Return To The Past

DISCLAIMER: The lyrics to the song "Through Her Eyes" belong to Dream Theater and I am not claiming them as my own. I am only incorporating them into the story for a song fic effect. The only thing that I claim is the story.

NOTE: Includes an original character, Megumi, which I also claim. This original character was first created in "Someone To Love" but is known as Android 21 in that story. But it is not necessary to read "Someone To Love" before reading this story.

She never really had a chance
On that fateful moonlit night
Sacrificed without a fight
A victim of her circumstance

Now that I've become aware
And I've exposed this tragedy
A sadness grows inside of me
It all seems so unfair

I'm learning all about my life
By looking through her eyes

Trunks finally returned to the future, after helping in the horrible and endless battle with Cell. As he came upon Capsule Corporation he noticed that it had halfway collapsed.

"MOM!" he cried out in distress. He ran into the building calling out for her and trying to find her within all the wreckage. He heard a moan and his eyes darted around the room looking for where it had come from.

"MOM!" he cried, as he saw an arm lying on the ground from under a huge piece of the roof that had fallen in. He effortlessly lifted the piece of ceiling up and threw it aside. Underneath, Bulma was barely conscious. She was bruised all over and it was obvious the piece of ceiling had struck her in the head, since she had a big gash and blood-drenched hair.

"MOM!"

She didn't answer, but let out a small moan. Trunks carefully picked her up and brought her to a room where all the first aid and medical supplies were kept. He cleaned her wound and bruises, placing her in a hospital-type bed.

"Please be okay, Mom…" he whispered as he sat there and held her hand. His memory flashed back to when he had been in that bed, waking up to his mother's warm smile, after being beaten unconscious by the androids.

He didn't know how long he had slept by her side, but she began to stir and he woke up. He found himself sitting in a chair by her bedside, holding her hand.

"Huh?" he uttered as she stirred. Finally she opened her eyes.

"Mom! Are you okay?! What happened?!" he cried.

"The building…it collapsed…" she managed to say.

"Yes, but how?!" Trunks exclaimed.

"I…don't…know…"

"But you're okay, right Mom?" he asked worriedly.

"I will be." She smiled weakly. "I love you, Trunks." She grasped his hand tightly with the remaining energy she had left. Then her eyes slid closed, and her hand fell.

"Mom…no…" Trunks uttered in shock. He shook her a little. "Come on, wake up, Mom! You'll be okay!" Tears emerged from his eyes. "You're all I have left…"

In a burst of outrage he went Super Saiyan. "MOM!!!!!!" He dropped to the ground, feeling the void of his loss in its entirety, as tears slid down his cheeks.

All his life he had grown up with the pain of loss, constantly running from those cruel-hearted androids, living in a world of destruction. Now he was alone. He had lost everything, left in a permanently shattered world, due to all the androids' rampages.

Just beyond the churchyard gates
Where the grass is overgrown
I saw the writing on her stone
I felt like I would suffocate

In loving memory of [a mother]
So innocent, eyes open wide
I felt so empty as I cried
Like part of me had died

I'm learning all about my life
By looking through her eyes

Trunks buried his mother in front of the collapsed Capsule Corporation so that he'd always know where to find her. Using his energy he shaped a rock into a headstone for her with the engraving: In loving memory of Bulma Briefs

He kneeled at her grave and put his head in his hands, weeping uncontrollably.

"I love you, Mom…" he choked out. He didn't know how long he sat there and cried, but soon it was dark and he wandered like a zombie into the deserted Capsule Corporation.

The place was a mess, but he could care less. He found his mother's room and was about to curl up on her bed, when he noticed a drawer of photos that was open. Curiously he went over and took out a handful. There were pictures of his mother, Goku, and the gang when they were younger. Happy and smiling. Then there were pictures of Trunks as he grew up. He stared at a picture of the two of them. He was about thirteen at the time and Bulma had her arm around him. Those were the harder times, when they had lost Gohan; but they still tried to keep their family together and have a few good times.

A single tear trickled out of his eye, as he took the picture and tucked it into the pocket of his jacket. Then he curled up on his mother's bed and cried until he fell asleep from exhaustion.

And as her image
Wandered through my head
I wept just like a baby
As I lay awake in bed

And I know what it's like
To lose someone you love
And this felt just the same

For a almost a week Trunks refused to eat. He lay there crying, all of the memories washing over him. And sometimes he went into a rage and went Super Saiyan, destroying a chair or table that was just lying around.

Not eating and just depressing for a couple days had taken its toll on Trunks. After going into another fit of rage, he fell to the ground, breathing hard. Slowly his hair fell from its Super Saiyan form. He was too weak to remain Super Saiyan.

