Time for another round of "beat up the Goku!" (Goku-honey, I'm sorry!)
I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. No money is being made, though some fun is being had.
**sentences like this are telepathic** **************************************************************************** ** Battle of the Heart by NansJns
Ch. 4
Chi-Chi sighed softly as she rolled over in the large bed. Sunlight flowed through the window to disturb her slumber, and she reached out to feel for Goku. It wasn't until she realized the bed was empty except for her that she opened her eyes. ((Did Goku get up early to train?)) she started to wonder, and then jerked fully awake as she took in her surroundings.
"W-What the hell?! Where am I? This isn't my room!" she said as she bolted upright in the bed. She then looked down at herself. "And this isn't my nightgown! Who undressed me? What is going on-?!" Chi-Chi's angry tirade was brought to an abrupt halt by the screaming silence of the bond, which in turn forced her memory back into the previous night. "Oh- oh, Kami. . . Davin! I remember now. . .he must've. . .by why was I asleep? Goku?" Chi-Chi shuddered at the thought that Davin could make her go to sleep at will, and undressed her while she was unconscious. **Goku? Goku, where are you? Please, answer! I don't want to be alone here!** she called to her husband through the bond, only to be answered by the same cold silence that was tormenting him. She tried again, and again, but nothing happened. The bond was cold and empty, Goku wasn't there. Frightened, she pulled her knees up to her chest and started taking slow breaths. Her stomach was twisting into knots, and she could feel a cool sweat break out across her skin. What was Davin going to do to her? What would he make her do? She could beat the hell out of him any day of the week, but who knew how much he could do with his dark magic. If he could freeze time, there probably wasn't much else he couldn't do.
"Mistress Chi-Chi?" a feminine voice suddenly said, and Chi-Chi leapt off the bed, ready to fend off whoever it was. An elf girl, a few inches shorter than Chi-Chi, stood in the doorway, holding a tray of food. She had long, soft silver-blue hair in a high ponytail, wide brown eyes, and a delicate, high-boned face. Her unusual hands each had only three fingers and a thumb, and her ears were almost as big and pointy as Piccolo's. She was wearing a loose, sleeveless white dress with a belt cinching it in at her waist line, and a skirt that stopped a few inches above her ankles. "I've brought your breakfast," the elf girl said.
"_Mistress_? _Breakfast_?" Chi-Chi blinked in surprise, then screwed up her face in anger. "Where am I? Who are you? Where's Davin?" she demanded.
"This is Master Davin's palace, and my name is Lilith," the elf girl answered gently. "Master Davin is still asleep in his room, last night's magic drained him a great deal."
"Then now's my chance to get out of here. I don't know what he may have told you about me, but I've been kidnapped! So don't try to stop me!" Chi-Chi answered, and quickly pushed past Lilith to get into the hallway.
"Wait, you can't!" Lilith called after her.
"Watch me!" Chi-Chi snapped back as she started running down the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom floor she was panting a little from the exertion, and she looked back up at the tall stair case in wonder. "How much room does he need?" she muttered, then turned her mind back to escaping this gilded prison. Lilith was right behind her, and she ran to the front door.
"You can't--!" Lilith tried again as Chi-Chi grabbed the doorknob. Chi-Chi ignored her protests and flung the door open and ran through - only to find herself right back on the ground floor of Davin's palace.
"Wh-what?" Chi-Chi gasped.
"I tried to tell you," Lilith said, her eyes sad. "There's a spell on this whole place. The only one who can come and go freely is Davin himself. We, his 'servants'," she scowled at the word, "are only allowed out into the garden at certain times of the day to tend it. Otherwise, we're just as imprisoned here as you are."
"Tried to run away, did she?" inquired a new female voice, and Chi- Chi turned to see two more elf girls walk up to join them. One was her height, with long gold hair tied loosely back, green eyes, and swarthy skin. The other was a bit shorter than Lilith, with flaming red hair, yellow eyes, and peach colored skin. "Welcome to our nightmare, 'Mistress' Chi-Chi," said the tall blonde elf. "I'm Aume."
"And I'm Maruberu," added the flame-haired elf.
"What is going _on_ here?!" Chi-Chi screamed, her patience gone. The bond's silence was unnerving her; she felt cold and small without Goku's presence in her mind. "And where _is_ here?!" The elves looked at her with pity in their eyes.
"This place," Aume said, with a wave of her hand to indicate more than just the palace, "was built entirely out of magic. It's an entire world unto itself, closed off from the normal world of your Earth." Chi- Chi gasped softly; now she knew why she couldn't feel Goku anymore.
"From what we know, Davin built it slowly over time. He then utilized an ancient spell to summon the three of us here about four months ago. It had been so long since any human had made contact with us elves, so we stuck around to talk. The next thing we knew, we were trapped here, and he was forcing us to work for him," Maruberu continued.
"Davin did all this for the simple purpose of bringing you here. He said as much last night when he brought you in," Lilith finished.
"Unbelievable! What the hell did he think this would accomplish?! If he thinks for one moment this is going to help him, he has another. . .ah. . .oh. . .help. . ." An enraged Chi-Chi was swinging into full vengeance mode, only to be suddenly hit by a huge dizzy spell and fall over. Lilith and Maruberu caught her in their arms, and began to carry her back to her room.
Davin watched as a soft light flowed into the large glass jar before him. He smiled tightly as he squeezed the jar's lid in his hand. The jar sat on the table by the cauldron, which was bubbling lightly and giving off a light of its own. He'd worked most of the night crafting new memories for her, memories that were completely devoid of Goku. He had re-written the fateful series of events when she went looking for Master Roshi for help to put out the fire of Frying Pan Mountain so that it would appear as if she did it all on her own. It would take time, though, for all of her real memories to drain away and be replaced by his new ones.
"It's working," he said with quiet resolution. "Within a few days, all of her memories of being with Goku will be gone, and all she'll remember is being here with me. . .as my betrothed since childhood, and whom she loves very much. I'll tell her she's been unwell for a few weeks, but she's recovered now, and our wedding will be held very soon." He let out a shaky sigh and put the jar's lid down. "Kami forgive me, I had to do this. It's the only way to make her understand she'll be happier with me than with him," he murmured quietly.
