Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ do ut des ❯ meeting the ranger ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Why do I always have to fail in everything... Albruna once told me that everybody has a strong point, but I just haven't.

Bulma can find a solution to everything plus she's a good dancer, and Ganna has the ability to make you smile, no matter how bad your day was. Even Claudia has a strong point, she can sing beautifully. Chi Chi is the best in cooking, Albruna is great in telling stories. I bet even Philippus has a strong point, even though it's not comming up at the moment.

And I'm just... I'm just me. And I'm tired of being me.

I don't know why they picked me out to be a vestal virgin in the first place.

I grabbed one of the stones that were scattered across the landscape, and I throwed it away in my siting position.

My breath stopped when there was no collision with rock to rock... but with something that was able to respond.

"Au!"

Panick was written over my face as I seemed to hear things, that shouldn't be heard in a forest at night. Did I just threw the rock on somebody? Was somebody there, or did I just imagine it?

Only one way to find out.

Somewhat shakily I grabbed another rock, and after I swallowed, I threw it into the same direction. Just a small puff when the stone connected with the ground. I sighed in relief as I picked up another rock, just to be sure.

My body tensioned when my thoughts were confirmed.

"Au! Cut it out Chiaotzu! You know the rules, no training before daylight."

"Wh-at..." another, somewhat child-like voice asked after it had yawned. "What's wrong, what are you yelling for?"

"Stop throwing rocks, in can be very dangerous. You know that it could kill any ordinary man!" He was lecturing the kid, and I briefly pitied him. It stopped immediately when I realized what he had said...

'ordinary man'... echoed through my head...

I swallowed as my body was shaking lightly, I ended up in one of Albruna's stories...

"But Tien, I didn't do it!" the kid whinced.

Tien... and Chiaotzu, now where did I hear that before?

I held my breath as I suddenly realized that they were the same guys from the day before yesterday.

"Then who did?" was my sign to run away in the opposite direction as fast as possible.

I faintly heard foodsteps following me, and accelerated my pace. My heart was beating so fast, it was giving me a headache. The foodsteps became louder, but I didn't dare to look back. My stola's weight was too heavy, and I was almost out of breath. I quickly jumped into some bushes, hoping they wouldn't have noticed, and would leave me be.

Though it was dead silent, I was convinced that the pounding of my heart would betray me.

"O, I guess it's gone." Chiaotzu said.

"Yeah, let's head back."

It was a suggestion that made me sigh in relief.

They didn't seem to notice as they were calmly strolling back. I was about to move, when they suddenly ran back and grabbed me out of the bushes with a "Got ya!"

Somewhat of a struggle followed, eventually I ended up pinned to the ground. Tien, who was bowed over me, was holding down my wrists. Chiaotzu was holding down my feet.

Needless to say I was scared to death, and my breath was trying hard to keep up with the fast pounding of my heart.

"Hey, it's the girl!" It was the way the man said it, as if I was nothing but a object of lust... He was a broad man, and looked very strong. It was dark so I couldn't really make out their faces.

What will they do to me? "Let me go!" but dispite my struggling those arms kept me in place.

"Why were you attacking us, lady?" the child said in a somewhat serious tone, that didn't seem to fit him.

Attacking them? I had to get out of here, before they were going to attack me.

The fact that he was a kid didn't matter. It was night and we were in the forest, he didn't seem innocent at all. I was still out of breath, so it took me some time to answer.

"I said let me go!" I repeated helplessly, tears were forming in my eyes.

"Listen, Vestal. We're not going to hurt you." The man said, in a way like: 'it's not going to hurt, relax... it will al be over soon..'

Disgusting.

"Get your hands off me!" My voice was hoarse, and a uninvited tear strolled down my cheek.

Tien seemed to think it through... and it gave me sometime to overlook him. There was something strange about him... but I couldn't figure out what. He glansed back to the child who nodded.

"Okay then, but promise us you won't run away." Noooo... Of course not, I will just stand here like a stupid cow! The idiot.

"I won't," I said, but he didn't seem to believe me. "I promise."

"You promise?" he asked again, and it made me somewhat uncomfortable. This unordinary man could see right through me, I was convinced of that. However, I held my ground as I was determined to escape.

"I promise."

The pressure on my feet, and the weight on my chest lifted. Thank Vesta they believed me.