"I…can't stay here…anymore!" he panted. He got up and ran outside, then stopped at his mother's grave completely out of breath. Kneeling he placed a hand on the dirt, as if he were placing a hand on her heart. "I love you, Mom. But now that you're gone, I can't stay here anymore. There's nothing for me in this world!" Tears formed in his eyes again. Reaching into his pocket he took out a capsule and threw it, in a poof appeared the time machine. He remembered the last time he had left, when he had seen his mother while she was still well. They had told each other they loved each other as he departed.

He hopped into the time machine and looked back at his mother's grave. "I love you, Mom…" his eyes were tear stained as he took his last look. Then he took off for the past again.

I had to suffer one last time
To grieve for her and say goodbye
Relive the anguish of my past
To find out who I was at last

The door has opened wide
I'm turning with the tide
Looking through her eyes

Trunks arrived in the past in the middle of nowhere. He hopped out of the time machine and landed on the ground.

"Well here I am…I'm back," he said to himself. He put the time machine back into its capsule. "I don't even know where I want to go." He knew he didn't want to go to Capsule Corporation, because seeing his mother, even though she was his mother from the past, would only upset him. He didn't know if he could handle it.

"I've got to find Goku's house." He didn't know why, but he just had to find Goku. He took out a small detector and pinpointed the location, then took off into the air.

He was almost there, but he was very weak and didn't know how much longer he could continue flying. Just as he reached Goku's house he fainted and fell from the air.

Inside things were resuming their usual course for the Son family. Gohan was studying hard, Chichi was doing the dishes, and Goku was busy chowing down a large amount of food hungrily.

"Huh?" Gohan looked up from his studies. He sensed a weakened power level nearby. "Who could that be?" He got up and left his room.

"Gohan! Why aren't you studying?!" Chichi scolded as he entered the kitchen.

"Wait, Mom. I've got to ask Dad something.," said Gohan. "Dad!"

"Huh?" Goku looked up with a bunch of noodles in his mouth.

"I can sense somebody's power level nearby, a weakened one. I can't even tell who it is."

Goku slurped up the noodles really quick. "Hmm?" He concentrated and tried to feel the power level. "Wow, I can't even tell who it is. But whoever it is, it seems like they need our help."

"Come on, let's go find them!" cried Gohan.

"Just a minute, young man! You are staying here to continue your studies. Goku can handle this alone," ordered Chichi.

"But Mom…" Gohan protested.

"No buts, Gohan!"

"Yes, Mom…" replied the disappointed Gohan.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back," said Goku. He went outside, but before he could take off to search for whoever had the low power level he saw the unconscious Trunks laying on the ground. "Trunks?" he said in surprise.

He walked up to him and bent down to the ground. "Trunks? Are you okay?" Goku asked. There was no response, so Goku picked him up and carried him into the house.

"Oh, no! It's Trunks! What happened, Dad?!" cried Gohan. He had been just leaving for his room to go study again.

"I don't know, I was about to fly off and look for the person with the low power level when I saw Trunks unconscious on the ground. I think it was him," replied Goku.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Chichi. "We'd better get him straight to bed!"

They laid him in bed and Chichi felt his forehead. "It seems like he's got a terrible fever, his temperature is very high!" said Chichi.

"What can we do?" Gohan asked.

"Just let him sleep for now. But when he wakes up we're going to have to get some food into him," advised Chichi.

After a little while, Gohan snuck out of his room from studying to check in on Trunks. He was sweating heavily and it looked like he was having a bad dream, from his struggling and straining. Finally he jumped awake. Panting in relief. Then he took a look at his surroundings.

"W-where am I?"

"You're at my house," Gohan spoke up.

"Huh? How did I get here?" he asked, not being able to remember much.

"My dad found you outside of our house unconscious on the ground," Gohan explained. Then Chichi entered the room.

"Gohan! What are you doing in here?! You should be studying!" she scolded. Then she realized that Trunks was awake. "Trunks, you're awake. Let me get some food in you to get your strength back!" Then she gave Gohan a look, which meant for him to get back to his studying. He slunk past her and left the room.

After having a bowl of soup Trunks drifted off to sleep again. For the next few days all he did was sleep and when he would wake up Chichi would bring him some food. Even if he insisted he wasn't hungry she made sure that he ate.

"So, can you tell us what happened?" Goku asked, when Trunks was out of bed finally.

"It was as if you hadn't eaten for days!" exclaimed Chichi.

"Well I…I actually hadn't eaten for days…" Trunks admitted, avoiding looking directly at them.

"Did something happen in the future?" Goku asked with worry.

