[Author's Note] Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Holidays! I hope you had a good time, and I hope you got a lot of presents! Anyway, here's my present for all of you... a new chapter! Yes, and an extra-long one to boot, the longest I've written so far for this fanfic! Rejoice! *grins*

Before I continue, I would like to announce the changes I made, as you might have noticed. I divided this story into sagas or acts, each with a prelude, a couple of chapters, and a finale. So far, I've thought of two sagas, but I might get ideas that might stretch this thing even longer.

Well, I won't hold you any longer, here is the new chapter to satisfy your desires. You will find the answers to your questions here, but I think you'll be able to formulate a couple more. *winks* Please review, you know I love them!

Hikari No Will Power

Act One, Chapter Seven
One Clever Move On The Chessboard! The Unanticipated Capture Of The Queen!


Present Timeline

Desperation was evident in Trunks Briefs-Vegeta's pale face, especially in the way his sapphire eyes glimmered. "We have to do this, Goten! We don't have any other choice --- if we won't do this, we're going to flunk and lose the fair! We've never been defeated before! We must do this!"

"Yeah, yeah, Trunks, I get the point," Goten Son blurted out, rolling his raven eyes. Then, he grinned crookedly. "Don't worry, I'm with you. I just hope there'll be something for me after we receive our punishment from your mother --- something good that'll brighten my day."

"Punishment? What are you saying?" the other asked innocently.

"Alright, so what's the plan?" the younger demi-saiyajin asked, ignoring the joke and getting straight to the point. He sat down on the edge of the Trunks' bed and looked at his best friend with utter seriousness... and all of a sudden, he scowled. "Oh, great. You don't have a plan yet, do you?"

The 19-year-old pinked. "Of course I do! What makes you think I don't?" he exclaimed hastily, in a defensive manner that was thorougly obvious. "Now, listen. We're going to sneak into the lab when mom leaves for that business meeting of hers, and upon reaching the entrance, we split. I sneak in and dump that machine into a capsule, you keep an eye out for everyone else who might cause trouble. Especially my dad and his bratty little princess."

Goten looked doubtful. "Wouldn't it look suspicious if I would be pacing around the lab, considering the fact that I don't live here, and that I don't have the right to just barge into that part of this establishment? Why don't we switch? It'll be easier to pull off. If someone spots you by the entrance, your excuse will definitely click --- and if we're lucky, maybe they wouldn't even bother to ask you what you're doing. I'll sneak in, just tell me what to do."

"Well..." Trunks paused to consider the matter. "Okay, then. We have a deal."

Mirai Timeline

You're this world's defender?!

Briefs-Vegeta forced his stinging eyes to open, but he found himself unable to. There was something that was preventing him from doing so, something called pain. And that pain kept him in a claustrophobic nightmare, unable to do anything but breathe. He was lucky he could even breathe, as he lay still on the ground with barely enough energy to continue.

He had never felt so helpless in his life.

You're who these pathetic humans are counting on in times of need?!

He felt his fingers contract, scooping up dust from the ground and leaving narrow tracks through his fingers. He felt a few muscles from all over him twitch, as if they were slowly being reactivated by tiny ripples of electricity, and a few moments later, the paralysis wore off --- his nightmare then became a dream, a road with light shining at the other end.

It wasn't the best feeling in the world, as he still wasn't strong enough to jolt back into the battle that was still taking place, but for the time being, it was sufficient enough for the young man. A few moments later, he finally had the ability to re-open his eyes, and he did so slowly but surely. It was only a dream, yes, and relief swept him as he thought, for a moment, that it had all been a dream --- the sinister plans of Hyouko Kaname, the bombing of the Son's residence, the fall of his company, the murder of his employees, the unpleasant phone call, the death of his mother, Cell, the death of his sensei and the Z-Senshi, the androids...

But he was wrong.

With his sapphire orbs, he found himself looking straight into a pair of eyes almost exactly like his own, but the pair of ice-cold eyes belonged to a young woman with long, sable hair blown back by the furious gust of wind, a cruel smile so vivid against the faint aurora of sunrise, and a pale, pointed face that was utterly familiar to the young man. She was the evidence that he was wrong, very wrong. All that had happened to him weren't part of a dream as he hoped they were; they were real.

"You're the one expected to carry on the legacy of the saiyajins?! You're the greatest hero this world has to offer?! How pathetic, for someone like you to be considered as such! You may have the potential, but potential alone is not enough. You're nothing but a purple-haired weakling to me... and for wasting my time, you are going to die."

