Author: The Noseless Wonder = Þ
Disclaimer: I have no disclaimer. Well, I had one, but my dog ate it. Just read the other chapters, the disclaimer’s there.
Author’s notes: I have Unmei no Hi stuck in my head… again. I can’t wait for Gohan to go level two, even if it is the stinky dub! There’s a teeny tiny bit of OOC in this chapter for Goku… I think. But that’s only if you consider him to be completely ignorant of Chichi’s feelings.
The younger Son laid on the grass as he looked up in the sky at the clouds that slowly drifted by. Everything was so peaceful there on his little patch of grass. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and life was going great… for the time being, at least. He slowly inhaled the fresh, warm air, allowing it to fill his senses and his mind. For that small moment in time, he didn’t have a worry in the world.
He looked over at his older brother. He was groaning as he tried to lay down beside him. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to do because of his incredibly sore muscles. The morning had been harder for the older Saiyan, who had spent the early hours attempting to get back into shape. He had gone so many years without training, it was going to take a while before he got anywhere near his old level. And now that he had lost his mystic transformation, he would have to work extra hard at it.
Finally, Gohan got all the way down, slowly relaxing as he put his hands behind his head for support. The two brothers stayed silent for a moment. It was an almost awkward quiet that had only befallen them a few times in their lives. Goten had spent the majority of his life looking up to Gohan. In a matter of speaking, he still did. He hadn’t gotten to know his father like Gohan had, due to the fact that Goku was dead during a large portion of Goten’s life, so even when Goku was alive, things were… tough. Goten never felt comfortable opening up or having any real father-son talks with him. Gohan, however, was always there, willing to listen. He cared a great deal for his younger brother, and when something was deeply bothering him, he would always make time to talk, no matter what. It’s too bad he could never talk to Goku like that.
Goten pushed it out of his mind. He didn’t want to dwell on the past anyway, and talking to Gohan would only make things more uncomfortable. Besides, there were more… pleasant things that his mind could be occupied with.
‘That cloud looks like Marron.’ He thought, not without a small smile spreading across his face.
Gohan turned his head towards Goten. ‘There’s that smile again.’ He thought, knowing full well what it always meant. “You know, if you’d get off your butt and train, you could actually be with her right now, instead of just daydreaming about her.”
“I know,” Goten replied. “I miss her, but I’m tired right now.”
Gohan sighed in light frustration. He never thought that Goten would slack off when it came to his wife. “If you’re that tired, then why don’t you go eat lunch with Dad and Vegeta? We’ll get back to work in an hour or so.”
“Aren’t you going to eat too?”
“No, I need to go talk with Piccolo about something, I’ll eat later.”
“I think I'll eat when you eat then. I can wait.” Goten remarked, a note of anger crossing his voice and his expression.
Gohan got up, with some trouble, and walked to where Piccolo was. He was mildly concerned with his brother’s attitude. Gohan had hoped that Goten’s training would bring the Son family closer together, but ever since the training started, the younger Saiyan only seemed to grow more distant towards their father. Now, a month later, it appeared that Goten was uncomfortable even being alone with him. He would get agitated if, for some reason, Gohan, Piccolo or Trunks couldn’t train with him.
‘Maybe all the stress is just digging up some old resentment that Goten still feels towards Dad.’ Gohan thought. He was almost sure that Goku had picked up on it too. Goku was usually off training with Vegeta or Ubuu, therefore appearing too busy to train with his younger son. It was possible that he was busying himself on purpose, as a way of avoiding Goten.
Goten had even declined the offer to spar with Ubuu, which sort of surprised Gohan. After all, Ubuu was the one person in that group who had studied under Goku the most. ‘I thought Dad and Goten had worked it out, but I guess Goten’s still angry with him for leaving.’ Gohan thought, looking back at his brother.
Goten still laid there, looking up at the clouds. His stomach was loudly protesting his earlier decision not to eat with his father, but he didn’t care. He simply ignored the rumbling noises and returned to his daydreaming. ‘That cloud looks like Marron… holding a turkey.’
Piccolo opened his eyes at sensing his old friend and student approaching. “Good fight today, Gohan.”
“Thanks, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to do that again for a while.” Gohan said, stretching his sore back muscles. “I think I’m getting old.”
Piccolo just slightly smirked. Truth was, Gohan could probably go for another few rounds without any major problems at all.
“So Mr. Piccolo, how much longer do you think we’re going to have to keep this up?” Gohan asked. “Do you think he’s strong enough to unleash his power?”
“It doesn’t matter how strong he gets.” Piccolo answered, earning a confused look from his former pupil. “He could train and train and train, but it’s not going to do him any good.”
Gohan twisted his head in confusion, for the first time in his life, he looked as naïve as Goku. “What do you mean? How do you know?”
“It’s a long story. But I know that it’s not strength he’s after, it’s power. There is another Saiyan form. I don’t know what it’s called, but I know that it surpasses many levels of a Super Saiyan.”
“Does he need the moon to transform or something? Is that why it’s taking so long?” Gohan asked, not really getting how or why Piccolo could know this.
“No, it’s not like that.”
“So he’s going to be a whole lot stronger… and then what?” Gohan asked, scratching the back of his head and hoping Piccolo hadn’t gone crazy.
“This new form… his strength and speed will increase, but it won’t be any big thing. It’s his power. His power will increase beyond anything that you have ever witnessed. If you thought Super Goku four was immense…”
“But Mr. Piccolo…” Gohan interrupted, frustrated that the Namek wasn’t giving him a straight answer, “How is he going to transform? Where is he going to get the power?”
“The power will come from within. I’m not sure if it’s brought on by an explosion of anger, or a sudden need of the new power, but he will have to be pushed into it… somehow.”
“Wow, so Goten takes after Dad more than he realizes. He’s going to surpass everyone and carry on the tradition…”
“You can too, Gohan.” Piccolo spoke. “The ability is spread throughout your entire blood line. You have what it takes and so do your children. However, I’m sure that it does take some human blood to complete the transformation. Part Saiyans have always had more natural strength than full Saiyans. Although, Son might be able…”
“But Mr. Piccolo,” Gohan interrupted once more, “how do you know this?”
Piccolo straightened up and became slightly concerned, realizing that he had said too much, too soon. “I will tell you later, when it’s appropriate.”
“But Mr…”
Piccolo narrowed his eyes and scowled at Gohan, giving him an answer that said it all. The Saiyan knew better than to question Piccolo, and when the Namek said the conversation was over, it was over. So, Gohan walked away, unknowing why Piccolo would not divulge his information.
Goku quietly sat back in the shadows. He had finished eating a while ago and had successfully eavesdropped on Gohan and Piccolo’s conversation. ‘So Goten needs to get angry…’ He thought to himself. ‘He needs to be pushed into his power, just like his brother. Too bad there isn’t a Cell or Buu around when you need one. If there was, then I could just…’ Goku interrupted his own thought. For at that moment, an idea popped into his head. He would find the motivation his son needed in order to transform… no matter how painful it might be.
Gohan, more confused now than ever, walked back over to his brother. He stood over him, looking down. His eyelids were falling slowly, but his eyes were still fixated on the clouds. He was practically asleep.
“Well,” Gohan stated loudly, “We’d better get started again.”
Goten tore open his eyes, finally accepting the fact that he wasn’t going to get any sleep soon. “Okay.” He yawned as he stood up and stretched.
“This time, spar with the boy.” Vegeta stated as he pointed to his son. “He’s barely done anything since he got here but sit around staring into nothingness with a dumb look on his face.”
“Okay, fine.” Goten shrugged. As far as he knew, he was one of the weaker ones there anyway, so sparring with anyone would be a challenge.
Trunks glared at his father as he walked towards Goten. Both of the boys took their fighting stances, neither being very enthusiastic about fighting at that moment. They would much rather be sleeping, or sitting in an air conditioned room watching a movie and eating until they were fat. Trunks yawned as he put his fists up in front of his face for defense, as did Goten. After a few moments of simply standing there, Goten finally threw a halfhearted kick in Trunks’ face. The kick was so lazy and slow, that Trunks managed to catch Goten’s foot with his hand, even though he wasn’t really paying attention. His mind was somewhere else.
