DragonballZThrenody: Fadeout

by Kimberley

Threnody's story takes to the unexpected, as Gabriyel learns that sometimes the people in your head are better off there.

=========================================================================


Threnody = Fadeout
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [ gabriyel@planetnamek.org ]
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz


=====


I've always had strange feelings about things. Well. Usually I do.
There are the times they fail to come to me and I end making stupid
decisions or do something very, very, moronic.

Here I was, laying on my bed in pitch darkness, wondering just what
was missing. I felt so alone ... it was odd. I've never felt like this
before. I've always had something, someone with me ... at least mentally.

Perhaps you could call me a schizophrenic. I mean, I talk to myself, I
have more personalities than my friend Rasia, a blonde who goes through
moods like flame goes through gasoline -- fast, quick, and, for some,
deadly. And I've always had these people ... in my head. Well, actually I
had more of a house in my head. I mean, I have a big imagination, right? The
most common residents, three males known from the Sailormoon realm as
Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite. Of course, they were a lot different from
the cartoon, but still ...

And they were gone.

I sat up, hand on my stomach. I have always enjoyed solitude. Away
from people. And I always considered myself demophobic. I'm on the fifth
floor of my apartment building, and don't even go near the elevator, so many
people use it at a time. But still ... stick me in a small room with a
million Saiya-jin, I probably wouldn't care. Or Namek-jin, for that matter.
But humans ... are different. So ... so different ... and I can't really
figure out what the problem is. I should, I know that, but I just can't.
Ever. Figure it out.

And here I was, without the only companionship I had really had
twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

And I hated it.


=====


"Hey, Gabe-chan," greeted a familiar brunette when I came through the
door. "Is it very cold out there?"

"Snowing," I replied, smirking.

Ally is basically someone I've known on-line since I was a teenager.
She was an excellent writer, and wrote a lot of Dragonball Z fan fiction
stories.

And then she popped into their dimension.

I suppose that I should be envious of her ... she gets wicked powers,
and a power level of over a hundred -- well, if you could actually read it,
she'd have a power level of over a hundred. But I'm just me ... a dead me. I
suppose it really creeps people out sometimes. I don't breathe, don't eat,
and I don't really need a sleep but I do it anyway. I don't live. I killed
myself, what can I say? I switched forms with whoever my double-ganger was
in this dimension, and now she's six feet under in my reality, while I'm
here.

But it's not just that.

She also has Bejiita ... one of the first Dragonball Z characters I
had a crush on. Of course, I'm over him, but still ... she's married, she
has two gorgeous kids, and I'm stuck fawning over a green dude named Piccolo
-- who's an alien, by the way, in case you didn't know.

C'est la vie. That's life. Well ... death ... but you get the point,
don't you?

Yes. Of course you do.

"Is there a problem?" Ally asked. She had been doing dishes in their
kitchen, and I noticed Trilku, their eldest child, playing on the floor.

"No ... I just ... needed to get out of the apartment," I sighed,
sitting down in a chair.

Ally dried off her hands, looking down to me. "Gabe, you sure you're
all right?"

"Yeah ... of course," I put on one of my usual fake smiles in order
to make sure she knew I was. Well. Physically I was. I suppose.

'Who'd of thought, I miss Nephrite ...'

Ally didn't look very convinced. "Really?"

I nodded in response. "Just ... cabin fever, I suppose."

"Yeah, winter does that to everyone," Ally smiled, looking down to
Trilku before she turned back to the sink to finish the dishes. I anchored
my elbows to the tabletop, fingers laced together, and set my chin on top of
my hands, letting out a low sigh.

And then there was Piccolo ...

Piccolo ... Piccolo ... Piccolo ...

My Piccoro-sama, whom I had crushed on since I was fourteen. Our
relationship was nothing more than a friendship, I suppose. Ally was much
closer to him. She had been healed by them. She shared a part of her soul
with him, and his with her.

I shut my eyes briefly before reopening them. I half expected them to
turn green. It wasn't jealousy, per se, I was just being one of my moody
take-it-out-on-people personalities.

My Jadeite personality.