Valkyrie was not only the evidence that he was wrong; she, too, was the evidence that he was soon going to be joining his family and friends in the Afterlife. And for the first time, he believed. He believed in her words, in what she had told him ever since the beginning of their confrontation. He was nothing, nothing but a purple-haired weakling. He was a pathetic creature of no significance, of no use.

And he, too, believed that she was truly a death goddess.

She stood in front of him with such grace that the young man had never seen before; it was as if she truly held his life in her hands, and that taking that away from him would be something like a second nature to her. Her sharp, piercing eyes were utterly capable of causing apprehension and uncertainty to whoever would stare at them, but he could not deny the fact that that specific pair of cold, blue-colored eyes were mesmerizing.

Her smile... bitter, sardonic and cruel it may seem, but the smooth curve of her lips seemed very comforting to someone in the demi-saiyajin's position --- someone who was at the brink of life and death, someone who was waiting for the final blow from its predator. And her voice, Briefs-Vegeta noticed for the first time, was no doubt a valuable weapon for her as well, as she had the uncanny ability to use it for whatever purpose she wanted to attain. To induce fear, to cause confusion, to ignite the flame of anger, to bring about helplessness, to drill unquestioning obedience, to give rise to despair, to generate passion, to block hesitation, to undo lies... and so much more.

Suddenly, he cried out pain; the maiden of death had just crushed his ribs with her foot, in hopes to snap him out from what she thought was a trance and to bring his attention back to the matter at hand. The smile he had wanted to see was dancing as gracefully as ever on her pallid features, illuminated by the sun that was slowing rising from the horizon that stretched behind them.

"To the right, Briefs-Vegeta. Turn your head slightly to the right. Isn't it magnificent?" she began in a voice that was barely audible due to the howling wilderness wind. Her voice, this time, took a playful, enticing tone. "You better give it all your strength and fix it forever in your memory, dear warrior. After all, this sunrise is the last one you will see."

He obeyed, flickering his gaze without hesitation to the ball of burning gas that was starting off for its journey through the sky... and that was when something hit him. Things end for new things to begin. At dusk, the day ends to make the night begin. At dawn, the night ends to make the day begin. The beginning of one thing marks the end of another; the end of one thing signals the dawning of another.

"Things end for new things to begin..."

Valkyrie looked down at him, the smile on her face twisting into a harsher one. "I'd have to agree with you on that. Things end for new things to begin. Your end, Trunks Briefs-Vegeta, will be the end of this wretched world you call your home --- and it will be our beginning. The beginning of a new world order, with Lord Hyouko Kaname as the supreme ruler. I won't forget to mention this to him; he will be very pleased to hear that you, in some way, recognized the future of this mudball of a planet." She spun around to glance at the rising sun, still smiling. "The time is now, the day is---"

The demi-saiyajin managed a weak smile. "You're... wrong."

At that, the female assassin fell on her knees, and then, on all fours. She forced her eyes to squint open, despite the sudden pain that erupted from a point on her back, and a hint of disbelief crossed her composed features, quickly doubled up by anger. Growling a curse, she struggled to rise, but her efforts were all in vain.

"Now I know your weakness," Briefs-Vegeta said with satisfaction. "You can't sense ki."

What hit her was no ordinary ki-blast; the demi-saiyajin, while putting up a barrier that would prevent her from reading his thoughts, had transformed the ki he was charging up without notice into the shape of a sword. Valkyrie, who was incapable of sensing ki, did not notice it at all, and when she turned around to face the sun, Briefs-Vegeta took the opportunity and stabbed her with the ki-sword.

But that sneak attack of his was not enough to stop her, as he, at that moment, was rapidly losing his energy. Soon, there was nothing left of his ki-sword but wisps of smoke from his hands, and that was when the infuriated predator howled ---

--- and pounced on her prey without a speck of hesitation.

Either that had been all a dream, or he was still dreaming, because he didn't hurt anymore.

He was lying on something soft, something very comfortable, and upon opening his eyes, he saw that he was on a bed. It was a very nice bed, in fact, with large and very soft pillows, and beautifully decorated blankets that definitely kept him warm throughout his sleep. Sunlight illuminated the room through stylish-looking windows draped with lavish curtains that matched all the hues of all the other equipment in the room.

