The stayover at the Brief house had begun to bore the two kids. No Gohan to pester, no new inventions to try, no new toy to tease their novelty, play-fighting wasn't allowed outside of the Gravity Room which was almost always occupied by Vegeta who had no patience for the kids, even if he humored them sometimes at a lower gravity so they could exercise a little.
Bulma, like her parents, believed in autonomy (something she never really told Chichi) so the kids were allowed to go out on their own as long as they didn't cause ruckus. Sometimes Trunks was in charge of placing orders on different shops for the household, the local shops knowing Capsule Corp well enough to know when the boy came with a long list of things, it was legitimate.
On their outing that second day, they met a strange pink-red old man offering a challenge, and a prize to whoever could open the music box in his possession, an absolute necessity to free 'the hero locked inside', else doom would come on the planet.
The boys, whose curiosity was piqued, both because of the story and the challenge, tried and tried, and pondered about it. The two of them had been challenged with puzzles often enough, and this strange box wasn't going to resist them for long, no way. They stayed for hours trying, observing, letting others try, pouting and stubborn.
Trunks asked the old man if they could come back with tools the next day, and he agreed with a pleased smile. After all, it was to free a great hero, it was for a good cause, and settling in a large thriving city was bound to give him powerful individuals.
The next morning, after having 'borrowed' some tools from the lab, they were there to try again. They were stuck in their attempts, until Goten rose his ki while trying and something actually moved. Even if just a little.
So the two boys combined their kis, Goten giving his energy and holding the object while Trunks worked the finer details of the mechanical aspect of the white box. And it gave way.
.
But instead of a hero, it was all a thick, blue and purple mist, covering the whole neighborhood, then it all disappeared.
When the old man was visible again to the two boys, he acted very disappointed, but the prize for opening it was the music box was the next thing Trunks asked, since clearly the story behind it was a sham.
The old man folded his table and put it back in his caravan, and was ready to go on his way, before the body that had appeared from the box opening regained consciousness… He had been quick to put a sleeping spell on the hero and promptly shoved the body in his caravan before the mist settled. He hadn't planned for it, but a good warlock had to think quickly.
"Well the prize is the box itself. Its melody will keep you entertained and a testament of your great wits, young men. Farewell!"
.
Trunks and Goten huffed about being tricked, but the box was an interesting novelty and the whole ordeal had kept them entertained for a few hours, so they went back home to play the melody and show it to Bulma.
"Oh that's a cute box, Trunks, where did you get it?"
"An old man had a challenge, and we opened it, this was the prize! Look, it makes music," Trunks beamed and played the melody by turning the handle.
"It sounds so strange!" Goten remarked. He had little knowledge of music, but this sounded like nothing he ever heard.
Bulma listened in, appreciating the soft and sad simple tone. She felt she had heard something a little similar before, but couldn't place it just yet.
"Well congratulations on winning the prize, boys. I trust you'll share properly?"
"Yes!"
"We will!"
.
That same afternoon, a monster appeared in the eastern parts of West City, crashing buildings and turning into mist whenever something tried to get rid of it. Its ki was non-existent, but the damage it caused had Bulma ask Vegeta to have a look and intervene as clearly something was wrong. The Saiyan agreed, put on his armor and went to fight, and the boys sneaked out to follow him and help out.
What Vegeta and the boys saw was the giant legs of a monster, crashing and stamping over buildings, then disappearing, then reappearing to cause more havoc. It was like a ghost, but when it attacked Vegeta, the hits landed and hurt. Retaliation was impossible. The neighborhood was promptly evacuated. Vegeta had to resort to super Saiyan only if for the increased speed, as despite its massive size, those legs were fast.
Tora felt that energy surge and she acted on instinct, giving no explanation to Gohan nor Videl as she left the premises. Something was far too familiar for her liking, and she cursed on the way, using super Saiyan to get there faster as the ki suddenly dropped.
She saw and recognized parts of the monster she knew when she was seven, and that is when she realized her mother probably picked the date for their visit with this particular detail in mind. Her eyes darted, trying to sense ki. With people dead or gone, she was less overwhelmed by life forces. Vegeta was the first she noticed, with his super Saiyan energy flowing and pulsing with anger and frustration at being unable to hit back. Then she noticed Goten and Trunks, blasting at the monster to try and distract him, flying around as smaller, harder to hit targets. Goten had picked up flying very well, after all, but the blasts went right through the legs.
