[OP: My First Story - King and Ashley]
2 Hearts Shattered! How Much Must Be in Vain...
Simply dismissing and burying a bond as deep as her own, Dina found, was no write-off task.
But in that time, as a Human with Saiyan blood flowing through her veins, she'd lately found a way to manage these emotions.
"Mornin', Diana."
The automaton remained motionless.
"Really did a number on ya last session, didn' I?" she continued in a hushed tone.
Still nothing.
"Not my finest moment, I'll admit. Apologies."
.
"But yeah. Thanks for stickin' around, 'n helping me improve. Not to mention bearin' with... well, Me. Means a ton."
After a moment of yet more silence, Dina planted her forehead against the android's. "Wonder what stark words you'd have for me if only you'd talk back..."
The door abruptly slammed apart into its ports, forcing out a high-pitch yelp from the girl and knocking her over.
"OY!" Dina stammered.
Ayeva had her typical stoic expression. "You're early, as always."
"Yep! Just couldn't wait, y'know?"
The cyber-patroller nodded. "Understood."
Unbeknownst to Dina, Ayeva overheard her chat.
That, combined with what was shown through Dina's spar, gave her some of the best news she'd had in weeks.
The way she weaved around D.I.A.N.A's blows, the way she visually began learning from its attacks as reflections of her own, the way she made her fight seem joyous despite its intensity, was confirmation that she was getting past her prior, hellishly-reckless phase.
Meaning the days of watching someone she cared for destroy themselves were over. And to think, she hadn't needed to interfere after all!
[BGM: Hidenori Shoji - Parry Addiction]
"Wow, was I ALWAYS this sloppy?" Dina thought aloud, darting around D.I.A.N.A's manic fists fit for the witless beast it'd gone against prior, and not the light-foot, immensely quick-fisted fighter it now found itself facing.
"Yes," Ayeva confirmed from behind the barrier, garnering a flustered and muffled "RHETORICAL!" before a quick jab to the temple placed her back on her toes. D.I.A.N.A. had taken a new stance
"She's starting to adapt...!" Dina began grinning. "That should liven things up."
A fraction of a blink later, she reappeared before her doppelganger, fist primed and ready to shoot. She fired and hit air, D.I.A.N.A. slipping just outside it. Surprised but undeterred, Dina followed up with another razor-sharp jab, her robotic counterpart just-barely sidestepping with a single, precise motion.
"(It's not that she's magically faster...)" Dina assessed, resetting her footing and upping her speed.
"(It's her footwork... it's refined to a T!)" the android hadn't thrown an attack once, seemingly on the constant defensive while the two danced around the chamber. Like a mule with a carrot in sight, Dina maintained her speed, all the while beginning to feel the effect of the 100Gs atop her head.
"C'mon... can't run forever..." she grit.
And in time, her relentlessness was rewarded, as an opening in the form of a step too short presented itself.
"(THERE!)" She instantly capitalized, stepping forth with a quick punch.
In that instance, D.I.A.N.A. suddenly lunged forward.
Dina's fist connected first.
And D.I.A.N.A. barreled right through it.
"(... oh.)"
The entire chamber rattled with the force of the sudden slug that slammed into Dina as if a meteor.
"Clever girl..." she growled. Dazed out her mind, yet still, her head now strong enough to endure such blows as she pushed back against the punch. "I get it now... stringing me along until you were certain you could take the hit head-on... I'm flattered! But your math's off a number, love..."
" 'CUS I'M NOT EVEN CLOSE TO FINISHED!"
Dina slid back, winding up and putting her entire body into a blow that should've ended things.
That's when things got interesting...
With no time to move due to Dina's drastically-improved recovery time, it resorted to an accidental technique it pulled from a time where Dina was still a rage-fueled idiot; as the punch hit, D.I.A.N.A. stuck one hand outward, ensuring it was as limp as possible.
That hand taking the full brunt of the attack, and the force itself flowing throughout the limp body, it used its free fist to suddenly and violently slam into Dina's body, quickly stiffening its body as it hit and releasing every last iota of force in one direction like a kinetic cannon.
