T - 13 Days

Everlasting darkness, hazy air, barren earth. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun. There wasn't even the sound of children crying or people screaming. Everything was dead. What was left of humanity hid underground like roaches.

He was ducking around ruined buildings and bits of car that somehow survived. The smell of burning was a permanent resident here, even when fires weren't aflame.

He needed to remember to keep his ki completely hidden - a foreign concept. And he needed to run and hide, like a coward.

My father would be so ashamed of me. Gohan would be ashamed of me, Chai… both would be ashamed. How the hell do I call myself a hero?

Mother. Her bright eyes are as determined as ever. Come on, Mother, come with us. We need to go.

Why couldn't he make himself speak?

Mother.

There's that shadow again. Why was it so familiar? So huge? Such powerful ki.

Mother?

He grabs her. That shadow. The young man can't get to her. He reaches out but she fades into black and screams for him.

"Go, Trunks! You need to go!"

"MOTHER!"

The saiya-jin sat straight up, hand going to the sword at his bedside without thinking. It's dark just like his dream but not the darkness of an apocalypse. It's just nighttime. He's not in a lab but a bedroom and it's not in shambles. It's actually quite kept. And Mother isn't here, at least not his Mother. His Past Mother, whom he loves just as much, is here. And she's alive at least, unlike his Mother.

He laid himself back down to the bed, breathing in the sheets. They smell like the last time he was here, 12 years ago. Like her, and although breathing in her scent punishes him in a completely different way, it also calms him. What he'd give to actually have her here, not just so he'd sleep better but just to have her.

When Trunks first arrived, he noted that Oka-san put him in the same room - in fact, it was untouched. It still had the same books in the shelves, clothes in the dresser that were now a little baggy on him, and all the same materials he used to clean and sharpen his blade. That had gripped him in a way he wasn't expecting. To know that even though he wasn't from here,and he wasn't the Trunks that they were raising, he was still their son to them. That he still had a home and family here. Things the Androids, and now Goku Black, stripped him of.

He had tried to take a nap, which his body sorely needed but when he laid down, he noted the sheets hadn't been changed in 12 years either. He could smell Chai and all of his interactions with her on this bed. At first, he breathed in the scent deeply. He couldn't believe how it calmed him… and turned him on.

"Not right now," he had told himself. Especially now.

His thoughts quickly turned from all of the times he held and kissed Chai to the girl he just let die… Mai… and no, he'd never felt quite the way for Mai as he did for the female saiya-jin, but he was beginning to love her.

The day before they were supposed to come back to this timeline, Trunks had even allowed himself to think about what he might want with Mai when this all ended. He'd always love the demi from the past but they knew a real relationship was impossible. And besides, Mai was strong, optimistic and beautiful. She'd been fighting next to him for the past year, saved him more times than he could count. She would be easy to fall in love with, if he'd just let himself. He never let the Earthling woman in on these thoughts but he had them.

Now all of those plans were blown to shit. And Kami knows what that monster was doing to his timeline while he was here. On one hand, it gave him time to train and get his strength back up to where it was supposed to be - nevermind that he could match Goku while in SS3 - that simply wasn't enough!

But what if there was nothing left to save? Nothing left but his revenge?

Trunks clenched the sheets and gritted his teeth.

Goku Black, you will pay. You will pay for all of the people you made suffer. For killing Mai. For killing my mother.

Truth be told, being back was stranger than the saiya-jin thought it would be. First of all, his mini was no longer a baby but a young teenager and honestly, quite a bit more spoiled than he imagined. And gods, was he this obnoxious and disobedient as a kid?

Then there was his father. Vegeta was both more involved in his future son's daily life here - even his well-being - and yet his expectations somehow higher. It was the kind of interaction he had wanted with the man the first time he was here, and to finally get it when he'd expected his father to be removed and closed off was also disconcerting. And now he felt less deserving of Otou-san's approval. He didn't feel like a quarter of the man he was a decade ago… everything was so screwed up.

And there was a kid Mai, who his younger self seemed to like. If that didn't drive the knife of his failure deeper, then nothing would.

And Chai wasn't married. Gods what that was doing to his psyche. Trunks actually found himself thinking about trying to fix things with her. Don't be a dumbass. Just fantasize about her a few times and get it out of your system. That would have been simple if sex was all he wanted.

"Fucking hell," he muttered, getting out of bed and tossing his now drenched shirt to the side. He was covered in sweat and now the sun was slowly coming up.

Trunks went to the adjoined bathroom and started a shower before pulling his clothes off. The mirror revealed how much mass he'd lost in the past year. Sure, because of their semi-nomadic and warlike lifestyles, saiya-jins were evolved to handle lack of food, but he was only half-saiya-jin and the weakness that provided to his body was evident in that he could still starve to death. His chest was no longer pronounced and his arms half as large as they used to be. And Kami he was covered in scars.

It was startling for Trunks to see himself this way. He'd never realized until now how much being a powerful warrior mattered to his identity. The scars didn't bother him at all, in fact, they helped him anchor to that identity now more than ever.

He looked away from his reflection, shaking his head, and got into the shower to try and wake up more. Shortly after he got in, he could feel Otou-san's ki as the man got up for the day. Perhaps his father would let him train with him. That would be both useful and distracting. Trunks finished his shower then went back to his room to dress in a grey tee and sweatpants before going down to the kitchen.

