Zara sighed as she stared into the mirror in the little bathroom at the restaurant Trunks had taken her to. She was thinking back over the past year.
After the incident with the alien brothers and the dreams, everything had been different for her. In the beginning it was just one challenge after another with her parents appearing on earth a week or two after Findla and Jacina (read the girl next door) but afterwards everything had seemed so…normal. Bulma had given her a job in the lab as an assistant and she occasionally worked at Capsule Corp for some extra money. And whilst that was happening, Zara went on several more dates with Trunks until they were officially together. Life had changed a lot for Zara compared with what she was used to on the space ship she had lived on for so long.
Of course things were still a little stressed after the dream invader had been stopped. Everyone that had under gone the holds had been reluctant to go to sleep for a while and Zara had increased her training to try and strengthen her mind to prevent that kind of thing happening again. But the months went by and nothing else happened so things returned too normal.
And of course with the normalcy came a few little annoyances. Well two actually in the form of baby-sitting.
Alex and Jake had been trying to find someone to train them as their parents were being strict and didn't want them learning too much at a young age. The twins knew that if they got Goku or Gohan to do it then they would tell and Vegeta would just refuse and then Goten and Trunks were too busy with school. But then one day they were being babysat by Trunks and Zara and they realised something. Zara was a fighter! And she had a lot more free time then the guys. Plus she had to have learnt some cool techniques whilst in space…so after that they had bugged Zara until she agreed to train them. She had been annoyed about taking a chunk out of her own training time to teach Emily's kids but they soon grew on her and with it the twins learned a new way to prank their favourite teenaged uncle…
"Hey Zar! Have you fallen in or what? You've been in there for ages!" Trunks's voice joked through the door. Zara smirked and turned round.
"No, I haven't fallen in! I'll be out soon!" she called, smirking.
"How long is soon?" Trunks called back.
"Oh, about another hour." Zara called back. She could hear him groaning on the other side of the door.
"That's not funny." Trunks called back just before Zara opened the door and smiled innocently at him.
"Isn't it?" she asked sweetly. Trunks grinned and shook his head.
"Nope. Now come on, I think I may have over done it on my order. Restaurant is closing." He informed. Zara nodded.
"Right, just five more minutes…" she started and turned towards the bathroom. Trunks nearly picked her up as he pulled her away.
"Oh no you don't." he told her and Zara smiled up at him.
"And they call me up tight…"she muttered. Trunks laughed and then looked at her.
"You call this up tight?" he asked and then quickly kissed her.
"Good point." She commented and allowed him to lead her outside.
Up on mount Potaz, Goten was still playing about with the twins and had entered a small spar.
Goten stood calmly on the ground as the twins both rushed him. They flew towards their uncle at lightning speed and then split up, Alex going for a jump kick to Goten's head and Jake going for a punch to his uncle's gut. Goten ducked and grabbed Jakes fist and then threw him into Alex. Alex grunted as her brother hit her. The twins then both looked at each other and shared an evil smirk before they both disappeared.
Goten frowned and stuck to his stance. He looked around for the terror twins and then about five Jakes popped into view in front of him, none of them with a ki signature or even moving. Each one stared blankly at Goten whilst standing in a Vegeta like stance.
Goten sweat dropped.
"Come on guys. You know it's cheating to use those powers." He called and then found Jake's ki signature above him. Goten quickly turned and fired a weak blast at his nephew but Alex appeared and hit it back and followed up with some telekinetic hits to Goten's jaw, stomach and chest. Goten was sent skidding along the ground and stopped at the feet of Emily.
"What's going on out here?" she asked. Both kids exchanged nervous glances.
"Nothing mum! Just messing around!" they called. Goten rubbed his back as he sat up.
"Geese, Zara really has to cut down on your training…" he muttered and Emily frowned down at her younger brother.
"What was that Goten?" she asked. Goten gulped as he looked up at her and then noticed the twins wearing matching threatening glares. Emily looked up at them as well and their expressions quickly turned innocent, just to go back to threatening when Emily looked away.
"Err…I said nothing. Just ow and that kind of thing…um…think I have homework…" Goten quickly said and jumped to his feet. He ran into the house before Emily could question him.
"Well that was weird." She muttered and looked up at the twins who had disappeared. Emily frowned.
