Sierra woke up three weeks later in her room. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes Dende-sama?" she asked as she felt his presence.

"I told you you’d hurt yourself," Dende said softly. He stood over by the window looking across the palace grounds.

"What happened?"

"You aged too quickly. Your body needs time to heal and adjust to the changes."

"How long have I been out?"

"Three weeks."

Sierra sat up, and tossed her blankets off of her body. She quickly put her boots on, and stood. "I have to continue. There’s too much at stake for me to give up."

"You have to rest. Your body still needs time to heal."

"Dende-sama, I’m fine. I have to go train."

"There’s still a lot of time left...."

Sierra looked at the young boy, and sighed. "Please, listen to me. I have to do this. I don’t think they’re after just me. Otherwise, why give us so much time?"

"I think you’re right," Trunks said as he stood at the door. "I also think that you should stay here and rest."

"I don’t care what you think," she snapped. "There’s no one else here powerful enough to stop them. I’m not strong enough, yet. I have to train until I can beat them."

Trunks looked at her with cold, angry eyes. "For your information, Goten, Gohan, and myself are a lot more powerful than you think. We were asked here to help you, and you’re acting like a spoiled child who wants things done her way. Well, guess what, you can’t get everything you want."

Sierra looked at him bitterly. "You really don’t have a clue as to why I’m training."

"To avenge your parents. To save the world. Maybe one. Maybe both. I don’t know. I don’t care either. What I do care about is the fact that you’re working yourself to death, and we’re no where near the deadline."

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"If you’re going to kill yourself, wait, and do it on your own time." Trunks turned, and walked out of the room.

Sierra looked at Dende, and sighed. "Am I killing myself?" she asked softly.

Dende nodded. "Anyone working themselves as hard as you are, will surely do more harm than good. I’ve been trying to tell you this."

"Fine." Sierra walked over to her bed, and kicked her boots off. "Today, I’ll rest. But tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow, you begin training with Goten."

She almost winced. "Was that Goten?"

"No. That was Trunks. Goten was the young man who you were talking with before you passed out."

"Alright." Sierra laid down, and looked up at the ceiling. "Dende-sama, am I really acting like a brat?"

Dende walked over to her, and sighed. "You’re acting like a vengeful ten year old," he said softly. He touched her forehead, and watched Sierra fall asleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dori brought her leg down into an axe-kick, and Trunks caught her leg. He picked her up, and threw her into a far wall. Dori fell to her knees, and looked up at Trunks. "What are you looking at?" she asked bitterly.

"A weak and beaten girl," he said smugly. Trunks looked at Dori, and turned his back. "Honestly. I still haven’t seen why Dende-sama keeps you around. Maybe you were right. Maybe he keeps you here because you’re kind of cute."

Dori then tried to focus her energy. A white glow appeared, and surrounded her hand. She pointed her hand at Trunks, and released the energy. Her eyes narrowed as she Trunks jumped into the air, dodging the blast. "Shit," she cursed mentally. Dori then turned around, and swung her fist. It connected with his jaw, making him stumble back. She then attacked Trunks with most of the moves she knew.

Gohan and Goten walked into the sparring room. Both looked at Trunks and Dori, and Gohan sighed. "One day, he’s going to push her, and she’s going to snap."

"I think that’s what he wants," Goten responded.

Trunks ducked under a roundhouse, and released a small blast of energy into Dori’s back. She fell to her hands and knees. Dori quickly pulled herself up into a split-handstand, and quickly spun around. She kicked Trunks four times before she stood. Trunks wiped away a trail of blood from his mouth. "You’re getting better. You actually drew blood this time," he said just before he turned and walked away.

Dori watched Trunks in amazement. "Before this is all over, I’m going to get him. And I’ll get him good," she thought.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning, Gohan walked out of his room, and saw Sierra walking out of the Room of Spirit and Time. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" he called out to her.

Sierra sighed and lowered her head. "I had to get something." She turned and walked to Gohan. "My mother’s locket, and my daggers. I had left them in there. I went to get them back."

Gohan looked at the items, and nodded. "We better get going. Dende wants to see us." He smiled as he and Sierra walked down the hall. "If this time is anything like the last, Dende’ll pair everyone up for today, and see how good their fighting skills are."

Sierra looked at Gohan strangely. "Gohan-san, why do you call Dende-sama plain Dende? Don’t you respect him?" Her eyes widened as Gohan frowned. "I didn’t mean any disrespect to you. I was just wondering."

Gohan looked at her, and laughed. "Dende and I go back a long way. When we met, we appeared to be around the same age, so we became good friends, really quick."

"Oh," she whispered. "I’ve only have three really good friends. My father, my step-mother, and my real mother."

He noted the sorrow in her voice, and lowered his eyes. "Well, if you want, Goten and I have no problems with being your friends," he said trying to cheer her up. Gohan saw her lips twitch into a smile.

"I think I’d like that," she said lowly as they reached the main yard. Sierra walked over to where Dori was sitting, and sighed. She spun her daggers around her hands, and put them behind her back, on her belt.

"You found them huh?" Dori asked.

