----
They had been charging across the open plains of the Rohorim for some hours, this time in the need to contain and conserve their energy, Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo kept along with the riders instead of barreling ahead. Of course, the fact that they knew not were Edoras was only added to their need to stay with the group.
It was somewhere into the second hour of running that all three stopped so abruptly that Aragorn had to haul back on his reigns to keep from trampling them and clung tightly to his horses mane to keep from being thrown forward off of his steed. Luckily, Legolas had seen it and quickly reeled his horse sideways, nearly getting his ribs crushed as Gimli squeezed him to keep from falling off.
"What do you think you're doing? I could have killed one of you!" Aragorn's chest heaved as his anger slowly faded with the adrenaline. He opened his mouth to speak again and demand an answer when he saw how fiercely they were scowling off into the distance—looking off toward Mount Doom.
Goku was the first to speak and he spoke only to his two friends. "Do you feel that?" Vegeta nodded as did Piccolo.
"What is going on?" Legolas rode up beside Aragorn and watched the trio queerly.
"I do not know." Aragorn frowned, only sparing a glance away from them as Gandalf rode up.
Vegeta shivered, "It's impossible. He's dead." The riders looked among each other, totally lost to the conversation and growing steadily uneasy. Goku nodded, still not looking away from the southeast.
"I know Vegeta. And as impossible as it seems, I don't think it could be anyone else." Goku frowned deeply.
"Will someone tell me what is happening?" Aragorn growled out. The three turned, still looking now and then over their shoulders into the distance.
Goku looked up at the rider and Aragorn could see a change in him that both enthralled him and frightened him. "If what we feel is right, there's a horror here that is going to be far worse than anything you have ever seen…and that includes that Sauron guy."
Aragorn snorted, but saw how very serious the saiyajin was. "What is it?"
Piccolo drew a quick intake of breath, drawing their attention. A large bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face and his eyes had grown wide. "Kami, he's stronger than before." He turned his frightened eyes to the tallest saiyajin. "Goku, we can't beat him like this."
Goku nodded his head and bit his lip in thought. Silence stretched between them all, the people of Middle Earth too shaken to question as the strangers reflected. Legolas watched Piccolo intently and knew that something was serious. Not only for the fact that the three fastest and strongest beings he had ever met were worried, but that they were terrified.
Finally, after a little courage building, Gimli cleared his throat. "Who is that is so strong?"
Vegeta turned his hard eyes to the dwarf. "Freeza." The word fell from his mouth like a brick. Legolas sat a little straighter and Gimli looked up at him as the Elf gazed at the trio in awed shock.
Aragorn had noticed and questioned his friend with his gaze. Legolas looked down at Piccolo and the Namek nodded his head lightly. Turning back Legolas neared his horse to the two men. "From what I have been told, the creature destroyed the home worlds of both Vegeta and Piccolo." Gimli furrowed his bushy eyebrows.
"How can he destroy an entire world?" Gimli's gruff voice was low.
Legolas shrugged his shoulders and gazed seriously between them. "Very easily apparently."
Vegeta whirled quite suddenly and his mouth gaped. "What the fuck is going on?"
Goku and Piccolo stared at him for a moment before they too turned. Goku scratched the back of his head. "Is that Mirai Trunks?"
Piccolo nodded his head. A sudden grin split his face and a harsh bark of laughter came with it. "Do you feel that? The kids' stronger than ever, and his ki isn't being suffocated." Goku grinned and nodded his head, clapping Vegeta on the back.
The riders again looked at them confused. Piccolo smiled at them, "Some cavalry came along."
Gandalf shook his shaggy head and cleared his throat. "Enough of this for now. Time is still waning and there is still a need for us at Edoras." Goku gazed into the distance a moment longer before he nodded and the group moved off again at a faster pace.
Piccolo ran along side Legolas and Gimli, deep in thought. Legolas, not able to contain the question any longer called over the whistling wind. "Who is Mirai Trunks?"
Piccolo looked up at him, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes that Legolas could not name. A small knot curled in the elf's stomach but he pushed it aside. "He is Vegeta's son."
Legolas frowned. "Then he is only a boy?"
Piccolo shook his head. "He isn't a boy. And he may be our only chance."
