By
Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen
Disclaimer: Oh boy! Fan fiction writing for more than three years, and I still got to disclaim!
: Thoughts
Welcome Back, Trunks!
Trunks tensed up as he held out his sword. Though his Scouter was giving him very huge power readings on his opponent, the young Saiyan was well aware of what Ifurita was capable of. His senses were almost overwhelming him as the Demon-God began powering up in front of him. The ground began to shake as her energy levels started climbing at an extreme rate.
Like the Androids sixteen, nineteen and twenty, Ifurita was 100% synthetic. Trunks could only use his senses to detect her energy when she was emitting them and when he was in close proximity to her. Though the readings that his Scouter were giving showing weren't exactly encouraging either. He had set it on its highest scanner range and it was STILL threatening to overload.
Power level... one hundred thousand... one hundred fifty... two hundred thousand... three hundred thousand... whoa! Two million already?! Ten million! One hundred million!
A minute later, the Scouter gave up...
FZZZZZAAAAAKK! CRACKLE! BAM!
The device blew out and fell to the ground in sparks and pieces. Though its destruction did not harm the Super-Saiyan in the least, its last reading before it exploded had been a sign that Trunks was in BIG trouble.
Five... billion! And he knew that she was just getting warmed up.
"Enough! I do not experience emotions!" Ifurita declared as she stopped powering up and leveled her staff at him.
"Yes you do!" Trunks insisted. "I FELT THEM IN YOU!"
"It is time for you to die." She simply said as she prepared to fire. The son of Vegita braced himself for the imminent chaos and destruction.
"HOLD IT! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"
The two strongest beings in El Hazard turned to see Shayla-Shayla, Afra Mann and Miz Mishtal take a stand behind them.
"It ends right here!" Shayla declared.
"You've had your way for too long!" Miz added.
"And now we're going to put a stop to you, once and for all!" Afra said.
Ifurita however, was unimpressed as she turned her attention to the newcomers. She simply waited for them to make the first move.
"I still haven't paid you back for the last time!" Shayla instantly activated the Lamp of Fire and leapt up in a nimbus of swirling fames.
"NO! DON'T FIGHT HER!" Trunks shouted, but it was too late.
The slave of Jinnai instantly duplicated Shayla's powers and took off to meet her in the air. The two collided in a massive explosion, and the Fire Priestess was knocked back. Shayla launched two fireballs at her opponent, but Ifurita simply shrugged them off.
"That was pointless." She said simply, as Shayla was in a state of shock. She then sent a gout of flame at her opponent, which slammed into her like a battering ram. The redhead was sent flying back and hit a support column, causing it to crumble. She landed on the floor and moaned in pain as she knew that several of her ribs were broken. There was also some internal bleeding. and she found it difficult to breathe.
"NO! SHAYLA!" Miz cried out as she focused her willpower into the Lamp of Water. The ring glowed with a blue light as Ifurita turned to face her next victim. "You're going to pay for that!"
The moisture in the air began condensing as the Water Priestess manipulated the water into a solid shape. She then let off a cry of anger as she released a deadly torrent at her enemy. However, the Demon-God evade the strike with no effort. The attack exploded the balcony behind her.
"Focused wave of water... amateur." Ifurita said without emotion. This got Miz even more riled up as she summoned up a barrage of solid water projectiles at the Demon-God. However, Ifurita deflected the shots with her staff and summoned up her own water attack.
"It is a simple manipulation of water molecules." Ifurita then demonstrated her own mastery of Miz's ability and sent a huge blast of hardened water at the Water Priestess.
Miz brought up a shield of water for protection, but it was not enough as Ifurita's attack blasted through the barrier and plowed into her. She was sent crashing into a pile of rubble and was out cold.
The Demon-God then faced off against the last Priestess. "Do you know why I am the most feared of all the Demon-Gods?"
Afra Mann braced her self for any attack.
"I have the ability to recreate any weapon or method used against me." Ifurita continued. "I grow stronger with each battle! I have also the experience of thousands of warriors, including the Golden Champion! My power is virtually unlimited!"
Trunks became very pale when he heard this. She's... just like the way father described Cell!
"THAT MEANS NOTHING TO A CHIEF PRIESTESS OF MOUNT MULDOON!" Afra shouted as she activated the Lamp of Wind. She then let loose with a high-pressure blast that tore up the floor and made a direct hit on Ifurita. However, that had NO effect and Ifurita nodded.
"Effective. A simple air-vacuum. I believe you call that a Badger's Slash? I have gained yet another weapon." Without a second thought, she let loose with an air-blast that was a hundred times more powerful than Afra could ever hope to accomplish. Afra felt her body being ravaged by sharp, rasping winds before she was thrown back and hit hard against another stone column. Her right shoulder was dislocated and she gained a concussion in the bargain as she fell to the floor.
Trunks gritted his teeth. He knew that Ifurita was only playing with them as they could never hope to be a match against her. He was also aware that the Demon-God considered him as no threat, as she was delaying his execution to deal with what she considered as annoying gnats.
"You see? I AM the most powerful!" Ifurita taunted as she leveled her staff to finish off the Three Priestesses. Shayla was the only one that was still conscious as she tried to summon up her powers. However, she didn't have enough energy to light a match. Ifurita was about to deliver the final blast.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Ifurita turned to see the blazing gold light of a very angry Super-Saiyan hurtle toward her.
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"Where's Trunks?" Nanami asked as she met up with Mr. Fujisawa in one of the other hallways of the palace. Guests and guards were running about in a state of panic as chaos continued.
Suddenly, there was a sudden rumbling, causing everyone to scream out louder. Then , two bright explosions suddenly flared off near one of the towers and two golden streaks of light rocketed up toward the sky.
The history teacher pointed up to the bright flashes of light. "I think he may be up there."
The two kept on running and soon came upon the place where the priestesses were. They came upon Shayla-Shayla as she managed to sit up.
"Shit! If... only I hadn't... used up all my energy... unsealing the Eye of God..."
As Nanami and her sensei went to the priestesses' aid, the redhead looked up at the sky as two darting lights continued to flare in the sky.
Now... it's all up to you... Trunks.
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Unfortunately, Trunks was still not up to the task.
"KAME HAME HA!"
A huge blast of ki energy was launched from the Super-Saiyan's open palm, but his opponent dodged the attack and fired off several beams in retaliation. Trunks blurred to avoid the barrage and reappeared behind her. He swung his sword at her, but she instantly twisted to block the blade with her staff.
The two began trading thrusts, parries, stabs and counter-slashes at speeds too fast for the human eye to follow, but while Trunks was a Super-Saiyan, even he had his limits as he battled Ifurita in the sky.
"DESTRUCTO DISC!"
Trunks flew back to get some fighting room and launched several of Krillan's spinning ki blades. But, Ifurita's speed proved to be too fast as she evaded all of the deadly projectiles. Two of the discs flew down and chopped off the top of the east tower of the Roshtarian palace. Fortunately, no one had been inside at the time.