D.I.A.N.A. had hit Dina with both its attack and her own.
The latter smacked the opposing wall, a trail of spit and drops of blood abound and seeing flashy stars all over.
"P...ie~…" she lulled. D.I.A.N.A. briefly held a "Peace-Peace" sign... somehow... before going stationary.
The gravity abruptly returned to an Earth-like homeostasis, and Ayeva rushed in.
But to her shock, Dina was – albeit on noodle legs – already beginning to recover.
Even more, she was giggling.
"WHAT... WAS... THAT!?" she laughed.
It was a first for her. Laughing off a loss, and even noting where she went wrong. The change, as much as she'd never admit to anyone ever, made her heart flutter.
"Ah... aha... ah~, naptime…"
It was a miracle she was a saiyan, or her brain would be a puddle of mush by now...
It had been too long since she woke up on Ayeva's comfy recovery bed.
Dina rose, stretching with a yawn. To her joy, the memory of the past spar hadn't been wiped by any immense brain trauma.
"(It's been months since Diana's gotten a T.K.O. on me... here I was, beginning to think I was outgrowing the bird, and then she pulls this... Wicked!)"
A lengthier yawn leaked out of her.
"(Still... that's enough excitement for one day. It's high time that I checked out.)"
The doors to the older patroller's domicile slid apart, and Dina moseyed in.
"Thanks for the time, Ms. Ayeva. And hospitality, as usual."
Ayeva was busy managing something to do with rates at the moment, seemingly too preoccupied to notice her. Dina stared at the swarm of screens for a bit, gave up on comprehending it about 5 seconds in, sighed, and began making her way out.
"Just a second."
"?"
Tabbing her holograms, she turned in her seat. "Your performance back there was the best I've ever seen from you thus-far. Not just speed and strength, but skill on-display has jumped, while damage-to-self has plummeted." Dina, being Dina, grinned like an idiot.
"D'aw, I'm sure it wasn't THAT good..." she retorted, fishing for confirmation that it was, in her fact, better.
"You're right, but it's exceptional compared to previous performance."
"(tch!)"
"All being said, I'm curious. What caused this shift in mental?"
"'Shift in Mental'?" Dina pieced it together, leaning against a wall before recalling.
"Well... today, I had a chance meeting with a couple'a jerks, wound up decking one with a particularly big mouth and hardly the skill or skin to match, and then... I had this round with another. Saiyan, airhead to a mind-warping degree, horrendous accent, but she was top-notch in everythin'at mattered. Bloke went in with intent to avenge her mate's honor, yet you couldn't tell for a moment, the way she fought. It never mattered what she took throughout, or how dire things began to look for her, she never relented in having a blast. Sure, her utter lack of anger ticked me off to the edge of insanity, the bubbly moron, but in short..."
She smiled. "It grew on me. I found that way of life attractive. Much more than my own."
With as much subtle joy as possible, Ayeva cracked open the can of worms she'd held for actual months.
"Does this mean you've given up on the one you wanted to... murder?"
Dina's smile faded. But no scowl took its place.
Just an uncertain frown.
"She needs to be stopped. Before anyone else dies. From there, I don't know what I'll do. Just need to be strong enough to make that call."
She could feel the room's mood crash.
"I mean, I can't let her get away with what she's done, of course. But from here on, I'm letting go of that emotional stranglehold she's had 'round my neck for far too long. What comes next is simply taking care of business!"
Ayeva's smile didn't return.
"... oh, I get it! You're just worried about me, 's all! Well no need to worry, Ms. Ayeva, I'll only take the trip back when I'm absolutely certain I'm strong enough!"
Ayeva's smile didn't return.
"Besides, no way I'll neglect to come back here every now n' then! I'll even introduce you to a few swell chaps, my dad especially! You've GOT to meet him!"
"..."
Ayeva made a smile. "I'd love that."
Dina sighed, hugging her hopeless mentor.
"Ii~ll Bee~ Fii~ne," she moaned, her cheek squished against Ayeva's.
"I know."
With that, a toss of a gate, and a "Catch you on the flip!" Dina was gone.
"..."
