Risu
By: TerangrealS

Chapter 1
Q: What do you get when you combine a human girl with an unbelievable power level from one dimension with a couple of horny teenage Saiyan boys in another dimension?
A: A whole lotta freaky shit.


It was the middle of the night. All throughout the dark house, no one was stirring, not even a mouse. But something was about to be horribly wrong.
Gohan lay asleep in bed next to Videl. Pan, troubled by a nightmare, had curled up in between her father and mother, and was now contentedly dreaming about a fairy wonderland that all little girls wish they live in. Gohan was in a deep sleep, and little less than a bomb going off under his head would have woken him. Videl slept soundly as well, safe next to her husband.

In a different world…

Another girl was asleep in bed. The streetlights barely lit her room, though her curtains were drawn. One hand lay beneath her head, in an effort to get to sleep on a restless night. The only sound was an occasional car passing through the quiet neighborhood in which she lived.
Outside, the chill wind blasts through the bare wintry branches, making icicles clink together like crystal ornaments on a tree as the branches creak and moan under their heavy burden. The moon is barely visible through the turbulent clouds, lighting the treetops like a huge, glowing eye amidst claws rising out of muddy graves. Out in the cold, lonely night, something has its sights on the girl. Something evil.
A creature, at first barely visible in the darkness as the moon passes behind a cloud. Two slanted, glowing red eyes that narrow at the window of the room where she sleeps. Its clawlike hands are held out as if holding something, but there is nothing there. Floating above the treetops, it is a phantom of death. Long, dark, greasy locks of hair are thrown up in a sudden gust of wind, revealing the hideous face of a monster. A humanlike monster, it seems, with basic features, though they seem horribly distorted and his skin is a sickening color of grayish-yellowish-green.
A faint glow starts about half a foot above its hands, like the dying embers of a fire. The light flickers uncertainly, and then grows in brightness until it resembles a lone red star, shining against the moon. Then all at once, as if of its own accord, it bursts into a thousand rays of glittering ice crystals, and they speed towards her window. They do not slow approaching her house, but instead seem to gain speed.
A split second before they hit her window, they merge and slip through the glass as if it were water. It ripples as the starburst of light passes through it, but returns to tranquil stillness in time to see the strange creature's light absorb itself into the girl. She is still asleep, does not even realize what is happening. If only she had known, she would have maybe guessed what was in store for her.
The monster is now close to her house, so close that if he had not been floating well above her roof he could have touched it. Concentrating hard, he focuses unused energies and draws upon reserves as he calls upon an untapped power within himself that he had sworn he would only use in the utmost of emergencies. Red light turns orange, and then yellow, as he tears open a small piece of spacefabric itself, the stuff that makes up time and matter and dimensions and hopes and dreams and thoughts and emotions and millions of wonderful things that we can never imagine imagining even if we had many lifetimes to do so.
He uses what is left of his power to lift her from her bed, still asleep, and to hurtle her into who knows what dimension. Heaving himself into the spacefabric rip, he barely has enough time for his last thought, hoping that his precautions were not in vain, and praying that he sent them to the right place.

Back in their world…

Gohan sat straight up in bed, startled. The power that had interrupted his peaceful dream was amazing… incredible! Videl looked up sleepily from beside him. "What is it, Gohan?" He could only shake his head in confusion.
Something's out there. I need to contact Goten he thought. Pan stirred in her sleep, and he laid a comforting hand on her head as he tried to slip out of bed without waking her. "I'll be back soon," he whispered to Videl, and kissed her gently on the forehead. As he walked out the door of their bedroom, he added a silent I hope.
"Goten? Are you at least halfway awake?" he said into the phone, trying to keep his voice down low.
"Yeah, but… Gohan, it's three in the morning. There's this thing decent people need, y' know, called sleep…" a weary Goten protested. "What on earth could you possibly want that can't wait until sunrise?"
Gohan sighed. "Stretch your mind out towards the west. Try to keep calm. Do you sense anything different?"
There was a brief silence, and then Goten yelled at him, "Holy shit! What the hell is that? Where did it come from? Tell me that's you, and you've just gotten about ten times as powerful!"
Gohan held the phone away from his ear as Goten's curses filled the air. "Try to keep it down! Listen, I need you to help me hunt down whatever's out there."
Goten listened with interest. "You mean without Mom's permission? I'm in! Where should I meet you?"
"Outside my house. And Goten," Gohan added with a mischievous grin, "don't get caught."
"Don't worry about that. I'm the master at sneaking out. You could have been, too, if you hadn't studied so much, big bro." *click*
Gohan smiled as he set the phone down. With that kind of attitude, the worst thing that could happen was that Chi-chi would catch Goten and probably try to take on the big power level out there. He could easily imagine her winning, too. Ah, to escape the constraints of childhood.

