This chapter is weird. No, really. I could practically feel your confusion
already. Ah, geeze, I think I'll have to revise the other chapters....
I'm making things up as I go here and this chapter isn't even suppose to
be in the original layout I planned. AAAA! Forgive me! I'm posting this
chapter up much sooner than I expected so look out for grammer mistakes
galore.
Updates will also be a bit late because of the MID-TERMS. Yes, I know
most of you are going through the same.... let's suffer together shall
we? ::cries pitifully::
I need a beta reader, anyone notice that?
Disclaimer: :::insert typical fanfic author disclaimer here:::
Last Revised : 4/5/03
by Psycho Ann
Chapter 4 : Full Moon Memories
She hadn't expect it to work when she grabbed the
dagger from her bag and filled it with her ki. Coating the dagger with
her ki to a particle like sharpness she drove it to the hilt as he bent
down on her. The surprise and pain in his features was like honey to her.
Sweet. So sweet.
A scream of rage emitted from her as she blasted the dagger deeper
in, almost driving it straight through. Then without looking back she flew
off into the rising sun.
Gohan felt the blood filling his lungs. Thank goodness she missed his heart but now he could feel himself drown. He already had enough blood spilled to kill a normal human. Making his way slowly to his bags, he fished out a worn brown pouch. With a grunt he pulled out the dagger and stared for a second as his blood erupted from his chest. He then quickly fished out a senzu bean and ate it.
Gohan was more than mad, he was furious. More than furious really, his anger had gone to a level where it would take a single wrong look from anyone and he would gleefully blow up the planet. Fortunately for mankind, he was standing in a forest; seething, sending critters all sizes and shapes (even the dinosaurs) fleeing miles from his vicinity.
He lost her. Completely.
It's been a week since the day she slipped literally from his grasp and he hadn't even caught a whiff of her. It's like she killed herself; she simply.... was not there. He flown himself around the globe, going to the places she had been before, even going as far as Satan. Nothing. The panic had visited him that he might have pushed her too far and resulted in her suicide. However, he believed, no, knew it wasn't true. She was still alive.
'She'll wish she isn't once I find her...'
He angrily punched the ground beneath him, conveniently forming a crater the size of a soccer field and flattening out half the forest. He looked around at the destruction before slumping wearily to the sizzling ground. What had he become? He was acting more violent and unrestrained everyday....
Son Gohan was not a violent and temperamental person like this! Oh, Dende.... he wished he could go home. It's been years since he ate Chi-Chi's cooking... trained with Goku and Goten... hell, he even missed training with Vegeta....
You will not set foot nor contact anyone in Vegeta as long as the girl and Freezer are alive. That is your mission. You will take it to your death.
It was all these years of chasing a girl he wanted so much to kill just so he could go home that made him like this. A girl he wanted dead. Alive. He wasn't sure now, his own emotions creating havoc in his mind.
Did he want her dead or alive?
No. He answered honestly.
He just wanted her.
The fact that she was his to begin with did not help either.
It wasn't a wonder why Gohan nor any scouter wearing troops couldn't find her. A week ago she had been confronted with Gohan and the truth. Naturally, she ran. And ran. And ran some more. She practically flew until she could no more and dropped out of the sky. She had woke up in a heavily decorated room; satin sheets covering her, large feathered pillows under her head, and a beautifully painted ceiling greeting her. She felt a sudden sense like she was dreaming, that she somehow was dreaming of her room back at the Satan Palace. A room this high classed must belong to royalty or at least the filthy rich.
"Videl!! You're awake!!" Yep. She was dreaming. No way that could be-
Videl turned her head and her jaw dropped. Too clear, too real, it couldn't be a dream. "Erasa?!?"
It turned out Videl had collapsed near the huge mansion
located at a secluded area from Satan City. The mansion belonged to one
of the wealthiest merchant's son. Sharpener. And now as Erasa filled Videl
with everything from the last year, Videl found out her best friend was
going to marry the owner of the mansion they were currently in. Which will
be...? Yes. Sharpener.