If the monster was there, Tapion should have been there too. She tried searching for him. A hint of gold reflection of the sunlight and the attempts at a flute melody caught her senses, and Tora rushed over as the monster tried to step on someone below. She tackled the person, grabbing them into her arms, and darted out of the way of the giant foot.
This wasn't Tapion, as this was a child, far smaller, but there was no doubt the child was like Tapion. The same ears, the same golden ornament, a similar hairstyle, the same emerald green eyes with no pupils. But the hair was a different hue. While Tapion's had been bright red, this child's was pale pink, and was unarmed. This child had been the source of the energy Tora felt surge and had her take action. It was familiar to Tapion's, when he used his flute.
The child was holding said flute and said something Tora didn't understand, she just felt panic and tears as Tora jumped between buildings gaining distance from the monster.
"Minoshia," she whispered when she realized exactly who she was holding.
The child looked curious, then spoke again, visibly asking questions, teary-eyed. Tora glanced back as her father and the boys kept the monster busy, and let Minoshia free, kneeling to be at eye level. Clearly whatever was communicated didn't go through, as Minoshia didn't speak their language, and Tora didn't speak Konats either.
So Tora gestured towards the flute, then mimicked playing it. Minoshia gestured a slicing gesture, but pointed out the absence of a sword with panic.
"It's alright, I have one," she indicated herself with a confident smile.
When Goten and Trunks were sent crashing their way, Tora was quick to catch one then the other and assess injuries. Superficial. The monster wasn't incredibly strong, but it was impossible to fight back. They were a little stunned.
"Trunks, I need you to fetch something for me in my room."
"What the hell is that thing," he grumbled. "Wait, what about Papa?"
"Papa is super strong, I have given him worse beatings than this, it's alright."
".. Alright, but I'll be mad if he's injured. In your room, you said? But it's always locked."
"Through the window, it's open. My sword. On the bed. Hurry, please."
"Ok! Goten, you'll be ok alone?"
"Uh it'll be ok I think."
"I'll keep the monster away from him," Tora promised with a smile.
Trunks darted off with his new mission, but not without giving a curious glance at the strange alien that was firmly held close by Tora.
.
Minoshia swallowed his fears with a look of determination. Soon enough the monster went after them, and the fighters split ways. Tora ordered Goten to keep Minoshia out of harm's way, that she'd buy them time and get the monster's attention on herself and away from them.
"And if you see an old man with pink skin, kill him, no mercy," she added.
She flared her aura and went after the monster to blast it, but yet again it disappeared only to reappear by her and attack with its tail. Tora grabbed onto the incoming hit and blasted through, causing some damage.
.
Soon enough, the Great Saiyaman appeared, followed by Videl on the Flying Nimbus. The girl wasn't good at flying yet to do the trip on her own, but she wasn't about to let Gohan go so easily, disliking having been ditched without a warning. Videl realized how clearly in over her head she was, and observed from quite afar, the Nimbus not that willing to get that close to the dangerous situation, and she screamed at Gohan 'to go get it!'.
"What in the world is this?" Gohan asked as he entered the battle.
"Hirudegarn," Tora growled and tried her best to keep the monster's attention on her.
"Wait, that means Tapion is here too?" Gohan was quick to connect the dots, he remembered the story, he had kept his eyes peeled for the box..
Krillin and Gohan had retold the story Tora had told them in 787 to most of their friend group, so that the box wouldn't be open if they found it, but clearly someone didn't get the memo. They'd later find out it was Goten and Trunks, and they cursed having forgotten to tell the kids about it.
"So that 's what this bullshit is all about?" Vegeta intervened, pulsing with frustration. "How do you deal with that thing?"
"By playing the magic flute and cutting it with the magic sword," Tora explained as they flew around the monster trying to force him to switch targets. "Minoshia is being kept safe by Goten, Trunks went to fetch the sword. We can do this."
"It's only tangible when it attacks," Gohan added, looking for confirmation nonetheless, which Tora gave with a nod.
"Fucking hell magic bullshit, cowardly tactics," Vegeta vented his frustration. "Attack it when it attacks me."
