These Dreams
Part Seventeen
I ate the dirt at Piccolo's feet for the millionth time. The impact sent a dust plume rising around me. Staying down would've been the logical thing to do. But I didn't feel like listening to logic. I wanted to be stronger, faster and better than I'd ever been before! If I got just a little stronger, I'd stand a chance against Void!
Yet every time Piccolo told me I was stronger, I didn't feel strong enough. Like an anorexic obsessed with being thin, I became obsessed with getting stronger. Maybe it's the same instinct that pushes Vegeta to train until he nearly kills himself. Either way, I kept screaming at Piccolo to come at me harder, faster and meaner. Hoping that somehow all the beatings would awaken a store of power from somewhere deep inside. I went after Piccolo so much that he chucked his cape and turban just to keep up with me.
If he has to ditch his heavy gear for a fight, it's serious. Wow, I must be improving!
"Enough." Piccolo stated calmly when a surprise mouth-blast knocked me into the grass. "We've been at this for almost six hours now. You can't go on like this, Cyndi."
I slammed my dirty fists down in the grass. "No! It's not enough! FIGHT ME!"
The Namek growled and lifted me by the back of my shirt. He sported several bruises of his own, thanks to me. "You have to rest some of the time if you want to get stronger. Give your energy time to come back up."
"Well I'm not ready to rest yet, dammit! If getting beat up makes me stronger, do it!"
Piccolo narrowed his dark eyes and pulled me up higher. He spun around, flinging me sideways into Vegeta's gravity room. CLANG! The cold metal felt like a giant fist slamming into my back. Amazing how it didn't explode or tip over, I guess my low body-weight makes a smaller impact.
"Now let's see if you can get up." He crossed his arms, spat on the ground and waited.
I was underwater. Not really, but it sure felt like it. My sluggish body weighed a ton. I tasted a coppery substance on the back of my tongue. Blood mixed with sweat and tears. My aching muscles trembled. Laying there would've been so easy...but I can't quit. Not when I know Void is intentionally seeking out and hurting people I care about.
Despite my body's protests, I forced my hands flat. Pushed up with my arms. Then my legs. Piccolo gave me a you-lost-your-mind! look. He probably wondered where I kept getting it from. I wasn't sure myself. Normally I'd just keel over and be done with it. All I could think about was becoming more powerful.
My knees wobbled. I had enough for one more round.
"Get ready."
I charged full-speed at Piccolo's midsection. Piccolo widened his stance instantly. I was so exhausted that when I punched him, it was barely a tap. Might as well hit him with a wet noodle for all the difference it made.
I didn't give up. My poor body did. I flopped down against Piccolo's long legs, clutching his ankles. Tears of frustration poured down my cheeks. "Dammit...not enough!"
Piccolo's toes flexed inside his brown shoes. He slid down into a sitting position and helped me seat myself against an outer edge of the gravity room. "You've had enough. If you're not going to set limits on yourself, then I will. Settle down. We'll get Void, don't you worry. But you can't beat her if your mind and body are exhausted."
There was a soft popping noise. I rolled my eyes towards Piccolo and saw him sipping from his brown flask. He only swallowed twice. I counted the movements of his Adam's apple to be sure. Then he offered it to me. My fingers brushed his as I accepted and drank furiously. Piccolo didn't complain. Not even when I drank every last drop in the wooden, pear-shaped canteen. It held two pints of water and I just chugged it down like nothing.
"Sorry, got a little thirsty," I mumbled, handing the flask back to its owner.
"Bah. Don't worry about it. I can always get more later." Piccolo turned his head towards the eastern horizon, which showed faint shades of purple and pale blue. His neck seemed long and graceful now that his cape wasn't there to obscure it from view. "Sun's coming up."
Something about how the brightening sky outlined him reminded me of how I saw him in my dream. The sun appeared to rise right under his chin.
Piccolo's salty, sweaty scent drove me crazy. Maybe it just excites me because I'm attracted to him. I leaned closer and inhaled deeply. Smelling wasn't enough. I climbed to my knees, clutched his shoulder and kissed his taut-skinned neck. Tasting of his green Namekian flesh.
