Kage Kagami Part II-The Mirror Breaks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mirror Breaks... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can't we call him yet?" Vegeta grumped, for the hundredth time. Bulma sighed, and wondered how Dende held his temper so well. She was ready to super-glue Vegeta's mouth shut soon, but the young Kami-sama just shook his head as he slowly walked around the edge of the Tenka. Bulma walked with him, amazed at the view she could see of the earth below while in the Kami's presence. If she lagged too far behind, she could only see the lands of Sechi-Karin, watched over by Master Karin, and the now grown up Upa, with help from Gokus old friend Bora (Who was now quite elderly). * But next to Dende, she could see the whole world spread below, like a detailed map, or picture.
"No, not yet, Vegeta-San, but soon. I'll tell you when it's safe." Dende said patently. Mr. Popo was watering the flowers, and trying to stay out of the Princes way as he paced about.
"Vegeta, sit still! You are driving me nuts!" Bulma snapped. He snarled at her, and took off flying instead. She jumped up and down, furious at his abandoning her here this way, but Dende chuckled softly next to her.
"Hey, its not funny!" She yelled. The young Namek winced, and covered his sensitive ears, and then pointed to the direction Vegeta had taken off to.
"He's getting Gohan and Goten, I believe. And maybe Bra and Pan as well." Bulma gaped in surprise. Why would he get them? They couldn't help very much in this, and besides all they needed to do was bring him back, right? Then she remembered Vegeta's intuition of danger to Trunks, and felt cold. Vegeta was rarely wrong about these things, and she knew it. She sank to her knees and wished she could do something too; Dende rested one hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but knew there was nothing he could do, at least not yet...
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Not far from the two Trunks's, something stirred under the ground. It had been waiting for a long time to be strong enough again to come forth, and get revenge on its would-be destroyer. Now it was ready, nearly six years after its defeat. And as it rose, it felt both Trunks and his Mirai companion, and tried to figure this puzzle out. It finally came to a conclusion, and listened for clues to make sure of its theory.
"So, how is your world doing? I mean, have you gotten more companies to go clean? And how is your sister?" Mirai Trunks asked. Trunks smiled and told him about his difficulty in getting the factories and foundries to change technologies, and spoke of Bra, even though he had told both Bulma and Mirai about her when he'd arrived a few days ago. Then they both felt it; a Chi both powerful and oddly familiar. It was like feeling a Saiyan and a Namek crossed...
"Who is that? It's powerful... " Mirai said, eyes narrowed in concentration. They stood side by side, looking and feeling for more details. Suddenly, the Chi began to rise sharply. As they felt it, Mirai stiffened in angry shock. Trunks stared at him nervously. Did he know what this was, who it was?
"Kuso, its Cell!!!" Mirai Trunks cursed, pulling his clothes on quickly. Trunks moved to do so as well, feeling helpless. Even Super-Saiyan, he wouldn't be much help to Mirai, not with it being so strong, and they both knew it. But how had the creature survived?
"Aha, you are correct. Nice to see you, my brothers!" The soft voice was deceptive in its smoothness. They turned and saw it, standing by the edge of the trees. Tall, taller than Piccolo, its face a handsome mix of Goku and Vegeta, it was a genetic monstrosity; Perfect Cell. Dr. Geros' final legacy to the world that rejected his evil mind, Cell was powerful and deadly, with no reverence for life, and the worst of both the Saiyans DNA and Piccolo's as well. It was Piccolo's Namekian ability to regenerate that was the cause of this resurrection, and the Saiyan ability to get stronger after every fight and injury the made it so strong now.
"I thought you vaporized him, Mirai?!" Trunks hissed. Mirai Trunks growled very Vegeta like in response.
"Me too, Chibi. But I guess if even one cell of him escapes, he comes back... just like Frieza. Man, I'm in trouble here, he's real strong now, and you aren't strong enough to help much, no offence... " Trunks blushed in shame, but it was true. He'd just not kept up with his training like his father had, and now he was going to pay for it...
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"Dende!!! Now, call him back now!!!" Vegeta roared as he swept in from the sky, Gohan and Goten in tow. Pan flew in with Bra and Videl.
"Oh, Bulma, I didn't want you to wait alone... " Videl said as she landed.
"Wait alone? What do you mean?" Bulma said suspiciously.
"She means, we are going after him, if Dende doesn't bring him back now!" Vegeta snapped. They turned to Dende, but he was lost to them at the moment, eyes out of focus. Gohan walked up to his old friend, and looked at him patiently.
"Oh my!" The Kami said. They watched him, Bulma looking pale. She almost opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but he said two words that made them shiver with fear.
"It's Cell... "
Vegeta and Goten bolted for the door to the room that held Trunks body, Gohan and Pan close behind...