"I…don't want to talk about it…" Trunks replied, looking away. "I don't even know why I came back to the past. I guess I just had to get away from all the nothingness in my world."

"That's okay, you're always welcome here," said Goku with a smile.

"Thanks," Trunks replied, forcing a small smile.

"Oh, Trunks, here. This fell out of your jacket pocket. It's a really nice picture," Chichi commented as she gave him the picture he had taken with him from the future.

"Um, thanks," he said, reaching for it. Goku and Gohan glanced at it as it was passed from Chichi's hands to Trunks'.

"Wow that's a really cute picture!" said Goku.

"Yeah, you're pretty young there," added Gohan.

"T-thanks," Trunks stuttered. It took all of his energy not to cry at that moment. "Listen, I'm gonna go out for awhile. I just need some fresh air."

"Okay sure. The nature is really great out here. I'm sure you'll enjoy it," said Goku.

"I-I will." And with that Trunks left hurriedly. He just had to get away, before he had an emotional break down in front of them. He just couldn't talk about what had happened. It hurt too much.

After awhile he found a big, shady, tree to sit under in the forest. He just sat there looking down at the grass and thinking. He wondered why he had even come back to past; yet, there was nothing left in his world in the future. It seemed as if he had no path in life anymore. He had fought his hardest to save his world from the androids, but their destruction had already taken its toll; and he had lost everybody in the process. Now finally he had lost the one person closest to him, his mother. His eyes began to water.

Memories last forever
Pains that stay within me
Dreaming of you, they never come true
Magic of the moment
Come and gone forever
Taking your love, away from my world

Later Trunks returned to the Son family's house just in time for lunch.

"So, Trunks, you still haven't told us why you've come back to the past," said Chichi over lunch.

"Did you come to warn us about something?" asked Gohan."

"Uh…no…"

"Well tell us what's up," said Goku.

"Um, not much. Just thought I'd visit, that's all," Trunks replied uneasily.

"Oh, okay." Yet Goku and Gohan both sensed that something was wrong, but didn't want to force it out of Trunks. They could tell he really didn't want to talk about it.

Unexpectedly there was a knock at the door.

"I wonder who that could be," said Chichi, as she got up to answer the door. "Krillin! Hi!" she greeted.

"Hi there, I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by," he replied.

"We were just having lunch, come on in," Chichi invited.

"Great, sounds good!" said Krillin, rubbing his stomach. "Hi there Goku. Gohan. Trunks? Hey what brings you back here?" he said in surprise.

"Trunks is visiting," Gohan answered.

"Well great to see ya!" greeted Krillin. Trunks gave a small smile.

"Sit down Krillin and help yourself to some food," said Goku.

"Well that sure hits the spot!" sighed Goku after they had eaten.

"Yup! Sure does!" agreed Krillin. "Oh hey, Bulma is having another one of her get-togethers at Capsule Corporation in a week. I'm supposed to remind you."

"Sounds great! Trunks can come too! I'm sure Bulma will be happy to see you again!" said Goku.

"Uh…yeah…" uttered Trunks. He didn't really want to go though. Bulma, after all, was his mother, even if he was in the past. He would have to figure some way out of going. There was no way he could handle seeing her.

"Why don't we go to the lake and do some fishing?" said Goku eagerly. "It might be a good idea if you tried to get out and have some fun, Trunks."

"Um…sure," agreed Trunks.

"Don't stay out too long! Gohan can't get behind on his studies!" Chichi demanded.

At the lake Goku was having great fun trying to catch a gigantic fish.

"Wow!" cried Gohan in excitement. Trunks just watched in amazement.

"Gohan, catch!" yelled Goku, as he threw the huge fish at Gohan. Gohan reached out his arms, but the fish was so big it sent him sliding across the grass.

"Whoa!"

"Gohan! Help me! Something's pulling me down!" Goku cried.

"Dad!!!" yelled Gohan in alarm. He reached out a hand to help and was pulled into the lake. Soon both Goku and Gohan surfaced laughing.

"You tricked me, Dad!" said Gohan between laughs. Trunks watched, smiling a little. Krillin was laughing hysterically.

"You guys!" he cried between laughs.

"Hey Trunks, come on in! The water's fine!" called Goku.

"Um…no thanks," he replied shyly. He was sitting with his knees bent and had his arms hung over them.

"I think I'll take a dip," said Krillin, standing up and pulling off his shirt.

As Goku, Gohan, and Krillin had fun swimming in the lake Trunks lay back in the grass and sighed as the sun shone down on him. He started to think again, but soon his eyelids grew heavy. He was so tired from all the thinking, sadness, and loneliness. Finally he gave in and drifted off to sleep in the warm sun.