Otou-san leaned against the fridge, staring at the doorway from the hallway expectantly when the demi got down there. The Prince regarded his son with a questioning glance before opening his mouth.

"Still timid, I see. Speak, boy!"

"Otou-san, let me train with you this morning," Trunks replied.

Vegeta sneered slightly. "A request, rather than a question. Seems you haven't entirely forgotten your heritage." He then began towards the Gravity Room, Trunks not entirely sure whether or not to follow. Why did his father have to be such an anomaly?

"Did you need an invitation?" Vegeta called over his shoulder.

"N-no, Father. Sorry…" he followed the man around the other side of the house and into the gigantic dome-shaped training room. Vegeta went to the center console and began inputting the gravity level. "What did you mean though? I have never forgotten my saiya-jin heritage."

"Not that part! By the time you had last left I had at least gotten you to carry yourself like a prince! Seems you've forgotten exactly whose blood you carry."

The strength of the gravity then shot up and the lights went from bright and fluorescent to red. Trunks felt his body tense at the difference but otherwise made no indication that the change affected him. He stood tall and proud, as was expected of him.

"I haven't forgotten!"

"Then show me. Younger Trunks spars with me at 200 gravity. Alone I train at 600 times gravity. Let's see where you fall.."

"The other night you had him at 300 times gravity."

Vegeta then smirked and blazed gold. "That was a punishment," he phased suddenly behind his son to land a punch, which Trunks half-turned and grabbed. They stared at each other for a moment, tiny smirks matching.

"Some things don't change," Trunks replied.

Vegeta pulled out of the young man's grip easily and so Trunks lunged forward with two strikes, which his father easily dodged before kicking his son twice in the ribs. That caught the demi off guard. His father had gotten much faster. They were better matched last time.

"Like your fixation on Kakarot's daughter!" Vegeta shouted out before launching forward.

Trunks knocked that fist out of the way and landed one hit on his father's cheek though it wasn't as hard as the kicks he just received. He let out a loud growl as his father tauntingly smirked at him.

"There's nothing between her and I!"

He jutted forward, Vegeta flipping backwards and barely missing a strike to the chest then pushed himself from the wall to land just before the young prince to sweep his feet out from under him. Trunks leapt in the air and came back down with a kick that Vegeta knocked away. Instead of being thrown, however, Trunks flipped from his father's arm back to his feet. He breathed heavily, the ache in his muscles making it all too obvious how weak he'd gotten.

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. His lips curled in slight disgust. "This is a waste. I cannot believe you've let yourself go this much! My own heir!" He then turned on his heel to leave the room.

"I've been holding my own!"

"And I've been holding back. Quite a bit!"

Trunks phased between Vegeta and the door. "No. I came here for your help."

"Boy you are beyond my help," Vegeta gritted. "You've forgotten your heritage, your pride, your purpose - everything about who you are! I came here to train my son, not his shadow!"

A deep growl rumbled from the young man's chest. Prove worth. Prove worth as Alpha's kin, his inner beast urged. Gods, they couldn't agree more.

"Then beat your son out of his shadow," Trunks gritted back.

"Tch. Maybe there's still some saiya-jin in you, after all."

Vegeta then roundhoused his son right in the jaw, knocking the younger man several feet away. The demi landed on his knees but got to his feet quickly and shot in front of his father, who flipped out of Trunks' way each time he tried to land a punch. He then delivered another kick that Trunks barely blocked with his forearm which gave the saiya-jin a chance to punch him instead. The young man felt his jawbone crack and snickered slightly. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Tell me, boy, do you sleep?" the man asked.

The young prince blocked another strike of his father's and kicked towards him, missing as Vegeta backflipped away then came back with a signature barrage of kicks. Trunks dodged each one, barely then found opportunity to grab the Prince around the calf and toss him aside.

"As much as I need to," Trunks lied.

Vegeta landed adeptly on one knee then shot up again as the time traveller phased in front of him to return the roundhouse he earlier received. Vegeta moved enough so that his son's foot grazed his cheek. He went Super Saiya-jin God in a millisecond and punched Trunks, sending him across the gravity room. Vegeta watched as his son slowly got back to his knees at least, another bruise already visible in a tear in his shirt.

"No, quite less than you need to! You also eat less than you need to! Are you trying to kill youself before Black does!?"

The time traveller looked away.

"No, Otou-san."

"Then why the hell are you neglecting your body? It's not going to make me any softer on you. Now go Super Saiya-jin and come at me!"

His second shower of the day was far more satisfactory. The ache in his muscles and bones from grueling training rather than fighting for his life was a welcome sensation. Even the bruises and cuts, which would heal the next day, were somewhat euphoric. It would all make him stronger. Get him closer to destroying Black.

Then what?

There were how many humans left when he left? A few hundred? Mother had calculated that there just needed to be 50 viable couples in order to prevent extinction. Any less then, either inbreeding would become commonplace or humanity would be gone in just a few hundred years. Then again, Trunks himself was half-alien. What if they could go into space and find a compatible species?

He needed to defeat Black first though. Still, the saiya-jin couldn't help but wonder if he really was just prolonging their extinction. He'd never give in or give up, but his mind wouldn't stop calculating all of the factors.

It would become easier to hunt for resources. There had to be more food stored somewhere and more medical supplies. More shelter. Gods, clean water. What could they grow in that soil, though? Were there any animals left to eat? How long would the sun take to come back?

