Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)
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AND NOW ON WITH....
Chapter 10: Unexpected re-encounter.
Being a defender of justice always came with a vast number of
unexpected situations. Usagi Tsukino, alias Eternal Sailor Moon, knew that
better than anyone. The first thing on the list would be the day she found
a black cat who revealed her true heritage as Sailor Moon. The last most
unexpected situation would be now. A long time acquaintance, who
everyone thought they would never see again, reappeared in front of their
very eyes. That person was Trunks Briefs, also known as the recently new
vigilante who went by the name of Son Goku.
Now Trunks was in front of them. He looked different. Taller, with
long black hair. Yes... this entirely qualified as an unexpected situation.
And no one knew exactly what to say or how to deal with it.
"Hi." he said nervously.
"H... hi." Jupiter responded still dubious.
"You... er... look taller." he went on.
"Uhm... thanks..." she said, "You look... rather tall yourself."
Usagi raised an eyebrow. Wait a minute... what was going on here?
What was the deal with this trivial conversation. It's been three years
since they last saw each other, these two shouldn't be talking about how
tall they were now. They should be running into each other's arms and kiss
passionately without even caring who could be looking at them. What was
going on here?
"I see you dyed your hair." the girl added.
"Yeah... it's a long story."
They seemed so... distant. It was like looking at two strangers
meeting for the first time. Something was wrong here. Usagi could tell.
"Could someone tell us what's going on here??" Uranus cut in
impatiently.
Trunks would give anything to postpone this little chat for later.
He needed some time to think things over. Fortunately, Heaven heard his
plea and several curious Juuban residents began to approach the area now
that the danger had passed.
Firm in his decision to keep his real a secret, Trunks put on what
was left of his mask which was enough to cover his mouth and nose. Then he
powered up to Super Saiyajin again and turned towards the Senshi.
"We can't talk here." he said. "I'll meet you in Hikawa Shire in an
hour."
Without giving them the chance to validate that statement, the time
traveler quickly lifted off and disappeared into the sky in a trail of
yellow light. Eventually, the Senshi left the area as well.
**********
Later, in another place called Nerima:
"Another attack?" Ranma asked as he came out of the Dojo.
"That's right." Soun confirmed, "It's live on TV right now, although
it seems like the fight came to an end moments ago."
The young Saotome, as well as the rest of the inhabitant of the
Tendou household, were now gathered in front of the television paying close
attention the news broadcast. Basically, the reporter repeated the same
formula everyone heard from previous announcements regarding attacks from
the Masters of Tomorrow. Only this time there were casualties. The new enemy
appeared in a place filled with people and attacked them indiscriminately.
The Senshi and Son Goku arrived and defeated the monster, but the damage had
already been done.
"Oh my." said Kasumi, "I hope your friends are all right, Akane."
"Yeah, me too." her sister added, "I think I'll call them just to
make sure."
"Those Sailor Senshi sure seem to have their hands full." Genma
commented before taking a sip of his tea.
"So it appears, Saotome." his companion acknowledged.
Everyone went then to their daily activities. Kasumi cooked, Nabiki
read some magazines, Soun and Genma played shogi and Akane went to the phone
to check on her Juuban friends. In the meantime, Ranma was the only one left
in front of the television.
This was getting more serious than he thought. Probably more serious
than Trunks had anticipated. Serious enough to force him to turn into a
Super Saiyajin. Ranma could tell. In two occasions this day he felt an
incredible surge of power coming several miles away. Normally, Ranma
couldn't feel someone's ki from such a distance, but the power was so big
that it triggered his senses the moment it erupted. In other words, the
enemy was toughing up and Trunks was forced to transform to hold his own.
Ranma *did* promise to stay away from the whole mess and let Trunks
handle things. Being kept out of action wasn't the martial artist's way to
go. Although those weird cat creatures the enemy used did persuade him to
step aside. But still... alurophobia or not, people's lives were being taken.
And that did make Ranma reconsider his position.
Maybe he should go and pay a friendly visit to Juuban. Just to check
on how things were being handled.
**********
"Who was that on the phone, Rei?" Usagi asked.
"Akane Tendou." she told her. "She heard about the attack and just
wanted to make sure we were all right."
"Oh, for a second there I thought it might be Trunks."
"It's been 45 minutes already," Minako added, "I don't think he'll
take long."
"I still can't believe it's him..." Makoto suddenly said, while
sitting on a corner with her eyes lost in thought, "He looks so... different."
"Mako-chan, are you all right with all of this?" Minako was the
first to ask.
"Yeah... I... I think I just needed some time to let it all sink
down." she answered, "But it's still confusing. I mean... Trunks... here."
"But this is good, right?" Usagi beamed, "I mean, he's *here*. We
never thought we'd see him again, but now he's here. And now you have your
boyfriend back."
"I... I don't know..." the girl said worriedly, "It's been three
years. It's all so confusing. What if he already has someone? What if he
doesn't feel anything for me now? Oh, God... I don't even know how do *I*
feel. It's all happening so fast."
"Mako-chan, you've gotta have some faith in love!" Usagi stated,
trying to raise her friend's spirits, "We've been fighting for love since day
one. This is a sign. This is your second chance. You have to take it."
"Actually, that brings us to another matter as well." Mamoru cut in,
"How did he get here? You girls told me that the first time you saw him he
accidentally crashed in this world and caused some sort of unbalancement.
Not to mention that the fact of getting here was a one in a million chance.
What's the deal with that?"
"That's right." Ami added. "And while we're at it, why did he
dressed up as Son Goku to fight next to us? Why didn't he came directly at
us instead of hiding?"
The rest of them took time to analyze those words.
"Maybe..." Makoto began fearfully, "Maybe he doesn't want to see us..."
"Don't say that, Mako-chan." Minako declared, "I'm sure he has
reasonable explanation for doing it."
"Yeah!" Usagi, the always optimistic, added, "We can't jump to
conclusions. Maybe there's more to this than we can imagine."
"Well, we should be getting an answer soon." Ami said as she checked
her watch.
Standing silently on a corner, Rei looked at her friends. Just like
she had thought, all of them were confused by the appearance of Trunks.
Especially Makoto. She was the one that worried her the most. She looked
confused, anxious, scared, restless, and most of all: vulnerable.
Everything depended on what would Trunks say in a couple of minutes.
[Trunks, I hope you know what you're doing.] she thought.
**********
[I hope I know what I'm doing...] Trunks thought.
He arranged to meet the girls in an hour so that he could have some
time to think his situation over. Right now, he was just a few minutes away
from Hikawa Temple and his situation wasn't more clear than it was earlier.