Trunks sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he did so, when his gaze rested on a solemn-looking man who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. He was about to ask aloud where he was and what happened, when the other told him that he would be leaving the demi-saiyajin for a moment to speak with his master. "Please, just relax and make yourself comfortable. You are in no danger here," he finished before he turned around and left.

At that, the young man got out of bed and examined himself, only to find that he was attended to very well. He no longer felt tickles of pain from his wounds and burns, and the parts that were supposed to hurt were well-bandaged. "Whoever did this must've done a lot of work," he told himself as he remembered the last few moments of the battle he was in before he passed out.

Kasumi, who was furious beyond belief that he had outsmarted her by pulling off a sneak attack, had launched a beam that hit him full blast, a beam that most probably drowned him into a coma. Judging by the severity of his injuries because she could not sense ki, she concluded that he was dead, and she left him in the wilderness.

"And whoever did this must be able to sense ki effectively too, to have found me when my power level was most probably hovering near zero," he added, very grateful that his life was saved, when he saw a pile of newspapers on one corner of the room, blazing with headlines about his mysterious death. He sighed as he scanned them one by one. "Alas, they can only speculate. Mr. I'm-Going-To-Rule-This-World Kaname and his secretary will never admit they were resposible for my demise."

"Feeling better, Mr. Briefs-Vegeta?"

He flinched in surprise upon hearing the voice; it was female. Quickly, upon feeling that she was the master the man earlier referred to and that she was his host, he folded the newspapers and stacked them back together at where he found them. "Yes, I'm feeling much better. Thank you very much for your kindness and hospitality," he said as he finished putting them back together. He then stood up and spun around to face her. "I really don't know how to repay you for saving my---"

His voice left him.

Trunks never realized that she was stunningly pretty in person --- shoulder-length hair in a rich chestnut color, dazzling emerald eyes, and a pale, pear-shaped face with rosy cheeks and a heartwarming smile. She was tall, although not as tall as he was, and had a slender build with the curves in just the right places that made her even more gorgeous to the young man's eyes.

However, a different expression swept the demi-saiyajin's face as he realized who she was. "Yumi Kaname. Daughter of Prime Minister I'm-Going-To-Rule-The-World-And-I'll-Kill-You-To-Do-So Hyouko Kaname, I presume?" The smile on his face evidently turned bitter. "What did you save me for? To hand me over to your father so I can be executed in front of everyone, in live television, to demonstrate how much power he has, and the right way to make Japan --- and soon the rest of the world --- a better place?"

The other's lips were then pressed into a line, and she hung her head, sadness lined on her features. "I do not deny the fact that I am his daughter and that he has such principles in life. But I did not save you in the reason you believe in, and I am nowhere near delighted with his actions. In fact, I am ashamed, embarrassed, with what he has done --- to you, most especially."

His expression softened.

"Of course, I don't blame you if you don't believe me," she added, meeting his gaze.

"No, I believe you," Trunks found himself saying, holding her gleaming eyes with his own. He took a deep breath, uncertain of what to tell her next. "But I don't understand, why did you save me? There must be a reason, right? I mean, your father wants me dead, but you... you saved me. Why?"

"Because I owe you my life, just like everyone else. You defeated the androids, and brought peace back to our world. By doing so, you saved our lives. Everyone else is just either too stubborn or too dense to realize it, and give you the credit you're due." She paused to walk away and stand by the window pane, gazing at the outside world thoughtfully. "I was... I was doing my early morning jogging when I stumbled upon you, and I'm glad I did. I wanted to take you to the hospital, but I knew that you were---"

Yumi froze.

"Yumi? Yumi, is there something wrong?"

She turned back to face him, her face as pale as sheet. "You have to get out of here, now! They must not see you, they must not know you're here!" she exclaimed before she whirled back around and opened the window. "I'm sorry, Trunks, but you must go! This is the safest way out, there'll be coming from the other road, not that one over there. Please, you must leave right now!"

"What's going on---"

"I don't have time to explain! Leave, now, or you're going to get caught!"

Trunks did not know what was really going on, but the urgency in her voice told him that he had to leave. He bid a quick thank you and farewell, and then he flew out of the room. However, he did not go very far. Lowering his ki until it touched zero, he positioned himself against the wall just beside the window, taking extra care that he would not be spotted, and waited.

The door slammed open, then slammed shut.

"Yes, gentlemen? How can I be of service to you?"