He should consider what resources he could take back to his world. Anything could be capsulized. Surely, his mother could create something that could provide an abundance of artificial sunlight for farming purposes. And he should bring seeds and more non perishables just in case -

BOOOOOOOM!

Trunks planted his feet and pressed a hand to the showerwall to steady himself as the whole compound shook. Bottles fell at his feet and when the jerking stopped, he ripped the curtain open to see the bathroom a mess. But what was that?! Black again?!

His eyes saw red as the saiya-jin pulled pants on and ran for his sword. He forgot to turn off the water until he was going past the bathroom again. He couldn't sense any new ki, and not any of that devil. He felt his father zipping around the compound and stopped near his mother, so the demi figured he should go where he felt both the ki of Chibi Mai and Chibi Trunks. It still felt weird referring to his younger version by name. They were in the lab, he could tell that. The lab where the time.. Shit…!

"Why do I have to…? Godsdamnit!" Otouto-san wailed from several feet away. "Ok this… no… if I put…"

"No, no. Young man, it was like this!" Pilaf's voice shrieked.

"Guys, Big Me is gonna kill me!"

Why do you say…?

Mirai Trunks rounded the corner and ran into the wide white room which was now smoky. There was the unrelenting beeping of computers mixed with the voices of his younger self, Pilaf, Little Mai, and Shu. He glanced at the young girl then looked away. She reminded him too much…

All four were panicking and talking frantically amongst themselves about what to do. Their voices mixed however so that nothing made sense. But no one was hurt and there were no enemies around. The time traveller looked around and realized the smoke was coming from the time machine.

No…

"What.. what happened…"

Everyone quieted, looking away from him, including his mini who held a deep look of guilt. Trunks was trying hard not to let his anger show, but he could feel that he was shaking. Water dripped around him. He remembered that he never dried off, just got into fight mode.

Behind him, his parents appeared. He could feel his mother going around the time machine to where it was smoking to assess the damage. "So those coils are fried. That fuel is gone. And these wires need to be replaced. Ugh, this crack will need to be repaired…"

The demi felt his stomach turn over.

The fuel…? How long does it take to make the fuel here? It took Mother a year to make the fuel that got me here and it was only good for a one way trip.

"What happened?" Trunks repeated. Chibi glanced up at him, then the machine.

"We were just trying to help fix it… So you could avenge Future Mama.."

The time warrior closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't be that mad. How often did he do what he thought was the correct course of action for it to blow up in his face? Going off on his own, blasting up Gero's lab to no avail, the list went on. Still, he couldn't stop shaking.

"How long now, Oka-san?"

"Well, if I work around the clock…"

"I don't want you working around the clock."

"18 days now. So not quite another week."

Black will have destroyed everything by then. Unless he could make sure the machine got them there exactly when he needed it to. A few hours after he left. The damned thing was so unpredictable though!

"How the hell did you cause this much damage?" Vegeta barked.

"I.. uhh… "

"It doesn't matter. I'm… going to Gohan's," Trunks said finally before gripping his sword and going back to his room to finish dressing.

As he flew over the city, Trunks wasn't sure if Gohan would even be home. He just… he needed to busy himself somehow. The news about the time machine was disparaging. Everything was slowly stacking more and more against him. And Gohan had always been wise. Always gave decent advice, even this one who was able to set aside a life of fighting to have a family.

The saiya-jin descended in front of Gohan's lavish home. He still couldn't believe that he'd grown to not only become a scholar but somehow married Mr. Satan's daughter. Videl seemed nice enough and Gohan mentioned that she used to be a fighter but being related to Hercule...

I don't think I could deal with that liar for a father-in-law.

Gohan was certainly here. Even calm, his ki was easy for Trunks to pick out, though he supposed that was because of his old master. He went up and lightly knocked on the door, hoping his presence wasn't neusensing. Moments later, Videl opened the door and smiled widely.

"Trunks!"

"H-hello, Videl," he bowed quickly. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all," she shook her head then opened the door wider. "Gohan will be happy to see you. Please, tell me you'll stay for lunch."

"Oh, of course," he blushed.

"Perfect, and, actually… my father isn't here to watch Pan. I was going to get Gohan from his study but would you mind instead?" The woman gave a weak smile, no doubt hopeful that he'd say yes.

I should have stayed home.

"You… you want me to watch Pan again? I, uh, kind of let her destroy your living room last time…"

"It would be a huge help! And this time it won't be for as long - I'm actually almost done in the kitchen."

He left his sword by the couch this time and let her put the quarter-saiya-jin in his arms. The little girl cooed as she reached for his face again. He quickly held her out until she put her arm back and he took both of them to the couch. Especially after sparring with his father, he didn't want the baby pinching him. The girl had a grip.

"We're not having a repeat of last time," he told her before bouncing Pan on his knee, vaguely remembering Gohan doing that last time. The baby giggled loudly and Trunks couldn't help but smile a little. He wasn't lying when he told Gohan that he had no experience with children. Saving them, sure, but he never actually held one before coming back here. And, now that he thought about it, he rarely saw children as small as Pan. It was… rare… only half survived past the first year.

"I was hoping we could be friends," he told her, "Or at least have a truce."

It was still foreign and strange. Playing house, knowing his timeline was being terrorized.