"Looks like I'm going to have to find out what they're up to later."
In west city a certain little green minion had appeared. Piki was in an alley down the side of a jewellery store. He quickly ran to the end of the alley and glanced down the street. Near the end and walking towards him were Trunks and Zara, deep in conversation. Piki gulped and then looked at the shop window. He smirked when he saw an opening in the display.
The little minion quickly pulled out the box and opened it so that the amulet was exposed. Piki smirked down at it and a moment later it had shimmered out of site and appeared in to the empty spot of the display. Piki then hid.
Moments later and the two Z warriors approached the store.
"I'm just saying that Emily must have a point with not allowing them not to train. Goten says that Jake's been 'dream dropping'. And that's not exactly a good thing." Trunks was saying.
"Ok, maybe she does have a point but Jake can only watch. He can't influence dreams or anything yet. He's only a beginner. Same goes for Alex. She maybe good with her telekinesis but she can't exactly neural clamp someone or anything. They're just not that advanced yet. Besides, I offered to teach Goten how to block Jake out but he refused me. Its his own fault that Jake keeps looking in on his dreams." Zara pointed out. Trunks sighed and nodded.
"Fine, guess you're right there…" he agreed and then noticed something in the shop window. It was the small amulet with the gold chain and the red jewel. The chain was thin and the amulet itself was rather small and dainty but Trunks was for some reason drawn to it.
"Hmm." He murmured and Zara looked at him with a brow raised.
"What is it?" She asked and Trunks grinned back at her.
"Oh nothing, I just have to get something. Wait for me?" he asked and then quickly hurried to the store, leaving Zara slightly confused outside.
The store clerk was rather surprised when he found the amulet in the window but he shrugged it off and recited a price even though there wasn't even a price tag. The clerk just handed the amulet over almost robotically but Trunks didn't question it. He got what he wanted and left.
Zara smiled at Trunks as he exited the store and approached her.
"So what was that all about?" she asked. Trunks grinned and brought out the velvet-lined box the amulet now rested in.
"Thought you deserved a treat." He explained and opened the box. Zara looked down on the amulet and smiled as her eyes travelled across the ruby in the centre.
"Wow…its beautiful. What brought this on?" Zara asked then looked up Trunks in a playful way. Trunks grinned at her and offered to put it on her.
"Just thought you deserved it. You've been busy with work and the twins lately so I just thought that you deserved a treat." He explained and did up the clasp. She then turned round to look at him and he studied how she looked with the amulet on.
"And it looks like I did well. You look beautiful." He commented and Zara smiled.
"Thank you." She replied and then gave him a soft kiss.
They then continued on their way with Piki watching them from behind. The little minion frowned as he watched them and then shimmered out of view.
He appeared on the dark bridge of his ship moments later. Maleenia now sat almost bored in the chair in the centre of the room.
Piki bowed low in front of her.
"My mistress, I have done as you ask. The young saiyan has given the Kalroo your amulet. But I don't understand. Nothing happened when she wore it." He quickly explained. Maleenia sneered down at him.
"That's because you're not meant to understand!" she snapped and the little green man trembled. Maleenia watched him and then took up a canter of wine from beside her.
"But as you have done my bidding then I shall explain. You're feeble mind just better keep up." She added and took a drink.
She put her wine back and then stared at the creature before her.
"That amulet is a special little trinket that feeds on psychic energy, amongst other…beneficial powers. That little Kalroo will feel its effects as soon as she starts using her powers. Then it will allow me to do something you'll find quite helpful to our cause." She explained and Piki nodded before being dismissed to his other duties.
Goten had gone to bed early for once and was already fast a sleep. A smile spread across his face as he continued to dream his usual dream.
The bedroom door slowly cracked open and a certain blonde saiyan tiptoed his way into Goten's small room. Jake stood cautiously still for a moment just to make saw that his uncle was still sound a sleep. The older saiyan mumbled something to the effect of 'Trunks, that's my frog…' before rolling onto his side and Jake was then sure that Goten was indeed a sleep.
The chibi saiyan hovered over the rest of the way to Goten's bed to avoid the creaky floorboards and landed just next to the top of the bed.
Too easy…he thought with a grin and then placed his index and middle finger on the side of Goten's head.