----
Mirai Trunks stood in a large open room and gazed out one of the tall windows into the gardens. In only a moment he saw his mother emerge from a neat shed at its side and a wide grin split his face. Even covered in dirt and grease she was still beautiful.
Ki piqued somewhere in the distance and the smile slid off of his face. This was not a social visit to his mother that was for certain. The Bulma of his time had died not two months ago and the pain from her passing was still etched into him. As selfish as it had seemed to him at the time, he decided he would return to the Earth of this much younger Bulma's time and stay for a while.
It had only taken him a moment to land his pod and leap from it, passing by his younger self in eager anticipation. But before he had a chance to even make it into Capsule Corps, the earth rocked hard under his feet and he stared around him in shock. Not five minutes later Bunny came running from the house looking for her grandson and paused as she saw two of them.
Mirai grinned as he saw her and she quickly hugged him before exploding with information.
"Your mother is gone!" She exclaimed, her shrill voice cutting into his ears. "With Vegeta, Goku and Piccolo!"
Mouths gaping, both Trunks' turned to each other and quickly began to ask questions of the panicked woman. Slowly, the information they needed was given and Mirai hurried to his time machine, already flipping switches to get the machine to follow the ion trail left behind to find them when familiar ki's flared to life on the earth's surface and his spine ran cold.
Freeza, Zarbon and Dodoria took no time in arriving at Capsule Corps, smiles of malice on their faces and smoking craters of destruction at their backs.
"Where is your monkey prince?" Freeza's effeminate voice called.
Mirai felt a snarl of anger on his face. "My father is not here."
An evil chuckle rolled across the green lawn and Mirai could feel his younger self tremble in rage. Bunny was clutching her grandson's shirt and cowered behind him.
"That's right!" She peeped. "They've gone off in a time machine, they could be anywhere!"
Trunks turned and gaped openly at his Grandmother, she already had her hands clasped over her mouth, a look of dread in her eyes.
Freeza scowled, "To think I had to claw my way out of Hell to kill that damned saiyajin and he hasn't the courtesy to be home." With a grunt he nodded at Dodoria, the squat alien grinned and began to charge at them.
"Trunks, get her away from here!" Mirai called, but the boy was already running with Bunny tucked under his arm.
Dodoria grinned, using Mirai's temporary lack of attention and gripped a handful of long lilac hair, using it as an anchor to haul Mirai's face into his barreling fist. Zarbon zipped by in a flash of color and grinned down at the monitors of the time machine.
"My Lord! We can follow them by using this."
Mirai growled, elbowing Dodoria in his large stomach, and began to gather energy for an attack. Before he could throw it, Mirai was tackled from behind and was tumbled to the ground, the attack forgotten.
Freeza was already inside the bubble flipping switches when Mirai was getting to his feet. "Dodoria! I am going after the monkeys for a little fun. When I return, this planet better be dead."
Dodoria saluted and grinned, "Yes, Lord!"
Mirai, held out his hand and screamed, but the time machine flickered out of sight just before his blast could hit. Growling in frustration, he turned his anger on Dodoria who was quickly gathering energy. With a howl of rage, Mirai jumped to an ascended super saiyajin and grabbed his fleshy throat.
Dodoria gurgled in surprise and swung his fists and feet at the young saiyajin, but Mirai would have none of it and clenched his fist for all of its worth. The gurgling ceased and Dodoria's eyes bugged. With a flick of Mirai's wrist, Dodoria was airborn. A growl of disgust and a flash of ki and the alien's ashes fluttered to the earth.
Dropping back to normal, Mirai quickly reached into his pocket and clicked a capsule that he held in his palm. Throwing it onto the grass, a new time machine sat gleaming in the sunlight. Trunks and Goten soon ran from the Capsule Corps building, ready for a fight and gazed at the emptiness in shock.
Mirai looked at his teenage self, "Trunks, gather the dragonballs and wish everyone back that's been killed or hurt. I'm going after Freeza, and hopefully find Goku before he does."
As he stepped inside, Trunks called out to him. "Wait! Mirai there was something wrong with mom's machine, it took all kinds of stuff with them."
Mirai frowned, if things outside of the time machine went, there was a problem with the shielding, and that could mean bad news. Fumbling with a button inside of the machine, a small pocket opened and Mirai pulled a vial from inside. He read the label carefully and grinned.