"Ok."
"Ok, Vegeta-san."
And they gave way for Vegeta to be the target, hoping to be quick enough to be able to strike at the same time as the monster attacked the angry Prince.
Trunks was quick to slide into Tora's bedroom, fetch the item requested of him, and fly back out, but in the gardens, Tights and his mother called for him. So he flew down.
"Imma hurry, they're fighting and Tora needs this," Trunks showed the sword.
"Oh so that's what's happening?" Tights nodded. "Go then."
Bulma protested, but Tights told her 'it's about Tapion' and Bulma allowed Trunks to go.
"You knew it would happen, wiser-me?" Bulma asked with a raised eyebrow as her son left.
"No, but the timing matches when it happened for us, and I know my baby still feels guilty for having killed him. They'll solve this, together, the right way," Tights was trusting. "I need to prepare that now.."
By the time Trunks had returned with the sword, the creature was being held at bay by the relentless attacks and distractions caused by Vegeta, Gohan and Tora. The attrition war wasn't in their favor, but at least it wasn't completely useless. Tora saw Trunks come back and promptly took the sword from his hands and secured it on her back.
"Tapion!" she heard the child's confusion, recognizing the weapon.
"Minoshia, now, the melody!"
Goten had kept Minoshia safe as he'd been asked to do, jumping with the kid that was about his age out of the way of falling debris and keeping an eye for danger. Tora placed herself in front of the children, unsheathing the sword, ready to attack.
Despite the confusion and pain from previous attacks before he was saved from certain death, Minoshia focused his energy on playing the melody properly on the flute. It took a few tries, during which Gohan grabbed Minoshia and Goten to take them out of the way of an incoming tail attack. With regained determination, Minoshia ignored all surroundings and focused solely on the music, freezing the monster little by little. Its tail tried attacking again, but Vegeta held on to it and growled at his heir to 'do it right fucking now' .
Tora secured the hold on the sword, prayed for everything to work as the melody reached her ears and properly hurt the monster, and charged the monster, cutting upwards in half. The monster turned into mist, and its shape was absorbed by Minoshia, sealing it back into the child's body.
"It's over? Is everyone alright" Videl asked as the Nimbus approached the battlefield. The neighborhood was in a pitiful state, but it wasn't as bad as Cell's blast over Central City.
Vegeta huffed, after having dropped super Saiyan, and dashed back to Capsule Corp as soon as things were clearly back to 'normal'.
"Papa!" Trunks called, then looked back at everyone, then went after his father.
Gohan and Goten were helping an exhausted Minoshia stand, and Tora got closer, dropping super Saiyan as well and sheathing the sword, offering to take over.
"Only temporarily."
"This isn't Tapion," Gohan stated an obvious truth.
"His younger sibling, Minoshia, most certainly," Tora sighed. "We better leave before everyone shows up."
"Tapion?" Minoshia repeated, and while uncertain about trusting these people, the lavender-haired one had the same sword and knew the name.
"A friend," Tora tried communicating, extending a friendly hand to help the child.
"What the hell was that?" Videl eventually asked tired of being ignored, pointing an accusatory finger at Tora. "And that other guy! The blonde angry guy from the Cell Games!"
"Videl-san, I'll.. explain, let's go." Gohan dropped the Saiyaman costume and nudged the girl to go with him. "Goten, let's go home, we'll get this sorted. Mom is probably worried. Tora-san knows what he's doing."
Tora waved goodbye to the two Sons and Videl. Gohan quietly mimicked a phone after settling his brother in front of Videl on the Nimbus, and Tora understood the message; call him later.
.
"What about Hoi?"
Minoshia recognized the name and frowned. "Hoi valtu," was spat, before taking off slowly to have a better view of the neighborhood.
"A bad person, yes," Tora remembered some words she heard from Tapion, it was so long ago and yet… She remembered one of the song's lyrics and their meaning.
"Minoshia, where is your sword?" Tora indicated her sword.
When Minoshia recognized a building and pointed it out, they flew to it, and they found Hoi's caravan; crushed underneath a big footmark. The old man was crushed too a little further away, and Tora had a satisfied nod. Release such a monster and expect it to obey…
Minoshia tried prying the caravan remains, but couldn't and called.
