Chapter 6
I was sitting by Longshore Lake, a small collection of water nestled in the middle of the woods in the mountains. When I had first found it a few years ago, just after one of my largest fights with Vegeta, the endlessly tranquil water had worked to calm me. But this evening, the pain refused to let go of my heart. My tears had long since ran dry as I curled up on the bank. Things were crumbling down around me and for once, I had no idea what to do.
I heard the crunch of someone landing behind me. It was Mirai Trunks; don't ask me how I knew that. I could actually feel his hesitation, an itch in my brain that wouldn't go away.
"S-sorry, Ally," he said hastily. "I didn't think anyone would be here. I'll leave."
"It's okay," I told him, standing and turning around. His eyes widened slightly, probably because my face was still red from crying.
Trunks shifted uncomfortably, then gestured. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"
"Okay." We reentered the woods, strolling side by side but not saying anything. Sunlight beams broke through the thick tree boughs above and dotted the soft grass. The song of different birds filled the sweet air and we paused as two squirrels crossed our path, chasing each other.
"We never stop and appreciate the beauty around us," Trunks said softly as if to himself.
I nodded, stuffing my hands in the front pockets of my jeans. "When I was little, I always used to walk barefoot and feel the grass between my toes. My m-mother would get mad at me for getting my feet dirty." I laughed softly at the memory and said musingly, "I'd love to walk barefoot again, though."
"Why not now?"
I jerked my head up and met his steady gaze. "If . . . you will with me."
In answer, he bent and unlaced his boots, tugging off his socks along with them. I watched him, then did the same. We straightened, grinning at each other like two little kids.
"Feels good," he admitted sheepishly. "There's not much grass where I come from."
"Where do you come from?" I asked quietly. The smile instantly vanished from his face. I regretted trying to force him into slipping up and telling me something. "You don't have to say anything," I added and felt guilty. Why must I be so cruel to this boy? Why did it have to be this way?
He bit his thumb, troubled. "No, I want to tell you but-- but not now."
"Whenever you're ready," I assured him, laying a comforting hand on his upper arm. Over the CC logo that reminded me again and again who this boy was.
"Thank you," he breathed. Then his face brightened. "I know of this place near here. It's beautiful there! Would you like to go? I- I could show you."
I scooped up my shoes. "I'd love to. Is it within walking distance?"
"Uh-uh." He ran a hand through lavender bangs. "I could carry you. If you're comfortable flying, that is," he added hastily.
"O-okay," I found myself replying. He stretched out a hand toward me and I stared at those tanned fingers, wondering what the heck I thought I was doing. He's being nice, I told myself, and placed my own small hand in his. He smiled and lifted off, pulling me into the air with him. The ground, the woods, gradually got farther and farther away and I realized we were heading toward the ocean. A tentative arm slid around my waist and I looked over at Trunks who, meeting no resistance, wrapped both arms around me.
I should have said something; I know I should have. But I didn't. He was only being considerate. Dangling hundreds of feet above the ground by his hand wasn't exactly comfortable to begin with.
We reached the ocean, still as the cloudless sky in the fading light. Trunks set me down gently by the water and I couldn't help but giggle a little.
"What's so funny?" he inquired, an amused look on his face.
I grinned. "The sand tickles."
He glanced down and wiggled his toes in the white sand and laughed. "Yeah, it does."
"You should laugh more often," I told him. "Your eyes light up when you do." I cursed myself when his smile faded like it had before. Why couldn't I leave well enough alone? "S-sorry." I crossed my arms protectively and climbed upon one of the huge boulders that led out into the salty spray. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Trunks follow me.
"I didn't mean to upset you," he stated.
"I'm not upset," I argued, watching the waves splash against the boulders.
"You were crying earlier," he reminded me softly.
Oh, Trunks, you have no idea. "You know," I said with a forced smile. "I just realized I don't even know your name." Liar, liar, my mind burned.
He frowned at my change of subject. "I would tell you if I could, but I can't. Please understand."
"I do," I sighed.
Sliding his hands in his jacket pockets, Trunks leaned over carefully and peered into the dark depths of the ocean. Unable to resist his vulnerable position, I gave him a little shove. He cried out and grabbed my arm, sending us both tumbling into the sea. We surfaced as quickly as we could. Man, the water was cold! Trunks glared at me and I just stuck my tongue out at him.
