These Dreams
Part Six
I stood alone in my room, preparing to watch one of my DBZ tapes. I chose the tape containing the episode where Piccolo and Kami fused. With a bottled water in hand, I stretched out on the bed and watched the flickering screen. How odd! The images seemed so vague! I know the tape is new...so why are the images all shimmering?
The funny thing about dreams is you don't always realize you're dreaming when it's happening. I didn't know it yet, but this was one of those instances.
Background sounds became less detailed. I didn't feel the mattress under me. Everything I saw seemed further away than usual. Not once did I consider this abnormal, I'd gotten too wrapped up in watching Kami glow a violent white hue on TV.
Suddenly the entire house started shaking around me, I could hear the sounds of glass breaking. The Godzilla figurines I keep on my bookcase all fell over. My Piccolo action figure toppled onto its face on the nightstand. The priceless items on my dresser threatened to shatter. My stereo rattled loose and came dangerously close to dropping off the computer desk. The ceiling fan above me shuddered violently. It came loose and fell right at me in a shower of sparks! I'd have been killed if the wires didn't stop it just inches from my head! Fortunately, it swing harmlessly to the side before the wires broke...and smashed my computer monitor to bits.
Dammit, no!
Then the wall behind my entertainment center exploded.
Half-deafened, I crossed my arms in an X in front of my face to block the debris. Metal, glass, plastic, stucco and wood blasted my arms. Ugh, that hurt! Before I could recover, Void sprang through the settling dust. Her massive armored body slammed me through the wall behind my bed. It felt like being hit in the chest by a seven-forty-seven. I crashed through the holly plant in the front yard(ouch!) and landed on my back, Void's weight pinning me.
"AAAAH!!!"
Void laughed, silver eyes filled with hateful mirth. The frightening first-form Cell look-alike towered above me, a nine foot, nine inch tall nightmare creature covered in matte black armor-flesh. Dark gray patterns like the sun reflecting off water danced over her skin, making her look eerie. "How does it feel to be weak, Cyndi?"
Weak?! WEAK!? I'll show her weak!
I gritted my teeth and focused on my energy. If I Believed hard enough, I could channel ki without the necklace. Having Void taunt me while I was trying to concentrate didn't help matters any.
Prickly heat gathered in the pit of my stomach. Okay...now just draw it out. Relax. Tune that shadowy bitch out and focus. Just focus and Believe.
"You'll never beat me here. All the universe's dreams will belong to me. The more dreams I destroy, the stronger I become. BWA HA HA HA! Isn't it exhilarating?!"
Focus.
She chuckled. Dark energy gathered around her left fist. A black palm aimed for my face, but I felt no heat from the ki...only wind.
FOCUS!
"Grrr...Well you'll never have my dreams...and I promise you'll be stopped. I PROMISE!!! NOW...EAT MY SHIT!!!" I pushed ki right up through my belly button. A white energy dome blasted forth, throwing Void straight up off me. Not caring which direction she'd gone, I sat up to get my bearings. I didn't have long...but I had to act. I dove back into the house and darted into my mom's room. The ceiling fan in there was still intact, though cracks marred the plaster around it. For some odd reason I was drawn to the blue and white dream catcher hanging from one of the fan's chains. It was bigger than the one I'd given to Piccolo - his was one of those small ones that people hang up in their car, where as my mom's was as big as a saucer.
Void's black form crashed through the ceiling just as I was reaching for the dream catcher. I ripped the chain right off the fan and covered my head. Debris rained down around me. Then a vicious being filled my sight.
I panicked. Terror overtook me - no matter how much training I get, I still forget everything I've learned when I'm terrified.
"Get away from me!" I scooted back two steps. Then my mom's dresser stopped me. The bathroom was off to my right and behind me. Straight across from the bathroom door was another door leading into a laundry room(sans the washer/dryer set), and beyond that was the back door. It was open. If I can just get to it I might have a chance...
