p class="MsoNormal"Immediately, it was clear to both Goten and Trunks that lunch was going to be an odd experience. Despite the array of food before them, a tense silence seemed to permeate. Goten attempted to avoid the awkward situation by shoveling as much food into his mouth as physically possible, while Trunks uncharacteristically picked at a bowl of plain rice./p
p class="MsoNormal"Due to the warm weather, they were currently situated in the Briefs' large backyard. Bulma seemed too fussed with accommodating everyone to care about Trunks and Goten in the moment, but it was impossible to ignore the chilling stare sent by Piccolo across the table./p
p class="MsoNormal"The Namekian sat stoical, arms crossed and sipping on a glass of water. His animosity towards the both of them was clear as day, and Goten found himself severely discomforted by the fact. Back in their own time, Piccolo was a mentor, a brusque and intimidating figure, but more importantly, a friend. Goten had grown up with him a constant presence in the Son family, and during the whole Buu fiasco, he and Trunks relied on him constantly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Although Goten was horrifically nervous about what was about to entail, he also trusted Piccolo – regardless of timeline – and could only hope that he could help them somehow./p
p class="MsoNormal"As the table of food gradually disappeared, mostly courteous of Goten and young Gohan, Trunks sent Goten a nervous side glance. Goten smiled assuredly and gave Trunks a nudge./p
p class="MsoNormal"'It'll be fine,' he mouthed./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks merely shrugged, unconvinced, but nevertheless sent Goten a little nudge back./p
p class="MsoNormal""Right," interrupted Piccolo gruffly, startling everyone present. "Are we going to keep eating like animals or stop wasting time and get down to business?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten coughed awkwardly. "Er, the second option, I guess?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Right," Trunks cleared Goten's and his plates off to the side. "Where should we begin?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well…" began Gohan, a blush forming. "I overheard you guys arguing yesterday and you said you were trapped here and that there are people 'back home'. Does that mean your planet wasn't destroyed? And, er, Mister Piccolo and I noticed Goten was wearing a Capsule Corp. jacket, which is definitely from Earth."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks couldn't help but wince. Gohan, like always, was dishing out the big questions straight away. "Um, well… Yeah. First of all, I'm really sorry we lied to everyone. We didn't do it to swindle or trick you… It was just to protect our identities. The truth is," Trunks took a deep breath, giving Goten one last glance. "We are actually from Earth."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then why are you here? Why not go back to your family?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten swallowed thickly. It was time to put on his acting shoes. "Well, um. You guys know about the dragon balls, obviously."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gohan, Piccolo and Bulma all shared a knowing look, and it was easy to detect the underlying concern on their faces./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunks and I have known about the dragon balls our whole lives as well, see… My mother used to tell me the legend as a young child. After graduating, the two of us set out on a little adventure. I wanted the dragon balls to see my father and Trunks wanted to give his girlfriend the perfect gift."/p
p class="MsoNormal""We got the gift," continued Trunks. "But when Goten said his wish, the dragon misinterpreted it. We thought maybe the dragon would bring Goten's father back to life or send us to the afterlife, but instead, we got here. We don't know what year it is exactly, but…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you trying to tell us you boys are from the future?!" interrupted Bulma excitedly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks and Goten looked at each other. "We think so, yes," nodded Trunks./p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma stood up, practically jumping on the spot. She looked to Piccolo and Gohan with a wide smile on her face. "Oh my gosh, you guys! This is amazing, this is groundbreaking! You boys need to tell me… Is Capsule Corporation still succeeding? Am I famous? What about Goku… Do you guys know Son Goku? Is he alive?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten bit his lip. "Er, Bulma?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Noticing the frown on Goten's face, Bulma piped down, sitting down attentively./p
p class="MsoNormal""The reason we didn't want to tell you all this in the first place is because we really don't want to change the timeline. We're not sure if the things we say will affect you guys dramatically and we don't want to take that risk, either. We hope you all can understand."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That makes sense," Piccolo spoke up. "But there are a few other questions I have."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks nodded quickly. "Sure, sure, go right ahead."/p
p class="MsoNormal""When we first met you, you appeared alongside everyone who had been on Namek. You weren't confused at all regarding the foreign planet and even acted as though you knew about it. You fended off Vegeta without breaking a sweat and proceeded to fly off without hesitation."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Clenching his fists beneath the table, Trunks cursed himself mentally. How had he forgotten about that whole ordeal? There was no way in hell Goten and he could think of something in defense at such short notice./p
