Stolen Hearts Chapter Nine
"Damnit, I know that cave was around here somewhere!" Vegeta said with rising frustration. The Folo flower grew in caves in the western hills, but for some reason they all seemed to have migrated to some other secret location just to impede his mission. He was ready to say the hell with this whole ordeal and just go home and forget about everything when he saw a suspicious looking thatch of vines over a rocky outcropping.
"Hmmmm," he mused putting a finger to his lips and arching an eyebrow, "This could be the pot 'o gold," but then quickly silenced realizing he was talking stupidly and to himself.
'The sun must really be getting to me,' he thought as he walked briskly over to the vines and tore them violently away.
"AH HA! Take that!" He said to the air being quite pleased when a small entrance to a cave and was reveled. He was too pleased to have finally found the place he was vainly searching for to suppress the urge to talk to himself again in congratulations.
The cave opened up once inside, allowing ample room to move around standing upright. Vegeta could see well enough in the low light filtering through the opening thanks to his exceptional Elvish eyesight.
The walls and much of the floor was covered with large fuchsia flowers, their deep purple vines twining everywhere. He strode proudly over to a clump of Folos on a shelf of the cave and began to gather handful of the soft petals when suddenly one of the flowers opened its eyes.
"Ghaaa!"
Vegeta let out a depressingly girlish scream as he levitated backwards like a cat. Shrill delighted laughter filled the air as a body slowly appeared among the flowers lounging languorously upside down on the outcropping. Vegeta placed a hand over his chest to calm his rapidly beating heart.
"Awww Veggie, did I scare ya? You remember your little Folora don't you?"
"Yes damn it! Why do you always insist on giving me such a fright? Shit," he cursed embarrassed and looking away feigning hurt.
Folora was an unfortunately flirtatious nymph of the Folo flowers. Nymphs assume the appearance of the life they are associated with, usually a plant or flower of some sort, thus Folora had the same coloring as the flowers around her giving her the ability to blend in impeccably in her element. Nymphs are creatures that inhabit the most secluded and peaceful areas of the world, like close to a pure water source or a glade of flowers.
Nymphs are a peaceful race they hate evil and ugliness and try to avoid conflict. When the situation is desperate a nymph will defend themselves by using their abilities to blind or confuse there attacker using their magical powers. They are nature's embodiment of physical beauty and are ever young, charming, graceful, and intelligent.
At times.
Vegeta had encountered this Nymph on various occasions while collecting or wandering aimlessly and it seemed she had formed an affectionate affiliation for this Elf, what we might call a 'crush'. She would lounge over his shoulders while he tried to escape her vines and continue his business without much success. She was always especially languid, perhaps because that was what a flower seemed to be like, and a Nymph was the closest personification of one...but Vegeta had never met another Nymph (usually they sought seclusion) and he was never one to understand flowers.
"Oh don't be cantankerous you toad," she crooned in her unusually high voice, and began pawing at him letting out short bursts of giggles at his distress.
"Not today Folora, I'm in a hurry. Toad? You Nymphs come up with the most ridiculous things," he said curtly, brushing her off and hurrying to finish.
"Veggie is too busy for his little Folora?"
"Obviously yes, and don't call me 'Veggie' and you are not my 'little Folora' and I don't want you to be, got it?"
The sun had done wonders to increase his patience. She put on an offended look and withdrew pouting, watching him with angry eyes. Nymphs don't take well to rejection and are jealous and vengeful creatures.
"You can take as many as you want, but I get a kiss first."
"I can take as many as I want anyway."
"Nymphs aren't completely helpless you know, we have our ways. I could blind you if I wished," she said with an edge of threat to her normally playful tone.
"You wouldn't," Vegeta said eyeing her skeptically, surprised at her boldness.
"I would, I get what I want, Veggie-eta."
He paused having collected all her needed and wondering if her should believe Folora's claim. It did seem wrong to just take what must belong to her intimately without anything in return, and he had heard to beware to wrath of a Nymph, the dangerously fickle unforgiving creatures.
She closed her eyes confidently awaiting her payment, and Vegeta was ready to give it to her. What was the big deal anyway? It was just a kiss, he had in fact given her kisses before, but something made him stop. He couldn't do it today; something inside him wouldn't allow it.
"No Folora, go find a tree to kiss you, for I won't," he said turning away abruptly and closing his eyes, mentally crossing his fingers hoping to make it out with his eyesight intact.
"Bastard!" she screeched losing all good humor and taking on a darkness," It's her isn't it! You dare turn your back on me for that bitch of a Faerie? Don't you see she'll be the ruin of you Vegeta! Don't you see the malice in her face? You should not challenge fate, for you cannot change anything, it is already set in stone. It is too late; all it can end in is failure! You cannot stop it! If you try you will only be smote down by the wrath of darkness!"
Vegeta couldn't help pausing. What the hell was that cryptic ranting about? This wasn't Folora at all, sure she could get snappy, but now she had a dark tone that was completely unlike her. And how could she know about Bulma?
The whole thing gave him the chills and left a sick feeling in the pit of his heart. He stayed silent and hurried on, frightened to see the owner of that morbid voice, even though he knew it was foolishness. Folora's enraged yet forewarning call followed him.
"Don't you leave, don't you go back to that damnable wench. She is the ruin of us all! She can't love you, no one can love you! You deserve this devastation you bring upon yourself you wretch! Curses!"
That was the last strangled cry Vegeta heard as he stepped outside visibly relaxing in his escape. Was it just an optical illusion or were the wall of that cave getting closer?
He never though he'd be glad to see that burning orb again but he was, and the only affliction to his sight was being dazzled by its sudden brightness.
He hurried back towards town, trying to forget Folora's upsetting words.
AN: Sorry that took me awhile and it's kinda shorter but things have been hectic. Thanks again as always for reading