34.0
A pink house. An island in the sun. The waves, washing up and back down again in a steady, beautiful rhythm. The sounds of seagulls flying past overhead, and the sand on her boots.
Rhuda warped there, and had little idea where, exactly, she was, only seeing a man lounging on a chair some ways ahead of her.
"H-Hello?" She asked.
The man looked over. He was bald, wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt and shorts, with flip flops. Covering his eyes were a pair of dark sunglasses, and his shiny head caught the sun and almost blinded her. She watched as he set aside his magazine and slowly stood up, walking over to her with the gait of an elderly man.
"You made it at last. Took long enough for you to corrupt the game," he said lazily.
"Eh?"
Rhuda took a step backwards. He wasn't just some old man, but someone she knew. That face and voice she'd heard before. It was 'him. The man in Tokyo, who'd given her the DVD case!
Her tail sank between her legs in fear. Just what was he doing here, on this island of all places?
He picked earwax from his ear and said, "You probably don't know who I am. My name is Master Roshi, at least in this game. But I'm from the same place you are. You see, we needed someone just like you to play the game. That's my job. Finding the 'players'."
"Someone like me? Ano--what does that mean?"
Roshi nodded to himself. "Eh, it means that you fit the bill, kid. In every way. Nobody would miss you, and that lame brain of a father you have wasn't going to ask too many questions. He was...easy, to take care of."
Ice traveled down her spine and caused the girl to shiver in fear. What did he mean, take care of? Did he kill her father, then?
"W-W-hat do you mean! What did you to do him?!"
His sunglasses glinted a little. Roshi smirked, "We killed him. He wasn't much use to us. Only you were, and now that the game is corrupted, we only need that body of yours."
"N-No! S-Stay away!"
Rhuda turned to fly away when she bumped into a hard chest. It was a strange looking man wearing a black cloak. He had two swords at his waist, white hair, and purple skin. His brows shot up and his red eyes gleamed. His expression and voice didn't match. "We finally meet. Put 'her there!"
He stuck out his hand. Rhuda merely stared at it in fear.
"Aww, c'mon. I've been wanting to meet the tiny vessel for awhile now." He said. "I'm Fu. I'll be your grim reaper today~!"
Fu was a strange creature. She shook her head and fell down to her feet, almost hyperventilating.
Trunks! Please, come save me!
Fu sighed and shook his head a little. "So shy. Oh well. Hmm, that snazzy watch you're wearing, it wouldn't happen to be a save point would it?" The red in his gaze glinted dangerously.
Her hand automatically covered the watch.
"Ha! Trunks Briefs never ceases to amaze me. If only he weren't so...'good." Fu said 'good' with revulsion. "Always butting into my experiments. Well, we can't have that now can we?"
He teleported to Rhuda and grabbed her arm, cracking the watch into half.
"No!" She shouted.
The watch! Now I can't undo all of this!
Hopelessness filled her body. She trembled, seeing nothing but her death ahead of her. Fu cocked his head a little, amused, and pushed his glasses up. "...Now then. Where was I?"
Master Roshi cleared his throat behind them. "You were going to kill her, so we could get this over with. All we need is her shell."
"Ah."
Fu pulled out his swords, stepping away to do so. They shone in the light of day, glowing purple. "...I can't wait to see the results." He said with an evil smirk. "...It was nice knowing you, Chisato Shino~!"
He swung towards her--
"--Trunks!"
***
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***
Trunks woke from his unconscious state, swinging himself up and barfed up all his accounts onto the grass. "Huuk!" He'd spent the last minutes after biting Chisato going back into time, seeing his girlfriends life through her eyes. There wasn't anything withheld. From the time she'd been able to store away long memories, those were now a part of Trunks own. It was truly a lucky thing that his mind was capable of holding all that information. Any other person wouldn't have been able to, and probably became a vegetable.
His blue eyes squinted open to see SS4 Goku in front of him. He was at the Nest, somehow, but where was Chisato? He had to get to her!
"G-Goku..." he groaned, holding his head where a throbbing headache had set in.
Goku looked back to him. "You're up! It's about time. Ginyu took over Zamasu, and we need a little help pinning him down."
Trunks slowly stood. He was still shaking, as if having fought off death itself, well---he 'had' saw Chisatos' death, and that was enough.
"...I...need to do something, first." He said.
"Do something?"
"Goku, do you think you could IT me to Capsule?" Trunks asked.
"...Now? Well, uh, we're kinda in the middle of battle..."
Trunks grabbed his shoulder. "It's important. If I don't do this, everything here could perish!"
Slowly Goku nodded. "Alright. Let me see if I can pick up on Bulma." His lined eyes shut for a moment, before his hand he held out for Trunks to take. "Got a lock. Let's hurry, Trunks!"
"Yes."
ssfwwss
They'd made it to the LAB of Capsule, scaring his mother. She had been sitting at her desk looking over blueprints, and the coffee in her hands spilled across the papers. "Ah! Oh, Goku, Trunks, it's just you. What the heck, guys! You just gave me a damn heart attack!"
"Sorry, mother." Trunks bowed. "I...needed to get here as quickly as possible."
Bulma sighed a little and looked over her ruined mess. "Well, sorry isn't going to fix this mess. But okay. I forgive you."
Trunks left Goku standing to go to his own place within the recess of the LAB, going directly to the vault in the wall, which is where he stored his notebook. After typing in a complex string of keywords it opened, and he grabbed the notebook. Trunks flipped to a blank page and wrote instructions for himself to follow.
He placed the notebook back and locked it up. Then turned to Goku. "I'll explain everything later. But for now, I apologize for this, but.."
