Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Days Of Our Lives ❯ Chapter 6

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

~*Days Of Our Lives*~

By Shasta

*~*~*~*

DISCLAIMER:I do not own Dragonball Z. Now begone before unleash my stealthy ninja penguins upon thee!

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 6: The Arrival Of Son Goku

~*~*~*~*~

Never before had the Capsule Corp mansion been so full of life. Everyone was so excited about the defeat of Frieza, raving on about the two mysterious strangers who had rid them of an evil menace.

Shasta sat down on a tartan blanket in the shade of a large oak tree located in the spacious grounds of the manor. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt at home. She had so many fond memories of this mansion….remembering how every summer, she and Trunks would attempt to drown each other in the pool with their little 'Most Death-Defying High-Dive' contests or simply lie in the shade of the enormous oak tree, the 3 adorable Labrador puppys Trunks once owned curled up in their laps…

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she took a dreg from her glass of iced tea, the cold liquid soothing her dry throat. This place was home….yet, at the same time…it was'nt..

"WOMAN! More barbique sauce on these ribs!" came the hoarse, throaty voice of Vegeta, who was sitting a short distance away at the pool-side picnic table. The young red-head shook her head woefully. This could'nt be the Saiyen Prince she knew….could it..? She watched from her spot under the oak tree as Bulma walked out of the house, hands on her hips and a frown upon her pretty face as she glared at Vegeta.

"Listen, you! My name is BULMA! B-U-L-M-A! And I am NOT your damn servent! You may have gotten everything handed to you on a silver plater back in your own home, but you're in my house now, Mister! And I demand you show some respect!" the blue haired woman practicaly screamed, slamming down a bottle of barbique sauce on the table with such force that the glass nearly cracked.

Vegeta looked at her, an unimpressed look upon his refined features. He folded his arms and let out a snort. "Woman, I am The Saiyen no Ouji. If anything, you should be giving ME respect!"

"UGH! You are such an unculturated piglet!" Bulma growled, throwing her arms up in outrage. A smirk crossed the burly Saiyen's face, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.

"And you, my DEAR Bulma;" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "…are a harpy! Now, go get me a damn napkin!"

"GET YOUR OWN DAMN NAPKIN, YOU STUPID MONKEY!"

And with that, Bulma sulked back into the house, muttering angry curses under her breath. A large sweatdrop rolled down the side of Shasta's temple at the scene, her eyes wide with shock as Vegeta chuckled mirthlessly to himself, taking a gulp from his bottle of beer. Suddenly feeling that someone was watching him,he turned his head in the cat-girl's direction, arching an eyebrow.

"Why must you CONSTANTLY stare at me?"

Getting up from her seat, Shasta walked towards him, a scowl on her face as she shook her head at the Saiyen Prince. "Really, Vegeta…..that was'nt very nice. Bulma has given you food to eat and a place to live…and you treat her like shit. Geez, can't you be a LITTLE bit gratefull for what she's done for you?" she said exasperatedly.

"If I wanted YOUR opinion, I'd have beaten it out of you, brat!" Vegeta retorted with a glare, taking another gulp of beer before leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the table. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up to the sky, completely oblivious to everyone and everything around him.

"Ya know, If you REALLY wanna score with her, you should try being a little bit nicer for a change…" Shasta said, with a sly edge to her voice. At this, Vegeta's eyes snapped open, widdening with shock as a tell-tale blush set his cheeks ablaze.

"W…What are you talking about, brat? I do NOT wish to…..'score'…with the Earthling!"

A soft giggle escaped the teenager's lips at the site of the Saiyen prince blushing. She shook her head and laughed, with only seemed to infuriate Vegeta even more. "You don't have to hide it with me, Vegeta-san. I know what you feel towards her..and I know she feels the same about you…."

Vegeta's blush intensified but he chose to remain silent.

"I can hear your heart race at the very sight of her….I can see the longing in your eyes when you look at her…she makes you feel like you're floating on air….like you can't breath….you want her….you NEED her…..and you can get her…if you just be a little more sensitive…"the red-head whispered sincerely.

The raven haired Saiyen looked curiously at her, the frown disappearing from his face.

"Who are you?"

Shasta bowed her head. "Promise not to breath a word to anyone about what I'm going to tell you?"

"…Very well."

