Trunks walked silently alongside Tayhei, listening to her stories of the jinzouningen. Her voice was nice to listen to; it was clear and soft at the same time and seemed to have some sort of a melody to it. He liked the fact that she seemed to eager to talk now. She had been so quiet before that he was worried she might turn out to be anti-social. But once she got over her suspicion of him, she seemed to open up a little bit. She chattered on about the jinzouningen and surprised him with her knowledge on the subject. She talked about them as if she were reading from an article, stating facts and naming dates. She seemed very attached to the notebook that she had, but he couldn’t help but think that she had it all memorized in her head anyway. She seemed to know a great deal about the jinzouningen; definitely more than he did. He had never really taken the time to 'get to know' the artificial humans, only desperately tried to kill them. Maybe this girl had the right idea by finding weaknesses and faults before trying to fight them. Not even Gohan or his mother had come up with something like that. Then again, his mother and his sensei were not the type of people that could patiently wait for things to happen. All they knew was that the world was in danger and they wanted to get rid of that danger as quickly as possible. He allowed himself to think a moment about what it might have been like if all of the great warriors had thought about the jinzouningen before rushing into battle. Would they still be alive today? Or would fate still have carried out its plan?
They turned down the white walled hallway, their boots making no sound on the clean, tiled floor. The boots that she had been wearing before were scuffed and falling apart, a sure sign that she had done a lot of walking and running. He had bought her a new pair on impulse, and they looked strange on her; they were too shiny and new to look normal, and they were far too big for her. Her appearance was actually comical. He had totally misjudged her height and weight and had given her clothes that were much too big. She didn’t appear to mind, but he had to laugh when he saw her holding up the waistband of her pants. He noticed she kept craning her neck to see ahead in the hallway, most likely curious as to what an underground city looked like.
"They often fight with each other, but lately it's gotten worse. You found me right after they had finished a huge fight. I'm sure if we wait long enough they will kill one another." Tayhei mused, moving quickly at his side. Well, as quickly as he could in boots that were too big for her. She looked as though she were trying not to trip.
He watched her carefully, amused. Her hair was very long, well past her waist, and it resembled the color of his own hair when he turned into a Super Saiya-jin. Her eyes, though, were the most interesting part of her; they were an unusual color of green and seemed to hold an entire world of emotion behind them. She was small, probably from a lack of food in the outside world, but he could tell that she was strong. In fact, the way she seemed so at ease with herself was bothering him. Her arms were more muscular than an average female. It could be the result of living on her own and having to fend for herself or she could be fighter, which was what he suspected. The sword strapped to her back, much like his own also evoked curiosity. It was smaller than his and wasn’t that great of quality, but it was still a sword, and obviously something that she used: the handle was worn and the blade was somewhat dull. Looking at her, he couldn’t help but wonder if she had learned more from the jinzouningen than just the art of sibling rivalry
"They are excellent fighters. One could learn a great deal from them." He said, choosing his words carefully.
A smirk appeared on Tayhei’s face and she nodded without saying a word.
He examined her smirking face. It was the closest thing to a smile he had seen on her face since he first saw her. She couldn't of....Could this girl have actually learned the jinzouningen's fighting techniques? Just from watching them? From looking at her notes, he knew that she had paid very close attention to the androids, but he didn’t know if it were possible for someone to learn in such a way. If she did in fact learn how to fight just from watching them, then she must have been very determined to learn. It would have taken a lot of concentration and attention to detail. Without someone around to instruct him on how to fight and use his power, he would have never progressed as far as he did. Of course, he didn’t even know how strong the girl was. More than likely, she wasn’t the warrior of the century, but he assumed that she would be able to put up a fair fight. There was no way for him to tell, of course. She had just now gotten used to him and opened up to him. He didn’t want to scare her off again. He would simply wait for an appropriate time and then ask her about it.
Trunks casually opened a door in front of them, and ushered her outside of the infirmary and into the Underground City. He watched her jaw drop in awe and her light green eyes widen. He had to admit, the sight was amazing.
Buildings as tall as the skyscrapers that had once been on Earth reached toward the ceiling of an unbelievably high cavern. There were smaller buildings and sidewalks, street lamps and rows of bushes in front of all of the housing areas. The grass that was in the yards was artificial, but it looked real enough and felt real to the touch. A bright, gigantic light shone down on the city, which was crawling with people. There were people from all reaches of the world; they had all come together in this place to hide from the jinzouningen and keep themselves safe. It was a way of keeping the population of the world in tact and Capsule Corporation had gone through great lengths to make sure that the Underground City comfortable and pleasant. His mother especially had done a lot of work to make the city what it was today --- This city and the network of other Underground cities around the world. They were all linked with cyber communications, radar, video outlinks, and a remarkable set of tunnels systems, all large enough for several vehicles to fit through. The network was the most advanced, full proof system that Bulma had come up with since the jinzouningen first attacked. For the safety of all of the inhabitants, the cities were locked at all times, on the inside and the outside. Only two people knew the access code get out of the Underground City network and into the outside world. One was Bulma. The other was her son.