Trunks pulled the save point from his trench coat and hit 'load'.
***
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***
Rhuda blinked. Trunks was kneeling, smiling and flustered, and she had been reaching her hand out to him. She pulled away. "Wha?"
"Everything okay?" Trunks asked.
"No--I was--Trunks--!"
She fell to her knees and wept.
Not understanding, Trunks pulled her to him. "W-We don't have to get married, I mean, if that's a p-problem--"
"--You, you saved me...Trunks saved me."
"Huh? I did?"
Her head nodded. "Hic!"
"So...I had to load the game, then?"
"Y-Yes. You did...Fu was there, and he--he--" Rhuda broke off into sobs, explaining everything she could to him, and Trunks tried to decipher her tear filled words as best as he could.
"I...see. The ending of the game was triggered, then."
Trunks stood. "If I used the Load feature, then I should have left something to go off of for myself. The Vault inside Capsule is the only place I left out of the data collection. I...had a feeling it'd be important."
Rhuda nodded. "Then, we need to go there?"
His watch rang.
Just as Trunks began to answer, Rhuda grabbed his arm. "No! Don't! Don't answer that!"
"...I-I won't, then."
She gave a little sigh of relief. "That triggered the scene for me. As soon as I went to the Nest, SKOT gave me a scroll, and that's where they were, waiting."
"I understand. Let's get going, then. I'll fix the Ginyu mess later."
They went to Capsule as fast as possible, and once there, further on the two traveled, down the elevator until reaching the main LAB. Trunks greeted his mother, who eyed Rhuda behind him. "Mother. Is it coming along?" He asked.
"This? Oh, yeah, you BET it is. This thing will be great for us when it's all done!" Bulma said.
"That's good. I'm just going to the vault a moment. Rhuda, do you want to stay here?" He asked.
"S-Sure."
Trunks left. Rhuda looked around the LAB, seeing the simulator still in pieces, and a lot of parts lying around. The large room was filled with different machines, computers, and desks, all for the different things Capsule Industry made. Rhuda didn't have to wait long for Trunks, and when he'd returned, she saw that his entire face was red.
"Eh? Ano, Trunks? Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.
"F-Fine. Let's go."
"Okay. I-It was nice seeing you, Mrs. Bulma." Rhuda bowed.
Bulmas blue eyes twinkled. She smiled at Rhuda and said, "You too, sweetie! Come back anytime, okay?"
"Y-Yes!"
They left the LAB. As soon as the door shut behind them, Trunks clasped Rhuda to his chest. "...I...need to take you somewhere safe. There's only one place where they can't sense your energy."
"Me? W-What about you?"
"...I can't stay long. I have to do something else. I'm sorry, Chisato, but I can't tell you what it is. If I do, they'll know."
"A-Alright, then."
Trunks led her back to Conton City. There they flew over past the Mushroom Forest, and at the back, against the rock cliffs and rising shrooms, Trunks pointed down. "The Hyperbolic Time Chamber is just down there. C'mon."
The HTC was a white structure built into the cliffs. White columns held up the entrance. There were two levels, almost middle eastern in construction, and a man with harem pants and turban guarded the door.
"Mr. Popo," Trunks greeted. "I need to borrow the HTC. Just for a while."
"Hmm. And who is this?" Mr. Popo asked.
"This is my girlfriend, Rhuda."
"H-Hello," the girl greeted with a bow. "Nice to meet you."
Trunks led her inside and shut the door behind them. He sighed, leaning his head on the white door and said, "...I have to bite you now, Chisato."
"E-Eh?"
"...That was part of my instructions. It's important."
"..."
Trunks turned with a smile. "I'll be okay. I'll pass out for a bit, but that's only because my mind will be getting all of your memories. Don't worry, okay?"
"...T-Trunks will...get m-my memories?"
"Yeah. I need them to understand what to do." He walked over, pulling her to him. "If I hurt you let me know, okay? I-I'll try to be gentle."
"..." The girl was too flustered to respond, but nodded mutely.
He brushed aside her hair and leaned a little down, seeing as she was shorter, and kissed her neckline. Tiny goosebumps developed across her skin. His mouth opened, and she whimpered, hands going around his waist. There she dug her fingertips into his ribs.
"Chisato..." he said, "...it's going to be okay. Relax, alright?"
"Y-Yes."
Still she trembled. She felt his teeth then, lightly clamping to her neck. A tiny sound came from her mouth and he withdrew, placing his head to her forehead. "...What's wrong, Chisato?" He asked.
"...T-Trunks...I'm scared..."
"I'll be right here the whole time."
"I-I know. But...you'll see everything...a-and..." her face twisted into sadness. "I don't want you to."
"...Then...to..make it fair, after I wake up, you can bite me, too. Would that be alright? We should have time, since it's different here."
"...Y-Yes..."
He smiled. "I love you, Chisato. Don't be scared."
Her eyes filled with tears and she tilted her head, offering her neck again. Trunks wrapped one arm around her lower waist, the other cupping the nape of her neck. Slowly he sank his teeth in.
Sharp pain brought tears to her eyes but it faded, turning to a melting of her senses. The breath in her ear tingled, as did the warm heat from his touch searing into her body as he suckled. He groaned and tightened his grip, and Rhuda realized she was moaning, her hands sliding up his backside.
Trunks finished and licked the rest away, leaning back. He shut his eyes. "...Catch me, Chisato..."
Just as before she caught him to her, and held his heavy weight, easing them both to the white floor. There she cradled him to her, wondering what it was like to see the 'real' world for the first time. If he'd be alright. If it would change their relationship.
Chisato Shino didn't know that their love would change everything, forever.