Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I'm not making any money from this.
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Chapter 22: Eternity
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As the leaves rustled in the night breeze, a young woman slowly made her way back through the forest to the town square, leaving the docks and all her dreams behind her. The garments she wore were stained a deep red, and her pale face only added to the girl's ghostly appearance. Her arms hung limply by her sides, her eyes trained on the ground, and as a figure stepped out of the shadows, she almost collided with it.
"Destiny..."
Marron looked up slowly, her gaze travelling from the booted feet, to the robe clad body, to the red, leather-bound book held in one hand, and then finally, to the covered face. The fortune teller she had met such a long time ago. She said nothing, simply gazed at the mystic.
"Oh, Destiny, where has the life gone from your eyes?"
"I have to go." Marron whispered softly, brushing past her.
"You are correct."
The girl stopped, turning to face the fortune teller once more.
"What?"
"You wish to be with him, do you not?"
"More than anything. But it can never be."
"Do you truly believe that, Destiny?"
Marron lowered her eyes, ignoring the tears that threatened to well up once more.
"You know there is a way."
The mystic's words hung in the air for a few long moments before Marron shook her head, a few tears spilling over.
"No. That isn't what Trunks would have wanted." She choked out. "He would have wanted me to live."
"No. He would have wanted your freedom, Destiny."
The blonde bit her lip, gazing at the fortune teller, confused.
"Tell me. Do you really think that you can ever gain the freedom that you crave now that he is gone?"
She didn't answer, couldn't answer. Could the fortune teller be right? Even Gohan had said that Trunks died for her freedom. But was death really the only way for her to gain that freedom? Misery washed over her as she remembered how, just a few hours earlier, things had seemed so perfect. She had been looking forward to reaching the next town, anticipating the new sights they would see together. And of course, being with him. That was all that had mattered then. And now...
And now it was all that had mattered still.
"I'll leave you with this, my dear." The mystic began, breaking her train of thought. "Fate is waiting for you. Don't leave him waiting any longer than necessary."
~~~~
"Krillin..." Eighteen said carefully, stepping forward towards her husband. The Lord seemed frozen, staring off towards the stairs, no indication that he'd heard her.
"What happened, Krillin?" she tried again.
"She shall be back soon, I'm sure. Just give her a moment."
"What are you talking about, Krillin? I don't understand."
Seventeen put his hand on his sister's shoulder, regarding Krillin with a measured gaze.
"Marron."
"She'll apologise for her words, I'm sure. The boy was a bad influence."
His words were enough to grab Goten's attention, and the boy narrowed his eyes, gaze fixed on the sword Krillin was still carrying.
"Was." He echoed. "What do you mean, 'was', exactly?"
"Krillin, where's Marron?"
"Here." Came the whispered reply from the doorway.
And there the girl was, staring off into the distance, looking completely and utterly defeated.
"Marron!" Krillin dropped the sword, running to embrace his daughter. He wrapped his arms around her, but she didn't move, eyes downcast, arms still by her side.
"I knew you'd come back, my dear! Now, listen, I'm willing to forget about your attitude earlier, so don't worry about it. I'm just glad you came to your senses."
He let her go, putting his hands on her shoulders and gazing into her face.
"Look at me, my dear."
But she didn't look at him, although she did raise her eyes. She seemed to be gazing straight through him, looking who knew where.
Eighteen, who had been staring over at the scene in disbelief, suddenly seemed to come to her senses and ran forward, pushing Krillin away from the girl and checking her over for injuries.
"Marron, you're bleeding."
"No, I'm not. It isn't my blood."
"What do you mean? I can't make any sense of you, Marron. What happened?"
"Where's the boy?"
Seventeen's voice silenced everyone, and Goten looked at Marron expectantly, even though the boy already feared he knew the answer.
"He's waiting for me."
"Waiting?"
"And I'm already late."
"Marron, what nonsense is this?"
"He promised he'd take me all kinds of places, father."
Krillin frowned, reaching for her, but she twisted out of his grip and took off running, feet clattering across the marble floor, thudding as she ran across the carpet, up the ornate staircase, first floor landing, first floor staircase, second floor landing. Higher, higher, into the tower room, onto the windowsill.
Then she stopped, hands on the window frame, leaning out into the night, staring at the stars.
"Beautiful." She whispered. She could hear the clatter of feet making their way after her, in pursuit. Were they worried? There was no need. Didn't they trust him to take care of her?
"Marron, what are you doing?" Krillin cried, running into the room. She turned around, to look at him, the man who had raised her, taught her how to live. Who had loved her through everything, loved her so blindly that he couldn't see how he was slowly killing her.
She watched as the others appeared in the doorway, her mother, uncle, Goten, Bra.
"Everyone's here."
But he's waiting...
And then, with one last smile, she let go of the window frame, the wind whipping her hair and clothes as she fell into the darkness.
