Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A Time Mixup! ❯ It's Not Over Yet... What is happening to Trunks and Goten?! ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter 12

It's not over yet…

What is happening to Trunks and Goten?!

Trunks sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. He was standing in the bathroom, staring at his reflection as if he was seeing himself for the first time. He wasn't surprised that his hair was long again, he was just a little horrified. His mother had cut it really short when he'd gotten back-after she had stopped crying. It seemed like an eternity ago that he had been on Spira, frightened and alone. But he'd also been happy on Spira-for a little while at least. He'd played Blitzball, crushing the competition, and fought Sinspawn with some ease. But, that had all ended with his father and Goku had found him. Of course, Trunks wasn't angry that he was home-no, on the contrary, he'd done his own share of crying when he had walked in the door. Home meant security and safety, monotony and familiarity. Spira had been chaos and fear, newness and oddness-everything that he hadn't needed after blowing up the time machine, which had, he noted, nearly killed Goten, not to mention himself.

Goten. Trunks shuddered when he thought of how bad his little friend had looked only a day before. One day… Boy did he need a soda. He shook his head, moaning. He had a bit of a headache, and that headache got worse when he thought of exactly how long he'd been gone. A week, tops. That was all-and now his life was changed forever because of it. He exited the bathroom, and walked downstairs, trying to make his approach as nonchalant as possible. He already knew that the price for his growing hair would be a horrified scream from his mom, and then an attack from a pair of scissors. And this time, he probably wouldn't be so lucky to get his old hairstyle back. He rounded the corner that would lead him into the kitchen, and almost had a head on with his mother. That was what scared Trunks. Over night he had grown so much… He was now almost to his mother's chin-about as tall as his father stood. Bulma cursed as she hit the ground. She stood up, not immediately looking at Trunks.

"Vegeta! God, why don't you watch it?! Didn't you see-" Bulma turned and looked at Trunks. Her face drained of color instantly, as though someone had flipped a switch. Trunks had only been about four inches taller than usual when he'd gotten back, but now… Now he appeared to be nearly two feet taller. Bulma screamed, stumbling back, her eyes going wide. Trunks cried out too, stepping forward to catch Bulma as she drained of all of her remaining color before falling forward. Vegeta was suddenly there, however, catching Bulma before Trunks could. He glared at Trunks, but his glare also seemed to melt into a look of alarm. Vegeta spoke quietly, his eyes narrowed.

"Get her some tea." His voice was steady and cool-the usual Vegeta tone. Trunks nodded and stumbled past his parents, gagging a bit in his far-to-tight pajamas. He did as he was told, and brought the tea to his mother, who was now laying on one of the couches in the living room. She stared at Trunks in shock, her blue eyes taking him in. Vegeta had evidently stepped out for a moment, and Trunks wondered why-after all, it wasn't every day that Bulma nearly fainted. Finally, his father returned, this time with some clothes. They were plain clothes-some jeans and a shirt. Vegeta handed them to Trunks, who blinked at them in surprise.

"A few years ago, a man about your build stayed here. These were his." Vegeta offered the explination in a quick tone that tipped Trunks off that he wasn't going to get a better explanation. The young half-Saiyan only shambled off to the bathroom where he changed into the new clothes. They were much too big for him-whoever had worn them first had been very built, not to mention taller. Trunks took the liberty of borrowing one of his father's belts before returning to the living room. Vegeta scoffed at his son.

"Too big, eh? Well…" Vegeta stopped for a moment, his voice going quiet. "At least you haven't gotten… That big."

Bulma was sitting up now, her eyes trained on Trunks. She shook her head in a daze, her eyes confused.

"Are you from the future?" She asked softly. Trunks shook his head.

"No… No mama." He said softly. "I'm Trunks-from this time. Something's wrong with me though-I keep growing."

"Growing?" Bulma looked at him, her eyes horrified. She stood up and dashed to her son. "Growing?! How long has it been happening?!"

"About…" Trunks looked at the ground. He knew the reaction he'd get. "About maybe three days or so…"

"Three days?!" Bulma looked him over. "You've changed this much in three days?!"

Trunks looked at Vegeta.

"I told you that we shoulda told her."

Vegeta shot Trunks a look full of daggers-a look that affectively shut Trunks up. Bulma looked at her son, her eyes tearing up.

"My poor baby… You must be so scared…" Bulma hugged Trunks, sobbing. Trunks blinked, surprised. He'd never seen his mom cry… He hugged her back weakly. They stood that way for nearly three minutes, when suddenly Vegeta let out a cry.

