Tomorrow Dreams of Yesterday: A Future Trunks Fanfic
Chapter 1: Yesterday Sleeps
Trunks pushed desperately against the cold, soggy ground. His fingertips left deep grooves in the mud as he feverishly clawed the earth. His muscles were on fire and he could barely keep his eyes open. A line of blood streamed from his mouth, dripping down his chin. He didn't have enough energy left in his body. He knew it wouldn't be long now.
They would never give him enough time to recover; those devils. All he could see in the darkness were their cold, soulless eyes. They were waiting for him. Their energy lasted forever, and so they had all the time in the world. He crawled forward an inch, slipping and falling face first into the mud. For a moment he could sense everything around him. The muscles in his neck did nothing to prevent his face from sinking deeper into the murky puddle. He used his last ounce of strength to turn his head to the side. With one eye still submerged, he glimpsed a dirty, blood-speckled orange dogi. He remembered the pain. He remembered what he was fighting for. His vocal cords stretched and contorted in an attempt to scream, but they were silent. His best friend and teacher, was dead, and he was next. The hollow scream echoed in his mind until it became deafening.
Trunks awoke from his slumber covered in beads of sweat. The linen around him was cold and soaked from contact with his skin. He sat up immediately, clutching the silk sheets like the reigns of a horse, breathing deeply. Darkness was all around him. Nightmares had become an all too familiar routine, even though that hellish reality was behind him now. It had been three years since he returned to his time to reclaim the future. Three years and they were still alive at night. Everyone suffered from nightmares about the androids once in awhile, but it wasn't the Androids that Trunks was afraid of anymore. It was the constant fear of a greater foe appearing, a foe that was stronger than he had become. Nightmares still found a place in his mind, because as a true warrior, he was never at peace.
He paused at the thought. Tired of sleep, he rolled out of bed and walked into the bathroom. The dim light slowly illuminated the room. He turned on the water and splashed his face. The sweat and water trickled down his brow and across his nose. For a moment he rested with both hands pressed against the cold, porcelain sink. Looking out the window, he saw that it was light outside. The busy world had already been awake for hours, living in a world no longer bound with fear; thanks to Trunks, of course. As usual, Capsule Corporation was up and running, and pioneering the reconstruction. After three years, only six months were left before the total reconstruction of the surrounding major cities would be complete. Life was so close to normal that most people forgot about the horrors of yesterday and focused on building a better here and now.
As he stood in the bathroom, staring at his refection in the mirror, Trunks wondered if he was the only one worried about tomorrow. He had seen too much destruction in his time to assume that he would live a happy life forever. It was because of that constant reminder that he had trained extensively on a strict regimen every day for the last three years. His power had increased tremendously, but the stronger he became, the more afraid he was of something appearing that was still twice as strong as he was, and so he never gave up. He wasn't even sure how strong he had become. For all he knew, he was the strongest creature in the universe. It ceased to matter. He remembered how incredibly unprepared he had been to take on Perfect Cell, and that was all he needed to know. Everyday he saw that white grin. With every punch thrown, he heard that spine tingling cackle, and every time he took a short break to rest, he felt that burning energy beam burst through his chest.
He thought maybe he would be able to defeat Cell at his current power level, but he couldn't be sure. He wasn't even sure if he had reached the level of Super Saiyan that far surpassed Super Saiyan, because he hadn't transformed in years. Sometimes he considered the possibility that maybe he could forget how if he ever needed to again, but that wasn't the issue. He knew how to be strong. His father had told him, just before he returned to his time.
He could distinctly recall Vegeta walking into the room at Capsule Corp. Trunks was quietly packing the last of his things before departure. Vegeta entered, as if he expected an invisible red carpet. He leaned against the wall behind Trunks. With his head tilted back, he spoke sternly with a touch of sarcasm.
"Leaving so soon?" It was obvious that the Saiyan prince was pretending not to care.
"Looks like it." Trunks continued to stare at his knapsack, happy that his father gave him the time of day, even if his pride prevented him from showing any sort of emotion.
