After reading a couple constructive criticism reviews, I decided to rewrite this chapter to clear up some possible confusion over time frame and event information that I overlooked in the beginning. I must thank you, lazybum131 and Mappadouji, for pointing it out in your reviews.
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In-depth summary: This story is based in Mirai timeline. Pan just over 15 years old and have lived her whole life on a farm far away from danger. She never knew her parents, but has been in the care of a middle-aged couple. Her existence kept a complete secret by her father, in hope of her living peacefully, free of bloodshed. Now with many questions of whom she is, she ventures out to find someone who can fill her in on everything.
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I'm only saying this once.
Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Dragonball/Z. ©Akira Toriyama.
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Chapter 1
Out in the middle of nowhere was a small farm. The farm served as a home to a middle-aged couple and a teenage girl, where they could live fairly peaceful and simple lives; safe from any real potential danger.
A girl, wearing fitted jeans and a cream-colored tank top, stood under a peach tree. She had eyes dark as the night sky, and jet-black hair fell to the small of her back.
She spotted a few ripe peaches within her reach as she gathered them and placed them in a small bucket at her feet. When she believed there were enough, she leaned over, picking the bucket up and heading back into the house.
As she walked in, she headed towards the kitchen. "I have the peaches you wanted, Taba."
A lady, in her fifty's, turned and smiled at the girl. "Thank you. You're such a sweetheart, like your mother."
She placed the bucket down on the counter and glanced down when hearing the word mother. She didn't know much of anything about her biological parents, her caregivers never really told her what happened to them. For all she could know, was they could have just abandoned her here as an infant, but that was most unlikely.
"What was my mother like..?" It was a question she constantly thought about and the last time she asked; she was only a child.
Tabatha stopped what she was doing and looked at her. "She was smart, kind, and very helpful. When we found her, she was an emotional wreck. The poor girl went through a lot."
"Like what?" She questioned curiously.
"I think it's time to tell you what we know… Let's have a seat, Pan." Tabatha walked over to the table and took a seat as Pan did.
At the moment, Tabatha's husband walked in through the back door. He noticed the two females sitting at the table. "What's going on, Dear?"
Tabatha looked up at him. "You have good timing. It's time to tell her, Stef."
"I see…" He walked over, pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Can one of you start from the beginning..?" Pan asked. If this was the only time she would be told the truth, she wants to hear all about it.
Stef nodded. "It was a roughly sixteen years ago. I was up at the break of dawn, about to begin my morning routine. The animals were acting a bit unusual as if someone strange was on the property. I looked around and noticed a teen girl unconscious in the mud near the vegetable garden. She was covered in scratches, and her clothes were tattered. There's no say on how long she was out there. I quickly carried her inside for both of us to tend to her…"
"It took a while to clean her up and get her into some clean clothes. It wasn't for several hours later, when she started coming to. The look upon her face was horrifying, as if waking from some sort of nightmare. After reassuring her, she managed to calm down enough to explain how she managed to reach the farm. Your father told her to run as far away from the city they were in, for her safety, and that he will eventually find her as he stayed behind. She did not explain the reasoning of him staying behind." Tabatha glanced at Pan for a moment before glancing down to her hands.
"After hearing her story, we decided to allow her to stay here. When she started feeling better, she had begun to show her gratitude for our hospitality, by helping out around the farm. A few weeks later, we had a visitor who came looking for her to see if she was all right. He looked about the same age, so we figured it was the boy she talked about."
Tabatha looked to her husband. "He didn't look too much like a boy, not with the godlike body he had. He was tall, with jet back hair and eyes…"
Pan looked between the married couple as she brought her hand to the back of her head sheepishly and lightly laughed.
"Oh, stop the day dreaming, Taba."
She ignored her husband's comment as she giggled like a school girl, before glancing back at the girl. "He used to do exactly what you're doing now."
"Any ways, your mother was very excited to see him as her tears flowed freely. The sight of them being together, made us even begin to get a little teary. Young love is a wonderful thing and they sure had it, despite all the fear and terror the world has been consumed by, due to the androids."