[BGM: Tatyana Ali - Everytime (0:00 - 0:21)]
It was the happiest she'd seen her in weeks.
There was no way she could tell her.
"Damn... it..."
There was no way she could crush that.
In any case, a month would come and go, and time flies like nothing when nothing's tying you down. For once, a certain someone could relate.
"PAST 100 TIMES GRAVITY!?" Euu squealed in shock.
"Jeez, is it that impressive?"
"As if... come on, I could manage that in my sleep," Baubi grumbled.
"Mean sure, mate, but you've got no organs or bones to speak of, so not that large an accomplishment, issit?"
"THAT MAKES IT LARGER, ACTUALLY!"
"Sure but you can just sorta throw yourself back in all day with no repercussions 'sides the occasional unlawful impersonation allegation from a blobfish, yeah?"
"I-OH, Whatever, I'm over stupid gravity anyway!"
Oh, yeah. Dina and these two are cool now. Guess who made that happen.
"O.M.G. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE HELLA STRONG NOW, WITH, LIKE, 4 Hs! We NEED to fight, and SOON, sis! Like, yesterday, or something! Wait I think that's illegal and whatever we can't actually-"
"Devi. I get the rhetoric." She picked up her frosted roll pastry and chomped down on it, whole. "Mi'm g'me mhn... Ever you are, love, believe it."
"O-KAY! We're ditching, like, right now!" Devine leapt from her seat, suddenly grabbing Baubi and Euu along the way.
"WHAT THE-"
"HEY!"
"Oh come on, sourpussé!" Devine moaned. "It's not like you two are slacking or anything, right!?"
"I'm just a culinary division student..." Euu whimpered.
"THEN WE'RE TOTES WHIPPING THAT ASS INTO SHAPE, SIS! DUH!"
"I was coming regardless, GODS!" Baubi pouted, before being hauled off once more by her ditzy saiyan friend.
The girl behind, donning a sleeveless, red/blue collared shirt and jeans, hair now cut to the point of just-barely reaching below the chin, stood from her seat. She took a deep breath.
"(Right now, I'm stronger than I've ever been.)"
Dina slammed her fist into an open palm.
"Whether or not it's enough to beat you right now, this is how I'll get my definitive answer."
And she'd get it in spades.
The fight lasted hours, this time; well, Baubi for 20 minutes and Euu for 5 seconds. The showdown between the two saiyans was finally coming to a conclusion, amongst the giant pieces of rubble that was once a colossal mountain range.
"Ha... Ha..." Dina slumped, covered in bruises and the like as she struggled to stay afoot.
"Ha... Ha..." Devine maintained her grin, though looking ever-so slightly worse for wear.
"It's like... I feel so alive right now... but my body's completely, like... wow..."
She fell to the ground, leaving Dina the last one standing.
"That... settles it."
With a sigh of relief, Dina pulled herself together and ventured over to her fallen opponent.
"A proper razor-edge brawl, that was!" she chirped, offering a hand that Devine was unable to take before helping her up herself. "Would've lost for sure, if I hadn't started usin' my head. It's startling how much you've improved since our first skirmish!"
"Uh-huh..." the braid-tailed fullblood replied, fading in-and-out of consciousness.
"Oy, don't black out on me just yet! Least not before I thank you. For this romp, and... every other we've had so far."
"No problemo, but you totally sound like you're dying in a drama right now."
"Eh, not quite. I'm convinced that I'm ready to head back and fix things in my timeline. Got the skills n' strength n' speed n' all that, and it's kind of a big moment for me. Nothin' wrong with a bit of sentiment before I go, yeah?"
Devine gave a confused expression. "Head back? Wha...?"
"I mean, can't really explain it in simpler terms, sorry. No way I'm ditching this place forever, however! I'll just alternate every now-and-then, easy!"
"... oh, you don't know?"
"Hm? Know what?"
"Dummy, you can..."
Devine shut her eyes, decided that was more comfortable, and went to sleep over a confused Dina's shoulder.
"... yeah, now who sounds like they're dying in a drama, jerk..." Dina pouted. "Would've loved to know that small bit." She rolled her eyes and put on a smile. "Whatever. Rest easy, lug."
