Comes the Dawn
Serena walked back to the inn, knowing that it would not be home. Knowing that Vegeta waited at the end, expecting her to be warm, loving, and affectionate, when she could no longer be any of those things. Slowly the world faded into background noise, and the conversation began to play itself through her head.
"Vegeta?"
"Serena!" he would run to her, embrace her, try to kiss her… she would turn away. He would be hurt, confused…
She would have to explain.
1.1.1.1 "You see, I met myself… that is, I met myself in the… er… past, and- "
No, it all sounded too ridiculous. She had explained the Silver Millennium, but it still wouldn't make sense to Vegeta, even if he believed that she wasn't going crazy. It was all going to be confused and terrible and end in tears.
"Well, if it's going to be that way, you might as well deal with it, Serena. There isn't any other option. Just try to be as kind and honest with him as you can."
That didn't make things seem any better, but it alleviated the sinking feeling in her stomach and replaced it with a grim resolve. And, as it did, the world opened up again and everything seemed beautiful simply because it was different from her despair. The stars shone and they seemed brand new, like she had never seen stars properly before. The breeze was cool and gentle, like a nice blanket she could wrap herself up in. Everything was new and for a while, she was glad. She danced the whole way to the inn.
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Vegeta couldn't sit and wait. He had to go see her. He simply didn't have the patience to wait for her to bring some terrible news home. He had a hunch as to what the news was about- somehow he knew that they could not stay together, especially if they were going home. He was pretty sure now that they were from different universes, or at least remarkably similar and yet different sides of the same one. At the same time, he didn't want to run out and scare her, or worse, take a different route and miss her on the way.
In any case, the relationship was going to be over. Vegeta had trouble feeling bad about it. It was not that he hadn't enjoyed his time with her, but that he was free now! He would never let go of his competitiveness- that was an integral part of who he was. But he could stop hating the people who were above him. He could stop being a demon. It's hard to feel down when you've been freed from the tyranny of your own desires.
So there he lay, ecstatic and yet calm, teetering on indecision. His hands began to tremble.
"My head is going to explode," he said aloud to the empty room. Hearing the seriousness of his own voice, he burst out laughing. He simply lay on the bed, drinking in air and mirth, when Serena opened the door.
She didn't come in at first, just stood there with it ajar, not showing herself. Vegeta was almost sure it was her.
"Um… hello?" he called. He didn't mean to come off sounding impatient; he was just a bit anxious about what was about to happen.
Serena entered, and she looked so somber that Vegeta thought maybe someone had died. There was silence for a moment.
"Serena…" he began haltingly, "Are you okay?"
She didn't respond. She simply entered and let the door close behind her.
He stood up. "Do you need to talk?" He tried to sound as calm and comforting as he could.
"Vegita I-" she started, but didn't finish. She didn't need to. Their eyes met, and understanding passed between them. Vegita suddenly saw all the turmoil she had felt over him, all the struggling she had had to do alone, when he couldn't be there because of his hate.
"Just another reason not to," he thought to himself. He walked across to Serena and put his arms around her. It was a different kind of hug. It wasn't the two awkward romancers under a street post. It wasn't the boyfriend having one last moment with his girlfriend before the inevitable breakup. It was two friends, meeting after being parted by a long, frightening war.
"I know," he said, answering her broken apologies. "I never meant to be a burden to you. I'm sorry." Vegita had no idea where he was getting the insight to say these things, but he went with it.
Serena began to cry, but her tears did not affect her voice. "I just haven't known what to do. You've been so good to me, Vegita."
Vegita wouldn't accept that. "Anything I've done for you, you more than deserved. You don't owe me anything." He went quiet then, waiting for her to say what needed to be said.
"I've just got to go home. I don't think you can come with me. I'll miss you, and I won't forget you, but…" she couldn't finish the thought without it being hurtful, but they both knew. What they had had together was not what it should have been for either of them. It wasn't wholly bad, but it was not something that they could cling to. It was time to let go. So, they did just that.
