Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Grains of Sand ❯ A New Timeline Is Created. Will They Remember Her? ( Chapter 9 )

Ratings: PG-13

Pairings: V x Gu, T x Gt, Gh x P

Warnings: A lot of OOCness from everyone, mucho angst- but reverts to mucho happiness, m/m kawaiiness, Vegeta threatening- the usual.

/Thoughts/

~ Flashback ~

Chapter 9 - A New Timeline is Created. Will They Remember Her?

Luna stands in front of the doorway leading to the backyard of the Breif residence. Half of the house has been rebuilt. The Gravitational Chamber is fully rebuilt. She stares out at the sun rising over the horizon. She hasn't slept at all last night.

/How could I? To know that I will be able to go back where I came from and see them alive, waiting for me. But… (Sigh) I can't leave this family… It's- too hard to say goodbye…/

She suddenly feels the pang of two similar kis, but she doesn't react. Two forms touchdown a few feet from the door. She recognizes them. But they have their scents on each other.

/Tousan and Papa… they went through the ritual… Just like what Tousan told me./ She gives a small smile as they walk to her. Goku leans down and hugs her into his muscular arms.

As he lets her down, he speaks.

"They're all waiting for you."

She looks away, her smile fading. She gives a slight nod. She doesn't have to look to know both men are floating back up in the air. She slowly follows.

They reach a vast field- the same one Goku and Vegeta found her in with the machine. The mothers, the Demi and Quarter-Saiyans, and even Piccolo show up. The girls are already shedding tears as the men stand strong, but she can tell they are just as upset as the girls are.

She slowly steps to Chichi. The woman is holding a small sack. She hands it to Luna.

"I made you a snack, just in case… you get hungry on the way." She blushes slightly as Luna takes it. Luna smiles.

"I'll enjoy every bite," Luna whispers. Chichi gives a cheery smile then bows her head down at Luna. Luna bows back. She lightly steps over to Bulma. The blue-haired woman looks like she's going to get hysterical.

"You were always like a daughter to me, I hope you know that."

Luna nods in understanding. Bulma then takes a step and hugs the small girl.

"You were a great shopper, too," Bulma laughs out. Luna gives a sweet smile.

"I'll miss you, too, Bulma." Luna steps over and nearly gets toppled over by crying Pan and Bra.

"Don't go!! It's not fair!!" Pan cries out while gripping the hybrid's shirt by the collar. Bra hugs her tightly around the waist.

They are forcefully pulled away by their mothers. Luna stands up and looks at them.

"I'll never forget you both, I promise," Luna says low as her eyes start to water up. Pan climbs into Videl's arms and cries on her mother's shoulder. Luna looks at Videl, and the woman herself looks like she's going to burst into tears.

"If what Vegeta did didn't work, you know where to find us… All of us."

Luna smiles and nods slightly. Videl hugs her with one arm.

"Take care of yourself. And watch over my Gohan."

"I promise."

Videl steps away and Luna looks over at Gohan. As she steps to him he takes off his glasses.

"I forgive you for accidentally blowing up the house. It was my fault," he rambles. Luna gives a smile.

"I mean, I should've known that you felt threat-" he didn't finish as she pulls him into a fierce hug.

"I'm just gonna miss not being at your bonding celebration," she whispers into his right ear. He pulls back to look at her confusingly.

"You'll find out in a couple of years," she whispers. She then leans up and presses a kiss to his right cheek. She steps away and turns to Piccolo.

They stand a few inches from each other, looking like they don't know what to do.

He suddenly gives a slight smirk while extending a hand.

She shakes her head and smiles, as if saying `You're not getting away that easily', and grabs his arm to jerk his body to hers so she can fiercely hug him. The action is quick enough to startle him. But he slowly smiles as his lifts his arms around her to hug back.

"What will I be wearing at the celebration?" he asks low.

"White."

"White? Doesn't that symbolize purity?" he asks. She pulls back to look at him with a wide smile.

"Yeah, isn't it great?" she giggles out. He chuckles with her.

"Good luck, kid."

"Thank you," she says low also, then pulls away.

She looks to the right to find Trunks and Goten standing together. She steps to Trunks first and gives him a hug.

"Can you keep a secret?" she asks low. He nods.

"Try to remember that when you first lay eyes on me, don't let Goten bring me into the house," she says low. He pulls back to look at her with confusion.

"Just remember, and it'll make sense later."

He nods. She presses her forehead against his.

