By Quincy Burney

It was a fine Saturday morning and as usual, Trunks had spent the night at Goten’s house. They had both slept in the same bed all night. Trunks woke up before Goten, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. He shook his little friend’s shoulder trying to wake him up, but Goten was so deep in his slumber that he could not be woken. Trunks grunted as he stood up, stretched, and wiped the sleep from his little blue eyes. He walked into the kitchen where Goku and ChiChi had already been eating their breakfast. "Good morning Trunks" They both greeted cheerfully. "Good morning Ms. ChiChi, Mr. Goku" ChiChi asked where Goten was, "He’s still sleeping." Trunks replied. ChiChi turned towards Goku and gave him a look of annoyance. "I swear Goku, your son sleeps in way too long. What if he had a job, and slept in this long?" Goku interrupted ChiChi "Honey, it’s the weekend. Give the kid a break. His best friend has come to spend the night and he wants to sleep in. And I say let him." ChiChi gave a mere "humph" and sat down to her breakfast. Trunks rolled his eyes at what she said while pouring himself a bowl of cereal. He walked back into the bedroom, and sat on the bed next to his sleeping friend.

After Trunks had finished his bowl, the alarm sitting on Goten’s night table went off. Goten woke up with a groan, and turned off the alarm. He sat up all messy-hared and saw Trunks sitting next to him. "Good morning sleepy head!" Trunks said. Goten smiled and got out of bed. He poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat at the table. Trunks walked in and sat next to Goten. "So, what did you and Trunks do all night in your room?" Inquired ChiChi. Goten told her that him and Trunks played a few games on the N64 before going to bed. ChiChi nodded her head, and left the table. Goten then noticed out of the corner of his eye that Trunks seemed to be staring at him for some reason. Goten then piped up "Hey Trunks. After I finish eating, ya wanna go outside and play?"

"Sure!" Trunks said happily.

Goten quickly finished his breakfast. The two of them got dressed, washed up, and quickly ran outside. They flew into the air, they intended to play a game of tag. And what a game of tag it would be.

They both floated in the air to make there was no air traffic. "How about you be it?" Trunks asked, "I’m always it! Why don’t you be it this time?" "Oh fine!" Trunks said. They both went SSJ in a flash of gold, Goten bolted off with Trunks in hot pursuit. Goten looked back "Bet ya can’t catch me!" he shouted. Trunks merely smiled mischievously, then suddenly he phased out of site. Goten’s eyes went wide as he was still looking behind him, then BAM!!! Goten hit something. He looked in front of him and saw Trunks floating there, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. He placed his index finger on Goten’s forehead and said, "You’re it!" he said. Goten growled with frustration. Trunks just threw his head back in laughter and was about to turn around to evade Goten’s pursuit when he felt a crushing pressure on his stomach. Goten had tackled him…hard. The both fell to the ground with a large "THUD"

Trunks pushed Goten off of him then tackled him to the ground. They wrestled on the grass until Trunks had Goten in a pin. They both panted heavily. Trunks looked at Goten with a smile; he lowered his head toward Goten’s, paused, then pulled back. He lifted himself off of Goten and sat on the grass. "What’s the matter Trunks?" Goten asked "…Nothing." Trunks said softly. "I guess we should be heading back now. Your mom’s probably worried about you getting your clothes stained," he then added. Goten chuckled a little, and nodded his head. He suddenly pushed Trunks over playfully "I’ll beat ya there" He yelled while running back. Trunks quickly sprang to his feet and sped off after Goten.

