22

Talking

'Well, I left.  I went to live with Brennen for a bit and he was happy to take me.  It was a normal family almost.  His girlfriend was really nice and they had a nice apartment together.  I didn't have much room, I just had a tiny room that they had used as a closet but it was my own and I had made myself believe that I was happy without my brothers and sisters.'

'I did not see my mother slap Trunks or the fight that broke out between Trunks and Goten after I left the gathering.  I was so angry and I took it out on mom.  I didn't realize what had happened when Cyrus touched that Silver ball and the so-called warning device.  When Cyrus touched it, it turned to dust and the dust attached itself to Cyrus.  In the morning he woke up with the tattoo.'

'Legen told me at school what happened.  He told me that Trunks and Goten nearly killed each other and Trunks was saying that Soyna had killed Vegeta, which was why they had seen the visions of Vegeta with Bulma.'

'And all I did was shrug and smile and say that I no longer wanted anything to do with my family.  I was happier where I was.'

'I was lying of course.'

'They tried to talk to me.  Brennen even tried to talk to me, but… well, I was scared.  I thought that not facing it would make it all go away.'

'It wasn't until Cyrus showed me the marks on his skin that I started to smarten up.  You have no idea how scary it was seeing that small five-year-old boy with that dragon crawling on his skin.  It shocked me out of my stupor.  He wanted his older brother back and I had always been the one to watch over him.'

'I had not talked to mom for a long long time.  That whole six months I shunned her and I really hurt her.  She had calmed down quite a bit.  She still was not training but she no longer had that sickening smile even though she did give me a big hug when I came back.'

'I never really had time to reconcile with mom.  Everything started to happen.  It was just awful.'

'Ligh escaped from prison.'

'He had help.  He had somehow contacted his uncle from space and called him down to help him out and have his revenge… you know… the usual story that goes with that.  Usually it is the father or a son that does it, but this time it was an uncle.'

'His name was Drak.  He was nothing at all like Krad.  You would have never know hat they were brothers.  Actually, Drak looked a lot like Ligh.  With the nearly white hair, but he had dark eyes and his skin was tanned.  He was not any stronger than Krad, but he was well trained and smarter than Krad.'

'We learned that the hard way.'

'I was just getting used to be in our new house –mom and Goten had moved out of the compound- and all the changes in the family when the chaos that Drak and Ligh brought on all of us.'

'Goten and Trunks were not talking to each other.  They were angry at one another.  Trunks had put a tombstone for his father beside Bulma's in the graveyard.  He was certain that she had killed him and just wasn't going to admit it.  It was the main reason that Goten and Trunks were fighting.  Goten was protecting mom and Trunks was just trying to get an admission out of her.'

'An endless fight.'

'That was how they snuck up on us.  Ligh had taken advantage of the dive that the stocks took when Bulma died and had built up his supply of them and did some type of hostile take over thing.  Trunk's was in a fury over this when Drak made his first appearance.  Of course, we didn't really think that he was much of a threat.'

'We thought we were all undefeatable.'

'We were wrong.'

……………………………..

Benot stopped talking and took a deep breath and looked as if he was fighting tears.  Vegeta had reentered the room and stood silently against one of the walls.  Bulma put her arms around him and tried to comfort the boy.

Trunks didn't like what he was hearing.

He could see a lot of shame in the boy in front of him.  He shouldn't have to bear such a burden.

"I was so wrong about all lot of things," Benot said and chewed on his lip.  His hand clenched in his lap and it looked like he needed to hit something.

"Continue," Vegeta said from his spot.

Benot just nodded his head and took a couple of deep breaths and began again.

……………………………

            'Drak went after Soyna first.'

            'Killed her right in front of me.'

            'She was not the only one that day to die.  A lot of people died that day.  Drak had his stupid minions distract us others so that he could get a few alone and finish them off.  It was his plan all along and we didn't see it!'

            'I was so scared but after I saw mom… She just fell!  Fell!  That bastard Drak just grabbed her neck and and … snap!  Just like that!  She didn't even struggle!  He wasn't at all like Krad who had kept calling mom a beauty.'

            'Drak was evil and all he wanted was to see us all suffer for humiliating his nephew the way we did!'

            'She was just a rag doll!'

            'Dad… I mean… Goten lost it at the sight of this and just about did defeat him.  He had the guy cornered but I… I…'

……………………………………………

Benot broke out into tears at this point.  He was trying really hard to stop the tears from coming.  He was trying to be strong.

"If I had just stayed where I was… things would have been different!"  He said.  Benot's hands were in tight fists on his lap, so tight that his knuckles were stark white and shaking.  "But mom moved."

