[Daylight Ending in One Hour]

"Eh?" Rhuda blinked. "It gets night here?"

Shallot nodded. "Yeah. It's an update that happened last year. Oh, you're gonna be with me over at the Time Patrol Academy."

He'd caught up to her standing awkwardly by the fountain of Orange Star, pacing back and forth. Rhuda had been thinking of all sorts of things until that information came across her field display.

Shallot pointed to Orange Star High. "You can rent a room there for a fee. Warning you now though, you're gonna be paired with someone. I'm with a human guy who's my level. They'll sort you with who's left."

"I see.. should we go there now?"

"Hmm. If you want." He shrugged, "Most patrollers are required to go to the dorms when night hits. If we're found outside the school there's a stupid cut scene where you get caught, yada yada yada. It's annoying."

"You said most. So, there are some who aren't required to go there?" Rhuda asked to be sure.

"Yeah. Me. I'm an Elite. Which means I've beaten the game, so I get a little more freedom. One of the many perks." His mouth turned down into a frown. "Still...I haven't figured out why they even added night time mode. It's like...they're trying to make the game a life simulator. Which is stupid in this kind of game if you ask me-"

"-Why? We live here now," Rhuda interjected. "Maybe the creator wanted us to live a normal life?"

"Fat chance of that! Who the hell dies and gets stuck in a game?" Shallot shook his head, "You're giving that guy too much credit."

"Perhaps."

Shallot offered to walk Rhuda there, and she agreed.

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Time Patrol Academy

Rhuda went through the double door and was spawned into a small room with one Ogre person behind a counter, looking at a computer. He had one horn on his forehead. The male receptionist lifted his eyes, "Name?"

"Rhuda."

"Rhuda...Rhuda..." he did a lot of clicking. "Okay-here. Your room key. That'll be 3 TP Medals."

[Room Key Acquired: Floor 3, Room 2-0]

"Thanks," she said automatically.

"Don't thank me yet. We ran out of rooms, so..." he shrugged and pushed his large glasses up, "Well, you'll see."

She didn't like the sounds of that.

With trepidation she walked to the stairs door and was morphed into a room. It was plain, like a college dorm room with a bunk bed made of wood, a tiny window some distance, and a sliding walk in closet. There was a desk with books on top of it, a lamp, and several potted plants. The overall feel of the room was modern student. Sitting at that desk, however...

"Hn. So they pair me with a mortal."

Rhuda blinked. He had light green skin, mystical elven ears, and two yellow earrings dangled from his lobes. He turned, and she found herself staring at a beautiful Kai with silver eyes that looked misty, like fog in early evening.

Words failed to describe how gorgeous he was.

"...I'm Rhuda," she announced.

"Lord Zamasu." He went back to his book. "Don't bother me unless you're dying. In that case, don't bleed out on my things."

"Ah ha ha..."

Rhuda went to the bunk bed, unsure of which to claim for hers. Above the mattress were two pointers, and she hesitantly asked, "Ano, which...bed is yours, Lord Zamasu?"

"Neither. I don't sleep. Now quit talking."

"Sorry. I didn't know," she began, but he turned in his rolling desk chair and glared at her.

"Do I need to sew your mouth shut?" He threatened. "You're interrupting precious reading time. Be gone with you."

"...Sorry." She couldn't help but say again.

Rhuda claimed the top bunk, preferring to put some distance between her and the cranky Lord Zamasu.

[Top Bunk? "Yes" / "No"]

"Yes."

Everything faded to black.

She awoke fully rested and clothed, standing beside the bunk. Looking around it was daylight, and Zamasu was still there at his desk, writing in a journal. For a time Rhuda stood there, tapping her boot as she debated on trying to engage in talk with him. She knew he was on her Friendship bar, and thus said, "Good morning, Lord Zamasu."

"What's so good about it?" He asked. He put down his fountain pen and stood up, glowering at her. "You snore. That alone is unforgivable."

"Sorry! I didn't know-"

"Ignorance is no excuse." He shook his head and placed his hands behind his back. "I feel like erasing you from existence."

"Er-"

He turned to the potted plants, "But I will spare you. A God must be merciful. Consider this your only warning."

Rhuda paled. She had no idea being paired with Zamasu could be so hazardous.

'Could I be killed in my sleep?'

With his words in her mind she bowed, "I apologize for interrupting your study. What was it you were reading?"