"Thank you," she whispers, then leans up and presses a kiss against his right cheek. She pulls away and turns to Goten. He looks worse than Chichi crying her eyes out, yet he sheds no tear. She gives him a fierce hug also.

"I'll see you in twelve decades," she whispers and he immediately chokes a sob, crying on her shoulder. She lets him for a few seconds. As he calms himself down she pulls away. Then she leans up to him and kisses his right cheek also.

She turns away- to stare into Goku's onyx eyes.

"Papa!" she gasps out and hugs him. He returns the gesture.

"I'll never forget you, Luna."

"I knew I chose the right family the moment you took me into your arms," she says low. He gives a sigh, then lets her go. He leans down and kisses between her ears. They flutter a bit from the slight contact.

"Launkta, Fina, Son, Vegeta," a raspy, very familiar voice breathes out every word with a soft pause. She spins around to find Vegeta behind her. She sighs out, hugging him tightly.

"That is the proudest name I ever come up with."

She gives a small laugh.

"I never objected," she teases low. He chuckles and lets her go. She faces him with a soft face, and watery eyes. "Thank you again, Tousan."

"You're welcome, My Little Oujo," he whispers back and she chokes out a sob then hugs him again.

Gohan pulls towards Piccolo. The Namek hugs him back.

"Ssh… don't cry…" Vegeta whispers as he pets her hair. After a few attempts, she composes herself. She gives a small nod while pushing away and wiping her eyes. She gives him in one last glance, then steps into the opening of the newly fixed Time Capsule. Suddenly she turns back again, remembering something.

"Papa? Tousan?" she asks. Goku and Vegeta look at her.

"It was never your fault," she blurts out. The doors shut behind in front of her as oth full-blooded Saiyans are confused with her comment. But they both don't get much time to think about it as the machine powers up.

"Step back!" Goku warns everyone. A blinding white light swallows the capsule with Luna in it…

In sequence the following events happen in front of Luna's eyes. They come in quick broken pieces, but she knows the gist of them all...

Luna is right about the celebration. It turns out to be a low-key wedding between Gohan and Piccolo. Goten is the ring bearer, Goku walks Gohan down the aisle, and Pan is the flower girl. The rest of the women are bridesmaids, and the guys are best men. Both Piccolo and Gohan wear white gi outfits, in elegant silk.

It isn't even a year later when Chichi, Bulma, Bra, and Pan get into a serious carwreck that results in a five-car pile-up. Literally. Their car is under the other four and it explodes before the rescuers can get them out, causing several more deaths. All four funerals are held exactly three months later. It's gloomy and non-stop rain. Everyone is there: Bra's high school, Pan's elementary school, Bulma's entire work force, the entire families of both come, and all the Z warriors. After it ends, both Goku and Vegeta are the only ones left after the funeral. They each speak very softly in unison, not even hearing the other, but it compulsively becomes in sync:

"I now know what she means now by `it wasn't our fault'… I just hope you're all happy and safe… wherever you are."

Its five years later that the Kitasora come to Chikyuu and the Treaty is made. That starts a new millennia- After Treaty. Nearly five months later, Videl dies of an aneurysm. A funeral is held for her. The Z fighters then die off in a span of ten years. A few months after the last one- Chaotzou, Goku brings forth the Dragonballs and tells Sheelong to make him, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Piccolo Immortal.

And like Luna says, it will be nearly a century later when they rescue her from the monster-

Her life is spread out into fragments. All she can make out is her care-free shrill laughter, grunts from whoever's lap she lands on or her socking someone from sparring, yells in encouragement, the shrills of energy skyrocketing, broken voices of each family member. All the noises sound like a thunderstorm inside her head. All deafening her…

Suddenly, it stops just as quickly as it starts-

There is faint chirping now. A warm glow makes her eyes wince and tighten shut. She moves a bit, feeling as if she's wrapped herself tightly in cotton sheets. She opens her eyes to see an opened window with pink curtains blowing from the wind coming in. Smells of spring and flowers blooming have her wide awake. The sounds of birds chirping arouse her to sit up. She's in a room with posters of hard rock bands, wild cats, and tie-dyed mushrooms. The walls are painted a creamy-rose color. All the furniture is made of red cheerywood. There's a dresser with the top cluttered with numerous perfume bottles, stuffed animals, scraps of paper, ticket stubs from concerts. On the dresser is a huge mirror full of colored photos of her with friends, places she's been at, or other numerous people in them. To the right of her is a desk cluttered with schoolbooks, notebooks, CD cases, and some clothing. To the left of the room is a bookshelf full of novels, American comics, mangas, and numerous action figures. Shelves attached to the walls are filled with more stuffed animals, figurines, and picture frames with photos of what look to be autographs of actors or actresses. On the right side of the dresser are huge stacks of CDs as if from years of collecting. Beside the stacks a stereo system so huge it can blow off the roof. /My room./