As Ifurita was busy dodging the discs, Trunks took this opportunity to focus his power. He raised a hand with his index and middle finger extended and pointing them to his forehead. Soon, a small but concentrated ball of ki was formed as he pointed those fingers at Ifurita.
"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"
Piccolo's move, a beam of intense energy with swirls was fired at the Demon God, but once again, she evaded it by vanishing from sight.
"NO!" Trunks realized that his attack was going to hit the center of Florastika, and pulled up on his arm. He mentally took control of the beam's flight and forced it to turn up and away from hitting the city. The shot pulled up and rocketed to disappear into the night sky.
That was when Ifurita appeared behind him. Trunks barely managed to turn around and block with his sword as she swung her staff at his head.
SNAP!
Trunks found himself in a state of shock as he looked down at his sword. Half of the blade had broken off from the strain of battle and that last blow. The shattered portion was now falling toward the ground.
"You are quite talented." Ifurita commented as she hovered before him. "Thanks you, I now have several NEW attacks to my arsenal!"
Before Trunks could react, she blurred and reappeared behind him, driving one end of her staff into the small of his back. She swung hard with her weapon, knocking the ruined sword out of the youth's hands, then delivered several more blows of the staff. After pummeling him a few more times, she delivered a vicious spin kick to his head, which caused him to lose focus and plummet down toward the ground. She sent a Kamehameha and several Destructo Discs at him to add insult to injury. Trunks managed to dodge the discs, but the attack that was Goku's signature move, hit him hard and caused him to drop like a falling meteor.
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"LOOK OUT! INCOMING!" Nanami shouted as she saw something hurtle down to where she and her friends were. Mr. Fujisawa had just started sobering up again and swept up the fallen priestesses and his student into his arms. They high-tailed it away from the impact zone as Trunks slammed into and through a tower before landing near where his friends had fallen in battle against Ifurita. He made a very large crater in the main courtyard, causing a huge cloud of dust to be turned up and aftershock to reverberate throughout the area.
Nanami and Mr. Fujisawa huddled behind a wall as they looked over to where Trunks had landed. They saw that Trunks was flat on his back and moaning in great pain as his hair darkened to its normal color and became limp. His clothes were dirty and tattered from his battle. His power levels began dropping quickly and he knew that the end was near as Ifurita landed down in front of him and pointed her staff at him.
"NO! TRUNKS!" Nanami tried to run toward them, Mr. Fujisawa held her back, knowing that it would have been suicidal. Shayla-Shayla also could do nothing but look on helplessly. Her colleagues were still unconscious and she had no strength left to help the boy with whom she had become smitten with.
At the center of the crater, Ifurita looked down at her defeated foe and prepared for the deathblow. "You have great power. However, I have won. Now, I know ALL of your techniques."
Trunks saw that if he didn't act quickly, he was going to find out what it would be like to die as Goku and Vegita had. Only in this case, there were no Dragon Balls on El Hazard to bring him back. He had to try a desperate gamble. Though is strained him to do so, Trunks lifted his head and held up his hands with fingers spread toward his face.
"Not... quite... Ifurita... You don't know them all! SOLAR FLARE!"
Night momentarily became day as the Saiyan released his technique, which blinded everyone who saw it. The light that Trunks emitted was so bright, that even Ifurita flinched and was caught off-guard for a moment. With the last of his strength, he managed to get to his feet and touched the Demon-God's face with his hand. His special power activated as soon as he made skin contact and the two minds were once again linked.
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In his mind, Trunks saw the carnage and destruction that was wrought during the Holy Wars. He saw Ifurita at the center of such violence. He observed glimpses of her battle with the Golden Champion and her being sealed away by the Ancients of El Hazard. Then he saw her first memories after she had been reawakened, which were images of himself.
In Ifurita's mind, she saw Trunks as a baby as Future Trunks came to help against Cell and the Androids. She saw him as an eight-year-old as he trained with Goten and competed in the Junior Division of the World Martial Arts Tournament. She couldn't help but smile as she witnessed the boy silence an egotistical bully with one kick and knocked Mr. Satan to the other side of the arena. Then she saw something that put her into a state of shock. It was the scene at Shinnanome High School where the person who sent Trunks to El Hazard was... herself.
NO! That's me!
The two began sharing more memories as their entire lives became like open books to each other. Finally, they both witnessed a scene of total devastation.
These memories... they can't be the only ones that you have... Trunks said with his mind.
I was created to be the perfect fighting weapon. Ifurita replied. If commanded, I will destroy all that stands against me. I obey only the master of the Power Key Staff.
The two faced each other as the memories faded away into nothingness. As they came back to reality, they continued to gaze at one another with a kind of longing. There was only silence as their eyes maintained contact. Finally, Ifurita bowed down her head and closed her eyes. She had lost the will to fight and decided to leave. She flew off and disappeared over the horizon of the evening sky.
Trunks broke out of the spell that he was in and collapsed to the ground.
Nanami ran up to his fallen form and cradled him in her arms as she knelt down.
"Trunks! Trunks! You did it! You saved us all!"
The half-Saiyan could only shake his head slightly. All he had done was win a reprieve. The next time he fought Ifurita, it would be their final battle.
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Some time later...
"The Three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon had sustained many serious injuries and... I am afraid that they are... fatal." Dr. Schtallebaugh said as he put away his stethoscope. Nanami, Trunks, and Mr. Fujisawa were standing beside him at the side of the bed that the Water Priestess had been laid on. The other two Priestesses were in separate rooms. Trunks had a bandage wrapped around his head and his right arm in a sling. He had landed on it when fell and had sprained it. He also had several bruised ribs and a few burns after being hit by a massive Kamehameha Wave. His torn jacket was lying on the bed. Though he had taken major punishment, his Saiyan heritage had allowed him to endure. The priestesses however, were a different matter altogether as Dr. Schtallebaugh gave the diagnosis.
"Priestess Miz is starting to slip into a coma, and both Afra Mann and Shayla-Shayla have serious internal bleeding problems as well as massive organ damage. I fear that they will not survive the night. Our healers can do nothing against injuries of this magnitude. It is a dark time indeed for Roshtaria and all of El Hazard." The Royal Advisor shook his head sadly.
Trunks frowned as he had known that they hadn't the slightest chance against the Demon-God, yet they fought her anyway. He also knew that he had the means to save them. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the last of his Senzu Beans. Though he had considered taking one to restore his injuries, and become stronger in the process to face Ifurita again. However, he felt that it wouldn't make much of a difference and the priestesses needed the beans more. He held out the beans and addressed Dr. Schtallebaugh.
"Dr. Schtallebaugh? I have something here that could help."
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"Amazing! Simply amazing!" Dr. Schtallebaugh remarked as he watched Afra Mann sit up from her bed. "Young Trunks continues to astound us all!"
