Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.
 
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."
 
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)


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 	AND NOW ON WITH....


	Chapter 8: It's never easy.


	
	If there was something Trunks was grateful for, it was certainly 
Juuban's tall buildings. When being on top of one, not only you could enjoy 
the action on the streets from a general perspective, but you also remained 
hidden from everyone bellow. Right now, the Saiyajin hybrid, dressed in his 
'Son Goku' outfit, was enjoying such privileges as he witnessed a fight 
between the Sailor Senshi and a group of Raiders. Assault Raiders, like that 
man Eron used to call them. 

	Judging from previous battles, his time to interfere would come soon. 
Since the fight in the park about two week ago, the enemy had shown more 
interest in studding the Outer Senshi and him instead of the Inner Senshi. 
A move to be expected from them, and a move Trunks played along with. 
Although he wasn't planning on giving his enemies any tips regarding his 
true powers. That's why he made sure of finishing every fight in which he 
entered as fast as possible. At least this would encourage the 'leaders' in 
showing up sooner and taking matters in their own hands. 

	Something forced his attention away from the battlefield. Son Goku 
slowly moved his head to his right and looked above his shoulder in order 
to see the two new presences he felt. He sighed. This was going to be 
tedious.

	"I already know what you are going to tell me." he said. "I already 
know that I'm not welcomed here by you two."

	"Well, since you seem to know so much, then get lost, Shinobi!" 
Uranus spat. "We don't need outsiders in this fight!"

	Uranus and Neptune. A constant nag in all fights. Trunks didn't knew 
if they took some pleasure by being rude or if they were simply xenophobic 
by nature, but one thing remained clear, they didn't like him. Didn't even 
referred to him as Son Goku, but use the term 'Shinobi' instead, while doing 
a great job in giving it a very contemptuous significance.

	"This is my fight as well." Son Goku told them. "I believe I've 
already told you that more than once."

	"Well this is our territory," Neptune countered. "And I believe 
we've told you that more than once as well."

	This was getting nowhere. But then again, with those two, it never 
did. So, instead of getting involved in a senseless discussion, Trunks 
decided that it was time to interfere in the fight. With a jump, he left the 
building's roof, completely ignoring the two Senshi.

	Uranus ran to the edge of the roof and saw how the shrouded figure 
was now standing on top of his flying cloud, heading towards the Inner 
Senshi with his Bo staff ready for battle. Once again, the mysterious 
warrior had utterly ignored her. Her blood began to boil, but she decided 
that for now heading back down to the fight was a more urgent matter.

**********

	Venus had just dispatched two more Assault Raiders when more began 
to appear through a portal. She didn't know how her friends were handling 
things, considering that everyone had split up the moment the fight began, 
but she was obviously too busy right now to figure it out.

	She certainly felt relieved when she saw a familiar figure flying 
towards them in a yellow cloud.

	"About time reinforcements showed up." she muttered.


	Exploiting the speed his flying cloud gave him, Son Goku took his 
Bo staff with both hands and swung it against a group of nearby Raiders, 
knocking the creatures a couple of yards away as well as probably killing 
them. He then jumped out of his transport, landing with a kick on top of 
another cat creature.

	As expected, the number of Raiders suddenly multiplied now that the 
main target had decided to join the fight. Monsters began to fall from the 
sky... literally, as new portals immediately opened above the defenders' 
heads, especially around Son Goku.

	"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!"

	But more cat monsters kept coming. The Senshi began to wonder if 
some of them were hiding inside near trash cans before the battle started. 

	With a few swings of his staff, Son Goku shook the creatures off him. 
Then he switched to the punching part of the fight, making sure that the 
Raiders wouldn't get up later. From the corner of his eye he managed to see 
that the Senshi were holding their own as well. But a particular one was 
about to get hit from behind without her being aware of it. 

	Makoto suddenly saw how Son Goku began to charge towards *her*. 
Feeling how Haruka's warnings about him being a possible enemy came out to 
the surface, the girl quickly raised her arms in a defensive stance. What 
she didn't expected though was for the shrouded figure to jump and deliver 
a flying roundhouse kick two feet above her head. It all made sense seconds 
later when the Thunder Senshi heard the sound of something falling from 
behind. A Raider had sneaked behind her and certainly might have hit her if 
it wasn't for the Monkey God.

	"Thanks." she said to the man in front of her.

	Trunks didn't answer. For the passing second, he felt mesmerized by 
the girl's green eyes. Fortunately, the conscious part of his brain reminded 
him of the fight they were still having and how his job wasn't over yet. 