Telling the truth seemed like the only right thing to do. He only hoped that
all the things that had him preoccupied wouldn't be as serious as he feared
or, preferably, just wouldn't show up. Most of those things were directly
connected to Makoto.
The stairs leading to the temple were now in front of him.
He looked at himself one more time to see how 'presentable' he was.
Not that he had actually dressed up for the occasion. A pair of black
trousers and his untucked white shirt were the first things he found in his
wardrobe.
[Well, here I go.] he thought as he took a deep breath.
"Not so fast." said suddenly a voice approaching from the street.
"Haruka, Michiru." Trunks realized, as he faced the duo. Oddly,
they weren't looking very friendly today, "Hi, what brings you here?"
"You tell us... Shinobi." Haruka responded.
Trunks' eyes went wide with amazement. There was only one person in
this planet who could use the word 'Shinobi' in such an insulting manner.
[This has got to be some sort of a joke!] he said to himself, "Wait
a minute! You two aren't..."
"Uranus and Neptune?" Michiru concluded, as she walked up the stairs
along with Haruka and cut Trunks' path towards the shrine. "Yes, we are."
Seconds which seemed minutes passed as the two Outer Senshi glared
at the man they thought they knew as a friend. For Trunks, this revelation
set everything off course. Not to mention that he still was in a certain
amount of shock after getting the surprise that two of his acquaintances
happened to be the two xenophobic Outer Senshi he had to deal with each time
there was a battle.
*This* definitively caused some unexpected problems.
"Listen, isn't there a way we can talk about this?" the Saiyajin
hybrid asked.
"Talk all you want, you're not going to see the princess anyway."
Haruka told him.
"Oh, C'mon! Aren't you blowing this way out of proportion?" he said,
getting exasperated of the same old discussion. "You're talking as if I was
a wanted criminal!"
"And you've given us quite enough reasons to think that way." Haruka
declared, "Ever since you and 'Son Goku' appeared, there's been nothing but
deception and lies. Truly you deserve the title of Shinobi."
"Could it be possible for you to stop calling me that?"
"Listen, Akira, or Trunks, or whatever your name is," Michiru added,
"We're not going to expose our princess to the likes of you. That pretty
much sums it up."
"Don't you understand? I'm here to help!" he explained, "Sailor
Pluto brought me here."
"You don't get tired of lying, do you?" Haruka remarked, "Pluto,
just like us, wouldn't let an outsider to get involved in Senshi business.
And even if she did, then why isn't she here to vouch for you?"
"How should I know?"
"Hmm... isn't that convenient." Michiru added with sarcasm.
"What's going on here?" came Usagi's voice from the top of the stairs.
Apparently, Trunks' little discussion with the two Outers had been
loud enough to alert the other girls and Mamoru. Seconds later, the sixsome
hastily made their way down, but their route was blocked by Haruka and
Michiru.
"Leave this to us, princess." Michiru told her.
"But what are you doing??" Usagi asked baffled.
"Keeping the scum away from you." Haruka responded without taking
her eyes off Trunks.
"Haruka, let him pass now!" Usagi ordered.
"You heard her." Trunks added.
"The only way you're getting in is through Michiru and me." Haruka
declared, "I'm sorry, princess. But this is for your own good."
Regardless of being a descendant of the Saiyajin race, and most of
all, regardless of being the son of probably one of the most aggressive
Saiyajin warriors, Trunks wasn't someone who looked forward to such
confrontation. Mainly due to the upbringing from his mother and the sense of
rectitude she instructed in him. Also, even thought Haruka and Michiru were
acting the way they were, Trunks couldn't bring himself to fight them. They
were, after all, fighting on the same side. Not to mention that, in some way,
he still saw them as friends... or something like that.
If Vejiita had been the one standing, he would've just walked by,
knocking, or even killing, the two girls who stood in his way without even
having a sense of regret. However, this wasn't Vejiita. And starting a fight
wasn't going to solve the problem or even give a good image to the Inner
Senshi. Not in Trunks' book. So, there was only one thing he could do.
"I didn't came here to fight," the Saiyajin hybrid began, "But I see
I'm not allowed to talk either, so I'll just leave. I know when I'm not
wanted."
"Wait!" said the Inner Senshi, but Michiru kept them at bay.
"And another thing," Michiru added, "Stay away from our fights and
go back to the place you came from. We don't need outsiders like yourself
in this battle."
Trunks stopped walking and turned around on more time. His eyes
looking directly at Michiru.
"No." he said simply, "This is my enemy as well. I came all the way
from my world to defeat these so called Masters of Tomorrow and I won't
leave until the last of them is dead. That is my mission and *that* is the
*only* reason I'm here. Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly. But until then
I'm staying and I'm fighting, whether you like it or not."
Without giving the girl a chance to respond, the time traveler
turned around and left. The Inners managed to get pass the two Outers who
were blocking them and tried to catch him before it was too late. All the
Inners except one. Makoto Kino stood where she was, immobile like a statue,
her eyes looking straight in front of her at empty space. Trunks last words
repeated themselves in her head.
... That is my mission and *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...
Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly...
[N... no...] she thought.
"Too late, he's already gone." Minako said. "Knowing him, he could
be anywhere by now."
"Haruka, that was out of line!" Usagi lectured. "Trunks isn't an
enemy."
"Well your 'friend' has been lying since the beginning." the girl
responded, "It is best for you to keep away from him."
"No." Rei began, getting everyone's attention. "Trunks hasn't been
lying, and I can prove it. If there's been someone who hasn't been truthful,
it's me."
Everyone looked at the Shinto priestess with a mixture of surprise
and confusion. Ami was the first one to speak.
"Rei, you've always been able to sense Trunks energy." the young
genius commented, "For how long have you been hiding this from us?"
"Ami, you knew?" Minako asked bewildered.
"It only occurred to me now." Ami confessed.
"Come on." Rei said to everyone as she gestured them to go to the
shrine. "I'll tell you everything up there."
On her way up, Minako, who was among the ones further behind,
couldn't help to notice Makoto's sad expression.
"Mako-chan, don't worry." she told her, "We'll talk to him. You'll
see, everything will be fine."
"It's not that, Minako." she spoke, "He already said what I wanted
to know."
**********
"Damn it!!" Eron cursed as he slammed his hands on the desk. "This
is the third time I've been forced to retreat!!"
"Master Eron, please, try to calm down." Arna asked a little taken
aback.
"How can I calm down, Arna!?!" he yelled. "This is so humiliating!
Each time I'm about to get him, that guy pulls out another trick! He's made
a fool out of me in front of other Masters of Tomorrow and our Lord!!"