He grunted and gave me a sharp look. Probably wondering why I go after him when I know it doesn't affect him. The thing is - it didn't matter. I nudged my face up between his cheek and shoulder and settled down in his lap. Piccolo rumbled wordlessly, but let me stay. He was easier to hug when he wasn't wearing his heavy gear.
I slipped my fingers just inside his plunging gi neckline and rubbed his sculpted pecs. His sweat made them a little slick. Piccolo's chest muscles twitched under my fingertips. He caught my hand by the wrist.
"That tickles," he said in his usual, terse way, his deep voice rumbling right into my ear.
"I'd tickle you all over if I wasn't so tired." I replied. Looking back to the sunrise, I went on, "Geez, this reminds me of a lame fanfic I wrote ages ago. I think you read it right after we first met, while I was sleeping. Where The Sun Rises, remember it? God, what a Mary Sue."
"I thought the girl's name was Agnes."
"It was..." I giggled, "Mary Sue is the term people use for characters who are so perfect or so angsty that they, you know, become annoying. I guess everyone writes one sometime. But I also wrote that story before I really knew everything there is to know about you. Besides," I walked two fingers up his chest and flicked his pointed chin lightly, "There's still so much to learn. You're a funny guy, Piccolo. Just when I think I've seen it all, you reveal more."
"Hm."
"But I like it that way."
Piccolo didn't answer me. I noticed his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His heartbeat maintained a gentle cadence. I picked my head up and discovered he was fast asleep. He had his head back against the metal wall, his handsome, slightly-smiling face completely relaxed. Aw, I guess he was as drained as I am.
I could've easily stayed there and gone to sleep too. But rest wasn't on my agenda.
My eyes landed right on the gravity room. Nobody would mind if I used it for a little while, would they? Vegeta wasn't up yet and Piccolo just clocked out for the next hour or so.
Every inch of me was sore. Even my hair and toenails. Hell, even my medic-alert bracelet hurt!
Determination toughened me up.
I forced myself to climb from Piccolo's lap. Giving him a quick, light kiss on the forehead, I tip-toed around to the door of the gravity room. It can't be too complicated, I've seen Vegeta work it on TV.
One thing a television screen doesn't show is the size of this thing. Vegeta's gravity room is as tall as a two-story house and big enough around to block the side-street in front of my house. Inside...well...someone could easily live in there and throw a small party without worrying about space.
Very little light came inside, save for that which came through the windows and the open door. My heart squeezed in on itself. No telling what Vegeta might do if he caught me in here. The desire for more power overrode my fear. I heaved myself inside, pulling the door quietly shut behind me. There went most of the light, but my eyes adjusted quickly to the dimness. No turning back now.
The control panel was just as I remembered it. I pressed the red button and a digital number one appeared. Normal gravity. Okay, good. I turned it up to ten and felt the same heaviness Piccolo and I experienced in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Ten times normal gravity wasn't enough. I wanted a workout.
So I stupidly turned it up to one-hundred. Thinking I'd just start high and work my way up.
Fat chance.
Suddenly I felt like I was riding a Gravitron from Hell at the fair. The hard metal floor introduced itself to my forehead in the rudest way possible. Owww, that hurt! Dammit! If Vegeta can do three-hundred times normal gravity then surely I can manage a measly one-hundred! I was a Saiyajin!
God only knows how long I lay pinned under the invisible weight. Letting my body-systems adjust. I was comfortable as long as I didn't move.
I laid my palms flat and forced my arms straight. Then I curled my knees under my stomach, pushing myself up onto my hands and knees. My thin limbs quivered with the effort. I clenched my teeth. Brought my knees further forward so my feet touched down. Burning muscles tormented each movement. I ignored them and forced my legs to move again. Inch by trembling inch, I straightened until I was standing upright. I could feel the floor trying to suck my knees out from under me.
I was standing in one-hundred times normal gravity!
Believers, feel free to laugh at me if you want. I walked just like chibi Trunks before he surprised Vegeta by going Super Saiyajin. Even did several laps around the gravity machine. How long would it take me to get used to this gravity? RIGHT NOW would be nice.
Half an hour was spent just walking. Exhaustion didn't even begin to describe how I felt. My muscles went numb, I didn't feel the burn anymore. It actually felt good after a while. One thing I didn't consider though...the strong gravity pulled the blood away from my head just like a centrifuge. I was probably feeling the effects of endorphins, the body's natural painkillers.
