Mirai no Senshi
by ICYSHADOWNINJA@AOL.COM
Mirai no Senshi
Chapter 20:
"Ryuu-sei tabiji"

Setsuna sat on a chair, his feet dangling almost a meter off the floor.

Dear Journal... you’re NEVER going to believe what happened...

Setsuna paused a moment to collect his thoughts.

Life here has been a living hell with Juuhachi-gou in charge... Trunks put her in charge, if you remember correctly, when he and An’ya left for her home planet, but Juuhachi’s been, well... I wish Trunks were still training us.

I’ll say one thing for her, though, Juuhachi-gou is one hell of a fighter. What she lacks in power, she more than makes up for in skill, though Gyou might be an even match for her in their sparring matches, if you catch my hidden meaning. Anyways, it’s time for a training session, so I’ve got to wrap this up. Trunks, if you’re out there, I wish you godspeed, because the sooner you get back the better!

***

"Have you ever seen that many stars, Trunks-kun?"

Trunks smiled at An’ya. "Hai, once... I saw all the stars in the universe for a brief moment." Trunks looked down at his lunch, lost in memories of the past. "A long time ago."

An’ya looked back out the window. "So many stars, but only two I can call home."

"You’ve told me a lot about your people already, An’ya, but what’s the name of your star?"

An’ya smiled. "Both of them are called ‘nichirin’."

Trunks chuckled. "It seems there’s not that many differences between our two races, An’ya. Your world called Chikyuu-sei too?"

"Iie, no. I’m a Ryuu-jin, I come from Ryuu-sei."

"Sumimasen, I forgot about that."

"Well, considering I never told you until now... it’s understandable."

Trunks grinned. "We’re two days away, as yet, An’ya-chan. You should probably get a little rest before we get there."

An’ya’s eyes narrowed mischeviously. "I’m too excited to sleep."

"But you’re too tired to stay awake." Trunks pointed out. An’ya yawned, and shrugged.

"So?"

"An’ya, I’m exhausted. If _you_ can’t sleep, you won’t let me sleep either."

"You didn’t seem to mind the last time it happened."

"I hadn’t been awake for seventy-six hours the last time."

"Okay, Okay... we’ll get some sleep."

Trunks smiled. "Finally."

"... In an hour or two. I think we need to talk a bit more first. I want you prepaired to meet my family and friends."

***

"Tai-i! Incoming ship! Approach vector kujuu mi shousuuten hyaku nanajuu ichi jisuu! ETA thirty minutes and counting!"

Tai-i Batten looked down at his subordinate, a suprised look on his face. "Nani?! Is it one of ours?"

"Unknown, Tai-i! We’ve been having problem with the array lately, it’s not been picking up transponders correctly."

In a split second, Tai-i Batten’s training took over. "Target all primary and secondary anti-air guns on the unknown. We can’t assume it’s a hostile, but we can’t assume it’s intentions are friendly either!"

"Targeted. Sir, the Unknown’s miwakeru yuujin / ata beacon has activated... Nani? Fukanou!"

"Shou-i! REPORT!"

"Sir, the transponder identifies the ship as the Ryuu-oujo!"

"NANI? Kamigoichinin must hear about this at once!"

***

"Well, would you look at that! It looks like the entire oushi is here to greet us!" An’ya said, grinning. "I wasn’t expecting this warm a welcome."

Trunks’s eyes narrowed. "Or, it could be they’re shocked to see you back, or haven’t identified this ship and are going to try to force you to leave if you’re a hostile."

An’ya glanced over at Trunks. "If they thought we were hostile, they could’ve blown us out of the sky before we ever entered orbit."

"That just makes me feel _so_ much better."

"Well, at this point it doesn’t matter. We’re landing."

"Uhh... An’ya, you just missed the landing field completely."

"Hai, I know. You don’t expect me to _walk_ home, do you?"

"Well, we might have to... the spaceport’s guns are targeting us."

An’ya shrugged. "Oh well."

"... atamakakushiteshirikakusazu ..."

"Sage advice."

"Advice that you seem to be ignoring."