Void swished her sinewy, stinger-tipped tail. "Why do you insist on fighting me when you know you'll lose? Please, enlighten me, I like to know what my victims think before I destroy them..."
"Screw you." Except I used a word much worse than 'screw'. I edged my thin leg around the corner of the bed, watching Void's every move.
She laughed at me, wiggling her long fingers, "Ooh, that's filthy language for a such a nice young lady..."
"You'd be surprised at how vulgar I can get." I felt a backbone growing...or maybe the fear was letting up a little. Either way, my tongue was loose again and my throat didn't seem quite so tight. At least I could swallow without choking. I just wish my heart would quit fluttering. "I'd make my dad blush and he's proficient at swearing himself. Just ask my computer, it's absorbed a lot of my cussing." I edged sideways a little more. Hoping she didn't notice my baby steps. "Heh...how about you?" Another baby step, I'd moved a grand total of once inch.
"What do you think? Are you terrified now, human? Your little heart is just beating away a mile a minute. I know...I can hear it," Void's gutteral voice hissed through my ears, making the hollow muscle in my chest triple its cadence. "Fear...it smells absolutely delicious!" She crept closer to me. I really don't know how to explain the way her presence felt. It was like a dark coldness oozing off her skin to strangle my senses. It made me feel nauseous, as if the darkness was threatening to consume me. The feeling would abate whenever I thought of something positive...like loving Piccolo.
Piccolo...help me. She has me cornered...I don't think I can escape! I'm scared and I need you!
Movement in the hallway caught my attention. Something green...my salvation! I dared not look for fear of giving the new presence away, but I forgot about the mirror above my mom's dresser. Void's eyes drifted to the reflective surface and narrowed.
"You!"
The tall, black creature's attention started to shift.
"Run, Cyndi! Get out of here!" Piccolo's voice boomed into the room.
"But, Piccolo!"
"GO!"
Void whirled around just in time to be speared Goldberg-style by Piccolo. The noise of the impact was deafening. Ouch, that had to hurt Piccolo as much as Void. Had I not side-stepped when I did, they'd have squashed me into the dresser(which was smashed into a million pieces on contact)!
Despite Piccolo's order to run, I was rooted to the spot. Pieces of wood and bits of my mom's clothing pooled around my ankles.
While Piccolo recovered from his attack, Void picked him up by the neck. She swung him in a big loop and slammed him into the bed. Stuffing, fabric and springs flew everywhere. Piccolo struggled in the mess, hopelessly tangled, and Void's ki was rising! Piccolo would be toast if I didn't do something fast.
"NOOOO!" I raced forward, pathetically. Grabbed Void's tail in a bear hug with both arms. As if that would stop her! Need I mention her tail was as big around as a small tree and my arms barely fit all the way around?!
The muscular appendage promptly elevated and slammed me into the floor. I landed on my back with the dream catcher on my chest. By this time most of the dream had faded from my awareness. Only hazy details remained. Colors blurred and melted together. Or maybe I was just dazed from being treated like a crash test dummy.
I looked up and saw Void heading for Piccolo again. Why was he still trapped? Wait! She was keeping him tangled!
"Piccolo!"
"You're mine now!" Cold laughter clamored in the silence.
"No! I'll kill you if you hurt him!" I grabbed Void's rubbery tail between my arms and legs again, hugging it with all my might, the base of its dangerous stinger pressed against my cheek. The more I distracted her, the more time Piccolo had to free himself.
This time, Void screamed in obvious pain. My ears sensed a sizzling noise like meat cooking and I could smell burning flesh. Then I was flung into the broken mattress with Piccolo. Sharp metal edges sliced my skin like a dozen cats scratching me all at once. I also wound up biting my tongue on impact, filling my mouth with a coppery taste. I didn't realize until then that I didn't have a shred of clothing on my body...and neither did the green man I just landed on.
"Oof!"
"Omf! Owww...dammit, I just bit my tongue!"