"I'm going to let you go now, don't run away okay?"

This was getting kind of irritating. "I won't." I uttered, hoping he couldn't hear when I was lying or not... I sighed in relief as he slowly released my wrist.

"Sooo..." I said uneasily as I slowly stood up... thinking of something to get them distracted and give me a second chance to run away. Would the 'look at that'-tric work? It was kind of cheap... well they didn't really look very smart anyway. "Oh my God, look at that!" I pointed to something behind them and was about to run away when they interrupted my plan.

"There's nothing there, miss." the kid said.

What was wrong with these guys?

"There really is! You haven't even turned around, did you? I swear it was something."

"You should go easy on the promises, and there is nothing there, or we would have sensed it." The young man said. And even though his voice was very friendly, I got scared.

'we would have sensed it..' I ended up in one of Albruna's favourtie scary stories, she would like to tell at the bonfire.

"Believe it or not, there really is something behind you!" I was already looking death frightened, so it was impossible to fake it.

"Okay, we will look." they slowly turned around. "But like I said there is no-"

The last words couldn't be heard as I made another sprint in the opposite direction. My tears had dried up, and for some reason I wasn't as scared as I was in the beginning. Needless to say, I was still determined to reach our Atrium Vestae, to reach home.

"Wait!" the man yelled, close behind me, the kid was following. I felt like we were playing chase. "It's dangerous out there!"

Sure it was, and it was all safe in his arms, right? I bet it would be even safer in his bed.

How far would they be behind me? I couldn't help but look back. They were gaining up at me.

In two seconds the sudden pain was replaced by uninvited darkness. And my mind could register no more.

/ - - ^ - - /

Memory was slow to return, at first there was only pain, total and everywhere so that there was no room for memory. And when that space did come, it seemed all too confusing. There were those mixed up feelings, swirling around in me. And I vaguely remember the argument with Bulma, the chil forest night and that guy.

When I opened my eyes it was already morning. I loved the forest in the morning, the sun would give them a golden glow, as if a veil of pure magic had floated upon them. However, today I couldn't see the beauty of it. My attention went to my own scenery instead.

I was laying upon a cloath of animal fur, it was soft and warm. My dirty stola was tossed in a corner of the tent -I was laying in a small tent - and it was covered with blood.

Blood echoed through my head as I began to panic once again.

I sat up slowly, leaning upon my elbows, I began to hyperventilate, as I looked over my body. My tunica was rolled up, leaving my legs bare. One of them was held still with a piece of cloath, covered in blood, my blood. My pace of breathing quickened and I felt as if I could pass out any moment. I leaned back on the fur and tried to regulate my breath.

I had no idea what this guy did to me, or how I got injured. The last thing I remembered was the chase in the forest.

I've had experienced this many times, forgetting what I had done after I switched personality. But this seemed different. I always had a sort of sub-conscience, some sort of a reassurance... as if I dreamed what had happened. But now I knew nothing... and I could only guess at the nightmare.

Though my breath seemed to have calmed, tears started to glide down my cheeks. Hesitantly at first, but then flowing. Till there were no more.

I don't know how long I've laid there, pitying myself. But eventually I fell asleep of exhausting.

/ - - ^ - - /

"Vestal?!"

Something was trying to reach me. In a somewhat taunting voice it was calling out for me. But I didn't want to be captured.

"Vestal virgin?"

He wouldn't get me.

"Vestal..." it became louder and louder, and despite my struggling it caught me. "Wake up!"

It was then that I shot up in my bed, scared and my body covered with sweat. I gasped for air.

"Finally you're awake." I turned around to look straight in the eyes of Tien.

He was a broad, and there I say so, even a handsome guy. His chest was bare, and he wore a ringmail over some black suit, as high gladiators often wear. A sand coloured belt was tied around his bald head.

He did not seem aggresive by any means... "What did you do to me?"

If he had raped me, what I couldn't really picture him to do, I might be lucky not to remember.

I felt vunerable beyond belief.

"You didn't keep your promise." He chuckled softly. "Never thought you would."

What was he talking about?