His assistant just kept quiet. The rest of the laboratory's staff
chose to do the same. If Arna wasn't able to calm him down, no one else was
going to be dumb enough to even try. Eventually, after ramming his arm against
a few test tubes and throwing away the desk where they had been placed on,
Eron calmed down.
Again, Arna was the only brave one who asked for her superior's
state.
"Master Eron?"
"I'm all right." he said with heavy breaths. "But I have to find a
way to deal with this Son Goku, or else my position in front of the Lord
will be compromised."
"Commander Sorine is analyzing the data from your last fight." his
assistant declared, "I'm sure she will find a way to deal with the problem.
It's just a matter of time."
"I don't doubt that Sorine will find the best approach to defeat
Son Goku, Arna." Eron told her, "However, that doesn't mean that I'll be a
part of her plans. If she considers that either Arlakk or her could be more
'efficient', our Lord will certainly follow her advice and take me out of
the operation... And Son Goku is mine alone to take..."
"What are we going to do then?"
"We'll have to act quickly." he answered, "It's time to stop playing
games. This Son Goku character is causing us way too much problems. It's
time to take *his* Essence Sphere before he becomes even more troublesome."
"Master Eron," Arna began, "Do you have a plan? Son Goku has proven
to be rather agile. I wouldn't be surprised if he could dodge the blast from
your ring."
The scientist turned to look at her. For a moment, Arna feared that
she might have said something inappropriate which could worsen her superior's
mood. But to her relief, Eron didn't burst out on her and instead began to
look thoughtful while his hand rubbed his chin.
"Your observations aren't based without foundations, Arna." Eron
admitted, "My ring holds a small fraction of our Lord's power. Not only is
it the proof that I've been chosen as a Master of Tomorrow, but it also
enables me to take people's Essence Spheres by means of a blast. A blast so
fast and powerful that no man is able to evade or resist. However, there is
the possibility that Son Goku is able to dodge it. I've had enough surprised
coming from our shrouded friend, so this time I'll make sure that he won't
dodge it."
"How will you manage that, Master?"
"Simple, my dear assistant." her superior answered with a grin,
"I'll just set him a trap. I think I already know what is this man's
weakness, and I certainly plan to exploit it."
**********
"And that's pretty much what happened." Rei concluded.
Everyone took a pause to assimilate the priestess's story. From her
side, Rei had been cautious to avoid talking as much as possible about
Trunks' feelings for Makoto. Mainly because he seemed rather confused for
what he felt towards the girl in the first place.
She did, however, told them that he felt responsible for the enemy's
appearance and that he agreed to help in the fight. Other topics were
tackled as well. Rei briefly told everyone what had Trunks been up to since
they last saw him, how old he was (this cause some amount of shock among
the girls, as expected) and why had she been acting so oddly lately. This
had taken quite a burden off her shoulders. Now everyone knew why has she
been in the library with Ranma and why was there a black hair dying product
on her bathroom. She was particularly explicit with the latter, making sure
that Usagi got the message and dropped her 'gray hair' gag for good.
Makoto had been very silent during the whole relating. Rei couldn't
tell if she was still in shock or if she simply refused to show any emotions
which could make her more vulnerable. The Thunder Senshi raised her head and
looked at her.
"You've been hiding this from us for a month, is that it?" the girl
asked, and she didn't sound happy about it.
"Mako-chan, I'm sorry." Rei apologized, "But I made him a promise.
It was for the best."
"The best??" she said enraged. "How can you tell what's best if you
didn't even stop to think about it?? You had no right to hide this from us!!"
"Girls, please." Luna interrupted.
"I'm out of here!!" Makoto shouted as she stormed down the stairs.
"Mako-chan, wait!" Rei told her, but she was held back by Usagi.
"Let her go, Rei." the odango girl said, "It's better to leave her
alone right now. She's having the worst part of this whole deal."
"But..."
"She's right, Rei." Minako added, "Let her cool down. She had big
expectations on meeting Trunks today, and it didn't work out like she hoped
it would. Right now she's devastated. She needed to blow up against someone
and you were the nearest target. Don't worry, she'll forgive you, just give
her some time to work this out."
The Shinto priestess sighed and refused to chase after her friend.
Everything was going out wrong. This meeting was suppose to bring them all
together, not apart. Not only Trunks had taken his leave, but now Makoto
would probably hold this against her for some time. Not to mention...
"We're leaving too." Haruka brought out, as Michiru and her went for
the stairs as well.
"Haruka, Michiru, what are you going to do about Trunks now?" Usagi
asked, hopping that Rei's story had helped in changing the Outer Senshi's
view of their friend.
"I still don't trust him." she made clear. "He could've lied to you
by telling that Pluto helped him to get here. Otherwise, Setsuna would be
here to validate that."
"Trunks is not the lying type!" Rei protested.
"Your story proves the exact opposite." Michiru retorted. "He's been
lying since the day he set foot in this world."
"But he's here to help." Ami added.
"We don't need his help." Haruka declared, "The enemy still doesn't
know about Sailor Saturn. When the time comes, she'll fight along with us.
That will take care of things."
"You're underestimating the enemy." Ami told them.
"And you girls are overestimating that 'friend' of yours." Michiru
replied.
**********
It was a deserted piece of land, miles away from any civilization
or living person. Right now he felt the urge of being alone. He simply
wanted to get away from it all.
Right in the middle of a clearing stood a strange construction. It
was a spaceship, although Trunks didn't use it as such. Inside the craft, a
gravity room had been installed. It was the perfect place for a Saiyajin to
train and work out some stress. Vejiita's son was doing the latter right now.
With a roar, Trunks delivered another punch against an imaginary
opponent. Then he performed some kicks which became a blur.
Everything had gone wrong today. Terribly wrong. And worst of all,
he didn't knew how to deal with it. Maybe turning his back and leaving
hadn't been the best alternative, now that he thought about it. But with
Haruka and Michiru interfering, any attempt of a friendly conversation
seemed unlikely, or even impossible.
He flew to the top of the room, punching the air repeatedly and
ending his assault with a roundhouse kick. Then he came down with both
fists joined in a vertical blow.
It seemed as if all of his plans to make this operation work were
meant to fail since the very beginning. This was exactly the kind of
dilemma he wanted to avoid when he first got here.
He turned the gravity back to normal and powered down from Super
Saiyajin form. After picking up a towel and drying off his sweat, his eyes
glared at the Son Goku costume that was lying on top of the pilot's seat.
[I'm tired of this.] he thought, [I'm tired of hiding all the time
behind a mask so the Senshi won't recognize me. Not that it matters anymore.]
It had been enough. His first obligation was to deal with the
Masters of Tomorrow, not the Sailor Senshi. If he was going to be left alone
in this, then so be it. He would personally see that the enemy would be
taken care of. He would do it alone. This wasn't the time to be distracted
by other meaningless things.
