Conton City - Time Academy
Night

Zamasu glared at the kanji in front of him, wanting to rip the damn paper into pieces. Instead, he took a sip of his matcha tea and sat the cup down with a clatter to it's matching saucer, and grit his teeth. "If I have to write another page of this rubbish I'm going to vomit!"

At that moment Rhuda appeared in the room. He sensed her life energy and it's oddity, and looked over at her with a distasteful scowl. "You're late."

"Ano, I'm sorry--I was just--"

He nearly broke his fountain pen in aggravation, not wishing to hear another word come from her putrid orifice. "Save your breath. I don't care."

"O-Oh."

His gray eyes saw her retched, attractive mortal ones glancing back and forth, as if needing to say something. With a sigh he waved his hand, "Must I entertain you again tonight?"

"Lord Zamasu...I just wanted to let you know that I've found the location of the Super Dragon Balls." She bowed.

She's what? He thought, standing so quickly his tea cup smashed to the floor. His heart raced, thinking of what that meant, and all the possible reasons she'd go to such trouble. His first inclination was that she harbored a crush on him, being a God, and revered his affection most high. His second, albeit lackluster reason was the mortal girl was completely ignorant and foolish and merely wasting his time. The third, and most likely, was that she wanted to negotiate some sort of terms with him.

Rhuda watched the matcha seep between the wood floor and took from his desk some napkins, stooping to clean up the mess. "Sorry! I shouldn't have just said that without thinking."

He sat back down and grit his teeth in thought. What sort of deal would she be after? To need a Kai who had his powers taken away? Zamasu didn't know and that alone was frustrating.

The napkins didn't do a well enough job so she gathered more, and Zamasu watched on for moment before something explicit caught his eyes.

He shut his eyes.

Opened them.

"I-I'm almost done! S-Sorry!" She said, looking back.

She hung her head in shame and hurried to finish clearing the liquid, slipping her wrist on the floor in the process. Zamasu watched on in horror as her thighs split apart and he had a full, complete view.

"G-Get up this moment!" He spat. His hand was trembling and he hid the evidence by moving aside his silver hair.

Rhuda finished and clamored to her feet and bowed. "Your tea cup, sir, it got a little cracked. But don't worry! I-I'm really good at fixing these things, you see--so I'll--"

Zamasu growled and snatched her wrist. The cup fell and broke into many different pieces.

"Hya!" She squeaked.

"You...what is the meaning behind tempting me so?" He asked, trying to stay calm.

The girl fluttered her eyes at him. "W-well, truthfully sir, I was telling you so that we could gather them together. B-Because we share the same goal. I, too, wish for my freedom."

Either Rhuda was innocent or completely idiotic. Zamasu couldn't tell which, and wondered if she even knew what he was referring to, before her other words clicked in his brain. Slowly, as if they sank in like water in a towel, he absorbed the information and thought on it.

"You seek me out to free you from your mortal shell?" He asked tightly.

"N-No! I don't want to become a God. I just want to go back to my planet." She bowed. "...I can't do it alone. And since you're stuck here too, I thought w-we could work something out."

"..."

For some odd reason his chest began to pulse loudly. Zamasu shut his eyes. It was a first for a mortal to talk so casually, as most were terrified of his power. Of his divinity. Yet here stood an idiotically innocent girl just waiting for him to exploit.

Slowly he nodded. "Very well."

***

Rhuda exhaled in relief. It seemed her plan was working. With Zamasu's help, she'd be back to her real world and hopefully not be dead. That last part was still iffy, but she'd work on that, too. She bowed deeply. "Thank you so much! Just tell me what to do!"

"...It must be done at night. Those of the Time Patrol lurk too often in daytime." He said.

"Right. T-That makes sense."

He motioned with his hand, "There are strict rules about being out at night. You'd need access to that. I suppose...I can provide that support, for a time. But do not expect me to come to your defense should you be caught."

Her willpower deflated a tiny bit. She'd have to chance a lot of things to get her wish, but it had to work. "Okay. I understand."

"Hn. Wait here, girl."

He left the room.

Rhuda gnawed her cheek fat. She'd be saying goodbye to Shallot, but most of all her boyfriend Trunks. And just when they'd gotten so close, too. He'd understand, right? Trunks alone knew everything about her reason for being in Conton. Surely...surely he wouldn't oppose her wish to go back where she belonged. In a way, she argued, it was a violation of time.