The two friends stood, barely a foot apart, heads bowed, letting go in their hearts just as they had let go physically. Once the last cord had been tended to, once they were no longer holding each other by anything more than memories, they were taken away to a crater filled planet or asteroid, with nothing but darkness overhead, and two beings robed in blue, one in a darker shade, one in light tones. In unison, they grabbed the hoods of their robes, and revealed their shadowed faces.
There was silence. The one in lighter blue, both Serena and Vegita recognized. The larger, darker attired one was a stranger.
"Hello," he said in a deep, strong voice. "I see that you two are better." His eyes suggested that he saw deeper than their outward appearance, and into the clockwork of their minds and souls.
"Hi," said the familiar one. "I believe we've all met, yes?" Vegita and Serena shared a brief look.
"No Datchet, they don't know me, though they've each had encounters with me," said Dark Blue. "I am Gondern. I was set in charge of the healing of you two. Datchet is my charge, so I asked him to do the more risky parts of the matter." He paused. "Do you understand?"
Vegita and Serena looked at each other again. Surprisingly they understood most of it, but they did each have some questions.
"Um… there's one thing I don't get," Vegita began. "When did I encounter you?"
Gondern smiled. "Do you remember, Vegita, a wanderer? A vagabond who stumbled upon a melody too big for his mind to hold? Then he was carried off to a small village where he met someone who was like to the melody, yet different?"
Understanding dawned on Vegita's face.
"It was I who sang the melody, but so that you two might be brought together, I borrowed Serena's voice."
Serena leaped in, "So then you meant for us to fall in love?"
Gondern almost frowned, but it was more out of concentration. "We didn't really intend for everything to happen. We needed you to walk together so that you could be part of each other's treatment. I don't think "falling in love" was part of the plan… no… but we worked through it." He shrugged. "It was the best we could do."
Serena spoke again, "So he heard my voice. What was it that brought me to him?"
This time Gondern and Datchet exchanged glances, but this one was dark, and it seemed that they talked well with their eyes. Finally Datchet spoke, "Serena, do you remember the day you walked in on Vegita, and he was on the floor? How he was like a wall? Do you remember that darkness that was about him?"
Serena nodded.
"Can you think of any other time you felt such a darkness?"
Serena only had to ponder for a moment before she remembered the terrible despair that had brought her to this place. Then, even deeper, she recalled a high-pitched wailing, a deep and frightening screaming, and the turmoil of some black destruction that was too evil for words. She shuddered.
Vegita felt bad that she had been forced into something so hateful that it made her shiver, but he didn't know what it was, and he wasn't going to ask since it seemed best to let her forget it. He decided to ask the ultimate question.
"What's going to happen now?"
There was some brief eye talk, then Gondern said, "You are both going home."
Perhaps it was the presence of the solemn healer that prevented them from shouting and leaping for joy. In any case, there wasn't much time for it. They both began to fade.
"Goodbye," Serena said, looking at Vegita with the same killer smile she'd shown him that first day in the hotel.
"Goodbye," he answered, and gave her a nod of respect.
As the wasteland vanished from Serena's eyesight, she heard Datchet say to her, "By the way, I was supposed to tell you: You won't have to wait for a time beyond your world for the one you love." His smiling face appeared briefly, then vanished in a white blur. She found herself back in her bedroom, this time with no despair, and no weapons, just a patient hope for the time when she would be reunited with Darian.
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A few months later, Vegita discussed these events with a friend, who will remain nameless. Who do you think it is?
"Well, that's the funny thing. I think Serena and I weren't really compatible. I'm going to need someone who's more… eh… supportive. Someone who would help me with some crazy scheme, you know? Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but that's how I feel."
********************************************
Somewhere in the universe, two guardian angels sat down to watch some recordings of their old assignments.
"It's a little disappointing though, isn't it, Gondern? I mean, they don't really know we're there, or that we care at all."
The elder smiled, "In a lot of ways, Datchet, that makes it all the better."