"She was still alive?"  Trunk's said and was utterly shocked.  He knew his girl was tough, but this was horrible.

Benot nodded and looked down at his lap.

"I ran to her and when I did that, I was exposed."  He was shaking a little worse now.  He wanted to go to the boy and hold him but Bulma already had her arms around him and it seemed that he didn't want to be comforted after all.

"Drak used that to his advantage."

Tears fell onto to his light colored pants leaving dark circles there.  His voice hitched painfully.

"I didn't ask him to do that!"  He said and looked straight at Vegeta.  "I never asked him to do anything for me!  I never did!  But he took the blast that was meant for me and it hurt him really bad!  I hurt him and killed him!  The blast that was supposed to kill me!"

"Oh you poor dear.  You saw both your parents die," Bulma said and stroked his hair.  "How awful."

His voice went low now and full of sadness.

……………………………

            'Before she died, she asked me –ME- for forgiveness.  I was the one that should have been asking her for forgiveness!  I was the one that made her stop her training.  I was the one that ran away from my own problems.'

            'But I gave it to her anyway, just before she died in my arms.'

            'Drak caught his breath from the battle he had been having with Goten.  He taunted him as Goten struggled to stand up.  I just sat there, stroking my dead mothers hair and watched.  I thought we were all dead.  I think I was willing to accept it at that point as well.  I don't remember really what I was thinking.  I don't even think I was scared anymore.'

            'Then things got weird.'

            'That was when Cyrus changed.'

……..

"Changed?"  Vegeta raised his eyebrows.  His jaw was set firmly.  He wondered what was going though his head.  Trunks really wished he understood his father.  "How?"

Benot looked at his lap as if he was trying to regain his composure.  He was still shaking so badly.  His eyes darted to the room that Cyrus lay in.  He seemed hesitant to tell what was to come next but he took a deep breath and began again.

………

            'He changed into Cyron.  A horrible mix of Cyrus and Shelong.  He had been in the shadows.  He must have been watching the battle.  He was as huge as the dragon and full of terrible power.  He had such a terrible roar!'

'I think loosing both his parents caused him to snap.'

            'I don't know how to describe him.  He was just so horrific.  I think he had more Shelong than Cyrus.  The face still looked like the dragon but the eyes, they were Cyrus, dark and deep, but he had shoulders and arms with long talons on the end and his mane was dark green and flowing… I don't know if I can really describe what he turned into.  It was just the most terrifying thing that I had ever seen.'

            'Drak did not last long against the dragon.  Cyron quickly wrapped his tail around him and started to crush him.  You should have seen the horrible snarl on his mouth as he brought him so that he could see him.  His voice just boomed as he spoke the final words that Drak heard.'

            'NO MORE OF THIS NONSENSE!'

            'He then crushed Drak and watching him crumble in his grip.  I don't think I mentioned why he was so strong as to compared to the rest of his family.  He had some mechanical modifications.  Like Freeza did, but these were much more effective and subtle.  Of course, I don't think he needed to have his whole body rebuilt.'

            'I thought that he was going to turn on me then.  I really did.  I really really did.  I was terrified but I wasn't about to leave mom.'

            'I know that I closed my eyes and waited to get crushed.  He didn't crush me.  I think he would have if some of Drak's minions had not entered the play.  I heard him growl and I heard screams but it was over by the time I opened my eyes.  Cyron was furious and looked as if he was going to keep on attacking and probably would have if… if  Goku hadn't arrived.  Goku was able to talk to Cyron and get him to calm down and stop his rampage.'

            'Flare died that day too.  Flint had her in his arms when he came.  Flare's death just about sent Cyron into a fury.  Goku was able to talk him back down even though he wasn't doing to well himself.  He had lost ChiChi and he had lost Goten.  He was on the verge of crumbling himself.  But he managed to calm down Cyron again and it looked like he was losing the fury that created him with Crystal arrived all frantic and angry.'

             'It was a hell of a mess.'

            'She can transform to level 4.  I didn't know if you knew that.  It only took her three months of training to get to that level, but she could and when she arrived she was ready to fight.   She thought the dragon was another enemy and with losing her dad and grandmother and all.'

……………

"Wait a minute here!  I'm dead!"  Trunks said with wide eyes.  How could he be surprised with Crystal acting the way she was?

"I wasn't there for that," Benot said simply.  He wasn't looking at him anymore and Vegeta was glad for that.  "Crystal doesn't talk about that.  She just will say that she was not quick enough."