"It wasn't long after that, that your mother was starting to feel sick. She wasn't sure why, but I knew when she told me the symptoms she was having. It shocked her greatly when I told her she was pregnant. The following time, your father appeared, she told him. The look on his face was as if he was just pushed backwards and falling off a cliff. As it was, he had enough on his plate, but now he had to figure out what to do with regards to your mother and you." Tabatha said as she begins to fidget slightly.
"For the following months, your mother continued helping me out; until she was far enough along with you to where she couldn't do much more. Whatever your father was doing, kept him away for a majority of her term, except for a few visits here and there."
"So my father didn't feel we were very important?" She questioned.
"No, you two were very important to him. The reason he gave was that he didn't want to risk your lives by being here very often. So he visited when it was safe for him to do so." Tabatha stated.
She raised a brow curiously. "Something tells me, you know something important about him. How was it so easy for him to come and go, especially in the middle of nowhere? And what sort of danger could he possibly be involved with?"
Both glanced at her as they felt like being backed up into a corner. "We will get to that soon enough, Pan."
"When your mother went into labor, she was doing her best to hold on for him to get here. She knew he would make it. Not long after, he arrived and ran into the room. She was happy to see he made it. Within no time, you were on your way into the world… but then, your mother started having serious complications…" Tabatha started to feel her throat close up in a choking manner.
Pan noticed this and she glanced down, thinking of the worst. "She… she died… giving birth to… me, huh..?" She couldn't help but to feel a heavy weight pulling on her heart.
"Your father was scared, afraid of losing her… but with no medical attention, her changes of surviving were very slim… No way of getting her to a hospital… worst part… all the hospitals were practically destroyed by the androids. After your birth, she managed to hang on to a few more hours of life. Just long enough to see you, hold you, talk to you, feed you, and both of them to agree on a name."
She tilted her head down, biting on her bottom lip as she was fighting to hold back her tears. It was overwhelming her; she never really thought it happened that way.
"Your father refused to leave her side…and when she was gone…he picked you up, holding you as tight as he could without crushing you… It surely was the hardest thing for us to see. That night, I believe… he actually cried...himself to sleep." Tabatha constantly wiped her tears.
"He awakened to the sound of your cries. Uncertain of what to do, he handed you to Taba to take care of you. He looked to be in thought until he asked for a sheet of paper to write on…" Stef got up from his seat and walked over to the wall clock. Removing the clock from its spot, reveled an envelope.
Pan watched and her eyes widened slightly. Could that really be something left for her? "I-is that for-"
He nodded. He retrieved it from its spot and walked back to the table. "He had written a letter for you. He told us to give it to you when you're old enough, if he didn't manage to come back to you. He truly had hard choices to make, and the ultimate choice was to give you up so you can be safe."
"H-he…" Pan couldn't find the words she needed.
"Here, read it. I'm sure there are some things in there you should know." He handed the envelope to the young girl.
She glanced down, looking at what was written on the envelope: "My Dear Pan" She choked. She has begun to waver inside, debating if she should open it or not.
"Go on, open it, Pan. If he didn't want you to read it, he wouldn't have written it."
Hesitantly, she turned the envelope over and opened it. Slowly pulling out the paper, she unfolded it and begun to read it.
My Dear Pan,
You probably have a lot of questions about my absence, and I hope you do not hate me for it. I once was among the group of the strongest fighters on Earth, regardless of my young age. However, when I was nine, the Androids begun their reign of terror. One by one, my friends were killed, and I was the last to survive; barely managing to escape.
Since that day, it has been my responsibility to fight and destroy the Androids; in order to bring peace back to Earth. There isn't a single day that has passed, in which the pain and memories did not haunt me.
When your mother told me that she was pregnant, I could feel a whole new weight of responsibility being dumped on me. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy, but it was very overwhelming. I already knew the risks I've been taking just to see your mom, while the Androids are still alive.
When you were born, your mother wasn't capable of surviving long after… I felt that misfortune was still following me, and that it was my fault, she wasn't able to survive. I regret not having a special bean on me to save her… Now, with you in this nightmarish world; I had a very difficult choice to make regarding the best way for you to be raised.
The first option that came to mind, was to have your grandmother Chi-Chi help raise you while I would be away. Now, it seemed like the best idea since home is secluded near Mount Paozu, I would be able to be involved in your life... However, as I thought about it, I could only imagine how she would react to the knowledge of her son having a child at such a young age. She would freak out, questioning herself where she has gone wrong to cause her sole son to become a delinquent. I knew for a fact that it wouldn't be a pleasant sight.
