Trunks closed his lilac lashed eyes, using his finely developed senses of detecting energy to perceive the arrival of his young parents a second before they fully appeared. Both his mother and father. Somehow they were alive and even more surprising, together in the one crowded spaceship.

Goku, innocent as ever, laughed and started waving enthusiastically to the blue haired pilot.

Trunks, however, was far more interested in his young mother's eyes as she half heartedly returned Goku's wave. There was a slight grayness, as if some light in her usual blue had gone out.

What had happened in the future? Trunks asked himself, ice blue eyes solemn in his pale face. A shiver of premonition spiraled up his spine, a feeling that he refused to acknowledge.

Truth be told, he didn't need the words that Bulma spoke to him and Goku. In fact, he couldn't even recall how she had told him or anything that she said afterwards. After all, it didn't matter. He already knew.

In his heart, he had known the very moment that his mother passed away. That last time she had thought his name. Trunks…

He could recall her voice, the only thing he had left of her. The way she had poked him on his newly sewn CC jacket and told him how handsome he looked. The way she had looked at him and said that she was going to miss him. Her last request of him… that he bring her back some hope, if he could.

That was the moment the dam broke. Trunks couldn't bear to think of how he had failed her. How his own selfishness had caused all of this. If he had gone straight back none of this would have happened.

The fault was all his.

He had to fix it. He just had to. All on his own. It was suddenly very important.

Without giving himself a chance to think about it, he started towards the golden time machine, blind to his surroundings. There were yells and protests, but they did not matter. And when Goku stepped in front of Trunks to stop him, the younger man transformed into a Super Saiyan, not caring who he hurt anymore.

No one was going to stop him from saving her this time. Not even Goku.

The dark haired man and the light haired woman were both taken back by their friend's behavior and hesitated. Goku wasn't sure if he should attack Trunks right after the news of his mother's death and Bulma knew she couldn't stop her son even if she tried.

Yet, there was one person who was not surprised in the least at the boy's actions and, in fact, was actually excited to find the boy so anxious to fight.

Vegeta stepped in front of the golden warrior and with minor difficulty, transformed himself to match the teal gaze of his son.

The resemblance was awe-inspiring. There was no doubt who the boy's father was. One wore a smirk of anticipation, the other a frown of confusion, but otherwise they were identical.

Trunks was at a loss for what to do then.

He needed to go back and try to save his mother…but was he willing to fight his father for the right?

He had promised himself he would never fight Vegeta. He never wanted to go back on that. And there was no way to get around him, not with his father at the Super Saiyan level. If he wanted to keep to his word, he had to back off.

Much to his father's disappointment, the lad powered down, lilac bangs falling over his shadowed eyes.

The Saiyan Prince stayed in his exalted state, either as a precautionary measure or more likely because he liked the feeling of power.

Bulma stepped up to her future son, reaching out to touch him on the shoulder and then thinking better of it. She simply said, "As, I was saying. You can't go back, Trunks. King Kai told us all about it. There is a power that can protect the earth in that time from any aliens or creatures of the type, but only if earthlings are the only dwellers on the planet."

Trunks was trying hard to focus on her words, trying to forget the pain that was slowly engulfing his spirit. And he might have managed to even understand a couple.

"You are half Saiyan and so the protective barrier cannot be put in place if you are there. The Earth would be in more danger than ever. With this barrier up, Earth will be protected in that time. Besides, the androids are gone, thanks to your father. And so is your—" She looked at Trunks, stopping mid-sentence as she saw his expression.

His blue eyes were dead, his face a carefully constructed mask of neutrality.

There was no reaching him inside himself. He had gone too far in with his grief.

He couldn't save her. He had failed. What else mattered now?

Without even knowing it, he found himself flying away. Away from West City. Away from his friend. Away from this timeline completely if he could manage it.

All he knew was that he needed to get away, as far away from everything that he could.

Without direction or spirit, Trunks, still dry faced, flew into the sun, no longer able to tell if his heart could feel anything anymore. If he was lucky, it had died too.

Mother…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

.

Well, I should be back on track for getting up a chapter a day or every other day at worst. So, no worries.

Just a heads up for everyone. This is the last Part of the Three Part story. I hope to make this one the best out of them all since I have learned so much about writing and all that.

And to answer Marc's question. Yup, that's the plan. In fact this whole story was created off of the fact that I wanted Trunks to stay in the future and learn how to live. The rest spiraled off of that.

Enjoy!