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Threnody = Verse05: Epilogue
Author = Gabriyel Crowwe [ gabriyel@planetnamek.org ]
Website = http://gabriyel.artshost.com/dbz
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I awoke to the birds chirping and sun on my face. Someone was
humming cheerfully from behind me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes,
turning over onto my back and looking up at the ceiling, all the time
wondering where I was.
'Gee, maybe I'm in my own personal Hell ...'
I sat up, running a hand through my hair, realising something.
Everything looked as if someone had set the computer screen on 256
colours. I blinked several times. Everything was two dimensions.
I then decided to sweatdrop. 'Duh, Gabe. You're in the Dragon-
ball Z world, remember?'
I swung my legs around the edge of the couch, trying to locate the source of the humming. Gohan was sitting at a desk, writing.
"I'm up, I'm up," I grumbled.
He turned to face me. "Good morning. I decided not to wake you,
since I know you love to sleep in."
I noticed something green and white sitting outside, and my brow
rose. Piccolo was sitting, apparently meditating, out on the balcony. I
shook my head.
"Mind if I have a shower or something?" I asked.
"Yeah, no problem," Gohan stood, walking to the corridor and
pointing to a door. "In there."
"Okay, thanks." I grabbed my clothes, tiptoeing off down the
hallway and into the bathroom. I set my clothes on the cover to the
toilet, looking at my reflection in the mirror.
"I am never going to get used to this," I groaned, running a
hand through my hair. "Definitely not."
After a brief shower, which for me was fifteen minutes, I
dressed and stepped, barefoot and hair drenched, into the hallway. I
headed down to the corridor to the living room where Gohan was sitting
on the couch, flipping through channels on television.
"Back," I said, slipping on my glasses and grabbing a sock,
leaning against the couch as I put it on, alongside the other. "I still
have no balance whatsoever."
Gohan chuckled, standing. "So, we're heading to otou's ... just
be careful around okaasan, okay?"
"Oh, sure, easy for you to say," I mumbled under my breath,
slipping on my boots. I looked up as Piccolo entered, arms folded over
his chest. How ... Piccolo-ish.
"Piccolo'll meet us there," Gohan said, slipping on a pair of
shoes. "Come on, Gabe." He grabbed me by the arm, pulling me out of the
apartment.
"Hyperactive much?!"
=====
Gokuu's kitchen was quite full of people. Well, to me it was. I
recognised Kurilin, who was sitting at the table, talking to Gokuu.
Piccolo was standing in a corner, arms folded over his chest. Bejiita
was sitting beside Gokuu, arms folded and looking menacingly at anyone
who dared give him a second look. Goten was sitting beside Kurilin, with
his mother beside him.
"Hey," Gohan greeted. "We made it."
"Sunday driver," I mumbled under my breath.
"Hey!" Gokuu greeted. "Good morning, Gabriyel."
I waved, but said nothing. I noticed Chi-Chi eyeing me warily,
and I arched a brow in her direction. 'Hmph ...'
"All right, let me explain what's going on," Gokuu stood,
gesturing for Gohan and I to sit down. "Popo came to visit me last night
with a message."
"Go figure," I sat down by Bejiita, Gohan taking the other
remaining chair, which was beside Chi-Chi.
"Apparently, one of you made a subconscious wish to be sent
here. I guess, at the time is was pretty impossible, but when you guys
died you got sent here. Thing is, you have alternate universe forms too,
and they kinda switched with you. They're dead, and you're alive."
"Let me get this straight ... Mrianna and Lilith are here?" I
asked.
"Unfortunately," Bejiita grumbled.
Gokuu sweatdropped. "Eh heh ... anyway, now we have to find them.
Popo says they will be at a certain park in an hour, so we can find them
there."
"Do they look much different?" Gohan asked.
"Don't think."
"Gohan, dear, which one of those characters was this?" Chi-Chi
asked, staring at my fingernails.
"Gabriyel," Gohan sweatdropped. "Um, Gabriyel, meet Chi-Chi.