"Don't speak anymore. Your voice is grating to my divine ears." Zamasu left the room and slammed the door shut.

Rhuda sighed, "He's...a little difficult."

She left the Academy and made way for the Plaza to look for Shallot. He was among a group of people like always, laughing and talking. Only something was a little different. She narrowed her green eyes, sensing that his laugh was faked. Maybe spending so much time with him, she was able to tell it was a front.

"Good morning, Shallot." Rhuda bowed.

"Oh, hey, noodle head. How was it?"

"Well...my room partner is...Lord Zamasu." She sighed a little.

Shallot's brows shot up. "Really? That's a first. Didn't know you could get paired with an Instructor." His tail flit around, "Seems like he's a pain in the ass."

"He said I snored and he'd erase me from existence if I did it again!"

Shallot burst into laughter. He wiped his tears away, "Ha ha, well, you can always bribe him."

Rhuda took Shallots advice and spent some of her TP medals on a gift for Zamasu. She chose "Ear Plugs," thinking they'd be perfect for his apparent hatred for snoring. Afterwards she went to the Time Nest.

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Time Nest

Upon entering it she saw Goku and her brother Broly chatting. They looked over to her, "Oh! Mornin', girlllfriend," Goku said with a wink.

Broly grunted.

"Good morning Goku, Brother." Rhuda bowed. "Is Trunks off on a mission?"

"Dunno," Goku replied, "I think he and Vegeta are still on Earth. Don't worry, you'll hook him before long."

Broly's mouth turned down in a frown. "...No." His deep set eyes found Rhuda, and he glared, "Trunks isn't allowed."

"Eh? Why not?" Goku asked with a blink.

"He cannot protect her." Broly crossed his arms, looking every bit the intimidating older brother who used to be in prison. He stood a whole head above Goku, who was left scratching at his dark hair. Rhuda swallowed; she hadn't expected to encounter this kind of thing and was a little lost on what to do.

She hesitantly said, "I-I don't think he likes me, anyway."

The conversation ended there.

The lilac haired swordsman himself walked in, void of his usual trench coat. On his shoulder was his sword, and it was drawn and shining until he sheathed it like an afterthought. His long lilac hair was loose and cascaded across his built shoulders, obscuring his face with its shimmering beauty. He looked up, giving Rhuda a mysterious stare, before glaring at Goku.

"Heya! Good morning, Trunks!" Goku waved. Secretly he gave Rhuda a wink, but she was much too occupied staring at Trunks to notice.

'He's so...muscular,' she thought shyly, eyeing his rounded and bulging biceps, the ravines of his forearm, the tilted mass of his neck. Indeed, Rhuda couldn't help but look on almost with hearts in her eyes. As it was she stood quietly and flushed beet red.

'He looks great in that turtle shirt. W-What would it be like, off? Hyaa! What am I thinking of?'

"Where's the SKOT?" Trunks asked, not greeting anyone.

"She's in there," Goku said with a pointed finger to her cluttered home. "Trying to find some way to track Fu."

"..." Trunks calmly walked past Rhuda, who stiffened into a frightened icicle. His blue sapphires looked her up and down before veering away.

'He totally hates me! Why does he looks so mad?'

"We should talk later," his raspy voice said.

"Y-Yes!"

He vanished in the home.

Her panic was interrupted by Goku patting her shoulder. "Chin up! Today's the day, you'll see. I've got a plan."

"...Goku...not another plan," she mumbled. He merely laughed and ruffled her pony tailed hair, mussing the already unruly bangs.

"This will work for sure!"

Broly stalked over and yanked Goku's hand off her head and gave his friend a glare. "She doesn't need anyone but me," he said.

...And so Rhuda found herself drug off to the Time Vault, leaving behind a sheepish Goku.

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Time Vault

The Time Vault was messy. There were unrolled scrolls laying around the floor. It was different from the well kept place she'd saw yesterday. "It's messy."

"Kakarot and Vegeta," Broly said by way of explanation.

Ah. It made sense. She doubted those two picked up after themselves much at home, either.

"Did they find anything?" Rhuda asked her brother.

He shook his head. "Nothing. I don't know why Fu is saying you are some...vessel. But I won't let him get away with whatever it is. He's nothing but trouble."

"Thank you, brother." She smiled, and he gave her a tiny one in return.

Then he asked, "Why do you want to be with him?"