p class="MsoNormal""There is a possibility that you might have found the dragon balls on your own – we have no clue what technology the future offers, after all – but you must have some connection to the Z Fighters to possess the skills and knowledge you do."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Silence ensued. Goten and Trunks stared at each other intensely, attempting to figure out what the other was thinking, but their efforts were fruitless./p
p class="MsoNormal"Eventually, Goten spoke up. "That… is true. We do know about the Z Fighters and a lot of their accomplishments. But like I said before, it is crucial we keep information about the future to ourselves. Just know that you can trust us."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma, Piccolo and Gohan sat with this information for a few moments./p
p class="MsoNormal""I suppose you're right… I guess we'll just have to wait until the Earth's dragon balls are fine to use again," Bulma conceded./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten and Trunks slumped with relief. "So, are we good to keep staying here, Bulma?" questioned Goten hesitantly. He felt bad for taking advantage of Capsule Corp's resources but was at a loss for what to do otherwise./p
p class="MsoNormal""Of course, you guys. There is plenty of room here and there is no way I'm turning you away if you know the Z Fighters! It might be difficult but I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you get back home."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Overwhelmed by her generosity and overcome with a sense of motherly nostalgia, Trunks couldn't help but jump up joyously and wrap the scientist in a hug. "Thank you so much, Bulma! This means the world to us, seriously."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's not a problem," she laughed bashfully, giving Trunks an awkward pat on the back./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten struggled to stifle his laughter but was immediately sobered by the look on Piccolo's face. He groaned inwardly. Surely Piccolo ought to be over this intimidating façade by now. They had explained their situation as best as possible!/p
p class="MsoNormal""Goten," he spoke. "I want to speak to you privately later. Can you sense ki?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, sir." Goten squeaked out, anxious./p
p class="MsoNormal"Piccolo arched a brow. "Come find me tonight. There are a few more things I'd like to discuss."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gohan looked up at Piccolo, slightly lost, but the Namekian gave him a reassuring glance./p
p class="MsoNormal""Um… Sure thing." Goten looked to Trunks, shrugging helplessly. At least they had the rest of the day to think of something good./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyway Bulma… Lunch was fantastic. Thank you very much. I think for now though, Goten and I need to go shopping." Trunks looked down at his attire distastefully and silenced young Gohan's giggles with a pretend glare./p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma huffed. "Personally, I think you boys look cute."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Cute?" sputtered Goten. "Oh God, Trunks, we need new clothes ASAP."/p
p class="MsoNormal"With that, and one last quick farewell, the boys were off, cash in pocket and en route to a new wardrobe./p
p class="MsoNormal"Due to the warm weather, they were currently situated in the Briefs' large backyard. Bulma seemed too fussed with accommodating everyone to care about Trunks and Goten in the moment, but it was impossible to ignore the chilling stare sent by Piccolo across the table./p
p class="MsoNormal"The Namekian sat stoical, arms crossed and sipping on a glass of water. His animosity towards the both of them was clear as day, and Goten found himself severely discomforted by the fact. Back in their own time, Piccolo was a mentor, a brusque and intimidating figure, but more importantly, a friend. Goten had grown up with him a constant presence in the Son family, and during the whole Buu fiasco, he and Trunks relied on him constantly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Although Goten was horrifically nervous about what was about to entail, he also trusted Piccolo – regardless of timeline – and could only hope that he could help them somehow./p
p class="MsoNormal"As the table of food gradually disappeared, mostly courteous of Goten and young Gohan, Trunks sent Goten a nervous side glance. Goten smiled assuredly and gave Trunks a nudge./p
p class="MsoNormal"'It'll be fine,' he mouthed./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks merely shrugged, unconvinced, but nevertheless sent Goten a little nudge back./p
p class="MsoNormal""Right," interrupted Piccolo gruffly, startling everyone present. "Are we going to keep eating like animals or stop wasting time and get down to business?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten coughed awkwardly. "Er, the second option, I guess?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Right," Trunks cleared Goten's and his plates off to the side. "Where should we begin?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well…" began Gohan, a blush forming. "I overheard you guys arguing yesterday and you said you were trapped here and that there are people 'back home'. Does that mean your planet wasn't destroyed? And, er, Mister Piccolo and I noticed Goten was wearing a Capsule Corp. jacket, which is definitely from Earth."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks couldn't help but wince. Gohan, like always, was dishing out the big questions straight away. "Um, well… Yeah. First of all, I'm really sorry we lied to everyone. We didn't do it to swindle or trick you… It was just to protect our identities. The truth is," Trunks took a deep breath, giving Goten one last glance. "We are actually from Earth."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then why are you here? Why not go back to your family?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten swallowed thickly. It was time to put on his acting shoes. "Well, um. You guys know about the dragon balls, obviously."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gohan, Piccolo and Bulma all shared a knowing look, and it was easy to detect the underlying concern on their faces./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunks and I have known about the dragon balls our whole lives as well, see… My mother used to tell me the legend as a young child. After graduating, the two of us set out on a little adventure. I wanted the dragon balls to see my father and Trunks wanted to give his girlfriend the perfect gift."/p
