Rhuda had just finished getting beat up by Vegeta and Goku when Trunks Brief tapped down behind them. It was normal enough, but there was such a conflicted expression he wore that made everyone assume something dire had just happened. As for Rhuda, she caught his tense eyes and swallowed. She had a feeling that it was all due to her.

"Heya Trunks, why the long face?" Goku asked.

"..I'm fine." He said.

Although he said that not once did he look over at them, instead staring at his girlfriend who was all beat up. She held her sore ribs, and took the sensu bean from Broly again. Three times she had eaten one, and that had been enough to get her Level to 20. 

[Level up!]

[Skill Acquired: Kamehameha]

[Skill Acquired: Gatlin Gun]

Not too shabby, she thought. 

"Rhuda." Trunks said, interrupting her screen display, where she was placing points into Stamina and Strength.

They way that he said it was both a warning and a welcome, and she walked over to her mysterious boyfriend. "Yes?"

"I need a word."

"O-Ok. Sure. Uhm, I'll see you guys tomorrow, at the preliminaries?" She asked them. They nodded, flew off in different directions, and Broly smiled, waving as he took off.

That left them alone.

Ahh, he looks mad, mad, what did I do? She thought.

Trunks stalked over and grabbed her shoulders tightly. With the undercurrent of threat in his voice he said, "Last night, just what the hell were you thinking? Going off on your own like that, with Zamasu?"

She could lie but it might not work. And the truth wasn't really too awful, right? 

"I went to find the Super Dragon Balls." She said.

"...Why? Did he put you up to it?" Trunks asked.

Rhuda shook her head. "No...It was my idea."

He let her go in shock. Moments ticked by as he seemed to think it over, and as his hand rose to her head she cowered. "Hya--p-please don't be mad!"

Trunks stilled. 

He lowered his hand, clenching it into a fist instead. "...That's impossible. I haven't been this upset in a long time."

She had no words, other than sorry. "I-I'm so sorry...uuu..I just thought I could go back home, a-and then I'd be out of your hair, and wouldn't...be having to fight."

From anger to understanding turned her boyfriends eyes into sorrow. He kneeled and brought her to his chest, comforting in the only way he knew how. "So that's what it was. Chisato...it's okay."

"Y-You're not mad?"

"No, I'm still pretty upset. But I get why you did it." He smoothed away her bangs and lightly kissed her forehead, adding, "...Are there Dragon Balls where you come from?"

"N-No."

"Then...you were going to go back there, knowing that...?" He hesitated to say the words 'you're dead' but it went unsaid.

Rhuda nodded. "I-I know. I know that I'm not...there...in body anymore. But, I'm living a lie...I'm not Rhuda--I'm just a normal girl."

"C-Chisato--"

He smothered her tightly. 

"How long have you been thinking this?" He asked.

"...Since I came here."

"You should have told me! I've been thinking that you liked it here, and wanted to be start a new life...with...with me." 

His voice cracked a little.

A well of emotion came out of her lungs, into her throat, and out her mouth as she sobbed. 

"T-Tell me what to do," he said hoarsely. "If it's possible, I'll do it."

"I--I wanna be with Trunks, but it feels---like it isn't real--b-because my world was so different...!"

He whispered her name and lifted her into his chest, sweeping out her feet. "...I understand."

"W-Where are we going?"

"I'm going to show you that this can be real, too. Maybe it's different, maybe...scary, but I think once you see that you can begin again...it will change your mind." He said.

They set off for the transporter. Rhuda had no idea where she'd be going, but when they stepped into present day earth, Trunks flew high above and almost touched the clouds. He looked around. West City was below them in broad daylight.

"What are we doing here?" She asked.

"Take a look. This is Earth. That's where you're from, right?"

"Y-Yeah."

"...You said you were a normal girl there. I'm assuming that meant you went to school."

"I-I did. I was a sophomore."

"There's school here too, Chisato. What I'm trying to say is that...you don't have to stay in Conton. All you need to do is ask, and I'll see that you have the life you were supposed to have, here. You can go to school, make friends, do whatever! You don't...have to be stuck fighting."

