Sleeping Panny - Livin' On a Prayer
by Kiora
--
[Author's Notes: I'm sorry, but this chapter was begging for a Bon Jovi insert. The song is Livin' On a Prayer (the best ever song in the whole wide world!!) and it's not mine, nor am I claiming it's mine.. and while I'm at it, none of the characters are mine either. We're in Panland now, and the middle section is obviously not in Pan's point of view. That, too, is farther back in the past.. it's mostly memories and background. With that said, on to the chapter.]
--
She was herself again hours later, but her eyes wouldn't open, and her lips wouldn't part. There was darkness all around, and chills ran up her spine. Blind and numb, she felt herself falling.. falling deeper and deeper into the darkness, deeper and deeper into her curse. She opened her mouth to scream, but her voice was long lost, and her arms swung hopelessly by her side. She tried to cry, but she could feel no tears, and the pain was lost to her now. She was confused, she was lost, and more than anything, she was scared. There was nothing left in this world around her. No sight, no sounds, no feeling, no taste, no smell.. and now, more than ever, she would have welcomed anything - the pain and hurt, the aching, back into her soul. Just as long as the numbness would go away.
Though the feelings left, the thoughts didn't, and just as you can lead a horse to water, you can take away the things most precious. And just as you can't make that horse drink, you can't lock away one's mind. Never. And as the darkness crept through her body and into her mind, her fight began. Her fight to keep everything she held dear, and her fight to keep everything she had left.
-- l i v i n ' o n a p r a y e r
"What do you mean, you can't reverse it?" Videl roared, her calm disposition disappearing in a split second, "You have to!" Color flushed into her face almost instantly, and in her eyes burned a raging fury. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she continued, her tone wavering, "You have to save my b-baby.. I-I can't.. lose.."
We've got to hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
Growling, the Eternal Dragon rumbled simply, "It is not within my power." Red eyes flashing, the dragon glared at Videl for her outburst and murmured in an apathetic tone, "Anything else?"
Fiery eyes glared right back at the Eternal Dragon through a barrage of tears, and Gohan quickly pulled his wife back before she could manage anything irrational and reassured her the best he could. Trying desperately to keep his voice from cracking, he whispered, "Couldn't you.. alter it, then?"
We got each other, and that's a lot
For love, we'll give it a shot
Closing its eyes for a moment, the Eternal Dragon drowned in a deep pool of thought, and emerged with a growl, "How?"
"Spare her life." Gohan replied, desperation seeping into his voice. He wasn't used to this. He was a fighter, and a scholar.. a warrior who would fight to live, fight to save those around him, fight to solve anything that had gone wrong, and a scholar who could crack the most complicated codes and problems, a scholar who could explain why the sky was blue or why the grass was green. But he was not a sorcerer, nor a magician.. he couldn't melt curses, or reverse sicknesses, nor could he bring the dead from their graves. And now, more than anything, he wished he could. "Please."
We're halfway there
Livin' on a prayer
Again, the mighty dragon closed its eyes, and when they opened once more, a reply was upon its lips. Rumbling deeply, the Eternal Dragon murmured, "I cannot assure you her life. That she must defend herself."
At the response, Videl collapsed into her husband's arms, and the darkened sky seemed to get a lot darker. Nodding grimly, Gohan turned away, grasping Videl's hand tightly. Squeezing her hand, he whispered, "We'll find a way. I swear we will." Whispering a silent prayer to the Gods, he closed his eyes with hope that everything would work out right.
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
We're livin' on a prayer
-- l i v i n ' o n a p r a y e r
She knew her parents had fought for so long to ward the curse away, but a curse from the hands of someone strong enough to surpass the Eternal Dragon was a curse as strong as fate. And as the memories came to her, the curse became clearer and clearer. She would live only if she had the strength to, and if she succumbed to the darkness, she would surely die. But alone, the curse would not be broken, she wasn't strong enough alone. But alone, she could fight. She would fight. She would ward off the darkness until her other half came. Until that day, she vowed never to give up. Never.
And as a wave of darkness shot through her veins once more, she fought it with all her strength, all her spirit.. and though there was pain, the pain was returning to her, the fear was gone. For sixteen years, there was confusion and uncertainty, there was anger, and underneath it all, there was raw fear. For sixteen years, she had fought curiosity and anger, uncertainty and fear. But now? Now there was none of that. Now, there was hope. And with hope, she would fight. 'I'll fight, and I'll win. Wait for me mom, dad.' Whispering her prayer aloud to no one in particular, she dove back into the abyss that was her curse.