The red-head cleared her throat. "This is going to sound very peculiar, but trust me, it's the truth…my name is Shasta and like the lavender haired boy that accompanys me, I come from the not too distant future. We will both be born 2 years from now, to very different people. I myself….." she hesitated slightly, wondering if she should tell him about her linage…

"…I am the first and only niece of Son Goku…"

Vegeta's eyes widdened with shock. "Are you meaning to tell me that you are the spawn of Katarokk's idiot brother?!"

The red-head let out a snort. "Idiot does'nt even begin to describe my father…no, to put it lightly, cruel-hearted son of a bitch seems so much more fitting, in my opinion.."

The Saiyen prince arched an eyebrow at this, eyes darkening. "Hnn….He is certainly an idiot, but why must you speak ill of him to such an extreme?"

A sigh sounded from Shasta's lips. She had never told anyone other than Trunks about her troubled childhood and even then, she could never reveal the sorrid details… but she felt as though she could trust Vegeta with her past. Her hands involentarily clenched into fists as she prepared to reveal all, but before she could do so, Vegeta spoke first.

"He……abused you, did'nt he?"

His voice was a direct contrast to the stern tone he'd used before. Instead, it was soft and sympathetic, his eyes darkened and his expression unreadable.

"How…?" Shasta's voice came, sounding weak and frail from her throat.

"I can see it in your eyes, child…they have a glazed over look from years of torment….I can tell. I've suffered the same when I was your age. Taken from my family as a meer boy…forced to bow before that tyrant Frieza as he seeked the Eternal Dragon in the hope for immortality…if he was not shown proper respect, he would beat me and do things so horrific to me that I could'nt even begin to explain….but thanks to you, he's dead…for good." Vegeta said, still in that soft, whispering tone of voice.

"….The same for me and my father….I was told he turned to drink after my mother died giving birth to me..growing up, I was blamed for everything that went wrong in his life…for so long, he told me I was the reason my mother was dead….a…and I believed him…….for so long, I was told that I was weak and selfish that I….believed it myself. He died when I was 10 years old, along with the rest of my family…..but seeing him again now, it brings back all the painfull memories, y'know? I don't know….I don't know what to feel anymore…"

Shasta's voice trailed off, her shoulders shaking as she supressed tears of anguish. Vegeta rested one hand on her shoulder.

"What does he know? From the way you took out Frieza, you are most certainly not weak! You are a strong warrioress, worthy of your Saiyen birthright. And when I say something like that, I MEAN it."

The young red-head looked up, her eyes slightly wet from the few tears that had escaped her eyes. "….Thank you…" she whispered softly, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"It is alright….and do not worry. I will not tell a soul about your linage. But I must ask…who is your mother, for you remind me of someone that just can't place?" Vegeta queried with curiousity in his voice.

A soft smile crossed the teenager's lips as she glanced across the lawn towards the guest house, where Arailani was dangling upside down from the balcony by her tail, engrossed in a book she held in her hand. She caught Shasta's gaze and grinned, waving to her upside down.

"…Arailani is my mother." Shasta said, waving back at the cat-girl as she returned to her book.

Vegeta's eyes widdened momentarily at this piece of information, but he nodded solemnly and leaned back into his chair, staring up at the sapphire blue sky thoughtfully.

"Interesting…." He mumured, more or less to himself. He was just about to say something when a loud grumbling noise could be heard from under the table. A sweatdrop rolled down Shasta's temple as she raised one hand to rub the back of her head sheepishly.

"Eh heh! I guess I inheritated my uncle's enormous appitite!" she peeped, grinning cheesily and baring a near-uncanny resemblance to her Uncle Goku. Vegeta chuckled softly and shook his head.

"No shit, Sherlock…" he muttered…

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion from the forrest area on the outskirts of the city. "What was that?!" Vegeta yelled, jumping up from his seat, ready to battle. The red-head rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest.

"Looks like Goku's home!" she exclaimed with a grin.

~*~*~*~

Everyone raced towards the canyon on the outskirts of the city, the area where the time machine had first appeared. At the bottom over a VERY large crater in the middle of the canyon was a small, pod-like spaceship, much like the ones used by the Saiyens during planetary invasions.

The hatch opened softly with a small hissing sound, a cloud of steam rising up in the air. A figure steps out of the craft, face partially obscured by the steam, but there was no mistaking that lop-sided black hair…it was Son Goku, the self-confessed protector of Earth.

He grinned that world famous grin of his as he dusted off his clothes. "Hey, guys! Miss me?" he queried, cocking his head to one side as he scanned the crowd with his chocolate brown eyes. Trunks stepped forward. "I'll fill him in on what's been happening…" he whispered as he passed by Shasta. She nodded slowly and glanced over at her uncle with a smile upon her face.