"Tora," Tora said, indicating herself.
"Tora," the child repeated.
"Here?" Tora indicated a fallen building.
Minoshia pointed down to the caravan underneath and Tora started pushing away the debris and rods, letting Minoshia slide underneath and rummaging through, then came out with the small sword which was then secured at the hip.
"Flute?" Tora mimicked the instrument, and Minoshia showed the instrument secured at the belt, on the other side from the sword.
"Ocarina," the child gave the name of the object.
.
As they started hearing sounds of people coming back now the monster disappeared, Tora indicated they should go.
"Hirudegarn valturi .." Minoshia looked worried, and yawned, then shook awake.
"Monster, yes. We'll solve this."
"Lota… nei." Minoshia's face twisted, exhaustion and sleep and repressed yawns fought off sleep.
"Sleep. You can't sleep without the box," Tora understood, gesturing sleep by closing her eyes and resting on her hands, then signaling no, then drawing the box with her hands.
Minoshia nodded, worried, and indicated the destruction, then indicated further away, away from the city.
"No. Mother has a solution. We can make the box. Si lota ," she reached down, arms open to take Minoshia into her arms and get going.
Minoshia looked surprised, this person spoke the language, or at least tried, so perhaps Tora was trustworthy.
As soon as Trunks and Vegeta were back at home, Trunks started explaining what happened to Tights and Bulma, while Vegeta quietly stood in the living room where they were all sitting and talking.
"So it's a small child? Strange," Tights noted. "Hair like this, ears like this?" she made a mohawk with her hands, then made super long and pointy ears, and Trunks nodded.
"And a super weird outfit with shoulders like these," he added. "It was so exciting! And Uncle Tora sliced the monster like this," he mimicked. "Papa was super strong, too, but the kid, so brave, so serious, with the music like this," Trunks mimicked.
"It has to be Minoshia," Tights deduced.
"That's the name Uncle Tora said! A legendary hero, right? Well we couldn't do anything to the monster, right, Papa?"
Vegeta grumbled in annoyance.
"I can't believe the music box you boys won was that music box," Bulma sighed in disappointment.
The boys were tricked into opening it, and she now knew why the melody felt familiar. It was alien, like the melody Tora played on the piano seven years ago. It wasn't the same, but there were similarities.
"Uh? What do you mean Mama?"
"Nothing Trunksie, don't worry about it."
Tora came in through the gardens at almost dusk, carrying Minoshia in her arms.
"Mother, it's.."
"Oh my that's Minoshia for sure!" Tights commented, and the child stared wide-eyed, a little afraid of this strange place and people who knew so much, but also looking exhausted.
After being let down, Minoshia tentatively shook hands with Bulma and Tights, repeating names. Vegeta stayed firmly away, taciturn as ever, but Tora noted he didn't leave. Trunks took charge of the other kid, holding hands and started saying who he was and complimenting the weird looks and cool sword.
"Trunks, is it alright if you bring down some of your toys so Minoshia can tell us what happened? And your character books too."
"Sure, Mama!" Trunks darted off, while Bulma called over Minoshia and offered the little child some food. In height and facial features, Minoshia had to be about five or six.
As he tried conveying thanks and worries, Bulma resorted to drawings but it was far from effective, while Tights programmed the bots of the kitchen to fix some food for the famished-looking kid.
"Mother, please tell me Tapion taught you the language, I only remember a few words from the song.." Tora had come to terms already that her mother knew this was a likely event, which was why she had chosen 774 to begin with, and focused on what could be done currently. She'd roast her later about not telling her about her plans.
"He didn't, sweetie, I am sorry."
Vegeta huffed. "Woman, fix me a plate too."
"Geez, let me focus," Tights grumbled a little.
Minoshia looked with suspicion at the older man, head slightly tilted, and Vegeta stared back.
"What, runt?"
Minoshia flinched and answered something shy and a little long, head bowing. The Saiyan huffed back in another language.
"You understand, Vegeta?!" Bulma exclaimed.
"Tsk. Of course I do," he pointed at his head.
"The chip!"
"Oh that's going to be so much easier, Father," Tora sat nearby, suddenly hopeful.
"The runt doesn't understand me though. Doesn't even speak Galactic standard. We used scouters for backwards mudball inhabited planets."