I looked over to Ally, who was watching me cautiously. I shrugged,
getting to a stand.

"Look, I think I'm going to go take a walk ... I'll talk to you later,
Alicia," I nodded to her and she lifted a hand in a silent goodbye as I
left their kitchen, slipping on my boots and grabbing my jacket, pulling it
around me as I opened the door, leaving Ally and Bejiita's cozy little home,
out into the chilly January air.

'Lilith's birthday soon ...'

Lilith ... I always wondered how she felt about the Ally and Bejiita
relationship. She had been the one crushing on him. I just liked his looks.
And here I was feeling sorry for myself ... I can be so selfish sometimes.

I let out a sigh, but even amidst the frosty temperature no breath
could be seen. I had none. Once again, my attention wandered to wondering
how Piccolo was, but lingered for only a moment as I shook the thought out
of my head. He can take of himself, he certainly doesn't need me.

'New thoughts ... new topic ... Mrianna and Gohan's wedding?'

Mrianna had the man of her dreams too ... and they were getting
married in late November, later on in the year. Gohan's Christmas present to
her -- a proposal.

"You're twenty-three, Gabriyel, and you're going no where with your
life," I spoke aloud, to myself. "At least you have a job ..."

Yes. A job. Working on manga comic books, selling my artwork around,
doing website design. Not much, but, hey, what can I say? It kept me busy,
kept me from pulling out the razor blade ...

I ran a hand through my hair as a cold breeze slipped under my jacket,
clenching my teeth together to forget about it. Rasia lived nearby, didn't
she? Why didn't I visit her?

Rasia, whom I had known for years as Wicked Serenity Moon, had just
moved to Japan. We met in a cafe, (after all you can't trust anyone you meet
on the internet, right?) and, hey, she wasn't an axe murderer. Of course,
she was unlike the other Wicked Serenity Moon I had chatted with in the real
world, but not by much.

I folded my arms over my chest absentmindedly, another cold chill
running along my spine. But it wasn't from the air, it was something else.

I turned, seeing a strange blond man standing a couple of metres away
from me. His vicious blue eyes cut into mine, and just as I was about to
speak, to ask what his problem was, he faded away on the wind.

"... what?" I took a step back, the hair on the back of my neck
standing straight up, and then I turned, running into someone. I had no
time to get a good look at the person, for next thing I knew, I had fallen
unconscious. Passed out.

I fainted.


=====


I awoke. I let out a sigh, slowly opening my eyes -- right into a pair
of strange sapphire blue ones.

Letting out a shriek I rolled off the side of the bed, slowly taking
a peek over the edge to the strange brunette male, watching me with a
fascinated, if not amused, expression. He smirked.

"Hey. Finally awake?"

"Who are you?" I asked angrily, standing up and glaring down to him.
"Why have you kidnapped me?!"

"Whoa, take it easy, Gabe ... I didn't kidnap you. You fainted on the
street, what else was I suppose to do?" the male brought his hands up in
front of himself, sweat-dropping nervously.

I put my hands on my hips, still scowling. "How do you know my name?!"

"Gabriyel ... it's me ..." the male stood. "Nephrite."

Chocolate brown hair fell a little past his shoulders in waves, and
blue eyes regarded me calmly. He wore a pair of sky blue slacks, a sky blue
business suit jacket, and a yellow suit blouse underneath. He smiled,
albeit nervously.

"... Neph," I gasped, taking a step back. "What are you doing here?"

"I exist in this world," Nephrite replied, giving me his familiar
half-smile. Then he frowned. "I'm sorry we left you ..."

"It's okay ... really," I said, smiling shakily. After everything I
had been through, after everything I had done -- this didn't faze me in the
least. "So ... Zoisite and Jadeite are here?"

Nephrite nodded. "Yes ... that was what I was going to talk to you
about ... there's a slight problem. You see, Jadeite is part of the reason
we left. He pushed us out. He wants to get back at you for Piccolo,
Zoisite, Koushiro ... must I go on?"

"That was him I saw, wasn't it?" I asked.

Nephrite nodded. "He's already done quite a bit of damage to Zoisite."

