Oh dear Kami, I've never had this much trouble with a chapter. I'm really trying to be speedy with updates, but as I said before, I refuse to sacrifice quality for speed of update. To be honest, before and during the writing of this fic, I only thought about the events up to like chapter 16, all the rest was planned, but not in near enough detail. And now that I'm nearing the end, I need to think up something good for y'all, cuz you'll never forgive me if you like the whole thing and then the end sucks arse. I intend on doing my best for this thing.
I have numerous possible endings, so perhaps I'll post some of the other ones later on. Also, is anybody in favor of a sort-of sad ending? I think I'm gonna go with happy, and post the sad one as an alternate ending. Only the happy one allows me to introduce Kio, my OC from my very first attempt at a fanfiction (which sucked royally, and if you never see it it will be too soon, trust me). Don't worry, Kio is not *shudders* a Mary Sue.
So, that's the state of the fic currently…
(~*~)
Panting heavily, Bra leaned down with her hands on knees, jaw gaping to allow easier passage of air to her starving lungs. Sweat dripped from the tip of her nose to the ground, sizzling into steam upon impact. Her muscles were anything but tired after the long run, the surrounding air immediately re-energizing her. Trunks was bent over in a similar position, gasping like a suffocating fish. Neither had ever run for so long, at such a speed.
"Running like this is, bullcrap," Trunks announced, still panting while glaring with hatred at the road ahead. "It's not that hard to focus, on the big guy's ki, I, could just teleport us."
"But he said that Kai, doesn't like impatient people," Bra reminded, also still breathing hard.
Trunks smirked. "I'm not impatient, I just hate running is all," he reasoned, now standing upright.
"Nice try 'Niichan. Running is a breeze. It takes up so little energy—"
"Not at the speeds we were going, " Trunks cut in, "We ran like that for two whole hours, how much farther could it be? Besides, we aren't impatient, just…pressed for time. We wouldn't want Tousan and Goten to show up, now would we?"
"I still think we can just walk the rest of the way. You can tell by the things ki how close we are."
"How? We don't know how powerful he is to begin with. We'll walk some and then we can run a little more," Trunks suggested, looking into his sister's blue eyes, so like their mother's, yet with their father's intense gaze. He found her penetrating eyes a bit unnerving and turned away to examine their surroundings more closely. She murmured some agreement.
Small glowing flecks of gold zoomed through the air, coming dangerously close to the traveling Saiya-jin. The pair dodged easily, making jaunts at one another at the odd positions they were forced into to avoid the miniscule stars. It was rather difficult to stay away from the tiny orbs of light, as they paid no attention to those walking in their midst, simply sailed by as if they owned the place.
And they probably did.
(~*~)
"Are you still worrying about our relationship?" Trunks guessed by the expression his mate's face, though the guess was certainly an educated one with her thoughts always invading his mind. He stroked her middle softly with his free hand from where he lay with his front pressed against her back.
" I can't help thinking we're making it harder on ourselves this way. You have to leave eventually, if only to die in your own timeline and go to the correct Otherworld." She squirmed closer against him, treasuring the feeling of closeness as long as it would last. She hated the fact that she had finally found a man that she was happy to be around, didn't mind sharing a mind with, that she would gladly spend eternity with, and she couldn't spend their forever together. She felt a sudden pang for his mother, who had died in the wrong timeline, now trapped in their Ano-yo. Always alone and without her mate. Pan shivered, and Trunks kissed her temple, his hand sliding down her goose-bumped forearm.
"We have plenty of time to sort it all out. If they're successful, we can fix your timeline, my Kaasan will be alive again, and our bond will probably disappear. The Trunks here will be alive again, and you will attach yourself to him. Then I'll go home, fix our world, and have a Pan-chan of my own. But until then, I'm perfectly happy with this one here," Trunks lowered his head and nuzzled her neck gently, softly kissing the small wound he had made upon the smooth skin. She sighed sadly.
"But I don't want that Trunks. I only want you," she replied desperately, turning over so she was facing him. Her pitch eyes glistened with tears as they bored deeply into his own blue, informing him of her exact feelings on the matter. Trunks leaned his forehead against hers, noses touching and eyes closed. He tilted his head to claim her mouth, kissing her reassuringly. Her hand crept to his back, distractedly tracing the crevices between well-toned muscles under smooth skin.