Afra found herself surprisingly refreshed and she felt stronger and healthier than she ever felt before. She began unwrapping the bandages on her forehead, and arms and saw that the terrible cuts and bruises she had gained were gone. There was a blessed absence of pain and she felt as if she had spent an entire month at Arliman.
"What was that thing I just ate?"
"The otherworlder Trunks had some kind of magical healing items that he called... Senzu Beans, yes that was it. They healed all of your injuries and Priestess Shayla-Shayla."
"What about Priestess Miz?"
"Trunks had done something else to get out of her coma. I'm not certain how he did it, but he placed his hand on her head and gave her some of his.... what was it he called it? Oh yes! He called it ki. Once Miz awakened, he gave her the last of his Senzu Beans to heal the rest of her injuries. Mr. Fujisawa is watching over her while she's resting."
"The last? You mean... there aren't any more of these wondrous beans?"
The advisor shook his head. "No, I afraid not and there are many in the palace that could use them. However, through some great miracle, there were only five fatalities among the Royal Guards and the rest will eventually recover from their injuries. None of the Council Leaders or guests were harmed. Trunks assures me that he will be fine, even though he took a horrible beating from Ifurita."
"He didn't use one of the beans to heal himself?"
The dean shook his head with a slight smile. "Trunks said that you three needed them more than he did. He is a very unusual, yet special young man."
"Yes... he is." Afra agreed quietly as she thought about the man who had saved her.
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In another bedroom, Mr. Fujisawa was just starting to doze off as he sat at Miz's bedside. He started to snore which awakened the priestess. Miz looked to her side and smiled as she realized that he must had stayed up all night, watching over her.
She then began to sob as she thought back to her dismal defeat at the hands of Ifurita, which awakened the history teacher.
"Oh! Good, you're awake!" Trunks' sensei said as he leaned closer to her.
"Dear, sweet Masamichi... sob... I'm totally useless!"
"What?! What are you talking about?"
"No! Don't look at me! I don't want you to see my weakness!" Miz covered her face with her hands and turned away. "Instead of being a powerful chief priestess, I let everyone down!"
"Oh come on now! You fought bravely."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better!"
"No I'm not! You did more than anyone could've done!" Masamichi assured.
Miz wasn't listening as she continued to bemoan her situation. "If I had known that my career was going to come to this, I would have retired and married a long time ago!"
"Nonsense! You shouldn't let things like this get you down." The history teacher said as he took on a more confident tone. "Not while I'm around."
Miz stopped crying when she heard this. "Do you mean that?"
"I mean it."
Miz smiled as she now had him right where she wanted him. "I just have one favor to ask."
Being the gallant gentleman that he was, Fujisawa opened his mouth... and put his foot into it. "Ask away my dear. If there's anything at all that I can do for you, I'll do whatever it takes. You can count on it."
Gotcha!
Miz quickly sat up and took Fujisawa's hands into her own. "I want you to marry me!"
"HUH?!"
Miz's eyes became glassy as she went on. "I've already asked Dr. Shtallebaugh, and he's agreed to officiate over our vows!"
"WHA?!"
"I can reserve the church for the ceremony and reception!"
Me and my big mouth!
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Kami's Lookout, Earth...
King Kai, this is Dende. Can you hear me?
In Otherworld, the Kai of the North nodded as he replied telepathically. Yes, I'm still here. I have good news! I found Trunks! He was transported to a very distant dimension called El Hazard.
The Namek Guardian of the Earth smiled as he also related some good news. That's great! Gohan had told me a few minutes ago that he, Goten and Vegita have already found four of the Dragon Balls. We should have them all soon. Bulma managed to get her old Dragon Ball Radar working again and Goku is now joining in the search.
Excellent! Notify me as soon as all seven Dragon Balls are gathered.
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Back on El Hazard, in the Bugrom Citadel...
"How could you let that thorn in my side, Trunks escape?" Jinnai grunted as he continued to wind Ifurita's Key Staff. " I'm busy trying to conquer El Hazard without having to worry about him!" He grunted again as he continued to turn the staff. "Damn! I thought you only needed winding every ten years or so!"
Ifurita gave her master a disdainful look. "I expend far more energy in battle! The least you can do is w-!" The Demon-God suddenly slumped forward and became unsteady for a moment.
Jinnai became even more irritable as he pulled out the staff. "What? What's wrong now? Do you have some kind of warranty that I should have known about?"
Ifurita straightened up and then took her staff back. Without a word, she left the room.
Jinnai snorted and said to himself, "They don't Demon-Gods like they used to."
As the weapon from the Holy Wars walked down the halls, she began to falter as her mind became more confused. She still saw the face of that boy in her subconscious and remembered the effect his touch had on her.
"I... live only to suffer... and to bring suffering to others. If there is an end to this existence... I wish for nothing else."
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Roshtaria...
Trunks continued to stare out from the courtyard at the horizon with a forlorn look in his eyes. He couldn't get the image of Ifurita out of his head after he had made contact with her mind again. He wondered if he was going nuts for having feelings towards something that was a machine. Then again, Krillan and Android 18 seemed to hit off nicely and even had a daughter. However, Android 18 had started out as a human. Ifurita had been built from scratch.
Somewhere else in the palace, Allielle was looking for Shayla or Nanami but wasn't having luck at finding either. She soon came across Trunks' living body armor Ura, as she was taking another catnap on a bench near the courtyard.
"Ura? Have you seen Nanami or Sister Shayla?"
The objects of her unwanted affections were hiding behind a pillar and peeking around it to observe the Saiyan who was standing in the courtyard.
Shalya was crouched down with Nanami leaning over her.
"So what are you waiting for? Go ask him!" Nanami whispered as she pushed the Fire Priestess forward.
Shalya angrily turned and said, "Hey! Stop pushing, and why am I elected?"
"Don't start playing games now! You and I both saw the look on Trunk's face! Something more than just a passing gaze passed between him and that Ifurita."
Shayla became a bit worried and concurred. "They did stare for a long time."
"That's why we've got to find out just what is going on between them!"
"Okay, you're right."
"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Nanami pushed Shayla forward again.
"Will you stop shoving?!"
"I guess you don't care if Trunks runs off with that Demon-God bimbo, do you?"
Shayla blushed a bit as she denied it. "NO! Why should I care? It's none of my business!"
"Who are you trying to kid?! It's a wonder your nose isn't growing! Go over there and ask him!"
"If you're so fired up about it, why don't you ask him?!"
This time it was Nanami who got all flustered. "Er, I don't have the time for that." Shayla didn't believe a word of it. "Oh no, of course not."
The two girls finally summoned their courage and began approaching the half-Saiyan. When he did not immediately turn to their presence, they spoke in the same voice...
"Listen... Trunks? Its that..."
"Ifurita." Trunks said in longing tone. He wasn't actually saying it to anyone, but the two females heard him loud and clear and felt their worlds crumbling around them.