A few people looked up to wave as Tayhei walked beside Trunks through the city streets. Most of them stared at her with obvious curiosity and she guessed that they did not receive many visitors from the outside world. Because it was such a small and contained area, she supposed the inhabitants knew everyone that lived in the city well; to them, she was most definitely something curious. An outsider. Shouts and laughter rang out all around her and people bustled in front of her, hurrying to their destinations. Although they were basically living in a humongous cave, everyone seemed to be quite happy and content. Since they were living without fear of the jinzouningen and they were safe within these thick stone walls, it was understandable. As all of the people milled around her, she was struck by how everyone seemed to have a purpose and was very busy at what they were doing. It was just like being in a real large city, except everyone seemed to be much friendlier and more familiar with each other. A group of young kids ran through the street, laughing about something as they skipped through the crowds of people. Tayhei watched them pass her, and he found a slight smile creeping at the corners of her mouth.
Several shops and buildings lined the main street that they were walking down, and the sidewalks and street were both paved and kept clear of any litter. It all looked so perfect and clean and orderly. It was odd for her to see the world like this; a world that wasn’t torn and tattered like everything was on the outside. She had gotten so used to seeing mass destruction and dirty, desolate places that this was quite a shock to her. Plus, there were more people here than she had seen in a long, long time, and the awe and surprise at it was almost too much for her to bear. Her heart began to beat faster and she almost felt a small panic attack coming on. There was simply too much information and too many sights to take in at once. Her head began to swim as she looked around the city.
An older woman, dressed nicely in a light yellow dress with a red scarf around her neck walked past them, clutching a basket full of fresh dark purple orchids in her arms. She looked up at Trunks with large, dark eyes and smiled politely, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. She was a pretty woman, wearing her hair up in a bun with two small locks of hair that fell down on either side of her ears. It looked as though she knew Trunks well.
“Konnichiwa, ChiChi-san.” He said softly. ChiChi gave him a greeting as well, then stared at Tayhei for a moment, curiosity written all over her pretty face. It looked as though she were dying to ask who she was and where she had come from, but instead she continued walking. Still, she looked after them with a look of puzzlement after they had passed.
As they neared the end of the street, Tayhei turned to Trunks, and saw that he was grinning at her. He motioned to the large domed building at the end of the main street. It was a clean, yellow building with rows of bushes around the outside edge and a sidewalk trailing up to the front door.
"That is Capsule Corporation. My home." Declared Trunks in a proud voice. He smiled down at her curious face.
Today was quite a day for me. First of all, I was taken into the Underground City, which is one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen in my life. And secondly, I met two new friends. There is the boy that saved me from the jinzouningen, who I discovered was named Trunks, and his mother, Bulma. Bulma is the owner of Capsule Corporation and a very intelligent, beautiful woman. Her husband, Vejiita, from what I gathered is deceased, although, neither she nor Trunks seems inclined to speak of it. They invited me into their home, and I imagine that I will stay as long as I let myself.
---Tayhei's journal; Vol 2: Page 3
They walked quickly to the building, and Tayhei looked all around her at the surroundings of Trunks’s home. There was grass on either side of the sidewalk, though it didn’t appear to be real, and a mailbox that simply said “Briefs”. To the right, there was another domed building that looked as though it had legs coming down from it and she looked at it for a long time trying to think of what it could be. It was definitely part of Capsule Corporation because it had a large logo on the side of it, but it didn’t appear to be anything that she was familiar with. She made a mental note to ask her companion about it later; perhaps he might be inclined to give her a tour. Beside her, Trunks bent down and punched a short code into a panel beside the front door. It immediately opened and he ushered her inside before it could close on them.
She didn’t know quite what to expect when she walked into the house, but it wasn’t anything that she thought it would be. Despite the company’s reputation of being high tech and spotless, the inside of this home was warm and pleasant. The walls were a light yellow color, with many pictures on them, including several of Trunks as a young child. There were flowers everywhere, red and pink, and several just like them woman on the street had been carrying. She could smell something cooking. It was the heavy scent of sizzling meat and fresh bread, and her stomach nearly roared when smell wafted in front of her face. Soft music was playing out of a speaker somewhere in the house, the first music she had heard in years, and Tayhei felt immediately at home. It was a very inviting home and a place that reminded her of when she was very little and visited relatives in the city.
