Timeless Rose
Beginning
Near the center of the universe sat a beautiful blue and lavender planet. Its clear water glistened underneath the twin suns. The air was alive with the early morning songs of its winged community. The sky was bright and clear with a stray cloud lacing its otherwise clear blue canvas. A young child walked out of her house and watched a pink dragon land in front of her. Its head was flat with tow tiny horns at the top and angelic-like wings were positioned high on its back. She laughed as the dragon licked her hand and picked the small creature up.
“How are you today? Shin? No, I haven’t seen him. I just got up. I was tired. Daddy says that when you are tired, you need to take a nap. So where do you want to go today? To the flower fields? That sounds fun. Come on, Ridel, I’ll race you!”
A tall and somber figure watched her fly off with the dragon from the sanctity of the porch and sighed. He turned around and walked back into the house. He glanced at his wife, a beautiful thin thing with long golden hair and sighed.
“Has Namek been contacted?” he asked.
“Yes, we’re waiting for a reply, Shao,” she said and Shao nodded his head.
“All right. How long of a wait will it be?”
“They estimated a reply would take half a day.”
“We don’t have that much time to waste.”
“I know. How are Shin’s parents?”
“They’re unnerved about the coming destruction.”
“And they have good reason to be. I wish that I couldn’t feel this disturbance but at least I was able to forewarn everyone of the coming disaster.”
“It’s a shame that they didn’t listen to you, Shao.”
“Apparently, this is the way it’s supposed to be Han.”
“Mr. Motoko?” a short young boy with purple skin and spiked white hair asked and Shao turned around.
“Yes Shin?” Shao asked and Shin looked around the house.
“Where’s Loren? I came to take her to the mountains.”
“She left with Ridel. I don’t know where she is,” Han said and Shin sighed.
“She won’t be hard to find. Go and play with her while you can,” Shao said and Shin ran out of the house in search of his friend.
“Is he aware of the responsibility that he will have one day?” Han asked.
“I haven’t made him aware of it yet. I don’t want to taint his mind with the thought of enormous responsibility. He should enjoy his youth while he can. He won’t be carefree much longer. I hope the Nameks contact us soon.”
“It’s a shame that we won’t be around to see our daughter grow up.”
“Loren is special. She has definitely been blessed with a power that we could never comprehend. She will have no end like the rest of us have.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“There are a lot of things about our daughter that I cannot explain,” Shao said as he turned away from her.
***
“What is it Ridel?” Loren asked as she sat up with petals laced through her hair. Her eyes lit up with excitement when she saw Shin land not far from her. Ridel ran up to Shin and licked his hand. Shin smiled as he bent over and patted the dragon on the head.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Did you forget?” Shin asked as Loren ran up to him.
“Forget what?” she asked.
“We were going to go to the mountains today.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Daddy was really sad this morning so I forgot all about it.”
“It’s all right. We can still make it before the Sylvans finish their dam.”
“Okay. Are you ready to go Ridel?”
The small dragon yelped and Loren grinned as she took to the air. Shin flew after her, wondering if she was aware of the coming danger. Loren laughed as Ridel rolled over and flew upside down.
“Your father was very somber when I spoke to him.”
“He was? Why?”
“I don’t know. Something bad is going to happen.”
“What’s going to happen? What do you know?”
“I know no more than you. I just don’t like the whole thing.”
“Well, don’t worry about it Shin. It will all turn out okay. You’ll see.”
“I sure hope so. We’d better get going before it’s too late.”
“Loren!!” Shao cried as he flew up to the children. Loren stopped and looked at her father.
“What is it, Daddy?” Loren asked and Shao grabbed her hand.
“It’s time. You’ve got to go.”
“Why Daddy?”
“Come on!”
“Shin! Daddy, what about Shin? Don’t leave him!” Loren cried as Shao streaked off with her tight in his arms. They landed in the city and Shao ran to where a ship sat waiting for his arrival.
“What’s going on Daddy?”
“You’re going away, honey.”
“Will you and Mommy be coming with me?”
“Later, baby.”
“Will I see Shin again?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. Now get on and be good.”
“Daddy I don’t want to go. I won’t see you again, will I? Answer me, Daddy. Why won’t you answer me?”