His voice became more serious as he continued. "You tripped over a bunch of rocks. You fell on your leg." he pointed towards my left leg. It felt numb, and I was scared to move it. "You twisted your ankle, and the stones teared your leg open." He sighed as he continued his story. "You lost conscious and we brought you here. We aren't exactly good with cleaning up injuries. But we did our best. Your foot is a bit swollen, but it will be alright in a few days I guess. You might have some trouble with walking though." He bowed over to look at the wound. "And by the way, I did not touch you." He looked up as he said that, and relief washed over me. "Enough about me, what were you doing in the forest?" he continued in a more darker tone. "And why did you attack us?"

"I did not attack you!" I protested immediately. My voice was stronger than I had expected it to be. "I had a row with one of the Vestal Virgins, and ran away. I never-"

"Foolish girl, it isn't safe to travel in a forest alone. Especially at night. It is too dark to see where you're walking, and to dark to see any enemies."

"What are you?" I uttered eventually... I didn't really mean to say 'what' but it just blurted out. It was how he pronounced 'enemies' and the words 'ordinary man' were echoing through my head. I just knew there was something wrong about him.

He looked a bit hurt when I said that, and I regretted it immediately. "I was a gladiator once," he said, looking up at me as if I was going to deny it. "I was," he didn't seem to realize that I didn't have to be convinced, for some reason I would believe anything this guy would say. "I escaped and I ran away with Chiaotzu, and now I'm a ranger."

"So now Vestal, we're going to get you home." Before I could protest he bowed over me, my voice didn't function, I was staring at his chest, and realized I had never been so close to a half naked man before. It was the word naked, that made me blush.

Tien seemed not to have noticed as he lifted me up. And even though my left leg made no pressure, and hardly even touched the warm fur underneath me, it started to burn like hell. I moaned in agony and grabbed his arms for support.

"Is it still hurting?" he asked in a concern tone.

I nodded abscent-mindly, staring at my feet, and wondering whether Bulma had told Philippus that I was gone. He could be holding a search for me...

"Lean on it, carefully." it took me a moment to realize what he had said. Somewhere throughout our coversation I had began to trust him, and so I did as I was told.

The pain that followed was almost unbearable... but just as fast as the pain had come, it went. Fading and soothing... I carefully tried to walk baby steps, and to all my surprise it hurt less than I had expected.

"Come on, we'll get you something to eat, we can't let you go home on an empty stomic." He helped me out of the tent.

"Ehm... no thanks I'd rather go home now."

He nodded. "Okay then."

/ - - ^ - - /

It was almost dinner time when we reached the edge of the forest... and I sighed in relief as I could see our home in the distance.

"I'd better walk this alone." I suggested. Walking with a child and man could cause me my life. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem, if you ever want to pay a visit, be my guest."

"I'd better not..."

"Bye bye, lady!" Chiaotzu brought a smile on my face.

"Well, Goodbye then." I said before stepping out of the shadows. "And may the good spirits be with you!" I waved back at them as I continued the way towards home.

I chuckled softly... I was starting to act like our sorceress...

"Bye miss!"

"Wait, Vestal!" it was Tien, and I was forced to look back. "I didn't catch your name!"

"That's right." I said with a smile upon my face. "I didn't give it to you." My smile fell immediately as I turned around once again.

Bulma was leaning against the wall, waiting for me. I really didn't want to face her, I didn't feel like explaining... or like apologizing. Though I know it was wrong for me to act so irresponsible. 'What's wrong with you running away in the forest like that,' I could picture her lecturing me. 'It's bloody dangerous out there.' She wouldn't even notice my leg, and when she did, she would plainly ignore it. Instead she would continue ranting about how dangerous it was in the forest, ignoring the fact that we had a raper living in our own home. Then she would rant a bit more about how hard it was for her to keep it a secret that I was gone. And then she would insist on my apology...

Needless to say I was so surprised when she ran up to me, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Launch, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say those thing to you. You can have any guy you want." She looked up at me before pulling me into a hug once again. "I didn't mean anything I said last night... you know how I am... I sometimes just blurt things out. I'm so sorry."

When she finally let go of me I could see that there were tears forming in her eyes. She really did care then... I regretted my harsh previous thoughts immediately.

"It's okay Bulma, and I'm sorry too."

She smiled up at me, but it fell soon when she noticed my leg, and my stola. "What happened..."

"Nothing bad happend, I just had a little accident." I sighed as I started to explain everything... or as much as I could remember about it.

And she listened, and she cared.

And that alone brought a smile upon my face. And I felt as if I had retrieved my place in this world once again.

I'm home.