Mind Games – Part One
Sequel to "Sharing the Dream"
A Dragonball Z fanfic by Hana Noir
Kyrie was still angry when she found her way to her favorite place on the Tenka, behind the main building where was just enough room for her to sit and gaze at the sky. Pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them, she drank in the view. The sun was setting in a magnificent blaze of oranges, yellows, pinks and reds; it didn't take long, however, before night settled over the area. She smiled slightly. The stars were so bright here, unobstructed by clouds or pollution. The vast starscape was comforting in its cold beauty and it didn't take long before she was relaxing against the hard wall. Her legs slid out to dangle over the edge, but she wasn't concerned with falling anymore. She entertained herself for a while by playing connect the dots with the stars, but that quickly became boring.
She sighed, wishing for her computer. Mental note, she told herself, ask Piccolo what happened to my capsule case. A snatch of an old song flickered across her mind, and she began to hum the tune. Her voice wasn't really suited to the song, but she began to softly sing the lyrics anyway. It seemed to fit her mood, somehow.
"When I look into your eyes, I can see a love restrained,
But darlin' when I hold you, don't you know I feel the same.
But nothin' last forever and we both know hearts can change,
And it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain…
We've been thru this such a long long time just tryin' to kill the pain
Lovin's always come and lovin's always gone and no-one really sure who let it go today,
Walkin' away…
But when you take the time to lay it on the line,
I can rest my head just knowin' that you are mine,
All mine…
So if you wanna love me, then darlin' don't refrain,
Or I'll just end up walkin' in the cold November rain.
Do ya need some time, on your own?
Do ya need some time, all alone?
Ooh, everybody needs some time on their own,
Ooh, don't you know you need some time, all alone…
I know it's hard to keep an open heart, when even friends seem out to harm you
But if you could heal a broken heart, wouldn't time be out to charm you?"
Her foot tapped to the beat that only she could hear as the guitars wailed in her mind, and her head rocked slightly from side to side. Sometimes having an eidetic memory was useful. She stiffened slightly, sensing a familiar presence behind her, and she looked over to the side. Piccolo stood there, shrouded in shadows, leaning nonchalantly against the wall.
"Sing the rest," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "The words are… interesting."
She swallowed, trying to moisten her suddenly dry throat. In the past, all her singing had ever gotten her was more trouble than it was worth. But he had asked, and she couldn't bring herself to say no.
"And when your fears subside and shadows still remain,
I know that you can love me when there's no-one left to blame
So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way
Nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain…" *
She let the last note trail off then eyed him as he moved to stand next to her. "You're worried," he said without preamble. If there was one thing he didn't believe in, it was comforting lies. This was neither the time nor the place for them either. "I don't blame you." He tilted his head back and stared up at the stars for a moment before continuing. "I'm not going to lie to you. The Room of Time and Space is a harsh place and I'm an even harsher taskmaster." The lines of his face hardened as he looked down at her then. "I'm going to be doing everything I can to make sure that you will be able to protect yourself, on a physical as well as a mental level. There'll probably be days when it will be all you can do to drag yourself out of bed, but if you don't then I will." He smirked wryly. "You may hate my guts by the time we're done. But as long as you learn what I have to teach you, I won't care. And you know that I… have feelings for you, but none of that will matter the minute we start training. When we finish for the day, then I might show some concern, but while we're working, feelings are unessential. Got it?" She nodded mutely, unable to speak for fear of saying something that would make her seem weak. He flashed a quick smile, appreciative of her determination. "You should get some sleep," he then suggested.
She climbed to her feet, and grinned. "Actually, I need something to eat. I never did get anything today. I wonder if Mr. Popo has any of those sandwiches left?"
Piccolo snorted. "Doubtful, with Yajirobe around." He noted her scowl and made a mental note to question the fat swordsman about it. That should provide a few moments of amusement. They made their way back to the front of the building and by unspoken consent, stopped a moment to gaze upward again.
A shooting star blazed across the sky and Kyrie shivered. "I used to think shooting stars were beautiful. I don't think I'll ever think that again." A pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and she felt the warmth of Piccolo's body against her back.
"Don't ever let the horror keep you from enjoying the beauty in life," he said softly. "That was a lesson I almost learned too late." She closed her eyes and nodded, leaning into him. It was very rare indeed that he initiated physical contact so she savored every moment. She had the feeling that such times were about to become even rarer than before.
"Piccolo? Is that you?" Dende's voice had them jumping apart like a pair of guilty teenagers. The younger Namek came out to join them. "Splendid night, isn't it?" he asked, beaming at the two of them. "Did you speak to everyone?"
"I'll just let you two talk," Kyrie said, smiling apologetically. "I really need to eat something before I pass out. And I'll probably just go on to bed from there. Good night." She backed away, still smiling, and disappeared through the doors.
"She's upset," Dende said, his empathetic nature making him sympathize with the human girl. He gave Piccolo a concerned look, noting that he looked a bit worried as well. He wasn't sure that giving them a day alone in the Room would be such a good idea. But, it had to be done. He sighed; sometimes being Kami was a heavy burden indeed.
