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Threnody = Verse01: Startstop
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [gabriyel@planetnamek.org]
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz
=====
Prelude
+
"Gohan?"
Gohan looked up to his father, black eyes shifting from the
television. "Hai?"
Gokuu beamed down to his son. "We're going to go to Capsule
Corps to visit Buruma. Piccolo is coming too."
Gohan glanced to his show as it entered commercials, then
looked to Piccolo, standing beside his father, then his eyes looked
back to Gokuu. "Um, why? I'm watching my show, Waiyaado. You know
okaa-san never lets me watch it. Please, otou-san?"
Gokuu shook his head, frowning. "Buruma needs for us to test
some new machine. Out of uniform, I must add. It can't be that import-
ant, we'll be back soon. I'm sure you can tape your show." Gokuu
suddenly burst into his trademark grin. "Just don't tell kaa-san."
Gohan sighed. "It's almost over, nevermind ..."
Gokuu frowned again, deep in thought. Piccolo rolled his eyes,
folding his arms over his chest in impatience.
"I have an idea ... I'll rent the Waiyaado movie for you, ne?"
Gokuu suggested, grinning once again.
Gohan grinned wide. "Hai! Domo arigato, Otou-san!"
Gokuu smield back, sweatdropping. 'I don't see what he likes
in that show ... it's so odd ...'
+
End Prelude
=====
It was a 'messy' day, wet and muddy, tinged with a heavy fog
that seemed to cause the atmosphere to become a pea soup. Of course, I
hated pea soup. I hated peas altogether.
I was just spitting out the remainder of my toothpaste, hair
held back with a free hair. A few chocolate-brown curly strands fell
into my face, but I managed to blow them out of my face without
getting toothpaste onto them. I looked up at my reflection, brown eyes
framed by a pair of wire-rimmed glasses, and I set my toothpaste down,
drying my face with a towel before I left the bathroom, grabbing my
favourite blue jacket and sliding on my black sneakers before I headed
out into the chilly day.
I took long strides to keep hurried, walking along the black
asphalt sidewalks of my hometown, heading for main street. I slowwed
down when I began to warm up, however, and waited for the frosty air
to cool me down again to a more comfortable level as I continued.
I crossed the road one last time, reaching Mrianna's home. I
rang the doorbell and waited, leaning against the waist-high metal
fencing on her doorstep. I folded my arms over my chest, looking up to
the clouded sky.
My name is Gabriyel Crowwe. I suppose now is as good a time to
tell you that as any. I'm a basic fourteen year old girl. I go to a
junior high school in town, within walking distance so I don't have to
take a bus, and am in grade nine. I hate pop music, especially the
Backstreet Boys or Hanson, and love anything hard, like KoRn or
Metallica. I suppose I'm not too different from anyone else in my
school, except for a few odd quirks. You know. Insanity. Being morbid.
Depression.
Mrianna finally came to answer the door. I looked down from
the sky to look at her, and she gave me a big I-didn't-do-anything
grin. I blinked several times, as if clearing my eyes to see if she
really was trying to act so innocent.
"What'd you do now?" I interrogated as she ushered me in,
scowling at the dark-haired girl.
She grinned only wider, her blue-green eyes sparkling
mischeviously. Her skin looked tanned, and yet she was barely ever in
the sun. Perhaps, in a way, I felt glad I had such alabaster skin,
even if mine was so pink-tinted.
Mrianna Skydan was older than me. She was nearly sixteen and
in grade eleven. Hell, she went to the high school, and when I got to
be in the same school she would be in her senior (and last) year. I
wondered how we managed to be friends amidst the big generation gap.
So it wasn't that big a generation gap, I considered myself mature,
but still ... it was a big grade level gap. Kind of.
Mrianna didn't seem to mind. She wasn't the type to have many
friends, I suppose. She was bubbly and hyper, sure, but more into
having internet friends than any that didn't involve keyboards and
monitors and wires.
I heard voices, and suspected Mrianna had company. I followed
her into the living room, actually expecting to see her cousins and
aunt Alexa in there. I think I nearly went into shock.
They weren't her relatives.
