Disclaimer: Akira Toriyama and J.R.R. Tolkien own most of the characters that will show up in this story. I do own Nindy, Raven, Regar, Gigita and some others.

Author's notes: Thanks to all reviewers, it's really motivating to read your thoughts on the story. I changed July into June, thanks for noticing Blue Star. It will turn T/P in either this chapter or the next. Starting from this chapter their ages will be:

Trunks: 26

Pan: 15

Nindy: 14

Bra: 16

Goten: 25

Marron: 20

As for distinction: hikikomori is a Japanese term for absolute social withdrawal.

Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Oh by the way, my sincere apologies for the lateness!! I'm lacking inspiration, that's also as for a reason why this chapter turned out so short, sorry!! I'll try to do better next time, I hope you like despite the shortness. :)

Tainted

"Have you heard yet?"

"Heard what?"

"Nindy has started to exhibit concerning signs of hikikomori!"

"Oh my God Bulma, are you serious?"

"Yes #18, I'm serious. Although she's still attending school she rarely talks, as soon as she gets home she locks herself in her room. Videl barely gets to see her."

"That's so sad... It must be really rough on them..."

"Yeah, it is..."

Meanwhile...

With blank eyes concentrated on the wall in front of her Nindy sat, emotionless. Her room had changed quite a bit since she moved in. Its furnishing was dark and Gothic. Nindy was Gothic. She was tall and slim, and her eyes... They were a mystery. They were gifted with the ability to communicate, warn, gesture, beckon, seduce.

Her voice was a mere, gentle breeze, cutting through thin air. All her actions were desperate attempts to keep control over life. Endured, her mind concentrated completely on the game of taking energy that she was playing, in silence, in secrecy.

Through absolute concentration she extended her being into the universe, searching to find the deep connection that she had wrought. She descended into the link, initiating a deeper contact with her brother's energy body. Vegeta; she felt attracted to him but couldn't find why. Neither was acquainted with their connection in bloodline. The brooding girl continued to gaze at his energy body, visualizing a clear image of him in her head. She retained a vague awareness of Vegeta's surroundings as she still could see shards of her room and body; she was at two places at a time. As she hovered above her brother she began to drain him, breathing his energy into her, a slight sensation of blood filling her spirit.

All of a sudden Vegeta found himself thinking of Nindy for no apparent reason. He believed to even catch her sight when looking through the corner of his eye. The proud Saiyan shrugged off the thought. I suppose I've been training in here too long, I'm also feeling a bit tired, I should grab a bite..., he assured himself.

In a glimpse of terror Nindy shot back into her still body, quivering. When calmness returned to her she gazed through her room, her eyes resting on dark artifacts here and there. A decorative dagger, supposedly sharpened, lay centered at her desk.

Pentagrams, candles, incense, spread all over. Gloomy poems and paintings, some wrote in or colored with suspicious-looking scarlet. A computer, watched over by an iron bat. Walls: black and purple. Complete contradiction with Pan's pink/punky room. Yet they still maintained good friends, apart from Nindy's current isolation.

Back at Capsule Corp...

"C'mon Bra, admit it, you like Jason from the 11th grade, it's written all over you!"

"No Pan, stop it, that's absolute rubbish, I can't stand that guy!"

"Then what's that mail I found you were planning on sending our wise Marron, asking if it's a bad thing, being attracted to arrogance?" Pan winked laughing.

A huge blush crept on her best friend's cheeks.

"Ha-ha, I was ri-hight, Bra heart Jason, yay!"

At that embarrassing (for Bra) moment, Trunks decided to drop in.

"What's this I hear; my little sister likes a jerk?" he asked playfully.

"Keep your big mouth shut 'bro, and I'm not your damned LITTLE sister, understood?!"

"Geez, watch your temper..."

"Just beat it already!"

"Erm – you guys – ya mind stop fighting?"

"Whatever," Bra replied, turning her head away.

"Sorry about her behavior," Trunks started towards Pan.

"I'm warning you - !"

"And mine, supposedly," he responded sheepishly, smiling faintly.

Bra just brusquely rolled her eyes and Pan erupted into giggles.

"Hey Pan, you like to train and such right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well I was just wondering if you felt like training with me sometime, then I could teach you some new techniques and such and it'd just be fun, or so I thought."

The blue-haired half-Saiyan turned to the conversation again, experiencing a mix between surprise, confusing and interest.

"Erm yeah, sure, that'd be cool. When do you wanna start?"

"How about next Saturday, 8:00 PM, here?"

"Sounds fine by me."

"Great," came a happy beam, "So eh, see you then!"

And Trunks left the room.

Bra suddenly burst into laughter. "You and my brother, I just can't believe what fate is trying to do now!" she chuckled.

"Why hey, it's not like I'm not surprised... But hey, it's just training, and he's sweet, well, nice I mean, and besides, it's not like age matters, not that I'm interested or anything, argh I'm babbling nonsense!" came Pan her struggled words.

"Awww, it's okay to like him sweetie, but just to be safe, make sure not to tell anyone over eighteen, can't be trusted those days, not even Marron."

"So this is just between us?"

"Definitely!" Bra smiled.