"Well I can't say that I'm not relieved. You've brought almost nothing but bad news since the day you arrived."
"Almost?" Trunks smiled. Vegeta choked on his own words for a second that must have seemed like an eternity in hell. His eyes widened and his bottom lip curled.
"Don't get the wrong idea! I was trying to spare you out of decency. Don't twist my words."
"All right." Swinging his knapsack over a shoulder, he stood up and started to walk away.
"Don't walk away from me!" Trunks froze. He had to; his father was a true Saiyan prince. All Trunks could do was remember what Yamcha had said after the fight with Cell was over. His father tried desperately to avenge his death, even when it could have meant giving up his own life as well. He turned around slowly and looked at his father.
"I'm sor-"Vegeta cut him off.
"Don't apologize to me." For a moment there was silence, but the Saiyan prince spoke quickly to kill it. Even when he tried to thaw his icy heart, it still came down like snow. Gentle, but frozen.
"This is not over. You must never assume that any of this is over. Just because Cell has been defeated does not mean that my training is finished. A true warrior stays prepared, especially in times of peace. I suggest you do the same in your own world."
Trunks nodded, genuinely surprised by the content of the lecture. Vegeta used his silence and surprise as an opportunity to continue.
"A true Saiyan gains the most from training without being a Super Saiyan. Push yourself to the limit in your natural form; transform when you need to be the best." The message was stuck in Trunks' head like an open wound. This was the first actual piece of advice that Vegeta had intentionally given him, but he restrained his joy to a simple nod. Satisfied that he had provided ample fatherly advice, Vegeta walked out just as he had walked in.
Later that day, as Trunks was saying goodbye to his friends and walking towards his Time Machine, he caught a glimpse of his father in the distance. Vegeta lifted his left hand, holding up two fingers. It was just a simple gesture, even less personal than a wave. But in that one gesture, Vegeta had said Goodbye son and good luck. I will always be with you. Trunks held up two fingers in response, giving a stern smile, and everything following that moment became a blurry snapshot in time. His father was proud of him. That was enough.
Everyday after that, he pushed himself to his limits just to see how far beyond them he could go. To Trunks, training an entire day during times of peace was infinitely better than fighting for a second in times of war. That was the mantra that kept him going.
After the dust had settled three years ago, no one took credit for the destruction of the androids. All that was known came from an old man who witnessed a golden warrior save the day. Many stepped forward, trying to take the credit for Trunks' achievement. How ironic that the past would suffer a similarly tragic fate regarding the defeat Cell.
Trunks felt that if the time ever came, he would be the only protector that the Earth had left. It was for this reason that he needed to be the best. But he needed to start considering the future. What would become of the earth past his lifetime? Being the last Saiyan, starting a family seemed like the only answer to this problem. Besides, that was one thing that Bulma never let up on. She was constantly bringing nice young girls over the house for Trunks to meet. It was expected almost every other day. He knew that she was right, he just had to find someone on his own. He needed to find someone that could fill the empty space. The only love he had ever known was for his mother, Gohan, and his friends from the past. After a while he started to feel a deeper longing for companionship. He didn't even know what that was anymore. How was he supposed to know who he wanted once he found them?
After what seemed like an hour of staring at his own reflection in quiet contemplation, he decided to get dressed and go for a walk. Maybe the morning air could help him think straight. He slipped on a pair of yellow trousers and a black tank top with a large white CC logo on the back. He shuffled through many hangers in a large walk-in closet before grabbing a dark pink shirt with the word "BADMAN" written on the back. He put it on, buttoning it half way up. It was the first shirt he had ever seen his father wear, and as silly as it looked, he was proud to have it.
He looked at the clock and walked out the door. It was seven thirty-six. The morning air outside of the Capsule Corp. building was thick and warm. There was a silent breeze, mixed in with the morning sun. Trunks placed both hands in his pockets and headed towards the city. Walking a few miles into town was barely exercising to him. He considered it one of the perks of living.