Both fathers let out a frustrated sigh, and Gohan rolled his eyes. Piccolo returned to meditating after realizing that it was far more exciting, as Ubuu looked on wide-eyed, wondering when the real fight was going to start. Both fighters exchanged some more lazy, non-effective hits for a few minutes. The warriors around them were growing bored, except for Goku, who was busy working up a plan.
Goten’s mind was too busy thinking about Marron and how hungry he really was. The attention he was giving this spar amounted to about as much attention as he gave the dishes when there was something good on TV. Trunks, on the other hand, was busy thinking about Pan and what she might be doing at that very moment. At last, Goten landed a punch directly on Trunks’ nose.
“Ouch.” His purple haired opponent whined, rubbing his nose where the other man’s fist had landed.
“Oh please!” Vegeta yelled directly at Trunks. “I’ve seen better, more damaging fights than that between your mother and Kakarott’s mate!”
Trunks scowled at his father and put up his fists again. Goten did the same, this time, actually directing his focus onto what was going on ahead of him. All at once the two Saiyans started their attacks. However, they only managed to get a few hits in before a foreign object blocked their paths. They both stopped what they were doing, realizing that Goku was standing in between them.
“Father?” Goten asked, wondering what was up.
“Trunks, why don’t you let Goten and I spar for a little while?” Goku asked.
Trunks simply nodded and stepped away, having no idea what Goku was up to.
“Dad, I can spar with you when I get stronger. I don’t think I’d be much of a challenge for you right now.” Goten argued, trying to avoid having to fight with his father.
“We won’t have time later. I have to leave.” Goku stated sternly.
“What?! Why?!” Goten asked in disbelief.
“I had a talk with Ubuu. We both think it would be a good idea for us to go off and spar alone for a while. Ubuu has a lot of catching up to do. After his village was destroyed in that earthquake a while back, he took a year off to rebuild it. It’s time he made up for his lack of training.”
Ubuu watched in confusion. His master had not said anything to him about going to train again. In fact, Ubuu was under the impression that he was there that day to make up for the time lost. He was about to speak up and ask Goku about it, but then Goku turned his head and looked directly at him. His face still had the same stern look on it, but his eyes were communicating everything to his pupil. Ubuu, still not completely understanding, got the message, and decided to play along.
“Yeah,” the younger man said, “but we don’t have much time if we’re going to set up camp for today.”
“Today?! You’re leaving today?!” Goten shouted, his ki rising dramatically.
Goku withheld a small smile that was threatening to show itself on his lips and continued, asking, “Well, yeah. Why not?”
Goten’s ki rose even higher. “Why not?! What about Mom?! She’s expecting us in a few days!”
“Oh yeah,” Goku innocently said, scratching his head. “Well, go ahead and eat whatever food she makes, I don’t care.”
Goten tightened up his fist as his ki skyrocketed. He was struggling to keep his anger in check, but it wasn’t doing much good. Was he just going to leave again with out saying a word to her? How could he?!
“We’ll be back in a couple of years. I might come for dinner in a few months or so. That is, if Ubuu’s cooking skills haven’t improved. Well, we’d better leave now if we’re going to stop by his village to get supplies.” Goku turned around, now facing his older son, and looking him straight in the eye.
He gasped when he saw an almost pained look in his father’s eyes. It took a few moments for Gohan to realize what was going on. No, he wasn’t going anywhere. His full intention was to lie to Goten, and thereby making him angry. He was trying to get Goten to believe he was going to abandon them again. He was hoping to get him to explode, just like he had done with Gohan. His father wasn’t leaving, he was staying right there, and Gohan knew his father would not give up until Goten had reached the pinnacle of his power.
“What is he doing?” Trunks whispered to Gohan, not receiving a reaction. “Doesn’t he know how stupid it is to make Goten angry while he’s…”
Just then, Goten’s anger overcame him, and he transformed into Super Saiyan. But his ki was going higher, much higher, and he wasn’t done yet. His usual golden aura was different. Reds and blues seemed to swirl around him. The near by foliage was reacting as if a sudden storm had brewed up, whipping around wildly. The other experienced fighters were able to stand their ground, but they stood wide eyes, wondering what was happening. Piccolo looked on with a smirk. The two transformations were exactly alike, even though the two fighters were at different levels. Pan and Goten had both somehow managed to surpass Super Saiyan.
“Oh.” Trunks gulped, realizing what was going on, and wondering if they should be so close.
“Ingenious.” Gohan whispered, “My father’s a genius.”
Goten let out a low growl, and punched Goku hard in the back. Goku grunted and fell to the ground. It hadn’t hurt that much, but Goten had hit him so the wind was knocked out of him. It was a clever way of getting his attention.
“You can’t just leave!” Goten yelled down at his father. “She needs you! She can’t wait forever! Just because you seem to be immortal doesn’t mean she is! She’s getting older and she needs her husband!”
Goku turned over and faced his son. He was still a little out of breath. He went Super Saiyan as well, simply to prevent being seriously injured if Goten decided to strike again. “You’re right. She does need her husband, and it would be selfish of me to just leave her like that. She needs someone to take care of her, she deserves that.”
Goten calmed a little bit, thinking, hoping, that his father had gotten the point. Maybe he had finally realized just how much it hurt Chichi when he would leave. In those years, she felt unwanted and uncared for. Goku always wondered why she seemed to be so angry all of the time, but it was simply because she was so lonely.
Goku looked up, putting on the coldest face he could muster from inside himself. “Tell her… that she can remarry if she wants. I’ll find somewhere else to live when I come back.”
Goten flinched at the lack of feeling in his father’s remark. His anger snapped. It washed over his like a tsunami, drowning him in unwarranted hate. His eyes could now only see one thing. His enemy, laying on the ground in front of him. The man he called “father” had never cared about anything other than himself. His wife was simply a cook to him, one that bared his children, and his youngest son, simply a look-alike who carried his blood.
The other fighters began to step back. They all understood what Goku was doing, and it was probably for the best if they were not there to distract them. Goten’s ki peaked, and he was about to explode. Everyone retreated to a safe distance, but Gohan stayed behind. He wanted to be there in case things got out of hand, but he also wanted to witness the power of this new form.
Goten let out a blood-curdling scream as he blew up. The dome colored by reds and blues once again danced around him. They mixed, then separated again. Small, electrical sparks generated by his powerful, fiery aura lit up the area. It made for a spectacular light show. Goku powered up again, unsure of how much power he was going to need in order for him to be able to defend himself against his son.
Goten allowed the anger to take control, as another blast of energy came from within. Now his aura flared, and everything around him was consumed by a golden dome the size of many football fields. Goku and Gohan were consumed too, but not hurt.
The dome subsided and disappeared. Goku and Gohan slowly uncovered their eyes. Before them stood Goten… at least, it looked like Goten. His hair was still black. If anything, it had only gotten blacker. His muscles were enlarged greatly and his pupils had disappeared. There was an eerie blue glow around him, shining faintly over the surrounding grass. The expression he wore on his face sent chills up and down Gohan’s spine. It was as if he was looking at someone else. His face was colder than death, and he wore a smirk that would unnerve even Vegeta. He was not the same young man.
Slowly, Goku stood. He should have been afraid of the enormous power his son was displaying, or even a little nervous, but he wasn’t. The only emotion running through him at that moment was pride. It was the same pride he felt for Gohan the day he went Super Saiyan two and defeated Cell, the same pride he felt when Pan overcame her obstacles and went Super Saiyan, the same pride he felt when he held Goten for the first time, knowing that the little version of him he was lifting up and putting on his shoulder would surpass his father one day.
But now this young boy had turned into a man, a man that was bent on defeating his father, even if it meant his death. Goku quickly got into a battle stance, reminding himself that Goten was blinded by anger, and was not to be trusted. The smirk on Goten’s face grew wider as he knew he would be facing his ultimate challenger.
Goten’s image fazed out. Goku knew what was coming, but before he could react and defend, he was kicked hard in the back of his head. He fell, but reached out with his arms and used them as a spring board, recovering with a flip and landing back on his feet. Goten chuckled, almost evilly. He was beginning to come out of his haze of anger, but his aggressive emotions were still controlling him. Goku was facing him again, standing in a defensive state and now, powered up to Super Goku four.
Goten’s image disappeared again, but this time, Goku knew what he was up to. He placed his arm on the side of his head, just in time to block another powerful kick. Without hesitating, Goku flew up in the air and fired a ki blast directly towards Goten. However, the blast never hit anything but ground. He was gone again.
