These Dreams
Part Eleven
Before I realized it, the months in the Time Chamber were slipping by. Piccolo seemed frantic to teach me a few last minute tricks. All free time was spent on nothing but training. Mental and physical. He seemed intent on whipping me into physical shape - probably a good thing for me, I was pretty frail-looking for a Saiyajin.
Was being the key word. Over several weeks I gained some muscle. I went from a pitiful seventy-seven pounds to ninety, which is actually hard for me! I lose weight a lot easier than I gain it! I mean, if I skip a meal I'll drop half a pound, it's sickening isn't it? I feel just as bad about it as people with the opposite problem.
At least the lean muscles made me look more like a Saiyajin. If I lost more than one pound during the day...Piccolo made me eat. No problem there. Then he'd run me ragged in the empty white void, beating me senseless to toughen me up(although he didn't always escape unscathed either). After that he'd make me sit and train my mind. I'd be so tired I couldn't move by the time the day finished. Then Void would mess with my dreams...so I never rested very well between sessions. I was always tired, cranky and jumpy, and had ugly bags under my eyes.
And this went on for months.
Finally the day came when Piccolo woke me from the first bit of peaceful sleep I'd had in months. "We're leaving the Time Chamber today. I let you sleep in for an extra hour, now get up. When we go outside, I'll grant you a few hours of free time to do as you please. You earned it."
"Huh?" I stared stupidly at him with bleary, crusty eyes. My wild hair probably looked worse than usual since I hadn't brushed it yet.
"We're leaving." Piccolo repeated.
"Oh, good. Wake me up when you're ready to go." I hugged a pillow and turned over onto my stomach with my butt in the air. Forgetting that I still had a tail.
Piccolo growled under his breath. He grabbed my tail and squeezed it hard in his strong green fist. "I'm ready NOW! Quit fooling around or I'll revoke the few free hours I granted you."
Hot pokers shot up my spine, an acid enema would've been less painful. My hair stood on end. "YEOWCH!! Okay! Okay! I'll get up! Lemme get ready first! Oy! Now lemme go!" I squirmed helplessly and gave him a dirty look. "Hey! Tail grabbing isn't fair, you know!"
He sneered, let go and crossed his arms. "I think it's very fair. If I remember correctly, you exploited my weakness while I was Real. Or do I need to remind you?"
When did - oh yeah! Poor Piccolo, I'd kicked him in the balls during a mental training session. He crumpled instantly. I still remember how bad I felt for hurting him that way. "I guess that makes us even now. Mind if I clean myself up before we go? I don't wanna leave here looking like a street rat."
"Make it quick."
I bolted off the bed and into the bathroom. Ugh! My hair WAS a nightmare! I looked like someone electrocuted me. I put quick order into it...or as much order as I could anyway...and put on a little makeup. I also shaved my legs and armpits, they needed it badly. Then I grabbed a banana from the kitchen area and joined Piccolo by the door, the capsule containing my backpack tucked safely in a pocket. How funny - I entered this place eating something. Now I'm leaving...and I'm eating again! Oink oink!
"This feels weird, you know? We spent six months in here and only twelve hours went by outside. Kind of scary. I wonder if there's another dimension where you could get a day's worth of training in just an hour. Wouldn't that be cool?"
Piccolo glanced over at me, a hand on the gilded door-handle. "Such a thing is impossible. It would probably cause a collapse. Time can only be accelerated so much before it starts to distort the space around it. Everything in the universe is connected in a delicate balance, and every action has a reaction...though sometimes those reactions don't become apparent for a long while. Void, is a perfect example." He closed his dark eyes and frowned, his handsome face lined in concern, "I think the battle with Buu here and the war in your Reality happening at almost the same time are the reason she came back. Hate is an ugly thing."
"Mm, yeah I see." My lips tightened around the mushy banana. I took a final bite, tossed the peel aside and mumbled, "Now why didn't I think of that?"
He just shook his head and heaved the door open. Cool air from outside reminded me of how warm the Time Chamber really was. Goosebumps littered my skin like poppy seeds on a roll. I hugged myself and rubbed my arms until they went away. Regretting the fact that I put on shorts instead of my usual gray sweats. Too late to change now.
The moment I stepped outside, I inhaled the fresh, unpolluted evening air. Ah, relief! It was like being in a stuffy car and having someone finally roll down the window.
"It's NICE out here! C'mon!" I grabbed Piccolo by the hand, making him grunt in surprise, and scrambled for Mr. Popo's flower pots. Each flower got a long sniff from me.
Piccolo worked his hand free, chuckling. "Calm down, kid. They're just flowers."
