Chapter 7: Keeping Promises

Dakoto's eyes widened in disbelief. Trunks had moved with such quickness that it seemed almost as if he had blinked and missed it. He couldn't even sense a thought in Trunks' head. Needless to say it was quite an unsettling turn of events for the fused duo.

"What? But how?"

"Your technique is impressive, and indeed your ability to read my mind should make you much faster than I am, but Kaeke was still right. You didn't have a chance against those three."

Dakoto pulled his hand free from Trunks' grip. "You still don't know what you're up against. You're being foolish assuming I would go into this battle at my highest power."

Trunks was excited by the challenge. It caused him to sound a little more than cocky. "Am I? Well then, show me my mistake."

Dakoto frowned in anger. "Be quiet!" He began a chain of punches similar to Trunks, but Trunks returned each punch with a casual block. Trunks spoke with ease while he continued to defend himself.

"The reason I have no problem blocking your attacks is because of my training. My mind can only throw a punch up to a certain speed, and so to become even faster I needed to learn how to fight using my instincts. I let you punch me earlier because I wanted to test your strength. The truth is, I've been fighting faster than my thoughts allow for a long time. Close to ten years."

Dakoto pushed even harder, fighting even faster. "I said to be quiet!"

Trunks continued explaining it to him as his blocking picked up pace. "You could not have won against those three. They would have fought you one on one, and by the time you made it to their leader, Meemique, he would have already appraised your special ability, and used it against you."

Dakoto threw one last punch, which Trunks stopped with his open palm. "But how can you know that?"

Trunks lowered his hand. "The leader, Meemique, revealed to me that he had the ability to double any power he witnessed being used once. After that the fight would have come down purely to energy levels, and I know that his was still higher than yours."

Dakoto smiled and laughed. "This fight isn't over yet Trunks. Do you think we're stupid?"

"Are you talking about all of the power you've been hiding? I can sense it; a clever trick." Trunks readied himself.

Dakoto was covered in a burst of bright blue energy as his aura swelled with power. "This fight is far from over." As soon as Dakoto finished speaking, Kara burst into the room. Trunks turned his head as she spoke.

"Stop this now Dakoto!"

The fused warrior pointed his hand at Kara and formed a large ball of energy.

Trunks turned back, his eyes wide with surprise. "What the hell are you doing!?"

Without a second thought, he fired the energy ball towards the girl. Trunks vanished, reappearing in front of Kara. He held out his open palm to stop the attack when the ball of energy suddenly vanished. Before Trunks could even lower his wrist, a strong and swift kick slammed into his head, propelling him towards the wall. He smashed into it, causing the entire room to rumble. He landed on the ground in a fighting stance, a large crack remaining as evidence that he hit the wall. There was a faint cloud of dust in the air.

Dakoto landed several feet away from Trunks, smiling. "I hope that I taught you something Trunks."

"And what was that?" Trunks wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, leaving a grin remaining.

"You doubted my powers too early in the fight for your suspicions to have been correct." Dakoto stood with both hands on his hips.

Trunks shrugged. "You would put an innocent person at risk to gain position?"

"Was she at risk or did I predict your emotions?"

"And what if you were wrong?" Trunks brushed the dust off his shoulders.

Dakoto rubbed his finger under his nose with a sneer. "It was all part of the master plan Trunks."

"You seem a little too pleased with yourself. What do you think you did? Catch me off guard with your attack? Because if so, then maybe I should enlighten you on what really happened."

Dakoto's eyes narrowed as he listened to Trunks continue.

"With such a great opportunity, I don't understand why you chose such a weak attack. If you can't hit harder than that, I'll just let the full force of your attacks connect from now on. I mean, why waste the energy blocking them?"

Dakoto choked for a moment. "Do you expect me to believe that you would save more energy by taking the full force of my attack than by defending against it?!"

Trunks raised both of his open palms and shrugged. "Believe what you like."

Dakoto looked enraged. "Then I guess I'll have to turn it up another notch!" He lowered his arms, and began to increase his power level again.

