Royal Pain and it\'s Sequel Boundaries

Past

Goten lay suspended on a web of iron chains. He didn’t look like himself. He looked older and more masculine then the Goten that Trunks had known. At the same time it was easy to see he was still Goten and Trunks couldn’t be happier to have finally gotten him back.

“Goten, oh Goten are you all right?” Goten glanced up at him. Then when he saw Trunks running towards him he became frantic. “Trunks no wait don’t.” His voice alone could have made Trunks stop. It was gruff and deeper then before.

Trunks passed for a moment staring at the other in wonder. Why had he wanted him to stop? The young Saiyan got his answer as a mostly translucent but still perfectly solid wall caught his attention. He had almost ran right into it. A blinding light suddenly engulfed him leaving him temporally blinded. When at last his vision did finally clear he noticed the light around Goten had brightened as well leaving his young friend completely eliminated. Only Goten didn’t seem so young now. He looked so startlingly similar to Goku. At the same time his features were unique. He wore only a pair of white paints now, baggy and semi translucent. His well-formed mussels bulged beneath his skin. He didn’t have the figure of the boy from five years past but that of a young man. Trunks stood in shock. He had not thought that Goten would have grown. The boy looked so, handsome, so beautiful.

Goten was staring at him, the same baffled look on his face as always. Trunks looked down and found himself in nothing but those white semi translucent paints. He was no longer standing but floating high above the ground. It wasn’t his own power that kept him afloat but an unknown source. Goten was no longer entangled in that chain web but now floated as well. With the ground no were in sight it seemed they had become two lost bubbles of light suspended in a world of darkness. Trunks wanted to run into Goten\'s arms, to wrap him in a huge warm hug but found he couldn’t move an inch.

A voice rang out from all around. “Trunks, son of Vegeta, Goten son of Goku the trial will now began.” Trunks opened his mouth to question the voice but no sound came. The voice continued, “Goten will be judged and it shall be Trunks that passes the judgment. If nether of you wish this then the trial will end and Goten will remain here for all time. Speak now if you wish this not to go on.”

~~~

“Hey Budon what’s wrong with you?” Ichigo’s brother didn’t answer. He just stood there staring off into the distance. “Ah Budon what’s going on with you?” Budon shock his head. “I feel, something, I don’t know how to explain it…” Ichigo knocked her brother over the head. “Oh you stop that.”

Budon didn’t answer. Instead he toppled over and Ichigo leapt to catch him. “Budon? Hey Budon are you okay?” No answer, “Oh wow I think there\'s really something wrong I’d better go get daddies!” She dropped him (not too lightly) and went off in search of her fathers.

~~~

“Goten what’s going on?” Trunks asked his voice full of concern. It seemed he was able to speak again. Goten didn’t answer just hung his head down not wanting to meet Trunks eyes however beautiful they might be. This was it, he had been dreading this moment for so long now. This would be the last time he saw Trunks. His love could never endure him after what he’d done.

“Then we shall continue?” the voice boomed and then Goten was back on Earth or so it seemed. Trunks was standing beside him. A stunned look on his face. Goten wanted so badly to run into his arms but held himself back. He knew this place, knew it all to well. They were in a meadow that was submerged in waist high grass. A forest of many tall brandy trees surrounded it. Trunks gasped as he recognized the spot. He knew it too of course; they had come here as children to play quite often. That wasn’t why Goten dreaded this place so much. Why he had never wanted to come back here after it had happened. His thoughts were interrupted by a very young child’s laughter. The child came into sight and for a blessed moment Goten thought Trunks was going to faint and miss it all but he didn’t. The child was a very young Goten.

“GOTEN YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! YOU HAVE CHORES TO DO YOUNG MAN!” Goten shivered, he knew that voice as well. The younger version of himself froze like a deer caught in headlights. Then he turned and ran for the woods. At that same moment his mother came into view. She looked around angrily. Then it happened. A monstrous creature that stood on two small weak looking hooves came out of the woods. It was covered in black and yellow strips and its eyes gleamed a deathly white. It charged Chichi, and Goten’s younger self quickly lit a blast to counter it. Without thinking it through the younger Goten unleashed his blast on the monster but the blast was far too huge. When the dust settled the monster lay unmoving and beside it lay his mother. The young Goten moved slowly up to her his fear plain in his eyes. He knelt over her and his fear turned to all out horror. “Wh-what have I done.” He looked down at his hands in shook, “I killed my own mother.” Then he got up slowly backing away. “The others, they’ll hate me for this, my father, Trunks.” His younger self gulped then he turned and took off into the sky leaving a trial of tears in his wake.

Just like that they were back in the dark-filled place. Goten stood suspended across from him, his face held down out of sight. Trunks opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn’t make a sound. “Save your judgment for the end. There this more yet to come.

Balance

The days that followed flew by in a tossed up whirlwind of joy and sorrow. Not once the entire time did Goten dare to meet Trunks eyes for fear of what he might find there. All of it, everything he had ever held secret to all was shown in plain 3-D pictures. Only one thing was left hidden from Trunks now. That was his love for the purple haired boy. He knew someone as pure as Trunks could love him back. Not after what he’d done to his own mother. There were many memories of Chichi yelling at Goten. Goten wishing that she would just leave him alone, just disappear. He hadn’t meant forever and now she was gone and it was all his fault. How could Trunks love someone that wished death upon their own mother?