I've trained today though, and it'll be three weeks until the time machine is fixed. There is nothing else I can do, other than perhaps train more. Besides, I'm just here to talk to Gohan.

The little girl squealed then immediately lunged for his shirt and grabbed for his hair.

"Ouch! Hey, Pan, let go!"

Not again…

The door clicked open and Trunks was filled with both a sense of embarrassment and relief.

"Son Pan, to me!"

The pain subsided but now he was entirely embarrassed as the tiny saiya-jin let go and flew over to Chai, who stood in the doorway with a bag of groceries in one arm and held Pan to her hip in the other one, looking down at the little girl with a half-grin.

"You are way too small to be challenging a Saiya-jin Prince," she stated. "Now be nice so I can help your mama in the kitchen."

Pan babbled at her in an animated manner to which Chai laughed and shook her head as though they spoke the same language. She tickled the girl's cheek with the end of her tail and something in Trunks' instincts kicked up.

Stop.

He felt his inner beast growl it's dissatisfaction but otherwise subside.

"No, no excuses. Be good or you don't get any umeboshi," Chai told the baby.

The girl quieted immediately and stared at her aunt.

"Oh, you understood that, didn't you?" Chai laughed.

The sound rang through the room, stilling all of the saiya-jin's thoughts on death, destruction and crazed versions of Goku. He let her take over his senses for a moment, including her spicy, earthy scent. It was so much more potent than the smell that somehow lingered in his sheets.

Trunks stared at her. She looked so natural with a child in her arms. It reminded him of when he'd visited after destroying the androids and Chai happened to be fertile that week. Her scent had changed and drove him absolutely crazy with the desire to breed with her, which had only been intensified by his feelings.

Kami above, you fucking kill me.

'I'd rather be the life of you.'

Why did you have to say that?

Her lush, dark hair fell to her waist as she moved towards him, drawing his eyes for the second time this week to the roundness of her hips. The dark coveralls she wore did little to hide how full and feminine her bottom half was. In contrast, her bare arms were shapely and strong. Chai was a gorgeous blend of curvy and muscular, and she still seemed just as he remembered her. Passionate, independent, and generous. She must have had hundreds of suitors over the years. How had none of them married her?

Mine, his inner beast growled. His father once explained that because they are of elite blood, they had both a more verbal and intelligent beast, but also an overall better handle on it. It was easier to stay in control but if your instincts were piqued, it tended to be more vocal. Trunks shut his eyes and urged it to shut up and behave. Not anymore. Not ours anymore, he told it.

Again, his beast growled in annoyance. More than happy to hold Mate before.

She was in pain. She needed comforting before.

Mmmm. Protect Mate. Please Mate.

No. There'll be no more "pleasing" her.

He felt her sit beside him, her vibrant ki tickling along his skin from this close. Chai didn't seem to notice, instead focusing on Pan, and letting the little girl hold both of Chai's index fingers in her chubby hands. The quarter saiya-jin was moving them wherever she liked while Chai kicked her feet against the coffee table so that Pan was resting against her thighs and the woman was slouching against the couch.

"Give her hands something to do, and she wont grab at you," the younger demi instructed. "Like all cubs, she has a lot of energy and has to be doing something active."

"Cubs?" Trunks asked her.

"Saiya-jin children are called cubs. Wanna give it another go while Videl and I burn down the house?" Chai smiled over at him and Trunks had to remember to breathe.

"Keep the house intact. This place looks expensive," he said, taking Pan one more time and letting her play tug-o-war with his fingers. That seemed to satisfy the baby.

It wasn't long before he was called to the dining room with Pan. Thank the gods. The smells of chicken, rice, and dumplings had permeated from the kitchen, mixed with spices and the strong aromas of oranges and onions.

Videl placed her daughter in a high-chair before the table and he was simply instructed to sit. Gohan still hadn't shown up, though Trunks supposed being a scholar kept the man very busy. He somehow found himself content to listen to Videl and Chai chat between themselves as they set the table.

"Thanks for letting me stay here tonight," Chai told Videl, setting down three bowls of ambrosia, carrying one with that lovely tail. Trunks' mouth watered. Fruit was something he hadn't seen in six months.

Mate we haven't seen in twelve years, the beast noted.

Shut the fuck up.

"No problem! You're always welcome here. Oh, I never thanked you for the ki detectors for Pans room. Her flying around it is one thing but out of it…" Videl simply shook her head.

Now there were five plates of beef yakitori and nine bowls of cabbage salad on the table, along with eight plates of amaebi and a stock pot of steamed rice. Amaebi… when did he last eat any kind of sushi?

I wonder if Gohan can smell all of this.

"What about your parents though? I'm surprised you're not staying there," Videl asked, setting down three bowls of the umeboshi Chai earlier promised.

"My mom is driving me nuts!" Chai exclaimed, setting down three bowls of dumplings before sitting down herself. Trunks wondered if she purposefully sat down next to him.

"'When are you getting married? I want grand-babies! The kingdom needs an heir, you know!' Well Mama, Gohan has already given you a grandbaby and as far as an heir is concerned, that's why I'm prepping Tsuchi to rule. Besides, at least we aren't the Horse Kingdom," she sighed.

For a moment, Trunks remembered five years ago. He was moving heavy parts around for his mom so she could start working on other projects. She had been trying to accelerate the growth rate of various vegetables so they could feed the remaining humans better food quicker.

