Chapter 1
"What an exciting day," Goten said, stretching. "The World Martial Arts Tournament. Remember when we were kids, Trunks?" Trunks laughed at his friends antics and nodded. That was when they fought against Majin Buu. Of course, only the good part of Buu remains and that Buu lived with Hercule Satan. That particular fight was the worst – not to mention the hardest – any of the gang has fought. It had actually all started here, on this very arena. Trunks had been nine and Goten eight. They weren't adults then and the only good fight they had was against each other. Not even Hercule, who was believed to be the strongest fighter on Earth because he claimed to have defeated Cell, did a very good job of fighting. This time was different. Trunks and Goten, now twenty-five and twenty-four, would be able to fight with the rest of the gang. Well, those who chose to fight. Trunks, Goten, Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan were the only ones who wanted to fight. "Let's go see what we're supposed to do," Trunks said. "If I remember rightly, there was some debate over qualifications for finalists." "What do you mean?" Trunks folded his arms over his chest and chuckled. "Do you remember hearing Gohan talk about that ridiculous punch meter they had? Well, some people didn't think it proved a fighter's strength and protested. I don't remember reading or hearing anything else about it." As they neared Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan, they could tell something was happening by the excitement in their voices. Vegeta didn't talk much, but he did a lot of smirking. When he did talk, there was a note of excitement that he couldn't conceal. "What's going on?" Trunks asked. Goku, eyes shining, answered. "They're going back to the way they used to get finalists. It will take longer to get to the finals, of course, but those with the real talent to fight will make it through." "Perhaps it's a good thing none of us is in the same fighting area," Gohan said. "When we fight against each other, we'll need plenty of room." When a voice spoke through an intercom to announce the preliminaries, the group went their separate ways. Before Trunks got very far, he felt like he was being watched. The tried to shake the feeling off, but it didn't leave until he reached the arena he was to fight at. Before splitting, Gohan had handed them a piece of paper that told them where to go and what number they were. Trunks was in Arena 8 and his number was one. He would be, of course, the first to battle in this arena and when his number was called, he stepped onto the platform. Trunks' opponent was a six-foot-tall man a few years older than he was. The man looked at him with a grin on his face. "You might as well give up now," the man said. "I'll chew you up and spit you out." Trunks said nothing and the bell was rung, indicating the start of the match. Someone in the crowd gasped, pointed, and exclaimed to the crowd around him, "Isn't that one of those boys they were looking for some years ago? Majin Buu was going to fight him" The crowd murmured and looked up at him fearfully. The man across from him laughed. "You've got to be kidding me! You're Trunks Briefs? I was sure my mother enabled Buu to kill you." Trunks eyed him. "And you are?" "The name's Ecosa," the man sniffed. This time it was Trunks who laughed. "You mean you're the guy I beat with one kick in the Junior Competition seventeen years ago?" "That was seventeen years ago. I know what to expect now and you still look to puny to be a fighter." "We'll see about that." Trunks got into a fighting stance and Ecosa did the same. Ecosa didn't even know what to expect when Trunks ran at him and kicked him out of the ring. A few people laughed, but the majority ran away. One of the judges looked at Ecosa and confirmed that he was out cold. At this, the few who remained looked at Trunks nervously. After getting off the platform, he sat down to watch the remaining fighters fight each other. The judge assigned to this arena told him he would fight the winner of the small group. Trunks nodded and looked around the room. It was a very large room meant for fighting and built to keep crowds out. The walls were white and bare. Two long windows were on either side of the buildings and, although there wasn't and crowds on the inside, there was a big one outside. Most of the faces were women and all of them were looking at him; smiling and giggling. All women except one and this woman especially caught his attention. She was beautiful with silver hair done up in tow heart shaped buns on either side of her head with hair spilling out of them. It was impossible to see how long that hair was from the spot where he was sitting. She was wearing something similar to a sailor's suit, except tighter. What caught him off guard, however, were her eyes. Even form a distance he could tell there were depths to them. More then what met the eye. Was that sadness he saw? Trunks was slightly annoyed when the judge tapped him on the shoulder to tell him it was time for him to fight the last fighter. He had only looked away from the window for a second, but when he looked back, the woman was gone.