Still...

His voice pulled at her heart strings. How gentle and calm he was, always thinking of her well being. To leave that behind would be a devastation. How she'd miss him.

But he was a video game character, she reminded herself. 

"Trunks...I'm sorry."

Zamasu returned. "You have seven minutes. Go; I will follow."

They left the dorm room and spawned just outside the Time Academy in full darkness of night. Stars and several moons twinkled brightly above. It was quiet, the only sounds the fountain and animals from the forest. Crickets. Frogs.

Zamasu held out his hand and Rhuda took it; and was at once within the Time Nest. With the quick perusal of one not wanting to get caught she looked around, seeing everything dark. Only the Kai's tiny dome home had a light, but no sound came from it.

He tugged her arm. "Quit your sight seeing. If you don't want to be caught about at night, you'll do as I say."

"Yes, sir."

He led her to the Vault and opened it's door, pushing her inside. After following her into the pitch blackness the door shut behind them. "S-So dark," she whispered.

A light came from his hand. He held it out, shining it along the many rows of shelving that held Time Scrolls. After looking at them for a time he turned, "Which history are they in?"

"W-What do you mean...?"

"I'm asking you what timeline, what history are the locations you have correct for? They change with every use," he hissed.

Rhuda didn't know that. "I--I see. Ano...t-they were from a planet. One with a green sky, and blue grass."

Zamasu clenched his teeth together. He grabbed her arm sharply. "I need more information than just a description of a planet!"

"I-I'm sorry--"

"Hurry, you disgrace!"

Put under pressure Rhuda blabbered, "W-well, there was a large man named Elder Guru--he told me their location--"

"...Thats Namek, then."

Zamasu drug her to a particular set of scrolls and lifted his hand high. "That namekian guardian was utterly useless. He only existed to populate that planet, and his doings are what caused many mortals to seek those wish orbs in the first place. He's partially to blame for my so called corruption."

He pulled out a scroll and handed it to Rhuda. She took it's heavy weight and gulped. "...This is it, then. B-But wait, Lord Zamasu, how can I--?"

From nowhere Zamasu pushed her to the ground. The scroll went rolling as the door opened. A light came on, and revealed Piccolo standing some feet away. "Hn. If it isn't our little Rhuda. Zamasu, too."

Rhuda was pinned down by her wrists, staring fearfully up at the Kai. He glared at her, and rose up. "...It's about time," he said lowly. "This mortal was attempting to do something stupid."

Piccolo crossed his arms and replied, "And just what were you doing here, Zamasu? A little nature walk?"

"Tch. I was here because she told me about this ridiculous notion of going to find the Super Dragon Balls. Of course...I was merely curious." Zamasu replied.

Rhuda got to her feet and looked from the sell out to Piccolo. Sweat trickled down her jaw.

I need to help him, she thought.

"Ano...it's true. Lord Zamasu told me I was being foolish, but I insisted on coming here." Rhuda bowed.

At that moment the girl had little idea that she'd gained quite a bit of appreciation by Zamasu. He smirked. "You see, she's quite a handful. It's a shame she wasn't placed with someone else. I suppose it's my fate to be stuck with such a mortal as her."

Piccolo growled at both of them. "Get back to the Academy, both of you! I'll let it slide this time, only because Rhuda's new, but don't let me catch either one of you here again."

"Your threats have no effect," Zamasu said. His head tilted, "What else could you possibly take from me?"

Seeing that her accomplice was testing Piccolo's nerve, Rhuda lightly grabbed his hand and led him out of the Vault. 

Once outside she exhaled. "...That was a close one."

Zamasu looked down at their held hands with mild disgust and yanked his hand free, rubbing it clean on his clothing. "You dare touch a God so mindlessly!"

Before she could respond he vanished.

Rhuda ended up walking back to the Academy all alone in the dark.

****

The next day came, and as Rhuda morphed beside her dorm bed she saw that Zamasu wasn’t to be found. His desk was all neat, books piled in a stack, and the cup of pens all had their lids on.

“I wonder where he’s gone to,” she thought aloud.

Last night hadn’t ended so well for either of them. What’s worse, Rhuda doubted Zamasu would be so helpful again, if at all. Which left her back to square one.

