Unknown Realms

Chapter 14: Revolutions

Hotiku curled the last lock of hair and pulled the plug out of the curling iron. She walked out of her bathroom and opened her closet. She slipped on a pair of green cargo pants and a black muscle shirt. She walked over to her dresser and picked up her silver locket and slid it on her neck. She adjusted the chain until the hook was in the back.

"Where are they?" she reached under her bed and patted around looking for her shoes. "Gotcha," she felt them and pulled out the sneakers, shoving her feet into them. She went back to her dresser and opened a small case with a pair of contacts inside. She tilted her head up and held one contact in a finger. After placing it on her eye, she picked up the other one.

"Hotiku?" Trunks abruptly knocked on the door, causing Hotiku to drop the contact.

"Shit! Trunks don't do that! I dropped my contact!" she yelled through the door as she picked it up and cleaned it.

"Since when do you have contacts?"

"Since I said so," she said haughtily. Trunks opened the door to see her looking in the mirror and adjusting the contact.

"You're hair." he started.

"What?" she turned around to look at him.

"It's. you're a brunette now," he blinked.

"What, you don't like it?" she snickered and walked towards her bed and picked up her shoulder bag.

"It's different," he stated.

Hotiku walked past him, "whatever."

"Hey, your eyes are blue!"

"So are yours!" she hopped down the stairs, "now enough of this, let's go already, we haven't be to school in awhile, people will be wondering."

"Wondering what?" was the last thing heard as the door slammed shut.

~*~

"Hey, where've you guys been?!" someone yelled.

"Around," Hotiku answered.

"Hey, your hair looks great!"

"Thanks, some people like it," she stuck her tongue out at Trunks.

"What?" he shrugged.

"Weren't your eyes green before?" Goten asked.

"Yeah," Hotiku answered simply.

"Did you use your pow-" he started.

"Shut up," she slapped a hand over his mouth. "No, I didn't, they're contacts," she answered his would-be question. Hotiku looked around, no one seemed to have heard anything as the room was a pandemonium. She removed her hand from his mouth and wiped it on her pants.

"Gross." she joked. "Hey, I'm open!" She yelled across the room as someone threw her a football.

"Over here, Hotti!" one of her friends cried. She threw the ball just a little too hard and it ended up hurling towards the door, which was now opening.

"Class," the teacher said as she entered, narrowly missing the ball. She picked it up, "who threw this?"

"Me," Hotiku shrugged.

"Hotiku, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"No throwing balls in the classroom," they both said, Hotiku mocking her. The teacher let out an exasperated sigh and placed the ball in a closet that contained several other entertainment devices.

"Take your seats, everyone," the teacher ordered and everyone did so for a short moment.

"I wonder what I'm going to dream about today," someone cracked.

"Class, we have a new student," she announced.

"Score!" Hotiku and Goten shared high-five.

"Would you please come in?" she signaled for the student to enter. As he did, they quickly noticed that he had black raven hair and pale blue eyes. He had on a white wife-beater and navy cargo pants. There was something odd about him, Hotiku thought absentmindedly, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She felt as if she had some kind of connection with him, but she ignored the sense and gave it no further thought.

"Alright, fresh meat," Hotiku rubbed her hands together as she and many other of her friends thought of pranks to pull on him.

"Thank you, sensei, you're very kind," he complimented.

"Hey, newbie, you've got something on your nose!"

"Yeah something brown!"

"Brown nose," several students chanted.

"Class, please remain quiet!" the teacher cried out, her voice slightly hoarse. Apparently she'd been yelling at them for quite a while and constantly as well.

"Hey, we were only quiet for the newbie, now it's time to have some fun!" Hotiku laughed as they all stood. Someone flipped on a radio as they listened to some music. Several started dancing while others spoke the lyrics along with the artist.

"Well, as you can see, this class is. interesting."

~*~

Hotiku shoved her books into her locker as she struggled to pull out her cd player. Once she had dropped it into her bag, she grabbed the door of her locker and quickly slammed it shut and leaned against it as she locked it. She let out a relieved sigh and took a step to walk away only to find that she couldn't.

"What the." she looked back to see that a corner of her shirt had gotten caught in the locker. "That's just perfect," she muttered and looked around to see if anyone was glancing her way. As she saw that no one was looking, she used her powers to slip her hand through and pull out the corner of her shirt.