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"You're right, Ura. It's all so boring!" Allielle remarked as she sat down beside the cat. It was at that moment she heard a cry of anguish.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
The lesbian servant girl became excited as she saw Shayla race past her at a fast clip.
"Ooh, Sister Shayla! Out for some jogging? I can do that too!" She got up and began pursuing the anguished redhead.
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Back in the courtyard, Nanami was currently strangling Trunks.
"OOH! HOW LONG HAS THIS THING BEEN GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND IFURITA?! DON'T LIE OR I'LL BREAK YOUR SAIYAN NECK!"
Trunks had a feeling that Nanami was going to break his neck in any case. In his weakened condition, she might just do it. "C-Come on, Nanami! I-I can explain! Calm down! I'm injured, remember?"
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Shayla chugged down her ninth glass of wine as she and Mr. Fujisawa sat outside of the palace kitchen.
"Damn that bastard!"
"Hey, take it easy! That's my private stash!" The history teacher warned.
"Aw, don't be such a stingy! You know, I don't have very much patience for your gender right now!" Shayla was so wrapped in her anger that she continued to fill her glass, even after it began overflowing.
"Hey! You have no idea what I went through to steal that from the kitchen, AND YOU'RE WATERING THE LAWN WITH IT!"
"That jerk! He ought to know how I feel!" Shayla said, not having heard Mr. Fujisawa. She then grinned as she turned to him and said, "Come on! I won't drink alone!"
"You shouldn't be drinking. You're underage."
Shayla groaned in frustration and cried out. "WILL YOU LAY OFF?! A PRIESTESS WITH MAN TROUBLE CAN GET TANKED IF SHE WANTS TO!"
Mr. Fujisawa was about to say something else, but the look that the Fire Priestess gave him then made him reconsider. He shrugged and said, "Aw what the Hell!" He then chugged down the wine from the bottle.
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Back on Earth...
"Gohan! It's good to see you again!" Dende said as he saw his friend and his brother come in for a landing. Each half-Saiyan had two Dragon Balls in their hands. Standing beside the Namek, were Bulma, Vegita and their daughter Bra. The Saiyan Prince had two of the Dragon Balls on the floor. They were all waiting for Goku to arrive with the seventh and final Dragon Ball. It wasn't going to be long before they would be able to call forth the Eternal Dragon.
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Meanwhile, in El Hazard, things had gone from bad, to worse, to downright bleak as the Bugrom Forces, under the command of Jinnai continued to advance deep into Roshtarian territory. Cities, provinces and even countries fell by the dozens from the onslaught. With the news of the Eye of God being worthless without both Roshtarian Princesses, moral had dropped to a new low among the allied nations. And the rumors of the Golden Champion returning were nothing more than false hopes as nothing stopped the insect race from nearing the capital of Florastika.
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In the war room of the palace, Princess Rune became more apprehensive as her generals informed her that the Bugrom had conquered the territory of Dorisland, which was only a mere twenty leagues from the outer borders of Roshtaria. They had now set up a stronghold in which they would launch their next offensive. Nearby, Trunks and his group could only watch on helplessly.
Things got even more bleak as another messenger came in and told his ruler that Phantom Tribe had used the ensuing chaos to take control of the Stairway to the Sky.
"What?!"
Everyone gasped as they began running out toward the observation deck.
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Rising on the platform within the Stairway to the Sky, Gallus and Nahato were feeling smug. Their enemies were so busy fighting against each other, that they had let the Phantom tribe gain possession of the El Hazard's ultimate weapon. When they arrived at the top of the tower, they walked over to where the scientists and their controlling apparatus were situated. In the heart of the machine, stood Princess Fatora, being held up by some kind of repulsor field. The technicians activated the device, which caused Fatora to scream in pain as searing energy racked through her very being.
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"I don't understand. I thought you said that the Eye of God needed two Princesses to control it." Trunks commented.
Dr. Schtallebaugh nodded. "Yes, I did. However, it seems that the Phantom Tribe has somehow developed a means to overcome that problem. I see it all now. These chain of events were carefully manipulated from the start. Gallus had Princess Fatora abducted and instilled the fear of the Bugrom menace in the Council Members, to persuade the Royal Family and the Great Priestesses to unseal the Eye of God. Then they would seize control of it by using Princess Fatora. We were all duped by Gallus' treachery."
The group all looked up as a beam of energy lanced up from the Stairway to the Eye of God. The massive machine began to throb with power as the main energy projector came on line. Then huge, bolts of ebony lanced out to form spheres of emptiness. Whatever these spheres touched would instantly be swallowed up into an inescapable limbo.
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Gallus laughed atop the platform as his plans for vengeance was about to come to fruition. He was now commanding the most powerful weapon in El Hazard. Nothing can stop him now!
However, fate took a hand in thwarting his plans as Fatora slumped over and the machine she was in stopped.
"What's wrong?" Nahato demanded as the Eye of God stopped firing.
The head technician sighed as he explained. "As we had explained before, we're not totally certain as to how to control the Eye of God."
"Launch the second device!"
"It will take us an hour to set it up."
"We don't have the time! They'll be attacking us at any moment!"
Gallus frowned as he saw something approaching fast from the east. "Too late."
Nahato gasped when he saw her. "Ifurita!"
The Demon-God sped down and with one swing of her staff, obliterated all of the Phantom Tribe guards and technicians. She then leveled her staff at Gallus and his boy servant.
However, the two made their escape by descending down the platform of the Stairway to the Sky.
Ifurita simply disregarded them as unimportant as she approached the device that held the Princess Fatora. She gasped when she saw that her face was identical to Trunks', but she quickly composed herself . In an instant, she was flying toward Jinnai's stronghold with a passenger... the Princess Fatora.
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The Palace of Florastika...
"What happened out there?" Trunks inquired as he saw the Eye of God suddenly stop.
"I do not know for certain, but I fear that a terrible blow has been struck against the Alliance." The Royal Advisor replied.
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Jinnai's Fortress...
"I'll be damned! They could be twins!" Jinnai said as he looked into the cell which held Fatora. "Are you absolutely sure this is Princess Fatora?"
"Yes." Ifurita answered as she too continued to gaze at her captive's face.
Jinnai then growled as comprehension clicked in his head. "Grrr. I've got it! I finally got it! This is why that rodent Trunks was dressing like a drag queen! What a scam!" He began getting even more angry as she glared at her. "Just looking at that familiar face makes me go crazy! I get such violent tendencies! Then I want to do this, and that!"
One of the Bugrom tapped on his shoulder and tried to calm his commander down.
Jinnai shrugged off his arm and smiled. "Relax! I won't hurt her! Not so long as our little princess is an ace-in-the-hole for us!"
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An hour later, a small group of Bugrom with Jinnai at the helm approached the borders of Florastika. The egomaniac spoke into a megaphone with his ultimatum.
