The seal had been breached, the one that was never to be opened again. The idiots had done it again; gone for something remarkable, an archeological discovery that would greatly change the well being of mankind. Well, she could care less about mankind. What good did they ever bring her? The earth was not theirs, it was no ones. So when does it matter if someone asked to be left alone? Her sorrow had dug deep, and all she wanted was to be left alone. But it seemed that they had not listened, and so they must be terminated.

“Oh my gosh! Would you look at that!” an old man said, looking over the glass shield covering her body. A younger student came over, gazing forth with awe. “A fully preserved mummy. Oddly preserved, really. It seems like this glass is pressurized.”

“Yes, but would you look at her hair; perfectly preserved! And her dress, how intact it is. It would seem like she was buried just yesterday.”

“Don’t be silly, my boy! This body has been lying here waiting for over a thousand years!” He focused his eye-lens closer in, blinking with surprise. “Although, it is strange that it’s this intact. I mean, it seems as if not even robbers have been here.”

“Maybe they knew nothing valuable was in here,” the student shrugged, looking around and seeing that nothing was here. Not even one speck of gold, ivory, anything.

“Yes, and then maybe they knew of the curse plaguing this area,” the old man stated, handing the lamp to the boy and beginning to walk onto the glass. He knelt down, getting a better look as the student swallowed.

“Curse? What curse?”

“The curse of the Sh’rai. It is not well known, yes, but it a most deadly one. It says that when the tomb is disturbed the Lady of Sh’rai would rise, plaguing the earth with destruction until her heart is lifted.”

“Well, what’s the big deal? I mean, if this curse did exist why would she be going about destroying things?”

“For one thing it is one very long story. Something that occurred many, many thousands of year ago. That is, if this curse did exist.”

“Since we got time, why don’t you just give a sum of it?”

“Well...” he began, but was stopped when he heard a rumbling underneath his feet. He stood up, getting off the glass. It began to crack and finally shatter, and light shooting out into the room. It dissipated as a figure emerged, long, flowing white hair reaching to the ground.

It was a girl, no older than twenty, with piercing ice-blue eyes. Fair skin, and a draping dress added to the affect that seemed like a ghost. He eyes looked sad at the moment, her face plain as if she were not thinking of anything. She looked up that them, however, and her face suddenly became twisted, angry and hateful, lifting her arm and the room turning dark.

The lamp broke as it dropped to the floor, the tomb going pitch black.

She waved goodbye from the small dinner, and he smiled, waving back. He pulled the collar of his coat to block the cold wind, walking down the street and not quite sure where to. He thought he could go home, back to Capsule Corp, but thought he might walk around the city a little while longer. Things had suddenly all changed since the cold, destroyed world which he grew to know. In fact it was nothing like that anymore. There was barely any crime, barely any feuds, and everyone just seemed to change themselves to caring people.

He turned another street, abandoned at the time because everyone was in their homes. The wind subsided behind the buildings, and soon a soft snow began to fall. As he turned another street, he thought he saw something in the distanced. Maybe it was a lost purse or something, but then why was it flat in the snow? As he came closer to it, he narrowed his eyes, knowing that it couldn’t possibly be anything solid. He heard a voice, and his eyes widened as he knew what it was.

Blood.

He ran to the open side alleyway, seeing a flipped over hand with a gash in it. He heard the voice again, and finally, as he turned, saw a puddle of blood on the freshly made snow, knowing this person had been there for some time.

“Help...me...” the woman said again, her voice curdling and choked.

“What happened to you?” he said, quickly going over and kneeling to her side.

But she did not reply to his question. She just continued to stare blankly, saying the same thing every few minutes. Trying to be careful the only thing he could think of was to pick her up and take her back to Capsule Corp, where maybe they could help her. She stared up at him as he carried her, a look of surprise suddenly struck in her eyes. Her vision faded as her eyes rolled back into her head, and finally she fainted.

They do not care...

When she awoke, she found herself lying on her side on a sofa, wrapped in a thick blanket. She quickly sat up, but laid back again when she felt a sharp pain on her side. She looked to it, and saw it was wrapped in bandages, but bleeding through a little. When she sat back up again slowly, she looked to her surroundings seeing that she was in some sort of living room, with a bright oil lamp in the corner to lighten it. As she heard a voice coming from her side she tighten up, trying to stay away from the person who said it.

“You’re awake, that’s good,” Trunks said, kneeling down at the end of the couch and crossing his arms on the armrest. “Mother patched you up pretty good, so you should be fine now.” She tried to back away a bit more, a frightened look on her face. He held out a hand, saying he wasn’t going to hurt her. No one was.

“T-then you won’t tell them?” she said suddenly, and his face twisted to a questionable look.

“Who? You mean the people who did this to you?” She said nothing in responds, so he just took it as a yes. “Look, no one’s going to get to you. Just tell me who did this and maybe I could put a stopper on it.”

She still didn’t respond. She just stared at him with wonder, seeming like she wanted to know who he was. It could’ve been something else, but Trunks knew he had to say his name sometime or another anyway.

“Well, my name’s Trunks. What’s yours?”

“...Nyocia...” she said slowly, as if she had to think about it first. She blinked, soon sitting forward. “So...will you protect me from them? Both of them?”

“Both of them? You mean there were two people?”

“More...Many...of both...”

“What do you mean by both?”

“Just both of them.” She reached forward, putting her fingertips on his face. She pulled back quickly, looking at him in shock. “You...”

“What? What is it?”

“You killed the perfections?”

“The perfections? I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You kill...Androids?”

“Oh the Androids! Yeah, I destroyed them. Why?”

“You kill...Androids,” she repeated, looking to the side as if upset by the matter.

“Of course. They were destroying our world. I think you of all people should understand, anyone should! I mean, are you upset that I did or something?”

“No...but you are like them,” she stated dryly.

“What do you mean?”

She did not answer, but another voice came from the other room in turn.

“Oh good, your awake!” Bulma said, wiping her hands clean with a rag. “I was thinking for a second there that you’d go into a state of shock or something. Have you asked her named yet?”

“Yeah, and it’s Nyocia.”

“Oh, good, now I won’t have to keep calling you girl. So it reminds me of Vegeta,” she sighed, going back into the other room.

“Vegeta?” Nyocia asked.

“Yeah, he was my father before...Well, he fought the Androids and lost.”

“Oh...sorry...”

“No big deal. Mother and I have gotten over it by now.”

“Hey Trunks?” Bulma shouted so he would hear. “I’m all out of sugar. Can you run out and get some?”

“Sure thing,” he replied. He was about to stand up when she grabbed his arm. He stared with wonder for a moment, and then saw she was plagued with fear. He smiled, shrugging. “You want to come with me?”

She smiled back, nodding her head.

As they went into town, they picked up the sugar as Bulma had asked at the market. On the way back, they stopped at the dinner he had come from the day before. Nyocia was sort of hesitant to walk inside at first, but they did, and Trunks sat down at the counter as the woman from before came up to him.

“Hey Trunks. The usual?” she asked.

“Yeah, but, um, make it to go, okay?”

“Yeah sure. What’s up?”

“I don’t know, Sal, but I found this girl yesterday.”

“Is that her?” she asked, nodding her head in the direction of Nyocia. She came in through the door slowly, looking around with question.

“Yeah, that’s her.”

“Is she your girlfriend or something?”

“No!” he leaned forward, continuing in a whisper. “Look, I found her yesterday in a back alley drenched in blood. She said these people are after her but she won’t say who. She’s really scared, Sal, and I think they might have something to do with the Androids.”