Goku was alarmed. Not because Goten had disappeared so quickly, but because he could not sense him. The older Saiyan looked in every direction, desperate to find some clue to where Goten had gone. He looked up, just in time to receive an energy blast aimed directly for his head. He put his arms up and out and fired one of his own, hoping to be able to counter it with jus enough strength to hit Goten, but not too hard. Goku struggled, but failed. The blast hit him instead, sending him straight for the ground.
He hit the earth hard, causing a deep, Goku-sized crater underneath him. Goten landed softly at his father’s feet, studying him. Goku looked up, his vision was hazy and he thought he might lose consciousness. He was surprised more than anything. Goten had successfully hit him, very hard, even though he was in Super Goku four. Goku let out a couple of groans, making Goten feel content with his work.
The younger Saiyan felt very satisfied, but his head hurt. He turned his back, only for a second, grabbing his head due to the immense pain. That’s when Goku struck. Quickly, he flew into the sky. Reaching his hands out in front of him, palms aimed at Goten, he yelled, “Ka…me…ha…me…ha!”
The blast hit Goten directly and sent him into the crater, and even further down into the earth. Goku felt his son’s power level fade, and let out a relieved sigh. Slowly and cautiously, he made his way over to the edge of the crater, only to find it empty. His heart jumped at the realization that he had not defeated Goten with his Kamehameha.
Deep underground, Goten burrowed through the rocks as if he was swimming through water. Goku felt the ground underneath him rumble. Before he could make sense of what was going on, Goten exploded out from the earth and kicked his father in the back. The impact threw the older Saiyan thirty feet, but he quickly recovered and charged Goten. Goten knew his father’s fighting style, and right then he was very confident in thinking that Goku was going to aim for his head. So, he foolishly guarded his upper body. But, instead of going with routine, Goku turned his body and aimed for the stomach, returning Goten’s previous kick with interest.
The kick sent Goten flying through a couple of trees and a mountain. Gohan watched as Goku disappeared to meet Goten at the other side of the peak. Gohan followed cautiously, taking the senzu beans with him. Vegeta and Piccolo followed suit, not wanting to miss the action, as did Trunks and Ubuu. They were wise not to follow too closely.
Goten slowly rose out of the rubble. His head was clearing now, and he could not remember what he was so angry with his father for, he just knew that he was. Goku hovered above him, unmoving, for he did not want to cause unnecessary injury to his son. Goten looked up and growled, quickly taking off into the air to meet his father in close combat once again.
Goten successfully landed the first punch, directly into Goku’s stomach, causing him to double over, but Goku quickly took the offensive. He delivered his own set of kicks and punches, using Goten’s own body inertia to make them more powerful. Goten quickly turned, doubled up his fists, and tried to slam them into Goku’s head, but he managed to dodge it before it made contact.
‘Good idea.’ Goku thought as he attacked with his own, this time hitting Goten right on the back of the neck.
Goten went speeding towards the ground. He did not recover this time, but crashed into the mountain side, where he stayed. His head was reeling from all the pain and emotion, and it was taking all of his strength just to stay conscious. Where was he? Oh yeah, he was fighting with his father. Did he really transform, or was that just a weird dream? No, it couldn’t have been a dream. He had gotten so angry with his father, that he had surpassed his previous level. His hidden power had finally come out. A small hint of anger began to resurface as Goten remembered what his father had said. Then it dawned on him, his father knew what buttons to push with his sons in order to get them fired up. It was part of his skill as a fighter. Goten sighed and started to chuckle. It was all a trick, a clever trick. Slowly, he tried to stand up.
Goku saw Goten rising up, and it looked as if he was going to try to fly too. ‘No! Stay down!’ Goku thought, not knowing that Goten had snapped out of it. He sighed sadly. He was going to have to knock him unconscious before his son would ever give up. But, what must be done, must be done. “Ka…me…ha…”
“Father stop!” Goten cried.
Goku lowered himself into the crater with Goten, being cautious incase it was a trap. His son was holding his arm. It appeared to be broken. His clothes were ripped and blood seemed to drip from every orifice on his body.
“I’m okay now.” Goten said, panting.
Goku studied him. His smirk was gone and replaced by a cheesy grin much like his father’s, and his pupils were visible again. He was back to his old self. Goku smiled and powered down, leaning over to catch his breath.
Goten was about to say something, but dizziness overcame him. He passed out in the middle of the crater. Goku sat down near him, knowing he would be okay, as long as Gohan was near them with the senzu beans. He was dizzy too, but determined to stay awake. He had to explain to Goten about what he had said earlier.
Gohan quickly landed inside the crater and gave his father a senzu. After a few moments taken to regain his strength, Goku picked up his younger son and carried him back to camp. There, he was given a senzu as well.
Later that day, things were peaceful once again. Goten and Goku both rested for a while. Goten was grateful that his father was asleep, he wasn’t ready to talk to him quite yet. However, dinner time was quickly approaching and Gohan had insisted that the two of them hunt something together.
So as the sun became low in the sky, the men prepared for their final night out in the wilderness. Trunks and Ubuu built a fire, Vegeta watched. Trunks was trying his best to stay away from his father. He knew that Vegeta would be resentful that Kakarott’s brat was more powerful than his brat was.
Piccolo spent most of the afternoon meditating against a tree. He was only staying because Gohan had asked him to. Gohan went to go pick up Goku Jr. He had promised his boy that he could stay overnight with all the guys on the last night of training. That was another reason why Gohan was so adamant about Piccolo staying that night. Little Goku adored Piccolo, even though the feelings were far from mutual.
Goten and Goku, now fully recovered, were in charge of grabbing dinner, so they fished… together. Goten was sort of uncomfortable around Goku, after all, he had just tried his best to kill him. Goku, on the other hand, acted like there wasn’t a problem at all, which slightly annoyed Goten.
“Goten,” Goku started, surprising Goten. “What I said back there, when I was trying to get you upset…”
“You don’t have to explain, Dad.” Goten said, but something in his voice wasn’t very convincing.
“I would never… leave again, not unless I absolutely had to. I love your mother and I…”
“I said you don’t have to explain.” Goten said, more uncomfortable now than before.
“I don’t? Then why are you still acting weird?”
Goten really didn’t want to answer that question, but it was something he knew he needed to get off is chest. “I know you were only trying to get me angry, but I was… really convinced with your lie. Truth is, I could see you doing that again. Just like you did with Ubuu, and after fighting evil Shenlong.”
“Goten, I didn’t really have a choice when it came to fusing with the dragon balls, but I admit I was selfish when it came to leaving. When I left with Ubuu, I was trying to train a fighter who could take my place, but I was also very excited at the prospect of fighting another warrior who was just as strong as me. Who would have guessed that I could have trained you for the same outcome? The point is, I wanted to fight him, to see how I measured up. So I left, eagerly, without so much as a goodbye for your mother… at least, not the goodbye she deserved. I know I didn’t come to visit, and believe me, I still kick myself for that, but honestly, I lost track of time. Ten years… it doesn’t mean as much to me as it does for everyone else. I guess maybe it’s because I’ve been dead so often for so long, or maybe it’s because I’ve never been that concerned with time as it is, I don’t know. But I forget… that people don’t age like I do. It took me a while to get used to the fact that the wrinkles and gray hair on your mother and Bulma wasn’t make-up. I wasted a lot of valuable time without her, just because I never realized how valuable that this time is.”
“You would have realized sooner if you were the one who had to sit there and listen to Mom cry. You hurt her. You eagerly left with Ubuu and ignored her. You didn’t even give her a personal goodbye, you just sort of… waved. A wife… is just an intimate friend to you, but to Mom, marriage is a partnership. She was crushed when you left so willingly. She felt like you didn’t care about her anymore.”
“I know.” Goku stated sadly, while slightly embarrassed that he was discussing deep, personal aspects of his marriage with his son.
“Do you know?” Goten asked.
“Believe me, I had a long talk with her about it. I promised her that I would spend my life trying to make it up to her and I will. To you and Gohan too.”
“I…I… don’t think that…”
“I left you too. I could’ve taken you with me, or I could have visited more often and spent more time with you. Same with everyone. I missed so much of my granddaughter’s life, that when I did come back, I didn’t even recognize her.”