It was something few people would really notice if they knew Jadeite
-- he was evil. Of course, as was Zoisite, but Zoi was more quiet about it
than Jadeite. Of course, a jealous Jadeite? He liked to believe I was his
and his alone. But things were different. He was a friend, and I had never
considered him anything more. But then again, he had been in my head, he
wasn't exactly real ...

Or hadn't been.

I hugged myself. "Where's Zoisite?"

"Resting," Nephrite replied calmly. "Jadeite drained all his energy,
he'll be weak for the next little while. Beat him up pretty bad, too."

I let out a sigh. "So, what do we do about it?"

Nephrite shook his head, turning and heading to leave the room.
"You aren't going to do anything. I don't want you hurt, Gabe."

I dropped my arms, hands in fists and came around the edge of the bed
to Nephrite. "What?! You're just going to let him hurt Piccolo?! And after
that, who's he going to go after, Bejiita? No way! You are taking me to him
now."

Nephrite turned to glare at me, something I had never seen him do
before. "He is not the person you believe him to be, Gabriyel. He'll hurt
you, just as badly as he hurt Zoisite."

I clenched my teeth shut, scowling back. "I'm dead. I don't have
energy."

"Maybe so," Nephrite turned back, leaving the room. "I'm going to
find Jadeite. I'm stronger, I can probably stop him."

"Yeah? Zoi is even stronger than you, and he had his energy drained!"
I retorted, following. I found myself to be in a living room area, very
fancy and very ... familiar? "The mansion ... ?"

Nephrite folded his arms over his chest. "It's final, Gabriyel.
You're staying here." And with that he marched out through the elegant
doors that had once led to my subconscious and disappeared.

"He left to get Jadeite," I heard a voice speak behind me. I turned
to face the male I knew as Zoisite.

His long blond hair was back in his customary pony-tail, his green
eyes regarding me coolly. His skin was paler than usual, and the feminine
attributes in his features seemed displaced with the gash along his left
cheek. He wore his usual attire, black slacks with a loose black suit
blouse, but the ends were frayed.

"Yeah," I looked away. 'It's all my fault this is happening ...'

"Come. I will take you to see Piccolo," Zoisite voiced firmly.

"But, Nephrite said--" I started, looking back to him.

Zoisite shook his head, silencing me. "Is he right about going to see
Jadeite? No. Jadeite may have drained my energy, but I am capable of gaining
it back easily enough."

I sighed in defeat, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. But how?"

Zoisite smirked, stepping around and embracing me, a flurry of cherry
blossom petals surrounding us in a hurricane as we both disappeared from
the mansion.

'... better than being carried, I suppose ...'


=====


We were standing on the cliff. Morning was coming, as the sky was
getting lighter in the horizon. The clouds, however, decidedly clogged the
sunlight, filtering it to a blue haze against the pitch blackness.

Snow flurried around Zoisite and I as I hugged myself for warmth,
finding myself without my coat. I let out a breathless sigh, feeling Zoisite
put one arm around my shoulder, his energy warming me.

'How can I be dead and be so cold?'

No wonder ... I've been cold all my life. Why should the walking
'stiff' not be cold physically, while remaining cold mentally?

I looked up, seeing Piccolo land in front of us, cape flowing in the
wind, arms folded over his chest, eyeing both Zoisite and I sternly.

'How dramatic ...' I thought, dryly. 'My hero.'

"Who's he?" Piccolo scoffed, gesturing to Zoisite with his turban-
covered head.

"My friend," I shivered a bit, although I was warm against Zoisite.
"His name is Zoisite."

"Odd name," Piccolo commented.

"It's a form of gemstone," Zoisite explained matter-of-factly.
"However, here I am known as Busata."

Silence? How befitting ...

I sighed. "Piccolo ... I have another friend ... an easily angered
friend ... a very, very, envious friend ... and, well, he kind of wants to
kill you."

Piccolo's brow arched. "I doubt he could defeat me."

"At this point, he is stronger than I," Zoisite explained, pausing as
if for effect before continuing. "But I am not fully recuperated. He can
take energy and devour it for himself. I am currently at one tenth my
original power level."