"That's what you get for being so secretive," I pouted. Seeing a strange look in his eyes, I tried to swim away. "Uh-uh, don't even think- ACK!" Trunks shoved my head underneath the freezing water and I came up again, sputtering, "Why you little-"
We took turns trying to dunk each other, laugh and splashing. Grinning mischievously, Trunks dived beneath the water, disappearing from view. I searched for him, only to have my arms trapped at my sides as he grabbed me from behind and took us both under. I fought and kicked to reach the surface but Trunks held tightly, bringing us both up again long before my air ran out.
"Do you trust me?" His voice vibrated near my ear.
My heart thumped wildly in my head. I gulped and nodded.
"Hold your breath," he whispered. I sucked in a deep gasp of air just as he immersed us again, taking me down, down, further down into the cold darkness. My lungs began to burn and I panicked, gesturing wildly to Trunks. I felt dizzy, my vision blurred by the stinging water.
Suddenly I felt two firm hands touch either side of my face and cool lips were pressed against mine. I tried to push away but couldn't, as one of those hands held me still. A warm tongue forced its way in between my lips, parting them, and I uselessly fought again. Then Trunks exhaled slowly into my mouth, giving me oxygen, making my lungs fill, and the burning eased. He had only been helping me breathe . . . not . . .
Trunks released me and pointed to the small opening of a cave directly below us. The entrance was just large enough for us to pass through and I frantically swam upwards once inside, breaking through to gulp fresh, cool air. Trunks laid a hand worriedly on my back.
"Are you going to be all right?"
I nodded, breathing easier now, and quickly swam over to the edge of the cave floor. Kicking, I pushed myself up to sit on the floor. I swung my legs up and a bit shakily placed my feet on the cold stone, standing. Behind me, I heard light splashes as Trunks did the same and then looked up at the cave. I gasped at the beatific scene before me, the faint pinkish and blue and green crystals, the calm, tingling glow that radiated from the water.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" I asked, taking a few more steps deeper into the weird light. "It's absolutely beautiful!"
"I knew you'd like it."
"How did you know it was here?"
He came up beside me. "I come here a lot when I don't want to be found. You asked me why I didn't laugh more often . . . it's because there aren't many reasons to laugh where I live."
"Where do you live?" I asked in a quiet whisper.
Trunks put his hands on my shoulders, turning me to face him. "Promise me you won't tell anyone."
"I promise." Of course I did. Whatever Trunks told me, I already knew and had been keeping secret thus far.
He studied my expression for a moment and took a great breath. "My name is Trunks. This will seem hard to believe, but, I come from the future."
"The future?" I echoed.
"Yes. Twenty years in the future. I can't tell you why I've come, only that I won't be able to stay much longer. The future, it's horrible! We live in fear every second of our lives! I feel so lost sometimes that I don't know what to do." His head lowered, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I needed someone to understand."
"T-Trunks," I choked, testing the word aloud on my lips. "I do understand. I do. I know what it's like to have everything snatched away. To feel out of place and lost, so lost."
Trunks lifted his hands and cupped my face gently. He leaned forward until our foreheads touched and I felt like I was drowning in yet another sea of endless blue.
"Ally, will you remember me?"
I blinked, trying to move back but he held my steady. "W-why are you asking such a thing, Trunks?"
"Please, I need to know . . . will you remember me?"
I tried out a grin, the action feeling so false. "Of course I will, silly. Forever and always." He shuddered and a warm wetness fell lightly on my cheeks. "T-Trunks?"
"Ally . . ." he whispered and tilted my face upwards, thumbs running along my cheekbones. His forehead again connected softly with mine and a million warnings flashed through my mind. I felt trapped, frozen, screaming, begging for something to happen that would break this binding spell that had somehow been cast over me. I shut my eyes and suddenly a small whimper welled up from inside me and escaped. Trunks pulled away, blue eyes glowing with emotions I didn't need to see.
"No . . . please . . . Trunks, stop . . ."
He fixed me with a confused look, hurt filling his eyes. "Ally-"
"I- I can't," I faltered. "Oh Kami!" I turned away, hiding my face. This was wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! I fell to my knees, head spinning, my cheeks burning. "Trunks, I can't."
"I understand." Before I could say anything else, he scooped me into his arms and we reached the surface in seconds. During the flight back to Bulma's, neither of us spoke. I didn't want to talk about what had almost happened. What could have happened. I wanted to forget all about it.
Our clothes and hair had dried enough by the time we got back, though I was sure I looked horrible. The sight of Gokou, Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo sparing near Capsule Corporation greeted us and I inwardly groaned as Vegeta leveled his best glare on Trunks.
