A Special Training XII

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon do not belong to me, and I make no money from this.

The Room of Spirit and Time was a huge void of dead white.

The air seemed to sear Usagi's lungs as she entered, and there wasn't enough of it. Her lungs struggled to fill.

The only thing that hadn't really bothered her yet was the gravity. She had been constantly wearing weighted clothing, heavier than what she was wearing now.

It went on forever; all that aching emptiness.

"Usa-chan? Are you all right?" Piccolo asked, seeing that she had frozen. She nodded absently, still seeing that emptiness.

"It is disturbing; that is why no one has ever spent more than two days in here at a time. We need to make the most of that."

Then Piccolo attacked her from behind, and defending herself, Usagi found she had other things to worry about than the blank white.

Block, block, open hand strike to the chest-

"MASENKO!"

Kick. Punch. Uppercut. Spear hand strike.

"MOON TWILIGHT FLASH!"

Round house kick, sweep, jump.

Fist lashing out, hitting the fist about to hit you.

Power up.

Piccolo's energy glowed around him like lightening, cracking the thin air, making it burn.

"MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Dive at each other.

Duck, block, hit.

Become stronger.

Piccolo called a halt. Neither knew how long they had been active, until Sailor Moon looked over at the giant hourglass that hung to one side of the entrance. The one on the other side had sand going up it, and this one was where it filled.

"Two months. We've been sparing, without stopping, for two months straight," she said in flat amazement.

Piccolo nodded, and gave a slight smile. "This place has a strange effect on people."

They stood in silence for a few moments, before Piccolo went to find some water, and Usagi dismissed her transformation, and sat down with a thump.

Piccolo emerged from the little building, carrying two water bottled, one of which he tossed to Usagi. She thankfully caught it.

"Why were you only using your Sailor Form? Eclipse is much more powerful."

Usagi looked up from gulping her water. "Because I have no idea what she will do. She is much more powerful. So powerful that I'm not sure I can handle her. The thing is, she can fight much better than even my Eternal form. I sense that. I thought about practicing in that, but the costume is even more ridiculous than my usual Sailor Moon one. Granted, with a short skirt, at least I'm not tripping over it, but what about keeping my legs protected? Eternal Sailor Moon has wings! Wings, when I can fly just fine without them! Those will constantly be in my way."

"That is why you need to train as Eclipse, so you can control her," Piccolo pointed out, and Usagi grimaced.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

Piccolo looked at her sharply. "Why?'

"I don't want to hurt you, even in training!"

"You've been holding back against me?" he said in anger.

Usagi nodded, sheepishly.

"How will I get stronger if I don't face a strong opponent?" he barked, glaring.

Usagi scowled back.

"Its your funeral. MOON ECLIPSE, MAKE-UP!"

Discarding his water bottle, Piccolo grinned at the fiercely beautiful woman in front of him. A challenge at last.

"Good match," Eclipse whispered, at she finished lopping off one of his hands.

Piccolo screamed in pain, sweat dripping off his face.

He had wanted a good fight, and he had gotten it, in spades. He himself was as powerful as a Super Saiya-jin, but Eclipse was something else. She was completely ferocious, and never pulled her blows. She wasn't sparring; she was doing her best to kill him.

He barely managed to twist out of the way of a groin shot, taking the blow to his thigh. To late, he realized this was what she had been aiming for, and his leg gave out from the nerves going dead.

"AHHHH!" he yelled in agony, waiting for the sword to take his head-

"Nooooo!" howled Eclipse, as Usagi abruptly appeared.

"Piccolo," she moaned, and went over to him, were he was trying to fix his hand. His concentration was still skewed from all that had happened.

"Moon healing," she whispered, on her knees, taking the crystal and placing it over his body. "Escalation."

The holy silver white light shone from it, bathing the green man, and his cries of pain ceased.

Without thinking about it, Usagi wrapped her arms around him, and pulled his head to her shoulder. "Don't ever, ever make me to that again!" she hissed.

Piccolo didn't realize that he was resting against her for several minutes, but his mind picked up her soft, pleasant smell, the heat of her body, and the comforting sound of her heartbeat. When he did, he didn't really want to move.

What is it that I am wanting? I don't understand it this feeling.

Usagi was staring at his mouth. It had been a long time since she had ever thought about kissing someone, but-

Piccolo?

He was an alien! She could almost hear Rei and the others yelling at her.

Then she paused for a second. So am I, technically, she thought.

Piccolo held his breath, and they leaned towards each other.

The kiss was light and tentative, like a fairy's wings against each other's lips.

Then both pulled back, like they had been stung.

They both went back to training, like it had never happened.

"I don't care if it kills me," Usagi whispered softly, to herself. They had maybe a day, it the room, before they had to leave.

"I will control the Eclipse!"

"Did you say something, Usa-chan?"

Piccolo was looking concerned. This expression of confusion, and almost fear, at how she was acting was obvious.

"I need to get all of Eclipse's powers under my control. I just can't figure out how."

Piccolo closed his eyes, deep in thought.

He's so beautiful when he's like that, she noticed, and blushed.

Then Piccolo started to power up. He started scattering shots around the room. Usagi was startled at what he was doing-

Then he started to direct them, at himself.