You're, uh, met Bejiita and Goten ... and that's Kurilin."
"Hi," Kurilin spoke for the first time since I had arrived. I
have him a small wave.
Gohan was speaking in Japanese with Chi-Chi now, and she was
beginning to look very angry. I smirked to myself, somewhat smugly. She
sent me a scowl before she stomped out of the kitchen, disappearing.
"Gabriyel has an enemy," Bejiita said, smirking.
"Ally said she'd be here by now, didn't she?" Kurilin asked
Bejiita.
"Ally?" I asked, looking over to him.
"My wife," Bejiita said.
I blinked several times, before my voice raised another octave.
"Alicia? Long brown hair, green eyes, got sent here by Shenlong?"
"You know her?" Bejiita queried, brow raised.
"Yeah ... read her fan fiction, and I knew her on-line for a
while. She was Olympia Twelve. Never quite understood why she had that
nickname. Hmm ... that means Trunks never existed. Heh, poor Mrianna."
"Don't tell me, the hyperactive brunette had crushes on other
characters?" Bejiita interrogated.
"This is weird," Kurilin muttered. "I've watched 'Wired' before
with Gohan ... this is exactly like Gabriyel. Except her voice was way
different and she spoke Japanese."
"They changed the voices on Dragonball Z practically every
episode ... Gokuu's kept sounding like he was some total idiot--" I
started, cut off by Bejiita.
"Which he is."
"You two have such a cute relationship."
"Hah! Don't make me laugh."
"Just did."
"Right, uh ... this coming from the girl who claimed that
Bejiita and I sharing a bed was a death wish?" Gokuu sweatdropped.
"That came out really ... wrong," Kurilin said, sweatdropping.
"Don't even suggest it," Bejiita growled to him.
"Right ..." Goten voiced. "Well, this is an odd conversation."
"Somewhat," Gokuu said, chuckling nervously and scratching the
back of his neck. "As in, very much so."
"Hello?"
We turned to face an attractive brunette woman who had just
walked in the door. Her long hair reached down her back in a braid, and
she surveyed us all with bright green eyes.
"About time," Bejiita grumbled.
"Um, Gabriyel, this is Ally," said Gohan, gesturing to the
woman. "Ally, this is Gabriyel."
"Um, yeah, I know her," I sweatdropped. "Acadian Goth."
Ally grinned. "Oh, hi! I knew your name was familiar, but I
never thought ... how'd you get here?"
"Jumped off the high school, ended up here."
"Piccolo saved her," Gohan added.
"He didn't save me. He ... caught me ... uh ..."
"She's trying to save his reputation, you can tell," Bejiita
grumbled, shaking his head.
"Ally, can I kill your husband?"
"Preferably not, I'd like to keep him around for a little
longer."
"Like you could," Bejiita growled.
"I probably couldn't, but I could try."
Ally sat down in Chi-Chi's seat. "So, what'd I miss?"
"Talking," Gokuu grinned. "And in Bejiita's and Gabe's cases,
arguing."
"I just miss yelling at Mrianna," I said with a sigh, folding
my arms and setting my chin on them. "And I miss Canada. It was quiet.
Kind of. Not like the cities."
"Where are you staying?" Ally asked me.
"She spent last night on my couch," Gohan said. "She wouldn't
take the bed." He poked me in the ribcage.
"You're too tall for the couch anyway, so stop complaining," I
grumbled, rubbing my side. "No poking."
"Heh ..." Ally sweatdropped.
"Well, you have other versions of you on this world, you could
just move back to Canada," Gokuu suggested.
"Good idea ... then I can go to that art school I got accepted
into," I smirked, then frowned. "Dammit. That art school is in Tokyo. I
just can't get rid of you guys."
"That means Mrianna too?" Gohan asked.
"You sound like a pitiful little puppy," Bejiita answered.
"Well, she has to continue college in Newfoundland," I shrugged.
"And Lilith'll be going to college too. Lord knows where. She got
accepted somewhere."
"You'll have to move back here after university," Ally said,
grinning. "That'd be interesting."
