Disclaimer: The characters of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z are not mine. They belong to their respective owners.

A/N: Kylian—Thanks for pointing out that little mistake! Apparently Elsa wanted to make her presence known in the story at some point! I stuck that little lady back where she belongs. Hotaru Tomoe Fan—I am in the process of getting something written out after this story is done, but right now they're just ideas so quite possibly yes in the future. And no, I don't think you're ten!

Had to make a little edit since littlemissanonymous noticed my little error T_T. Oops! Thank you for pointing it out!

This chapter is a little bit shorter than usual, but its building up for things to start changing fast!

Ripple Effect
Chapter XI: Moving Forward

"Hotaru, you look so beautiful!"

Although Michiru's comment was most flattering, Hotaru could not help but feel incredibly self-conscious as she stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror that stood within her room. The girl in the glass that returned her stare was someone that Hotaru did not recognize, with her shoulder-length hair styled into loose curls which her adoptive mother insisted on doing for her. Even her face looked so different, accentuated with a good layer of evening makeup that was heavy on the eye-shadow and liner. For someone who had spent her entire life wearing little to no makeup and doing very little with her hair aside from brushing it clear of tangles each day, it all seemed too much.

Hotaru didn't know if she liked it, and in turn it made her wonder if Trunks would even like her looking the way that she did. Self-esteem just wasn't one of her strong points, regardless of the fact that the makeup and hairstyling should have boosted her confidence by quite a bit. Instead, she felt so much more vulnerable than she ever had before, worried that her current look would not appeal to the one person that she wanted to look the best for. Hotaru felt as if she would have had more luck wearing her school uniform at this point.

However, Hotaru could not say that she hated the satin dress that Setsuna had helped her pick out. On the contrary, Hotaru had a private love affair with the dress and adored it more than she wanted to admit aloud. The color of the dress was Tyrian purple, having thin straps that stretched over her shoulders and the bottom hem of the dress reaching just past her knees. The top of the dress hugged her torso a little more snugly than she was comfortable with, revealing the more womanly curves of her chest. The bottom of the dress meanwhile billowed out slightly from her waist, flowing around her thighs and legs. Aside from the way that the fabric clung to the uppermost part of her body, Hotaru really couldn't find much else that she disliked about the dress.

Yet, there was one major issue with the outfit that Hotaru could not keep silent about. The high heels that had been picked out for her, which were similar in color to the dress that she wore, were simply unacceptable.

"I'm going to fall on my face sometime tonight, I know it," Hotaru announced grumpily, dropping her gaze down to the shoes that covered her feet. "I don't understand why I just can't wear something with a heel that's flat."

"Over my dead body are you going to wear a flat heel to a formal affair such as this," Setsuna informed the violet-eyed girl in a voice that was final on the matter. "There is absolutely nothing to walking in high heels. All you need to do is take small, careful steps and try not to bend your knees too much."

Michiru added, "I don't see what the big deal is anyway, Hotaru. The shoes that you wore when transformed into Sailor Saturn had relatively high heels on them."

Hotaru couldn't believe that Michiru was actually comparing these sorry excuses for shoes to the boots that she wore as a Sailor Soldier. "Michiru, those were boots. When I was wearing those, I had more than enough support in my ankles so I didn't feel like I was about to trip each time I took a step. Do you two really want me to embarrass myself tonight?"

The Soldier of Time eyed the younger girl dangerously. "You're wearing the shoes, Hotaru."

Hotaru sighed as she relented, recognizing easily enough that she was fighting a losing battle here. She still didn't understand why she had to wear these shoes, regardless of the fact that they matched her dress perfectly in color. It wasn't like the people at the dinner were going to be paying much attention to her anyway, much less what she was wearing on her feet. For Hotaru, she figured it was more important to be comfortable than make a fashion statement.

Whilst the Soldiers of Time and the Sea fussed over the finishing touches of Hotaru's outfit, Haruka spent her time brooding as she sat upon Hotaru's bed. Haruka had made her opinion on the subject of Hotaru going out that night quite clear numerous times; she thought it a terrible idea and thought that letting their precious daughter go out was simply a recipe for disaster. Hotaru did not argue that Haruka had a point, but there was much more to Haruka's sour mood than their daughter going to some dinner while the enemy was likely looking for an opportunity to snatch her up.

