"I Opened for my Lover, but my Lover had left"
Vegita woke, but lay absolutely still. He slowly opened his eyes and the room came into focus. The ceiling and the window that were in his field of vision were absolutely normal. There was no sound. He noticed that his breathing was ragged. He took a moment to calm himself, but when he closed his eyes, he saw the stunned face of Goku lying in a grave of flowers, or the face of Frieza, mocking him, condemning him for his victory. He stopped breathing.
In panic, he clutched at his chest, rolled over and fell onto the floor, where he beat the carpet in fear and confusion. Nothing made sense. Everything was a tangled web of insanity that mocked the flies caught in it… the spider saw him struggling…
A knock came at the door. Vegita pulled himself out of his abyss for a moment, but didn't get up off the floor.
"Who is it?" he called, surprised that his voice could sound so normal.
"Its me… Serena," came the reply.
Vegita lay his head down on the carpet and just focused on breathing. He couldn't get up. He couldn't be seen like this. Just as he was about to answer "Just a minute" Serena took the liberty of letting herself in.
She laughed. "What, did you fall out of bed?" The question was harmless enough and meant to be playful, but it embarrassed Vegita and only frustrated him.
"No," he answered simply. Now his pain was beginning to seep through his vocal cords.
"Then what's wrong?" her voice had gone gentle, and she knelt down beside him.
Vegita lay on his stomach, not looking at her. "I'm very tired," he said simply. That was true, but it didn't really explain the current situation very well.
"Hm," Serena cooed, but something held her back from touching him… something about him glowed black. It wasn't totally visible, but it almost was, and it scared Serena.
"Are you going to be okay?" The question felt so stupid as it left her mouth, but she felt that she had to say something.
"Yeah," Vegeta breathed. He was getting his breath back now. It came in smoothly, healingly, comfortingly filling his lungs- the wind blowing the rain away after a storm.
"Okay, good," she replied. She had come to the realization that she could not talk to him right now, and decided it might be best for her to leave. "I'll be in the next room if you need me."
"Okay," Vegita said, with an almost sarcastic tone, as if it would have been the most obvious thing in the world. Serena felt like a mother.
"Bye," she whispered as she closed the door.
"Bye," he answered after it was shut. Then he rolled to face it. Had Serena waited just a second longer, she would have seen what he had been hiding from her. She would have seen his face, contorted with pain, and the tears running down it that he would never let anyone see.
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Serena sat in her room and pouted. She wanted to talk to someone. She wanted Vegita to be able to listen. Instead all he wanted to do was lie on the floor. In her heart, Serena knew there was more than that, but she ignored the thought, and instead focused on her needs and desires.
She thought about her situation, and realized a thought occurred to her that seemed at once crazy and wonderful. She would go meet herself. She was, after all, a monarch, and would recognize herself, no doubt! She could get comfort from herself and advice as well.
Either she couldn't or wouldn't think of the many problems with this idea, so she immediately changed out of her dance suit, grabbed a jacket and went out. It wasn't like her to be this egocentric, but she had been giving so much, and now she was not getting anything from the one person she expected to be most understanding.
It took her a bit to find the palace… things seemed misplaced, out of order. Finally she got a map off a stranger and followed it straight to the palace.
When she got there, she was immediately welcomed and when she asked to see the queen, the guards were perfectly ready to take her there on one condition- she remove any jewelry she had.
She was told to wait in a room for a guide to be brought to her. In the meantime, she was to remove any jewelry and place it in a designated box for safekeeping. She sat, taking off various bracelets and earrings, when she came to her pendant. She stared at it for a while. She didn't know if she should take it off, nor did she know if the rules really applied. She decided to keep it and ask the guide when he arrived. That felt best.
She dropped the rest of her jewelry into the metal box, which snapped shut like a bear trap. She wondered for a moment how she'd get them out again.
Her guide arrived silently, and she didn't realize until he spoke that he was right behind her.
"Hello," he said in a gentle, baritone voice.
"EEK!" She yelped, and whirled around. "Don't DO that!" she exclaimed at the stooped little man. He was wearing a light blue cloak, the hood of which hid his eyes.
"My apologies," he said simply, not flinching in the least at her shrieks or jumpy movements. "Are you ready to go?"
Serena calmed quickly, then put on her 'persuade 'em with cuteness' face. "I think so…" she pulled the medallion out of her shirt by its chain. "Can I keep this?"
"You may keep whatever you want," replied the little man, "but you may not be let into the queen's presence until all dangerous articles have been removed from your person."
"What?" Serena pondered silently. That certainly sounded strange. Was the queen paranoid? She couldn't remember this kind of security measure…
"Will you be coming?" the little man asked as he walked to the door.
Serena came out of her daze. "Yes. I don't think this is very dangerous, do you?" she asked, dropping the pendant back down her shirt. The little man did not answer. He simply walked through gray aluminum corridors. The fluorescent lights were hypnotic somehow, and they dulled her mind.
