LEAPING MOUNTAINS
- written by State Hopper
CHAPTER TWO
(Flash backs written in Italics)
"Enough. You started this." He bared further weight against my pelvis. Fingers were burning and his voice rang like a typhoon in my ear. The heat of our breath was something unwelcome, it stung and I felt ill as skin slid like glass. His eyes moved without direction or emotion, clear cut colouring that made me long for the imperfections of a human face. Digging my nails into his chest, material gathered against skin and I attempted to slam my heel down against his ankle. I think it was this one retaliation that made him realise the actuality of our situation. Shifting himself back a few inches I tried to appear in control, yet quickly changed face. Removing himself from reach, the robust animation strolled back toward the control panel, fists balled and without even a backward glance. He didn't come after me, he didn't grab my arm in an attempt to apologise, he didn't do a thing.
TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO;
"You can have this room Ardin, I think it's the nicest" Bulma smiled inside of the empty pale room with a pale carpet, wallpaper and drapes. Dumping my shoes at the bed side, I touched the covers.
"Thanks... I don't really belong here"
"Don't be silly" she flicked at her hair "Speaking of which, where'd you say you were from again."
"Reality"
"What?"
"... Nothing." I stood up, "I don't suppose I could have something to eat, I'm famished..." Giving me the oddest look, Bulma proceeded along toward the kitchen, where her mother, her overly... joyful... mother, was to be found.
"Oh Bulma my darling you haven't introduced me to your friend" Mrs. Briefs gushed.
"Mom this is Ardin she was the one who I met on Namek, I said she could stay" Bulma told rather than asked.
"Oh, oh aren't you a dear" Mrs. Briefs trotted forward like Peggy Bundy."Bulma have you shown that sweet Vegeta where he is to sleep?"
"Sweet! How could you title that brut as sweet?" Bulma argued. "He tried to blow up the Earth!"
"Oh dear, he is quite handsome though... and such a gentleman."
PRESENT;
Slowly from beneath me patchwork farmland began to indent the hillside. Children and their dogs fishing, while buxom women chatted away the hours on verandas with corrugated roofing. Closing my eyes I descended over the golden cliffs of Hanook and roaring gullies of Jumnba where the silence came in swarms.
Maple Hill, that was what the children called it, was a small hump adorned with one wide set tree. Resting back my head, I tried to think about nothing. Pushing my worries and woes away into the air, simply hoping that they'd be caught by the wind. Hitting the pasture just before the cover of shade, a certain Saiya-jin made his presence known. The mans dark hair shifting inside an ambushing breeze.
"Flying solo today" Goku laughed. His footing, far too delicate for such a large man. The sky was clouded today, which though wasn't often, always managed to make Goku appear less angelic. He didn't have a complicated personality, you could have categorized him in an instance.
"I guess, I needed to get out..."
He sat down.
"It's stupid." I muttered.
"You've been crying."
"... The wind hurt my eyes."
"Never has before."
I looked at him. "If I tell you will you promise not to tell?"
"I wouldn't"
"Mm. Its about Vegeta."
"Don't take anything he does personally. It's just how he is."
"Something happened... Thursday night... it was stupid. God, somehow we ended up kissing." Remaining forever animated, Goku burst at me with a loud and comical 'WHAT!'. "I know how Bulma feels..." I continued "and about Trunks, Vegeta being his dad and all."
"Huh? You know?"
"He told me."
"But if it's you, and not Bulma... then how does Trunks exist?"
"It's not me... and I dunno, maybe Vegeta did fall in love Bulma, though in another dimension perhaps you did, who knows"
It was roughly six o'clock that evening when I awoke. Goku had departed at some point while I slept. Pushing myself up from the grass I dusted down my clothing just in time to realise why I'd woken at all. With a hum and static pinch, Vegeta hit the pasture like a bull. From beneath the maple tree where the sun could not reach, the shadows played him sinisterly. I had no idea what to say or how to approach the situation, so instead I opted for the apology.
"I'm sorry I haven't spoken to you since Thursday. I, we... should never have done that, I wasn't..." he stared at me from within his dark-blue jumpsuit "...thinking straight" I waited for his reply, those few uncomfortable seconds slowly turning into five then ten. "So we understand, that's it. Good, I'll see you at the house."
"Idiot" he stepped forward" You can't lie to me."
Balling my fists, I walked a few meters down the hillside. "Probably not, and as much as I hate to admit it, I do care, but you're just you, you're Vegeta." Glancing over my shoulder, his eyes lifted toward the distance.
"I am, your point?"
"Point, that is the point!" I explained. "You don't want this life, you don't want to be here. You hate everything, I think in some respects you even hate me. Why are you even pushing this? It was just a stupid... accident, we're lonely, that's all."
