Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Normal Friends from Strange Places ❯ The Reality of Dreams ( Chapter 9 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

This is the next part. All characters you don't recognize belongs to me. The rest belongs to Akira Toriyama.

Normal Friends from Strange Places
Part Eight
By Maria Cline

Dear Journal:

Yesterday, I woke up and realized how large and unpredictable the world can truly be.

It was strange and weird for me. For a while, I thought that I had lost my mind. Is this what it's like for Alice in Wonderland? Trapped in a world filled with wonder and confusion? Of course, for me, there's no magic door to let me out. This world of wonder and confusion is my home and I'll never wake up.

Today, I stare at the sky and wondered how many people flew across that sky without machines to aid them. I passed by my PE teacher's office and wondered what experiences made him strong. I heard that he died fighting aliens. Before, I would pass it off as tabloid junk, but now... maybe it's true.

Now, here I am, looking out for Trey Troi, my classmate, my rival, and my fellow fighter. How can I make up to him for all the insults about his father? Or about the times when I should've defended him? Would he be happier here? Or maybe I would find a better friend in him since I would be more receptive.

I'm still wearing the damn turtle shells. They hurt, but I have to be strong. My father may be a fake, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be a fake too. I will be strong like those golden warriors. I won't deny my destiny.

*****

Videl closed her journal and sighed. "Hey, Videl." Trey said as he stood over her. "Are you okay?"

The woman stared upward at the taller man. Trey looked fine for a man who had nearly died yesterday. How could she be so mean to him all this time and not realize the truth? "Yeah... I'm okay." Videl replied. "How's Gohan?"

Trey sighed and sat beside her. "Well... he's not coming to school today... Bulma's checking him and doing some more tests... besides, he felt awkward after yesterday. You can understand."

**Transforming into a giant monster, revealing his dark secret to me... and nearly killing his best friend... that would be hard.** Videl thought as she nodded. "Yeah. I guess. What about Saiyanman?"

**Maybe, Trigun will cover for them.** Trey said telepathically.

"Don't do that!" Videl snapped and Trey fell over in his seat. "Don't get into my head like that..."

"Fine..." Trey said as he waved his hands. "But, it will be harder for us to talk verbally."

"I don't care... I don't like... hearing voices in my head." Videl whispered as she grabbed Trey's arm and dug her nails in.

Trey grimaced as he nodded. While he could take bullets and Ki blasts, having nails being driven into his skin still hurted. He could understand that a normal person could hardly handle hearing a voice inside his or her own head. "I see..." Trey said as he looked down. "I understand that yesterday is a little overwhelming..."

"That's an understatement." Videl grumbled.

"But, we have to talk about it sooner or later and telepathy is the best way without drawing attention." Trey whispered as he looked at the other students who were starting to stare.

"After school." Videl vowed, "Or when we are in private. Let's go."

Videl stomped to class and Trey just sighed. Without Gohan around to make him grin, it would be one long day.

*****

The day passed slower than usual as Trey and Videl sat in their classroom. There were no crimes for Videl and Trigun to stop and distract them, so they were forced to endure science class.

"And so the primates are similar to man, they are both mammals, they walk on their hind legs most of the time and most importantly, they have opposable thumbs much like we humans." Professor Tori Yamma said as he pointed to a monkey. "Oddly enough, there are no known humanoid monkeys or apes except for some legendary giant ape beast that had roamed areas like Mt. Pazoa. Of course, they are merely myths."

"Unless you know Gohan." Videl muttered under her breath.

Trey sighed as he took his notes. He could understand Videl's anger and frustration. After all, she did found out that Gohan the Nerd could transform into a giant ape which could destroy worlds and that their current PE teacher could fly.

"What did you say, Ms. Satan?" The professor asked.

"Nothing." Videl replied, "It's just been a long day..."

"I see..." The professor kept on reading. Trey frowned at Videl's outburst. He wanted to use telepathy but that was out of the question. He didn't want Videl to accidentally spill Gohan's secret.

He took out a sheet of paper and wrote, (Videl, you have to let out the tension.) He reached over and passed the note to her.

Videl scowled and wrote back, (I don't have any tension.)

(Yes, you do. I can smell it. Please, we have to talk as soon as possible. You can't hide from it forever.) Trey argued as he scribbled on the paper.

(Watch me.) Videl wrote back and crossed her arms.

Trey growled and his pencil was crushed in his hand. **She's so stubborn! What does Gohan see in her?** He thought frustrated.

The day dragged on, and without Gohan to help him, the bullies attacked Trey mercilessly. Videl watched the warrior take the namecalling and teasings with a calm face. How could he handle such torment? A part of her felt guilty for actually encouraging such behavior. After all, everyone believed that her father was right and anyone else who disagreed with him was wrong.

Finally, the two left the school. Videl closed her eyes as she sat on the bench feeling like she had ran a marathon. "Okay..." She muttered as she glared at Trey. "let's talk."