Outside Gohan's house…

"Glad you made it, Goten." Gohan said as he slapped his little brother playfully on the back. Goten grinned back at him and returned the slap.
"Shall we get going?" Goten asked, suddenly serious. Gohan nodded, adopting his brother's swift change of emotions, and they both closed their eyes and concentrated on ki levels.
First they locked onto the two powerful levels that were the closest, those belonging to Vejita and Trunks. Reaching out farther, and to the west, they sensed a wildly powerful ki somewhere not too far away.
They opened their eyes and turned to nod decisively at one another before they burst into the air in an explosion of power.
The ki became clearer as they got closer, and it turned out that it was just as powerful as they had originally thought, maybe more. "I sure hope this guy's friendly," said Goten loudly over the wind of their swift passage. Gohan nodded, and put on an extra burst of speed.
They began to approach a city, Kite Town. The fluorescent multicolored lights cast odd shadows on their clothing as they sped over the bustling suburbia. They slowed as they felt the ki approach them.
"I think they're in the city," Gohan said as they came to a slow stop, pointing down towards the brightly lit streets.
"You think we should go and look for them there? Is there a good chance of finding them? There are millions of people down there." Goten replied doubtfully.
"With power like that, whoever he is, he'll stand out like a neon sign, no matter how many people there are," Gohan said firmly, and flew down towards the city, giving Goten no choice but to follow.
They landed in a dark alley, so as not to startle people and alert their prey. They stepped out from the shadows, and noticed that few people were on the streets. This is going to be easier than I thought Gohan thought confidently, and started moving in the direction of the ki.

After waking up in a strange city, the girl was considerably shocked, but knew that there was nothing she could do. She had no clue where she was, except that she was in Kite Town, not that that was much help.
She wandered around for a while, still in her faded blue pajamas, afraid to go to sleep for fear of where she might end up. She knew about the kind of people that lurked on the fringe of the shadows in cities, waiting for a pretty unsuspecting young girl or boy to pass by.
After a while, the battle inside her between wanting to stay unseen and stay in the light lay unresolved, so she achieved a compromise by leaning against the side of a building, with the light of a corner store illuminating only half her figure, and leaving the rest to darkness.
Two men passed by, obviously looking for something, and she held her breath as their searching gaze passed over her. She let it out in relief as they moved on. Suddenly, the younger of the two, a boy with weirdly spiky hair, put a hand on the other's arm and whispered something to him. They turned, and began to walk straight toward her.
Her heart was pounding furiously, but she tried to act cool and composed as they stopped in front of her.
"Well?" one asked, the older one, in an unreadable tone.
"Well?" she answered, hoping her voice was steady.
He gave her a dry look.
"Do I know you?" she asked, which was actually entirely possible, since they both seemed vaguely familiar.
"The question is, are you on the good guy's team or the bad guy's team?" the younger one put in, which earned him a warning glance from the other.
She raised one eyebrow, a strange talent that was quite useful in situations like these. "I didn't know there were 'teams'," she answered in an irritated tone. "Look, is there some reason that you are talking to me? Because if their isn't, then I'm leaving. And don't try anything."
The two exchanged unreadable looks, and then the older one said, "Your power level is… above average. We just want to know, will you fight with us, or against us?"
She laughed with relief. They were just a pair of loonies. "Fight? Who? You? Why? Power level? What do you mean?"
The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Don't play stupid, okay? We're onto you. If you don't answer, me and Gohan will be forced to seriously mess you up."
Her eyes snapped open at the mention of the name, and her gaze locked onto Gohan. "Gohan?" she whispered, bewildered. "And… Goten?" She looked over at the other boy. "Is this a dream? Are you real?"
Goten grinned boyishly. "Hey, you know my name! I'm famous! I'll pinch you to make sure you're not asleep."
The girl shook her head. "Look, Goten, Gohan, I just woke up in this place. I went to sleep in a normal bed, and I woke up here. Don't give me this crap about power levels, just tell me that I'm not still asleep."
Gohan nodded sagely. "I see you're still confused. You're no threat, but your power is amazing. Please, train with us! Every couple of years, a bad guy comes along, and with your ki level, nobody would stand a chance."
She smiled wearily, and said, "Then you'll have to get me a bed for tonight. My home is definitely nowhere near here, and I'll probably never see it again. You want me to train with you, then you'll have to provide me with life's necessities. And please not at Chi-chi's place!"
Goten gaped open-mouthed at her. "How much do you know about us? We just met you!"
It was her turn to grin. "It's a long story, one that does not need telling. Just trust me, I know enough." She bowed. "I'm Risu! Nice to meet you both." Close enough to my real name, they won't care anyways she thought to herself.
Goten shut his mouth. "Nice to meet you too, Risu!" said Gohan cheerfully, and with a trace bit of relief.
Of course, they are probably mistaken about a powerful ki level, but a few moments in the spotlight is enough for me Risu thought contentedly. "So where am I staying?" she asked out loud.
"Um… we have an extra bedroom at our house," Goten managed to stutter (he was just a little confused; after all, he hadn't had his full eight hours yet).
Risu shook her head. "I'm ready to put up with a lot of things, but Chi-chi's not one of them. I'll pass."
Gohan struggled not to smile. "I've got a guest bedroom, if my wife Videl doesn't mind. Also, you could ask Bulma if you can stay at Capsule Corp. They have plenty of rooms there, though I don't know why you would want to stay closer to Vejita than you'd have to."
Risu nodded. "I'll stay at your house tonight, if you don't mind me, and then I'll see if I can stay at Capsule Corp. I really don't want to intrude on anyone, though…" she blushed, knowing that she would be in debt to these people.
Gohan waved away her concerns. "I don't mind at all, and I'm sure Videl or Bulma would be glad to have another girl to talk to. But it's getting late, so we should go." Goten nodded in agreement, and stifled a yawn.
The two men (well, Goten's a teenager) walked into a dark alley, followed by Risu. Their ki glowed around them, and they were about to jump into the air when Risu held up her hand to stop them. Puzzled, they powered down and looked at her. "I can't… fly," Risu explained, and blushed in embarrassment. Goten and Gohan facefaulted in classic anime style.
"Her power level's ten times above yours, and she can't even fly??" Goten gasped. Gohan sighed.
"You still have to get me home!" Risu exclaimed. Looking over at Gohan, who nodded encouragingly at him, Goten awkwardly put his arms around her, and they both rose into the air. They were both blushing by the time they made it to Gohan's house. As soon as they touched down, she leaped away from him and towards the door.
"Thanks a bunch!" she called out, waving, as he flew off. Gohan opened the door, and motioned her inside.