“The Androids?!” she said out loud, and people began to turn, hearing her. But with a moment of no responds, they turned back. She, knowing this, continued in the same level tone. “The Androids? But I thought you destroyed them.”

“I did, and I thought by getting rid of the creators lab I’d get rid of all of them, but I’m not quite sure now.”

“But why’d they be after that girl? Wouldn’t they be after you?”

“That’s what I would first think, but I guess not.” He looked over to Nyocia, who was now looking over at the counter things. She looked at the coffee pot, soon taking it by the glass and holding it up.

“What the-” Sal began, but stopped when Trunks held up a hand.

He went over to Nyocia and look to the machine, seeing that it had been on the whole time. He looked to her, back at the machine, and back to her, seeing that she wasn’t even flinching by the streaming hot coffee.

“Nyocia, don’t you feel that?” he asked. She looked to him, staring with question.

“Feel what?” she asked, and the diner just happened to explode into a giant gasp.

“That’s burning hot coffee and you say you don’t feel it?!” Sal gulped, worried how anyone who was human could do that.

“Uh, Sal, I’ll get the order tomorrow,” Trunks stated, pushing Nyocia out the door. She quickly put the pot on the table and walked out at Trunks’ persistence. When they were outside, he made her turn around, putting his hands on her shoulders and staring her square in the eyes. “Nyocia, you have to tell me, what was that back there? Why didn’t you feel that?”

“I...I...” she began, but could not speak because of the worry he was threatening her.

He looked to his side, seeing that everyone was staring out the window. He took her arm, walking quickly with her until they were out of sight. Trunks looked back to her, still stricken for the answer. “Well, what? How do you explain it?”

“I...I was born without the feeling of temperature changes. I-it’s always been like that, and I’m sorry I didn’t know the coffee was hot. Just, please, don’t hurt me.”

He hadn’t noticed until then that she was trying to flinch away, now seeming terrified of him. Realizing what he had done he put his hands to the sides, Nyocia quickly stepping back. She turned away and began to run. Trunks ran after her, but saw that she was deadly fast, so with nothing else he transported a bit in front of her. She fell back into the snow covered sidewalk and screamed, getting up and running the other way. Again did he transport in front of her, and she quickly turned direction.

This was going no where. When he had a chance and she turned, he grabbed her around the shoulders. Though she kicked and thrashed to get free, he continued to speak.

“I want to help you! I’m not going to hurt you, okay, I want to help!”

“No! You’re just like them! You’re all the same!”

“Nyocia if you don’t tell me who these people are then how could I know not to be like them? How do I convince you that I want to help?”
“You can’t! You can’t help, because you’re just like the others!”

“But who? Why don’t you say it?”

“Because it is both!” She sidestepped quickly and lunged an elbow into his stomach, forcing him to let go. “You do not want to help! You don’t understand, but when you learn you will turn hateful, and spite me as all of the others wish!” She ran around the corner, disappearing out of sight.

Trunks, in his weary self, got up as quickly as he could, running after her. “Wait, come back! Please! Let me help you!”

As he turned the corner, he stopped, surprised to see that she had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. He paused there for a moment, waiting for her to make a move. She turned slowly, her eyes filled with question. She just stared at him for a moment, but soon clasped her hands together in front of her.

“Do you really want to help me?” she asked.

“Yes, of course! I wouldn’t lie about something like that!”

“Then...will you protect me? No matter what you learn, you will protect me from them and yourself?”

“I don’t understand what you mean by me-”

“Do you promise?” she interrupted, as if pleading.

“Of course. I promise to protect you. I will, from these people...and myself.”

She stared for a moment long, then looking down at her feet. She thought for a moment, then looking up, walking over to him. As she had done before, she placed her fingertips on his forehead, her eyes soon turning soft and her face turning into a smile. She stepped forward, hugging him.

“Keep me safe, Trunks. Remember your promise...always,” she whispered. She stood back, emotionless in the face, but Trunks smiling softly. He put an arm around her shoulder, beginning to walk back to Capsule Corp.

“Come on, Mother’s going to be worried if I don’t get back soon.”

Another few days went by, and it seemed as though the world got colder. The snow fell more and more, and the wind got bitterer an bitterer. It seemed just like the average winter, but something was different about it. There seemed to be like it was staged, like everything was supposed to happen in a pattern. After a while Trunks could guess what would happen and when, whether it be a wind gust or a sudden burst of snow. It seemed odd to him, but he paid no mind to it, for there were other matters at hand.

The girl named Nyocia did not speak, and when she did it was hardly any. Bulma tried to get her to help with things in the kitchen, but still she did not speak unless she was addressed. They had moved her into the spare room, which was on the second floor by herself, where she spent most of her time in solitude. From their rooms at night they could hear her move in the halls, probably unable to get any sleep. One night, Trunks had gone upstairs to see why she did not sleep. He saw a light coming from down the hall, a crack coming from the far bathroom. He heard a dripping sound, going up to the door and opening to see into it. His eyes widened in horror at the sight he saw.

“I shall not be controlled...You cannot find me!” she hissed to no one, her hand covered in blood that dripped over the sink. She dug deep into her hand with a knife, seeming like she was looking for something.

You are weak, you cannot do this!

“Nyocia, no!” he yelled, running through. He grabbed her hands and she screamed for him to let go.

“No, I have to find it!” she shrieked, resisting his grip and frantically digging back into her hand.

“Nyocia there’s nothing there!” he yelled, pulling her away and forcing the knife out of her hand. “Nothing is in your hand!”

“Yes, they know where I am! I have to cut it!” she shouted, struggling and dropping to the floor. She picked back up the knife, digging it back into her hand. Trunks tried to stop her, but after a moment they both her a snap, and she relaxed, dropping the knife and staring at her hand. “There! I’ve done it!”

“Done what?! Cut yourself until you bleed to death?!”

She stood up, staring him dead in the eye with a cold gaze. “I asked you to protect me, not get into my business!”

“But what if you can’t protect you from yourself?” he shot back. She stood back, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you implying? That I am not well?!”

“You’re not thinking straight, or that’s what I believe.”

“Then you say I lie, that I bloodied myself up for no reason?”

He did not answer, and she turned to the sink. She turned on the water, beginning to clean her hand off. Wrapping it in a nearby towel, she looked to him sternly, walking out as she ended.

“Then if you do not believe me what good do I have with your help? I should just leave in the morning.” She walked down the hall angrily, but he walked after her.

“Wait, Nyocia,” he tried to say, but she continued on to her room. “Please, hear me ou-” But he could not finished his sentence, because she had slammed the door in his face, locking the door. However, that did not stop him from continuing to speak. “Look, Nyocia, it’s just hard to believe your story when you won’t tell me anything! How am I suppose to believe that people are after you when you won’t even tell me who.”

“Go away! You do not understand what I’m going through!”

“But-” He was cut off by the sound of footsteps behind. He turned around, seeing that it was Bulma, her face covered in a green face cream and wrapped in a thick cotton robe. By the look on her face she looked like she wanted to know what was going on, and Trunks just pointed to the door, knowing what he meant.

Going up to it, she knocked on the door. “Nyocia, is there something wrong?”

“Not you too! Look, I don’t want your sympathy, just go away.”

“But sympathy for what, Nyocia, if there’s nothing wrong?” Bulma asked. There was no reply. Trunks stepped up to the door, taking his say.

“Please open the door. At least tell me what causes you so much pain.”

