Beginning with an End
Part 5
Nahmi tossed
and turned restlessly. Attempting to
sleep was hopeless. She leaped nimbly
out of bed and began to pace the darkness of her room. Her brow was furrowed as she tried to decide
what plan of action was the best to take. She walked over to the widow and sighed as she opened the shutters. A frosty wind swept her short amethyst hair
backwards, and she breathed deeply the fresh night air. Leaning her elbows on the windowsill, she
leant outside and examined the positioning of the stars. As beautiful as they were, she barely
noticed, as she took in the information that she needed. There were approximately four hours until
dawn, she noted. Nahmi gritted her
teeth; it was now or never. She
shuddered, and glided soundlessly over to her closet and grabbed her cloak,
slipping it over her goose-pimple-covered skin. She fetched her silver clasp and raindrop amulet, which she
draped over her head. The main purpose
this item served was to keep her jawbone length banes from falling in her
eyes. She fastened her cloak tightly
around her and made her way back to the open window. Concentrating intensely, she cloaked her ki and drew in a deep
breath of air. She gazed out the window
resolutely, and took a giant leap of faith towards the sequin studded silk
blanket that was the night sky. On her
bed sat the note that she had contemplated over all night, and finally decided
to act upon. To Indigo, it would be
perfectly believable, as she had left such short, simple notes as explanation
her entire life. 'GONE TRAINING.' She had
always returned home safely,leaving Indigo no reason to believe that she
wouldn't this time. However, this time
her words were untrue. How she hated
betraying Indigo's trust.
******
Gohan awoke
with a start, and sat bolt upright. He
hadn't a clue as to why he had awoken, but now that he had, he didn't feel
tired in the least. He felt so alive
and trouble-free like he hadn't in so long. He stood and stretched, more out of habit
than necessity, and gave the widow a slight push. It swung open and Gohan's face was met with a rush of wind, brisk
and sharp, and surprisingly refreshing to the senses. Further sleep would be impossible; how he longed to fly in the
cool night air, and feel the whipping wind in his hair once more. He glanced at his watch; it read
approximately 0100 hours, he hadn't noticed the precise time. Gosh,
it's way too early; I've only been asleep for two hours or so! Maybe just a quick fly will help…I'm sure no
one would mind, he reasoned with himself,
I mean, it's better than me waking them. Suddenly, something on the horizon caught his attention. He narrowed his eyes to gain a clearer
picture of the figure. It quickly began
to retreat. He suddenly blinked with
the release of a gigantic ki and fell backwards, grabbing the windowsill just
in time. That's Nahmi! he thought, astonished, and hurled himself out the
window after her…Wow, she's in a hurry,
but what's she doing out here at this
time of night? Strangely enough, he didn't pause to
consider that she may wonder the same thing of him, but instead sped off after
her, straining to suppress his energy. He didn't want to be caught by the ever-alert Vegeta.
******
Nahmi stopped
still in mid air and swivelled around towards the direction in which she had
come. She was being watched. Damn,
she cursed, what now? She had been positive that she had gathered
her possessions in practical silence, and there was no way that her watcher
could have sensed her ki, she had made sure of that. The ki of her watcher suddenly rose, their power growing
increasingly closer; though it was obvious that they were trying to suppress
it. Whoever it was; they were now following
her. She suddenly found herself wishing
that she had taken the time to study everyone's energy signatures, for at
present, she had no idea as to who was following her. It was possible that it was Gohan, but there was also a chance
that it could be Prince Vegeta. She
couldn't take that risk; she was right in thinking that he was not one to cross
with a guilty conscience. There was
only one thing she could do; outrun them. She increased her ki and put on a sudden burst of speed, knowingly revealing
her identity whilst doing so, but she didn't care; she knew that she was much
faster, and what she was doing was necessary. She had to find out why she had ended up on Earth, and more importantly,
where from.
******
Gohan slammed
to a stop. He had lost sense of her
ki. What's
she doing? he thought, concentrating on locating her energy. It was hopeless; she was far too fast for
him to keep up with, and he couldn't follow her trail if he couldn't sense her
energy. He suddenly felt someone grab
him from behind. He let out a yell, but
a skilfully moved hand muffled it. He
could feel his captor's hand on his mouth; it was strong, yet amazingly
delicate. This he thought in the split
second that it took him to grasp the stranger by their thin wrists and flip
them to his front, where he speedily secured them in a headlock. Gohan quickly regretted his instinctive
reaction when his eyes were met with a bright purple, and his arm was met by
Nahmi's pearly white teeth.