	"Thank me once the fight is over." he responded, heading towards 
another group of Raiders. 

	The fight went on. With heroes and villains giving their best effort. 
Still, it wasn't a big surprise to see the good guys arise victorious in 
this occasion. The noisy streets of Juuban fell in a deep silence once the 
last Raider hit the ground. Nothing was heard except for the panting from 
the heroes. 

	"Son Goku?" Moon asked, "Where did he go?"

	"Gone, just the same way he showed up." Uranus answered, her voice 
filled with hostility. "Next time, he won't get away."

	"Uranus, don't you think you're overreacting?" Mars told her. "So 
far the only thing he's done is helping us."

	"Never trust a Shinobi." the Outer Senshi countered. 

**********

	All this... chaos. Things shouldn't be happening this way. As the 
Guardian of Time she knew the future of the planet should be unfolding 
differently. This new challenge was everything she didn't expect. Everything 
that shouldn't be. 

	It had to be solved. 

	But how? 

	Most people would worry from hearing this from her, since, after all, 
it was Pluto who knew all the answers, or most of them at least. Right now, 
the Time Senshi wished she had a least a clue about the enemy. This was 
certainly a new experience: not knowing what's happening. And it wasn't a 
pleasant one.
	
	The Gates of Time. Her sanctum in some way, and a place she hadn't 
been unable to enter ever since the whole mess began. An unknown force had 
opposed her entrance, but she could feel it weakening now. She would enter 
this time and she was going to find some answers about the enemy as well. 

	Concentrating on her time staff, the Senshi began to synchronize 
with the Gate, aiding it to fight the purple aura which had it locked. She 
could feel some progress. The seal was giving in. 

	"What's this?" echoed a voice. "A fly has just entered my web?" 

	The words broke Setsuna's concentration. What was this voice which 
sent chills down her spine? 

	"I suspected that this door wasn't here by coincidence." the voice 
went on, "And as I imagined, it has a guardian as well. Glad to finally meet 
you, my dear lady."

	"Who is this?" Pluto shouted. 

	"The one who sealed your door, obviously." he said. "And you, my dear, 
have just walked into my trap."

	Everything went dark for Setsuna. She didn't even knew what hit her. 
When she woke up, something was different. Everything around her was made of 
a purple crystal structure. To her horror she realized that it wasn't a 
crystal wall which had been set up around her, but instead, she had been 
locked inside a crystal. 
	
	She pressed her hands against the surface of her prison trying to 
budge it but was unsuccessful. Then she hit it with her staff and used her 
Dead Scream getting the same results. 

	Everything looked gigantic outside. The Gates of Time, which were 
already quite big, seemed infinite now, for she couldn't see where did they 
end no matter where she turned her head. Setsuna assumed that she had been 
shrunken and that this was how an ant saw things. 

	"Please make yourself confortable." echoed the voice. "Because you 
will be locked there for a while."

	"What do you plan to do with me?" Pluto asked. 

	"For now, nothing." he responded, "But I will have your Essence 
Sphere eventually. As a matter of fact you're quite lucky since I can't take 
it away from you from where I am. But rest assured that it *will* be mine. 
For now, please excuse me if I take more interest in the other Sailor Senshi. 
After all, I don't think you'll be going anywhere."

	"Wait! Who are you??"

	She didn't get an answer. 

**********

	Walking along the streets of Juuban was Makoto Kino. Like always, 
once a month, she was heading to Nerima in order to visit her friend Ukyou. 
On her right hand she carried a bento box, containing some sweet delicacies 
her 'big sister' would certainly enjoy. In spite of feeling joyful for her 
visit, she couldn't help for her mind to drift somewhere else.

	[Those eyes...] she thought, recalling the events from last fight. 
[His eyes remind me so much of...]

	She shook that thought out of her head... again. What was wrong with 
her? Having reawakening memories of her past love wasn't all that weird, 
especially since *he* had become a point of comparison whenever she saw a 
cute guy. But it never happened with such intensity before. Why did this man, 
who called himself Son Goku, cause such a reaction on her? They just looked 
at each other, nothing more. 

	[It's probably the eyes.] she concluded. [Baby blue eyes.]