You, the glare said. Have something that belongs to me.
Trunks was oblivious to it all. He didn't know about Vegeta and I. But he seemed to sense something because he set me down and stepped aside.
"You missed dinner," Vegeta said heatedly. He took a step closer, halted, and his dark eyes narrowed. The others didn't realize what Vegeta had just done but I did. He had done it often: taking a step closer and sniffing the air. He smelled Trunks on me.
"It's my fault," Trunks spoke up. "We were talking and I lost track of the time." He was being polite and returned Vegeta's penetrating gaze evenly.
"Come on, Vegeta," Gokou said pleasantly. "She can have some leftovers."
"Shut up, Kakarrot," Vegeta snapped. "This isn't about food. Ally, you said you were going to train with us."
"Train?" Trunks echoed, glancing at me.
Vegeta moved forward. "We are leaving," he said and grabbed my arm.
Gaze turning hard, Trunks put himself between me and Vegeta. "Let go of her," he said in a low voice.
Vegeta threw him a look of pure murder. "You've overstepped your boundaries, boy," he growled with a mountain of anger. He knew. He could tell. Kami, please . . .
"And you've overstepped yours," Trunks countered.
"I'm warning you, boy," Vegeta said venomously, tightening his hold on me. Unprepared for the possessive action, I cried out.
That did it.
Trunks shoved Vegeta away from me, anger lighting up his blue eyes. "You have no integrity!"
"How dare you!" Vegeta hissed. "Ally is mine, boy, step aside."
Trunks responded by planting himself firmly in front of me. "She's not a possession, a thing. She's real and alive. You can't just yell at her."
"Trunks," I pleaded. "Please. It's okay, really."
"No, it's not," he said, shaking his head. "You don't deserve to be yelled at." He turned back to Vegeta. "I'm not moving."
I saw too late.
Vegeta's eyes flushed emerald. He swung his fist back and socked Trunks solidly. Trunks stumbled to the side and then the older Saiyajin was on him, flaring fully to Super Saiyajin. I've seen Vegeta mad. I've seen Vegeta torn by anger. But I had never seen Vegeta in a rage, a rage which caused him to pound mercilessly into Trunks, who was forced to turn Super Saiyajin himself.
The transformation took us all by surprise, even me who knew Trunks could go Super Saiyajin already. The others stared in shock at Trunks' stiff, golden hair and blazing green eyes.
"You will not hurt Ally," Trunks said in a dangerous voice.
"Stop, please," I begged again. I ran up to Vegeta and grabbed his arm, hissing when my hand got burned just before he brought his shield crashing down. "Stop it, Vegeta!" I screamed at him above the roar of two thundering auras. "Just stop it, damn you! You-- YOU CAN'T HURT YOUR OWN SON!"
All the shouting, everything, died away and everyone's eyes switched back and forth between me and Vegeta and Trunks. Trunks had a twist of horror upon his face. Vegeta looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or take me seriously. Just then I realized what I'd said and paled.
"How- how did you know that?" stammered Trunks. "How can you possibly know that?"
"Kami, it's true?!" barked Vegeta. "How did you ever manage to have another brat without me knowing?" He jutted a thumb at Trunks. "This one looks like that Bulma woman."
My breath hitched in my chest and refused to function. "That's . . . that's because Bulma is his mother . . ." A gasp ran up through the small crowd. Shaking, I hid my face in my hands. It was out then. All the truth was out.
"What the . . . what the hell . . ?" I heard Vegeta murmur.
"You lied to me?" Trunks demanded, voice rising shrilly. "Ally, the two kids are yours, aren't they?" When I didn't answer, he repeated, "AREN'T THEY?!"
"Yes," I answered softly. "They're mine and Vegeta's. We've been married for over six years now."
"Six?! But how? You're only--"
"Older than I look," I finished for him, staring at the ground. "I wished on the Dragonballs to age as slow as a Saiyajin. It's complicated."
"You lied to me," Trunks bit out again.
"Yes." No way I could deny it anymore. I felt sick. I felt like throwing up. I needed to throw up.
Gokou took a hesitant step forward. "Um, can someone explain what's going on?"
I sighed wearily. "Come over to my house and I will explain. Contact all the others, please. They'll need to hear this too." Not looking up, I called for Nimbus and took off home.
***
Finally! The truth is out! I've waited for this day for... oh, a few years. Haha ^_^ Thanks for being so patient... *looks around and gets boos and dodges cans* Ok, so NO ONE'S patient! I'm hurrying, I promise!