Disclaimer: just in case I haven't already done this. I do not own DBZ...
Ch. 2 Offer she can't turn down
A tiny ball of light hovered at the of her outstretched finger. It flashed once then dispersed. White light glowed around Shin before clothes materialized on his body; a vest identical to hers, white pants, and a leather belt. He looked up, confusion on his face, "What?" she asked with a smile and chuckled. "Sorry if you were expecting to gain your uniform, your old one..." Her voice failed as she went inside. Then grew strong again as a candle lit up the branches, revealing a deep crevice in the vine draped redwood. "... so I couldn't determine what it looked like. Therefore I couldn't, ouch!"
"What happened?" he called.
"Oh I just handled it wrong and it bit me," she said nonchalantly.
"Bit you?"
"Damn demonic blade!" There was a loud clash of metal against metal then Zari said sternly, "stay freak."
She appeared on a branch with a scabbard and sword fastened to her belt. "What was that about?"
"This," she said as she patted the hilt. "Was a gift from Agi, I think she'll like it back. She lifted her eyebrows and added, "and she's gonna get it back wether she wants it or no, I just hope the damn thing's out for an hour."
"Ahh..." he said nervously. "Somehow I don't think so."
It twitched. The end slapped Zari's rear and sent her over the edge. Like a feline twisting in mid air she spun but missed her feet. She sat up laughing and immediately began pulling the leaves from her hair. "Are you alright?" he asked as he jogged over to her and offered her a hand up. She took it and hoisted herself to her feet. Gingerly he helped her remove leaves from her hair. "Again, are you alright?"
"Huh?" she asked with a smile. "Yeah fine," she replied, not being the least bit sarcastic. "You will come to learn that my head is harder than Katchine ore."
"I find that hard to believe."
"You'll see soon enough."
"Perhaps," he said softly as his hand brushed her cheek, though she didn't seem to notice. He suddenly pulled his hand away and restrained his arm at his side. "Where will you go?"
"I haven't the slightest idea really," she said as she brushed the dirt from her vest and the front of her dress. "I'll probably find a home somewhere in the Cozar system."
"The Cozar system is no place for a lady. May I propose an alternative?"
She shrugged, "certainly."
"You are more than welcome on my planet." Her eyes widened. "You may stay for as long as you please. Anything you need, I will provide." She lowered her head. "Is something wrong?"
"No," she whispered.
"Then, do you accept?"
She looked up and smiled. "Yes. Yes I accept!" she said as she threw her arms around his neck, taking full precaution of his injured arm. He didn't react at all to her embrace. His right arm hung stiff as he blankly stared over her shoulder. She pulled back slowly then smiled meekly, realizing she had more than likely embarrassed him when she felt his muscles tense. Timidly, she looked at him and he smiled, as an older brother does to a frightened sibling. "Sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me." She tried to compose herself, but all confidence shattered as he spoke.
"It's alright."
Still nervous she quickly said, "I better get this thing to Agi."
"Am I to come with or await you here?"
"Whichever you please... I suppose." Her last two words were so soft that she herself did not hear them.
He quickly recognized her discomfort and suddenly pretended to be fatigued. "Perhaps.. I best await you here," he said with a sigh.
"As you will, I might be gone but ten minutes. Agi is difficult to track sometimes. Make yourself at home and I'll return as quickly as possible." She took a rapid stop to break into a run but he gripped her arm.
"Please be careful," then he released her without another word. She broke into a dead run, heading north.
What the hell was that?! The thought burst into her head once she reached a safe distance. He's a Kai. I have to keep my distance. But what happened back there? I've been happier before and never had that reaction. Heaven help me if I'm attracted to him. What am I worried about? He's practically the only man I know. This fancy of mine will be but a vague memory in a week. The trees grew thinner as she neared the open plain. Why am I running home? She wouldn't have gone... of course she would have idiot! The hunt was over many cycles ago. The plains came into view before she reached the edge of the forest. A small wooden shaft bolted through the tip of her ear as she first stepped in the grasslands. Since when did Agi make this an archer's gallery? No matter, they've lost their surprise, game over.
