Part Five

"Is this true, Quara?" Eighteen asked, shocked by the matter.

Quara nodded, looking back. "Uh-huh. She showed up just a few minutes ago with a picture of my parents and said she was my sister. She is, 'cause no one could have one of them unless they gave it too her."

"Indeed I am her older sister," she stated, nodding her head.

"Then how come you didn't show up before this?" Trunks questioned.

"Because I was held back by all this mess with the Androids. For you see, I was at school the day they came, so I hid with the rest of my peers for some time until we got word that they had been destroyed. I learned that our parents had died but also, in the process, learned she had come here. I thank you for taking care of her for so long." She walked forward with question, grinning. "So you must be the infamous Trunks, the one who had saved our planet, or what was left of it anyway."

"Yeah, I'm Trunks. And this is my home, so for the time you'll stay here I expect you'll behave."

"Indeed I shall, fine sir," she stated with a sly tone. She looked to Eighteen, who still stared in question, and seemed to turn up her nose. "And who might you be."

Eighteen turned stern, crossing her arms. "My name is Eighteen."

She laughed. "You're joking? You mean to tell me that you're one of the Androids?" She shrugged. "I guess you can't win them all, now can you?"

Eighteen and Trunks kind of eyed each other, finding that this girl was going to be a real pain in the neck. Quara took her wrist, pulling her along to show her to her room. Bulma sighed, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

"Yes, I know she seems like an earful, but she is Quara sister, after all," she explained to the reason why she was staying there. "They don't exactly have anywhere else to go so."

"Yeah but...why? Can't they find an apartment somewhere or something? It doesn't cost anything right now!" Trunks exclaimed.

"Yes, but since Quara has been staying here almost her whole entire life, she seems attached to it somehow."

"So?"

"Well, maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, Quara does have her sister now. A real sister."

Both Trunks and Bulma just stared at Eighteen for a few minutes, pondering how she must've felt now. But Trunks broke it by flailing his arms in the air once, shaking his head.

"You're nuts. You're all nuts!" he mumbled, walking out of the room. "Inviting a stranger into our home..."

Eighteen overheard, stopping him as she spoke. "You let me stay, even live."

He turn back, pointing a finger. "That may be true, but I saw that you changed. But this girl...I can tell right now she's going to be havoc."

"But you can only speculate. Maybe she's better than she seems."

"Yeah, maybe."

And that was a BIG maybe. As weeks past, Eighteen isolated herself to her room, sitting by the window and watching the world go by. She could see that Trunks kept himself locked in his lab for obvious reasons, but when he did come out that girl Shika just wouldn't leave him alone. She'd either ask questions or ask her to come play tag with Quara and her, which she really didn't need to do. Once she even faked pretend to trip and hurt herself, but both Trunks's and Quara's back had been turned so they really did know. In doing so Trunks had to carry her inside, which Eighteen could obviously tell she did it on purpose.

Soon a month went by, and Quara had come by to see how she was quite a few times, but was always told by her sister to stay away. She disobeyed, but whenever she got caught she was yelled at after. And, of course, no one was around but her.

The three of them, Trunks, Quara, and Shika all began to go out more often to the outside. Trunks seemed to change his prospective on Shika, probably because he wasn't around to see how badly she shouted at Quara, who said nothing about it. She was all sweet and innocent towards him, just like a hook to reel in a fish. Strangely enough to Eighteen, he seemed to fall for it. If this was the way all people acted, she wondered if she could ever be human....or if she wanted to.

She tried not to but oddly enough her hate came back within her. A dark and calm hate that was different from the time she had been a killer. This time it was towards only this girl, Shika, and a little towards Trunks. She wondered how Shika could be so deceitful, so full of lies that even Eighteen couldn't compare. For this was the lies of the heart, toying with peoples emotions for their own game. Then she wondered how Trunks could be so naive. Why would he do such a thing as to fall for this person, who's face lied to the world from the ugliness which was inside her.