"Scouters, like the ones you guys had?" Bulma questioned and indicated her left ear.
"Hmpf. They don't do just power level readings."
Bulma darted off while Trunks came back with his picture books and some toys while Minoshia, visibly famished, finished the plate given by Tights, then looked at Tights and said something a little long with interrogation.
"The runt asked for water." Vegeta repeated.
"That sounded much longer than that." Tights looked suspiciously at Vegeta, then at Minoshia and made an ok gesture and a smile and went to fetch a few glasses and a jug to serve everyone some water.
"Brat was more polite. Where's my food?"
"Geez, Prince of all of five Saiyans," Tights grumbled a little, gave Minoshia the water and went to properly fix a Saiyan-sized plate for Vegeta.
"Me too please," Tora added sheepishly.
"Me three," Trunks added, taking a seat too. Food first, toys later.
After everyone was served and most of the food had already disappeared, puzzling Minoshia as to how could people eat that much, Bulma came back with the scouter she had kept for over ten years at this point. Raditz's scouter.
"Will this do, Vegeta? I repaired it, but kept it off because it communicated with.. Well, you know. I didn't try playing with the interface though, it's all alien."
"Give me that." Vegeta snatched it between two mouthfuls, slid it on, and changed some settings quickly. "It's Galactic standard, not alien. You're the alien one. Tssk. Here."
With that, he removed it from his ear and slid it across the table to the child, and indicated his left ear to show how to put it on. Minoshia took the object after finishing the drink, put it over the ear as shown, uncertain how to do it as everyone else's ears were much smaller, but heard through the scouter what Vegeta was saying. And understood.
"Just put it over, it will lock on. It communicates with your brain directly."
"Does it work? Minoshia, do you understand us?"
The child smiled brightly and nodded yes.
"Vegeta here," Tights pointed at the man, "can understand you. If you need to tell us something, tell him and he'll tell us."
"Like hell I am," Vegeta growled.
"Minoshia, I know you're scared to sleep," Tights leaned over and gave the kid's hand a gentle pat. "It's a complicated story, but in another life, I made a box that is similar to the music box, where you can sleep safely and the phantasm will not leave. Do you understand?"
Minoshia looked serious for a moment, listening with attention, tense and worried. After looking at Tora for a moment, the child looked back at Vegeta and said something a little long. The others understood Tapion's name in the whole thing. Vegeta sighed, glanced back at Tora and addressed his heir.
"Runt wants to know if you slaughtered this 'Tapion'-guy, because you have his sword and know how the thing works."
Tora looked conflicted for a moment. Technically yes… But how to explain that.
"I met a different Tapion in another dimension. In that dimension, Hirudegarn was complete, and Tapion managed to seal it completely in his body before the flute— the Ocarina broke."
Minoshia listened attentive, with piercing and serious eyes, hearing and judging. Vegeta growled something about giving the scouter to whomever Minoshia wanted to speak instead of using him as a translating machine, so Minoshia gave it to Tora so Tora could understand. Others didn't understand, but Tora nodded, and handed back the scouter so she could answer.
"Yes, he asked me to kill him and Hirudegarn before the monster was set free again. But that was my dimension. In this dimension, I believe he is alive, because you are alive."
Trunks looked puzzled. The explanation was a little strange. The boy wondered how true it was, wasn't Tora in space? But then again, Minoshia was a small child, so saying 'hey your bro is dead sorry' might be.. a little harsh. If Tapion was killed by Tora in space, that made sense...
"I need to finish preparing your special bedroom, Minoshia," Tights grinned. "This way you'll rest safely, and don't you worry, these strong boys will solve this," she flexed an arm to illustrate how strong all of them were.
"Right! Let's play a little in the meantime."
Minoshia agreed to go with Trunks now dinner was over and the two went to the living room to play and communicate with the toys and picture book Trunks had brought down, as well as passing the scouter along to chat a little. Tights gave a peck on Tora's cheek before going to prepare the special room she had created oh so long ago.
.
".. You think Tapion is alive?"
"He has to be. In our world, Minoshia died in another galaxy because the legs rampaged freely. Here, they appeared because someone released Minoshia. We found Hoi's body, so.. Tapion's box is still out there, somewhere. Perhaps they were switched in this world?"
