It was mid-morning in the future world and Mirai Bulma had just finished dressing for the day. Today was the day that they were departing for the other timeline, and she wanted to look her best. She had dug through her closet for hours and could not find anything suitable to wear. Frustrated, she had gone up to the storage room and hauled out some of her old outfits; the things that she used to wear when she was younger. It was silly, she knew, but she couldn’t help herself. Instead of wearing her usual button down shirt and jeans, she was wearing a mini skirt and a pair of knee high leather boots. The skirt was a bit tight, and probably much too short, but it still fit around the waist. And the boots were a little hard to walk in, seeing as though she had gotten used to sneakers lately, but they did look nice on her.

It was a drastic change, and she had to admit that she scared herself when she looked in the mirror, but it was worth it. Just wearing those things made her feel twenty years younger and it showed on her face. Her eyes had lit up as soon as she zipped up the skirt and felt the familiar, soft material against her legs. After she had finished dressing and putting on her makeup, she proudly strolled the halls of Capsule Corporation, ignoring the strange looks of the interns and volunteers that were working that day.

Most of them knew that she was leaving on her trip today and they were probably wondering why she had dressed so strangely for traveling. She and Trunks were leaving in a few short hours. She was completely packed and ready, but before she left, she wanted to clean up her workshop a bit. ChiChi would be taking over some of her administration duties and might be using the desk a bit. And since Bulma was somewhat of a messy worker, she just wanted to make sure that everything was clean and organized for her.

When she finally made her way into her workshop, she was surprised to find her friend already sitting at her desk. Her long black hair was pulled into a loose pony tail and she had stuck on Bulma’s Capsule Corporation baseball cap. An unlit cigarette was dangling from her fingers as she flipped through a stack of files that was on the desk. The ‘bitch’ coffee mug was sitting innocently at her side, still steaming with coffee. Bulma fought back a laugh at her friend’s comical appearance and crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at her.

ChiChi finally noticed her and waved the cigarette back and forth. “Do I look the part? I thought I should practice, seeing as though I’m going to be taking over your job while you’re gone.”

Bulma laughed, noting that she was still wearing one of her formal silk dresses with the baseball cap. She just hoped that she didn’t normally look this bad when she went to work. Sitting at her desk like that, ChiChi made her life seem pretty sad. She picked up the ‘bitch’ coffee mug, tipped it back and swallowed. Her mouth was instantly assaulted by a horrendously bitter taste. Obviously her friend did not make coffee that often.

“You’re a real comedian, ChiChi.” She said. She paused for a moment, then looked down at her own outfit, tugging down at the mini skirt. “So, what do you think?”

ChiChi handed over the cigarette to her as well and looked down at the leather boots with skepticism. “You’re actually going to wear that?”

She blushed, not liking the tone that ChiChi had used at all. She thought that she looked pretty good, but judging by her friend’s eyes, she hadn’t quite achieved the look that she had been going for. “Well, I thought I would try to make a good impression on everyone. I haven’t seen them in such a long time and I just want them to see that I haven’t changed at all. I want them to think that I’m still the great person that I used to be.”

ChiChi’s expression softened. “Bulma, you don’t have to dress like that in order for them to see that you’re a great person. You’re a great person no matter what you wear. If you want to impress them, tell them about how you’ve changed the world here. Tell them about how you take care of all the people and how you would do anything to make a difference. Tell them about what you’ve gone through; how you’ve faced every fear and problem that fate could throw at you, and how you’re still standing proud.”

“This may sound a bit vain, but I want them to think that I’m still the great beauty that I used to be.” Bulma said softly, looking away.

“You are!” ChiChi insisted.

“No, I’m not.” She argued. “I’m nothing like what I used to be. I know that I’ve aged well. I don’t have gray hair quite yet, and I haven’t begun to whither away and wrinkle either, but I’m definitely not young and vibrant anymore. I used to have long, manicured nails. I used to have the smoothest, creamiest skin imaginable. I used to wear nothing but the best quality clothes and have nothing on but the best quality makeup. I used to be beautiful, ChiChi.”

ChiChi smiled encouragingly at her. “You are beautiful. Bulma, it doesn’t matter what you wear or how you look. You’re still one of the most beautiful people that I know --- inside.” She pointed at Bulma’s heart. “The best quality clothes and makeup mean nothing, if you don’t have a heart of good quality too. And you’ve had that beautiful heart ever since I met you; you just didn’t know how to show it. You’ve grown so much since then, though. We were faced with the harshest kind of adversity; the kind of trouble that leaves you with only two options: to change and fight it or to remain the same and live through it. You could have stayed the way that you were then and gone through life just fine. But you saw that you needed to change, that you needed to learn how to fight, and you did it. You forgot about everything that you once held dear and sacred and fought like hell against the greatest tribulation that has ever befallen us. In a time when most would have given up and let the jinzouningen win, you continued to fight.”