"Oh, I'm sure Mrianna will most definitely," I said, with a
sweatdrop. "I wanted to live in Japan anyway. Don't know if I'll live
anywhere close to you guys."
"We have to find Lilith and Mrianna first," Kurilin voiced.
"Assuming Kakarotto finds the right park," Bejiita looked over
to Gokuu, brow raised.
"I know where it is," Gokuu said, grinning. "No problem."
"You and Mrianna are so alike it's ... frightening," I said,
blinking several times. "Very frightening."
"Heh, I noticed that," Gohan said.
"Hmm ... maybe a mix between Gabriyel and Gokuu?" Kurilin
suggested.
"They spawned," Gohan joked. I elbowed him, and he abruptly shut
up, smiling innocently. I sweatdropped.
"Oy vey."
=====
"See them?" Gohan asked, looking about.
"No," Bejiita replied, flatly.
Ally smirked. "So, Gabriyel, you still like Piccolo?"
"What does Piccolo have to do with anything?" I asked, folding
my arms over my chest.
"Oh, nothing," Ally replied, beaming. "But he's still single."
"Ally, Piccolo has no gender. He will always be single," I
deadpanned.
"You are so stubborn," Ally replied, shaking her head.
"I know," I replied. "And, yes."
"Pardon?" Ally asked, brow raised.
Gohan smirked, eyes still on the people in the park. "They
should be here ..."
"Yes, but they aren't, can we go?" Bejiita groaned.
Ally linked her arm with his, which managed to silence him for a
little while. I smirked, hooking my thumbs on my jeans, looking up to
the sky where Gokuu and Piccolo were hovering around, looking about.
They both flew off, and disappeared out of my line of vision. I adjusted
my glasses, noticing they had landed a bit away.
"Who're Gokuu and Piccolo talking to?" Ally asked.
Gohan grinned. "I think I know who."
Gokuu and Piccolo led the way, the two others they had found
following close behind. Gokuu waved to us, beaming wide. I ran a hand
through my hair, watching the sky.
"Wow, hi!" Mrianna waved, pigtails bouncing. "Gabie, we had the
biggest shopping spree ..."
Lilith rolled her eyes. "Hey."
"You two know the rules -- no dying before the anti-social
psychopath, remember?" I asked, pointing at them. "And if either of you
bought anything with dragons on it, I get to kick your asses in."
Mrianna grinned. "Oh no, never."
"Hey!" Gohan held up a hand. "Welcome to Japan."
"We're anime! Eee!" Mrianna grinned, hugging Gohan.
I suppose that even Lilith and I had not expected that, Gohan
certainly had not, but he hugged her back.
"You guys remember that Arishia-chan person? Mrianna, you read
her fan fictions, right?" I gestured to Ally. "Well, she's here too."
"Except, I didn't die," Ally said. "Hello. You're the people
Gabe wrote about."
"Gabriyel, do you realise something?" Lilith asked me. "Mri
called you Gabie."
"First you die without my permission, and now you go around
using the nickname I absolutely abhor?!" I shook my head. "Mrianna you
are so dead!"
"I know!" Mrianna squealed. "Isn't it great? I'm all anime!"
"Yeah, she'd notice that," Bejiita grumbled.
Gokuu sweatdropped, chuckling nervously. "Eh heh ..."
"You know what we should have? A party! We're all together and
stuff ... it'd be great!" Mrianna suggested as we headed off to the edge
of the park where we could get back to the hover cars.
"You're pushing it," I deadpanned.
"Actually --" Gohan started.
"Don't try it," Lilith shook her head. "Don't influence Mri."
"You have a very loving friendship," Ally remarked.
"Loving?" Lilith squeaked.
"Love? Erm, no ..." I shook my head. "I don't believe in it."
"Go figure," Gohan mused.
"That's my line!"
"Then, what was that you said about Piccolo?" Mrianna asked.
"I called him fluffy."
"Gohan is fluffy, Gokuu is fluffy, Piccolo has no body hair, how
the HFIL does he become 'fluffy'?!" Bejiita asked.