"Hey," someone said behind her. Hotiku jumped and gasped as she spun around to see that it was the new kid.

"Newbie, you scared me half to death, you know if you want to pull more stunts like that you should really see the pool on the third floor," she smirked.

"This school has a pool?"

"Yeah, specially reserved for swimmers who train for the Olympics," she lied, "but I bet you could see it if you get there in the next ten minutes, that's when their practice starts."

"Really? That's so cool!" he said and started to walk up the stairs.

"Sucker," she snickered and walked out of the school. Trunks came up behind her and poked her sides causing her to jump and let out a startled yelp. "Trunks, quit it!" she giggled.

"You're so ticklish," he laughed.

"At least I'm not so gullible like that newbie," she chuckled.

"Don't tell me he believed that Olympic pool prank?" he asked only to have Hotiku nod her head in response. "Kami, what an idiot!"

"Yeah, he probably got locked up there too!" she laughed. "I have to go to work, I'll see you later."

"All right, but remember Dad wants us to train today," he sighed.

"Right, bye," she waved as she walked towards the restaurant. Once she arrived, she walked into the back and put on her roller blades and apron. As she skated out, she grabbed a small notepad and pen to write down orders.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked a young girl with black hair and gray eyes.

"Mm, cappuccino," she decided.

"Okay, be right back," Hotiku skated away. The girl pulled out a black cell phone and pushed a button on speed dial.

"Zack, she's here," she spoke, "where are you?"

"I'm on my way over, I got locked on the roof of the school," he said as he walked down the street in a hurry.

"What do you mean you got locked on the roof?" she whispered harshly. Hotiku came back with her drink and set it down for her.

"Anything else?" she asked. The girl just smiled and shook her head. "Okay," Hotiku smiled back and left.

"Hotiku pulled a prank on me," he said.

"Like what?"

"She said there was a pool on the third floor," he replied.

"And you believed her?" she stifled her laughter.

"No, but I had to act like I did," he said.

"Sure," she rolled her eyes and took a sip.

"Miyako, I'm serious, now just keep an eye on her while I get there," Zack said.

"Right, well, I'm going to enjoy my cappuccino, and relax," she laughed and hung up, keeping and eye on Hotiku.

~*~

Hotiku let out a scream, "are you serious!?"

"Yes, what's the big deal?" Trunks asked.

"Big deal? I haven't been to any kind of ball since I was on Toria-sei! I didn't like them then, and I don't like them now!"

"Oh, come on, Hotti! It'll be fun!"

"No! No, it won't, people will be staring at me and saying stuff like 'oh doesn't that girl look funny in a dress'! Which, by the way, I will not be wearing!"

"Please? Do this for me? My mom is making me go, don't think I want to too, but I have to and I'm not going by myself!" he explained. Hotiku turned on her heel and walked away not even bothering to respond. She walked towards the gravity room and opened the door where she changed into her favorite training suit. As she walked back out to a chamber she raised her hands above her head to stretch.

"Come on, Hotti!" a voice said from behind her causing her to yelp and jump.

"Don't do that!" she slapped her hands at his chest.

"Hotiku, come on, stop being so stubborn!" he whined.

"Alright!"

"Yes," he said excited.

"But, only if you can beat me in a match," she smirked.

"What?! Fine," he grumbled and changed into a training suit.

"You look cute in that," she winked at him.

"Yeah, yeah. let's get this over with."

~*~

Trunks reached a hand down to help Hotiku up. She breathed heavily and grabbed his arm, pulling herself up.

"Looks like you're coming to the ball with me," he grinned.

"Ugh. right," she muttered and started to walk away only to have Trunks walk beside her and support her as he noticed she was slightly limping.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, my knees just hurt," she said and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Want to fly?" he smirked.

She chuckled, "only if you promise to catch me if I fall."

"I promise," he said as he started to levitate and held her hands as she slowly wobbled off the ground. "See, you're not going to fall!"

Hotiku glanced at him and smirked, pulling back away from him and taking off swiftly out of the gravity room. "Sucker!"

"Hey!" he flew out of her.

"You can't catch me!" she taunted him.

"You want to bet?" he powered up and blurred in front of her.

"Whoa!" she crashed into him as he wrapped his arms around her firmly.

"Told you," he laughed.