"What? Piccolo- NO!" she yelled, as blast after blast hit him. Without thought, she dived between them and him, taking blow after blow, until she powered up, screaming her transformation.

For Piccolo, she controlled the power, for the person she loved, she took the pain-

"You did it," he whispered to her, taking her into a hard hug.

"I did, didn't I?" said Eclipse, looking up at him.

They almost kissed again. Almost.

It was time for them to leave the room.

Eclipse walked out of the room, her armor and clothing looking like shambles, as she changed back into Usagi. Piccolo followed as well, his own gi looking far the worse for wear.

"Mr. Piccolo!" exclaimed Gohan, seeing his mentor, and glomping his waist.

"Tomorrow is the Cell Games," Goku said softly, and they looked at each other, solemn. Usagi hugged Goku hard.

"Thank you, my friend," she said softly. He looked surprised.

"For what?"

"For just being my friend."

She gave Gohan the same treatment.

"In case we don't live through tomorrow," she said lightly, and they nodded.

Flying off, she decided she had several other goodbyes to make.

Chi-Chi had been easy, she just dropped in and thanked her. Bulma was harder to find. She was in her lab working on Juurokogou at the time. They smiled briefly at each other as they said their goodbyes, and then she was gone again, after cooing to baby Trunks for a moment.

Usa!" said a voice from behind her, and she turned to see Mirai Trunks floating there, in his Saiya-jin type armor. His hair had grown in the time he had been in the Room of Spirit and Time, and it fell over his shoulders.

He is so handsome, she thought abruptly, wanting nothing more than to touch that hair, kiss those lips, but when she closed her eyes, she saw Piccolo there instead.

They looked at each other in awkward silence for a moment, and descended to the ground.

Night was falling as they spoke, and the brilliant display of colors that night was breathtaking.

He spoke hesitantly.

"If, if we make it through this, do you have any plans?"

Usagi stopped for a moment. And sighed. She had tried her hardest to put off thinking about what would happen next.

"Go home, I suppose."

"Do you, uh, have a boyfriend? I mean, if we survive this, I would like to well, get to know you better…" his blush should have set the grass on fire.

Usagi smiled gently. "My home, I think, is another world, Trunks. I-" she shook her head. "I would like to be your friend. You are a good man, but not whom I want. I'm sorry," she whispered finally, seeing his face fall. She kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"If we survive this, I'll get you a girlfriend, but it can't be me."

Trunks sighed, and walked away, his head down.

"Why didn't you?" asked a voice from behind her, in the bushes. Usagi thought she should have been surprised that he was there, but she wasn't. She hadn't sensed him, but it seemed very natural that he be there.

"Didn't I what?"

"Why didn't you like him, like that?" Piccolo asked again, and walked out so she could see him.

"Oh, as a boyfriend? Because he isn't who I want."

"Why not? He's a Prince, he's human…" Piccolo trailed off, realizing what he had just given away.

"I don't want him, because he's not you," she said, crossing over to him, and putting her arms around his neck. Lifting herself to his face, she placed her lips on his, and pressed gently, running her tongue along his bottom lip.

His mouth opened with a soft moan, and her tongue darted in, tasting his tongue, exploring his sweetness.

Piccolo's arms closed around her, holding her warm weight to him, and held her tightly. His tongue fought back, reclaiming its territory, and forging on to new ones. In her mouth, he wrestled with her tongue, mouths moving against one another.

Her hands found his turban and pushed it off, lightly running over his bald head, and starting to play with his antennae. He sighed deeply against her mouth, and ran his hands up and down her back.

Pulling away suddenly, Usagi grabbed his shoulder pads and cape and pulled it over his head, tossing it away like it were paper. Piccolo made a soft sound in his throat at this, eyes wide.

"What are we doing?" he asked, even as he pulled her back into his arms.

"I'm taking advantage of your inexperience," Usa whispered into his ear, licking it.

"Huh?" he asked, but didn't want an answer. He was enjoying her touches, and reciprocating them too much to care.

He did notice, though, when she placed her hand over the bulge that he hadn't known was in his pants until that moment. Gasping, he felt his hips thrust into her rubbing hand, and he broke their kiss, moaning into this strange, wonderful new feeling.

"Usagi, what are you doing to me?" he whispered, eyes half lidded with pleasure.

"This might be our last night alive," she said into his ear, need for him making her shake. "I want to spend it with the man I fell in love with. I don't care about tomorrow, we do have tonight."

He still didn't get what they were doing, but stopping seemed even worse.

(fade to black)

"Oh, Kami," Usagi exclaimed, aftershocks still running through her. She kissed the huge man on the mouth, and exhaustion started to settle in.

"What was that?" Piccolo asked, never getting his answer earlier, holding her tightly to his chest, and talking into her hair.

"We made love, silly," she giggled, and kissed his nose. Piccolo still looked confused.

"Mated," she clarified.

Understanding dawned, and he looked embarrassed, them chuckled himself.

"I guess being male isn't that bad."

Yawning, and snuggling against his chest, Usagi grinned sleepily. "Neither is being female to your male." Then she was asleep.

Still holding her, he withdrew gently, and lay on his side. There they stayed, throughout he rest of the night.

Next: The Cell Games!