Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Never Melt Ice ❯ Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own or claim to own Dragonball Z or any related characters and trademarks. All original characters and plots are © ErieDragon 2002.

A/N: This was originally intended for a "most bizarre romance" in the future at some point, but the idea was too good to pass up. Oh yeah; it's going to be strange, and a bit.. off, so if you don't like it, don't read it. Flaming's a way of saying... well, I'm not going to say it either. ^_~

Never Melt Ice.

prologue.

One hundred years ago... or more, or less, when the universe was young, or old, or growing up, races were showing their faces, or were dying, or maturing into spacefarers.

Earth was secluded, and open to all, and exiled to the far reaches of darkness. Young children went on wild adventures, and sulked at home, and got the nerve to abandon lives of tedium. Dragonballs were buried in dust, and summoning the dragon, and being tossed and twirled in a young child's small, innocent hands.

And somewhere, through the entire hubbub, and tranquillity, and developing, leaves swayed in a slight breeze, an invisible breeze. Down a rough, smooth, stretched out length of bark, ran a creature, slip sliding from a high branch. Its small claws caught a piece of grass, a razor, a silky strand, in their grip and it toppled sideways. Seeing a tall, elegant figure approaching the clearing, the furry, bare-skinned, beady-eyed mongrel jumped to its feet and hurried back up the oak to hide amongst the branches.

The well stood, comprised of black and gray and white worn away old stones, fresh, clean bricks, and wooden planks to protect it from outside forces. Removed, the sandpaper-like, polished, knotted surfaces were dropped to the ground unceremoniously.

The water was pierced by bright, golden eyes, glimmering like amber and swallowing everything around them like water. Long, black lashes broke their fierce light, a lock of gray hair falling before the absorbing image. Small, elegant fingers slid the tress behind a petite ear, an exhilarated flush spreading across pale cheeks. Bright, golden eyes, glimmering like amber and swallowing everything around them like water blinked once more, more curls of dark, gray hair fluttering before their long, black lashes. A small smile slept on ruby lips, pursing into a thoughtful expression and back, spreading in every direction, bursting with effort. These ruby lips, and ruddy cheeks, and bright, golden eyes, glimmering like amber and swallowing everything around them like water, circled a petite, expressionless nose, all surrounded by a high-cheek boned, fragile face, complete with two petite ears. The creamy, silky skin rippled, swishing about, changing luminescence with each passing second. Ruby lips pursed once more, the golden eyes being pierced most suddenly by a splash, brought up into another, disjointed face, carried within a broken, wooden barrel.

Nebumi looked up from her reflection in the water, returning her focus to the task at hand. Carrying the barrel to one side, her feet moved unevenly to compensate for the extra weight. The forest was awfully quiet that day; a few squirrels darted to and fro from limb to limb of the tall oaks and willows. The older girl brushed her gray hair from in front of her eyes, setting the bucket of water on the soft, green grass. Nebumi tied her curled, smoky locks into a high, chopstick-bound bun, then taking the metal handle into her small, creamy fingers, continued on her way.

Suddenly, a huge, rough hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her cry of alarm. Another pair of arms grabbed her around the middle, tossing her callously over a bony shoulder. Still screaming beneath a flesh gag, her wide, golden eyes cried for help into nothing, while Nebumi beat her fists ineffectively against her abductor's arm. Two vicious chuckles responded to her efforts, the young woman collapsing in defeat.

Water trickled from the confines of a toppled bucket, the grass around it becoming soggy. In the escaping reflection, two enormous, muscular creatures carried off a desperate gray-haired teenager, their unusual armor reflecting the early sun.