The duel scenario declared Dina the victor, and they left the battlefield.
"I'm strong enough now, that I know."
She reached her recovery bed.
"Now I just need to know something before I depart."
"... How did you manage to muck up basic multiplication?" her colleague asked, bewilderment constraining his throat.
Ayeva continued bowing, motionless and speechless.
"Is something wrong? Are you well, do you have some sort of virus?"
Ayeva continued bowing.
The researcher shook his head. "In any case, this line of work's too important to allow so much as a shoddy round job, much less... THIS. Whatever these personal issues of yours may be, either have them resolved by tomorrow or don't bother showing. Either way, this needs to stop."
Silence.
"Sincerest apologies. Please forgive me."
The pencil-neck sighed. "You can only hear a phrase for so long before it starts losing its meaning. This isn't you, Ayeva. Just... just take the day off, I'll rectify your report."
They stormed off. The indigo-coat patroller was left to stand back upright. Her eyes no longer held the stoicism of a machine's; rather, a tired sap's.
Such pathetic mistakes weren't just rare for her. They were first-times.
"... this needs to stop."
And so, she went off to end things while there was time.
.
.
"so why the hell did you come to me?" Kaset asked, having just been pulled aside from training within the infinite forest. "Ain't this type'a shit more Stroga's field?"
"These are the most 'human' things I've felt in a while. I couldn't think of anyone better to confide in."
If not for Kaset's mocha skin, Ayeva would've seen his blush.
"O... kay, look, just save the weird shit and get to it."
With a nod, she got to it, taking a seat by the fire.
"As of late, it's become so bad that I'm fumbling basic math, never mind my battle power calculations and State of Timespace reports. I'm failing to contribute anything of note, and people are being let down."
"... YOU are fumbling BASIC MATH?"
Ayeva glared. "Verbatim, yes."
Kaset held his chin in place. "Holy shit, that's bad. OK, can you trace that back to when it started?"
"3 months."
Things began falling into place for the human. "Not long before you took the kid under your wing."
"What relevance could that possibly-"
"I'm not finished. Calm down."
Kaset continued. "Shit was fine with you and her for a minute, I know that, I've seen it. But yeah, ever since February, you've been acting spent. Which shouldn't even be possible, considering. And whenever I asked about it, you brushed it off as 'oVeRaNaLySiS,' but look at you now."
"What's your point?" Ayeva cut in, impatiently.
"Just harping over the fact you never said a damn thing when I was worried. Besides, I still have no clue what happened in that time span for you to be wind up acting like this. Did you fall out?"
"No."
"Then I'm at a loss."
For whatever reason, Ayeva became hesitant to answer.
"Hello?"
"She... she became self-destructive."
Kaset's expression made it clear she needed to go in-depth.
"I don't know how it occurred or where it originated from, but... one moment, her drive had completely vanished, and the next, she gains this killer intent. She became hellbent on-"
"Leave the stretching to Stroga, get to the point."
Again, Ayeva became hesitant.
Then, her fingers slowly curled into fists.
"... Dina began training like an idiot."
A stick snapped within the campfire.
"She claimed she had someone she needed to murder, and now I'm certain that she meant someone involved in her arrival here. After that, she pushed herself far beyond what her body should've been able to take, she'd rack herself with pain and would wind up on the verge of critical condition on numerous occasions, and I couldn't stop her-"
"The fuck you mean, you couldn't stop her?"
Another piece of wood loudly kindled.
"Under your roof, under your watch, and not once did you set any ground rules?"
Despite his words, his tone was still soft. If anything, its underlying disappointment made it worse for her.
"Know what, scratch that, why didn't you just tell her that she can't-"
"HOW COULD I."
[BGM: God is an Astronaut - Snowfall]
Her stoic demeanor almost shattered.
"That would've devastated her. What purpose would she be left with?"