An’ya leveled a harsh look at Trunks. "I know what I’m doing. There! I’m HOME!"

A split second before the Spaceport Guns could fire on her ship, An’ya landed behind the walls of what could only be a palace. Trunks was visibally impressed by the size of dwelling.

"You live here?"

An’ya grinned, and jumped out of the still opening hatchway. In a flash she was off to greet the only person in the courtyard. Trunks covered his hears to avoid being deafened by An’ya’s scream of joy.

"INORI-CHAN!!"

An’ya tackled a suprised young woman. After a second, ‘Inori-chan’ seemed to recognise her ‘attacker’ and started stuttering, trying to put a couple of words together... not like An’ya would’ve let her get a word in edgewise, anyway. Trunks watched the scene with embarrassment from the top of the ramp leading out of An’ya’s ship.

Trying to regain some of her dignity, An’ya stood and helped the other young woman to her feet. "Trunks, I’d like you to meet Kazama Inori-chan. Inori, I’d like you to meet Vejiita Trunks-sensei."

"What is the meaning of this?" A booming voice asked. Trunks turned to look at the speaker. Resplendant in flowing emerald robes, and with sapphire frills reaching all the way up to the top of his head, Trunks couldn’t help but admit that the speaker looked regal. He’d be a commanding presence on almost any world.

Yeah, but can he dance? Trunks thought to himself, smiling sarcastically.

"Otousan!" An’ya yelled, running forward. Trunks grimaced expecting to see a similar display to what had happaned to Inori Kazama. An’ya suprised him by walking forward to meet her father more formally.

Still, even from his position, he could see the joy present in the eyes of An’ya’s father.

"An’ya! welcome home."

"Otousan, I’d like you to meet my soushou, Vejiita Trunks-ouji."

Trunks’s eyes narrowed. "Briefs Trunks-sensei. Vejiita Trunks-ouji nimo."

An’ya blinked. "Sumimasen."

"You’re forgiven."

"Anyways, Trunks-sensei, I’d like you to meet my Otousan. Tennouheika, Ryuu Aian."

Trunks bowed formally. "Konnichi-wa, Ryuu Aian-ou."

An’ya’s father looked at him coldly. "Yes, well, if I’m going to be holding a foreign dignitary, I’m not going to talk to him out here in the courtyard. It’s impolite."

***

"An’ya, is there some reason you brought this gai-jin here, rather than coming alone?"

"Hai." An’ya said, "I wanted you to meet the man who defeated Emperor Bojyakku, and the man whom I’ve fallen in love with."

Aian’s eyes went wide at that statement, and he looked at Trunks incredulously. "In love? Daughter, it won’t work. I doubt he can help you when your time comes to Transform... besides, what of Karatia Hirohito-san?"

"He’s a selfish, stubborn, stuck-up pig."

"He’s a loyal retainer!"

"Like I said, he’s a selfish, stubborn, stuck-up pig."

"An’ya..." Aian said, warningly.

"Father, he earns your good graces by sucking up to you. I’m not going to do that, but I _am_ going to take Trunks as my mate, so I suggest you at least get to know him before telling me I can’t have him."

"An’ya, he’s a Gai-jin! He can’t help you transform, you know that! I won’t see my daughter dead because she was too stubborn to know when a relationship wouldn’t work!"

An’ya’s eyes narrowed. In a flash she opened her frills, tearing open the back of her shirt in the process. Aian gasped in suprise. "Otousan, I’ve been away longer than you think."

A sharp stacatto of clapping was heard from the back of the room. "Well spoken, An’ya-chan. Ojisan, it’s quite obvious that this young man has great potential. If what An’ya said about him defeating Bojyakku is true, he’s more powerful than anyone on Ryuu-sei. He also seems quite devoted to An’ya already, not to mention he must’ve helped her through her Transformation, impossable as you claim it to be. I’d suggest allowing them to be declaired a mated pair. Besides, after Bojyakku’s reign of terror over this sector of the universe, we’re having trouble re-establishing trade with other Gai-jin. The fact that your daughter is the mate of a Gai-jin would show those reluctant to re-establish traderouts with us that we’re not the isolationists we were before Bojyakku’s coming. Ojisan, we need trade to survive, most of our agricultural facilitys were destroyed by Bojyakku. Perhaps your daughter’s beloved can help us make contact with other worlds, worlds still relying heavily on agriculture."