It was on these quiet morning walks that he wondered about a lot of different things. Mostly curious thoughts about the Namekians of this time and the Dragonballs they possessed. Did those Dragonballs have the power to revive someone who had died more than one year ago? Would he ever be able to use them if he had too? Where was New Namek located any ways? It always turned into too many questions without answers.
He thought about the twisted fate of his world. He wondered why they never wished for a cure to Goku's heart virus twenty some years ago. He was thankful that the world was safe now, but he was completely alone to defend it. What would happen if he died trying to protect it? There would be no hope left. He had to find a solution to this problem or the nightmares might never stop.
His watch chimed. It was eight o'clock. The sun had just started warming up and he had almost reached his destination. He would also think about fate and destiny on these walks, and how they played a role in his journey to the past. Could he have somehow tipped the scales by travelling through time? After he came back he had the strangest feeling that his life was somehow different. In comparison it remained the least of his worries.
He made it into the heart of Pepper Town at half passed eight. He navigated the streets and instinctively walked in the direction of the Nawa Grocery. Ms. Nawa, a kind woman, had owned the shop since she was young. Luckily for her, when the Androids destroyed Pepper Town, the little store wasn't seriously damaged, so after their reign of control was over, she still had enough money left to make the proper repairs to stay operating. When Pepper town began reconstruction, she was the only grocery around that still sold perishable goods and for a while she ran a monopoly of the market. Even though she could have hiked up prices during those vulnerable times, she never did. She made sure that everyone got what they needed, even if she needed to limit what she sold to others.
Trunks met her a little over a year after returning from the past. In his mind, she was the most decent human being alive, next to Bulma. Her doors were always open early so Trunks gave her a visit when he went walking. Usually they would stand around and talk in her quiet little shop for an hour or so, four or five times a week. Of course she still didn't know about Trunks' true power, and he would keep things that way for as long as possible.
She may have been old enough to be his mother, but he still found her to be very attractive. Sometimes there were moments of silence where he felt embarrassed, but she didn't seem to notice or care. He knew they were just good friends, and never confused his thoughts with his emotions.
Surprisingly she was tactful enough to get along with Bulma, a blessing and a curse in itself. Trunks always felt kind of weird when the two women got together and talked because usually it involved his love life, or more specifically his lack of one. They could go on and on like two old maids, chattering for hours. Needless to say, Trunks always asked politely to be excused at times like that.
He walked into the Nawa Grocery. Like any other morning, it was filled with natural light and smelled sweet like lavender and vanilla. It was always very tidy and presentable. The produce was lined up neatly in perfect little rows out for display and the shelves were stocked full. Just like always, sitting on a tall stool behind a cash register and reading a newspaper was the lovely Ms. Nawa. She looked up slowly as Trunks walked through the door. She set the paper down and pushed her thin glasses into her light red hair. Her eyes twinkled in the light like glowing green orbs as her lips curled into a smile.
"Good Morning Trunks!" Her greeting rivaled the morning's warmth. It made Trunks feel happy for a moment in the midst of his concerns, and a moment later he didn't even have a concern. She always seemed to have that kind of affect on him.
"Good morning. How is everything?"
She placed her hands on her hips, looking around the empty store. "Oh, the usual crowd for nine in the morning, just my little Trunks!" She blew a tuft of crimson hair out of her face and squinted up her eyes. She was such a goof ball, still acting like she was a teenager.
"You look full of pep."
"I have to be to stay sane in this business! I've read this paper twice already this morning!"
"Well, maybe you shouldn't open at five in the morning."
Her eyes widened. "Trunks! What about all the people who depend on me for early morning grocery support? I can't just abandon them!" She sounded so serious.
Trunks couldn't help but smile and laugh. "That's true."
"Yeah-yeah, enough small talk, cut to the chase. Why don't you sit and tell me what a sweet young man like you is doing up this early?"
"I need to keep you from going crazy."
She looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. "You should be sleeping in…or did you have another nightmare?"