I stopped counting my laps after one-hundred. Somewhere in there, the slow walk became more of a power-walk. I was sweating profusely, dizzy and gasping. But I felt GREAT! Maybe that came from the endorphins too.
My peripheral vision disappeared. I saw everything like I was looking through binoculars without the magnification. It made me laugh stupidly and keep on moving. I felt sick to my stomach. My eyesight shrank more, now I was looking down an empty toilet paper tube. More walking, giggling and huffing, too out of it to be frightened. Pretty soon I saw only a pinprick. I was outside myself, watching my body stagger.
And then I hit the floor. Darkness rushed up and carried me away.
Somewhere in the distance I saw a golden ball of light. I heard an Oozaru roar and sensed the power transforming into it unleashed. It was so close, yet I couldn't reach it! Void's shadowy face loomed above it all, her silver eyes gleaming eerily.
Laying supine on the floor allowed the blood to rush back to my head. In a few moments I saw clearly again. The pain in my muscles made itself horribly apparent. I knew the burn meant I was getting the workout I needed. If I managed another hundred laps, I'd be ready to try something more drastic.
All at once, daylight flooded the gravity room. "What in the - this is MY gravity room! Get out of here!"
Ah, shit! Busted!
Heavy footsteps swept past me and approached the gravity machine. The intense force pressing down on me slowly disappeared. More footsteps. This time Vegeta's white boots planted themselves right in front of my face.
I mumbled, "Just a few more minutes, I don't wanna go to school..."
"Get up!" Vegeta kicked me square in the forehead. I flew backwards and smashed into the opposite wall. A move that finally shook away the grogginess.
"Oww!" I rubbed the throbbing spot on my forehead, "Why'd you have to go do that?!"
The Saiyajin Prince looked at me like a piece of dung he'd scrape off his boot. Years of living on Earth and being a father still didn't quell the malice in his stony gaze. "This is MY gravity room. Nobody uses it without my permission. And you certainly don't have it." He pointed to the open door, "Now get out!"
A third party joined the ruckus. "What is going on here?!"
"Let me handle this, Piccolo!"
Vegeta fumed, "For the last time...GET OUT! Both of you!"
I tightened my belly muscles and screamed, "ENOUGH!!" With that shout came a blue-white aura of gigantic proportions. It just blasted out of me and spanned the entire room, blowing Piccolo back out the door and Vegeta into the wall behind him. My hair blew straight up and my clothes rustled. Gold flecks raced through the energy swirling around me. I struggled to hang onto it, but I was too tired.
The aura evaporated back into my being. I'd almost touched the power I saw in my half-conscious state earlier. So freaking close!
"Oh...damn." I stared at my hands. "I think I need to take my medicine right about now, before I get too hyper. Uh..."
That's the last thing I remember
before I passed out from exhaustion.
Vegeta's harsh voice reached me from far off. "...and I found her laying on the floor with the machine up to one-hundred-fifty times normal gravity! It was about to go up again when I turned it off. There's not telling how long she'd been in there. Then she turns around, blasts us both with a huge show of power and passes out! Now where have YOU been all this time?"
"Excuse me, your Highness! I got stuck doing a seminar in Gingertown. I thought I told you that!" Bulma snarled back, "Now what's this about consciousness?"
I faded back out again.
More voices again, this time hushed.
"Oh, you're up," whispered Piccolo from very close by. Probably standing over the bed or leaning against the wall.
Freeza's distinctive alto rasp answered him, "Yeah, my blood count's back up so I decided to get outta bed and get myself some grub. I'm not a 'undred percent yet, but I can't stand to sit on my arse in bed anymore either. I missed some action, didn't I? Bloody 'ell. Sleep for an arvo and an evo and you miss everythin'!" Then a crunch as he bit into an apple. Mm, my nose told me it was a sweet one. "Poor thin'. She probably drained all 'er power. Little battler."
Piccolo let out his breath. "Doesn't surprise me. First she transforms at the full moon, then demands I train her until she can't stand up, and then Vegeta found her in the gravity room with the machine up on an insane setting. Her power is way higher than before, though, which doesn't surprise me too much."
