THANK YOU for all the wonderful reviews!! ^_^ I couldn't believe the response to the last part. Well first things first clear a misunderstanding, even after editing I made a booboo. So I'm going to state the characters current ages. As all the 'time' traveling and changes has messed them up quite nicely.
Trunks(GT) – 34
Goten – 33 (is one year younger then Trunks)
Mirai – 28 (meant to say 'roughly' the same age in last part)
Usagi – 25
Well I hope that clears it up. Anyways, Welcome to Part nine, and I hope you enjoy. I don't own Sailor Moon or DBZ, but this story is mine. Please Read and Review. J
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Love Is A Strength, Not A Weakness
~ Part 9 ~
Mirai, Goten, and Trunks spent two days with Usagi in the Moon palace. They spared, danced, ate, and just played around, Goten and Trunks refreshing their friendship with her, and Mirai forming a completely new one. What surprised Trunks and Goten the most, and even Usagi and Mirai; was how fast their friendship had formed. By the end of the first day they were already completing each other's sentences; something they chose to do quite frequently once they saw Goten and Trunks reactions after the first time. When the two days were up, Usagi took them back to Dende's lookout, carrying Luna and Artimis on her shoulders.
"All right you three, I'll see you tonight," Usagi said waving to the trio of demi-saiyans as they began to leave waving to her. "Oh AND T-chan!!!" she called out catching both Trunks. "Tell Bulma-chan We will be there for her party," both lavender heads nodded and they continued on their way. Usagi then turned and headed to the time chamber door, which was just beginning to open. The door opened to reveal Pan and Bra, their gi's practically in shreds, their hair longer. "Well how are my now twenty-year old pupils?? Everything go well?" Usagi asked them. Both girls nodded, then rushed forward and threw their arms around their sensei.
"I missed you Ojasan." Pan whispered.
"Hai me to Usa-chan." Bra added.
"Hai girls, I've missed you too, even though you've only been gone for two days. I can't even begin to thank you for what you've done for me the last year," Usagi answered hugging both girls that were as close as sisters or daughters to her. "Now enough being mushy, Bulma-chan is holding a big formal bash in honor of our homecoming, and we have to be there in six hours," Usagi playfully chided them, and then dragged them into what was considered 'her' room here on Dende's lookout, a room she had had has since she first came to this world.
Soon the three young women were scurrying back and forth across the room getting ready for the party, saving putting their gowns on for last.
"I can't wait to see Mom and Dad again," Usagi said as she pushed a few more pins into her hair. Pan glanced nervously at Bra then stepped over to Usagi.
"I'm sorry Usa-chan, but you won't see Grandpa," Pan said softly, forcing herself to meet Usagi in the eye.
"What do you mean I won't see him?" Usagi asked sternly, yet puzzled.
"Gr..Grandpa..Grandpa has been missing since I was eight. He disappeared one day, and we haven't heard from him since then. Grandma took it really hard, but Goten helped her. I don't think Daddy or Vegeta-san ever really got over it though," Pan answered her voice soft the entire time.
"Why that IDIOT!! I Know he's a little dense at times, but this! This IS ridiculous!!!" Usagi began ranting, and pulled on a loose pair of pants and a t-shirt. "You girls continue getting ready but make sure your decent in twenty minutes, I'll drag him back here if I have pull him by the tail to do it!!" Usagi exclaimed and then vanished in a flash of silver. Pan and Bra starred at the spot she had last been for a moment before squealing and embracing each other in a fierce hug.
"She's Bringing Grandpa Goku BACK!!!!!" Pan shouted happily. The two then scurried around the room, following their teacher's example by pulling on some loose and comfortable clothing.
Goku sat outside basking in the sun, thinking about all the good times. 'Kami, did he miss his family.' Suddenly there was a bright flash of silver light, and a young silver haired woman stood before him. Her blue eyes flashing, hands on her hips, foot taping.
"You know Daddy, you've done some stupid things, but this takes the cake! What ever possessed you to up and leave for over ten years!?" Usagi scolded her father as she walked up to him and into his arms.
"You know Usa, I don't really remember. Maybe it was that no matter what happened it seemed like trouble would show up and follow me around," Goku replied while hugging his daughter tightly.