They sprung
apart, facing each other, one clutching her neck, the other furiously rubbing
his wrist.
"What did you do
that for?" They both found themselves shrieking at the other.
"You surprised
me!" they found themselves replying. They laughed and relaxed, moving slightly closer to one another so as
not to yell.
"Sorry I snuck
up on you from behind," Nahmi began, "I thought that you would have known it
was me. But I guess I forgot that I had
hidden my ki so that I could find out if it really was you."
"Who did you
think I was?" Gohan asked, wondering as to whom she could have possibly
confused him with.
"His highness,"
she scowled, and sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck at Gohan's look of
disgust. "Well," she reasoned, her
voice high pitched with embarrassment, "I had a little trouble sensing who you
were, what, with you suppressing your energy and all. And," she confessed, "I'm none too skilled at reading new energy
signatures either."
"That's okay,"
Gohan's grin suddenly changed to a smirk and he raised an eyebrow cheekily,
"I'll forgive you." Nahmi pulled her
bottom eyelid down and poked out her tongue. Gohan laughed and Nahmi began to giggle.
"Oh," she
quickly added, gazing at the arm that he still held. She glanced at his eyes and then at her feet, "Sorry I bit you."
"Yeah," he
agreed, "I'm sorry I got you in a headlock, I should have known who you were." Nahmi suddenly began to giggle, interrupting
his apology. She clutched her stomach
in one hand and tried to muffle her laughter with the other.
"What?" Gohan
gave her a puzzled expression. She
doubled up in fits of laughter, tears streaming from her eyes. She couldn't believe that Gohan hadn't
noticed.
"What!" he
repeated, pulling slightly back with his arms out to the side in a mannerism
that clearly said 'I hope your not laughing at me!' That's when he noticed it, to his absolute horror…he had
neglected to remove the baby pink nightgown that now fluttered gently in the
breeze. "Ahh!" he fell backwards in
complete and utter embarrassment, which only added to Nahmi's amusement. "I, I, I," he blushed scarlet as he
stuttered and stumbled in an attempt at an explanation, but Nahmi only turned
her back on him and continued to try to suppress her giggles. Gohan folded his arms and frowned, his face
boiling with humiliation. She regained
herself and turned in his direction, not daring to look at him though.
"Sorry Gohan,"
she murmured and risked a peek at him. She quickly grabbed her mouth in both hands and swivelled to turn her
back on him again. He looked so funny
that she just couldn't control herself. She heard a rustling sound from behind her.
"No, I'm truly
sorry Gohan," she spluttered between bursts of giggles. She faked a cough and hit her chest with her
clenched fist in an attempt to compose herself. Gohan wore a loose white gi tucked into long black pants; the
nightgown slung over his shoulder underneath his folded arms. His expression was stern but a light pink
still lingered on his cheeks. Nahmi
resisted a laugh, "You really shouldn't take it off," she finished, struggling
to appear serious.
"What, and have
you laugh at me again, Nah-uh, no way." He tossed the nightgown from his shoulder.
"Hey!" Nahmi
yelled and launched herself at it, catching it in one hand. She flew up behind Gohan and placed
something silky and warm over his shoulders. She rounded on him, her hands folded in front of her. "Don't just go throwing my stuff away!"
"Y-your stuff,"
Gohan stuttered, feeling the warmth growing in his cheeks. The nightgown hung around her shoulders and
she quickly slipped her arms into the sleeves and drew it about herself.
"It's cold,"
she scolded, "and if you're going to be such a baby and not wear it just
because it's pink, then I will and
you can have my cloak." Her voice was
cross and she turned her back to him once more. Gohan drew the cloak about himself; it was surprisingly warm and
comfortable, but he suddenly realised what she had just said.
"Well, in case
you didn't notice," he pointed out angrily, "I was wearing it until you started
laughing at me!"
She looked
down at her feet, "I know," she sighed, "it was me who was acting
childish. I shouldn't have laughed at
you." She knew that she had only given
him her cloak out of guilt. "I'm sorry,
I shouldn't have called you a baby," she looked up and grinned at him
playfully, "but you've got to admit…"
Gohan began
to laugh. "Yeah," he chuckled, "and to think that I wasn't the only one wearing
one of those." Nahmi giggled gleefully
as an image of a very disgruntled pink-covered Vegeta appeared in her mind. Strangely enough, it was the exact same
situation that Gohan had imagined, minus the crown that she saw on the arrogant
prince's head. "So I guess," Gohan
continued, "I can't blame you for laughing." His expression suddenly changed to one of seriousness, "Hang on a
minute," he was finally asking what he had come to find out, "where are you
going?"
