(NOOOOO! NO, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! Danika is running very fast with both Sara and Laura in hot pursuit "Get back here!" Danika sticks out her tongue and with one finger, pulls down the bottom of her right eye; classic anime insult. Sara gets mad. "Grrr…Come on! You've been putting it off long enough!" NEVER!!! Laura, however, is enjoying this 'This is fun!' Danika looks back, still running Laura?! Why are you here?! 'Consider it payback for that little karaoke incident.' Danika continues to run down the dark, cold alley until she stops at the wall; it was a dead end! Oh, no! Danika turns around, then stops. The sound of Sara and Laura's footsteps grew closer… No…no...S-stay back! Sara and Laura continue to come closer. Soon Danika has nowhere left to run. She backed up until her back was pressed up against the wall, her eyes wide with terror. No…NOOOO! Sara and Laura had her cornered. Sara clenched her fist. "There's no escape now!" Laura gives a sinister laugh 'Resistance is futile! BWAHAHAHAHA!' Danika screams as both Sara and Laura pounce on her Aaaiiieeee! Soon, Sara and Laura drag Danika to the writing desk
NO! I can't do it, I tell you! I just can't write a romantic chapter! Please don't make me do this! Whaaa! Sob… Sara sighs "Of course you can! You're the genius remember? You haven't even tried!" Laura nods 'Besides, you don't have to start it out romantic. Just try to fit it in as you go along. Personally, I prefer comedy to romance, but I had to get my revenge!' Danika stands up with her head held high, her hands on her hips You're right! I am a genius! And a cute on at that! There is nothing I can't do! I am Invincible! And I am going to write this fanfic no matter what!!!…. Warning readers, amateur romance writer at work: be prepared for sappiness. You have been warned! Sara rolls her eyes "Just get on with it!" Laura sighs 'Oy with the poodles already!')
The next day Trunks flew Sara back to Korin tower.
"Now then. I specialize in energy control, so I'll let Trunks teach you martial arts."
Korin led Sara to an empty room. He made himself comfortable on a small pink pillow in the middle of the room. ("A small pink pillow?" Hey, he can't just stand around all day; he needs to rest his old bones. Remember, he may be a talking cat, but he's also 200,000 years old! Laura's eyes bug out '200,000 years old?!' Hey, he's been in this job for a looong time!)
"There, nice and quiet, no distractions. Please, sit down." Sara nodded and sat down on the floor three feet in front of Korin.
("Do I get a pillow too?" No.)
Korin took a deep breath.
"Now, the first thing to do is relax, loosen all your muscles, just clear your mind…"
Sara closed her eyes and tried to do what Korin said. Relaxing her muscles was easy enough, but clearing her mind was another story. (Yeah, especially with all the things YOU think about. Sara slaps Danika upside the head. Laura sighs and thinks about that last sprinkled cupcake back home, sitting on the kitchen counter. 'I miss you cupcake…' Danika looks at Laura, then whispers to Sara What's up with her? "Just let her be…AND GET BACK TO WRITING!" Geesh! Okay, okay! Man, what a grouch… Danika sharpens her pencil and continues writing)
After a minute or so, Korin was pretty confident that Sara was totally relaxed.
"Good. Now listen… Not to me, but to the center… Listen to the center of your body. Try to focus on that one spot. It will feel like a tight, tingly feeling deep in your abdomen. Try to find it. Search with your mind. Let your body feel its presence."
Sara pressed her mind hard and tried to focus. Korin sensed her thought straining.
"No, no! Calm your mind, let things flow; you'll never accomplish anything if you don't learn to trust your body… Just relax; try to feel the energy."
Sara took a deep breath and tried. It was hard to keep her minder clear; she kept drifting to other things, but she had to try.
It took a minute or so, and then Sara began to feel something. Her body was completely relaxed, but something deep inside her stomach felt tight and warm.
"I…feel it."
Korin smiled.
"Good, good, excellent. Now, concentrate on that feeling, let it be the only thing you think about. Shut down your senses, just stay with that feeling…then try to bring it out."
Sara focused hard. Korin stopped her.
"Don't tense up, relax."
This wasn't as easy as it sounds; it's very hard to stay relaxed and concentrate on something at the same time.
Sara tried to control the feeling, she tried to get it to come out, but every time she thought she had it, it seemed to slip away.
Korin was determined to see Sara through.