"Cheater." she grumbled and blew a piece of hair out of her face only to have it fall back into her eyes. She growled at it, but immediately stopped as she realized Trunks had brushed it out of her face for her. "Trunks?" she looked at him quizzically, but fearfully.

"What?" he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"Trunks, don't do this to me," she breathed, "please."

"Hotiku, you know I won't hurt you," he whispered.

"I know but."

"But what?" he looked down at her.

"I don't know, I guess I'm scared," she admitted.

"Scared of what?" he asked.

"Trunks, I don't want to ta-" she gasped as a sharp pain pierced through her skull.

~*~

A raven-haired figure crept back into the shadows of the bushes as he watched Trunks support Hotiku who had her back arched in pain and her eyes dilated.

"This should help her out," he spoke into a small communicator that was located in his cufflink. It crackled slightly before another voice broke through softly.

"Are you sure this won't affect her psychically?" she asked.

"I'm positive, stand by," he ordered and cut the link between them.

~*~

An image flashed before Hotiku's eyes of herself hugging Saige. She witnessed as he kissed her forehead softly before she snapped her head back up and looked at Trunks who was sitting her on her bed.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine." she breathed.

"What happened?"

"I'm not sure," she said as he knelt down next to her.

"For a second there I thought you disillusioned again," he admitted.

"No, it was something. different, it was weird. Like a memory or something," she closed her eyes as the vision played itself over and over again in her mind like a broken record. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake it, the same feeling had returned from earlier when she first saw the new kid. Hotiku made a mental note to keep an eye out for this kid, that sinking feeling kept returning to her like a thorn in her side.

"Oh, by the way, that new kid, whatever his name is, is coming to the ball too," Trunks said.

"What?!" she screeched, jumping up from the bed.

"Yeah, I told mom about him and she said to invite him so I did," he blinked at her, "is there a problem with that?"

Hotiku sighed and flopped back down, "no."

"Good, now, I'll see you later tonight. Please wear something formal," he begged her.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved her hand at him as he stood to leave, "Trunks?" she called his attention.

"Huh?" he turned around, not really sure what she was going to say. Her voice had something hidden behind it, something indecipherable. It worried him, he felt as if she was hiding something from him, something important.

"I'm sorry, for being so closed up," she sighed. "I don't know, I guess I should be over all of this Saige business by now, I think I just use it as an excuse for an insecurity or something."

"How long have you been dealing with Saige anyway?" he asked.

Hotiku shrugged, carefully choosing her words, she didn't want to give away the fact that she was the "priestess." "I guess since we were thirteen or so, he always seemed so distracted from the missions we were sent on. Then one day he just blew up and told me everything. At first, I thought it was a joke, but then when I laughed at him, he got. upset. That's when the fighting started."

"Man, talk about clingy," he stated.

"I swear, if I just sat down with him and had a reasonable talk with him, I could convince him out of it," she said exasperated, "but now that Rain has taken over him, I don't know. he's been manipulated and I don't think I can bring him back."

"But can't you un-manipulate him or something?" he asked, trying to soak in all the information like a sponge. It seemed every time he thought he knew everything about her, bam, she'd pop up with something new. Sometimes he thought that she made some of it up, but then he'd think about it and realize that she never contradicted herself.

"I'm not sure, I may be able to, but otherwise we'd have to." she trailed off, "Trunks he was one of my best friends when we were kids."

"What?" he didn't quite understand, at first he thought that she hated him, now he wasn't so sure.

"Every time one of us got in a jam, we'd help each other out. Then there were the times when we'd play tricks on some of the guards just to have fun and torture them. Our powers were always so much more advanced than theirs were, so it'd freak them out when they'd see a faint image in a mirror or something. They'd swear it was a ghost at times until they'd realize that it was just their own reflection faded," she recalled the events, smiling every now and then. "I miss him, I know it sounds weird, but we really were best friends. I think this whole is an act, or maybe he know something I don't."

"Well, if he does, he already knows a hell of a lot more about you than I do, I swear sometimes I feel like you're hiding something from me," he scoffed.

"Believe me, Trunks, anything else isn't really important," she assured him and walked to her closet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ball to get ready for."

Trunks smiled as she seemed so excited about it, for a split second he was convinced that deep down she really did want to go to this ball. He walked towards the door to leave before turning back to watch her shift through clothes rhythmically in search of the perfect outfit. Closing the door, he grinned to himself and retreated back to his own room to don his tuxedo.

