Her Return
(Sequel to "Genetically Mutated")
Dedicated to: Mark-chan, Catie-chan, and Aya-chan for being such wonderful friends
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters Aya, Trigger, or Pyro. Some close friends of mine own those characters. And I do not own DBZ… NO SUING ME!
Summary: It's been three years since Son Areiko has left, and for those three years everything has been peaceful. But one day she finally returns to the ones she used to call family. But she's completely changed because of what happened during the three years she's been gone. And now, a new threat comes to kill Areiko again. Will they be able to fight and win? And will Areiko ever become the girl that she once was?
Chapter One
Aya, Britnay, and Scott sat in Aya's room. Scott was having a tickle fight with Britnay. But suddenly, Britnay smacked Scott in the face. He sat up off of her rubbing his cheek as Aya fell off of her bed laughing. Britnay and Scott blinked looking at each other. They then looked over the edge of the bed that they were seated upon looking down at the eighteen year old on the floor.
"Aya?" a seventeen year old Britnay called. "You alright?"
Aya nodded her head sitting up, "yeah, I'm fine. But the look on Scott's face when you slapped him was priceless!" Aya shouted pointing at Scott who's right cheek had become really red.
Scott pouted rubbing his cheek again. "Well, she didn't have to hit me so hard."
"Well you don't have to tickle me." Britnay said looking at him placing her hands onto her hips. "You know I don't like it."
A grin appeared on Scott's face. "That's why I do it." Aya smiled at the couple. She then sat upright and then stood up. She fixed her shirt looking at them once more.
"How long have you guys been going out again?" Aya asked looking behind her taking a post-it note off of her butt.
"Um…" Scott looked to the side trying to think. Britnay smiled as she rolled her eyes looking at Aya once more.
"Almost a year." Britnay answered her. Aya grinned as she then suddenly tackled the two into the bed.
"CUTE!" She shouted hugging them. Britnay and Scott looked at each other blinking. Aya then sat up onto her knees. She plopped herself down onto her butt as did Britnay and Scott. The three of them began talking till Aya's bedroom door opened.
Aya turned her head to see a small little girl around the age of three come running into the room. Her blue hair bounced as she reached up towards Aya. Aya grinned as she reached over the side of her bed picking up the girl.
"Hey there Bulla, did you just wake up from your nap?" Aya asked placing her into her lap. Bulla looked up at Aya and nodded.
"Uh-huh!" She answered with a smile on her face.
"Did you sleep well little one?" Britnay asked leaning forward moving Bulla's bangs out of her face. Bulla reached towards Britnay. Britnay took her from Aya as she was then hugged by the three old.
"Yesh!" She answered. "I swept evewy good."
There was then a light knock on the open door. Aya turned her head. She grinned seeing her father, Vegeta, standing at the door. He smirked at her nodding his head towards the couple sitting in Aya's room with her. He then turned his head towards Aya once more.
"I need to talk to you." Vegeta said with his voice a little low. Aya blinked a few times. She knew that it was important by the look on his face, she then remembered something.
"I SWEAR I didn't take your truck for a joy ride!" Aya shouted. Vegeta blinked a few times. Bulla grinned as she wiggled out of Britnay's grip. She slide down the side of the full sized mattress and ran towards Vegeta.
"DADDY!" She shouted reaching up for him. Vegeta looked down at her. He smiled a little picking her up. He then looked up at Aya after he settled his daughter onto his right hip.
"I wasn't going to talk to you about that." Vegeta smirked. "But you're grounded for a week."
Aya pouted. "You didn't know did you?"
"I don't think he did." Scott said blinking a few times. Vegeta looked at Aya. Aya got off of her bed and walked out of her room with Vegeta shutting the door. He then put Bulla down and told her that her mother, Bulma, had chocolate waiting for her. Bulla skipped off down the stairs towards her mother's lab.
"What is it Vegeta?" Aya asked looking at him. Vegeta headed for the stairs.
"We'll talk in the kitchen." Vegeta said to her. Aya blinked watching the saiyan prince walking down the steps. She soon followed him. Once she entered the kitchen she seated herself down onto a chair at the table. She looked at Vegeta as he leaned against the sink crossing his arms.
"Okay, now I'll ask… what is it?"
Vegeta turned his head, "do you remember what today is?" Vegeta asked turning his eyes onto Aya. Aya blinked a little. She then sighed and looked at the top of the table nodding her head.
"Yeah… I remember…"
"You should call Kakkarot." Vegeta said getting Aya to look up at him. "Make sure he's alright."
"I think I'll go down there instead." Aya stated standing up picking up her car keys from the table. "Wanna come?"