ChiChi took the baseball cap off and tilted her head to the side, staring deep into Bulma’s eyes. “You have done a great many things to make me proud in your lifetime, Bulma, but none of them have made me prouder than to see you fighting for our world in such a way. You don’t need to dress up to impress anyone. They will be able to see what a beautiful person you’ve become just by looking into your eyes.”

“How do you know that?” She whispered.

“Because I’m your best friend, and I see it every single day.” She answered firmly. “And it might take them some time, but they’ll see it too.”

She stared at her for a long while, taking in her dark, wise eyes and her soft, encouraging smile. She felt a sudden rush of love for her friend. ChiChi had been there for her through everything, through absolutely every single problem that she had ever encountered. Even when she hadn’t treated her that well; even in her younger years when she had been sometimes snobby towards ChiChi, she had remained loyal and true. She knew without even having to ask, that her friend would do anything for her, anything at all. She couldn’t imagine having to go through the jinzouningen crisis and having to watch everyone that she loved die, without having ChiChi there beside her. Even the building projects that she had started now would never have even begun if it hadn’t been for ChiChi’s support.

And where would she be if it weren’t for ChiChi’s guidance? The woman might seem simple, living in a modest house, wearing modest clothing, but she was one of the wisest people that Bulma had ever known. It always seemed as though she knew exactly what to say to make Bulma realize something. Her words were a comfort, and her voice itself was enough to make her feel as though she were strong enough to accomplish anything. She had gently and continuously pushed her through life, always helping her when the times got rough. And she loved her just like a sister.

There was no need for words, for once more, ChiChi was wise enough to know exactly what was going on in Bulma’s head. They smiled at each other and Bulma’s eyes began to water. ChiChi was right yet again. She didn’t need leather and a mini skirt to show the world that she was a wonderful person. The only thing she needed to prove that was her heart.

“Oh, ChiChi.” She cried softly and she reached to her desk and grabbed a box of Kleenex, taking out several tissues to blow her nose and dry her eyes . “What would we do without each other?”

At her words, ChiChi’s own eyes began to grow blurry with tears and she grabbed for a tissue. “We would sure save a lot of money on Kleenex.”

“That’s us.” Bulma gave her a watery smile. “Damn crying fools.”

Seemingly high above the world, Mirai Trunks sat on a cliff that overlooked the ocean. The ocean was another one of the few things that had not been touched by the jinzouningen. It was still a beautiful blue-green, still moving and flowing around the world. The clouds were light and fluffy and moved along with the wind, barely skimming the tops of the highest waves. It was not a rough day at sea, but the waves that crashed below him were powerful enough to crush steel. They hit the cliff with such a force that when he closed his eyes, he could feel the tremors of the earth below him. Every now and then, he would catch the scent of the surf as it rolled in, and the mist hit his face gently as he stared off into the distance. He loved mornings like this; loved to feel as though the jinzouningen had never come. Staring at this perfect ocean, which was so untouched and still so powerful, it made him feel as though none of the pain and horror had ever happened. He would often sit here for hours, imagining what his life would have been like if Dr. Gero had never decided to create his monsters.

He might know his father. He had only known his father for a very short time, although the only father he had ever known was that of another timeline. It was strange to think that the man had once been his father, but at the same time, he could feel the truth of it. The time that he had spent with him was not pleasant of course, but it was comforting in a way to finally be able to know him. If there had been no jinzouningen, he would have grown up knowing himself and his heritage, finally feeling as though there were someone else who understood him and his power. He and his father would spar occasionally, much to the distaste of his mother, who hated to see her lawn ruined. They might be able to sit here on this cliff together in silence, in perfect comfort with each other, knowing that they were the last of the Saiya-jin race. He would feel close to him; feel as though he understood him and all of his anger. He might be able to make him proud.

His mother might not have to work so hard. Instead of being concerned about all the people of the world, their hunger and their health, she could only worry about herself. She wouldn’t have to work day and night to help build cities and develop ways of communication. And her eyes, which were once so lively and vivacious, would no longer have that hard look that said she had seen too many hardships and felt too much pain. Her hands would still be soft and smooth, instead of the rough palms she had now from long days of hard labor. And she would be happy, truly happy, because her world would still be intact. Both of them, his mother and his father would be happy together. Although they would have their arguments and although they would probably never display any kind of affection, he knew that they would be happy together. They would eat their meals together, talk over dinner, and love each other just like any normal family would.

ChiChi might not have to look so sad sometimes and Gohan would still be here to teach and guide him. Their families would still be close, because fate had drawn them together in this way. ChiChi and his mother could sit around and talk about something other than the losses that they both shared and the memories that they could not forget. Their lives might not be so complicated and so painful that they had to spend almost every night crying themselves to sleep.