He fell down on his seat and pressed the palms of his hands against
his face.
[Meaningless... yeah, right...]
Makoto... Why did she had to be mixed up in all of this?
As unbelievable as it sounded, someone knocked on Trunks' door. Or,
more exactly, on the ship's lock gate. This obviously caused some surprise
on the Saiyajin hybrid, but as he focused his senses, he could detect his
visitor's ki. Apparently, he'd been so angry and stuck in his own thoughts
lately that he didn't sense him approaching the ship.
"Hey, Trunks." Ranma said outside, "You there?"
"Come on in." he told him as he opened the hatch. "How did you find
me?"
"Are you kidding? You were letting out enough power to sense you
several miles away." he responded with a shrug. "I saw the news about the
last fight, so I was heading to Juuban to see how things went, till I sensed
you somewhere else. By the way, what is this place? Your country house?"
"More like a training room actually."
"Really?" the martial artist asked with interest. The place did look
interesting to say the least. "Anyway, I just wanted to know how things went."
"Well... " his host began, "Not very good."
"I see." Ranma spoke, "So, what happened?"
"Have you ever... I don't know... said or done something in front of
someone while you're angry that you would later regret?"
"*Have* I?" he asked with a smirk while raising an eyebrow, "Man,
you are talking to the King of 'sticking-your-foot-in-your-mouth'."
"Oh... yeah, I forgot about that." the Saiyajin hybrid admitted,
"Anyway, I think I just made things worse between the Sailor Senshi and me."
"Let me guess." Ranma began, "Does it have to do with Sailor Uranus
and Sailor Neptune?"
"That... that's right." Trunks said amazed, "How did you know?"
"Heh, trust me, I know." the pigtailed boy declared as he took a
seat, "A lot of things happened during those three years you weren't here.
Let's say that my path crossed with the Sailor Senshi more than once. I can
give you first hand information on how rude those two Outer Senshi can be
with strangers. Especially Uranus. Call me paranoid, but sometimes I think
she has something against me in particular... Hmm... just hope that Pops
didn't engage me to her at some time."
"I see..." he stated, a little impressed. "Well, you're right. Those
two are the ones I'm having problems with. Partially at least."
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"Well, for starters, I'd like to ask you a favor." Trunks said as
he took his Son Goku outfit and threw it towards the boy. "Here."
"Huh?" the martial artist asked while catching it. "You're not
trying to tell me that you're quitting, are you?"
"I'm not quitting, but I'm not dressing up as Son Goku either.
Please keep that costume away from me. It has caused nothing but trouble."
he explained, "It was a mistake to come here hidden in the first place. My
mission is to handle the Masters of Tomorrow, not the Sailor Senshi. So
from now on, my mind will be focused only on the enemy. I'm wearing the
suit I should've wore since the beginning."
"Do you really think that'll fix your problems with the Senshi?"
Ranma inquired, as unlikely as it seemed for him to actually give advise on
matters such as this one.
"In my world, I'm the only warrior left, Ranma. I have to start
taking that responsibility." Trunks went on, "Right now, a lot of people are
being affected by this invader. Those people are helpless and come before me.
I can't get distracted with my problems with the Sailor Senshi now. I have
to stay focused on the enemy so no one gets hurt again."
"Well... whatever you say."
**********
She left Hikawa Temple in a hurry, and for the passing minutes she
hadn't stop running. Makoto's feet eventually brought her inside a park. She
needed some rest and sat against a tree, wrapping her arms around her legs
and dropping her head against her knees.
As much as she tried to hide it, it was clear that she was crying.
"Stop crying, you idiot..." she mumbled, "It's been three years...
You knew things couldn't be like they were before. You're suppose to be over
him already, so stop crying!"
... That is my mission and *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...
Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly...
"He's from another world... It was never meant to be." she continued.
And *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...
"You have to be strong, Makoto!" she declared, "You have to be strong!"
*That* is the *only* reason!
*only* reason!
*only* reason!!
*ONLY* reason!!!
"I... I can't handle this!" she said desperately, braking into huge
sobs, "Why is this happening to me?? Why, Trunks?? Why??"
She wished none of it was real. She wished it *so* much. But she
couldn't deny what she heard. Trunks was back, and he wasn't back for (or
because) of her. No wonder he'd been hiding all this time. He'd been hiding
from her. She felt her heart drop into the abyss, making her feel cold from
the inside... dead...
She wished that, any minute now, she would wake up from this
terrible nightmare. Maybe the sound of her sobs would wake her up.
**********
The sound of flapping wings approached Arlakk's window. A crow,
black as night, entered the necromancer's tower and alighted on the floor.
The bird began to grown and change into something human, its feathers
altering their texture into a cape of the same color. The owner of the tower
arose from the ground.
"Delif." he said out loud.
"Yes, Master?" crept a voice from the shadows. "Was your visit to
the genetic laboratory enjoyable?"
"Indeed it was." Arlakk responded with a grin. "I can't deny that it
was fun seeing Eron so frustrated, slamming everything he found in his path
while cursing his luck for another defeat."
"Is he really planning to do what you expected, Master?"
"Yes. Eron can be quite predictable when he's angry." he declared
while sitting in his favorite chair. "Now obsessed with Son Goku, he plans
to take immediate action, even though our Lord made it quite clear that we
should stay on hold until Sorine came with some conclusive results of our
last battle."
"Then this should be the perfect time to tell our Lord what he is up
to." the creature suggested, "Eron will certainly be removed from this
operation for such misbehavior, leaving you in charge."
"That is a possibility." the necromancer stated, "But we won't do
that right now. We should just sit back and relax. Eron will take care of
ruining his own reputation."
"But what if he succeeds, Master?"
"I find that very unlikely." he explained, "Son Goku is still a
mystery to us. Until we know exactly the extent of his power, any attacks on
his person will certainly fail. However, assuming that Eron is successful
and snatches Son Goku's Essence Sphere, that will just make things easier
for me to get Eternal Sailor Moon's broach. In any case, the Lord won't be
happy with him for leaving to the Outside without permission. Eventually,
I'll be the one in charge to continue the attack, since Sorine is too busy
right now with project Dark Snowfall to attend any other affairs."
"I bow to your unique cunning, Master." Delif said, "Will I have a
chance to fight this Son Goku once you are in charge of the operation?"
"Of course you will, Delif."
End of chapter 10.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's notes:
Again, I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter. I think mostly because
this part was rather hard to write. Especially the re-encounter between
Trunks and the girls. But then again, everyone was pressuring me to finish
this chapter as soon as possible, so 'Ha!' that's what you get =P.