'So, honey. Meet any girls?'

'N-No, Mother. No one of note.'

'Really? You brought a pretty one home last night.'

He rolled his eyes as he sat down the pots of broccoli, then went back for the tubs - literal bathtubs - that Bulma had Trunks remove from abandoned houses for her to try to grow her experiments - carrots, peppers, celery.

'Ugh.. Oka-san… it was the full moon last night. You weren't supposed to see her…'

'Ah, so you're not dating her?'

He sat down the last of the plants and went back for more stuff, calling over his shoulder.

'Sorry to disappoint!'

'Ya know, if you wanted to go back… I think you and Chai would make beautiful children…'

'I can't leave you here alone. And besides, she… probably already has 'beautiful children'... with someone else.'

Videl was setting down plates and cups. "Why? What's wrong with the Horse Kingdom?"

Chai quickly reiterated yesterday's events, prompting the time traveller's mind to think about the destruction of her kingdom, and the destruction of his world. He hadn't even told her who the enemy was. Or Gohan. How would he? That would break their hearts.

I hope Little Me also kept his mouth shut to the twins.

He couldn't involve any of them in this. This was his fight - he just needed Goku-san and Otou-san's help. And right now, he needed to be here. To be present.

"So they left no heirs?" Videl asked.

"Not even illegitimate ones. They just had to be responsible with their dicks…"

"Not something most people complain about," Trunks added.

"Oh, he speaks! Good, I was beginning to think I was seeing shit," Chai smirked, "And yes - except now it might fall on my family somehow to produce a successor since we're cousins. Like, my mother… or Gohan."

"Oh... " Videl looked at the other woman, then a smile spread across her face as she looked past her. "Oh honey, good! We're about to eat."

"Wonderful!" Gohan said, kissing his wife on the cheek, then his sister on the top of the head. "It smells great, you two." He kissed Pan on the head as well then nodded at Trunks before taking his seat. "Trunks, I'm glad you're visiting us again. I never asked last time what you were doing here."

"Oh, um…" the saiya-jin sipped at his tea to buy a little time. Even when he saw Gohan at the party, he didn't have the heart to tell him what was really going on. He revealed that humanity was down in numbers and that resources were few and far inbetween. That enemies kept coming, but he didn't mention that there was a war right now.

Do I tell the truth? Chai already knows part of the truth. Would she give me away if I tried to lie?

"I'm just visiting. It's been a while and I just wanted to make sure things are fine here."

A bowl of food was passed to him. He put a little on his plate then passed it to Gohan, hoping that the man wouldn't think too hard on the answer. His stomach growled loudly, making the time traveler flush. It had been doing that everytime he smelled food. It was as if his body was eager to catch up on all of the meals he hadn't filled up on in the last year. The only problem was that he felt guilty every time he tried to enjoy a meal.

It dawned on Trunks that playing house was part of the reason he came over here. He needed to think about something else. Did he really think Gohan was going to have advice for this kind of enemy? Or what to do with himself in the meantime? No, he was here on a subconscious desire to forget.

He saw Mai's face, eyebrows furrowed as she thrusted the fuel into his hands. 'Stop trying to save me and think! You're the best chance we have!'

He felt so ashamed! He needed to focus!

He glanced at Chai, smiling as she took a steaming plate from her sister-in-law. Suddenly, he saw her as she was 12 years ago - face rounder, hair a little shorter but just as wild. She was taking his hand and leading him away from Capsule Corps.

He could hear her laughing voice as she told him, 'You need to know what it's like to enjoy life.'

"Oh.. I mean. It's really been years, Trunks. I'm a little surprised you didn't visit sooner," the demi said.

"Yeah," the other man flushed. "I got really busy trying to get the people in my timeline back to civilization. I needed… I needed to come back though."

"Well that makes sense. Sometimes we need a break to get some perspective and remember what we are fighting for."

Did he know?

"Fighting?" Trunks asked the man.

"Well, yeah. Honestly, anything that opposes you is a fight. I know that sounds a little archaic," Gohan chuckled. "If you are just surviving though, and don't remember what life is about, how can you fight for it?"

"I suppose you're right," Trunks smiled.

He thought about Mai and the feelings he'd begun to develop for her but she was dead now. His chest clenched… Still, as much as he would have wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to give her his entire heart.

He looked over at Chai once more as she playfully fed Pan a bit of beef, pulling back her fingers dramatically. His world needed him, yes, but everyone he loved was gone from there. What use was it to ponder on a woman, wonderful as she was, that he'd barely begun to love when there was one here that he didn't know how to stop wanting? Mai's death hurt immensely but gods could he walk away from Chai again?

He needed to save his world first. Save it, then fix this.

17 Years Earlier

"You sure it's just a shot? Goku sounds terrified!" Blue-Haired Launch said next to Chi-Chi.

Roshi, Krillin, Gohan, Chai, Launch and Chi-Chi all sat side-by-side outside of Goku's room while he wailed from inside of it. Across from them was the boy Clove and the Ox King. Another shriek sounded from the other side of the wall, making several of them cringe. It sounded almost as bad as when Vegeta had been squeezing the saiya-jin while in Oozaru form. Chai's tail was hopelessly fluffed until they left or her father stopped screaming. At least that wasn't quite as visible as how Krillin and Gohan were both shaking like trees in the wind.