"It's okay Chibi, I think I've got something that will help." He smiled gratefully at his twin flipped a switch to pick up the trail, the ions were fading fast and he had no time to debate any further. With a small wave, he pressed his thumb to the ignition button and found himself moments later surrounded by trees and bunch of shocked elves that were currently looking into the empty stolen pod.
As he stepped from machine, two identical elves walked toward him, eyeing him curiously. "You've come just like the others…"
Mirai blinked in surprise. "What others?"
The twins looked at each other and then back, "The Lady Bulma and her friends."
Trunks rushed at them, barely noticing the slew of arrows that were now aimed at his head. He clasped the nearest by the shoulders and stared openly down at his lovely face. "Where is she? I need to speak to them!"
The twin in his grasp only stared oddly at him, the other touched Trunks' hand with his own cool one. "The Lady is at Rivendell, the others have gone."
Releasing the elf, Mirai ran a hand through his hair and ground the heel of his hand into one eye in concentration.
"Elladan, we must take him back. It is apparent it is very important." The twin Trunks had not handled spoke.
Elladan nodded. "Come, we will make introductions and you will tell your story on the way." Trunks nodded and began to walk to his pod. "Do not worry, we will send others to get your 'machine'."
Trunks smiled at them, not noticing the look exchanged between the two and shook his head. "That's okay, I've got it." Pushing on a small panel, Trunks flipped it open and pressed the button hidden inside and the machine re-encapsulated itself with a small click.
He turned back to them and saw the dozen or so elves all watching him carefully in awe. He looked down at the capsule in his hand and grinned before turning and encapsuling his stolen machine as well.
As they began walking, Elrohir gazed at him. "Are you a sorcerer?" Taken a little aback at the question, Trunks laughed and shook his head.
"No. It's just the way the machine works."
Elrohir nodded his head and looked quickly away to his brother. Soon, the conversation turned to darker matters, and Trunks told them what they needed to know without getting too detailed. What bothered him the most was that the two seemed to understand all too perfectly.
Now, as he stood waiting, the door behind him opened and Mirai turned as the twins entered, a slightly taller elf in tow. He nodded politely to them and smiled, the twins nodding back and stepping from their father's way.
"I am Lord Elrond." The other spoke calmly. Trunks nodded once and glanced out the window, but his mother was already gone from sight.
"Please, sit." Lord Elrond motioned to a chair before sitting elegantly across from him. Elrohir and Elladan sat beside each other on a love seat, gaze steady on the stranger that sat before them.
Before anything further could be said, Bulma was ushered into the room but was talking to someone behind her. "What's going on? What is so important?" Bulma huffed and turned as the door was shut behind her before she shrieked and pointed.
"Trunks?" Bulma stepped forward, not noticing the watchful eyes of the Elvin lord and his sons.
Mirai stood with a small smile and Bulma barreled into him, squeezing him in a tight hug before stepping away, fingers pushing his long hair from his face. Trunks blushed brightly as she began to flutter around him, touching his hair and tugging on his clothes. Elrohir and Elladan looked at each other and grinned.
"Mother." Trunks voice was quiet, his embarrassment apparent.
Bulma paused, smiling lightly. "I'm sorry. It's just been so long!" She beamed at him. "You look fantastic. I always did like you with long hair, you're very handsome." Her smile widened as his blush grew darker. "It's a pity I can't talk my son into growing his out. He demands that same blasted cut every time."
Trunks nodded, "I know, I went home before I followed you here." His face grew serious.
"Trunks, what is it?" Bulma sat down beside him, pushing another lock of lilac hair from his face.
"Why I'm here, it's Freeza, somehow he's gotten out of Hell." When Trunks looked up at her, the twins nearly gasped at the stern and vicious features.
Bulma, however, did gasp. "Oh my Kami! Is he destroying the Earth? We need to find Goku and Vegeta!"
"No, Mother." Bulma furrowed her brows. "He's here."
Bulma's mouth fell open, at a complete loss for words. Mirai turned from her, gazing at the twins a moment before turning to Lord Elrond. "I don't know how much of our past you know, but the beings that came here before I did are very evil, and very strong."
Elrond pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.
"I'm sorry to bring you such news, but you have to understand that I need to find Goku and my father." Trunks looked between the elves.
Elrond nodded his head slowly, "Of course. There is only one problem. They could be anywhere by now, it could take some time to trace them."
