Dragon Ball © Toriyama Akira, Shuheisha, Inc.
Chapter 15: The World She Deserves
Two years had passed since Gohan passed away. Despite doing training every day, both Trunks and Tenten were still powerless against the androids. The only thing they could do was to read the androids' movement and evacuate people before that to keep the casualties number small.
There weren't many things changed in the world since then.
Except that he saw the fact that Tenten's mental health was declining. Her smile was anything but sincere. And he didn't like it. Despite having the ability to heal herself, Tenten barely healed herself right after the injury. She would let it remained for a while before finally healed it.
"So that's what happened…" Bulma frowned deeper as she tightened the bolts on her machine. "Is there anything we can do for her?"
"I tried my best to support, Kaa-san. She never said it, but I guess she's blaming herself for being the sole survivor in her family." Trunks sighed as he continued typing the function into the computer.
"I can't really blame her though… She had always been her family's little girl, close to her mother and siblings even though her father only spent a short time with her, Goku was thrilled when the twins were born. Goten was pretty much half of her soul and she depended on Gohan so much since the rest were gone." Bulma's brows knitted into a deep frown, then suddenly lifted both when she recalled something. "Oh, have you asked her to—"
"I have." Bulma glowered at Trunks when he cut her. "Asking her to stay with us, right? Yeah, I did—right after Gohan-san's funeral. She didn't want to."
"You never told me about it, Son."
"I let it slipped off my mind."
"Then, what happened when you ask her?"
Trunks lowered his face on his monitor to make sure his mother didn't see his expression. "She… refused my offer."
"That's it? She refused and you didn't even try to convince her?" she inquired, to which he responded by shaking his head. "Did you mean something had happened and you don't want to tell me?"
He sighed. "Okay, we did argue about it. I kinda… shout at her because she has given up on hope. I shouldn't do that especially since it was right after Gohan-san's funeral but… I just don't want her to…"
Bulma took a deep breath. She examined the mini robot she was going to send into the past once again, smiling when she made sure that everything in place. "You know, Son…" Trunks looked up from his computer. "I'm really sorry for failing both you and Tenten as an adult. I feel like it is my responsibility to show both of you the meaning of having hope."
"But I—"
"You're losing hope yourself, Son. It's not just Tenten. Don't lie to your mother," Bulma said."I might not as strong as your father, Son, or Gohan, but that doesn't mean I'm less strong than them because unlike them," she pointed at her temple, "this is where my strength lies."
Trunks chuckled. "Okay… And then?"
"Which is why with this minibot," she lifted the mini robot, "I want to show the result of holding my hope high all this time."
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever…"
Bulma smirked as she placed the minibot on the field behind their lab. With her remote control, Bulma activated the time machine and suddenly it disappeared. Trunks monitored the machine from his computer and had an 'I thought so' expression plastered on his face as he watched the static noise in his monitor. Just when he was about to leave his seat, the monitor changed into the scene he never believed he would see.
Showing in the monitor was his now wrecked house, looking grand and intact in its previous glory. Bulma made the robot zoomed out the camera so they could saw better and almost losing her grip on the controller when she saw her father coming out from the house with his most beloved black cat dangling on his shoulder, holding a newspaper dated twenty years ago. Panchy came out a moment later, saying something to her husband that made him go back into the house.
As if that wasn't enough excitement for both of them, they saw Vegeta landed right in front of the door house, frowning as ever. Bulma's younger self then appeared, seemed to shout something to Vegeta who later looked dejected and muttered something about "how annoying" before making his way into the house. Bulma covered her mouth with her palms, eyes glistened with tears while Trunks couldn't even stand anymore when he saw his father walking in all his glory.
The father he never met was well and alive.
"Tou-san…" he whispered.
Trunks raked his hands on his locks as he shook his head disbelievingly.
"It works…" they said at the same time. Bulma ecstatically screamed as she happily threw her arms around her son where Trunks holding her tight.
"It works! I can't believe that it actually works!" Trunks screamed with equal excitement to his mother.
"See?! I've told you that this is going to work, right?!"
"I'm…" Trunks scratched the side of his face, almost losing his composure due to the excitement. "I'm really sorry for doubting you, Kaa-san…"
Bulma lovingly patted her son. "That's why you should never lose your hope, Son. You should do the same to Tenten. Don't let her give up on it!"
"Right! I'm going to tell her about this, so—" he kissed his mother's cheek, "—I'll see you later, Kaa-san!"
"Yeah, be careful on your way. Send my regard to her!"
Trunks waved his hand in response and exited the lab with full speed. He had never been that happy in five years and he just wanted to share the happiness with her.
Tenten looked up to the cliff above her, taking a deep breath as she stretched her arm in its direction. She shot an energy beam, causing the rock to crumble in many sizes. She quickly set her barriers multiple times to shatter the rocks that were coming in her direction. When the last giant rock was coming in her direction, Tenten garnered her strength into her right hand and punched it until it shattered into pieces.