“Hmm…” Goten quietly spoke.
“But I’m planning on staying now. I want to be here for Panny and Goku Jr., and any kids that you decide to bring into the world. Besides, they need a grandpa who can help them train, and I don’t think Krillin’s up for it.”
Goten chuckled lightly.
“I’m looking forward to seeing a boy who looks exactly like us one day.”
Goten stuck out his tongue while making a “disgusted” face. Goku chuckled.
So the night went on. Trunks was pretty sure that Vegeta never stopped glaring at him. In fact, he was pretty sure that was the only reason Vegeta stayed with the group that night. He would never live it down if he didn’t at least match Goten’s strength.
Piccolo remained against the same tree meditating the whole night. Occasionally, he would join the conversation to reminisce about old battles. He told the group about Pan’s transformation in the past and how much alike Goten and Pan’s new forms were. Everyone was shocked. What did it mean? Needless to say, Goku and Gohan were beaming with pride to hear about her accomplishment. At this news, Vegeta’s scowl became even deeper, and Trunks was almost sure that his father was planning his son’s slow, and painful demise.
Ubuu sat next to Trunks and asked him millions of questions about Bra. Vegeta noticed the young man’s sudden interest in his daughter. Trunks was relieved when his father’s glare switched from him to Ubuu. Trunks just chuckled and told Ubuu not to let Vegeta get under his skin. Easier said than done.
Goku Jr. had a blast. He sat on his father’s lap most of the night and toasted “martchmallows” as he mispronounced, even at the age of five. At the end of the night, after the fire was out, the little boy became cold, and very scared of the dark, so he climbed up on his father’s chest and slept here. Goten got a picture of it in the morning, knowing how much Videl would appreciate it.
Goten and Goku Sr. were ordered to sleep three feet back from the fire. No one was able to get much sleep, due to their loud snoring. The good news was, the noise kept away all the wildlife.
Their training mission had been a success. They all went back to their perspective homes the next morning. Gohan carried Goku home the entire way. The poor boy had been so afraid, he hadn’t gotten much sleep. Videl enlarged and framed the picture that Goten took and hung it on the wall.
Goten went back to Marron. They were both very happy to have training over and done with, so they could go back to enjoying their life together.
Goku Sr. went back to Chichi. Something about the conversation he had with Goten made him all the happier to be home. Chichi was delighted at how unexpectedly “friendly” Goku was when he got home. Immediately, she stuck a thermometer in his mouth, thinking he was sick. Of course, even he was sick, she was in no hurry for him to get better.
Trunks and Vegeta went back home. Vegeta spent a straight week trying to convince the woman to take over the company again so he and the boy could go and train. She said ‘no’ for two reasons. First, she was sick of working and was enjoying her time off too much. Second, when Vegeta wasn’t looking, Trunks followed her around the house on his knees begging her not to return to work.
Trunks spent his time counting down the days to Pan’s return. It wouldn’t be too long now, just about three more weeks before the ship took off, four before he could talk to her again, and five before she landed. It still seemed like an eternity to him. He silently decided that he would like to go and train some day soon, but only if Pan was the one to go with him.
Pan yelled as she woke up with a start. She looked around, unaware of where she was or how she got there. It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings. She was at Capsule Corporation, in one of the guest rooms. It was the morning after the party, after he told her… about everything.
Slowly, she made her way out of bed. Her head was pounding, probably because she had been out in the cool night air for so long the previous night. Then again, her headache might have been caused by that stupid dream. She had relived it at least five or six times that night alone, that she could recall. It has also been the cause of her waking up so aggressively.
“If I have to go through that dream one more time…” She quietly yelled, but was interrupted by another wave of pain to her head.
Groggily, she made walked over to the dresser where her purse was. She felt as if she had a hangover, but to her knowledge, she hadn’t had any alcohol. Maybe there had been some in the punch, which she had a lot of due to boredom. She quickly shuffled through her bag and pulled out a small bottle of medicine made for headache symptoms. Without water she swallowed the pills, but she didn’t care. She just needed some relief.
After her vision cleared, and the pain started to fade, she noticed that she was still in her dress. She was actually very relieved in knowing that she didn’t sleep through someone undressing her. It had been embarrassing enough to have fallen asleep in the back of a limo with Trunks and his mother. She was trying to impress Bulma to a certain degree too, and stealing her son away from an important Corporate event, then falling asleep in their limo with them probably didn’t help things. She just didn’t want Bulma to think of her as another one of Trunks’ dumb “trophy dates” that he used only to show off at the party. Most of the women Trunks dated were trophy dates, even Pan knew that. She was just hoping that Trunks and his family would think of her as something more, even if they would forget all about “Kara” in the end.
She pulled her gym bag out of its capsule and changed clothes into some sweats. They were much more comfortable, and she wouldn’t have to change out of them if she needed to sleep again. She hung her dress on a hanger and straightened her hair, just enough to make her look presentable. She took another close look in the mirror, just to make sure she didn’t have any eye mucus from sleeping, or something hanging out of her nose when she met up with Trunks again. That’s when she noticed the sparkling object that was still around her neck. With her headache and the drowsiness she felt, she hadn’t been very observant earlier. It was the necklace he had given her. Twirling the small stone around in her fingers, she relaxed her elbows on top of the dresser and sighed… remembering.
“He loves me.” She whispered to herself. “He finally loves me.”
No one had ever given her a gift with so much meaning and love attached to it, with the exception of the promise ring her father had given her. It was so pretty and so expensive. The memory of the words he spoke while placing it around her neck sent a lovely wave through her. What he had said was cheesy, yes, but it was romantic. Besides, it’s the thought that really counts, and she pretty sure Trunks was thinking of her and only her when he bought it.
“Don’t you think it’s time we woke her up?” Bulma asked her son from across the kitchen table.
“It’s only eight thirty.” Trunks answered as he sipped his coffee.
“But still, what if she needs to go home or something? Doesn’t she have an uncle? I’m sure he’s probably very worried about her right now.”
“Her and her uncle don’t really get along. Besides, she’s been out late with me before, and there never seemed to be any problems. Let her sleep. She had a busy night, and she was tired beforehand anyway.”
Bulma shrugged and resumed reading her morning newspaper. The only sounds at the table for the moment were the occasional turning of the newspaper page, or sipping of coffee. “Well, don’t you think you should put a shirt on?” Bulma asked, pointing out the fact that he was wearing socks, sweat pants and nothing else.
“Why?”
“Well, because Kara might be in here any minute and…”
“Mom, she’s my girlfriend. Besides, it’s not exactly considered indecent for men to walk around without their shirts on. I do this all the time, so does Dad and Goten when he’s over here. Why is this a big deal all of a sudden? It’s what guys do.”
“I know, but… never mind.” Bulma said, giving up.
Trunks shook his head in frustration and started reading his paper again. The silence and peace in the room lasted only a few moments before Bulma broke it.
“She didn’t sleep in your room, did she?” Bulma asked bluntly, from out of the blue.
Trunks nearly choked on his coffee. “No she…! That’s none of your business!” He yelled.
“Hey, don’t yell at me! I’m just checking. I’m your mother and I care about what happens to you, so sue me!”
“Butt out!”
“I said don’t yell at your mother!” She shouted, “I’m just making sure that you’re going to be cautious with her.”
Trunks growled quietly. This was not a conversation he wanted to have with his mother. “Mom, I’m twenty-two years old. I don’t need you delving into… that aspect of my life.”
“Honey, I’m just trying to protect our company, and your feelings.”
“What?! Mom!” Trunks yelled, completely aware of what Bulma had just implied.
“Haven’t you heard about those women who marry rich men just to turn around a year or so later and divorce them in order to collect alimony? Some of them purposefully get themselves pregnant, so the man will feel obligated to marry her, or give her money for support. This is the first girl you’ve been this serious about, and I want to make sure you know what you’re getting into before we end up losing everything because of your poor character judgment. You don’t know that much about Kara yet, and frankly, there are some holes in her story.”
“Well, she has some things that she’s hiding from me, I’m sure, but that doesn’t automatically make her guilty of something, does it? And yes, Mom, I know what a gold-digger is. I’ve dated a lot of them. But Kara isn’t just some girl after my money. Does she look or act like any of those other girls to you?”
