Pandora's Box
He slowly pulled on his pants as he reviewed everything he was going to have to do in a few moments. He slipped a tight black shirt on over his head, tucking it into his pants before tighening the belt around his waist. Next came his socks, and then, his yellow boots that velcroed across. From his bed he lifted a dark purple jacket that had the Capsule Corp logo stitched onto the left arm, and slipped it on. Lastly he slipped on a blue strap that crossed his right shoulder and left side, which held his rather symplistic, though durable, sword. With a shaky breath he stood and examined himself in the mirror. Light blue eyes stared back at him for a moment before they wandered, examining other parts of his form: the defined eyebrows, smooth curve of the nose, thin but even lips, and thick yet wispy locks of lavender hair.
He sighed letting his posture slouch slightly as his mother's words echoed in his mind. "Honestly, you look so much like your father at times," she had said with a sad smile. 'What does my father look like?' Trunks wondered as he glanced over his features once again, 'I guess I won't have to think about it...I'll actually get to meet him.' He couldn't help but feel nervous, it wasn't everyday you travelled back in time to save the world. It was time to go, and so, he turned from his room and made his way downstairs.
As he stepped outside and into the sunlight he could see his mother inspecting the time machine she had built. He watched her from a distance and smiled. "Is she ready to fly?" Trunks asked as he approached Bulma, looking over the yellow machine. "Yeah, I think so," she said, looking first at the time machine, and then at Trunks, "Trunks, I want to you to be very careful when you go back to the past. I know..you're probably excited about meeting everyone, especially your father, but-" The demi-saijin closed his eyes, a small smirk on his lips as he interrupted, "But don't expect too much, right?" Bulma smiled faintly before placing her hands on Trunks' shoulders, "Honey, I want you to know I love you." Trunks nodded, pulling his mother into a hug, "I love you too, mom. I promise, I'll be as careful as I can be." The blue-haired lady resisted the urge to cry, wiping away the first indications of tears, "Oh honey, I just hope you'll be okay." Trunks gave a small laugh, "I'll be fine mom, really. There won't be any androids there." She nodded, her expression falling serious, "Trunks, you've got to listen to me: Don't do anything to endanger anyone while you're back there. Don't give away information you don't need to give."
Trunks nodded and then asked, "Hey mom, why don't you go? I mean, you know the time machine better than I do and.." He trailed off as his mother shook her head. "Trunks," she began, giving a forced smile, "Think about it hon..Bulma, from the future? You know what that'd be like? Weird...really weird. Honey, just trust me, it's easier for them to hear this sort of a thing from a stranger than from me." Trunks raised an eyebrow, "But..wouldn't you like to go back?" The lady scientist sighed and looked down, "I thought about it, really I have Trunks. I just think...I'm too old and...I don't think I'd be able to handle seeing everyone again, I think I'd try to stay in the past. Besides, you're stronger than me and Freiza's going to arrive, remember? What good will I be against him? You're a Super Saijin! You can do so much more than I can, son, and.." She sighed and then smiled warmly, "And I'm so proud of you." She reached over and pulled him into a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "I love you so much! Just go back in time and make your mother proud! Ok?" Trunks nodded and stepped back before opening the main hatch. Bulma pulled out a black Sharpie from her pocket and quickly, but neatly, wrote on the side above the number one "Hope!!!".
Trunks typed in the coordinates, listening to the hiss of the hatch closing on it's own. The time machine hummed, coming to life and Trunks buckled his safety belt. The device lifted into the air and he watched his mother become smaller and smaller. She was waving enthusiastically and he smiled before waving back, and then, he was gone.