Tried So Hard

Story by: Karalen the Wood Elf Song by: Linkin Park

AN: (waves to audience) Hello everyone! This is my very first DBZ fanfic, so bear with me here! I've always been a fan of family mushy gushy type of stuff, so of course, I love to write Trunks and Vegeta type of fics. I was inspired by my good e-mail friend, JJ blue, who wrote a story similar to this story. Don't worry, I didn't copy straight from hers or anything, I just got inspired from it! Enough with my rambling. On with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z characters Trunks or Vegeta, although I wish I did. I don't own Linkin Park or their song, "In the End", either. I OWN NOTHING! I have no money! I'm so poor.(sniffle sniffle)

(It starts with) One thing, I don't know why It doesn't even matter how hard you try, Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme To explain in due time All I know

The rain was beating down on the roof of the Capsule Corp. Sounds of yells and battle cries were faintly heard, as the youth in the building listened to the sounds of the home. He tried to shut out the familiar yells, but could still hear them. Not just hearing them physically, but mentally as well. "Am I going insane?" he thought to himself. "Sure, why not?!" he yelled to himself. He remembered when he accompanied the yells and shouts as well. He had tried hard to please his father, but failed miserably. He didn't know why.he started to believe his father's harsh words. "I'm a weakling." he thought to himself.

Time is a valuable thing, Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings Watch it count down To the end of the day The clock ticks life away It's so unreal

Trunks stared at the ticking clock in his room. He had been in that position for at least three hours. The sounds of training could still be heard if you listened hard enough. The rain was pounding down harder, as the clouds grew from gray to black. It seemed like nighttime outside. Trunks didn't care though. He liked the rain. It seemed to remind him of the inner torment inside him. 3:15 p.m. "Happy Birthday to me.happy birthday to me." he sang softly to himself. He was now sixteen. And yet again, his father forgot his birthday. His father seemed to always forget his birthday. He had wondered into the kitchen absentmindedly, and opened a drawer. There he pulled out a razor sharp knife. He pulled up his left sleeve, and tried to look for a space on his skin that didn't have any scars from the other times he did this. He did it many times, almost every day. He gave a sort of insane smile when he found a space. He pressed the knife on his skin, and made a small cut on his arm. The blood dripped from the cut. Drip. Drip. The drops were in tune to the clock's ticking. It reminded Trunks of a song he heard once. "The clock ticks life away." he said to himself. He watched with curious delight as his blood dripped on the floor.

Didn't look out below Watch the time go right out the window Trying to hold on / but didn't even know Wasted it all just to Watch you go

Punch. Kick. Avoid. Jump. Kick. Avoid again. Repeat. Uppercut. This was partially the way his training went. A bead of sweat rolled down his face as he punched an invisible enemy. He flew up, and was about to deliver a kick, but instead, he fell flat on his face. It seems that he didn't look below him to see the ground so near. He brushed off the humiliation, and glanced at the computer clock. 3:38 p.m. He realized that he'd been training ever since 5:00 a.m. "Perhaps its time for a little rest." he thought to himself. He stopped when he realized what day it was. "Hm.Trunks' birthday. Oh well, a saiyan never really celebrates his birthday." He thought. As Vegeta walked down the hall towards the restroom, and minibot of Bulma's came frantically up to him, and was wildly gesturing about something. "What do you want, you pathetic robot?!" demanded Vegeta. The minibot pointed towards the kitchen, and frantically waved its arms again. It ended up getting blown up by Vegeta in a surge of frustration. "Damned robot." he muttered. But he remembered that his past wife, Bulma, made it to make his life easier. It just made it's life a hell of a lot harder. Especially when Bulma died from cancer."Bulma." he muttered. He mentally slapped himself. "Baka Vegeta! You were just about to break down about a human! A female at that!" he thought angrily to himself. With that thought, he went to the shower to freshen up, not even stopping to wonder what that minibot was trying to say.

I kept everything inside, And even though I tried, It all fell apart. What it meant to me / will eventually / Be a memory / of a time when

I tried so hard, and got so far But in the end, it doesn't even matter. I had to fall, to loose it all But in the end, it doesn't even matter.

Trunks pressed the razor on another part of his skin. Now there were two drips. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. He watched as a small puddle began to form underneath his wrist. He remembered when he first tried this.

"Stupid brat! You're worthless! You'll never add up to a saiyan!" his father yelled. A fifteen-year-old Trunks stood in front of his father, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Why did his father have to be so harsh? Sure, ever since his mom died, he stopped training, and that slowed him down a little when it came to fighting, but still, did his father have to HIT HIM and BEAT HIM until he would collapse from the pain?! Pain.not just physical pain. Mental pain. In an attempt to get away from his father, Trunks ran out of the room as fast as he could. He didn't know where he was running, he just let his legs run. When he stopped, he realized he was in the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess. He had dark bags under his eyes, and his hair was a tangled mess. His eyes were slightly blood shot, and his clothing was ripped and torn. He hadn't slept in days. He fell a bit forward due to his fatigue, and accidentally knocked a drinking glass over. It seemed in slow motion that the glass fell to the floor, and broke into tiny pieces. He cursed, knowing that his father would be angry with him. Then he gazed at the small pieces of glass. It was so sharp.he picked it up. His mental pain was too much. Maybe he can shake it off with physical pain.at this thought, he pressed the glass gently but firmly on his wrist, and cut a tiny mark. He watched as the blood slowly came out.

