This is the first chapter of 'On the Battlefront' that I have written since last summer. I do hope that my writing style has not changed drastically. I am aware that it has been close to, well … FOREVER since I've updated! I know you don't want to hear my excuses, but I really have been busy. I've been working on another DBZ fic and watching/reading a lot of new anime. Also, to write anything decent, I have to be in the right mood. I wouldn't want to write when I didn't feel like it and screw up the story. So I apologize for slacking the way I did. I'd like to promise that it'll never happen again, but promises tend to be fragile and easily broken. However, you do have my word that I shall try to update MUCH more often, k? ^-^ Disclaimer: Must I even bother? Here's eight. ^^
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On the BattlefrontChp. 8 ~ Once a Friend
Goku and Gellon lounged on the couch, flipping through the few fuzzy TV channels available in deep space. "I must say, for official military business, we don't seem to be doing much," stated Gellon.
"Aw, you juss wait. Dis is da easy part," replied Goku through a mouthful of potato chips.
"And I suppose the difficult part would be the actual battle, ne?"
"That's right!" Goku confirmed. "The only thing we can really do now is wait 'til we land on Ecosomen. But don't worry, it won't be long," he reassured Gellon, noting the distraught look on his face.
"Good, because I'm restless and getting quite nauseous from those repulsive yellow flakes!" Gellon complained.
"Yellow flakes? Oh, you mean the potato chips!" Goku concluded, after quite an amount of time, mind you.
"No matter the name you give them, they are grotesque."
"But did you ever actually try one?" Goku inquired.
"Well, no, but I - ,""Here!" Goku exclaimed, shoving a handful of chips into his partner's mouth. At first, Gellon's eyes bulged out of his head as he refused to taste or breathe the horrid fumes. "Come on, just chew. They're really yummy!"
Gellon did as he was told and his appalled expression changed to normal, and even to one of enjoyment. "Why, you speak the truth. They aren't half bad!" He said, snatching the bag from Goku's hand.
"Told ya," replied Goku, proud that he had converted another follower to the way of junk food. He watched as Gellon devoured the last salty crumbs. The Yulian's appetite for sodium rivaled even that of a Saiyan's. Good thing we've got another couple hundred bags! ^.^
*****
Something about a sound … soft at first, then growing louder, but still unintelligible. A siren? No, too constant. An alarm? No, more sullen. T'was not mechanical, it had within it an emotion. Fear.
Chi Chi woke suddenly, a cold sweat beaded on her skin. The comprehension of the sound had shaken her from slumber. It had been a scream, her scream. She had been screaming in pain, and in fear. Did she really sound like that? That vulnerable? That weak and helpless? It was her body screaming, it was her mind screaming. Physical pain can be alleviated with medicine, but emotional pain's only cure is time.
She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Her vision blurred as fresh tears stung her eyes, threatening to spill down her bruised cheeks. She squeezed her eyelids shut, forcing out the small droplets of moisture. The tears heated her skin as they fell, and somehow it made her shiver. How she wished that her Goku were there to hold her tight and love away all her pain.
Chi Chi decided that the best thing could do now was take a shower. Perhaps then she would feel a bit less chilled and fatigued. She pulled the blanket around herself and tentatively set her small feet on the carpet. She stood up slowly, so as not to dizzy herself. Leaning against the wall for support, she made her way to the bathroom.
She flicked on the lights, wishing they weren't so bright. Their luminous glow did not help to ease her headache After adjusting the knob to the right temperature, she let the blanket drop and stepped into the shower. She deliberately avoided turning her head towards the mirror, afraid that it might break.
She closed the shower door with a click as the steam billowed up around her, mist forming on the glass walls. The hot water cascaded over her, soothing her battered body like warm, gentle hands. Chi Chi took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh. She turned to the wall, attempting to figure out the various functions of several buttons. Since she could not read the written Saiyan language, she would simply have to guess. She pressed a small blue button, surprised when a dollop of shampoo came out of a faucet below the control panel. She moved her hand quickly to catch it. Mmm strawberry. She brought her hands to her hair and worked the shampoo into a rich lather, massaging her scalp with her fingertips. It felt nothing short of heavenly to be rid herself of all the filth and blood. A bit of fear and exhaustion washed down the drain along with the soap bubbles, making room for a bit of confidence. When Chi Chi decided she was clean, she turned off the water and squeezed out her hair. Then she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a clean, fluffy towel off the rack, wrapping it around herself. She felt brave enough, this time, to look in the mirror.
To her relief, her face had taken on a human appearance. She still had bumps and bruises everywhere, but they had faded somewhat and her cuts and scrapes seemed much smaller now. The corners of her mouth lifted to form a tiny smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. She walked into the bedroom and over to her dresser. She pulled out some undergarments, a shirt, and a pair of pants and put them on. Then she walked to the vanity that had been installed just for her. She sat down on the cushioned stool and looked in the mirror once again. She picked up her brush and ran it through her long, dark hair, forcing out the knots as she encountered them. Satisfied, she set her brush back down and proceeded to conceal her bruises. She would make it appear to herself, and the rest of the planet, that nothing had happened, nothing at all. She blotted finishing powder on her face, wincing when she pressed a little too hard. She took one last look at herself and gave a little wink. ^_~
Now that she was cleaned up, it was the room's turn. Chi Chi spun around on her stool and stood. As fast as she could without angering any of her broken ribs, she pulled the blankets from the bed and dragged them downstairs to the laundry room. As much as she wanted to burn them or throw them away, she decided it best to wash them, else she and Goku would have no covers. She stuffed the tangle of cloth in the washer, added a generous amount detergent and let the machine do its job. Now that that's taken care of, time for something to eat.