Trunks stood and stalked to a window, peering out into the trees. A quiet sob broke his train of thought and he turned to see his mother in tears. He quickly ran to her, falling onto his knees and holding onto her hands. "It's alright, I can find them. I can feel them, but only barely."
Bulma shook her head. "That's not it. Trunks, your father…and Goku and Piccolo…they don't have any powers here! How are they going to stop that monster from destroying this planet?"
Trunks shrugged out of his jacket, pulling out the vial from his coat pocket and setting it on the floor. "I sort of figured that out." He grinned at her surprise. "Your Trunks is pretty bright. He told me that you guys all jumped with a bunch of stuff."
Bulma nodded her head. "Goku was the only one in the machine, the rest of us were just standing around it."
Mirai nodded. "Your shield is calibrated wrong." Bulma gaped at him. "What? I'm the son of a genius, something had to rub off."
She giggled, wiping a tear from her cheek. "So how are we going to fix your father?"
Trunks held up the vial. "With this. Here." He screwed the small glass cylinder down into a small pump. "Breath out as much as you can." Bulma looked oddly at him, but did as he asked. Just as she was going to breathe in, he sprayed a mist directly into her face and she gasped, choking.
"Trunks what are you doing?!" She shrieked. Mirai grinned at her.
"Feel any different?"
Bulma paused, "No…"
Mirai shrugged. "Well, just in case. I'm pretty sure this stuff is going to work, it's a ki enhancer, and in this case I think it's going to help Dad and Goku break out of whatever it is that's blocking them."
Bulma took the gadget from her sons hand and looked it over. She frowned at him. "This stuff is mostly senzu bean…in liquid form."
Trunks nodded. "It was the last thing my mom invented." He looked away, not able to meet Bulma's gaze.
"You mean…" Bulma trailed off and looked down at her future sons head. "Oh, honey!" She cradled his head in her lap and pet his hair.
Elrond cleared his throat, and gazed at them in slight confusion. Bulma met his eyes and smiled a little. "It's complicated."
Elrond nodded. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that. It is not important." Elrond looked over at his sons, they were holding each others hands and looking sadly down at the young man sobbing into his mothers skirt.
With a final hiccup, Trunks wiped at his eyes and glanced at the others embarrassed. He looked out the window again and stood pacing to it. He leaned on the window sill, feeling the breeze on his tear wet cheeks and breathed deeply. The sun was setting, and as much as he needed to find his father and Goku, it would be hard to find them in the dark, let alone with such a weak signal and moving.
He turned and sat on the sill, Bulma had picked his jacket from the floor and folded it neatly over her lap and was watching him quietly, much like the others. He pushed the hair from his face and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well, I think the best time for me to go is in the morning and work with the sunlight." He sighed. Elrond nodded and stood.
"A chamber will be made ready for you." Elrond looked over at his sons, whose attention were riveted to the man leaning against the wall in the tight black muscle shirt and he shook his head. "Is there anything you need before then?"
Trunks looked at his feet a moment before nodding. "I wouldn't mind a quiet place to do my kata. I'm kind of wound up with all that's going on." He laughed lightly. "If I don't, I don't think I'll get any sleep."
Elrond nodded sagely. "You may use the archery fields as your friends did before they left. As long as you promise not to destroy any more trees." Trunks' jaw dropped open and Elrond smiled lightly at him.
Elrohir and Elladan stood. "We'll show him, Ada."
Elrond nodded and stopped them at the door. He narrowed his eyes at them, making sure that Trunks was busy talking with Bulma. "Do not cause any trouble for our guest. I do not even want to know what your minds are whirling with." The twins gave him identical grins and he sighed.
Trunks gave his jacket to his mother, showing her the capsules in the pockets and various items she may need to aid her with her machine. He kissed her cheek and slung his sword across his back before following the twins out into the hall.
Elrond walked beside Bulma as they trailed their children. As they began to turn down a separate hall he called out to them. "Na quel." The twins nodded and the three soon disappeared.
Bulma turned to him with a questioning look. Elrond touched a slender finger to his chin. "They are up to something."
"They aren't going to do something awful are they?" Bulma walked beside him, gauging his face for a reaction.
Surprisingly Elrond laughed. "That would depend on your son's reaction." Bulma opened her mouth to question further, but Elrond held up a hand. "I would not worry. Now if it would please you, I would like to know more about just what we are facing."