"Look! It's Piccolo and he's greeeen!"
=====
After my heart started beating again, Mrianna sat down on the
couch aside a small child with pitch black hair and matching eyes. I
sat beside her, folded my legs so I went into one of those Indian-
style positions, in the corner of the couch, jacket set on my lap.
"Gabriyel, meet Bejiita, Gokuu, Gohan, and Piccolo ... every-
one, this is Gabriyel. We had it planned that we'd go walking around
town, I should have called her to tell her something was up," Mrianna
beamed, trying to look as innocent as possible.
Gokuu sweatdropped and waved to me from the armchair,
separated by the couch only by a coffee table.
"Joy," I mumbled, then glaring at Mrianna. "Why the heck
didn't you call to tell me a collection of cartoon characters popped
into our dimension?!"
Mrianna smiled primly, her ever-existant smile, and shrugged.
"I forgot. It kinda happened really weird. One moment I'm at the
computer, there's this flash outside, I look and they're on my lawn.
Neat, eh?"
"Not 'neat'!" I screeched. "Why are they here?"
Gokuu cleared his throat to end our conversation. "Buruma had
this teleportation experiment she wanted us to try out. I suppose we
got a little off track. And we only arrived ten minutes ago."
I folded my arms over my chest, silent. I looked over to
Mrianna, scowling. She could of at least told me.
Dragon Ball Z was my favourite cartoon to watch. It was an
anime, and while the animation and art was not the best, it's plot-
lines and character development was not something to scoff at. I
suppose it's a little redundant to say I was in love with it. I was
merely ... obsessed.
I looked to my watch. Eight ten. Did that mean they had
arrived at eight o'clock? I looked back up, recognising the faces,
even though they were third dimensional and no longer cartoony.
Gokuu was, as always, built strong and fierce, also tall. He
was alien, and it showed in his facial structure. His eyes were black,
and his spiked hair even blacker, if there was such a thing. He was
sitting and looking quite comfortable, wearing a pair of old blue
jeans and a blue T-shirt. Quite different from his usual orange GI
uniform.
Beside Mrianna sat Gokuu's son, Gohan. He looked more human,
with slightly slanted eyes to show off how his mother, Chi Chi, was
Japanese. His hair was not as spiked at Gokuu's, but was still
abnormally messy. He was young, possibly seven or eight, and very
muscled for someone his age.
In an armchair in the corner, across from Gokuu, sat Bejiita,
the Saiya-jin prince. His dark brown hair, nearly black, was spiking
upwards, making him look taller, not to mention making him look like
he had a black horn halo or perhaps a crown. He didn't wear armour,
but wore a long-sleeved black T-shirt and a pair of black leather
trousers with matching boots. His black eyes regarded me coldly, and I
noticed how dark his skin was, similar to Mrianna's.
And then was the most obvious alien of them all -- Piccolo.
For years, my biggest obsession of the crew. And there he was, plain
as day. Emerald skin, elven ears, and insect antennae, with narrow
black eyes and pink patches on his arms and legs, over his muscles. He
was the only one not dressed casually, wearing a navy blue GI with a
white cape and a matching turban, with funny-looking brown shoes that
looked like slippers.
It was odd seeing them all three dimensionsial. Their skin was
not the flawless paint-coloured paper as on the show, and scars were
evident on the bare skin they revealed, old scars and new.
Was this a dream? If so, why was it so detailed?
"How long will you be in this universe?" I inquired, staring
at Mrianna with a harsh expression before back to Gokuu.
"Uh ..." Gokuu glanced down to a watch on his arm. "Eleven
hours and roughly forty minutes."
I brought my legs down, eying the collection of males with a
wry expression. "You do understand that you are indeed cartoons?"
"Some of us don't absorb information as quickly, such as Kaka-
rotto, but yes. And I accept it. After all, you are mere animations on
our world as well," came the low-pitched icy voice of Bejiita-sama. I
smirked in response. Who would of guessed? They knew English.
"Namek-jin and Saiya-jin know most languages. Gohan and Gokuu
were taught English by Chi Chi," voiced Piccolo in his deep baritone,
almost as if he had read my mind, which was, no doubt, probably not
out of his grasp.
