Old Worlds

Part One

On that day, it had begun to rain. Dark, cold, and fierce rain. No one had predicted it, but it seemed like no disturbance, for everyone had homes or shelters to go to. Well...no one should assume anything.

She sat up in a corner of a collapsed building wall, trying to hide from the very thing that would destroy her if it touched her. But the very thing that kept normal people alive, that is, was the very thing that would kill her, though she had been human at one point in her old life.

Water...

Though she could withstand it before, her mechanical parts which now lay lose amongst the other rubble which she herself had created. Lost, alone in this dark harsh world, she finally knew what it was people had felt when she and her brother were plaguing this world. She now understood it...

And she hated it.

She just wanted to be normal again, even if she couldn't remember the last time she was normal. But she didn't want to go back to the way she was. Not now, not ever. Now that she stared into the face of death did she realized how terrifying it was, and she regretted everything she had ever done, wishing that she could take it back; that she could take back what she had done and never had touched this world.

But, like her brother, it looked as though she would not see the day when she could repent, and she would die this day, this night, or possibly the next. But it didn't matter. It always led to the same conclusion.

She rested her head back, shutting her eyes. She felt like she would just fall out onto the pavement right now. Maybe then the pain would stop. Both outside her, and within her throbbing head. But it never came. Instead, as lightening flashed, she saw a figure cover the light from reaching over her eyelids. For a moment her heart stopped, thinking in herself that she had died right then. But somehow she managed the courage to open her eyes, revealing the little girl which stood in front of her.

She just stared, her black hair and coat and jeans being drenched in the flattening rain, holding an old teddy bear under one of her arms and the other holding her coat together to keep warm. Eighteen stared back, surprised by the girl standing there, just staring.

Out of her shocked way, Eighteen swapped her arm, telling the girl to go away. But yet she remained, just continuing to gaze at her. Suddenly she reached out a hand, as if Eighteen to shake it. The girl smile in the darkened surroundings.

"Hi, my name is Quara. What's yours?"

Instead of giving a name, Eighteen only replied. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

The girl had a puzzled look on her face, shaking her head. "No, why should I be?"

"Because...well..." She stared down at her almost severed half of mechanical parts, the girl nodding her head.

"Oh, my daddy used to have a leg like that. I think it's called an 'implant'."

"But haven't you heard of me?"

The girl shook her head. "Nope. Never seen you before." Her eyes widened in almost joy. "Are you an orphan too?"

Well, Eighteen guessed this was a step towards goodness. This girl seemed to trust her right off the bat, which was a good thing to her. But...eventually she'd probably find out who she was, and then...

She shrugged. Hey, if it lasted for a little bit at least she had someone there as a friend, even if it was a girl no older than eight. Only if she could move, then maybe this girl could show her an efficient place to stay.

"Say, you need help?" she asked.

"How could you help?" she questioned.

"I'm good at engineering stuff. I can fix up your implants if you want."

"Like how?"

"Like this." She reached into the back of her teddy bear, Eighteen hearing a Velcro sound undo and the little girl pulling out a mechanical device. She kneeled over, grabbing two wires that were once one and took only a second to weld it together. She did the same with the rest, and in a matter for five minutes Eighteen was practically healed. She felt better already; the only problem was that the wires were still wide open. But the little girl already had that covered, taking off her jean jacket to reveal the black tank top she wore, her arms scared and cut, covered bruises. She smiled never the less, telling her to put it around her waste before they could find someone to heal her.

Eighteen doubted that there was anyone who could, (or rather, would do that), but knew to take it anyway. She stood up, wrapping it around her waist. Her hair, too, soon became matted with rain, but slowly it began to cease, Eighteen looking back to see an opening in the sky. She looked back to the girl, who was still smiling. Eighteen found it creepy that she did that, but then again she was a little girl, something that she had never been. So she shrugged, thinking of what to say.

"So...do you have any place to stay, maybe some people to go back to? It isn't safe out here." Actually, it was, but she didn't want anyone to get worried over this girl helping her.

"No it's not. It's safe. I remember, Trunks told me so! He said that he destroyed the Androids."

Eighteen grinned, knowing how ironic that was. "Really? But how do you know he was telling the truth."

"He wouldn't lie! Though I've never seen them before...He still wouldn't lie!" she argued.

"Well, still," she waved her hand. "You should be getting back."

"Hey, I'll do what I want. The only place I have to go back to is the community, and they're too busy celebrating about that defeat when Trunks came by that they wouldn't notice. At least I got the guts to come out here looking for survivors!"

"You're a very brave little girl," she nodded, putting a hand on her head. But she turned her around, "but you really ought to be going back."

It wasn't like she didn't like her around, it was just that when people realized she was gone they'd come looking for her and then...The whole process over again without a single word to be said, and this time she wouldn't mean to hurt anyone.

"I'll stay if I want! It's a free planet now!"

"Fine, but don't go crying when they start making you feel bad."

"Feel bad? Ha! I've never felt bad in my life!" she stated, crossing her arms and turning away. When nothing was said, she shrugged, knowing Eighteen wasn't buying it. "Well, maybe just a little. Anyway, what's you're name?"

"...Eighteen..."

"Eighteen? That's a strange name. Is it like part of an ancient language or something?"

"No, it's just Eighteen."

"Hmm...Well, Eighteen, you got any place to stay?"

She shook her head. "No, why?"

Her eyes suddenly eerily brightened again. She ran forward, grabbing her hand and pulling her back. "Then come on, I'll show you to my community!"

"N-no, I don't think that would-" she tried to say pulling her hand back. But it failed, the little girl's grip around her wrist more than she would've thought in her weak state.

"Of course it would! They'll love a newcomer!"

"Have they ever seen the Androids?"

"Nuh-uh, only heard of them. Don't worry, they're not that paranoid! And I think Trunks left too, so he won't get that idea struck in their minds with him being there."

"I suppose..."

"Great! Then let's go!"

So, virtually against her will, Eighteen was pulled along. It didn't take very long to reach there, for the falling buildings made it seem shorter than it actually was. Soon they reached a sector where Eighteen had never seen. It was probably because her brother and her never came to this place, depicted by the still standing low buildings. She read the name on the side of one faded yellow building they approached, not quite know what it meant but thought she recognized it from somewhere.

When Quara told her to stay a little behind so she could tell them all fist before she came out, Eighteen did what she was asked, still trying to figure out what that name meant. Soon enough when she heard that same semi-squeaky voice talking, she thought she remembered the other. She looked around the corner, trying to see who it was, but nearly dropped dead when she did. She stumbled out in her shock, just standing there like a frozen hard statue.

"Guess what I found!" Quara exclaimed.

"What?" he asked.

"I found a survivor!" she looked over to where Eighteen was. "See, that's her!"

The man's eyes widened, a sudden rage overtaking them. His fists clenched slowly, making the Capsule Corp. insignia flex on his jacket. The small bit of a slack-jaw grew into gritting teeth, his hair beginning to rise.

"Trunks? What's wrong?" Quara asked, but he did not look to answer, but only continued to stare at the Android which now stood alive before him...