"ATTENTION! I BRING A MESSAGE TO PRINCESS RUNE VENUS OF ROSHTARIA! I, KATSUHIKO JINNAI HAVE CAPTURED PRINCESS FATORA! IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER ALIVE, THEN YOU WILL SURRENDER AND BOW DOWN BEFORE ME, A TRUE RULER! P.S... YOUR ASS IS FINALLY MINE, TRUNKS! WAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
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Back on Earth, at Kami's Lookout, the seven Dragon Balls glowed as they were gathered in front of Dende. Behind him, the Z Fighters, their friends and their families waited as the Guardian of the Earth prepared to summon Sheng Long.
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"What a horrible fix we are in." Schtallebaugh remarked as the Council Leaders, the Three Priestesses, Trunks and the others stood in the main audience hall with Rune Venus.
"Princess, what are we to do?" Lons asked.
Rune choked as she thought about the peril that her sibling was in. However, she was the ruler of a kingdom and the well-being of her subjects came before even her own family. In a faltering voice, she replied.
"Surrender... is an option that we can never make."
"You do realize that your sister's life will be sacrificed." Lons reminded.
"A fate the Royal Family must accept. Fatora is well aware of the duties of her station." Rune was trying with all her might not to cry.
"Yes, Your Highness."
----------
The Dragon Balls flashed as Dende intoned the words to summon the Eternal Dragon. A bright column of light exploded forth from the spheres, which curled and twisted as Sheng Long appeared in all his scaly glory. The dragon of Earth had been modeled after the Chinese dragons of legend and was like a huge serpent with legs.
"CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY AND I SHALL MAKE TWO OF YOUR WISHES THAT IS WITHIN MY POWER, COME TRUE!"
----------
El Hazard...
"I'm sorry Princess Rune, but I don't agree."
Everyone turned to look at the Saiyan as he stepped forward.
Trunks took a deep breath. "With all due respect, your Highness, you've got to speak from the heart! Does your gut feeling tell you to sacrifice your own flesh and blood for the country? No way! I can't let you do it! I'll find some way to bring your sister back alive! I SWEAR!"
----------
"Sheng Long! We wish that Trunks be transported back to Earth from El Hazard!" Dende shouted.
"IT WILL TAKE MUCH OF MY POWER, BUT YOUR WISH IS GRANTED!"
----------
"But Trunks! You're in no condition to face Ifurita and she's already kicked your Saiyan butt twice! If you face her again, you'll..." Nanami said in a choked tone.
"I'll find some way to beat her! There's GOT to be a way and... what the?!" It was then that Trunks began to fade away.
"What's going on?!" Shayla-Shayla cried out.
Trunks looked down at himself and realized at that moment what was happening. Mom and the others must be using the Dragon Balls on Earth to bring me back! However, too much at stake was happening. No! Not Now! Not Now!
Nanami and Shayla made a grab for Trunks while he was still semi-solid. On Earth, Sheng Long felt his power being strained to its limits as El Hazard was so distant and his hold on Trunks was being interfered by others. Seeing that he was about to lose contact, he decided that as long as he brought Trunks back, it didn't matter who was with him.
Nanami and Shayla were engulfed by Sheng Long's power along with Trunks and vanished from that plane of reality.
----------
Trunks, Nanami and Shayla-Shayla appeared in front of the crowds on Kami's Lookout. There was a terrific cheer as a certain blue-haired woman rushed to embrace her returned offspring.
"TRUNKS! TRUNKS! YOU'RE BACK!"
The Saiyan teen was nearly bowled over as Bulma put him into a bear hug that strained even his iron ribs.
"M-M-Mom?!" His sister Bra also came up to join in a group hug.
Both Shayla-Shayla and Nanami gasped when they heard him.
"Mom?!"
"She's his mother?" Shayla gasped, then gasped again as she looked up and saw the Eternal Dragon. "WHOA! WHAT'S THAT?!" She leapt back and had the Lamp of Fire ready.
"NO! DON'T!" Trunks shouted as he tried to stop her.
Fortunately, someone else flew down to land in front of her. Shalya-Shayla halted as she didn't want to incinerate an innocent bystander.
However, her strongest Fire Attack wouldn't have singed this particular person. Goku gave Shayla a whimsical smile. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you. The Eternal Dragon can get really touchy at times."
Meanwhile, back where Trunks was, as the crowds of friends and family gathered around him Vegita walked up to his son with a stern look on his face. "You have a LOT of explaining to do, son! Just what have you been doing?" He looked at his son's bedraggled and injured appearance and was a bit disgusted that Trunks was in such a state. He had thought that his offspring was made of sterner stuff.
"Father! I... know that you all deserve an explanation, but I... can't right now!"
"Why not? We have plenty of time!"
"NO! You don't understand! I have to go back to El Hazard!"
"What?!" Bulma said in total shock. "Trunks, you can't be serious! Do you realize the trouble we went through to get the Dragon Balls? We were all worried sick about you!"
Everyone in the crowds nodded as Shayla and Nanami listened in on the conversation.
"Just what is so important in El Hazard that you have to return to that place?" Vegita demanded.
"There's a great and terrible power called Ifurita, and she's under the command of some maniac! She'll destroy that world if she isn't stopped! And she's even more powerful than Cell ever was!"
There was a collective gasp as the Z fighters all remembered the Android Cell.
"If that so, then you are certainly no match against such a being." Vegita gestured to his son's injuries. "Apparently, this Ifurita defeated you with ease."
Trunks bit back on the memories of his previous encounters with the Demon-God and realized that it was time to swallow his pride and face facts. He bowed down his head and nodded with shame. "Yes... Father. I... wasn't prepared."
Vegita snorted with a smug look. "So. After all the times I had reminded you to continue with your training, you finally had learned that lesson... the hard way! Perhaps I should thank this Ifurita for pounding some sense into you."
"Even so, I have to get back to El Hazard! Millions of people will die or be enslaved. I gave my word that I'd save someone very important from Ifurita and that maniac Jinnai..."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Bulma cut him off. "You're home now!"
Vegita nodded. "I have to agree with your mother."
"But Father! I gave my word! YOU TOLD ME YOURSELF THAT THE WORD OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF THE SAIYANS WAS UNBREAKABLE!"
Vegita felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the sacrifice that his own father had to make when he promised his son to Frieza. However, he hardened his heart to his son's pleas. "What you say is true. However, how do you intend to keep your promise? You couldn't defeat this Ifurita and if you were to return to face her again to save this person, then you WILL die!"
"I can beat her! I know I can! I just need MORE time and..." It was then that Trunks realized that he did have the means to gain the necessary power to beat the Demon-God. A desperate plan formed in the youth's mind as he glanced toward a certain door. He then whirled about to face Sheng Long.
Since everyone had been listening in on the discussion between Trunks and his family, they had forgotten that the Eternal Dragon was still waiting to grant the second wish. Without even thinking, the son of Vegita made an impetuous wish.