Videl was waiting in the hallway. She looked from Risu to Gohan, obviously confused. "Wh- what? Who is she, Gohan?" she asked.
Gohan explained, "Risu has no place to stay tonight, so I offered her a room…" Videl's expression didn't become enlightened, and so Gohan lied, "Um… she's, uh, Goten's girlfriend." Risu blushed (a deeper red than before) and shot Gohan a half angry, half embarrassed look. He shrugged apologetically.
Videl finally smiled. "Well, I'm really glad we could help you out. Here, the guest bedroom is this way." She took Risu's arm and led her down the hallway, much to his relief.
She showed Risu the room, and asked if there was anything she could get for her. "Oh, no, thank you. I'm really very grateful for you letting me stay here. I can't thank you enough; you really helped me out of a tight spot. Your husband told me you were really great, and now I see why." Risu replied.
Videl blushed and murmured, "Thank you. If you need anything, just come ask me. Have a good sleep."

The next morning…

Risu yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She rolled out of bed, and looked up in surprise as she only fell a few inches down instead of the expected two and a half feet.
Suddenly realizing where she was, Risu sighed in frustration. She stood up and held her head as a wave of dizziness struck her like a pickup truck, almost causing her to fall back down. She staggered to the door and stuck her head out.
Smells of breakfast wafted down the hall, and made Risu's mouth water. She moved down the hall slowly, peeking in the doorways until she found the kitchen.
Pan and Gohan sat at the table, waiting for Videl, who held two heaping plates of steaming pancakes. She gave the bigger one to Gohan and the little one to Pan. Then she looked up.
"Oh, you're awake!" Videl said in delight. "Did you have a good sleep?" Pan looked over at Risu in confusion, because she hadn't known that they had a guest. Risu smiled at her.
"Yeah. Good morning!" she exclaimed, much different from her usual I'm-not-fully-awake-until-at-least-noon self.
Gohan looked up, not aware of her until she'd spoken. "Good morning, Risu," he said in between bites. "Glad you slept well." With that, he turned his full attention on his food, inhaling a vast amount.
"How many pancakes would you like?" Videl asked.
"Oh… about five or six, thanks," Risu answered. Gohan facefaulted.
"Are you okay, honey?" Videl asked in concern. Gohan nodded, but the infamous anime sweat drop appeared right next to his head. She shot him a you'd-better-behave look and went back to the stove.
"What's wrong?" Risu asked Gohan.
"Nothing, it's just… I though you were a Saiyan," Gohan answered.
Taken aback, Risu said, "Of course not! I'm human, through and through, 100%. Why would I be anything more?"
Gohan blushed, looked abashed (embarrassed) and rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to look at ease. "Never mind."
Pan looked up at Risu with an innocent adoring seven-year-old gaze. "Why are you so different?" she asked timidly.
Risu sighed. I forgot, Pan's ¼ Saiyan. She must sense something different about me too. "I'm not," she said out loud. "But you're a cute little girl. What's your name?"
Pan smiled. "My name is Pan. What's yours? Daddy called you Risu. Is that your name?"
Risu nodded. "That's right. You're a smart little girl."
Pan cocked her head to the side and studied Risu. "Are you sure there's nothing different about you? It's kinda like the way that Daddy and Uncle Goten are different, and Bra and 'Jita and Trunksie too."
Trunksie?? A teardrop appeared next to Risu's head. "I guess I'm just that way," she said, barely able to answer due to the shock from Pan's 'nickname'.
Pan was quite puzzled, but she just dismissed it from her mind and smiled up at Risu. "'Kay!" she said brightly, and returned to eating.
Risu was at this point very uncomfortable. "Um… I hate to say this," she whispered to Gohan, "but I don't have any clothes besides my pajamas. I'm stuck. Help me out!"
Gohan nodded thoughtfully. "Videl?" he called.
"Yes honey?" Videl answered from over the stove where she was fixing Risu's pancakes.
"Could you help out Risu? She needs some clothes."
"Oh? Yes, I think I have some old things that might fit her."
Risu visibly relaxed, and let out a big sigh of relief. "Thanks," she whispered to Gohan, who smiled somewhat fatherly and winked at her.
Videl set out a plate of pancakes for Risu. "Thank you very much," Risu said with a wide smile. She began wondering Why don't they speak Japanese? I'll test it out later; I don't want to invade any more on their hospitality than I already have: a bed, food, clothes. How will I ever repay them?
