DEATH IS SOFTER THAN LIFE
Chapter 2 - We Are Not Alike
Trunks was leaning against the plane, gazing with expressionless eyes the buildings of the Capsule Corporation. No one actually could have told that, as he was wearing his sun glasses his this sunny end of afternoon, but his face expression could tell everything.
He replied violently when his father had suggested to move, to quit the Capsule Corporation headquarters for awhile. Trunks didn't want to leave the place. He was feeling it was like abandoning his mother a second time. His father was probably thinking it was the best for him, and Trunks wasn't old enough yet to have the right to decide against the will of his remaining parent. He knew deep inside of him that he would be back. He was just waiting, for the most appropriate time.
Be back for what? Facing his demons again, and accept to die?
Vegeta was getting a last talk with his mother-in-law. Bulma's death had created in him the feeling of responsibility for his children. Mrs Brief couldn't help but being worry about Bra. Trunks could probably take care of himself, but she couldn't hide - even if she didn't want to offense her son-in-law - her doubts about Vegeta being able to raise Bra alone. She was feeling relieved in a way to know that they wouldn't live far from Goku's house. Chichi would never let Bra growing old with no care. But the fact to see her grand-daughter leaving her house was adding to the grief to have already lost her daughter a month ago.
Inside the plane, not very far from Trunks, Bra was playing around with Pan. Her delightful laugh could be heard until Mrs Brief and Vegeta, and of course, couldn't miss Trunks. Videl leant from the side-door of the plane and considered Trunks for a moment.
"Trunks...", she almost whispered, "are you okay?"
Trunks turned his head to her, and nodded with a brief - artificial - smile, then turned his attention back to the building. Videl sighed and sit at the entrance of the plane. A knee under her chin, looking too in the direction of the building without really seeing it. "Your father think it's a better idea to take you away from here for awhile", she started. "It's not like you were all deserting a fighting place or something...", she went on, "but... you need perhaps to see something else...".
Trunks wasn't moving at all; if he was listening to her, he wasn't giving any signs of it. She stepped out of the plane and put a hand on his shoulder, suddenly serious, "We're not asking you to forget, or to heal in a blink of an eye.", she started, trying to get his attention while he was still ignoring her. "I know what it is...", she went on, "it took me a long time to heal when my own mother died". Something changed in Trunks' breathing. Slightly.
"Just take your time, Trunks", she added, her voice was trembling slightly as if she was remembering painful events of her own childhood. Trunks turned his head to her. She went on, "As long as you remember that you are not alone, and that your friends are there for you. Whenever you feel like returning to the light, we'll be all there".
Trunks was staring at her with something like deep emotion in his eyes. She could guess it through the almost opaque sun glasses of it. She thought he was perhaps seeing her as a companion in pain. Perhaps it would be a start to break the Shell he had put around him. But suddenly, something went on his face, as if a flower who had started to open its petals to the sun, was closing on itself and shrinking. He just told her one thing: "Your mother died of illness".
Videl was caught off-guards and nods, even if she had the feeling that it was more an affirmation than a question. Then Trunks reported his attention to the Capsule Building as if he had marked a point.
*but.. what...?*, Videl thought, frowning.
Trunks was staring in front of him without really looking. He was continuing mentally what he had started to say to Videl: *Your mother died of illness... she didn't die in an accident while you were standing a few meters away, unable to help her. We are not alike...*. He clenched his teeth slightly.
Videl stood a few more moment near him, until it was clear to her that she wouldn't be able to create the slightest contact again. She sighed and returned inside the plane where her daughter and Trunks' sister were still playing. She shook her head, she didn't want old memories to come back now...
Vegeta was walking with a fast and nervous pace towards the plane and away from Mrs Brief. He would never accepted to go away without his TWO children. They were all he still had from Bulma. He would take Trunks AND Bra with him, and if he happened to be wrong about Bra's safety, then it would still be the time to bring her back to her grand-mother. When he heard his daughter's laughter from inside the plane, he knew that she would accommodate with the situation, it would just be a matter of time. He considered his son, who had been leaning against the wall of the plane for almost an hour now. He was caught by Trunks' cold haze to him, and decided to wash the eventual problem fast. He went directly to his son, and before the latter could tell anything, he said sharply: "we're not running away!", then went inside the plane with no more words. Trunks was gazing down. Not for shame, but just thinking with anger. His father was perhaps the person the closest of the truth, but he couldn't understand fully either. He was feeling alone... and starting to feel hateful. The worst is that he was feeling that his anger wasn't directing against himself alone, but was starting to be directed against ANYBODY, especially those who couldn't understand. Part of him was finding his attitude silly, but part of him couldn't help.
"Trunks...", Goten's voice almost made him jump. Almost. "We're ready to leave...". Goten was standing on aside with a warm and deep smile. Trunks simply nodded with a slight smile and started walking to the door of the plane, only turning to the Capsule Corporation building once he stepped inside.
Sure, one day he would come back.
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And here's another chapter ;-) Of course, I'm aware that the angst behavior Trunks has in this chapter should be more what we'd expect from MIRAI-Trunks, and not from air-head Present-Teenage-Trunks…
Trunks: - Well… thank you for the 'air-head'… -__-;
Roselyne: - OO; But Trunksie, it's not my fault… in the anime you *do* look and sound air-head… Even Legolas in the anime looked clever than you.
Legolas [from the LOTR section of fanfiction.net]: - AND I HAVE KEEN EARS!!! .; (pouts and prepares his pack to leave)
Roselyne: - OO; (wipes forehead) But the anime sucked anyway…And you look sooooooo cool in the movie…^____^
*Legolas is debating if he should stays or not*
Roselyne: - and you have such cool hair ^___^
Legolas: - ^^
Legolas: - ^^;
Legolas: - ^^;;;;;;
Legolas: - okie I stay ^__^
Trunks: - you weak human! .
Legolas: - ELF! ELF! Repeat after me, "Elf"!
Trunks: - "Elf"
Legolas: - Great, you see you can do it ! :D Tomorrow we'll make a word of TWO syllabs: "Ar-row"
Trunks: - -__-;
Legolas: - which part of the word you didn't get? :)
Trunks: - MAA SEEEENK--
Roselyne: - STOP!!!! Trunksie, if you touch one of Legolas' hair [Legolas is meanwhile passing his hand through his beautiful hair, smiling proudly], I swear you'll be wearing an outfit similar to Goku's next chapter!!! :-E
Trunks: - EEEEEK ORANGE!!! This color doesn't fit with my hair color!!!!!!!!!!
*Trunks runs away screaming insanely*
Roselyne: - sorry people for this extra part that was almost as long as the chapter ^^;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; But you have discovered that these boys are very hair-sensitive ;PPP