	That seemed like the most logical explanation. After all, Makoto 
recalled that she had quite a weakness with men with blue eyes... and purple 
hair. She even remembered the time when keeping eye contact with Ranma had 
been very hard, since he fulfilled at least one of those two attributes. 
	But still... in this case it wasn't just the eye color. There was 
something else in that man's look. Even if it was for only a fraction of 
seconds that they stared at each other, she could feel it. After all, didn't 
they say that the eyes are the window to the soul? The mysterious hero had 
a very powerful, rough looking demeanor, but as she saw into his eyes she 
could grasp the tenderness behind that hard exterior. 
	She shook her head again.

	[I really am hopeless...] she lectured. [We don't even know anything 
about him and I'm already looking at him like... that.]

	"Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the Tendo Dojo?" said a voice 
not far away from the daydreaming girl.

	Makoto didn't had to think long in order to identify the voice. 
Actually, that particular phrase was more than a label. And yes, a couple of 
yards in front of her, she saw the back of a familiar bandanna boy asking 
someone for directions.

	"Hey, Ryouga!" she said out loud. This one turned around as he heard 
his name being spoken.

	"Mako-chan?" he inquired suddenly surprised, then a bit disappointed. 
"Please... tell me that this is Nerima and you're here to visit Ukyou..."

	"Sorry." she told him sympathetically, "This is Juuban."

	Ryouga lowered his head in sign of defeat. He somewhat suspected 
that he was in Juuban, but there was always the chance that he could be 
wrong. Apparently today wasn't the case. He was pretty much 'not in Nerima'.

	"But if it makes you feel better, I'm heading towards Nerima to 
visit Ukyou." the girl added, sending a ray of hope in lost one's eyes. 
"Would you like to tag along?"

	"Yes, please!" he stated, making his words sound more like a plead 
than anything else.

	"Okay, then. Let's go." she declared, leading the way. "I wouldn't 
mind a little company on my way there. Besides, I haven't seen you in a 
while, so you'll probably have a few things to tell me."

	"Well, I was here about two week ago." he responded, as he followed 
her.

	"Oh, yeah! Now I remember." she realized. "All that mess in the 
library. Ami told us about it."

	"Er... yes... well... I guess I'm partially responsible for that." 
he accepted no less embarrassed for being reminded of that little incident, 
"But it was all Ranma's fault!"

	"Uh huh..." Makoto said, after all, hearing Ryouga blaming things 
on Ranma wasn't new. "Don't you think that maybe you got the whole thing 
wrong, Ryouga? [Like most of the time.]"

	"What other explanation is there then?" he asked. "Why else would he 
be trying to keep Ami and I away from where Rei and him were? Has Rei told 
you why?"

	"Well... er... no. She hasn't actually. She's been avoiding the 
topic constantly." she admitted. "But still, I don't believe that Rei would 
do such a thing, especially when knowing how chaotic Ranma's life already is. 
She wouldn't want to risk ending up with some of his problems. Plus, she's 
not the kind of girl who steals someone else's fiancé."

	"Maybe, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ranma had something to do 
with all that." he went on, "I plan to find it out."

	"Whatever you say, Ryouga." Makoto acknowledged, deciding to end the 
discussion as it was.

	"Oh... and... er... by the way," Ryouga began, a little 
uncomfortable, "Is... uhm... Ami still upset about the whole library thing?"

	"I figured you might asked that." his friend declared. "Don't worry 
though. Ami isn't the kind of girl who gets all frantic easily. I don't 
think she was mad at you in the first place. But I think you *should* go and 
apologize to her for your behavior."

	"I know. I fully intend to go and see her to talk about that... as 
soon as I figure out what to say." the martial artist said. "Maybe I should 
get her something as a way to say that I feel sorry for what happened."

	Now *there* was an initiative that took Makoto by surprise. Shy 
little ol' Ryouga wanting to buy Ami a present? If she hadn't heard it with 
her own ears she wouldn't have believed it. Sure, he bought her souvenirs 
from each trip, but the gesture of buying her a present as a way to 
apologize had a very different connotation, especially through the eyes of 
a hopelessly romantic girl such as our present Senshi. And that was a 
gesture worth exploiting in order to increase the possibilities of a love 
relationship between the lost one and one of her closest friends. A possible 
relationship that Makoto had tried to accelerate for quite some time now, 
but without getting good results.

	"Actually, that would be a great idea, Ryouga." she told him, with 
a sudden spark of interest. "You should try something nice that would mean 
a lot to her. Something that proves how you feel for her and says 'I'm sorry 
for what I did, please forgive me' at the same time. Something that says 
more than mere words. A ring for instance."

