Dragon Ball © Toriyama Akira, Shuheisha, Inc.


Chapter 21: The Greatest Adventure Journal


The white lilies were floating away on the lake as if they were making their way to the bridge of life and death. Watching Tenten from the corner of his eyes, he did see sadness but she didn't cry. It had been a while since he saw her being emotional ever since she caged them down in the place he could never reach.

Sometimes he wished she could just scream or cry, letting everything out.

"We're done, Trunks. Let's head to my house first. I want to show you something," she said.

The first thing Trunks saw the moment he entered the house was an old book with a very bad "Goten's Greatest Adventure Journal" handwriting on the living room. Trunks chuckled at it. Goten couldn't even write his own name with the right kanji. It seemed that Tenten took it out recently because it wasn't there the last time he came.

"Yeah, that's the thing I want to show you."

"Can I see it?" Trunks asked.

"Go ahead," Tenten said. "I'll make us some tea first."

Trunks flipped the cover, immediately chortled, and muttered "Bastard," at Goten's funny drawing three of them with Goten on the center, having an 'I'm the main hero in this book' and 'We're his slaves' pointing at both him and Tenten. The book contained the discoveries and adventures they did as a kid. When Tenten was back with a tray of tea, Trunks shifted a bit to give a room for her to sit on his side.

"I never know he wrote everything down in here…" Trunks muttered with a mix of sadness and happiness interlacing his tone.

"Neither did I. He did it when he was alone. I found it in our old treehouse, hidden below the wood floor." Tenten flipped the page, smiling at the photo where they did some treasure hunting in the sea and a megalodon photobombed them. She remembered that Gohan was screaming when he took the photo and punched the shark away before it managed to bite their arses.

They flipped the page while reminiscing the days until they reached the blank page. Tenten hovered her palm over the brown paper while biting her bottom lip. The last one was their trip to the Crocodile Island to see if banana-headed crocodile truly existed, and it was only a week before Goten passed away.

With a deep sigh, Trunks put his hand over Tenten's shoulder, drawing circles with his thumb with a small smile plastered on his face.

"I miss him so much," Tenten muttered.

"So do I," he responded. "I'm pretty sure he would be in his second book by now." Trunks flipped the book until it reached the last page, widening his eyes when he saw some scribbles there. Tenten moved closer to look at it as well because she didn't notice it before.

'This book is dedicated to my accomplishes, Trunks and Tenten. One day, we will walk a different path, Trunks might become a famous scientist like his family, Tenten will become a doctor, or anything they want, but I believe that our memories and hearts will always be together.'

"This note is… dated today, six years ago," Tenten muttered.

"That's the day when we talked about what we wanted to be if the androids were gone," Trunks said with a smile.

Tenten snorted at the note. "I never even tell him about that."

"You really want to be a doctor?" Trunks turned his head too fast to Tenten's liking. He had been with her all the time but didn't notice anything that linked her to the career.

"Is it so weird for me wanting to be a doctor? I can heal physical wounds but I want to be more than that," she said with a disapproving look. "Even Senzu bean can't heal illness, you know?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to doubt you," Trunks patted her head and kissed her cheek. "I support you, whatever you want to be, my lady. So, let's do our best in the journey back to the past so we can do whatever we want for the future."

Tenten nodded, slinging her arms, around him and lightly kissed him on his lips. "Thank you, Tiger."

Trunks put his arm around her while allowing her to rest on his chest. They browsed the journal again from the beginning, this time examining every little thing Goten wrote and drew in it. Trunks was laughing all the time, until he reached the part where Goten drew a familiar doll with spider spots all over it. He quickly flipped the page but Tenten managed to hold it in time, slowly turned her head until she fully faced him.

"About this, Tiger…"

"Y-yeah?" No matter how much he wanted to look away, he couldn't with the intensity of her gaze.

"I found this in your treasure chest." She put the very Dalmatian doll he screwed up with when he was a kid on his lap. "You owe me a lot of explanation since you said she was gone back then."

"W-well… That's…" He gulped.

Secretly, he cursed Goten for leaving him for the blame all alone.


"Thanks, mate! It feels like havin' my leg back!" Quince said while admiring his new leg.

"We wish we could return your real leg, but this is the best we could do for you," Bulma said.

Quince laughed at this. "This world would be a better place if such magic ever existed, Ma'am!" Trunks was laughing sheepishly at this, knowing that such magic did exist a long time ago.

"You need to stay here for some adjustment until you're used to your leg though," Trunks said as he checked the metal leg, moving it up and down to help Quince adjusted to it. Quince groaned at the pain, alerted Dr. Zync who helped them install the leg because it required surgery to redirect the nerves headed to the damaged muscle, hamstrings, and the nearby sensors that read what the nerves were communicating. Dr. Zync was also the one who saved Gohan when he lost his left arm.

"It seems the pain killer is worn out. Can you get the opioid for me, Tenten?" Dr. Zync said.

"Got it." The doctor shot the opioid into the IV drip. It didn't take long until Quince signed as the pain slowly dissipated. Turning his head in Tenten's direction, he faintly smiled at her.

"I haven't thanked you properly for saving my life back then, Tenten-san. Thank you so much."

"Please drop the honorific, Quince-san. It's my pleasure," Tenten said while politely hovered her chest with her palm.

"Drop mine and that'll make us even," Quince responded with a wink. "You're really are a nice lady. I can't believe you're already taken."

"Taken?! What do you mean by taken?!" Bulma suddenly screamed, almost hit Quince's knee by the wrench she was holding. Fortunately, Trunks was quick enough to hold her hand. "Taken by whom exactly?" she asked Trunks face-to-face.

"Uhh… d-did I just mention something I shouldn't?" Quince sheepishly glanced at both Trunks and Tenten.

