Mirai no Senshi
by ICYSHADOWNINJA@AOL.COM
Chapter 8:
"Dreams"





"Are you sure you want to do this, Trunks? It’s kind of a drastic step, isn’t it?"

Trunks smiled. "’Kaasan, they need to be tested, and the only people I can think of to aid me with it aren’t here anymore."

"Well, You know I’ve made the modifications to the Hope like you asked, I’m just not sure you’ll get the results you wanted, Trunks. It’s a time machine, not a dimension crosser."

"I’ve got to take a chance, ‘Kaasan."

"I still think you’re being reckless." Buruma said, crussing her arms. "Even when you told me about this weeks ago. I almost didn’t make the modifications like you wanted."

"’Kaasan..."

"Don’t argue with me, Trunks. I’m not trying to talk you out of this, it actually almost sounds like a good idea, I’m just worried about letting your students know about the Dream."

"The Dream? You renamed it?"

"With all the modifications I had to make, it’s hardly the same Hope, so hai, I renamed it."

"So it’s the Dream now. Very fitting."

"Yes, I thought so too." Buruma grinned, but her face quickly grew more serious. "You’ve got to be very careful with the Dream, Trunks. It’s a lot bigger than the Hope was, and it requires a lot more power to send back in time. I’ve given it as much of a charge as I could, but it’s going to take a month in the past for you to be able to return here."

"Sure beats a year."

"Yes, I admit, I’ve made the system more effecient. I just hope you realize it’s going to take quite a bit of creativity to get when you want to be."

"What do you mean?"

Buruma shook her head. "The time you’re trying to get to will be no problem, Trunks. What is a problem is that you’re trying to go to a completely different dimension."

Trunks blinked, he hadn’t thought of that. A thought occurred to him. "Okaasan, by your thinking, I shouldn’t have been able to return to this future after the defeat of Super Perfect Cell, because that was a different dimension from this one."

It was Buruma’s turn to look confused. "I hadn’t thought of that... how strange. Trunks, just promise me you’ll be careful, okay?"

Trunks smiled. "Hai, ‘Kaasan. Understood."

Buruma crossed her arms. "I still think this is a stupid idea, Trunks... but say hello to your father, Son Gokou, and Son Gohan for me, okay?"

Trunks smiled. "I will. I’ll see you in a bit, ‘Kaasan, I’ve got to gather my students."

"It’s a pity Kakakisei and Nekonikoban left."

"Hai, but that was allways their dicision to make."

"Suprised me, though. They spend all this time training, and then leave as soon as they think it’s oppritune."

"Their planet needs them, ‘Kaasan. It’s definitely going to take quite a bit of rebuilding, sence Bojyakku’s Empire hasn’t fallen along with Bojyakku himself."

"If that was true, why didn’t An’ya leave?"

Trunks shrugged. "Not a clue."

"How’s she coping, by the way?"

Trunks sighed, shaking his head. "Not well."

"She’s not angry with you, is she?"

"Not that I can tell... She’s really taken it out on the gravity room though. This trip might be what she needs to get her confidence back... and there’s a chance a Senzu will work too, if we can get one, anyways."

"Well, for all your encouragement, Trunks, I hope this works out the way you planned."

"Maybe you should talk to her... you’ve had experience with this kind of thing. I mean, you were there when Son Gohan..."

"Yes, I was, and I helped him understand and overcome his fealings as well. Trunks, An’ya needs to talk with someone her own age about it."

"You mean me, don’t you."

"Your her teacher, Trunks. She cares about you, and by constantly avoiding the issue, you’re telling her that the sacrifice she made for you was worthless."

Trunks looked down at his feet in shame. "Sumimasen... you’re right, ‘Kaasan. I’ll talk to her."

Buruma grinned. "Of course I’m right. I’m a genius, remember?"

Trunks couldn’t help but smile at that. "Hai, ‘Kaasan."

***

An’ya blocked a blow from an imaginary opponant, and launched into a roundhouse kick in two-hundred times normal Earth gravity that had so much anger and pain behind it that it would have easily cut a ten-foot thick steel wall in half... were her leg ten feet long, anyway.

Pressing the button to activate the target drones, An’ya attacked with a powerful Ki blast. Watching as it was reflected off each of the ten drones, An’ya tensed herself, ready to dodge at a moment’s notice.

Head twisting about wildly to keep track of the attack, An’ya almost missed the moment as it was reflected back towards her. Dodging like her life depended on it, An’ya felt the heat of the attack as it passed to her left, missing her by inches. She winced as if expecting pain, looking down at the stump that was her left arm, grimaced when she noticed the shot would have hit her there, if she still had her arm.

Barely regestering the change as gravity returned to normal, and the lights lost their red hue, An’ya wondered briefly who was terminating her exercises this time. She looked up at the window by the door, and was very suprised to see Trunks standing there. The half-Saiya-jin had gone out of his way to avoid both her and Juuhachi Gou after the whole Bojyakku unpleasantness. Normally, An’ya would’ve been happy to see those two seperated, but she’d been too depressed to care of late.

Trunks opened the door, and hesitated, as if he was unsure exactly what to do next.

"An’ya."

"Trunks-Sensei."

"An’ya... I think... well... we need to talk."

An’ya smiled, faintly. "Hai... we probably do, but... can I shower and change first?"

Trunks smiled too. "Hai, sure thing."

***

An’ya stretched, doing her standard cool-down exersizes, modified for her missing arm, of course. "So, Sensei, what’s on your mind."