And the something clicked. Why was she thinking such thoughts? Why should she care? She'd never felt like this towards someone, and couldn't find the word to describe it. Was she jealous? But again, what would she be jealous about? She didn't care about how pretty Shika was compared to her, or her charm, or how she could manipulate people. No. It was something else. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She looked out the window to find that they were now building a snowman, Trunks picking up the ball he had rolled and putting it on the top while the others patted snow on. He looked up to the window, seeing if he could find her, and did. He smiled, waving a hand. But she did no such thing, only moving away so she would not look at his pale face any longer.

He, on the other hand, turned with a questionable look on his face, wondering what was up with her. Looking to the others, he thought that they would be all right for a few minutes without him. He began to walk away, but as always, he heard a voice speak behind him.

"Where're you going, Trunks?" he heard Shika say, looking over his shoulder.

"Oh, I...was just going to get something to drink," he answered, knowing she would want to go with him if he said he was going to see Eighteen.

"Well, alright. Hurry back!"

As he made his way up the stairs and to her door, he opened it slowly to try not to alarm her. But she already knew he was there, keeping her back turned away from him. She sat in the same chair, the back placed against the bed so she could look out the window, but no one could see her. So, he came up next to her, sitting beside. She crossed her arms, turning her head away.

"Yeah, what do you want, Trunks?" she questioned, still not looking towards him.

"Oh nothing. I was just wondering why you've stuck yourself in here for so long," he shrugged.

"Now you come to ask?" she said.

"Well I tried knocking at your door but you've never answered..."

"Or she's stopped you?" she filled in when he trailed off in thought.

"Yeah, actually..." He coughed. "Look, this girl, Shika, she just won't leave me alone. I don't know why but every time I've showed up she's asked me to go do something with Quara and her."

"And yet you refuse to turn her down?"

"You know I want to but for the sake of Quara I can't. I've been so busy my whole life I've barely had enough time to be her brother. It's making me guilty and so I can't turn her down or I feel that that's the last straw for her."

"Then what about Shika? Do you feel guilty for her too?"

"What do you mean?"

She looked to face him, her eyes narrow with a cold gaze. "You know what I mean. First you find this girl will be trouble and the next you're all soft for her."

"Huh? I don't-"

"Stop lying!" she shouted, standing up. She clenched her fists, embarrassed slightly that she had done that. But she had a purpose, gritting her teeth. "I know what she is. She's a liar, and it seems you deny to face it. Tell me, is that true? Do you deny the fact that she lies to you and your mother and her sister and the world?"

Trunks just stared up, dumbfounded for a moment. In truth, he had no idea what she was talking about. He never really paid attention to what she did, but only stayed around her for the fact to Quara. He never really thought of Shika at all, and maybe Eighteen saw what he had not noticed.

"It's not that I deny it," he stated, "it's that I never saw it. I don't really notice the things she does, and I try not to."

Eighteen's heart seemed to relax in relief. Why, she wasn't quite sure. But she sat back in her chair again, staring out the window once more. There was a long moment of silence until finally Trunks spoke again.

"So, do want to come with us tonight?"

Eighteen looked to him. "Where?"

"Our community is having a holiday party later! We haven't had one in quite a while, so this one should be big."

"Let me guess, you haven't had it since my brother and I came around?" she questioned.

"Um..."

"I'm just worried people are going to find it tacky if I go."

"Oh no! Of course not! Anyone's welcome to come, especially if our family runs it."

Eighteen laughed. "Kind of would be funny if someone tried to kick me out and it was your party, wouldn't it?"

Trunks nodded with a smile. Again came that long, peaceful time which had happened a mouth ago. A few moments when both Trunks and Eighteen could find warmth in each others hearts. But, as it happened before, it was broken. This time by the soon irritated sibling of one.

"I thought you were going to get a drink," Shika stated, crossing her arms.

"Oh yeah, right. Well why I was in here..."