He was just as she remembered: Tall, stocky and forever grinning that infamous grin of his. His clothes, however, were completely different to the orange and blue gi he always wore. Instead, he was dressed in a brown gi with scratched silver armour half covering his chest, a white puffy collor around his neck.

She watched as Trunks lead him off to a secluded spot in the canyon so that they could talk.

"Gee, I wonder what they're talkin' about.." Krillen queried with one eyebrow arched. Vegeta smirked to himself in a 'I-know-something-you-don't-know' kind of way, but remained silently, nodding curtly to Shasta...

Suddenly, everyone was caught off guard as Goku exploded into Super Saiyen status, raven black hair turning golden blonde, a golden aura surrounding his body.

"Whoa! He just changed his hair colour!" exclaimed Arailani, her eyes wide with awe. Vegeta was looking livid, his fists clenched by his sides, teeth grinding angerily.

"GODDAMNIT! You're always one step ahead of me, Katarott!! What is it?! WHAT IS THE SECRET OF YOUR POWER?!" he thought angerily as he folded his arms over his chest, resisting the urge to and beat his rival to a bloody pulp…

At that moment, Trunks too turned Super Saiyen, his short lavender locks turning blonde and extremly spiky. He moved one hand up to grasp the hilt of the sword that was rested in the holster on his back and in one fluid movement, pulled it out and aimed it directly at Goku's head. The older Saiyen, however, did'nt even flinch.

"What? Why did'nt you try to move out of the way?" Trunks queried, looking puzzled.

Goku chuckled. "I suspected that your feelings would hold you back..I knew you'd stop, so I was not in any harm.."

Trunks smirked and absently swirled his sword in his hand. "Hmm….I see…very well then…this time, I won't stop!" And with that, he jumped high into the air, aiming slash after slash at the burly Saiyen, only for each and every blow to dodged by a simple flick of Goku's finger.

After several minutes of ceaseless slashing, Trunks finally stopped and slid his sword into the holster on his back. From where they stood on the cliff, everyone watched as the two Saiyens returned to their normal states.

"Hey…that guy put his sword away…" Gohan exclaimed curiously, as he watched the saga unfold before him.

"Yah, and your dad put his finger away…" said Krillen.

(A/N: Goodness, the yaoi mental images! Ahahahaha! * ^_^* )

Shasta sat down on a large, flat rock, knowing all too well what Trunks was saying. He was explaining what was to happen in several years from now..the arrivial of the androids….the…the deaths of his loved ones…

An icy shiver ran down the red-head's spine at this thought. Her body tensed and her hands clenched involentarily by her sides. She never wanted to experience a night like that which had claimed the lives of her loved ones…ever…again..

One slender hand reached up to massage her temples, as if trying to rub away the mental scares that still plagued her to this very day..

"Hey, are you alright?" Yamcha's voice came, a hand resting on her shoulders. With a shriek, the teenager jumped up and turned on her heals, a very ugly look on her face as she glared coldly into the dark brown eyes of a man who looked so much like one who had made her suffer a world of pain…

"Touch me again…and I'll personally fuck you up!" she growled, throwing the raven haired Saiyen's hand off her shoulder.

Yamcha looked quizzically at her, head cocked to one side. "Geez, I was only tryna help.."

"I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING HELP!!" she practically screamed, eyes ablaze. She did'nt want to unleash her anger at this time, but just the meer sight of him…the very thought of him…even the sound of his voice…made her blood boil. She felt raw fury surge through her veins as her eyes bored into Yamcha's, wanting so much to reach out and make him suffer for all the pain he had inflicted upon her….

She was vaguely aware of Vegeta's strong-yet-gentle hands grip her firmly by the shoulders. "Calm down, Neko-onna…"he said coldly, his expression unreadable. Shasta looked up at the Saiyen prince with anguish, as if pleading him to let her seriously maim Yamcha.. he knew all too well her pain, but he would never let her reduce herself to Yamcha's level of scum…

"Someone care to tell me what's goin' on?" Yamcha queried, scratching his head in confusion.

Shasta growled at him with such ferocity that it was as if she was a lioness waiting to strike. Making a noise of disgust, she turned away from him, not wanting to look at his face. Closing her eyes against tears that threathened to fall, she spoke softly, voice barely above a whisper.

Three simple words escaped her lips…..