"You haven't told your mother?" Tenten slightly furrowed her brows. For some, she might look like a girl questioning why he didn't tell his mother, but the way she replied sounded more like, "It's not my problem if she doesn't know."

"Um… it didn't cross my mind. I'm sorry, Kaa-san… W-w-we're already going… out uhm, since a year ago…" Trunks said, almost came out as a whisper. He turned away to hid his reddened face but Bulma grabbed his jaw and pulled him towards her.

"We're living under the same roof all this time and an outsider knew this before me?!" Bulma spat.

"I believe they didn't mean to hide it from you, Ma'am," Quince quickly said while slightly pulsing his hands towards Bulma, once a while throwing guilty glances at Trunks.

"Yeah. I didn't find the right time to tell since you're busy and—"

"Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are perfect times to tell! We even chatted during experiments! You have a lot of time to tell me!" Bulma threw her wrench and it flew past Quince's face, making him squeak, then moved her other hand to pulled Trunks by his shirt.

"I know, Kaa-san! I've said I'm sorry!"

"So, do you guys want to move into the same room or what? I can arrange that," Bulma suddenly asked in a coquettish tone, which reminded Trunks of the very reason he procrastinated to tell her. He could feel his ears getting hotter, embarrassed by the fact that all eyes in the room were on him.

"K-Kaa-san! What are you talking about?"

"It's time for tea time!" Tenten quickly said while clapping her hands once. "I've baked a lemon cake this morning for us. Let me make some tea!"

"Ah! What a great timing!" Dr. Zync said purposely to calm the situation. "Can I join too, Tenten? I love lemon cake. Also, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Of course, Doctor. Come with me!" Tenten cheerfully said. "I'll bring some to you, Quince."

"Actually, can you bring mine here too, Tenten? I want to talk with Quince," Trunks said.

"Sure."

Bulma sighed as she let go of Trunks's shirt hem. "I'll have a break too then. I'll check you up later, Quince. Have a rest!"

"Thank you so much for everything, Bulma-san." Quince slightly bowed at Bulma as the blue-haired scientist raised her hand in acknowledgment. He then shifted his position until he fully faced Trunks and said, "I'm so sorry, mate! I should control my mouth next time!" Trunks chuckled in response, pulling a chair next to Quince's bed and sat on it.

"Nah, don't worry about it."

"But I can see why you didn't tell her right away though." Quince put his hand over his face to cover his laugh.

"Anyway, I should thank you for bringing it up because… I will have to leave with Tenten for a long time in a few weeks." Quince slightly furrowed his brows. "It's classified information. I'm so sorry I can't tell you more than this."

"I assume it's a mission to find the androids' weaknesses?" Quince looked more serious than ever.

"Exactly. We don't know for how long it will take but… this might be the only way to destroy them… once for all." Trunks lowered his head. "I'm worried about my mother though. They don't have any pattern in attacking method so we don't know when and where they will come here, so…"

"Trunks, mate." Quince put his hand on Trunks' shoulder. "Whatever you'll do, I trust you. Don't worry about your mother's protection. I'm a lieutenant and I can set up a camp nearby. The second chance to live and a new leg—this is the small way to repay your kindness."

"Quince…"

"I wish you luck, mate. Go and bring the peace back to our world." Quince pointed his fist towards Trunks and he returned it with a smile.

"You really are a good friend."


The day when they finally gathered enough chronal energy finally came and they were ready to take a trip back to the past. Trunks was both excited and worried about the trip, and it was quite visible from his visage, especially when Bulma held him. Trunks held her tightly, as if he didn't want to let go, but Bulma released his hug and patted his shoulder.

"I'll be alright, son. Don't worry about me and take care… Please be careful with the androids," Bulma said as she caressed his cheek.

"You take care too, Kaa-san…"

Bulma then walked towards Tenten, hugging her with all her migh,t and said, "You will meet your family again, Tenten. Don't make that face," Bulma said as she slightly pinched her cheek. "Take care of yourself. I'll leave Trunks in your care."

"Okay, Bulma-san…" She nodded on Bulma's chest.

"And Tenten," Bulma released her embrace and looking right into her eyes, "don't just focus on returning the peace into this world. Find yours as well." Tenten opened her mouth slightly for a moment but she closed it and nodded to Bulma's request.

"Trunks, Tenten."They turned around and widened their eyes at the troops of soldiers behind Quince, who was being pushed in a wheelchair by Dr. Zync. "Have a safe trip," Quince said with a smile, saluting them, followed by the rest of the soldiers.

Both Trunks and Tenten replied with the same gesture before climbing into the time machine. Fastening their seatbelts, they were waving at Bulma as the time machine descended to the sky.

"By the way, Tenten…" Trunks pulled something out of his bag and put it on her lap. Tenten widened her eyes then glanced at Trunks.

"Goten's greatest adventure journal?"

"The trip to the past will be the adventure Goten will never go through so…" Trunks put his hand over hers, "Let's fill it in Goten's place from now on."Her lips were pulled into a wide smile. She turned her hand over and held Trunks as tight as she could.

"Let's do it," she said, filled with determination. Closing their eyes, the world around them turned brighter until it was impossible to see anything. Thus, they jumped into the past to continue their mission.

Quince and the rest of the soldiers were taken aback when the time machine disappeared from their sight, some whispered to their friends asking what was happening but Quince didn't say a thing. He had noticed the oddities around the teens but refrained from asking questions because he wanted them to tell him themselves.

"Please tell me everything once you're back," Quince muttered under his breath.


AN: Finally, we can go back to the arc! For those who feel like why there are a lot of chapters now, it's because I separated the parts so it'll be easier for you to read. Before, this book was ranged from 4k-6k per chapter, but since most readers are reading this from their phone, I decided to cut them down to fewer words. XD

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