Videl had collapsed in Erasa's arms a while later,
overcome by emotions being able to see a friendly face again. Videl and
Erasa had kept in contact for years after the murders from the various
e-mail aliases Videl had. Erasa would keep up the political news for Videl
and frequently give words of encouragement. Videl in return let Erasa know
how she was doing but never a clue on where she was in case the mail got
intercepted. Erasa was the lighthouse in Videl's darkest moments but words
on a screen could hardly compare to the warm arms around her now. It's
been a year since they last communicated.
Erasa and Sharpener's wedding was in a month and Videl happily accepted the offer of staying with them. They were far from civilization so Videl had no need to worry about being attacked. Her currently relaxed ki would be virtually impossible to detect among the hundred or so servants and staff in the huge mansion.
No worries about androids.
No worries about hunters.
No worries about Gohan.
The last one however got her thinking. It was a few days after she settled in that she felt edgy. No, empty would be the word. Gohan's presence was always there in the back of her head for 3 constant years, and now that she was finally away from him long enough.... it felt.... like something was missing. She had scowled, not believing she would admit to herself that she had gotten used to him. Sure he was trying to kill her.... barely. Okay playing with her was more the term (would she dare say he was training her?) and constantly trying to annoy the hell out of her. But then, that's just it. He was always there.
Now, Videl sat at the end of a victorian fountain
and let her fingers skim over the cool surface. "Did I kill him?" she quietly
asked the other Videl reflected in the clear water. The other Videl just
stared back, an unreadable expression in her eyes. At the moment when she
stabbed him she was quite out of her mind. Afterwards, she somehow felt
that it wasn't as much a triumph as she thought it was. It was a sneaky
trick, a successful one, but sneaky none the less.
Videl still has a warrior's pride, and defeating
a foe like that was something she would try all her might to avoid. Defeating
him in battle would be the only way she would get true satisfaction. But
now, she wasn't sure if he was even alive. After all he hadn't even found
her yet. Videl stopped her hand. Did she want him to find her??
No. Yes. No no no no no. Yes.
Where's that 'yes' coming from?!
Videl won't deny that she was a healthy young woman, who will of course, knowing a man like Gohan, couldn't help but be physically attracted. He was strong. Possessed an incredibly sexy body. Smart. Mysterious. Drop dead gorgeous. Videl chopped the ever growing list in her head and stood up stiffly. There were even a few times when she had dreamt of him in a not so innocent way.... hmph, hormones.
It was nothing. Just physical attraction.
So why did she long for just his presence at the back of her head?
"AAUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!"
The servants wisely stayed away from the main garden that afternoon.
Weeks went by and Videl found herself lost in the pandemonium called 'wedding planning'. Erasa happily appointed Videl as her Maiden of Honor and it seemed that along with it came the responsibility to help with EVERYTHING. Catering, the cake, music, decorations, the wedding gown... the list grew and grew.
It was a private wedding though, and it made Videl felt secure that she didn't have to hide much of her identity. And being caught up with all the planning Videl never felt so carefree despite the long hours into the night pouring over plans and invitations. It's been a month since she last practiced her martial arts or meditated. Videl had convinced herself that she didn't need it here..... or anymore. She could stay here forever, take up a job, a new identity... she would live off in peace....
a part of her reminded that she would yet again be running
and that part seemed to take up Gohan's voice for some reason
She ignored it of course, though she accepted that yes, she would have to stop running eventually. But at least she would enjoy herself before then. Not even androids, Frieza, or even Gohan would ruin that.
Videl put down her pen and lightly massaged her temples.
The invitation list was now all filed and ready to be sent out tomorrow.
The wedding gowns (for the bride, herself and bridesmaids) were picked
out and need to be tried on tomorrow. The music and food arrangements had
been made and decorators will be coming in 2 days.
Videl sighed and fished out the wedding layout again.
Scanning over it, she pondered over the empty slot next to 'Best Man'.
Sharpener had explained that it was going to be a surprise for Erasa Videl
never knew Sharpener so she concluded it was someone she did not know.
She herself was friends with Erasa since their toddler years. Erasa was
the daughter of one of the royal advisors and they studied under the same
tutor. Erasa had been shocked to the core upon hearing about the murders
but she never doubted the innocence of Videl. There was the matter of their
undying friendship, and the other matter was that Erasa knew the
truth that so very few knew about. The truth about Videl.