Bulma smiled, turning to Trunks. She’d not seen this much sympathy in a very long while, and was happy for him. She tapped him on the shoulder, signifying that he could take care of it, and walked back down the stairs. He heard footsteps coming to the door, and heard the lock be unlatch.

The door did not open, but since it was now unlocked he opened it. He saw Nyocia sitting on the other side of the bed, back to him, and holding a pillow. He could see on the sides of her face that there were marks. He sat on the opposite side, his back turned to her as well.

“So, what’s wrong? Why do you do these things?”

“People are after me. If I say who then you yourself will be in danger.”

“Heh, that’s part of the gig, right?” he tried to joke, but she did not laugh. Turning serious, he continued. “But can you give a name, a description, anything?”

“It is apart of me, it shares my thoughts, my personality, and even my soul.” He turned to her, and she shut her eye. “You could see it is my evil half. See, it is my twin sister who rules those after me. They find me a threat, and so they want to destroy me.”

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with your hand?”

“My hand holds the key to tracking me. Though you may not understand now, it will become relevant.”

“See, that’s what I don’t get! How can you possibly know how everything is going to happen?”

“I see things. Thing that no one else can. I see images which I usually don’t understand, but in some circumstances I know what will occur after those images are fulfilled. That is why I knew you destroyed the perfections, and then how I knew you were not lying to me earlier this week.” She sat back, lying back on his. She knew he was going to ask the other part to this, so thought in her mind how to answer.

“But what about the others? That was only one type of people you mentioned.”

“Just people, I guess,” she answered, taking a deep breath and sighing. “But you don’t care do you? You’ll know anyway.”

He stood up, backing her collapse back. She did no sit up, but stared up at him blankly. “What do you mean? Of course I care! I want to know the name of these people!”

“Are you sure you don’t want to find out for yourself?”

“No! Tell me!”

She shut her eyes, soon putting the pillow over her face after she had replied, “I think you already know them.”

He took it off, however, and was greeted by her ice-cold eyes. “And do they have names?”

“...The one with brown hair, your friend...The man who reads the newspaper in the diner everyday with his coffee...The ex-military sergeant....” she rambled on, and he did not quite understand what she was saying by this. Soon after, she wrapped it up with, “And the list goes on. They’ll truly reveal who I am, and you will no longer have to keep guessing.” She sat up, staring at the nearby window and seeing the snowflakes fall and disappear as quickly as it came. “But, Trunks, you are the only one who will understand, who could understand. Please say that you will believe me when I say I have not hurt anyone. For that is the very reason my sister hunts me, really. But please, say you will stand by me when no others will. If you truly believe that my story is true, say you will believe the words I speak now and after.”

He nodded. “I believe you, and I promise that no matter what happen I’ll believe what you say is true.”

She smiled, turned her head to face him. “Thank you, kind Trunks. I’ll take your word for it.”

He turned back, smiling to her before he left, and walked out, shutting the door behind. Nyocia turned back ,her face turning blank, and staring at her hand. She got up, going to the lamp and turning it off, locking the door as well. She remained there for a time, thinking to herself.

‘I just hope he is sincere enough for me to believe...’

The next day, they were awoken by a bang. Bulma had gone outside to see what the ruckus was about, seeing a mob of people standing on her front doorstep. Before she could get a word in a few people past her, in a hurry to get upstairs.

“What is the meaning of this?! Why are you people here?!” she exclaimed, and a voice spoke up.

“We’re here for the girl!” someone answered, and the mob yelled in agreement.

Soon enough the men who had gone inside had busted down the locked door to where Nyocia was. She sat calmly at the dresser there, staring out the window. They took her by her hair and arms and dragged her outside. Trunks just came awake when they had shown her to the mob, where he grew angry with exclamation.

“What are you-” he began, running towards them, but Bulma holding him back.

“No, Trunks, they have a reason for being here. Let them speak what they have to,” she stated, and he calmed down.

“Here she is, the one who couldn’t feel the smoldering hot coffee! The snake which has apparently been living right under our noses!” one of the men said, and they threw her to the ground.

“Why do you do this?” Bulma asked intently, and he turned, a look of hatred in his eyes.

“And you of all people should know of this. The one’s who saved us from the Androids, but now protect one!”

“What are you talking about?! She grew up without feeling differences in temperature, it’s been recorded even as truth in other cases! But you now blame it on her being an Android, because she is different from the rest of you?!” Trunks said, trying to step forward, but Bulma again holding him back. It wasn’t for the likely reason they might hurt him, but for the fact that he might lose his temper.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out.” He pulled out a knife in his back pocket, grabbing the hand which she had cut open and unwrapping the towel around it. Everyone waited in anticipation to see what would happen next, and yet Bulma had to continue to get Trunks to calm down from his anger. As he cut around her finger and back around her wrist her eyes flinched and she gritted her teeth, keeping from screaming. But soon enough he had cut through it, quickly peeling it off. Everyone gasped in horror, and Trunks relaxed in shock.

The hand, which looked like regular bones but cast in metal, moved slightly. Wires ran all through it, looping around the joints and then going back into the metal. She did not scream in agony, but she looked as if she was going to cry. The man threw her back to the ground, looking up to the crowd which stood stunned at the sight.

See?

See what they do?

Do not spare pity...

“As you can see, it lives among us! It takes the form as us and soon, probably if we hadn’t done something, would’ve caused the destruction all over again!”

She shook her head, trying to stand. “No, I would hurt no one!”

They hate you!

“Lies!” she shouted, stepping on her back and making her stay on the ground. “We should dispose of this threat now while we have the chance!” There was an agreeing shout from the crowd, as the others who had captured her in the first place grabbed her face up, dragging her out of sight in the mob. They continued down the street until they were gone, but did not leave without one cruel statement.

Burn her...

Trunks stood in uncontrollable shock, stepping back. Bulma shook her head, no believing of what she had just witnessed. Trunks sat down in the nearby chair, pulling his head in his hands and contemplating.

“I can’t believe it. She was an Android all along, and we didn’t even see it.”

‘So that was what she meant...’ he thought. ‘Both of them. Humans...’

He looked up from where he was staring at the floor, his face turning stricken. He stood up, going to the door. Bulma stared after him, wondering what he was doing.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“I’m going to go keep a promise,” he stated simply, walking out and barely shutting the door.

***

Out near the docks, where fishermen had been repairing them with spare parts they could find. The construction had stopped this day, however, when a more important matter had accrued. What was once a place of prosper and trade had become a blood bath to the Androids. It had tried retain its once peacefulness, but now failed to do so. For again, it would become a bloodbath to one. The did not stop hurting her. Beating her with stones and bats, or anything they could find. She had tried once to run, but was only stopped again and tied by her feet. She cradled herself up, trying so hard to keep them from hitting her head or kicking her any longer, but it only delayed the pain.

But in the commotion her felt the heat of a flame come up to her face, and she opened her eyes to see a torch in front of her. They held it up like a trophy shouting in almost joy. She felt it come back slowly to her feeling it come near the side of her face. It was pulled away however, the crowd going silent. She kept her eyes shut, though, frightened beyond belief.

Trunks held the man’s arm, forcing him to bring the torch back up. The man gritted his teeth and pulled his arm away. He was about to place the torch back in Nyocia’s face, but Trunks pulled his arm back again, throwing him up and punching him in the jaw. He flew back, the rest of the crowd catching him.

“Have you lost your mind?!” he shouted, wiping the blood from his lip. “It’s an Android! The one who killed our families, our friends! You of all people should know this!”

“She’s not the same!” he stated.

“What do you mean?! They’re all the same! They’re Androids!” another yelled over the silence, and a agreement shout came form the rest of them.