"I hate you…"

~*~*~*~*~

After what felt like hours, Trunks and Goku finally finished their conversation. They both joined the others at the cliff-top, where they got many stares from the members of the Z-Warriors who did not know the truth….

Trunks glanced over at Shasta, who was sitting on her rock, clenching her fists, her entire body shaking. Vegeta was standing by her side, shaking his head. He looked up curiously as the lavender haired teen approched, watching him cautiously as he sat down next to the young red-head..

Arailani watched the two, her arms folded across her chest. She cast a wary side-ways glance at Yamcha, who was racking his brains in an attempt to figure out what he'd done wrong.

"I wonder why she hates you so much.." she queried, turning her attention back to the two mysterious teenagers. She shook her head and sighed heavily, her blood-coloured locks of short, unruly hair swaying with her movement.

"Normally, I would try to delve into her mind to locate the problem, but her mind is clouded…it is difficult to read…"

Yamcha looked up at this, brow furrowed in confusion. "You can read minds?"

Arailani nodded and stared down at her feet, a slight blush rising up on her cheeks. "Y..yes…I am a Nekonian female, which means I have psychic abiltiys. From an early age, I could predict events before they happened….I could read the minds of others and I can even move objects with my mind. It comes in handy sometimes…but I never take advantage of my power…only when it is necessary…"

The raven haired Saiyen arched one eyebrow and smirked devilishly. "Oh really? And uh….what am I thinking right now?"

The red-head cat-girl chuckled, her blush intensifying. "You're wondering if I'll go on a date with you…"

Yamcha's eyes widdened momentarily. "Well…that was a pretty lucky guess!"

"Heh….Think you can predict my answer, Yamcha?" Arailani queried with a sly grin. The burly Saiyen put a hand to his chin and thought hard for a moment….

"..Yes?"

Arailani smirked and ran a long fingernail under his chin as she walked past him, swinging her hips provocitivly. "Well….that was pretty lucky guess!" she replied, her voice seductive and sultry as she batted her eyelashes at him from over her shoulders.

Only one thing was running throught Yamcha's mind at that moment…

….Cold shower….

~*~*~*~*~

"Hey…what's wrong?" Trunks queried, snaking his arms around the red-head's waist as they lay in bed together that night..

Shasta let out a sigh and wiped away a few stray tears that had escaped her eyes. She turned her head slightly to glance at him from over her shoulder, her facial expression unreadable. "I'm sorry, koi…it's just…..being in this time zone….it brings back painfull memories.."

The lavender haired demi-Saiyen sighed and gently kissed her shoulder, nuzzling his head against the nape of her neck. "I understand how you feel….but Yamcha does'nt know what he's done…I'm sure if you told him, he'd try to put things right."

Shasta turned over on her back to face him, her eyes wet with tears that threatened to fall. "I..I can't…I'm not like you, Trunks…I'm not strong..I..I have no courage….I'm a failure…."

"No, you're not! Shasta-chan, listen to me.." Trunks took one of her hands in his own, staring intensely into her eyes as he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.. "…You're kind, sweet.. funny… and you're so great at everything you do…"

The red-head let out a sniffle and rolled on her side, her back to him as she clenched the sheets in her hands, curling up into a foetal postion. "How…how can you love a fool like me..? I can't even stand up to my own father…!"

Trunks moved closer to her, wrapping one arm around her waist, the other moving up to caress her cheek as he planted soft kisses along the nape of her neck. "I know what you've been through…I know it hurts, but you overcame it…you DO have courage, Shas….and that's one reason why I love you.." he breathed in her ear, resting his head on her shoulder.

He felt the red-head move her hips to press against his, her breathing coming in slow, deep breaths. "Then…show me how much you love me…" she whispered, rolling over on her side to face him. Sapphire blue eyes gazed into green with a look of sadness…

"You're feeling vulnerable right now…it would'nt feel right…"

"Please, Trunks….I need to know that you're not gonna hurt me like everyone else in my life…" the red-head whimpered tearfully, leaning into his chest as her body shook with suppressed sobs. Trunks shook his head and held her close to him, holding her protectively in his arms as she cried as though her heart was breaking. For all Trunks knew, it was….

"Please don't cry…Shas, I promise;" he kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him. "..I will never, ever hurt you…you have my word, and I never break my promises. I do love you…more than words can say…"

A sniffle resounded from her throat as Shasta looked up at the demi-Saiyen, cheeks shining with fallen tears. "Tr…Trunks…." She whispered, closing her eyes and burying her face in his chest, sobbing once more untill she slipped into an uneasy sleep….