"I'll get you some clothes after breakfast," said Videl cheerfully, probably because of the manners of her guest. "If you need anything, just ask me, and I'll get it for you!" And with that, she walked out of the kitchen.
"You have an amazing wife," Risu commented to Gohan while eating her pancakes with a deliberate slowness.
"I know. I love her," he replied as he ate. This seemed about as far as he wanted to discuss it. Risu finished her pancakes and set out in search of Videl.
She found her watering a pretty orange flower in a pot next to a window. "What kind of flower is that?" Risu asked as she stood next to Videl.
"It's a sunburst. I just love them! They're beautiful, and they smell really good too," Videl answered. Risu shook her head and smiled to herself. Who would have thought she thought, Videl, a gardener!
"Would you like some clothes?" Videl asked. "I don't think I have something in exactly your size, but my friend Bulma probably does. She has a lot of extra clothes. I'll call her in a few minutes, and then drive you over. I'm sure she won't mind."
Risu thanked Videl kindly, and ten minutes later both of them (Risu still in blue pajamas) were in the aircar on their way to the Capsule Corp. dome.

Meanwhile, at Capsule Corp. …

Vejita was contentedly finishing breakfast when Bulma came in the kitchen. "What are you doing, woman?" he asked gruffly, though she knew by now that his attitude was all for show.
"If you must know, Videl is bringing over Goten's girlfriend. As far as I understand it, she's an orphan and she needs some clothes," Bulma replied, looking a bit distracted. "I can't find where I put a box of some of my old clothes that don't fit me anymore."
Vejita grunted. "Why doesn't she just get stuff from charity instead of from you?"
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Because Videl is my friend, and friends help each other out. And I'm sure the poor girl doesn't want to be seen taking charity. It's a pride thing; you should be able to understand that." Vejita just grumbled.
Suddenly his head jerked up, and he gasped. "What's wrong, Vejita?" Bulma asked worriedly.
"There's… something… out there. Something extremely powerful. Much more powerful than Kakarotto's brat," he said in a low voice. Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Bulma looked at him. "Should I get it?" she asked quietly.
Vejita shook his head. "Let me," he replied.
Bulma's brain kicked in, and she realized, "If they're evil, then why would they ring the doorbell?" she wondered out loud. Vejita shrugged.
He ran down the stairs to the door, followed closely by Bulma. He opened the door, to reveal a smiling Videl and a strange girl in blue pajamas (Risu).
"Oh, is this Goten's girlfriend?" Bulma asked, suddenly cheerful as she forgot about danger. "What's your name?"
"Risu," the girl replied shyly.
"Why don't you come in, Videl and Risu?" Bulma said, opening the door wide…
"Wait!" Vejita's hand shot out and blocked the passage, making it impossible for either Videl or Risu to enter. "You!" he spat at Risu. "You are not what you seem!"
Risu kept herself from visibly shaking, trying to keep her fear of an angry Vejita from showing. "Wh-what do you mean?" she asked.
He snarled. "You know what I mean!" he shouted. She was about to faint…
…when her inner support system kicked in and pumped her full of adrenaline. Now she was in fighter mode. She strengthened visibly, held her head up higher, and met Vejita eye-to-eye. He was expecting her to fight him now, but her reaction was quite different… "No, I don't! Just because I happen to have a power level, you think I'm evil? I'm not! Now please move, because I'm cold and I would really like to come in!"
"Huh?" he said involuntarily, now confused. Videl was taken aback, because the girl standing in front of her was acting so completely different from the sweet, grateful one who had spent the night at her house. Bulma was just shocked.
"Vejita, for heaven's sake, let them in!" Bulma reprimanded, recovering quickly. He shot her an irritated glance, and then fixed his eyes on Risu.
I'll be watching you he said in her mind, a method of communication that she was not used to and that left her startled. With that he stalked back into the house in a customary fit of anger.
Bulma smiled. "Don't mind him. Come in! I was just looking for a box of old clothes that I think might fit you."