“Yes, she’s an Android...” he said. “But she is different than them!”

“How would you know?! You’ve been blinded from the truth! She’s manipulated you to think that, but in truth they are all the same!”

“In your eyes they are, but you haven’t seen it in her eyes! Her sincerity is great, her honesty is all in awe, and it’s something that you just cannot fake!”

“And what if we don’t believe you?” the man questioned.

“Then I’ll have to consider that you’re the enemy. Even if you are Humans, you’re anything but humane.” He narrowed his eyes, serious as he had ever been to them all. “Just leave now and come back when you know what you’re saying.”

They were hesitant, but some backed away. Trunks kneeled down, sitting next to her. She was bruised, cut, her jeans slashed up to the knee in blood. Her long sleeve shirt had been torn at the shoulders from a sharp blade, and her right arm so cut up that virtually the metal pieces inside her where showing. He lifted her to sit up, wrapping his arms around her as she continued to cradle herself in her arms, but her eyes now wide.

The man with the torch threw it into the water, shaking his head. “You’ve killed us all, boy,” was all he had to say as he turned away, but Trunks paid no mind to what he had to say.

Trunks tried to calm her down as she continued to repeated something, something he couldn’t quite understand. The tears widen behind her eyes then began to drain, mixing with the bloodied cuts on her face. Trunks imagined that the salt of her tears would sting, but she did not flinch, only continued to speak. As he put a hand on the side of her head he listened clearer, finally hearing the words she was saying.

“Keep me safe...Keep me safe...”

“Shh, they’re gone, they can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Keep me safe...Keep me safe...”

“Are you all right, Nyocia? Do you need any medical attention?”

She did not answer to his question, but stopped repeating the words. She closed her eyes, as if thinking of something. That was when she put her hands over her face, one mechanical, once scared and normal. The snow began to fall, and with it, more of her tears. Trunks laughed slightly to himself, never knowing until now that Androids could cry. Then again, she wasn’t like the others, and so she probably could.

Now you cry, weakling...?

We would’ve thought better than this...

“No...” she said suddenly, narrowing her eyes with hatred in her eyes.

“No what?” Trunks asked. She looked up, surprised.

Her eyes turned sad again, tears falling from her eyes. As if from out of no where, she asked, “Will you kill me, like the others?”

“Of course not, Nyocia. Where would you get such an idea?”

“Then...do you care?”

“Care about what, exactly?”

“About...me...About what happens to me...?”

He blushed slightly. He’d never been this close to someone before, and now just realized she was there, looking up at him and wanting to know the absolute truth. He smiled, knowing only to say the truth.

“Of course, Nyocia. Of course.”

“Will you stay here, then? I cannot move, my leg systems have shut down, and I can’t move much or they’ll never repair.”

“Sure, I’ll stay.” He still couldn’t believe he was talking to her, part of one of his mortal enemies. But she seemed different, somehow, and that’s how he convinced himself to stay. She did not have the burning hatred which he had seen in the others, but a certain kindness that could not be found in the two other Androids and Cell. He didn’t care if she was artificial, because she was more human than most he knew. He looked down at her, who held her mechanical hand which twitched as the snowflakes hit it, staring out over the cracked dock. “You sure you don’t want to get out of this cold?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, I can’t move, even if I wanted to.”

“Well, even if your systems shut down in your legs, maybe my mother can fix them.”

“No. The system is obsolete.”

“Isn’t everything?” he laughed, remembering the fact that only simple sciences like electricity and human-run machines lasted.

“You don’t understand. Only the person who made this machinery for the Perfections and I knew how to fix it, because he came up with it. But he’s dead. It killed him.”

“‘It’?” Trunks questioned.

“Yes. The Sh’rai.”

“The Sh’rai? But that’s just a stupid old legend.”

“I thought so myself at first, until humans awoken it from what was suppose to be it’s everlasting slumber. It killed the man who made this system, and then went back to sleep, the same time the Perfections began destroying this world.” She looked up at him, a blank expression on her face and her complexion so pale that it looked like some sort of glass doll. “You should remember. To my calculations you would’ve been alive the same time when people stared disappearing.”

“Yeah...Actually I do remember that! But we all thought it was the Androids.”

She shook her head. “No...it was him. The man who turned me into this. I was alive when you were, as well as my sister, and we were the last to be created besides for the Perfections. Others were made, trying to duplicate what he had done, but we were the last to be made and the last to be called ‘defective’. And then it came, and killed him for his evil deeds. It went back to sleep, but did not realize what reality it had unleashed upon this world.”

“Wait...you mean...you were actually human at one time?”

“Yes. My sister and I both. The creature which you call Cell was grown, but every Android you have faced was human at one point.” Her hand shook again, and she laughed slightly. “Which might also be a bad thing, because even though my hands can’t feel temperature, the wires aren’t waterproof. Every other wire is, but my hands aren’t. Bizarre huh?”

Trunks leaned back, taking off his jacket. He handed it to her, but she just stared at it, hesitating. She shook her head, looked back at her hand.

“No, I’m alright. The coldness of my other hand with make it freeze to it, keeping it dry. Besides, you’ll be cold. You’re warm blood doesn’t work well in the cold.”

“You have warm blood too,” he said.

“Yes...But you are a real human, so you’re more prone to disease.”

He could tell that it wasn’t just because of that, but because she didn’t want him hurt. Whether it be frostbite or illness. He’d seen it before when his mother told him to put a jacket on in the winter, even if it was a short trip across town. It was that worry he placed the jacket on her shoulder, shaking his head.

“I don’t need it, really. Just take it. I’ll be fine.”

“You can’t...” she said, and Trunks looked back down at her.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

She shut her eyes, not responding. She shook her head slowly, wrapping her hand around the other tighter. The metal implants continued to twitch, but not as much. Trunks did not ask again, but remained silent with her as the snow continued to fall.

“Hey, Trunks. Trunks, wake up, man...”

Trunks opened his frostbitten eyes, finding himself sitting exactly where he had dosed off. Nyocia was still sitting at his side, his arms wrapped around her as she too slept. He looked up, seeing a worried face stare down at him. It was Sal, who kneeled next to him and handed him a blanket as she saw he was awake.

“Hi Trunks. I brought a blanket ‘cause I thought you’d be freezing.”

He just continued to stare, a slight look of twisted anger in his eyes. He still remembered she’d been in the crowd from earlier. She shook her head, putting it over his shoulders.

“Look, I’m sorry about earlier. We all just overreacted.”

“Overreacted? You about killed her,” he stated dryly.

“Maybe...But she still is an Android, and we couldn’t trust her.”

“And what makes you think I can trust any of you again?” She stood back, a look of question struck on her face when he said that. “You break into our home and drag her away without asking anything. If I would’ve known she was like the others I would’ve destroyed her on the spot but I didn’t. Why do you think that would be, Sal?”

“Because she’s different...?”

“Exactly,” he shot back. “I was the one who destroyed them in the first place and if I had seen that look of hate in her I would’ve left her for dead. I’m not one on trusting either but I at least give a second of chance to those I don’t even know.”

“But what makes you think she won’t turn into something like the others?”

“I don’t...” he said truthfully. “But I do know this: so long as she remains as she has been I will allow no harm to come to her. Not from you people, no from the people who are chasing her. If anyone dares lay a finger on her again I’ll grant it back ten fold.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “That’s something you can tell the others.”

She stood up, a puzzled look of shock in her eyes. She stepped back slowly, fear striking her heart. She nodded her head, saying one last thing before she turned and ran away.