"Well, why are you making it your business to make sure she never finds out? Cause we know that ain't possible, and all YOU'RE doing is prolonging the inevitable. So when the truth HAPPENS, kid's gonna fall twice as hard, and it's because you're CHOOSING to babysit instead of mentor. But never mind her, YOU'RE fuckin' over YOURSELF as well. Chronoa knows you never stopped riding, and still do ride MY ass about training 'till I 'rip myself apart', and you let yourself watch a KID actually do that for MONTHS? All you did was let two people waste away over one."
The flames, running out of fuel, began to die down.
"You're a grown-ass woman, Ayeva, and you're smart as I-don't-know-what. So why are you acting childish and stupid out of the blue?"
"... I'm scared."
"What?"
She started trembling, as the fire finally vanished.
"If I'd never met her, if I'd just walked away, I would never have reached this point... But I didn't, and Dina grew on me. Yes, I hated seeing what she'd start doing to herself, more than anything, but I couldn't bring myself to tell her anything that I knew had a chance of shattering her. Much less the truth. I just hoped she'd find out on her own, but now, the core of her motivation has become this goal. I know it's wrong to keep perpetuating a lie, I know it's selfish, but..."
Kaset sighed, standing.
"That's all you had to say. No wonder you're actin' like a dummy, Ayve."
He reached into his pocket and found a gate.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
Tossing out the portable wormhole, he answered. "Taking this off your conscience."
He was inches away from the portal when he felt a grip on his arm.
Frustrated, Kaset looked back.
"I'LL DO IT," Ayeva forced herself to say, pupils in a diluted, glitchy frenzy. "IT MUST BE ME."
"... You're certain about this?"
Ayeva nodded. "It must."
He smiled. "... besides the eye shit, y'know... this dumbass debacle you've gotten yourself into is the most human you've ever been."
The man didn't much care that his cybernetic cohort ignored him completely, and witlessly marched through the gate.
Staring off into the school fountain's crystal blue as she waited for her acquaintance, Dina began zoning out.
Pretty soon, the reminiscent memories running rampant in her head began projecting on the water's surface; of two girls chatting atop a building, of one gorging themselves while the other watched in abject horror, of one soaring through the skies while the other clung on for dear life, and both the pair and a scrawny young boy simply talking outside a school.
"So yeah, nice ditch dipshit, that's one more dodgeball loss under my belt 'cus'a you," an eye-bandaged Neoru grumbled as he passed Dina parallel to the fountain, abruptly snapping her out of her melancholy daze and nearly into the water.
"Hmph. Not my fault you actually care about dodgeball," she retorted after reclaiming her wit.
"I don't, I'm just sick'a losing shit that I hafta do."
"Yeah, sure. Look, that's not the reason I've been waiting about for you to pop up. There's something I need to know from a lad who looks like they've got the know. You have experience with people who've gone mad all'a sudden, right?"
"Gone mad..." Neoru turned. "What, like, crazy?"
"Yes! Yes, 'xactly that!" Dina lauded. "Blimey, if only I had a treat for you, clever boy!"
"Ya ever been kicked in the teeth, asshole?"
"Oh, relax, ya pug. Just pullin' your leg." Dina scooted over and patted some space. "Here. Sit."
Neoru gave her a look that confirmed that he, in fact, did have experience with crazies.
[BGM: Kenji Yamamoto - Captain Thrill (0:17)]
"Jeez, Dina, you look like shi-"
"-tch youR FUCKING MOUTH!" Dina roared before backhand-smacking Neo, making him spin 360 degrees and sending his tray flying.
"Dammit, that was all I get ta eat today!"
Neoru and Dina went left simultaneously.
They proceeded to go right at the same time.
"-ckiNG MORON!" Dina snarled, violently gutting Neo with a fist and going on her not-so merry (hall)way.
"D-dammit, that was all I got... ta eat today..."
"What's keeping him?" Kaset grumbled, capsule in hand as he scouted out for his pupil, only to see him running full-sprint toward him.
"ALL I SAID WAS LOVELY WEATHER, YOU CRAZY BITCH! GET OFF MY TAIL!"
"THINK YOU'RE GETTING AWAY WITH INSULTIN' ME UNDER YOUR HAG BREATH, COWARD!?"
"HOW THE FUCK'D YOU EVEN HEAR-I MEAN YOU'RE PULLIN' THAT OUT YER ASS, PSYCHO!"