Videl stretched out and blinked at the clock on her redwood desk. 1:24 a.m. Man, she would have to get up early tomorrow to try out the gowns. Pushing her chair back, Videl padded silently to the balcony doors and slid them open. The cold air blasted her and she unconsciously raised her ki to block it. After all the thin spaghetti strap nightgown did nothing to help.
Rubbing her arms she moved to the edge of the railing and stared up at the full moon. It was breathtaking as the moon cast a blue ethereal glow on the mountain silhouettes and the dense forest below. She wanted to touch the moon, its shape hanging right there at the edge of her fingers. Raising her fingers as if to brush the edges Videl sighed, her breath coming out in a puff.
How many nights like this did she spent in the open with him?
They had this tradition, like so many of their little weird traditions, that on full moons they would not fight. The night of the murders had been a full moon and Videl would never forget it. In the first years of her being a fugitive she had broken down on nights like these. Gohan seemed to realize this and interesting enough respected it. She had once just stood there wanting him to end her misery when he had cocked his head at her and stared for a few minutes, his hand still on her throat. He then stepped back and declared, "Well, this is no fun is it?"
Since then he never attacked her on full moons. Videl still had her nightmares though, and would frequently wake up screaming into the dead of night. It was nearing the end of her first year that she started to feel Gohan's presence and found out that on every full moon he would be nearby. Funny how since she found out her nightmares seem to fade away....
She was almost afraid to sleep as she looked up at the white orb that hung fully in the darkened sky.
Nightmares of blood and fire. Of laughter and evil eyes. Of guilt and anguish.
It's been almost a year dammit....
"A year.... almost a year.... why won't these nightmares go away?" she whispered to herself, not knowing that a certain boy could hear her loud and clear. She poked at the dying fire before shoving some dirt on it to put it out. Sighing heavily she pulled her sleeping bag up against the tree and sat down on it, again turning her attention to the moon.
Tears stung as she wanted to more then anything to blast that damn moon out of the sky.
"No..." she bit out fiercely, "I will not cry....I will...not..."
It usually helped talking out loud, a verbal command to herself, but this time it did nothing. A single droplet made its way down her pale cheeks before she hastily wiped it away. Only to find more cascading down. She eventually gave up the battle and let them fall. She did not sob or sniffle; not making a single sound. Just the tears as she kept her unblinking eye trained on the moon.
"These nightmares won't stop.... because I'm not strong enough to fight you alone, you stupid moon!!" she let out the last part in an anguished cry, getting on her feet. Heaving, she glared at it angrily before feeling quite foolish and insane.
"I'm going crazy...talking to myself...screaming at the moon...." she muttered while dropping back to her sleeping bag. She sighed, resting her head on the still warm trunk of the tree feeling the exhaustion take over. She closed her eyes tightly, letting one last tear drop fall.
"I can't.... not alone...."
a small ki spiked in her senses coming right from behind her
on the other side of the tree trunk
She should panic, she should be running, she should be anything but smiling. But that's what she did. She smiled and got into her sleeping bag, knowing she would not be fighting the moon alone. The ki was gone but somehow she felt a presence still there, lingering at the back of her mind.
"Thank you," was all she said as she fell into a dreamless sleep.
"Gohan..."
...........
'Did I say that out loud??!?'
Videl mentally slapped herself; it really was getting freaky how she would always find herself thinking about him. She never thought about him this way before!! If she ever did think about him it was planning how to avoid, escape or kill him. He was the object of her hate. He was her distraction. He was... he was.....
He was not here.
Videl found herself with one hand clutching the railing with the other at her chest. She was kneeling, gasping, and from what she didn't know. Where did this emptiness come from? This pain, like losing a piece from a puzzle that you were dying to complete. For the pass month she had buried herself in the hectic plans of the wedding, trying to keep herself from noticing the growing hole in her soul. A flash of black, a blur of green; she would keep finding herself scanning the crowds.
Even if she could not for the life of her understand why....
She missed him.
Oh Dende, she missed him so much.
Getting her breath back and pushing the pain in her chest back, she took one last glance at the moon then went in. For some reason she felt better that they both would be sleeping under the same pale glow.
A.N. You would think I'm giving you more questions than answers. You are absolutely right. Any questions you have will be answered in the later chapters, trust me ^^