"I don't hate everything."
"Look it's getting late."
"You should be grateful! Someone of my stature is pursuing you woman!"
"I know things! Things I can't tell you... but only that this is a bad situation!"
"Well it's too late for regret."
"Look It didn't mean anything to me. I'm sorry."
"Humph. I don't lose Ardin." For the first time in a long time he sounded the way I remembered him, and I guess to a small extent it scared me.
"Vegeta I don't want to be here."
"Well," He turned away "you've not been led."
TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO;
Escaping the kitchen to let Bulma and her mother argue Vegeta further, I strolled about the Corporation grounds. Nothing looked real, not even slightly. The grass looked strange and was paired by both paper flowers and cardboard trees, but then again, wasn't reality what you made of it.
I caught sight of Vegeta up ahead, refusing to even acknowledge my presence. "Oi, you can go inside you know, there's a shower and stuff."
"You may wish to socialize with these moronic earthlings but I won't tolerate it." He tightened his arms, strangely and creepily for another few moments until finally he spoke."Are you not ashamed to be so cowardly? It's disgusting."
"Depends on what you define as cowardly." I squinted into the sun "everything isn't always crush, kill, destroy, I can't fight alright." Stepping forward out of the light, I was surprised to find that Vegeta shifted backward. I hadn't yet considered the idea of bodily relations; but with that small reaction I realised that everyone else probably did. "Why'd you just step back?"
"If you want a fight woman I'll give you a fight" Pressing my finger against his cheek, he went rigid, and for once looked surprised. It felt like flesh, moved like flesh, but once I removed myself it went back to appearing flat.
"Your not even real" he puzzled at me "but I know you can hurt me." I just looked at him for the next second, trying to find an ounce of humanity in those black eyes of his, but there was nothing. They were shallow and uninviting in almost every way possible. Slapping my hand away, Vegeta didn't say anything, the look I got was enough.
His face sat behind my eyelids, 'I'm pursuing woman' he'd invaded even my dreams. Kicking off the bed covers, wind lashed at the trees beside my window, cold and wet. Rolling over, my attention shifted toward a dark mass gathered in the corner of the room. Quiet and still upon my bamboo chair
"I asked you a question, you've had long enough."
"Vegeta! You startled me, but don't just come into-"
"-answer me!"
I looked hard into the dark, before turning on my lamp. "Look it's an uncompromising situation, you don't realise it now... but you will."
"Don't talk as if I've things to learn!"
"Quiet Vegeta please... my answers no."
"No" he repeated inside a scowl "no, for now..." I listened to his foot steps fade toward the kitchen. It was a powerful thing to be wanted.
The next morning I awoke to little blue birds singing at my window, ones with big wobbly eyes and big orange feet. Slipping into my dress-robe I entered the kitchen from where Kitty greeted me with a spatula in hand. Smiling in return I was graced with the sight of Vegeta's back. He didn't say anything as I sat down at the table, nor when I attempted to induce morning conversation.
"Ardin dear where's Bulma this morning?" Kitty placed down my breakfast.
"Thanks... ah, guess she's still in bed." With a steaming stack of blueberry waffles I couldn't have given two hoots about Vegeta's silent treatment - not that we conversed much anyway. Removing both my knife and fork, I stabbed at the poor waffles with a killers delight. Glancing up from my plate, Vegeta kept both eyes downcast and elbows stiff as stalagmites. We did not speak a single word that morning, not even as he left to begin his training. Wiping my fingers of sticky syrup Bulma entered dressed and refreshed, looking joyously invigorated. Taking seat at the breakfast table she robbed me of the paper - well, its not like I could read it anyway, I think everyone thought I was completely dyslexic!
I think Vegeta knew that Bulma was keen for him; actually it was deeper than that. Even he could see it, no matter how clueless he may have been, or pretended to be. It never got easier, and I wondered for how long she would tolerate the insults and cruelty. Due to this, there were many parts to Vegeta that made me hate the small amount of good in him. As expected I found Goku and company training rigorously, but to my absolute dismay they were found right outside the Son household.
Seen as there were four of us we paired off. Of course I chose Goku, he may have thought himself a tough sparring partner but heck Goku was a pussy cat compared to the likes of Piccolo.
Sometime later, I was gasping for breath and Goku waiting patiently, not even bothering to kick me while I was down. Stupidly, I decided to strike back. Goku retaliated with the full force of an elbow between my shoulder blades and boot against my ribs. "Nice of you... to take it... easy on me."
"But I was taking it easy on-" He didn't even manage to finish his sentence. For with an all mighty crack I found myself shot down amongst a neighboring patch of pine. The force was enormous, causing me to bust through trunk after trunk before I finally rested within a channel of dirt and rock. Winded and in pain I lay too scared to move, I was positive something had broken. As the dust and derbies began to clear, a voice slowly deciphered from upon the breeze.