"Good." Trey said relieved as he sat next to her. "We can talk in private."

The two looked around and went into a nearby alley. "I can't believe this day is over!" Videl exclaimed. Before Trey could say another word, Videl's watch beeped.

*"Ms. Satan! Another supervillianess is here! She's at the Wonderful Life Theater! Oh, and Saiyanman and Trigun should get here too!"* The voice quiped.

"We'll be there!" Videl boomed as she got out her helecopter capsule and expanded it. She heard a sneeze and turned around to see Trigun standing where Trey used to be. "Are you going as well?"

"Saiyanman might be sick, so Trigun will pick up the slack." Trigun replied as he got out his twin pistols and loaded them.

"Right." Videl nearly trembled at the concept. Trigun and Trey seem so different. Trigun was grittier, less remorseful, and loved guns. Trey was in more control and seem to prefer mind power. How could Trey have such a different alter ego?

"Good." Trigun sat in the seat and lounged back. "Nice helecopter, must be top of the line." He said as he got out his sunglasses and slipped them on.

"Okay..." Videl flew the helicopter and asked, "So, Trey..."

"Trigun."

"Trigun, how did you change your hair and eye color like that?" Videl asked curiously.

"Family curse from my mother's side. Every time I sneeze, I change. Actually, before I gained more self control, Trigun was a gun-trotting lunatic and Trey was a calm martial artist. My mothers are a pair of nuts. One is sweet and a complete wimp while the other is a gun-trotting thief." Trigun explained as he leaned back.

Videl gawked and signed. "And you can't control the transformation?"

"Nope. I'm used to it. Now that we are playing twenty questions, mind if I ask a question?" Trigun asked as he smirked. "Did you tell the 'Great and Powerful' Hercule about what you know?"

"Of course not!" Videl screamed as she glared at the three eyed man and then looked up to see a building coming up fast. She pulled away in time and sighed in relief. "I didn't even see him. I rarely see my father unless he's on a billboard." She frowned as she stared outward. "He does call me on occasion but it's not like he has time for me, especially with the Tournament coming up in a few months."

"Sorry, I know what it's like to have a father who's there but not really there." Trigun confessed, "My old man barely pays attention to me unless I do something real impressive. But, that rarely happens. In fact, he died when I was four and took his sweet time getting back to life. I never forgave him for that."

Videl's jaw dropped and she asked, "What?! How did he come back to life?!"

"Long story, and Gohan can explain it better than me." Trigun replied, "Here we are."

Videl looked down to see a blue square where the theater should be just in front of them. It was an old vintage style movie theater with only two screens and no capsule technology. There was also a bright blue shield around the building. She landed the craft and came out with Trigun at her heels.

"Ms. Satan, I'm glad to see you!" The police officer said as he pointed to the theater. "A strange woman showed up and then this shield just appeared."

Trigun went up to the shield and put his hand on it. It was warm and inviting, and with his limited Ki sensing power, he couldn't sense anything more. "Is there anyone else inside?" Videl asked as Trigun observed it further.

"No... the building was closed for repairs." The officer replied. "We tried getting through, but nothing seem to break it."

"Good." Videl went up to Trigun and whispered, "Any idea on what it is?"

"No... it's not Ki based that's for sure. It's more like magic." Trigun muttered.

Videl reached up to feel the shield as well. It was warm, almost like electrified water. "Strange..." Videl whispered as the two held their hands on the shield. Suddenly, the shield moved forward and swallowed them whole.

"No!!!" The officer screamed as he ran up to the shield only to see it move back to its original spot. "Get some specialists here now!"

*****

Videl and Trigun stared around themselves to see a worn down building in front of them surrounded by the blue shield. "How did we get in?" Videl wondered as she walked.

"I don't... ah..." Trigun paused as he inhaled deeply. "Don't... ah... know... choo!!!" In a poof of smoke, Trigun transformed back to Trey.

Videl stared at him and asked, "How could you do that?" She couldn't help but feel nervous when a man changes form with a sneeze. She had seen this sort of transformation many times on TV but that was fiction and not reality.

"Like I said, I got it from my mom." Trey said as he put away the guns. "Let's go."

The two walked down the broken hallway. There were plaster and unfinished walls everywhere.

"You know, most things that are in the middle of building construction are hideous until they are finished." A voice said, and the two looked behind them to see a blond woman in a white skimpy outfit with a pair bunny ears on her head.

"What are you talking about?" Videl demanded, "Who are you?" Despite the woman's strange appearence, Videl felt nervous about her.

Trey stepped back from the strange woman. She had the same etherial feeling that the past supervillianesses had.

"I'm Alice." Alice introduced herself as she bowed, "Now, let me show you a place where reality is fiction and fiction is reality. Have fun!" She floated high into the air and a pair of soft wings came out of her back. A blue sphere came out of her hands and flew around them.