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AND NOW ON WITH....
Chapter 10: Unexpected re-encounter.
Being a defender of justice always came with a vast number of
unexpected situations. Usagi Tsukino, alias Eternal Sailor Moon, knew that
better than anyone. The first thing on the list would be the day she found
a black cat who revealed her true heritage as Sailor Moon. The last most
unexpected situation would be now. A long time acquaintance, who
everyone thought they would never see again, reappeared in front of their
very eyes. That person was Trunks Briefs, also known as the recently new
vigilante who went by the name of Son Goku.
Now Trunks was in front of them. He looked different. Taller, with
long black hair. Yes... this entirely qualified as an unexpected situation.
And no one knew exactly what to say or how to deal with it.
"Hi." he said nervously.
"H... hi." Jupiter responded still dubious.
"You... er... look taller." he went on.
"Uhm... thanks..." she said, "You look... rather tall yourself."
Usagi raised an eyebrow. Wait a minute... what was going on here?
What was the deal with this trivial conversation. It's been three years
since they last saw each other, these two shouldn't be talking about how
tall they were now. They should be running into each other's arms and kiss
passionately without even caring who could be looking at them. What was
going on here?
"I see you dyed your hair." the girl added.
"Yeah... it's a long story."
They seemed so... distant. It was like looking at two strangers
meeting for the first time. Something was wrong here. Usagi could tell.
"Could someone tell us what's going on here??" Uranus cut in
impatiently.
Trunks would give anything to postpone this little chat for later.
He needed some time to think things over. Fortunately, Heaven heard his
plea and several curious Juuban residents began to approach the area now
that the danger had passed.
Firm in his decision to keep his real a secret, Trunks put on what
was left of his mask which was enough to cover his mouth and nose. Then he
powered up to Super Saiyajin again and turned towards the Senshi.
"We can't talk here." he said. "I'll meet you in Hikawa Shire in an
hour."
Without giving them the chance to validate that statement, the time
traveler quickly lifted off and disappeared into the sky in a trail of
yellow light. Eventually, the Senshi left the area as well.
**********
Later, in another place called Nerima:
"Another attack?" Ranma asked as he came out of the Dojo.
"That's right." Soun confirmed, "It's live on TV right now, although
it seems like the fight came to an end moments ago."
The young Saotome, as well as the rest of the inhabitant of the
Tendou household, were now gathered in front of the television paying close
attention the news broadcast. Basically, the reporter repeated the same
formula everyone heard from previous announcements regarding attacks from
the Masters of Tomorrow. Only this time there were casualties. The new enemy
appeared in a place filled with people and attacked them indiscriminately.
The Senshi and Son Goku arrived and defeated the monster, but the damage had
already been done.
"Oh my." said Kasumi, "I hope your friends are all right, Akane."
"Yeah, me too." her sister added, "I think I'll call them just to
make sure."
"Those Sailor Senshi sure seem to have their hands full." Genma
commented before taking a sip of his tea.
"So it appears, Saotome." his companion acknowledged.
Everyone went then to their daily activities. Kasumi cooked, Nabiki
read some magazines, Soun and Genma played shogi and Akane went to the phone
to check on her Juuban friends. In the meantime, Ranma was the only one left
in front of the television.
This was getting more serious than he thought. Probably more serious
than Trunks had anticipated. Serious enough to force him to turn into a
Super Saiyajin. Ranma could tell. In two occasions this day he felt an
incredible surge of power coming several miles away. Normally, Ranma
couldn't feel someone's ki from such a distance, but the power was so big
that it triggered his senses the moment it erupted. In other words, the
enemy was toughing up and Trunks was forced to transform to hold his own.
Ranma *did* promise to stay away from the whole mess and let Trunks
handle things. Being kept out of action wasn't the martial artist's way to
go. Although those weird cat creatures the enemy used did persuade him to
step aside. But still... alurophobia or not, people's lives were being taken.
And that did make Ranma reconsider his position.
Maybe he should go and pay a friendly visit to Juuban. Just to check
on how things were being handled.
**********
"Who was that on the phone, Rei?" Usagi asked.
"Akane Tendou." she told her. "She heard about the attack and just
wanted to make sure we were all right."
"Oh, for a second there I thought it might be Trunks."
"It's been 45 minutes already," Minako added, "I don't think he'll
take long."
"I still can't believe it's him..." Makoto suddenly said, while
sitting on a corner with her eyes lost in thought, "He looks so... different."
"Mako-chan, are you all right with all of this?" Minako was the
first to ask.
"Yeah... I... I think I just needed some time to let it all sink
down." she answered, "But it's still confusing. I mean... Trunks... here."
"But this is good, right?" Usagi beamed, "I mean, he's *here*. We
never thought we'd see him again, but now he's here. And now you have your
boyfriend back."
"I... I don't know..." the girl said worriedly, "It's been three
years. It's all so confusing. What if he already has someone? What if he
doesn't feel anything for me now? Oh, God... I don't even know how do *I*
feel. It's all happening so fast."
"Mako-chan, you've gotta have some faith in love!" Usagi stated,
trying to raise her friend's spirits, "We've been fighting for love since day
one. This is a sign. This is your second chance. You have to take it."
"Actually, that brings us to another matter as well." Mamoru cut in,
"How did he get here? You girls told me that the first time you saw him he
accidentally crashed in this world and caused some sort of unbalancement.
Not to mention that the fact of getting here was a one in a million chance.
What's the deal with that?"
"That's right." Ami added. "And while we're at it, why did he
dressed up as Son Goku to fight next to us? Why didn't he came directly at
us instead of hiding?"
The rest of them took time to analyze those words.
"Maybe..." Makoto began fearfully, "Maybe he doesn't want to see us..."
"Don't say that, Mako-chan." Minako declared, "I'm sure he has
reasonable explanation for doing it."
"Yeah!" Usagi, the always optimistic, added, "We can't jump to
conclusions. Maybe there's more to this than we can imagine."
"Well, we should be getting an answer soon." Ami said as she checked
her watch.
Standing silently on a corner, Rei looked at her friends. Just like
she had thought, all of them were confused by the appearance of Trunks.
Especially Makoto. She was the one that worried her the most. She looked
confused, anxious, scared, restless, and most of all: vulnerable.
Everything depended on what would Trunks say in a couple of minutes.
[Trunks, I hope you know what you're doing.] she thought.
**********
[I hope I know what I'm doing...] Trunks thought.
He arranged to meet the girls in an hour so that he could have some
time to think his situation over. Right now, he was just a few minutes away
from Hikawa Temple and his situation wasn't more clear than it was earlier.