"I can't believe we're leaving our daughter in the hands of a bunch of hybrid monkeys," the Soldier of the Sky complained loudly, her arms folded of her chest and her eyes narrowed at the three other women.

The insult towards Trunks's heritage made Hotaru's anger surge almost immediately, causing the violet-eyed girl to turn her head abruptly towards the blonde-haired woman. "Take that back, Haruka. Trunks and the others have been nothing but nice to me, and I've been the one inconveniencing them with all of these escorts they've been doing while I've been at school."

"I won't," Haruka insisted, her glare never wavering as she stared at her adopted daughter, "because it's true. By their own definition and your own, they are basically hybrid monkeys. Hell, they even had tails and could transform into giant apes…"

"What's your problem, Haruka?" Hotaru questioned, her voice nearly trembling with the anger she felt as she clenched her hands into fists at her sides. "The Saiyans have done absolutely nothing to warrant your insults. Trunks and the others have been protecting me without receiving anything at all in return."

"I don't know about that, my dear," Haruka huffed. "You're dating one of them now, aren't you? It appears at least one of them is getting something out of this."

She better not be implying what I think she's implying, Hotaru thought furiously. "You care to clarify on what you mean?"

"I think you know well enough what I'm implying here. How involved are you two right now, exactly? You two kids had done quite a bit of sneaking around before, especially when I strictly forbade you from even speaking to the little punk."

"For one, how involved I am with Trunks is none of your business," Hotaru informed Haruka, barely able to contain her anger. She could feel her power stretching out from the binds of her control, and it was taking everything she could to keep up from snapping out and hurting someone. "Secondly, Trunks is not a 'little punk'. He's been very respectful and kind towards me, and I would appreciate it if you would show him some respect as he is my boyfriend."

"Okay, you two need to settle down," Michiru said suddenly, trying to diffuse the quickly escalating emotions within the room. "Haruka, you are way out of line, here. This is a special night for our daughter—it's her first date—and I'm not going to have you spoil things for her. As for you, Hotaru, just ignore Haruka; she's only sore because she's realizing that you've grown up into a beautiful lady that the boys just can't resist any longer."

Shaking her head, Hotaru forced her attentions away from Haruka and attempted to will her fury away. She tried to remind herself that Haruka cared for her as deeply as a parent would for their own child, and it was from those feelings of parental love that was causing the Soldier of the Sky to have such a terrible attitude that night. Still, that did not make Haruka's comments any less out of line or make them any fairer. If she and Trunks had crossed that physical line in a relationship, Haruka was the least privy to that. That event was most intimate and was only the business of the two people involved, and it was hardly proper to interrogate someone about something as sensitive as that.

Besides, the two of them had only just started dating, and while there were people in both worlds that undoubtedly jump from one extreme in a relationship to another, Hotaru was not that type of person. Just because she was Trunks's girlfriend now did not mean she was going to slip in-between the sheets with him that very night. Still, it wasn't as if Hotaru was naïve to think everything would stay innocent and pure between the two of them for so long. If they were able to explore their relationship for a longer time than Hotaru believed that they had, it was possible things could get to that point. Right now, Hotaru was most definitely not ready for a step like that.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Haruka abruptly apologized in a low, frustrated voice. "I know everything I've been saying since you told me you were going to date that kid has been over the top and out of line, but I just can't help it. Honestly, I don't think those Saiyans comprehend the magnitude of what could happen if the enemy gets a hold of you, Hotaru. If using you to open a seal is going to set off a chain of events that will end our world—and we still aren't any closer to figuring out what or who is in that seal—why would they care? It's not their future that's going to be destroyed because of it, so what do they have to lose?"

"I understand what you're saying Haruka, but I think you're failing to understand what Saiyan nature is like," Hotaru informed the blonde-haired woman as she turned to her, wearing a sad smile on her lips. "Saiyans are fiercely loyal and protective of the people they love, but they also don't back down from a fight. It's written in their DNA to fight—something I don't doubt that you all see as sick and barbaric—but for them, participating in a battle is as much of a necessity as breathing or eating. I'm sure that there is some part of their blood that yearns to see whatever is locked in that seal so they could try to fight it, but I don't think that they would willingly sacrifice my life to see it.