"So, have you ever been to see the queen before?" asked the little man.
"Hm? No," Serena replied dully. "At least, not in this sense."
"And what do you mean by that?" her guide inquired.
Serena thought for a moment. Could she tell him the truth about her? He would think she was crazy, or plotting something. No, she'd change the subject. Unfortunately, her senses were getting duller. She couldn't pull it off suavely.
"My boyfriend wouldn't talk to me today," she intoned. "I think there's something wrong with him."
"Really?" said the guide, turning so that she caught the shadows of his eye sockets. He didn't seem to mind at all that she hadn't answered his question. He seemed intent though, on keeping her attention. "How did he act?"
"He just lied on the floor and barely talked to me. He usually is ecstatic to see me. This time though… this time he seemed to glow black."
Serena didn't see it, but the guide's head jerked so fast that his hood flew back and his face shown. It didn't look at all like the kind of face that should belong to the stunted, dwarfish figure walking beside her. He had beautiful flyaway blonde hair, and sharp, perceiving eyes. His face was strongly built, and his head seemed to big for his shoulders. He quickly covered it again though, and muttered to himself what was probably a reprimand of some kind.
"Perhaps you should offer him whatever healing you have," said the man, and his voice insinuated that what he had just said was very important. Serena's mind was dulled, but she picked up on his hint, and strove to figure out what he meant. Unfortunately, she couldn't make two ends of the sentence, and her mind began to recess back into its dull march.
"That is, you should offer him whatever is closest to you. Don't you agree?" The voice was urgent.
Serena looked at him and nodded, her mind cleared. For just a moment, she did not notice the lights, and was able to piece together the meaning of the guide's words.
"Good," he said shortly, "now come this way," and he hurried into what seemed to be an elevator with no lights. The doors slid shut and they were in darkness, but there seemed to be a glow about the place, like moonlight.
He turned to her. "Is your mind clear now?"
"M-hm," she replied and nodded. She was beginning to become a little afraid.
"Then take the advice of an old guardian," he paused and looked at her in the barely discernable light. "Once you have found a hand to hold, guide it. Pull it down the best path you can find, and when it wants to go a different way, let it go. Do you understand?"
Serena nodded, though she wasn't sure if she understood any more than intuitively.
"Good. And whatever you do, do not hold a hand against its will and never let it go before its ready. You see?"
Again Serena nodded.
The Old Guardian sighed with relief as the doors opened. "Now go see the queen."
Vegita woke, but lay absolutely still. He slowly opened his eyes and the room came into focus. The ceiling and the window that were in his field of vision were absolutely normal. There was no sound. He noticed that his breathing was ragged. He took a moment to calm himself, but when he closed his eyes, he saw the stunned face of Goku lying in a grave of flowers, or the face of Frieza, mocking him, condemning him for his victory. He stopped breathing.
In panic, he clutched at his chest, rolled over and fell onto the floor, where he beat the carpet in fear and confusion. Nothing made sense. Everything was a tangled web of insanity that mocked the flies caught in it… the spider saw him struggling…
A knock came at the door. Vegita pulled himself out of his abyss for a moment, but didn't get up off the floor.
"Who is it?" he called, surprised that his voice could sound so normal.
"Its me… Serena," came the reply.
Vegita lay his head down on the carpet and just focused on breathing. He couldn't get up. He couldn't be seen like this. Just as he was about to answer "Just a minute" Serena took the liberty of letting herself in.
She laughed. "What, did you fall out of bed?" The question was harmless enough and meant to be playful, but it embarrassed Vegita and only frustrated him.
"No," he answered simply. Now his pain was beginning to seep through his vocal cords.
"Then what's wrong?" her voice had gone gentle, and she knelt down beside him.
Vegita lay on his stomach, not looking at her. "I'm very tired," he said simply. That was true, but it didn't really explain the current situation very well.
"Hm," Serena cooed, but something held her back from touching him… something about him glowed black. It wasn't totally visible, but it almost was, and it scared Serena.
"Are you going to be okay?" The question felt so stupid as it left her mouth, but she felt that she had to say something.
"Yeah," Vegeta breathed. He was getting his breath back now. It came in smoothly, healingly, comfortingly filling his lungs- the wind blowing the rain away after a storm.
"Okay, good," she replied. She had come to the realization that she could not talk to him right now, and decided it might be best for her to leave. "I'll be in the next room if you need me."
"Okay," Vegita said, with an almost sarcastic tone, as if it would have been the most obvious thing in the world. Serena felt like a mother.
"Bye," she whispered as she closed the door.
"Bye," he answered after it was shut. Then he rolled to face it. Had Serena waited just a second longer, she would have seen what he had been hiding from her. She would have seen his face, contorted with pain, and the tears running down it that he would never let anyone see.