Vegeta shook his head. "No, I got—"
"Training to do." Aya said with a smile on her face. "I know the deal."
Vegeta smirked, "you'll have training to do when you come home." Vegeta said to her. Aya nodded her head as she headed for the stairs.
"I know. I'll be in the GR when I get home alright?"
"Alright."
Aya heard the backdoor open and close. Aya smiled realizing that her and Vegeta have gotten closer since she was wished back by the Dragonballs three years ago. She then ran up the steps opening her bedroom to spot Britnay and Scott kissing, well actually making out.
Aya smirked as she picked up a pillow that was thrown across her room when they had first arrived at Aya's house. She then whipped it at them hitting Scott in the side of his head.
"Ack!" Scott went backwards with the force of the pillow hitting the headboard of the bed. Britnay couldn't help but laugh at him as he pulled himself away from the wall. He looked at Aya and pouted at her. "That hurt."
"You shouldn't be making out on my bed." Aya said to him. Scott's mouth dropped open. He then pointed at Britnay.
"What about her?" Scott asked. Aya grinned.
"I know that you were the one that pressured her into it." Aya said with a grin. Scott sighed hanging his head low knowing that he wasn't going to win against Aya. "Well, you guys wanna go for a ride?"
Britnay blinked. "I thought we were going to go to the mall." Britnay said looking confused. Aya nodded her head.
"We are," she assured her. "But today… is the day Areiko left. And I was thinking of going to go see Goku."
"That's what Vegeta was talking to you about isn't it?" Scott asked. Aya nodded her head looking at Scott.
"Yup." Aya replied. "Well you guys wanna come?"
Britnay nodded her head as she stood up off of the bed slipping her shoes on. Scott then followed her movements then walked downstairs behind Aya and Britnay. Aya walked out of the front door heading towards a baby blue 2006 convertible mustang. She hopped over her door as Britnay did the same getting in on the other side, Scott climbed over the side of the car getting into the back.
Aya put the key into the ignition and started up the car. She pulled out of the driveway and drove off heading towards Mount Paoz. Aya turned on the radio to her favorite station, 107.3 WAAF, which only played rock songs of all kind. Britnay brushed her hair out of her face turning to look at Aya.
"Don't you think that you should've called or something?" Britnay asked. Aya glanced at Britnay as she shook her head looking forward stopping at a red light.
"Nah, it's just Goku and his family. No need to call them to let them know that we're going to go visit them." Aya said to her.
Scott leaned forward a little bit sitting in the middle of the back seat. "Do you think he's alright?"
Aya nodded her head, "oh yeah. He's fine. He's made it for three years hasn't he?"
Britnay nodded, "true… we all made it too." Aya nodded her head looking up at the light seeing that it was green. She then beeped at the car in front of her. The car went forward as she turned right off of the main road.
"That we have…" Aya sighed, "didn't think that everything would peaceful though."
"What do you mean?" Scott asked. Aya looked into the rearview mirror at Scott as he leaned back into the seat.
"Well… I mean like, not a physical fight. I'm talking about mental… you know what I'm trying to say?" Aya asked them both
Britnay nodded. "I understand, like one of those mental fights you go through when your in depression."
Aya nodded her head. She then listened to the song that was playing on the radio.
I can't escape this hell. So many times I tried. But I'm still caged inside…
Aya grinned as she turned up the radio looking both ways as she came to a stop sign. She then turned left getting back onto a main road, but this time it was a highway. They all began to sing along with the song playing on the radio.
"So what if you can see the darkest side of me! No one will ever change this animal I have become! Help me believe! It's not the real me! Somebody help me tame this animal! This animal! This animal! I can't escape myself. So many times I've tried! But there's still rage inside! Somebody get me through this nightmare! I can't control myself! So what if you can see! The darkest side of me! No one will ever change this animal I have become! Help me believe! It's not the real me! Somebody help me tame this animal I have become!" they sang aloud.
After the song was finished, they laughed their hardest. Aya smiled as she then turned onto a dirt road. "That'll always be our song."
Britnay nodded, "yeah, it will be."
Scott grinned leaning forward as Aya pulled into the Son driveway. "It will be till another song comes out that we love so much."
Aya nodded her head as she turned the car off. "You got a point there Scott-chan." Aya said opening her door and standing up after fixing her hair a little bit. Britnay got out and fixed her hair afterwards. Scott grinned as he just hopped over the side of the car grinning.
"I love not having long hair." Scott said with a smirk on his face. Britnay rolled her eyes as she looked at her boyfriend.
"I love it too." She said with a seductive smirk on her face kissing him afterwards. Scott grinned. Aya then smacked the back of his head. Scott blinked as he rubbed his head.