"Come on. The control is based on strength of will. You must gain control…try to push on through…don't tense up."
A shiver went down Sara's spine. She tried to tighten the part of her stomach where this warmth was without tightening her muscles.
"Try to release the energy, release it in the same way you would exhale a deep breath."
Sara could feel the energy tighten…tighten and grow.
"Yes. Yes, that's it!"
Sara could feel it, flowing to the ends of her body.
"Yes, now release your energy, you're almost there!"
Sara began to sweat. She could feel the warmth slipping away again; she couldn't give up, not now…she had to push on through! She had to! But what could she do? She just wanted to scream it out…she couldn't hold it in any longer…
"Aaaaaaah!"
Sara's scream filled the room and shook the walls. Then, all was silent. Sara opened her eyes, a small ball of light was glowing in the palm of her hands.
"Is that…?"
Korin nodded.
"Yes,…your energy."
"But it's so tiny…"
"You've only begun your training. Once you've gotten used to bringing out your energy, you'll be able to control it, and it will grow."
Sara stared at the tiny little light in her hands. She felt tired but proud.
("WHAT THE HELL?!" Danika looks at Sara with confusion What?! What's wrong? "THOSE LAST PARAGRAPHS, THAT'S WHAT!" Danika still doesn't see the problem What? You're just learning how to bring out your energy… "ENERGY?! IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M GIVING BIRTH OR SOMETHING!!!" Danika sighs Well, that's your fault, not mine. MY intention was to make it sound like you were struggling to control your power. "Well sorry, but that's how my mind works!…wait, that didn't sound right…" Danika sighs again, then pulls a Kitty decoy out of her pocket Look, Kitty! "KITTYYYYYYYYY!" Sara grabs Kitty and completely forgets about her conversation with Danika Whew! I'm glad that's over. Laura pops up from behind Danika 'Yeah, you can say that again.' Danika jumps Aaah! LAURA! DON'T DO THAT! 'Do what?' SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT!! 'Oooooooh….kay.' Sigh. Danika continues writing)
Korin nodded. "You see, every living thing has energy; Saiyans, humans, the birds, the trees…Everything that has life has energy, but very few possess the strength of will to control it. With time, and practice, you can control your energy to do many things: You can focus it and direct its flow beneath you; your energy will lift you up and propel you, or give you the ability to fly, for short. You can expand your energy inside your body to increase your strength and speed. You can form it into shapes or beams, and use it to blast your enemies. You can even create an aura to shield you from certain attacks.
But there are three very important things you must remember: 1: Your energy is not unlimited; if you're not careful, you could use it up and then have to rest for quite a while for your body to recharge your energy. 2: Energy will not make you invincible; it will take lots and lots of practice, training and dedication to control your energy; you will be strong, but no matter how strong you become, there will always be someone even stronger. And 3: The most important of all… Your energy is not a toy; my training is a rare gift and I expect you to use it wisely. The power to control energy is a great privilege as well as a responsibility. Energy control in the wrong hands could cause disaster. We must use our skills to protect the innocent and keep the peace, and punish those who would use their energy for evil…
Now, let's take a small break for some lunch, and then get back to work! You like sushi?"
Sara face faltered.
For about three more hours, Sara practiced bringing out her energy. The entire tower shook with the intensity of her training. And every time Sara brought out her energy, the easier it became. Finally Korin had had enough.
"Whew! That's enough for one day; you did very well. Soon you will be able to release your energy at mere will. We shall continue training tomorrow. So go home, get a good night's sleep, and eat well."
"Phew!" Sara wiped the sweat from her forehead. She was exhausted. Who'd have thought an old cat could be such a tough teacher.
Trunks had been waiting for Sara for more than three hours. He smiled when she finally cam out of the room, Korin behind her. He noticed she looked a little worn out.
"Hey, Sara, how'd it go?"
As if the sound of Trunks's voice had instant healing powers, Sara immediately perked up.
"Hi Trunks! It was okay."
"Ready to go?"
"Yep!"
Sara wrapped her arms around Trunks's neck and held on tight. Trunks put one arm around her back for support and turned to Korin.
"Bye, and thanks for the Senzu beans."
Korin waved. "Anytime, my friend."
Trunks powered up, and soon he and Sara were in the air, flying towards home.
Yajirobe crosses his arms. "Hmph, don't I get a goodbye?"