I looked at him, tilting my head almost birdlike, before
looking to Mrianna. "That makes sense. But, we're a cartoon?"
"Waiyaado. It's from Canada, actually, and really called
Wired, but Waiyaado sounds better, don't you think?" Gohan piped up.
I looked down to him, giving him a blank, but surprised, look,
before my lips curved into a sly smile. "I feel special."
"I feel hungry," Gokuu added, rubbing his stomach as it
audibly gurgled and growled it's anger.
Mrianna took light in the situation and just as she was about
to announce something from that whimsical little brain of hers, the
doorbell rang.
"Hmm. Let's hope it's not another of your little friends,"
Bejiita grumbled.
"I'm five foot two, thank you very much."
"He didn't mean height, Gabe," Mrianna said as she hopped up
to answer the door.
I rolled my eyes. "Duh." Some people seriously can't joke.
Mrianna brought a finger under her eye, pulling down the eye-
lid and sticking out her tongue. I put my head in my hand, shaking my
head. She flashed me that famous grin of hers and went out to the
corridor.
I sat back in my seat, looking down to an image laying on the
table, picking it up. I was of Gohan and Gokuu, both in SuperSaiyajin
form. At least it looked like Gohan and Gokuu. I had a feeling it was
Goten and Gohan, Gohan never went Super Saiya-jin that young.
To my knowledge.
I shook my head and put it back down, gazing up as my other
friend, Lilith White, entered with Mrianna. Lilith waved to me.
"Hey, Gabe. When'd you get here?" Lilith asked.
I shrugged, and didn't reply. I was still shell shocked from
the appearance of the cartoon characters. I suppose I was probably shy
as well. Adults are not my forte, I hate talking to people who are
really older than me. Besides. They could zap my head off. Which
wouldn't be that bad, but still.
Mrianna took this moment to announce that she would take us
all to the pizzeria -- and pay for it herself.
Lilith and I exchanged worried looks before we both, in uni-
son, glanced to Gokuu. Even if he was once a cartoon, he was real now.
If he was as much into eating as he was on Dragon Ball Z, I had a
feeling Mrianna would be in for a little surprise ...
=====
Red Hot Chilli Peppers played 'Otherworld' as we sat down at
the restaurant in the corner. Mrianna, Gohan, Lilith and I sat in the
booth, Gokuu and Bejiita in chairs. Piccolo had not come -- after all,
he was green and not exactly sociable.
I was attempting to get my mind straightened out as Mrianna
explained to Lilith what was going on. I don't know how she was taking
it, she was staring at Mrianna in open mouthed horror ... or maybe it
was surprise? Human emotions are such complicated objects to me.
I traced my finger along the transparent glass over the table
cloth and placemats. Why anyone would have the cloth and placemats
underneath a sheet of glass is beyond me, but the pizzeria seemed to
like it. They had nice placemats, detailed maps of Nova Scotia, so I
suppose it wasn't that bad.
I watched my black nailpolish leave a trail from 'Liverpool'
to 'Truro'. My friend, Jessica, had moved to Truro earlier that year.
At that point in time, Jessica, and my other friend Adonia had been my
only friends -- my best friends. Jessica moved, and I was transferred
to a different less-troubling classroom where I made friends again
with Alison and Kim, two girls I had gotten in a major fight with at
the beginning of the school year, and Adonia betrayed me. I gave up on
best friends altogether after Adonia and Jessica. I suppose though,
Lilith and Mrianna would be my best friends if you really got down to
it. But I would never admit it to them ... I didn't even admit I was
anyone's friend, save for Kim.
"You ready to order?"
I was shaken out of my reverie by Lilith. I looked up at her,
eyes narrowed slightly as I pushed all memories to the back of my
mind, as I did with emotions and feelings. Lilith was the same height
as Mrianna, albeit thinner, even though she was younger. She had
strawberry-blonde hair up in a curly pony-tail, and her hazel eyes
regarded me, awaiting my response. She had glasses, just as I.