Tired of listening to them jabber about me, I moaned, "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"
"Gah! Well good arvo to you too!" Freeza clutched the apple with his mouth, hopped onto the foot of the bed and jiggled it to make sure I stayed awake. He was wearing the same shorts I first saw him in, but he'd put on a purple T-shirt with Ice, Ice, Baby written on the front. I found that funny. "Lollin' 'round in bed won't make you stronger, 'luv." He didn't stop bouncing the mattress until I sat up and grabbed the apple away from him.
"I'm awake!" I took a bite, then handed it back. "Sometimes, Freeza, I swear you're like the annoying little brother I never had."
Freeza stole his food back. He grinned toothily, "Cathy always says I'm an oversized ankle-biter."
"You wouldn't know that with the way you were on Namek. All patient, calculating and quiet."
"Don't forget, that wasn't really me." More crunching, "This is."
I giggled and pointed at the Icejin, "You're lucky you're cute, or I wouldn't have liked you while you were evil. You were the only villain I actually sympathized with."
"Oy!" Freeza's whole face darkened to an adorable purplish-pink hue. He flopped down on the mattress between me and the wall and demolished another chunk of his apple.
Piccolo let out a HUGE snort from his spot by the wall. His shoulders trembled with silent laughter. I gave the green man an odd look, but he just shook his head as if to say 'nevermind'. I guess I'll have to wait until we're alone and ask him why he thought my comment was so funny.
Reaching over to dig my knuckles playfully into Freeza's ribs, I asked, "So you guys sat here and waited for me to get up? How long was I out?"
"I just got 'ere a few ticks ag-ACK!" He wiggled away, "But Piccolo probably didn't move once 'e planted 'is bum by the wall."
"Figures." I glanced over at Piccolo's stoic expression. His cheeks were a little purple, but otherwise he seemed just as severe and serious as ever.
"You slept for eight hours, kid. It's two in the afternoon." Piccolo commented flatly. I finally noticed he'd cleaned himself up and materialized a new cape and turban.
An awkward silence settled. Well, it got quiet when Freeza finished off his apple and tossed the core into a trash bin by the door. None of us could think of a single thing to talk about. I struggled for something worth discussing. Nothing came to mind. Frustrating as hell, most people who don't know me well take this as a lack of interest and go find someone else to talk to.
Finally, Piccolo pushed off from the wall. "Freeza, we'll wait one more day so your strength can return. Eat whatever foods that help you produce more blood cells. Rest and save your strength. The same goes for you," he looked pointedly at me, "Only light exercise, if any at all."
Great, that put a damper on my day. I wanted to train hard.
"Aw, come on!"
He snarled at me, "No. We can't afford to wait any more!"
That shut me up. Freeza remained pensively quiet with an arm draped over his eyes. He finally spoke up, "So 'ow are we gonna go after Void?"
Piccolo's gaze shifted to the Icejin, "Vegeta is discussing our next course of action with Bulma. If all works out, her and a few medical professionals will artificially place us under anesthesia, getting us as close to death as possible without actually killing us, and monitor our conditions closely. It'll put us on the same wavelength as Void. Hopefully we'll get her before her power goes beyond what we can reach."
"And if she does?" I cut in, "Then what?"
"...I don't know."
Freeza took his arm off his face and sat up. His clear, ruby-red eyes and doll-like face held the same fierceness I saw when Void made him evil. An eerie change. "We're all rooted, that's what."
My stomach chose that moment to speak up. Everybody sweatdropped.
Piccolo gave me a knowing smile, "Go eat. I'm not going anywhere."
"Sure," I didn't smile back this time, apprehension about tomorrow wouldn't let me. "What time should we be ready tomorrow?"
"Hm..." He held his chin between thumb and forefinger. Glancing up, he concluded, "Ten o'clock sharp sounds good to me, since you like to sleep late."
"Okay, cool I - "
Freeza's raspy voice cut me off, "Will you 'urry up? I'm still 'ungry too, ya know!"
I stuck my tongue out at him. He pulled his lower lid down and stuck his tongue out right back at me. Piccolo just rolled his eyes at us.
"Sometimes I wonder why I
put up with you two..."