Risu felt better after she was properly clothed in a tight white sleeveless t-shirt and black leggings under jean shorts. Bulma had even found some black boots that fit her, and they completed the ensemble with just the right effect.
"Thank you again!" she said to Bulma, who just shook her head and replied, "I was just going to throw those old clothes out anyways. They look good on you." This made Risu smile again.
After a while, Videl left with the excuse that she had to take care of Pan. After she had left, Risu asked Bulma, "I need a place to stay, because I'm taking up the only guest bedroom at Gohan's house, and I was just wondering if I could live here for a while. Could I please?"
Bulma nodded. "I would love to have you here. That is, if you don't mind Vejita. I don't know what he'll say about it."

"WHAT?" Vejita roared as Bulma informed him of the news. "Why are we letting that," he said, pointing at Risu, "live here with us?" Bulma patiently explained once more that Risu needed a place to stay, and that as friends of the Son family they were going to take in Risu.
"I," began Vejita, "will not-" Risu cut him off with an as yet unpracticed thought speech.
It will be a good chance for you to keep an eye on me, won't it, Prince Vejita. He stopped short and looked straight at her. Don't bring Bulma into this. She's nice. Keep it between you and me she thought furiously at him in an attempt to stop the inevitable tirade.
"Fine. She stays," was all he said. Bulma gaped in disbelief. But you have some explaining to do later, little girl. And don't think you can get out of it he thought silently at her.
"Done," she said out loud. He gave her a hard look and moved on.
"Well," said Bulma nervously, eyeing his retreating back. "What's wrong with him?"
"I wouldn't know. Thank you again for letting me stay."
"It's nothing. When Trunks gets back home, I'll introduce you to him and Bra. He's out doing something with Goten right now."
"Okay."

