Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Outside My Head ❯ Chapter 1

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Outside My Head

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but damn, I wish I did. I do, however own my original characters, Seiya, Sate, Rei and Takeshi

Note to reader: I'm not sure if this little `story' even qualifies as a fanfic. I'm not sure what to call it. These events entail what happens `outside of my head' (hence the title) ... I'm pretty sure not many people will understand what that means, though. With every fanfic I ever written, the character doesn't just COME to me willy-nilly. I envision what happens to the character, the story taking place around them, and the characters themselves reveal themselves to me. Now, I was in the middle of doing my homework, when this `happened': basically, four of my original characters (from different stories, some not yet even written/in the process of being written) spoke to me, and I spoke back to them, getting to know them better. Normal? Definitely not ... Crazy? Most likely ... You can be the judge of that.

I do really hope that you find this `fanfic' worth the read, though - It was DEFINITELY fun to write (mostly). I've included little character overviews below for your convenience:

Sate: [OC in story with Android 17] (Not an original Japanese name) To satisfy fully.

Rei: [OC in story with Trunks] Law, rule, strive

Seiya: [OC in story with ... Goku? Vegeta?A Saiyan ] “Sincere one”

Takeshi: [OC in story with Piccolo] (originally a male name) Fierce, violent, warrior.

XXXX

I was by myself, sitting, trying to get my homework done when it had started.

It was a strange tugging sensation; the feeling that I was in that small, strange place between `asleep' and `awake'. I felt a weird sense of vertigo, and then I floated off the edge of a precipice. I was vaguely aware of my body; light - feather light, and small. It was happening again.

It wasn't the first time, and it would be the last, I knew. I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings; I could not easily count hand how many times I've been here before. I hummed quietly to myself waiting for my guests to come.

It was a small room, with a child-like bed in the corner, spread simply with white cotton sheets with a simple white pillow resting against the backboard. Directly in front of it stood a moderately sized chest of drawers, a light coloured wood. I always used to been tempted to take a peek inside one day, to satisfy my curiosity, but I was always held back. This was my place, but it was not to be disturbed.

My eyes fell in front of me where there was a small wooden study desk with a small lamp resting on its upper right corner. In front, the small chair was pulled away from the desk.

As a welcome? I wasn't sure.

I had recognized years ago that this was my safe place; my haven; my temple; my place to write. Countless tales had sprung to life from this room, many battles had been fought, so many emotions had run through this place, tears had fallen, laughter had rung through the air, and right now, it was still, in anticipation ... of what?

I didn't sit down in front of the desk today. It wasn't really a day for creating new adventures. This was a day of communion, communication.

I looked towards the large window, the pane shut closed, and light white curtains pulled back. The landscape before me was a lush green, hills and mountains as far as I could see. Pressing against the glass, I revelled at the sight before me. I heard the faint crying of birds as they flew in the distance, following an invisible path across the horizon.

I smile slightly as I came to a realization: No matter what time I came, it was always sunset here; the most beautiful time of the day.

I let out a sigh, and sat down on the edge of the bed. The girls were almost here. It was go time.

I automatically straightened my shirt and tried fixing my hair. I don't know why, but I always felt the need to look my absolute best for my visitors. I knew they wouldn't react any differently to me, but it was a strange quirk.

“Hey ...”

Sate.

I smiled at her as she appeared her usual smiling self. Sate was one of my oldest. She was the clearest one to me as I knew here the longest.

“Waiting for the others?” she asked softly.

“Yup. They should be here any second now”

She smiled at me and there was a comfortable silence in which I just looked at her.

REALLY looked at her.

She was absolutely, positively gorgeous.

Rich black hair hung over her back and her shoulders in soft, shiny ringlets, and smaller curls hung above her eyes and framing her dark face. She wore a simple white summer dress, with a purple ribbon tied around her waist. Her eyes, a beautiful lavender, looked right at me, then went back to stare out the window.

Man, 17 was a lucky man.