"No!" Trey screamed as he focused and put up a quick sheild but it was no use. The blue sphere split into two and went to their heads. Trey and Videl screamed as they felt exhausted and fell asleep.

*****

"No!" Videl screamed as she sat up in her bed. She looked around to see that she was in her bedroom. It was covered with posters of all sorts of martial artists and pop stars.

"Videl!" Hercule exclaimed as he ran in. "What happened?"

Videl stared at him. "Dad, what are you doing here?! I thought you were on that tour?" Videl asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"Tour?" Hercule repeated, confused. "What tour?"

"The Tour of the Champion?" Videl repeated, "You know, for defeating Cell."

Hercule laughed as he patted Videl's head. "That's crazy! I never defeated this 'Cell' and I'd never go on some 'tour'."

Videl laughed lightly as well as she nodded. "I had a crazy dream, Dad." She hugged him tightly and said, "Please, don't be famous. I don't want to lose you!"

"I'll try not to." Hercule replied.

*****

"Videl get back!" Trey screamed as he sat up in his bed. "Huh?" He looked around to see his room. But, something wasn't right. It was a normal room filled with martial artists posters and action figures. He looked at a blank wall where he had a sword on a stand but that was all.

"Trey-chan!" A woman came in. Trey stared at her. She was tall with blond hair but sweet blue eyes. She sat down and asked, "You were screaming. Are you okay?"

"I... had a weird dream." Trey confessed as he got out of bed and looked in a mirror. He was normal looking too, with his short blond hair and dark eyes. Then he touched his forehead. In his dream, he had a third eye. Why did it feel so strange now that he had two normal eyes?

"I told you not to drink cooka cola before bedtime, you get nightmares." Lunch chided.

"I know." Trey apologized as he lay back into his bed. "You know one of the strange parts of the dream. You had a freaky split personality that changes from sweet and innocent to deadly and seductive."

"Oh ho!" Lunch laughed as she kissed him. "You know I have mood swings, but just go to sleep. That was all just a silly dream. It's not real. You have school tomorrow!"

"Right." Trey lay down and looked out of the window.

*****

Videl sat in the school bus almost in a daze. Why does everything seem so funny? She shuddered as she thought about the freaky dream she had. It was so real to her. **I gotta cut down on the anime tapes.** She thought.

Finally, Trey got on and sat beside her. He yawned and leaned back. "Hey, Videl."

Videl stared at the man. He was wearing his normal clothes but no bandana. "Where's your bandana?"

"Mom washed it." Trey grumbled, "She insisted it was too dirty."

Videl gazed at Trey. There was something different about him that she couldn't describe. "Did you change your hair or something? You just look different."

"No, I just had a hard night." Trey replied as he shrugged.

"Me too." Videl yawned loudly. "Did you get your homework done?"

Trey frowned and looked at the report in his bag. "I think so. Was it a report on..." he paused as he read the title. His face froze as it read "The Myth of the Saiyan Race". **Saiyans? But, in my dream, they were real! I must've been researching so hard on this report, I saw them in my dreams. Freaky.**

Videl frowned as she looked at her report. "Mine is on... Gohan Son, the Warrior, Real or Fictional?" She gasped. **In my dream, Gohan goes to school with us!** She thought, **Maybe, I just conjured him up.** "Say, does a Gohan go to school here?" Videl asked Erasa.

"Hmmm... I can't say, if he's cute I would know his name though." Erasa chirped, "Why?"

"Just wondering." Videl said as she stared out of the window. **I can't let this dream get to me. Gohan's not real! He's not real!**

*****

Trey found himself staring out of the window as the teacher talked about some story called 'The Amnesia Saga'. In his dream, he could fly like a bird. The wind was in his hair and face. The air was his domain and he was free from the pressures of the ground. Of course, he didn't want to be like that dream. In his dream, he was a three-eyed telepathic freak with an absentee father and a lunatic as a mother. No, in reality, he have a pair of nice normal parents who loved him and would never leave him.

He sighed as he stared out of the window again. **But, still, it would be nice to fly like a bird.** He thought sadly.

Videl noticed Trey staring out of the window. Why was she taking such interest in him? Was it because of what she saw in the dream? In her dream, Trey was had the power of a god. He spoke in her mind like it was nothing, and had a third eye on his forehead. She couldn't tell him what she saw. He would think that she drank too much cooka cola before she slept.

"Are you paying attention, Ms. Satan? Mr. Troi?" Ms. Glish asked as she glared at the two.

"Yes, Ms. Glish." The two said in unison as they snapped their heads to see the woman.

"I hope so." Ms. Glish said as she continued to write.

Trey and Videl sighed as they pay attention.

*****

The day passed quickly for the two, and finally, it was time for lunch. Trey sat down and got out his lunch bag, which held was a ham sandwich, chips, and a glass of juice. **Nothing like in the dream.** Trey observed as he bit into his sandwich.