He sighed, and shifted his position on the cliff. And there would be Tayhei. Although they had met because of the jinzouningen, because she had been hurt by them, he still believed that they would be together nevertheless. Much like fate had drawn the Son family and his own family together, it had drawn him and Tayhei together. The jinzouningen were hateful --- awful, and he refused to believe that they were what brought him and Tayhei together. Whatever force it was, it was not one of evil. Somehow, some way, they would have been pulled together eventually.

Trunks closed his eyes, picturing her face in his mind. It had been years, so many years since he had seen her. And yet still he remembered every single detail of her face, from the shape of her lips to the length of her eyelashes. Her hair had been long and golden, so soft to the touch that it felt like silk running through his fingers. She had been so very, very beautiful. And it wasn’t just her perfect face that he thought had been beautiful. It was her heart, the way that she cared so much for those around her, for those that she loved. It was how much she had loved him, so openly and fully, giving him everything that she could. She had been so innocent, so afraid and so unsure. Trunks knew that she had lost many things in life that she had held dear, and she was afraid to love again, but yet she still gave him her heart. Not only because she felt it was time to learn to love, but because the feeling was so strong that she had no choice but to give into it.

He bent his head down and his eyes began to fill with tears. She had just begun to love, just begun to open up and let life and all of its possibilities into her heart. She had just begun to let go of all of the fears and sadness that she had been storing up in her mind, just beginning to let herself trust others. And the jinzouningen had killed her. They just simply ripped her life away from her as if she had been nothing, as if she had meant nothing.

It had been hard for him, unbelievably hard. And although he pretended that his heart had long since healed, he knew that it never would. The jinzouningen had taken away many things from him, but she was the point when they stepped over the line. As the deaths piled up over the years, he had grown angrier and angrier, but it wasn’t until Tayhei took her last breath that he begun to hate the jinzouningen with a fury that he never thought was possible. She was merely the peak of their unforgivable and horrendous deeds. And he would never, ever forgive them for that.

The jinzouningen in this other timeline were supposedly friendly. He did not know what had happened after he departed for the future again, but it seemed to him before he left that the jinzouningen were no longer a threat. And although he understood that these jinzouningen had done nothing to harm him personally, he did not think that he was strong enough to befriend them. He could not picture himself looking into their ice blue eyes and feeling anything but hatred. They had tried to take away everything from him. Everything. And there was no reason for this --- they did it out of boredom and spite.

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white with the strain. He rose his head up and his eyes stared out at the ocean once more, towards one of the few things that they had not managed to steal away. They were long gone of course, and he would never have to feel threatened by them again. But merely seeing their faces in this past timeline would not be easy for him at all. He knew that trying to be civil to them would be one of the hardest things that he would ever have to do. But he could not imagine not going to the past timeline. Now that he had his mind made up, there was no turning back. He had already filled himself with hope. Hope that perhaps one of the things the jinzouningen had stolen from him could be restored. Hope that he might find love again.

Even though this future world had been all but destroyed, he knew that there was still hope, however small. Not just hope for the world itself, but hope for him. Happiness had simply floated away from him, disappearing along with the buildings and cities that had once stood tall and proud. But if he could find love again, if he could find her again, at least he could hold a piece of that happiness in his arms once more. The anticipation of all of this was making his heart flutter, beating wildly in his chest as he stared out at the blue-green sea before him. As another wave broke on the cliff below him and he felt the spray of ocean air hit his face, he closed his eyes tightly, and prayed.

Fate had taken away so many things from him; so many things that he had loved and held dear. After all that he had been through, life could certainly not be that cruel to him anymore. He had patiently endured all the pain that he had been forced to carry. He had accepted every death and every defeat. He taken all that life had thrown him thus far, shouldering it proudly and bravely. And now it was time for him to finally find his own happiness. He felt that life owed it to him, after everything that he had been through. He asked only for one thing, one small and insignificant little thing, and he hoped that fate would not be so cruel as to deny him of it. He prayed with all of his heart, feeling it so deeply that tears came to his eyes once more, running down his cheeks and mixing with the salty sea air.

He asked for kindness, for understanding, for a miracle --- for her.

Bulma appeared behind him; she had known that she would find him here at this cliff that he came to so often. She didn’t know why he had started coming here to this particular place, only knew that it was where he came to think. Often she herself needed a quiet place where she could get her thoughts in order. Traveling to the other timeline was something that meant a lot to both of them and carried a tremendous amount of emotional weight. It was understandable that he needed time to think before they left today. She smiled ruefully. Her son had been through an awful lot in life. He had carried more sorrow and grief than any child should ever have to bear. But it had done it, and it hadn’t killed him. He had remained strong and true through all of it, growing into a person that she couldn’t possibly be more proud of.

She stepped up the grassy hill to the cliff’s edge, bending down to avoid the hanging branches of a flowering tree. The ocean air caught her as she walked, and she closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the fresh and salty scent of the sea. Her long turquoise hair billowed behind her as she approached him, carried up by the light wind. She reached out her hand and touched his strong shoulder gently, compassionately.

“Are you ready?” She asked, looking down at his face.