"Why are you always beating on me?"
Aya grinned. "Because it's funny."
"Awa-chan!" came a little girl's voice. Aya turned her head to look at the house next to her to see a little girl's head peering over the white fence. Aya grinned waving at her.
"Hey there Pan!" Aya greeted happily. Soon a woman appeared out of the house picking up her little girl. She looked over at Aya and waved. Aya grinned and waved back. "Hey Videl."
"Hey Aya, Britnay, and Scott!" Videl greeted back. "Going to go pay Goku a visit I take it?"
Aya nodded her head. "Yup. That's our plan… because, well you know what today is." Videl sighed nodding her head.
"Yup, that I do. Gohan's with him as well, can you tell him that dinner's almost ready for me?"
Aya nodded. "I can do that Videl."
"Talk to you later!" Britnay said waving to her as the three teenagers walked up the porch of the Son House. Aya then rang the doorbell. And soon Chichi answered the door. Her eyes were a little bit red. This day was always hard on Chichi since Areiko was the only daughter that she's ever had.
Once Aya came face to face with Chichi, she instantly hugged her. Chichi hugged back tightly as she was then hugged by Britnay and Scott. Aya wiped Chichi's eyes a little bit. Chichi smiled as Aya smiled back. Britnay and Scott seated themselves at the kitchen table as they watched Aya and Chichi.
"Goku around?" Aya asked. Chichi shook her head as she turned to the sink and began to do dishes.
"No, he went out." Chichi answered. Aya blinked. Britnay raised an eyebrow in confusion as she turned looking at Scott.
"Out?" Britnay repeated looking at Chichi. "Out where?"
"To where he met Areiko." Chichi answered looking over her shoulder, "Gohan's with him."
Aya nodded. She turned and looked at Britnay and Scott. They instantly nodded their heads deciding to stay here and comfort Chichi as Aya walked out of the house. She stopped in front of her car about to get in. She then sighed and shook her head as she shut the driver side door. She turned down the road and began walking.
Three years, three long years without her best friend. And every time when it came to this day, it was always the same. It was always depressing. Everyone was filled with sadness. Aya sometimes though got pissed at Areiko for leaving. She never understood why she did. No one actually did. The note that Areiko left that day three years made sense back then, but it doesn't make sense anymore. If anything horrible happened, they all would've been able to sense it. Or they would've known from King Kai or from Dende, from someone.
Aya walked along the dirt path kicking up dirt. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she continued to kick dirt. She soon stopped bending over picking up a rock. She turned to her left throwing the rock as far as she could, which was probably half way around the world. Something inside Aya hoped that it would hit Areiko.
Aya then turned her attention up the road. There she spotted two people standing by a tree. She started playing with her keys in her pocket as she pressed onward towards the two people. One of them was dressed in a suit, like they had just gotten out of work. Another was dressed in a dark green hakama and a light blue gi with a white slash tied around the waist. Aya instantly knew who they were. They were Gohan and Goku, standing in front of the tree where Goku had first came face to face with Areiko that day that was now five years ago.
"Hey Gohan." Aya greeted once she was standing right next to him. Gohan turned his head looking at Aya. He smiled a little as Aya then opened her arms welcoming a hug from a long time friend. Gohan grinned a little as he hugged her.
"Hey Aya," Gohan placed a hand onto her head. "Still a little short I see."
Aya rolled her eyes a bit. "Ha-ha. Very funny." Aya said with a smile on her face. She turned her attention forward to see Goku standing right underneath the tree. She then turned and looked at Gohan. "How's he doing?"
"A lot better then last year." Gohan said to her. "And hell a lot then the first year." Aya nodded her head as she turned looking at Goku again. "And you?"
Aya glanced at her car keys shrugging her shoulder. "Eh, I'm here aren't I?" Gohan nodded as he turned looking at his father. "How about you Gohan?"
Gohan shrugged as well. "Same."
Aya then blinked as she turned and faced Gohan. "Oh, I think Videl wants you home. Dinner's almost ready."
Gohan turned looking at Videl. He nodded his head as he placed his hand onto her shoulder. "Thanks for telling me. See you later?"
"Yup. Bye Gohan."
"Bye Aya."
Gohan took to the air flying off. Aya looked up watching him. She then turned and looked at Goku who was still standing underneath the tree just staring up into the leaves. Aya walked up to him. She stood at his right side. She then turned her head looking up at him.
"Goku?"
Goku blinked as he turned his head downward at Aya. He smiled and the two of them greeted each other with a hug. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long." Goku said. "Maybe about ten minutes or so."