**Trey!**

Trey looked around for the voice. But no one seemed to notice anything. "Weird." Trey muttered as he shook his head.

Meanwhile, Videl was eating her lunch as well. She was hungry. She glanced up to see Trey eating alone and then looking around.

**Videl!** A voice cried out in her mind.

Videl glanced around confused. Did she imagine it? Or did someone call out to her and didn't know. "Must be my imagination." Videl chuckled to herself as she kept on eating.

*****

"And so, dinosaurs died off approximately 65 million years ago but it has been theorized that the birds are descendants of the mighty dinosaurs." Professor Tori Yamma droned on.

Trey sighed as he remembered the dinosaurs in his dream. They were cuter and almost docile. Of course, in his dream, he could take them on in one blast. He even took one for a pet. Why did he miss him so much? It was just a dream.

*****

The day passed by and Videl met Trey outside at school. They don't know why they had been feeling the urge to see each other. It could have been the dream they didn't know they shared. "So, Trey, what are you doing today?" Videl asked.

"I have to hurry home and deliver some newspapers." Trey said as he went onto the bus. "You have to work today too?"

"Yeah, Dad has been working hard at the gym lately. He needs all the help he can get." Videl smiled slightly. She and Hercule worked together at a small gym he owned. There, he teaches most of the exercise classes and martial arts with the help of the wise, old, but perverted Master Roshi. "Why don't you join us? You're strong."

"Nah, my dad teaches me just fine." Trey replied as the bus moved, "Besides, I like doing papers."

"Okay..." Videl muttered as the bus rolled on.

*****

Trey ran as fast as he could with a load of papers in his sack. His back ached slightly, but he was glad to contribute. As he rushed to the next house, he stopped and saw a small white rabbit sitting in the yard. He stared at the small bunny as it looked at him and hopped away. "Odd, I've never seen a white bunny here before." He muttered as he shook his head.

**Trey!**

Trey looked around nervously for the voice. It was urgent but it came out of nowhere. What could it be? Was it his imagination? Or was it a sign that things weren't right.

"Are you okay, Trey?" Trey looked up to see a girl in black standing next to him.

"Yeah, Kai." Trey replied as he noticed the white bunny was gone. "Say, does anyone here own a white rabbit?"

"Not that I know of. But, are you sure you saw a white rabbit?" Kai Shi asked as a hint of mystery hung around her. "You could be seeing things," she suggested helpfully.

"No, there was a white rabbit here. But I probably shouldn't worry so much. After all, it's just a bunny." Trey figured.

"Just a bunny." Kai Shi agreed as she walked away. "Then why were you worrying about it?"

Trey opened his mouth to answer but couldn't. **Why am I worrying about a white bunny?** He thought.

*****

"That's it, one two, one two." Hercule said as he led a group of young women in the aerobics class.

Videl was cleaning the counter as she watched Master Roshi carefully. Master Roshi was a wise old man who could handle anyone half his age, but he was a pervert as well. One of her many duties was to make sure Master Roshi didn't peek at any of the female attendants or worst, female customers.

**Videl!!!** A voice reached her. She looked up to see that the only people in the room were Master Roshi and a young blond woman sitting in the distance wearing a white leotard and a pair of white bunny ears. There was something odd about the strange woman. She glanced up and smiled slightly.

"Who are you?" Videl asked.

"A newcomer." The blond replied as she got up and walked out.

Videl glanced at Master Roshi, who was 'reading' a magazine and asked, "Master Roshi, did you know that woman?"

Master Roshi looked up and asked, "What woman?"

At once, Videl facefaulted in shock. Master Roshi was one of those who could smell a beautiful woman a mile away. "What do you mean? There was a beautiful woman in tights and bunny ears sitting next to you!"

"Well..." Master Roshi looked around and said, "If there's a hot babe here, I wouldn't miss her."

"She was here. I saw her." Videl muttered. **What is going on? Am I losing my mind?** She was worried. Ever since she had that dream, she had the strangest feeling that something wasn't right.

"Hmmm... maybe you just need to rest or talk to someone. What about that Trey guy?" Master Roshi hinted, "He's a good listener."

"Trey." Videl repeated. Trey seemed as distracted as her. Was it possible that he may have been suffering from the same dreams as she did? "Maybe; I had a strange dream last night. It was freaky. Like something out of a bad anime."

"Hmmm... well... dreams do serve some purpose that we don't know of." Master Roshi sagely said.

"Maybe after dinner, I'll go visit Trey." Videl said as she sat back at her desk.

*****

Trey wiped the sweat off of his brow as he sat down at the sofa. The sun was hot and the route was long, but he was finally done.

"Hey, son." Tien said as he came in and hung his gun on the coatrack as usual.