~*~*~*~

It was early in the morning when Shasta woke up. She blinked several times, feeling dried tears sting her eyes. Groaning, she crawled out of bed and wrapped one of the bedsheets around her naked body as she crossed the room towards the bathroom. Her stomach ached painfully and she had a sudden urge to throw up. Getting down on her knees, she crawled to the toilet and pushed up the lid, the wave of nausea overwealming.

Once she empthied the contents of her stomach, she stood up and stared hard at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She looked a wreak. Her hair was one big tangle of spikes and curls, stiking out in all different kinds of directions. Her skin was pale and there were faint black rings under her eyes, which were also pink and blood shot. In her opinion, Shasta thought she looked like death warmed up…

After a quick shower, she changed into some of the clothes she had brought with her: a plain black shirt and baggy blue sweatpants. Walking downstairs, she was supprised to find Bulma and Arailani sitting at the kitchen table, deep in conversation. However, they both looked up upon the young teenager's entery.

"Oh! What on earth are you doing up so early, dear?" Arailani asked, as Shasta took a seat down at the table and buried her head in her folded arms.

"I don't feel very well…I threw up about 5 minutes ago.." she groaned, her stomach doing a backflip in agreement. Bulma and Arailani looked at each other, wide eyed. "Uhhhh, Miss? You…you have'nt had any unprotected sex lately, have you..?" Arailani queried, going red in the face.

Shasta snapped her head back up, wide-eyed with alarm. "WHAAA?! Damn, Bulma! That was a personal question! And don't you DARE say I might be pregnant! I'm on the Pill, I'll have you know!" she squealed.

Bulma rubbed the back of her head in anxiety. "O..kay then… sorry…. It's just, for a moment, it sounded like you had morning sickness….but it's probably just a bug.."

"Dear Kami, I hope you're right, Bulma…"

Shasta sighed heavily and buried her head in her hands, fingers running through her tangled hair. Arailani rubbed her back soothingly. "Hey, hey! Don't worry…I'm sure it's just a cold. Methinks there's been one floating around somewhere…" the elder red-head stroked her chin in thought as she leaned back on her chair.

"So..uh…whatever your name is…could you answer a question of mine?" Bulma queried, propping her elbows up on the table as she drank from her mug of coffee, peering at Shasta from over the rim, brow furrowed.

"Firstly, you can call me Shaz and secondly, I'll answer your question, so long as it's not TOO personal…eh heh!" Shasta said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. The blue haired woman nodded and took a sip from her coffee mug before setting it down in front of her.

"What's the deal with you and Yamcha? Seems he pisses you off a lot.."

Shasta's eyes darkened. She bowed her head low, her fists clenching involentarily, as they always did whenever THAT name was mentioned…

"Yamcha and I….we have a history together…"

Bulma leaned forward, propping her head up in her hands, looking curious. "Oh? He was your boyfriend? What did he do? Did he cheat on you..?!"

"No! Nothing like that… he just…. He abused me when I was younger…………I'd……..I'd rather not talk about it."

There was a moment of stunned silence that seemed to last an eternity. The three women looked uneasily at each other, daring each other to speak. The silence was deafening, the only sounds being that of the clock ticking softly and the quiet breathing of the three females.

"What…kind of abuse?" Arailani peeped, breaking the uneasy silence.

The teenager shook her head and moved one arm, tugging up her shirt sleeve to reveal a mass of scars and bruises, as well as a long red scar running along her wrist.. "Physical….but to honest, the way he hurt me emotionally was a lot worse…so bad it was that I tried to commit suicide at one point…."

"Yamcha did this?! B-but I don't understand! Yamcha is a gentle man! He would'nt hurt a fly unless it was diving head first into his potato salad!" Bulma cried, eyes wide with shock. A few tears escaped Shasta's eyes as she rubbed them with the back of her hand.

"Not the Yamcha I know…ever since my mother died, he'd abuse me none stop, blaming me for her death…"

Arailani shook her head and placed a comforting arm around the younger cat-girl. "He's your …father…?" she whispered gently, tenderly flicking a stray lock of magenta away from her future daughter's eyes. Shasta smiled weakly at this display of comfort and let out a small sigh. She nodded slowly, watching as Bulma's mouth fell open in shock.

"Oh my Kami! I..I don't believe it!" she cried, clamping a hand to her mouth.

"It's true…a fact I am ashamed to admit..even to myself…. To admit being related to that no good son of a-"

"Uh..am I interupting anything?"