Trunks was surprised. By the time he was done, Trunks could sense a significant change. He must have powered up completely. "Impressive." Trunks entered a fighting stance. "Time to push it to the limit." Trunks burst forward, covered in a thick veil of energy. He decided to throw a real punch to test Dakoto. His fist sliced through the air creating a wicked boom of energy as it was met with a clash against Dakoto's forearm. The alien warrior looked like he was in quite a bit of pain. Trunks had ended the warm up. The alien warrior struggled to speak while still blocking the fierce punch.

"You think I'm weak, but your thoughts make you weaker." Dakoto grabbed Trunks fist and pulled him forward, catching him straight in the jaw with a powerful lunging jab.

Trunks quickly recovered and returned the favor by driving his fist deep into the Natamoru's belly.

He immediately doubled over from the shock of the unexpected blow. Spittle came out of his mouth as he gasped for air. Part of Trunks wanted to go easy on him. Dakoto looked up with an expression of anger. He must have sensed Trunks' thoughts of easing up.

"Relax Dakoto, I'll have to stop if you make this too serious. There is no reason to look at me with such intensity."

Dakoto clenched his fist and screamed at Trunks. "How dare you think you're the one who should lay off of me? I'm the one who's really been holding back."

"More parlor tricks?"

Dakoto returned a casual grin. "Pay attention this time." A small breeze of wind picked up in the room, rustling Trunks' hair and the fabric of his clothes. The wind picked up and slowly shifted into a glowing aura of power that surrounded Dakoto. His energy level skyrocketed again, this time almost doubling completely. By now Dakoto's power level had surpassed all three of the monsters that Trunks had defeated combined. He was certain that these boys would have had a very good chance of winning.

"Now you have my attention." Trunks clenched his fists, preparing for another offensive strike.

The Natamoru warrior paused and looked at Trunks seriously. "So you really believe that I had a chance?"

Trunks realized immediately that his thoughts had betrayed him again. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, your power level is no doubt extreme. Those guys weren't nearly as strong as you."

"Then he was wrong." Dakoto fell to his knees and slammed his fists into the ground, leaving two small craters in the gymnasium floor. His eyes welled up with tears.

"Who? Are you talking about Kaeke?"

"He had a vision we were defeated. We argued but he insisted that if we fought, we would die... and our people would follow."

"Don't regret the past. For all you know he was right. Even if you would have won, hundreds of things could have gone wrong. You don't have to be a mind reader to know that. What if in the battle the ship was damaged, or someone was hurt? How would you even know how to get back home?"

"I see your point. I suppose it was rather thoughtless of us, wanting to be in such a position."

"Maybe this is the way it was meant to be."

"Meant to be?" Dakoto squinted, trying to understand.

"I've seen many things happen in my life, and some things do happen for a reason."

There was another brilliant flash of light, which caught Trunks off guard. When it faded, he saw the two smiling boys standing in front of him again.

"We can choose to go back to normal at any time. The fusion is a technique that binds the mind, spirit and body. The mind becomes more fluid, the spirit becomes more willing and the body becomes more able. This alone suggests an awesome increase in power. I do not yet know why Kaeke told you about fusion, because to perform it correctly, you must have a partner who is identical to you. But even if you did use the technique with someone who was equal to you, you still would not become as powerful as us. Unless you are identical in mind, spirit and body, the technique lasts no longer than thirty minutes."

"Well, it is quite impressive. With a little bit of training, you could possibly be the strongest fighters in the universe."

The twins smiled at each other, contemplating the idea. Daku stepped forward to speak. "Do you think that you're still stronger than we are combined?"

Trunks paused for a moment. "I hadn't even reached the peek of my natural limits in our fight. I know that anything could have happened, but I also know that I still held the upper hand."

Daku smiled, nodding. "We understand now that you are a noble warrior, Master Trunks. We would ask that you train us."

Trunks didn't know what to say. All of his life he was either being trained by himself or others. He never had students of his own.