“No, she doesn’t.” She admitted, walking over to her son. “But you’re moving so fast with her. Just, humor me and slow it down a bit.”
“Okay.” Trunks answered, desperately hoping that this conversation was over.
“Good boy.” She said, giving him a kiss on the top of the head. “Oh, and one more thing…”
“What?”
“It would be wise to hide the fact that she knows about the Saiyans from your father… unless you have some kind of death wish or something.”
“How did you…?” He started.
“I’m a mother,” She replied, stepping around the kitchen’s island to get another cup of coffee, “I know everything.”
“Well, you certainly know how to eavesdrop on my intimate conversations.” Trunks mumbled, thankfully out of earshot.
Pan stood around the corner, out of view from Trunks or his mother. She had heard yelling, so she came out to investigate. She overheard the entire conversation, but she was beginning to wish that she hadn’t. ‘Bulma doesn’t trust me yet.’ She realized. ‘This is going to be awkward. Stepping into the kitchen after spending the night at her house, when she doesn’t even trust me. Urg, I need to come up with better lie… alibis to fill those holes.’ She thought as she rubbed her head. Her headache was now reappearing, and it seemed to be worse than before.
Just then, little Bra and the younger Pan walked by her, still in their pajamas. The older Pan sighed and thanked Dende that she didn’t have to be the first one in there so soon after their argument. She waited before following them in, hoping they would get Bulma and Trunks focusing on something else, rather than her.
The younger Pan and Bra pulled out their chairs and sat down at the table. The younger Pan yawned and laid her head down, trying to get Trunks’ attention. He glanced down at her and smiled, then returned to his newspaper.
“Good morning girls.” Bulma greeted.
“Good morning, Ms. Bulma.” The younger Pan replied.
“Good morning Momma.” Bra yawned.
“So what did you do last night?” Bulma asked.
The younger Pan and Bra said nothing, but started giggling. Immediately, Trunks suspected something of the two young terrors and lowered his newspaper, giving them a deep look of suspicion.
“I don’t think I’m going to like the reason behind why you two are giggling.” He said.
It only made the girls giggle harder. From under the table, the young Pan produced a snap shot. She handed it to Trunks shyly, hoping he wouldn’t get angry. Trunks held the picture up and studied it for a moment, before bursting out in hard laughter.
“What are you looking at?” Bulma asked as she looked over Trunks’ shoulder at the picture. She laughed softly, but it got harder. She couldn’t believe the image of her husband in green, orange and pink hair.
“Oh,” Trunks breathed, trying to stop laughing. “What did he do to you when he noticed?”
“He didn’t do anything.” Bra stated proudly.
“We told him we wouldn’t show anybody if he didn’t punish us.” The younger Pan answered, biting her lower lip. “But he thought we made copies of it.”
Trunks continued to chuckle, “You’d better keep this far away from Dad. Who knows what he’ll do to you if he finds out.”
“Good morning.” The older Pan greeted, walking in after hearing the sound of intense laughter.
Trunks’ face brightened at the sight of her walking through the door. He put the picture down on the table. The younger Pan became frustrated. He was supposed to be laughing at her picture, not talking to Kara.
“Trunks look! He’s drooling too!” The younger Pan said in attempt to turn his attention.
“That’s nice.” He said, dismissing whatever Panny had said and walking over towards Kara.
“Good morning.” He said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “How’d you sleep?”
“Very well. Thank you… for letting me stay here.”
He smiled at her softly. She gladly returned it, having trouble keeping her eyes on his face and not on his bare chest. Bra giggled in the background at the sight of her brother being so mushy with a girl. The younger Pan frowned.
“So what was everyone laughing at?” She asked.
“Oh, just a picture of my Dad after spending a night with those two.” Trunks said, handing her the snapshot.
Pan had to hold back her laughter when she saw the picture. ‘I had forgotten about this.’ She thought, swimming in and odd feeling. She remembered doing that to Vegeta, and staying over at Capsule Corporation while her parents were away, but she didn’t remember Trunks going to any kind of party with a girl. ‘If I think about it too much, I’m going to drive myself insane. I’m not exactly one up on temporal mechanics.’
“Woman!” Vegeta stated, loudly and abruptly, coming in from “Where’s breakfast?”
The older Pan quickly took the picture and stuffed it in her pocket.
“I haven’t had the chance to start it yet.” Bulma replied.
“How long does it take to put those stupid round waffle things in the toaster?!” Vegeta yelled.
Trunks blushed and chuckled nervously. Why did his father have to act so impossible now, in front of Kara? The older Pan didn’t even notice. It was the average tone around this household, and she was used to it.
“Fine! I’ll get it started!” Bulma yelled opening the freezer and dumping ten boxes of breakfast food onto the counter.
“Umm…” The older Pan intervened. “Why don’t I cook breakfast for everybody, as sort of a thanks?”
“Kara, don’t worry about it. You’re our guest, let us serve you.” Bulma argued, “Besides, I believe Trunks has told you how much our family eats.”
Pan raised her eyebrows, she was more than a little surprised that Trunks had told his mother about last night. “Well, I can make a lot of food in a rush. Back home, I cook for a lot of people, and they usually want their food fast. I’ve been told that I’m a pretty good cook too… when I use my grandmother’s recipes, anyway.”
“Well, I don’t…” Bulma started before being interrupted.
“Let the girl cook.” Vegeta ordered to Bulma, surprising everyone, including the older Pan. “Her cooking can’t be any worse than yours.”
The older Pan wasted no time in getting started. She feigned helplessness in starting, considering it would have been weird for her to work her way around their kitchen knowing where everything was. Trunks and Bulma both argued with her, but she didn’t give in. In about half an hour, she had a fully cooked meal spread out all across the table for the Briefs and her younger self to enjoy.
‘That was…amazing.” Trunks said, helping Kara carry the dishes over to the counter.
“Hmm, really?” She asked. “Well then, I’ll have to cook for you again sometime.”
“Kara, I only know of one other woman on this planet who cooks as well as you do.” Bulma complimented.
“Really?”
“Yeah, Goten’s mom. Actually, those fish omelets you made tasted an awful lot like the ones she makes. Trunks said. “Maybe your grandmother and Chichi know each other or something.”
The older Pan chuckled nervously.
“Vegeta, what did you think of Kara’s cooking?” Bulma asked her husband, who was making his way outside for another round of training.
Vegeta paused for a moment, not really wanting to address his son’s potential mate. “I ate it, didn’t I? That’s more than I could say for most of what you make.”
Bulma crossed her arms and glared at the Saiyan Prince as he stepped outside.
“That’s my father’s way of saying he loved it.” Trunks whispered into Kara’s ear.
Pan giggled at the feeling of Trunks’ breath tickling her. Trunks laughed lightly at her reaction as he subtly put his arms around her waist from behind. Smelling her hair was just like smelling a bouquet of flowers for him, even in the morning when she had not had the chance to shower.
The older Pan jumped as a chair was suddenly slammed down at the table. Bra and the younger Pan made their way over with their numerous plates and handed them to Kara.
“Thank you Kara! Breakfast was good!” Bra said with a cheery smile.
“It was too salty.” The younger Pan said with a frown as she shoved the dishes into the interloper’s hands.
“Panny, you ate more than anyone else at the table. That wasn’t a very nice thing to say to Kara, apologize.” Trunks demanded.
The younger Pan’s frown deepened as she crossed her arms, turned around and started heading towards the living quarters.
“Now!” Trunks yelled.
“Sor-ry!” The younger Pan yelled sarcastically while running away, Bra following.
Trunks watched the two younger girls run out the door. “What is her problem?” He asked no one in particular as he tore himself away from Kara to start the dishes.
“I think she’s jealous.” Stated Bulma. “You do know that she has a crush on you, don’t you?”
“No she doesn’t.” Trunks denied, blushing lightly. “She’s just doing what she does best… being a brat. Can’t we take her over to Goten’s or something? She shouldn’t be allowed to stay here if she’s going to be rude and snotty like that. I don’t need her annoying another guest. She always does this. I wish she would just… grow up.”
The older Pan just stood there listening to their conversation. She was a little hurt. Sure, she pulled some pretty mean stuff on some of Trunks’ girlfriends, but he always treated her nicely after everything was straightened out. He very rarely got on her case about it.