"Yeah, but you never know when you'll never see them again." I bent over the nearest pot of bright red hibiscus plants. The lovely red flowers were blooming like crazy and smelled very sweet. "Besides," I pulled a blossom off, brushed it against Piccolo's cheek and tucked it behind his left ear. "I love flowers!"
Piccolo looked so funny, scowling at me with the vibrant red hibiscus blossom resting against his emerald skin. All he needed was a pair of shorts and a bright flowered shirt and he'd be ready for Hawaii!
He pulled the flower off his head and examined it. "Hmph."
"Well..." Turning away from him, I walked towards the edge of the Lookout. Oops - I forgot how high up I was. I approached the rolled lip, looked over and scooted back. My stomach turned a few circles. All the flying I've ever done on my own was close to the ground! I don't care how strong I am, I'm not crazy enough to jump off and do a huge dive like Piccolo did after fusing with Kami!
"Uh, Piccolo? Is there any special technique for flying extremely high?"
"No, just fly like you always do." Piccolo padded over to stand behind me. "Focus on the horizon and don't look at the ground directly below you."
"You've done this your whole life. I haven't. What if I fall?"
That made him snicker loudly at me, half his mouth tilted upwards. The expression made one of his eyes squint slightly. A breeze ruffled my unruly hair and made his graceful white cape billow around us. "Even if you did, it wouldn't hurt you. We're not in the Time Chamber anymore, remember? A fall wouldn't phase you."
I tightened my lips and closed my eyes. Let the energy in my center press down, lifting me a few feet off the Lookout floor. I took a few breaths and lifted my eyelids. I was now eye-level with Piccolo. He watched me float there, amusement hidden behind his stony gaze. For some reason I don't feel uncomfortable anymore when I make eye-contact with him.
"Okay," I said nervously. "I'm going to Capsule Corp. Vegeta's the only other Saiyajin nearby and I need his help to understand this form a little better. I'd track Freeza down too, but I don't dare take one of the necklaces from the Room of Dreaming. Didn't you say yourself that Void couldn't affect anything in there?"
"I can contact Freeza the same way Kami contacted you." Piccolo curled his lip, "I hate computers...more trouble than they're worth. I want you back here by sunrise. Don't make me come down and get you."
"Sure." A nagging idea came to mind. I almost voiced it there, but didn't. Piccolo had enough to think about for now. "See you later, sexy." I blew him a kiss and faced the horizon. It looked like a painted canvas with purple, orange and red splashed everywhere. A fitting sunset for a cool evening like this.
Keeping my eyes straight ahead, I asked, "Hey, how do I find Capsule Corporation?"
Piccolo growled at me, "Just look for Vegeta's power level. If he's training it'll be way up."
Now what if he isn't training? I grumbled to myself. But guess what, I found him! His energy hammered my skull from somewhere in the south. "Aha, got it! Okay, I'll see you later!"
Then I took a big gulp and streaked off towards the high power. Swoosh! The earth below me became a blur of green, brown and occasionally blue. Sometimes I even spotted bits of red, white or gray as barns and buildings whizzed past. I heard nothing but the air whooshing through my ears and my pounding heart.
Oh my God, I felt like a jet plane! A hot knife in butter! A boat on the open sea!
FREEDOM!
I couldn't help but pull a few loops, dives and rolls in mid-air. I swooped past a family of three huge pterodactyl-like dinosaurs. They made honking noises and scattered in terror.
I didn't care! Any fear I had before was literally blown away by the wind whipping around my body. I felt like Supergirl!
All my life I've wanted to fly like this...and here I was doing just that! My heart upped its pace. Butterflies of excitement twirled in my stomach. Gravity had no hold on me. It felt exactly like the one moment in a roller coaster ride where the cart dips down so fast you rise off your seat....only you never come down unless you WANT to!
I screamed in delight. "I'm FLYING! I can't believe this! I'm really FLYING!!! WOOHOO!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!"
But I didn't have time to fool around. In all the excitement I nearly forgot I was flying for a reason.
Once I got the goofing off
out of my system, I concentrated on my goal. I adjusted my course and headed
for Capsule Corporation.
The sun had just dipped below the horizon, taking most of the light with it. I glanced up at the stars. They seemed so close that I could grab a handful if I scooped my hand across the sky. Hm....I spotted the Big Dipper, Leo the Lion...um...the Square of Pegasus, I think it was the Square anyway, and Cassiopeia. Too bad I didn't have my binoculars with me, I'd be checking out the Andromeda Galaxy and some star clusters in Perseus.
Oh well, no time for stargazing.