"No. I knew exactly where they were." Sierra looked at Dori, and lowered her head. She then held out her hand. "We’re in the same boat here. And I think we should at least try to be friends."

Dori looked at Sierra’s hand, and smiled. "How ‘bout being partners." She shook Sierra’s hand, and laughed.

"Partners?"

"Yeah. It’s almost like we’re sisters, we watch each other’s backs, we make sure nothing happens to the other... that type of thing."

Sierra nodded. "Alright, partners," she said with a slight smirk.

"Sierra, I would like you to fight with Trunks, to see how far Goten has to go with you," Dende said as he, and the others stood over by the main gate.

"Hai," Sierra called as she jumped to his feet.

Dori grabbed Sierra’s arm, and stood. "He’s a lot better than he looks. He’s also quick. Be careful."

Sierra looked at Dori, and nodded. "I’ll do my best."

"You’ll have to do better." Dori looked at the bitter gaze that Sierra was giving her. "I’ve been practicing with him since they got here. He’s kicked my tail at least four times a day, and yesterday was the first time that I’ve been able to hurt him."

Sierra looked and saw Trunks waiting for her. "Thanks for the warning, Partner," she said as she smirked. She then walked over to where Trunks stood. "I guess Dende-sama wanted us to go through with this all on his own."

Trunks shook his head. "Are you going to stand there, or are you going to attack?" he asked.

"I’ll let you go first, thanks."

"Fine." Trunks entered a combat crouch, and looked at Sierra. He then jumped up, and attacked. Just as he was landing, Trunks saw Sierra jump back into a cartwheel, dodging his blow. As she stood, Sierra was able to punch Trunks in his jaw. Trunks stepped back, and felt a small trickle of blood from his chin. "So, she hasn’t been wasting her time," he thought. He then charged her at a lightening-quick speed. He was able to punch her three times in her chest and stomach.

Once she fell to her knees, Sierra turned, and tried to sweep his legs from under him. As he jumped over her leg, Sierra turned onto her back, and kicked up hitting Trunks in his chest. As he fell back, she stood. She waited for Trunks to get to his feet, but watched him carefully. As he stood, he disappeared. Sierra closed her eyes, and tried to listen for Trunks. She then felt three powerful blows in her back and spine. She turned around, and punched Trunks in his chest and face.

Goten looked at his brother as they watched the fight. "Do you think he’ll hurt her?" he asked.

Gohan mused. "When have you known Trunks to take it easy on anyone? Don’t forget who his father is."

"I know. But he might really lose sight of what he’s doing, and hurt her."

"This is Trunks you’re talking about. He’s in more control of himself that Piccolo." Gohan looked at Goten, and smirked. "Besides, I think he likes her."

"How can you tell?"

"Watch him very carefully."

Trunks grabbed Sierra’s arm, and threw her over his body. He looked at her smugly as she slowly stood.

"He’s pulling punches," Goten whispered. "He could have...."

"What are you two talking about?" Dori asked as she walked over to the brothers.

"The fight," they said in unison.

"I hope she wipes the floor with him," Dori said.

Sierra charged Trunks, and disappeared. She reappeared just to his side, and attacked him as if he were the punching bag she knocked off its chains. She finally kicked him in his face, making him flip over completely. She backed up, and waited for him to stand.

He did. Trunks slowly stood, and looked at her. "She’s good. Better than I thought. Baka, you should know better than to underestimate your opponent Trunks," he scolded mentally. He then lowered his head, but not his eyes. He then disappeared again. Sierra looked wide eyed as she dodged countless punches, and kicks. She then grabbed his arm, and flipped him to the ground. Trunks turned the grip so that he held both her wrists. He jumped to his feet, and looked into her grey eyes.

"He’s stalling," Gohan thought.

Sierra then jumped up slightly, and fell to the floor. She glided under his legs, and flipped him over as well. She then flipped over until she straddled his chest. "Give up yet?" she asked. The beaten Saiya-jin.

Trunks looked at her and smirked. "Not hardly." He then jumped to his feet, throwing Sierra off of his body, and stood. Trunks then attacked her with even more punches, and kicks than he had before. He’d beaten Sierra back twenty yards before she fell to the ground, and kicked his right knees from under him. As he turned around, she kicked him in his face.

"These two seem to be a good match," Mr. Popo said lowly.

Dende slightly nodded. "She’s going to try some thing she’s no way near ready for," he whispered.

Trunks turned to Sierra, and both stood with cuts over their bodies. He looked as her as she began trying to focus her chi, and a strange thought appeared in his mind. "I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful in my life," he thought. His eyes then widened as Sierra screamed. Trunks looked at her, and saw that the chi around her was too much for her, and exploded. He stood horrified as she fell to the ground unconscious. He lowered his head as he heard Dori and Goten shout her name in unison.

Dende also lowered his head. "She just won’t listen to me yet," he said lowly.

"She has to learn a lot of things herself Dende-sama. You have to let her figure it all out, otherwise, she may learn when the time is completely wrong," Popo said.

"Yes. I guess this would serve as a good lesson to her. I just hope that in the future, her lessons are less harmful to her."