"Somewhere
where this nightgown will definitely come in handy," she replied ruefully and
hugged herself tightly, shutting her eyes. Gohan had noticed her severe change in tone, and concern quickly
overcame him.
"What's the
matter?" he asked tentatively. She
opened her eyes, her expression clouded with sorrow. She drew in a deep breath and turned her mournful gaze to the
stars.
"I have to find
out where I came from," she stated earnestly and returned her gaze to Gohan, "I
mean, I couldn't have possibly come from the planet Vegeta…It was destroyed
long before you or I were even born." This was the first time that this thought had even occurred to Gohan's
mind. "It means I'm a Saiyan, but from
somewhere else…and if I have any family…" She hesitated at the word family…she
hadn't meant to mention it in front of Gohan. He gazed at the ground, and Nahmi bit her lip.
He suddenly
looked her in the eye, "I'm helping," he declared resolutely with a note of
understanding in his voice, "just tell me what I have to do."
She smiled
meekly and flew over to him, her eyes full of comforting. She grasped him by the cloak and pulled it
tightly around him. Something silver
flashed in her hand and Gohan heard a click as she fastened the clasp near his
neck. She pulled slightly away from him
and stared into the distance behind her, the direction in which she had been
travelling, "It's cold where we're going," she replied simply, and grabbed him
by the hand. Gohan felt a sudden jerk
and the next thing he knew, he was being pulled along the valley faster than he
could have ever thought possible, towards the snow-capped mountains in the
distance.
The landscape
changed rapidly, or at least, it appeared to at the speed that they were travelling. The low, forest-clad mountains slowly grew
to rugged and desolate ranges, broken every so often by tropical gorges. As the mountains became tipped with snow, so
did the cavernous ravines become barren, brown and seemingly lifeless. Soon, the temperature drop became painfully
obvious to Gohan and he shivered beneath the thin navy cloak. The air was becoming noticeably thin as
Gohan heaved his chest to take in another breath. He gazed around to see nothing but white, with the odd, sharp
pewter coloured cliff or windswept slope protruding from within the otherwise
endless blanket of snow… And still they flew; though the landscape barely
changed again. The mountains rose to
higher peaks, the air became thinner, their surroundings generally became more
harsh and unforgiving. Suddenly, Nahmi
took a steep dive down a granite crevasse. It would have only been a quarter of a mile wide and two miles deep. Deep at the very bottom a silvery thread
spun its way between gigantic boulders and beneath delicate branches of
ice. The grey cliff nearest to them was
studded with icicles, frozen by the cold. Nahmi's speed had slowed enough for Gohan to notice that as they neared
the bottom, water began to drip from the jagged shards of ice suspended from
the slight overhang of the wall of the deep gorge. Soon, they had reached the river, and Nahmi released Gohan's
shivering hand.
"You're cold,"
she noted and smiled. The almost-full
moon overhead gave the valley, along with her eyes, a glint of silver. Gohan now understood why she wore the symbol
of a silver raindrop on her forehead, for this was surely the only place within
the miles that surrounded them, that received rain. Of course, it was not rain from the clouds, but rain from the
walls of the protruding cliffs. A
slight tinkle could be heard all around them; the tinkle of tiny droplets
smattering on rocks and ice as they made their way to the winding river which
gurgled and churned about the sharp rocks. Nahmi gestured to him, and he was awoken from his thoughts. "Follow me," she cried, and she made her way
slowly downstream.
The river wound
it's way down a slope that was shallow only in comparison to the angles of the
mountainsides. The river grew louder as
it became deeper and smashed its way around the boulders. A large snow-covered mound could be
discerned amongst the darkness ahead, and as they reached it, Gohan saw that
the water of the raging river had been tamed and pooled by an outstretched arm
of the hill, forming a small water fall on the opposite side. Atop the small, snow-clad hill stood a
traditional Japanese temple, towards which, Nahmi flew. She slowed and landed lightly on the steps. Gohan descended behind her quickly.