“How long have you been here now?” she asked, turning her attention on me once more.

“Hmmmm .... I'm not sure. Not too long though. I - ”

“Gosh! Sorry guys! I got here as soon as I could!”

Rei.

I turned to look at her, my heart swelling. She was definitely one I looked forward to seeing. I had only been able to meet her a handful of times before, and it was always uplifting to see her.

“Hey ...” I say breathlessly.

“Sate? Hi! I haven't seen you in-“

“Too long” Sate said, rising to hug her. They embraced tightly for a few seconds before letting go, still holding each other's hands.*

I was not sure why, but it seemed as if Rei's appearance had changed since I last saw her. She seemed shorter, more vulnerable, and softer. She actually had to look up at Sate, unlike the last time the two had been together where she had been at eye level with her friend.

She turned to me, holding out her hands for a hug, and I gladly obliged, burying my face in her long black hair.

I felt her warm skin as she embraced me, and I fingered the royal garb she wore. A golden material, similar to silk, draped over her, exposing small, freckled shoulders.

“You smell great” I said, laughing.

She laughed a high, throaty laugh. “I hope so”

It had been a long time since I had seen her. Her golden coloured eyes seemed brighter, more full of life. I wondered what had changed since they last time we met.

“And everything's okay?” I asked.

She smiled at me again. “Oh, you'll find out when the others get here”

As if on cue, Seiya appeared. She seemed out of breath, tired. I tried to focus on her, rubbing my eyes. Her image looked blurry, unfocused, and I frowned slightly.

“Hi”, she said simply. She didn't attempt to hug me, but stood awkwardly, still hazy and unfocused. The other girls greeted her -not as cheerfully as they greeted each other, but there was still an air of friendship between the three.

“Hey” I replied. I was never really close to Seiya. She was a strange character, hazy and unfocused in my mind, and her appearance kept changing every time we met. It seemed that with every visit, it was harder for me to make out physical features. She didn't seem real.

Not real enough.

I could make out dark, straight hair, and deep, dark eyes, but more than that was hard to decipher.

She wore a simple, dark coloured outfit, loose and comfortable.

Sate laughed out loud at an exchange between herself and Rei, and Seiya smiled at both of them.

“All we need now is Takeshi, right?” she asked, looking at me.

“Yeah ... I don't think anyone else is coming”

Was there supposed to be? **

Seiya sighed softly. “She might not be. We might wait around and she doesn't even show up”

I shrugged my shoulders, trying to make it appear as if it didn't really matter.

But it did - a whole lot.

I loved all of my girls, but there was something about Takeshi that attracted me to her. She was so ... unlike me. I looked at the three women in front of me.

All of them - even Seiya - were a part of me; I looked at each of them, and could see ... ME ... staring right back at myself. But Takeshi ...

I wasn't sure where she had come from, or how my mind had come up with her. She was foreign to me, and I wanted to know her better, talk to her, have her talk to me.

“Okay - maybe next time. She probably can't come ...”

Or didn't want to.

I took my place on the bed, resting the pillow between my legs, and smiled at them. Gosh - where could I start?

Sate.

“How is everything going?” I asked, smiling at her.

She looked at me from under dark curls. “I am very happy”

“That's good to hear”

“But how are YOU?” she asked, still looking at me. THROUGH me.

“Good”

“Bullshit” she replied immediately.

“Well ... I'm not okay, but that's not really important here, is it? It's aaaall about you guys right now”, I said, pointing at all three of them.

“You haven't been writing” she stated matter-o-factly.

“Yeah, I know. I'm hoping it'll get better”

The problem was ... I didn't know how long it would take for me to get out of this funk. It had been so long since I had successfully written a fanfic. I was hoping some time in the room would give me some inspiration, but lately, things had been hopeless.

“Yeah, me too” she replied.

I changed the route of the conversation before we could get too much off course.

“So, how is everything with 17?”

“Oh, very good. There have been some trouble brewing lately, though. Not with him, but with ...”