*******
The next morning, Kyrie slept late. She had tossed and turned all night, dozing fitfully in short bursts than waking up shaking and sweating. Around dawn she had collapsed in an exhausted slumber. Piccolo sat in a chair next to the door, meditating. He had come in after the third time she had roused, calling out his name. Her mental distress had him feeling a bit ragged around the edges as well. He couldn't help but to wonder why she was so distraught at the idea of fighting this new menace, but he had soothed her, speaking to her as if she were a fitful child and eventually she had calmed enough to let sleep take her.
She yawned and stretched, feeling the muscles in her body pull at the motion. Catlike, she curled on her side and forced open her heavy aching eyelids. Her face felt like someone had been punching it repeatedly. A bath was in order, she decided. A nice, long, hot, steamy bath. After all, who knew what would happen after today. This might her last chance to have one for a long time. She rolled out of the large bed, taking great care not to disturb Piccolo's meditations and gathered some clean clothes. She didn't know how Mr. Popo managed to stock an entire closet with clothes in her size, but she was grateful for the selection. She found a baggy green tank top in almost the exact same shade as her eyes and threw it over her shoulder. A black sports bra soon joined it. She rummaged around a bit more and came up with a pair of black biker shorts.
"That'll do," she decided and headed for the huge bathroom connected to her bedroom. Once inside, she let out a blissful sigh. Whoever had designed this room had obviously had a woman in mind. There was a shower stall in one corner for convenience, but the bathtub was the focus of the room. It was on a raised platform, framed on two sides by huge windows showing nothing but blue sky and clouds. The third side was solid, with golden water taps and spigot. On a series of glass shelves above the taps was every kind of bath salt, oil, bubbles and fragrance known to mankind. The tub itself was wide enough to hold at least three people and deep enough that the bather wouldn't have to worry about cold knees (or shoulders), and seemed to be made out of solid marble. Oddly enough, it was warm to the touch, not cold as one would expect stone to be.
She tossed her clothes onto the long counter surrounding the sink and stripped off the shorts and t-shirt she had slept in. There was a hamper next to the door and she tossed them in, wrinkling her nose at the smell of sweat emanating from them. She perched on the side of the mammoth bathtub and turned the taps, adjusting them until the water was just degrees away from scalding.
"Let's see…" she murmured, staring up at the bath products above. "Sandalwood." Several handfuls of crystal salts were tossed into the bottom of the tub. "And vanilla." Half a bottle of liquid soap followed the crystals. "And while it's filling, I'll grab a quick shower." Suiting actions to words, she opened the frosted glass door and stepped into the shower stall. Grabbing up a loofa pad, she scrubbed away, humming merrily under her breath. She found the bottle of shampoo that she preferred and quickly washed her hair. It was getting long, she noted idly, as the pressure from the showerhead plastered strands to her face, almost down to her nose. Time for a hair cut, if she could find some scissors. Wringing out her hair, she turned off the water and stepped out. The thick, plush bathmats prevented any water from dripping on the marble tile as she headed for the steaming bathtub. It was still filling, but she decided to go ahead and get in. Climbing the steps, she sat down on the edge, dangling her feet in.
Her breath hissed out as she eased herself down into the extremely hot water. It took a few minutes to become used to the temperature and she leaned against the reclined back of the tub, letting her head rest on the strategically placed head rest. "This is heaven," she sighed as the water continued to rise slowly. When the bubbles rose up even with her shoulders, she sat up and half-swam to the other end of the tub to turn off the taps. Once that was done, she returned to her spot and relaxed into the steaming water. The scents of essential oils, combined with the warmth, lulled her into a somnambulant state and her eyes drifted closed.
Piccolo had gone from meditating to sleeping sometime in the wee hours of the morning. He was awakened by a laserlike beam of sunlight boring straight into his eyeball. Scowling, he rose to his feet, blinking his eyes against the glare of the light. Once his eyes adjusted to the relative dimness of the bedroom, he noticed that Kyrie was gone. The bed was unmade, the sheets and blanket all wrinkled and twisted, mutely announcing that the occupant had not slept easily. Piccolo snorted; that made two of them. He wondered for a moment where she had gotten to, then homed in on her ki. He was surprised to find that she was only in the next room. Curious, he peered in through the open doorway. The room was humid and warm, the moisture in the air almost a tangible weight. Light glinted off of a long row of mirrors and he saw her reflection. She was immersed up to her neck in thick, frothy suds, a smile of contentment on her face. He couldn't help but to chuckle at the picture she made.
"Good morning," she said lazily, not even bothering to open her eyes. She knew who it was; she had sensed him when he woke up.
"Relax while you can," he said, warning evident in his tone. "Once we're started training, there probably won't be any time for anything like this." Her smile faded and she opened her eyes, staring at him sadly.
