Dende's Love
Chapter 12: Time to Fight
Linden had only a week left. As she practiced, she felt the Power growing within her. She remembered how her grandmother described the feeling, as if she was a flower, growing, growing, and then finally blossoming into her full glory.
She sighed, and continued letting her mind drift, her thoughts drifting about. She rolled her neck and shoulders, and finally got up. /Man, I wish that I was calmer about all this. I wish Loumil's memory wouldn't keep coming up and distracting me on this mission.... and from Dende./ she thought.
She flew back to the lookout, and went to take her shower, relaxing as the hot water rushed over her sore muscles. Letting that relax her, she started thinking about Dende again, and wondering what to do about him. She still liked him, of course, but with Loumil intruding on her memories, her heart was torn, literally.
She got out, and powered up to dry her body and hair, and after she had some clothes on, she started the process of braiding, until she reached the end of her hair, which was growing more and more everyday. /At this rate, it's going to need a trim./ she thought, grimacing. /Well, this should be pleasant./
She sighed, and figured it could wait a few days if she doubled up on the braid and made sure it was secure. Feeling restless, Linden got up and wandered around the lookout, a line between her brows as she frowned, lost in thought.
*Is there anything I can help with Linden,* came a soft, deep voice into her mind. Surprised, she looked around, and saw him standing at the far end of the lookout.
*I don't know. I don't know how to feel, and it's distracting me from the mission,* she confessed, her eyes anguished.
Piccolo just looked at her, his face serene. *Then don't worry about it. Concentrate on the now, and now's problems. Then when now's problems are over, you go to the next, and so on. Worrying about it won't change the outcome.*
Linden smiled at him, and got a smirk in return, but it was something. *Thank you, Piccolo. I appreciate that, it helps.*
*Yeah, well, you need to do better during our sparring sessions,* he replied, sounding more like his usual self.
Rolling her eyes with a smile, Linden nodded, and now suddenly tired, went back to her room, shed her clothes, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
In the morning, she got up, and started her day with the usual katas. When she was finished, she sat in a comfortable position and as she meditated, she started to float, and glow a strange color that wasn't any color and yet was every color at once. Piccolo, Dende, and Mr. Popo all ran out, feeling the enormous power. Soon, Gohan and Videl arrived too, along with Krillin and 17.
Linden's eyes opened, and they were fixed and glowing. The power seemed to grow, and then shift around her, to form wings of light at her back, and her body went stiff, then lax and she started to slowly float down. As the light faded, her wings, the color of garnets. Her eyes were a pinkish red, blue, and green. The only thing unchanged besides her basic structure was her hair, only it was no longer in one braid, but in a series of braids.
She moaned, and felt as if her head were about to fall off her shoulders. Otherwise, she felt the same, except for this unusual sensation at her back. She frowned, and felt, her eyes going wide at the feel of wings. She beat them, and started to rise from the ground, her eyes going wider in wonder.
*I did it! I'm there! Yes yes yes!!!* she practically shouted into every mind that could hear, doing somersaults in the air.
Dende looked thunderstruck, as did the rest of Linden's audience. Gohan's mouth was hanging, and Videl's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head.
Linden landed, giddy with wonder and hope that she could finally avenge the deaths of everyone she ever cared about. She stood still, and forced herself to take deep breaths, in and out, in and out.
All of a sudden, the voice came into her head. *I'm still here Linden, and I'm on my way,* Doquenis said smoothly, and began his decent to the planet Earth.
A/N: Hey all, sorry it took so darn long, but I'm back now, and doing my very best. Daddy is doing better, thanks for all your prayers! And thanks to B-chan and Jessi-chan for their advice and just listening. ^_^ Please review and tell me what you think!!!!!!!! Blessed be, Chero
Chapter 12: Time to Fight
Linden had only a week left. As she practiced, she felt the Power growing within her. She remembered how her grandmother described the feeling, as if she was a flower, growing, growing, and then finally blossoming into her full glory.
She sighed, and continued letting her mind drift, her thoughts drifting about. She rolled her neck and shoulders, and finally got up. /Man, I wish that I was calmer about all this. I wish Loumil's memory wouldn't keep coming up and distracting me on this mission.... and from Dende./ she thought.
She flew back to the lookout, and went to take her shower, relaxing as the hot water rushed over her sore muscles. Letting that relax her, she started thinking about Dende again, and wondering what to do about him. She still liked him, of course, but with Loumil intruding on her memories, her heart was torn, literally.
She got out, and powered up to dry her body and hair, and after she had some clothes on, she started the process of braiding, until she reached the end of her hair, which was growing more and more everyday. /At this rate, it's going to need a trim./ she thought, grimacing. /Well, this should be pleasant./
She sighed, and figured it could wait a few days if she doubled up on the braid and made sure it was secure. Feeling restless, Linden got up and wandered around the lookout, a line between her brows as she frowned, lost in thought.
*Is there anything I can help with Linden,* came a soft, deep voice into her mind. Surprised, she looked around, and saw him standing at the far end of the lookout.
*I don't know. I don't know how to feel, and it's distracting me from the mission,* she confessed, her eyes anguished.
Piccolo just looked at her, his face serene. *Then don't worry about it. Concentrate on the now, and now's problems. Then when now's problems are over, you go to the next, and so on. Worrying about it won't change the outcome.*
Linden smiled at him, and got a smirk in return, but it was something. *Thank you, Piccolo. I appreciate that, it helps.*
*Yeah, well, you need to do better during our sparring sessions,* he replied, sounding more like his usual self.
Rolling her eyes with a smile, Linden nodded, and now suddenly tired, went back to her room, shed her clothes, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
In the morning, she got up, and started her day with the usual katas. When she was finished, she sat in a comfortable position and as she meditated, she started to float, and glow a strange color that wasn't any color and yet was every color at once. Piccolo, Dende, and Mr. Popo all ran out, feeling the enormous power. Soon, Gohan and Videl arrived too, along with Krillin and 17.
Linden's eyes opened, and they were fixed and glowing. The power seemed to grow, and then shift around her, to form wings of light at her back, and her body went stiff, then lax and she started to slowly float down. As the light faded, her wings, the color of garnets. Her eyes were a pinkish red, blue, and green. The only thing unchanged besides her basic structure was her hair, only it was no longer in one braid, but in a series of braids.
She moaned, and felt as if her head were about to fall off her shoulders. Otherwise, she felt the same, except for this unusual sensation at her back. She frowned, and felt, her eyes going wide at the feel of wings. She beat them, and started to rise from the ground, her eyes going wider in wonder.
*I did it! I'm there! Yes yes yes!!!* she practically shouted into every mind that could hear, doing somersaults in the air.
Dende looked thunderstruck, as did the rest of Linden's audience. Gohan's mouth was hanging, and Videl's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head.
Linden landed, giddy with wonder and hope that she could finally avenge the deaths of everyone she ever cared about. She stood still, and forced herself to take deep breaths, in and out, in and out.
All of a sudden, the voice came into her head. *I'm still here Linden, and I'm on my way,* Doquenis said smoothly, and began his decent to the planet Earth.
A/N: Hey all, sorry it took so darn long, but I'm back now, and doing my very best. Daddy is doing better, thanks for all your prayers! And thanks to B-chan and Jessi-chan for their advice and just listening. ^_^ Please review and tell me what you think!!!!!!!! Blessed be, Chero