“She was just being a little girl.” Pan said, speaking up and earning Trunks and Bulma’s complete attention. “I need to use the bathroom.” She claimed, in order to escape from under their view.
“Just being a little girl,” Trunks said quietly to his mother once Kara was out of the room, “More like a little terror.”
“Trunks, Kara’s right. Little girls are like that. Bra annoys you all the time too.”
“Yeah, but Bra doesn’t try to chase my girlfriends away.”
“Trunks, I told you. She has a crush on you, much like every other girl who’s ever laid eyes on you. You’re a handsome boy, my son, and girls like you. So do a lot of men, from what I’ve heard. She’s just trying to keep you single until she’s old enough to have you for herself.” Bulma said, gently poking Trunks in the side.
Trunks had a frustrated look on his face as he washed the dinnerware. “Well, she needs to give up and realize that she’s just a kid.”
“Trunks, let her have her crush. It’ll end in a few years, and before you know it, you’ll be missing the attention.”
Trunks just scoffed, as a way of denying everything his mother had just said. There was no way he was going to miss the kind of attention his mother was speaking of from Pan. He would be glad when it ended.
“Trunks?” The older Pan called, poking her head in the room. “I think I’m going to go home now. Bye Ms. Bulma.”
Bulma waved at Kara as she walked outside into the cooler air. Trunks ran behind her to catch up. His almost bare feet stung with the chill of the morning grass, but he didn’t care.
“Kara?” He asked, stopping beside her, “Are you alright?”
Pan didn’t really know what to say. Truth was, she was ready to end it. “I-I’m fine… I just have a headache.”
He looked at her, concerned. “Do you need to take something?”
“No, I… I just want to go home.” She answered, her face lowered.
“Well, do you want me to come with you?”
“No!” She answered too quickly. “No, I’m fine. Thanks for letting me stay here last night.”
Trunks bent down to give her a goodbye kiss, but was blocked by her hand which was covering her mouth. “You do not want to kiss me right now.” She said, referring to her morning breath which didn’t really exist. She just wanted to leave and end this charade, but she knew that any kiss from him would change her plan.
Slowly, he pulled her hand down and away from her mouth. Once again, he leaned forward, and touched his lips with hers. It was soft at first, but he deepened it. Pan stopped resisting and wrapped her arm around his neck, allowing her other hand to sneak down and caress his bare chest. He moaned lightly at the feeling of her cold fingers traveling around his warm torso.
As the temperature rose around them, Pan felt her heart melting once again, along with her knees. Why did he have to kiss this good? Maybe playing along for a few more days couldn’t hurt…
“Kara!” Bulma yelled outside, cringing as soon as she saw what she interrupted. “Oops! Sorry!”
Trunks rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration as he tore himself away from Kara’s warmth. Pan chuckled at his reaction.
“Yes Ms. Bulma?”
Bulma ran outside with Kara’s dress, knowing it was too late to go back inside unnoticed, “You forgot your dress.”
“Don’t you want to return it?” Pan asked.
“No, I’ve returned too many things to that store anyway. One more thing as those sorry witches who work there are going to start turning me away.”
“Well, you can use it for something else… I mean, no one’s seen you wear it yet.”
Bulma laughed. “Me? Wear this? Yeah, maybe before I had kids and starved myself for a month, but not now. How do you manage to stay so skinny?”
“I train, but…” Pan began.
“That explains it.” Bulma said, fully understanding. “It’s not fair, everyone I know has natural energy, but I have to work at it. Anyway, keep the dress.”
“Thanks!” Pan said. “Well, I’d better be off.”
“Bye.” Trunks said, receiving a small kiss on the cheek from his girl.
“Bye.”
Bulma waved as Kara took off into the crisp morning air with her dress. She headed straight for the ship, looking forward to a hot bath and some more pain medication.
“I’m sorry.” Bulma apologized to her son.
Trunks shook his head in frustration and walked back inside.
“What? I said I was sorry!”
Pan did continue to play along. For the next couple of weeks, in fact. Things were certainly heating up between the young couple, which sort of scared Pan. There were several times when she had to pull herself away from Trunks. She never meant for things to go as far as they were going.
They went on some sort of date almost every night, usually eating dinner and then going to see a movie. Their favorite time, however, was after the movie, when they would go for a walk. Trunks found it incredibly easy to talk to her. He had never found that in a woman before, except for maybe Marron. Kara was capturing more and more of his heart every day… but she had to leave soon. He asked her to tell him the exact day, so he could see her off, but she kept telling him that she didn’t know yet. She just knew that she was leaving… soon. It got to the point where Trunks didn’t want to think or talk about her not being there. Whenever he’d mention some upcoming event, like his sister’s birthday, they would become quiet, realizing that Kara wouldn’t be there then.
He couldn’t imagine life without her. He loved her. He had most of the summer off, and he was very thankful to his mother for that. Whenever Kara could find the time to come out to the city, Trunks was always available, and waiting when she got there. He felt a joy previously unknown light up his heart at the mere sight of her. When she left, he would become.. sad. It seemed like the only thing he had to look forward to anymore was seeing her again. Everything else just… didn’t matter.
Pan’s headaches increased with time. They were only strong when she was around Trunks for some reason, but it was worth it. Trunks loved her, she knew that, and she had loved Trunks since…well, since she was old enough to know what love was. He was completely dedicated to pleasing her, but he respected her space. If she needed to leave, he would let her leave, but when she was there, she was almost always in his arms.
Piccolo came around occasionally to spar, but she pushed him away. She didn’t want to train, she wanted to be with Trunks. Nonetheless, Piccolo showed up almost everyday asking. He argued that she needed to get used to her power, so she could learn to transform into this new form rather than Super Saiyan. This new form was much more powerful. She declined almost every time, only giving up five hours of one day to spar, and she didn’t even power up all the way.
Yep, the two young adults were having a blast with each other. It was a match made in heaven… between Trunks and Kara. Pan became more like her alter-ego each day, practicing alternate histories for herself and false anecdotes that she could tell Trunks about. She never opened up about her true identity at all and therefore, began conforming. She knew what kind of girl Trunks wanted, and she made herself up to be that girl, even if it didn’t come close to her true self. Pan was crazy about Trunks, but Trunks was crazy about Kara. Deep down, Pan still knew this, but she pushed it back, justifying it to herself. After all, Kara was still Pan, just not in personality, history or name. She was still herself, just not completely…right?
So Panny continued her little game. She knew full-well that she had to leave, and soon, but she didn’t let that stop her. Trunks was her love now, and she was going to enjoy it.
“Two weeks.” She said softly.
“Two weeks?” He asked.
“Until I have to leave.” She lowered her head.
Trunks sighed sadly. Only two more weeks…
They were sitting on a picnic blanket in Capsule Corps’ back yard. Everything about their environment was perfect. Trunks was sitting against a tree, Pan in his lap. He pulled back her hair, laying kissed wherever he could reach from behind. He started at her ear, then traveled down to her neck, where he stopped. Gently, he rested his head on her shoulder, wrapping his large arms around her small waist and just holding her.
She smiled, everything was perfect. The dishes from their recent meal were scattered around the picnic blanket. The sun shone vibrantly, and the birds were singing a beautiful melody. She rested her head against Trunks, using him as a pillow.
“I love you Kara.” He confessed softly.
“I love you too.” She said back, almost as soft.
Suddenly, she felt a surge of déjà vu. It was strong enough to make her think that it was more than just an after image caused by a delay in her brain. She had been there before, but when? She had never been involved with Trunks or any other man like this before. She had never been held like she was being held at that moment. It all came back to her in a wave of guilt and panic. Her dream. Maybe her subconscious had been telling her something. Maybe that was the right moment to tell him.
Gathering all of her courage, she spoke, trying her best not to lose her nerve. “Umm… my name isn’t Kara.”
Trunks chuckled, “Well, what is it then?”
She intertwined her fingers with his, as if the interlocking would keep him from running away. She almost cried as she opened her mouth, but she would not allow herself to appear weak. “It’s……… Keri.” She exhaled sharply, ashamed for being such a coward. Her head pounded, making her want to throw up.
Trunks smiled, not knowing of the torment she was going through right then. “Keri? Hmm…” He laughed, “Keri Oakie, I like that.”
“Trunks!” She protested his laughing by hitting him in the leg. “It isn’t funny!”