The elfin servants sat Chi-Chi down on her bed and brought her some water. Aume took one of the platters of food from the tray that Lilith had brought up earlier and offered it to Chi-Chi, who was moaning about being very dizzy.
"Here, maybe eating something will help. It could just be stress and low blood sugar," Aume said gently, and Chi-Chi nodded and reached for the offered food. She missed the first few times, but finally managed to grab the dish and fork. As she slowly ate, the elves watched her carefully.
**Do you see that light around her head?** Maruberu asked her friends.
**A spell's aura. Davin is up to something,** Lilith answered.
**Yes, but what?** Aume bit her lip. They were brought out of their telepathic conversation as they watched a bright tear sliding down Chi- Chi's face and falling off her chin.
"I want to go home," she whispered. "My family must be so scared! _I'm_ so scared!"
"Your. . ._family_?" Lilith echoed in disbelief.
"Yes! My family!" Chi-Chi turned eyes full of tears and fire on the elf girl. "I have a wonderful husband and two terrific sons! Davin stole me from them!" The elves stared at her in shock. "Is my purse anywhere around here?" she demanded, and a quick look showed her it was on a table by a vase of violets. Despite her dizziness, she jumped up to retrieve it, and hastily opened it up. A few moments of digging produced her wallet, which she quickly flipped open to reveal the most recent family portrait they'd had taken, about two weeks ago. "There! This is them!" she said as she pulled out the picture and offered it to them. Aume took the picture and studied it carefully. Lilith and Maruberu leaned in on either side of her to look at it as well. The dark-haired family in the photo smiled up at them happily; all of their faces were alight with a joy the camera couldn't completely hold.
"What is he thinking?" Aume whispered quietly to her companions.
"I've long suspected he was a little bit mad," Maruberu whispered in reply.
"Be careful what you say!" Lilith hissed. "He might hear!"
"Hear? Hear how? Isn't he a floor above us?" Chi-Chi snapped, too irritated to keep her voice down.
"He has spy spells in various places to keep an ear - and an eye - on us," Lilith explained. Chi-Chi paled at the thought.
"Remind me not to take a bath while I'm here," she mumbled under her breath.
"Good morning! Why are all three of you in here? Surely, it only takes _one_ of you to deliver a tray of breakfast!" Davin said as he appeared behind them in the doorway. The three elves jerked to attention and quickly bowed to him. This morning, he was sporting more normal attire in the form of slacks and a dress shirt.
"Of course, Master! But, uh. . ." Maruberu began to explain.
"The Mistress wasn't feeling well, and I needed assistance in helping her," Lilith finished for her friend.
"Oh, I see. Very well, then. You can all leave us now. You'll be summoned if you're needed further," Davin said calmly, and all three elves quickly left, as Aume tucked the picture into her belt. She had the oddest feeling it would be far safer on her person, somewhere Davin wouldn't think to look for it.
Chi-Chi scowled at Davin as she roughly wiped the tears from her eyes. Her infuriated look was met with one of barely contained happiness and excitement. In her mind, she was picturing all the ways she could bend him into a pretzel and then beat his face in for good measure.
"Even first thing in the morning, you look lovely," Davin said, reaching for her. She reacted by brutally slapping away his hand.
"Keep away from me, you bastard!" she snarled, getting off the bed so she could better defend herself. Her lightheadedness was making the room spin furiously, but she forced her feet to be planted and stable.
"Calm down, Chi-Chi! There's no need to get so angry! I just wanted some time with you so we could talk," Davin said in his most placating voice, moving forward again. Chi-Chi backed up in response.
"Take me home, Davin! My family must be worried about me!" Chi-Chi angrily cried at him. Davin's gray eyes flashed with displeasure at her resistance.
"Chi-Chi, if you'd just calm down. . ." Davin started, his voice becoming cold, and Chi-Chi dropped into a battle stance. Davin let out a small, tense sigh, stepped back, and took a few moments to quietly admire her nightgown-encased body, until his gaze fell on her bare shoulders. In the dim light of the previous evening, he'd dressed her in the nightgown, which had spaghetti straps. But, unlike the night before, the lighting was much better now, and he could see the exposed skin of her shoulders more clearly. The u-shaped scar on her shoulder seemed to leap out at him. "What is that?" he curiously asked.
"What is _what_?" Chi-Chi scowled suspiciously, thinking it was some sort of ruse.
"That," Davin answered, pointing directly at her shoulder. "That scar. How did you get it?" Chi-Chi blinked as she glanced down at her shoulder, unconsciously twisting her body to get a better look at it, and, at the same time, giving Davin a better look as well.
"Goku. . ." she said softly. The bond's silence seemed to grow louder in her mind as she looked at his mark on her. Davin's eyes widened as his face first paled and then flushed with anger.
"He _abuses_ you like that and yet you want to go back to him? Have you lost your mind?" Davin demanded sharply, advancing on her once more. Chi-Chi snapped her attention back to him and scowled.
"He doesn't abuse me!" she shouted.
"Oh? And I suppose that scar is the result of a 'love tap'?" Davin barked sarcastically in return.
"As a matter of fact, that scar _is_ from love!" Chi-Chi snapped back. "You idiot! You don't even know what Goku is! Goku is a Saiyan! Saiyans mark their chosen mates by biting them on the shoulder! It shows I'm his and his alone!" Chi-Chi squared up her shoulders with pride. "I've placed my mark on him as well!" Davin looked at her as though she were crazy.
"And what, pray tell, is a Saiyan?" he asked slowly.
"A Saiyan is a native of the planet Vegetasei," Chi-Chi answered. "Goku grew up on Earth, believing for most of his life that he was a human being, but he learned otherwise some years back. Now, Davin, take me home!"
"He's. . .not human?" Davin repeated, slowly digesting this new information.
"No, he's not," Chi-Chi shook her head. Davin started to say something else, but she cut him off. "It doesn't matter! He's still my husband, and we love each other!" Davin looked thoughtful for a moment.
"He had a tail as a child. . ." he said, recalling something he'd always thought was strange about Goku.
"Yes, all Saiyans have tails," Chi-Chi nodded, becoming exasperated. "And they can transform under the light of a full moon if their tails are intact. But that's not the point!" Davin turned on his heel suddenly and walked away from her towards the door.