“Keep warm Trunks...” With that she was gone, returning to the winded silence.

Trunks shut his eyes again, not moving an inch as to no wake her up. But she was already awake, she had never been sleep, but only rested her eyes. They were open now, streams of tears rolling down her face. Deep in her mind did she remember something similar, something that had happened many years ago. Her hand cracked as she tried to move it, feeling her legs were now fine.

With this Trunks woke up, seeing her move and trying to stand. He got up quickly and was about to help, but she pushed him away. He stood and watched as she stood slowly, turning to face him with a tight lip. He could see the ice crystals which had frozen on her face, but now saw a new stream flow on her face. She wiped it away with her normal hand, sniffling as she swallowed in a blank expression.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She gritted her teeth, stammering over to him. She reached up her shaking hands and grabbed the collar of his shirt, her knees wobbling slightly. “Never... ask that...again...” she choked out.

“Why not...?” he asked, surprised that she did that.

Her throat tightened, and in the condition she was in she could hardly speak the words. “Because...Because...”

“Why?”

“Because...I’ve had my heart ripped apart, parts of my soul shattered and dusted away in the hands of my own blood. I...I...cannot live if the last bit of me is broken and soaked into the ground.” She relaxed her grip and placed her head on his collar bone, starting to cry.

Trunks put his arms around her shoulders slightly, shutting his eyes as he put his chin on her head. “Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you. I promise.”

“I asked you to protect me...”

“And that’s what I’ll do,” he stated.

“But I did not ask for you to care about me.”

He paused, surprised. He pulled away, lifting her head with his hand, but she eyes remained closed. However, he smiled nonetheless. “How can I protect you but not care? You’re a glorious person, Nyocia, and I see a kindness which I have not seen in a long time. You took that abuse from humans which you could’ve easily fought, but you didn’t. You almost bled to death, and yet you still refused to keep warm with my jacket until I persisted. How can I not?”

“If I cannot be human, what can I be?”

“You could be like the others and go on a murderous rampage, but you already knew that,” he joked.

She opened her eyes, her expression filled with sorrow. “I would rather chase my death than let that happen...”

He put an arm around her shoulder, putting the blanket he had over his own shoulder. “Come on. I’m sure mother’s wondering where we’ve been.”

She nodded, but still her eyes did not persist to be angst. He had no idea how to make her smile, but eventually she was bound to be happy again. She had to be, or what else was there?

“Trunks can you come here for a moment?” Bulma called from the kitchen.

Trunks came running past the living room from his workshop to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, his face smudged with dirt and oil. “Yes mother?”

“How are you doing down there?” she asked, smiling.

“Pretty well, mother. The synthetics seem to be molding better than expected to her hand.”

“Well, that’s good. She’ll be back to normal in no time then.” She turned to face him, still smiling. “Has she said anything yet?”

He shook his head. “No, she’s just sitting there without a word.”

“Has she at least smiled?”

“No, but I still don’t know why she would.”

She turned back to her cooking before it burned. “That’s a good boy of you, Trunks. Always thinking of someone else before you. But you know,” she shrugged, “you could say something to her instead of just welding that thing to her hand. Maybe start a conversation that wouldn’t relate to it. Believe me, if I were the one down there I would certainly want to be talked to.”

“Alright, I’ll keep it in mind,” he replied, about to walk out.

“Oh, and Trunks?”

“Yeah?”

“Try complementing her on something. It will make her feel better.”

“Right, I’ll do that.”

Trunks walked back and walked the stairs to his workshop downstairs. He stood on the steps for a moment, seeing Nyocia just stare out in front of her, on hand on the table next to her, the other gripping the bottom of her shirt. Trunks continued to walk, stepping up to the seat that was by the table and sitting. He picked up his eye goggles again and placed it over his head, picking up the tools he needed to finish his work.

Suddenly, he heard Nyocia speak.

“What did your mother want?” she asked.

“Oh, uh, she just wanted to know how this was going,” He stopped, looking up. “So now you decide to talk?”

“You are the one who is working on my hand, after all. No sense in sitting here in silence for hours,” she stated.

“True,” he said, nodding. He turned back to his work, but continued to articulate. “So...Got any family somewhere?”

“No, I have no family. They were destroyed along time ago either by the Perfections...or by my sister.”

“Oh...sorry.”

“Don’t be. I never really knew my family anyway.”

“Well, umm...” He laughed slightly. “I’m sorry, I can’t think of anything for a conversation.”

“That’s all right. I do not need to be talked to.”

He paused for a moment, poring the rest of the mixture to create a skin-type layer on the hand. He shrugged, wondering what it could hurt. “Well uh...you look very nice today.”

She rolled her eyes slightly, gripping her shirt tighter as he molded it to her hand. “My skin is artificially temperature to look this way. If you are referring to that then you must think I look nice every day.”

“Ah...To let you know I wasn’t referring to that,” he stated. Of course, he was going towards her skin complexion, but something else too.

“Then what were you mentioning? My hair? My clothes? My mechanical hand? What?”

“Your eyes, actually,” he said, and Nyocia looked to him, surprised. “You seem better today; happier, I guess you could say.”

“But I’ve been locked in my room for three days. You haven’t seen me until this morning.”

“Yes, but you look better than you did three days ago.”

“I suppose. And then again I was so bloodied up that I couldn’t feel anything. Of course I would not be happy.”

He stopped, looking to his side in thought. He put his tools on the table and lifted his goggles to his forehead. Truing towards her, he shrugged. “Do you just not like me or what? I mean, you shoot down any complement I try to give like it was a treat or something.”

“I do not wish to discuss it,” she said shallowly, turning her face away.

“Yeah, well, I would like to know.” He looked to her hand, and stared back with a smirk. “Or else I won’t finish your hand.”

She looked back with a sharp look. “I did not ask you to fix my hand. Why should I care?”
“Ah come on! Is it that personal or what?”

She nodded. “Yes, it is that person. Like I said, I do not wish to discuss it.”

“You know what, whatever. What business is it of mine if it’s that personal?” he proclaimed, pulling over his goggles again and continuing with his work

“If you’re trying to make me feel guilty forget it. I do not feel guilt.” She sighed, shutting her eyes tight. “But if you really want to know, you must promise me you will not tell anyone. Not even your own mother.”

“Sure, I promise. Besides, who else will listen to me.”

“Very well.” She took a deep breath, opening her eyes. “It all happened a long time ago, before the perfections were ever made. We were the newest models, my sister and I, and we were sent out on a mission to see what our skills were. We were sent to a small western village, where we hid out in the fields so they would not notice. We spied on them to make sure they did not have weapons that could destroy us, and to do this we need to explore every spot in the town, which took a few months to accomplish. Everything was going as planned, but there was a flaw to it all. Since we did this at night the farmers were very in tuned to anything that wasn’t right. One especially which I found out the day I was to go there.

“I searched the barns, and found nothing. When I was on the last, I did not know someone was in there, and the upper floor to the barn did not support anything but hay. So it collapsed with me still there. The person who had been working there had aimed his shotgun at me, but luckily they had not heard of such things as Androids. He had just mistaken me for some sort of fallen maiden, which he said later to me that I came from Heaven. He was about my age, but short straggly hair, a black shirt and overalls. I still remembered his bright smile and his dark blue eyes. I could have killed him right then and there, but I didn’t, I couldn’t. I had not realized that I could be something different than a murderer until I met him. His family took me in, his parents very accepting of me. My legs had been fractured, and need to be healed by bed rest. They did not see this, but they nursed me back to health by feeding me soups and such as if I were a normal human.