"It is," Oka-san sighed. "Goku-sa's always been such a big baby about needles." She then turned to Gohan-kun who hadn't stopped shaking, or resumed reading the textbook that his mother had given him off of the pile in her lap. In retrospect, Chai was quite glad she was ordered to the kingdom for the day rather than given some boring text on politics. Normally she loved reading but there were some subjects she'd love to avoid altogether.

"Gohan, you need to get back to studying!" Oka-san scolded.

He glanced up at her quickly then began flipping through the pages again to find his place. Satisfied, Chi-Chi then turned to the boy sided up next to the Ox-King.

"Clove, was it?"

"Yes ma'am," the boy bowed.

Chai had to admit, she was impressed with the kid's manners. She'd noticed anytime she went into the city that manners were not as important outside of her household, and any manners that were shown to her and her family within the Ox Kingdom felt like they were strictly because of who her family was.

"Now why are you running around with Launch rather than in school? You can't be any older than 12 and, why, she's old enough to be your mother!" Chi-Chi inquired with her arms over her chest.

Papa shrieked again, making everyone in the hallway jump.

"That is about the reason. Launch is the closest thing to a mother I have, and she's… quite interesting."

Interesting didn't cover it. While at Muten Roshi-sama's, Chai had learned about the woman's two personalities, and how they switched the moment she sneezed. It was the consensus that both personalities were aware of each other, but they weren't aware of what the other did exactly. The woman had also disclosed that she was slowly getting better at controlling the viciousness of the Blonde-Haired Launch, but stressful events made her volatile. Such as Ten's death.

"Clove keeps me company," Launch agreed. "He does help the other me plan heists, but then when I'm out, we just give the money away. Well, most of it."

" 'Steal from the rich and give to the poor' ," Clove added.

"So should we dress you in green and call you Robin Hood?" the princess asked.

"Shall I call you Maid Marion?" the boy smirked.

"You shan't. I'm not the niece of the king. I'm his grand-daughter - the future queen."

Clove bowed again, the smirk not leaving his face. "I'll consider my chances slim, Your Highness."

Chai smiled cheekily. He was clever and bold - two traits she admired. She wondered how long he and Launch were going to stick nearby. They seemed to have a nomadic lifestyle, despite the woman's relationship to Tenshinhan. Evidently it was a relationship with a lot of space given to each other. Still, if they stuck around for a while, maybe Clove and Chai could be friends. She really didn't have any friends her own age, outside of Princess Mint but they rarely saw each other due to royal duties.

The doctor eventually called for both Krillin and Gohan to return for their shots. Unlike Otou-san, they did not have to clear the room in order to get enough nurses in there to keep them calm. They were sitting on their respective medical beds, family and friends scattered along the room, with the addition of Korin-sama and Yajirobe to the room.

Papa was now in a more severe looking bed that resembled a cocoon, with only his head sticking out, which was still wrapped in every direction, completely covering his skull. Apparently, it was deemed necessary to keep him from picking at his bandages and the various needles dripping saline and other medicines into his veins. Still, it was a disturbing sight.

"I'll see if I can grow some more senzu beans soon to speed your recovery, Goku," the cat assured him.

"I'd appreciate that, Korin. Especially with the crushed legs and fractured spine."

"Are there really dragon balls on Namek?" Launch asked.

"That's the theory. Bulma-san is currently trying to figure out a way to get there. Supposedly, the ship Kami/Piccolo came in is somewhere in the mountains," Krillin answered.

"And these dragon balls really grant wishes?" Clove asked.

"Any wish you want, but usually we use them to bring people back from the dead," Otou-san replied perkily. Somehow, the man was always in such a cheerful mood. He looked over to his father-in-law and frowned. "Ox King, is there something wrong with your chest?"

Everyone looked over to the giant monarch as a glow emitted from Ojii-san's breast pocket. The man startled at it then chuckled, fishing the orb out with two fingers. It looked to Chai like the giant holding the golden goose egg.

"Your Majesty," a voice spoke from within.

"Camphor," Ojii-san greeted.

"We have a lead on the Hakuma girl. We think it may have to do with the Dragon Kingdom…" the steward reported. His voice sounded particularly grim.

"I see," Ojii-san sighed then excused himself to the hallway to speak more privately.

That's odd, Chai thought. Her grandpa normally didn't hide royal engagements from them.

"We'll probably go home soon," Oka-san told the girl, who nodded her understanding. "We'll be here early tomorrow," Chi-Chi continued. She kissed her son on the head, then her husband.

"We'll miss ya, Chi," Otou-san said, warmly.

It was nightfall by the time they'd got to Mt. Paozu, and Mama made a quick dinner of Paozu tuna and vegetable stir fry. Ojii-san joined them, something that had been common in the past year but Chai wondered if that would continue once her brother and father came home from the hospital. She hoped so.

It was an hour or so past when Chai had gone to bed but she couldn't sleep. She was too busy catching pieces of conversation between her mother and grandpa.

"Dragon… Sheep… trafficking… " the Ox King said.

"Trafficking… Violet…. Just a baby!" Chi-Chi cried.

"Keep… down,"

"Why…? … … Ox …"

"Treaty… both ways…"

"What … we do?"

"... us… recon… girl… ring…"

"That's dangerous! Who would send their daughter!?"

No one. Whatever this is. No one would send their daughter.