"I don't know," I glanced at the menu by my left hand. "Um,
I'll just get my usual, I guess."
"Small panzerotti and a coke?" Gohan queried.
I blinked several times before staring at him. Oh, yes. The
cartoons. Still here. For a moment I thought perhaps they gone.
Reality sucks sometimes.
'Funny, one would think I'd enjoy them being here ...' I
thought to myself, turning back to Lilith.
"What he said," I muttered.
Lilith nodded, smirking. "Maybe I'll order for you. I think
you're in shock."
I turned red and sighed, twisting to turn back to map and
rubbing the nail polish lines off the glass, nodding. "So do I."
Gokuu chuckled nervously, placing a hand on the back of his
head in that unique little way that anime caricatures do. "Eh heh.
Don't feel bad. I'm confused as much as you are. Who thought Buruma
could send us to a separate continent?"
"Let alone another dimension," Bejiita grumbled, arms folded
over his chest in that unique little way that Bejiita-sama does. He
said something in Japanese, but I didn't understand it, sans the
name 'Buruma'.
At least he wasn't talking about me.
=====
"Mri, where are your parents in all of this?" I inquired of
Mrianna as we left the pizzeria, in a tidy little group. Bejiita and
Gokuu were behind us, talking in Japanese, while Lilith and I were
following Mrianna and Gohan, who were seemingly very close.
"They went to Halifax until Monday. I suppose now is the time
to realize I shouldn't have left Justin alone with Piccolo?" Mrianna
answered, the end question rather bashful. Justin Skydan was Mrianna's
younger brother -- who just happened to be older than me and in grade
ten. To me he was more of her older younger brother. Err ... um, yeah.
If I had been in an anime I would be sweatdropping. Instead I
just smacked my forehead. Justin and Piccolo in a house together?!
They'd either kill each other, ignore each other, or decide to play
some mass murder video game together. That was an interesting vision,
Piccolo playing Nintendo Sixty-four. Also terrifying.
"Convenient ... anime characters show up at your front door
and your parents are out of the house for the weekend," Lilith
commented.
"Actually it was the back door, but, yeah," Mrianna agreed.
"Weird, too. Too bad they didn't take Justin with them."
=====
Mrianna settled Gokuu down in front of the television,
watching the Simpsons. Bejiita sat on the couch, snarling at me as I
walked past the doorway with a sharp, harsh gaze. I rolled my eyes,
ignoring him. Egotistical jerk ...
"Speaking of egotistical jerks ..." I thought aloud, wandering
into the kitchen and all the time wondering where Piccolo had run off
to. Maybe he really was playing video games with Justin.
Mrianna, Gohan and Lilith had gone off to the computer, and
were playing Bôa, Limp Bizkit, and Garbage while they chatted away on
the different messengers. It was ironic. To him, we were the cartoon
and he had been implanted into our world. To us, he was the cartoon
and he had been implanted into reality. Implanted, but definitly not
staying.
I felt glad. I didn't like Gohan as much as I did before.
Perhaps because he didn't seem as fond of myself as I was of him. Or
perhaps it was just because of the fact that the faces on the tele-
vision shows really are different in reality ... or riaritii, depend-
ing on your nationality. I grimaced. Either way, I hated the meaning
of the words. Sometimes.
'What really is, and what really isn't are two lines separated
by reality ...'
Damn, I think weird.
I considered going to join Bejiita and Gokku, or perhaps even
the others. My thoughts were disrupted for perhaps the tenth time that
day, when I heard the door shut loudly to me left. Mrianna's back and
front porches were set so there was one door, a porch, and another
porch. The second door opened into either the corridor, such as the
case with the front, or to the kitchen, as with the back. The second
door opened and Piccolo stood in the doorway, leaning against the
wood, long fingernails cutting into the wooden doorframe.
My brow rose. "Piccolo ... ?"
He gritted his teeth, scowling at me, but didn't speak. It was
then I noticed how his eyes, originally black-colored, were changing
to an odd dark shade of brown, and seemed to blanch as every second
passed. I took a step back, watching him with narrowed eyes.
"Piccoro-sama ..." I whispered.
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