Goten had beaten Trunks to the house. When they went inside, Goku, ChiChi and Vejita greeted them. "Son, it is time for us to go home now." Vejita said. "Aaaw! Can’t I stay a little bit longer? I mean, it’s not even 3:00 yet" ChiChi then said "Yes, Vejita! It would be a delight if you could stay for a cup of coffee." Vejita’s one eyebrow lifted as he answered "All right! I’ll stay for some coffee, but then Trunks and I have to leave right away." They proceed up the staircase leading into the kitchen. Goku, ChiChi, and Vejita sat down to their coffee, while Goten and Trunks sat down to the N64. About twenty passed, when the time came for Vejita and Trunks to go home. Goten led his friend to the door and hugged him goodbye. After they left, Goten asked Goku if He cold spend the night at Trunks’ house. "Sure Goten, Why not?" Goten was overjoyed with his father’s approval.

Another week had passed, and Goten had arrived at Trunks’ house. The whole time Goten had known Trunks, he could still not believe how huge Trunks’ house was. Vejita and Bulma greeted him happily. Goten unpacked his stuff, and got settled in. Around 6:30, dinner was served. Bulma wasn’t the best cook in the world but fortunately, Vejita was. He cooked up a delightful platter of Shrimp Scampy with a side of garlic bread, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. After that, the whole gang gathered in front of the TV and watched

Pokémon the Movie 2000. And what was so surprising to Goten was that everyone loved the movie, even Vejita. When the movie ended, it was time for Goten and Trunks to go to bed. In the middle of the night, Trunks had a dream. He dreamt he lay in his bed, but Goten wasn’t with him. He crawled out of bed, but before he could take one step, he heard a strange noise coming from the back yard. He stepped outside into the chilly night air. There was an icy breeze that made him shiver all over. He heard the noise again, He slowly walked over towards the back yard until he was stopped in his tracks by a most unnerving sight. There, in the distance was Goten, fighting a dark figure with eyes glowing red. Goten had already gone SSJ but was being totally overpowered and was bleeding profusely. He ran to try and aid his friend but was stopped in his tracks by a plexiglas wall. He tried to break it, but it was no use. He couldn’t even make a dent in it. He tried to form a kamehameha to blow the wall away, but his energy had completely left him, his powers were gone. He watched helplessly as his best friend was getting a severe smack down laid to him. Trunks was frantic. Was there nothing he could do?

Trunks watched in horror as this dark figure dealt crushing punches to Goten’s head. Goten himself was so disorientated, he couldn’t even move to defend himself. He had become a punching bag for this dark shadow warrior. Blood spewed from Goten’s mouth as he was being literally destroyed by this dark nemesis. Meanwhile, Trunks was trying desperately to break through the wall, he was bashing the wall with his shoulder with all of his strength. He tried to drop kick the wall, but fell to the ground. He got up, and tried to go SSJ. With all of his strength he tried, but couldn’t. He tried so hard to break the wall with his shoulder, that he was bleeding through his pajama shirt. Trunks lowered his head; he fell to his knees as his tears streamed down his cheeks. Suddenly, he heard Goten scream, looked up and saw the dark figure put Goten in a headlock. The dark warrior then said with a deep whisper "Your friend will see you in the next dimension" Trunks’ eyes went wide. The wall suddenly came down. Trunks ran to save Goten, but before Trunks could get close, the dark warrior snapped Goten’s neck killing him instantly. "Goten NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Trunks cried. The dark figure vanished as Goten slowly fell. Trunks caught Goten before he could hit the ground. Trunks cradled Goten’s limp body in his arms. He stared into his friend’s blank expression. He had died with his eyes open. Weeping aloud, Trunk closed Goten’s eyes. He brought Goten close to him. The blood streaming from Goten’s mouth and nose had stained Trunks’ shirt red. Then, from out of nowhere, he heard Goten’s voice. He looked down at his friend and saw his lips move, then heard him say, "I love you Trunks". Trunks’ tears fell onto Goten’s face as he replied "I love you Goten".

