Thanks for reviews! Just another filler today I'm afraid. I'll try and hurry through them until we get to the first important battle.
Chapter 42: greetingsTrunks tossed and turned for the rest of the night until he finally fell back to sleep. When he awoke it was ten a.m.
"So much for waking up early…" he mumbled and got out of bed. He pulled on some jeans and went downstairs for breakfast.
He groggily got some juice out of the fridge and didn't notice who was behind him.
"Trunksie finally woke up!" a little voice squeaked. Trunks looked round to see a four year old girl with blue hair tied up in a ponytail and she was wearing a summer dress. She was sitting at the table, staring at him with her big blue eyes.
"Hey Bra." He addressed his little sister, too tired to bother correcting her.
"Where's dad?" he asked and went back to his hunt for juice.
"Daddy's in the G.R. He was mad that you weren't awake." She said and watched her brother. "You're not going to try and get out of training again, are you?"
"I trained with him most of last week, I should be allowed to have some time to myself. Besides, I've made plans with 'ten." He said and finally found what he was looking for. He started mumbling while he poured himself a glass.
"Daddy will be mad." Bra said in a singsong voice.
"What's new?" Trunks joked as a doorbell rang. Bra jumped down and ran to the door.
"I'll get it! I'll get it! I'll get it!" she yelled in a high-pitched squeak and opened it, Trunks following her into the hall.
"Who's that?" came Bra's voice from behind the door. Trunks opened it wider and gasped.
Before him was a slim girl wearing a pair of tight jeans and a denim jacket. She looked nervous and was hunched slightly over mumbling to herself.
"Um," Trunks finally mumbled and the girl quickly turned in surprise.
"Trunks?" she asked and he slowly nodded. He did not know whether to embrace her in a strong hug or invite her in and barrage her with questions. He only knew one thing: Zara, his childhood playmate was back.
Zara looked exactly like he dreamt. He couldn't believe it. He was about to ask her what she was doing there when Bra made a small cough, catching the teenagers' attention.
"Who's that?" Zara asked as Bra stared up at her. The little girl eventually looked at her brother for help.
"Is this a new girl friend, Trunks?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. Trunks immediately went red at the remark.
"What? No, she's Zara!" Trunks quickly said in his defence.
"Who?" Bra asked, confused. Zara rolled her eyes and stepped forward.
"I'm Zara. I used to live next door, and you are…?" Zara asked. Bra stared hesitantly at the 17 year old before her then answered.
"Princess Bra Briefs!" the little girl said proudly Zara smiled down at her.
"Aw, a princess, huh?" she asked and looked at Trunks.
"Blame dad." He said and rolled his eyes.
"I heard that." Came Vegeta's gruff voice and the saiyan prince appeared behind his son. He stared at his son then looked over at Zara.
"You're back?" he asked.
"Yea." She replied.
"You're parents here?"
"No. Just me?"
"Been training?"
"What do you think?" the girl asked and Vegeta smirked, stopping his questions.
"Bout time you got back. Trunks might actually set foot in the gravity room with you around." Vegeta said before leaving, His son looking rather red as he glared at Vegeta. Zara turned to Trunks.
"Won't set foot in the gravity room, huh?" she asked and Trunks shook his head.
"You know dad, he over exaggerates." Trunks said and Zara stared at him.
"Uh huh," she said and he went slightly more red.
"Why don't you come in, I'm sure mum'll want to see you. Besides, I gotta get ready." He quickly said.
"As I can see." She said with a smirk as she looked at his bare chest. Trunks looked down and quickly rushed inside to change.
When he came back down, he found Zara in the living room with a hyper Bra and Bulma.
"Hey Zar, you wanna go see Goten?" he asked her when he got in. She grinned.
"And see how that goats doing? Sure, why not." And with that they left after saying goodbye to the briefs women.
They were going to travel by air car. When they were nearly there it began to slow down.
"Great, it's going a little sluggish." He said aloud.
"Well why don't we fly the old fashioned way? I'll even race you." Zara suggested.
"Alright." He agreed and smirked as he got out of the air car to put it back into its capsule. When he was done, both teens sped off.
They were both neck and neck for most of the way until Zara decided to heat things up. She flared out her aura and gained a burst of speed, gaining a good lead.