"Dad, how's work?" Trey said tiredly as his father went to the fridge, got out a bottle of sports drink, and sat next to him.

"The usual..." Tien replied as he smiled, "Got an assignment to check out some strange disturbances at Wonderful Life Theater."

"Wonderful Life Theater?!" Trey exclaimed as he jumped up. The Wonderful Life Theater was the last place he and Videl were in the dream. The place where it all began.

"You know the place?" Tien asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Just... a weird dream I had last night." Trey confessed, "We were freaks with third eyes on our foreheads and we could fly."

Tien laughed as he hugged his son. "That does sound weird but it's not real. Okay? Just ignore the dream."

"I'm trying." Trey said as he hugged back.

**Trey! Wake up!**

Trey looked around and shook his head. **Go away!** He thought.

*****

After a long day at work, Videl sat down at the table. She smiled contently as her father, her mother, and herself sat at a small table with their food in front of them.

In her dream, she often coped with eating alone by surrounding herself with servants. Yes, the food was richer and more plentiful, but she had to eat alone surrounded by strangers.

"Hmmm... this looks great, Mom." Videl said as she took her plate and started filling it.

"I know..." Suno, Videl's mother said as she started serving, "there's a great special today and I couldn't resist. How was work, dear?"

Hercule smiled as he took his food. "Oh, the usual. Some people showed up late... I had to cover for Jerry... oh, and Master Roshi was causing trouble. Other than that, everything's fine... except for the fact that every part of my body needs a good hot bath now."

"You work too hard sometimes." Suno chided, "Why don't you rest tomorrow?"

"No rest for the weary." Hercule commented as he leaned back in his chair.

Videl smiled slightly at the conversation. It was music to her ears. Her parents loved each other and her. There was no Cell arguments, no long silent moments of hatred before the divorce, just love. **Thank god, it was just a dream.** Videl thought as she tried not to cry.

*****

"More pie?" Lunch asked as she gave Trey another plateful.

"No thanks." Trey shook his head and laughed. "I am ready to explode." He couldn't help but remember his dream. In his dream, he often cooked his own food and eat alone. His father, who don't have a job just trained while his mother worked to earn and steal money. That was a dream. This is reality. His father was a successful detective and his mother was just a content housewife.

"You need to eat more." Lunch chided and then she paused. She inhaled deeply as she covered her nose. "Ahhh..." Trey held his breath. "*ACHOO!!!*" She sneezed and then she coughed. "Excuse me." She blushed slightly as she blew her nose on a paper towel.

Trey nearly fell over. Why was he so anxious about his mother sneezing? It wasn't like she could really change personalities with a sneeze. He shuddered as he thought about the curse. He hated the curse. It was the main cause of all his woes. It tore his mother away from him half the time and made it so he had to be on guard all the time. But, that was just a dream and in this reality, a sneeze is just a sneeze.

"Just a sneeze." Trey chuckled as he wiped his lips. "Mom, can I have a small piece of pie please?"

"Of course." Lunch smiled as she handed him a small piece of pie.

A doorbell rang and Tien got up. "I'll get it." Tien offered. Trey felt his head almost tingle as he looked up to see Videl walking in.

"Trey." Videl said as she came up, "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Trey replied almost hesitantly. "Wanna have some dinner?"

Videl shook her head. "I already ate. I was wondering how you were... you seemed distracted at school."

"I'm fine. I just had a bad dream last night." Trey said as he focused on Videl. He remembered that Videl was just as distracted as he was.

"Me too." Videl said, "May we talk alone, Mr. and Mrs. Troi?"

"Of course." Lunch said as she picked up her plate. "I understand." She giggled slightly and winked.

"It's not like that!" Trey argued as he blushed slightly. "Come on, Videl." He took Videl by the hand and led her to his bedroom. He sighed as he closed the door and stared at the woman. "So, you had a dream too?" Trey asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Yeah." Videl nodded as she sat down at the desk. "It had dinosaurs, giant monkeys, and you had three eyes!"

Trey's face paled as he nodded. "Me too. And Gohan and the Saiyans were there as well. Gohan went to the same school as us and he was a powerful superhero!"

"He posed stupidly and you were his partner, Trigun." Videl added as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"All that is true." Trey realized as he stood up. "Videl, we had the same dream!"

"Is that possible?" Videl muttered frantically, "How could we have the same dream?"

"I don't know." Trey put his hands on Videl's shoulders firmly. "But, we have to find out. There's something odd about these dreams and what's been going on. Everything feels out of place somehow. Something isn't right. I don't know what, but it's true."

**Trey! Videl!** The voice came again. Trey and Videl looked up and then at each other.

"You hear him too?" They asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, I heard him several times. I thought I was losing my mind." Videl said, "What does this mean?"

"I don't know." Trey frowned and then said, "But I do know one place where we can find out. The Wonderful Life Theater. We can go there tomorrow morning, since there's no school."