“Take good care of her,” Shao said as the Namek led her into the ship.
“Don’t leave me Daddy!” Loren cried as the ship’s hatch closed before her. She watched her home grow tiny below her as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. She turned away from the window and walked into the ship’s hull.
“Why did you take me away?” Loren asked as the planet below them exploded. Debris from the explosion trailed after the ship, the core of the planet still smoking from the destruction. Loren stared down at her home, shocked by what she saw. She cried in terror as the realization that she would never see her parents or her friends again crept over her body. Her entire body went numb and she fell limply to the floor. A tall Namek picked her up and carried her into the sleeping quarters. He wrapped her in some white robes and lay her on the bed.
“Sleep small one. Perhaps you will understand some day,” he said and walked out of the room.
***
When she awoke, she found herself staring into a pair of black eyes. She sat up and pushed the robes off of her body. A child stood before her. He was a small green child with long, pointed ears and a pair of antennae on his forehead. She gazed at him in wonder as he offered her his hand.
“What are you?” she asked as she stood up. “Where am I?”
“You’re on Namek. What are you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. My daddy never told me.”
“Where is your daddy?”
“I don’t know. All I know is he’s gone and I’ll never see him again.”
“Oh. What’s your name?”
“Loren.”
“I’m Piccolo. Would you like to play?”
“Sure! What games do you know?”
“We could play tag.”
“That’s a fun game. Who’s going to be it?”
“Piccolo!” a Namek cried and Piccolo looked up.
“What is it brother?” Piccolo asked.
“It’s time to go.”
“I guess we can’t play. I’ll see you later.”
“Goodbye Piccolo,” Loren said and turned her attention to a furry mouse-like creature. She followed it into the woods and stopped when she noticed a small stream. She took off her shoes and waded into the water. She giggled as a fish swam inquisitively up to her and placed her face into the water.
“Hello. What are you doing? Oh. Are the people nice here? Why are they green? I’ve never seen green people before. Are they sick?”
“We’re supposed to be this way,” a Namek said and Loren looked up.
“Oh, I didn’t know there was anyone here. I hope I didn’t make you mad,” Loren said and the Namek smiled.
“You didn’t. My name is Rion. You will be staying in my home from now on.”
“Will I see Piccolo again?”
“Piccolo? I don’t know. His family has more money than I do.”
“Oh.”
“Come on back to the house. Do you need to eat?”
“Eat? What do you mean?”
“You don’t get hungry?”
“Should I?”
“No. You see, we Nameks don’t eat either. I just wanted to make sure that I could take care of you if you needed some form of sustenance.”
“Oh.”
“Here is my home. I share it with four other people so it may be a bit crowded to you. Also, there is no night on Namek since we have three suns. This may take awhile to get used to.”
“How do you sleep?”
“Our houses can simulate nighttime. It’s really difficult to tell the difference between artificial night and an authentic night. Here we are.”
Loren gazed at the large white dome shaped house for a moment and then turned her attention to the tree growing in front of the house. Rion watched the young girl with interest and smiled. She was so full of curiosity that it reminded him of his childhood. Loren watched a couple of Nameks walk out of the house and looked around.
“Where are the girls?” she asked and Rion looked at her.
“What?” he asked.
“I haven’t seen any girls. Where are they?”
“Girls? Um…the girls look just like the boys.”
“How can you tell each other apart?”
“I’ll explain when you’re older. Now let’s go inside and I’ll find you a room.”
“Those are pretty flowers. Did you plant them yourself?”
“No I didn’t. I’m a warrior, not a gardener.”
“You’re a warrior? Shin’s father was a warrior.”
“Shin?”
“He was my friend back home before the monster came.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“How did you know about what happened?”
“I’m the one who wrapped you in robes and took you into our sleeping quarters so that you could rest. You were gone when I came back for you.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never seen this planet before. I just wanted to explore.”
“I’ll tell you what. Let’s get you a room and then we’ll explore. Is that alright?”
”Okay.”
“This is the sitting room and this is the bathroom. We have two of them. The other one is down the hall so if this one’s busy, you can always use the other one. This is my room and the room over here will be yours. Why don’t you take a look inside?”