Telling the truth seemed like the only right thing to do. He only hoped that
all the things that had him preoccupied wouldn't be as serious as he feared
or, preferably, just wouldn't show up. Most of those things were directly
connected to Makoto.
The stairs leading to the temple were now in front of him.
He looked at himself one more time to see how 'presentable' he was.
Not that he had actually dressed up for the occasion. A pair of black
trousers and his untucked white shirt were the first things he found in his
wardrobe.
[Well, here I go.] he thought as he took a deep breath.
"Not so fast." said suddenly a voice approaching from the street.
"Haruka, Michiru." Trunks realized, as he faced the duo. Oddly,
they weren't looking very friendly today, "Hi, what brings you here?"
"You tell us... Shinobi." Haruka responded.
Trunks' eyes went wide with amazement. There was only one person in
this planet who could use the word 'Shinobi' in such an insulting manner.
[This has got to be some sort of a joke!] he said to himself, "Wait
a minute! You two aren't..."
"Uranus and Neptune?" Michiru concluded, as she walked up the stairs
along with Haruka and cut Trunks' path towards the shrine. "Yes, we are."
Seconds which seemed minutes passed as the two Outer Senshi glared
at the man they thought they knew as a friend. For Trunks, this revelation
set everything off course. Not to mention that he still was in a certain
amount of shock after getting the surprise that two of his acquaintances
happened to be the two xenophobic Outer Senshi he had to deal with each time
there was a battle.
*This* definitively caused some unexpected problems.
"Listen, isn't there a way we can talk about this?" the Saiyajin
hybrid asked.
"Talk all you want, you're not going to see the princess anyway."
Haruka told him.
"Oh, C'mon! Aren't you blowing this way out of proportion?" he said,
getting exasperated of the same old discussion. "You're talking as if I was
a wanted criminal!"
"And you've given us quite enough reasons to think that way." Haruka
declared, "Ever since you and 'Son Goku' appeared, there's been nothing but
deception and lies. Truly you deserve the title of Shinobi."
"Could it be possible for you to stop calling me that?"
"Listen, Akira, or Trunks, or whatever your name is," Michiru added,
"We're not going to expose our princess to the likes of you. That pretty
much sums it up."
"Don't you understand? I'm here to help!" he explained, "Sailor
Pluto brought me here."
"You don't get tired of lying, do you?" Haruka remarked, "Pluto,
just like us, wouldn't let an outsider to get involved in Senshi business.
And even if she did, then why isn't she here to vouch for you?"
"How should I know?"
"Hmm... isn't that convenient." Michiru added with sarcasm.
"What's going on here?" came Usagi's voice from the top of the stairs.
Apparently, Trunks' little discussion with the two Outers had been
loud enough to alert the other girls and Mamoru. Seconds later, the sixsome
hastily made their way down, but their route was blocked by Haruka and
Michiru.
"Leave this to us, princess." Michiru told her.
"But what are you doing??" Usagi asked baffled.
"Keeping the scum away from you." Haruka responded without taking
her eyes off Trunks.
"Haruka, let him pass now!" Usagi ordered.
"You heard her." Trunks added.
"The only way you're getting in is through Michiru and me." Haruka
declared, "I'm sorry, princess. But this is for your own good."
Regardless of being a descendant of the Saiyajin race, and most of
all, regardless of being the son of probably one of the most aggressive
Saiyajin warriors, Trunks wasn't someone who looked forward to such
confrontation. Mainly due to the upbringing from his mother and the sense of
rectitude she instructed in him. Also, even thought Haruka and Michiru were
acting the way they were, Trunks couldn't bring himself to fight them. They
were, after all, fighting on the same side. Not to mention that, in some way,
he still saw them as friends... or something like that.
If Vejiita had been the one standing, he would've just walked by,
knocking, or even killing, the two girls who stood in his way without even
having a sense of regret. However, this wasn't Vejiita. And starting a fight
wasn't going to solve the problem or even give a good image to the Inner
Senshi. Not in Trunks' book. So, there was only one thing he could do.
"I didn't came here to fight," the Saiyajin hybrid began, "But I see
I'm not allowed to talk either, so I'll just leave. I know when I'm not
wanted."
"Wait!" said the Inner Senshi, but Michiru kept them at bay.
"And another thing," Michiru added, "Stay away from our fights and
go back to the place you came from. We don't need outsiders like yourself
in this battle."
Trunks stopped walking and turned around on more time. His eyes
looking directly at Michiru.
"No." he said simply, "This is my enemy as well. I came all the way
from my world to defeat these so called Masters of Tomorrow and I won't
leave until the last of them is dead. That is my mission and *that* is the
*only* reason I'm here. Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly. But until then
I'm staying and I'm fighting, whether you like it or not."
Without giving the girl a chance to respond, the time traveler
turned around and left. The Inners managed to get pass the two Outers who
were blocking them and tried to catch him before it was too late. All the
Inners except one. Makoto Kino stood where she was, immobile like a statue,
her eyes looking straight in front of her at empty space. Trunks last words
repeated themselves in her head.
... That is my mission and *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...
Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly...
[N... no...] she thought.
"Too late, he's already gone." Minako said. "Knowing him, he could
be anywhere by now."
"Haruka, that was out of line!" Usagi lectured. "Trunks isn't an
enemy."
"Well your 'friend' has been lying since the beginning." the girl
responded, "It is best for you to keep away from him."
"No." Rei began, getting everyone's attention. "Trunks hasn't been
lying, and I can prove it. If there's been someone who hasn't been truthful,
it's me."
Everyone looked at the Shinto priestess with a mixture of surprise
and confusion. Ami was the first one to speak.
"Rei, you've always been able to sense Trunks energy." the young
genius commented, "For how long have you been hiding this from us?"
"Ami, you knew?" Minako asked bewildered.
"It only occurred to me now." Ami confessed.
"Come on." Rei said to everyone as she gestured them to go to the
shrine. "I'll tell you everything up there."
On her way up, Minako, who was among the ones further behind,
couldn't help to notice Makoto's sad expression.
"Mako-chan, don't worry." she told her, "We'll talk to him. You'll
see, everything will be fine."
"It's not that, Minako." she spoke, "He already said what I wanted
to know."
**********
"Damn it!!" Eron cursed as he slammed his hands on the desk. "This
is the third time I've been forced to retreat!!"
"Master Eron, please, try to calm down." Arna asked a little taken
aback.
"How can I calm down, Arna!?!" he yelled. "This is so humiliating!
Each time I'm about to get him, that guy pulls out another trick! He's made
a fool out of me in front of other Masters of Tomorrow and our Lord!!"