Delicious scents of meat and macaroni wafted from the kitchen to my nose. I seated myself at a shady part of the table, avoiding the sunlight shining through the window. Whatever was cooking smelled delicious, it made my stomach whine even more than before. I could tell exactly which ingredients were being used - onions, flour, salt, beef, steak and others that I don't know the names of. I also identified the scents of pumpkin and pepper.
Thing is...Mrs. Briefs wasn't cooking.
Freeza finished mixing whatever he was putting together and left it to simmer. He placed a pie tin on the countertop near the stove, wiped his hands on a towel and glanced over my way, "Now we'll just let that sit for a tick. I promise it'll be the best meat pie you'll ever sink your ivories into."
"I never had a meat pie before." I rested my chin on my fist and watched him stir the macaroni. Freeza cooking, I never imagined him doing such a thing! Once he figured out where everything was in the kitchen...there was no stopping him.
"Ah, give it a go."
I laughed, "I will, I'm hungry enough to eat a house."
He grinned toothily, facing the stove again to check whatever was boiling in the biggest pot. A huge column of steam rose when he lifted the lid. More yummy scents. My stomach gurgled louder.
"'ow 'bout I make you some sangers to take the edge off that? I can whip a few up in a jiffy. This meal is gonna take a bit and I know it's torture to your 'ungry tummy."
This is what I love about having a Saiyajin appetite, the ability to eat and not stuff myself before the actual meal. Usually I skip or barely nibble on entrees because they ruin my fickle appetite.
"Sure."
Another smile pulled at Freeza's black lips, "What kinda salad dressin' do ya like?"
"Thousand islands."
He opened the fridge with his tail, grabbed the jar and tossed it over his shoulder, catching it in his left hand. Did it again for the cheese, then he shoved the door shut.
'Sangers', it turned out, was an Aussie term for 'sandwiches'. Freeza pulled two slices of bread out and smeared the dressing on. He slapped a slice of cheese onto each and folded everything over into two half-sandwiches. Thousand islands dressing and cheese...never heard of that combination before.
"Little Lexy loves these." Freeza came out and handed the sandwiches to me, "My own personal version of good ol' cheese sangers."
They certainly smelled good. I bit into one. The tangy dressing and cheese tastes complimented each other very well! "Mmmm!" I stuffed the rest into my mouth. "You should patent this!"
"Bah," huffed the Icejin, putting his hands on his hips. I still can't get over how tiny he is in his first form! The top of his head barely reached my chin and I'm five-foot-one!
The sandwiches took the edge off my appetite. Or at least enough that I didn't feel like I was dying of hunger. I slurped the bits of dressing off my fingers and dug in my pocket for the Capsule containing my backpack(yes, Piccolo even brought that back!). "I'm gonna put some music on, I'm bored."
"Whatcha' got?"
"Uh..." I poofed my backpack into existence, dug around and produced my blue CD booklet. Flipping it open, I cycled through the few CDs I had with me, "Um...Heart, Stevie Nicks, Enya, Enigma, Richard Marx and Celine Dion."
"Put Stevie on, 'luv. She's the only one in that list I actually like."
Hm, Freeza and I didn't share many musical interests. At least he liked my favorite! "I'll put it on the stereo over there, better sound. My little discman speakers make it come out all tinny."
Figuring out the stereo system was surprisingly easy. It was much like my mom's, just with more buttons and dials that I didn't dare touch. I pushed the button for CDs, dropped the disc in and hit PLAY. Then I fast-forwarded to track five, Stand Back. The familiar drum-beat and synthesizer sounds popped up in lifelike clarity.
"This is one of the coolest songs of all time!"
"Cher's pretty good too. Too bad she quit tourin', I woulda gone to see 'er."
"Yeah."
Freeza listened to the music a bit. He started tapping his toes with the beat. A mischievous gleam flickered through his red eyes, "Did you 'appen to learn 'ow to dance since we last met?"
I felt my face heat up. "Uh...no."
"Hm, this is the wron' music...ah what the 'ell. I learned a few steps Down Under."
"Oh?"
Freeza nodded his armored head, grinned and jumped clear over me. He did a flip and landed on his feet right in the open area in the spacious living room. "C'mon 'luv, don't be shy. Put on the track before this. Talk To Me 'as the best beat for this."