His face was totally void of surprise. It was funny how easily she could read him. He sat down on a chair near the checkout counter and crossed his hands in his lap. "Of course you're right. Bad dreams again."
She looked sad to hear it, even though she knew it was coming. "What were they this time?"
The same thing his nightmares were always about. At least he could tell that she was willing to listen. "Androids again. I can't help but be worried. What comes next?" Trunks leaned forward in the chair, looking at the ground, his foot tapping nervously.
"Trunks, I've been around for a pretty long while, and I'm sure that your mother would totally agree with me. Sometimes bad things happen! There's nothing we can do about that. Just think! If I had given up on this shop every time disaster struck, we wouldn't be talking right now! You need to realize that everything here happens for a reason, and there are forces at work that we can't understand. Just let them do their thing and relax."
If only she knew how well Trunks really did understand those forces. He understood completely that he was the force at work that she spoke of. Although her advice was good, all she told him was something he already knew. He had to take care of it alone.
"I guess you're right Ms. Nawa."
"Of course I'm right! But I don't believe you when you say that. You don't have to agree with me just to be polite Trunks."
"W-what do you mean?" She wasn't supposed to call his bluff. She was supposed to smile, nod and quickly change the subject. He knew she was genuinely concerned.
"You don't have to take all of my advice dear." She paused in thought for a moment." Hmm…maybe this problem runs deeper than I can see. Is there something you're not telling me?"
At this point he was busted big time. She was reading him line for line. He had to lie fast or it would only be a matter of time before she pried out the whole truth. "N-no! Really, I just have a lot on my mind!" He laughed. It lightened the mood for a second, and she bought it. Either that or she pretended to at least.
"I know that your mom puts a lot of excess pressure on you but I don't blame her. Trunks, you're a grown man now. Maybe you need to focus on what's really important." He knew the only thing that she could think of that was possibly more important than protecting the earth. He stood up and cut her off before she could continue to embarrass him.
"You're right Ms. Nawa, it's only a matter of time. Don't worry about it" He figured that was what she wanted to hear, so he said it. Her face lit up like a jack-o-lantern. She was obviously pleased.
"Super! I'm glad to hear that you're giving some thought about your future. Oh, and by the way, I packed some fresh fruit for you and your mother." She bent down behind the counter. After several moments of rustling she reappeared with a large basket wrapped in cellophane. It was full of plump red apples, obnoxiously bright yellow bananas, shiny oranges and all sorts of other stuff. She slid it across the counter with a big smile. Trunks noticed that she barely had any wrinkles on her face for being in her forties. For a moment, Trunks could picture what she looked like in her youth. This sparked a chain reaction of thoughts in his head which until now had never occurred to him.
"Um, Ms. Nawa?"
She looked on with expectant eyes. "Yes dear?"
"I just realized something."
"What's that Trunks?"
He paused before continuing. If he were going to say anything, he would have to choose his words carefully. "Well, in all of the time I've known you, we've never talked about your family. I guess I always assumed that you ran this grocery by yourself because you didn't have a family. I know this all must sound very rude but…."
"No. No, it's okay. I'm kind of glad you asked. I never thought to mention it." She smiled. "Sounds kind of funny saying all of this out loud, but what would you like to know dear?"
"Oh, well…do you have a husband?"
Her face sunk a little at the sound of his voice. He was just about ready to apologize for not being more considerate to her feelings when she spoke. "Husband? No, I never had one of those. Being the unlucky girl that I was, I got pregnant and had a baby without a father. Don't worry, although that bastard changed my life, I still thank him for it."
"I don't understand…." For a moment he wished he hadn't said a word, but again she continued.
"The thing he gave me is what I live for and love today. My little girl."
"Oh, you have a daughter?" She smiled and nodded. It was strange. In an instant his entire portrait of sweet Ms. Nawa had changed. She was a mother. He wondered how he could have overlooked this detail for so long. It was obvious by the way she treated him, but quickly his thoughts were shooed away as she began to speak again.