When Trunks landed in front of Goten's house, Zara was leaning against the fence waiting for him.
"You took your time." She joked.
"Yea, and I guess you're still a speedster." He said and walked past her and over to the door. He knocked on the door but there was no answer.
"Hello Trunks, up here!" a voice called and the teens looked up to see Chichi on a balcony, hanging out washing.
"If you're looking for Goten he's gone training. Gohan should know where." She called.
"Ok! Thanks!" Trunks yelled and led the way to the house next door.
This time when they knocked the door swung open
"Hello? Gohan?" Trunks yelled into the house but there wasn't any reply.
"I can sense him in there…" Zara said and the two glanced at each other then walked in. they looked around. Zara stopped at a wedding photo.
"Videl and Gohan got married?" she asked as she studied the picture.
"Yea, took them long enough as well." He muttered and walked over to a couple of impressive bookshelves.
"Hey Trunks, you mind giving me a hand?" came a voice that made Trunk jump. He looked up and there was Gohan on a ladder, holding a stack of books.
"Sure thing." Trunks said as he took the stack of books and laid them on the table.
"Doing some 'light' reading then?" the lavender haired saiyan asked.
"Guess you could call it that. This is for work. I got a presentation coming up and it's been taking up all of my time. Haven't been able to have a decent spar in ages because of it." The older demi explained and flicked through one book.
"So it's important then." Zara asked. Gohan briefly glanced at her.
"Yes, very." He said then did a double take.
"Zara? What are you doing here? You on holiday or something?" he asked
"Guess you could call it that but I'm not 100% sure yet." She said Trunks stared at her.
"You mean you might be staying?" he asked and she smiled.
"Hopefully." She said the boys stared at her as a forth voice floated down from upstairs.
"Gohan, Pan didn't clean her room again!" Videl called as she appeared on the landing. She froze and looked down at the guests and after a brief re-introduction she came down as an advert on the TV came on.
It was for the next budokai and had Hercule looking much older on it as he showed off his speed.
"If anybody out there thinks they can take on the great Champion Hercule then they should enter the 28th tenkachi Budokai!" he yelled and the logo of the event and information flashed on the screen.
Videl shook her head in embarrassment.
"I can't believe him. Does he have to show off all the time?" Videl asked.
"Well in his defence he was a big help in the battle against Buu." Trunks pointed out.
"He's right, I don't know how we would have gotten all that energy without him." Zara added.
"Yea but since Goku wished for everyone's memories of Buu to be erased then nobody even knows what he did." Videl said with a sigh. It was clear the Hercule hadn't changed at all.
After a moments silence Trunks asked the question he wanted Gohan to answer.
"Where's Goten?" he asked.
"He's training with dad on the east ridge. I think you're parents are over there." Gohan told him. Trunks looked surprised.
"They didn't tell us that they were going over there." Trunks said.
On the East Ridge, Goten and Goku were locked in battle, Goku seeming to have the advantage. With one swift kick Goten was sent into the ground. Goten hit the ground with his fist and looked up at his father.
"You know, one of these days the shoe'll be on the other foot!" he grumbled and sat up. Goku just laughed and looked up to see that a plane had landed further away and that two familiar people were walking towards them.
"Hey Bulma! Hey Vegeta!" Goku called to them and waved them over, "This is a nice surprise, how are you guys?"
"Well I wouldn't expect you to know that, Goku! You never call or write and if we didn't visit then we'll probably never see you again!" Bulma answered hotly. Goku looked surprised at her outcry.
"That's not true, we got together not so long ago!" he said defensively.
"That was five years ago! And every time we do try and get together you blow us of and say you need to train!" she yelled at him.
"That's because I do!" he said back, wincing at her yells. Then he noticed something about her and started to chuckle. Bulma stared at him then growled.
"What?"
"It's just…you look middle aged." Goku said with a laugh. Obviously this was the wrong thing to say.
"WHAT! Of all the nerve! Well excuse me for not being a freak that never ages!" She yelled at her younger friend. Vegeta frowned.
"We saiyans evolved as a warrior race. We retain are youthfulness so we can fight for longer." He explained.
