~Chapter One~
Chestnut Blade
~Chapter One~

Trunks Briefs looked out the window next to him. Vacationing for a week with my family...before a few weeks ago, it seemed like to much to ask. 'Kaasan is always working on some new invention, 'Tousan's always training, and Bra's always somewhere else. Not that I really want to spend time with her, though... He stole a glance over at his sister. She was busy staring out the window, just like he had been seconds earlier.
"Ooh, look!" she squealed suddenly.
Trunks looked out her window at where she was pointing. "Wow," he commented sarcastically. "Cars. Now there's something we've never seen before. Look quickly, 'cause we'll never see these again, especially on a busy highway."
Bra stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk. That's not what I was talking about. That's Pan's car!"
"Big whoop-dee-doo. It's not like we've never seen them before."
Vegeta, who was sitting in the passenger seat, whipped around to face the woman in the driver's seat. "You didn't tell me Kakarott's brat was coming on this insane outing!!"
"Yes, I did," Bulma replied calmly, not taking her eyes off of the road. "I told you about a week ago. I know I did."
"No, you didn't! You told me this was to be an oppurtunity for me to train!!"
"Well, guess what? Since Son-kun's going to be there-"
"Nani?!?! Kakarott too?! I refuse to go any further!!"
"Well, that's too bad, seeing as I'm the one who's driving. Anyway, as I was saying, since Son-kun'll be there too, you can train with him. I didn't lie to you."
"Train with Kakarott?!?! Are you insane, woman?!?!"
"It all depends on who you ask."
Trunks sighed. Training is all 'Tousan seems to think of. He has so much pride that he can't bear the fact that Goku-san is stronger than him. I hardly ever get him to notice me, nevermind talk to me or train with me. I'm just not good enough for him. He looked over at his sister again, this time with envy. Bra has it so easy, he thought. She has 'Tousan wrapped around her little finger. He loves her. I don't even get to see him that often. If he talks about his son, he's always referring to the one from the future. He looks down on me because I'm not my future counterpart. If only I'd come first, if only I'd been old enough to fight when he came. Then he would have liked me. Trunks gazed out the window, trying to force himself to cheer up. A car sped up and matched speed with theirs; he recognized it as being Kuririn, Juuhachi, and Marron's car. He waved and smiled in spite of himself. He and Marron were in somewhat of a casual relationship. Well, there's at least one part of this vacation that won't be a total waste. Now, if only I can get 'Tousan to train with me during this trip, then everything will be perfect. I 'm not going to let anything go wrong and spoil this.
Famous last words.

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"What're you looking at, Marron?" Kuririn asked cheerfully of his only daughter. "See something interesting?"
"Hmm?" Marron tore her eyes away from the window of the car to look at her father. "No, not really. Just waving to Bra and Trunks."
Kuririn smiled knowingly. "It's nice that we're all going on vacation together, ne?"
Marron grinned back. "Hai. We should have planned this sooner."
"What do you think, Juuhachi?"
"I suppose." Marron's mother replied disinterestedly. "But if that baka Goku calls me 'robot' one more time..." Somehow she managed to crack her knuckles and still keep one hand one the wheel.
"Now, I'm sure he doesn't mean it."
Marron suppressed a giggle. Her parents were always having little arguments like that, but they didn't bother her. She knew that they didn't really mean it; they always made up right away. Marron returned her attention to the window. Seeing Trunks and Bra's car driving beside them, she waved and smiled at the siblings for the second time. I wonder if Trunks and I will ever be like 'Kaasan and 'Tousan, she thought suddenly. She blushed slightly and shifted her gaze to the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, casting a beautiful warm glow over the landscape. Noticing that she could no longer hear them speaking, Marron snuck a peek at her parents. They were talking softly and all seemed normal. She noticed that one of her mother's hands was not on the wheel and that her father was holding it in his. Marron smiled to herself and continued looking out the window. This vacation is just what we need.
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"'Tousan? Are we almost there?"
"Hai, we'll arrive in a couple minutes." Gohan Son answered his daughter Pan.
"Yatta!" the raven-haired adolescent squealed. "I can't wait!!"
"Calm down, Pan," replied Videl laughingly from her position in the passenger seat. "Now, our exit is coming up, so pay attention, Gohan..."
Pan pressed her nose against the windowpane next to her. She could barely contain her excitement. She had wanted to get away from everything ever since school had been let out, and the prospect of a group vacation was thrilling. This is so great!! Finally, a week to spend with Bra and Marron. Too bad we have to deal with Trunks and Goten, though. Well, actually, they're not too bad sometimes...just when they're in one of their moods. This is going to be so cool!!
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"Geez, Bra. Could you be any closer to that window of yours? You look like you've got your nose glued to that thing."
Bra Briefs glared annoyedly at her brother. "Shut up, Trunks. Baka."
"Ooh, there's an original insult. I am so wounded." Trunks faked a painful death from his side of the backseat.
The aqua-haired girl closed her eyes and counted to a sufficiently high number. This was at least the fiftieth time that Trunks had tried to annoy her in the last hour, and it was working. "I said, shut up."
"Ahh! Again! There's no end to your originality!"
Bra counted to an even higher number. "I'm not even going to give you the satisfaction of my answer to that," she commented icily.
"Brrr. Frigid." he countered.
Bra ignored him and turned back to the window. What a total jerk, she thought. Here it is, the first family trip in I don't know how long, and he has to go and ruin it by being juvenile. He's so stupid and inconsiderate; I bet he's wishing he was picking up girls or something right now. Poor Marron. She doesn't deserve to be stuck with my baka brother. She sighed, blowing some of her bangs out of her face. Why can't oniisan be like Goten? Goten's always nice to me- well, usually he's nice. Baka, baka oniisan.
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The boy in question was staring blankly out of his window too. The countryside flashed before Goten's eyes, but he didn't really notice it. He was too preoccupied.
I don't know what to think of this vacation, he mused to himself. I mean, sure, I'm psyched about 'getting away from it all' and hanging out with Trunks to boot. But what about Paresu? I miss her already, the teenager thought, envisioning his current girlfriend.
"Oi, Goten!" His father's voice interrupted his thoughts. "I think I see Vegeta's car! Should we wave to them?"
Goten shrugged. Sometimes his father acted as if he was younger than Goten himself. "Hai, I guess so," he replied, and did so as they passed his friend's car. The responses came quickly: waves from Bra and her mother, a scowl from Vegeta, and a grin from Trunks. "Looks like Vegeta-san's talkative as usual," he commented.
"Eh, he doesn't mean it," his father told him cheerfully. "That's just the way Vegeta shows affection, that's all."
Goten's mother raised an eyebrow from her seat in the front of the car, but she didn't say anything.
"He must really like you then, 'Tousan." Goten shot back.
There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence before Chi Chi broke it.
"Goku, isn't that our turn there?" she questioned.
"Oh, yeah! Thanks!" Goten's father replied, making the turn just in time. "About how far after this?"
Chi Chi consulted her map. "Hmm....it says about one and a half miles before we reach our cabins. Better start packing up, Goten."
"Aw, 'Kaasan, you didn't have to tell me that. I'm a teenager, for Kami's sake." Goten reminded his mother, but he started to get himself ready nonetheless. I don't know about this. I guess it's really what we need, but I can't help thinking that I should be with Paresu over the summer. Kami only knows how long we're going to be staying out here; no one ever bothered to decide when we'll be heading home. He sighed and stared out the window again. I just don't know...
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