He stepped out of the shadows holding the little girl's red ball in the palm of his hand, a small smile visible on his face.
She was only three, but Bura could kick a ball farther then a football player, something Buruma was having a hard time wrapping her mind around.
He knelt down on one knee, coming closer to Bura's height, and held out the ball for her to take.
Bura crammed her fingers into her mouth, sparing a shy glance back at her mother, whom was just a black dot poking out of a field of dandelions and green grass. Without meaning to, Bura had strayed away from her parents and wasn't sure if she should take the ball from the stranger or not.
She had no idea that the man holding the ball was her brother from a distant future; a future she would never know.
"Take this back to mother and father," Trunks said, allowing the ball to roll out of his palm and onto the grass.
Bura giggled, but didn't make a move to pick up the ball. She was a very shy girl, and Trunks found it endearing. He hoped she'd stay like that as she got older.
"Play with me?"
"No. I have to go soon, sorry." His eyes darted past Bura and onto the little boy walking towards them. The boy wore green overalls over a white shirt, with a pciture of a cheery turtle stitched over his chest. He had familiar black spiky hair, and Trunks recognized him as Goku's son, the one he never got the chance to meet.
"Goten!" Bura shouted, pointing her finger as she named the boy.
Trunks retreated back into the shadows while Bura's attention was focused on the boy. He perched himself on a thick tree branch like a bird, hidden from the two children. He didn't want them telling their parents that they saw him.
Bura searched the bushes and trees for him, but soon gave up. She turned her back on the ball, snatching the half full bottle of milk from Goten's mouth. The little boy's dark eyes widened and for a second Trunks thought that the boy might cry. Then a yellow winged butterfly flew past the boy's head, and the bottle was soon forgotten.
"Amazing." Trunks whispered, watching Goten catch the butterfly by simply holding out his finger. Other forest animals like deer, rabbits, chipmunks, and birds, came out of the forest to greet the boy, sensing that he was gentler than most humans. " He's like another Goku."
Trunks winced at the thought. Like the mystery behind the appearance of Android 19 and Android 20, he couldn't say for sure why Buruma and Vegeta's first born child wasn't him. It felt like the universe had decided his existences wasn't needed in this new future, just like the universe seemingly decided to create a mini Goku to take over the dead Goku's place.
"GOTEN!" Bura shouted, annoyed that Goten wasn't following her back to their parents. The animals fled into the forest, and Goten tripped and ran to Bura's side. She held the boy's hand, shouting his name each time he tripped and fell and pulled her down with him.
Trunks' eyes started to burn, either from emotion or from staring off into the setting sun without sunglasses, he couldn't say which. He always worried about the people from this time, and frequently came back to check on them in case they needed his help. Meeting Goten and Bura had filled him with a sense of peace.
"They don't need me anymore."
He could see that Goten was destined to become Earth's savior, and Bura would be the technological genius at his side. Gohan and the others would be at his side too, all thanks to Trunks.
He jumped from the tree, bending over to pick up the red ball his sister left behind. He studied it's shiny surface, trying to remember a time when he played with toys, but such a memory never existed for him. He never played. From birth his mother spent hours grooming him to become a genius scientist and Gohan showed him how to survive.
Trunks stopped to pick wild flowers for his mother before returning to his time machine.
For the millionth time he scolded himself for forgetting to bring a camera. Buruma constantly expressed how she wished she'd taken more pictures of Vegeta and their friends while they were alive. Since this was his final trip using the time machine, he'd never get the chance to take pictures of his young mother, father, Gohan, or the others.
The only thing he had to remember his sister was the red ball, and he promised to treasure it always. He prayed that his sister would live a long happy life, spoiled by Vegeta, infinitely loved by Buruma, and fiercely protected by Gohan and Goten ( filling the role as big brother in Trunks' place).
He said his final goodbyes, hopped into the time machine, and returned home.
Trunks was more than surprised when, after little more than thirteen hours passed, Bura appeared in his timeline, all grown up and banging on the front door, screaming for him to help Goten.