"YOU WANT TO DIE THAT BADLY, KEEP WASTING MY TIME!"
"Is that-"
Two teens, both familiar to the grizzled patroller, rushed past him. Due to Kaset not being a sickly old man, his grip on the capsule maintained.
"... huh."
Dina slowly jogged backward.
"W'zat?"
"You mean this? Everything Neoru is gonna get to eat today, why?"
"Gimme, author's havin' too much trouble concludin' the gag."
"... You musta lost your damn mind talkin'na me like that, little gi-"
"Please?"
"Now was that so hard?" Kaset kindly extended the capsule.
Dina proceeded to violently throw it to the ground and stomp it, obliterating it and everything in it. Neoru's obnoxiously loud wails followed, all the while.
Dina noticed the look and nervously giggled.
"For what it's worth, sorry. Was rather 'emotionally sensitive' for a while, I'll admit."
"Yeah, 'course you were," Neoru grumbled as he stamped off.
"Food is on me for the next week!"
With that, Neo shrugged and took the seat offered.
"Whaddo ya wanna know?"
"Why would someone... snap? And do something they never would, or could, otherwise?"
"... Pressure, I guess."
"Hn?"
"I guess shitty things and shitty feelings build up over time, and one day, you just snap. Could be one sudden moment that slams 'em hard enough to scatter their sanity from then-on, could be one measly throwaway push that tosses 'em off the deep end... like a can of apricots, or something. Once that point is hit, nothing's off the table. Not even murder."
"... I see..."
"Eh, it's that or they were always psychos and just needed a reason."
Dina glared as if she'd been personally insulted.
Neoru instantly shot up and jumped back for distance. "Hey, HEY, you asked me a question an' I answered!"
She straightened up and dropped her glare. "Oh, calm down, twit! I'm not gonna slug you because you answered a question. Honestly!"
"You've done a whole lot worse for a whole lot less. The hell's this all about anyway?"
"Well... someone I thought I... someone that I knew abruptly 'snapped' one day. The same day that I kinda-sorta died. I just wanted to know what could compel her to do such a thing as swath through an entire school of people with those paranormal limbs, before I make the trip back to set things right. Now, I... I have a better idea." She balled her fists. "If only people weren't such predatory jerks, this mess wouldn't've happened."
Neoru was able to share a bit of the sentiment Dina implied. "Yeah. Maybe we'd all be able to get something done."
"... Wait, what'd you mean by a 'trip back'?"
"Yeah, I'm taking the trip back to my timeline to stop her."
"But you CAN'T go back to your timeline."
[BGM: Yoshihisa Hirano - Elegy of the Dynast (0:00 - 0:30)]
Dina's brow shot into her hairline. "Huh? where the hell'd you hear that from?"
"City talks, just came across some emotional wreck one day. Went to Kaset to fact-check, and he did. It sucks, but what can you do? We had our chance and now we've got another one."
She stood in place, processing everything.
Neo began realizing what he'd said to the most emotionally-reactive organism in all existence.
"... Heh. Well that's rather tragic."
A mental sigh of relief. "(Woah. She took that well!)"
"Kaset bloke's lying to protect you, the big lug!"
Neoru was now getting tired of this shit.
"He doesn't want you to get any ideas about venturing back into whatever dark, scary world you hail from, and wind up either going mad or dying!" she cooed, making mocking gushy faces as if exposing something. "It's so obvious!"
The boy sighed in frustration. "Shit on a Brick, you're hopeless."
"Oy! If you think I'm doin' some sort of dramatic denial bit, you're dead wrong, yeah?" Dina confidently retorted. "I happen to know one of the most knowledgeable people in Conton, and there's no reason she'd do something as pointless as to lie. In fact, I presented the bloody prospect to her well over a month back, and she hasn't spoken against it since. How's that for an argument? The 'City', or a proper, full-fledged research woman?"
"Tch... Look, I know what I hear. Believe whatever the hell you want," Neoru snapped, storming off in his own fit of minor confusion before it could get any worse.