"Okay, tomorrow, at eight o'clock we'll meet there." Videl said as she set her watch. "Good night."

"Good night." Trey smiled as she got up and left the room. Trey watched her leave and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

*****

Videl ran as fast as she could. The streets were dark and lonely. She screamed as a dark figure ran after her. She didn't want to see who the figure was. "Leave me alone!" Videl screamed as she grabbed a crowbar and tossed it at the figure.

The figure caught it and it vanished.

Videl's heart raced as she ran again. "Why are you following me?"

The figure reached out and whispered, "Let me help you."

"NO!!!" Videl kicked the figure and he vanished in a poof of smoke.

Videl sat up and screamed. She looked around to see that she was in her room. "Just *gasp* a dream." Videl sighed in relief as she checked her clock. It was 7:30. "Oh shit!" She jumped out of bed and rushed to put on her clothes. She didn't want to be late for her meeting with Trey.

*****

Trey ran through the desert. It was nighttime and all was dark. A dark figure came up to him with the full moon against him. "Trey..." He moaned as he lifted his hand.

"Who are you?" Trey demanded as he stared at the figure. No matter how hard he tried, all he could see was a shadow.

"I don't know, but why should I know? I only know what you know." A man said with a distinct accent. Trey turned around to see a dark haired twin of himself in black leather and sporting a pair of silver pistols.

"Who are you?" Trey repeated as he stared at the stranger.

"I am your reflection, so to speak." The twin said as he grinned, "I'm Trigun." He shot the figure and he vanished in a poof of smoke. "Glad to get rid of him."

"This is a dream." Trey argued, "You're not real."

Trigun smirked as he got closer. "Is this a dream? Or is it reality? It's your call." Trigun said as he stared at the man. "Reality is a matter of perception. Right now, this is reality. I'm as real as you are."

"You are just a figment of my imagination." Trey accused, "You can't be real."

"I'm hurt." Trigun pouted, "On the other hand, you've never liked me. You always try to control me and harness my power. I let you do that, but right now I want you to get out of this stupid dream! I don't like being stuck here! WAKE UP!!!"

Trey snapped up in his bed. He looked around to see that he was in his room. What kind of dream did he have? "Weird..." He looked at the clock and screamed. "Damn!!!" It was 7:30 and he have to get ready for Videl.

*****

Trey and Videl ran as hard as they could to the Wonderful Life Theater. The two breathed heavily as they met. "Well... I made it." Videl gasped out, "*whew*"

"This is the spot." Trey realized as he looked at the 'do not disturb' tape that was wrapping the building like garland on a Christmas tree. "Damn..."

"Great, we can't just barge in there." Videl sighed as she sat down on the sidewalk, devastated. She had so many questions about what happened to her. She wanted to just go inside but that would be trespassing and she was not the type to break the law.

"And Dad would be mad if I get in there... he was assigned to investigate here."

"What are you two doing here?" Tien demanded as he came out of the shadows.

"Dad!" Trey gulped as he turned around. "Ummm... we need to get in here... you see... I know this sounds strange but we are doing a school project on this place and we need to study it."

"We won't disturb anything, Mr. Troi." Videl promised.

Tien frowned and then shook his head. "I don't think so. It's too dangerous in here."

Suddenly, the sky clouded up and rain fell. Bolts of lighting crashed from the sky and struck the street. "Gah!" Videl and Trey jumped as Tien scowled.

"Get in!" Tien warned as he opened the door and let the two in. After the three got in, Tien looked around. "Stay here." He warned, "I'll go and find a phone."

"Sure, Dad." Trey replied as Tien walked to the office. After the detective was gone, Videl sighed in relief.

"Good, now we can find out more about this place and about our dream." Videl said as she walked down the hallway away from the office.

Trey was about to protest but decided not to. Videl was right, it was a sign to make them go and find out.

*****

"Have you been here before?" Videl asked as she pulled out her flashlight and looked around at the strange hallway. The walls had been repaired but were still ugly. She had the strangest feeling that she had been here before.

"No. Did you?" Trey asked as he felt a strange tingle in his head. It was like an off headache but clearer somehow.

"No, but just deja'vu." Videl whispered when thunder cracked and rumbled through the air, making everything feel ominous.

"Yeah. Me too." Trey held his head as the dream became clearer.

**TREY!!! VIDEL!!!** The mysterious voice boomed inside their skulls. Videl and Trey grimaced as they held their ears. The voice was incredibly loud.

Videl had enough and tilted her head up and screamed, "WHO ARE YOU? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH US?" Thunder crashed outside, but it could very well be inside. The building shook as if it was trying to answer her pleas.

"Videl! Calm down!" Trey said as he put his hands on Videl's shoulders. "We gotta keep a clear head about this." He whispered.

"I know." Videl said as tears threatened to came down her cheeks. "I just feel like I'm losing my mind."