Perhaps it’s my fate to remain here, she thought. At least I have Trunks.

Thinking about her halfing boyfriend made the girl’s chest flutter. There were several reasons for that but the main one was his words to her. Taking things slow. That was so much in contrast to everything she knew about men that Rhuda couldn’t fathom the reason why.

Was there something he wanted from her? If it was sex, he had his chance last night.

X that one off the list.

Maybe he truly did want her heart. If that was so, she couldn’t give it up so easily. To be defeated by a video game character –as Shallot would say– would be unthinkable. Yet…

“I can't believe that I’m falling for a video game character.” She sighed at her predicament and left the Academy.

No sooner had she warped outside the Time Academy to see about asking Shallot to aid in her quest to gather the Super Dragon Balls, she spotted Shallot tapping his foot in wait. 

"Ano...Shallot?" She asked, walking over to him curiously.

"Noodles. Hey. Top of the morning." He smirked, then noticed the outfit she was in. Quickly he stammered, "Y-You! W-What're you doing, walking around like that?"

"Eh?"

Oh no. I forgot to change my Equipment back! She thought.

[MENU]

[Equipment]

[Female Time Patrol Top: Yes / No?]

"Yes."

[System: Cannot Equip. Durability 0/100]

"Oh no!" She squealed.

"What?"

"My...my outfit is too broken to wear anymore," Rhuda whined.

Shallot sighed and took her hand in his. "...C'mon. Shops are this way."

"B-But don't you have anything I could wear? I-If I go over there like this, then everyone w-will see me.." 

Seeing her tail slide between her skirt, Shallot chuckled. "Even if I did, you couldn't wear it. It's Male equipment goofy."

"O-Oh. R-Right." She frowned. "But...w-what was the reason you waited for me?"

"Tell you later. Let's get you a new outfit first."

He led her to the Three Shops. 

Looking left and right one could see how many Patrollers stood around lazily, chatting. However the conversation stopped when Rhuda walked past, her breasts bouncing boldly up and down. She noticed their stares and grabbed Shallot, tugging the edge of his armored wrist cuff. 

"Hm? H-hey, don't look at me. You're the one who chose that to wear." 

But seeing how humiliated Rhuda was to be gawked at, Shallot hugged her to him. He leaned and whispered, "...Shy girls like you...I used to hate them."

"Eh?"

"I was President of the student council. Chicks liked that title, and I'd have confessions and white day gifts every year. They'd squeal when I walked past 'em, hiding behind the lockers, whispering...and I couldn't help but grow to hate girls like that." He snickered.

"Shallot...why are you telling me this?"

"Because...now I see that...those girls aren't so bad." 

Suddenly he kissed her lips, in full view of everyone. There came cheers and yells in the background. Rhuda wanted to push him away but also knew if she did so, she'd embarrass Shallot in front of everyone.

Just bear with it for now, she thought numbly.

He hugged her tightly to him and rubbed her tail with his.

Trunks---if he saw this right now, then--! 

Rhuda whimpered and clutched his sides, trying to tell him through her eyes to stop. If he got the message it didn't sink in.

His hand went up her shirt and Rhuda shivered, not revolted, but helplessly allowing him to do as he pleased. 

Finally Shallot had enough. He leaned away. There came a sadness inside his eyes and Rhuda wondered why that was so, asking, "Shallot? What's wrong?"

"I...wish I'd met you. Before all this." 

He turned away and said, "As...myself. Shiroui Yuusuke."

Rhuda watched him casually go to the Shops and wait for her to catch up. But the girl couldn't move. That name ran around inside her mind. She'd heard it before. Yes...

In fact, she knew who it made her think of.

There was but one person named Shiroui Yuusuke who went to the co-ed school she'd attended. He had been the President of the Student Council. And--

--He'd definitely met Chisato.

"S-Shallot!"

She yelled his name and ran over, practically panting with excitement. He blinked with surprise, and ruffled her head. "...Noodles, let's get you something that doesn't make me go crazy."

"W-Wait! T-There's something I need to tell you--" she began.

"What is it? Can't get enough of me?" He smirked.

"...Shiroui-san," she bowed, "...for that time you gave me your umbrella. A-Arigatou."

Shallot froze. His mouth parted, and what came out was, "...Chisato?"