Loren opened the door and stared at the décor. The bed was curved in design with a table lamp positioned on the head. He took her hand and led her to the window. She stared out the window and gazed in awe at the turquoise tree that grew outside her window in wonder. A tiny catlike animal ran down the tree trunk and into the window. Loren giggled as it ran onto her hand and chattered in an unintelligible language.
“Let’s go explore and get you used to the climate,” Rion said and led her out of the room.
***
Rion walked into the house, carrying Loren in his arms. He sighed as he walked into the house and lay her on the bed. It definitely would take her some time to get used to Namek. He looked at her sleeping peacefully and smiled. He wondered if every member of her species slept the same way. He switched off the light and walked out of the room. Rion walked into his room and gazed out the window. He had the feeling that she had an enormous amount of hidden power. A knock came at the door and Rion opened it. He gazed into Loren’s young eyes and smiled.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“I’m lonely. Can I sleep in here?” she asked.
“Um…I guess you can. Get on the bed, little one.”
“Thank you.”
She climbed onto the bed and hugged Rion. Rion blushed as he pushed her away from him. He lay her head on the pillow and covered her small body with the blanket. He sat on the edge of the bed and continued to look out the window. He wondered what her planet looked like as he stood up and quietly walked out of the room.
“Rion, can I come in?” Piccolo asked and Rion opened the front door.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“They told me that she’s staying at your house. Can she play?”
“She’s asleep. Go on home, Piccolo. I don’t want to get involved with your father.”
“Yes sir.”
Rion closed the door behind him and sighed. A female Namek walked up to him and Rion looked at her. She took his hand and he looked at her. She smiled as she led him into an adjoining room. Loren awoke with a scream and Rion ran into her room.
“What’s wrong?!” he asked as Loren choked on her tears. He placed his arm around her and drew her close to him.
“It’s gone. My home is gone. Mommy and Daddy are gone. Shin is gone. I’ll never see them again,” she sobbed.
“This may be hard to understand but maybe it was supposed to be this way.”
“What do you mean?”
“How old are you little one?”
“How old? I’m not sure.”
“You don’t know how old you are?”
“My daddy never got around to teaching me how to count. We were going to do that and then he…”
“It’s all right. Don’t get upset little one. I’ll teach you how to count.”
“You will? Thank you Rion!”
Rion smiled as she hugged him again. He ran a hand through her hair and she gazed contentedly up at him. He stood up and walked over to the table and picked up a pad of paper. He drew some strange characters on the paper and showed them to her. She looked at them for a second and then at him, her mind thoroughly confused.
“You don’t understand, do you?”
“Rion!” a voice cried from the other side of the door and Rion stood up. He walked of his room and closed the door behind him.
“You are wanted at the shrine,” a Namek said and Rion nodded his head.
“Let’s go,” he said and walked out of the house.
***
Loren climbed out through the window and ran through a meadow. She lay down in the middle of the flowers and watched a tiny butterfly fly by. She picked a dandelion and blew its fluff. She watched the tiny seeds take to the air and sighed. She missed Shin and her parents. She turned over and lay on her stomach, watching a tiny bug attempt to climb a blade of grass.
“Hi,” Piccolo said and Loren looked up.
“Hello. What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Exploring. My brother said I could. Want to go this way?”
“Okay. Does Rion not like you?”
“Rion and my father don’t get along.”
“Oh. Why?”
“They just don’t. Would you like to play tag now?”
“Okay.”
“You’re it!” Piccolo cried and ran off. Loren jumped to her feet and ran after him.
“No fair! You got a head start!” Loren yelled.
“You can’t catch me!”
“Yes I can!”
“No you can’t! You’re a girl.”
Piccolo stopped suddenly when Loren appeared in front of him. She touched his shoulder and he gazed at her in amazement.
“How did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Get in front of me so fast. You were way behind me.”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m really fast.”
“I’ve never seen anyone as fast as you.”
“There you are. I was worried sick about you,” Rion said as he walked up to the two.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see where that little animal was going.”
“She can run really fast Rion. I bet she’s faster than the wind,” Piccolo said and Rion looked at her.
“Is he making this up?”