"Should we ask Shenron to lock him in the music box again? I don't think he can fit in it naturally, " Bulma observed. "It's still intact."
"Someone else is going to open those boxes long after we're dead, woman," Vegeta huffed. Procrastinating on the problem sounded like a bad idea.
"Trunks, can you lend us the music box, please?" Bulma asked across the room.
Trunks excused himself from his friend a minute to run upstairs and then downstairs with the item, giving it to his mom, and promptly returning to his new friend. Tora saw it all go down with keen eyes, she knew the boy took charge of younger kids and wanted to help them. She'd seen it at school, and with Goten. And well, he was like her at the time. No surprise there. When she finally looked back at the item brought back, she checked it, then showed it to Bulma and Vegeta.
"So it was Trunks who opened it?"
"Him and Goten, yes. I'm sorry, Tora, we didn't tell them the story because they were still so young."
"I do not need to be apologized to. As expected, the seal is broken," Tora observed, looking at the box in detail, then turning the little handle to create a melody.
"It's similar to the melody you used to play here," Bulma noted.
"Tapion taught me a few songs," Tora admitted a little red, and didn't question how Bulma knew about it until later.
.
Bulma gave a change of clothes from Trunks' slightly older (and smaller) clothes to Minoshia, and Trunks offered help with washing and bathing, but Minoshia wasn't certain. Tights pointed to herself to offer, and Minoshia accepted.
During bath time with the older woman, they gave the scouter to each other so they could actually have a conversation. After stripping and helping Minoshia wash, Tights realized why she had been a little reluctant to be helped by Trunks.
Minoshia briefly explained what had happened; she woke up in the caravan, the monster ramaging free. It had killed Hoi and broken the sleeping spell put on her, and she tried sealing it back in, but she couldn't play the Ocarina and slash the monster at the same time. It didn't help that the sword had been left in the caravan which had been buried under the debris, but thankfully they found it (and even more thankfully, they had a second one). She was still dealing with the after effects of the spell too, everything was confusing, flying people were attacking the monster, until Tora saved her from certain death.
"I don't understand 'other life' and 'other universe'..."
"Mhh… Tapion told us a story about magical scrolls used to travel across different realities?"
"The time scrolls! They're from our elders' stories."
"It's a little like that. In our alternate reality, and by 'our' I mean Tora and myself, Tapion's box was on our planet, and after defeating Hirudegarn with Tora and another strong warrior, he died a hero."
"Tapion is like that, so I know it's the truth," Minoshia approved, even if still under shock with everything that happened during the day, rubbing her head and rinsing the soap.
"You'll keep it a secret, right?" Tights winked. "Here, Bulma and Vegeta are the only ones that know exactly about our circumstances."
"Ok!" Minoshia enthusiastically agreed.
These people were odd, but if there was no doubt in her mind they were good people. Even the man named Vegeta who had fought. And the two boys, too…
.
Tora gave the promised phone call to Gohan to update the situation and properly convey her gratitude to him and Goten for their help. It was far from over, considering Minoshia was awake and unsealed, they had only kicked the can down the road.
"Should we find a way to seal Minoshia again?" Gohan asked, but his heart wasn't in it.
"Father thinks it would only procrastinate on dealing with it. I have to agree."
"Was this the reason why you came back, Tora-san?"
"No, that was Mother's plan, " Tora grumbled a little. "I am not unhappy about having a chance at making it right, but I had no idea."
"You think we can do this?"
"We have better cards here than we had in my world, and we don't know where Tapion is. In the meantime we will take care of Minoshia."
"Videl-san recognized Vegeta-san from the Cell Games," Gohan sighed, changing the subject as he knew they couldn't do much about it. "But she promised she would keep the secret if I taught her how to use ki."
"That's.. unsurprising. I guess we will have a chance to talk about it tomorrow at school. At least she didn't see me as a super Saiyan, and that movie … more or less helped I guess."
Tora had a dry chuckle remembering the 'princess' fighter from Mr Satan's movie. Gohan also giggled at the memory and agreed.
"She knows you're involved somehow."
"Then I will tell her I am the Golden Defender. An act of good faith. Videl-san is a worthy ally to have."
"You would?!"
"Well I am not staying, so I am not the one she will pester, so I risk little," Tora taunted.