"I saw how strong my other self was!  He kept himself up!  How could he be killed?"  Trunks was very pale.  He didn't like this fact.  Nor did he, but it obviously happened.

"Talk to Crystal," he said.  "We don't talk about that.  I don't even like to talk about this!  If we all had stayed together, we probably would have had a chance.  But we were all torn apart and fighting each other."  Benot looked at him angrily but then he quickly looked away, back down at his lap.  "We lost so much."

…………………………….

            'She just about attacked Cyron!'

            'I didn't want to leave mom, but I did and threw myself in front of her and told her to stop.  I don't know how I did that.  I can't seem to get that same level of speed anymore.'

            'Of course Cyron didn't like her attacking him and swatted us both aside and then just growled a deep growl.'

            'I HAVE HAD ENOUGH'

            'Was all that he said and flew off.'

            'Cyron then hunted down Ligh.'

            'I didn't follow him.  I couldn't.  I was to grief stricken and hurt to follow him, but Crystal and Goku did.  She can tell you what happened when he caught Ligh.  I covered mom up with my jacket and then I was searching for something to cover up Goten… he was still alive barely breathing.  I cried for him not to die.  I begged him not too.  I mustered up all the strength that I could and dragged him to the hospital.  It didn't help though.  He still died.  He kept calling for mom the whole time.  It was heart breaking.  I felt so bad for calling him such a jerk over the years.  He really loved mom and he was never bad to me.  We may not have seen eye to eye but he really loved mom.'

            'I had lost nearly everything that day.'

            'Legen was still alive but he lost an eye in the battle and had to wear and eye patch afterward.  Flint was okay other then than the fact that he refused to talk after that day.  I think it was because he felt so lost without Flare.  They may have fought with each other but they never were apart.  We just had Junior and he was pretty shaken up over the losses as well.  He seemed a lot more distant after that day.'

            'Goku also became different that day.  He may have lived but he was blaming himself for allowing it all to happen.  He kept saying that it was his fault for not being able to keep the dragon happy.'

            'Fry was badly hurt that day as well.  I saw him in the hospital.  I think they had tortured him.  He looked that way.  I don't think his left leg will ever be right again.'

            'Trunks and Gem were gone.  They perished in battle.  Pan lived, but did not have the use of her right arm anymore and had a pretty bad burn across her face.'

            'Poor Bra lost that little one that she was carrying.  She was right at nine months at that time.  It devastated her and Raymond.  I don't think they will ever come to terms with that loss.'

            'Gohan and Videl were okay.  They were like our support after all this happened.  They tried to bring us all back together a little bit.  It didn't really work.  It was so painful to see reminders of those we lost.'

            'And Cyrus.  After the rage left him, he turned back into that little boy again.  The transformation nearly killed him though.  It left him as cold as ice and nearly catatonic on us.   I thought we were going to loose him to.  I took care of him while.  I wouldn't leave his side at the hospital.  I nearly collapsed from exhaustion taking care of him.  I felt so bad for letting him down.  I mean, big brothers are supposed to take care of their little brothers.'

            'I had hoped that he would not remember anything that had happened during his transformation, but he did remember.  He woke up crying and begging for me to tell him that it was a dream.'

            'I couldn't lie to him.'

………………………………….

Tobe stopped talking for a bit and was just sitting there in great mourning.  His whole body was tense.  Bulma wished she could make him feel better.  This poor boy had so many burdens on him.

"Bra lost her baby," Vegeta muttered almost more to himself than to anyone else.  He was staring at the floor now.  He looked distant.  He never saw him that way before.  She didn't know who Bra was in the other time, but she was obviously connected to him somehow. 

She wished that she knew more about the other time's history.

………………………………..

            'We all went out separate ways again.  It wasn't until Cyrus woke up one day and came running into my room and said he knew how to fix it all.  He was so excited.  'All we have to do, is find Vegeta.''

            'I just rolled my eyes at him.  'like that is possible.'  He just grinned and for about two weeks he was working madly in Bulma's lab.  It was almost scary seeing an seven year old boy go nuts in there like that.  He was acting like a mad scientist!  He wouldn't go to school or do anything like that and he wouldn't explain to me what was going on other than he was going to fix things so that things will be better again.'

            'I didn't realize that he was modifying the time capsule to fit into the space ship.'

            'He had planned on going alone but Crystal saw one of her stupid visions again and burst in on an argument that Cyrus and I were having.  She pushed herself on us saying that her vision could help guide them and there was no way that they were going to get rid of her anyway.'

            'That is why that pest is with us.'

…………………………………..