"ARRRRGH! Look at what you did to my beautiful tail! You'll pay for that with your lives!" Void thrashed around, clutching her tail. She removed her hands to examine the wound. It was smoking, obviously burned. I saw a raised gray burn pattern identical to the delicate central weave of the dream catcher.
Piccolo and I gawked at each other. At the same time we both gasped, "Did you see that?!"
"Yeah, I did," Piccolo frowned deeply.
I pulled my arms and legs free. The cuts stung a little and I felt a few strands of tangled hair being yanked out by the roots. I reached for the barely-visible dream catcher on the floor. New hope bubbled up within me. Maybe I could beat her! "I'm going for it!"
Piccolo wrenched an arm free of the metal springs. "Cyndi! Wait!"
I ignored him. Discovering I could hurt Void gave my ego a boost, why should I have to listen to Piccolo?
Void was still doubled over her tail, recovering. With her back to me, I saw that she had "wings" just like Cell. Perfect!
Behind me, Piccolo jerked around like mad, trying to free himself. He kept yelling at me to stop and wait. But why wait? I had an opening and I was gonna take it!
I used the few intact springs on the bed like a trampoline. Bouncing three times for momentum, I launched myself at her armored back. Wrapped my legs around the cold, metallic wing-plates and hung on for dear life! "Ride 'em cowgirl, YEEHAW!" Before I could press my new weapon against her head, she flung me onto the floor.
Buh-bang! Ow, my knees felt that one!
Now I was trapped under a massive black foot pressed against my breastbone.
"Heheheh...you're in trouble now!" Void grinned malevolently, laughing at my predicament. "Don't try your little trick on my legs, they're more armored than my tail."
Great...and that's exactly what I planned on attacking too!
But then I saw a better target.
Raising my arm, I shoved the dream catcher against Void's crotch. I might as well have made her hump a hot burner - the effect was exactly the same.
Void's eyes bulged. Her toes gripped my neck like a fist. Then she screamed in agony and whipped me back into the broken springs with Piccolo. Okay, Piccolo is comfortable to lay on, but running into him full speed is like hitting a brick wall.
Add more bruises to my list of injuries.
"You fool!" Piccolo snarled, one eye shut in pain.
"Don't you see?! The dream catcher hurts her like a Cross hurts vampires! I can beat her if I can just - "
He bared his amazing teeth
at me, fangs gleaming dangerously. "Just nothing! We're getting out of
this dream! Now sit tight and focus on waking up!"
Awareness snapped back into focus. I jerked my head up. Piccolo's eyes flew open and fixed angrily on mine. I was still sprawled across his chest, but all our shifting during sleep had tangled us both in the sheets. If the situation wasn't so serious and nobody was in pain, I would've enjoyed our predicament. Who wouldn't want to be trapped in bed on top of a sexy, sweaty and naked Namek?
Damn important discoveries...they always come at the worst times. Now I wouldn't be able to cuddle with Piccolo and talk about our amazing lovemaking experience.
"Stop squirming, you're just making it worse!" Piccolo pulled an arm free and pinned me hard against his muscular torso. I'd forgotten that we were still 'attached' and my movements were having interesting effects on him.
"Oh...sorry." I laid my head down again while he shifted around underneath me. That hypocrite, all HIS wiggling was making ME shiver!
Piccolo pulled his leg out from under me. A limb now freed, he pushed the sheets down with his other foot. Then he grasped my hips with strong hands, lifting me gently away from his narrow pelvis. I sat up and promptly shoved the rest of the blankets right off the mattress.
"Finally!" I collapsed against Piccolo's chest and sighed. Almost on their own accord, my fingers traced his prominent collarbones.
He grabbed my wrists, making the blood-beaded scrapes on them burn, "Stop it, this is not the time."
"It's not my fault you're so damn irresistible." I bent over to nip his pointed chin, "The universe shook when you made love to me. How many women can say their man did that for them?"