"Sheng Long! I wish that in fifty hours, Nanami, Shayla-Shayla and myself will be transported back to El Hazard a few seconds after we left it!"
"YOUR WISH IS GRANTED!"
Every one was in a state of utter disbelief as they heard the wish. The dragon faded from view as the Dragon Balls rose into the heavens before scattering to the ends of the Earth.
"TRUNKS... WHY?!" Bulma gasped as she realized that she would again lose her son.
Trunks took a deep breath as he began filling in the others on his adventures in El Hazard. "Mom, Father, everybody, I'd like you to meet my classmate, Nanami Jinnai and the Fire Priestess of Mount Muldoon, Shayla-Shayla."
----------
Thirty minutes later...
"And that's just about the whole story and why I have to go back." Trunks finished. He had purposely left out the fact that he had to dress up like a girl.
"A very amusing tale, son." Vegita said. "However, that STILL does not explain that wish you made to the Eternal Dragon. Just WHAT do you expect to accomplish in two days?"
Trunks took on a very serious expression as he replied. "You were right in saying that I needed to continue my training, even in times of peace. A true Saiyan warrior must always be prepared. Ifurita overwhelmed me by her greater power and experience, and I need to train in order to beat her."
"You don't expect me to believe that you'll be able to gain enough power to defeat this Ifurita with just two day's worth of training, now do you? If she truly is more powerful than Cell, then two days is nowhere near enough!"
"I will be strong enough.... if I were to train for two days in there." Trunks then pointed to a wooden door to a small building.
Comprehension dawned on the Z Fighters as Mr. Popo realized what he intended to do.
"Oh my! He intends to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!"
"Hyperbolic Time Chamber? What's that?" Nanami asked.
Gohan nodded as he remembered his experience in that room. "That chamber is kind of like an accelerated, time line. A person can spend an entire year in it, though only one day will only pass in the real world. We used it to train against Cell."
"Yes." Mr. Popo nodded. "And the maximum that anyone can spend in it is forty-eight hours. Any longer and the door to the real world would be closed forever. And the environment inside is quite intense."
Vegita smiled as he saw the determination in Trunks' eyes. His son was finally living up to the spirit of the Saiyan race.
Bulma began protesting. "Trunks! You can't do this! I..."
"Let him do it."
Everyone turned to Vegita after they heard him.
"What?! What are you talking about?" Bulma demanded.
"I said, let him DO it!"
"But..."
"Be quiet! It's not as if we can stop him now! You heard him make that wish! In two days, he will be transported back to El Hazard, and he will have to face Ifurita. It would be better for him to undergo the training or he will NOT survive the battle. In his current condition, even that fool Mr. Satan can beat him!" He turned to his son and addressed him in a stern voice. "If this is the only way that you will take your training seriously, then so be it! However, I expect you to be a true Saiyan when you come out of that room!"
"Yes, Father. I will make you proud of me!"
"Can't we ask the dragon to reverse the wish?" Bulma said desperately.
Piccolo shook his head. "No Bulma, By now, the Dragon Balls have been scattered all over the Earth and turned into ordinary stones."
"So that means, that it will take a whole year before we can use them again." Goku added.
"That means, that we won't see you again... for an entire year!" Bulma sobbed.
"A small price to pay for Trunks to become a true Saiyan!" Vegita commented as he showed no tender feelings or signs of regret.
On one side, Shayla made a comment to Nanami. "What is WITH this guy? Is he really Trunks' father?"
Nanami was still in a state of disbelief after witnessing the Eternal Dragon, talking to two green guys from outer space, and meeting up with the other Z Fighters.
Bulma began crying even harder as she embraced her son. "Oh Trunks! I'm going to miss you so much!"
Trunks returned the embrace as nodded. "I'm going to miss all of you too, but this is something that I have to do."
It was then that his mother broke the embrace and said, "Wait a minute! You asked for fifty-hours, right?"
"Yeah. I was hoping to get in a little bit of extra time to spend with all of you after my training and..."
"Wait right here, son! Don't go into that chamber until I get back!" She ran over to where Goku was. "Goku, I need you to use your Instant Transmission and get me to the Capsule Corporation now!"
The hero of the Earth shrugged as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sure, Bulma." He placed two fingers to his forehead and the two of them vanished.
----------
Thirty minutes later...
"I'm afraid that I can't wait for Mom anymore." Trunks said as he was about to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He was fully healed after receiving a Senzu Bean from Korrin. However, just as he followed Mr. Popo to the door of the Time Chamber, Goku and Bulma reappeared beside them.
"Hold it there, Trunks!" Bulma said as she had a large duffle bag on her shoulder. "I'm coming in there with you!"
"M-M-Mom?! You can't be serious!"
"What do you think you are doing, woman?" Vegita said. "Our son is going to undergo some very serious training! This is no place for..."
"Oh hush!" Bulma said, cutting him off. "I know that Trunks has to do this, but he's not going to do it alone! I'm not going to see him again for a whole year, so I'm going to spend the next TWO with him!"
"But Mom..."
Bulma turned to address her son. "Don't worry, son. I know that you have to train hard to beat Ifurita, so I brought along some equipment that can help." She held up the duffle bag, which contained several capsules, one of which contained variable-controlled weights and a gravity-field modulator.
"What do you know about training?" Vegita demanded.
"Plenty." Bulma retorted. "My father had built the gravity room that you use and Goku filled me in on how he and Gohan had trained for the Cell Games. Trunks is going to be plenty strong when he comes out of that room. Besides, it's not like you can go in with him. You already used up your forty-eight hours during the Cell Games. I'm the one who's going to help Trunks train and that's FINAL!"
Bulma's expression was so fierce that even Vegita hesitated. He saw the fire in her eyes and remembered why he had married her. He gave them a very slight nod and stepped aside.
Trunks knew when he had to accept things and nodded as he and his mother were lead into the Time Chamber by Mr. Popo.
----------
Two days later...
Nanami and Shayla-Shayla were both on edge as they waited with the others at the door to the Time Chamber. They had spent the last two days at the Capsule Corp and Jinnai's sister had shown an awestruck Fire Priestess the wonders of her world. Shayla had especially become interested in a place called the mall, and the use of a magical item known as a credit card.
However, through it all, they still thought about Trunks and how much he would be changed in two years. They would constantly ask the Z Fighters about Trunks' progress, and hoped that his training would be enough to take on Ifurita, when they returned to El Hazard.
Vegita stood by with his daughter Bra as his senses began picking up an incredible amount of power emanating within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The others also began picking up the energy being produced.
"Do you feel that?" Krillin asked as he, his daughter Marrin and his wife 18 stood together.
Piccolo nodded. "Incredible! It's Trunks! He's even stronger than Gohan was when he fought Cell!"
Gohan nodded as he, Videl and Pan stood together. "He's certainly improved a lot since he went in there!"
"All right! Bulma did it!" Goku said. Beside him, his son Goten had become a bit nervous and made a silent note to start training hard. Otherwise, his friend would pound him flat during their next sparring session.