The End
Serena walked back to the inn, knowing that it would not be home. Knowing that Vegeta waited at the end, expecting her to be warm, loving, and affectionate, when she could no longer be any of those things. Slowly the world faded into background noise, and the conversation began to play itself through her head.
"Vegeta?"
"Serena!" he would run to her, embrace her, try to kiss her… she would turn away. He would be hurt, confused…
She would have to explain.
1.1.1.1 "You see, I met myself… that is, I met myself in the… er… past, and- "
No, it all sounded too ridiculous. She had explained the Silver Millennium, but it still wouldn't make sense to Vegeta, even if he believed that she wasn't going crazy. It was all going to be confused and terrible and end in tears.
"Well, if it's going to be that way, you might as well deal with it, Serena. There isn't any other option. Just try to be as kind and honest with him as you can."
That didn't make things seem any better, but it alleviated the sinking feeling in her stomach and replaced it with a grim resolve. And, as it did, the world opened up again and everything seemed beautiful simply because it was different from her despair. The stars shone and they seemed brand new, like she had never seen stars properly before. The breeze was cool and gentle, like a nice blanket she could wrap herself up in. Everything was new and for a while, she was glad. She danced the whole way to the inn.
************************************************************************
Vegeta couldn't sit and wait. He had to go see her. He simply didn't have the patience to wait for her to bring some terrible news home. He had a hunch as to what the news was about- somehow he knew that they could not stay together, especially if they were going home. He was pretty sure now that they were from different universes, or at least remarkably similar and yet different sides of the same one. At the same time, he didn't want to run out and scare her, or worse, take a different route and miss her on the way.
In any case, the relationship was going to be over. Vegeta had trouble feeling bad about it. It was not that he hadn't enjoyed his time with her, but that he was free now! He would never let go of his competitiveness- that was an integral part of who he was. But he could stop hating the people who were above him. He could stop being a demon. It's hard to feel down when you've been freed from the tyranny of your own desires.
So there he lay, ecstatic and yet calm, teetering on indecision. His hands began to tremble.
"My head is going to explode," he said aloud to the empty room. Hearing the seriousness of his own voice, he burst out laughing. He simply lay on the bed, drinking in air and mirth, when Serena opened the door.
She didn't come in at first, just stood there with it ajar, not showing herself. Vegeta was almost sure it was her.
"Um… hello?" he called. He didn't mean to come off sounding impatient; he was just a bit anxious about what was about to happen.
Serena entered, and she looked so somber that Vegeta thought maybe someone had died. There was silence for a moment.
"Serena…" he began haltingly, "Are you okay?"
She didn't respond. She simply entered and let the door close behind her.
He stood up. "Do you need to talk?" He tried to sound as calm and comforting as he could.
"Vegita I-" she started, but didn't finish. She didn't need to. Their eyes met, and understanding passed between them. Vegita suddenly saw all the turmoil she had felt over him, all the struggling she had had to do alone, when he couldn't be there because of his hate.
"Just another reason not to," he thought to himself. He walked across to Serena and put his arms around her. It was a different kind of hug. It wasn't the two awkward romancers under a street post. It wasn't the boyfriend having one last moment with his girlfriend before the inevitable breakup. It was two friends, meeting after being parted by a long, frightening war.
"I know," he said, answering her broken apologies. "I never meant to be a burden to you. I'm sorry." Vegita had no idea where he was getting the insight to say these things, but he went with it.
Serena began to cry, but her tears did not affect her voice. "I just haven't known what to do. You've been so good to me, Vegita."
Vegita wouldn't accept that. "Anything I've done for you, you more than deserved. You don't owe me anything." He went quiet then, waiting for her to say what needed to be said.
"I've just got to go home. I don't think you can come with me. I'll miss you, and I won't forget you, but…" she couldn't finish the thought without it being hurtful, but they both knew. What they had had together was not what it should have been for either of them. It wasn't wholly bad, but it was not something that they could cling to. It was time to let go. So, they did just that.