Later…

Risu was napping out on the dome, taking advantage of the warmth of the setting sun, when Trunks and Goten flew up. Trunks, sensing the enormous power, glanced questioningly at Goten. They stopped.
"What IS that?" Trunks asked in bewilderment.
"She is Risu," Goten replied. "Me and Gohan picked her up last night in the city. She can't even fly."
Trunks crossed his arms in exactly the same way Vejita did when he was being stubborn. "How are you sure she's not evil?" he asked pointedly.
Goten sighed in exasperation. "Do you sense any evil over there? An enemy would not be asleep on their enemy's roof, trust me. She does know a lot about us for someone who just met us, though. Kinda mysterious, but I don't think she's all that bad."
Trunks looked over at the sleeping girl. "I don't trust her."
"What do you mean, you don't trust her! You haven't even met her yet! I've only just met her and flew her home, and I trust her!"
Trunks stubbornly refused to answer, and looked up at Goten. "Can I have a look at Wonder Girl, then?"
Goten shrugged. "Go ahead."
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Don't try to play serious. Is she cute?"
Goten blushed. "I don't know, I didn't get a good look at her last night. I was tired."
Trunks grinned. "Sure ya' didn't. I thought you said you flew her to Gohan's? Didn't you get a good look then?"
An anime sweat drop appeared next to Goten's head. "Yeah, but it was dark, and I kinda had to look where I was going, and…"
Trunks punched his shoulder playfully. "Whatever. I'm checking her out, I don't know about you. If you're coming, then hurry."
Goten's sweat drop faded, and he nodded. "Okay."
Both of them flew over near where she was sleeping, with their backs to the sun, and sized her up. Goten was shocked. I thought her hair was brown he thought. It's really golden-red, but you can't tell unless the sun is shining on it. And she's got such a pretty face…
"She's so…" said Trunks, who froze as she opened one eye.
Seeing Trunks' and Goten's silhouettes against the golden sky, she opened both and sat up. "Whatcha doin', boys?" she asked.
Goten snapped out of his daze and worked his mouth for a few seconds before coming up with a good excuse. "Um… Risu, this is my friend. He wanted to meet you. His name is…"
"Trunks. Yeah, I know," interrupted Risu without blinking.
"Have we… met?" asked Trunks in confusion.
"I've seen you before, but never in real life," confessed Risu as she rose unsteadily to her feet. "But I never imagined you would be so beautiful." And then she stepped forward, took hold of his face gently with both hands, and studied him with bluegreen eyes without trying to hide it.
Trunks blushed a really deep red. "Ah… thanks… I think," he muttered in reply, afraid to turn from her intense gaze.
She stopped studying and looked into his eyes, realizing that she was making him uncomfortable. "Sorry," she mumbled, releasing his face and stepping back.
Goten elbowed Trunks. "She really likes you," he whispered into Trunks' ear. Trunks gave him a look that had 'shut up' written all over it. "Hey," Goten said to him, "it's not my fault that the most powerful person in the universe is a girl, and she has a crush on you." He grinned, awaiting the eruption.
Risu cut in. "Goten, whatever you're saying to him, it's embarrassing him, so shut up. I happen to enjoy peace and quiet, unlike you boys, and Trunks is too much of Vejita's son not to be stubborn enough to interrupt it." Goten tried to look innocent, while Trunks looked stunned.
"H-how do you know so much about me?" he asked in surprise.
"I'm a girl. It's called women's intuition," she said with a smile.
A little sweat drop appeared next to Trunks' head. "Uh… sure, if you say so."
Risu smiled. "I'm living at Capsule Corp. now, so I guess I'll be seeing you a bunch," she told Trunks. Goten facefaulted.
"I… thought you were staying with Gohan," he gasped in surprise.
She shook her head. "Nope, I felt like I was intruding. They have plenty of room for me here, and me and Vejita reached an agreement about it."
Trunks shook his head. "That doesn't sound like Dad," he said. He looked straight at Risu. "If he knew someone with a power level like yours, and he didn't have proof that you were a friend, then he'd kill you first and ask questions later. He's not really the talkative type."
Risu hid a grin with her hand. "Yeah, I noticed. He tried to keep me from coming in. Good thing Bulma was there to save me just in time."
Goten looked puzzled. "Bulma saved you? But I thought that Vejita doesn't listen to anyone, not even his own wife."
Risu rolled her eyes. "Obviously you don't know the way things work in the Briefs' house. The dad is in charge of the household, bad guys, and stuff like that, and the mom is in charge of the dad. It's that simple; maybe even enough so that you can understand."
Goten blushed. Trunks' jaw dropped. He had never heard his household described like that, since most people assumed that his violent and unpredictable father took advantage of his mother.
"Anyways… I'm going to go in to eat… see ya' later," she said cheerfully, and walked away.
Both Trunks and Goten were left speechless. They'd never encountered a girl quite so… different… before.
"What's up with her?" Trunks said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Goten shrugged.
"She likes you though, Mr. Lady's Man," Goten said with a chuckle.
"Do I hear some jealousy, Goten? You can have that crazy girl. I, for one, like to play it safe by only staying with more or less normal girls," Trunks protested.
"Oh? Like that one who only wore black, had two brow rings and a nose ring, right? That's pretty normal."
"Oh, shut up. At least I had a girlfriend."
Goten was silent, and looked away at the horizon. Trunks, sensing that he had come up on a sensitive subject, backed off. "Sorry, man. Guess that was kind of a cheap shot."
Goten smiled and looked over at him. "That's OK. Risu had the right idea. Let's go eat." Trunks nodded, and they went inside.