"So, why did you have to travel in time?"  Bulma asked.  "You can't change what already has happened, you can only create another dimension, a splint from the change in history."

Tobe sighed.  "I don't understand it all that well.  Cyrus is the only one that really understands that part.  I just know that the dragon told him that they had to mend the dimensions because they were growing out of control and had to be diminished or they all would be destroyed.  We have been doing that.  That is what we have been doing for the last, uh, ten or so years.'

"Why were there so many created?"  Bulma asked.

Tobe sighed deeply, "Lots and some of them were very very weird."   He looked like he was going to say something else, but then he frowned deeply and in a loud voice.  "Well, it is about time!"  He stood up and it looked like his grief was swept away by anger.   This Tobe acted like she did.

Crystal was in the doorframe with Bra standing beside her in matching outfits.  She didn't think she was too happy to see Bra in a mini skirt and short top.  They both had armloads of clothes.

"What?" Crystal said.  "I told you I went shopping.  What is your problem now?"  The two couldn't talk to each other in civil voices.  They were always snapping at each other.

"You left me here to tell them everything all by myself!"  He snapped and jabbed a finger at her shoulder.

"Hey!  You did not object to me going out!"  She said and jabbed him right back.  "Cyrus was still sleeping!  I was enjoying myself."

Tobe's finger dug into her shoulder again.   "Well he woke up!  He got mad at me!"  He said.

She growled at him.  "I do have the phone!"  She said and showed him the phone.  "You could have called."  She spoke to him with a voice full of distain.

"Have you done any thing!"  he said.

"Oh!  Quit being such a jerk!  Of course I have, you dolt!  I haven't found anything!  Geez!  I know what to look for you know!"  She said and pushed past him.  "Is Cyrus still awake?"

"No.  You let him rest.  He is still cold," Tobe said and blocked the door.

That when she noticed her son looking at Crystal with his teeth on his lip.  She knew what that meant.  He wanted to know how he died.

"Okay!  Okay!  Geez!  Prude."

"Hussy."

"Freak."

"Bitch."

"Bastard."

"Slut."

"Creep."

"Enough!"  Vegeta snapped.  They both turned to him and were silent.  "You can yell at each other later.  I want to hear what Crystal has to tell us."

"Me?"  she said and suddenly had a strange innocent look on her face.

"Yes, you," he said.  "How did my son die?"  He was curious too.

She frowned suddenly and looked at the floor.  "I don't like talking about it."

"You don't have a choice."  Vegeta said.

Crystal sighed.  Benot returned to his chair beside her and she made herself comfortable near Trunks.  Bulma shooed off Bra.  She did not need to hear this, even though she protested.  He told her to go find her brothers.  That would take her awhile to do.

She started to talk.

…………………………..

            'I don't know where to start.  Okay.  Well, I should explain my dreams first.'

            'I always had dreams and I thought they were just that.  I had a dream about how the feud started and in the dream my dad tried to stop it and he got hurt because of it. But in real life, I stopped him from going… but then my dreams started to change.  Things were okay before.  Yeah, there was that feud but they worked it out in my dream.  It took awhile but it worked out.'

            'I couldn't understand why things started to change, but because I stopped dad from getting hurt, it changed the outcome of the battle.'

            'Changed a lot of outcomes.'

            'Then I had dreams about Vegeta leaving and I knew it was bad.  I tried to get dad to talk to you but he didn't understand my dreams.'

            'Then you did leave.'

            'Things really got weird and my dreams were not keeping up and most of them were so strange that I didn't understand them.'

            'I did understand that my father and Goten fighting was bad.  After than initial fight, they just couldn't see eye to eye.  They were constantly on the verge of wanting to hurt each other.   They even moved off the compound and I wasn't allowed to train with him anymore either!  It was really tense.'

            'Then there was the company take over.'

            'My dreams had started to stabilize a bit.  I was able to understand them again and they were not showing me good things.  Just as I was started to get a grip on them, Dad lost Capsule Corp in a hostile takeover.  It crushed him to loose the company and then when he found out who it was… I had never seen dad so angry.'

            'Then those weasels attack my father!  They were under control of Ligh who was giggling like a mad man  -  I think he had gone mad in jail – and they were quick little things!  They had sharp claws too!'

            'Dad was not fighting smart!  He was so angry that it did not take much for Ligh to distract him.  He would be on the verge of destroying a creature and then Ligh would taunt him under the protection of those things!  Then he was worrying about me as well.  I was able to transform to level 4 but I still did not have the skill.'