The three women looked up in horror as Yamcha walked into the kitchen, looking tired and sleep deprived. He walked towards the counter-come-bar and poured himself a glass of Vanilla Coke, leaning against the wall. Shasta narrowed her eyes, a low growl instinctively sounding in her throat. Yamcha arched an eyebrow at her, setting his glasse down on the counter.

"I don't know what your problem is, but don't take it out on me!" he snapped, folding his arms over his chest.

Shasta was about to jump out of her seat and pound the living crap out of the burly Saiyen, but thanks to Arailani, she was effectively restrained. The young red-head took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"As long as you stay the hell out of my way, I have'nt got a problem." She replied, shooting Yamcha a deathglare that would stop Vegeta dead in his tracks. Yamcha narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing as he picked up his glasse of Vanilla Coke and proceeded to disappear down the hall, into the living room of the Capsule Corp.

Bulma shook her head at the display. "Really… I know in your timeline, he treated you like crap, but he's done nothing wrong so far!"

Shasta stood up from her seat. "Maybe so, but he's still a good for nothing piece of shit to me, no matter what bloody timeline I'm in! You two just don't understand the pain I had to endure because of …of…HIM….." she whispered coldly, tears stinging at her eyes. Turning on her heals, she crossed the kitchen and flung open the back door, walking out to the oak tree at the end of the garden, slamming the door behind her.

Growling to herself, she sat down crosslegged in the shade of the old oak tree and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree trunk, folding her arms over her chest. It seemed no matter where she went, there was always SOMETHING to remind her of the abuse she'd suffered as a child. The universe just would'nt allow her to forget. Shasta wanted to scream in frustration, she was so full of rage, but instead settled on punching a hole through the trunk of the oak tree…

"Are you deliberately trying to kill the tree or are you just royally pissed off?" came a grainy voice from somewhere high up in the branches. Shasta looked up, a pink tinge of embarrassment suddenly flashing across her cheeks.

"Oh….Mornin', Vegeta…you're up early…" she mumured sheepishly. This was met by a soft chuckle from the Saiyen Prince. He extended his hand to pull her up onto his branch and soon, she was sitting crosslegged before him, a look of frustration upon her face.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Vegeta queried, leaning back against the tree trunk with one cargo shorts- clad leg dangling off the branch.

"It's Yamcha….just the very sight of him makes me wanna go kick the crap outta him.." Shasta growled, folding her arms in a huff. Vegeta placed a hand on her head and sighed.

"Don't let him get to you. If he infuriates you again, just ignore him….or glare at him. Make it known that you're not to be messed with."

"Hai….Thanks, Vegeta." Shasta bowed her head in respect. She let out a sigh and glanced out beyond the branches, towards the view of the ocean, where the sun was forever climbing up over the horizon.

"So, what are you doing up this early? Training?" she queried.

Vegeta shrugged and folded his arms behind his head. "No, just meditating…it is quite peaceful in the morning…I ask the same question to you, onna. You look somewhat off colour today.."

The young red-head sighed and lay back against the branch, flat on her back. "I was'nt feeling very well this morning…some kinda stomach ache, I suppose…no biggy.." She let out a loud yawn and wiggled her toes as she stretched her muscles. Vegeta sat up, brow furrowed in confusion. He tilted Shasta's head forward, checking for any sign of injury or rash..

"Hmmm….interesting.." he mumured to himself.

"Wha? What's interesting, Vegeta-san?!"

Vegeta smirked to himself, his onyx eyes twinkling in a knowing kind of way. "Nothing you should worry about, onna…"

~*~*~*~*~

The hours passed by in a hazy blur and all too soon, it was time for the two mysterious strangers to head back to their own timeline….

"Before I go, I want you to take this medicine." Shasta said, handing Arailani a phail of clear purple liquid. The elder red-head looked curiously at the small bottle of medcine, brow furrowed in confusion. "Uhh…thanks….what…is it?"

" Not too long from now, you'll develop a heart diease that will eventually rob you of your life. There's no cure for it in this timeline, but in my world, there is. Take that medicine as soon as you feel heart pains and you'll be fine. For your health." Shasta said, with a small smile gracing her lips.

Arailani grinned and held the phail between her finger and thumb, staring at the contents with wonder. "Thanks! Oooh.. it's purple! It must be grape flavored!" she exclaimed, much to everyone's amusement. The elder cat-girl smiled and pocketed the medicine. She then moved her hands up to undo the clasp of the necklace around her neck, removing it and pressing it into Shasta's hand.