Aya nodded her head. "Did you take the long way or something? Because when I drove by I didn't see you and Gohan coming here."
"Kinda sorta." Goku answered looking forward at the tree once more. He placed his hand onto the bark sighing.
"You miss her that much… don't you?"
Goku nodded. "Yeah, I do Aya. She was my daughter."
Aya nodded her head as she let Goku continue. "Her reasoning for leaving is perfectly understandable." Goku said turning his head looking over his shoulder. "But what I don't understand is why she didn't say goodbye."
"I don't get that either." Aya said looking at the grass.
"Well…" Goku started turning his head away looking at the grass as well. "It probably would've been harder for her to actually leave if she said goodbye to us."
"Probably?" Aya asked lifting up her head. "I wouldn't let her go without a fight."
Goku let out a small laugh as he smiled. "Yeah, you would be the one to do that."
"Damn right."
Goku's smile turned into a grin. But he stopped grinning when he heard Aya's question. "Do you think she'll come home?"
Goku was silent for a minute, thinking about his answer. He sighed turning around looking at Aya as she stood there now with her hands in her pockets. "Possibly… but I highly doubt that she'll be the same if she ever comes back."
"You think that she'll be different?" Aya asked tilting her head a little bit. "How different?"
Goku shrugged his shoulders walking over to Aya standing in front of her. "I don't know. But I do know that she won't be the same Areiko that we've come to know and love so much."
Aya looked up at him, seeing that this was really crushing him. She understood why, because she was being crushed by this as well. Everyone was really. Areiko was like a daughter or a sister or a best friend to everyone. The hardest part was living without her for three years. That was the hardest part. At least for Aya it was. Because Areiko and Aya were never apart. The one thing that crushed Aya was going to school and going to the office and telling the principal for Goku and Chichi that Areiko would never be coming back to this school. When the principal asked why, Aya had just simply told her that her real parents came and took her home. To somewhere else. And the next thing was living a daily life without her. This was really hard for all of them to do really.
"Wanna head home?" Aya asked looking at Goku. Goku smiled a little nodding his head.
"Sure."
Goku and Aya walked back to the Son House with each other. Talking a little bit about Areiko and the stupid things that she would do when she was sugar high or when she just wanted to have fun (which was all the time). When they got there, Goku kind of disappeared somewhere leaving Aya, Britnay, Scott, and Chichi in the kitchen.
"Chichi," Aya started looking at the woman who began cooking dinner. "Do you mind if I um…"
"Go ahead." Chichi answered her. Aya smiled as she walked forward.
"Aya," Aya stopped turning her head to look at Scott. "Where are you going?"
Aya didn't answer. She just turned back around and walked up the stairs. Once Aya was at her destination, she stopped. She placed her hand onto the doorknob turning it and walking into the room.
Areiko's room. Everything was clean, which was rare if Areiko was in this room. Aya stepped into the room looking around. She walked over to the closet pulling it open seeing that all of her clothes were still there, expect for some outfits that got destroyed during the fight three years ago. Aya closed the closet walking over to her dresser. The mirror was still missing, which was fine because it looked better without a gigantic mirror sitting on top of it.
Aya picked up Areiko's hairbrush to see that it has been cleaned out, something that Areiko did every time she brushed her hair. Aya then turned her attention onto the well made bed. Aya seated herself down onto the comfortable bed. She leaned back onto her elbow pulling the blind up looking out the window to see the perfect view of the woods that Areiko had when she lived here. Aya smiled a little as she seated herself upright. She then spotted a notebook sitting on top of Areiko's alarm clock. Aya reached forward grabbing onto it and opening it.
She smiled when she realized that this was Areiko's freshmen year history notebook with Mr. Beveridge. Everything was still in there. The random notes that Aya and Areiko wrote to each other still took up most of the notebook. On the sides of the pages there were names of boys that she used to have a crush on written in hearts and then erased or scribbled out. There were even names of Areiko's friends and family in little hearts that were outlined with either blue or red pen.
Aya closed the notebook seating it next to her. Her eyes then locked onto a necklace sitting on the nightstand. Aya pressed her lips together trying to hold in the tears as she picked it up seeing that it was Areiko's necklace that was given to her three years ago at her party. Sitting behind the necklace was a picture that was taken that day. Aya placed the necklace down gently picking up the picture. She looked at it.
Her and Areiko were hugging each other tightly. Areiko's eyes were red and watery as if she was trying to stop herself from crying. Standing behind them with his arms wrapped around them was Goku. Aya smiled a little at the big and wide grin that was plastered on Goku's face.
"Those were the days… weren't they?" Aya looked up to Goku's voice. He was leaning in the doorway looking at Aya.