Piccolo smirked. "Oh?"

"Piccolo, we're not making this up ... Jadeite is strong. And right
now, my other friend, Nephrite is going after him," I folded my arms over
my chest. "He may not be strong, but he can still drain energy. You aren't
immune just because your ego tells you so!"

I suppose I yelled at Piccolo because I was frustrated. I couldn't
understand the predicament, and I certainly could not understand what we
were fretting about -- No. I understood the predicament, and I understand
what the problem was. Jadeite was strong ... What was going on?

I felt Zoisite's arm around me tighten, as if he sensed my confusion.
I felt sympathy usher into me -- but was it for Zoisite or Piccolo?

I rubbed my left temple, pulling away. "Damn, I need an aspirin."

"Corpses don't get headaches," Piccolo commented dryly.

"Yeah? They don't get cold either ..." I let out a sigh. "And they
don't go unconscious ... they don't faint ... they don't feel emotion ..."

"Bri?" I heard Zoisite's voice question. More sympathy. More
confusion.

"I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "This all has to be one
seriously screwed dream ... I mean, you guys are in my head."

Piccolo's brows furrowed. "Kid, you don't look so well ..."

"Corpses aren't bloody supposed to look 'so well'," I grumbled. "I
... Zoisite, what's happening to me?"

Zoisite once again put his arms around me. "Quiet ... I think the
absence of our protection over your mind has caused some side-effects."

"What the Hell is going on with her?" I heard Piccolo yell, although
I had shut my eyes. Nice. He cares.

"You understand that upon Alicia's arrival to Dragonball Z she was
gifted with low energy manipulation abilities? I believe that the only
reason Mrianna, Lilith and Gabriyel did not undergo a similar metamorphosis
is because they all have beings within their minds that have prevented the
doing so of this. Nephrite, Jadeite and myself lived within the mind of
Gabriyel, however we recently departed under Jadeite's influence," Zoisite
was carrying me now as I was on the fringe of unconsciousness. "I believe
that Gabriyel is undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts. Have you seen any
change of her in the past twenty-four hours?"

"I haven't seen her since yesterday," Piccolo grumbled. "I don't
understand all this ... but I take it it's similar to when I fused with
Kami."

Zoisite nodded. "Yes. Fusion is an excellent explanation. I believe
that her abilities may be psionic, however I am unsure."

"Shouldn't we get her someplace?" Piccolo mumbled.

"Where is the residence of Alicia?" Zoisite questioned. "If my
theories are correct, Bejiita may be in danger as well."

It was around then that I fainted for the second time that day.
Er ... night. Er ... whatever it was. Either way, I was out cold.


=====


I grumbled under my breath, rolling over onto my side and opening my
eyes. I was in a bedroom, apparently, however I recognised this one as being
in Ally's house.

"How'd I get here?" I muttered, sitting up and moving to stand,
immediately regretting it as a sharp pang flew throughout my head. I put my
elbows on my thighs, forehead on the palm of my hands.

"You're awake!" said a cheery voice. I was overcome by a surge of
happiness and worry, both mixing with my usual misery.

"Yeah ..." I looked up to Rasia. "Please, lower the octave."

"Oh, sorry," she lowered her grin to a smile, sobering a bit. "How
are you feeling? I met Zoisite and Nephrite ... you know, they're hotter in
real life than they are on the cartoon ... a lot different, though."

I blinked, noticing a very strange addition to Rasia. She appeared to
be fringed by a light. It was yellowish, with some orange and even grey
flaring around her. I narrowed my eyes, concentrating on it, and it slowly
enlarged to around a couple feet around her. It reminded me of when Bejiita
was flying, how he often gained an aura of blue and white, although this
light wasn't as ... spikey-looking?

"Gabriyel?" Rasia looked past her, as if expecting someone there. She
turned back to me, looking worried. The grey grew, and the yellow grew more
orange. "Are you all right?"

Worry. Confusion.

"Yeah ... just ... something weird," I shook my head, shutting my eyes
and sighing, reopening to find Rasia was no longer surrounded. "Fine now."