"Blasted woman!" two words pierced "Get up!" Biting down as hard as I could my body throbbed on rising. I had to use all my energy to just get airborne. Done up to the nines in a fresh amour suit, Vegeta greeted me with a furious expression. Glancing between us in complete bafflement Goku, Piccolo and Gohan held their mouths shut.
"You idiot! What in the heck did you do that for!" he shifted his head "Don't come here uninvited, why're you here anyway!"
"Passing through."
"Vegeta has Ardin done something wrong? That wasn't very sporting."
"Stay out of this Kakarott, you've no business here, it's because of you that this stupid weakling of a woman was taught a lesson in the first place! How pathetic that you would seek training with this lout! Obviously it isn't working, why you didn't even put up a defense... and you call yourself a warrior."
"I never said that!"
"I suggest you stop deluding yourself with tutelage from this klutz."
"Goku's a heck of a better man and fighter than you'll ever be Vegeta! It's shameful that you should even begin to compare yourself to him... I'm not going to fight you, I'll never fight you, so better you start accepting it." This situation was going nowhere fast. Waving my eyes over Vegeta's ready-to-brawl expression I descended toward Goku's house, Piccolo remaining silent and highly disinterested within the shade of the yard tree. I could feel the prince's power surging, growing stronger and stronger as I walked away. Actually I was rather afraid that he might blast me down, destroying Goku's house in the process.
"Coward!" he bellowed "Don't you turn your back on me! I won't be ignored!" Closing the door, we paid the man no more attention, though Gohan was still highly confused. Goku's house had always felt homely. His living room would have matched the size of my bedroom. From what he had said earlier Chichi was visiting her father, and would be gone till morning, thank god for that. It wasn't that I was scared of her, no no of course not. I just couldn't stand her yelling, the shrillness of her voice. Pulling open the refrigerator door Gohan produced a jug of lemonade.
"Why'd Vegeta do that Ardin?"
"Honestly Gohan I wouldn't have a clue... he's a strange guy."
Later that evening I returned home. Cut up and bruised to heck I slid across my bedroom door. I traced the folds in the bedcover from where I stood. Vegeta dressed rather casually in a white shirt and tastelessly coloured trousers, sat with his back as a greeting.
"Get out! You were totally outta' line today." I paused for a response "You really hurt me." Waiting a few seconds longer, annoyance burst its borders and like a shark through water, Vegeta had never looked so evil. Rising with the movements of a predator, I stepped away from him. "Don't look at me like that" Flinching to the coolness of my bedroom wall, Vegeta proceeded to domineer the carpet. I tried to sound in control yet it didn't come out that way at all. Halting an inch from my chest, where his eyes sliced through, not one word was uttered. At that moment in time he appeared so frighteningly tangible, the lines defining his face and figure dimly drawn. "I won't, I won't be this person to you!" he snatched me by the waist, pushing my body hard into the wall. It hurt like hell, especially as my ribs broke the window sill. Hearing the wood crack, I shouted out his name.
"Vegeta get off me you oaf, get back or I'll-" before I could even manage to finish my sentence his mouth was on my own. I was so shocked by the action that I did not in any way kiss him back. My mind swam in panic and frustration, while he kissed hard enough to bruise. Jerking my head from his, I found myself three feet from the door. Shaky and shocked. "You... y-you stay the heck away from me, get away from me!" I was hoping that any moment Bulma would come bursting through my door, yet I could hear the television from where I stood. Holding back the tears I used all my strength to show Vegeta that he had not intimidated me. "I'm going to give you to the count of ten to get the heck out of here" I struggled "Go before I send you right through that blasted wall..."
"You stupid woman! The strongest Saiya-jins will always pair!" It was at that moment when I realised I was to blame, it was my fault from the start. Covering my face I spoke, through my fingers I felt hot breath escape. I couldn't look at him, not in that moment.
To be continued.
REVIEW RESPONSE;
Niaomi SSJ - Hey thanks for the comments, uhm well you'll have to see who she hooks up with. This story was orginally a what if, story requested by a reader. Yet I eventually cut out the entire Namek and cell saga, and just cut it down to this. Hence all the flash backs and to be flash forwards.
Spontaneousxhumanxcombustion - Hey I was so flattered, 'well handeled' is a wicked compliment. You sound like you know what you are talking about and I so get the fangirl thing, pisses me off.
Kale - Thank you! I will try to bring more characters in, there are ganna be some Cell flash fowards so they will be in that.
AnimeQueen46 - thanks!
(DISCLAIMER; I own nothing but original characters, dbz is not my creation, though I really really wish it was)