As he paused in thought, Kolato spoke up. "You are strong and wise. You could replace Kaeke as our teacher from this point forward if you would allow it."

"I'm not sure that's the best idea."

Daku spoke quietly in response. "I understand that you need to think about it. Just remember; you said for yourself this was meant to be."

Both of the Natamoru boys bowed to Trunks and slowly exited the gymnasium. Trunks found himself alone with his thoughts once again. He looked at the crack in the wall. Maybe he had embellished how weak the attack was. He considered it good practice in intimidation. He was only glad to have protected Kara. But where had she gone? He looked around, but she was nowhere. The more he tried to remember protecting her, the fuzzier his memory became. After playing through the memory several times, he couldn't really remember her walking into the gymnasium in the first place. Was it some kind of trick?

"Now maybe you understand what I meant Trunks." He turned to the door. It was Mel, still disguised as a human. Bulma's disguises were a good idea for more then one reason. Besides hiding the fact that they were aliens, it made twins easier to distinguish from one another.

"I think I'm starting to understand. During my fight with Daku and Kolato, Kara came in here. He went to attack, so I protected her... but now she's gone. The more I thought about it, the more I'm starting to believe that she was never there in the first place."

Mel walked forward to Trunks and kissed him on the lips. His heart began to race for a moment. He closed his eyes. He had no idea what her motives for this could possibly be.

"What are you doing Trunks?" She said, softly.

He opened his eyes. She was still standing by the door, completely unmoved from before. She had a devilish smile on her face

Trunks relaxed. "I see now. You Natamoru must know everything there is to know about dreams."

Mel walked forward. "Enough to make people dream while they're wide awake."

"Is that what you did to those monsters on the ship? Made them dream that they were doing something they really weren't?"

She nodded again, still smiling. "The reason so many other girls died is because they chose not to break our sacred rules. It is Natamoru tradition and law that our dream powers remain a secret to outsiders. Kaeke himself forbid me to use them to protect my sister and I, but he couldn't force me. I chose to go every night, yet every night I sat and watched as those foul beasts tortured and molested a dream, merely a figment of my imagination. Of course I couldn't let Kaeke know, so I pretended that I was being tormented."

"That's amazing."

"I knew that if you fought Dakoto he would have to use it on you. I just knew that you were strong enough. It makes explaining myself much easier." Mel walked towards the door.

"I'm glad that nothing really happened to you Mel."

She turned her head back, flipping her hair over one shoulder. "Of course... but I already knew that Trunks. Sweet dreams." She winked before walking out the door.

He couldn't help but wonder what she meant. Maybe all Natamoru girls were good at being mysterious, he thought. In a way, he knew what she meant, but he couldn't help but wonder to what extent she meant it. Suddenly he thought about Bell and Gem. He wondered if he would see either of them in his dreams tonight. He wondered what he might dream about now that his nightmares were over.

He recalled the details of his fight with the twins as he walked back to find Bulma. He was happy to have sparred with the Natamoru boys. The fusion technique certainly was amazing. He thought the twins might be very helpful in defending the earth if they focused on training their abilities, but they could also become an incredible enemy if they chose to be. Trunks could sense a strange coldness from within the being Dakoto that worried him. He would have to observe the boys more closely before he committed himself to training them.

Trunks returned to his mother's workshop where she sat alone, tinkering with some alien device that was no doubt recovered from the ship. She heard him enter and looked up with a smile.

"Hey son!"

"Where did all of the girls go?"

She gave a menacing smile at his comment, turning a harmless question into something else. "That's more like it. Well if you really must know, they decided to go to bed. It is late after all. I can give you their room numbers if you want to crawl under the covers with them."

Trunks sat down next to her and leaned towards the strange object she was holding. He had grown used to her comments, and could ignore the last one easily.

"What is that?"

"Oh this? It's the captain's journal."

"Have you read it yet?"

