"To Say Goodbye"

"To Say Goodbye"

Saying goodbye is harder meant,

When a lack of fine time is never spent.

Regret, regret for a missed life,

Paying no regard, to haunt the strife.

Goodbye, adieu, cannot be spoken,

If the heart of ice is never broken.

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SHATTERING OF A BROKEN SOUL

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The large, metallic ship made a "shhh" sound as it lowered to the landing pad. At this sight, a young bystander rushed forward with anxiety. Mom-me was on the ship, and he wanted to see her! He couldn't contain it any longer! Being only two, he felt as if the few days she had been gone had been an entire year!

"Ouji!" boomed an angry voice from behind.

"Huh?" he squeaked in a frightened tone.

Before the Prince could react the King had lunged forward and grabbed the toddler by the waist. He slung the youngster over his shoulder and stepped back. The child had almost gotten too close to the landing area.

"Insolent child. You know not to venture close to a ship's landing area. You would have been crushed, had I not acted! You are lucky, for next time I will not be so lenient! Next time, I will stand and watch you die! Curiosity must be ignored if you are to survive! Don't ever do that again."

The small Ouji just blinked… He couldn't even understand most of the "big words" his father was using. Shrugging it off as hopeless, he once again turned his attention the giant craft.

"Mom-me…" he whispered.

The faint grip around the weeds in his hands tightened. They were such pretty weeds… Of all the plants in the royal garden, Mom-me liked the so-called "weeds" the best.

Weeds are only unloved flowers. They are like orphans in a way… Very abundant, but still very special… Be glad you are not an orphan, Ouji… But respect the weeds… For one day, when you least expect, you may become one too…

She had always said things like that… If any of the royal gardeners ever mistreated the special flowers (weeds), she killed them on the spot. As a result, the garden had grown and twisted out of control. It still managed to stay beautiful, though; somehow. It retained a wild sense of uniqueness.

Mom-me always picked the prettiest weeds and tied them into a bouquet with a lovely golden ribbon. She could arrange the most gorgeous designs around… When Mom-me was in one of her "good moods", she would tickle the little Ouji's nose with a strand from the bundle. She would wag it lightly across his face, sending a peculiar sensation throughout his body; it made him want to laugh. She taught him that this was called "tickling".

::Mom-me… I miss you…::

Bejita bent his head down and smelled the small bouquet he had made for her. Although the "welcome home" present wasn't as striking as he had hoped, he took great pride in it. After all, he had picked, arranged, and tied it together himself.

'CLICK. VRRR. SHHHH.'

The colossal transport device (ship) finally opened. From the distance his father made him stand, Bejita couldn't see much. Despite the temptation, he stayed where he was like a good little Saiyajin…

… Time passed.

… More time passed.

… The child was growing very impatient. 'Bunches-and-bunches' of grown-ups were crowded around something. The group was so tall and thick that a tiny two-year-old barely stood a chance at seeing at all… What was taking so long? And where was Mom-me? He desired to present the weed, no …flowers he had prepared…

…

About three minutes had passed. For one so small, it seemed like a million years! Enough was enough! The Prince charged at the thick mass of warriors. He weaved right and left and over and under the adult warriors' ankles and legs. He crawled soundlessly and stealthily, so as not to be noticed.

In the middle of the circle was something that looked like a stretcher. A figure covered mostly by a white cloth lay upon it. The face was uncovered, and while it was very damaged and hidden by bandages, the prince recognized it immediately.

"Mom-me," he whispered happily, oblivious to her critical state.

In a whirl, he rushed to her side, loosing pieces of the bouquet in the process. He moved close so that they were face to face.

"Mom-me?" he raised his voice a little. "Wake up, Mom-me…"

In a fluttering and miraculous moment, the Queen opened her one good eye. The toddler smiled in relief at seeing the familiar chocolate color framed by long lashes. Although it seemed strained, it still managed to emanate soft, maternal warmth, just as always.

Meanwhile, medics gaped… Doctors gasped… The coma had broken. She had awakened… Impossible…

:: Bejita… One last meeting… Oh, gods! Praise you for you hath shown mercy to my contaminated soul of darkness!::

The Queen inwardly rejoiced. Suddenly, a current of sadness hit her like a ton of bricks… Her time was coming, what should she say? What could she say? Her tired lips tried to force a smile as she absorbed the characteristics of her child into her delirious mind…

A handsome face mocked by childish roundness and features… soft cute cheeks… so adorable… unruly, upright hair… like his father's hair, but with her color tints… and those eyes… those… eyes…

Unknowingly, she began to hum a familiar lullaby to the bewildered child. He was confused and had no idea what was happening. She had to find a way to soothe him…

As Bejita Ouji listened to the chilling tune, his big black eyes grew steadily larger. Mom-me sounded hurt. She looked hurt. She was pale, wrapped up like a mummy, and lying down. Her eyes also expressed grief and distress…

Despite her condition, the notes of her lullaby rang true as ever. Bejita silently began mouthing the words to the song.

(The words were in the Saiyajin language, but here, my friends, is a rough translation:)

Wipe away your tears,

And throw away your fears,

Worry not little prince,

Of things across the fence.

Be brave, be brave,

My little dear,

For there's nothing to fear,

Nothing to fear.

The onlookers stood motionless. All were unsure of what to do, and found themselves glued to their spots. The display that was occurring kept them still.

The Prince was now humming the melody with the Queen. He stopped abruptly when he noticed that her sound was becoming forced and rough; she was struggling. Slowly, the voice became fainter and fainter… The sweet, melodic sound was no more than a whisper now…

Nothing… to… fear…

The song's source faded completely…

The Queen stared for a brief second into the pleading eyes of her tiny son. She felt her eyelids gain weight and grow heavy… She wanted to keep them open… But the weight of death bore down with force… So… heavy…

Finally, the dark eyes of a Saiyajin Queen closed. Doors to a soul that were to remain shut forever…

Little Bejita was pushed back as several doctors rushed ahead. …. Among the murmurs of the men, one single word stood out in his mind…

"Dead."

At the sound of this word, a hand-made bouquet of pretty weeds dropped to the floor in a soundless mute…

Bejita felt dizzy. A wave of pain pulsed through his small body. Everything started to spin… The doctors' concerned faces,… the warriors' horrified looks,… the King's grave expression,… the motionless and pale Queen…

"Dead?" he uttered the word in a low, sad way…

All became a mad blur of colors spinning in the vortex of the raging twister of the confused toddler's mind… All of a sudden, the blank tile floor came rushing toward the Ouji's face.

"Mom-me…" he cried in a dejected whisper.

Mom-me was the last thing he spoke of before impacting with the bluish tile floor… With a soft thump he hit the ground… The child of Vegetasei blacked out…

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