Clenching her fist, she released her barrier again to check its form. They were made of blue hexagonal particles that glistened like a crystal under the sun. It looked solid, but never solid enough to protect her if the androids went full force. She moved her right hand in a motion, slowly drawing circles as her barrier growing bigger. Wanting to test the strength of her barrier, she unleashed it on the other cliff.
"Tenten!"
She widened her eyes when Trunks suddenly appeared before her, wanting to redirect her barrier but it was too late. It already trashed him onto the cliff and buried him along with the rocks and pebbles.
"Trunks! Oh gosh!" She quickly approached him, pushing all the rocks away until she saw colour purple amongst the rock. He looked shocked at first, but widely grinned when he glanced at her.
"Hey!" he casually greeted.
"Don't 'hey' me, idiot! What were you thinking?! You can not suddenly jump like that when I'm practicing!" She grabbed his arm and helped him up, quickly healed the bruises on his cheek.
"That barrier is much more solid and stronger than the one you did last week anyway. Good job," he praised her with a smile.
She snorted. "I change my mind. Maybe it's a good idea to let you test it after all."
"Well, putting that aside, I have great news!" Trunks ecstatically said while grabbing her arms. "My mother, she had tested the time machine and it works! It works, Tenten! We can go back to the past!"
"Oh…" she flatly said, seemed to force a smile. "That's great. I'm so happy for both of you."
"You're not looking like it," he said, disappointed by her flat reaction.
"No, I'm happy really," she said with a small smile. "Bulma-san is working so hard for it so I'm glad that it eventually works."
"Then we can go back to the past and save your father," he added. "Don't you get it, Tenten? We can bring your family back this way! Your father would be able to defeat the androids and maybe none of this would have to happen and we can live a normal life!"
"Is it going to work like that?" Tenten asked. "How do you know if it's going to work like that?"
"Well. At least we can find a way to kill the androids if we go back to the past, where all the warriors were still alive. Your father was the strongest man in the world back then. There are just so many possibilities as long as we have the machine!"
"I don't think it will be that easy. You just tested it with the minibot you mentioned before, right? How long do you think it will take until it can transport a human to the past?"
"It will take times, but I'm pretty sure that we're going to manage!"
"Don't you get it, Trunks? I don't underestimate your mother's capability to make the time machine but we're running out of time!" She took a deep breath. "None of us capable of beating the androids and we can't keep evacuating people like this. Sooner or later they will manage to wipe everything out of this world!" she said again as she picked up her training bag and wiped her sweat with her towel.
"Tenten—"
"Please don't make me hope anymore, Trunks." She craned her head in his direction. "I've buried that a long time ago so please don't bring it back."
It was as she predicted; it wasn't easy. After their successful experiment that day, only failure followed. It took Bulma years to gather the solar energy for the machine but it kept being wasted on the experiment. Bulma didn't lose her hope, but Trunks gradually did, so he was doing the only thing he could do—practice, practice, and practice.
Because he would be the one to put the end to her agony and free her from these nightmares.
It was the only way to save her.
Living in such a horrible time didn't give him the privilege of eating something fresh anytime he wanted, which was why he was growing tired with canned food sold in the West City, especially with a busy mother and his limited skill in cooking. Which was why he couldn't refuse Tenten's invitation to the Harvest Festival in her village.
Seeing fresh vegetables was like seeing gems for him. Though it was a simple festival, it was still a sight that was close to the world he dreamt of. People were smiling as if the androids were never there. They called on the customers to check their vegetables and cooking together with them.
Trunks was looking around for Tenten, surprised to see her standing right behind him with the village's traditional costume. The sleeveless pink kimono only ended around her knee and had chrysanthemum's embroidery all around to represent her status as the village's princess because she was Ox King's granddaughter while the rest of the girls only wore one with daisies. She was wearing a beaded headband around her head that swayed and jingled following her movements. For a moment, he had forgotten how to breathe.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"You're…" Trunks gulped and covered his palm for a moment to compose himself. "You look very charming in that clothes."
She giggled. "Let's go and get some fresh vegetables for your mother."
When walking together with her, he only realised that he had grown a head taller than her from their last ten centimeters differences. Only then he realised that she had lost most of her childish features and looked more like a woman than a girl. Being her opponent on every of their practice made him forget that she was a delicate woman outside battle. Her graceful and thoughtful gesture as she interacted with people made him realise that she was meant to be living in a peaceful world, not the world they were living in.
The moment he saw her dancing with the girls near the lake as they spread flowers to thank the Dragon God for the fertility he had given to their land, he let his mouth gaped at the beautiful sight. He had seen her dancing numerous times during the harvest festival. But only that day he realised that he wasn't only crushing on her anymore…
He had fallen in love with her…
And that only flared his desire to give her the world she deserved to live in…
AN: While writing this fic, I realised how lucky I am to be born and living in a free-war country (at least for now. Hope it'll never happen.) XD I've watched the documentary of people living their life ready to die and that's really horrible. This is why I want to represent that situation the best I could.
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