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Chapter 22: Eternity
~~~~
As the leaves rustled in the night breeze, a young woman slowly made her way back through the forest to the town square, leaving the docks and all her dreams behind her. The garments she wore were stained a deep red, and her pale face only added to the girl's ghostly appearance. Her arms hung limply by her sides, her eyes trained on the ground, and as a figure stepped out of the shadows, she almost collided with it.
"Destiny..."
Marron looked up slowly, her gaze travelling from the booted feet, to the robe clad body, to the red, leather-bound book held in one hand, and then finally, to the covered face. The fortune teller she had met such a long time ago. She said nothing, simply gazed at the mystic.
"Oh, Destiny, where has the life gone from your eyes?"
"I have to go." Marron whispered softly, brushing past her.
"You are correct."
The girl stopped, turning to face the fortune teller once more.
"What?"
"You wish to be with him, do you not?"
"More than anything. But it can never be."
"Do you truly believe that, Destiny?"
Marron lowered her eyes, ignoring the tears that threatened to well up once more.
"You know there is a way."
The mystic's words hung in the air for a few long moments before Marron shook her head, a few tears spilling over.
"No. That isn't what Trunks would have wanted." She choked out. "He would have wanted me to live."
"No. He would have wanted your freedom, Destiny."
The blonde bit her lip, gazing at the fortune teller, confused.
"Tell me. Do you really think that you can ever gain the freedom that you crave now that he is gone?"
She didn't answer, couldn't answer. Could the fortune teller be right? Even Gohan had said that Trunks died for her freedom. But was death really the only way for her to gain that freedom? Misery washed over her as she remembered how, just a few hours earlier, things had seemed so perfect. She had been looking forward to reaching the next town, anticipating the new sights they would see together. And of course, being with him. That was all that had mattered then. And now...
And now it was all that had mattered still.
"I'll leave you with this, my dear." The mystic began, breaking her train of thought. "Fate is waiting for you. Don't leave him waiting any longer than necessary."
~~~~
"Krillin..." Eighteen said carefully, stepping forward towards her husband. The Lord seemed frozen, staring off towards the stairs, no indication that he'd heard her.
"What happened, Krillin?" she tried again.
"She shall be back soon, I'm sure. Just give her a moment."
"What are you talking about, Krillin? I don't understand."
Seventeen put his hand on his sister's shoulder, regarding Krillin with a measured gaze.
"Marron."
"She'll apologise for her words, I'm sure. The boy was a bad influence."
His words were enough to grab Goten's attention, and the boy narrowed his eyes, gaze fixed on the sword Krillin was still carrying.
"Was." He echoed. "What do you mean, 'was', exactly?"
"Krillin, where's Marron?"
"Here." Came the whispered reply from the doorway.
And there the girl was, staring off into the distance, looking completely and utterly defeated.
"Marron!" Krillin dropped the sword, running to embrace his daughter. He wrapped his arms around her, but she didn't move, eyes downcast, arms still by her side.
"I knew you'd come back, my dear! Now, listen, I'm willing to forget about your attitude earlier, so don't worry about it. I'm just glad you came to your senses."
He let her go, putting his hands on her shoulders and gazing into her face.
"Look at me, my dear."
But she didn't look at him, although she did raise her eyes. She seemed to be gazing straight through him, looking who knew where.
Eighteen, who had been staring over at the scene in disbelief, suddenly seemed to come to her senses and ran forward, pushing Krillin away from the girl and checking her over for injuries.
"Marron, you're bleeding."
"No, I'm not. It isn't my blood."
"What do you mean? I can't make any sense of you, Marron. What happened?"
"Where's the boy?"
Seventeen's voice silenced everyone, and Goten looked at Marron expectantly, even though the boy already feared he knew the answer.
"He's waiting for me."
"Waiting?"
"And I'm already late."
"Marron, what nonsense is this?"
"He promised he'd take me all kinds of places, father."
Krillin frowned, reaching for her, but she twisted out of his grip and took off running, feet clattering across the marble floor, thudding as she ran across the carpet, up the ornate staircase, first floor landing, first floor staircase, second floor landing. Higher, higher, into the tower room, onto the windowsill.
Then she stopped, hands on the window frame, leaning out into the night, staring at the stars.
"Beautiful." She whispered. She could hear the clatter of feet making their way after her, in pursuit. Were they worried? There was no need. Didn't they trust him to take care of her?
"Marron, what are you doing?" Krillin cried, running into the room. She turned around, to look at him, the man who had raised her, taught her how to live. Who had loved her through everything, loved her so blindly that he couldn't see how he was slowly killing her.
She watched as the others appeared in the doorway, her mother, uncle, Goten, Bra.
"Everyone's here."
But he's waiting...
And then, with one last smile, she let go of the window frame, the wind whipping her hair and clothes as she fell into the darkness.
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