"Bulma! Let go of Trunks!"

Bulma turned around and blinked at Vegeta.

"Why?"

Trunks saw why his father had cried out so suddenly, and his heart froze.

His mother's hair…

It had its usually shiny and vibrant look, but… Now it had something else. There were now two solid streaks of silver framing her face. Her face appeared to be a little aged-but it wasn't as shocking as the streaks. Why had his mother aged when she had hugged him? He backed away from her, and spoke softly.

"Mama… Your hair…"

"My… Hair? Is it messed up?" Bulma looked at the reflective surface of the coffee table. Her eyes widened, and she reached up, touching her hair. "My… My HAIR!!!! What happened to it?! Why…" She looked at her son wide-eyed. "Why did I get older when I touched you?!"

Trunks shook his head.

"I don't know. I thought… That it only affected me."

Vegeta blinked.

"Is it contagious maybe?"

Bulma shook her head.

"I don't think so. Unless it's a disease… Which I guess it could be."

Trunks turned and looked at the surface of the coffee table as well. His face looked like that of someone who was fourteen or fifteen-but it wasn't only his body that was aging. It was his mind… It was as though time for him was sped up-everything from his own physical aging to his maturity. The only thing he lacked was experience. Bulma took his hand rather reluctantly, and spoke softly.

"It's gonna be okay. I'm going to find out what's doing this to you-even if it takes years."

"Do I… Have that long?" Trunks looked at his hands, feeling sick. "I mean, if I changed this much in a few days… Then what would years do to me?!

"You don't have years." His father was sharp tongued and urgent, his brown eyes darting between his son and wife. "I'll be surprised if you have another month. You said that you didn't change that much in the beginning, right? Well… It's happening faster now. Would it be so far fetched to assume that you could wake up thirty years older tomorrow morning?"

Trunks's heart froze. He hadn't thought of that. Bulma suddenly spoke up, her voice surprisingly optimistic.

"I've got it." She looked at her son, her eyes happy. "We can wish you back to normal. We can wish for this ailment to be removed from you!" She smiled, waiting for praise, but Vegeta shook his head.

"We already used the Dragonballs to get Trunks back. They won't be back for another six months. He'd be dead by then. And besides… Do you really want him to live like this for six months?"

Bulma bowed her head.

"No…"

Trunks closed his eyes.

"If we could only find out why I'm aging! I mean-why did it affect you Mama? Why?!"

Neither of his parents seemed to be able to answer. They just looked at one and other silently. Finally, the silence was broken by a shrill ring that made them all jump. Trunks laughed when he realized what it was.

"Just the phone." He said brightly. He dashed to the kitchen and picked up the phone-which he could now easily reach. He opened the channel and smiled when he saw Chichi's happy face in the view screen. Her happiness seemed to dissolve when she saw Trunks.

"Trunks?!" She exclaimed. Trunks nodded.

"Yeah. It's me. I… Well, I changed just a little." He looked at her, smiling as happily as he could. "Is Goten awake?"

Chichi nodded.

"He… He woke up a few hours ago and ate practically everything edible in the house-the poor thing didn't have any food for nearly two days!"

Trunks winced.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Chichi… I should have never…"

Chichi shook her head.

"It's okay, Trunks. I know the feeling of rebellion that you kids go through. At least everyone's back safe…" She paused as if worried, and then she spoke softly. "Actually, there is something the matter with Goten."

"With Goten?! He isn't ageing, is he?!" Trunks was horrified. Not Goten too… He thought, his heart pounding. Chichi shook her head.

"Well… You see… Things have been…Well, disappearing when they touch him."

"What kinds of things?" Trunks was a little interested. He suddenly cracked a joke. "They aren't edible things, are they?"

Chichi shook her head.

"This is serious! He touches something-and it vanishes! Only little things seem to disappear now-but… What if it gets worse?! That's why I called-I want to see if maybe Bulma can counter the effects…"

Trunks was silent for a moment, and he glanced back towards the direction of the living room.

"Bring Goten over." He said, his voice commanding. "I want to see these effects myself."

Chichi blinked at Trunks in surprise.

"But… What can you do?"

Trunks looked at his own hand.

"I want to do an experiment. Please, Chichi-san…"

Chichi gave him a far away look.

"You know… What ever happened to you Trunks-It's really made you like an adult-not just physically, but… You even sound like an adult."

Trunks moaned.

"Don't remind me. It's like this nightmare refuses to end."