Trunks growled low with apparent desire. He was quite thankful to himself for thinking to bring her upstairs to his room, as intimacy in privacy was what they both deemed quite desirable at the moment.
(~*~)
Goten sat up abruptly, eyes widening. His disposition lightened, and he rubbed a hand over his heart, smiling in relief. He turned to Vegeta excitedly.
"She's back, Vegeta-san. I can feel it!" Without another word he bolted from the roof, flying with increasing speed to some undetermined destination that only he knew of. The wind whipped his hair backwards, and he could sense Vegeta following closely.
Bra came into view, talking to Baba and bulma, a strange man at her side. She turned to face him, a dazzling smile crossing her soft features. He stopped in front of her, his hands snaking around her waist. She gently but firmly pushed him away, changing from the woman he loved to a woman dressed fashionably, with hair long and makeup and jewelry. Her well muscled form softened a bit, and she drifted backwards, away.
He chased her, trying to reach her, ask her why she was acting so strangely. She merely drifted further away, just out of reach. Always out of reach…
Goten was awake with a start, pain seizing his body as he recalled her rejection in his dream. Dream, only a dream, he assured himself. He gasped for air, having the strange sensation of suffocation.
The pain dissolved momentarily, replaced with completeness, and an undeniable link to her. To her…
He turned around as quickly as possible to confront merry blue eyes, grinning at him lovingly. She threw her arms about his neck, kissing him deeply. Her movements forced him to slip, falling off the roof swiftly. He stopped them easily and flew back up to the roof.
"What are you doing back? And so early…" he questioned without pulling away. He noted the halo still above her head, but ignored it for the time being. He could feel Vegeta staring at them, could sense the waves of envy and pain rolling from the older man.
"Time passes differently in Ano-yo. We got exactly what we wanted. I also brought a few friends along. I don't think I will be able to spend much time with you, because I have to get working with bulma. But you can mind the baby while we're busy." She smirked, looking to the left. Goten followed her gaze to a young man, black hair swept up with two locks hanging over his forehead, his wide lavender eyes staring about. He put his fist in his mouth and waddled over to his mother. He blinked interestedly at the older man she stood with.
"I named him Tenshi, but if you don't like it we could always rename him."
"You mean he's--!"
"Our son. Like every one else in Ano-yo, he is in the prime of life, just not mentally. Other than all the normal life skills, he is fully developed. You'll get used to it." She assured, smiling at the look of awe on his face. Tenshi's eyebrows drew down into a scowl when Goten simply stared at him, unmoving. This snapped him out of it, and Goten spoke once more to his mate.
"He looks just like your Tousan," he accused. She giggled, patting his cheek softly.
"I guess Touchan's traits are dominant in his male descendants," She laughed, turning her head to meet her father's eyes. Her grin slipped crookedly of her face, and she pulled away from her mate to walk quickly over to him. Mentally telling him to take Tenshi and leave, she waited for Goten to depart before speaking.
"Are you okay, Touchan?" She asked, concern heavily tinting her voice. He looked away.
"Of course," he snarled.
"Have you tried sleeping? I can give you something to help you rest," she suggested.
"Whatever," he grunted, following her off the building.
(~*~)
"This should do the trick," Bra announced, handing her father a cup of blue liquid. His lip curled in disgust, but he downed the medication quickly. He grimaced at the horrible taste, setting the cup on the table roughly.
"Blech! Can't you make it taste better than grape-flavored toilet bile? That was…revolting," he complained, making his way over to the medical bed slowly. A wave of dizziness caused him to stagger and then pass out onto the cold tile. She dragged him with little difficulty onto the nearest examination table, pulling a blanket over his still form to ward off the chill air of her mother's lab.
"Will he be okay?" Bulma (Mirai) questioned from where she stood by the door, worry creasing her brow.
"If we get this machine working, we'll all be better off." Bra remarked, leading her alternate mother to the opposite end of the lab, towards the time machine. She laid her hand on the cool metal, her fingers partially covering a hastily scrawled word. She whispered the word to herself a few times and then removed a fine hair from her pocket. The single hair just screamed purple, contrasting nicely with the blond tint that shone softly from it.
"I just need some DNA from your Trunks," she told bulma and the older woman nodded agreement, retreating from the lab silently.