"Maybe I should get Zoisite, he knows a lot about this stuff," Rasia
said, grinning and giving me the two-fingered 'V' for Victory sign before
dashing off down the hallway.

I stood, stretching and noticing that now I was fringed by light. I
glanced to my hand, blue with white and some orange. I decided to look away
from the light, looking up to the doorway as Zoisite neared it. His strange
light was black and navy, with some orange, although very little, and it
was certainly darker than Rasia's.

Tiredness. Worry. Indifference.

"All right for me to enter?" Zoisite queried, the orange beginning to
override the other colours. I nodded, and he walked in, orange brightening
with a slight yellow.

I was figuring the palette out now for the strange light. Shades of
orange were indifference. Yellow shades were more cheery, perhaps they were
of friendship? Grey were worry and depression. Blue were sadness, misery.
And the others? And black ... evil ... And white? Lack of emotions ...

"Zoisite ..." I started, but trailed off, sitting down on the bed
abruptly as a massive wave of misery overcame me. The orange flared out,
replaced by grey.

"Stay calm," Zoisite soothed. "You need to concentrate on not allowing
emotions to control you. You have a very strong form of empathy, and perhaps
other psionic gifts."

Gifts?! GIFTS?! Empathy was control over emotions, right? Then how
was I going to cope, I was horrible when it came to emotions.

I rubbed my temples, focusing. Slowly the worry and tiredness I had
felt from Zoisite began to seep out of my system, and I felt ... nothing.

Alone ... so alone ...

"Got it," I said, slowly, looking back up to him. The fringing had
shrunk a great deal so it was barely readable.

Empathy ... who'd of thought ...

"Come," Zoisite assisted me to a stand. "Nephrite has returned. He has
not located Jadeite."

I nodded, allowing Zoisite to lead me out of the bedroom and to the
living room. Ally sat on a chair, talking with Mrianna and Rasia who sat on
the couch across from her. Lilith was quiet, as usual, just sketching away,
beside Mrianna. Piccolo leaned against a wall, arms folded over his chest.
Nephrite sat in a chair, looking down to his hands. Bejiita was missing, but
I felt relief for it. So many people, it was hard no to have another nervous
breakdown.

"Gabie!" Mrianna grinned up to me, noticing Zoisite and I re-enter.

Worry. Relief. Slight depression.

I nodded, noting tendrils of my aura, as I assumed it was, flare
around me as I fought off the rush of emotion that came spiralling towards
me.

Nephrite stood, embracing me. "I'm so glad you're all right ... when
I heard what happened, I blamed myself for leaving you ..."

I sweatdropped. "Neph, get off of me before I kick you."

Nephrite grinned, letting go of me. "Yes'ms."

"Are you all right?" Ally asked.

"Yeah," I sweatdropped. "But I swear, I am the worst person to get
empathy."

"Considering you have the ability to make people fall either madly in
love with you, or make them so depressed they kill themselves," Piccolo
grumbled under his breath.

"Please don't give her suggestions," Nephrite sweatdropped, grinning
nervously.

I rolled my eyes. "Oy vey."

Rasia giggled. "So, now we gotta catch us a Jadeite?"

"Yeah, before he ends up destroying all my friends," I grumbled.

"You aren't going," Nephrite voiced. "Only I will."

"Am I leaking some suicide here?" I growled. "You want to get killed?
You don't have as much strength as Zoisite, who is, must I add, second
strongest of the guardians of Endymion. The strongest being Kunzite, and,
well, I don't see him here, so he can't save your tailbone."

"I'm confused," Ally voiced. "Kanmi?"

My brow rose. "Kanmi?"

Nephrite nodded. "My human name is Kanmi."

"Sweetness," I mumbled. "How ... odd."

"That's Nephrite for you," Zoisite mused. "But I am going to get back
at Jadeite for what he did to my face. I'm going."

"But, you--" Nephrite started.

"Shut up, Nephrite!" I grabbed him by the shirt collar, yanking him
down to face me. "I am going with you, and Zoisite is coming too."