"T-Trunks..."

It was too much. To be offered an easy out, to truly have a life she'd wanted, with no abuse or whispers about her home life, was a dream come true. But it was just that---a dream.

She wept into his chest for a time, wishing it were real, he was real, and realized the answer.

"T-Trunks---then, then...m-make a wish for me. Y-You said you'd do anything." She said.

"A wish...and what would this wish be?"

"I-I want all of this to be real. The kind of real I'm used to."

He furrowed his brows. "...I don't understand, Chisato. What I'm showing you 'is' real. All you have to do is accept what I'm offering."

"...Of course...you wouldn't get it." She helplessly looked into his warm gaze, imagining that he wasn't a video game character. 

"Then tell me. If you explain it, I'm sure I'll understand."

"...I can't. When I came here, there were rules set by whoever brought me to this place. One of them is that I...can't tell you the truth." She said sadly.

"You mean, the person you met in Tokyo?"

"I--I don't think he was the one. But maybe someone higher up than him. I don't know. If I did, it wouldn't matter. I still can't...say it. But there's nothing that won't let 'you' say it."

"You told me he gave you a game to play. It didn't work, and you went home. And...fell. When you woke up, you were here." He said.

"That's right."

He was so close to guessing, she thought. Surely his genius could figure out the rest.

Trunks sighed. "...So what you're saying is that, this place I live, is a video game? That's...a little hard to imagine, to be honest."

Rhuda realized what she was inferring would be unthinkable to someone living in it. She sighed a little and looked around, "I'm sorry. This is strange for you. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

"....I said it was hard to imagine, not that I didn't believe you, Chisato." He relaxed a little and added, "A...video game. Who would have thought."

"D-Does that mean you can make the wish?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure it's a good idea. For one, if this is a game, making a wish inside it could go badly. There might be catastrophic affects. Like...for example, all the enemies from this world, showing up there."

"O-Oh. Y-You're right...that would be bad. We don't have any saiyans or anyone strong enough to face them." Rhuda agreed.

"On the other hand, making a wish could do nothing. A game has set perimeters. Whoever designed this...is truly a greater genius than I am. It sounds almost impossible to create such a game, where one has to die to get into it. And I get the feeling that they only have bad intentions. Why else would they have it set up like that?" 

"...."

"What I'm saying is that it's not a good idea. I don't mind risking my own life, but it wouldn't just be me affected. It would be this entire...place."

"I...understand."

She sighed with one who'd been thoroughly defeated, and Trunks sighed, too. 

Finally he asked, "Can't you pretend it's real? You're stuck here after all. If you let me, I can give you anything you'd ever want."

"T-Trunks--"

He was taking things way too easily. If she'd realized her entire existence was a game, well, she doubted she'd be okay with it.

"...I can see you're worried about me. I'm alright. You'd be surprised what facing death almost daily can do to you." He smirked. "...Besides, if this is a game, aren't I a main character?"

"!"

A strange laugh they both let out. Rhuda nodded. "You are. Everything here is because of Trunks."

"I..see. Sounds pretty important."

"Mhm. You're very very famous, where I'm from. There are fans all over the world." She smiled. "...Not just here, but there, too, Trunks is special."

He chuckled and held her, looking out over West City. "If it gets more real than this, I doubt I'd be able to accept it."

"Trunks..."

"I'm being honest. A life without Dragon Balls? Saiyans?" He shook his head. "It sounds...pretty boring."

"Pfft!"

Again they laughed. 

He suddenly kissed her, cradling their bodies together. Rhudas heart puddled to the the earth far below. She moaned, pulling away to lightly press her lips to his, letting him know she wanted more.

"Nn..." He groaned.

They held one another, knowing full well the difference in their lives would always be paramount, but nonetheless, fate had twined the two unlikely pair together.

***

***

***

Trunks got out of the shower and saw Rhuda holding the scarf belonging to Android 17. She sniffed it, rubbed it between her fingers, and set it back.

"Hey." He said.

When she looked up, saw that he wasn't wearing a shirt, the entire circumference of her face heated. "N-No shirt!" She squealed.