	"Er... I don't know, Mako-chan." Ryouga said unsure, "I mean... a 
ring is nice and all, but she might get the wrong message. She might think 
that I'm proposing to her or something. I mean, she's my friend, not my 
girlfriend. I was thinking more in the lines of a good book."

	"Well... yeah... that would be nice..." Makoto said, as her 
expectations came crashing to the flour in mere seconds.

	"The problem is finding a book." the bandanna boy continued. "Not 
only it has to be one she'll like, but I must make sure that she hasn't read 
either."

	"Can't help you there, I'm afraid." the girl shrugged. "Keeping 
track of all the books Ami has read is far from being an easy task."

	"Yeah, I guess." her companion chuckled. 

	"By the way, Ryouga, changing subjects, did you learn some new 
techniques lately?" 

	And so a new discussion topic begun.

	Makoto, being a martial artist herself, although below the standards 
found in a place such as Nerima, was highly interested in combat. Maybe she 
didn't approve the eternal argument between Ranma and Ryouga, but she had 
to admit that their fights were very spectacular and worth watching. 

	She even recalled the time she asked Ranma to be her sensei about 
two years ago. A request the pigtailed boy had accepted in good nature but 
that ended up in a real fiasco. To the regular Ranma-fiancée community 
(except for Ukyou), the idea of a new girl coming to Nerima, spending time 
with their designated future husband, wasn't well seen. Especially since 
Makoto always brought a homemade meal for her instructor. Little did Shampoo 
and Kodachi knew that such dishes were just the way the girl had agreed to 
pay for her classes.
 	Even from Akane she felt a certain hostility. The Tendou girl was 
aware that their relationship didn't go beyond student-sensei, but the 
gesture of seeing someone bringing some of her best recipes to Ranma annoyed 
her, mainly because Akane's cooking wasn't nearly as good as Makoto's (which 
is an understatement). As an accidental result, this caused a direct blow to 
the youngest Tendou sister's wounded pride.

	In the end, it all blew up in a big traditional Nerimian fight. 
	Makoto had accidentally tripped during her practice and fell on top 
of Ranma, knocking them both down on the floor in a compromising position. 
What happened next was just a number of martial artists appearing at the 
worst possible time and assuming the worst possible things. The situation 
got so out of hand that even the Sailor Senshi had to interfere, although 
in the end it only made things more troublesome. Especially when Happosai 
decided to drop by.

	After all that mess, Makoto had reached the conclusion that, even 
though Ranma's training would certainly boost her martial arts skills, it 
was definitively not worth risking one's life. All of the other Senshis had 
agreed with her, especially Haruka who apparently got the worst part of the 
fight. Till this day, Makoto still didn't knew what exactly had happen to 
the blond Outer Senshi in order to make her twitch each time she heard the 
name Ranma Saotome. 

	But still, regardless of all those past difficulties, if there was 
going to be a fight between Ryouga and Ranma, Makoto would certainly be in 
the front row to see it all.

**********

	Trunks stopped his motorcycle as the traffic light turned red. He 
made a mental note to thank Haruka for giving him the tip on that motorcycle 
rental address. He even got a good price for the helmet he wore. Maybe 
motorcycles weren't as fast as flying, but it certainly was less flashy, not 
to mention a lot better than using the bus or walking. 

	The most unexpected thing drove the Saiyanjin hybrid's attention 
away from his newly purchased vehicle. Exactly in front of him, a couple 
crossed to the other side of the street. Makoto Kino and a guy wearing a 
tiger striped bandanna. 
	All of the world around him suddenly seemed to disappear as his eyes 
could now only focus on the smiling girl pulling joyfully the guy's arm 
while this last one blushed. 

	"C'mon, Ryouga, this way!" she beamed. "We might make it before the 
next train leaves."

	"Er... o... okay." the guy responded nervously. 

	If it wasn't for his helmet, the girl who just passed certainly 
would have identified him, but Trunks didn't took that into consideration 
right now. His eyes followed the two of them until both merged between the 
crowd. 

	This pain... why was he feeling this pain in his chest?

	[That's the guy from the library.] he realized. [Are... are the two 
of them...]

	The honking horns from the drivers behind forced him to switch back 
to reality. The traffic light was now green. How ironic, since Trunks was 
sure to look rather green under his helmet right now.

**********

	"It's been exactly one Outside month since this operation begun." 
the Lord said, as his voice echoed throughout the room. "Although it is well 
known that my patience is great, I can't help to notice your lack of 
results, Eron."