"MOM!!!" he called, trying to find her within the rubble of the collapsed Capsule Corporation.

"Trunks…" came a weak reply.

"Mom? Where are you?! Are you okay?!" he cried in alarm. Then he saw an arm lying on the ground from underneath a huge piece of the ceiling that had fallen in.

"MOM!!!" he quickly lifted the piece of ceiling off of her. She was drenched in blood.

"Trunks…" she weakly lifted a hand to touch his face. "I love you Trunks…" she said as the rest of her life left her body.

"MOM!!!"

"How pathetic." Trunks turned to see Seventeen and Eighteen.

"This place was a dump anyways, so we did him a favor," said Seventeen.

"YOU!" Trunks cried. "How…could…you…" The androids just smirked cruelly at him.

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!" he cried in rage, powering up to Super Saiyan.

The androids just laughed at him.

"He's so pitiful," said Eighteen.

"He really thinks he has a chance at beating us," said Seventeen.

Trunks fired an energy blast at them in anger, but when the dust cleared they were still standing there smirking. He lunged at Seventeen and tried to land a punch, but Seventeen effortlessly blocked it. Then he landed a punch across Trunks' jaw and sent him flying against the wall.

"Well it's just us and you. You have nobody else," said Eighteen cruelly.

"Yes, you're all alone now," added Seventeen.

Trunks was beginning to sweat and his muscles were tense as he fought the androids in his dream. He turned his head left and right several times.

"Hn…no…" he uttered in his sleep. By now Goku, Gohan, and Krillin were watching him worriedly.

"Trunks…" Gohan nudged him, but he continued to struggle. "Trunks!"

"Huh?!" Trunks burst awake, panting heavily.

"Wow you must've been having some bad dream!" exclaimed Krillin.

"Yeah…" he panted.

"So what happened in your dream?" asked Gohan.

"N-nothing…" replied Trunks.

"Well let's get back so that Chichi can cook this fish and we can have dinner," said Goku, changing the subject. Trunks breathed a sigh of relief.

Trunks never did figure a way to avoid the get-together at Capsule Corporation and was forced to go. Everybody was just relaxing, mostly talking and watching TV. Trunks rarely said anything and just kept to himself as he lay on his stomach on the floor. He was slipping away into his thoughts again, forgetting about everybody. He reached for the picture in his pocket and looked at it.

"Wow is that a picture? Let me see!" said Bulma, leaning over his shoulder.

"Huh?!" Trunks didn't have time to tuck it away, Bulma had snuck up behind him without him noticing.

"Oh my God! It's me! And you!" she exclaimed. "Hey look everybody!"

Everybody ran over with curiosity.

"Oh yeah, Gohan and I saw that picture already," said Goku.

"Wow Trunks, you look so cute in that picture!" said Bulma. Trunks blushed.

"T-thanks," he managed to say.

"So, how is the future me doing by the way?" she asked casually. Trunks was not prepared for such bluntness and froze, not knowing what to say.

"Trunks? Are you there?" questioned Krillin, noticing the immobile expression on his face.

"Trunks, what's wrong?" said Bulma worriedly, as she walked up to him. He gazed at her, as his vision was blurred by the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

"Is it your mother?" asked Gohan, realization setting in.

"She…she's gone…" was all he could utter in response.

"I-I'm dead?!" cried Bulma in surprise. "But how?"

"I shouldn't have told you…" And with that Trunks began to walk away; however, Bulma grabbed his arm.

"Don't go! I'm so sorry, Trunks!" she said sympathetically. "I understand how seeing me must make you feel…"

"I loved her so much…" Trunks could barely speak as a few tears slid down his cheeks.

"It'll be okay…" said Goku, trying as best he could to help.

"Goku's right, he's always right," Krillin said, giving an encouraging smile.

"It hurts…so much…" said Trunks, as more tears came pouring out. Bulma reached out and gave him a hug, making his tears stream out uncontrollably. Then she pulled back, her hands placed firmly on his shoulders.

"Come on, you should get some rest. You've been through a lot and it looks as if you need it." She said soothingly. "I'll be right back," she told the others, as Trunks followed her from the room.

Trunks looked up at Bulma as he lay wearily in bed.

"I don't know why I came back. I couldn't stay in that horrible world anymore. Especially alone. But I also knew that it would be hard seeing you. So I tried to avoid that for awhile." He said weakly.

"It's okay. It's understandable. Now get some rest." Trunks didn't try to resist and allowed his tired eyes to close. He hadn't slept well at all for a long time and it had finally taken its toll on him.