There were just too many nice muscles, all compact and bound together. A v-line drifted into the cavern of his sweat pants.

"Oh. Sorry. Bad habit. Not used to...a beautiful girl being in my room." 

He grabbed a random T-shirt from his closet, pulled it on and set down beside her on the bed. She suddenly turned, grabbing his large hands in her tiny ones. "I-I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

She fluttered her eyes. "...I'm...going to stay with Trunks, here in Conton."

"You're not just saying that? It needs to be a choice you make all on your own, Chisato." He said.

His girlfriend nodded. "It is. I see now that, instead of...mourning what was, I should focus on what's in front of me."

Trunks could feel his neck getting hot. There was only him in front of her. "I-I see. T-That's good, then."

"W-What I'm saying is that, well, I w-wanna be with you."

"Understood!"

He quickly turned away in embarrassment. Lightly Rhuda leaned onto his bicep and giggled. "...Trunks is very cute."

"C-Cute, huh. Not what a guy really wants to hear."

"Oh! Uhm, t-then masculine. Very, very masculine." She said.

He laughed and rolled to her, pinning Rhuda to the bed. 

"Is there anything you want? Just name it." He said.

She seemed to think it over. After careful consideration what came out was: "A family."

"Ah--ha---f-family, now? R-Right now?"

"Eee! No! I mean, n-not that I wouldn't--" 

The two stared at each other in complete humiliation. Slowly, like testing the water Rhuda said, "...I...do want 'that'. But what I meant was, a loving...family. Like the one you have."

"Right." 

Trunks thought long and hard on how to answer properly, but came up short. He'd say what he felt, then, and leave it at that. "Me too. I wouldn't mind having one I'd made. B-But not at this second! I mean, we've got a lot going on, you know..? But...I look forward to it."

She rose and swiftly pulled the hair bow from his head. Long lavender strands fell around his face, cloaking his vision. With devotion she said his name and pulled him down for a tender kiss.

They exchanged affection through actions for awhile, until Trunks sensed that things were progressing too fast again. He climbed off of her and took a giant breath. "Ha..ha...I'm sorry. We should wait. M-Maybe even until 'that' day comes."

"T-That day?" She asked.

"Yeah. Our...wedding night."

Without a word he left to splash cold water on his face. He had no idea how he would keep this up; because all he could think about was her. Every moment of every day since they'd met. There was also the slippery reminder on his index finger that she was a virgin. Rhuda, no, Chisato, was someone to be treasured. He wanted to show her the value of life, of love, and true happiness. He had to face facts.

Trunks Brief was deeply in love.

***

***

***

Rhuda sprang up from her boyfriends bed in a flustered mess. Her hair was skewed, freed from it's pony tails, and looked ruffled. She hiked down her top and glanced between her legs, seeing moisture between them. "Ha...he..said such things," she murmured.

Marriage. Wedding night.

Those words had fallen quite easily from his lips, entered her ears, and ran around her mind until she could think of nothing else. He was right; they were definitely taking things too fast. But a part of her thought 'how slow' and wanted more, more of his time and attention.

"I'm starving." She realized. That is, starving for love.

He was giving her so much of it, freely, but it was as though she had a hollow heart that couldn't be filled. 

I'm so selfish, she thought. He's not dated me for long and already agreeing to marry me! I can't do that to him.

Rhuda knocked on his bathroom door.

He opened it, water dripping off his pointed chin. "Something wrong?" He asked.

"You...you left so suddenly." Was all that came out. She wanted to tell him that he didn't need to go so far, she was okay waiting, but her confidence waned.

"Sorry. I had to get some fresh air. That's all." 

He stroked her red cheek, his hand damp.

"O-Ok." An odd silence. She needed to say something. "Ano...I'm fighting tomorrow."

"You're right. I'd forgotten." 

"...D-Do you have time to train me?"

He looked off, and slowly nodded. "I think so. If I finish the simulation repairs by tonight, there should be enough time. Meet me at the Gravity Chamber. Let's say, four hours."

"Y-yes!"

She was looking forward to seeing what Trunks could teach her. The girl bowed, brown tail wagging, and promised to do her best.