	The three servants remained in a bowing position in front of their 
master. Eron, who stood slightly ahead of his two coworkers, gulped. It was 
all true, and the last fight only served to confirm it even more. The new 
defenders' strength remained a mystery, especially Son Goku's. It didn't 
matter how many Raiders the scientist could produce, all were killed too 
fast to be of any use in his investigation.

	"Yes, My Lord." he spoke. "I confess that my research has been 
hampered ever since those new defenders showed up. However, I've decided to 
increase the 'quality' of our attacks in order to change that."

	"With all due respect to my colleague." Arlakk began, "Previous 
battles have only confirmed the obvious: The Raiders show no challenge at 
all for our opponents. I'm afraid that Eron's genetic knowledge isn't useful 
in this occasion. My magic though, might be helpful."

	"Don't get cocky, sorcerer." Eron cut in, "My Raiders aren't my only 
way to face the defenders. I am far from being left without any options as 
to leave this mission to the likes of you."

	"For the past two weeks this room has seen nothing more than failure 
from you." the necromancer countered. "You haven't been able to discover the 
extent of Son Goku's power but you still use Raiders pointlessly. This is 
quite an inefficient approach on the matter and I'm sure that Sorine will 
agree with me in this point."

	Typical of Arlakk to use someone else for his own benefit. Sorine, 
being the pragmatical one, was bound to side with him, endangering the 
scientists position in front of the Lord. If he didn't want to be replaced 
in this mission, Eron would have to think fast.

	"That is correct." Sorine declared. "The costs for this mission are 
superior that the benefits obtained by Eron's investigation. Unless a new 
strategy is employed, our victory will be delayed even more."

	"And that's why I've decided to face the defenders myself in the 
next battle." Eron interrupted, earning a stare from everyone in the chamber. 

	"You wish to fight so soon?" his superior inquired.

	"Yes, My Lord." this one confirmed, "After all, Arlakk seems to be 
right in this rare occasion. The Raiders won't be helpful anymore, and what 
better way to see with my own eyes the extent of Son Goku's power than by 
fighting him myself."

	"Hmmm... yes... I believe it is time for the defenders to face one 
of the three 'Master of Tomorrow'." he considered. "Very well then, Eron, 
you have my authorization to go Outside. Be sure to do a good job."

	"Yes My Lord, I won't fail you."

	"And since we're already moving ahead of schedule," he added. "Be 
sure to bring me an Essence Sphere this time. I'm curious to taste this 
universe's flavor."

	"It will be done, your greatness." Eron answered with a grin. "A 
random one I assume."

	"Yes, I prefer to save the main dish for last."

**********

	"... And you wouldn't believe the load of homework she gave us too." 
Rei continued. "I swear that Akemi-sensei must have something against the 
class for giving us all these assignments. I really appreciate that you're 
willing to help me with math, Trunks. I don't even know where to start... 
Trunks?" 

	"Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I was thinking about something else." her 
host said. "Which part are you having problems with?"

	"Well almost every part to be honest." she responded. "Say, Trunks, 
are you all right? You look kinda blue today. Did I come at a bad time?"

	"No, it's nothing." he reassured her with a faint smile, "I just had 
a rough day at work. Don't worry about me. Now let's get back to math. I 
promised that I would help you with your homework."

	Instead of pointing at an exercise to clear some of her doubts, Rei 
closed her text book and crossed her arms in front of her bosom, elbows 
pressing against the table. Trunks realized that the girl was looking 
directly at him. 

	"Spill it out, Trunks." she said bluntly.

	"Huh?"

	"Don't 'huh' me. Tell me what's troubling you." she ordered. "And 
you better come up with a better excuse than a hard day at the office."

	The Fire Senshi looked very determined. And Trunks knew from 
personal experience with his mother not to play around with a woman who had 
that particular conviction blazing through her eyes. Unfortunately he didn't 
feel comfortable with the subject his guest wanted to talk about either. 
This situation required some subtlety.

	"Do you remember the time we went to the public library with Ranma?" 
he began, "The day I almost got caught by Ami?"

	"I wish I *had* forgotten about it." the girl responded with a 
grouch. "That little scene just added more lines to my still growing list of 
'things-to-blame-on-Rei'. Now the girls are suspecting that I'm dating Ranma 
behind Akane's back. Why do you ask?"

	"The guy who was with Ami," he explained, "Ryouga, I believe that's 
how Ranma called him, what's the deal with him?"