"Hey, that wasn't all my doing." Piccolo allowed himself a minuscule smirk. His eyes gleamed roguishly in the shadows of his pronounced brow-ridges. Then he switched gears and hardened his expression, and nothing I did would change his demeanor. The steel doors were shut again. He was all business. "Now get off me so I can put some pants on. You go do the same, and get cleaned up while you're at it."
"Right." I climbed off his stomach and glanced back, hoping I'd catch a glimpse of his cute ding-dong. Piccolo is a grower, when limp his male unit looks all tiny and wrinkled...I could cover it with one hand. But when it stands up, yikes...it inflates to at least six inches and could probably hold up a ten ton weight without being pulled down. No, I'm serious! One of these days, I swear I'm going to yank his pants off and play with him just so I can watch it grow.
Alas, Piccolo's broad back was already presented my way. No peep show for me. I got an eyeful of his nice, tight butt just before he pulled his baggy leggings up. His muscles shifted like metal under his green skin. If I was in the Anime half of the room, I probably would have gotten a nosebleed.
Damn, that Namek is sexy as hell. Inside and out.
Piccolo glared over his shoulder at me with one narrowed eye. A cold look that sent me scurrying for the bathroom to clean up and get dressed. I didn't really feel nervous until I finally got my mind off Piccolo's shlong and started attending my wounds.
Void attacked my dreams two times in a row. How do I know she won't be waiting in my next nightmare? And the one after that? Will the dream catcher hurt her next time? What if she's like the Borg and adapts to attacks so they're harmless the next time they're used? I shivered uneasily and pulled my shirt on. I slid my pants up to my knees, sat down on the toilet and relieved myself. Fear, nature's best laxative. Too bad it didn't smell pleasant. For me, sitting on the pot is the best place to think. I was doing a lot of that at the moment. How do I know she hasn't gotten my parents...and will I ever sleep peacefully again after this is over? Can I be sure she'll be gone from everyone's nightmares for good when we beat her? What if we don't, then what happens? I tightened my fists on my knees and glared at the wall across from me. If I didn't win this fight, I'd lose Piccolo and everyone else I cared for. Without dreams, the world might as well be populated by zombies with no desire to better themselves. No! I can't lose, there's too much at stake!
A silhouette appeared on the diaphanous curtain that served as a door. I heard a deep, growling voice shout, "Hey, are you dead in there? Cleaning wounds and getting dressed doesn't take this long!"
I pulled the curtain aside just enough to peek out. In doing so I also let the smell waft out into the air. "Excuse me, but I'm going to the bathroom here. Do you mind?!"
Piccolo blinked, sniffed the air and covered his nose. "What in the seven levels of HELL is that smell?!"
Yanking the curtain back into place, I snorted, "It's called shit, Piccolo. Bowel movement. Feces. Poop. Stools. Solid waste. It smells because it's WASTE material from food my body has used up. If you're flesh like now, you'd probably have to do the same thing a few days after you eat something. Now can I please have a moment's privacy?!"
Silence. The shadow retreated from the curtain and gave me the ten minutes I needed to finish up. I wiped off, flushed the toilet twice and drew aside the curtain. Geez, I made a stinky. You know it's bad if you can smell it yourself and be grossed out. That's it, I'm never eating Bulma's chili-pasta again!
Geez, I'm such a weirdo. I don't react to my emotions like normal people do, and it's one thing about me that people never seem to understand. If I have a lot on my mind...like I did then...I may "wait" until all is clear in my head before dealing with the next feeling. Which is why I putzed around before feeling scared. I guess you could call it a mental defense mechanism.
Fear was creeping up on me. Like a caterpillar slithering its way up my spine and wrapping around my brain.
I didn't want to bother Piccolo, who was sitting cross-legged at the foot of the bed in the Anime half of the room. He'd fully dressed himself again - majestic cape and all.
Great, I'm finally ready to discuss our little scuffle with Void and he's meditating! That figures!