Aya nodded her head looking back at the picture. She placed the picture back onto the nightstand. "That they were…" Aya kept herself seated on Areiko's bed as she covered her face with her hands. Goku sighed lowering his arms from his chest. He walked over to Aya and seated himself down on the bed.
He wrapped his arms around Aya pulling her to his chest. Aya covered her face in his blue gi as she cried softly. Goku rested his cheek on the top of her head as he rocked her a little bit. He closed his eyes fighting back his own tears. After a couple of minute of this, Aya pulled herself away from Goku wiping her eyes.
"I don't understand why she left." Aya said to Goku looking up at him. "Back then it made complete sense. But now, I think it's completely stupid! We would be able to sense Areiko and whatever's going on."
Goku looked at Aya. "You're kind of right about that Aya."
"Kind of?" Aya repeated. Goku nodded his head.
"You would be surprised what we don't sense." Goku stated to her. "Sometimes we're blind about a lot of things."
Aya looked at the floor. "I just want her to come home."
"I think we all do Aya." Goku said to Aya wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "But… if she did ever come home. I don't think that she would be the same."
Aya turned her head looking at Goku, "you said that before. What do you mean by that exactly?"
Goku shrugged his shoulders standing up. "To be honest Aya, I'm not sure what I mean." He turned his head looking at her. "But, she just… wouldn't be the same Areiko that we knew. She would be different… kind of like… grown up… I suppose."
Aya blinked a few times trying to understand what Goku was saying to her, but she didn't get any of it. Goku sighed breaking the silence that fell in between them. He then turned around and looked at Aya.
"Don't you have to go somewhere with Brit and Scott?" Goku asked her. Aya blinked a few times. She glanced at the floor nodding her head while standing up.
"Yeah," she answered looking up at him. "We're going to the mall." Aya looked at the picture on the nightstand once more.
Britnay, Scott, and Aya said their goodbyes to Chichi and Goku and then took off to the mall. The three seniors loaded themselves into the car. Aya this time turned off the radio once the car was turned on. Scott and Britnay looked at each other. They then turned and kept their eyes locked on Aya as she pulled out of the driveway driving off back towards West City.
"Something wrong Aya?" Britnay asked looking at her. Aya glanced at Britnay then turned her eyes back onto the road.
"No…" Aya answered her voice trailing off. Britnay turned her head looking back at Scott who was seated in the back of the car. He shrugged his shoulders at his girlfriend as she turned and looked back at Aya.
"Come on Aya," Britnay started looking at her, "we know you all to well." She stated to her, "we know when there's something bothering you."
Aya sighed. "Goku's right."
Scott leaned forward, his head appearing in between Britnay and Aya. "He's right about what?"
"He's right about Areiko," Aya answered coming to a stop at a red light. "If she ever came home… she wouldn't be the same."
Britnay and Scott looked at each other then gave Aya their attention as she continued, "she wouldn't be that cheerful girl that we knew. The one that didn't care about what other people thought of her. The one that used to get in trouble with us when we picked on Veggie, or did something horrible in school. She would be… well… 'grown up' as what Goku called it."
"Everyone changes Aya," Britnay said to her. "Change can sometimes be good."
Aya sighed pressing her foot against the gas pedal as the light turned green, "yeah I know that."
"So stop worrying." Scott said to her leaning back. "I'm sure that if she returns, she'll be different, but she'll still be that Areiko that we knew and loved."
Aya shrugged her shoulders. After a few minutes, the three teenagers came to a stop in front of the mall. Aya parked the car on the side of the road as all three of them got out. She was crossing the street and stepping up onto the sidewalk when she glanced down the road to spot someone familiar to her walking towards her.
The person was a woman, maybe the age of seventeen. She had soft brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Even with it up, her hair reached the back of her knees. The woman wore a jean jacket that came to a stop right below her breasts. She was wearing a black tank-top that was tight around her upper body, showing her off figure. Underneath the jacket sleeves Aya could hear the clinging and clanging of bangle bracelets, which were just regular metal bracelets. The woman had on a short jean shirt that hugged around her thighs perfectly as she walked. Her black three inched heel-boots stopped right in the middle of her shins and clapped against the sidewalk as she walked. As the woman came closer to Aya, she could spot her eyes. They were an icy gray color, the type of eyes that would send shivers down anyone's spine. In the corner of the woman's right eye was a small black tattoo of a star. The tattoo wasn't small, and in yet it wasn't too large either.
Aya watched closely as this woman came closer and closer to her, instantly, a name came to her mind and a smile curved her lips as she spoke: "Areiko…?"