Nephrite gulped. I suppose the fact I was feeding off some of his
determination was not assisting his persistence any. I let him go, arms
folded over my chest.

"Fine," Nephrite gave in.

"As am I."

Seven pairs of eyes turned to Piccolo. He glared back.

"What?!"

I smirked. "Fine. The four of us are going ..." I paused. "Funny, I'm
used to adding three ..."

Nephrite smirked. "Heh. We miss you too."

I rolled my eyes.


=====


I buried my face in Zoisite's hair as the wind chilled me to my very
bones. To my sides Nephrite and Piccolo were flying at the same pace,
cautiously reading for any power readings that might indicate Jadeite. I was
riding, somewhat piggy-back on Zoisite, arms around his neck, on his back.
Of course, he was horizontal, not vertical, but still.

"What amuses you, ZoiZoi?" I chided, smirking into his blond strands.

Zoisite chuckled. "You're very odd."

"Yes, I know."

Zoisite was a strange colour of yellow-green, mixed with black and
navy. Amusement. Evil. Depression. I looked over to Nephrite, his usual
shade of a pink, mixed with yellow, and some orange and grey. He was his
usual self. Happy. Cheery. But still ... Indifference. Worry. As for
Piccolo ... he was black and dark green. I had yet to figure out what green
stood for. His emotions were hard to understand. I suppose the whole Kami
merging incidents had screwed them up ... and there was also an odd colour,
an indigo, which I took to be loneliness.

I sighed, resting my head back on Zoisite's shoulder. "Empathy. Gee.
Thanks, Goddess. I'll love you forever."

Zoisite smirked, and his amusement flared up more. "I'm sure she heard
you, too."

"Thibbit."

Amusement. Slight confusion.

"Right. Whatever, Bri."

"I sense him ..." Nephrite voiced, stopping suddenly. Zoisite halted,
going horizontal and grabbing hold of my legs before I slid off.

More green. Lots of it. Flaring around me in large flashes. But it
wasn't from Piccolo.

"He's ... here," I voiced, Nephrite taking hold of me and allowing
Zoisite more freedom.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Zoisite snarled, looking
around. "Bri, can you pinpoint where he is?"

I looked around, attempting to find any shred of green, other than on
Piccolo. Nothing. Had he gone?

Suddenly I was dropped as Nephrite was hit from behind. As I fell, I
saw the familiar cherry blossom petals of Zoisite. Could Jadeite being using
his attacks?

I shut my eyes, concentrating on anyone to hold onto. Not physically.
Mentally. I found Piccolo, who had moved to rescue me. Upon realising I had
stopped falling he halted abruptly. He could ... sense me?

I opened my eyes, using my empathy to move me upwards, towards the
flurry of emotions. Piccolo took hold of my arm, holding onto me around the
waist and glaring at Jadeite.

"She learns fast," Jadeite commented, arms folded over his chest.
Green. Just green. Nothing else but a horrible, horrible green.

Envy. Jealousy.

Then ... had Piccolo been jealous before?

No, of course not ... why would he care?

I looked over to Nephrite, who was held up by Zoisite. Nephrite's
pale green blood dripped down to earth from his back, worried away by the
petals.

Piccolo set me aside, knowing I'd cling onto his emotions, and
gathered up his energy, sending it spiralling at Jadeite.

Didn't he realise?

Didn't he see?

Jadeite took the energy as his own, grinning maniacally. I noticed he
didn't fire at Piccolo. He knew that Piccolo was who I was latched onto.

I watched, red anger twirling into my eyesight as Jadeite, instead,
fired at Zoisite and Nephrite, sending them free-falling to Earth. Piccolo
made no move to help them, and I was helpless as well. I could only latch
onto one person at once.

Red flashed around Jadeite.

"Christmas," I whispered, hugging my body.

Jadeite seemed not very happy by the events set before us. I saw
something orange out of the corner of my eyes, and looking down saw
Nephrite, carrying Zoisite, on top of an orange-tinted cloud I recognised as
the "flying nimbus". Ally stood with him, Gokuu at her side. I smirked,
looking back to Jadeite. The red and green flared around him, angrily, as
he prepared to blast at me.