The other Capsule Corporation building, the original one, had been destroyed by the jinzouningen. By chance, earlier that year, Tayhei had stumbled upon it and was intrigued by what she had found there. She didn’t like the idea of stealing, but she was in desperate need of some items, and so she scavenged the building for misplaced capsules and other things that might be of use to her. The laboratory there had been incredible, or what was left of it anyway. She had spent nearly two days searching the place, and actually lost track of the jinzouningen for awhile because of it. She left with a new backpack, and a few blank notebooks, and a handful of capsules including a small cottage. She also found a motorcycle capsule, which enabled her to chase the jinzouningen much faster and easier without passing out form exhaustion. She owed a lot to Capsule Corporation; they had provided her with a lot of useful tools and helpful items. How Trunks was connected with the Capsule Corporation people, she didn’t know, but she would find out.
Tayhei nodded slightly at Trunks, gazing at the pictures on the wall of the building. "I have seen the old Capsule Corporation building, or what's left of it anyway. Many great inventions can be found there. I actually managed to find a few stray capsules. "
He smiled as a woman came out of a room that she assumed was the kitchen and waved cheerfully at Trunks, wiping her hands on her apron. "Meet the inventor."
The woman hugged Trunks eagerly. "Trunks, I thought I might never see you again. What took you so long?"
Tayhei studied her face and found the woman to be very beautiful. She looked to be about forty or so, but there was the slightest hint of wrinkles on her face that gave her real age away. Her hair was long and thick and curled around her shoulders in spirals. Although she had a few wrinkles, there wasn’t a streak of gray in her turquoise strands. Her eyes were large and a deep blue color that reminded her of the ocean on a clear day. She was dressed in a casual pair of jeans with sneakers and she had a red sweater on that looked soft and warm. She thought the woman must have been a great beauty in her young age --- she was a great beauty now as well. Was this really the owner of Capsule Corporation? She certainly wasn’t what Tayhei had expected at all. She looked to pretty and kind to be the owner of such a huge company, and her smile was too warm for someone that was the richest woman in the world.
"Okaasan!" He complained. "You sound like ChiChi-san."
She chuckled, and then pulled back. She had just noticed Tayhei awkwardly standing there with her hands behind her back. She tilted her head and stared at her in a quizzical manner. "Who are you?"
Trunks gave a nervous laugh. "Okaasan, this is....."
Tayhei stepped forward and held out a small hand. "My name is Tayhei. Trunks-kun saved my life today." She continued slowly.
Bulma reached out and shook her hand warmly with a smile on her face. "Is that so? I'm certainly glad you’re okay. I'm Bulma, Trunks's mother."
"Hajimemashite." Tayhei said politely, then released the woman's hand. She had a strong, firm grip --- the handshake of someone who was determined, resourceful and full of life. Tayhei immediately decided that she liked her. For someone that was obviously so rich and powerful, she was very personable and friendly, and Tayhei admired that about her. She didn’t act as though she owned the world, but instead acted as though she were doing everything she could to help it. She gripped Tayhei softly by arm, and led her into the kitchen.
"You must be hungry, eh?” Bulma questioned, looking into her eyes. “And what were you doing that was so dangerous that my son had to save you?"
Trunks spoke up from behind as he followed them. "She has been following the jinzouningen for quite some time now. There was a fight today and unfortunately she was caught in the middle of it. And she isn't from the Underground City; didn't even know about it."
Bulma gave her a curious look. "Really? I guess you'll be staying here now that you've come, eh?"
Tayhei thought a moment. The idea was tempting. The city seemed so peaceful and carefree and she longed to feel safe and warm again. And Bulma and Trunks were both being very kind to her. She hated to say no to them when they were displaying such wonderful hospitality. But as she thought about it, there was a flash in her memory of her little sister. She had made a promise that she would let nothing stop her from avenging Yakosoku’s death. No matter how comfortable she was and no matter how much she wanted to stay, there was no way that she could. She had a mission and a promise and she wasn’t going to let anyone or anything stop her. Of course, they didn't have to know this, if they did, she would only be forced to stay. They both looked like the protective type, and she knew that if she told them she was going to go after the jinzouningen, they would not let her. And she didn’t have any intentions of staying for longer than she needed to.
"S...sure. I'll stay." She said softly, grimacing at the lie.