His assistant just kept quiet. The rest of the laboratory's staff
chose to do the same. If Arna wasn't able to calm him down, no one else was
going to be dumb enough to even try. Eventually, after ramming his arm against
a few test tubes and throwing away the desk where they had been placed on,
Eron calmed down.
Again, Arna was the only brave one who asked for her superior's
state.
"Master Eron?"
"I'm all right." he said with heavy breaths. "But I have to find a
way to deal with this Son Goku, or else my position in front of the Lord
will be compromised."
"Commander Sorine is analyzing the data from your last fight." his
assistant declared, "I'm sure she will find a way to deal with the problem.
It's just a matter of time."
"I don't doubt that Sorine will find the best approach to defeat
Son Goku, Arna." Eron told her, "However, that doesn't mean that I'll be a
part of her plans. If she considers that either Arlakk or her could be more
'efficient', our Lord will certainly follow her advice and take me out of
the operation... And Son Goku is mine alone to take..."
"What are we going to do then?"
"We'll have to act quickly." he answered, "It's time to stop playing
games. This Son Goku character is causing us way too much problems. It's
time to take *his* Essence Sphere before he becomes even more troublesome."
"Master Eron," Arna began, "Do you have a plan? Son Goku has proven
to be rather agile. I wouldn't be surprised if he could dodge the blast from
your ring."
The scientist turned to look at her. For a moment, Arna feared that
she might have said something inappropriate which could worsen her superior's
mood. But to her relief, Eron didn't burst out on her and instead began to
look thoughtful while his hand rubbed his chin.
"Your observations aren't based without foundations, Arna." Eron
admitted, "My ring holds a small fraction of our Lord's power. Not only is
it the proof that I've been chosen as a Master of Tomorrow, but it also
enables me to take people's Essence Spheres by means of a blast. A blast so
fast and powerful that no man is able to evade or resist. However, there is
the possibility that Son Goku is able to dodge it. I've had enough surprised
coming from our shrouded friend, so this time I'll make sure that he won't
dodge it."
"How will you manage that, Master?"
"Simple, my dear assistant." her superior answered with a grin,
"I'll just set him a trap. I think I already know what is this man's
weakness, and I certainly plan to exploit it."
**********
"And that's pretty much what happened." Rei concluded.
Everyone took a pause to assimilate the priestess's story. From her
side, Rei had been cautious to avoid talking as much as possible about
Trunks' feelings for Makoto. Mainly because he seemed rather confused for
what he felt towards the girl in the first place.
She did, however, told them that he felt responsible for the enemy's
appearance and that he agreed to help in the fight. Other topics were
tackled as well. Rei briefly told everyone what had Trunks been up to since
they last saw him, how old he was (this cause some amount of shock among
the girls, as expected) and why had she been acting so oddly lately. This
had taken quite a burden off her shoulders. Now everyone knew why has she
been in the library with Ranma and why was there a black hair dying product
on her bathroom. She was particularly explicit with the latter, making sure
that Usagi got the message and dropped her 'gray hair' gag for good.
Makoto had been very silent during the whole relating. Rei couldn't
tell if she was still in shock or if she simply refused to show any emotions
which could make her more vulnerable. The Thunder Senshi raised her head and
looked at her.
"You've been hiding this from us for a month, is that it?" the girl
asked, and she didn't sound happy about it.
"Mako-chan, I'm sorry." Rei apologized, "But I made him a promise.
It was for the best."
"The best??" she said enraged. "How can you tell what's best if you
didn't even stop to think about it?? You had no right to hide this from us!!"
"Girls, please." Luna interrupted.
"I'm out of here!!" Makoto shouted as she stormed down the stairs.
"Mako-chan, wait!" Rei told her, but she was held back by Usagi.
"Let her go, Rei." the odango girl said, "It's better to leave her
alone right now. She's having the worst part of this whole deal."
"But..."
"She's right, Rei." Minako added, "Let her cool down. She had big
expectations on meeting Trunks today, and it didn't work out like she hoped
it would. Right now she's devastated. She needed to blow up against someone
and you were the nearest target. Don't worry, she'll forgive you, just give
her some time to work this out."
The Shinto priestess sighed and refused to chase after her friend.
Everything was going out wrong. This meeting was suppose to bring them all
together, not apart. Not only Trunks had taken his leave, but now Makoto
would probably hold this against her for some time. Not to mention...
"We're leaving too." Haruka brought out, as Michiru and her went for
the stairs as well.
"Haruka, Michiru, what are you going to do about Trunks now?" Usagi
asked, hopping that Rei's story had helped in changing the Outer Senshi's
view of their friend.
"I still don't trust him." she made clear. "He could've lied to you
by telling that Pluto helped him to get here. Otherwise, Setsuna would be
here to validate that."
"Trunks is not the lying type!" Rei protested.
"Your story proves the exact opposite." Michiru retorted. "He's been
lying since the day he set foot in this world."
"But he's here to help." Ami added.
"We don't need his help." Haruka declared, "The enemy still doesn't
know about Sailor Saturn. When the time comes, she'll fight along with us.
That will take care of things."
"You're underestimating the enemy." Ami told them.
"And you girls are overestimating that 'friend' of yours." Michiru
replied.
**********
It was a deserted piece of land, miles away from any civilization
or living person. Right now he felt the urge of being alone. He simply
wanted to get away from it all.
Right in the middle of a clearing stood a strange construction. It
was a spaceship, although Trunks didn't use it as such. Inside the craft, a
gravity room had been installed. It was the perfect place for a Saiyajin to
train and work out some stress. Vejiita's son was doing the latter right now.
With a roar, Trunks delivered another punch against an imaginary
opponent. Then he performed some kicks which became a blur.
Everything had gone wrong today. Terribly wrong. And worst of all,
he didn't knew how to deal with it. Maybe turning his back and leaving
hadn't been the best alternative, now that he thought about it. But with
Haruka and Michiru interfering, any attempt of a friendly conversation
seemed unlikely, or even impossible.
He flew to the top of the room, punching the air repeatedly and
ending his assault with a roundhouse kick. Then he came down with both
fists joined in a vertical blow.
It seemed as if all of his plans to make this operation work were
meant to fail since the very beginning. This was exactly the kind of
dilemma he wanted to avoid when he first got here.
He turned the gravity back to normal and powered down from Super
Saiyajin form. After picking up a towel and drying off his sweat, his eyes
glared at the Son Goku costume that was lying on top of the pilot's seat.
[I'm tired of this.] he thought, [I'm tired of hiding all the time
behind a mask so the Senshi won't recognize me. Not that it matters anymore.]
It had been enough. His first obligation was to deal with the
Masters of Tomorrow, not the Sailor Senshi. If he was going to be left alone
in this, then so be it. He would personally see that the enemy would be
taken care of. He would do it alone. This wasn't the time to be distracted
by other meaningless things.