“Well, I can see why you want to be called ‘Kara’.”
Great, another story she had to keep straight. Tears nearly fell from her eyes. In a very short time, this would all be over, and she would be the only one who would remember it. It was like waking from a dream so wonderful, you just had to share it, but there was no one to share it with… except Piccolo.
“Hey guys!” Goten greeted, falling down from out of the sky.
“Hi Goten.” Kara greeted.
“Hey.” Trunks said.
Goten scratched his head, nervous that he had interrupted something. “Umm… your mom said your weren’t doing anything, so I thought I would come over and see if you wanted to spar.”
“Maybe later.” Trunks answered.
“Cool, give me a call.” He said, getting ready to take off.
“Wait!” Pan yelled. “I haven’t gotten the chance to see either of you fight yet. Why don’t you two go ahead and spar?”
Goten gulped, having no idea that she knew about their heritage or strengths. Trunks scratched his head nervously, not knowing how he was going to get himself out of this one. “Umm… but you wouldn’t have anything to do.”
She didn’t buy it. She really wanted to see how weak…err… strong her two favorite friends were at that moment in time. “I like watching fights. How do you think I got interested in the first place?”
Trunks’ eyes were pleading with Goten. This was the perfect opportunity to show off for Kara. They could play it weak, only powering up to half their potential, never going Super Saiyan. In human terms, they would still be incredibly strong. Goten lowered himself back to the ground, shrugging. He decided he would help his friend out this time. Besides, it would give him something to do on an otherwise boring afternoon.
“O-okay,” Trunks agreed, pulling Goten away far enough so that Kara could not hear them.
“What are we going to do?” Goten whispered to Trunks.
“Just fight, like we always do, just don’t go Super.”
“But…”
“She’s used to sensing our overly strong ki’s. She already knows we’re strong.”
Goten gave him an untrusting look. Something was fishy about this. But, he put himself in a defensive position, ready to start the match. Trunks nodded his head, silently thanking him. Pan stood over by the tree, trying to keep herself from laughing too loudly.
And so the two fighters took off… very slowly. To Pan, it looked more like they were doing stretches rather then fighting, but she kept watching. Trunks hit Goten on left side of his face, causing him to lean to the right side. Trunks fell onto his hands quickly and kicked his right knee, causing Goten to trip up and fall, flat on his face. He only hit his chin lightly, but he feigned worse injury, in order to make it look like Trunks’ beginner’s move had caused him damage.
Goten staggered up, still pretending to be seriously impaired by that fall. Pan just watched with her eyebrow raised. They weren’t even trying, this was no fun. Her frustration deepened when she saw Goten holding his jaw and spitting, as if there was actually blood there.
Goten countered with a very lazy punch. Trunks dodged it easily, catching Goten’s fist in his hand. Even if Trunks wouldn’t have moved to avoid that punch, it never would have hit him. It was aimed six inches to the side of his head. Trunks kneed Goten in the stomach, causing the younger Saiyan to double over.
Leaning down, Trunks whispered, “Don’t you think you’re over doing it a bit?”
“What are you talking about? That last move really hurt.”
“Follow me.” Trunks said, flying up into the sky just high enough to be out of Kara’s range, or so they thought.
Goten swiftly followed. “If we power up too much, she’s going to suspect something. Besides, I thought you wanted to impress her by beating me up.”
“I do, but not at the power level of normal humans.”
“Why not? She doesn’t know otherwise.”
Trunks cringed. There was no way he was going to be able to hide this one. Pan stood looking up. She didn’t know what they were saying, but it was probably nothing important. She was bored now. She thought she was going to actually see some action. There had to be a way to get them to fight for real…
“Goten,” Trunks started, nervously, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…”
“Hey! Stop stalling around!” Pan yelled, “When am I going to be able to see what a Super Saiyan can really do?”
Goten’s mouth flew open. He looked from the ground to Trunks then to the ground again. Trunks just chuckled nervously and gave a goofy grin, while a sweat drop made its way down his face. Goten’s expression went from confused to shocked to angry in a second flat as his brain processed the information.
“Umm… Goten…” Trunks started, but was interrupted by a hard hit to his stomach by the now transformed Goten.
Trunks quickly transformed too, and hit Goten in the face. There was actual blood being drawn now. It was dripping from Goten’s lip.
Pan smiled, ‘Well that worked.’ She thought.
“How could you tell her?!?” Goten yelled.
“I…” Trunks tried to explain.
Goten kicked him in the face. Trunks’ head promptly jerked back due to the impact. As his whole body went backwards, Goten flew back and was there to elbow him in the face, and send him speeding towards the earth. Trunks recovered before he hit and gracefully landed on his feet. He took off again, to meet Goten in the air. They both went into a frenzy and threw punches and kicks faster than the normal human’s eye could see. They were taking up a lot of air space too, causing their entire bodies to disappear.
Pan was watching intently. They were pretty strong for how old they were. Of course, this was before the time when Trunks’ life had become consumed by work.
Vegeta walked out into the back yard after sensing the raised energy. It was rare that his son and that spawn of Kakarott ever did any actual training. They usually just dinked around whenever they were too bored to do anything else.
The little Pan came out too, and watched in amazement as the two men battled in the sky. She could keep track of them, but there were a few times when they went too fast for her to see. Vegeta looked over at her. Her eyes were glued to the sky, interpreting, studying what move was being done, and which was the most effective. He smirked. The young girl was more of a Saiyan than the two men up in the sky were, she just didn’t know it yet. It’s too bad such a potentially valuable warrior had to be polluted with that third class idiot’s blood.
Then, Vegeta spotted someone. It was that girl, what’s-her-face who was interested in his son. She was watching too. ‘But why would they transform if they knew she was here?’ He asked himself. He watched her more closely. Her eyes were keeping up with them, she knew everywhere they went. ‘But how?’ Surely they were moving too fast for her to see, and yet, she could see… everything.
They continued to fight very aggressively. Both of them a had sweat and blood dripping off of them as they flew through the air. Trunks sent and uppercut directly into Goten’s chin. Goten snapped back and flipped mid-air, then came back around to kick Trunks on the side of the head. Trunks flew around and elbowed Goten in the back, then kneed him in the stomach. Goten span around and kick Trunks in the stomach, sending him towards the earth once more.
Vegeta continued to watch as the two men seemingly free fell out of the sky, right for where Kara was standing. He made no effort to stop them, or to guard her, but he watched, with curiosity, wondering if she could even see what was coming towards her. She was looking up, but she wasn’t moving out of the way.
They fell and they fell until they were practically on top of her… when they stopped. They only paused for a moment, but it was long enough for them to slow down enough to come into view. The girl still didn’t move. It was as if she had not only watched them fall out of the sky, but had read their ki as well, enabling her to anticipate their stopping. They were so close, that the force of the wind around their bodies had actually stirred her hair and clothes, and yet she remained there, perfectly calm, just observing.
The younger Pan was still watching. She had seen Kara as well and was annoyed. Why did Trunks have to show off for her? Before Kara, her, Trunks and Goten would have a lot of fun sparring together. They were only trying to impress her, but she wasn’t worth it. Little Pan itched to join the spar.
“You’re… taking this too far!” Trunks yelled as he strained to hold Goten back in a head lock.
“You’re the one… who… told her about the Saiyans. You’re putting our families lives at risk!” Goten replied as he tried to break free from Trunks’ grasp.
“I trust her!”
“I don’t care!” Goten got free off his head lock and kicked Trunks hard in the back.
Trunks hadn’t been expecting it and the impact threw him, once again, directly towards the ground. This time, he didn’t recover. He hit, causing as small crater. Immediately, he stood up and got back into a defensive stand. Goten looked down, studying Trunks’ surroundings. He was standing on the edge of the grassy part, right next to a thick cover of trees that had been planted for privacy reasons years ago. It was almost like a small forest. If he threw a ki blast, he could concentrate it into a small stream and, therefore, not damaging the mansion or the trees. The trees would prevent any of the neighbors from seeing too much of it. The worst damage it could do would be another crater and a bad burn mark for Trunks, but it would be a burn he deserved for exposing their family’s secret.