The one person this seemed to revolve around. And he was about to kill
me. Did I care?

Not exceptionally.

"Gabriyel, get out of the way!" I heard someone shout. Nephrite.

I was glaring at Jadeite, my own red emotion in the corners of my
eyes, restricting some of my vision.

And then, Jadeite changed his mind, and shot at Piccolo. Piccolo
attempted to dodge the attack, but his leg was burnt and Piccolo plummeted
toward Earth. I saw Gokuu grab hold of him, setting him upright once again.
I glared back to Jadeite, whom I had latched onto and hovered, eye-to-eye,
face-to-face.

I reached over, grabbing hold of his forearm. Jadeite growled,
clenching his hand into a fist, scowling at me. I felt the green trickle
out of him, flowing around myself. Only a horrible black-blue remained, as
the red faded and the envy dispersed into my own soul.

Jadeite pulled away from me, and flew off at top-speed. I suppose he
finally realised what he had done. I let out a sigh, realising I was still
hovering, even with him so far away.

'Emotions are stronger than one may think ...'

I looked down to the group, who let out relieved sighs. I landed down
on the ground, the cloud depositing Ally, Nephrite, and Zoisite and flying
off. Gokuu and Piccolo landed soon thereafter, Piccolo looking none
impressed.

"Attempting to kill yourself, again?" Piccolo asked, somewhat harshly,
red flaring around him, mixing with the violet and blue.

I smirked. "Love you too, Pi-sama."

Piccolo shook his head. "You are impossible."

Nephrite took me by the shoulders. "Goddess, Gabe, what were you
thinking?!"

Zoisite shook his head. "She was thinking that she had to take care
of her friends. So she took every wisp of jealousy from Jadeite. It was the
only thing to do without destroying him."

"I hate being the center of attention," I grumbled, sweat-dropping.

Ally smiled reassuringly from behind Nephrite. "Well, it's over now."

Zoisite held out a hand, a silvery chain dangling from it. I held out
a hand and he deposited the item into my own, brandishing a dark green
jewel pendant had been hidden within his palm.

"A trash can of sorts?" Zoisite suggested, smirking.

I looked up to him, brow raised. "You are so ... odd."

Zoisite grinned lopsidedly, winking. "Damn right."

I shook my head, looking to the amulet. Holding up the jewel by the
chain I cupped my other hand around the jewel, watching the green light
around my arms join the jewel, disappearing within the bauble.

"We have to get Jadeite," Nephrite voiced. "He cannot sulk forever."

Piccolo snorted. "After what he did? You have got be kidding me."

I put the bauble on, shaking my head. "I'll get him."

"Is that smart?" Gokuu spoke up. "I mean, what if --"

"That's all it is. What if. I know Jadeite better than anybody -- we
shared minds. I will get Jadeite," I looked down to the jewel. "And I
think I know how, too."

"But, Gabe --" Nephrite started, but my warning scowl told him to
quiet.

"Maybe it's a good idea," Ally mused. "After all, he won't hurt her,
not now."

"We have no idea where he is," Nephrite voiced. "I mean, he's fast ...
what if he doesn't want to be found?"

"I frankly don't care," I replied. "I'm going after him."

Zoisite let out a sigh. "Come on, let's get Nephrite some help before
he bleeds to death."

"I'll be fine," Nephrite retorted.

"My sources say otherwise," Zoisite patted him on the shoulder,
causing Nephrite to wince in pain. He smirked, walking off.

I smirked over to Nephrite. "And people wonder why I'm so morbid."

Nephrite chuckled, walking off after Zoisite. I shook my head, looking
off to the direction Jadeite had gone in.

"Come on," Ally put a comforting hand on my shoulder. "It's cold."

I nodded, putting my hands in my pockets and allowing the brunette to
lead me after the others, Gokuu and Piccolo taking the rear, both
uncharacteristically quiet.

I suppose it had been an odd trip from the start ... but it was over.

Almost.


=====


I awoke in my bed.