	"Ryouga?" Rei asked surprised. "Well... not much really. He's one of 
Ranma's friends... sort of. Actually, he's his rival too. I think their 
bickering goes way back."

	"No, I didn't mean that," Trunks corrected. "I meant to know what's 
his business with you girls."

	"Us?" she asked even more surprised. "Well, he doesn't know about 
our secret identity, if that's what you mean."

	That was hardly what he meant.

	"No, I'm not talking about his relationship with the Sailor Senshi." 
he corrected again, "I was referring to his relationship with you as normal 
girls."

	Rei was obviously suspicious about the direction this conversation 
was taking. Why did they start talking about Ryouga in the first place? What 
was the connection between the lost boy and Trunks' gloomy mood?

	"Okay, I'm lost here, Trunks. So it's my turn to ask some questions." 
she declared. "Why are you so interested in our relationship with Ryouga?"

	"Well... I... I was just curious, that's all." he lied, "After all 
it's been three years here and I was wondering if *maybe* Ryouga was Ami's 
boyfriend or something. Or one of you girls' boyfriend for that matter, but 
hey, who am I to guess? I mean... I could be completely wrong about this." 

	Rei narrowed her eyes, approaching her face closer to Trunks, her 
expression changing from skeptical to examiner, although to the Saiyajin 
hybrid it looked more like the face policemen do in movies when 
interrogating someone. This of course made him nervous. After short seconds 
of just staring at him, she pulled back and closed her eyes solemnly.

	"I see..." she said.

	"You see what?" 

	"You think that Ryouga is Mako-chan's boyfriend."

	Talk about catching someone with his pants down! Trunks was 
completely speechless after hearing Rei's statement. The wide expression of 
his eyes had only served to confirm this even more.

	"I don't have to do a fire reading in order to see this." the girl 
went on, with a serious face. "I bet you accidentally saw them walking in 
the street together and got the wrong picture."

	"How... how... how did you known that!" he asked amazed.

	His friend just blinked in response. She then began to scratch the 
back of her head. 

	"You mean I'm right?" she asked innocently, "Here I was shooting at 
the dark in order to get a reaction from you, I didn't expect I'd manage 
that with the first try."

	Trunks' back was now completely horizontal while his feet were 
pointing at the air. It happened fast and hard like all good 'facefaulting' 
displays. 

	"You mean you were half guessing?!?" he declared, as he recovered. 

	Rei's face didn't show any sign of joking though. There way genuine 
concern in her eyes as she looked at the Saiyajin hybrid. Concern with a 
mixture of pity. That was the look Trunks precisely wanted to avoid. 

	"You still love her." she pointed out, her lips curving in a small 
and tender smile. "You still have feeling for her."

	"Don't be ridiculous." he said seriously, as he got up. "How can I 
love someone I haven't seen in eight years?"

	"Then why were you so affected by the idea that Mako-chan and 
Ryouga being together?" she reasoned. "Trunks, you can't deny that it didn't 
moved you in some way."

	Uncomfortable pauses usually come in moments such as these. This 
case was no exception.

	"I admit that I felt... *concerned* for her in some way." Trunks 
explained. "Curious to know if she was happy with that guy, maybe even a 
little worried. But I felt that *only* as a friend."

	[Liar...]

	"In the end, it doesn't make any difference anyway." he concluded.

	"What do you mean it doesn't make a difference?" she asked. "It 
makes a *huge* difference. Trunks, these feelings are eating you from the 
inside. It isn't healthy for you, it's like self-torture. Maybe... maybe 
it's not too late for you to face the other girls. I'm sure it'll be better 
for all of us if you did."

	"No." he said resolutely. "That can't happen. This isn't as easy as 
you think. There's a lot more in this than my feelings."

	"What are you talking about?" Rei questioned, getting exasperated. 
"Why do you have to act as if there was a higher purpose than your *own* 
feelings? Why do you willingly want to suffer so much?" 

	"Because there's NO other choice!!" he growled. 

	Second big pause. Trunks used the time to sit and calm down. Rei 
didn't take her eyes away from him.

	"Let's say I *do* face them as Trunks." he began. "Let's suppose 
that when I do, everything goes right and that Makoto and I regain what we 
once had. Let's even suppose that we beat Eron, Arlakk and whoever is above 
them and save this universe... then what?"

	"I don't understand."

	"Then... I have to go back." he explained. "No matter how much I 
could possibly love Makoto again, I can't stay. I must return to my world."