Agi threw another log on the fire. The village around her was empty. She listened to the arrows whistling through the air until the last shot was fired. "They're lousy shots," Zari said from a branch above Agi's head. "They unloaded every arrow in their quiver and hit nothing but air. I thought you would have taught them better."
She chuckled with her back still to Zari, "arrogant to the end eh?"
Zari held out her hand and let the arrows roll off her fingers. "I have one other gift for you then I shall take my place in exile." The demonic blade fell to the ground at Agi's feet. Zari slid off the branch. "Oh, and one more thing," she said as she picked a rag up off the ground. "Wipe yourself off," she hung the rag on Agi's long ear. "You're bleeding."
"Has it been ten minutes already?" Shin asked cheerfully as Zari approached.
"That it has," she replied. "As it is time for our departure."
"What assistance must I be?"
"I require none, I know where the High Heavens are."
"How could you know that? Lest you had been there."
"I have visited your realm on many occasions."
"I have never encountered you there before milady."
"Zari."
"Beg your pardon."
"No need for pardon, I merely would prefer to be referred to by my own name. Truthfully I am not in any position to make requests."
"How is that?"
She turned sharply and stretched out her hand. "It's late, we must leave," she said hastily. A deep pink ring of light slid down her arm then grew as it rolled over the tips of her fingers. Shin watched as a rippling mirror filled the void in the ring.
That's the same technique Talme uses... peculiar.
Zari touched him on the arm, "it's time we went." He didn't move. Both felt the presence of the Armageddon hunting party. "Kalilo, we have to go!"
He looked at her in surprise. "What did you call me?"
Her cheeks suddenly darkened as the blood rushed to them when she realized what had just slipped out of her mouth. Shaking it off she said sharply, "never mind that, move it!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him through the portal. It closed as an arrow sailed through the empty space.
"Hell awaits you," Agi sneered. "I pray for her sake her wits shan't abandon her."
Ch. 2 Offer she can't turn down
A tiny ball of light hovered at the of her outstretched finger. It flashed once then dispersed. White light glowed around Shin before clothes materialized on his body; a vest identical to hers, white pants, and a leather belt. He looked up, confusion on his face, "What?" she asked with a smile and chuckled. "Sorry if you were expecting to gain your uniform, your old one..." Her voice failed as she went inside. Then grew strong again as a candle lit up the branches, revealing a deep crevice in the vine draped redwood. "... so I couldn't determine what it looked like. Therefore I couldn't, ouch!"
"What happened?" he called.
"Oh I just handled it wrong and it bit me," she said nonchalantly.
"Bit you?"
"Damn demonic blade!" There was a loud clash of metal against metal then Zari said sternly, "stay freak."
She appeared on a branch with a scabbard and sword fastened to her belt. "What was that about?"
"This," she said as she patted the hilt. "Was a gift from Agi, I think she'll like it back. She lifted her eyebrows and added, "and she's gonna get it back wether she wants it or no, I just hope the damn thing's out for an hour."
"Ahh..." he said nervously. "Somehow I don't think so."
It twitched. The end slapped Zari's rear and sent her over the edge. Like a feline twisting in mid air she spun but missed her feet. She sat up laughing and immediately began pulling the leaves from her hair. "Are you alright?" he asked as he jogged over to her and offered her a hand up. She took it and hoisted herself to her feet. Gingerly he helped her remove leaves from her hair. "Again, are you alright?"
"Huh?" she asked with a smile. "Yeah fine," she replied, not being the least bit sarcastic. "You will come to learn that my head is harder than Katchine ore."
"I find that hard to believe."
"You'll see soon enough."
"Perhaps," he said softly as his hand brushed her cheek, though she didn't seem to notice. He suddenly pulled his hand away and restrained his arm at his side. "Where will you go?"
