Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Shifting the Paradigm (Part I of "Serendipity") ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )
In an autumn-clad forest, an unknown woman with nothing left to lose contemplates her loved ones, her past, her potential future, and the road that led her there.
(Edits because I uploaded the old chapter, not the edited chapter.)
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 06.10.2024 | Updated On: 06.13.2024 | Pages: 1 | Words: 962 | Visits: 49 | Status: Work In Progress
I don't own DBZ, any of its characters or devices, or any songs, books, or movies referenced. I DO own a very, very fat cat named "Heifer."
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Hey, Folks! Ghost, here. Thanks for checking out StP; I certainly hope you enjoy it. It includes some head-canons of mine, specifically regarding Piccolo and Namekians in general, and some light world-building regarding Namekians and other alien races. Main pairing includes Piccolo, secondary pairing includes Dende, and tertiary pairing includes Tapion. There are a couple background relationships between other characters. I also post this story on FFnet, AO3, and AFF, where we're up to fourteen chapters including this dinky prologue. The first few kind of stink, but if you hold out until about "Lessons Learned and Bridges Burned," it gets better and better.
Trigger warnings will be posted before any and all affected chapters; this chapter has a warning for suicidal ideation and violence (nothing graphic or outright spoken) and a brief moment of disturbing imagery. Bear in mind there will be smut in the future, and this story involves a twisting plot full of potentially triggering themes and topics that may be upsetting. Some such themes and topics include family, abuse, divorce, violence, trauma, depression and suicidal ideation, obscene language, chronic pain and illness, disability, xenophobia, mild racism, and xenophilia. Child abuse, sexual abuse, underage pregnancy, assault, and violent death occur in the past tense - meaning the events aren't going to happen in-story - and will affect the events of the story. Again, there will be trigger warnings. Don't worry, though - I balance out the sour with sweet, and most chapters will be fairly mild.
Lastly, this is dedicated to Kitty, who got me hooked on DBZ when my peers were all obsessed with makeup and hooking up. I loved ya, sister, and I miss you like Hell.
Suggested Listening: The Moody Blues, "Forever Autumn"
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In the field of Philosophy, a radical change in underlying beliefs or theory. Coined by T.S. Kuhn (1922-96), US philosopher of science.
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Fall was a lovely time to die; the lone woman, however, had no time for the sights as she half-dragged herself through the forest. Even the constant pain she was almost used to, however, could not blind her from the carpet of multi-colored leaves beneath her feet, or the curtains and sprays of turning leaves and bare branches. Ruby red, golden yellow, flame orange, earthy brown…the colors were endless, and the shades only limited by the number of leaves.
Pausing at the center of a wide clearing, she took in the sight of the ancient Gingko towering overhead. It had to be hundreds of years old, she reasoned. The thought reminded her of her current plight, though, and a mask of cold indifference fell into place again. She wasn't very old, even by human standards; somehow, though, that ancient behemoth was more steadfast and sturdy than she. She saw how her family crumbled under the illness she was saddled with, and she had no desire to suffer their fate.
Did that make her a coward…or did it mean simply that she couldn't take the pain anymore?
Taking a seat at the foot of the tree, she gazed solemnly at the burled walnut cane in her hands. Smoothing her palm over the silken surface, she took in the impeccable feathering and the ripples of brass and bronze just beneath the surface. The cane's carver was gone - dead, just as she would be, soon.
A lone ant struggled along a root nearby, weighed down by its load and barely able to crawl. A moment later, another ant approached the struggling one, and took up half of its burden. The load lightened, they made the trek to their hill. The woman gazed after them long after they'd vanished, wondering. Would it be worth it to try, to find someone to help her along the journey ahead? The wind rustled through the trees overhead, bringing goose bumps to her bare arms. Pointless...it was pointless.
Steeling her resolve, the woman settled back against the tree's trunk and lay the cherished wooden cane across her lap. Closing her eyes, she thought back to better times - times when life was worth living. Names echoed through her mind in a ceaseless, mournful refrain…
Rio. Rowan. Cor. Nick. Randy. Koda. Constanza. Mother… The memories filling her mind brought a stinging to her eyes - memories of a crumpled station wagon on a rainy night and a lone necklace lying in a pool of blood on a dusty street.
Was it better to die without trying, or to try and die regardless? The answer eluded her still.
Next time: Gohan pushes Piccolo around, Piccolo is surprised, and some light is shed on our mystery woman.