Mirai no Senshi
by ICYSHADOWNINJA@AOL.COM
Mirai no Senshi
Chapter 17:
"gekitsuu no hitoki, gishin no hitoki..."


"I’m afraid... there’s very little I can do. She’s been hurt too badly. I’ve never seen anything like this before!"

Trunks looked up. "Nanda?"

The doctor looked at Trunks strangely. "Well, she’s healing, dispite more than half a dozen wounds that would kill a normal person outright. It looks to me, as if her body has shut down all of it’s unnecessisary functions so it can devote more energy to healing quickly..."

Trunks’s eyes narrowed. Saiya-jin do the same thing... ‘Kaasan explained that to me.

"... but I’m worried because her brain activity is dangerously low. I’m sorry, Trunks-san, but there’s nothing more I can do. She’ll either recover completely or die, right now, I’m not certain which will occur. About all we can do now is make sure she’s comfortable."

"Kuso..."

The doctor shook his head slowly, and walked out of the room.

Trunks payed the doctor’s leaving no attention at all. He was focused on other, more important things, and trying to dismiss the thought that he might have been forgetting about something.

***

Setsuna squared off against Piccolo. Far from evenly matched, Setsuna’s strength was more speed than anything else, while Piccolo’s strength was more rounded. Easily the stronger of the two, Piccolo wanted the fight over and done with as quickly as possable.

He’s fast, Piccolo thought, but he can’t hurt me. I can do this one of two ways: I can wear him down, let him exhaust himself trying to hurt me; or I can attack him all out at the beginning and knock him out of the fight as quickly as possable. Piccolo’s eyes narrowed. Tough choice.

Setsuna’s thoughts were elsewhere, he didn’t really care if he won the fight, he wanted to be back with Trunks and An’ya. Damnit! I should be there... but Trunks wants us all to continue this... I know it’s what An’ya would have wanted, but, how can I fight if I’m so worried I can’t even focus on my opponant?

***

"He’s finally fallen asleep?"

"Hai, Juuhachi-chan." Gyou nodded.

Juuhachi smiled. "Good... He hasn’t slept since..."

"Since they posponed the Budoukai to make sure An’ya was going to be okay two days ago." Gyou finished, crossing his arms. "I don’t blame him, either."

Juuhachi shook her head. "I don’t either, but he’s taking it harder than even I thought he would."

"He feels responsable for our safety."

Juuhachi blinked. "Nanda?"

Gyou shrugged. "He does. We’re his studends after all, Juuhachi Gou. You remember what he was like after An’ya was hurt the last time..."

Juuhachi nodded, and smiled sadly. "Hai, I do. It’s when I realized there wasn’t much of a place for me with him... or on earth for that matter."

Gyou looked up. "Nani? What do you mean?"

"There is no place for me in the world that I helped create, Gyou... I can’t go out in public, whenever somebody vusits the Capsule Corporation building, I either lie low or hang out in the Gravity Room to keep from being seen. I _am_ Jinzouningen Juuhachi Gou, Gyou. If anyone knew I hadn’t been killed..."

Gyou nodded. "Hai, I see what you mean."

"Even you haven’t quite gotten over your prejudice against me, Gyou."

He started to protest but Juuhachi raised a hand to silence him.

"You know that’s true, Gyou. You hate me for being what I am, even though I didn’t choose to be this way. Hakushi Gero erased my memories when he made me this way. I’m a heartless, coldblooded, murdering Jinzouningen! I don’t even have a name anymore, other than Juuhachi Gou. I am what I am, and I can’t change that, and neither can ignoring me and what I am change that fact for you either, Gyou." Juuhachi sighed. "I’m just sick of it all... sick of the hiding, sick of being hated... of being feared... I’ve reformed, but who would believe such a thing to be true? Not even you do, Gyou, and Trunks still believes that I’m going to betray him some day."

Gyou blinked and shook his head. "No he doesn’t!"

Juuhachi smiled sadly. "Hai, Gyou, yes he does. Deep down, it would be impossable for him to trust me completely. I couldn’t live with that, Gyou... there’s no way I could. No one can live without trust, it’s impossable." Juuhachi sighed. "It leaves me with three things to do, Gyou, none of which I’m ready to discuss just yet, so I’ll let the conversation end here."

Gyou walked away, doubting Juuhachi, Trunks, and himself at the same time. You don’t give some of us enough credit, Juu-chan... Whatever fear and hatrid I had of you was driven away a long time ago. Now, I just wish you could see what’s in your own heart rather than what lies in the hearts of others.

***

Blow for blow, Setsuna realized he was loosing. Kuso! I can’t concentrate at all today... He thought, annoyed with himself. This isn’t like me! Has An’ya’s injury affected me so much?

Piccolo’s next strike easily broke Setsuna’s defences, and knocked the small alien out of the ring. Standing, Setsuna actually found himself saddened by the loss. An’ya’s injury has effected me... I’m not sure I can go on with this. After all, what if it happens to me? If Trunks’s own father did that to her, and Trunks is stronger than his father, what might he be able to do to me? I never really gave that any thought, but... Iie! NO! I trust Trunks-sensei, I won’t think of him like he’s my enemy. Setsuna drove those thoughts from his mind and smiled up at Piccolo.