(~*~)
AN: Poor, poor Trunks… Mwahahaha!
Trunks kissed Pan's sweat-covered forehead, panting softly against her skin. He lay beside her again, pulling her small form close with a hand on the small of her back.
Someone knocked twice, and he heard his mother's soft voice.
"Trunks?" The door began opening, and the couple stared in shock at each other. Quickly pulling a sheet over them, Trunks managed to find his voice.
"Ka-kaasan? You're back! Did it work?" He rambled, staring at his mother with a halo hanging suspended above her head. She looked at him with a mixture of surprise and horror. Her expression quickly shifted into a scowl, and she glared at each demi-saiyajin in turn.
"Well you two sure work fast," she snapped, storming over to the bed. Reaching out, she grabbed a few hairs, certainly more than one, but not enough to leave a bald spot. She yanked them free of his scalp and turned on her heel to leave.
"Itai!" He yelped, rubbing furiously at his head. "What was that for?" He demanded angrily.
"It's all for the cause my son, all for the cause," was her cryptic reply as she exited his room, leaving the door wide open behind her.
(~*~)
AN: Flashbacks are in italics.
"Your brother!" Bulma sputtered, handing the gathered hair to Bra. "Do you know where I found him? Do you? He was in bed! Mh-hmm. With Pan, nonetheless! They're digging themselves deeper and deeper." Bra merely rolled her eyes.
The enormous golden ball of energy flared momentarily, then dissolved to reveal a short creature. His hair was white, standing mohawk-like against pale purple skin. His ears came to points, nicely framing his almond shaped eyes.
"Shin," Trunks breathed as the loud roar died down slightly. The creature nodded in affirmation.
"The creature Shin was merely an extension of myself, sent to rescue a universe from impending doom. What is your purpose for traveling here?" The creatures voice was soft, yet somehow demanded your attention.
Placing the identical samples of DNA under a powerful scanner, Bra set it to map every miniscule trait, including those on the sub-atomic level and smaller.
"We wish to learn," Bra piped in, "We wish to learn about time. How it works, and the differences between timelines. We want to learn how to detect these differences, if possible."
"I cannot answer all of your questions, such things are not permitted for you to know. But hear this, there is a common difference in all things, if you merely look hard enough."
"That will take at least an hour," Bulma informed her alternate daughter. "Why don't we go get a bite to eat, or visit Goten and Tenshi?" Bra shoved a remote alarm into her pocket, insuring that she would know the moment the scan finished.
Another shimmering blue portal appeared, moving quickly to engulf the pair, sending them hurtling towards Supreme Kai's planet. Days passed as they contemplated Kai's message, and having unraveled what they hoped he had meant, a select few returned to Chikyuu.
Comparing DNA from the two Trunks', or even the two Bulma's seemed the easiest way to find those 'common differences'. Bra only hoped that her equipment was powerful enough. If they couldn't accomplish this within the next twenty-four hours, then they were screwed.
Seriously, extremely, and excruciatingly screwed.
***
Wow, I'm really proud of myself now! ^_^ I guess the 4th try is the charm. *Grumbles* I swear, this chapter was so damn stubborn, I was ready to throw something. Like, the laptop. Just be thankful (very thankful) that I didn't post what I had before. Oh my KAMI it SUCKED…majorly. Actually, I'm thankful I didn't post that crap, y'all would have all dis-owned me and boycotted my stories.
Please review! I really need to be assured that I finally got this right, or at least acceptable… My ego needs a serious stroking…
Wow, life took a turn for the better today! I found out that I have the resources to go to a rock climbing lock in this weekend, attend the prom (my first) and buy a season pass to Busch Gardens. YES!!! I'm. So. Happy!!! And, on Thursday I get to actually go to Busch Gardens. Mwahahahaha!!! Yes, Alpengeist, and the infamous Apollo's Chariot. The very Apollo's Chariot that ruined poor Fabio's face! Hehe, my cousin and I joke that Fabio killed the bird by spearing it with his nose…yeah, I really don't like Fabio…can you tell? Anyhow, the rolloer coaster is awesome!!! Woohoo!!!!
(I can't imagine anybody flaming me for insulting Fabio, and if you do, I'm just gonna laugh my damn ass off *smirks*)