sis? Fight or flight?*
Lee tried to think of something, anything, but nothing was in her head except for his face, his smirk, the sound of his voice, that power he held -- wait, did he realize? Did he know who she was? More importantly, perhaps most... did he know EXACTLY who she was? Specifically, did he know she was the one who left the notes around the palace for him to find, telling of how powerful she was, daring him to fight her because she knew she'd win...
*LEE!*
"Let's get out of here," Lee growled, looking at the guards in front of her -- and suddenly grinning. Realizing how perfect the situation was for her. Here was the chance to show off the power she knew she had, and there he was to see it. Even if he never got those stupid notes, he'd know her power now. And that was all he'd need to know. Bringing her hands up and away, she reared back, gathering as much energy she could muster and then some. She felt a sudden burn in her hands and chuckled, knowing how surprised Ree would be. Concentrating, feeling the energy building, building...
And then throwing her hands forward and releasing, firing a tremendously huge ki blast, twice the size of the largest man in the midst of the guards, the energy twisting like a pillar of fire with the speed not seen by many, rocking the very floors of the palace and scorching the walls.
Needless to say, a few charred skeletons were the only things in the sisters' way now.
Lee stared for a moment, not gloating, but in complete shock. She did this. She hardly knew there was that kind of power in existence, and SHE did it. Not Ree. LEE. Kicking into high gear, Lee grabbed Ree by the hand and flew off, making for the royal pods. A power like what she'd just demonstrated, used against palace guards, was high treason, punishable not by death, but by something much worse.
Young Vegeta ran after the two, stopping at the remains of the guards she'd killed. He looked down. Correction: charred and smoldering remains of the guards she'd killed. He looked up, narrowing his eyes at the two sisters, but kept his attention on Lee. And the powerful ki he sensed. He let himself grin, then turned to the guards behind him.
Two seconds later, he walked back into the royal training room, leaving behind two piles of burnt remains. After all, the two would have a better chance of escaping -- and returning afterwards -- if there were no witnesses.
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"Okay so far, sis?"
A very young Lee made a face at the speakers as she checked the systems of her pod, blowing a strand of grey hair out of an eye. "Of course I'm okay. I know how these things work. I know more than YOU, anyway." She grimaced at the dust that had settled on the panels thanks to the disuse of the old pod, but she had to make do; it was all the two could get, and they were in quite a hurry at the time.
"All right, all right," Ree replied, her voice nothing more than a ghostly rasp on the ancient communication device installed in the walls on each side of the pilot seat. "I was just concerned, that's all."
Lee flopped down in the seat and sighed wearily, elbows on her knees, leaning her forehead on her palms. "Well, don't be," she breathed out. "I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, you demonstrated that clearly before we left, didn't you?"
Lee gritted her teeth, about to make a very obscene comment at her sister, when the pod suddenly rocked violently, throwing her out of the chair and sprawling her on the floor with a hard thud. Scrambling up quickly, she made it to the controls and ran a quick scan on the inner systems. "Ree, something just happened. Felt anything just now?"
Silence.
"Ree?" Lee pushed a button and opened the pod's main window; maybe she'd be able to search for whatever caused the shake. As the clear window was revealed, Lee took a quick look outside and gasped, watching as the pod's auto-pilot swerved the pod this way and that to avoid a sudden asteroid field that it had come across. Not even come across -- somehow, the pod wound up almost in the middle of it. But how? They were too close to Vegita-Sei for the sensors to miss such an abnormal spatial anomaly before they took off. *Ree! Dammit, talk to me!*
The responding voice, which should have sounded more solid and clear considering the strength of the sisters' mental connection as opposed to the antique speakers, was more of a feathery whisper, and it frightened Lee more than the situation itself. *Oh Kami, tell me that wasn't just my imagination, tell me that wasn't what I think...*
*Ree! What the hell is happening?!*
*Oh kami, no... it's... it's all gone...*
*WHAT?!*
*... Vegita-Sei. It's... gone.*
Silence on Lee's end.
*Kami help us. We're the last ones.*
*No. We can't be.*
*The planet blew the fuck up. You tell me someone can survive that.*
*No... no no no no... kami no please...*
*Goodbye, Otosan. I will always love you dearly.*
Another silence.
*What is it, Lee?*
*He... he has to be alive...*
*Otosan?*
*The... prince.*
*... oh jeez... Lee, don't tell me you... actually...*
*Ree, please... just... leave me alone,* she moaned pathetically.
The two lonely pods continued to speed away from the remains of Vegita-Sei, passing just outside of the radar on Frieza's ship.
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There, done. I feel accomplished now. Anybody wanna see what Lee and Ree actually look like, go look up saiyajin_lee in Yahoo! photos. I've got a buncha my stuff there.