Vegita showed no signs of emotion as he waited for the door to open. Slowly, but surely, the portal opened, and out stepped... Trunks and Bulma.
Nanami and Shayla gasped as they took in the change that Trunks had underwent. He was much harder looking and his hair was longer. He was a bit taller with more muscle definition. Much of his hair was tied back into a loose tail. His clothes were torn and rumpled. He looked like Future Trunks when he had emerged from the chamber all those years ago, but with one difference. This Trunks was already transformed as a Super-Saiyan and was far more powerful.
"Trunks? Is that you?" Nanami gasped.
The half-Saiyan nodded as he spoke in a slightly lower tone. "Yeah. It's me. Though I'm nineteen now."
Shayla perked up at this.. He's my age now?
Bulma had also changed a bit as her hair was down to her waist. She had a few more lines near the corners of her eyes, but she still carried herself with pride as she stood beside her son.
Vegita nodded as he stood before his offspring and said, "Show me your power, boy!" He then triggered his transformation to a Super-Saiyan.
Trunks nodded as he let loose with his ki. The entire are was covered by a near blinding, golden light as Kami's Lookout began to shake, rattle and roll. Some of the Z Fighters, along with Sayla-Shayla and Nanami were knocked off their feet and were pushed toward the edge of the platform. Fortunately, Picolo and Goku grabbed hold of them and held them tightly before they fell off. As the rest, they could already fly, and after they were pushed off, they simply levitated and hovered high above the Lookout. however, it was a struggle to keep aloft and hold their position as the father and son continued to amp it up.
Vegita had been training hard since the Cell Games and the Maja Buu incident. Combined with Trunks' new power level, the shockwaves of their energy output was felt across the world as two Super-Saiyans let loose with ki. Cities and countries rocked as worldwide tremors were felt all over. It was fortunate that they were not on Earth, for their energies would have split open the planet's outer crust.
Goku smiled as he assessed the power levels both were emitting. Well, it looks like Vegita's still at the top of his game, but I can see that Trunks has radically improved since I last saw him. I can tell that both of them aren't even letting loose with even one-quarter of their full power!
Bulma held on tight to a nearby railing and continued to watch her son. She had been so proud of his progress. Like Goku and Gohan, Bulma had decided that Trunks should train as a Super-Saiyan and get used to staying in that form for long periods of time. Once he was able to transform without any strain, he was then put through more intense training, starting with six hundred times the force of normal gravity, using the portable, gravity-field modulator she had brought with her. By the time the two years were over, Trunks was working out at one thousand times gravity. She also had him put on the variable-control weights to his limbs, adding more tons every month. She increased his speed by having him dodge high-speed lasers and homing torpedoes.
Through it all, Bulma still maintained her motherly side and showed that no matter what happened, she would always love him. She also assured him that though his father never admitted it openly, he felt the same way.
By the time they had exited the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, all of the training equipment had been either destroyed or burned out, but the end result had been achieved. As one final test, Vegita glared at his son and gestured up with a finger before taking off into the sky. Trunks followed an instant later, causing Kami's Lookout to shudder like the launching pad of the Space Shuttle. The two began to duke it out in the air, trading blows at hypersonic speeds. Shayla and Nanami couldn't even follow them as they could only see slight distortions and flashes of golden light.
"What's going on?" Shayla gasped. "Where'd they go?"
Once Kami's Lookout had stopped shaking, Bulma walked up to the pair and handed them two Scouters from her duffle bag. "They're moving too fast for normal eyes to follow. Here, I've modified these Scouters so you can be able to track them better." She then fitted another Scouter over her eye and ear and showed them how they worked,
Viewing the fight through the devices, both girls could hardly believe it as they saw Vegita and Trunks go at it like maddened wasps. Even with the Scouters, they could only catch a little more of the fight as the two Saiyans blurred in and out. They caught a glimpse of Vegita landing a hard right cross to Trunks' chin. A nanosecond later, they saw Trunks deliver a kick to his father's midsection. Back and forth they blurred, sometimes blinding the spectators with flashes of ki. Eventually, the two reappeared, both hovering some hundred feet across from each other. Vegita then launched a massive beam at his son, one that would have destroyed a continent on Earth. However, his son countered with his own, and the two attacks hit head on, releasing an enormous flare of light as they canceled each other out. At that moment, the two rocketed toward each other.
KABOOM!
Vegita's fist connected with his son's chin, just as Trunk's kick slammed into his father's abdomen. Everything seemed to slow down as the two flipped down to land on the platform of Kami's Lookout. The two stood in neutral stances, staring each other down. Everyone held their breath and waited.
Then, the Prince of the Saiyans gave his son a small smile. "I suppose that was good enough of a warm-up for your fight with Ifurita. Your mother did a... fair job of training you. But then again, I wasn't even using one-tenth of my power."
Trunks returned the smile. "Well, neither was I."
"Fair?!" Bulma exclaimed with indignity. "I'll have you know that I did a GREAT JOB!"
On the sidelines, Nanami and Shayla in a state of shock again.
"Fair?" Nanami whispered.
"Warm-up?" Shayla gasped.
"That was only one-tenth?!" Both said at the same time.
----------
A few minutes before the fifty-hour deadline...
Trunks was now dressed in Saiyan Combat Armor that his mother had made for him as he, Shayla and Nanami prepared to head back to El Hazard. His hair had been trimmed back to its usual length and style. He had also received more than five years of supplies in capsules from his mother, which included a couple of self-maintained vehicles, some specially-designed Scouters, a Capsule House and enough food and clothing to maintain a platoon for a decade. With the way Trunks eats, that would last for about a year and a half. He began saying goodbye to his friends and family.
"I hope to see you again, real soon!" Goten said as he took his childhood friend off to one side.
"You know, you could ask the Nameks to use their Dragon Balls." Trunks suggested.
Goten shook his head. "Your mother already thought of that. Dende got in touch with King Kai and he told her that the Nameks needed them to bring back the last of their people that Vegita killed. You know that Porunga can only bring back one person for every wish and there's a time limit as to how long a person can be dead before even he is beyond its power."
"I see. So I guess I'm going to be in El Hazard for a full year."
"Hey, it isn't so bad! We'll see each other again!"
"Yeah, but I hope you start training, cause I'm going to kick your butt next time!"
Goten winced as he knew that Trunks was right. He had better start training harder for the next time they would meet. He then changed the subject. "By the way, which one of those babes are you dating?"
"Huh?"
"Aw come on, Trunks! Spill the beans! Is it that cute Nanami or that hot Shayla-Shayla?"
Trunks smiled as he asked, "Let me guess. They shot you down, while I was in that Time Chamber, right?"
Goten's cheeks reddened. "Er. let's not get into that, all right?" He still had a slight burn after the Fire Priestess had flash-fried him when he tried to hit on her.