"Okay." I did what he said, making sure I messed with the dials just enough to create a delay before the actual music started. Joined him in the living room without a clue of what to expect.
The Icejin stepped really close, took my right hand and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me up against his chest. He blushed a bit, smiled and chuckled, "Eh, I'm not tryin' to get fresh with you, honest! You gotta stand close to do this."
His comment made me giggle, "No problem. I have an open mind. Besides, you're married."
A corner of Freeza's delicate mouth curled upwards. Mischief still shone in his red eyes. "Now jus' follow me, 'kay? We're gonna go this way first...keep your steps light."
Freeza started moving before I was completely ready. I looked down at our feet and followed his sideways steps. Thankfully I didn't step on his toes at all, even if I almost tripped myself once. I got the hang of it pretty quick. This was easy! "Hey Freeza, this isn't too hard!"
"Heh, heh! 'kay, then give this a burl. Don't get dizzy!"
"Huh?"
His grin gave the only hint. Next thing I knew we were twirling each other around and around. Like a waltz, but faster. Call me a dunce, but I didn't have a clue what dance he was making me do. Freeza stopped our rapid motion and went back to walking again. A sharp turn, four twirls and more light steps.
I got the hang of it enough that I didn't stumble. It turns out Freeza and I were following the rhythm of Stevie's singing, not the background music. Freeza pulled me a different direction every time a phrase ended.
Twirl! Walk...step, twirl again! "Haha! I think I've got it!"
"Now stop lookin' at your feet, 'luv!"
Step! Turn!
"Pfft!"
Just when I was really getting on a roll, the song started winding down. Freeza went for the big finish by dipping me. I threw an arm up in the air just to be silly. He stood me up again, touched the back of his head and flashed a huge grin, "That was bonzer for a beginner."
"Thanks!" My face grew hot again, "Uh, what dance did we just do?"
"Oh..." Freeza hopped over and snatched a thornless red rose from the vase by the window. He clutched it in his teeth, did a few stomping steps, snapped his fingers and bowed gracefully. "Nothin' much. A bit of the Tango. Cathy's a dance teacher, she taught me a few moves." He stared dreamily into space, smiling, "She's won four competitions. I love watchin' her move, what a beaut. That pretty red braid swingin' 'round..."
God, I knew that look all too well, I stare at Piccolo the same way. If love is a sickness, then lets hope it turns into a universal epidemic.
Ding!
Freeza dropped the rose and raced into the kitchen. "Crikey, it's 'bout done! I gotta 'urry before it burns! Grab a chair, 'ere comes yer grub!"
The chair found my butt faster than you can blink. My briefly-forgotten hunger returned ten times worse. I actually eyed Freeza's tail and began to wonder what it tasted like!
A few moments later I was staring down at a huge pastry that smelled like beef and steak with ketchup spread over the top. Next to it was orange pumpkin soup with some parsley floating on the surface. On the side I had a huge helping of macaroni and vegetables. All of which looked absolutely delicious. My mouth didn't water - it flooded.
Freeza piled the pots and pans up in the dishwasher. "Meat pies are bloody good. Dig in!"
Dig in is an understatement. I forced myself to eat slowly just so I could actually taste everything. Let me tell you, that juicy meat pie, the mild soup, even the macaroni and vegetables were all very tasty. I savored every bite, right down to the last crumbs left on my plate. Freeza waited nervously off to the side, clutching a towel hopefully while I ate. He sagged in relief when, after finishing what he offered, I gave him two thumbs up. That finally enticed him to sit down and eat his portion.
"Any soup left?"
"Yeah, I'll get some more for you."
I had four more bowls of the stuff. Probably could've eaten more, but there wasn't any left after the fourth bowl. I mean, I devoured everything except for the containers and silverware. I washed it all down with a can of soda that tasted exactly like Pepsi.
"Whew, that hit the spot!" I patted my stomach contentedly. Freeza just smiled to himself as he picked up my dishes. He piled them into the dishwasher with the pots and pans. Such a MAN THING, leave a mess for the ladies to clean up! Poor Mrs. Briefs, she must spend hours washing all the plates, bowls and platters Vegeta leaves behind.
Of course, I'm no better. I didn't bother washing anything either!
Instead, I leaned back in my chair and stretched, "Hey Freeza?"