"Get dressed, we'll talk more in a bit," he said in parting, shutting the door behind him. She scowled at the closed door for a second or two, but went to the closet anyway. After all, she couldn't go around in a nightgown. Flinging the closet doors wide, she found it was stuffed full of fancy gowns, far fancier than she'd ever think to wear on a daily basis. She frowned even more deeply.
"I am not playing dress up for him!" she hissed. "Where's the dress I was wearing last night?" She looked around the whole room carefully, but couldn't find it. Letting out a frustrated sigh, pulled the simplest dress from off the rack. As she stepped into the gown, she remembered to dress in haste, thinking about what the elves had said about Davin having spells to watch and listen to them. She wouldn't put it past that pervert to have set them in her room. The dizziness had lessened in intensity, but she was still feeling more than a little woozy.
Davin watched her from his own room for a few moments, quietly admiring her lean body as she pulled on the pale yellow dress, then shut the image down with a blush. ((I shouldn't,)) he thought, then grinned to himself. ((Soon enough, she'll willingly show herself to me.)) He paused as he thought of the scar on Chi-Chi's shoulder, and his face darkened. ((That will have to go, once I've gotten rid of enough of her old memories. I've seen a healing spell in the book that will erase even the oldest, deepest scars; undoing any damage as though it had never been. I can't believe. . .she'd believe his hurting her like that. . .was a show of _love_. . .)) But the look of sheer determination and pride on her face when she explained it to him, showed she believed it with total and unwavering conviction. He twitched at the sound of pages turning, and looked over his shoulder to see the book's pages flipping over by themselves, as if stirred by a light breeze. ((Yes. . .maybe I should tell her about you. . .)) he thought as he moved up to the book and held his hand out to stop its pages from moving. ((You're her responsibility, aren't you? Her birthright and curse. . .))
Chi-Chi stormed out of her room in the new dress, which had a snug top, long sleeves, and a long, loose skirt that reached her ankles. The only jewelry she wore was a pair of stud earrings. She couldn't find any of the things that she had on the night before, not even her shoes. She began to go downstairs again, glancing around, hoping to find a way out, (possibly though a window), when Davin's voice echoed down to her from above.
"Chi-Chi! Would you come up here for a moment, Dear?" Davin called down, as he leaned over the railing of the top-most floor. Chi-Chi glared back up at him.
"No, I won't, and _don't_ you ever call me _dear_! You have no right!" she snapped at him.
"Don't be like that, Sweetheart. I have something of importance to show you," Davin said, his voice calm, but his face cold. Chi-Chi growled in response.
"Don't call me "sweetheart" either! Only _Goku_ can call me that!" Chi-Chi snapped again, angered by his attempts at familiarity. "And what could you possibly have to show me?" She could think of a few things he'd want to "show" her in his room, and she wasn't about to fall for any of that!
"A book," Davin answered, his eyes getting that silvery glint again.
"A _book_?" Chi-Chi huffed, as she arched an eyebrow, and started to take another step down. Her foot never touched the next step. She floated right off the staircase, and up to the top floor, where she was set down beside Davin. Furious, she growled and made ready to hit him again, but he caught her wrist in a steely grip and pulled her into his room. "Davin, I swear to Kami, I'll kill you if you try. . ." Chi-Chi's rant died in a horrified gasp when she saw the ancient book sitting on the podium. Davin had made certain that the memory spell's components had been carefully moved into a place that was well out of sight. "The. . .the Ahdicionious?! How did you get that?! You haven't been using it, have you?!"
"Of course, I have! How else do you think I've been able to accomplish everything up to this point? Or how I built this place?" Davin said calmly, pulling her closer to the book.
"How did you get it?! Papa hid it so well!" Chi-Chi repeated, roughly pulling her arm out of his grip and retreating from the awful book. The feeling in the air surrounding it was so horrid; so cold and dark, that she didn't want to be anywhere near it.
"I ran errands for your family as a kid, remember? Only to be near you. One day, when I was fourteen, I saw the Ox-King take a painting off the wall, and push the wall in to reveal a secret passage. I was curious, and so I followed him inside. Down through the passage maze to the hidden room. Once there, I learned something very interesting," Davin turned to her with the strangest smile on his face. It was a little amused smile, colored with something else she couldn't place, and didn't want to. "He started the fire around your old castle to help safe guard the Ahdicionious. Did you know that?"
"Wh-what? He did that to protect all of our family treasures. . ." Chi-Chi shook her head.
"That's what he told everyone, but I heard him say in that room that he started the magic fire to keep this book safe, but this book somehow caused the fire to rage out of control. He hadn't used it's magic to create the fire, he used something else, but the Ahdicionious's magic fought against the original fire spell, overwhelmed it, and in turn, made it swallow the mountain," Davin explained, and Chi-Chi stared back at him in disbelief.
"So, why didn't he tell me this when he showed me the book and explained it to me?" Chi-Chi said, her head swimming as the dizziness increased.
"Probably too ashamed. At any rate, I made a point to remember where it was located,. . . discreetly borrowed the key to unlock the box, and began to study it in earnest. I've been learning from it for years, slowly building this place piece by piece as my power level allowed. Once I completed my palace five months ago, I moved in, and brought the book with me. I also made it a point to make an appearance in the village everyday, to keep people from wondering about me," Davin smiled at her then. "All for you. I made everything here, and learned this power, for you. . .my beloved Chi-Chi," he reached for her, but she backed up further.
"You _stole_ it," she corrected. "That book is extremely dangerous, Davin - that's why it was hidden in the first place!" she said, then her eyes widened. "This is why. . .you felt strange to me sometimes. . .it was the aura of the book, clinging to you. . . it's pure evil, Davin, can't you feel it?"
"_Evil_? Hardly! It's made, and will make, all of my dreams come true!" Davin said, and grabbed her shoulders roughly. "You'll understand soon enough. We'll be happy here. . .together!"