"Dad, you have to go back, Mom needs you. Besides I'm back to stay now, and it just wouldn't be right with out you home," Usagi told him seriously. Goku sighed.
"I know your right, and I'm thrilled to hear that you are back to stay. You have no idea how long I've been dreaming of going back, but been afraid that your mother wouldn't accept me," Goku answered.
"Oh Daddy, you two are bonded, life mates. Her pain is your pain, and vice versa. Please Dad, come with me and my two students. Bulma is throwing us a welcome home bash tonight, come with us," Usagi replied looking her father in the eye.
"All right, I'll come, but just who are your students?" Goku asked his curiosity piqued.
"Why none other than Son Pan, and Bra Briefs. Their parents sent them to me when they were fifteen, now they are each twenty, although they've only been gone from this world for two years. I didn't want them to miss out on so much like I did, so we did a bit of time traveling, that and they finished their training by spending two years in the Time Chamber," Usagi told him while they walked for a while on a wooded path.
"Really?" Goku answered. "Panny, my first grandchild," Goku said to himself thinking. "Well let's go, Usagi nodded and the two disappeared in a silver flash, reappearing just outside her room at Dende's lookout. Almost immediately Pan burst out of the room.
"GRANDPA!!!!" and into Goku's arms. Usagi laughed, then told her dad that there would be clothing waiting for him in one of the other guest rooms and ushered Pan back into the room to finish getting ready.
The Z Senshi had all gathered at Capsule Corp to welcome home the three girls, daughters of the strongest men in the universe. Everyone had made it, right down to Master Roshi and Oolong. Tien was there with Chao-tsu, Yamcha had come, although with out a date.Even Piccolo, Dende, and Mr. Popo had come. Everyone was standing together in groups, as music was playing from a sound booth run by a DJ that often worked for Capsule Corp. No one noticed as four figures entered quietly from a small side entrance, instead of using the main doorway. Three of the figures, each wearing dark hooded cloaks quietly sat down while the forth began to quietly make his way over to a raven haired woman who currently sat by herself, drinking some punch.
"Son Chichi, may I have this dance?" he asked quietly. Chichi turned to face him and nearly dropped her glass, but managed to set it on the table, she nodded dumbly and allowed herself to be lead onto the dance floor. Soon the happy couple was dancing away.
"Goku, is it really you?" Chichi asked softly as she stared into his eyes.
"Yes, Chichi it's really me. I'm sorry I left I was just afraid that.." he tried to explain but was interrupted.
"I would get hurt or even killed. I knew Goku, I could feel you pain, I knew that someday you would come back to me," Chichi finished for him, then laid her head gently on his shoulder. Once the dance ended Goku leaned a little closer.
"I hope you don't mind if I go claim a dance with our daughter, before a certain young man takes her attention for the rest of the night," Chichi nodded, then went to take her seat again.
"OH KAMI LOOK!!!!" Bulma suddenly exclaimed, and pointed to the dance floor.
"IT's GOKU!!!" Krillon exclaimed. Gohan stared, and then smiled, his father had finally come home. Everyone stopped what they were doing and then watched the couple, Bulma, Videl, and Eighteen, unconsciously leaning against their husbands. When the song ended they watched as Goku whispered something in Chichi's ear, then Chichi nodded and walked back over to her table and sat down. Goku then headed over to a different table where everyone noticed the three cloaked figures. Goku held his hand out to one, and it stood reached up to their neck and undid the clasp on the cloak letting it fall onto the chair behind them. Everyone starred at the young woman that had been revealed. She wore a floor length sleeveless navy blue gown that hung on her figure perfectly. Covering the gown were tiny silver embroidered crescent moons and eight point stars. She had long silver hair, a good portion of it wrapped up in a bun on the middle top and back of her head, the rest hanging down in a long silvery curtain ending a scant inch or two above the ground. She accepted Goku's hand and he led her out onto the floor.
"It's Usagi!!!" Gohan exclaimed, and was about to rush out to the dance floor but was stopped by his wife. Goku, meanwhile, moved around the dance floor with his only daughter.
"I had to have at least one dance with you before a certain young man claims the rest of your dances," he explained to her at the question in her eyes, as to why he hadn't stayed with Chichi.