He fell down on his seat and pressed the palms of his hands against
his face.
[Meaningless... yeah, right...]
Makoto... Why did she had to be mixed up in all of this?
As unbelievable as it sounded, someone knocked on Trunks' door. Or,
more exactly, on the ship's lock gate. This obviously caused some surprise
on the Saiyajin hybrid, but as he focused his senses, he could detect his
visitor's ki. Apparently, he'd been so angry and stuck in his own thoughts
lately that he didn't sense him approaching the ship.
"Hey, Trunks." Ranma said outside, "You there?"
"Come on in." he told him as he opened the hatch. "How did you find
me?"
"Are you kidding? You were letting out enough power to sense you
several miles away." he responded with a shrug. "I saw the news about the
last fight, so I was heading to Juuban to see how things went, till I sensed
you somewhere else. By the way, what is this place? Your country house?"
"More like a training room actually."
"Really?" the martial artist asked with interest. The place did look
interesting to say the least. "Anyway, I just wanted to know how things went."
"Well... " his host began, "Not very good."
"I see." Ranma spoke, "So, what happened?"
"Have you ever... I don't know... said or done something in front of
someone while you're angry that you would later regret?"
"*Have* I?" he asked with a smirk while raising an eyebrow, "Man,
you are talking to the King of 'sticking-your-foot-in-your-mouth'."
"Oh... yeah, I forgot about that." the Saiyajin hybrid admitted,
"Anyway, I think I just made things worse between the Sailor Senshi and me."
"Let me guess." Ranma began, "Does it have to do with Sailor Uranus
and Sailor Neptune?"
"That... that's right." Trunks said amazed, "How did you know?"
"Heh, trust me, I know." the pigtailed boy declared as he took a
seat, "A lot of things happened during those three years you weren't here.
Let's say that my path crossed with the Sailor Senshi more than once. I can
give you first hand information on how rude those two Outer Senshi can be
with strangers. Especially Uranus. Call me paranoid, but sometimes I think
she has something against me in particular... Hmm... just hope that Pops
didn't engage me to her at some time."
"I see..." he stated, a little impressed. "Well, you're right. Those
two are the ones I'm having problems with. Partially at least."
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"Well, for starters, I'd like to ask you a favor." Trunks said as
he took his Son Goku outfit and threw it towards the boy. "Here."
"Huh?" the martial artist asked while catching it. "You're not
trying to tell me that you're quitting, are you?"
"I'm not quitting, but I'm not dressing up as Son Goku either.
Please keep that costume away from me. It has caused nothing but trouble."
he explained, "It was a mistake to come here hidden in the first place. My
mission is to handle the Masters of Tomorrow, not the Sailor Senshi. So
from now on, my mind will be focused only on the enemy. I'm wearing the
suit I should've wore since the beginning."
"Do you really think that'll fix your problems with the Senshi?"
Ranma inquired, as unlikely as it seemed for him to actually give advise on
matters such as this one.
"In my world, I'm the only warrior left, Ranma. I have to start
taking that responsibility." Trunks went on, "Right now, a lot of people are
being affected by this invader. Those people are helpless and come before me.
I can't get distracted with my problems with the Sailor Senshi now. I have
to stay focused on the enemy so no one gets hurt again."
"Well... whatever you say."
**********
She left Hikawa Temple in a hurry, and for the passing minutes she
hadn't stop running. Makoto's feet eventually brought her inside a park. She
needed some rest and sat against a tree, wrapping her arms around her legs
and dropping her head against her knees.
As much as she tried to hide it, it was clear that she was crying.
"Stop crying, you idiot..." she mumbled, "It's been three years...
You knew things couldn't be like they were before. You're suppose to be over
him already, so stop crying!"
... That is my mission and *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...
Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly...
"He's from another world... It was never meant to be." she continued.
And *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...
"You have to be strong, Makoto!" she declared, "You have to be strong!"
*That* is the *only* reason!
*only* reason!
*only* reason!!
*ONLY* reason!!!
"I... I can't handle this!" she said desperately, braking into huge
sobs, "Why is this happening to me?? Why, Trunks?? Why??"
She wished none of it was real. She wished it *so* much. But she
couldn't deny what she heard. Trunks was back, and he wasn't back for (or
because) of her. No wonder he'd been hiding all this time. He'd been hiding
from her. She felt her heart drop into the abyss, making her feel cold from
the inside... dead...
She wished that, any minute now, she would wake up from this
terrible nightmare. Maybe the sound of her sobs would wake her up.
**********
The sound of flapping wings approached Arlakk's window. A crow,
black as night, entered the necromancer's tower and alighted on the floor.
The bird began to grown and change into something human, its feathers
altering their texture into a cape of the same color. The owner of the tower
arose from the ground.
"Delif." he said out loud.
"Yes, Master?" crept a voice from the shadows. "Was your visit to
the genetic laboratory enjoyable?"
"Indeed it was." Arlakk responded with a grin. "I can't deny that it
was fun seeing Eron so frustrated, slamming everything he found in his path
while cursing his luck for another defeat."
"Is he really planning to do what you expected, Master?"
"Yes. Eron can be quite predictable when he's angry." he declared
while sitting in his favorite chair. "Now obsessed with Son Goku, he plans
to take immediate action, even though our Lord made it quite clear that we
should stay on hold until Sorine came with some conclusive results of our
last battle."
"Then this should be the perfect time to tell our Lord what he is up
to." the creature suggested, "Eron will certainly be removed from this
operation for such misbehavior, leaving you in charge."
"That is a possibility." the necromancer stated, "But we won't do
that right now. We should just sit back and relax. Eron will take care of
ruining his own reputation."
"But what if he succeeds, Master?"
"I find that very unlikely." he explained, "Son Goku is still a
mystery to us. Until we know exactly the extent of his power, any attacks on
his person will certainly fail. However, assuming that Eron is successful
and snatches Son Goku's Essence Sphere, that will just make things easier
for me to get Eternal Sailor Moon's broach. In any case, the Lord won't be
happy with him for leaving to the Outside without permission. Eventually,
I'll be the one in charge to continue the attack, since Sorine is too busy
right now with project Dark Snowfall to attend any other affairs."
"I bow to your unique cunning, Master." Delif said, "Will I have a
chance to fight this Son Goku once you are in charge of the operation?"
"Of course you will, Delif."
End of chapter 10.
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Author's notes:
Again, I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter. I think mostly because
this part was rather hard to write. Especially the re-encounter between
Trunks and the girls. But then again, everyone was pressuring me to finish
this chapter as soon as possible, so 'Ha!' that's what you get =P.