Oh jeez -

“Trunks”

I felt the level of unease pouring off of Rei before I saw it on her face, but she stayed silent, waiting for her turn to speak. There was no animosity between herself and Sate, but I was sure that hearing her talk about Trunks ... it would cause some discomfort.

“What's happening with him?” I asked softly.

“Well ... I'm not sure what's happening - he doesn't seem to like how close 17 and I are getting. He's been quite irritable lately. Possessive, even ... every time 17 comes around. I've never seen him like this before”

“Aaaah”

I searched for another question to change topics again, but my mind drew blanks. Sate looked at me, waiting for my next question, waiting to give me another glimpse into her world.

When words failed me, she chimed in again.

“I thought I wouldn't be truly happy with someone again, you know” She smiled prettily, looking up at me with those beautiful eyes.

“But I really am, in spite of everything”

I smiled back at her. “God, I am so happy for you. I really wish you well”

“Thank you” she replied.

Rei.

“I'm guessing you have a lot to tell me, Rei ... I could see it on your face as soon as you came in”

Rei beamed up at her and smoothed her hair back over her shoulders. It was then that I noticed the small marking at the base of her neck.

“Things have taken a turn for the better. I have learnt how to stay alive. Trunks doesn't want to kill me any more”.

I laughed out loud, in spited of myself. What strange words to hear coming from someone so terribly happy. Everything about her seemed lighter, more cheerful, more positive, and I liked it.

“Glad to hear. Anything else?”

“Not much has happened since you called me last time” she said, shrugging.

“No news is good news ... especially in your situation”

“Being taken against your will can do that to you ...” she trailed off, her face suddenly serious.

Damnit! Change the subject.

“Could I ask you something?” she asked, snapping back to reality.

Thank GOD. I wasn't a good conversationalist today.

“Anything”

“Could you do something for me? I know it's kind of against the rules for you to interfere and stuff, but it's just...”

I knew that it would be impossible for me to fulfill her wish. I looked at the woman in front of me, and smiled slightly. I couldn't bend the rules for her. She was going to ask me to change something; to make it a little better - and I couldn't do that. I was powerless as to how their stories turned out. Their stories just HAPPENED, and my only role was writting down the events as they happened. She already knew that.

“What is it?” I asked. Gosh ... what if I disappointed her?

“I just want a happy ending” She said, her eyes glistening over.

I sighed heavily, reaching forward to hug her gently. “I'll try, Rei - I'll definitely try”

It was so strange, the sensation I felt when I held her. She felt so small, so fragile, but I knew - she was a fighter. I smiled into her hair, inhaling the sweet scent, and I wished hard - so hard - that things would work out for her. Goodness knew - she deserved that much.

“That's all I ask” she replied, breaking away, and wiping the tears from her eyes.

Sate took over where I left off, wiping the tears off Rei's cheeks, and whispering comforting words to her.

Seiya.

I hardly knew how to approach the next woman in front of me. We didn't have as strong of a relationship as I had with Sate and Rei. I had hoped that gradually I would be able to see her more clearly, but as time passed ... my hopes had gradually faded.

“You don't know what to ask me” she said, her voice sounding distant. She looked at me, and I could tell she was smiling slightly. Then, she giggled slightly. She rubbed the back of her head, easing the tension in the room.

“I really wish I could share with you - really I do. I just don't know what to tell you. My life is going along pretty normally right now”

I smiled at Seiya, loosening up. Sate and Rei had finished with each other, and now paid attention to her.

I racked my brain trying to come up with something. What exactly did I know about Seiya? I know her appearance wasn't completely down, but there had to be something I could dig up about her. I felt regret at not paying attention to her as much as the other girls. I wondered: How did she exist? What did her world look like? Who was she with?

Who made this woman what she was? What made her laugh? What made her cry? Was her past a painful one, or one filled with joy?

Who was Seiya?

“I still work at Capsule Corp if that answers any question you may be thinking of ... I work with Bulma”

I nodded my head. Yeah, that fit her.