Trunks never spook a word and because Goten was to scared to speak the only sounds heard was that of the voice and those of the flash backs. There were good times in the flash backs too, a birthday party turned food fight, a night of chatter and giggles. All the times Goten held closest, good and bad. As the last flash backs ended the voice sounded again. “Now Trunks, son of Vegeta it is time for the final display before judgment.” Goten hung his head even lower, unhappy that his thoughts and feelings were being called displays. He had no right to complain though. He was just happy to see Trunks again. Suddenly Trunks mind was there within him. He could see Goten\'s every thought, feel his every feeling. Goten quivered, this was it, the end. “I’m sorry Trunks, so sorry.”


~~~

“Daddy I think there’s something wrong with Budon!” Ichigo cried from behind him. Daikon turned to see his little 5-year-old daughter staring up at him with a world of worry in her eyes. Daikon smiled, she had turned out as bad as Nassu when it came to worrying. “Now come little one I’m sure he’s okay.” His voice was reassuring, “lets go take a look.” Ichigo followed after her father. She had done it again, over reacted. She’d just thought it was strange how Budon was acting. It was probably just another male thing. Even after living in a house of all males for so long she still wasn’t used to them. She was just glade she’d found D daddy and not Nassu. At least D daddy didn’t flat out dismiss her. She’d have to be sure to get Budon back real good for this prank. He may be smarter but she could still kick his ass in competition!” She spotted Budon a little ways off to one side. “Over there daddy!” She yelled pointing franticly. He was still lying down. If D daddy caught him pulling the prank he would get in trouble not her. D daddy seemed to frown when he saw Budon playing asleep. He increased his speed and Ichigo couldn’t keep up. When she did catch him he had his hand on Budon’s neck. “Daddy watcha doing?” D daddy swallowed, he looked hopelessly lost. “He, he’s not breathing.” He put his hand on Budon\'s wrist. “His hearts not beating ether.” Ichigo tilted her head to the side. “Heart, hey isn’t that important or something?” D daddy didn’t answer; he just sat there beside Budon. His eyes were wet as if he were crying. That couldn’t be though, D daddy never cried. “Daddy what’s wrong?” D daddy choked, “it’s your brother Ichigo he\'s…gone.”

~~~

Trunks was whisked away into Goten’s mind. It was strange, he hadn’t moved nor could he move. It was like a huge shockingly solid cloud had consumed him and then took him for an unwanted ride. He could feel the cool misty touch of what ever carried him all around him. He could see nothing of his captor. What he could see was Goten, and not the physical person either. The first thing he came up on was a huge veil. It was as if Goten was entangled within that veil. ‘This must be the first layer of his mind then’ Trunks realized in wonder. He suddenly felt this whole thing not right at all. It was all wrong for him to travel here, he had no right. But his misty prison kept him moving forward whether he wanted to or not. The veil before him quivered and shook almost as if it were frightened. Indeed Trunks could feel fear coming from the strands of Goten that made up the veil. But why would Goten be afraid? His misty captor parted the veil and another veil appeared in front of them. This one was made from strains of Goten\'s sadness though, so sad. Trunks had never know anyone; especially not Goten could hold such sadness within them. The vial wept out water as if it were crying, a representation of the may tears Goten must have cried when he was alone. This veil too parted and then Trunks came upon another veil. This one much thinner and more frail then the first two. Trunk\'s eyes widened when he realized what this thin weak veil was. It was Goten\'s hope, a hope he seemed to be hanging on to only by a thread. The veil was encircled in a warm soft light that bathed Trunks. This vial too parted and no more came forward. Instead came a huge bright ball in with none of the veils could equal in size or strength. This Trunks realized was Goten\'s love. At the center of is big bright mass Goten held Trunks. But the love Goten felt for Trunks was not the love of a friend or brother, it was the love of a mate. Someone Goten wanted to hold closest to his heart and share everything with for the rest of his life.

Trunks suddenly found himself back where this had all started. He was in his old cloths and everything was dark. Opposite to him was Goten back on the web of chains. There were two things that were different this time though. The first was a door. The kind you might find in the back exit of some restaurant. The letters E,X,I,T flashed above the door as if their light bulb was fading. The second thing was a key. A key to the chains that held Goten. Trunks stared down at the key. The key to Goten\'s life now rested in his hand. What could he do? Goten thought of him as a mate?! But they were best friends. Still, Goten had always been so close to him. He had looked so beautiful standing there suspended in the light. Could it be that Trunks loved Goten too?

Trunks walked over to the net. He slid the key into place and Goten fell from the net, sound asleep. Trunks caught him, staring down at his newfound love. “Lets go home Goten,” he whispered to the sleeping angel in his arms. He walked to the door and just as he was turning the knob the cursed voice rag out again.

“Know this, life is balanced. If you take Goten, son of Goku then his balance, the one born at the same time he died must come. Consequently, if you take him now Budon; son of Daikon and Nassu must come here to take his place. This too is your choice.”

Trunks stared back at the room stunned. “Why? Why can’t they both live!” He demanded in an unusually forceful voice.

“If they did the balance would not be as it must. What dies can only return for a cost. In the past that cost has been a wish from the dragon balls. That can not work for someone who has taken his own life, however. Only the cost of another will do. Chose now Trunks, son of Vegeta or I shall chose for you.” Trunks held Goten closer to his body in determination. He had lost him once, he was not going to lose him again. Yet in his mind flashed that clever little boy Budon. He could not and would not sacrifice him. It went against everything he had fought for sense the day of his birth. There had to be a way to beat this thing so nether would die. The question was…how?