            'I was able to help, but I wasn't able to stop Ligh from getting revenge on Goku.  He killed ChiChi!  I couldn't stop it.  I couldn't keep up with those freaks and then… then when I tried to help dad…  Ligh used that old trick with the poison on him!  Dad thought it wouldn't work since he had been poisoned before right, but since the poison had been cleansed from all out systems because of the wish, it worked!  Those weasels had that poison on their claws and they used it on dad!'

            'Before he died, he told me to go get help.'

            'That is when I saw the dragon in the sky.'

            'I thought that they had somehow summoned the dragon and we were able to get the wishes… Of course, when I arrived…I saw that it was different than that.  I thought it was a monster and I just about did attack it.  He stopped me but the dragon scared me.  It always had.'

…………………………..

"Always had?"  Trunks asked.

"I had dreamed about it and I knew it was going to happen but I thought that since the other dreams could be changed.  Why couldn't I change this one?"  She sighed deeply and looked at Trunks.  She stammered over her words for a moment and resumed her talking.

………………………….

            'Once I recovered from the blow Cyron gave me.  I followed him as he went – almost in a flash – to where dad was getting tortured by Ligh.  He was still alive!  I was so happy to see that.  I just about ran forward to dad but Goku grabbed me.  I didn't even realize that he had followed me.  I was only thinking that I had to help dad and he was so hurt.'

            'Cyron… he was terrifying…Ligh didn't realize what type of trouble he was getting into at the sight of the dragon.  Cyron had the memories of both the boy and the dragon.  The dragon remembered Ligh and remembered how much he hated him as well.  Ligh, of course, as all those villains do in the end, bargained for his life and then went to desperation, saying that his uncle would avenge him.  I enjoyed laughing at him and telling him that he was already dead.'

            'Of course, Ligh's last act was killing my father with a simple knife.  I saw it coming.  I was much to slow.  I…. I….'

…………………………

He held her in his arms and stroked her hair as she sobbed.

No wonder she acted the way she did in the mall when she saw him for the first time.

"It was a stupid simple knife!"  She bawled and her whole body shook.

The only sound in the room was her sobbing.  He held her and let her cry.  It would make her feel better to get it out of her system.  He waited to hear more.

……………………….

            'Cyron grabbed me and pulled me back.   I blamed him for a bit, but I knew it wasn't his fault.'

            'Ligh was busy laughing and saying that revenge was sweet as Cyron… well, it is pretty gross what he did to him.  It was like he enjoyed ripping the guy apart and then blasting him to oblivion.  It was Goku that got him to calm down.  I was to busy crying and angry at him to care if he tried to crush me.'

            'I was so shocked when the dragon because Cyrus again.'

            'Of course, he didn't really look the same.  No one knew that the dragon had appeared on his skin again.  I didn't know that… well, I sort of did, but my dreams were vauge on that part.  They just showed the dragon emerging again.  I really had not that of it that much and how that tattoo moved along his skin!  It was scary.  When grandpa Goku had the tattoo, I swear it would move sometimes, but it was always slow and leisurely if it did.  This was not like that.  It moved across his skin so quickly.  I think it was trying to get out.  I know it was because there were some scratches on his belly after that.'

………………….

She fell silent.  "I am tired now," she said and stood and just walked out the door.  He wanted to ask her more questions.  Even Benot didn't object to her leaving.  It looked like he wanted to bolt as well.

"The dragon is trying to leave him?"  Vegeta said.  It wasn't really a question.

Trunk's was amazed at the information that they were giving him.  They were Children that were forced to become adults.  He frowned deeply.  I had to far to many of them all.

Benot spoke, even though he was pretty sure Vegeta didn't want to hear the answer.  "They try to separate every time that the power is tapped into.  That is why his arm is so chewed up this time.  He grows stronger every time, as well."  He was looking at his lap again.  "I should really check on him."  He stood slowly and walked into the room.

"Why does the dragon want to leave him?"  Vegeta said in a demanding voice.  He wanted the answer to the question.  He had that intense look that only dad could get.

"Because of that stupid," Benot ground his teeth together. "stupid silver ball.  When Cyrus touched it… it was like they canceled each other out.  Instead of being able to be at peace and just be a smart boy, he became two and the energy from the silver ball became reversed and became like a homing device."

The room was so silent.

Homing device?  He did not like the sound of that!

"I am going to check on my brother now, if you don't mind," Benot said and rose slowly.  "And then I think we really have to start planning for possible enemies."

……………………….

Woah… a long one but it answers a lot –o- questions.

Well, Merry X-mas and all that other politically correct things to say./… oh yeah… review me….