"Let me go!" Chi-Chi snarled low in her throat. Davin looked for a moment like he was going to kiss her, but her knee colliding with his gut stopped him dead in his tracks. He grabbed his stomach and fell to his knees as Chi-Chi turned and bolted from the room. She tore down the stairs at top speed, needing to put as much space between herself and Davin as she possibly could. Her pounding heart caused a heavy rush of blood to her head, which only worsened her dizziness. Three flights down she had to stop and rest for a moment to clear her head, but the knowledge that Davin was surely after her by now and was unquestionably insane kept her heart fluttering at a panicked level. Why was she so dizzy?! Why wouldn't it go away?! She desperately longed for Goku's warm embrace to make her feel safe again, but he wasn't there and he wouldn't find her any time soon. She had to get away from Davin on her own. ((This place is huge. . .surely I can find a room to hide in until I can think of a way to escape. . .)) she thought, and tried to rise to her feet, but the room spun before her eyes so fast she had to kneel back down. ((What's wrong with me?!)) she wondered in a panic. She couldn't stay there, Davin would be coming down the stairs any moment.
Up in his room, Davin forced himself back onto his feet still wincing from the blow Chi-Chi had dealt him. ((I think. . .it might be best. . .if I kept my distance until the memory spells have more time to work.)) Davin reasoned to himself as he got back up and felt the last shreds of stabbing pain fall away. ((She always was one to overreact.)) he thought as he rubbed his still-sore stomach. He gave a wave of his hand to activate his spy spells, and one of them showed Chi-Chi half-stumbling, half-crawling into a less-used room three floors down. Davin flinched to see her struggle that way. He hadn't realized the memory spells would be so debilitating to her. One at a time probably wouldn't have been so hard on her, but the book clearly said that for best results they needed to be done at the same time. Putting in the fake memories at the same time the real memories were still occupying her psyche could cause madness. On the other hand, the inherent danger in first removing the original memories and then replacing them with the fake ones could turn the person into a near- vegetable if it wasn't done exactly right. No, the removal and replacement of memories had to be done at the same time, in a steady stream, coming and going. Still, it was hard on the subject being enchanted. ((She'll feel better soon; the first day is the worst, it said so on the page with the spells. By tomorrow she'll be much better. . .)) he thought to himself.
Gohan and Goten arrived at their grandfather's village in time to see their father fall onto his knees. They landed by him and ran up to him as their grandfather came running up as well.
"Grandpa? What's going on?" Goten asked, looking at his father nervously as Gohan helped a very shaky Goku back onto his feet.
"We've found something. . .come in, I'll explain everything," Ox-King said, for once sounding very old and tired.
"Is there any sign of Davin or Mom here?" Gohan asked hopefully, as he started to help his father into Ox-King's house. Goku pushed away from his firstborn and walked, unsteadily, on his own, back into his father-in- law's house.
"No, but we know more about Davin's magic. . .and it's not good," Ox- King said to Gohan.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" Goten asked his father, taking Goku's big hand in his two little ones. It scared him to see his father like this. "Are you sick?" Goku looked down into the eyes of his little son and realized how much his behavior was upsetting him; the child was upset enough about his mother being missing, he didn't need to see his father falling apart at the seams as well. But he couldn't help it, damn it!! This whole thing was making him crazy! Never in his entire life had he felt so helpless, been so useless, especially not where a loved one was concerned! And what he'd learned from his father-in-law had only made everything worse. If he could just feel his beloved Chi-Chi, even for a moment. . .Goku steeled himself against the emerging negative thoughts. He had to be stronger than this if he wanted to help her, _and_ he had to keep himself together if he was going to save her.
"I'm sorry, Goten. I'm just very worried about your mother," he said in a quiet voice to the little boy. "Having her vanish from my arms like that. . .and this not knowing where she is, if she's okay. . .it's. . ." Goku trailed off. He wasn't sure Goten was old enough to understand the bond and all that it meant.
"I understand. I'm worried about Mommy, too," Goten nodded solemnly. Gohan listened in on their conversation, understanding as well. It was hurting him, too. ((Why can't we have both of our parents in peace?)) he wondered unhappily. "Daddy, did you have any breakfast?" Goten asked out of the blue.
"No, no I didn't. I'm not very hungry," Goku shook his head. By rights, he should have been ravenous; not only had he not had any breakfast, but he had thrown up every last bit of his dinner from the previous night. Even so, he didn't feel hungry. He still felt too heartsick to eat.
"You'll be stronger if you eat," Goten sagely observed.
"Goten is right, Dad. Eat something," Gohan insisted, as he gently guided his father toward the kitchen.
"No. . .I. . ." Goku pulled away from his son's hand. "I can't hold anything down right now, my stomach's way too unsettled." he admitted quietly.
"I'll have the kitchen help make some clear broth for you, and then I'll tell the boys what we've learned," Ox-King said, and went to give the order to the cook. Gohan and Goten couldn't help wondering what it was their father and grandfather had learned about Davin's magic. But nothing could have prepared them for the truth, when it was finally revealed to them.
"Why were we never told about this?" Gohan asked slowly, shocked by what he'd just learned.
"You would have been told, eventually. . .I can't truthfully say that I know exactly why Chi-Chi hadn't yet said anything," Ox-King admitted. Goku took in the broth in slow, careful sips, fighting to keep it down. None of them wanted to give voice to the most obvious reason why Chi-Chi hadn't told her sons about the Ahdicionious. For if one of her already powerful half-Saiyan sons had become corrupted by its evil influence, there was no telling what would be unleashed.
"When would the book and its safekeeping be passed down to us?" Goten asked carefully.
"It would be left to Chi-Chi after. . .after I died; and to you two after she. . ." Ox-King didn't bother to finish, and the boys fidgeted uncomfortably. Goku was staring into space, only half-listening. His mind was preoccupied with trying to figure out where Davin had gone. He wasn't sure how long he could endure all of this uncertainty; or dismiss the sick, creeping feeling that Davin was already doing something horrible to Chi- Chi. **************************************************************************** ** I'm sorry if this chapter dragged a little...I was having trouble figuring out how to do some things. Next chapter, things kick back into high gear! Don't miss it!
The e-mail address NansJns@aol.com no longer exists - contact me at my new address, NansJns@sa-tech.com!
Also, please note: Aume=a play on "gold metal" (Au=the symbol for gold on the periodic chart, "me" is the first half of metal.) Maruberu=a play on the word marble. Ahdicionious (ah-deec-see-oh-nee-us)=a play on the word "addiction", and an effort to make it sound Latin-ish.
I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. No money is being made, though some fun is being had.
**sentences like this are telepathic** **************************************************************************** ** Battle of the Heart by NansJns
Ch. 4
Chi-Chi sighed softly as she rolled over in the large bed. Sunlight flowed through the window to disturb her slumber, and she reached out to feel for Goku. It wasn't until she realized the bed was empty except for her that she opened her eyes. ((Did Goku get up early to train?)) she started to wonder, and then jerked fully awake as she took in her surroundings.
"W-What the hell?! Where am I? This isn't my room!" she said as she bolted upright in the bed. She then looked down at herself. "And this isn't my nightgown! Who undressed me? What is going on-?!" Chi-Chi's angry tirade was brought to an abrupt halt by the screaming silence of the bond, which in turn forced her memory back into the previous night. "Oh- oh, Kami. . . Davin! I remember now. . .he must've. . .by why was I asleep? Goku?" Chi-Chi shuddered at the thought that Davin could make her go to sleep at will, and undressed her while she was unconscious. **Goku? Goku, where are you? Please, answer! I don't want to be alone here!** she called to her husband through the bond, only to be answered by the same cold silence that was tormenting him. She tried again, and again, but nothing happened. The bond was cold and empty, Goku wasn't there. Frightened, she pulled her knees up to her chest and started taking slow breaths. Her stomach was twisting into knots, and she could feel a cool sweat break out across her skin. What was Davin going to do to her? What would he make her do? She could beat the hell out of him any day of the week, but who knew how much he could do with his dark magic. If he could freeze time, there probably wasn't much else he couldn't do.
"Mistress Chi-Chi?" a feminine voice suddenly said, and Chi-Chi leapt off the bed, ready to fend off whoever it was. An elf girl, a few inches shorter than Chi-Chi, stood in the doorway, holding a tray of food. She had long, soft silver-blue hair in a high ponytail, wide brown eyes, and a delicate, high-boned face. Her unusual hands each had only three fingers and a thumb, and her ears were almost as big and pointy as Piccolo's. She was wearing a loose, sleeveless white dress with a belt cinching it in at her waist line, and a skirt that stopped a few inches above her ankles. "I've brought your breakfast," the elf girl said.
"_Mistress_? _Breakfast_?" Chi-Chi blinked in surprise, then screwed up her face in anger. "Where am I? Who are you? Where's Davin?" she demanded.
"This is Master Davin's palace, and my name is Lilith," the elf girl answered gently. "Master Davin is still asleep in his room, last night's magic drained him a great deal."
"Then now's my chance to get out of here. I don't know what he may have told you about me, but I've been kidnapped! So don't try to stop me!" Chi-Chi answered, and quickly pushed past Lilith to get into the hallway.
"Wait, you can't!" Lilith called after her.
"Watch me!" Chi-Chi snapped back as she started running down the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom floor she was panting a little from the exertion, and she looked back up at the tall stair case in wonder. "How much room does he need?" she muttered, then turned her mind back to escaping this gilded prison. Lilith was right behind her, and she ran to the front door.
"You can't--!" Lilith tried again as Chi-Chi grabbed the doorknob. Chi-Chi ignored her protests and flung the door open and ran through - only to find herself right back on the ground floor of Davin's palace.
"Wh-what?" Chi-Chi gasped.
"I tried to tell you," Lilith said, her eyes sad. "There's a spell on this whole place. The only one who can come and go freely is Davin himself. We, his 'servants'," she scowled at the word, "are only allowed out into the garden at certain times of the day to tend it. Otherwise, we're just as imprisoned here as you are."
"Tried to run away, did she?" inquired a new female voice, and Chi- Chi turned to see two more elf girls walk up to join them. One was her height, with long gold hair tied loosely back, green eyes, and swarthy skin. The other was a bit shorter than Lilith, with flaming red hair, yellow eyes, and peach colored skin. "Welcome to our nightmare, 'Mistress' Chi-Chi," said the tall blonde elf. "I'm Aume."
"And I'm Maruberu," added the flame-haired elf.
"What is going _on_ here?!" Chi-Chi screamed, her patience gone. The bond's silence was unnerving her; she felt cold and small without Goku's presence in her mind. "And where _is_ here?!" The elves looked at her with pity in their eyes.
"This place," Aume said, with a wave of her hand to indicate more than just the palace, "was built entirely out of magic. It's an entire world unto itself, closed off from the normal world of your Earth." Chi- Chi gasped softly; now she knew why she couldn't feel Goku anymore.
"From what we know, Davin built it slowly over time. He then utilized an ancient spell to summon the three of us here about four months ago. It had been so long since any human had made contact with us elves, so we stuck around to talk. The next thing we knew, we were trapped here, and he was forcing us to work for him," Maruberu continued.
"Davin did all this for the simple purpose of bringing you here. He said as much last night when he brought you in," Lilith finished.
"Unbelievable! What the hell did he think this would accomplish?! If he thinks for one moment this is going to help him, he has another. . .ah. . .oh. . .help. . ." An enraged Chi-Chi was swinging into full vengeance mode, only to be suddenly hit by a huge dizzy spell and fall over. Lilith and Maruberu caught her in their arms, and began to carry her back to her room.
Davin watched as a soft light flowed into the large glass jar before him. He smiled tightly as he squeezed the jar's lid in his hand. The jar sat on the table by the cauldron, which was bubbling lightly and giving off a light of its own. He'd worked most of the night crafting new memories for her, memories that were completely devoid of Goku. He had re-written the fateful series of events when she went looking for Master Roshi for help to put out the fire of Frying Pan Mountain so that it would appear as if she did it all on her own. It would take time, though, for all of her real memories to drain away and be replaced by his new ones.
"It's working," he said with quiet resolution. "Within a few days, all of her memories of being with Goku will be gone, and all she'll remember is being here with me. . .as my betrothed since childhood, and whom she loves very much. I'll tell her she's been unwell for a few weeks, but she's recovered now, and our wedding will be held very soon." He let out a shaky sigh and put the jar's lid down. "Kami forgive me, I had to do this. It's the only way to make her understand she'll be happier with me than with him," he murmured quietly.
The elfin servants sat Chi-Chi down on her bed and brought her some water. Aume took one of the platters of food from the tray that Lilith had brought up earlier and offered it to Chi-Chi, who was moaning about being very dizzy.
"Here, maybe eating something will help. It could just be stress and low blood sugar," Aume said gently, and Chi-Chi nodded and reached for the offered food. She missed the first few times, but finally managed to grab the dish and fork. As she slowly ate, the elves watched her carefully.
**Do you see that light around her head?** Maruberu asked her friends.
**A spell's aura. Davin is up to something,** Lilith answered.
**Yes, but what?** Aume bit her lip. They were brought out of their telepathic conversation as they watched a bright tear sliding down Chi- Chi's face and falling off her chin.
"I want to go home," she whispered. "My family must be so scared! _I'm_ so scared!"
"Your. . ._family_?" Lilith echoed in disbelief.
"Yes! My family!" Chi-Chi turned eyes full of tears and fire on the elf girl. "I have a wonderful husband and two terrific sons! Davin stole me from them!" The elves stared at her in shock. "Is my purse anywhere around here?" she demanded, and a quick look showed her it was on a table by a vase of violets. Despite her dizziness, she jumped up to retrieve it, and hastily opened it up. A few moments of digging produced her wallet, which she quickly flipped open to reveal the most recent family portrait they'd had taken, about two weeks ago. "There! This is them!" she said as she pulled out the picture and offered it to them. Aume took the picture and studied it carefully. Lilith and Maruberu leaned in on either side of her to look at it as well. The dark-haired family in the photo smiled up at them happily; all of their faces were alight with a joy the camera couldn't completely hold.
"What is he thinking?" Aume whispered quietly to her companions.
"I've long suspected he was a little bit mad," Maruberu whispered in reply.
"Be careful what you say!" Lilith hissed. "He might hear!"
"Hear? Hear how? Isn't he a floor above us?" Chi-Chi snapped, too irritated to keep her voice down.
"He has spy spells in various places to keep an ear - and an eye - on us," Lilith explained. Chi-Chi paled at the thought.
"Remind me not to take a bath while I'm here," she mumbled under her breath.
"Good morning! Why are all three of you in here? Surely, it only takes _one_ of you to deliver a tray of breakfast!" Davin said as he appeared behind them in the doorway. The three elves jerked to attention and quickly bowed to him. This morning, he was sporting more normal attire in the form of slacks and a dress shirt.
"Of course, Master! But, uh. . ." Maruberu began to explain.
"The Mistress wasn't feeling well, and I needed assistance in helping her," Lilith finished for her friend.
"Oh, I see. Very well, then. You can all leave us now. You'll be summoned if you're needed further," Davin said calmly, and all three elves quickly left, as Aume tucked the picture into her belt. She had the oddest feeling it would be far safer on her person, somewhere Davin wouldn't think to look for it.
Chi-Chi scowled at Davin as she roughly wiped the tears from her eyes. Her infuriated look was met with one of barely contained happiness and excitement. In her mind, she was picturing all the ways she could bend him into a pretzel and then beat his face in for good measure.
"Even first thing in the morning, you look lovely," Davin said, reaching for her. She reacted by brutally slapping away his hand.
"Keep away from me, you bastard!" she snarled, getting off the bed so she could better defend herself. Her lightheadedness was making the room spin furiously, but she forced her feet to be planted and stable.
"Calm down, Chi-Chi! There's no need to get so angry! I just wanted some time with you so we could talk," Davin said in his most placating voice, moving forward again. Chi-Chi backed up in response.
"Take me home, Davin! My family must be worried about me!" Chi-Chi angrily cried at him. Davin's gray eyes flashed with displeasure at her resistance.
"Chi-Chi, if you'd just calm down. . ." Davin started, his voice becoming cold, and Chi-Chi dropped into a battle stance. Davin let out a small, tense sigh, stepped back, and took a few moments to quietly admire her nightgown-encased body, until his gaze fell on her bare shoulders. In the dim light of the previous evening, he'd dressed her in the nightgown, which had spaghetti straps. But, unlike the night before, the lighting was much better now, and he could see the exposed skin of her shoulders more clearly. The u-shaped scar on her shoulder seemed to leap out at him. "What is that?" he curiously asked.
"What is _what_?" Chi-Chi scowled suspiciously, thinking it was some sort of ruse.
"That," Davin answered, pointing directly at her shoulder. "That scar. How did you get it?" Chi-Chi blinked as she glanced down at her shoulder, unconsciously twisting her body to get a better look at it, and, at the same time, giving Davin a better look as well.
"Goku. . ." she said softly. The bond's silence seemed to grow louder in her mind as she looked at his mark on her. Davin's eyes widened as his face first paled and then flushed with anger.
"He _abuses_ you like that and yet you want to go back to him? Have you lost your mind?" Davin demanded sharply, advancing on her once more. Chi-Chi snapped her attention back to him and scowled.
"He doesn't abuse me!" she shouted.
"Oh? And I suppose that scar is the result of a 'love tap'?" Davin barked sarcastically in return.
"As a matter of fact, that scar _is_ from love!" Chi-Chi snapped back. "You idiot! You don't even know what Goku is! Goku is a Saiyan! Saiyans mark their chosen mates by biting them on the shoulder! It shows I'm his and his alone!" Chi-Chi squared up her shoulders with pride. "I've placed my mark on him as well!" Davin looked at her as though she were crazy.
"And what, pray tell, is a Saiyan?" he asked slowly.
"A Saiyan is a native of the planet Vegetasei," Chi-Chi answered. "Goku grew up on Earth, believing for most of his life that he was a human being, but he learned otherwise some years back. Now, Davin, take me home!"
"He's. . .not human?" Davin repeated, slowly digesting this new information.
"No, he's not," Chi-Chi shook her head. Davin started to say something else, but she cut him off. "It doesn't matter! He's still my husband, and we love each other!" Davin looked thoughtful for a moment.
"He had a tail as a child. . ." he said, recalling something he'd always thought was strange about Goku.
"Yes, all Saiyans have tails," Chi-Chi nodded, becoming exasperated. "And they can transform under the light of a full moon if their tails are intact. But that's not the point!" Davin turned on his heel suddenly and walked away from her towards the door.
"Get dressed, we'll talk more in a bit," he said in parting, shutting the door behind him. She scowled at the closed door for a second or two, but went to the closet anyway. After all, she couldn't go around in a nightgown. Flinging the closet doors wide, she found it was stuffed full of fancy gowns, far fancier than she'd ever think to wear on a daily basis. She frowned even more deeply.
"I am not playing dress up for him!" she hissed. "Where's the dress I was wearing last night?" She looked around the whole room carefully, but couldn't find it. Letting out a frustrated sigh, pulled the simplest dress from off the rack. As she stepped into the gown, she remembered to dress in haste, thinking about what the elves had said about Davin having spells to watch and listen to them. She wouldn't put it past that pervert to have set them in her room. The dizziness had lessened in intensity, but she was still feeling more than a little woozy.
Davin watched her from his own room for a few moments, quietly admiring her lean body as she pulled on the pale yellow dress, then shut the image down with a blush. ((I shouldn't,)) he thought, then grinned to himself. ((Soon enough, she'll willingly show herself to me.)) He paused as he thought of the scar on Chi-Chi's shoulder, and his face darkened. ((That will have to go, once I've gotten rid of enough of her old memories. I've seen a healing spell in the book that will erase even the oldest, deepest scars; undoing any damage as though it had never been. I can't believe. . .she'd believe his hurting her like that. . .was a show of _love_. . .)) But the look of sheer determination and pride on her face when she explained it to him, showed she believed it with total and unwavering conviction. He twitched at the sound of pages turning, and looked over his shoulder to see the book's pages flipping over by themselves, as if stirred by a light breeze. ((Yes. . .maybe I should tell her about you. . .)) he thought as he moved up to the book and held his hand out to stop its pages from moving. ((You're her responsibility, aren't you? Her birthright and curse. . .))
Chi-Chi stormed out of her room in the new dress, which had a snug top, long sleeves, and a long, loose skirt that reached her ankles. The only jewelry she wore was a pair of stud earrings. She couldn't find any of the things that she had on the night before, not even her shoes. She began to go downstairs again, glancing around, hoping to find a way out, (possibly though a window), when Davin's voice echoed down to her from above.
"Chi-Chi! Would you come up here for a moment, Dear?" Davin called down, as he leaned over the railing of the top-most floor. Chi-Chi glared back up at him.
"No, I won't, and _don't_ you ever call me _dear_! You have no right!" she snapped at him.
"Don't be like that, Sweetheart. I have something of importance to show you," Davin said, his voice calm, but his face cold. Chi-Chi growled in response.
"Don't call me "sweetheart" either! Only _Goku_ can call me that!" Chi-Chi snapped again, angered by his attempts at familiarity. "And what could you possibly have to show me?" She could think of a few things he'd want to "show" her in his room, and she wasn't about to fall for any of that!
"A book," Davin answered, his eyes getting that silvery glint again.
"A _book_?" Chi-Chi huffed, as she arched an eyebrow, and started to take another step down. Her foot never touched the next step. She floated right off the staircase, and up to the top floor, where she was set down beside Davin. Furious, she growled and made ready to hit him again, but he caught her wrist in a steely grip and pulled her into his room. "Davin, I swear to Kami, I'll kill you if you try. . ." Chi-Chi's rant died in a horrified gasp when she saw the ancient book sitting on the podium. Davin had made certain that the memory spell's components had been carefully moved into a place that was well out of sight. "The. . .the Ahdicionious?! How did you get that?! You haven't been using it, have you?!"
"Of course, I have! How else do you think I've been able to accomplish everything up to this point? Or how I built this place?" Davin said calmly, pulling her closer to the book.
"How did you get it?! Papa hid it so well!" Chi-Chi repeated, roughly pulling her arm out of his grip and retreating from the awful book. The feeling in the air surrounding it was so horrid; so cold and dark, that she didn't want to be anywhere near it.
"I ran errands for your family as a kid, remember? Only to be near you. One day, when I was fourteen, I saw the Ox-King take a painting off the wall, and push the wall in to reveal a secret passage. I was curious, and so I followed him inside. Down through the passage maze to the hidden room. Once there, I learned something very interesting," Davin turned to her with the strangest smile on his face. It was a little amused smile, colored with something else she couldn't place, and didn't want to. "He started the fire around your old castle to help safe guard the Ahdicionious. Did you know that?"
"Wh-what? He did that to protect all of our family treasures. . ." Chi-Chi shook her head.
"That's what he told everyone, but I heard him say in that room that he started the magic fire to keep this book safe, but this book somehow caused the fire to rage out of control. He hadn't used it's magic to create the fire, he used something else, but the Ahdicionious's magic fought against the original fire spell, overwhelmed it, and in turn, made it swallow the mountain," Davin explained, and Chi-Chi stared back at him in disbelief.
"So, why didn't he tell me this when he showed me the book and explained it to me?" Chi-Chi said, her head swimming as the dizziness increased.
"Probably too ashamed. At any rate, I made a point to remember where it was located,. . . discreetly borrowed the key to unlock the box, and began to study it in earnest. I've been learning from it for years, slowly building this place piece by piece as my power level allowed. Once I completed my palace five months ago, I moved in, and brought the book with me. I also made it a point to make an appearance in the village everyday, to keep people from wondering about me," Davin smiled at her then. "All for you. I made everything here, and learned this power, for you. . .my beloved Chi-Chi," he reached for her, but she backed up further.
"You _stole_ it," she corrected. "That book is extremely dangerous, Davin - that's why it was hidden in the first place!" she said, then her eyes widened. "This is why. . .you felt strange to me sometimes. . .it was the aura of the book, clinging to you. . . it's pure evil, Davin, can't you feel it?"
"_Evil_? Hardly! It's made, and will make, all of my dreams come true!" Davin said, and grabbed her shoulders roughly. "You'll understand soon enough. We'll be happy here. . .together!"
"Let me go!" Chi-Chi snarled low in her throat. Davin looked for a moment like he was going to kiss her, but her knee colliding with his gut stopped him dead in his tracks. He grabbed his stomach and fell to his knees as Chi-Chi turned and bolted from the room. She tore down the stairs at top speed, needing to put as much space between herself and Davin as she possibly could. Her pounding heart caused a heavy rush of blood to her head, which only worsened her dizziness. Three flights down she had to stop and rest for a moment to clear her head, but the knowledge that Davin was surely after her by now and was unquestionably insane kept her heart fluttering at a panicked level. Why was she so dizzy?! Why wouldn't it go away?! She desperately longed for Goku's warm embrace to make her feel safe again, but he wasn't there and he wouldn't find her any time soon. She had to get away from Davin on her own. ((This place is huge. . .surely I can find a room to hide in until I can think of a way to escape. . .)) she thought, and tried to rise to her feet, but the room spun before her eyes so fast she had to kneel back down. ((What's wrong with me?!)) she wondered in a panic. She couldn't stay there, Davin would be coming down the stairs any moment.
Up in his room, Davin forced himself back onto his feet still wincing from the blow Chi-Chi had dealt him. ((I think. . .it might be best. . .if I kept my distance until the memory spells have more time to work.)) Davin reasoned to himself as he got back up and felt the last shreds of stabbing pain fall away. ((She always was one to overreact.)) he thought as he rubbed his still-sore stomach. He gave a wave of his hand to activate his spy spells, and one of them showed Chi-Chi half-stumbling, half-crawling into a less-used room three floors down. Davin flinched to see her struggle that way. He hadn't realized the memory spells would be so debilitating to her. One at a time probably wouldn't have been so hard on her, but the book clearly said that for best results they needed to be done at the same time. Putting in the fake memories at the same time the real memories were still occupying her psyche could cause madness. On the other hand, the inherent danger in first removing the original memories and then replacing them with the fake ones could turn the person into a near- vegetable if it wasn't done exactly right. No, the removal and replacement of memories had to be done at the same time, in a steady stream, coming and going. Still, it was hard on the subject being enchanted. ((She'll feel better soon; the first day is the worst, it said so on the page with the spells. By tomorrow she'll be much better. . .)) he thought to himself.
Gohan and Goten arrived at their grandfather's village in time to see their father fall onto his knees. They landed by him and ran up to him as their grandfather came running up as well.
"Grandpa? What's going on?" Goten asked, looking at his father nervously as Gohan helped a very shaky Goku back onto his feet.
"We've found something. . .come in, I'll explain everything," Ox-King said, for once sounding very old and tired.
"Is there any sign of Davin or Mom here?" Gohan asked hopefully, as he started to help his father into Ox-King's house. Goku pushed away from his firstborn and walked, unsteadily, on his own, back into his father-in- law's house.
"No, but we know more about Davin's magic. . .and it's not good," Ox- King said to Gohan.
"Daddy, what's wrong?" Goten asked his father, taking Goku's big hand in his two little ones. It scared him to see his father like this. "Are you sick?" Goku looked down into the eyes of his little son and realized how much his behavior was upsetting him; the child was upset enough about his mother being missing, he didn't need to see his father falling apart at the seams as well. But he couldn't help it, damn it!! This whole thing was making him crazy! Never in his entire life had he felt so helpless, been so useless, especially not where a loved one was concerned! And what he'd learned from his father-in-law had only made everything worse. If he could just feel his beloved Chi-Chi, even for a moment. . .Goku steeled himself against the emerging negative thoughts. He had to be stronger than this if he wanted to help her, _and_ he had to keep himself together if he was going to save her.
"I'm sorry, Goten. I'm just very worried about your mother," he said in a quiet voice to the little boy. "Having her vanish from my arms like that. . .and this not knowing where she is, if she's okay. . .it's. . ." Goku trailed off. He wasn't sure Goten was old enough to understand the bond and all that it meant.
"I understand. I'm worried about Mommy, too," Goten nodded solemnly. Gohan listened in on their conversation, understanding as well. It was hurting him, too. ((Why can't we have both of our parents in peace?)) he wondered unhappily. "Daddy, did you have any breakfast?" Goten asked out of the blue.
"No, no I didn't. I'm not very hungry," Goku shook his head. By rights, he should have been ravenous; not only had he not had any breakfast, but he had thrown up every last bit of his dinner from the previous night. Even so, he didn't feel hungry. He still felt too heartsick to eat.
"You'll be stronger if you eat," Goten sagely observed.
"Goten is right, Dad. Eat something," Gohan insisted, as he gently guided his father toward the kitchen.
"No. . .I. . ." Goku pulled away from his son's hand. "I can't hold anything down right now, my stomach's way too unsettled." he admitted quietly.
"I'll have the kitchen help make some clear broth for you, and then I'll tell the boys what we've learned," Ox-King said, and went to give the order to the cook. Gohan and Goten couldn't help wondering what it was their father and grandfather had learned about Davin's magic. But nothing could have prepared them for the truth, when it was finally revealed to them.
"Why were we never told about this?" Gohan asked slowly, shocked by what he'd just learned.
"You would have been told, eventually. . .I can't truthfully say that I know exactly why Chi-Chi hadn't yet said anything," Ox-King admitted. Goku took in the broth in slow, careful sips, fighting to keep it down. None of them wanted to give voice to the most obvious reason why Chi-Chi hadn't told her sons about the Ahdicionious. For if one of her already powerful half-Saiyan sons had become corrupted by its evil influence, there was no telling what would be unleashed.
"When would the book and its safekeeping be passed down to us?" Goten asked carefully.
"It would be left to Chi-Chi after. . .after I died; and to you two after she. . ." Ox-King didn't bother to finish, and the boys fidgeted uncomfortably. Goku was staring into space, only half-listening. His mind was preoccupied with trying to figure out where Davin had gone. He wasn't sure how long he could endure all of this uncertainty; or dismiss the sick, creeping feeling that Davin was already doing something horrible to Chi- Chi. **************************************************************************** ** I'm sorry if this chapter dragged a little...I was having trouble figuring out how to do some things. Next chapter, things kick back into high gear! Don't miss it!
The e-mail address NansJns@aol.com no longer exists - contact me at my new address, NansJns@sa-tech.com!
Also, please note: Aume=a play on "gold metal" (Au=the symbol for gold on the periodic chart, "me" is the first half of metal.) Maruberu=a play on the word marble. Ahdicionious (ah-deec-see-oh-nee-us)=a play on the word "addiction", and an effort to make it sound Latin-ish.