Nearby, Bulma was trying to get some information from the two girls in question.
"So which one of you is my son's girlfriend?"
Both girls stiffened and their cheeks reddened at the casual question, then shook their heads in denial.
"We're just friends, that's all!" Shayla said quickly.
"Yeah, we haven't had time for that kind of stuff!" Nanami added.
Bulma didn't buy it for a minute and was happy that her son had this kind of effect on the ladies.
As Trunks faced the people he knew and loved one final time, he was approached by Korrin, who handed him a small pouch.
"Here. There's about fifty Senzu Beans in there. That should hold you until you get back to us."
"Thanks Korrin." Trunks placed the pouch into his duffle bag and then turned to face his father.
Vegita stared at his son for a long time, then said gruffly, "Remember son, the blood of a Saiyan flows strongly in your veins. You carry with you, not only the pride of the Royal Family, but also that of our entire race! Never forget your heritage!"
"Yes Father, I won't forget!"
Vegita then lashed out and placed a hand on Trunks' chest. Releasing a concentrated amount of energy, he burned a specific pattern into the left side of the breastplate. When he removed his hand, his son looked down at the sun symbol that was now inscribed on his armor.
"What?"
"That is the Crest of the Royal Family. I hereby acknowledge you as my heir." Without another word, his father walked off to stand with the others.
Trunks was left speechless. His father had never shown him this kind of attention before and though he still was as tight-lipped as ever, the half-Saiyan felt a great sense of pride in the act.
At that moment, Bulma, Shayla and Nanami approached him. His mother handed him a capsule as she embraced him one final time. "Here Trunks. I think that this might come in handy."
Trunks pressed the top of the capsule.
BOM!
He gasped as he saw the object materialize in his hands. "It's my sword!"
Bulma shook her head. "Actually, it's the sword that your future self left behind. I had it reforged and strengthened with the best alloys I could get. You'll find that it's much stronger than the one you made in shop class. I know that he would have liked you to have it."
Trunks smiled as he pulled the sword slightly from its scabbard, then clicked it back into place before slinging over his back. "Thanks Mom."
Tears began flow as Bulma smiled up at her offspring. "You've grown so much. I'm going to miss you for the next year. It's too bad that none of us can go with you."
"I'm sorry Mom. I guess that if I had thought about it a bit more, I would have wished the dragon to send us all to El Hazard. But this is something that I have to do. I promised Princess Rune that I'd save her sister, and that's what I'm going to do! And I have to face Ifurita."
"Take care, Trunks!" Bulma sobbed as she embraced him for one last time.
At that moment, the time limit had expired and the Saiyan began to fade away. Shayla and Nanami also disappeared from view as they waved goodbye. Then, all was silent as the Z fighters gazed at where their friend and loved one had vanished.
Off to one side, Vegita had his back turned, and a slight bit of moisture rolled down a cheek.
"That's my boy."
At that moment, everyone became startled as they felt the presence of someone approaching Kami's Lookout. They all turned to see someone land on the edge and gasped.
End of the Sixth Night
Author's Notes
Whoa! Long chapter, but now I'm in the home stretch! Now I seem to have made some die-hard Dragon Ball fans unhappy with my version of Dragon Ball, so let me clear things up and answer some questions before moving onto the final chapter.
1. Trunks' Sword: A lot of people have been saying that present-day Trunks had received his sword from Taipon during the twelfth Dragon Ball Z movie (or was it the thirteenth?). In any case, I really don't think much of the movies as they are horribly inaccurate with the regular timeline. The only times I ever seen the characters refer to the movies was during the Garlic Jr saga and the appearance of General Tao. In the manga, they're not even mentioned. World's Strongest and Tree of Might are other examples. When did those events occur in the regular timeline? Goku could do the Kaio Ken at level ten, but I thought he only learned how to do it during his trip to Namek. And after Namek, he became a Super Saiyan. If those movies occurred after that series, then couldn't Goku have transformed and kicked the bad guy's butt?
As for Trunk's sword, I simply made up a plausible reason of how he got it during Dragon Ball Hazard. Future Trunks had left his sword behind, so Trunks simply had it analyzed and sneaked some super-strong alloys into school for his metal shop project. Simple, ne?
2. The Saiyan Tail: Fans maintain that ALL Saiyans are born with tails and that Trunks and Goten had theirs cut off at birth to prevent them from changing into giant apes. Sorry, but that does not work for me because of several reasons. First of all, the storyline makes no mention whatsoever that Trunks and Goten were even born with tails, how does one KNOW that they had them? Secondly, being a biology major, I do know that since Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Pan and Bra are not pure Saiyans, (hybrids), their biological makeup makes them more subject to genetic chance. Heck, Trunks was born with light, purple hair, and fans maintained that all Saiyans have dark hair. Thirdly, even if Trunks had been born with a tail and had it cut off, wouldn't it have grown back? Gohan and Goku's did several times during their childhoods.
In any case, in this story, Trunks had not been born with a tail, so that's that.
3. The Scouter: True enough, that certain beings can hide their power levels and fool the Scouter, but it can only read the level in which the being is currently emitting. Furthermore, the Scouter can detect a synthetic life form while ki senses cannot. The Z Fighters had a hard time trying to find Androids nineteen and twenty. They could have used the Scouters then. In Dragon Ball Hazard, Ifurita can be considered as one hundred percent artificial, like Android 16, 19 and 20, so having a Scouter would be useful to measure her. Furthermore, the modified Scouters that Bulma had created will prove to be very useful in the final chapter.
4. Translations: Personally, I don't really care if an anime or manga is subtitled or dubbed as I care more for the story itself. It's easier for me to write from the English language versions, since they are easier to get a hold of. There are some anime that I preferred to have remained subtitled (Like the Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Crispen Freeman was a bad choice for Tylor), but in the long run, if it's good, then who really cares? I watch anime because I enjoy it and that's what inspires me to write fan fictions.
5. My Writing Style: As I had mentioned in my previous web pages, I go my own way in writing my stories and I do not depend much on the original scripts. I find that writing too close to the original is too constricting and it doesn't leave much to the imagination. I prefer alternate reality stories and you can think of Dragon Ball Hazard as like that. I simply used the end of the Maja Buu series for a basis and went from there. In this universe, Gohan isn't as strong as people say he was because he's spent more time studying than training. Trunks and Goten have lived in peace, so they aren't as strong as they should be, etc.
When people read my fanfics, they should have learned by now that I won't follow the original word for word. If an idea seems like a good idea, then I'll use it. That's what fanfic writing is all about. There are no rules except for the ones that the writer puts upon himself/herself. So don't be too worried that my stories go off track. They're supposed to do that! I'm only writing to enjoy myself and entertain my readers, that's all.
In any case, the final chapter of the Dragon Ball/El Hazard fusion is up as Trunks faces off against Ifurita for the final time. Next on Dragon Ball Hazard, the Seventh Night, Champion of Gold.