Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Little Slave Girl ❯ Rowyn's Training and Other Things ( Chapter 29 )

Brushing her hair out of her eyes, Ryven tied her headband back around her forehead and looked upwards towards the sky. It was afternoon and she'd been at the Son house for three days now. She wanted to use her mind-link with Piccolo to see how he was coming along with Rowyn's training, but feared disturbing whatever concentration may be needed. Hearing footsteps behind her, she spun about quickly to discover Tel standing a few feet away, her short dark hair wet from a recent shower.

"It's not over, you know." She said, her voice low, harsh and no little afraid, "They will return and when they do...I plan to be as far from this planet as possible!"

"Coward!" Ryven hissed, turning away from her, "Running away is easy, isn't it?"

Tel started, but didn't say anything. She glared at Ryven's slender back and resisted the urge to attack the girl. What was the use? She thought, We're all gonna die anyway! It's stupid to fight amongst each other. She didn't want to die. But more, she didn't want to die badly. Which is exactly what would happen to her were she to stay and greet those monsters when they regrouped and showed up here.

Tel turned around and walked off down the pathway, anger lengthening her stride. She had a meeting with that blue haired woman and she wasn't about to miss it. She knew that she had the key to getting her and the Princess off of this planet. Ryven watched her go and flew up into the sky, needing to find a place to be alone and think for awhile. She ignored Chi Chi's screams at her from the doorway to come back down.

Finding a quiet area where the land spread out all around like an earth-toned blanket, Ryven unstrapped her sword from her back and laid it down in the shade of some type of sticker plant. She spent a few moments stretching and going over some of the more basic punches and kicks Piccolo had taught her, losing herself in the action and calming her mind at the same time. Though she still couldn't help but wonder how Piccolo and Rowyn were doing.

~*~*~

"Sit down." Piccolo instructed, they were in a private room sealed off from the rest of the lookout. Rowyn, nervous, did as she was told, folding her legs under herself and sitting on the floor in the same manner as Piccolo. Reaching out, he took her hands in his own, so that they were clasped between then and told her to close her eyes and breathe. "Don't try to think of anything, Rowyn. Just concentrate on your breathing."

By holding onto her hands, Rowyn knew, they would form a link and he was better able to help her via that link. After a few moments, her breathing became her only focus and she felt herself growing sleepy. Piccolo released one of her hands momentarly and she felt him smack her across the side of the head, jarring her awake. "Don't fall alseep! You need to stay conscience for this, Rowyn. Now, try again. Focus on your breathing."

Her aching head helping her stay awake and concentrate on breathing, Rowyn felt herself slip into an altered state of being. Looking around, she knew that Piccolo was still with her, she could feel her body where it sat, motionless, his strong calloused hands still holding onto her own betweent them, but she also felt she was far away from her physical self. She jumped when she saw shadows flickering on the outskirts of her eyes, in the background, more of less.

Frightened, she tried to slip back into her body and come out of it, but she felt a hand on her shoulder and paused. The shadows became clearer, scratching at what seemed to be invisible walls, saliva dripping from pointed teeth, dark eyes glaring hungrily as they tried, frantically, to get to her. Whimpering, Rowyn tried to hide behind Piccolo just as a long crack appeared in the invisable wall as the slythwasps banged at it to break through.

"Rowyn. Stay." Piccolo said, "You have the power to stop them, you just need to know how!"

"I...I can't!" She cried, terrified they would break through her fragile barriers and possess her once more. Grasping handfuls of Piccolo's gi near his waist, she cried, "P-please! I...can't do this! They're breaking through!"

"Calm down, Rowyn!" He barked, prying her fingers from his clothing, "Now. Stop being foolish and concentrate! Don't think of anything but building up the walls around your mind. Tap into your inner strength and make them too strong to break through!"

Crying, Rowyn gasped between sobs, the slythwasp shadows tearing and clawing, almost through, almost upon them...upon her, she took a deep breath and struggled to call forth images of sturdy barriers, walls to keep the evilness out and away from her. It seemed to work for awhile. The invisable walls around them seemed to glow and grow thicker. The cracks sealing up as if by some hand spreading out a wrinkle in a peice of clothe. Panting, sweat dripping into her face, the little elf sank to her knees in absorption.

Then....

She cried out as the walls around them began to shatter and crack, falling inward towards them as they both, instictivally, raised their arms to sheild themselves from the flying shards of glass. With a cry of delight, the slythwasps launched themselves straight for Piccolo and Rowyn. Screaming, Rowyn felt heself being spun about into darkness. Gasping, Piccolo opened his eyes and let go of her hands. Her scream still ringing in his ears, Piccolo looked across at her and saw her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in terror.

Shaking her once, she snapped out of it and looked down, ashamed of her weakness. "I'm sorry, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't make them strong enough..."

"Stop it!" Piccolo snapped, eyes narrow, "You are going to do this, Rowyn, not because I think you can, but because you can and because you have to."

"But..."

"I don't have time to listen to you whine." He said, "Now, close your eyes and you better do it right, this time."

~*~*~

Meanwhile...

Glaring at the televsion set, wishing he could just blast the stupid thing into a million pieces, Vegeta sat in one of the overstuffed pastel chairs, his feet on the matching ottoman, eyes on the set. He was watching some show that involved people doing incredicably retarded things for money or fame. He wished they'd all just break their necks and end their pitiful lives once and for all. His mind kept wandering towards the slythwasp problem though, and growled in his throat. He wasn't afraid of them. No, it was more like he was wishing they'd hurry up and show themselves so he could put an end to them.

Not that it's going to be any less dull than it is around here now, He thought, catching sight of something from the corner of his eye, killing them probably won't even make me break a sweat. The kid came walking into the room, her nose in the air, wearing an outfit that obviously belonged to Goten or was it Trunks'. He didn't know. Nor did he care. Maybe it had been Gohan's. Yes, that seemed more likely. She was dressed in an over-sized white boy's dress shirt and slacks that had been hemmed quickly so that she could walk without tripping. She looked more than goofy in them and Vegeta did not hide his smirk as he glared over at her.

"What are you looking at?" She said, haughtily, "It just so happens I had to leave all my things behind and my tailor was killed on ship! Your wife said she'd take me shopping soon but for now this is all she could do!" Yarrah sat down on the sofa and sighed, "Why do things like this always happen to me! I shouldn't be here on this stupid planet! I should be home, awaiting the crowning ceremony!"

"Shut up," Vegeta said, "I'm trying to watch this stupid show."

"H-how dare you!" She cried, "I am The Princess Yarrah Vesta Palena Urianah Theliah of Redshale! You shall speak to me properly, you..."

In a flash, so quick she didn't have time to think, Yarrah felt the hand about her slender throat, being lifted off the ground so that her feet dangled. She looked down into Vegeta's narrow dark eyes and felt the power issuing off of him and sudden fear won over royal brattiness. "Don't ever talk to me in that manner again, brat, or I'll snap your neck like a twig. Am I understood.?"

She glared, but he merely held her tighter and, before her air was completely gone and she blacked out, she nodded frantically. He let her go and she fell in a heap to the floor by the sofa, clutching her neck and coughing. After a few moments she scrambled out of the room. Vegeta, satisified that he'd gotten his point across, sank back into the chair and turned his attention once more toward the idiotic show.

A few seconds later his ears rang as Bulma's voice screeched his name.

"Vegeta!"