"That's unfair, Tora-san!" Gohan huffed a little, before laughing.
"Rest well, and see you tomorrow."
.
By the time Minoshia was dry and changed, Tights had finished preparing the large version of the music box she had created so long ago; she had secretly fixed it when Tora was out patrolling in her world, as she knew there was a chance that they encountered Tapion in 774. It had been one of the reasons she had picked this year for their travel, and now Tora knew it. The 'box' was placed on the last floor of the Compound, the only room big enough to have a room pop in.
It looked intimidating, and Minoshia wasn't sure what to think of it as she held onto her sword and Ocarina closely.
Trunks offered a sleepover in the strange lab-room, and Minoshia accepted. The slightly older boy had shown great courage and fought, and she felt safe with them all.
Overnight, they told each other stories until they fell asleep. Minoshia slept with the sword and Ocarina, just in case.
At night, Tora, unable to find proper sleep, slipped into the music room to try and play and whisper the song she and her mother had transcribed. The one melody which had lyrics, about a laying beast asleep who purged planets, becoming a giant of death.
Bulma excused Trunks from school for the following days, and Chichi offered for the two to come over and spend the afternoon with Goten if they wanted as he only had morning classes. With Bulma's permission, Trunks flew with Minoshia all the way to the Son estate. Minoshia was far from a fast flyer, but she was decent.
Minoshia took the opportunity (and the scouter) to properly thank Goten for his help and introduced herself to him and his mother. She played with the two boys, distracted from the worries about her brother who was probably on the other side of the quadrant, and it was overall a great stay. She started picking up Earthling words easily, too.
Gohan and Tora weren't so keen on letting the kids alone, but individually the boys promised they would take good care of Minoshia, especially now they knew it was a girl, and that if anything happened, they would call Tora's phone or flare their kis to get their attention.
Gohan had promised a more lengthy explanation the previous evening to Videl, so it was time to use school as a way to keep the promise.
Tora had decided to skip school in the afternoon and go to the Lookout, but she kept that decision to herself. She also decided to come with her sword, just in case, and hid it in a cloth. She refused to answer questions about it and was cold and firm about it, after all she already had the reputation of a taciturn so that served the purpose.
That morning, sports was uneventful: climbing was nothing special and nothing that could worry the half-breeds.
During recess and free period, where Tora would usually go play music, she, Videl and Gohan decided to hide on the roof to have a talk without Erasa, Inx or Sharpner's prying ears.
.
"Alright, out with it, Brief."
"She's scary," Tora smiled at Gohan. No wonder another version of him fell for her…
"Very scary," Gohan confirmed.
"Hey," Videl frowned, arms crossed, and Gohan flinched. "I'm right here."
"Understood, understood," Tora lit herself a cigarette. "Where to begin…"
"Hey! You're only seventeen, smoking's illegal!" Videl scolded.
"Tssk, actually I'm.. well, about nineteen now," she blew smoke upwards. Not like she cared much about such trivial matters.
Gohan started to count with his fingers, and made an 'oh!' and apologized for forgetting, Tora just waved it off with a kind smile.
"Alright, Videl-san. First, nobody will believe you if you repeat it to anyone, but what I am going to tell you is.. basically a simplification of the truth. The full story would take hours and I know better than to explain the metaphysics of my existence to martial artists now."
Gohan chuckled quietly, it indeed didn't go so well the last time.
"You're calling me dumb?"
"I am calling you a not-Brief."
"Ok, fair." Videl accepted the implications. "So.. you are the Golden Defender, right? Gohan-kun showed me the Golden Warrior. Show me."
Tora took a dose of nicotine, kept the cigarette in her mouth to undo her hair and took a few steps back to summon super Saiyan, briefly enough as to not expand too much ki, but enough so Videl could recognize her from the building-on-fire incident from the previous week. She then walked back to the other two and they sat, Gohan at her left, Videl facing them both, and noticing how they held hands.
"And you're a couple," she said, squinting her eyes at them both.
Gohan choked on his cough and tried denying, beet red and embarrassed by such boldness, while Tora chuckled.
"Kami, no. I mean, I would not have been opposed to it if it was how Gohan-san felt towards me, but our bond isn't like that."
"Would not have opposed it?" Videl asked, curious.