I went for my backpack instead, since Piccolo was momentarily occupied. Poofed it into existence to grab my discman, the mini-stereo speakers and my Timespace: The Best Of Stevie Nicks CD. Sometimes listening to music calms me down...or at least gets my mind off the problem. I settled the little speakers down in front of my knees, turned on the CD player and switched to song number six. The beautiful chords of Stevie's song Beauty and the Beast drifted into the air. I kept the volume low, but the acoustics of the room still amplified the music. Wow, natural surround-sound!
As the music swirled around me, I stared over at Piccolo. This song sounded so much like it was about him. I wound up singing along, softly so he wouldn't hear me...well he probably could with those sharp ears of his. I didn't care, I was in my safe little world. "You're not a stranger to me...and you, well you're something to see. You don't even know how to please. You say a lot, but you're unaware...how to leave. My darling...lives in a world that is not mine. An old child...misunderstood...out of time. Timeless is the creature who is wise. And timeless is the prisoner in disguise. Ohhh who is the beauty...who the beast? Would you die...of grieving...when I leave? Two children, too blind, to see... I would fall in your shadow...I believe..... My love is a man who's not been tamed. Ohhh my love lives in a world of false pleasure and pain. We come from different worlds, but we are the same. I never doubted your beauty...I've changed.... I never doubted your beauty....I've changed! Changed... Who is the beauty? Where is my beast? There is no beauty...without my beast... who is the beauty? Who.... oooh la bete....la bete.... Where is my beast? My beauty...my beauty... My beautiful...beautiful...beautiful...beautiful....beast."
Suddenly I choked up and turned off the music. Sometimes the song makes me cry, but I doubt Stevie's smoky alto voice did it to me this time. I was scared to death that I'd lose Piccolo. I was afraid that Void would leap from nowhere and rip him from my life.
Only one safe place existed. One place in the whole universe where nothing evil could touch me.
Without a word, I walked over and curled up in Piccolo's lap. I hid my face in his heaving chest and wept silently against his heartbeat. Piccolo quietly tolerated my momentary breakdown. I felt his strong arms wrap around me and instantly felt safer. Piccolo's arms were like armor for my heart, they kept me warm, safe and mentally sane.
"Hey, settle down." He said gently against my wild hair. "I'm sure your ego is pretty sore right now. Let's hope you learn from this pain and think before you act next time."
I didn't dare speak until I trusted my voice to remain steady. "It's not that...I just...got scared. I'm afraid Void will come running up at any time and destroy you right in front of me."
Piccolo's chest hitched, a soft chuckle. "Don't worry about me, Cyndi. I can take care of myself. You need to worry about yourself and your training."
There was my tail again. It wrapped itself around Piccolo's left wrist. Argh, I'd forgotten my body would change when I switched Realities.
I just hope six months of training will be enough...
The voice sounded so clear I could've sworn I heard it. Thinking I really did, I answered, "I think six months will be enough. It took about that long last time, remember?"
Piccolo gawked at me, "I...I didn't say that out loud. How did you hear what I was thinking?"
"I thought you were talking to me!" I picked my head up and stared at Piccolo's angular green face. His eyes were like saucers, haunted. I decided to try something. Um...hello?
"I don't believe this..." I've never seen Piccolo get excited before(aside from the fusion with Nail), but I did that day. He jumped to his feet and lifted me over his head by the armpits. A huge smile broke his normally stoic face. A smile so big I saw his fangs. "I think we've actually done it! Our activity last night must have done something to our minds! This will make our training that much easier, Cyndi! Do you know what this means?"
I hung onto Piccolo's wrists while the rest of me dangled. Except for the tail, of course. The way it wagged made me look like a happy puppy. "Our minds are attuned?"
"Exactly," He came to his senses and lowered me, not at all embarrassed at his sudden outburst. Maybe he'd finally learned that he can act however he wants around me and I won't judge him for it. "If we can learn to think as one, we'll overpower Void. It'll be intense training, kid, but I know you can take it."