"Hey, but thanks for the talk!" Dina shouted after him. "I'm positive you'll be able to change YOUR world in time, 's well!"
Neoru threw up his hands. "Fu- Whatever you say!"
"(Aw. Poor boy's confused out of his wits after that, tragic. Rather shady move to lie to your own pupil... Welp, that issue's up to him to deal with.)"
She reached into her pocket and grabbed the gate.
"I've my own."
Ayeva silently paced. Every second felt like hours upon agonizing hours.
Every outcome she'd ran through within her memory banks was equally as heart-ripping for the young halfbreed. Every moment that passed, she fell deeper into regret and despair.
"It must be me," she whispered to herself.
An otherworldly zapping noise broke into the room, and her stomach dropped.
" 'Afternoon, Ms. Ayeva," Dina said somberly.
"Good afternoon." She couldn't even face her.
"(What's that tone... Does she already know?)"
"So, uh, about that trip."
"(Please, please know. I beg you.)"
"I'm positive, now. I'm ready to head out."
"."
(./ OH GOD NO /.)
"I'm strong enough now. And, I know a bit more about why it happened. It's no excuse for what was done, but, a point to converse on is nice, yeah? Potential for a peaceful detainment and all that?"
(./ I WAITED TOO LONG /.)
"All I need now is your knowhow, and I'll be there and back in a jiff. Well, maybe not a jiff, I'd much like to finish a regular high school. Any old degree would look pretty on my shelf, yeah?" She laughed. "Then again, never really cared for studies, so fat chance'a that!"
(./ HOW CAN I NOW /.)
"Oh, but for starters, you and my father! Burly man, boxer in his younger years n' stuff, but still sharper than anything! You two would get along, I know it!"
(./ NO | SHE CAN'T GO ON LIKE THIS /.)
"OH, and I can get 'im to have an honest talk about my mum over a burger and chips! And I can show 'im how much stronger I've gotten and how much I've learned and- NO. No, that's all wishful thinking until the deed's done."
(./ THEREFORE /.)
"Er, Ms. Ayeva? I get you're paranoid, but the cold shoulder's rather harsh."
"Dina."
"Uh-huh?"
All emotion in Ayeva's voice dissipated.
"You were pulled from your point in time because, in that instance, your existence in that timeline was cut short."
"."
"With no resurrection on record, your role in that particular history had ended. Thereby, granting you eligibility to be chosen by Shenron as a potential patroller, and be transported outside spacetime."
"."
"But, if someone were to be placed back into a timeline with an established beginning and end, and proceeded to alter its history, that history would be placed in jeopardy."
"."
"And to place someone who has died within that timeline into a further point than their chronological departure, allowing them to change history's course, would..."
Dina simply looked at her. Vacant eyes almost daring her to say it.
But she had her chance to soften the blow.
"Would be impossible."
"Dina, you can't go back to your timeline."
[BGM: Fat Jon - How You Feel]
Her frozen lips slowly began to unseal.
"How long have you known." She whispered.
"... Years."
Speechless.
"(./ PLEASE /.)"
Dina could only stare.
"(./ PLEASE SAY SOMETHING /.)"
"..."
"what's wrong with you."
"... I..."
"what... what the fuck is wrong with you?" Dina said, unable to muster enough energy to scream or scowl.
"All this time, you've just sat there, never saying a word. Just, watching me train my ass off for this one moment. Even egg'd me on, convinced me that I was shooting toward something. And it's only just now, when I'm ready to take this head-on, when everything's in order, that you snatch it away from me and spit in my face. What, was I just your experiment? Is that it?"
"Of course not-"
Dina, and the room, heated up.
"How do I know you're not lying about THAT as well? You've done a SWELL JOB at it thus far, why not assume EVERYTHIN' coming outta ya's a crock'a SHIT, eh?"
"I swear to you, that's not-"
Dina lost it.