"Chi-Chi!"

"Sorry… tell… dont… daughter… you know… Chai…"

The conversation petered off to where Chai couldn't catch anymore but her curiosity was already picqued. The girl wasn't too young to know what trafficking was. And she knew the Dragon and Sheep Kingdoms weren't getting along. Again, she was filled with that familiar sense of duty. People were in trouble and perhaps she was useless against other saiya-jins but maybe not against fellow humans.

The princess couldn't wait to get back to the kingdom. She needed to get information, and she was sure she knew where to try to get it.

Chi-Chi insisted on dressing her daughter for the kingdom this morning, braiding the girl's unruly hair and putting her in a pink dress with silver pins that the girl didn't entirely hate. When she and her mother arrived at the hospital, Papa and Krillin were asleep but Gohan was nowhere to be found.

"Stay here, Chai-chan, while I look for Gohan-chan.. Oh, he couldn't have gotten too far," Chi-Chi said in exasperation. She left the room quickly, trusting her daughter to stay in place with a book.

I hope she never learns to sense ki.

As soon as her mother was out of earshot, Chai got up quickly from the middle of the room, and headed for the elevator that led to the roof. Once up there, she slowly opened up the door and shook her head at the sight. Gohan-kun was nearby, alright. Nearby and using the railing as a balance beam.

"Gohan!" she hissed.

He jumped slightly, making his sister's heart stop for a moment but thankfully regained balance. He landed back on the metal railing, somewhat gracefully and stared over at Chai.

"What are you doing!? Mom's gonna have a whole-ass cow!"

He turned fully to her and glanced at the floor, which was a good three feet from where he was positioned.

"Here goes," he muttered then leapt in the air.

Chai watched in awe as Otouto-san went nine feet high, flipped in the air three times, then pivoted his body to cartwheel twice as he came down and landed on two feet. He then tapped the ground and chuckled. "See?" he told her. "I feel better."

I-I want to be able to do that. Her mind flashed to Gohan-kun attempting to teach her to control her ki and how difficult that was, but Chai couldn't let that stop her. There was at least one little girl that needed help. Recon. That was what her grandpa and mother called the kind of help that was needed. No armies. No politics. Subterfuge.

"Otouto-san, please, I won't say anything to Mom but teach me!"

Before he could answer, there was the sound of feet clicking against concrete stairs. The two demi's startled and sat up on a nearby bench as the same door that Chai came through swung open. Gohan buried his nose in the same book from yesterday while Chai began reciting off twelve current monarchs to herself and their immediate successors.

"Gohan! What are you doing up here!?" Chi-Chi scolded as she approached the two, fists at her side. "And Chai, I told you to stay in the room!"

"I thought I would get some fresh air," Gohan said, looking up.

"I thought I would help look," Chai paused long enough to explain.

"I was worried sick!" Chi-Chi shoved her face between the two. "Now you are both going back downstairs!"

The two complied, Gohan forced to ride piggyback on Chi-Chi. She had insisted that his legs were still too weak to carry him, making Chai wonder if her mother willingly ignored the differences that their saiya-jin genes made.

Although the woman had a tendency to fuss over her children, and Gohan did upset easily as a child, they both healed rather quickly. Even before Raditz came and turned their world upside-down, it was a small thing that Chai noticed. At the time, her Papa just laughed and assumed it was a quirk of his genetics because he also healed rapidly. He wasn't wrong, but it was definitely more than just 'a quirk'.

Downstairs, Bulma was now in the room, talking rapidly to Krillin and Papa about another spaceship she had found. Evidently Kami/Piccolo's ship was still around.

"I still need to make some repairs but I think the ship will get us to Namek in less than a month's time!"

The woman looked much better than she had in days - her hair long and well-taken care of, and wearing jeans and a tee shirt with a little grease on them. She looked like she'd just been working on the ship, optimism driven by a new sense of purpose.

She wasn't the only newer face this morning. Chai noted that Launch and Clove also made a return appearance. Launch looked a bit cleaner than she did the day beforehand, her red ribbon not as frayed and her yellow tank top not torn along the edges. Clove was dressed in a fresher looking green tee and brown pants. The color made his magenta eyes pop out even more in contrast.

"Congratulations, Bulma, you saved the day!" Launch exclaimed.

"It was really Mr. Popo. He came and showed me where the ship was. All that's left is for him to teach me enough Namekian to pilot it and a few of my amazing friends to go with," Bulma smiled.

The room quickly went silent as everyone refused to face her.

Chai opened her mouth but closed it before anything could come out. As much as she wanted to go, it would cut into her secret training with Roshi. And with her learning more about the kingdom. Plus, there was no way Oka-san would let her go. Besides, she needed to do something about the trafficking. She wasn't sure what was going on, or if she could do something, but she couldn't sit around like she didn't know about it.

"Well not everyone volunteer at once!" Bulma frowned.

"Hmm, two months alone with Bulma," Roshi-sama mused. "Sign me up! It'll be the trip of a lifetime!"

Ew. EW!

"You'd better watch yourself, Old Man!" the heiress scolded.

"Well, I guess I'll go. I still need to train though, in case we're attacked again," Krillin-Oji-san told her.

Gohan groaned in his bed. "Hey guys.. I umm…" he kept looking down at his sheets, scrunching them up in his hands. "Ummm…." his face shot up suddenly, "I want to go with Bulma and Krillin!"