Trey sighed and then looked up. "I don't think you're the only one." He commented as he pointed forward.

Videl looked up and saw a pair of figures in a pale blue light. They were asleep but hovering in mid air. One was a tall man with three eyes and short blond hair. The other was a woman dressed in turtle shells. "They're... they're us!" Videl remarked as she went up to touch the figure only for it to ripple like a reflection in a pond.

"How is it possible?" Trey said as he stared at his counterpart. "They must be some kind of illusion. A hologram or some sort of vision."

"Or a peek of what you could be." A woman said as she stepped out of the shadows.

"Alice!" Trey and Videl screamed as they remembered the dream.

"What are these?" Trey demanded as he gestured at the images. "Are they us? Or some illusion?"

"Yes on both parts." Alice replied as she got up and hovered in mid-air. "You see, what you are experiencing is both a dream and a reality. It is my gift to you from my master."

"I don't understand." Videl growled as she marched up to the woman and stared up at her. "What do you mean?"

Alice sighed and tilted her head. "Don't you get it? That 'dream' is your past life. It was the life you had before I brought you here." She said as she gestured around.

Videl and Trey just gawked. Their dream was real. Everything they experienced was real. But why did this place feel so real too? "I thought you said this was real." Trey said confused.

"I did. You see, it's real because it's what you want to be real." Alice hinted as she smirked, "You mere mortals can't comprehend anything too complicated. You see, what you mortals experience is reality for you. This world, and the one you came from, are both real and yet still a dream."

"Then, if we want to, we can go back to the other world." Videl figured as she tried to wrap her mind around this concept of reality.

"If you want to, yes." Alice replied. "But, do you really want to go back? A world where hungry monsters are real? A world where your families are torn apart by lies and insanity? A world where aliens who can destroy the very sun are walking among us?"

Trey and Videl stared at each other. "Should we go back?" Trey asked as he grabbed Videl's hand. "I don't want to go back to that family where my mother is two people and my father doesn't care beans about me."

"I don't want to go back either." Videl said with tears in her eyes. "I didn't talk to my mother in years, my father is a egotistical liar who doesn't care about me, and... I don't want aliens who can kill me with a sneeze to sit next to me!"

**Trey! Videl! Please, come back!** A voice pleaded as another figure appeared and tried to shake the two.

Videl and Trey gasped at the man behind the mysterious voice. He was tall and had dark hair and dark eyes. He had a long monkey tail behind him and the look of fear in his face. "Gohan." Videl whispered as the man shook Videl lightly.

**Please, wake up.** He pleaded.

"Gohan... there's no Gohan here." Trey whispered as he thought of his friend. In the dream world, Gohan was there for him. He was his best and only friend.

Videl watched the man held her alternate's hand and wept. "Gohan." Videl could never understand the superpowerful geek. On one hand, he was a super powerful demi-alien who could destroy worlds with a finger. Yet, he was so nice and kind and gentle. Of course he didn't have much common sense and his poses were goofy yet she couldn't help but think about him constantly. He was the first one to even dare to treat her like an equal.

"We have to go back." Trey said with a determined look in his face. "This isn't our world. We can't throw away that."

"But, we're normal here." Videl argued, "And our families are together here and they love us."

"I know!" Trey looked down as tears threatened to come down his face. "But, are they even real? Or just created to make us happy?"

"I do have my duties back in that world." Videl commented finally, "And it would be nice to learn to fly."

"You would love it." Trey said as he stared at his friend. "I'll be right back!" He rushed off, leaving Videl and the other woman behind.

He ran as fast as he could till he saw his father looking for a telephone. Tien looked up and saw Trey and said, "I told you to stay where you are."

Trey shook as he stared at his normal father. This Tien stayed at home with him. This Tien loved him and actually cared for him. "Dad... I love you." He said as he hugged him. "Tell Mom I love her too." He said as he let go and ran off leaving the confused man behind.

Trey ran back to the two and breathed heavily. "I'm ready to go back."

"Wait." Videl held up her hand as she called on her cell phone. The phone rang and she said, "Daddy... I love you. Please, don't worry." She hung up and said, "Okay, I guess you want to go back?"

"Yeah. I am." Trey said as he stared at Videl some more. "We will lose these families."

"We already lost them." Videl said as she held his hand. "Okay, so what do we do? Click our heels and say 'there's no place like home?'"

"Let's just walk in." Trey said as he and Videl bravely walked into the image and vanish.

"Well... they chose." Alice commented as she noticed her master appeared in front of her.

"You did well, Alice." Kai Shi said as she came up. "Videl and Trey have grown wiser thanks to you."

"Yeah, but they lost their chance of happiness because of that." Alice pouted as the theater vanished around them.

"True, but in their moment of sorrow, they have grown stronger in their friendship." Kai Shi said as she stared up. "And that friendship will give them the power that would rival a Super Saiyan's. Besides, maybe they will fight to gain the families they always wanted in reality." Kai Shi and Alice vanished as an entire planet slowly faded away into nonexistance.