~*~

"And you're sure she's going to be there?" Miyako asked.

"Definitely, Trunks told me to come," Zack said. The two were sitting a top a roof of one of the many skyscrapers in Satan City. Miyako looked below and observed as the people who walked around below going about their normal lives, boring lives. Sometimes they felt sorry for them, other times they envied them. Either way they seemed a million miles away now.

"Alright, I'll sneak in and stay low, when the time comes we'll carry out the plan, she still doesn't remember much and this should help," she explained.

"Right, see you there, or not," he smirked and stood with her. They glanced at each other momentarily before teleporting away into a thousand glittering sparks.

~*~

"I'm ready!" Hotiku screeched from inside her room.

"So come out!" Trunks said, his arms crossed across his chest.

"No, I look ridiculous!" she argued.

"Come on, Hotti!" he pleaded with her.

"All right, but don't laugh!" she warned. She hesitated for a moment before opening the door swiftly.

Trunks stared at her for a few moments. Her dress was a slight dark blue, silk by what he could tell. He also noticed that she had a wrap hanging on her elbows behind her. "You look. wow," was all he could say.

Hotiku scoffed and grabbed the petite purse on the small table by the door. She smacked his arm with it playfully and walked out of her room. "Men," she rolled her eyes.

"Shall we?" he smiled as he held out his arm for her to take. Hotiku took his arm as a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. As they descended the long winding staircase that led to the ballroom, Trunks glanced over at Hotiku as she carefully walked in the heels being careful not to step on her gown.

"What?" she giggled sneaking a small glimpse at him. "You try walking in these shoes down this many stairs!"

Trunks chuckled as they entered the large banquet room. They looked around to see if they knew anybody who was also dragged to this unwillingly. Trunks scanned the crowd as his eyes fell upon the new kid.

"Hey, there he is," he discreetly pointed across the room at him.

Hotiku frowned at him, the feeling had grown even stronger than before. Something was right about him, something not truthful and she felt it in her gut and instincts. She never doubted her instincts, they were always on the nose especially with extremities like these. "He's weird."

"What? He seems fine to me," Trunks glanced at him.

"I don't know, I just get a funny feeling from him," she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Forget it, let's just dance," he grinned as she snapped out of her daze and looked up at him.

"Okay," she chuckled.

As they moved towards the dance floor, Zack and Miyako glanced at each other with a knowing look. Hotiku rested her head against Trunks' shoulder and sighed contently.

"Trunks, I know I've been a pain in the ass since I got here," she started.

"Yeah, you have," he joked, earning a sharp step on his foot from Hotiku. "Ow!"

"Listen to me!" she whined, "before when I was talking about how I should be over the Saige thing. I always have been, I think I just used it as an excuse, a defense mechanism against the pain of being hurt from a loved one."

"Hotti." he whispered and looked down at her.

"But I know you won't hurt me," she smiled at him, "cause if you do, I'll kick your ass," she joked causing him to chuckle lightly. Their surroundings started to slow until they came to an absolute stand still. Hotiku lifted her chin as he started to lean in towards her.

Miyako and Zack narrowed their eyes at them immediately causing a sharp pain to pierce through Hotiku's skull. She let out a cry of pain as she arched back. The pain being unbearable she lost consciousness. Trunks caught her before she hit the floor, suddenly something caught his eye and he looked up.

Their surroundings had changed from the ballroom they were in to a much bigger one, much more elegant. The guests who were there were dressed in much more expensive and extravagant clothing.

"What's going on?" he asked himself. Just then, all the guests stopped what they were doing and bowed as two people entered. They appeared to be the king and queen.

Trunks looked off to a less crowded area of the ballroom to see Hotiku, Miyako, Zack and Saige standing together. Hotiku was glaring at the royal family while Saige placed his hand on her shoulder. She jerked her arm away from him and walked out of the room in a hurry, her heels clicking vulgarly on the marble floor.

Suddenly, a groan was heard from underneath him as he looked down to see Hotiku starting to regain consciousness. The images before them suddenly returned to the regular ballroom they had been in originally as she stood jadedly.

"You okay?" he asked her.

"I think so, I'm just a little light headed," she admitted as they slowly walked out of the ballroom. She looked up to see that the newbie was leaving, she glared at him and decided to deal with him the next day at school. Somehow, she had a feeling that he was involved with all of this.