I made a fist and flexed my bicep muscle, "Whatever it takes to win!"
Piccolo blinked, then uncrossed his arms. "Good, with an attitude like that, you just might make it. Oh yeah..." He produced a Hershey's bar from his belt and tossed it to me, "I decided to give you a little break. Call it a reward for being a good student. Enjoy it, you won't taste another until Void is defeated." The Namek then sat down in the lotus position and closed his eyes.
"Ch-ch-chocolaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate!" My eyes glowed as I caught the delicious candy bar. To me, it was a block of gold. I eagerly tore a corner of the wrapper open and broke off two squares. "Hey, Piccolo...ever try chocolate before?"
Piccolo opened one eye, "I don't eat."
"Not even to taste?"
"I don't have taste buds, Cyndi...at least not in my world." He smirked a little, "Maybe that's a good thing. From what I've heard, Senzu beans taste pretty bad."
"They're okay, I guess." I gave up on coaxing him into tasting the delicious treat. The sweet, intoxicating aroma of my chocolate called out to me. I stuffed the first square into my mouth. It was like taking a drug I'd been denied for way too long. My tongue rolled in delight. I rocked on my feet. Mmm, if sex was food, it would be chocolate. "Mmmmmmmm! This is Heaven! Mmmm, yummmmmy! Mmm yes!" I lost myself in rich, milk chocolate bliss as I let the tiny piece melt on my tongue.
Wait.
I snapped myself out of it. If I ate this entire candy bar, I'd be unraveling every bit of strength Piccolo gave me. Had Void attacked me like she did before I learned to resist temptation.....well I don't want to think about what she could've done.
"No, I can't eat all of this." I told myself aloud. My entire body and mind protested to the refusal. I had to force my fingers to fold the wrapper back over the rest of the Hershey bar. I needed to be the best I could be. I can't do that if I give in to my cravings like a sissy.
I know I've made dumb decisions in the past. Most of the time I don't have my priorities straight. But this...I couldn't wreck myself now! If I let myself eat that chocolate, I'd prove how weak I was. No, I can't afford to take three steps back in this game!
Nothing mattered more to me than being stronger. I had to be faster, smarter and better than everyone else. I hungered for it. Probably the Saiyajin instinct kicking in.
"Piccolo...I'll save the rest of this candy bar for after we've handed Void's ass to her. You have no idea how hard this is for me...if I give in now it might ruin everything you've taught me." I felt both grown-up and childish at the same time. Adult because I was admitting something and childish because of what I was confessing. I walked over and tucked the candy bar back into his blue belt. "I think you should keep it until then, or else I'll be seriously tempted."
The Namek glanced up at me. He looked proud.....I think this was more of a test than a reward. That tricky bastard.
"When we beat Void, it's yours." Piccolo tucked the brown and silver object the rest of the way into his belt. "Since when did you get so tough?"
"Since I met you." Geez, that was corny. I could say FUNimation made me do it, but then I'd be lying. They'd make me say something completely stupid and unnatural like 'yeah, baby, it was all you!'. Ugh.
I chuckled to myself. "Hey, Piccolo?"
"Yeah?"
I hopped from foot to foot, fists up like a boxer. This was definitely the Saiyajin blood talking, but I felt it was time to test my powers. "Whaddya say we go spar for old time's sake? It's been a long time and I wanna see how strong I really am in this form. Maybe then I'll finally understand why Vegeta acts like he does."
Piccolo's mouth curved up into a smirk so huge it nearly reached his earlobe. Like he wanted to do this and was just waiting for me to suggest it. "Okay, kid, you asked for it. Meet me out in the white void and let's see what you've got. You've gotten pathetically out of shape since you were last out here, so I wouldn't be too surprised if you don't last long."
"Wanna make a bet?"
"I don't bet. I play to win."
With that, Piccolo uncurled from the floor and walked out into the whiteness.