She slowly climbs out of bed, staring all around her, as if she's waiting for it to all disappear. A sudden crash of porcelain scares the Hell out of her. It's followed by a string of curses in a language she recognizes as not Japanese, nor nothing even close to Chikyuu-related.

/Saiyango?/ She briskly steps to the door and swings it open. Immediately she's hit with smells of Hazelnut, then green peppers with a hint of winter, morning dew, Lavender and lilac … honey… and smoke.

"Luna?! You up yet?" a deep voice calls out and she recognizes it right away- Trunks. She doesn't give a second to pass as she races down the long hall. She glances now and then at photos hanging up of her family. She leaps over twenty stairs and lands on her feet. She's in the livingroom with it's theme colors consisting of navy blue and garnet red. Two huge windows point towards the frontyard. Where she stands it's to her left. The sun is shining through as she can make out evergreen grass and a street. Children are playing outside.

"I'm home," she whispers low with ecstatic excitement. She steps to a swinging door and shoves it wide open. Six pairs of eyes stare at her in startlement. Goku is at the stove to her right with Vegeta in the middle of stirring something. Goten, Piccolo, and Gohan sit at the table, and Trunks is in the middle of picking up a broken porcelain plate that shattered into pieces. It's them as she remembered that day… the day of the Prom…

"Oh my Dende!" she cries out and bolts to Vegeta. She knocks the bowl out of his hands as she hugs him. The bowl clatters to the floor, pancake mix everywhere.

"Luna, what's wrong?" she hears a voice say. She glances up to find Goku looking down at her with total concern.

"Nothing! You're all alive!" she sobs out then hugs him tightly.

"Of course. Vegeta killed that woman, Lucy what's-her-name!" Goten says aloud.

She pulls away from Goku, then looks over at Vegeta, who looks very calm for someone who just had pancake mix knocked away from them.

"You-" He gives a small smile and a nod. She turns to look at Trunks.

"Did-"

"I kept my promise," Trunks says low. A sudden image from Luna's point of view invades her head.

~ She hears footsteps and more voices fill her ears.

"What's going on, dad?"

"Goten, take her in the house," the man holding her warns. His voice sounds not-so-cheerful now. She is then handed into a different pair of arms.

"Goten, don't." Another voice perks up.

"Trunks, dad sai-"

"I know, but I'm doing this as a favor. Let her watch," the voice persists. The body then sighs. She is moved into another pair of arms and the new body holding her is sitting down. Hearing footsteps fade, then come back a second later, a cold rag is pressed into her forehead. She moans a bit, then opens her eyes. She first sees the monster and whines out while turning away. Arms restrain her. She looks up to the find the owner of those arms is a lavender-haired young man with handsome features. His bright blue eyes calm her.

"I want you to watch, Luna, you'll understand later," he says low.

"Luna? You mean, this is-" the voice from the previous body holding her asks. Blue eyes revert to the person beside him.

"Nevermind, Goten."

She's maneuvered to sit up and watch the two men.

"I won't let you hurt her."

She recognizes the voice from the man who first held her. The monster snickers evilly.

"Oh, yeah? And what are you two puny humans gonna do about it?" the monster coyly asks. Suddenly she watches the men lift their clenching fists and an abundant amount of energy dramatically skyrockets. They grunt out without much straining, followed by a high-pitch shrills, and yellow envelopes both of them. Their hair turns golden. Her eyes widen in awed surprise.

The monster looks stunned, even a little intimidated. Suddenly both men disappear and all she can see is the monster being thrown around by invisible forces. It ends quickly with the monster being grabbed by the neck from a gloved hand. The smaller man appears before the monster with a glowing palm. He presses it to the monster's face. There is a white light and the monster screams out. ~

She gasps as the image passes over her… /Tousan/.

~ The man with flame-like hair turns his head to look at her. His seagreen eyes flash at her, showing an emotion she hasn't seen since when her mother was alive. Is it- love? The answer becomes clearer as a smirk appears on his face, radiating pride from it. ~

She turns to look at the man she calls `Tousan'.