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Serena sat in her room and pouted. She wanted to talk to someone. She wanted Vegita to be able to listen. Instead all he wanted to do was lie on the floor. In her heart, Serena knew there was more than that, but she ignored the thought, and instead focused on her needs and desires.
She thought about her situation, and realized a thought occurred to her that seemed at once crazy and wonderful. She would go meet herself. She was, after all, a monarch, and would recognize herself, no doubt! She could get comfort from herself and advice as well.
Either she couldn't or wouldn't think of the many problems with this idea, so she immediately changed out of her dance suit, grabbed a jacket and went out. It wasn't like her to be this egocentric, but she had been giving so much, and now she was not getting anything from the one person she expected to be most understanding.
It took her a bit to find the palace… things seemed misplaced, out of order. Finally she got a map off a stranger and followed it straight to the palace.
When she got there, she was immediately welcomed and when she asked to see the queen, the guards were perfectly ready to take her there on one condition- she remove any jewelry she had.
She was told to wait in a room for a guide to be brought to her. In the meantime, she was to remove any jewelry and place it in a designated box for safekeeping. She sat, taking off various bracelets and earrings, when she came to her pendant. She stared at it for a while. She didn't know if she should take it off, nor did she know if the rules really applied. She decided to keep it and ask the guide when he arrived. That felt best.
She dropped the rest of her jewelry into the metal box, which snapped shut like a bear trap. She wondered for a moment how she'd get them out again.
Her guide arrived silently, and she didn't realize until he spoke that he was right behind her.
"Hello," he said in a gentle, baritone voice.
"EEK!" She yelped, and whirled around. "Don't DO that!" she exclaimed at the stooped little man. He was wearing a light blue cloak, the hood of which hid his eyes.
"My apologies," he said simply, not flinching in the least at her shrieks or jumpy movements. "Are you ready to go?"
Serena calmed quickly, then put on her 'persuade 'em with cuteness' face. "I think so…" she pulled the medallion out of her shirt by its chain. "Can I keep this?"
"You may keep whatever you want," replied the little man, "but you may not be let into the queen's presence until all dangerous articles have been removed from your person."
"What?" Serena pondered silently. That certainly sounded strange. Was the queen paranoid? She couldn't remember this kind of security measure…
"Will you be coming?" the little man asked as he walked to the door.
Serena came out of her daze. "Yes. I don't think this is very dangerous, do you?" she asked, dropping the pendant back down her shirt. The little man did not answer. He simply walked through gray aluminum corridors. The fluorescent lights were hypnotic somehow, and they dulled her mind.
"So, have you ever been to see the queen before?" asked the little man.
"Hm? No," Serena replied dully. "At least, not in this sense."
"And what do you mean by that?" her guide inquired.
Serena thought for a moment. Could she tell him the truth about her? He would think she was crazy, or plotting something. No, she'd change the subject. Unfortunately, her senses were getting duller. She couldn't pull it off suavely.
"My boyfriend wouldn't talk to me today," she intoned. "I think there's something wrong with him."
"Really?" said the guide, turning so that she caught the shadows of his eye sockets. He didn't seem to mind at all that she hadn't answered his question. He seemed intent though, on keeping her attention. "How did he act?"
"He just lied on the floor and barely talked to me. He usually is ecstatic to see me. This time though… this time he seemed to glow black."
Serena didn't see it, but the guide's head jerked so fast that his hood flew back and his face shown. It didn't look at all like the kind of face that should belong to the stunted, dwarfish figure walking beside her. He had beautiful flyaway blonde hair, and sharp, perceiving eyes. His face was strongly built, and his head seemed to big for his shoulders. He quickly covered it again though, and muttered to himself what was probably a reprimand of some kind.
"Perhaps you should offer him whatever healing you have," said the man, and his voice insinuated that what he had just said was very important. Serena's mind was dulled, but she picked up on his hint, and strove to figure out what he meant. Unfortunately, she couldn't make two ends of the sentence, and her mind began to recess back into its dull march.
"That is, you should offer him whatever is closest to you. Don't you agree?" The voice was urgent.
Serena looked at him and nodded, her mind cleared. For just a moment, she did not notice the lights, and was able to piece together the meaning of the guide's words.
"Good," he said shortly, "now come this way," and he hurried into what seemed to be an elevator with no lights. The doors slid shut and they were in darkness, but there seemed to be a glow about the place, like moonlight.
He turned to her. "Is your mind clear now?"
"M-hm," she replied and nodded. She was beginning to become a little afraid.
"Then take the advice of an old guardian," he paused and looked at her in the barely discernable light. "Once you have found a hand to hold, guide it. Pull it down the best path you can find, and when it wants to go a different way, let it go. Do you understand?"
Serena nodded, though she wasn't sure if she understood any more than intuitively.
"Good. And whatever you do, do not hold a hand against its will and never let it go before its ready. You see?"
Again Serena nodded.
The Old Guardian sighed with relief as the doors opened. "Now go see the queen."