“One day, I had gotten up to look out the window, and my skin had not fully healed over the implants. It was morning, and I had not anticipated that they would get up that early. They must’ve heard me or something, because the boy came up with my breakfast. He saw my leg, and just stood there, perplexed by it. Again, I could’ve shot him, but I did not. After that amount of time I could not kill someone who was so kind, who cared about a pure stranger like he did. Instead I tried to explain, and he understood me. He understood as if I were like him, that he knew with empathy how I felt. There was no way I could kill these people. They meant too much to me.

“My twisted sister tried over and over for me to destroy them, but I couldn’t. I stated that I did not want to be an Android, I did not want to kill. I once even tried to cut the wire in my neck to disconnect the frequency, but that failed. It had been a few months, and yet they still believed that I was not healthy yet, that I should stay another day. And another day. And another day. Finally, the day I was going to say I was leaving, something happened. The boy he...he said...” Nyocia gripped her shirt tighter, shutting her eyes. “He said he could not bare for me to leave. That...he cared about me too much...and he couldn’t live without me. My heart jumped for joy in hearing this, but I had forgotten about my sister. I had forgotten...how black hearted she was. She could not return without me, for we were twins. Our creator could not stand for it if there wasn’t a twin pair. So...

“The boy and I were out on the riverside away from town, just enjoying the day. It was all perfected; the sky was crystalline blue, the air was the nicest weather it could be, and everything was going right. We were on a picnic, but when we unpacked the things he said he had forgotten something. So he rode his bike back to town. It was only to take about fifteen minutes, but when a half an hour past, I began to worry. I got up and began to walk towards town. But as soon as I could see the horizon my heart began to stop, seeing smoke coming from it. I hoped, I prayed so hard that he was all right, but knew deep in my soul it was not to be so. His house, as all the other buildings were, was set on fire. There were no screams besides those of the now dying, and I could barely walk without having to fall to my knees. I went around the back when I could not find him but...with doing so...I would regret it for the rest of my life...”

Trunks, who had stopped the time she had began, listened heartedly to what she was saying. So did it remind him of his life, but then to hear it in the other direction...It was even worse. To his friends he had barely known it was hard, but then to hear her tell about the person who loved her...it was nearly heart breaking.

“He was lying on his back, and hole punched in his side. The ground had already soaked up his blood, but what came from the side of his mouth stayed. His arms and legs were broken, and he had a large gash on his forehead. I kneeled next to him, feel the cold liquid on the ground sink into my knees. I held his head up, trying to one last time hear him speak but it never came. I was only able to cry shortly, until I heard a chiming sound behind. I stood, seeing in the flames my sister with a blank expression. She held a necklace with a gold ring around it, shining with a stone on the end.”

Nyocia remembered the exact words of her sister, which stuck in hatred in her heart:

“I think he was going to give this to you. But you won’t be needing it,” her sister wrapped it up into her hand, clenching it so it was turned to dust, and tilted it so it blew away in the wind, “will you?”

“When we finally got back to our Creator, he said he had monitored everything. He said we were not fit to be his Perfection, because I had soften to the likings of a human. My sister never forgave me for this, and after our imprisonment was up my intentions still did not change to be what I once was, and my sister did not give up on seeking revenge.

“And so that is why I am here. Broken, scattered,” she looked to him, “and why I cannot let anyone care about me again. Life of loneness is less torturous than that happening again.”

“Is that why?” he said, standing. “Is that why you will never truly be happy or even smile? Because your afraid you’ll be hurt again?”

She put her normal hand on her face, her lip tightening. She nodded, tears continuing to roll on her face. She shrugged, though, able to speak again. “C-can you just finish this?”

“Yeah, sure,” Trunks said, sitting again. He began finishing his work in complete silence, Nyocia doing the same as she gripped her shirt once more.

Later that day, Nyocia’s hand had been finished, and she just stayed n the living room, curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. Neither Bulma nor Trunks bothered her, but even though Bulma had asked Trunks why she was like that, he kept his promise. Bulma did not intervene or ask why, but trusted the importance.

Since the mail had come that day, Bulma was happy to tell Trunks that his inventions had been approved at the scientists bureau at the University. He was overwhelmed with joy, but knew to keep it low because he did not want to disturb Nyocia, just incase she might be asleep. But either way, he smiled in great hopes, running upstairs to put it on his shelf. When he came back, he was shocked to see Nyocia standing at the bottom, still having the blanket around her shoulders.

“What invention was it?” she asked simply.

Trunks ran back the rest to stand next to her, looking to his mother who stared out from the kitchen with a soft smile, turning back to her work. Trunks looked back to her, seeing her with the same sincere look on her face. With it, he smiled, putting his hands on her shoulders.

“Actually it was the theory on time travel,” he stated, showing her back to the couch.

“Really? You came up with that idea?”

“Well not really. My mom drew up the who time machine thing. I just wrote the proven theory on it.”

“And?” she asked as they both sat.

“And it was kind of a failure. Time travel doesn’t exactly work to change things in ones time, but only in the one you went to.”

“Oh...Well that’s all right. AS long as you know it works and that you can travel back in time.”

“Yeah, I guess. But it’s kind of a shame if you wanted to change something in your past though.” He did not realize what he was saying, but when he caught a quick eye from his mother he looked back to Nyocia, who’s head hung slightly again. He tried then to quickly correct himself. “But it’s also a good thing to those you change. To get off the subject though, how are you doing?”

Nyocia looked up at him with narrow eyes. “I thought I asked you not to say that again.”

“Oh, right, sorry! But seriously, you’ve been stuck on this couch the whole day. Is what you told me earlier because of it?”

Bulma perked up a sharp ear, wanting to hear this.

“No, not really...” Nyocia sighed. “It’s mostly because my myself. My own self depression. That is all.”

“What’s the cause?”

“It’s no problem. I’ll get over it.”

“I know you will, but I want to know what’s wrong.”

“I told you to stop asking that!” she exclaimed.

“Sorry! Can’t help it,” he stated.

“Well help it. For that’s the reason I’m like this.” She stood up, Trunks not saying a word. She climbed the stairs, saying one last thing. “I’m going to sleep. Please do not disturb me unless it’s an emergency.”

As she disappeared up the narrowed stairs, Bulma whispered furiously for him to get going. Trunks looked back in question, but she shoed her hands for him to go after her. She knew that he should get an answer from the statement, and Trunks nodded in a response, standing and walking up the stairs. Soon enough, he was heading through the hall to her room, where it was once again closed and locked, a small light coming through the bottom crack.

He knocked, but there was no response. “Nyocia? I know you’re going to hate me for this but I have to ask, are you sure you’re all right?”

He heard stomps in the room, the door suddenly swinging open with Nyocia’s angry face. She reached forward, grabbing the collar of his shirt with her newest normal hand. “Got that right! I told you never to say that!” she shouted. “Darn it! I hate you for doing this to me!”

“Uh...doing what, exactly?” he asked, not budging.

She dropped her hand and instead slapped him on the face. She slammed the door shut, but did not lock it. “You dare come through this door, Trunks, I’ll throw you out the window, I swear!”

He rubbed the side of his face, having it sting than anything he had felt. On his face, and, oddly enough, on his heart. Trunks knocked on the door again, however, not willing to give up. “What are you talking about? Did I say something wrong?”

There was no answer. He put his hand slowly on the door, opening it. She sat on the end of the bed, her face in her hands. She ran it threw her hair, shaking her head. “No...”