"The moment I saw you as a little girl-" He steps to her and lifts a hand to brush back locks from her face so he can see the emotions reflecting on her face clearer. "I fell in love all over again," he whispers. Her eyes water and she jumps into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He holds her up, hugging her back.

Images of him caring for her, giving her his time to teach, or play with, hugs every second he can be near her, and pride in her when she does something right appear before her closed eyes. She remembers every memory like they happen only yesterday.

"Arigato, Tousan," she whispers low.

"Doitashmashite (1), Launkta," he whispers low.

-

"Luna, hurry up so your date won't have to wait!" Goku calls from the bottom of the stairs.

/He hasn't showed up yet, thank Dende/ goes through Goku's mind in relief.

"Coming!" she yells back.

He looks over to find Vegeta dressed in a black tux with a navy blue silk shirt and pacing in front of the fireplace with a camera in hand. Goku smiles, as he is wearing the same exact tux. Both tuxes fit snug on their buff bodies, and pay special attentions to their backsides, which will probably result in both Goku and Vegeta never leaving each other's side. They both agreed to be chaperones to Luna's prom.

"The more you pace, the more angry you get, `Geta. It's not good to show up to Luna's prom with a temper," Goku points out. Vegeta halts his pacing and sighs in exasperation.

"That baka should've been here three minutes ago! I don't like tardy Ningens!" Vegeta growls. Goku sighs and steps to the smaller Saiyan. He rests his hands on the brawny shoulders.

"You promised to behave," Goku says low.

"If that Ningen stood her up, even you couldn't hold me back as I blast that baka to Hell," Vegeta adds with a growl.

The sound of footsteps has Goku and Vegeta turning towards the stairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she exasperates. A tiny foot encased in a black opened-toed sandal with a chunky half-inch heel (2) enters their visions. The foot extends a sleek leg showing under a slit in a glittery ruby red silk dress that sweeps past her ankles. A body then appears showing the dress is sleeveless with a swooping neckline that elegantly shows off her collarbone. The color heightens her freshly tanned skin, giving her a flirtatious appearance. Vegeta tips a bit backward as Goku grips onto the smaller Saiyan's left shoulder. Their eyes are wide like saucers.

Her hair is down with slender red ribbons attached to tiny hair-clips shaped into roses. She added on little makeup, but enough to dramatically change her usual tomboyish face. She painted her nails and toenails red as she wears a silver chain around her neck. It holds an oval-shaped locket. It is the one Vegeta gave her for her seventeenth birthday. Hanging over her lower arms from around her back is a ruby red shawl with black velvet embroidery in elegant Victorian design and black tassels on the ends.

She freezes when she sees their bug-eyed faces.

"What?" she asks while gazing down at herself. Vegeta clears his throat, composing himself. He hands the camera to Goku then walks up to her. He takes her hands into his.

"You… look just like a Princess," he whispers low. She gives a huge smile and turns away a bit to blush and mumble, "Tousan" in embarrassment.

"That Baka doesn't know what he got himself into," he adds. She snaps her head up to him with a wide-eyed shocked look.

"Tousan!" she laughs out while playfully slapping his arm.

They take many pictures, and the date finally shows up, five minutes late. Vegeta would have done as he warned… if Goku kept his hands to himself and stopped Vegeta from getting within five feet near her date. As amusing as it looks on the other end, Vegeta is not amused at all. The date leads her outside to a black stretch limousine and helps her in. The limo drives away while Goku and Vegeta take the red convertible. No use ruining their suits if they fly right over and they want some time together instead of Instant Transmission.

Luna's girlfriends invite Trunks and Goten. The girls know they have no chance with the Demi's but that doesn't mean they can't have fun flirting. Also chaperoning is Gohan and Piccolo. Well, the Namek didn't want to, but he has no say with Gohan.

Needless to say it's the second best day (3) in Luna's entire life. She is crowned Queen and The Varsity Jock and All Around Good Guy King. Her school changed the rules over the years about the `King and Queen Dance'- the King and Queen may choose whomever they want to dance with, instead of with each other. It's a no brainer to Luna, since she doesn't want to dance with the king. Just as a slowdance comes on, she pulls Vegeta out onto the dancefloor…

After all, he is the one who teaches her how to from a young age…;)

*~OWARI~*

(1) - "You're welcome"

(2) - Think of those cute evening shoes from the late 40's-early 50's.

(3) - Kudos for those who can guess which is her first