"I know I'm in good hands," Hotaru continued. "I trust them, just as much as I trust the three of you. I just ask that you all believe in them as well, and know that there are other people that can come to care about me as much as the three of you have. I don't think I could have ever dreamed that I would be able to meet as many incredible people as I have in this life."

Haruka remained silent for a while afterwards, considering every word that Hotaru had just told her. Eventually, the Soldier of the Sky's shoulders relaxed as she exhaled a deep sigh, running a hand through her short blonde strands. "Meh, I'm not going to say that I trust those Saiyans—and I'm certainly not going to promise that I ever will—but if you believe so wholeheartedly that they'll protect you when and if the time comes, then I suppose I can accept that."

A small smile spread across Hotaru's lips. "Thank you, Haruka-papa."

"But, if that boy so much as touches you in a way that is unwanted and improper, I will cut his hands off with my sword."

Sighing, Hotaru placed her face in her hands as she shook her head. Of course it would come back to that.

X

"You are late, and where in the hell is your damned tie, Trunks?"

Facing the potential wrath of his mother made Trunks feel more uneasy than he already was, causing him to shove his hands into the pockets of his tuxedo pants as he made his way to stand next to his mother, who was greeting the guests for the dinner that evening. He swore that there were no two parents in the entire universe that were nearly as frightening as his mother and father were. However, if the question had been asked who he felt was the most terrifying — his mother or his father— Trunks would have to say that his mother took the cake with ease. There had been more than a few times that Trunks found himself on the wrong side of his father's anger, but that hardly amounted to more than a good beating in the gravity room and then the two of them were over it. His mother, on the other hand…

Well, Bulma Briefs knew how to hold a grudge better than any other person on the face of the Earth, Trunks was certain. He knew well enough that whatever he did to rouse the sleeping fury within his mother would come back to bite him in the ass eventually, and he did not doubt that he would suffer the consequences for coming to a black tie event without his black tie. Whatever lie Trunks could come up to tell his mother would likely be seen through as easily as a pane of glass as he was certain that his mother was more than aware about his disdain for wearing that restricting piece of fabric. After all, he refused to wear it with his school uniform, and he would be damned if he had to suffer through a boring dinner of rubbing elbows with Capsule Corporation's best and brightest in an extreme amount of discomfort.

Telling his mother the blunt truth would be like signing his death warrant, so Trunks decided to take his chances with a lie. "I forgot it, I guess."

The look that his mother gave him verified that she did not believe in her son's forgetfulness. Bulma kept her tone low so that the new arrivals to the dinner could not hear, but the anger in her voice was unmistakable. "Trunks, the tie was in the garment bag with the tuxedo."

"Oh," Trunks murmured, delivering a half-hearted smile as he nodded to a small group of employees in greeting before they entered into the cafeteria that had been dressed up as much as the invited guests were that night. "I guess I didn't notice it."

Trunks had to commend his mother for the hard work that she and her small team of advisors put into overhauling the company cafeteria to make it appear like a formal ballroom. Gone were the generic tables, replaced with several dozens of round tables with the finest white tablecloths that money could buy. On the side of the room that was lined with tall windows that faced out towards the back of the company's lot, a stage with a podium had been set up in preparation for a night filled with toasts and scripted speeches. If Trunks hadn't been in the cafeteria before, he would have sworn that the stage had always been present there. The tile of the floor had been polished just the night before, reflecting the lights that hung down from the ceiling high above. There was also a small band set up that was playing a collection of soothing music to entertain the guests as they became seated.

Honestly, the whole setup was a bit too flashy for Trunks's tastes. He was certain that his mother spent far too much money on everything, from the band that she had contracted to play to the expensive-looking china that was present on every table in the room. He was almost positive that the silverware was real silver, too. Trunks had only taken a glance at the menu for the evening, but he was convinced that food that was being offered was over the top as well. As much as he normally wouldn't complain about the variety of food, at very public events like this he would not be able to consume what was considered "abnormal" for a human being. Trunks was just looking forward to the after party, where he would be allowed to eat any and all leftovers that remained from the party. Generally, it was a contest between those with Saiyan blood to see who could claim the largest amount of leftovers first.