The two friends stood, barely a foot apart, heads bowed, letting go in their hearts just as they had let go physically. Once the last cord had been tended to, once they were no longer holding each other by anything more than memories, they were taken away to a crater filled planet or asteroid, with nothing but darkness overhead, and two beings robed in blue, one in a darker shade, one in light tones. In unison, they grabbed the hoods of their robes, and revealed their shadowed faces.
There was silence. The one in lighter blue, both Serena and Vegita recognized. The larger, darker attired one was a stranger.
"Hello," he said in a deep, strong voice. "I see that you two are better." His eyes suggested that he saw deeper than their outward appearance, and into the clockwork of their minds and souls.
"Hi," said the familiar one. "I believe we've all met, yes?" Vegita and Serena shared a brief look.
"No Datchet, they don't know me, though they've each had encounters with me," said Dark Blue. "I am Gondern. I was set in charge of the healing of you two. Datchet is my charge, so I asked him to do the more risky parts of the matter." He paused. "Do you understand?"
Vegita and Serena looked at each other again. Surprisingly they understood most of it, but they did each have some questions.
"Um… there's one thing I don't get," Vegita began. "When did I encounter you?"
Gondern smiled. "Do you remember, Vegita, a wanderer? A vagabond who stumbled upon a melody too big for his mind to hold? Then he was carried off to a small village where he met someone who was like to the melody, yet different?"
Understanding dawned on Vegita's face.
"It was I who sang the melody, but so that you two might be brought together, I borrowed Serena's voice."
Serena leaped in, "So then you meant for us to fall in love?"
Gondern almost frowned, but it was more out of concentration. "We didn't really intend for everything to happen. We needed you to walk together so that you could be part of each other's treatment. I don't think "falling in love" was part of the plan… no… but we worked through it." He shrugged. "It was the best we could do."
Serena spoke again, "So he heard my voice. What was it that brought me to him?"
This time Gondern and Datchet exchanged glances, but this one was dark, and it seemed that they talked well with their eyes. Finally Datchet spoke, "Serena, do you remember the day you walked in on Vegita, and he was on the floor? How he was like a wall? Do you remember that darkness that was about him?"
Serena nodded.
"Can you think of any other time you felt such a darkness?"
Serena only had to ponder for a moment before she remembered the terrible despair that had brought her to this place. Then, even deeper, she recalled a high-pitched wailing, a deep and frightening screaming, and the turmoil of some black destruction that was too evil for words. She shuddered.
Vegita felt bad that she had been forced into something so hateful that it made her shiver, but he didn't know what it was, and he wasn't going to ask since it seemed best to let her forget it. He decided to ask the ultimate question.
"What's going to happen now?"
There was some brief eye talk, then Gondern said, "You are both going home."
Perhaps it was the presence of the solemn healer that prevented them from shouting and leaping for joy. In any case, there wasn't much time for it. They both began to fade.
"Goodbye," Serena said, looking at Vegita with the same killer smile she'd shown him that first day in the hotel.
"Goodbye," he answered, and gave her a nod of respect.
As the wasteland vanished from Serena's eyesight, she heard Datchet say to her, "By the way, I was supposed to tell you: You won't have to wait for a time beyond your world for the one you love." His smiling face appeared briefly, then vanished in a white blur. She found herself back in her bedroom, this time with no despair, and no weapons, just a patient hope for the time when she would be reunited with Darian.
************************************************************************
A few months later, Vegita discussed these events with a friend, who will remain nameless. Who do you think it is?
"Well, that's the funny thing. I think Serena and I weren't really compatible. I'm going to need someone who's more… eh… supportive. Someone who would help me with some crazy scheme, you know? Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but that's how I feel."
********************************************
Somewhere in the universe, two guardian angels sat down to watch some recordings of their old assignments.
"It's a little disappointing though, isn't it, Gondern? I mean, they don't really know we're there, or that we care at all."
The elder smiled, "In a lot of ways, Datchet, that makes it all the better."
The End