"Look, we need your help out there! So if you're done..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," he said. He took one last look at Eighteen and smiled, walking out. Shika gave Eighteen a dirty look, but Eighteen could care less. She thought about giving the magic finger, seeing how she would react, but shook it off, turning back to the window where she remained for the remainder of the day.

***

At night, Trunks came up to get Eighteen, dressed in a tuxedo. He gave her a dress Bulma said she could use, and soon waited with the rest. When she had come down, however, Trunks stood. It was one of Bulma's more fancy ones which she never seemed to wore, a dark sparkly blue with a long flowing skirt reaching just the toe of her new high heeled shoes. Though he could never say it out loud, he though that she was a definite sight for sore eyes.

"My, Eighteen, that dress certainly suits you," Bulma stated. "How are those bandages I gave you holding up?"

"Good, actually. Thank you for dropping them off, they really have helped."

"Well you're welcome."

"Can we get going now?" Shika asked, clinging onto Trunks's arm.

"Yeah, alright," Trunks said quickly, hoping to get her off his arm just as fast.

As they stepped outside, they were greeted by a large cheer of celebration. And so the party began in the community. There was dancing, laughing, singing and happiness. On the large cement area which they had cleaned off they had put tents up, covering it up so the soon falling snow wouldn't affect it. Bulma mingled with the neighbors while Quara played in a snowball fight with some of the nicer kids in the area. Trunks was stolen away by Shika, either to talk about dumb subjects or to go dancing. Even the few times Eighteen tried to step in she diverted him to something else. So, Eighteen stayed in the back round, just trying not to look and drink her heartache away.

But as the night grew on, the times grew colder, everyone could feel in the air that it was going to snow. Eighteen sat at a table, her unfeeling skin pale in the lights. She sighed, wondering why she even came out. But then, as if she should have never said that, Trunks stood there, his hand outstretched as to ask her to dance. Somehow he had pulled himself away from Shika, and Eighteen wasn't going to pass up the chance. So they moved onto the dance floor, taking one step before the music began to play.

"I didn't exactly get the chance to say this before but, um...you look..."

"Good?" she filled in with a smile, but got something she didn't expect.

"Beautiful," he corrected quietly. He blushed slightly in embarrassment, twirling her around. "Um, I-I mean...well yeah."

"I didn't expect that, especially coming from you," she stated.

"Yeah, I...didn't really either...But as with everything, it changes." He twirled her one last time as the music began to slow. He kept her there for a few seconds as everyone clapped draining out the words he said. She asked what he had said, but even her words were blurred out slightly.

When it had all ceased, he took her hand, bringing her back to the table where she had once sat at. As she sat, he sat next to her, smiling. She asked again what he had said, and he laughed, seeming nervous.

"I said, with everything, things change." He paused, leaning over and whispering in her ear so no one else around would hear. "Including my heart..."

When he pulled back, he found her pale face had blushed, adverting her eyes. He continued to smile, shrugging. "I promised myself I would never, never do such a thing towards someone I once hated, but I seems that that's only my head thinking. I guess, over the months, after it all, I've seen you've changed and...so have I. I fell for you and...everything in the past, all of that, is just old worlds. All I want now is a new one." Her hands were on the table, and he took them in his. "A new one...with you. The only question is will you spend it with me."

She hesitated, shocked by the matter. But, with her face serious and teary, gripped his hand back, nodding slowly. "Of course I will. If you can forgive me for what I've done, for all the millions of lives...I seek forgiveness from...I will spend this new world, eternity and back...with you."

Trunks smiled, leaning forward and hugging her. She hugged him back, tears beginning to roll on her face. The moment came back, when everything had been at peace, but this time nothing could destroy it. What was needed to be said was now said, never to be taken back. Everything was perfect.

Everything...

But in the shadows lied a hateful soul, clenched fists with a slowly growing dark ki around her. She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed. Her black hair rose slightly, turning gray, but luckily no one seemed to notice. She calmed herself before she blew the place up, folding her hair back and grinning.

"Hmm...Seems my first attempt had failed. No matter. I'll get what I want

...I always get what I want..."

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