He smiled half heartedly, sitting next to her. “I thought you said you’d throw me out the window.” She stared coldly to him, and he waved his hands. “Kidding, just kidding!” He was about to put a hand on her shoulder but she batted it away in frustration. “Really, what did I say wrong? Because I accidentally asked you that?”

“It wasn’t an accident, and you know it, don’t you?”

“...You’re right, it wasn’t...” he said truthfully.

“And that’s why!” she yelled, standing up. “That’s the very reason my mind hates you! You care about me too much! Though you try to say you don’t I see it in you like ten words in a ten paged book! I know your past Trunks, my sister and I both, and I have never read anything of you being worried this much about someone besides your dear mother.”

Embarrassedly he nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“The what?! I demand you tell me!”

“I don’t think it’s what you want to hear,” he stated, standing.

“Oh yeah, just say it and get it over with!”

“Alright...I do care about you. You are y true friend. It’s grown on me, and your worth more to me than anyone else.” She slowly sat back onto the edge, staring blankly at the ground as trunks continued. “I know it may not be what you want, but I can’t help it. Your kindness and warmth is beyond anything I’ve seen, and I will not let anything happen to it. You can accept it or not, but I swear I will never let you be hurt again. I’m...I’m sorry if this might shock you but I had to say it.”

“No...you said what I thought you would. But the only thing is...since my mind hates you...” She put her hands on the side of her head, shutting her eyes. “My heart cares for you too...I tried so hard not to fall for you but it just didn’t work...And now...I’ll die if anything happens.”

She tightened her eyes, streams falling down her face and onto the bed. Trunks sat next to her again, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and putting his forehead on the side of her head. He shut his eyes, his face as serious as it could be.

“Nothing will happen to either of us...As long as I’m alive, nothing will happen,” he proclaimed in a whisper, Nyocia biting he bottom lip with sadness. Trunks put his hand on the other side of her head and kissed her on the top on her head lightly, repeating his last words. He pulled away, standing. He kept a hand on the back of her head, smiling. “Pleas try and sleep. Everything will be right in the morning.”

She said nothing, but just continued to stare at the floor. He walked to the door, and before shutting it he said, “Goodnight”. He shut it, leaving Nyocia to her silence. She to up to lock it, but she did not go back to bed. Instead, she put her back to the door, sliding to the floor where she put her head in her hands again, crying.

Trunks was still outside, his back also to the door. When he heard her sob yet again, he shut his eyes and swallowed, putting his head against the wall. Everything he said was true, but yet he wondered if it made her happy or just more sad. He sighed and shook his head, carrying back to his room, where he finally got some rest.

***

Nyocia woke up, the splendor of the morning sun beating on her face. She sat up from where she was curled on her side, hearing a banging noise coming from outside. She noticed the snow had stopped falling, which may or may not have been a good thing. She went to the balcony doors and unlocked them, stepping out. She saw Trunks standing on ground level, cutting wood and wooden furniture up in large blocks. He noticed she was standing there, and looked up, taking a break.

“Firewood. We still don’t have gas running through the house,” he stated, looking back.

“Um, Trunks?” she asked, and he immediately stared up again. “You think...we could take a walk?”

He smiled, nodding. “Yeah sure. Just let me get finished with this. Mother will be in a rage if I don’t.”

“I heard that!” Nyocia heard a dim voice coming from downstairs. Trunks flinched, shaking his head and turning back.

Nyocia’s face turned straight with narrow eyes, walking back into her room. She went to her door, unlocking it and about to step out when she saw something she was about to step on. She bent over, picking up the single flower and just staring at it for a few minutes. She wanted to crush it, but again couldn’t, taking a deep breath and shaking her head. She went back to her room and placed it on the dresser, walking out.

She went downstairs, walking out to where Trunks was. She held up a hand for him to stop, and he stepped back. She picked up most of the wood and tossed it into the air, holding up two fingers with a thin laser beam in each to split it perfectly. In a matter of seconds, all the work was finished, and Trunks stood dumbfounded.

“Now can we go?” she asked, and he nodded his head slowly.

“Yeah, now we can go.”

He walked next to her, staring behind for a moment or so in his disbelief that she did that, but began walking nonetheless. They walked on the sidewalk in silence for awhile, but suddenly she took his arm, leaning her head on his shoulder. Her white hair matched the snow on the ground, her skin white as a ghosts as well. He did not take into asking if she was cold or not, because he remembered that she was always that way, and would always be that way.

After a while, she finally spoke. “You are...my friend, Trunks. And I won’t let anyone take you away.”

“Who said I was going anywhere?” he asked with a smile, but as she didn’t reply, his smile faded. He stopped, turning to face her. She looked up, a certain sorrow there. “Who said I was going anywhere, Nyocia?”

She shut her eyes tight, putting her face to the ground. He lifted her back up again, her eyes opening and Trunks staring into them. “Please tell me, Nyocia.”

She just stared up at him for the longest time. But he did not divert his sight either. The longest silence carried, until suddenly Nyocia began to laugh. Trunks kept a puzzled look, but smiled and began to laugh as well. He didn’t realize at fist that that was the longest moment of silence he had ever done, but then again he was only thinking of one thing. She was happy. She was laughing, and actually smiling. The most shocking this, however, came when she stopped. She reached up and kissed him on the side of his face. She continued to smile, taking his arm again and holding it tight.

They walked farther in the nice weather, but soon decided to turn back. It was nice to have her next to him, even if she didn’t say anything. Just to know she was smiling, to know she was happy brought a whole other perspective. Yeah, she might have been an Android, but she was more human than even his mother, even himself. It was heartwarming, and he hoped it would always stay this way.

When they arrived home, Bulma asked him if he could run out and get some metal parts from the nearby electrical store. Trunks had offered for Nyocia to go, but she refused. He wanted to much to ask why, because though she was smiling, she had a look of dread in her eyes. But he did not ask, and decided he’d go there and get back as quickly as he could.

While Nyocia and Bulma were there, however, Bulma had asked if she new how to cook. She replied that she’d try, and did a hefty job of it on Bulma’s terms. But as they weren’t talking about anything, Bulma decided she’d start up a subject.

“So...You’re fond of my son, aren’t you?”

Nyocia nodded honestly. “Yes, he is very kind.”

“I know this is none of my business...but are you planning on marrying him?”

Nyocia leaned forward, chocking with surprise. A sort of color came to her face, but she remained blank in expression. “I don’t know. It depends.”

“Depends? On what? What should it depend on my son?” Bulma said almost angrily, but more so in a question.

“Well, it depends on if he asks and...other things...”

“What kind of other things?” she asked.

“Um...” She looked over to her. “Uh, so how much to you put in this anyway?”

“Three table spoons,” she answered slowly, but still was suspicious. “Are you trying to avoid my question?”

“No, of course not!” she stated. Of course, she was lying. Bulma turned back still with a questionable look.

The time continued on in silence, until they both heard a bang upstairs. They ignored it, thinking that it was nothing. But again it occurred, and they looked at each other, wondering if they had heard it.

“Did you hear that?” Bulma asked.

“Yeah...sounded like something’s upstairs,” Nyocia answered.

“No, nothing could be up there! Trunks would’ve come through the door, and no one can reach that high up!” Bulma smiled. Nyocia’s stopped what she was doing, her eyes widening with horror.

She turned sharply, sensing something there. Bulma turned as well, but saw nothing. Her eyes widened as well, though, when they both hear a small, high pitched laugh. The windows were suddenly shaded, and all that was left was the flame from the stoves. Bulma looked frantically around, about to scream bloody murder, but Nyocia just remained stunned. They both saw figures moving in the shadows, coming ever so closer until finally the stove burnt out.