"I haven't the slightest idea really," she said as she brushed the dirt from her vest and the front of her dress. "I'll probably find a home somewhere in the Cozar system."
"The Cozar system is no place for a lady. May I propose an alternative?"
She shrugged, "certainly."
"You are more than welcome on my planet." Her eyes widened. "You may stay for as long as you please. Anything you need, I will provide." She lowered her head. "Is something wrong?"
"No," she whispered.
"Then, do you accept?"
She looked up and smiled. "Yes. Yes I accept!" she said as she threw her arms around his neck, taking full precaution of his injured arm. He didn't react at all to her embrace. His right arm hung stiff as he blankly stared over her shoulder. She pulled back slowly then smiled meekly, realizing she had more than likely embarrassed him when she felt his muscles tense. Timidly, she looked at him and he smiled, as an older brother does to a frightened sibling. "Sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me." She tried to compose herself, but all confidence shattered as he spoke.
"It's alright."
Still nervous she quickly said, "I better get this thing to Agi."
"Am I to come with or await you here?"
"Whichever you please... I suppose." Her last two words were so soft that she herself did not hear them.
He quickly recognized her discomfort and suddenly pretended to be fatigued. "Perhaps.. I best await you here," he said with a sigh.
"As you will, I might be gone but ten minutes. Agi is difficult to track sometimes. Make yourself at home and I'll return as quickly as possible." She took a rapid stop to break into a run but he gripped her arm.
"Please be careful," then he released her without another word. She broke into a dead run, heading north.
What the hell was that?! The thought burst into her head once she reached a safe distance. He's a Kai. I have to keep my distance. But what happened back there? I've been happier before and never had that reaction. Heaven help me if I'm attracted to him. What am I worried about? He's practically the only man I know. This fancy of mine will be but a vague memory in a week. The trees grew thinner as she neared the open plain. Why am I running home? She wouldn't have gone... of course she would have idiot! The hunt was over many cycles ago. The plains came into view before she reached the edge of the forest. A small wooden shaft bolted through the tip of her ear as she first stepped in the grasslands. Since when did Agi make this an archer's gallery? No matter, they've lost their surprise, game over.
Agi threw another log on the fire. The village around her was empty. She listened to the arrows whistling through the air until the last shot was fired. "They're lousy shots," Zari said from a branch above Agi's head. "They unloaded every arrow in their quiver and hit nothing but air. I thought you would have taught them better."
She chuckled with her back still to Zari, "arrogant to the end eh?"
Zari held out her hand and let the arrows roll off her fingers. "I have one other gift for you then I shall take my place in exile." The demonic blade fell to the ground at Agi's feet. Zari slid off the branch. "Oh, and one more thing," she said as she picked a rag up off the ground. "Wipe yourself off," she hung the rag on Agi's long ear. "You're bleeding."
"Has it been ten minutes already?" Shin asked cheerfully as Zari approached.
"That it has," she replied. "As it is time for our departure."
"What assistance must I be?"
"I require none, I know where the High Heavens are."
"How could you know that? Lest you had been there."
"I have visited your realm on many occasions."
"I have never encountered you there before milady."
"Zari."
"Beg your pardon."
"No need for pardon, I merely would prefer to be referred to by my own name. Truthfully I am not in any position to make requests."
"How is that?"
She turned sharply and stretched out her hand. "It's late, we must leave," she said hastily. A deep pink ring of light slid down her arm then grew as it rolled over the tips of her fingers. Shin watched as a rippling mirror filled the void in the ring.
That's the same technique Talme uses... peculiar.
Zari touched him on the arm, "it's time we went." He didn't move. Both felt the presence of the Armageddon hunting party. "Kalilo, we have to go!"
He looked at her in surprise. "What did you call me?"
Her cheeks suddenly darkened as the blood rushed to them when she realized what had just slipped out of her mouth. Shaking it off she said sharply, "never mind that, move it!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him through the portal. It closed as an arrow sailed through the empty space.
"Hell awaits you," Agi sneered. "I pray for her sake her wits shan't abandon her."