Trunks nodded at the newcomer. "My own world was decimated by attacks by the Jinzouningen... Cyborgs of great power only reciently stopped. They destroyed all of our industries, but left most of our agriculture untouched... My world produces three to four times the amount of food we can actually use. I’m sure if we could establish contacts between the civilian government of my world and your government, we could come to some mutually beneficial agreement."

An’ya glanced at Trunks. He’s quick to catch on, but I didn’t know he was that politically minded. Something to remember in the future, Trunks isn’t just a good fighter, but a shrewed negotiator as well!

An’ya returned her attention to the newcomer, and bowed briefly. "Konnichi-wa, Ryuu Aku-ouji. I’m going to assume you’re still the crown prince, and next in line for succession?"

"Hai."

"Just checking."

Aian leaned forward. "You’ve got a point, Aku... Trunks, what did you mean by ‘the civilian government’? An’ya referred to you as being a Prince earlier, could you not command such an agreement?"

"Iie, no. I’m technically a prince, yes, but I’m a prince of a dead world. I was born and raised on Chikyuu-sei, yes, but my father was from a different world... a world that no longer exists."

"Which world?"

"Vejiita-sei."

Aian blinked, but then his eyes widened in shock. "Saiya-jin!"

Trunks glanced in the direction of the Emperor. "Half Saiya-jin, to be exact. My mother was a native of Chikyuu-sei."

Aian’s eyes narrowed. "Well, now I see why Bojyakku was defeated... if you’re the only member of your generation, that makes you the Legendary Super Saiya-jin, doesn’t it?"

"You know the legend?"

"Hai... it caused some of my advisors some concern years ago, but they quieted back when Vejiita-sei was destroyed."

"It wouldn’t suprise me, Sir. However, I’m neither evil, nor a cold-hearted killer, so you’ve got very little to fear from my presence."

Aian’s eyes narrowed. "Hai, from what I’ve seen of you, you must’ve inherited your civility from your Chikyuu-jin parrent."

Trunks nodded. "Hai, my mother’s a very good person."

***

Elsewhere, in a land surrounded by the souls of the dead, a young ogre was headbanging to punk-music being played by his CD player. His job of replacing the huge cartridges going untouched, and unwatched. A strong hand reached out and grabbed the teenager by the shoulder.

"BAKA! What do you think you’re doing?"

The boy pulled off his headphones. "What’s it look like? I’m dancing."

"You _SHOULD_ be doing your job! Get back to replacing the cannesters for the Washing Machine of Souls! QUICKLY!" The older Ogre yelled, pointing at the nearly full container. "If you screw up ONE MORE TIME, you’re going to end up getting another pay-cut! You got that?"

That actually seemed to scare the boy. "B... But... if I take another paycut, you won’t be paying me anything at all!"

"That’s your problem, isn’t it? NOW GET TO WORK!" the old ogre said, walking away.

The youth’s eyes narrowed. "Aww, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about." He said to himself, before he resumed his headbanging. The loud music overwhelmed the sound of a glass canister. Filled far past it’s capacity, the glass shattered, spewing an acrid purple smoke over the area.

The older Ogre turned back on the scene just in time to watch the other full canisters explode, and envelop the youth in a purple haze.

End of Chapter 20
Dragon Planet Journey

kujuu mi shousuuten hyaku nanajuu ichi (93.171 degrees)
miwakeru yuujin / ata (Identify Friend / Foe)
kamigoichinin (the Emperor)
atamakakushiteshirikakusazu (don't cover your head and leave your bottom exposed, you have to be careful not to expose your weak point while attempting to protect yourself)
soushou (teacher)
tennouheika (His Royal Highness the Emperor)
gai-jin (foreigener)
ojisan (uncle)

I’ll see you guys in Chapter 21: "Janenba no tebanasu!"

Chapter 21.

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