Bulma shook her head. "No, I scanned it for any numerical data that might help me locate where exactly the ship has been, but I don't have any business reading it other than that. Oh, I just remembered. I need to ask you a favor." She gave an innocent smile to go along with her request.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"I opened Capsule Corporation Community College for enrollment and summer classes begin here next week. I have a limited staff right now…which is namely me and some hired help to teach general 101 classes."

"What?!"

Bulma smiled, waving her arms in a reassuring way, convincing him to relax. "I'm teaching three classes, and I was just hoping that you could teach a few little classes for me?" Trunks should have known he was in trouble when he promised without knowing what he had gotten into.

"What classes and how many students?"

"That's the fun part! You're teaching Capsule Technology, Data Ciphering, and College Physical Education! You'll have about sixty students. Maybe if this works out then you can teach full time during the autumn months."

"Are you planning something mother?"

"Don't be so paranoid! It makes you unattractive. You need to exercise that big ol' muscle in your skull, and teaching would be great for you. I won't accept no for an answer, so it's settled?"

He sighed quietly. It seemed his question and answer period was over.

"So I have a week to prepare?"

Bulma smiled. "You're the greatest!"

Trunks stood up, grabbing the electronic captain's log. "I'm going to bed. Maybe I can find something of use in this."

"Good luck son." Bulma turned her attention to another discarded alien relic as Trunks walked away.

The halls of Capsule Corporation were surprisingly quiet, taking all of the guests they had into consideration. As he closed his eyes, Trunks could almost feel a quiet hum of dreams filling the building. He was glad the people of Natamoru were at peace even though Kaeke was gone. He could tell they were anxious to get home again, but they were also worried about leaving. Most of them wanted to linger on earth for a while, as if it was some wonderful dream. They must have felt something like the people of Namek who stayed at Capsule Corp after Frieza had destroyed their original home planet; somewhere between being sheltered and homeless. Somewhere between being comforted and being alone.

He entered the darkness of his room and approached the bed. He stripped down to his shorts and tossed his clothes into a laundry basket. He turned the desk lamp on and sat down, looking at the small captain's journal. Bulma had already deciphered the alien text so it was easily read. The latest entry seemed to be from several years ago.

"Well, that's not much help."

Instead he decided to read it from the beginning. It started much like any journal should. It explained Meemique's advancement in rank. It confirmed his previous beliefs that they were indeed henchmen of Frieza because he was a high-ranking soldier in Frieza's army. He must have had a position close to tenth in command. The beginning of the journal was quite boring and uneventful until it reached the defeat of Frieza. He could almost hear the voice of Meemique in his head as he read the words.

"I can't believe it. Frieza has finally met his match. On some mission of his own design, he was encountered by a warrior and defeated. I never knew that such power existed within this universe. It gives me the hope that I can unlock power of that magnitude within myself. If someone defeated Frieza, then why couldn't I? I'm sure there's a way."

He later wrote about the disappearance of Frieza, but the rebuilt tyrant must not have told any of his underlings that he was going to the earth. He was probably too embarrassed to admit that he was being a sore loser. It wasn't until later that he wrote something of use to Trunks. Almost ten years after the death of Frieza, there was a startling entry.

"I found it. The power I was searching for. We have most recently plundered a planet of vast technology that was still no match for us. A group of scientists held the secret to something referred to as demon-dimension-technology. They had created an energy that punctures a hole into the demon world, allowing creatures from that world to enter into ours. In their testing, anyone who entered the demon realm was also empowered by the dark energy that existed within the dimension, filled with the demonic evil of the realm. I have had the scientists construct a weapon for my ship, an ionized dimensional cannon. This way I can unleash terrors unimaginable on my victims. The scientists are also making it possible for me to travel into this demon realm, gaining all of the dark powers for myself. In return I have agreed on my word to spare their planet and their technology. But then again, I do need a planet to test my weapon on."