Farewell, dear sister...

Nyocia felt a cold hand wrap around her neck, soon slowly squeezing tighter...

Trunks returned home fifteen minutes later, finding his house in flames. Though the snow fell hard upon the earth, the flames still persisted. He fell to his knees, his mouth falling open slightly in disbelief. But soon his hands clenched into fists, Trunks hitting the ground in complete rage. He heard a voice in the distance, and it was the only thing keeping him from tightening his fists so much that they bleed. He stood up, rushing over and around the building to where the voice came. He saw his mother, lying there with her hair soaked in her own blood. Well, what it looked to be, at least. She had burns and cuts and gashes everywhere, barely about to keep her eyes open.

He kneeled next to her, lifting her head. She stared up at him, but pointed a finger slightly up.

“They took her,” she stated weakly.

“Who took her? Mother, who took Nyocia?!”

“...They...were...Androids...” she chocked out, and Trunks’s eyes enlarged in shock.

“Androids?!”

“Yes...or at least...that’s what they looked like. It was so dark...we didn’t see them coming.” She smiled up at him, sitting up. “They told me...to tell you...to go to the Fishermen’s Warehouse. They’ll be waiting for you there...along with Nyocia.”

He hesitated, but nodded, standing. “Will you be all right?”

“Yeah,” she proclaimed. “Now get going! She’ll be...waiting for her...knight in shining armor!”

He nodded again, turning and jumping up into the sky and into that direction. He finally understood it all. Both. It was both the humans and the Androids who did not understand her and wanted to kill her. She could not be either, because neither of them would accept her. But, if he could, that would no longer be an issue. If he could, at least he and his mother would be people to accept her.

He arrived at the Warehouse within minutes, hovering there in anger for a few seconds and landing back down. He stepped towards the entrance door, frostbitten to the touch. He slammed it open with his shoulder, revealing the dark and damp area within.

Trunks stepped forward, looking to his surroundings. He could see small images float past, scurrying off like mischievous rats. The door soon slammed shut behind him, but he did not turn. A bright spotlight came upon him, blinding him temporarily in the darkness.

He heard small laughs in the distance, a voice soon echoing in his ears. In was in a rhyme, one that he had heard before but just in different words. Though they were disturbing to begin with, these made his stomach churn in anger.

“Off went the hybrid man

To find his Android friend

He opened the door to find that

POP went her head!”

The light suddenly became less as it went to another part of the room. There stood a tall, slender woman, dressed in a pair of trashed blue jeans and a short white shirt, grinning menacingly at him. He could’ve sworn it was Nyocia, but the hatred in her eyes diverted him elsewhere. High pitched, evil laughs echoed through the room, all aimed at him.

“Hello, Perfections killer. We’ve been expecting you,” the woman said, crossing her arms. “My name’s Shard. I guess you could say I’m the newest Perfections.”

“You Nyocia’s sister?”

She frowned. “That weakling? I hardly consider her family anymore.” She smiled again. “Of course, that will all change.”

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“You’ll know soon enough. But I think you should know what’s going on out there.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s quite simple. We’re tired of living like this. We want this planet, and we’ll take it the way we were meant to. Human’s rule on this planet has ended, and now it’s our turn.” Again, the laughs. “Why do you think its snowed so much? We cause it, and by doing so we cause an new ice age, as you people say, which will kill all of you off and make way for our closer. Of course, we couldn’t do it without some hidden facts.”

“Like, what exactly?”

“Like your petty legends. We were isolated away until you people came around and freed us. As my foolish sister stated, people believe it is this Sh’rai. Unfortunate for you, it doesn’t exist. In fact, I am that Sh’rai, I guess you could say. My sister was the one imprisoned in the open, to lure you people in, and after she was released, we all took over and...eliminated them. That was our cover up, so my sister would not go blabbing about it. It seems, however, we no longer need that.” She smirked, narrowing her eyes. “But to get back to your question, you were wondering where she was.”

“Yeah. Where?”

She began to laugh, and so did the others around her. She held up a hand, clenching it as another light came on. His mouth opened, shocked at the sight he saw. Before him, nailed to the wall by the hands, was Nyocia, her head hung. She looked up, but only stared blankly at him, as if she could not see him.

“Let her go!” she shouted, running forward.

Shard continued to smirk and snapped her fingers. “Okay.”

Nyocia suddenly fell to the floor, onto her knees. She looked up in somewhat distress. Reaching into he pocket, she took something out and held it in her hand. She stood up drowsily, her hair draping her face. Trunks began to run for her, and she did the same.

She about reached him, grabbing his hand. But she stopped before she could fully reach him, blood splattering in her face. A sword stuck through her, Nyocia barely managing a hand on it before it slid quickly out. She looked up at Trunks, who was wide eyed with water stuck in them, and she smiled shortly before her eyes rolled back into her head. She slumped over backwards, her eyes closing and Shard continued to stare with a discussed look, shrugging it off and walking back with the bloodied sword still in her hand.

Trunks held the stained note in his hand which Nyocia had passed to him, Shard waving a hand as she turned back around.

“She was never fit to be a Perfection anyway. Good times, as I see it. She won’t get in the way anymore.”

“You...” Trunks began to choke out.

“You what? What did we do but solve a problem? You should know of that, shouldn’t you, Trunks?”

“You...I’ll kill you...”

“Hmm? I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Did you say you’d kill us? Sorry but that the power your at right now, you’d never succeed.”

They were right. They were stronger than he was now, but their information must’ve been behind, for it seemed they did not know of a Super Saiya-jin.

And at the way his power was rising, his power would go beyond that he had ever gone before.

“You’ll die...Just like the others!” His fists clenched, his rage swelling to his breaking point. His power had gone past that of a Super Saiya-jin, though still in form one. He stared in a blank anger at Shard, who stood speechless in dropping the sword. Voice coward in fear, and he could see them back away. But they had no chance, for he fired a blast that destroyed them before they could get away. “My family, my friends...AND EVERYONE I’VE EVER CARED ABOUT!!! Gone because of you people! Nyocia was the only shred of hope I saw in any type of Android...but since you killed her, there’s no point in sparing your lives, now is there?”

“N-now hold on a second there-” Shard fell back saying, but he was not planning on giving any exception.

“Drop dead, Android,” he said, holding out his hand. He charged a magnificent blast, one that not only destroyed her but the rest of the facility with it. Pieces of metal parts and debris fell from the sky, and the world suddenly stood still, not an Android left alive.

He slowly opened his still clenched hand, turning out of his transformation. He unraveled the note Nyocia had given him in his last moments. As he read it, he fell to his knees, shocked to see this. It was as if she knew this was going to happen. When he remembered what she had said the day after he met her, he then realized that she knew this all along.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but the outcome would’ve changed completely. Your life for mine. Please don’t feel for me, Trunks, for my torment has now ended. Ever since I took this form I knew it was going to happen, I just didn’t know when. I thank you for being there for me, though, and I hope one day I might actually see your friendly face again. But think, I’m with him again, and I’m eternally grateful for you to help me realize how good life could be again. I ask that you do not move me to some fancy burial site or whatnot, just leave me as I be, as I was meant to be just dust in the wind. Goodbye, dear friend. I will never forget your kindness...”

He did as she asked, but made a place in the ground near her. He could not just leave her there, but instead buried her not far from where she was. He put the note back in her cold hand, soon ending with a silent prayer. He turned, one slight tear running on his face, and soon disappeared into the falling snow.