"Ay?"
I smiled, "Did Cathy ever teach you the waltz?"
"Sure! Waltz is easy! Me and Cathy did it for our first weddin' dance!" Freeza grabbed me up into a similar position for the Tango, only the steps were a lot easier. He swept me right across the kitchen and into the living room. Right in perfect rhythm with Stevie's beautiful Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You ballad. I got this warm, gooey feeling in my stomach. Part embarrassment for having two left feet and part elation because it was a lot of fun. We probably circled the living room a hundred times. Then the song ended and Freeza dipped me, looking quite pleased with himself. He waltzed way better than he tango-ed.
The door banged shut and Vegeta's footsteps plodded through the kitchen. He saw Freeza and I in our silly finishing pose. A thick eyebrow went up.
"What in the world are you two doing?"
Freeza stood me up, snickering to himself. I wiped my nose with my index finger and laughed, "The waltz! It's fun! C'mon!"
Call me crazy if you want. I actually grabbed Vegeta and danced him around the room a few times. He didn't like it one bit!
Vegeta opened his eyes wide at my audacity. "What the - get off me!" He wrenched himself free and scooted across the room, glaring daggers at me. Then he turned his nose up, spinning around to enter the kitchen again. The fridge creaked open. His muffled voice boomed, "I don't have time to deal with you two fools right n - HEY!" Vegeta jerked his head up, "Who stole all the beef?!"
"Not meeee..." Rolling his eyes upwards, Freeza whistled innocently with his hands behind his back. He looked at me. I looked back at him. We promptly scrambled out of the living room, falling over each other in our haste. The two of us crashed into the room where Piccolo still sat and slammed the door. Then we fell against it and cracked up. Freeza held his fist out. I smacked mine down on top of it and he did the same to mine.
Piccolo opened one eye, "Do I want to know?"
Me and Freeza both shouted,
"NO!" and went right back to laughing like a couple of morons.
Sleep didn't come easily to me that night. I spent the longest time rocking in place, clutching my blue Rosary beads and praying silently. Praying that Piccolo, Vegeta, Freeza and myself would come out of this alive. Praying that everyone Void absorbed will keep fighting for freedom. Praying that you, the Believers, stay strong.
A large, strong hand reached out in the darkness and clasped my shoulder. The deep voice belonging to it followed, "Can't sleep either?"
I kept my voice low so it wouldn't wake Freeza up, "I guess not."
Piccolo's clothing rustled. In the darkness I just made out his outline turning over to face me. He wasn't wearing his weighted gear if he was laying on his side. I immediately scooted closer. Fitted my head up under his chin and draped a leg over his hip. Piccolo didn't protest. He just lifted his right arm to accommodate me, then draped it over my waist and rested his hand flat against my back.
Lying close to him gave me comfort. Piccolo can always protect me.
"It's okay to be a little scared." He rumbled across my hair, "Hey, would you like to go see your parents before we battle Void?"
I thought about it for a moment. "No...if I do I won't want to leave them." It was one of the hardest decisions I ever made. I'd break down if I saw them, I can't afford to lose it now. "You know, it's funny, my dad and I always sit and talk before he goes to sleep at night. When I was little he'd make up stories about characters on TV or from the movies. It always put me to sleep."
Piccolo rumbled a soft laugh. It made me feel warm inside, knowing he lets himself show more emotion than usual around me when we're alone. He's really a great guy. And I love him to death.
The brief conversation was
enough to relax me. Piccolo's even breathing suggested he'd finally fallen
asleep. I pressed my lips to his shoulder, the only part of him I could
reach without waking him up. Then I closed my eyes and hoped sleep would
find me too.
We all ate breakfast together...except for Piccolo of course. Nobody talked much, there were no dirty looks, no laughing and no food-stealing. Probably the only long discussion we had involved what setting we'd picture when we went under. Everyone agreed to picture Namek - a place we've all seen and are semi-familiar with. The bright colors would also make Void easier to spot.
Vegeta had already dressed himself in his sleeveless, black spandex bodysuit. Freeza and Piccolo just wore their normal clothes. I have a feeling that Freeza won't have to worry about clothing once he's under. And what was I wearing? Just an oversized DBZ T-shirt and pajama shorts, I wasn't dressed yet.