Oka-san leaned over his bed, eyes wide. Chai could tell that her mother was trying to reign in her ferocity. "Gohan.. Don't tell me you want to leave your sister and I alone for two months…"

"You won't be alone. Dad will be here. I really want to go."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You'd rather go with them than stay with me?"

"It's not that, Oka-san. I just need to be a part of bringing back Piccolo-san."

"Chi-Chi, let him go," Papa said from the side.

"Ugh! I can't take this! Why couldn't I have a normal family who eats dinner, talks about their day, watches tv and goes to bed!?" Chi-Chi screeched.

We do that, Mom. You and I… I know you missed Gohan. I missed him too… but I'm still here. I've always been here.

Gohan had scooted himself closer to the edge of his bed and began undoing his bandages.

"Don't be silly, Mama…" Chai said, weakly.

Chi-Chi then turned her rage on her daughter.

"I'm silly?! I'm silly!? I'm not the one who wants to run around playing superhero!"

"We should move…" Launch whispered to Krillin who was standing just behind the woman.

"Gods, Mama! It's not like you didn't know what you were getting when you married Papa! How did you think your kids would turn out!? And aren't you preparing me to rule over a kingdom!? Yet you won't let me train so that maybe I can defend that kingdom!? Honestly! You were a warrior, you married a warrior, you should have known you'd have warrior children!" Chai shouted back.

Chi-Chi began turning back and forth between her two children wildly, unsure of which one she was more angry with.

"That's it! I'm putting my foot down! Gohan, you are not leaving us again after being gone a whole year! And Chai, you will be a princess - not a warrior! You are both children, so act like it! You should both be enjoying childhood while you can! I am your mother! And as your mother, you will listen to me! I carried each of you for nine months! Do you know what I had to do to get your father to get me pregnant!? Put food in my dress! BOTH TIMES!"

"OKA-SAN! SHUT UP!" Gohan shouted from the side.

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. The only heat radiated from the five year old boy getting out of his hospital bed. Everyone watched on, so silent that Chai could hear the saline drips from the other rooms. She could still remember how the blast went through Piccolo. The smell of his flesh burning. How Gohan-kun cried out "Oji-san!"

"Bulma, you'll let me go with you, won't you?" Gohan-kun politely asked.

Oba-san just smiled and nodded her head, encouragingly.

"Mom, I'm sorry but my friends are all dead. Piccolo-san died trying to save me. Wouldn't it be better if I made that right? I'm sorry I yelled at you, but I have to try."

"You have a brave son," Clove spoke from the wall. "I agree with Gohan. If it's possible to do something for others, then you should."

Chi-Chi whipped around and pointed her finger at the boy. "You have no room in this! We just met you! And you rob banks and stores! What could a delinquent possibly have to say!?"

"Launch and I rob banks yes, and large corporations that don't care about people. We take their dirty money and we give it to people that need money. For food, shelter, clothes, education. Is that not a worthy endeavor?" Clove asked.

"I think it is, as long as you don't rob me," Bulma replied. "And besides, Chi-Chi, we've known Launch a long time and always known she was a criminal."

"Hhhh! Only half of her is a criminal. The other half is a sweet girl that loves to cook." Chi-Chi argued.

"That may be true," Launch interjected. "But I don't try to stop my other self and I don't return the money. I'm the side that gives it away."

"That's right." Bulma-oba-san agreed. "People are complicated, and Chi-Chi, just because Gohan-kun wants to be a hero doesn't mean he's not your little boy. I promise I'll keep an eye on him, and Krillin will be there too." She then turned to Gohan-kun. "Meet me in ten days."

Gohan brightened up at that and nodded eagerly to Bulma. That left Chai ten days to see if maybe she could get any training out of her brother. Going to Roshi's was fine and well, but an hour a week wasn't going to cut it. And if she was going to do anything about what she overheard the night before, she'd need whatever training she could get. There might be a real fight - one no one could save her from because no one would know.

It excited her in a way she wasn't used to. Chai could feel the blood as it rushed through her veins and her heart pumped erratically. Her tail swished behind her and a grin etched itself onto her face.

She didn't visit Roshi's Island or the Ox Kingdom. They went back to Mt. Paozu a few hours later, and continued their normal existence of chores, Chi-Chi involving Chai in the cooking (it was one of the girl's few requests that her mother eagerly complied with), dinner, studying, then whole time, however, Chai couldn't get that restlessness to go away. She was in a hurry to train, to learn to fight, to find out what was going on, and do something about it. She was sure whatever it was would involve danger. As she played out in her head herself being a hero, and fighting off the Dragon Kingdom from the Sheep Kingdom, Chai saw 3 am before she fell asleep.

She was looking in a mirror, but what she saw in her reflection didn't look quite like her. For one, Chai was dressed in a red and gold cheongsam whereas her reflection wore a chest plate very similar to what Vegeta wore with just a red bodysuit underneath, revealing most of her body. Her hair was still wild and long, actually her reflection had wilder hair and instead of dark, her eyes were red and set above a smirk that resembled the one her father wore during his fight yesterday. The most startling difference, however, was how her face had morphed, giving her a set of fangs from top to bottom, her nostrils flared so that her face more resembled a snout and her ears became pointed on the ends.

"Wake up, little saiya-jin. Wake up!" her reflection's voice rasped.