"A few months after her father was gone for good, I realized that I was pregnant with his child. I felt sick and discouraged. My parents were sending me to a private dance college at the time, and when they heard the news they assumed the worst of me. They stopped paying tuition, and I was thrown out on the street, ready to have a baby." She paused for a moment blinking. "Am I telling you more than you need to know? I can sto-"
"No, please go on. I'm starting to get a better idea of the real you. If you don't mind to tell me such personal things then I would like to hear more." This was the most Ms. Nawa had ever opened up to him. He felt strangely close to her as she continued the story.
"So as I was saying. I was all by myself, left by my family and the father of my child, on the street. It was dumb luck that a kind family in North City took me in and gave me a place to stay. I got a job, and with their help, raised enough money to get back on my feet again. A few short weeks later I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. After everything I had been through, I thought it was strange that she had…" She paused for a second to rephrase herself, coughing briefly into her hand. "…Well, I could just immediately tell that she looked more like her father than me."
"You knew that right after she was born?"
"It was easy to tell. I'm sure your mother can still see the fire of your father in your eyes too. At first I was uncertain, but after I saw those small dependant eyes, I dedicated myself to that child. I named her after my great aunt, the only person in my family that showed me the kind of unconditional love a nice young girl deserves. Unfortunately she passed away just before I gave birth. Her name was Nadia. I named my baby girl Nadia, after my great aunt. She was such a kind woman. I prayed Nadia would be the same."
Trunks had never anticipated that all of this could have come from one question. He couldn't stop now. He needed to know more. "So how did you come to be the owner of this store?"
She sighed with laughter. "Well, the parents that disowned me got in touch several years later. Of course, they were knocking on death's door, begging for me to forgive their foolish hearts. Nadia was six years old at the time, and they wanted to see the face of their granddaughter before they left for the next dimension."
"Did you go?"
She gave a quiet chuckle to the question. "Of course. But not before I had them add Nadia and myself to the living will. I went to great lengths to make painfully sure that my daughter would have all the opportunities that she could ever wish for. So in turn, they left me a good deal of money that I put into a trust fund for Nadia, and the deed to their grocery. I took over all of the duties when they died because I couldn't afford any extra help. So it was just me and Nadia in the beginning. That all happened years ago. With the money I've made here, and the money I had stored away, I was able to send Nadia to private schools where she got a real education and even went to the same dancing college I attended when I was younger."
"Oh, she's a dancer too?" said Trunks.
Ms. Nawa nodded with enthusiasm. "It was amazing! You have to understand that I never even mentioned anything about dance to her and one day out of the blue she just brought it up! It made me happier than I could express in words! I had always wanted her to be a dancer, but I wanted her to choose what she wanted to be on her own. That was one of the happiest days of my life."
"That's great Ms. Nawa."
"I haven't even gotten to the best part! I had plenty of money for tuition, but she was such an excellent dancer that after one semester they started paying her just to attend the school full time!" Ms. Nawa pressed both hands against her chest, exhaling deeply in a sigh of joy. "She makes me so proud!"
"That's very impressive. How long ago did she graduate?"
Ms. Nawa laughed at the question. "She didn't graduate yet Trunks! She just finished her second year three days ago."
Trunks' face flushed. "Oh, forgive me…"
"She's a couple of years older than you Trunks! Why, how old did you think that I was?"
"No! It isn't that at all, I just never thought really…"
"Well if you're worried about whether she'll date a younger guy, don't be. I'm sure she'll make an exception for a cutie pie like you!"
Trunks' face got hot as it filled with blood. "Um…"
"What's wrong Trunks? Need me to open a window?" She chuckled at his discomfort.
"I should really be going now Mrs. Nawa." He grabbed the basket and smiled to her.
She nodded. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings Trunks, I was just kidding around!"
"No, I'm fine really, I should just be heading back to Capsule Corp."
She smiled. "Sure thing. I really hope I didn't make you feel silly."
Silly didn't quite explain how Trunks felt at that moment.