That’s when Trunks woke up in a cold sweat from his terrible nightmare. At first, he didn’t know where he was, then looked to see Goten still there beside him sleeping peacefully. Trunks’ tears had soaked a pool in his pillow. He put his hand on Goten’s shoulder, and turned him over onto his back. Trunks was extremely relieved that all he had seen was just a dream. Trunks looked at Goten; he put his hand over Goten’s cheek. He remembered what he said in the dream; he repeated it in a whisper "I love you Goten. I love you so much" Trunks closed his eyes, lowered his head, and pressed his lips against Goten’s. Suddenly, his sleeping companion woke up to feel Trunks’ lips locked with his own. Though he didn’t seem to be surprised, he just went with the flow and wrapped his arms around Trunks’ shoulders. Slightly startled, Trunks broke his kiss with Goten. "What’s the matter?" Goten asked "I just had the worst dream ever" Goten was concerned "What happened?" He asked, Trunks was still in tears while trying to answer "You died, fighting… a shadow warrior. I tried to help you, but all my powers were…were gone" Goten hugged Trunks comfortingly, "It’s OK, the dream is over. It’s just you and me now." Trunks laid his head on Goten’s shoulder. Then from out the blue Goten said, "I love you too!" They both feel asleep soon after that. Asleep to dream of better things.

The next morning, Goten woke up first to find Trunks cuddled up beside him. Trunks had his arm draped over Goten’s shoulder. He turned around to face Trunks, and softly laid a kiss on his lips, waking him wake up. Trunks opened his eyes and smiled. "Ya wanna talk about last night?" Goten asked

"Yeah" Trunks replied,

Goten smiled and asked, "Do you really love me?"

"Yes, I do. You are the only person who has ever been so good a friend to me. I’ve never had any REAL friends except for you, and when I saw you die in my dream, it broke my heart. If anything ever happened to you, I think I would die myself. I never wanna lose you." Trunks was almost in tears while reminding himself of his terrible dream. Goten then said comfortingly, "I never, ever wanna leave you. And I never wanna lose you either." Trunks embraced Goten tightly as he once again confessed, "I love you Goten"

"I love you too Trunks" Goten said.

It was around 10:00am when Goten woke up, and it was around 12:30pm when they both got out of bed, and Goten and Trunks spent those two-and-a-half hours just holding each other. After they got up, they spent a few hours on the N64,

And playing outside, never wanting to leave each other’s side. Around 6:00pm, Trunks even asked if Goten could stay for dinner. "Goten had dinner with us last night" said Bulma, "I know, but can he eat with us again?" Bulma was about to answer, when Vejita piped up "Of course Goten can stay for dinner. As long as he likes home made Chinese food" "I love Chinese food" Goten said happily, "Alrighty then! I’ll go put on my apron." Vejita said cheerfully as he pranced into the kitchen. Goten’s one eyebrow lifted as he watched Vejita prance, then turned to Trunks, "Your dad is weird!" He said. "I know! He’s been like this ever since he started watching Iron Chef and Dancing at the Palais on TV" Goten laughed, and walked with Trunks into the dining room. Knowing Vejita to be a master Saiyan chef, he would be done within 10 minutes.

Finally, dinner was served. It was a Teriyaki stir-fry, with a large platter of ginger beef, with fillé of duck loin in mandarin orange sauce, dumplings with plumb sauce, and a BIG bowl of rice. As Vejita’s dish was once again thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, Goten and Trunks helped with the dishes much to Vejita’s delight.

Finally, the time had come for Goten to go home. Goku had already arrived to pick Goten up, and was waiting in the car. Goten packed his stuff, and Trunks saw him to the door. "I guess I’ll talk to ya tomorrow buddy" Trunks said "Yeah!" said Goten. Trunks hugged Goten goodbye, but as Goten started to walk away, Trunks grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into a kiss. Goten was a little surprised, but he didn’t mind. Their kiss lasted a good ten seconds. As their lips parted, Goten ran out to the car where Goku was waiting. Trunks smiled, and turned back into the house. And as Goten stepped into the car, his dad asked him, "Did you have a good time?" Goten told his dad that he couldn’t have had a better time, and indeed that was true. He loved his friend, his friend indeed.

THE END