"Silly Daddy, I don't have anyone special. I'm still you little girl." Usagi replied. Goku just smiled, 'That may be true right now, but I don't think it will stay that way past tonight, I remember catching Mirai Trunks studying the pictures of you at our house. He could hardly tear his eyes away, and your even more beautiful now my little Moon Princess.' Goku thought to himself before releasing her at the end of the song, not surprised in the least when Vegeta then offered his hand to her for a dance. Goku then proceeded back over to where Pan and Bra still sat and offered his hand to his granddaughter, he smiled as he then saw Trunks walk over and offer a hand to his sister.
"You've grown Brat, and your stronger as well," Vegeta stated bluntly as he spun her around the floor.
"You expected otherwise Vegeta-san?" she replied her eyes dancing; the pair spending the rest of their dance in silence.
Soon everyone was dancing, had Gohan claimed the next dance with his daughter, Goten with his sister, Vegeta danced with Bra, while Goku brought Chichi back onto the floor. Trunks danced with his mother, while Mirai danced with Marron, and Krillon with Eighteen. Piccolo surprised everyone by being the next to ask Usagi to dance, while Goten danced with his niece, Mirai danced with Bra, Gohan spun Videl around on the floor, Trunks with Marron, and Vegeta whisked Bulma around the room.
Usagi rested easily as the large green hands of the Namek guided her around the dance floor. "You have changed greatly Usagi," he said in a matter fact tone, very similar to that of Vegeta's.
"That happens as one grows up Piccolo," she answered back smiling lightly, Piccolo just letting the corner of his mouth turning upwards a tiny bit.
The next number became a little more interesting as Ubb shyly asked Marron, but the real interesting part was watching both Videl and Bulma hold back their husbands as their daughters then danced with Trunks and Goten, Mirai taking Usagi's hand; leaving Goku as the only calm father of the group.
"You look beautiful," Mirai told Usagi causing her to blush lightly.
"You don't look to bad yourself Tru-chan," She told him in reply, the two then content to spend the rest of that dance in comfortable silence. The evening continued that way with Goten claiming the vast majority of Bra's dances, Ubb claiming Marron's, Trunks claiming Pan's, and Mirai claiming Usagi's.
They danced, laughed, and rejoiced at the homecoming of four of their members. Everyone was amazed at how much Pan and Bra had matured and grown up in the two years of their time that they had been gone, although they had aged five years. Soon the party drew to a close, Goku took Chichi home to spend their first night together again in privacy. The older couples all headed off to their rooms, as Bulma had invited everyone to stay at Capsule Corp for the night.
The younger members stayed up talking longer in the family room. Ubb sat in a comfy chair with Marron in his lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Goten had snagged Bra and pulled her down onto a loveseat beside him. Pan had settled next to Trunks on one of the double sized couches, Usagi choose to sit beside her niece, leaving the other end of the couch open to Mirai, who willingly sat beside her.
"So now I trust you guys haven't been working to hard while I've been gone." Usagi asked and just received a row of big grins from everyone. Soon everyone was laughing and talking comfortably with each other as the groups became more relaxed.
After much teasing and memory sharing, the guys found themselves each being used as pillows, for even Usagi had dozed off leaning against Mirai. Ubb carried Marron up to her room, which was right between his and her parents, Goten carried Bra to her old room, then went to his which was just across the hall. Trunks carried Pan to her room beside Bra's, and across the hall from his and Goten's. Mirai carried Usagi up to the room that he had been told was hers; a room that he had never seen although it was right beside his. He slowly opened the door and was amazed at the unique beauty of the room. The room was decorated in mostly black and silver, with gold, yellow, and blue as accents. After admiring the decorating he then turned his attention back to the sleeping Princess in his arms. He laid her down gently on the four-poster bed and pulled a blanket up to her chin and smiled as she snuggled deeper into the covers.
"Sleep well my Princess," he whispered before silently slipping out of the room to his own.
The next morning Usagi slipped into the navy blue and silver gi that had become her own style so many years ago. She stretched out in her room, slowly limbering up her muscles before heading out the door and down to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Good morning," she called as she entered the room.
"Good morning Oba-san," called Pan
"Good morning Usa-chan," both Bulma and Bra answered glancing up at her.
"Hmmph," was all that came from Vegeta
"Morning Usa," said Mirai, the others had yet to stir from their beds. Usa nodded then grabbed an apple and headed for the door.