“How long have you been working there now?”

“Hmm - abooooout ... 3 years now”

“Love it?”

“Like you wouldn't know”

I loved that her defences were coming down. I felt a sense of belonging. She smiled at me, showing small dimples.

She had dimples - How could I have missed that before?

I focused on her, trying to pry an sort of information from my mind.

She continued, playing with the long strands of hair. “I'm going to be working with Mr. Briefs pretty soon though. Bulma has a higher position for me - starting next month. I'm very excited for that”

Black hair.

I looked down at Seiya, my beautiful creation, and I saw long, unruly black hair, surrounding a pretty, friendly-looking face.

And I saw the most startling pair of crimson eyes looking back at me.

Then I saw THROUGH Seiya, looking deep within her. I saw memories of a beautiful, short childhood; saw the fierce will and genuine person hidden within.

She loved science, loved working with her hands, discovering new things, loved being surrounded by friends.

I saw the empty void inside of her yearning to be filled, the need to be loved and cared for at any cost, the high level of trust she was willing to give to anyone worthy and deserving.

And I caught myself as a tear rolled down my cheek.

Seiya's happy smile disappeared as she watched me. “What's wrong? Did you see something bad?”

She put her hands together, unsure of her place, not knowing whether or not she should comfort me.

“No- I ... I can see you now. You were so blurry before ... I wasn't even sure you were real” I said, catching myself.

She smiled softly at me, and nodded. “I figured - I couldn't see you well either. Now I can. I think that's a good sign, don't you?”

I could only nod.

I could see it now - I knew who she belonged with - Goku.

All of a sudden, I was aware of another presence in the room, still but powerful, and I could tell from the way that the three women in front of me sat up, looking towards the entrance of the room.

Takeshi.

I wasn't sure what to do. The air was still and the tension in the room was so thick and uncomfortable, I felt like leaving.

“I was called” she said simply, and came closer to us, her steps silent and careful.

Takeshi was just as clear as the others in front of me, solid, and powerful, and she could tell how tense we all were, waiting for someone to say something; to break the tension.

I studied her form, how she stood, and her physical features. She wore a normal casual outfit - not the gi I had originally expected her to wear - sneakers with loose fitting jeans and a tank top. But even in such a casual outfit, she exuded an air of power, of confidence, and strength.

She wore her hair just past her shoulders, a wavy curtain of light brown hair, and intense green eyes.

“Thanks for coming” I was surprised at how small my voice sounded.

Saying nothing in return, she took her place, sitting slightly farther away than Sate, Rei and Seiya.

Sate twitched, and I could tell she wanted to move away from Takeshi. The two never seemed to get along. I don't think I've ever seen them even maintain eye contact, much less have a conversation. I had never asked them why.

She hesitated for a moment, and I saw her jaw twitch slightly in protest before she said quickly, “Sorry I'm late - I was with Piccolo”

“No worries. We're still all here”

Sate looked in Takeshi's direction before rolling her eyes. “We could have all made excuses” she said in protest.

My breathe hitched slightly as Takeshi's arms tensed, showing muscle. Then, I exhaled as she remained calm, choosing to ignore the other woman's statement. The atmosphere of the entire room had changed suddenly, and Takeshi was just as uncomfortable as I was.

“How are things with you, Takeshi?” I asked, trying to achieve some level of the peace I had before.

“Good” she replied quickly.

“No changes?”

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

“Piccolo and I-”, I resisted the urge to smile at the way she said his name so delicately, “- we are ... together ... finally”

She cleared her throat uncomfortably, and I noticed the slight blush on her cheeks. She did not look up at me, her embarrassment at speaking so openly about being with someone else apparent. She cleared her throat.

“But nothing is else is new. That's it” she finished, folding her arms across her chest protectively.

“I wish you too happiness” I said softly, looking at her.

She said nothing in reply, but nodded, a hint of a smile beginning to dance at the corner of her lips.

She wanted to go, I could tell. She wanted to go back to him.