Upon looking down at it, Shasta found it to be an ornate silver pentant, detailed with a green diamond dragon coiled around a silver sword, dangling from a delicate silver chain.

"On my planet, the emerald dragon is a symbol of peace, love and happiness. May you have much of all three throughout your life, dear." Arailani said, bowing to the red-haired teenager.

"Thank you so much, Arailani… it has been a pleasure to have met you at last." Shasta said, taking the elder red-head's hand into her own. She glanced over at the small group of people that had gathered in the grounds of the Capsule Corp, waiting to see off the two teenagers as they returned to the future.

She smiled solemnly and clutched the necklace close to her chest. "I guess I'll be seein' you guys later!" she chuckled, climbing into the time machine, were Trunks was busy setting the co-ordinates. As she settled down into her seat, Vegeta stepped forward, smirking knowingly. "You three have a safe journey."

"Sure thing, Vege-hey, waitaminute.." Shasta queried, going wide-eyed, but before she could question Vegeta, the hatch came down over the craft and the jet engines surged to life.

"I wonder what he ment by that…" Trunks said, looking confused. With a shrug, he looked out of the hatch and waved to the crowd of people below as the time machine began to rise up in the air.

Shasta leaned on the dash board, staring down at her mother Arailani, a sincere smile on both their faces as they waved to each other.

"Mother…you're so kind and sweet…and smarter than your years. It was great to finally meet you at last. We are the same, you and I…and deep down, your heart beats like my own… I will always love you… fare thee well, young mother… may the good spirits keep you safe…" she said to herself, as she waved one last time, the dragon necklace clasped tightly in her hand as the people below disappeared in a flash of white light.….

~*~*~*~*~

The trip back to the future, unlike the one to the past, was completely uneventfull. Having gotten bored of all the marvelous flying colours of the warp hole, Shasta felt extremly tired and decided to settle down to sleep in Trunks' arms. No sooner had she closed her eyes did she begin to dream…..

She was standing on something clear…be it glass or still waters, she did'nt know… her reflection was that of herself, portrayed as a scared 5 year old, dressed in a ragged pink dress, hair tied in two ponytails and face riddled with cuts and bruises. Shasta bent down to touch the face of the scared little girl, but as she did so, the surface beneath her shattered into a million pieces, sending her falling down an endless black hole.

She tried to scream, but her voice was quiet and distant, echoing in the eternal darkness…

With a soft thud, she landed face down on a hard floor. It was so dark…and so quiet… it was unnerving…

Getting to her feet, she walked a few steps forwards, arms stretched out for any sign of a light switch or something to remove the darkness… suddenly, there was an almighty flash of white light. Unsheilding her eyes, Shasta saw Yamcha standing before he with white flames surrounding his body, smirking that evil, sadistic smirk of his that she knew all too well. He took a step forward and for a fleeting moment, the young red-head thought he was going to harm her…but instead, a cry of agony echoed through the semi-darkness, not at all from her own lips.

She watched, horrified, as Yamcha was replaced with an image…no…a memory…she saw herself at aged 6, standing on a soapbox as she washed dishes in the kitchen sink. Shasta walked towards her chibi self, watching to reach out and help her…

"Hey…" she asked softly, grasping a dishcloth off the draining board, "Need some help?"

Her chibi self looked up at her, emerald eyes big and shiny, a large black bruise located under the left. "…" the little girl spoke no words. She simply went back to drying plates and stacking them neatly on the counter beside her.

Shasta felt an overwealming feeling of needing to protect this young girl… she reached out to gently stroke her chibi self's cheek, but at that moment, the silence was interupted by the sound of a plate smashing to pieces on the hard tile floor…

The young chibi's eyes widdened and before Shasta could even speak, she found herself being shoved into the kitchen closet…

"The fuck was that…did you break this plate…?!" came the voice of Yamcha, as he staggered into the kitchen, drunk off his ass with a whiskey bottle in one hand. Shasta watched through the cracks in the wood as the burly Saiyen grasped the young chibi roughly by the shoulders, shaking her violently.

"DID…YOU…BREAK…THIS…PLATE…?!" Yamcha screamed at her, sneering at the tears that fell from the chibi's eyes.