"No, it's okay. Thank you again for the fruit basket Ms. Nawa. I'll see you later."
"You're welcome! Say hello to your mother for me?"
He walked towards the doorway and stopped. He took a deep breathe before he turned around again. "Ms. Nawa?"
She tilted her head. "Yes?"
"I hope I didn't upset you, either…by anything I asked."
She smiled at his concern. "Don't worry. I'm glad you finally asked. To be honest, I was dying to tell you!" She bit her tongue for a split second.
Trunks wasn't quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but he smiled politely, waved goodbye, and walked out of the store.
Ms. Nawa exhaled a deep breath as he walked out of sight. She had almost blown the whole plan. She quickly ran into the back room and picked up a phone. She dialed and it started ringing. An answering message came on. It sounded like Bulma.
"Hi, you've reached my personal number here at Capsule Corp! I'm doing something else right now, so please leave your message after the tone! BEEP!"
"Bulma, it's me. I wish that you were home so I didn't have to leave a message, but you said that this was your personal line, and I should call if I ever had any news. Well, here's some big news. Trunks was just in here and he finally asked, so I got around to telling him about Nadia. Everything went okay, but I was acting kind of suspicious so he might think something is up. We better be careful, I think this could work out great for both of them! Remember, she's coming in from North City in two days, we'll get together and talk before then, all right? Call back as soon as you get this! Bye-bye!" She hung up the phone, exhaling again, completely out of breath.
She waited for a moment before picking up the phone again. She dialed an entirely different number. After several rings, someone picked up the other line.
"Hello?" The voice sounded soft, sweet and very polite.
"Nadia, darling, how are you?"
"Hi mommy, I'm good. Why are you calling again? I wasn't expecting to hear from you for another two days. What are you doing?"
"Oh, n-nothing dear, I was just making sure that you were excited about coming home!" She gave a discreet little chuckle in an attempt to hide her scheming.
"Oh really? This doesn't have anything to do with those extra classes you enrolled me in?"
"No, but those are going to benefit your education greatly dear! Your school already agreed that all credits from Capsule Corp. courses are one hundred percent transferable, plus I got a really good discount on some otherwise expensive classes. I really called because I wanted to make sure you were looking forward to being home with me again."
"Don't worry, I am. I'm just wondering if I should really live at the Capsule Corp. Campus. Wouldn't you rather I just live at home and commute?"
"Oh, n-no! I'll still have plenty of time to see you! Besides, your classes don't start for another week, don't get ahead of yourself. We'll have plenty of time to talk in the days to come." Ms. Nawa sounded anxious on the phone, and it was no secret to Nadia.
"All right, if you say so."
"Well, why don't you tell me about your final project honey?" She cunningly changed the subject.
"Oh, I got a perfect score of course! I even got my costume custom tailored by the institute."
"Custom tailored?" Ms. Nawa tried to contemplate for a moment.
"Yeah mom, most outfits don't come with special holes, they need to be tailored."
"Oh yes! How silly of me to forget!" She laughed at her oversight. "Well I'm glad you did so well and I always knew that you would, but I have to get going now."
"Are you sure everything is all right mom?"
A large drop of sweat appeared on the back of her head. "Hmm? O-of course, don't worry, everything is fine. I'll be there to pick you up from the Bus Station at two, right?"
"Yep!"
"Good, then I'll see you th-…" Suddenly the ground began to shake. The overstocked shelves in the small shop began to vibrate as well as a few cans tumbled to the ground. Ms. Nawa sat down and a loud rumble filled the air. "…What the heck?"
Outside of the store, a large shadow loomed over the city. Frantic people ran for shelter, terrified. Trunks was in the center of the raging crowd, staring up like a statue. He saw what was causing so much commotion below. It was one of the things he never wanted to see again, what he had been training for. The past three years were suddenly staring him down. It was the nightmares and the fear of proving himself before his eyes. It was a spacecraft; it was big; and he was absolutely sure that it wasn't from earth.