Well, it wasn't my bed, but it had always been the room I called my
bedroom. At least, when the mansion was built within my subconscious.

I let out a sigh, sitting up and clutching the bedsheets to my chest,
remembering the previous escapades. I had agreed to rest before going off to
find Jadeite, under coaxing from both Rasia and Nephrite.

I suppose the Rasia I knew from my true world would be happy to know
she was just pretty much the same in this one.

I sighed, slipping out of the bed and dressing into my usual jeans,
charcoal grey blouse, and black army boots. I grabbed the pendant, slipping
it on, and stopped off in the washroom attached to the room, running the
comb through my hair and brushing my teeth. I may not eat, but I still had a
strange obsession with keeping clean.

I put my hair back in a high ponytail, trotting out the door in the
process. I had not expected anyone to be awake. Nephrite was nursing his
injured back in his room upstairs, and Zoisite would probably be resting
himself. I trotted down the stairs to the living room, where I noticed a
familiar apparition sitting in darkness, nose in a book.

I walked over, sitting down on the couch beside him. Zoisite placed a
black feather between the pages, setting the novel down and looking over to
me.

"Leaving so soon?" he interrogated.

"Yes. I plan on getting an early start."

Zoisite nodded, getting to a stand and picking something off the
couch-side table, handing it to me.

"Ally left this for you, care of Bejiita."

I looked down to it, but in the low light it was hard to make out.
"A scouter?" I looked back up to Zoisite, just in time to see him nod.
"Oh. Hmm. When you see her next, give her my gratitude." I stood, walking
for the door.

"No goodbye?" Zoisite inquired.

I looked back to him, smirking. "It shouldn't take long. A month at
most, right?"

Zoisite walked over, arm folded over his chest. "Go east. He's in that
direction, I can sense him."

I nodded, standing on my tiptoes to put my arms around his neck.
"Thanks. Goodbye, Zoi."

Zoisite returned the hug, leaning down a bit since I was so short. I
released him and he straightened himself once again, turning his head a bit
so the gash on his cheek could not fully be seen.

Worry. Misery. Pain.

I gave him a worried look and he walked back to his couch in silence,
sitting back down and returning to his reading. I furrowed my brows,
walking over. I couldn't just leave it at that, it wasn't that easy.

Zoisite may not show it commonly, but his appearance means a great
deal to him. I knew him for a decade, and he'd always treasured his beauty.
And to my knowledge, he was like that in the anime as well.

I sat back on the couch, legs folded underneath me. He set his hands
on his lap, book still held, and looked to me.

Confusion.

I leaned over, kissing the area of his cheek just above the gash. He
let out a weary sigh.

"You will always be a beautiful man, Zoisite," I whispered, then
smirked. "Just don't tell anyone I'm the one who said so."

Zoisite chuckled low in his throat. "Domo arigato, Bri."

I smiled, getting to a stand. "Tell Mrianna I'll be back in time for
her wedding ... no chance I'm missing that." I waved, walking across the
room and out the door, leaving Zoisite to his book.

I looked into the frosty air, regretting having left a coat inside.
At least the dead skin part dulled it a bit.

I shut my eyes, allowing my emotions to propel me upwards in the air,
and put on the scouter, keeping an eye on the amulet. I flew off, as fast as
I could go, given my newness to empathy.

As I flew to the east, scouter raining numbers on my green-tinted
vision, the amulet guiding me to the source of the emotion within, I thought
over what had happened.

Even with them gone, I'm not alone ... I'll never be alone. I have my
friends ... Ally, Rasia, Mrianna, Lilith, Nephrite, Zoisite ... Piccolo ...
and even if they aren't within my mind, waking me up at two in the morning,
keeping me up at all hours of the night ... Nephrite, Zoisite, and Jadeite
will always be with me. Always.

Fadeout.


=========================================================================

Notes On The Human Names For Neph/Zoi/Jade:

Name -- Human Name -- Meaning
Nephrite -- Kanmi -- Sweetness
Zoisite -- Busata -- Silence
Jadeite -- Ankoku -- Darkness

[Their last name is Izumino ("fountain of").]