"Have you already eaten?" Bulma asked Risu, who was reclining back on the couch and trying to nap.
"Yeah. I should probably call Videl and tell her that you let me stay here. I'm really grateful," Risu thanked Bulma again.
Bulma smiled. "Thanks, but you know, you already thanked me at least ten times. One is enough. Don't worry about it."
Risu smiled back at her. "I'll keep that in mind." She got up, stretched, and said, "Bulma? Could you tell me where the phone is?"
Bulma looked around. "Yeah, there's one over in the other room. Here," she said, scribbling something on a piece of paper, "is Videl's number. I'll get you something to sleep in. Your room can be upstairs. I'll show you it later, or right now, if you want."
Risu nodded. "Yes, I'd like that." Bulma cheerfully complied, leading Risu up a flight of stairs and down a hallway.
"This is Vejita's and my and room," she said, pointing out one door, "and that one's Trunks'. Next to his is Bra's. This one is empty, so you can sleep there. There's only one bathroom connected to all three, so you'll have to share. I hope you don't mind."
Risu shook her head. "Not at all. Anyways, beggars can't be choosers. This is much better than the worst I've lived in."
Bulma cocked her head to the side in curiosity. "So where did you come from, Risu? I mean, where did you live before, and why were you kicked out?"
Risu looked away. "Well, Gohan told Videl that I'm Goten's girlfriend, but I'm really not. I think you should be able to understand. I come from a different dimension."
Bulma's eyes widened. "Really? I didn't imagine… oh, never mind. What's this about you and a power level? Vejita seemed to have a problem with it."
Risu shrugged. "I honestly have no clue. Where I come from, there are no 'power levels'. People don't fly. The closest you can come to superhuman is in a video game. And there are no aliens."
Bulma gasped. "Really? Wow, you must live in such a strange… er, different world."
Risu nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty different, but a lot of things are the same. Our technology isn't as advanced as yours. We can't travel back in time. We don't have your genius, though, so I suppose that has something to do with it. No capsules." She gave Bulma a tight smile. "I guess I'll just have to get used to it, though."
Bulma blinked as she remembered that Risu was her guest. "I'll take some tests on you later, if you don't mind, but right now you just get settled in." And with that she left.
Risu opened the door, and surveyed her new room. It was probably a guest bedroom before, with generic white curtains shading the only window and a navy blue bedspread. Just a plain, white room with a desk, chair, phone, lamp, bed, and TV. Risu pulled off her shoes and held them in her hand while trying to decide which door led to the closet. She chose one, and was rewarded with a dusty, bare closet that was just large enough to hold a few clothes. That's all I've ever needed she reminded herself.
Risu threw in her shoes, shut the closet door, walked over to the bed and plopped down on it. She stared at the ceiling, at the wall, at the window, at the generic items arranged on the desk. I'm going to have to fix this room up she thought to herself. It's too… bright… for my taste. She sighed in boredom and rolled over.
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said. When the door opened to reveal Trunks holding a box full of miscellaneous items, she got up off of the bed and stood looking at him. "Well?" she asked.
Trunks blinked. "I… uh… Mom told me to bring you this stuff. She thought you might need it."
Risu smiled and took the box from him. "Wow, this is heavy," she said, setting it down on the bed. "Thanks," she said, turning back to him.
Trunks uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the other. "Also, Vejita wanted to talk to you. He didn't seem to happy about it, either, so be careful not to set him off," he added.
Risu nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that he didn't seem to like me too much. Where is he?"
Trunks pointed down the hall from where he was standing in the doorway. "Outside, in the front. Good luck." He walked back down the hall, and after a few moments Risu heard a door shut.
He must have gone to his room. Smart guy, wanting to miss the explosion she thought wryly. I've made him so uncomfortable, after that first scene. I wish I hadn't done that. He couldn't possibly understand what I've been through, why I'm like the way I am. If only I had come here knowing him, the way I had before with Ryan. Life would have been that much easier. Oh, well, might as well not keep the mighty prince waiting. Risu ran her fingers through her hair nervously, and then walked out of her room and towards the front door. She took a deep breath, and plunged into the warm afternoon air.