Bulma's face lit up with happiness, and she grabbed her around the shoulders again and led her down the hall, away from Trunks. "Let's get you cleaned up a bit first, eh? After what you have been through, you deserve a nice bath."
Bulma watched the young girl curiously from the bathroom sink as she folded a fluffy peach colored towel for her to use after she got out of the tub. She was in the large bathtub in her room, blowing bubbles off the palms of her hands with a curious and almost child-like delight. She didn't say much to Bulma as she poured the bath for her, but Bulma kept chatting along, hoping that the girl would jump in any minute and become a conversationalist. When she had spoken earlier, introducing herself, Bulma had noticed how extremely beautiful her voice was. It was almost like she had waited all her life for just those words, never speaking before that, and then wondering at the sound of her own voice, unfamiliar and strange in her ears; every syllable and every letter was enunciated perfectly and unnecessarily. She was very curious about her. It wasn’t often that Trunks found someone outside of the Underground City, and the fact that she was a young girl was even more curious. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how she had survived out there for so long, especially since she had been tailing the jinzouningen.
Tayhei appeared to be about Trunks's age, but she was terribly small in comparison to her son. The teenage girls in town were nearly twice as big as this tiny girl, but she was sure that they weren’t as strong as her. Muscles shown out on Tayhei's arms, legs, and stomach, clearly defined in the harsh light of Capsule Corporation, and Bulma caught herself wondering where the girl had gotten to be so strong, or why. She was astoundingly beautiful though, and despite herself, Bulma felt a tinge of jealousy. It wasn't that her beauty was so extreme and overwhelming that she seemed to shine, but she was quietly beautiful, you had to look once or twice before her real beauty showed. Even wearing those baggy clothes that Trunks had gotten for her and no makeup, she was still a pretty girl.
Bulma raised her head and met eyes with her, holding up the towel. "I will just leave this here for you."
She informed her, and set the towel down at the edge of the sink, patting it gently before turning to walk out of the room. She was hoping to drill Trunks for more information while the girl was still in the bathtub. He obviously knew more about the girl than she did and Bulma was intrigued, especially the part about following the jinzouningen. Perhaps she had told him why she was following them and what she had learned from watching them. In any case, Bulma was very curious.
"Bulma-san?" A quiet voice implored softly, just as Bulma was leaving. She turned to see Tayhei, covered in bubbles with a curious expression on her pretty face; she looked horrified at the thought of Bulma leaving.
"Yes, Tayhei?" She asked, stepping closer to the bathtub. Tayhei shrank back into the bubbles, hiding everything but a pair of pale green eyes that were so open and so full of question that Bulma almost burst out into laughter.
"I don’t want to walk over to the counter to get my towel wearing nothing but bubbles." She spoke softly, her eyes lowering in shyness. "There are a lot of windows in here and a lot more people than there were outside the city…."
Feeling rather inconsiderate, grimaced in apology. She smiled gently at her and retrieved the soft towel from the counter, folding it on the edge of the tub. "I’m sorry.....I didn't even think of that. I would have cared along time ago, not out of modesty, but out of the fear that Vejiita would shoot anyone who dared to look in the windows...." She chuckled.
"Vejiita?" Tayhei asked curiously. She blew a handful of bubbles off of her palm and watched them float into air, dancing with one another before they finally popped. Bulma felt the smile drop off of her face, replacing it with the more familiar frown lines that had recently begun to show on it. It was hard enough talking about Vejiita to her own son, let alone perfect strangers who had just walked through the door less than an hour ago.
"Vejiita was my husband."
It seemed like such a grand understatement then; such a strange and un-appreciative title for that exceptional warrior and proud man that absolutely turned her world upside down and inside out. He deserved so much more than those four words; a novel would be too little to explain what an entire enigma he was. He had never ceased to amaze her or confuse her; there were so many layers to the man that she couldn’t even begin to pick him apart. He had been a Saiya-jin prince and was a regal, proud example of what a true Saiya-jin should be. The very thought of her lowering him to be just a 'husband' and what he must have thought, hearing it above in heaven almost brought tears to her blue eyes. "He's dead now."
Tayhei's head sank below the bubbles then, leaving Bulma alone to her memories, free to cry when no one was looking. She backed away from the bathtub, and found her way blindly to the door, fighting to regain her senses. How could I have said that? Was that really all he was to me? Just 'my husband'? And if not, why did I say that to her, so plainly and casually....
She exited the bathroom, shutting the door tightly behind her and closed her eyes, leaning up against it. He was so much more than that....
Just
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