"It's a long story, okay?"
"Goddess, what have I done?" Mrianna asked, looking up to the
sky.
Lilith poked her. "You just spent most of your money on a
shopping spree in Tokyo, that's what."
"Thibbit."
"That's my line!"
=====
After having gotten into my own apartment, which was close to
Gohan's, Mrianna's and Lilith's, with some of the things belonging to my
alternate self, I had attempted to cut myself off from the Dragonball Z
characters. I don't know, I suppose subconsciously I hadn't wanted to
believe that they were here. So I busied myself in applications for
various art schools in the area, and, to expand my horizons, a couple of
writing and journalism schools as well.
But it's always nice to take a break.
I sighed to myself, clasping my hands together behind my back as
I stood on the cliff overlooking Piccolo's training area. I watched the
stars begin their nightly dance amidst clouds from the day's rainstorms
that had poured down like buckets, reminding me of the night I had last
really spoken to Piccolo.
'Of course he's not here, idiot. He's probably got someplace to
be. Just because he trains here doesn't mean he lives here.'
I ran a hand over my ponytail, watching the moon in the far
distance, and smirked to myself, wind chilling me to the bones. But I
was used to it, and ignored the cold. It was nothing new.
"Hmm, looking for me?" came a low-pitched voice, speaking in my
first language, English.
"No, just needed to get out into the night," I replied, turning
to face Piccolo, floating beside the edge of the cliff. I, proudly, was
speaking in Japanese, as a tutor had taught me it in the past months
since I had arrived.
"Odd," Piccolo commented, landing on the ground. "Never thought
you'd ever speak Japanese."
"Ah, well, I do now," I looked back to the moon. "Well, how have
you been?"
"Erm, pardon?" came Piccolo's, somewhat surprised, voice, still
remaining his monotonous self albeit the fact he was not used to the
question.
I looked back to him, blinking several times. "I asked 'how have
you been'?"
Piccolo's brow raised briefly. "Hrmph ... fine."
I shook my head. "I'm attempting to be nice, I could always
leave if you rather."
Piccolo folded his arms over his chest, looking off to the
landscape. "I don't care."
I hooked my thumbs onto my pockets, watching him. He was
undoubtedly lying. He was, no doubt, uncomfortable by my presence, but
it was somewhat sweet -- he was trying to be kind about it.
"You're lying," I sang after much silence.
"I do not understand you," Piccolo grunted.
"Few do," I answered, pulling my jacket closer around me. "I'm
going to go ... look, Piccolo, I understand fully what it's like to be
alone most of your life, but you keep pushing people away and ... oh,
never mind, I'm just being a hypocrite. I'm the one who hasn't talked to
anyone in two months ..." I ended my ramble, trailing off. I let out a
sigh. "Goodbye."
"Mind finishing your babbling first?" Piccolo asked as I began
to walk away. I paused, turning to face him.
"Well ... I mean, you're always pushing people away. People do
care for you, Piccoro-sama, really ... I mean, I know Gohan does. And
you know that ... well, I do." I blushed, although it was probably
unseen in the low light. "I'm being hypocritical, however, so I should
just shut up and leave you alone."
Piccolo smirked. "Quite."
I turned, walking off down the cliff, without so much as a word
from Piccolo. Shoving my hands in my pockets I watched the moon,
continuing off down the road, back towards the Capsule Corps area.
I knew I should get over him. I mean, Piccolo's not even a him,
he's an 'it'. So why did I feel so much for him? I mean, it was an
idiotic schoolgirl crush that originated from when I was, what, twelve?
Thirteen? Either way, I was being a moron about the whole thing.
'Face it, Gabe, you're just going to depress yourself more
worrying about this. At least you're here.'
Yeah.
At least.
Funny. I have pretty much everything I could want. I'm living in
Japan -- in an anime cartoon, nonetheless. And yet ... I'm still
depressed.
Well. Goes to show you ... the more things change, the more
they stay the same.
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