Korin sighs and shakes his head.
Meanwhile…(bringing the focus back on the main characters…)
"So Trunks…"
"Yeah?"
"Level with me; the androids didn't just disappear, did they?"
"Uh…" Trunks grew nervous; he hadn't been expecting that question…
Sara noticed Trunks's sudden state of uneasiness.
"You don't have to keep it a secret; you might as well tell me…you destroyed the androids, didn't you?"
Trunks nodded. "Yes… I didn't mean to hide it from you; I just didn't want to frighten you."
Sara smiled. 'Ha! I knew it!'
"It's okay. I can kinda understand how someone would be freaked out by this…Trunks?"
"Yeah?"
"New question: Remember when you turned your hair all gold and spiky?"
"Mhmm…"
"Think you could teach me to do that?"
"Sure, but first you need to get better at controlling your energy, and practice martial arts… It'll take a while, but yeah, I could teach you…"
Sara was extremely happy to hear this. "Thank you!… Hey, maybe you could give me a small lesson, like say…after dinner."
"Um, sure, that sounds good."
Soon they landed at Capsule Corp. Bulma was outside waiting for them.
"Well, it's about time you two got back…did you get the Senzu beans?"
Trunks showed her the bag.
"Right here Mom."
"Great. Now let's get inside. I've got dinner made, and Sara, I remembered you were a vegetarian so I decided to make sort of a veggie dinner."
("Ha! Veggie dinner!" Sara, it has nothing to do with him. "I know, but it's still funny.")
"Okay, I've got a green bean casserole, some mixed vegetables with rice, some mashed potatoes, salad, corn on the cob, hash browns with ketchup, cranberry sauce, cooked broccoli and fresh carrots, about two dozen rolls, and for dessert we've got pumpkin pie, ice cream, and strawberry shortcake."
Sara couldn't believe how much food Bulma had prepared. This wasn't a dinner; this was a Thanksgiving feast that could geed over a hundred people! (Assuming they were all vegetarians, of course.)
Sara turned to Bulma. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble…"
Bulma smiled. "Relax, kid. When you've lived around Saiyans as long as I have, you soon find out that four plain square meals aren't nearly enough."
Sara blushed. She had always had a large appetite, okay, large is an understatement, but she would never have guessed it was a genetic trait. 'I guess all Saiyans must eat a lot.'
And in a short time that you wouldn't believe unless you had seen it with your own two eyes, both Sara and Trunks had finished dinner with room to spare. (It's like they're living garbage disposals or something.)
After helping Bulma take care of the towering stack of dishes, Trunks and Sara headed out back to an open field behind Capsule Corp. for Sara's martial arts lesson.
"Okay, I'm sure you already know what a punch and a kick is…so do you have any fighting experience? Any at all?"
Sara thought. She was certain she had some knowledge…
"Well, I do know a few fighting techniques, but I can't remember where I learned them from." 'Not that I remember anything, but yeah.'
"Don't worry so much about it. Maybe after a while it will come back to you."
Sara shrugged. "Maybe."
"So tell me what you know."
"Er…well, I don't really know the names of the attacks…"
"Hmm, okay then. Just attack me using the skills you know and I'll just block."
"Okay…"
Trunks positioned himself into a defensive stance. Sara got into a fighting stance and took her time to think of a good first attack.
A small breeze blew Trunks's bangs into his face. He raised his hand to move his hair out of his eyes. Sara saw this opening and lunged forward with a straight punch directly at the purple-haired Saiyan's face. Trunks quickly raised his right hand to block so Sara switched positions and went for a roundhouse kick to the head. Trunks easily blocked with his left hand.
'Damn he's fast,' Sara thought.
She flipped backwards and then charged at Trunks with some quick jabs at his face and upper torso. Trunks was able to dodge each blow effortlessly. Sara raised her knee upwards to ram Trunks's stomach, but he only blocked with his knee.
'Is he reading my moves?'
Sara jumped back and prepared for a spin kick, but just as she began the spin, her foot got caught in a groove, and she fell to the ground.
"Sara!" Trunks rushed to Sara's side. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah… I think so." Sara tried to stand up. She flinched with pain and fell back down. "Ow!"
When her foot had caught on the groove, Sara had continued to twist and her ankle had taken the worst of it.
"Damn, my ankle."
"Here, let me see…" Trunks gently placed his hand over Sara's ankle. "Tell me where it hurts."