Goten lifted his hands out in front of him, then pulled them back to his side. His palms were together, faced outward as he began to gather his energy for his small, yet powerful attack. Trunks looked up from the ground. A Vegeta-like smirk traced his lips as he sensed what was going on. He knew what Goten was up to, and was more than prepared to face it head-on. He knew that Goten would never throw a blast that he couldn’t block, so he stood his ground, awaiting his challenge.
The younger Pan gazed at Trunks who was across the yard on the ground. She knew what she could do. Right then would be the perfect time to attack Trunks, while he was paying attention to Goten. If she joined the fight now, then Kara would see how much fun Trunks had with her. Then, she might get jealous and get mad like some of the other girls, or she would just give up and go away, leaving her and Trunks to play together. Without the notice of Vegeta, the little Pan took off towards Trunks.
Without a verbal command, Goten threw his attack. It was small enough to consume Trunks, but not much else. However, it was still very strong too. Trunks’ smirk widened as he crossed his arms in front of his face, preparing for the attack.
The little Pan was just about to where Trunks stood. She was so consumed with planning her sneak attack, that she didn’t see the blast coming. The older Pan felt a rush of fear and panic as she noticed the small figure heading directly towards the path. Logic had no time to work its way in, for her younger self was going to be seriously injured if she didn’t do something. She wasn’t that powerful yet, and with her small frame, the blast would swallow her up.
The younger Pan got to Trunks before her older version could pull her away. The little girl hit Trunks out of the way and landed before she looked up, finally noticing the blast. It was too late to run, it was even too late to put her guard up, and all she could do was stand there.
The stream of energy was too close for the older Pan as well. She rushed in under the beam and embraced her younger self, covering the little Pan’s body with her own. Energy flowed around them as the older Pan tried desperately to power up, but failed to do it right. She was preventing herself from transforming in front of them, therefore holding back too much power.
Goten looked down proudly as he ended the blast. He pride was quickly diminished when he saw Kara’s figure instead of Trunks’. Trunks looked up in shock, he knew he had been knocked out of the way, but he didn’t know what else had happed, until he opened his eyes. Kara was curled up in a ball, protecting Pan. But how did Pan get there?
“Ah! Kara!” Goten yelled as he quickly zoomed down to her.
“Oh no.” Trunks said. “Kara, are you okay?”
The little Pan opened her eyes and found herself underneath Kara. The blast hadn’t hit her but Kara instead. Quickly, Panny scrambled out from under her shield, “I could have blocked it.” The younger Pan said, looking on with shock and fear.
The older Pan whimpered as she fell forward due to the sudden lack of support. She felt a stinging pain on her back as she realized how strong that blast really was. “I’m fine.” She groaned.
Trunks quickly examined her for injuries. She wasn’t fatally wounded or immobilized, but she was badly burned on her back. “Kara! Oh gosh, what happened?”
The older Pan laughed, “I just… got in the way of the blast.”
Trunks quickly shot a death glare at the young Pan, who he knew was the real cause. The younger Pan backed away, a guilty look on her face. Kara tried to stand up, but quickly collapsed again. Vegeta rushed over, in moment of uncharacteristic kindness, and help his son carry her in.
“Let’s get her to the infirmary.” Vegeta ordered.
“Wow, Goten really did a number on you.” Bulma said as she moved the tissue regenerator over Kara’s burn. Trunks was digging through his gym bag in the corner, trying to find where he put the senzu beans.
“I’m okay.” Kara mumbled into the table she was lying face down on.
“No you’re not.” Goten guiltily said. “I’m sorry Kara, I didn’t see you there.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Kara said.
“Yeah, it wasn’t your fault.” Trunks added angrily as he glared at the sad looking little girl who was also in the room getting checked out for injury.
“I could have blocked it.” The young Pan softly and sadly argued. “I could’ve…”
“No you couldn’t have!” Trunks yelled. “If Kara hadn’t of been there, you could have died, or gotten seriously hurt! And did I hear even so much as a thanks?! No! All you keep saying is that you could’ve blocked it.”
Little Pan looked down at her feet as tears made their way down her cheeks. She was trying not to cry, but she was embarrassed, and now Trunks was yelling at her. “I didn’t mean to…”
“How could you have been so stupid?!” He yelled. “ I can’t believe you were so careless as to jump under a ki blast like that! From now on… when you know Goten and I are sparring, don’t come anywhere near us! Don’t even watch!”
Panny looked up at Trunks, a steady stream of salty water now flowing out of her eyes. “But what if I want to spar…”
“No! Not now! And after the carelessness you’ve shown today, don’t count on sparring with either of us for a while!”
The little Pan tried to argue, but all that came out was a sob. She ran out of the room, freely crying her eyes out, she ran upstairs and locked herself in one of the bedrooms.
“Panny, get back here!” Bulma yelled to no avail. She turned and glared at her son.
“Don’t look a me like that. She could’ve gotten herself or Kara killed.”
The older Pan was grateful to be lying face down. She was struggling to keep her own tears down. She could almost feel the pain and torment that her younger self was going through. It was no small thing when Trunks yelled at her. Especially when it involved damaging her pride as much as it had.
“Boy.” Vegeta called from the door of the infirmary.
Trunks tossed Kara a senzu then went to his father. Goten followed, not wanting to be in the room while Trunks’ girlfriend was lying half naked on a table in front of him.
“What were you thinking?!” Vegeta yelled, while supposedly out of earshot from the infirmary.
“About what?” Trunks asked.
“Transforming in front of the girl like that!”
“She…” Trunks was about to argue.
“What?!”
“She already knows about us, I told her.”
Vegeta stood there with the look of death on his face. “And you’re yelling at the younger girl for being stupid?! I don’t want you mating with her!”
Trunks threw his hands up in frustration. “How is that any of your business?!”
“She’s hiding something. She has a strong ki that she’s been suppressing since the moment she got here. She’s keeping it from us, and I fear it’s for the sole purpose of gaining our trust so she can manipulate it somehow.” Vegeta argued.
“That’s ridiculous!” Trunks yelled while looking at Goten, hoping for some support.
“Actually, I-I kind of agree with Vegeta. There’s something about her that’s different. I noticed from the day I met her that there was something weird behind her eyes. Her story hasn’t matched up at all, and she only gives you information about herself when you ask for it, she never gives it away. Have you ever actually met her uncle? He’s supposed to be this incredibly strong man, and yet none of us have ever sensed him before. You don’t even know where she lives.”
Trunks sighed in frustration, feeling a little ganged up on. “I trust her, and that’s all that matters.”
“You keep that in mind if she ever tries to destroy you.” Vegeta warned, walking away.
Goten excused himself, feeling awkward, and went back home.
Pan finished putting her shirt on, she was grateful that Bulma had left the room, so she wouldn’t see her cry. Her alibi was sinking and people were becoming more than a little suspicious. No one trusted her anymore, and the last thing she wanted was for someone to act on their suspicions. It was time to leave.
Hoping against hope that she would not run into anyone, she took the back way out. However, Trunks saw her and followed her. He grabbed her arm before she could take off and spun her around.
“Kara, where are you going?” He asked.
Pan searched for a lie in her head. “I…I… forgot that my uncle needed me home this afternoon, I have to go.”
Trunks searched her eyes before responding. Had she been crying? Her face was flushed and her eyes were glassy. “Oh,” He simply said, very disappointedly. Was she blowing him off?
“I’ll be back.” She said. ‘To make you forget me.’
“Okay.” Trunks said, feeling a little better. “Maybe we could go out to dinner?”
“Maybe.” She said with a small smile.
He leaned down to kiss her, but she pulled back. Without saying anything more, she took off into the sky.
Pan landed back at her ship and collapsed in tears. She didn’t spend much time sulking though. With great speed, she prepared. She got two vials of the memory spray and put one in her pocket and the other in her purse, just incase one was broken. Then, she showered and changed clothes.
Looking in the mirror, she readied herself. It wasn’t a physical preparation, it was an emotional and mental one. For she had to get ready… to end this beautiful dream.
Trunks gazed down at blue box in his hands. Had she heard him argue with his father? She had to know that was only his father’s fears, they weren’t his. He trusted her, he loved her, that was all that mattered. Who cared about his family or friends? She wasn’t dating them, she was dating him. He wanted her to know that, and her would tell her that night. Tonight he would do something drastic. If she couldn’t stay here with her boyfriend… then maybe she could stay here… with her husband.