The house was dark except for the fluorescent glow from Dr. Briefs laboratory. A single person worked underneath the flickering light. The light brightened then dimmed as it vainly tried to carry our the task a newer light would have had no trouble in accomplishing. The room was silent except for the weary hum of the obsolete light and the rustling of tools. Like a mechanized symphony the sound of the laboratory played as Loren blinked her eyes in an attempt to keep herself from crying. Where were the Kais when she needed one?
"I need you Shin. I need your...wisdom? Is it possible for one to have wisdom at so young an age?"
"Meow," Dr. Briefs cat said as Loren looked at it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as the cat jumped up onto the table.
"Meow."
"You're so happy, aren't you? That's because you belong somewhere. Me, I don't belong anywhere."
"Have you given yourself a chance to belong somewhere?" Trunks asked and Loren looked up.
"When is this tournament?" she asked and the young Saiyen thought for a moment.
"In two days."
She fell silent and Trunks watched her. What was going through her mind? The cat rubbed against her hand and she petted it, tears falling from her eyes.
"Listen, I'll tell you something. If in two days, the tournament goes in our favor, I'll take you back to the future with me. You can belong in my world."
She opened her mouth to say something, then caught the shine deep within his eyes. She could stare into that shrine and become lost in a state of nirvana. Why did he have it? She had been all set in destroying herself when that small glint in his eyes had caught her attention.
"THERE you are. You just can't go to sleep without your bowl of milk, can you? Hello Trunks, dear," Mrs. Briefs said as she came into the room wearing a pink pajama shorts set and carrying a bowl of milk.
"Hi Grandma," Trunks said as he watched his grandmother set the bowl of milk down on the floor.
"Oh I forgot to ask you. When's the wedding? Bulma refuses to give me a straight answer. That girl is so stubborn at times."
"Wedding? Grandma, what are you talking about?"
"Oh you know, Trunks dear. I'm sure that's what the two of you were talking about."
"Um...Grandma maybe you'd better go back to bed."
"I guess I'd better so that you two can plan things out. Come on, let's leave these two alone," Mrs. Briefs said as she picked the cat up.
"I'm sorry. My grandmother is just...just like that," Trunks apologized and Loren blinked her eyes as if she were coming out of a daze.
"What?" she asked and Trunks stared at her.
"You didn't hear anything that was said?" he asked.
"No, I didn't. I'm sorry. Your eyes..."
What about them?"
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
He watched her for a moment then walked towards the door.
"I'm serious about what I said to you. I want to take you back with me," he said then walked out of the room.
"Look at that one. Isn't it beautiful?" Mrs. Briefs asked as she pointed to a butterfly that was flitting about a flower. She stood holding young Trunks as one of her animals approached her. Trunks reached for the insect but Mrs. Briefs held him back. "Do you want to be a scientist just like Grandpa?"
"Good morning dear. How's Trunks this morning?" Dr. Briefs asked as he approached the two.
"He's just fine. Oh, are you going to the lab?"
"Yes I am. Why? Has Vegeta broken something again?"
"No. It's just that Trunks and his girlfriend were there talking last night and..."
"Mother! Trunks does NOT have a girlfriend!!" Bulma exclaimed as Goku and Krillin landed.
"Boy, things are getting pretty lively here," Goku commented.
"What's Vegeta done now? Never mind," Krillin said then drew back when he saw the Saiyen Prince.
"It's not Vegeta. It's my mother with her strange idea that Trunks and that sweet girl are going to be married," Bulma replied and Vegeta snorted.
"She's as sweet as a nuclear explosion if you insist on labeling that creature as a female," he said.
"Well if she isn't, then what is she?"
"That I don't know."
"Then how do you know she isn't female?"
"Where is she anyway? With Trunks?" Krillin asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bulma inquired.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
"Actually Krillin is right. They went off early this morning. They're talking about the wedding, I'm sure," Mrs. Briefs said in a confidential voice to Goku.
"Mother would you stop that?!" Bulma demanded in exasperation.
"I need you Shin. I need your...wisdom? Is it possible for one to have wisdom at so young an age?"
"Meow," Dr. Briefs cat said as Loren looked at it.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as the cat jumped up onto the table.
"Meow."
"You're so happy, aren't you? That's because you belong somewhere. Me, I don't belong anywhere."
"Have you given yourself a chance to belong somewhere?" Trunks asked and Loren looked up.
"When is this tournament?" she asked and the young Saiyen thought for a moment.
"In two days."
She fell silent and Trunks watched her. What was going through her mind? The cat rubbed against her hand and she petted it, tears falling from her eyes.
"Listen, I'll tell you something. If in two days, the tournament goes in our favor, I'll take you back to the future with me. You can belong in my world."
She opened her mouth to say something, then caught the shine deep within his eyes. She could stare into that shrine and become lost in a state of nirvana. Why did he have it? She had been all set in destroying herself when that small glint in his eyes had caught her attention.
"THERE you are. You just can't go to sleep without your bowl of milk, can you? Hello Trunks, dear," Mrs. Briefs said as she came into the room wearing a pink pajama shorts set and carrying a bowl of milk.
"Hi Grandma," Trunks said as he watched his grandmother set the bowl of milk down on the floor.
"Oh I forgot to ask you. When's the wedding? Bulma refuses to give me a straight answer. That girl is so stubborn at times."
"Wedding? Grandma, what are you talking about?"
"Oh you know, Trunks dear. I'm sure that's what the two of you were talking about."
"Um...Grandma maybe you'd better go back to bed."
"I guess I'd better so that you two can plan things out. Come on, let's leave these two alone," Mrs. Briefs said as she picked the cat up.
"I'm sorry. My grandmother is just...just like that," Trunks apologized and Loren blinked her eyes as if she were coming out of a daze.
"What?" she asked and Trunks stared at her.
"You didn't hear anything that was said?" he asked.
"No, I didn't. I'm sorry. Your eyes..."
What about them?"
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
He watched her for a moment then walked towards the door.
"I'm serious about what I said to you. I want to take you back with me," he said then walked out of the room.
"Look at that one. Isn't it beautiful?" Mrs. Briefs asked as she pointed to a butterfly that was flitting about a flower. She stood holding young Trunks as one of her animals approached her. Trunks reached for the insect but Mrs. Briefs held him back. "Do you want to be a scientist just like Grandpa?"
"Good morning dear. How's Trunks this morning?" Dr. Briefs asked as he approached the two.
"He's just fine. Oh, are you going to the lab?"
"Yes I am. Why? Has Vegeta broken something again?"
"No. It's just that Trunks and his girlfriend were there talking last night and..."
"Mother! Trunks does NOT have a girlfriend!!" Bulma exclaimed as Goku and Krillin landed.
"Boy, things are getting pretty lively here," Goku commented.
"What's Vegeta done now? Never mind," Krillin said then drew back when he saw the Saiyen Prince.
"It's not Vegeta. It's my mother with her strange idea that Trunks and that sweet girl are going to be married," Bulma replied and Vegeta snorted.
"She's as sweet as a nuclear explosion if you insist on labeling that creature as a female," he said.
"Well if she isn't, then what is she?"
"That I don't know."
"Then how do you know she isn't female?"
"Where is she anyway? With Trunks?" Krillin asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bulma inquired.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
"Actually Krillin is right. They went off early this morning. They're talking about the wedding, I'm sure," Mrs. Briefs said in a confidential voice to Goku.
"Mother would you stop that?!" Bulma demanded in exasperation.