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"I'm surprised to see TWO of you, Trunks. How is this possible? Is he a clone of you?" Cell asked, as if they had met for lunch, and not a battle to the death. Mirai stood silent, acutely aware that he didn't have his sword with him. He didn't really need it, but he'd feel better with it on his back. He contemplated sending Chibi for it, and knew that he'd probably not leave for anything short of death itself. He himself wouldn't have gone, so he didn't even ask Chibi to go.
"I'm from another time. We aren't really the same person, though we look somewhat alike." Trunks said. He was searching for some way to push himself to SSJ2. He had only made it once, while sparring with Gohan, but he'd not been able to do it alone. SSJ2 was probably enough to beat Cell, certainly enough to help Mirai destroy it.
"I see. Well, I guess it's my lucky day then, revenge times two, twice as sweet!" Cell said, its smooth voice reminding Mirai of the long dead Frieza. It crossed its arms, and smirked, now like Vegeta, and then shifted stance slightly, looking like Piccolo. It was uncanny to Trunks, how it looked like any of its DNA "brothers". It even had some of Mirai in it, if he remembered what his mother had told him right.
"Now, I think I'll savor the weak Trunks first, and build up to you, Wild Boy. Ready?" Cell chuckled, and spread its feet, readying itself for an attack.
"Masenko!" A blast of orange/purple Chi hit Cells side, blowing it off of its feet. Trunks gaped at Gohan as he dropped to the ground, and then realized that Mirai was shaking beside him.
"G-Gohan? Is it really Gohan?" Mirai Trunks whispered. Gohan had died here when he was only thirteen years old; he'd not seen Gohan for almost eleven years Mirai time. Gohan leapt at the winded Cell, not listening to them, joined by Vegeta and Goten. Mirai went white now.
"Chikuso! Tousan! And who's that guy? Is that this Goten you told me about?" Trunks nodded, and pointed out the fact that they needed to help if they were to destroy Cell for certain this time. He was about to join them in the now raging fight, but Bra and Pan latched onto him.
"Forget it, buster! You aren't in the shape to face that thing!" Pan yelled loud enough to topple a mountain. It stunned Trunks, so that he couldn't move to follow Mirai as he leapt into the fray.
"Hey, he's you!" Bra said, but Trunks ignored her, as he realized that there was only one way to be sure Cell was dead, and that the others weren't going to do what was necessary. He yelled, and showing remarkable power for his weakened, out of shape self, pulled free of the girls grip. He flew over to the scene of the fight and waited to get Gohan's attention.
Cell was easily too powerful for them, even together, and was pummeling Vegeta and Mirai Trunks by turns. Both men kept coming at the monster, but they couldn't last like this for long. Gohan was standing to the side, not fighting but powering up to SSJ2, pushing himself hard for more power. Goten was across the field, stunned by a lucky blow.
"Gohan, we have to knock him out, and then incinerate him! If even one cell of him remains... !" Trunks yelled. Gohan nodded, and looked grim.
"Hai, I know that Trunks! I killed it in our world you know! But it has to be kept busy, and we don't know if Vegeta and Mirai Trunks will be able to get away in time... When Cell goes, it tries to take you with it... " Gohan said evenly. He had learned the hard way that he couldn't hesitate during a fight with Cell.
Trunks stared at Gohan, and realized what the older man was saying; Vegeta and Mirai Trunks were most likely going to die in their efforts to hold Cell in one place so Gohan could vaporize it. He felt a strange snap in his head, and rage like he'd never felt before washed over him. This was his fault, really, for coming here and causing his family and friends to come and get him, but it didn't lessen his rage at the monster fighting his father and his other self. Gohan turned to look at him as Trunks Chi erupted into white fire. There was an explosion, and Trunks had gone past SSJ to SSJ2, hair white and eyes pale aqua blue. He disappeared from Gohans sight, and reappeared next to the monster.
"Your time is up!" Trunks roared, and slammed his palms into Cells chest. It stared down at him in surprise, not even realizing what Trunks was doing. Trunks sent every bit of his heightened Chi into the monster, and then set it off. Vegeta and Mirai Trunks had the presence of mind to hit the dirt, and Gohan had grabbed Pan and Bra, covering them with his own body as Cell exploded massively.
There was a few moments where there wasn't anything to do but try to breathe the dust laden air, and try to feel for the other Senshis Chi, but finally the dust began to clear, and the interference customary after a big Chi blast dispersed. There was no sign of Cell.
Or of Trunks.
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* Aha! You have to read the Dragonball Manga to know who these guys are, but in a nutshell, they live at the foot of Karin's tower, and watch the lands around the tower for Karin and the Kami. The Red Ribbon Army killed Bora during a Dragonball hunt, and Goku wished him back to life. Upa was Bora's grandson, and slated to take over for the old Indian. Bora would actually be VERY old by the time of this story, but I'm taking license here, ok?!!
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