"GOD, this is all a BIG... FUCKING JOKE THAT I'M NOT IN ON, ISN' IT!? I WAKE UP ONE DAY, I LEAVE MY SHITE FUCKING FLAT, I DIE, AND NEXT THING I KNOW, I'M STUCK IN A HELLHOLE WHERE EVERYONE EITHER HATES ME OR USES ME, AND ONLY NOW DO I FIND OUT I CAN'T EVEN GO HOME!? SAYS WHO, YOU TRAFFICKING SHITSACKS!? AND THEN I FIND OUT I CAN'T TRUST A WORD YOU SAY! WHO THE BLOODY HELL CAN I TRUST IF NOT YOU!? YOU'RE ALL A BUNCH OF FUCKING CUNTS, YOU KNOW THAT!? A BUNCH OF SELF-RIGHTEOUS, PSYCHOPATHIC, MANIPULATIVE, UNFEELING FUCKING MONSTE-"
/"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY!?"/
Ayeva's eye shot off sparks as she began screaming, her voice coated in literal static as her mouth ceased movement and her thoughts blared aloud.
/"EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU UNTIL NOW HAS BEEN FOR YOUR SAKE. YET OUT OF NOWHERE, YOU BEGIN ACTING LIKE A LITTLE PSYCHOPATH, AND NEVER, NOT ONCE DID YOU EVER TELL ME WHY. I'D ASK YOU TO CALM DOWN, AND YOU'D SPIT IN MY FACE AND TEAR EVEN FURTHER INTO YOURSELF. I'VE HAD TO WATCH YOU DO THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND NEVER DID I ASK WHY. YOU NEVER TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO LET ME HELP YOU, NEVER TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR INTENTIONS. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. I AM AN IDIOT. I'M A PATHETIC, COWARDLY IDIOT, WHO LET THEMSELVES GET ATTACHED TO THE POINT OF NEVER DARING TO SO-MUCH AS RAISE MY VOICE AT A BRAT LIKE YOU. BUT DON'T YOU DARE ACCUSE ME OF USING YOU, AM I CLEAR!? IF YOU HATE ME THAT MUCH, THEN LEAVE!"/
Both recoiled from the sudden outburst.
Ayeva covered her mouth in shock, her body cooling down.
A hard grimace formed across Dina's face.
She shot her hand down, clenched the gate, and threw it at the wall.
"Eat shit and die, Ayeva."
Dina left.
"..."
"... three... point... one, four..."
She leaned against and slid down the wall, shuttering as her eyes leaked a sort of coolant.
"one, five, nine, two, six, five, three, five..."
Dina landed in a foreign, desert part of Conton. As it fell, she punched the gate capsule as hard as she could across the city.
Soon after, the futility of it all set in. Falling to her knees, her face slowly scrunched as anger and despair hounded her heart, the tears she was sick of seeing once more raining down her cheeks.
Every single goal she'd had was void, no matter how hard she worked for it.
Now, even her first bond had shattered.
An unstoppable force ravaging her timeline, and she was powerless to stop it.
Because she was stuck here.
And she goldened.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
In that useless form, that'd only served as a reminder of where she was, she screamed to the sky.
[つづく]
SOMETHING, SOMETHING-
I LOVE YOU!
THAT CHAPTER WAS PRETTY HEAVY-
YOU LOVE ME!
I'M BREAKING THE ATMOSPHERE AND-
...
Huh...
Uh, yeah. OP here.
Looks like it's one more chapter before Dina completely rounds herself. We've officially reached her lowest point in the story.
Yeah, this was gonna be one giant chapter wrapping everything up, but I'd definitely wind up rushing things if I did that. Gotta let shizz simmer and stuff, but bright side is that I already have most of the content for the chapter wrapped up and ready to type. Maybe this'll be a 2-weeker like the good ol' days before every chapter was a DIY light novel.
On a somewhat-happier note, I'm starting my first day of college tomorrow! That'll be sicc.
On a much less ambiguously-happier note, I finished Yakuza 0's story, and I can safely say that Goro Majima is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. He's just great, play that game.
If you're still in school and reading this, good luck this school year, we'll all need i- nah that's too damn grimm...
If you're still in school and reading this, stay safe and don't give up on this shit, no matter how difficult it gets! I sure as hell won't!
Yeah. Yeah, that right there.
But, uh, yeah. That's about it. See ya.