	"But you don't *have* to!" she declared. "You can choose your own 
destiny."

	"Not in this case!" he told her as he violently got up. "Rei, do you 
know the responsibilities I have in my world? I have *fought* for that world. 
I have *bled* for that world. I even *died* for it once. And I can't even 
begin to tell you how many others died and weren't fortunate to come back to 
life like *I* did. I *can't* abandon that world. I'm as responsible for it 
as you are for this one. Everything I have is in *that* world!! Everything!!! 
It's not just another planet lost in the universe, it's all I have left!!"

	Trunks loudly fell back in his couch, head hanging low with his hair 
hiding his eyes, his left hand rubbing them.

	"I'm the last of the Z-senshi." he whispered. "If something or 
someone tries to harm my world, I *have* to be there to stop him. Because if 
I'm not there... who will?"

	Rei just couldn't find an answer to that.

	"So, as you can see, if I fall in love with her again, it would be 
only to abandon her one more time." he told her. "I promised the day I set 
foot in this world that I would do all that's in my power to keep Makoto 
from getting hurt. So, as tribute to our past feelings for each other, and 
as a friend, I can't let her see me... no matter how painful it is for me. 
I'd rather suffer her share along with mine instead of making her cry again. 
This... is the least I can do for her."

	The Shinto priestess sat down next to her friend, letting out a big 
sigh. He was right. It was definitively more complicated than she had 
thought. She wanted to help him badly, she wanted to fix all this mess, but 
she couldn't think of a way. The only thing Rei could do for now was helping 
Trunks go through all of this. At least that she *could* do. 

	"I'm sorry..." she said, "I guess I touched a very delicate subject 
here. I didn't mean to."

	"It's all right." he reassured her. "I've been giving it a lot of 
thought as well, so it really isn't something that came unexpectedly. But 
still..."

	"It hurts." she added.

	"Yeah..."

	Putting her hands around his shoulders seemed like the right thing 
to do right now. And probably the only thing to do as well. It hurt her as 
well. Not the same kind of pain Trunks had, for he was after all at the 
center of this mess, but it pained her to see him in such a 'no win' 
situation. 

	"Rei?" he asked, surprised as he felt her arms holding him.

	"Don't worry." she whispered. "Something is bound to happen to make 
this easier. It has to."

	"How can you be so sure?"

	"Because," she explained. "You're too much of a nice guy to have 
this kind of punishment on your back."

	"Thanks... I... I don't know what to say."

	"Then don't say anything." she spoke as she held him closer. 

	One would expect a more 'relaxed' scene from this point on, but 
contrary to common beliefs, things just got more tensed. Rei suddenly 
stretched as if a shock of lighting had gone up her spine. Trunks was not 
oblivious to such change in the girls attitude and he was none the less 
concerned.

	"Rei, what's wrong?" 

	"Some... something terrible is happening." she said, as she 
gathered her arms around her body, feeling a chill. 

	"What? Are you sure? I can't sense anything." 

	The girl nodded in response. Whatever was going on, it had her 
distressed. Trunks didn't want to take this warning lightly and quickly went 
to his apartment's balcony, extending his senses the most he could. He 
didn't knew what exactly he was looking for, but there had to be *something* 
out there to cause such a reaction on Rei.
	He actually did feel something. It was quite vague and it would've 
been impossible to detect if he hadn't concentrated first. Several small kis 
were disappearing one by one. This could only mean one thing. 

	"Rei! Quick! Contact the Sailor Senshi!" he ordered as he pressed 
the blue button in his wristwatch and switched to his 
alternative-crime-fighting gear. "People are being killed!!"

**********

	The streets of Juuban were filled with terror. People ran from one 
way to the other like sheeps during a lighting storm. All of them fleeing 
from one man. One man alone. 

	"No! Please! Don't!" begged a citizen who had fallen to the ground.

	"There, there." said Eron with his well known cynical tone, "No need 
to overdramatize. This won't hurt a bit... or so I've been told."

	The scientist's victim tried to crawl away, but before he managed to 
get up, Eron raised his fist. A ring placed in his middle finger began to 
glow. As a matter of fact, the dark stone which lodged the center of the 
ring was the thing shining. 
	A blast, black like coal, came out of it with incredible speed. The 
poor fellow didn't even had the chance to scream before he got struck in the 
middle of the chest. Then, his body fell to the ground: lifeless.