Vegeta's power level dropped long before I reached the city. I just kept guessing and stayed on a straight course. Even then, I missed my destination and had to double back a few miles. Duh...only a moron like me can manage to miss giant yellow domes!
I made a very ungraceful fall-on-my-ass landing next to the infamous gravity room. Piccolo never did teach me how to land properly. Something I probably have to learn on my own, I suppose. Let's just hope nobody planned on using the grass for golfing any time soon.
I wiped bits of grass off my butt and walked up to the nearest door. No doorbell. I spotted a speaker with a button underneath, so I pushed the button and said, "Uh, hello? Is anyone home?"
To my surprise the door was yanked open and Mrs. Briefs stuck her head out. She had a few gray hairs mixed in with the golden blonde, but otherwise she didn't look much different than I last remembered her. The frilly pink apron clashed slightly with her tight blue stretch-pants and sky-blue tube top. Her eyes remained in perpetual, happy half-circles(how does she see through those?!).
"Oh, hello! What can I do for you?"
"Uhh...yeah. My name's Cyndi. I'm a friend of Bulma's, but I'm here to see Vegeta. Can I come in?"
Mrs. Briefs giggled and clasped her manicured hands together. "Sure! Come on in! I just finished baking a lemon cake, would you like a piece?"
Cake sounded good, and this woman can cook! "Yeah, I'll have some of that. I love cake!"
"Great! Come in, come in!" She opened the screen for me, then slammed it shut when I stepped inside. "Vegeta was in the living room the last time I saw him."
"Thanks a lot, Mrs. Briefs," I nodded to her, stuffing my hands into my pockets. Why was I so nervous about facing Vegeta? I...okay this is weird...but I actually picked up his scent all over the place. And Mrs. Briefs'...Vegeta must've been in the kitchen recently because his smell wasn't super-strong. I bet if I put my nose to the floor and sniffed, I'd be able to follow the exact path he took through the room.
Mrs. Briefs smelled like peppermint and baby powder. Vegeta's scent was vastly different. Kind of musky, but not salty like Piccolo. It was more like very mild salsa - bordering on B.O. I can tell you he doesn't use deodorant and probably stinks bad whenever he gets all sweaty.
Okay, chill out. Don't be a wuss. It's only Vegeta out there... I shook my head at myself and entered the living room.
Vegeta was sitting on the couch with his bare feet up on the footrest, watching some pro-wrestling on TV. His face seemed locked in a permanent frown. He held a can of soda in one hand, the other delving into a bag of beef jerky that he bit through like potato chips. The only clothing on his body was a white wifebeater and a pair of matching boxers. Heh, he looked like a real couch potato! Minus the beer gut, of course.
I will admit that I spent a moment looking over his muscles. The thin clothes left little to the imagination.
Vegeta is sexy in his own way, I think. He has a build different from Piccolo's. Piccolo is very lean like those guys in old Kung-Fu movies...until he powers up. Vegeta's muscles seem to be in perpetual flexion. Blatantly evident even while he was relaxed on the couch.
Then again, Piccolo is an alien, his musculature might be completely different from anyone else's. Either way, the difference proved interesting.
I shook off my thoughts and took a deep breath.
"Hey, Mr. Potato Head!"
Vegeta spat out a mouthful of whatever soda he just drank. He faced me with eyes like dinner plates. "Who would dare... Oh, it's just you." His thick eyebrows gained more slant, "I should kill that cooking woman for letting you in here. Then I should kill YOU for insulting me."
"Man, chill out!" I bit my lip so I wouldn't snicker openly at his reaction. "I came here to see you."
Vegeta's eyes followed me when I moved to a recliner near the couch and seated myself. He scrutinized me for a while. Then he stuffed another wad of jerky into his mouth and muttered, "I see you've been training. But you're still a twig girl. I could break you in half without even trying!"
He just challenged me, didn't he?
"Oh yeah?!" I shook a tiny fist at him, bristling, "Well, too bad! I didn't come here to have a pissing contest!"
"Then what do you want from me?"
"Here you go, sweetie," Mrs. Briefs appeared without me hearing her come in. She handed me a piece of delicious, moist lemon cake on a saucer.
I nodded my thanks, accepted the fork and started munching. The yummy, soft cake melted instantly on my tongue. Not too sour and not overly sweet, just the way I like it.
Mrs. Briefs also handed Vegeta a piece. She didn't seem at all phased when he snatched it without thanking her and crammed a huge chunk past his lips.
Vegeta and I stared each other down while we ate. It was like one was afraid the other would steal their food. I finished first and set my plate down.