"I've been waiting for you." The voice was cold, and Risu spun around to see Vejita leaning against the wall next to the front door. "You've got some explaining to do, you little wench. Who are you, and where are you from?" he continued, walking towards her and stopping a mere two feet away, arms crossed and expression a cross between his usual sneer and grim determination.
Risu gave him a don't-mess-with-me look and said simply, "I'm Risu and I'm from Earth."
He unfolded his arms and held them at his sides, fists clenched involuntarily. "Don't lie to me, girl! You have no idea what you are dealing with!"
Risu made an attempt at sneering, even though inside cold shivers of fear raced down her spine and she had trouble facing Vejita's black-eyed stare. "Sure I do. A Saiyan prince with years of training, and then given to a supposed ally by his father the king, kicked off his high horse when he learns that a low-class warrior is actually more powerful than him. Twenty years later, he's still trying to be better than second best."
Vejita's rage was rebelling; she could tell. His teeth gritted almost audibly, and each muscle was eagerly taut in anticipation. He was barely hanging on to his calm attitude. Risu was scarcely able to keep herself from running as fast as she could in the opposite direction.
Vejita said in low, dangerous tones between clenched teeth, "What do you want? Who are you?"
Risu scoffed at his anger. "I told you already. I know you, Vejita. I know you and your whole family and your whole world. I'm not a threat. Just remember that I know you. You were the one who wanted to talk to me. I'm from another world, another time, another dimension. Don't mess with me."
Vejita's fragile grip on self-control broke, and before she could breathe his hands were around her neck and squeezing the breath out of her. It was horrible. I… can't… breathe… icantbreatheicantscreamicantliveimgonnadieoshitoshitoshit she thought deliriously. After a few moments, she stopped struggling and hung limp, considering her options. kick Vejita… run. die. act dead. maybe live her survival instinct whispered in her ear. Risu did neither.
What she did was glare at Vejita, who was looking at her with hate… and possibly pain… in his eyes. Maybe it was a bad idea to try to stare down someone choking you, but Risu didn't care. She grabbed both his wrists, felt for the pressure point right on the vein, and squeezed as hard as she could. No effect.
He laughed at her. "Foolish girl, you picked the wrong man to anger. Now you will suffer for it."
Risu shook her head, refusing to let him have victory. Lack of oxygen was beginning to affect her; she could feel the blood pounding in her ears and her sight dimmed. With her last bit of energy, she took careful aim and kicked Vejita… right between the legs. He yelped, letting go of her as he bent in half in pain.
Risu crumpled to the ground like her bones had melted; she did not have enough energy to do more than gasp for breath. Vejita regained his composure as quickly as he could, and peered over into her face while she was still too weak to stand up.
"That took guts," he said admiringly. "However, it won't do you much good once I'm through with you…"
At that exact moment, Trunks came out of the house, and this is what he saw: Risu sprawled on the ground like a used and useless rag doll, and Vejita standing over her with an evil glint in his eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he said, running over to his father and Risu. Vejita glared at his son for interrupting his speech.
"Trunks," Risu whispered. He looked at her. "Trunks," she repeated, this time louder, "your father is crazy."
Trunks blushed in embarrassment, looking at Vejita. "Vejita, what did you do this time?" he asked in exasperation. He looked back at Risu. "I told you to be careful," he told her. "If you had listened to me, then you would probably be in better shape."
Risu smiled weakly. "Sorry," she whispered.
Vejita growled in frustration. "Take her and get out of my sight," he snarled at his son. When Trunks hesitated for a split second, Vejita kicked Risu hard. She flew through the air, and landed on the ground a good thirty feet away; her head snapped back, and both of them could hear the sharp crack as it hit.
Trunks frowned at his father. "That wasn't necessary," he informed Vejita quietly.
"She asked for it when she came here," Vejita answered sharply. "Don't challenge me, boy. Take her away."
Trunks gave a last, measuring look at the side of his father that he had never seen before, and then walked over and nudged Risu with a booted toe. "Wake up," he said, quietly enough so that only she could hear it. She didn't move. Trunks considered splashing water on her face or something, but then just picked her up and carried her into the house, followed by Vejita's piercing gaze. Well, what did he expect me to do? thought Trunks in desperation. He looked down at her peaceful face as he walked up the stairs to her room. She's so young, probably two years younger than me. I wonder where she came from?
Trunks had reached her door, but then realized that it was shut. Oh, damnit, why now? he thought in irritation. He couldn't open it without dropping her or waking her, and he was in the mood to do neither. Trunks looked frantically up and down the hall, and noticed that he had left his door open. He carried her to his bed (still not made) and laid her down gently. He sat down. She yawned and curled up in fetal position, with one arm drawn beneath her head.
Trunks smiled to himself, thinking that she must have had a hard night last night. She looks so small and vulnerable now he thought. Not at all like before, when she came straight up to me and… He let the thought trail off. He wasn't sure what she'd think if she woke up and saw him staring at her. He got up and left.

2 hours later (5:00 PM)

Risu awoke not knowing where she was. At first she thought Oh no, it's light out, I'm late…, but then remembered the past events of a few nights ago. Now I remember- I'm in Dragonball world now. Things are different.
She rolled over, realizing that she was on a bed, and that she last remembered being hurt on the ground. Then there was this sharp pain in my side, like I was being hit by a ton of bricks, then I was flying through the air, and then… She couldn't remember what happened next, but she could guess. I got knocked out, and then someone nice brought me to my bed.
And then Risu realized that it wasn't her bed. Rubbing her eyes sleepily, she got to her feet. The room smelled faintly of cologne, and it was messy enough to make even her have a fit. A few dirty clothes littered the floor, and the bookshelf had about three books in it. Peering around the room, Risu located a sword in its scabbard leaning against a wall. Aha, Trunks' room she thought in satisfaction.
She wanted to lie back down on the bed and sleep forever, but she didn't want to deprive Trunks of his bed for tonight. Risu stretched out tired muscles, and staggered out of Trunks' room, almost running into to Trunks on the way, who was standing outside his door.
"Hey," he said quietly. "You okay? You were knocked out pretty bad."
She smiled uncomfortably. "Yeah. Thanks for getting me out of that. I probably shouldn't have got to him like that, but it needed to be done."
Trunks ran a hand through lavender hair nervously. "Are you serious? If I hadn't got to you in time, you'd have been better off dead if he didn't kill you. What exactly did you say that set him off like that anyway?"
Risu looked at him wearily. "Wouldn't you like to know? He wouldn't be very happy with me if I repeated it. So do you and him do the little training thing together?" Trunks nodded. "Let me in on it sometime," she told him. "Though I'm warning you now: I can't fight, I can't fly. I'm starting out like I have a zero power level."
Trunks did a double take. "You can't do anything? You've got a long way to go. Get a good night's sleep, trust me."
Risu nodded. "Sure thing. See ya' tomorrow morning."
"See ya'…"