*****

Videl screamed as she sat up and looked around. They were in the theater but something felt different. Gohan was by their side and he sighed in relief.

"You finally woke up. I was getting worried about you for a moment." Gohan said as he pulled on his mask. "You were out for over twenty minutes. I was getting ready to take you to Bulma's."

"Twenty minutes?" Videl repeated as she got up. "We were only out for twenty minutes?"

"Makes sense." Trey commented as he got up and rubbed his head. "The mind does work faster than the body, and dreams do go faster than real time."

"We better get going." Saiyanman said as he opened the door. "The shield is gone but the officers will be worried about you."

"Hold on for a moment." Trey took out his pepper and sneezed. He transformed into Trigun and sighed in relief.

"That felt so good." Trigun confessed as he rolled his shoulders. "Let's go."

"Are you two okay?" Saiyanman asked concerned, "I mean, did that supervillianess hurt you?"

"Not really." Videl admitted as she stared up. "In fact, while I was in that wonderland... I never felt so happy in my life."

"What happened in there?" Saiyanman asked Trigun.

Trigun closed all three eyes and said, "Let's just say that we were in a dream world where my mother was one person, my father actually gives a damn about me, and no one could destroy a planet. I'll explain it later. Right now, I just want to get out of this place."

"Let's go home." Videl walked out of the door and stood on the street. The police gathered and asked if she was okay. She didn't listen. Instead, she looked up at a billboard where her father looked down proudly on top of the planet. "Oh, Father." She whispered as she ran away.

Saiyanman and Trigun watched the woman ran off and Saiyanman glanced at Trigun. "Is she okay?" Saiyanman asked concerned about his friend.

"I don't know. But I got to go home." Trigun pulled out his motorcycle capsule and toss it to the ground. He hopped onto the cycle and nodded to Saiyanman. "Oh... thanks for pulling us out. You are my best friend." Trigun drove off in a roar.

*****

After transforming back to his blond self, Trey came home and saw his father sitting on the couch. Tien was staring infront of a blank wall with an angry expression on his face. "Hey, Dad." Trey said as he sat on the chair. "What's up?"

"Gohan told me about that attack at the theater." Tien said calmly as he stared forward. "You should've called for Gohan from the start."

"He was busy and we thought we could handle it." Trey explained, "The guy just recovered from being a giant ape and nearly destroying the world, he needed the rest."

"I don't care." Tien whispered, "You shouldn't continue with this superhero business. You are only human, Trey. Let Gohan deal with the supervillians. He has more experience than you."

"But... I've fought virtually all my life!" Trey argued as he slammed his fist. "I can fly and blast and can destroy mountains with my bare hands!"

"You are only human!" Tien repeated, "I once died in a futile battle where my sacrifice didn't matter. I don't want you to suffer the same fate. Saiyans are superior to us. They are the defenders. We are the cannon fodder. Leave it to Gohan."

"No!" Trey screamed, "I won't!" His aura flared as the house shook. Guns and rifles appeared out of mid-air and landed around the two. "Humans have to be a part of the greater picture! We can't just rely on Saiyans to save us. Yajarobie was pathetically weak against Vegita, but he helped save us all. I may not be a Super-Saiyan but I won't just stand by and watch the fight! I am going to help Gohan!"

"If you don't stop..." Tien paused as he played his ultimate card. He had to save Trey's life. He remembered the first time he died trying to fight Piccolo. He remembered the time he died while fighting Nappa. He remembered how useless he was in the Cell Games. He remembered the way his son looked broken by Gohan in his arms. How his blood felt so warm on his hands. He had to fix it so Trey would only die once. "If you don't stop, you won't be my son anymore."

Trey gawked at his father. Did Tien just ask him to choose between being a defender to Earth and being his son? Why would he do that? Did Tien really have so little faith in his strength and skill that he would rather have no son than a dead son? He scowled as he turned away. "Well... then I won't be your son!" He screamed before he ran away.

Tien nearly fell over as the boy's departure shook the house, and then he realized how big of a mistake he had made. He didn't expect Trey to be that stubborn. "Trey! Wait!" Tien pleaded as he got out and stared up into the sky. "TREY!!!"

*****

It was a beautiful night and Gohan was catching up on his studies when there was a knock at the door.

Gohan got up and opened the door to see Trey standing there. His two main eyes were red and puffy, and his clothes were torn and dirty. "Trey? You okay?"

"No... can I crash here tonight? I had a fight with Tien." Trey said as he breathed heavily from his long flight.

"Don't you mean 'Dad'?" Gohan asked as he helped his friend in.

"No, Tien disowned me. He made me decide between being a defender and being his son. If he forced me to make a decision like that, then I won't be his son any more."

To Be Continued...