"They say 'sticks and bones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me?!' I'm sorry, but whoever said that was horribly wrong!" exclaimed Trunks. He heard the shower go on. Trunks immediately felt tears prick at his eyes. "Father.I tried. I tried to live up to your expectations, but I just couldn't. It seems like it doesn't matter how far I'd gotten. I'm never good enough.you're right father. I am a weakling." He whispered towards the room that contained his father.

One thing / I don't know why It doesn't even matter how hard you try Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme To remind myself how I tried so hard.

In spite of the way you were mocking me Acting like I was a part of your property Remembering all the times you fought with me I'm surprised It got so far

"Fight me, you no good brat! I said FIGHT!" yelled his father, punching his son in the face. Trunks was thrown backwards from the punch. Having no choice, he rushed at his father to deliver a blow, but his father side- stepped out of the way easily. "You call that a punch?! THIS is a punch!" his father exclaimed, punching Trunks again and again in his stomach. Trunks fell to the ground, a bit of blood falling from his mouth. "You're pathetic. I don't see why I even bother with you." Vegeta said coldly to his son. Trunks felt tears go down his face, ashamed. "You're crying? Ha! Saiyans never cry!" Vegeta yelled. Trunks, in a surge of anger, yelled back at his father, "To hell with the saiyans!" He immediately regretted saying that. Vegeta's eyes blazed with anger, as he pulled his son up by the hair and beat him. "You will NEVER say that again! Do you hear me?! NEVER!" Vegeta screamed at him.

Trunks could feel the tears streaming down his face as the unwanted flashback came to his mind. He was jolted back to reality when a loud noise startled him. He didn't realize that the blade was still near his wrist, and when he jumped from the noise, he cut a deep slash in his wrist. "Shit!" he yelled out, as the blood from this cut came not in drops, but was gushing out of his hand. He never meant for this to happen! A large pool of blood formed underneath him, as he frantically tried to stop the flow. It seemed he hit a floodgate when he slashed his wrist too deep. "Trunks?" he heard someone ask. He got up quickly, but then slipped on the pool of blood. He lay there, with tears streaming down his face. "No! I want to live! I don't want to die! Not like this!" His mind screamed at him, but he just lay there.

Things aren't the way they were before You wouldn't even recognize me anymore Not that you knew me back then But it all comes back to me In the end

I kept everything inside And even though I tried It all fell apart. What it meant to me / will eventually / Be a memory

As Vegeta stepped out of the shower with boxers on, he heard someone sobbing. He knew right then that it was his son. Bulma's voice came to him. It was when she was just dying. "Take care of Trunks, Vegeta. Don't be too rough on him. Please, please don't hurt him. My final request.before I die.is that when Trunks is emotionally ill, or needs your council.let him come to you.love him.for me." All of the sudden, he felt guilty about all he had done to his little one in the times before. He felt the urge to go talk to him, to go apologize. In his haste to get to Trunks, he accidentally knocked a jar over. As he bent to pick it up, he heard Trunks curse rather painfully and loudly. He slowly walked towards the kitchen. "Trunks?" he asked. He heard someone fall, and sob loudly. He looked down at his feet. Blood. Oh Kami.he ran to the kitchen, and was shocked at what he saw.his son, lying in a pool of blood, with blood flooding out of his wrist. His pale face was getting even paler by the minute.

Of a time when I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter I had to fall To loose it all But in the end It doesn't even matter

Trunks heard someone whisper his name. He weakly opened his eyes and looked towards the source of the voice. His father. Oh Kami-sama, not him.but wait.his father had a look of shock and horror on his voice. Could it be.maybe? "Otousan." Trunks whimpered like a child, then he closed his eyes and let his head start to fall back. Before his head could hit the floor though, someone had his arms around him, and pulled him up to it's chest. It can't be.his father.hugging him? Heh.what a strange time for that."Trunks! What did you do?!" he father asked in a clearly panicked voice. Trunks didn't want to make his father feel bad, but he kept everything inside for far too long. He weakly sang-

I put my trust In you. Pushed as far as I can go For all this There's only one thing you should know.

Then he screamed out with all his strength, "I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU!!!" then he broke down, sobbing in his father's chest. Vegeta had a look of horror on his face. All of this.it was all his own fault.he couldn't carry the boy to the hospital, it would hurt the boy. He screamed at one of Bulma's minibots to call 911, then with one hand, he kept it around Trunks' wrist, and the other on Trunks' back, while whispering comforting words. Trunks ignored the sirens in the distance. He just focused on his father as much as he could. He was so blurry.then everything went dark.

I tried so hard And got so far But in the end It doesn't even matter I had to fall To loose it all But in the end It doesn't even matter.

AN: Man.that was one angsty fic.R&R please! And flames shall be laughed at. Don't worry, there shall be a sequel to this! I'm not THAT evil!