Pan bounced into her family's shop, excited by the promise of the new
day. She didn't know exactly why today was special, had anyone asked she
never would have been able to explain her euphoria. Which was just as well
considering she was viewed as a bit flighty by her entire village.
"Pan!" her mother called. "The peddler's cart is coming, and I would like your help."
"Coming! I'll be just a minute!" her daughter called back, checking her appearance in the mirror hanging behind the counter.
Pan's mother sighed, unable to understand the reason her daughter was always so cheerful. She wasn't against it, of course, but she always had known Pan wasn't normal.
The woman sighed, remembering when she adopted Pan. The girl had stumbled out of the woods that bordered the sleepy village, mumbling about nonsense. She chuckled as she remembered scolding the young woman for being drunk, that is until she began to listen to the distraught girl.
Those words were better left forgotten, though, since Pan had certainly forgotten them. Once the merchant's wife had understood the girl had come alone out the woods that were rumored to be haunted, well, she naturally took the young woman in.
And had it not benefited the old woman? Roses had once again begun to bloom around the village, as they had not for years. The last time she had seen roses was when she was barely older than a babe herself, when the green witch had last lived in the area. The profit she made every year off roses (they were magical talismans for love, after all) had made her family the richest in the village.
Pan's voice cut through her mother's reminiscing. "Mama? The peddler's cart just pulled up. Don't you want to look it over?"
"Of-of course, dear," she replied, still half lost in memories of the child this woman had been. She knew, in her heart of hearts, that someday Pan would leave her for the life she had left in the woods.
She shook her head briskly and went out to greet the peddler. Odd imaginings had no place when there was work to be done.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pan crawled into the back of the cart, looking at the various trinkets from different villages. There were toys, pots and pans, jewelry, and.Pan caught her breath.
There among the other objects was a book with a beautiful illustrated cover of a handsome man and a beautiful woman who looked exactly like Pan separated by a rose. A dry cackle interrupted her revere.
"I see you found it. It's about time I found you, girlie," an old woman rasped.
"What do you mean?" asked a bewildered Pan. "How do you know me?"
"You are the only one that can break the spell over your home."
"There is no spell on my home."
"Stubborn one, ain't ya? Not this place you've come to accept, but the place you were born." The woman stopped at the thoroughly confused expression on the woman's face. "Take the book, girl. It will tell you what you need to know."
"I'll have to ask my mother to pa-"
"Don't bother. It's free, just as long as you promise to follow your heart."
"Pan?" her mother called. "Where are you?"
"I have to go," she said, groping blindly for the way out of the cart. Only when she was out on the dirt road did she realize she still held the book.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, I tweaked this chapter a bit and reposted it. I've lost the next two chapters, and so I thought I would just revise all of it. Once again, I don't own Dragonball, DBZ, or DBGT and Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley.
"Pan!" her mother called. "The peddler's cart is coming, and I would like your help."
"Coming! I'll be just a minute!" her daughter called back, checking her appearance in the mirror hanging behind the counter.
Pan's mother sighed, unable to understand the reason her daughter was always so cheerful. She wasn't against it, of course, but she always had known Pan wasn't normal.
The woman sighed, remembering when she adopted Pan. The girl had stumbled out of the woods that bordered the sleepy village, mumbling about nonsense. She chuckled as she remembered scolding the young woman for being drunk, that is until she began to listen to the distraught girl.
Those words were better left forgotten, though, since Pan had certainly forgotten them. Once the merchant's wife had understood the girl had come alone out the woods that were rumored to be haunted, well, she naturally took the young woman in.
And had it not benefited the old woman? Roses had once again begun to bloom around the village, as they had not for years. The last time she had seen roses was when she was barely older than a babe herself, when the green witch had last lived in the area. The profit she made every year off roses (they were magical talismans for love, after all) had made her family the richest in the village.
Pan's voice cut through her mother's reminiscing. "Mama? The peddler's cart just pulled up. Don't you want to look it over?"
"Of-of course, dear," she replied, still half lost in memories of the child this woman had been. She knew, in her heart of hearts, that someday Pan would leave her for the life she had left in the woods.
She shook her head briskly and went out to greet the peddler. Odd imaginings had no place when there was work to be done.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pan crawled into the back of the cart, looking at the various trinkets from different villages. There were toys, pots and pans, jewelry, and.Pan caught her breath.
There among the other objects was a book with a beautiful illustrated cover of a handsome man and a beautiful woman who looked exactly like Pan separated by a rose. A dry cackle interrupted her revere.
"I see you found it. It's about time I found you, girlie," an old woman rasped.
"What do you mean?" asked a bewildered Pan. "How do you know me?"
"You are the only one that can break the spell over your home."
"There is no spell on my home."
"Stubborn one, ain't ya? Not this place you've come to accept, but the place you were born." The woman stopped at the thoroughly confused expression on the woman's face. "Take the book, girl. It will tell you what you need to know."
"I'll have to ask my mother to pa-"
"Don't bother. It's free, just as long as you promise to follow your heart."
"Pan?" her mother called. "Where are you?"
"I have to go," she said, groping blindly for the way out of the cart. Only when she was out on the dirt road did she realize she still held the book.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, I tweaked this chapter a bit and reposted it. I've lost the next two chapters, and so I thought I would just revise all of it. Once again, I don't own Dragonball, DBZ, or DBGT and Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley.