For Love or Destiny
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or Sailor Moon, although I wouldn't mind getting the ownership for Christmas…any takers? Wanna give it to me? ::hears crickets chirping:: Well, I guess not…
Key:
"___": dialogue
'___': thoughts
~*~*~*~*~ : scene change/dimension change
AN: Hello! Short note today…nothing to really talk about…so without further ado!
Comments/Questions/Answers:
Rami: Gomen…but Piccolo isn't going to be paired with her. Maybe for the next fic? I'm sorry that I will cause you to go crazy now…::bows head:: I really dun want you to! Thanks for the review!
Sailor Angel: No cliffs for me. I dish it out, not take it. LOL! You know that you can't wait that long. And you know that none of my fics will be done before your patients run out and you read it anyway. Thanks for the…um confusing vote.
Matt Zero: Hello again! Glad that you are enjoying this fic. I'll figure out how she gets together with 'em as soon as I figure out who 'em is. Thanks for the review and suggestion!
kate: Keep voting, Gohan may just win. Thanks for your vote and review!
____: Well, thanks for your vote…glad to know that you have such strong feelings about this! Keep reading and reviewing!
Jewel: Good to hear! Glad that you like this story! Keep reading and reviewing and voting!
NickeyWhite2: No, it's not going to be an annoying triangle…if it wins. Thank you for your vote! Keep reading!
Minimerc: LOL, I've been hyped out on sugar as well these past few days. You'll have to keep reading do find the answers to your questions…thanks for reviewing!
____: lol, that's okay. Your vote has been duly noted!
Sphinxqueen127:lol, glad that you think so. Gotta love the jerks! That's okay, odd minds are definitely accepted here!
Zackire: Thanks!
Last Time:
"I…I was wounded severely in my last battle. But, the youma that I was fighting was also injured, and our blood mixed. Apparently, it is highly toxic to those with either Mercurian or Venutian blood in them. I have been poisoned and I will not last much longer without the antidote. Which, is in this dimension. So, my Okaasan from my former life, and my friends sent me to a place full of doors. Each leads to a dimension, and only one holds the cure. I chose this door, I only hope that I chose right. My heart told me that it was here, and so here I am." Ami finished with a sad smile. Bulma too had tears running down her face, Vegeta remained stoic, and both Goten and Trunks looked shocked.
"How can we help?" Bulma finally asked, taking Ami's hands and holding them in her own.
Chapter Two: Under the Microscope
Ami smiled at the woman who was currently making an enormous amount of food, from her vantage point at the small dining table that was in the kitchen. Bulma turned from the stove to get some eggs and smiled at the young girl.
"I know it seems like a lot of food, but with stomachs like my husband and son…" Bulma paused to shake her head. "I sometimes wonder how I can afford them. But, Kami knows that I love them." Ami chuckled.
"No, I'm not shocked. My friend Usagi can pack more food in her stomach than a pregnant woman on steroids. We often wonder how she still fits into her jeans. It's a miracle that she hasn't blown up like a house. Must be that she has a fast metabolism." Ami said smiling. "Is there anything that I can do to help? I'm no Makoto, but she did teach me a few things."
"No, that's not necessary, you are a guest. We do not make guests prepare the food." Bulma said with a sigh.
"I insist. It's the least I can do for you offering me your home and your help." Ami said bowing to the woman in front of her before moving to grab the carton of eggs from her. Bulma smiled.
"If you insist."
"I do. Please, sit. I can handle this." Ami said shoving Bulma gently into the chair that she had been previously occupying. Ami made quick work of the eggs, whipping them, frying them, and poaching them. She made at least four different varieties. Once the eggs were finished, she began to work on the pancakes. About twenty minutes later there was a steaming buffet sitting on the dinning room table.
"I guess it's time to call the boys in." Bulma said motioning Ami to take her seat. Ami did and looked at Bulma curiously. Bulma smiled and took a deep breath before shouting at the top of her lungs. "Food! Come and get it!" That said, she sat down and began to pile food on her plate. "You may want to get what you want while you still can, because once those two come in here, you'll have a hard time getting any food." Ami laughed and quickly grabbed some pancakes, eggs and bacon.
No more than four minutes after Bulma's shout, two tornadoes entered the dinning room. One was a very sweaty Saiyan prince, a towel draped across his neck, wearing only tight spandex shorts. The other was the lavender haired teen that still took Ami's breath away. Although, the sight of him in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts and white tee-shirt succeeded in adding a red hue to her checks. Shaking her head, she dove into her breakfast as well.
Once the meal was consumed, and the dishes cleaned Trunks and Goten who had arrived about ten minutes ago approached Ami who was just finishing drying the last dish.
"You better be careful." Trunks said smiling. Ami furrowed her eyebrows.
"Why?" she asked concerned. Trunks' smile widened.
"Because, if kaasan keeps seeing you doing chores and cooking meals, she won't let you leave." Ami laughed, her voice making a light twinkling sound.
"I'll keep that in mind. So what did you want, besides your advice?" Ami asked.
"Want to spar?" Goten asked brightening up at the prospect of a new competitor.
"Spar?" Ami asked confused.
"Yes, you know, fight, train, ummm spar." Goten said scratching his head. Ami shook her head,
"No, no, I know what spar means. I do it all the time with my fellow senshi; I just want to know why you want to spar with me. I know that I am no where near your level of fighting. I couldn't even follow your movements earlier, and I just know that you weren't at your maximum power. I wouldn't last ten seconds against you two." The boys frowned at her assessment of herself.
"You'll never know until you try." Trunks insisted.
"Yea! Trunks is right. If you say that you can't then you'll never be able to do it, cause you don't have the right mind set. That's what my big brother Gohan tells me all the time." Goten said proud that he could remember such a long phrase. Ami smiled at the two.
"You remind me of my friends back home…" she trailed off, trying to hide her wet eyes.
"Gomen…"
"Gomen, we didn't mean to make you sad." Goten said after his friend. Ami smiled at them, although it didn't reach her eyes.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'll spar with you two." She said smiling.
"Yea!" Goten said jumping up and pumping his fist. "Let's go then," he said grabbing her wrist and dragging her outside, not minding in the least that she was in a pair of borrowed cut off shorts and tee shirt.
"Do you plan on fighting in that?" Trunks asked, motioning to her current outfit. Ami blushed and shook her head.
"No, I can transform, it's the only way I know how to fight, and the easiest and only way to access my attacks."
"That's why you are weak, onna." A voice said from behind the three. Ami turned startled, however the other two rolled their eyes.
"What do you want otousan?" Trunks asked turning around to look at his father. Vegeta smirked.
"I decided to see what you brats would be up to today, and it seemed as if you were going to spar with the blue haired onna. I wanted to see what she could do. However, after that comment, she isn't worth my time. Anyone who relies on a transformation to gain access to their power isn't a true warrior." Ami's nostrils flared and she puffed up indignantly.
"How dare you! I have given my life twice for my friends and planet. I have defeated more youma and enemies; then I care to remember. Just because my dimension is different, doesn't mean that it is wrong."
"That is exactly your problem. These 'youma' you were telling us about have no plan right? It's just to kill. Have they ever used magic on you?"
"Well…no." Ami said realizing his point.
"Then, if they have no plan, and don't use magic, then you can't fight them with no plan and magic. You need to strategize and not face them head on, unless that is their weakness. You need brute strength against brute strength. Your magic isn't strong enough." Vegeta said, his point clearly made. Ami flushed with embarrassment. She was the intelligent one, the one who always told her teammates to stop and plan. And now, she was hearing it from what had to be the rudest and most obnoxious man she had ever had the displeasure to meet.
"I know that. However, we can't let them kill innocent humans. We have to stop them at all costs."
"How many pathetic humans will die after you all kill yourselves through stupidity? All of them. If you wait and plan, you lose lives, but you save many more. You have to make sacrifices to reach your goal. If a few measly humans die in the process," Vegeta shrugged. "Well, then that's what happens."
"How could you have so little compassion for human life like that?" Ami hissed out, outraged because of his apathetic point of view and the fact that he was undeniably correct.
"I think it's because we have the Dragon Balls." Trunks whispered.
"The what?" Ami asked, her rage slowly disappearing.
"The Dragon Balls. We can use them to grant any two wishes that we want, including wishing the entire human race back to life. Or anyone who was killed by our enemy."
"Oh. I can see how you are so unsympathetic then." Ami whispered. "That however, does not excuse you from treating life as it is pawns to be won or lost in a chess match."
"Isn't it though?" Vegeta said smirking. Ami narrowed her eyes at him, however before she had a chance to respond he turned around and headed back to his gravity room.
"My otousan was right." Trunks said slowly. Ami whipped around and narrowed her eyes at him. "No no!" Trunks said quickly, "Not about the lack of sanctity of human life, about why you aren't beating them. You're going to need that brute power, and to stop depending on your transformation." Ami sighed and slumped her shoulders.
"I know that…It's just that, I've never been a good fighter. I've always been the weakest senshi. My powers and attacks are all defensive; I basically just sit there typing on my computer and visor and tell others how to beat the enemy. Useless, really." Ami whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. She never knew that she had all of these fears and insecurities buried so deep down in her heart. She was embarrassed and angry. Angry that an ignorant slump of a man, brought these emotions out of her.
"Hey, every team needs someone who can plan." Trunks said quietly. Ami rolled her eyes.
"Who does your planning then?" she jeered, her embarrassment fading into inner-anger and self-hatred.
"Well, okassan most of the time comes up with something. And otousan is pretty smart when it comes to how to hit the enemy where it really hurts." Trunks whispered.
"We don't really need to plan in this dimension." Goten said trying to help. However, he only caused Ami's emotional state to decrease even further. Trunks clipped him on the back of his head, hard. "Trunks, what was that for?" He asked rubbing his sore head.
"Baka!" Trunks hissed at him. "My friend isn't too bright, gomen." Trunks said trying to calm the raging girl in front of him. However, it seemed that she hadn't even heard him, or Goten for that matter. Her eyes were blank, although she had tears running down her face like two small rivers. Her fists were clenched at her side and a bright blue aura was glowing around her.
"Ami-chan…are you okay?" Goten asked tentatively reaching to touch the girls shoulder. However, as soon as his hand made contact he pulled it back as if it were burned. Only instead of being burned, his hand was covered in a light frost and it was anesthetized to the bone. Vegeta came over to the three staring at the girl.
"What's going on?" He demanded.
"I have no idea, otousan. She just got really upset because she felt that she was useless and she kind of zoned out."
And she's really cold." Goten added, heating up his hand with his ki to try to bring some feeling back into his numb appendage. Vegeta glanced at Goten's hand before turning his attention back onto Ami. Her aura continued to climb, however, her ki did not spike or increase. Instead, it seemed to be decreasing at an alarming rate.
"Otousan…what's wrong with her ki…it feels as if it's in the negatives. Is that even possible?" Trunks whispered, extremely worried for his new friend.
"I think this is her true power. She did say that her power was ice and water, perhaps her body must be cool, or is able to reach freezing temperatures that would kill a normal human." Vegeta rationalized. As her ki continued to decrease, a familiar ki suddenly popped up. Goku had arrived using his Instant Transmission technique.
"What's going on guys? Goten?" He asked confused as all get out.
"I don't know tousan." Goten said, moving his hand that now had feeling back in it.
"How is that that she is still alive?" Goku asked. "And…who is she?" Trunks whacked the back of his friend's head, again.
"You mean you didn't tell your parents about her?!"
"I forgot?" Goten said raising his eyebrow, and chuckling nervously. Bulma marched out of the house, a parka wrapped around her tightly.
"Why is it so damn cold!" she shouted, "I can barely keep…" her sentence trailed off as she saw Ami. Bulma could feel the waves of ice wafting off the young woman standing in a pose of anguish. Her face had begun to contort with the effort to keep her emotions in check. "What's wrong with her." Bulma asked through chattering teeth. The men present looked at Ami then simultaneously turned to look at Bulma. Vegeta walked over to his mate, and wrapped his arms around her, using his ki to heat her up. Bulma gave him an appreciative look before turning to look at Ami again.
"I'm not weak!" Ami screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice screeching with the pressure. Her aura exploded into twice its original height. Her ki dropped to what would have been negative 30,000, before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground. Everyone just stood there in shock. They had never seen anything even remotely close to this before in their lives. And they had seen a lot. Bulma seemed to break out of the trance first and rushed over to the young girl, breaking out of Vegeta's embrace.
"Don't just stand there you baka's! Come over here and help me!" Bulma shouted, placing Ami's head in her lap. Her whole body was shivering, and the cold was almost burning to the touch. Her entire body was covered in frost and the blue aura that had once sheltered her body protectively had changed into an ominously dark black one. Trunks tried to reach down and pick her up into his arms, however as soon as he got within inches of her body, a black lightening shot from hers and into his.
"Shit!" Trunks said rubbing his head, from his position on the ground a few feet from her body. "What in the hell was that?" The other men just stared at Bulma and Ami in shock. Bulma was too preoccupied holding Ami. She was soothing the shaking girl, much as she would if it were her daughter. Her hands running through her damp hair. Ami's eyes were tightly clenched and it seemed as if her inner demons were raging with vengence.
"We need to get her inside," Goten said urgently.
"What we need to do, is figure out what in the hell is wrong with her." Vegeta thundered, hating to be left in the dark. If anything pissed him off, it was being unawares of potential threats, and this condition he saw as a threat.
"It's probably the youma's poison reacting with her blood." A new voice said from behind the group. The men all turned to stare at the new comer, shocked that they hadn't felt his ki.
"Gohan! What are you doing here?" Goku asked scratching his head.
"And how do you know about her? I thought Goten didn't tell his family." Trunks asked confused as well. Gohan was going to explain, however Bulma spoke up.
"I called him, and let him know what was going on. I figured that since he was studying medicine he might be able to help me find the cure, or some way to find the cure. And a way to develop it once we found it." Bulma said quietly, still gently rubbing the moaning girl's forehead.
"Do you think her body is going into shock? I felt her ki diminish at an alarming rate." Gohan asked Bulma, ignoring the other's warnings not to get near her. Just as he was a few inches from her body, he too was flung back as Trunks had been. "What in the hell?" he swore standing up and rubbing his sore head.
"I can touch her though…" Bulma trailed off.
"I think it's because you are an onna." Vegeta said. Gohan nodded.
"Yes, it could be possible. She may have a fear of men, and in her weakened state, her body is rejecting any thing that comes near her with an ounce of testosterone." Gohan surmised.
"Do you think that that could be the cure?" Bulma asked her eyes widening. Gohan's eyebrows furrowed before his eyes too widened.
"It just could be…a plant that produces or has testosterone could be the cure." Gohan said deep in thought.
"But wouldn't her body just throw it off?" Goten asked, perplexed. Gohan shook his head.
"No, right now the poison is in control of her body and mind. The poison doesn't want to be exorcised, so it is going to dispel and reject all things that can kill it." He explained.
"Oh…" Goten said not really getting it.
"Okaasan, do you think that you can pick her up, and take her inside?" Trunks asked. Bulma sighed.
"I guess that I don't really have a choice, now do I?" she said, lifting the surprisingly light girl into her arms. Ami's moans increased when she was moved, her body's shivering increasing. Bulma winced under the strain, not that she was heavy, it's was more like her fingers were freezing to the body, yet burning with pain at the same time. Bulma practically ran into the house to the medical wing that was installed on the first floor after Vegeta's incident with the gravity room all those years ago. It had indeed come in handy, since the boys always trained in either the gravity room on the first floor, or outside, which was ground level or on first floor.
Placing her convulsing body onto the table, Bulma, went to one of the supply cabinets and grabbed a large, thermal blanket. Placing the blanket over her body and tucking her in, Bulma watched, her body relaxing as she saw Ami's shivers begin to diminish. She sat tiredly into a chair next to the bed. A pair of hands came down on her shoulders gently. Bulma jumped up, clutching her heart, twisting in the chair to see the owner of the hands smirking at her.
"Don't do that!" she hissed at her mate, before smiling and sinking back into the chair. The others were right behind him.
"How is she?" Gohan asked. Bulma sat up,
"Her shivering is going down, which is a good sign. I don't read ki, but her body isn't emitting as many cold vibes." The boys all seemed to be concentrating, all opened their eyes at the exact same time and smiled. Well…with Vegeta it was a smirk.
"She's okay now…her ki is back around 10." Goku said smiling his famous Son smile, the smile that made all of your worries seem to melt in its magnificence. Bulma let out a sigh of relief.
"That's good, let's let her rest here for awhile. Gohan and I have a lot of research ahead of us, if we're to figure out how and where to find this flower. You other boys can go train or something." Trunks and Goten practically ran out of the room,
"Except you two." She said narrowing her eyes. "Trunks, you are still grounded, and Goten, according to Chi Chi when I talked to her the other day, your studies are not doing so well either."
"Awww…Bulma-san."
"Okaasan…" they said at the same time. Bulma's eyes narrowed even further into small slits.
"Do not argue with me. You two will stay in here and keep an eye on her…while working on your homework. Is that clear?" she asked. Goten and Trunks bowed their heads.
"Hai, Okaasan."
"Hai, Bulma-san."
"Good…come on Gohan-chan." Bulma said shedding her parka, and heading towards her private lab two doors down from the room that Ami was currently resting in. Gohan and Bulma disappeared down the stairs that lead to the lab, and the door clicked shut behind them. Vegeta and Goku had left as soon as they saw that Ami's shivers had died down and were currently warming the Gravity Room up, with their incessant training.
"Well…I guess I'll go get my work…stay here and watch her, I'll be right back." Trunks said trudging out the door, shoulders slumped. Goten cautiously walked over to the sleeping girl, afraid that he would be blown back like Trunks and his brother were. Tentatively reaching his hand out, he slowly tapped Ami's shoulder. Once he was sure that it was safe and he wouldn't be introduced to the wall anytime soon, he rested his hand on her forehead, brushing her sweat-soaked bangs from her eyes.
Ami's eyes squinted tighter, as she fought a particularly strong pain from her body. In her unconsciousness, she felt a warm hand on her forehead and it calmed her. For some reason it made all of the pain stop, to have that one warmth touching her, when her entire body was freezing, blanket or no. Normally, it was the cold that was welcoming to her, being an ice senshi, however, it seemed as if her body had been deprived of warmth for far too long. The warmth began to leave her, and the darkness was smiling. Telling her to just wait, it would be back.
'Iie!' she screamed in her head, she wouldn't let it win. She wouldn't give up the warmth. Trying with all of her might, to rise and grasp the warmth, to keep it near her at all times. She needed whoever had touched her. If only to keep the nightmares away. Hell, anything that was living that had an ounce of heat in their body would do right now. The hand…she assumed that's what it was, however, was extremely warm, almost sweaty. It was leaving her though…that was the only thing that she could think of. The hand was leaving and the darkness was coming back for her.