"Back off, Jin!" a gruff voice exclaimed, and the demi-saiyajin was sure he heard a clatter of chinaware. "We're not here to see you, nor are we here to hang out with you. We were sent here by Mistress Kasumi to discuss very important matters concerning Master Hyouko with Lady Yumi, and we need to get the information we need as soon as possible. Now, where is she?"

"She's still asleep---"

"Then wake her up! This is urgent, Master Hyouko's life is on the line here!"

After a few more moments of arguing, another door slammed open, and Trunks was sure that, this time, it was the door of Yumi's room. He cocked his head to the side slightly to get a better view of the scene, and that was when he realized that the room he had been sleeping in belonged to Yumi herself. "No wonder the curtains and bedspreads are pink," he told himself before he focused on the situation at hand.

Yumi was simply furious. "My father and I agreed on this! I told him that I will not be involved in any of his schemes, and I will not use my powers for his advantage, except to warn him if his life is in danger!" She placed both hands on her hips. "Tell Kasumi that! She has no right to send you goons and disturb me when I'm resting!"

"Lady Yumi, we were given strict orders. You will comply, or else, you will suffer greatly."

"Can't you get it into your head?!" she half-screamed in reply. "I said, I will not use my powers for his advantage! I'm minding my own business, he must mind his own! We agreed on that!"

Suddenly, one of the visitors grabbed her hand and pulled her roughly towards him. He muttered in a low, lethal tone, "Just so you'd know, we were given the permission to use force if necessary. You will come with us, Lady Yumi. You will come with us, and show Master Hyouko and Mistress Kasumi the future in store for them! Do you understand, or not?!"

Show the future..?

"I will not!" she exclaimed indignantly, her voice firm and composed. "I will not, do you hear me?! Even if I know how to tap into my power correctly and see the future at will --- which I currently cannot do, thank you --- I will not use it for something I am not comfortable with! Do you think I'm comfortable having my father as Prime Minister? Do you think I'm comfortable of him approving that Mass Cleansing deal? Do you?!"

Three words from what she said struck Trunks very hard, giving the demi-saiyajin a new hope for his survival. He hovered there, his eyes wide in surprise and disbelief as the words rang continuously inside his head, over and over again. See the future.

His trance was only broken when Yumi began yelping and screaming in pain. That was when his attention was snapped back into the scene that was going on, and the damsel in distress, in need of his assistance. "Hang on, Yumi... I'm going to save you," he whispered, powering up slightly and preparing to charge. "And I'm going to have a little surprise for Kaname and his pesky friends."

"Let me go! I said, let me go!" the young woman shrieked as she struggled to break free from the grip of her captors. But they did not show any sympathy for her, even if she was their master's daughter. They dragged her towards the door roughly, not caring if her muscles were strained from their effort.

"Is that what you goons were taught on how to treat women? If so, your sensei's pathetic."

Kaname's men stopped in their tracks; so did the younger Kaname. They brisking turned to see who it was, and by the window pane, they saw the man who was believed by all of Japan --- except a special few --- to be dead. Sturdy, muscular build; dashing, regal stance; neat lavender hair; gleaming sapphire eyes. There was no mistaking who it was.

"Trunks Briefs-Vegeta."

"Where are those idiots?!" Valkyrie exclaimed exasperatedly as she paced in front of Kaname with drastically narrowed blue eyes. "They should be here by now, what's taking them so long?! That mission wasn't so hard to accomplish!"

"Now, now, dear. Patience is a virtue."

She rolled her eyes, and said in a disbelieving tone, "Patience is a virtue, alright. But it's not the fact that I'm not patient; it's the fact that they're taking an extraordinarily long time to accomplish something as simple as convincing that daughter of yours to come here. And they're supposed to be part of that elite warrior team of yours?"

The fax machine beeped.

The young woman turned towards the machine, narrowed her eyes even more, and the paper came soaring towards her hand. She looked at it carefully, and her ice-cold sapphire orbs snapped open in utter shock. She began trembling, although she did her best not to show it, afraid that her reputation as the cool, composed one would be ruined --- and she did not want her master that she actually had something to fear.

"I-I think you should see this, my lord," she began in a slightly strained voice as she handed the piece of fax paper towards her master, who leaned forward to take it. His eyes, too, widened considerably in surprise and alarm, and he sported the same closed expression his right-hand warrior had.

The message was at the middle of the paper, neatly written in small but legible letters. It was very short, very direct to the point, but it was the thought of who sent it that caused the apprehension and discomfort. It read:

Your 'future' is in my hands.