Before his mother could start in again about his attire, Trunks decided to change the subject. "Where's Dad? I don't sense him anywhere around."

"Oh who knows," Bulma exasperated, shaking her head vehemently enough that the earrings that hung from her ears swayed back and forth. "He might be here, he might not; it's hard to say with Vegeta. You know how much he hates these sorts of things."

"I can concur," Trunks snorted in amusement. "Have Goten and the others arrived yet?"

"I've seen Chichi, Gohan, Videl, and Pan," Bulma informed him. "They're already seated at our table with your little sister. Goten is apparently here, but I haven't seen him; Chichi seems to think that he's trying to woo some of the waitresses, which doesn't seem far-fetched."

Trunks laughed heartily. "That sounds like Goten, all right. You'll be lucky to see him any time before dinner."

Bulma fell silent for a few moments before her blue eyes glanced over to her sun, her eyebrow raised and a smirk pulled at her red-painted lips. "Not going to ask about the girlfriend?"

"She's on her way," Trunks told his mother, trying to keep a giddy smile from appearing on his face. He was trying to downplay the excitement that he felt from tonight being their first official "outing" together as a couple. Of course he had told his mother; Bulma was always so perceptive about these kinds of things with her son anyway and had already expected their relationship to get to this point eventually. Gohan and Goten were also aware of it, the latter having been teasing him incessantly since having found out about it. However, he cautioned everyone to not do the same with Hotaru as it was likely the girl would take such joking the wrong way.

He didn't want to screw this up. They didn't have the time to be screwing this up.

"One of these days I will have to thank that girl," Bulma sighed happily, folding her arms over her chest as she looked to her eldest child. "It's nice to have my son back. You seem so hopeful now, so happy. I know that Hotaru has a lot to do with that."

"She has everything to do with it," Trunks clarified in a definitive voice.

"I'm worried, though," Bulma admitted, the look in her eyes changing to one of sympathy. "If she has to go when all of this is over with, how are you going to take it? I don't suppose there's any way that she could stay here once everything is resolved?"

Silence fell over Trunks as he mulled over his mother's words. He very much doubted that there was anything he could do to convince Hotaru to stay in his world, but he would be a liar if he said that he didn't hope that there would be some way to keep her there with him. What was waiting for her when she got back to that Tokyo of hers other than the same dreadful and depressing life that she had been living for so long? He had noticed Hotaru had changed quite a bit since they had become friends—and now something more—as well. It was obvious they were both good for each other, healing the old wounds that had been there for so long.

Still, Trunks was realistic. "Hotaru is very duty-oriented when it comes down to it. The truth of the matter is that she and her family don't belong here, and things are becoming seriously altered by just their presence here. Hotaru will ultimately do what is right for everything and everyone else, even if her own happiness needs to be sacrificed."

"And you're okay with that?" Bulma inquired, sounding uncertain.

"I'll have to be," Trunks sighed. "It's not my choice to make; it's hers."

"Oh, whatever," Bulma muttered. "What kind of Saiyan are you, anyway? I would think that you would at least put up a fight to keep Hotaru here instead of accepting things as they are."

"Well, I am half-human, Mom," Trunks reminded his mother with a small smirk.

"Generally, even humans have a hard time accepting a future that isn't in their favor," Bulma informed him. "They usually fight like hell to survive and be happy, whether that's against other humans, aliens, or even the gods above. You shouldn't give up so easily. If you do, you might miss an opportunity to find a way around a possible separation. Just keep an open mind, okay sweetie?"

As much as Trunks wanted to keep an open mind, he just didn't see how it would be possible for the two of them to end up together after everything was finished. It hurt like hell to think that their relationship would only get so far before having to come to an end, but Trunks was certain the pain would be magnified to a terrifying degree if he allowed himself to believe that there was a method that they could have a happy ending. Furthermore, he didn't want to push Hotaru away by entertaining any sort of belief that they could be together and happy as she was even more convinced than he was of the outcome of their relationship.