Trunks sat down on a bench, sighing. "I... I wanted to say thank you, An’ya, for saving my life."

An’ya smiled. "You... You’re welcome."

Trunks shook his head. "No, I’m not. You couldn’t fill a thimble with all the gratitude I’ve shown you in the past couple of months. I’d like to apologize for the way I’ve treated you, An’ya. You diserve better than that."

"There’s nothing to apologize for, Trunks. The past couple of weeks have been hectic."

"You still diserve better treatment, An’ya. The past month has been hardest on you, but you’re coping, with no help from me. I’d just like to know how you’re holding up, and if there’s anything I can help with."

"I’m fine, Trunks... really."

"An’ya, please, be honest with me. That’s not how you feel at all, we can both see that through your actions." Trunks shook his head again, and stood up. "An’ya, remember, my old Sensei lost his arm too, and I was there. He felt betrayed by his own body, and the world, as well as confused, and weak. Am I hitting anywhere near the mark?"

The girl stood too, looking at her feet. She nodded slowly. "Hai."

Trunks pulled An’ya into a hug, and was suprised when the girl broke down in his arms. He felt the sobbing girl go limp in his arms, relying on him completely for support, and trusting him to be there. Her confidence in his abilitys to protect her was almost as painful as the knowledge that he was ultimately the cause of her injuries.

"I just feel so helpless, Trunks. Maybe if I hadn’t been so weak..."

"You’re far from weak, An’ya. You’ve allways been my strongest student, your injury doesn’t change that."

She shuddered. "Yes it does, Trunks. I’m constantly forced to adjust, I’ve got to constantly remind myself that I can’t hit anything with my left arm anymore... it slows me down, Trunks, I... I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fight as well as I could before, well, you know."

"An’ya," Trunks started sadly, "There’s no one I’d rather have fighting at my side then you. You can overcome this injury. That is a strength I know you posess, for all warriors worthy of the name have the strength to overcome adversity."

"A pretty speach, Trunks." An’ya said between sobs, "but it’s not right... I can’t overcome this, it’s impossable."

"Nothing is impossable, An’ya. Most people would think flying and shooting blasts of energy is impossable, yet we can do it. You’ve got to believe in yourself, if you are ever going to achieve anything. You’re stronger than you think, An’ya. I know you can do this, if you put your heart in it."

An’ya tensed, pulling away just enough to look Trunks in the eyes. "You overestimate me, Trunks. It’s too hard, I can’t do it."

Trunks pulled her close again. "Anything really worth doing is difficult, An’ya. If you’re strong enough to overcome this, you can do anything, and I already know that you can do anything if you put your mind to it."

An’ya was silent for more than a minute before she spoke again. "Thank you, Sensei. You’re right, I have to at least _try_."

Trunks smiled, and kissed his student on the forehead. They held each other for some time longer, in complete silence. There was nothing that remained to be said.

***

"I hope you’re all wearing clean underwear." Trunks said, crossing his arms. His students looked up in suprise. "Because we’re going on a trip. I want you all to go back to your rooms and get all of your fighting gi’s, and two extra changes of clothes. Once you’ve got your clothing, meet me in the third underground hanger."

That started suprised murmuring among his students. The third hanger was off-limits, and where on Chikyuu-sei could the possably go that they would be unable to return to the new Capsule Corperation building in under a day.

"I mean now, not later this week! Move it!"

Without another word, Trunks’s students exited the room as fast as they were able. It was usually easy to tell when he meant business.

***

"You know what this is all about?" An’ya asked Gyokusai. The human glanced at her and shrugged, which was about the most he’d done sence Gokuya’s senseless death at the hands of his own leader.

"None of us knows what this is about." Said Karugo, crossing his arms. Trunks had asked the Namek to train with him, but An’ya was still having a difficult time accepting Bojyakku’s former hench-namek as one of Trunks’s students.

"Agreed." Setsuna said, smiling. "I find Trunks’s behavior highly strange."

"Not to mention, what’s in Hanger Three." Gyou said, not looking up. "Trunks has made damned sure we stay away from it, but the question is, why?"

"I don’t understand what this hanger three is. I mean, I know what the words mean, but why’s it off limits?"

An’ya glanced at Karugo. "We don’t know either, K."

"I can tell you exactly what’s in there." Juuhachi said. Her arms were crossed, and she was leaning against a wall.

Everyone looked up at her. "What?"

Juuhachi smiled. "I said that I could tell you, I didn’t say I would."

In a completely anime scene, everyone but Karugo and Jinzouningen Juuhachi Gou facefaulted.

"I believe time for speculation is over." Karugo said, pointing down the hall. "Trunks is coming, and Buruma’s with him. Looks like he’s packed too."

Setsuna smiled. "At least it’s not survival training again."

"You’re right, it’s not surivival training. We’re going to compete in the Tenkaichi Budokai."

"Nani? But... But there hasn’t been a Tenkaichi Budokai for..."

Trunks smiled. "More than twenty-eight years."

"Then how?"

Trunks didn’t answer. He stepped passed his students, and opened the door to hanger three. Everyone gasped at what they saw.

"Guys, I’d like to introduce you to the Dream."

End of Chapter 8:

Can you guess what the chapter title means? I hope so.

Ok, Ok, so it’s not a great cliffhanger, but this was the whole ‘emotional’ chapter I felt the need to put in, overcoming adversity, etc, etc, something every heroic story has. The next couple of chapters are going to be an amusing interlude, little more, save to get everybody ready to face the main villian.

I’ll see you in Chapter 9.

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