"Well obviously your race didn't evolve with enough brains to have good manners." Bulma snapped and decided to vent out her frustration on a clump of grass. Vegeta watched his wife then looked at Goku.
"Listen Kakarot, I want to know if it's true that you're entering the next tournament."
"Yea. You should join too, you can't beat those stadium hotdogs!" the younger saiyan exclaimed.
"What's the real reason you're entering?" Vegeta asked with a frown. Goku hadn't changed much either.
"Well those hotdogs are out of this world but there is this guy. He signed up yesterday and he's really powerful." Goku explained.
"A real fighter? What is he? An alien?" the older saiyan asked.
"Nope he's home grown."
"Don't make me laugh. He's some kind of android then." Vegeta guessed.
"Nope, he's completely human." Goku replied with a grin.
"Well I would have sensed him if he was human." Snapped the prince.
"Yea, if he wasn't suppressing it. He's a tricky one all right." Goku replied. Bulma looked up at them and threw some grass to the side.
"No way Goku. A human can't be on par with you. You two are the best." She said and stood as Trunks and Zara landed.
"Normally, I guess so…" Goku said, still grinning but wouldn't say anymore as the two teens reached them.
"Hey Trunks!" Goten greeted his friend.
"Hey 'ten." Trunks replied.
"Now Trunks, hey is for horses." Bulma said then noticed she was still holding some grass and quickly threw it away. Of course Trunks didn't pay attention to her.
"Wait, is that a girl? As in girl friend? Man, I was right. You really do only go for golden eyes." Goten commented. Zara gave him a blank look.
"Same old Goat-ten." She said and Goten stared at her.
"Oh my Kami. Zara?" he asked. She nodded and he got up.
"So instead of getting a new girl you went for the old one? Trunks…" Goten said and received a smack to the back of his head.
"Goten! Do I really need to get into that now?" he asked. Goten frowned and Trunks calmed down.
"So are you entering the tourney?" the young prince asked.
"Yea, Dad's forcing me to. And I even had a date but he made me cancel." He said and sighed.
"Well there's always afterwards." Goku pointed out.
"I see your son has the same slack attitude as mine." Vegeta commented, making Trunks roll his eyes. At least he trained more then Goten…
"Well it is easy to get slack in times of peace," Goku pointed out and looked to the sky, "but here's a whole different story!"
Everyone looked to the sky as a shape appeared. The shape quickly turned into a small girl that came in for a landing. Once she skidded to a halt, she looked at her Goku with big brown eyes. Apart from her eye colour, she looked like a five-year-old version of Videl.
"Grandpa! I just circled the world! Good huh?" she asked making Goku grin as he lifted her up.
"Yea, Pan, that must have been your fastest time yet!" he said happily and the little girl grinned in delight.
"I should be great at the tourney!" she said and grinned. Bulma stared in surprise.
"Little Pan is entering? But there's no children's division this year!" she exclaimed.
"Don't worry. Pan can hold her own in any division." Goku reassured her.
"Well I guess she has to be strong if she's related to you." Bulma commented as she stared at Goku. The grandfather and granddaughter duo grinned at the comment.
"Looks like Pan has the right attitude. I'm entering then. And so is Trunks if he doesn't want his allowance halved." Vegeta spoke up.
"What? But dad...!"
"No buts."
"Fine then. But Zara has to enter as well." Trunks announced and smirked but Zara brushed it off.
"Sure, sounds like fun if Vegeta will be entering." She said and smirked.
"Don't take me lightly girl." Vegeta told her and he and Bulma walked back to the plane after saying goodbye.
Trunks looked at Zara.
"So where are you staying anyway?" he asked.
"In my great grandpa's old cottage. Apparently he died and left it to my mother. But since she's not here…"
"You'll be using it. Ok, but if you need anything then you know we'll be happy to help." Trunks said with a smile. She smiled back.
"I'll be sure to see you. But until then I better get back there. Looks like I got training to do and I'm dying to start using that dojo…" she said waving bye and then she left, Trunks watching her closely.
......
A/n: so it looks like they're going to the budokai. And I don't think I'll bother describing the cottage. All you need to know that it's a house that has a separate Dojo further up the hill it's on. And yes, it looks like I'm starting to go over the end episodes but just wait. It's going somewhere.