Bulma nodded her head and followed Lord Elrond back to his study, wondering just where she should begin.
----
Trunks stood out in the open fields, smiling lightly at the scenery. If he weren't here for such a reason, he would have enjoyed lounging through the trees all day. As it was, there were very few places left in his time that even held the healthy shade of green. A sweet wind blew by him and he breathed deeply from it and grinned, showing sharp, even teeth. Elladan and Elrohir stood off to the side, not willing to leave unless the man asked them to. He turned to them, and they held their breath waiting for the disappointment. Instead, Trunks took the sword from his shoulders and held it out to them. Gingerly, Elrohir took it from his grasp and nearly fell over at the sudden weight.
Trunks laughed lightly, "Sorry, I keep forgetting it's that heavy." Stretching, Trunks was oblivious to the appreciative looks he received from the two elves as he pulled and posed, trying to relax his muscles.
Leisurely, Mirai began his kata, deliberate movements that were performed achingly slow and looked nearly impossible. While bent over backward, nearly double and rising his legs so that he stood on his palms, Trunks looked up at the faces of the twins and smiled lightly. "You can join me if you'd like?"
The twins looked at each other and then back to him before laughing. "I do not think my spine is capable of such movement." Elladan grinned.
Elrohir nodded his agreement, "Not everyone is built like a cat."
Trunks blushed and continued, feeling two sets of eyes watch him. Slowly the kata began to increase in speed and endurance and before long Trunks was in the middle of the field, covered in sweat and panting. Elrohir and Elladan had seated themselves in the grass, both looking a little flushed.
Trunks stretched his spine and paused, feeling much better than he had earlier. He turned to them and a light smell of arousal was brought to him from a breeze. His face already flushed with color hid the blush that quickly filled his face. "Would you like to see something?"
Elladan and Elrohir blinked, looked at each other and then nodded eagerly. Mirai grinned and slowly began to build the ki around him, gathering it deliberately slowly and yelling as he normally would. The twins' eyes widened as they watched, neither could break away.
Finally with small flickers of light, Trunks ceased his vocals and pulled the remaining energy to him, and stood before them glowing in soft golden light. The twins stood, walking carefully toward him. Within ten feet they could feel the power radiating off of him and they stopped, afraid of what that power would do to them if they continued.
Mirai frowned a little. "I won't hurt you." Elrohir looked into the turquoise eyes and nearly melted into a puddle. Trunks saw the color drain from his face and mistook his look, thinking the elf was going to faint. Stepping forward he grabbed hold of the elf and looked him over carefully. He smiled lightly, Elrohir didn't look like he was going to faint at all, in fact his eyes were bright and clear and he seemed far more alert than moments before.
He spared a glance to Elladan, and saw that the other looked offended. Trunks released his brother and looked between them, thoroughly confused. He powered down quickly, thick lilac hair tumbling into his face.
Both elves looked at him again in awe, and Mirai sighed deeply. He stepped around them and walked quietly to the edge of the field and bent to retrieve his sword. As it was slung across his back, Elladan called out to him.
"Trunks, forgive us for being so brazen." Elladan came to a stop, standing close enough so that the heat from his body could be felt on Trunks' sweat chilled skin. Mirai looked at the elf and studied his face carefully. They were both very beautiful, fine boned features and heather gray eyes. The side of Trunks' mouth quirked up, he had never seen anyone with eyes that color before.
Elrohir stood beside his brother, watching carefully the scrutiny his brother was receiving only to catch his breath as bright azure eyes turned to study him in turn. Those eyes burned trails across his face and he dared glance to his brother and found Elladan looking at them so powerfully he thought he would push them over with its intensity. Eyes returning to the man before him, Elrohir swallowed quietly as Mirai smiled softly and dipped his head in a quick chaste kiss.
Before Elrohir even had time to comprehend what had happened, Trunks swiftly turned his head and caught his brothers lips just as shamelessly. Stepping back, Mirai looked between them in the growing dark. "I would say you were forgiven." He turned on his heel and walked into the entry and disappeared within.
Elladan faced his brother, eyes wide in wonderment. Elrohir mirrored his brother for a moment before he grinned widely. He took hold of his brother's arm and together they walked soundlessly into the castle.
---
Na quel = Be good.