"What an exciting day," Goten said, stretching. "The World Martial Arts Tournament. Remember when we were kids, Trunks?" Trunks laughed at his friends antics and nodded. That was when they fought against Majin Buu. Of course, only the good part of Buu remains and that Buu lived with Hercule Satan. That particular fight was the worst – not to mention the hardest – any of the gang has fought. It had actually all started here, on this very arena. Trunks had been nine and Goten eight. They weren't adults then and the only good fight they had was against each other. Not even Hercule, who was believed to be the strongest fighter on Earth because he claimed to have defeated Cell, did a very good job of fighting. This time was different. Trunks and Goten, now twenty-five and twenty-four, would be able to fight with the rest of the gang. Well, those who chose to fight. Trunks, Goten, Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan were the only ones who wanted to fight. "Let's go see what we're supposed to do," Trunks said. "If I remember rightly, there was some debate over qualifications for finalists." "What do you mean?" Trunks folded his arms over his chest and chuckled. "Do you remember hearing Gohan talk about that ridiculous punch meter they had? Well, some people didn't think it proved a fighter's strength and protested. I don't remember reading or hearing anything else about it." As they neared Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan, they could tell something was happening by the excitement in their voices. Vegeta didn't talk much, but he did a lot of smirking. When he did talk, there was a note of excitement that he couldn't conceal. "What's going on?" Trunks asked. Goku, eyes shining, answered. "They're going back to the way they used to get finalists. It will take longer to get to the finals, of course, but those with the real talent to fight will make it through." "Perhaps it's a good thing none of us is in the same fighting area," Gohan said. "When we fight against each other, we'll need plenty of room." When a voice spoke through an intercom to announce the preliminaries, the group went their separate ways. Before Trunks got very far, he felt like he was being watched. The tried to shake the feeling off, but it didn't leave until he reached the arena he was to fight at. Before splitting, Gohan had handed them a piece of paper that told them where to go and what number they were. Trunks was in Arena 8 and his number was one. He would be, of course, the first to battle in this arena and when his number was called, he stepped onto the platform. Trunks' opponent was a six-foot-tall man a few years older than he was. The man looked at him with a grin on his face. "You might as well give up now," the man said. "I'll chew you up and spit you out." Trunks said nothing and the bell was rung, indicating the start of the match. Someone in the crowd gasped, pointed, and exclaimed to the crowd around him, "Isn't that one of those boys they were looking for some years ago? Majin Buu was going to fight him" The crowd murmured and looked up at him fearfully. The man across from him laughed. "You've got to be kidding me! You're Trunks Briefs? I was sure my mother enabled Buu to kill you." Trunks eyed him. "And you are?" "The name's Ecosa," the man sniffed. This time it was Trunks who laughed. "You mean you're the guy I beat with one kick in the Junior Competition seventeen years ago?" "That was seventeen years ago. I know what to expect now and you still look to puny to be a fighter." "We'll see about that." Trunks got into a fighting stance and Ecosa did the same. Ecosa didn't even know what to expect when Trunks ran at him and kicked him out of the ring. A few people laughed, but the majority ran away. One of the judges looked at Ecosa and confirmed that he was out cold. At this, the few who remained looked at Trunks nervously. After getting off the platform, he sat down to watch the remaining fighters fight each other. The judge assigned to this arena told him he would fight the winner of the small group. Trunks nodded and looked around the room. It was a very large room meant for fighting and built to keep crowds out. The walls were white and bare. Two long windows were on either side of the buildings and, although there wasn't and crowds on the inside, there was a big one outside. Most of the faces were women and all of them were looking at him; smiling and giggling. All women except one and this woman especially caught his attention. She was beautiful with silver hair done up in tow heart shaped buns on either side of her head with hair spilling out of them. It was impossible to see how long that hair was from the spot where he was sitting. She was wearing something similar to a sailor's suit, except tighter. What caught him off guard, however, were her eyes. Even form a distance he could tell there were depths to them. More then what met the eye. Was that sadness he saw? Trunks was slightly annoyed when the judge tapped him on the shoulder to tell him it was time for him to fight the last fighter. He had only looked away from the window for a second, but when he looked back, the woman was gone.