"I came here because I need to talk to a Saiyajin about being a Saiyajin. Since you're the only one around here, well..." I twirled my hand in a 'you get the idea' gesture. "I mean...a lot of things go on that I don't experience when I'm human. A few scare me, others just don't make much sense. I'm just trying to understand why these things happen so I don't freak out so much."
"So?" Vegeta leaned back, rubbing a hand down the center of his stern face. He kept his eyes on the TV as if I wasn't important enough to look at.
I balked at his un-concerned attitude. "During one training session, my power went crazy and I injured Piccolo severely. I ENJOYED it when I heard him screaming! That wasn't me at all! How do you explain that?!"
A slow, cold smile curled half of Vegeta's mouth upwards. He turned the TV off and faced me fully, arms crossed over his strong chest. The thin, ribbed shirt clung tightly to his upper body. "Sounds like you experienced a battle frenzy."
"So...I went wild like sharks do when they smell blood?" I stared down at my hands.
"The Saiyajin mind in its untrained state can be a dangerous thing, girl," said Vegeta.
"And what about the 'heat' thing? I almost raped Piccolo when that happened...luckily he held me off."
The arrogant Saiyajin burst into a snicker. It turned into a full-blown belly laugh that nearly pitched him right off the couch. "You must be kidding me! That Namek is sexless, how could you possibly be attracted to something you can't mate with?! It's the most absurd thing I've ever heard you say and - "
"That's not the point, dammit!" I snarled, "I've only experienced it once so far. I need to know how often it happens so I'll be ready next time."
"Once every six months." Vegeta stated tersely, raising an eyebrow. "You know, you're lucky you were with the Namek in there. A female Saiyajin in heat drives every male near her into insanity. If they're in heat, they will stop at nothing to satisfy themselves with her. The only way to end a heat session is pregnancy...or just wait for it to end on its own." He flashed a mean grin, "Humans experience the same thing once a month, just on a very small scale. Then they become bitchy for a week and return to normal. How long did your heat last?"
Warmth gathered in my cheeks and on the bridge of my nose. "Uh...just a few minutes. Piccolo lured me into the Real side of the Time Chamber so I would quit trying to rip his clothes off and lick his skin."
"Hah!" The bag crackled as he reached in and devoured more beef jerky. "Real heat lasts for seven days! You really ARE lucky I didn't smell you. I have my own mating cycle once every three months. If we experienced heat at the same time, you would probably be pregnant right now. It isn't something you can control. Playing with yourself or sitting on the Namek's face won't make it go away, so don't even try it. Just avoid me next time you sense it coming."
"Sense it?! Shut up! It happened without warning!" The leather upholstery creaked under my fingers. It reminded me of Piccolo's skin, so I took my hand away before my nails punctured it. Five marks indicated just how hard I'd been digging my fingers into the black fabric. "I feel like I've been turned into some foreign animal that tries to be human."
"We are animals...we just don't think we are because we have intelligence." Vegeta rolled his eyes. I noticed they were even blacker than Piccolo's, if such a thing is possible. "You'll learn the signs yourself. It's different for every female."
"Hm..." I sniffed the air a bit. Still able to detect Mrs. Briefs' and Vegeta's different scents. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this intense sense of smell."
His expression darkened and his smile took on a devious tilt, "Ever smell fear?"
The look on his face made me shift uneasily in my seat. "Fear has a smell?"
"Somewhat." He slurped a piece of jerky from between his teeth. "A person's scent changes when they become afraid. It's different for everyone. That is why you must completely assess an opponent before you fight. Otherwise you'll never notice the difference and miss the opportunity to press your advantage."
I leaned back in the recliner and took a deep breath. This information was a lot to take in at once, and I'm not very good at absorbing such huge chunks of knowledge.
"Papa?" A little voice broke in over the uncomfortable silence. I looked over to see a sleepy Bra standing in the doorway, tears running down her young face. Her blue hair was all messed up and sticking out in funny directions.
My nose twitched. Bubblegum and strawberry, that made up her scent. The strawberry was probably shampoo or from the detergent used on her cute little unicorn nightgown.
Vegeta's brow smoothed and his hard demeanor softened a little. "What is it, Princess?"
"I had a bad dream!" The little girl sniffled. "A big black bug-monster tried to eat me! Will you come sing that neat fighter song for me 'till I fall back to sleep?"
I stiffened instantly, my ears trained on Bra's voice. There was no mistaking who that "monster" was. Poor little girl, she looked so frightened.
More ugly hatred towards Void bubbled deep in my stomach. Now she's terrorizing children! How low will she go before someone stops her? CAN anyone stop her, for that matter?
Vegeta uncurled from the couch, walked over and took Bra's hand. Bra smiled up at him with sleepy eyes. Her father spoke to her without his usual biting tone. "Very well. Come on."