There was little time to mull over his mother's words or his own thoughts any longer as he sensed the approach of the girl that had plagued his thoughts. Her ki signature was slight, but at this point he could pick it out of a crowd as easily as he could Gohan or Goten's when they were suppressing their ki. He could sense her just outside, lingering outside of the building, and Trunks surmised that she was debating on even coming in or not. After a few moments longer, the glass doors at the entrance of the building slid open, and Hotaru carefully stepped inside.

It took all of the willpower Trunks had to keep from launching himself across the lobby and towards his girlfriend. She looked absolutely stunning and was hardly recognizable from the amount that she had been made up for the evening. It was odd for him to see her hairstyle worn any differently from the straight ebony strands that he had become so accustomed to since he had met her, enjoying the look of the slight curl in her hair. The appearance of Hotaru wearing makeup was a little odd for him since he thought the girl looked just fine without it, but that was not to say it didn't make her look quite nice. The dress—that dress—was just the icing on the cake as it made her appear more of a woman her age than a high school student.

Hotaru approached him and his mother with careful steps, and Trunks's eyes immediately then took notice of the heels that she wore on her feet. Oh, he could already tell that her hatred for those shoes probably surpassed that of what he had towards his tie, but he could not poke fun at it. This was supposed to be a special night for the two of them, not a night to make her feel uncomfortable and regretting that she even came.

As soon as Hotaru came to stand before Bulma and Trunks, she did not hesitate to speak first, "Sorry I'm late. Haruka took her time getting here…"

"Oh, sweetheart, don't you worry about a thing!" Bulma comforted Hotaru, walking up to the girl that still stood shorter than she and setting a hand on her shoulder. "You look wonderful, dear. I'm so glad you could join us tonight!"

Trunks could notice a slight blush cover Hotaru's cheeks even from under the layer of makeup that she wore. "Mom, you're making her embarrassed."

"Trunks, you need to tell this girl how gorgeous she looks right now!" Bulma half-scolded her son, putting her hands on her hips as she delivered a small glare.

"Bulma…" Hotaru muttered softly, the look on her face showing her obvious discomfort at the fuss the older woman was making over her.

"Hotaru, you look absolutely amazing," Trunks informed his girlfriend with nothing but complete sincerity in his voice. "Now, Mother, if you don't mind I'd like to show Hotaru to our table so that she doesn't die from the amount of attention you're giving her."

"Oh, right," Bulma stepped away from Hotaru, giving the violet-eyed girl a sweet smile.

Trunks walked up to Hotaru as soon as his mother vacated her, holding his arm out for her. After hesitating for only a moment, Hotaru reached up to grab her hand on to his arm, enjoying the feeling of the curve of his muscles underneath the layers of his shirt and tuxedo jacket. Already she felt steadier on her feet with someone strong and sturdy to hold on to, no longer fearing that she could trip over her feet at any moment. Hotaru knew that if she were to fall, Trunks would get her balanced before anyone realized that she had even stumbled.

As Trunks led her towards the door, Hotaru couldn't help but feel a slight tug at the back of her mind that something was off. She wasn't sure what it was as she had never experienced such a feeling before, but it made her wary as she approached the large entryway that led into the cafeteria. Did she forget about something? No, she was certain that wasn't it; Michiru or Setsuna would have reminded her if there was something she had left at home, that she forgot to do. Still, what was it that was causing her to wonder so much, and even causing a chill to travel up her spine? It wasn't due to the cold, of that she was certain; the temperature in the building was actually quite comfortable.

"What are you two doing here?"

Immediately, both Trunks and Hotaru paused in their steps, turning their heads towards Bulma's frantically confused voice. Trunks had obviously caught glimpse of what was going on before Hotaru, moving over to his mother more quickly than he should have in the eyes of the public. His immediate spike in power was easily recognizable, and Hotaru was almost positive that there was going to be a fight right there in the lobby.

Hotaru moved her head to the side to see who Trunks was staring at and what was causing a low grow to escape his clenched teeth. However, once her eyes focused upon what had caused her boyfriend and his mother to become quickly unsettled, she felt her blood run cold.

It was her mother.

A/N: Cliffhanger of doom~! Happy Easter to everyone! Please leave your review to tell me what you think!

~kusari