"I…I did'nt mean to! I…It's was an accidentt! I swear! Daddy, I'm sorry!" the chibi whimpered, holding her hands over her face to defend herself. Watching from the closet, Shasta felt her stomach lurch. She could remember this day all too well…it was the day Yamcha had first put her in the hospital… she clenched her eyes shut, unable to watch what was about to happen next…

There was a sudden, sickening crack of bones breaking…

"YAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!"

A scream of intense agony came from the chibi, signalling that Yamcha had done something horrific…

"No…please…I don't wanna see this any more…!" Shasta cried, leaning against the inside doors of the closet, tears trickling down her cheeks… the closet doors were sudden replaced by the image of Orange Star City, lying in ruins from the android attacks. She saw herself, at aged 10, kneeling beside the dead body of Gohan, tears pouring down her face, mingling with the rain that fell from the darkened sky…

It was heartbreaking to watch, seeing herself crying hysterically as her 10 year old self clung to Gohan's body, covered in his blood…

"STOP!! PLEASE! NO MORE SUFFERING!! I DON'T WANNA SEE IT ANY MORE!!" Shasta screamed, clenching her eyes shut. She felt a rush of wind as her surroundings faded once more to black.

Opening her eyes, she found herself standing once more on the thin layer of glass, a spotlight shining down on her from somewhere above… she looked around curiously, a shiver of fear running up her spine.

"Hello…?" she called out, voice echoing in the darkness…

There was a sudden sound of footsteps behind her… she whirled around on her heals, to face a tall woman, no older than 16 at the very least. It was someone Shasta did'nt recodnize, yet she looked vaguely familiar.

The woman was dressed in a pair of black jeans and a white tanktop under a faded blue denium jacke that was old and thred-bare, covered in innumberable rips and tears… Emerald green eyes gazed vacently out from under a vail of long, shoulder length lavender hair, wore in loose curls that cascaded down the mysterious woman's back.

"Who..who are you…?" Shasta queried, taking a few steps forward. As she did so, the mysterious stranger seemed to grow distant. "I am Trinity." The woman said, her voice soft and haunting…she beckoned Shasta to follow her as she walked onwards into the endless black abyss…

They were suddenly standing attop a cliff-edge, looking down upon an epic battle. The young red-head watched in horror as a young Gohan stood before a great mushroom cloud, looking horrified. He shouted something, but his voice was replaced by meer silence…

A tall figure emerged from the mushroom cloud, made only from a ghostly white mist. Shasta was suddenly aware of Trunks standing before her. She sighed in relief and flung her arms around him…only for them to fall right through…

"Wh…What is this..?!" she cried. Trinity blinked slowly, folding her arms behind her back.

"This is what is to come…"the lavender haired woman replied, her voice dead and vacent…

There was a sudden flash of golden light and a gasp of pain, followed by a thud. Shasta whirled around on her heals, only to meet a sight she had hoped she'd never have to see…

Trunks lay on his back in the dirt, eyes wide with terror and a large, gapping hole blown through his chest. He gasped for air, a gurgle of blood oozing from his mouth. Shasta cried out in anguish and sank to her knees by his side, unable to take in what lay before her.

Her beloved Trunks was dying…from what, she did'nt know, but all she knew was that the single greatest treasure in her life was being snatched away before her very eyes. In despiration, she turned to Trinity, who simple stood before her, blinking slowly and seemingly unfazed by what just happened.

"PLEASE! Please…help him…!" Shasta cried, eyes becoming wet with tears. Trinity simply shook her head.

"Forgive me…but it is what is fated to come…I cannot interfere…"

"PLEASE! He's dying! Trinity! Why won't you help him…?!"

Trinity began to slowly fade away into the background, her image becoming blurred and unfocused.

"I am sorry…Mother…"

"N…No…! T…T…TRUUUUUUUUUUU-----------UUUUUUUUUNKS!!!" Shasta screamed, cradling her fallen love in her arms, trying in vain to help him.

"Shasta…" he breathed, reaching a hand to caress her cheek.

"Shasta…"

"Shasta…!"

"SHASTA!"

The young red head awoke with a jolt, vaguely aware that someone was shaking her awake. She gasped for breath, looking up to see Trunks standing over her, face contorted with worry.

"Shasta! Are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep! What's wrong?!" he queried, helping her sit up as she pulled her knees to chest, sobbing into her kneecaps.

"I….I…I think….I think I saw what lies ahead for us…" she whimpered…

"Huh?"

"D…Death….." Shasta whimpered, before her eyes rolled back into her skull, prompting her to pass out unconcious against the seat….

~*~*~*~*~

End Chapter 6

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