At the Stars

Mackie V.

Notes: This was just an idea that spawned after watching the end of DBGT. I like Pan because she's a strong girl, but I don't like the way she's portrayed as constantly being annoying. So I figured she needed to do some growing up. This is her discovering herself and her purpose.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 1

Pan stopped for a brief minute and wiped the sweat from her brow. She leaned on the handle of the rake, the wood creaking under her weight, and gazed out into the horizon. It was indeed a glorious day. The sun's bright rays brought a slight pink to her cheeks while the cool breeze kissed away the heat. Oh and that sky! That magnificent, vivid blue sky alone brought a smile to her lips. These were the moments she cherished – overworked, fatigued, hungry, and alive. The sky alone was enough to instill a sense of ease deep within her. It signified hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope that there will be happiness. Hope, hope that she helped establish for the village people surrounding her.

She let out a blissful sigh of relief. It was the times like this when Pan could remember her Grandpa most clearly. He reminded her greatly of warm summer days. In a way he was the embodiment of them. His smile was the sun, shedding light where darkness seemed to prevail. His laughter the wind, floating along happily and flowing wherever his heart desired. And his body was the vast and powerful sky, comforting yet intimidating at the same time. Merely being in the presence of her Grandpa put the mind of the people at peace. He emitted the type of aura that let you know, no matter how bad the situation looks, everything will be okay. No matter how many violent, raging storms reared their angry faces, the sun would always appear to shove them at bay. Her Grandpa was protection, happiness, and freedom rolled into one idealistic, enigmatic package.

Grandpa Goku, he was the reason she was here today – alive and capable. He would have wanted it this way. He was more to her than anyone could ever imagine. More than a mentor. More than a hero. More than a grandfather. He was her best friend. When he left with the dragon, she took his words to heart. The people of Earth needed to learn how to survive without the "if-needed" salvation of the dragon balls. So, she took it upon herself to help rebuild the many fallen civilizations and to education the population in peaceful relations. Humanity now had to learn how to exist on its own. Sure, they would be able to receive help from her and the other brave warriors who had saved Earth countless times before, should a threat arrive. But, it was up to the people to determine their futures now. Prosper or fail, fate rested in their palms.

She was happy. This simple existence just felt right to her. It gave her a real sense of being and identity. For some time she had attempted to be content, engrossed in the bustle of the corporate world; but when she saw how numerous outlying underdeveloped villages still suffered the wrath of the Shadow Dragons, years after their defeat, she knew that she had to help. Pan informed her mother and father of her definitive decision and they accepted with little to no argument otherwise, much to her surprise. They knew how determined their daughter was once her mind was made up. They bid her farewell with a loving smile, and a few tears, and told her she would always have a home at Mount Paozu.

"Pan!" The blue-eyed woman exclaimed cheerfully.

Pan returned the smile and waved to her good friend as she headed up the hill in her direction. Bra raced towards her, excitement evidently etched into her feminine features. When Bra finally reached Pan she paused for a moment to catch her breath, and then looked up at her with those still shining luminous blue eyes of hers.

Pan looked at Bra quizzically. She was unsure as to what to make of the whole situation. When the building curiosity could no longer be kept within she blurted out exactly what she was thinking.

"Spit it out already, Bra!"

Bra giggled softly only to further entice Pan's curiosity. She grabbed Pan's hands between both of her and looked almost as if she were going to burst into a million tiny particles of ash right then and there. As if the information she held were so precious, should it come out at the wrong time, doom would be immediate.

"It worked," Bra said as her smile widened, "the irrigation system was a success! Do you know what this means?"

Pan's confused look was rapidly replaced with one of pure wonderment and joy.

"Clean water," she said softly, as if it would dissipate into the sky if she said it too loudly. "Clean, running water for the whole village!" She said louder than before and with more enthusiasm.