A crafty smile washed over the little saiyan's face as a clear picture of Goten's dream filled his head. Jake had to repress a giggle as he watched. He had to be quite so that Goten wouldn't wake up as well as being careful as this technique tended to give him a killer headache. But Jake always thought it was worth it. After all, Goten had such weird dreams…
It was just getting to the good part were a chibi Goten caught his two chibi friends in the park with half the zoo with them, when everything went dark. Jake was confused for a minute and then snapped back to reality to see a furious Goten looking down on him.
"Why you little…I thought I told you to quit doing this!" Goten snarled and jumped out of bed, holding Jake by his wrist. Jake went white as Goten began to drag him out of the room.
"That's it! This time I am so telling your parents!" Goten continued to rant and Jake finally regained his wits.
"But uncle Goten! If you tell them what I'm up to then they'll know you've been lying to them!" Jake reasoned but Goten shook his head.
"I don't care!" Goten shot back and continued a mini-rant on little troublemakers who insisted on dropping in on his dreams…
"Well…what about Alex? She'll be pretty mad and she knows a ton of new stuff that you don't know about! Besides, if you tell mum and dad then we'll get worse and I'll tell everyone about the dream you had with the hula dancers and the cocktail waitress-" he started but Goten quickly shoved his hand on Jake's mouth.
"You do that and I'll be forced to take action. And I was a master prankster when I was a kid." Goten hissed. Jake glared at his uncle, refusing defeat.
"Hey? What's going on out here?" Alex's voice asked as she poked her head out of the door. It only took her a moment to work out what was happening and she quickly sprung into action.
Goten felt his hand's being forced to let go of Jake before he was telekinetically slammed down the hall. Both of the twins quickly hid in their room as their parents' doors burst opened.
"What's going on out here?" Emily's voice asked. Goten was still lying on his back and starring up at the little crowd in shock. The twin's door opened and both of the chibi's heads poked out.
"Uncle Goten, were you sleep walking again?" Alex asked. Goten glared at her.
"No! Jake dreamed dropped on me and you slammed me down the hall!" Goten exclaimed. Emily shook her head.
"You must have been dreaming. Jake doesn't have enough power to dream drop. He can barely read minds normally." She said. Goten could only gape at her.
"And I don't think Alex can throw an 18-year-old down a hall yet with her telekinesis. Last I saw she couldn't even hover a chair all that well." Mirai added thoughtfully.
The twins didn't know whether or not to take offence by their parents doubting their abilities but decided that it was best to keep their mouths shut. As long as they didn't get caught it was ok.
Goten decided it was no use for the moment arguing with his sister and brother in-law so he decided just to go back to bed. He'd speak to Jake in the morning.
Several hours later and it was very late at night. Zara had not been home for long and was arguing with herself whether or not to get in some extra training before bed.
"Could…but its late and if I start now then I'll probably end up giving myself only an hours sleep again." She thought out loud and decided to just watch some TV until she thought it were time for bed.
She had left Trunks at capsule corp. over 15 minutes ago after staying with him there for several hours. Now she was tired and yet didn't want to even do something simple like going to sleep.
So instead she curled up on the sofa and decided to give her body a rest and relax, using telekinesis if she needed something. Just one of the many advantages of having that power…
As she got comfortable on the sofa, she began to mildly concentrate on what she needed. The TV switched it self on and the remote floated over to her whilst at the same time, in the kitchen a tap turned on and then off and a glass filled halfway up with water came floating into the room the same time as a small table floated over to the sofa for the glass to rest on.
The effect of all of this was subtle at first but then, as the ruby began to glow; Zara felt a headache coming on, A headache that quickly escalated into a migraine and beyond.
Zara clutched her head as the searing pain grew and threatened to split her head in two. She gasped in pain and her telekinetic powers then went haywire and threw the table into a wall. Random objects then floated up and followed suit as Zara continued to cry out in pain, clawing at her head to make it stop. She somehow fell off of the sofa in all of the confusion and pain and continued to struggle on the floor as random ornaments, books and tapes flung themselves in all directions above her.
Far above the little cottage on the hill Maleenia smirked to herself as she watched through the magically endowed monitor.
"And so it begins." She muttered.