On her way to the kitchen, Chi Chi passed the control room. Oh, I should try to contact Goku! Good thing he reverted the labels so I could read them. He's so thoughtful. ^^ She pressed a few buttons to direct the radio waves to the same frequency as Goku's ship. A connection was made and the light signaling a new message blinked and beeped, but no one answered. Hmm, I wonder what he's doing out there. Well, I'm sure whatever he's doing he's fine; better off than me, anyway … No! I'm fine, just fine. There's no need to worry him. I'll just leave a message and wait for him to call back. "Hi, Goku. It's me. How's your recruiting mission going? I'm … fine here. But please hurry back. I miss you …" she trailed off. With her chance to speak to him gone, she was beginning to miss him more than ever. She then resumed her lonely course to the kitchen for some much needed nourishment.
*****
*Beep beep* *beep beep* The control panel of Goku's ship sounded and flashed red. The only other sound was that of the two aliens snoring on the couch. The panel continued to beep, waking Gellon. He rose groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He brought his hand down to his cheek. He rubbed his face, thinking it quite odd that his skin had taken on foil like, crinkly feeling. "Hmm? Oh dear, I must've eaten too many potato chips," he thought aloud. He touched his face again and pulled what he thought to be his skin completely off. "Oh no, I'm molting!!" He exclaimed. However, upon taking a look at his supposed flake of skin, he realized it to be nothing more than a harmless empty potato chip bag. "Whew," he breathed, letting the bag waft to the untidy floor. He promptly plopped his head back on Goku's disregarded boot, which he'd drowsily mistaken for a pillow, and slipped off to dreamland once again.
The Yulian's movements had failed to wake Goku as he continued to dream … Something about a sound … soft at first, then growing louder, but still unintelligible. A siren? No, too constant. An alarm? No, too sullen. T'was not mechanical, it had within it an emotion, fear.
Goku awoke suddenly, a cold sweat beaded on his skin. He breathed heavily for a moment, before realizing it was no more than a dream. Blaming the occurrence of such a bizarre nightmare on the consumption of too much junk food, he sighed and stood, attempting to make his way to the bathroom. He stumbled over boots and blankets, clutter and crumbs, eventually reaching his destination unscathed. By this time, the beeping had stopped and simply recorded the sent message.
After taking care of his business, Goku exited the bathroom and was happy to see that Gellon had awoken as well. "Hey, buddy, did ya have a good sleep?" he asked cheerily. It had been a bit too cheerily, in Gellon's opinion, for so early in the morning or so late at night, whatever it happened to be.
"A quite fine one, I'm sure," he replied sarcastically. "Your boot made the most fantastic pillow and the potato flakes did wonders to give me good ol' happy, normal dreams!"
"Me too!" Goku responded, obviously delighted in thinking that he'd finally found another person who shared his fervor for deranged sleeping habits. Gellon only rolled his eyes and stood as well, also finding it quite difficult to navigate his way through the sea of mess, for lack of a better word. However, this time it was no 'good ol' happy normal dream that had permeated his conscious. It had been the unmistakable sound of someone screaming in pain and anguish, someone screaming for help … He dismissed the thought upon looking down and seeing a jumble of, well, just about everything on the floor of the spaceship.
"Oh boy, if Chi Chi were here she flip at the site- … of all this," he trailed off, hoping that what he suspected was no more than a foolish notion. He'd thought it to only have been a dream, but what if it had been a premonition? If so, then a certain someone was in need of serious help.
Gellon stared vacantly as Goku sped towards the ship's control panel and began frantically pounding buttons until he realized that his 'new message' button was flashing. He hastily slammed his fist on the 'retrieve message' button, hoping it was a message from Chi Chi, assuring him that she was safe and sound. A message from her it was and assure him she was safe and sound it did, but something didn't seem right. Her peaceful words did no good to mask the quivers in her voice as she spoke. Goku didn't think it an emergency, but something must've happened to cause such a sturdy person sound like a frightened puppy.
Having come up behind Goku unnoticed, Gellon made his presence known, voicing the question, "Who was that?"
Goku whipped around, having apparently forgotten that Gellon was there, and everything else for that matter. He wanted solely to make sure that Chi Chi was okay. "What? Oh, that was my wife. I left her back on Vegetasei," he answered.
"Ah, she sounded a bit, well, sad or something. Is she alright?" Gellon questioned.
" I don't know. I'm going to try to contact her right now!" Goku stated. And with that he proceeded to make a connection back to his home planet.
*****
Back on Vegetasei, the beeping and blinking were returned as Goku hopefully attempted to get in touch with his wife. He waited anxiously as the sounds continued, wondering when someone would pick up the message and say a happy hello to him.
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There, finally done with chapter eight. Pathetic as it is, this chapter was written over the course of approximately six months. I have a terrible habit of procrastinating. The only thing stronger than that is my addiction to anime! ^^ Again, I apologize profusely for my slackage. I hope I've somewhat made it up to you with a longish chapter. (It's long for me, anyway.) Anyhoo, I hoped you liked. I had quite the amount of time for proofreading/editing/changing and what not. Thanks to my beta reader and sister, Onna Vegeta, for beta-ing this chappy. ^_^ I promise that chapter nine will be out far sooner that this one. Don't forget to review! It's the duty of a responsible reader, don't cha know. = ) Positive or not, I wanna know what you think! Ja ne to domo arigato!
~Jade Kitten ^_~