Chapter 2

Restlessness Occurs

Goten's eyes stood open; staring at the ceiling. The awkward feeling…was welling up. His thoughts filled with one person. Rini…HEH HEH… he gasped and flipped up from his pillow. What was that voice he heard? Goten's breath quickened. Then…as if it was coming toward him…The Voice chanted an uneasy tune. LITTLE PRINCESS…LITTLE PRINCESS…UNAWARE-WHAT-WILL… HAPPEN IN THE DARK…RUN PRINCESS, RUNAWAY…RUN TO YOUR BELOVED…He covered his ears, not wanting to hear anymore. RUN! RUN! LITTLE PRINCESS…IN THE DARK. With that, the voice faded with its happy singsong. Goten was speechless. What did it mean?

He started to shake Trunks, till finally, he woke up with a muffled snort. "What do you want? It's 3:oo on the morning. Can't it wait when it's actually sunny?" Trunks asked sleepily, rubbing his bed-head hair. "NO IT CAN'T." Goten said crossly. "I just heard a voice." "A voice? Is that all?" Trunks asked crankily. "No this voice was creepy!! It kept on bantering about a princess…the dark. And all sorts of things!" Trunks looked at his best friend as if he we're a mad man. "You gotta believe me!" Goten whined with exasperation. "I heard it! I swear!" He paused, to find Trunks twitching. In an instant, Trunk had fallen on the floor bursting with laughter. "Y-you musta had a nightmare or somethin o-or-" His laughter became loud, hiccups in between.

A small knock came upon the door. "Come in." Rini entered, rubbing her eyes. "Could you guys keep it down?" she asked in a dreamy voice. "I'm trying to sleep…" Trunks wiped the tears from his eyes, still easing with laughter. He looked up, then was shocked. Rini had borrowed one of Goten's T-shirts, and looked small in it. Her hair was no longer in triangular odagos and was drifting freely now. "O-okay." Trunks and Goten stuttered.

Rini exited the room, yawning in the hallway. Goten could hear a silent click of the door as it was being shut. 'So the house is this empty…?' Goten thought, getting the same empty feeling that Rini had soothed before. He longed for Rini. For some reason, he did. Goten wanted her reassuring smile, but could find no tenderness to look upon. The coldness…that's all he could feel now. "Good night!" Trunks said in a hoarse whisper, then switching off the lamp.

Goten looked at the clock as he lowered his head to the pillow. 3:I5… He sighed, shutting his eyes. It was going to be a long time till daybreak.

|~ Morning ~|

It was a cloudy day. Which depressed the trio inside the house. Besides the rumbles that came from the sky, it was so quiet, and serene. Trunks had decided to go of to Kame Tower to see if Piccolo or even Kame was there. Leaving Rini and Goten completely alone for a short while. Rini was just sitting on the couch, playing with her hair. Not a care in the world. Goten had plopped beside her. Sensing she was being watched, she turned her head and jumped "Must you sneak up on me like that?" He scratched his head slightly, not knowing how to answer. "I guess," Rini gave him a suspicious look, only to find a goofy smile. "Voyeur." She said gently, sitting back next to him.

"So where did you come from?" asked Goten all of a sudden. He felt embarrassed asking such a sudden question. "I can't tell you…" Rini murmured softly. "Why ca-" but he stopped in mid sentence. "Sorry." Rini smiled up at him. "It's alright." She informed him. He could see something… in her eyes. Guilt. Pure tenacious guilt. He sat there staring in those beautiful crimson eyes, when he heard a slam at the door. Trunks had returned. "Any luck?" asked Goten. "No…" Trunks flopped himself on a free couch, when he noticed Rini's unhappy face. "So what's with you?" he asked. "Nothing is Trunks…not a thing." She answered.

The tiny drops of rain began to fall. Tension was building; as well as temptation. The house seems somewhat glum with out Goku's naïve smile, or Chi-chi's constant yelling. Things that Goten has been used to since he was a child have been silenced…for now.