I broke in, "Vegeta, I'll need to talk to you some more after you're done."
He only glanced over his shoulder, nodded and led Bra back down the hallway. I couldn't help but tip-toe into the hall after they'd disappeared. Vegeta singing, this I've gotta hear!
And sing he did. It sounded like the rhythmic, repetitive singing Indians do while dancing around a bonfire. Very low-pitched and subdued, probably no more than three different notes throughout the whole song.
I dared to peek into the room and saw Vegeta sitting on the bed with Bra cradled tenderly in his muscular arms, lit only by a little red balloon night-light. His lips were near her ear like the words were meant for her only. His song sounded so fierce. I couldn't understand the words. Probably the Saiyajin language, but somehow I felt like the song told a story about some legendary battle.
"Aaaay-HEE-oh-mee...mee. Aaaayy-HEE-oh-maaah...maaah. Dai-KEE-doh-mee...mee. Dai-KEE-doh-maaah...maaah. Yah-DA-so-ROO...roo. So-ROO...roo. Yah-DA-so-ROO...roo. So-ROO...roo..."
Suddenly Vegeta went quiet and lowered his sleepy girl into bed. I dashed madly back down the hall before he could turn around, and pretended to be interested in the TV guide.
"So what else are you here to speak about?" Vegeta showed no trace of the softness I saw earlier. He and Piccolo seem to have very similar emotional patterns.
"It's about that black monster Bra saw. I bet you anything it stood nine feet, nine inches tall and looked exactly like Cell's first form...only black and female." I dropped the TV guide on top of Vegeta's bag of beef jerky and faced him. I don't get serious often, but I was then.
Vegeta's forehead wrinkled. I definitely had his attention! "Go on..."
"Well....her name is Void and..." I slowly explained everything. I started at the time Kami appeared to give me the necklace and finished up with my flight to the Capsule Corporation. I write better than I speak, so Vegeta probably heard a lot of repetitive speech, but he understood what I was telling him. Even if it did take almost three hours of being stopped and questioned every other sentence.
Cracking his knuckles after I went silent, Vegeta grinned. He wanted a piece of the action. "I've tangled with this creature a few times. She's pretty strong. A very dirty fighter too...kind of like me."
"You bet your ass she's strong! Piccolo and I together can't even beat her. We might need your help, Vegeta. Piccolo is also contacting Freeza." I ran a hand through my wild Saiyajin hair and sighed, "Stay close to Bra and wake her up if she shows any sign of that nightmare again. Void is merciless, she'd kill your little girl for no reason other than she thinks it's funny. Now I have to go. Piccolo wants me back by dawn and I don't want to be late. Maybe I'll have him come down here and we can all talk about this together."
"Fine with me. Just don't come banging on the door before five...I hate having my sleep disturbed."
I growled at him. Sometimes he can be such a bullheaded brat! "How the hell are you going to watch Bra and sleep at the same time?"
Vegeta had already started walking away. "Simple." He said with his back to me, "I sleep light. I wake up if a fly buzzes near me."
"Good excuse." I chuckled to myself, "Bye Veggie."
If he had a snide reply, I didn't hear it. I was already taking to the air.
Using the North Star as a
guide, I took off and made a speedy flight towards Dende's Lookout. Or
the Tenka...I think that's the right Japanese word for it. Well
either way, you out there know where I'm heading!
I landed on the white marble floor with a soft thud. Still not very graceful, but at least I stayed on my feet. A gray line was just forming along the eastern horizon...so I barely made it back in time. I breathed a relieved sigh, stretched a little and looked around for Piccolo. Starlight is not good light for seeing in. I didn't spot Piccolo until the eastern sky was almost completely gray, which lit up the entire Lookout with light no brighter than a full moon.
Piccolo was floating in the lotus position near one of the pillars, meditating peacefully. He hovered just high enough to keep his majestic cape from brushing the ground. No sense in bothering him. If he wanted to say something he would've spoken up already.
Well, nothing to do now but wait around until Piccolo finished his meditation. I swallowed one of my pills dry, sighed and took a leisure walk around behind the large main building.
The wind was coming towards me. My nose picked up another scent that didn't quite belong. Kind of...metallic and sugary. I followed the smell until I spotted a figure standing near the Lookout's edge, silhouetted against the golden sun's first rays. The glare made distinguishing anything impossible.
"G'day, mate!" A scratchy alto voice spoke. Australian accent and all...very different from the British one I'm used to.
I put a hand up to block out the sun. No way...I'm dreaming! That can't be -
The glare went away, revealing a very petite shape with a thick tail, an armored head and two sideways-facing horns.