"Welcome to my
humble abode," Nahmi grinned, and drew in a deep breath, savoring the sweet
smell of the icy air. Gohan wished that
he could reply adequately, but all he managed was a strained laugh accompanied
with the chattering of his teeth. Nahmi
laughed and grabbed him around the shoulders, directing him inside. They ascended the remaining stairs and
walked between two of the six large pillars on the side of the temple that ran
lengthwise to the river. Two gigantic
carvings of dragons, one blue, the other red, greeted Gohan's eyes. Nahmi smiled in answer to his look of
amazement.
"The great twin
dragons," she gestured to each, "Ignis and Glacies, of Fire and Ice." Once again, Gohan wished to express his
thoughts, but couldn't due to the cold. However, Nahmi got the gist and laughed, and led him to the great, intricately
carved silver and gold doors that stood between the two dragons. She gave them a slight push and they swung
soundlessly inwards on their great hinges. Nahmi pushed him inside and swung the great doors shut, turning to face
Gohan, a look of pride on her face. She
removed her nightgown and hung it on a wooden peg carved in the likeness of a
dragon's head. They were inside a short
hall; the pegs on the left shaped like the dragon of Fire, the pegs on the
right like the dragon of Ice. Gohan
shuddered as a chill ran up his spine.
"On second
thoughts," Nahmi changed her mind and took the nightgown from the wall, "here,
you look like you need it," she giggled and handed it to Gohan, who received
her kindness graciously. She opened the
arched wooden door at the opposite end of the small foyer, and placed her
slip-on shoes outside it. Gohan did
likewise and followed her inside. A wave of warmth rushed to greet him and he
suddenly breathed and relaxed. The
inside of the temple was very much like the inside of the lodge, set out in the
same manner and style. The main
difference was that everything was carved of stone rather than built of
wood. The colours were warm oranges,
accompanied by cool blues, but Nahmi barely gave Gohan time to notice anything
more. She snatched a torch from the
wall and hastily led him down a thin hall to a small, disused, storage
room. She pulled a key from a chain
around her neck and unlocked the arched wooden door. They stepped inside; to reveal that the only thing that was
inside the room was a small silver spaceship. It was shaped as a raindrop, obviously to enhance speed and protection
from entering Earth's atmosphere, and it was carefully concealed inside a glass
case. Gohan's couldn't believe his
eyes, the ship was only small enough to hold an infant child. He gaped at Nahmi, and noticed that her eyes
seemed as windows to her mind, which was a million miles away. She sighed and spoke softly.
"Indigo found
me in this very valley inside this very pod when I was barely even one year
old." She walked up to the glass casing
and ran her finger over it softly. She
seemed to be tracing over something, like letters. Gohan took a step closer, and noticed an inscription on the side
of the ship: 'Nahmi.' He gasped, and Nahmi gazed at him, her eyes
brimming with tears.
"Someone loved
me Gohan," she cried, her tears trickling down her cheeks. She clutched the glass case tightly between
her fingers; "Someone loved me enough to carve my name on the side of the ship
deep enough that it could be read even after entering the Earth's
atmosphere." She sniffed and took a
shaking breath. Gohan had never
expected her to cry like this; he had been right in thinking that there was no
possible way that he could even begin to sympathize with her. She continued.
"Indigo says
that this type of metal is extremely strong; so strong, that when she dropped
it on a sharp rock when she was carrying it home, that it didn't even look like
showing a scratch." She heaved open the
glass case and used a long, thin stick to press a tiny button deep inside a
hole on the side of the ship. It made a
beeping noise and opened; she was careful not to let any of her tears drop onto
it. "Indigo only realized that I was
inside when it opened," she was beginning to calm, "See this smashed
glass? That's where Indigo broke it
open to get to me. She said I was
floating in a blue liquid with an oxygen pipe on my mouth. And see that screen?" Nahmi pointed to a triangular screen at the
tip of the ship, on the rim of buttons that surrounded the bubble of broken
glass. "That's a message to me from
whoever sent me here. I can't read it
Gohan!" she wailed helplessly and flung her arms around his neck, her tears
flowed onto his shoulder and seeped through his layers to dampen his skin far
beneath. He put a comforting arm around
her.
"What if it's from my parents;" she sobbed softly, "what if they sent me to Earth so I could grow up safely and return to them and help? What if I was actually sent to Earth to destroy it." She lifted her head and looked into Gohan's eyes. Her tears were quelled and her eyes were full of determination. "I'm sick of the 'what if's,' I have to find out… What if we aren't the only Saiyan's left?"
by Lolli