-- l i v i n ' o n a p r a y e r
"It had to happen," Videl murmured softly, "it had to." She had no tears left to cry, for sixteen years of mourning had worn her sadness away. "But she'll come back, won't she?" Hope and confidence returning to her voice, she whispered, "She'll come back. I know she will."
by Kiora
--
[Author's Notes: I'm sorry, but this chapter was begging for a Bon Jovi insert. The song is Livin' On a Prayer (the best ever song in the whole wide world!!) and it's not mine, nor am I claiming it's mine.. and while I'm at it, none of the characters are mine either. We're in Panland now, and the middle section is obviously not in Pan's point of view. That, too, is farther back in the past.. it's mostly memories and background. With that said, on to the chapter.]
--
She was herself again hours later, but her eyes wouldn't open, and her lips wouldn't part. There was darkness all around, and chills ran up her spine. Blind and numb, she felt herself falling.. falling deeper and deeper into the darkness, deeper and deeper into her curse. She opened her mouth to scream, but her voice was long lost, and her arms swung hopelessly by her side. She tried to cry, but she could feel no tears, and the pain was lost to her now. She was confused, she was lost, and more than anything, she was scared. There was nothing left in this world around her. No sight, no sounds, no feeling, no taste, no smell.. and now, more than ever, she would have welcomed anything - the pain and hurt, the aching, back into her soul. Just as long as the numbness would go away.
Though the feelings left, the thoughts didn't, and just as you can lead a horse to water, you can take away the things most precious. And just as you can't make that horse drink, you can't lock away one's mind. Never. And as the darkness crept through her body and into her mind, her fight began. Her fight to keep everything she held dear, and her fight to keep everything she had left.
-- l i v i n ' o n a p r a y e r
"What do you mean, you can't reverse it?" Videl roared, her calm disposition disappearing in a split second, "You have to!" Color flushed into her face almost instantly, and in her eyes burned a raging fury. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she continued, her tone wavering, "You have to save my b-baby.. I-I can't.. lose.."
We've got to hold on to what we've got
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not
Growling, the Eternal Dragon rumbled simply, "It is not within my power." Red eyes flashing, the dragon glared at Videl for her outburst and murmured in an apathetic tone, "Anything else?"
Fiery eyes glared right back at the Eternal Dragon through a barrage of tears, and Gohan quickly pulled his wife back before she could manage anything irrational and reassured her the best he could. Trying desperately to keep his voice from cracking, he whispered, "Couldn't you.. alter it, then?"
We got each other, and that's a lot
For love, we'll give it a shot
Closing its eyes for a moment, the Eternal Dragon drowned in a deep pool of thought, and emerged with a growl, "How?"
"Spare her life." Gohan replied, desperation seeping into his voice. He wasn't used to this. He was a fighter, and a scholar.. a warrior who would fight to live, fight to save those around him, fight to solve anything that had gone wrong, and a scholar who could crack the most complicated codes and problems, a scholar who could explain why the sky was blue or why the grass was green. But he was not a sorcerer, nor a magician.. he couldn't melt curses, or reverse sicknesses, nor could he bring the dead from their graves. And now, more than anything, he wished he could. "Please."
We're halfway there
Livin' on a prayer
Again, the mighty dragon closed its eyes, and when they opened once more, a reply was upon its lips. Rumbling deeply, the Eternal Dragon murmured, "I cannot assure you her life. That she must defend herself."
At the response, Videl collapsed into her husband's arms, and the darkened sky seemed to get a lot darker. Nodding grimly, Gohan turned away, grasping Videl's hand tightly. Squeezing her hand, he whispered, "We'll find a way. I swear we will." Whispering a silent prayer to the Gods, he closed his eyes with hope that everything would work out right.
Take my hand and we'll make it, I swear
We're livin' on a prayer
-- l i v i n ' o n a p r a y e r
She knew her parents had fought for so long to ward the curse away, but a curse from the hands of someone strong enough to surpass the Eternal Dragon was a curse as strong as fate. And as the memories came to her, the curse became clearer and clearer. She would live only if she had the strength to, and if she succumbed to the darkness, she would surely die. But alone, the curse would not be broken, she wasn't strong enough alone. But alone, she could fight. She would fight. She would ward off the darkness until her other half came. Until that day, she vowed never to give up. Never.
And as a wave of darkness shot through her veins once more, she fought it with all her strength, all her spirit.. and though there was pain, the pain was returning to her, the fear was gone. For sixteen years, there was confusion and uncertainty, there was anger, and underneath it all, there was raw fear. For sixteen years, she had fought curiosity and anger, uncertainty and fear. But now? Now there was none of that. Now, there was hope. And with hope, she would fight. 'I'll fight, and I'll win. Wait for me mom, dad.' Whispering her prayer aloud to no one in particular, she dove back into the abyss that was her curse.
-- l i v i n ' o n a p r a y e r
"It had to happen," Videl murmured softly, "it had to." She had no tears left to cry, for sixteen years of mourning had worn her sadness away. "But she'll come back, won't she?" Hope and confidence returning to her voice, she whispered, "She'll come back. I know she will."