"Iie!" she screamed, finding the strength from somewhere deep inside to wake up. Goten lurched back, his eyes wide with shock and fear, hoping that he didn't hurt her. "Iie!" she said again, this time softer, her eyes wide and searching. Once she saw Goten's form, she jumped at him, latching onto his chest, sobbing into his shirt.
"Ami-chan?" Goten asked blinking.
"What did you do to her?" Trunks asked storming into the room, dropping his bag near the desk, and walking over to the two, ready to pound Goten for hurting her.
"Nothing! That's just it, she started to scream, no and then hugged me." He said his arms still in the air from the shock of her leap.
"Iie, don't leave me…" she sobbed. "I don't want the darkness to win. I need the warmth. Please don't leave…I can't stand to be alone in the dark anymore." She cried burying her head further into his chest. Goten's shocked eyes softened, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Shhh…the darkness is gone Ami-chan. Open your eyes it's us." He said soothingly rubbing her back. Ami sat back a little, her grip still tight, and slowly opened her eyes. Looking up she was staring into a deep chocolate shade of brown, so dark that one would consider it black. Blinking she realized that the brown were Goten's eyes.
"Goten?" she whispered, turning her head slightly, she saw Trunks' worried face at her level. He was knelt down next to Goten, "Trunks? Where am I?" she asked blinking.
"You're safe. You knocked yourself out when you powered up…or down earlier. We had to take you to the medical wing. But you're okay now. Gohan and Okaasan are right now working on finding a way to track your mysterious plant." Trunks said softly. Ami nodded, backing away from Goten's now wet chest.
"Gomen…Goten-san." She said bowing her head.
"It's kay Ami-chan!" He said smiling and placing his hand behind his head, much like his father does. Ami laughed, she couldn't help but laugh at the adorable picture the two of them made. Goten with his innocent smile and gestures, and Trunks with his veiled worry and concern. It was too cute for words. She felt as if she were at home…
"So? Where are Gohan-san and Bulma-san? I'd like to help them if I could. I have a few things that may just help out." Ami said smiling, her thoughts drifting to her beloved computer.
"Are you sure that you are up for it?" Trunks ask, his eyes showing the concern that he tried so hard to hide. Ami smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I just need that…rest." She said trailing off, not wanting the others to know just how far the depth of her nightmares spanned. It was almost as if she could see into the mind of the creature that had poisoned her, and it was one hell of a scary place. Goten and Trunks nodded slowly, still not believing that she was telling them the whole truth.
"Fine, I'll show you the way." Trunks said standing. Ami stood as well, and followed the two boys to the door that was labeled 'Bulma's Private Lab'. Opening the door, Trunks lead the way down the metal stairs. Downstairs, Gohan and Bulma were working furiously staring at something in a microscope. A gasp caused them to look up. Ami was standing at the foot of the stairs, her hands clasped by her chest and her eyes wide, moisture beginning to fill them.
"Ami-chan! Are you okay? What are you doing out of bed." Bulma said, directing the last comment towards her son and his friend.
"I'm fine…this lab…" she trailed of staring in wonderment. "Is beautiful…I've only dreamed of working in such a place." She said, the joy clearly palpable in her voice. Bulma smirked proudly, yes her lab was definitely something that she was proud of.
"Thanks, Ami-chan. It means a lot to me." Ami just nodded and walked over to the forgotten microscope. Peering through the lens, she backed away in shock.
"Those are my cells!" she whispered shocked at what she had seen. From the looks of what was happening in the peatry dish, she shouldn't even be alive right now…
TBC!
I swear…I never want to see another snow shovel ever again!!! ::runs from evil snow shovels:: Stupid snow…stupid 28 inches of heavy ass snow that I had to shovel…::grumble grumble gripe gripe:: Anyway, so what did you think? What exactly is in the little dish? How much more time does she have anyway?