That was the final entry in the journal. Trunks could only guess that the demon dimension is where he gained his powers. This demon technology weapon must have been the energy discharge that Kaeke felt after the ship left their home planet. Maybe this was their key to locating the planet's coordinates. If the weapon was powerful enough to make a rift in the dimensions, then there might still be a way to track the energy after three years that could help them pinpoint the planet's location. He smiled at the possibility, setting the electronic journal on his night table. He turned the light off and stretched before leaning back into the comfort of his bed.

He shut his eyes, not knowing what to expect. For the past three years, his biggest dilemma was dealing with his nightmares and trying to protect the planet. Now his biggest problem was going to be teaching college level classes. He was amazed at how quickly things had changed. His mind was swimming with thoughts about his newest task. He began to imagine how classes would go on the first day. Was it possible for him to conduct himself like a real college professor, or would he just be a bumbling child in the classroom. It's true that Bulma did give him a worthy education during his upbringing, but never was he in a position to administer that knowledge to others. In the midst of his thoughts, there was a knock at his door. He opened his eyes and sat up slowly.

"Trunks?" The voice was soft and hard to recognize. It could have been any of the girls for all he knew. He stood up and went over to the door. He opened it to see Bell waiting patiently. He knew that he was not yet dreaming.

"Hello." He could tell that she was scanning his thoughts as he looked into her eyes.

She looked so serious for a change. It was then that he realized his mistake. It wasn't Bell at all. It must have been her sister Gem. Her almost perfectly timed smile confirmed his surface thoughts to be correct. "Are you going to invite me in?" She looked up and down his body in a suggestive way.

He knew that it must have been because he was standing there in his shorts. He had gotten used to being embarrassed over the past couple of days, and this incident didn't even cause him to blush. He ushered her in and closed the door. He turned the main light on to dimly illuminate the room. He stepped in his closet where he slipped into a pair of pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He walked back into his bedroom, which was furnished more like a luxury hotel room, with both hands in his pockets. Gem was sitting down at the table positioned by the large bay window. Trunks leaned his shoulder against the wall and crossed his ankles.

"So what's up?"

She looked at Trunks with a smile. "This place is really great Trunks."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"Everyone likes it Trunks, not just me."

"Well I'm glad that everyone likes the accommodations here on earth."

"It's not just that. It's the hospitality of you and your mother. You haven't just given us freedom from our slavery. You've given us all complete…"

"Happiness?" Trunks put the word right into her mouth.

"Yes. More than just being happy. Being here with you and Bulma gives us happiness, bliss, joy and feelings that no form of discourse can explain. We all love being here Trunks." She paused for a second before continuing. "Ever since Kaeke has died, we've decided that we don't want to go back home. That was his dream, not ours."

"Who feels that way?"

"So many of us. Many that would bottle these thoughts up and keep them from you until we get shipped back home."

"Well, I can't even be certain that we'll be able to do that."

"I don't believe that. You're so perfect…that…I know you'll find a way, no matter what obstacles stand… I know you can do it."

Gem looked away from Trunks, out of the large window and into the earth's night sky. It gave Trunks an opportunity to admire Gem's differences from her sister Bell. Although they both looked identical, they had different personalities. Bell was anxious and excited while Gem was very relaxed, which made her seem mysterious. Her hair was styled differently than Bells. It was straight and pushed behind her thin pointed ears. It fell like a curtain over her shoulders, where it stopped just at the top of her back.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that when you do find a way to send us home…I'd rather stay here."

"Alright. No one is going away that doesn't want to. You all have a right to decide."

Gem stood up. "The earth is a wonderful place. I think that we have you to thank for that." She began to walk towards the door. She turned around to face Trunks as the door opened. "Trunks…."

"Yes?"

Gem cleared her throat before continuing, a common trait among the Natamoru women..

"My sister has become very fond of you in this short time. Just remember that if you do choose to become just as fond of her that we come as a set. We are bound to each other. That goes for all of the Natamoru."

"But I…"

She cut him off before he could finish. "I know that you have the most pure of intentions Trunks, but I can also sense that your heart is searching. I'm just warning you for when it finds what it's looking for." She turned around and walked out of the room. He knew that she was right. He was searching for something.