Bra nodded, "I've only just finished the initial test run, but it worked beautifully. By the end of the day I could have the whole village supplied with water."

"What are you doing lingering around here then?" Pan asked with a smirk spreading across her lips.

Bra squealed with happiness and turned toward the direction from whence she came. With the same vigor she had when she approached Pan, she sprinted back toward the village.

Pan shook her head ruefully. Even from her position in the fields above the village, she could clearly hear the fading tinkling sound of Bra's laughter. Her friend never ceased to amaze her. The strength of her father and the ingeniousness of her mother neatly tied into one petite beauty.

The day Bra had decided to join Pan had startled her tremendously. The pair had been friends since childhood, but as they grew up they began to grow distant. Each had their own life and priorities which seemed to occupy the majority of their time. The day before Pan left home, she visited Bulma and Capsule Corp. She had requested a few supplies that would indisputably prove themselves useful along her journey. Items such as transportation, shelter, water purification, and cooking equipment would be necessities. Pan had chatted briefly with Bra and Trunks about her future plans and they both seemed genuinely happy for her. The family wished her luck, with the exception of Vegeta who only nodded his approval in her direction, and she returned home. The next morning as she was about the set off, Pan found Bra waiting on her doorstep packed and ready to hit the wide open road. Pan never asked why and accepted the company.

Pan assumed that Bra had joined her in hopes of finding that missing something. Maybe the business world of Capsule Corp was making her feel more alone and empty inside rather than successful and accomplished. At least, that was how that world felt to her. It was if she had lived her life in two alternate realities, but the one she lived in now was the one she desired most to remain in. Bra's reasons did not matter either way to Pan. She enjoyed having the other woman around, she offered Pan a kind of companionship that she had forgotten existed, and Bra was welcome to leave whenever she desired. However, the inventor side of Bra came in quite handy, like her new irrigation system. Pan could not deny that Bra was an integral part of her mission to rebuild – the Earth and herself.

Pan sighed one last time and set back to work on the crops in the field while humming a happy little tune to herself. It reminded her of one Grandma Chichi would sing while cooking dinner for the family. It caused a warm, soothing feeling to radiate within her chest. Tonight would be one of celebration if Bra could implement the system throughout the entire village. What was she talking about, Bra could successfully take over the entire universe in one day if she so desired.

Water was so precious to sustaining one's livelihood. A person would never be able to fully appreciate its wonder until they were forced to subsist without the assurance of readily available clean water, water that could be used for any whim. So many beings took the small aspects of life for granted, but not Pan. Not anymore. She had once been like those who depended on technology and modern advances to endure daily life. She had once been a temperamental brat who thought that she knew everything about anything and that anyone who thought otherwise was just wrong. She had once been a young girl with the perception of a goldfish. She was only aware of her immediate surroundings and failed to think before diving head on into a battle.

Each village she had stumbled upon had been an opportunity for a new learning experience and each had taught her a unique lesson. Going without had encouraged her to grow in mind and spirit. She would awake early in the mornings to meditate. It helped her to focus and take her mind off of the hunger pangs and the dryness in her mouth. Hard work had humbled her body. It made her appreciate the effort that it took to barely get by in life with just enough and never anymore. Also, the work served as a great workout and kept her body and sense in top form. Grandpa would be proud to know that she had exceeded his wishes for her. She continued training on her own terms and was now a more balanced and graceful fighter.

Pan had not even realized that the sun was setting until Bra approached her for the second time that day. The pink orange hue of the skyline cast a warm, golden glow upon Bra's skin and made her look very surreal. Pan could do nothing more than smile at the woman who had become an essential part of her life. Bra flashed Pan a victory sign signifying her success with the irrigation system and the dark-haired woman heaved the rake she had been using all day over her right shoulder. Her work was done for the day. It was time for rest and a hot meal. The blissful pair walked in comfortable silence, the kind that only comes from true understanding, back toward the village they called home for the time being. It was a glorious day.