"...He's kind. A-And...smart, too." Rhuda left off other factors, like his good looks and wonderful physique-looking more like a carving from stone than a real body. She thought of his light hearted smile hiding deep thoughts, and added, "...I enjoy being around him."

"Hmm." Broly stroked his green pelt for a time. Rhuda thought he wasn't going to answer at all but he finally said, "If he makes you happy...I will agree. But if he makes you cry I will destroy him."

She smiled, giggled, and threw her arms around her brother. "Thank you. I'm so grateful to have someone like you, brother."

Rhuda left the Time Vault with a smile on her face. It slid off, however, when Trunks left the dome home of the SKOT.

He linked his arm into hers, "C'mon. It's high time I figure things out."

"O-Okay. N-Not so hard though!"

His grip on her arm only loosened to swing her up to his chest before zooming off through Conton, to the transporter, and straight to his bedroom window at Capsule Industries.

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Capsule Industries- Trunks Bedroom

He kicked the window's glass in, sending shards through the window sill, and tossed Rhuda to the pristine bed.

"Kya!"

"Alright." He tapped down to the floor. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to explain to me who you really are, and why Goku has been trying to mess with me. If I don't like your answer, you're going to meet my blade." He drew his sword and pointed to her face.

Rhuda looked from the blade tip to the piercing glare of Trunks and swallowed.

With the system in place she was concerned how she could possibly explain anything, but tried. "I-I'm not...her. The one you knew."

His blade lowered. It seemed he was listening, and she continued, "I woke up in her body."

"What!"

Trunks leapt to the bed and pulled her shoulder, sword sliding to the side of her neckline. "You...killed her," he accused.

"Uu...I had nothing to do with it!"

...

...

...

Trunks paused. He could see her tan cheek sweating, the true fear within her green gems. He let her go. "If you had nothing to do with it, then why are you her? Where did she go?"

Rhuda's tears began to fall at an even rate, hitting her hands. "I woke up as her. Yesterday. I don't know...I don't know where she went. I'm...sorry."

"Where did you come from, then?" He asked.

Trunks sat down beside her on the bed and sheathed his blade, no longer feeling the urge to threaten her into talking. He hadn't meant to get so upset really, but after all the strange occurrences it simply couldn't be helped. For a genius like him to feel so ignorant, it had sparked his rage in ways he'd never had happen before. He waited for her answer, poising himself for the worst.

"...Earth. A different one. T-That's all I can really say. I'm...not able to tell you everything. B-But I'll try! So please...don't hate me." Was her tiny reply.

"..."

He sensed the topic was difficult to talk about, mostly from how she reacted to any sort of anger directed her way. "Goku has been very strange. What is that all about? Or is that some big secret, too?"

Her head shook twice. Slowly she placed her hands to her cheeks and batted her eyes everywhere but at him and said, "H-He was helping me. Ano...to-to make Trunks jealous. I-I'm sorry!"

"Jealous?" Trunks repeated.

It dawned on him.

'She...likes me?'

He gulped.

Trunks had been expecting a fight. Androids, Freiza, Cell, Fu-those things he knew how to face. Expected, even. In fact he had went as far to think she was some volatile person sent to ensue chaos to all of Conton in the guise of a beautiful woman. His mind halted.

The first words from his mouth were, "You...like me?"

The tiny saiyan called Rhuda ducked her head down shyly. She nodded, wringing her hands together. "Ano...I'm sorry, I know you aren't interested...I-I was just talking to myself and Goku heard me. T-Things got wild from there..."

So that's what happened. Trunks had a clearer picture of the situation. Still...

An odd chuckle escaped his chest. What he had thought and what actually were, had been entirely at opposite ends. For that he was glad. But what could he do about what she'd said?

It would rather rude not to answer. Yet he didn't know what to say at that moment; the sudden news hadn't truly sank in yet.

Trunks ran a hand through his hair nervously and said, "...I'm flattered."

Her head lifted. Their eyes locked. Several seconds passed until Rhuda stood and bowed. "I hope that a-answered your q-questions. Ano...I-I'll just be going now!"

Rhuda's foot touched the sill of the window.

'She's leaving already?'

Trunks hadn't gotten to the bottom of anything. He had to stop her from going, from running off thinking he didn't feel the same way. Even if it was a sudden emotion they shared, even if she wasn't Rhuda and really some other girl, Trunks couldn't let his chance pass by without fighting. He rose and wrapped his right arm around her torso and pulled her from the pane. "...Stay. I'd...like to get to know you better."

♥♥