p class="MsoNormal""We got the gift," continued Trunks. "But when Goten said his wish, the dragon misinterpreted it. We thought maybe the dragon would bring Goten's father back to life or send us to the afterlife, but instead, we got here. We don't know what year it is exactly, but…"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you trying to tell us you boys are from the future?!" interrupted Bulma excitedly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks and Goten looked at each other. "We think so, yes," nodded Trunks./p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma stood up, practically jumping on the spot. She looked to Piccolo and Gohan with a wide smile on her face. "Oh my gosh, you guys! This is amazing, this is groundbreaking! You boys need to tell me… Is Capsule Corporation still succeeding? Am I famous? What about Goku… Do you guys know Son Goku? Is he alive?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten bit his lip. "Er, Bulma?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Noticing the frown on Goten's face, Bulma piped down, sitting down attentively./p
p class="MsoNormal""The reason we didn't want to tell you all this in the first place is because we really don't want to change the timeline. We're not sure if the things we say will affect you guys dramatically and we don't want to take that risk, either. We hope you all can understand."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That makes sense," Piccolo spoke up. "But there are a few other questions I have."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks nodded quickly. "Sure, sure, go right ahead."/p
p class="MsoNormal""When we first met you, you appeared alongside everyone who had been on Namek. You weren't confused at all regarding the foreign planet and even acted as though you knew about it. You fended off Vegeta without breaking a sweat and proceeded to fly off without hesitation."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Clenching his fists beneath the table, Trunks cursed himself mentally. How had he forgotten about that whole ordeal? There was no way in hell Goten and he could think of something in defense at such short notice./p
p class="MsoNormal""There is a possibility that you might have found the dragon balls on your own – we have no clue what technology the future offers, after all – but you must have some connection to the Z Fighters to possess the skills and knowledge you do."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Silence ensued. Goten and Trunks stared at each other intensely, attempting to figure out what the other was thinking, but their efforts were fruitless./p
p class="MsoNormal"Eventually, Goten spoke up. "That… is true. We do know about the Z Fighters and a lot of their accomplishments. But like I said before, it is crucial we keep information about the future to ourselves. Just know that you can trust us."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma, Piccolo and Gohan sat with this information for a few moments./p
p class="MsoNormal""I suppose you're right… I guess we'll just have to wait until the Earth's dragon balls are fine to use again," Bulma conceded./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten and Trunks slumped with relief. "So, are we good to keep staying here, Bulma?" questioned Goten hesitantly. He felt bad for taking advantage of Capsule Corp's resources but was at a loss for what to do otherwise./p
p class="MsoNormal""Of course, you guys. There is plenty of room here and there is no way I'm turning you away if you know the Z Fighters! It might be difficult but I'm going to do whatever it takes to help you get back home."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Overwhelmed by her generosity and overcome with a sense of motherly nostalgia, Trunks couldn't help but jump up joyously and wrap the scientist in a hug. "Thank you so much, Bulma! This means the world to us, seriously."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's not a problem," she laughed bashfully, giving Trunks an awkward pat on the back./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten struggled to stifle his laughter but was immediately sobered by the look on Piccolo's face. He groaned inwardly. Surely Piccolo ought to be over this intimidating façade by now. They had explained their situation as best as possible!/p
p class="MsoNormal""Goten," he spoke. "I want to speak to you privately later. Can you sense ki?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, sir." Goten squeaked out, anxious./p
p class="MsoNormal"Piccolo arched a brow. "Come find me tonight. There are a few more things I'd like to discuss."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gohan looked up at Piccolo, slightly lost, but the Namekian gave him a reassuring glance./p
p class="MsoNormal""Um… Sure thing." Goten looked to Trunks, shrugging helplessly. At least they had the rest of the day to think of something good./p
p class="MsoNormal""Anyway Bulma… Lunch was fantastic. Thank you very much. I think for now though, Goten and I need to go shopping." Trunks looked down at his attire distastefully and silenced young Gohan's giggles with a pretend glare./p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma huffed. "Personally, I think you boys look cute."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Cute?" sputtered Goten. "Oh God, Trunks, we need new clothes ASAP."/p
p class="MsoNormal"With that, and one last quick farewell, the boys were off, cash in pocket and en route to a new wardrobe./p