"I'm going for a run, be back in about an hour," she told them.
"Hey Usa wait I'll go with you!" Mirai called out, then quickly went out the door after her. Soon he caught up to her as she walked out of Capsule Corp Grounds. She turned and walked backwards.
"You sure you can keep up with me Boxer Boy?" she asked her eyes glittering with mischief.
"You bet I can Moon Bunny," he answered, and with that she took off in a nice easy lope, Mirai soon settling into a pace with her. The two easily ran through South City and into the countryside never slacking from their pace.
"So why did you want to come with me?" Usagi asked turning her head to look at him
"I thought you might like the company, and I could use the exercise as well," Mirai answered smiling. Usagi just smiled back and then took off, her speed almost doubling and leaving Mirai in her dust.
"I thought you said you could keep up?!" she called back now easily over a hundred feet away from him. Not going to let her beat him he took off after her, and no sooner had he caught up to her then she would take off again. 'Enough!' Mirai though after they had been doing this for over an hour and were well away from south city, he put out a burst of speed and caught his Moon Bunny tightly in his arms. Their momentum causing them to go rolling across the meadow they had just entered. When they finally stopped rolling a silver laughter rang out.
"Tru…Truu….Tr..Tru…..Tru-chan!!! Stop..tick..tickling…..me!!" she gasped out between her laughter.
"And what if I don't stop?" he asked looking into her crystalline blue eyes, his cerulean locking onto hers, and neither noticing that he had indeed actually stopped tickling her. They laid there, Usagi her back on the ground her two wrists held in one of his hands, his other hand resting on the ground beside her. Neither moved, their eyes locked, until a pretty little purple and blue butterfly flew between them and landed on Mirai's nose. Usagi blinked and then broke into giggles, and then fits of full out laughter as Mirai crossed his eyes looking at the insect on his nose. Soon the butterfly flew off, and Mirai in one swift movement scooped Usagi up and took off into the sky heading for home.
"You know Tru-chan, I can fly on my own." Usagi pointed out although she made no move to get out of his arms.
"I know, just humor me," he answered back and winked at her. Usagi just settled her self in for the short trip, resting her head on his shoulder. Mirai just smiled and continued on his way, more then happy to be carrying his moon bunny. All too soon they arrived back at Capsule Corp, where a pair of felines anxiously awaited their arrival.
"USAGI! Where have you been? You've had us worried sick!" Luna exclaimed and immediately jumped into her arms as soon as Mirai had set her down. Usagi simply hugged her frantic guardian before allowing the purple black cat to take a position on her right shoulder, Artimis soon occupying the other. Usagi sighed and turned back to Mirai, rolling her eyes at their overprotective behavior. Mirai just grinned and then escorted her back into the building.
That evening Usagi quietly slipped out the front door of Capsule Corp. She snuck across the yard and into a secluded area before beginning a series of stretches designed to limber her body up to the max. She was dressed in a silver tank top, and loose fitting shorts, her long silver hair was bound tightly in a braid and then pulled into a bun, so that only about three feet of it hung down her back. When she was done, she got into a ready stance and then she was gone, running like no one would ever imagine, except for those who had seen it before, her students. Pan and Bra floated in the air above Capsule Corp watching their sensei as she took off running like the wind, or even faster. Mirai floated up to them.
"Where did she go?" he asked.
"On a wind run," Was Bra's answer.
"A wind run?" Mirai questioned.
"Yes a wind run. She is running for the sheer joy and elation of it. But she is also running at her max quite easily without powering up even the tiniest bit. For even without powering up she can race the wind and win." Pan told him while not taking her eyes off the horizon.
"Yes, eventually Pan and I will join her, although we are not near her level. We are still training," Bra told him smiling and gave a wink. All the sudden Usagi stood below them again, she smiled brightly at Mirai waved slightly then motioned to the two girls. They floated down and shed their jackets, taking position beside her. Suddenly the three took off moving quickly; indeed it did looked like they were racing the wind. Mirai sighed then floated down to the ground landing softly by the girl's stuff.
'She's beautiful, and Kami I love her.' Mirai thought to himself laying back on the grass. Not even noticing the two felines that soon were sitting curled up beside him, the three falling asleep in the warm night air.