“Well…I didn’t run. I flew. Does that count?” Loren asked.
“You know how to fly?!”
“Doesn’t everybody?”
“No. Not everyone knows how to fly. How long have you been flying?”
“Ever since I can remember.”
“How would you like to learn some fighting moves?”
“That sounds like fun. What do I have to do?”
“Nothing right now. We’ll start tomorrow, okay?”
“Why not now?”
“Because it’s late small one.”
“How does it get late if the sun doesn’t sleep?”
“It does. Believe me it does. Why don’t you go on home, Piccolo? Your father will be looking for you soon,” Rion said and Piccolo ran off.
“Did I make you mad?” Loren asked and Rion looked at her.
“Of course not. What makes you say that?”
“You sounded mad when you spoke to me. I don’t want to make people mad.”
“You have a lot to learn, young one.”
***
As with everything, the years went by quickly. Loren, under Rion’s watchful eye soon surpassed her Namek peers in the art of combat. She learned an enormous arsenal of energy attacks and Rion soon became aware of her extremely high power level. He tried several times to sense the extent of it, but failed.
“Loren,” he said one night as the two of them sat on a cliff overlooking the village below.
“What is it Rion?” she asked and he sighed.
“I am not as young as I once was. One of these days I will be gone.”
“Will you come back?”
“No, little one. I will not come back.”
“Why?”
He sighed and took a spherical earring out of his ear and handed it to her.
“Take this. I wish that I could give you more, but it is all I have. You have leaned a lot small one and I am thankful for having you brighten my home.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Someday you will. I must leave now. There is a meeting that I have to attend.”
Loren watched him walk down the cliff for a moment then gazed at the earring. It was a simple thing, a simple post with a small blue ball dangling on a tiny chain. She held it in her hand for a second, and then gazed up at the sky. Far beyond the third sun’s glare, she saw the heavens alight with an explosion. Memories of her past flooded her mind as she turned and ran down the cliff. She increased her speed and soon reached the shipyards located far in the west corner of town. She phased through the electric fence and ran towards the nearest ship.
“You don’t have permission to be in this sector!” a Namek cried and ran after her.
“I have to go! There are people out there dying!” she cried and phased through the hull of the ship. She sat in the cockpit and gazed at the controls. Thinking quickly, she raised a hand and released an energy wave in the direction of the pursuing Namek. The Namek stopped suddenly and she giggled.
“What…what did you do?”
“Your fighting spirit is bound. If you try really hard, you might be able to break it. Tell Rion that I’ll see him again. ‘Bye!” she said and the Namek watched in shock as the ship lifted off and disappeared over the horizon.
“Tendil, are you okay?” another Namek inquired as he ran up to the first one.
“I…can’t move,” Tendil replied.
“Maybe Loren can help. She’s the only one I know that can be both a warrior and a healer.”
“She’s…gone Piccolo.”
“Gone? Gone where?”
“Up…there.”
“Why?”
“I…don’t know.”
“She didn’t even tell me that she was going.”
“What’s going on?” Rion asked as he walked up to them.
“Loren…” Tendil said and Rion looked at him.
“I see. Concentrate really hard and you should be able to move. I don’t know where she learned that technique but it seems to have its uses. Now, where is she?”
“Gone,” Piccolo replied.
“I knew the time was coming soon. Her calling lies beyond our suns. Hopefully she will learn more about her heritage.”
“Where is she from?”
“I’m not exactly sure of the planet’s name but it was one of the many places that the Kais call home. It’s a shame that it was destroyed. It was a beautiful planet. Let’s all get inside. The storms are coming and they say that they’re the worst we’ve had in over a century.”
“I guess it’s kind of good that she left, huh?”
“She took your ship, Rion,” Tendil said and Rion smiled.
“I know. I had it prepared for when she left. She could not have stayed in one place. I could see a strong warriors’ spirit in her eyes. She has noble things to accomplish though she still acts like a child,” Rion said and gazed up at the sky. “Come on boys. Perhaps we’ll see her again.”
Piccolo gazed up at the sky, wondering if he would ever see his childhood friend again. She was something special, he had learned and he hoped that their paths would cross once again sometime in the future. There was, indeed a lot that she could teach him.