"Excelent match, Piccolo-sama."

Piccolo nodded. "I concur. You are a strong warrior, I’m impressed with the high level of skill you show. It’s obvious that Trunks has taught you and all of his students everything he knew when we last met. I’ll look forward to seeing how his skills have improved sense last we met, if I get the chance to fight him."

"I’ll convey your hopes to Trunks-sensei... but I’m sure he’d rather fight Bejiita-sama next."

Piccolo nodded. "Hai. It was... unfortunate... what happened to An’ya. Setsuna, tell I’ll have some Senzu Beans for him when he fights against Juunana."

Senzu Ingen? Nanda zu jigoku?

"I’ll... I’ll be sure to tell him."

Piccolo’s eyes narrowed. "Be sure you do, it’s very, _very_ important."

***

An’ya found herself drifting. Each of her senses told her nothing but pain save one, which was suprisingly familiar, but nothing she could pin down. She couldn’t concentrate, her thinking was sluggish. Hell, it had taken her about ten minutes just to get out the thought ‘Ouch’.

Still, something nagged at the back of her mind. Something she hadn’t thought about in nearly thirty years.

Her next single thought ‘Kuso’ was once again agonizingly slow. Part of her realized exactly what was going on, but that part was drowned out nearly completely by the constant pain.

***

Trunks frowned, looking down at An’ya. Damn him! Damn you father! This is _your_ fault! Trunks grimaced as he looked over An’ya’s injuries once again.

"Don’t you _dare_ die on me, An’ya."

His mind in as much termoil as An’ya’s, Trunks looked down at her unconsious form. Kami-sama... help me... help me help her, and help me figure out... exactly how I feal for her. Is Juuhachigou correct? Do I love her? Kami, I don’t know!

Trunks sighed, his gaze never leaving An’ya. "By Kami-sama’s floating palace, I wish I knew. I really do. Do I love you, An’ya, like I love the rest of my students? Or is it something more? Shimatta... I wish I knew..."

Juuhachi closed the door quietly. Trunks-kun... I’m sorry... I’ve brought so much termoil into your life. What if what I said wasn’t true, and you agonized over this for nothing? What if it turns out that you and An’ya are... incompatible? I’m sorry, Trunks.. there isn’t any more I can say than that.

"Juuhachi, you may be a heartless, coldblooded, murdering jinzouningen, but you need sleep too."

A strong hand gripped her shoulder gently. Juuhachi’s first urge was to reach up and shatter it, but she recognised the voice, and the grip. "Gyou... don’t sneak up on me like that again."

"Sumimasen, Juuhachi, but you need to sleep. You’re not invincible, if you stay up another hour you’re probably going to drop. I just figure I’d tell you that you need to rest before _I_ drop.

Juuhachi sighed. "I just don’t feal like sleeping right now, Gyou... I haven’t been sleeping well lately."

Gyou’s eyes softened. "Juu-chan, when was the last time you _have_ had a good night’s sleep?"

Juuhachi looked at her feet. "I..."

Gyou shook his head. "You can’t remember, can you."

"Iie..."

Gyou pulled the suprised Juuhachi Gou into a gentle hug. She resisted for a second, but, curious, didn’t pull away.

"Juu-chan... forget, just this once, what you were. You’ve got friends now, people who _do_ trust you, and who worry about you as well. Even if it’s just this once, forget what you think you are, and rest. Even if it is for just this once."

Gyou felt Juuhachi Gou’s body relax, her breathing become more regular. Soon enough, he was supporting her entire weight.

Juuhachi no baka-chan... you were more exhausted than even I thought you were. How long has it been sense you’ve slept without a nightmare, Juuhachi Gou? When was the last time you slept without worrying if someone was going to kill you during your sleep?

Gyou layed Juuhachi Gou down on the bunk she’d claimed when they’d arrived in ‘The Past’ three months ago. His gaze traveled along her body as he absentmindedly brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.

She looks so serene... so peaceful. Is this the true Juuhachi Gou? Is this the person she keeps hidden benieth all of her bravado? She’s vulnerable... was this how Dr. Gero found her?

Gyou didn’t quite know why, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave Juuhachi’s side. Eventually, he fell asleep in the chair beside her bed.

***

"So Son Gohan defeated Juuhachi Gou, Setsuna?"

Setsuna nodded. "Hai. I came back to tell Trunks that Juunana forfeited the match. You’re not going to believe who he’s fighting tomorrow."

Curiosity piqued, Karugo had to ask the obvious question. "Vejiita?"

"Son Gohan will be fighting Piccolo-sama."

"Which means Trunks will be fighting Vejiita."

"Hai, they’re fighting each other in the first match."

"I’ll go tell Trunks-sensei."

End of Chapter 17: "Time of Pain, Time of Fear..."

You have _NO_ idea how hard this chapter was to write. I’ll see you guys in Chapter 18: Gekitsuu no Musha, where the long-awaited Turunksu / Bejiita-ouji fight will take place.

I’ll see you in Chapter 18.

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