	Right where the victim had been hit, a glowing object had appeared. 
It was an ellipsoid, big enough to hold in one hand. The surface seemed to 
be made of glass, but the inside looked more captivating. A white mist of 
some sort was moving, ramming itself against its crystal prison. It 
resembled ocean waves hitting a rocky surface.
	
	Eron picked up the object with one hand and began to examine it 
against the sun light, the same way a connoisseur does with a good cup of 
red wine. 

	"Well, that makes five." he remarked. "I hope my Lord finds these 
Essence Spheres tasty."

	Eron didn't had the chance to look for another victim as he saw a 
familiar figure flying towards him at great speed. 
	With a grin, he summoned an Elite Raider through a portal and gave 
him the Essence Sphere he recently acquired. Then he waited for his guest.

	"Timely as always, I see." he said to the shrouded figure.

	Trunks ignored that comment and head for the man lying on the ground, 
trying to see what was his condition. The answer came rather quick and 
turned out to be what Trunks feared. There were no ki signature coming from 
him. 
	His eyes, burning with rage, turned to meet Eron's.

	"You killed him!!" he growled.

	The scientist, never losing his cool (or the chance to make a smart 
ass remark), just raised an eyebrow while scratching his chin with his index 
finger. 

	"Well... it all depends on how you want to see it really." he answered. 
"The body is quite alive and functional right now. The owner though, 
isn't... available to take control of it, if you know what I mean."

	"All of this is nothing more than a joke for you, isn't it???" he 
shouted outraged.

	"On the contrary, I take my job very seriously." he retorted. "But 
I also take a great pleasure in doing it."

	It was then that the Saiyajin hybrid noticed the strange object Eron's 
Raider was holding. More importantly, the ki which should be coming from the 
victim now came from there. He didn't understand how that happened, but it 
obviously had Eron's signature all over it.

	"That thing..." he declared, pointing at the Essence Sphere. 
"I don't know *how* you did it, but I see that his entire self is locked in 
that crystal."

	"Well, well, well. I'm impressed that you noticed." Eron chuckled. 
"And here I thought that you were nothing more than a lean-mean-karate-machine."

	"Sorry if I disappointed you." Goku stated as he took out his Bo. 
"And sorry for cutting you little comedy show short, but I think I'll take 
that crystal."

	"Essence Sphere, my friend. The correct term is 'Essence Sphere'" he 
pointed out. "And if you think that you're going to get it without a fight, 
you have another thing coming."

	"Eron... let's be realistic," the defender told him. "There is no 
chance in *Hell* that your Raider can beat me. I know that, you know that 
and the entire world else knows that too."

	Finally: a reaction of displeasure from the scientist. Reminding him 
of how his creatures were useless apparently hit him right where his ego was 
more vulnerable.

	"True. But this time you'll be fighting me instead."

	"Really? Well then, bring it on." 

	"The one who wins gets the Essence Sphere." the invader suggested, 
as he took out a small flask from his utility belt. "Sounds fair?"

	"Fair enough." he acknowledged as he got ready for battle. 

	"Very well." the enemy declared, once he inserted the flask in a 
small opening of his electronic bracelet. "Let's play."

	The recipient's content disappeared and went right inside Eron's 
body. For a few seconds, the scientist's eyes rolled back into his sockets. 

	[What is he doing? Getting high?] Trunks wondered.

	In some way, his assumptions were accurate, for the mysterious 
substance was responsible for Eron's reaction. But contrary to what he 
thought, it wasn't a drug. The scientist had used a DNA sample of a 
particular creature he encountered in the past. Thanks to Eron's ability to 
assimilate foreign DNA into his own, he could gain unexpected attributes and 
abilities no other man could dream of having.

	Then, the change occurred. His body began to grow out of normal 
proportions, muscles becoming three times their original size, but that was 
not all. Eron's skin suffered several changes as well. It began to turn gray. 
Then, most to the defender's surprise, rocks began to come out of every part 
of his being as well. His face wasn't the one of a handsome looking man 
anymore. It changed into something monstrous. Broad, thick, with fangs 
which seemed made out of stone as well. All of his hair had disappeared too, 
replaced now by a set of stone horns. Surprisingly, his clothes weren't 
shred nor damaged by such brutal transformation, but adapted to the new body 
as if made of an elastic material.

	"I've been waiting for this ever since we first met at the park." 
the monster declared, with a voice completely different from one he had 
moments earlier. Now it sounded more like some sort of demon. 

	Trunks braced himself as the monster came charging towards him. 



End of chapter 8
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See you in chapter 9...