"I know…" He felt a little twinge of guilt for bursting her bubble of contentment, but it was quickly replaced by callous determination. He had to do whatever it took to get her ready for what was to come. And if that meant having to see that hurt look on her face on a regular basis, so be it.
"I need to speak with Dende," he said, turning away from the mirror. "I'll see you out front." He couldn't resist taking a deep breath as he left, however, savoring the spicy-sweet smell of her bathwater.
*******
Dende was already out on the terrace when Piccolo exited the main building. Tien and Chao-tzu were there as well, speaking to him in low, urgent tones.
"Good morning, Piccolo!" Dende called out, beckoning for the older Namek to join them. "Tien and Chao-tzu wanted to share some ideas that they had come up with." The two warriors nodded as Piccolo joined them, looking somber.
"I was wondering," Chao-tzu began in his diminutive voice. "Would Tien's ability to read auras be of any use in finding this beast if it does attack?"
Piccolo nodded thoughtfully. "It might be," he said approvingly. "That's a good idea, Chao-tzu." The tiny fighter shrugged bashfully, moving a bit closer to his large friend. They all began to toss around ideas and theories, trying to find a way to defeat such an unusual enemy. Mr. Popo came out to offer a meal to the two fighters, and stayed to chat as well.
Kyrie headed for the kitchen as soon as she was dry and dressed. Stress or not, her stomach was loudly reminding her that it could only go so long without being filled. Hopefully Mr. Popo would have something prepared. Given a choice between relying on her own culinary skills and starving, she'd be hard pressed to make a decision. There was no-one around at all, so she figured they must all be outside. Barefoot, she strolled outside to find Dende, Piccolo and Mr. Popo talking urgently to two people she didn't know. She started to duck back inside, but Dende had spotted her. Smiling, he waved at her and she couldn't help but to wave back. Plastering a cheerful smile on her face, she slowly walked over to join them.
Tien arched an eyebrow as the girl moved closer. He had never seen anyone with an aura like hers before. It was brighter than any other human he had ever seen. She also possessed a high ki level. Was this one of the 'other espers' Piccolo had mentioned? And if so, where had she come from?
"Good morning, Kyrie!" Dende said cheerfully as she stopped beside him. "I'm glad you joined us. I wanted to introduce you to Tien and Chao-tzu." She nodded at the odd pair, trying not to stare, but it was a bit hard.
"Pleased to meet you," Tien said, holding out his hand and smiling pleasantly. She smiled back tentatively and put her hand out to touch his. He blinked when they touched; he had never experienced anything like the energy she emanated. It was almost like a small electric shock. A flicker out of the corner of his eye made him glance over to the side as he released her hand. Piccolo was watching him with narrowed eyes, jealousy staining his aura. Tien gulped. He'd never seen anything like that in Piccolo's aura before and he pitied the fool that got caught on the wrong end of that mood.
Chao-tzu tugged on the edge of his coat, motioning toward his wristwatch. Tien glanced at the face of the timepiece and nodded. "I'm sorry everyone, but we have to be going. We're meeting someone in a few minutes," he said with a slight grin.
Dende nodded, grinning as well. "It's nothing to apologize about. And do give Lunch my regards." Tein's grin grew wider and a bit more sheepish.
"I'll do that, Dende-sama." He glanced over at the still silent girl. "It was good to meet you, Kyrie."
She nodded, finally speaking. "And you as well." The two earth warriors waved at their friends and disappeared over the side of the Tenka.
"You're awfully quite today, Kyrie," Dende said, reaching for her hand. "You're not ill, are you?"
She gave him a gentle smile. "No, thank you for asking. I'm just in an odd mood today."
Dende nodded sagely. "I understand. All this business is sobering indeed…"
"When will the Room be ready?" Piccolo asked Popo, hanging back from the others.
The rotund assistant looked up at the former Kami solemnly. "It's ready now, Piccolo. I just thought that Miss Kyrie would like a meal before you go in."
Piccolo stared over at her departing back and sighed. "That's fine, Popo. But there's no sense in putting it off any longer than necessary. It's going to be hard enough as it is." The other being nodded and moved to follow Kami and his guest into the building.
Piccolo sat outside, meditating while Dende, Kyrie and Popo chatted in the kitchen. She ate the meal that Mr. Popo prepared, but without her usual enthusiasm. When she was finished, she washed up her dishes and went out in search of Piccolo. She found him hovering next to the edge of the platform, eyes closed. With a sigh, she lowered herself to sit by him, waiting for him to finish.
Did you want something? Or are you just disturbing my meditations with your depressing sighs for no reason?
Excuse me, she snapped back. Popo said the Room was ready and I was thinking that the longer we wait, the more nervous I'm going to be. So let's get this started so that we can get it finished.
*******
* - Lyrics from "November Rain" by Guns 'n' Roses. It's been bugging me for a while now as a perfect song for this relationship, so I had to work it in somehow ^_^
(A.N. – I know, I know…. This first part was pretty much nothing but filler. But part two should be better! ::evil grin::)