“Good luck, Takeshi - I won't keep you any longer” I said softly. I wish I could get closer to her, find out as much about her as I knew about the others.

As she got up and walked towards the door, I leapt up, and held her by the shoulder. She stopped in her tracks, still facing the doorway, and there were another few moments of silence where I almost regretted my actions.

“Takeshi ... I just - I ... Take care of yourself ... I hope to see you again soon”

Takeshi turned to face me, and I frowned slightly as I recognized her image was becoming blurry, unfocused. How could that be? She wasn't leaving yet? Was I losing her?

“I hope so too” she said, that hint of a smile present again. I looked into her eyes, suddenly realizing - I couldn't tell what colour her eyes were anymore - she was fading. I hugged her tightly as she disappeared, and continued to stand in that spot, before the doorway, wondering if she would come back the next time I called for her. It didn't seem likely. She was always the most distant, the black sheep among my girls, never belonging, never looking to belonging, and always withdrawn. I hope she found happiness where she was now.

I turned back to my girls, looking at them with total love and adoration. Each of them was a different part of me, and I treasured all of them equally. They were beautiful, so achingly beautiful, in their own way, with their own set of struggles endured, to be endured, and with victories to come.

All three stood up slowly, as if on cue, and it was Seiya who spoke first.

“We never asked you - What should we call you?” She smiled at me as I chuckled, my mood changing.

“Oh Gosh. I don't even know” I said.

“Mom?” Sate asked. She laughed a pretty little laugh. “Just shittin' you. You're so much more than that to us. Duh!”

I laughed out loud this time, walking over to them. “Oh please. You guys are older than me. That's so weird”

Rei butted in, “So then ... God? Ugh - makes you sound ANCIENT. I don't know, guys ... this is a hard one”

“I don't know”, I said, looking out the window again. The sun was still setting, casting a beautiful golden glow across the countryside. God, this place was absolutely perfect.

“I don't even know if I should have a name. I'm just...”

Author? No - I didn't write their stories. Their stories wrote themselves.

“We have time to figure that out”, said Seiya, smiling, her dimples indenting her cheeks. I was so happy I could see her, I almost cried. “We'll be back next time you call. You can count on that”

I nodded as they each came to hug me, my heart flooding with emotion. It was absolutely heart-wrenching to have to leave them every time, but it was necessary; they all had lives to get back to, and I had my own.

They would live their lives ...

And I would transcribe it to paper, trying to capture each moment with the most clarity I could.

I was surrounded by the warmth of my characters; my girls; my creations, and then suddenly, I was alone. I stood in front of the window gazing at the frozen sunset, wondering what would happen when - or if- I ever finished writing these stories.

Would I still be able to talk to them? Would they continue to live their lives? Would their stories continue?

Would the sun finally go down in this world?

I smiled outwardly, trying my hardest not to think of when that time would come. My goal now was to keep these characters alive, to keep their stories going, and to bring them to peace.

I felt the familiar pull telling me that it was time to go, to leave this room behind, and I looked over the room once more before submitting to its force.

I had work to do, and lots of it.

THE END.

*Yes, my characters know each other `outside' my head. I'm not sure why. Each of their stories take place in different (alternate) universes. They could not possibly know each other under normal circumstances. I assume that they only know each other when they are in the room. When they are back in their own worlds, they have no recollection of me, the room, or each other.

**I have no control over which characters decide to come. Sometimes, I only plan for one and more come along, other times, I plan for four, and no one shows up. I just wait an acceptable time to see which ones show up.

XXXX

Well, thanks for reading my `story' - I hope it was as interesting to read as it was to write (and I hope you don't think I'm totally crazy for seeing these characters the way I do). I'm very happy that I got to finish it. There are very few things that I sit down to finish that I ACTUALLY complete.

As for the fate of these characters ... well, only time will tell. I hardly have any time to write anymore, and when I do find the time, it's very hard. But I do try. And until my next fic ... goodbye !