I took my morning pill and spoke up, "Hey Vegeta, have any extra bodysuits?"
The Saiyajin prince chewed noisily on a bacon strip. "Maybe."
"Can I borrow one?"
"Maybe." That seemed like the only word in his vocabulary at the moment.
Time to break the tension. "Is 'maybe' all you can say?"
He looked me square in the eyes with a perfectly straight face, "Maybe."
Freeza almost choked on his orange juice. He coughed to cover up his laughing and resumed his breakfast. I smiled over at him. He really is like a big freaking kid. That's a good thing.
My stomach was too knotted up to accept very much. I only managed one stack of waffles, two strips of bacon and a glass of milk. I left the table a little rudely and headed into the bathroom. If I was gonna die in this fight, I'd rather not have poop on myself and smell like B.O., so I sat on the pot for ten minutes, then took a very hot shower. Washed myself from head to toe three times.
Ki came in handy for drying off, I didn't even need the towel. I just threw on my underwear and grabbed a towel to cover up for my trip down the hall.
Suddenly the door opened a crack. A small black object was flung through. "Just push your legs in and pull it up. It's an older one, but it's still wearable," Vegeta's rough voice instructed me. The door slammed shut again with a bang that made me jump.
"Thanks!" I yelled, even though Vegeta was probably long gone.
The bodysuit felt like the same material as a bathing suit. And boy did it stretch. No matter what way I pulled it, the material snapped right back to its original shape. Cool!
I scrunched the bodysuit up and pulled it on like pantyhose, only it went higher than my waist. Getting it un-twisted so I could get my arms into the long sleeves was the hardest part. But I did it! I finally unfurled the last piece that clung tightly to my neck. The material hugged every curve of my body like a second skin. The closest to being naked and still covered.. My mom would demand I put a bra on if she saw me in this thing. But I didn't want falling-down straps bothering me. Besides, you'd see an outline of the bra through it and I don't wanna look stupid!
Okay, now that I've got that settled, I donned my black sweats and matching tennis-shoes. Combed my hair without trying to tame it, hoping I'd look meaner. Lastly, I put on my make-up. Still using the Stevie Nicks-style, but this time I smoked my eyes with black, fading to gray. Outlined them with black eyeliner and mascara. Minimal blush, just enough to accent my cheekbones. And the darkest red lipstick I owned - Black Cherry. Oh boy, my dad would freak if he saw me like this on any day other than Halloween.
I surveyed myself in the mirror. The dark eyeshadow and lipstick contrasted with my pale skin. An almost gothic look - minus the dyed-black hair. This style of makeup might not have worked if my eyes stayed blue, but they'd turned to Saiyajin black. Only my hair-color remained unchanged. I barely recognized myself.
Let's just hope I start feeling as fierce as I look.
Tightening my fist, I threw a mock punch at the mirror. Then I flung the door open and stepped out. Vegeta was standing there with his arms crossed, scowling. Waiting to see if I measured up as a warrior or not, I'm sure. A faint upwards curl of his mouth hinted at his approval. Piccolo and Freeza joined him. They eyeballed me oddly, but didn't say anything about my new look.
Piccolo spoke first, "Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Well then, mates, let's do it." Freeza stuck his hand out.
I put my hand on top of Freeza's, "Let's go save some dreams."
Piccolo placed his hand on top of mine, "We can do this."
The three of us looked over at Vegeta. He dropped his arms, sneered and slapped his hand down across Piccolo's knuckles. "We will not be conquered."
Then we separated and started the long walk down the corridor like a group of astronauts walking out to the shuttle. Piccolo, Freeza, myself and Vegeta. All of us wearing game-faces to cover up the apprehension. I felt like a convict being lead to execution. My heart wouldn't stop pounding, the saliva in my mouth dried up and my stomach knotted itself tighter. Moisture prickled up in my armpits and on the back of my neck. Nervous didn't begin to describe how I felt. Yet, at the same time, I felt a rush of exhilaration. Knowing I was about to fight something way stronger than I am seemed...exciting.
All the training. All the struggling. All the preparation. We're about to find out if it was enough.
Knock, knock, Void. Ready or not, here we come.
Believers, are you ready to rumble?