"OW!…There…"
…………………………………………………………………
(Danika has fallen asleep on her desk out of pure boredom. Sara appears behind her, her eyes have now turned red with a demonic glow. "She has some nerve!" Sara outstretches her open hand. Laura is behind her, holding a very, very large hammer. 'Sigh.' 'Oh well, at least I finally got a part in this fanfic.' (Ed. Note: to differentiate between Laura's speech and her thoughts, the speech is first and the thoughts are second. Thank you.) She hands Sara the hammer. Sara raises it high. "Now… HAMMER OF PUNISHMENT!" Sara slams the hammer down upon Danika's head in order to awaken her. OWIE! Danika massages the large, throbbing bump on the back of her head Ouch… okay, okay, I'm writing! Geesh, what a grouch.)
"I think you might have broken it. Yeah, I can feel some bones sticking out."
Trunks helps Sara up. "Here, lean on me; I'll help you back to the house. We can give you a Senzu bean and you'll be healed instantly."
"Thanks." Sara looked up into Trunk's deep blue eyes. There was something about him… She wasn't sure how to explain it, but…something about him made her feel safe. Looking into his eyes, she just couldn't help but trust him.
Trunks looked into Sara's eyes. He wasn't sure why but, for some reason, he could not bring himself away from her gaze. Maybe it was just the night air, but her eyes seemed to sparkle and shimmer. A strange feeling came over him; he was lost in her stare.
Sara finally summoned the strength to speak.
"I guess you couldn't catch me that time…"
"No…I guess I couldn't…"
It was as if some strange magnetic force had begun pulling them closer and closer together. The only thing on Sara's mind was Trunks, and how she wanted to be with him until the end of time. Trunks was transfixed by Sara's eyes. He was now certain that they were shining, not unlike the stars that now began to fill the night sky. Their only light seemed to come from the stars and the fireflies' glow, almost like nature was purposely creating a romantic background just for them.
They continued to come closer. Sara wasn't sure why, but her eyes just seemed to start to close by themselves. Her hand seemed to move up his chest, but neither Trunks nor Sara seemed to mind.
"We…should go…to the house and get you some Senzu…"
But Trunks could not finish his sentence. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Sara's waist and pulled her closer. Sara, too, seemed hypnotized by Cupid's spell, and leaned closer to Trunks, her hand caressed his face. Trunks began to wrap his other arm tightly around Sara's waist. Then, as if they could read each other's mind, they closed their eyes and embraced. Their lips touched, and they shared a deep, long kiss. It was not just any kiss, it was a kiss that would tie them together as long as they both lived, a kiss that represented their unbreakable bond, a kiss that meant no one, no matter how strong, could ever tear them apart. It was the kiss…of true love.
(Blech, yuck, pitooey, gag…I think I'm going to puke! I can't believe you made me write that! Eck, disgusting! Danika is stomping and spitting, trying to clear her mind of mushyness. Laura is covering her ears, trying to block out the lovey dovey rays emitting from the fanfic. 'Hummm hummm…I'm not listening!' Sara, however, is reading the chapter over and over again with big glassy eyes "Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!" Pitooey! Gross. I hope you're happy, Sara! Sara smiles a huge smile of happiness "Yes…THANK YOU!" Danika continues to spit and stomp Yuck, a genius like me, forced to write such mushy garbage! Sickening, just sickening!)
That night, the stars shone their brightest on planet Earth. The breeze whistled through the trees, almost creating a song that the fireflies seemed to dance to…
("Say what?" Hey, I'm trying to create a poetic background her, work with me.)
In each other's arms, this night seemed perfect…but little did they know of the danger that lurked in the darkness, the danger that would put their love to the test…and change their lives forever.
Elsewhere…Bulma sat down on the living room sofa and sipped her cup of tea. Every now and then she would glance at the clock hanging on the wall.
"Ugg…I just can't stand it! This is probably the most beautiful night we've had all year, and what are they doing? Training to beat each other into a pulp! Sigh. It's just typical that Saiyans would prefer flying fists and bloody noses over true romance…"
Bulma slams her cup down on the table and stands up, fists on her hips, and a fiery look of determination in her eyes.
"Well, they can just forget about it! Those two are going to love each other whether they like it or not! I'll make sure of that!"
Somehow, I don't think they need too much of Bulma's help…