"Gohan-san makes for a remarkable choice of a partner. Truth is, if anything, we are more like.."
"Brothers in arms?" Videl tried.
"The only one the other can fully relate to. Gohan-san is one of the few people that knows my circumstances, and I know his, so we are close due to mutual trust. But no, we aren't a couple, and as much love as we have for each other, it is not that kind of love. Also Father would have both our heads," Tora looked back at Gohan with a mischievous smile, and Gohan laughed nervously at the idea.
"I thought your father died when you were a baby?"
"He did. Father is someone else. Anyway—"
"Wait, are you the same Golden Defender from when Cell blew up the neighborhood? That can't be possible, you would've been a child."
Gohan looked nervously at Tora, curious about whether his friend would lie or not, but Tora decided Videl deserved the truth. After burning the cigarette butt and reached for her wallet, removed the picture she had with this world's Gohan, and showed it to Videl.
"That's you.. and Gohan-kun? You look exactly the same, except with shorter hair."
"I was seventeen then. Gohan-san was nine."
"How is that possible?" Videl noticed the cake and the nine, and guessed accurately it was Gohan's birthday picture.
"Metaphysics."
"That's not possible."
Tora shrugged, and put back the photo in her wallet to put it away.
"Tora-san is telling you the truth, Videl-san."
"So it was you seven years ago."
"Yes."
"And you came back for the thing we saw yesterday? Did you bring back an alien of sorts from space?!"
"Videl-san!" Gohan disliked the accusation, knowing how much guilt Tora had felt about Cell's existence and interference, even if it was another Time Machine.
Tora glared coldly, her temper threatening to flare, but she did her best to bite her tongue and deny.
"Think what you want, my conscience is clear," she hissed.
".. I'm sorry, it was just.. so scary." Videl was intimidated, and Tora didn't avert her eyes nor made it easy.
"It does not matter," Tora let it slide, but the pressure was still there. "Look, Videl-san, I know you are a good person. Have some patience, and eventually things will become clearer. In the meantime, our world does not need a panic attack."
"Yeah I understand. I mean I saw it. Those aren't tricks at all…"
"That's correct."
"What's this Golden power you both have? And that short guy with the crazy widow's peak?"
Tora relaxed hearing Vegeta's description and chuckled. "Oh don't say that to his face."
"No seriously, don't, he isn't the patient kind," Gohan added, a little alarmed. "To answer your question…" Gohan glanced back at Tora to get some sort of approval, but Tora shrugged. She didn't care either way.
"Well?"
"It's.. uh.. genetic. It's also why Goten picked up flying faster than you. It's an inherited gene which makes us better at using our ki."
Videl frowned, it all sounded strange, but then again, Capsule Corp doing weird genetic mutations was.. feasible. She wouldn't say it out loud though. Then again, there were strange Earthlings roaming the planet. Werewolves, rabbit-people, monster-types… past Tenkaichi Budokai contestants had the weirdest people, including a boy with a monkey tail who was a finalist a few years ago.
"Ok, it's a little weird but alright, I believe you. Can people without that special gene become as good at flying as you guys?"
"Yes," Tora was earnest. Krillin and Yamcha were ordinary humans as far as they knew. Chaozu and Tenshinhan, she was not certain they were fully human-type Earthlings, but the other two were proof enough.
"It just takes practice, eating well and resting well. You've got great potential, Videl-san, I'm sure you'll get there," Gohan echoed the sentiment, enthusiastic about it.
The bell rang and they hurried back to the last class of the morning, Tora never letting go of her sword and often checking her watch to see if her phone called.
.
.
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Ok, so, the song, the lyrics and the conlang. It's been foreshadowed before.
Of course, the sealing melody is the canon one played on an ocarina (and HC Earthlings don't know what an Ocarina is as an instrument, which is why Tora had been calling it a flute) and on the music box.
But as Tora had already played an 'alien melody', which is shamelessly stolen from Escaflowne (Sora's song, specifically), well, there's a conlang 'analysis' of the lyrics (which are made up between German, French, Italian and some Latin) on reddit if you're interested, you can search "conlang escaflowne sora" to read the post
So of course, this is the song Tapion taught Tora.
And yes Minoshia is a girl :D
You didn't see that one coming did you?! :D