My second option, was to ask Bulma if she wouldn't mind taking care of you. She has been a family friend for a long time. However, I needed to consider that she already had her hands full taking care of her seven-year-old son, Trunks. The only real thing that made me change my mind about asking her, was the fact that she's living dangerously within West City.
What I thought would be best and wanted for you, was to be safe and have a peaceful life, rather than to live in fear. So I finally decided to ask Mr. Stef and Mrs. Tabatha to take you in. I knew for a fact that you would be safe here and well taken care of. Over the months of your mother being in their care, I managed to get quite acquainted with them. They didn't have any objections to my request, since they were aware of the major responsibility I already have to carry. I have mentioned to them, that I will return for you, once I have destroyed the Androids, and that is if I survive...
Before I decided it was best for me to go, I took the time to write this letter for you, so someday you can understand why I'm not there for you. I hope you are well and remain that way. You are special, Pan. I'm sure that you have noticed in some sort of way. If you need answers of your heritage, seek out Bulma Briefs. If the Androids are still alive, I want you to be very careful. I love you and will miss you a lot.
Your Father, Gohan Son
Upon reaching the end of the letter, she couldn't help to hold back her tears. Everything written was overwhelming and difficult for her to believe that he was a fighter, striving to bring peace. His reasons made sense, but at the same time, it hurt her deeply that he chose to give her up. "Thank you…for giving this to me."
"You see…he had all the right reasons for his actions…and with you, gave him something more to fight for." Tabatha calmly said.
She glanced up, feeling somewhat proud that her father was such a brave and noble man. "Yeah…"
"Now that you have that information, are you satisfied with it?" Stef asked, just to see her shake her head.
"No, there's much more I need to know."
"Well, at least one of the questions you asked us, must have been answered in his letter."
"Yes it was, now going back to the other question, how was it that my father could come and go so quickly?"
"We were outside one day and noticed something in the air, coming from the south. It wasn't a bird and there haven't been planes for years. As the figure approached, we noticed it was him. We couldn't believe it." Tabatha explained as she rose from her seat to return to do what she started.
Pan looked dumbfounded for a moment before shaking it off. "No way…that's awesome!"
Stef chuckled as he walked over to the nearest window and glanced out. "It's definitely one way to get around."
She glanced back down at the letter, slowly looking for something she could question. "Androids… Are they still out there?" She whispered, but received the attention of Stef.
"Pan, even though you have just received all this information, a bit is obsolete…" He could tell that she was looking at him.
"What part would it be..?"
He turned to face her, but he could not look her in the eye. "A little over three years ago, there was a radio broadcast, stating the Androids had disappeared... For days after hearing that, I kept an eye out for him..."
A sudden feeling of melancholy washed over her and her hopes gone. She could feel moisture begin to swell in her eyes before trickling down her cheeks. She felt like rushing outside and running as far as she could, but that wouldn't take the pain away.
"We're very sorry it happened this way, Pan..." Tabatha said.
"You may have never had the chance to know him, but no matter what he is always with you in spirit. I'm sure that there is someone else out there, who may know more than we do."
Pan lowered her head onto the table as she bit down on her bottom lip. Her thoughts cursed at everything, but then her mind echoed the words 'someone else out there' she snapped back up, glancing at the paper in her hand once again. "There is…hopefully there is…" With her free hand, she wipes away her tears.
They glanced to the girl, wondering what else could have been mentioned. Just as one of them were about to say something, Pan beat them both to it.
"I have a Grandmother near Mount Paozu and-"
"Mount Paozu is quite the distance from here…" Stef pointed out.
"Well maybe so, but my father also mentioned a Bulma Briefs as a long-time family friend."
"That name sounds very familiar… Taba, do you remember the name by any chance?"
"Isn't she the daughter of that scientist, Dr. Briefs, who created the nifty capsules?"
"That must be her then. Who knows if she's still out there… However, there is the possibility that she is."
Pan glanced between them for a moment. Somehow, she was beginning to feel a little better. She scooted her chair back, saying, "If it is all right, I would like to go West City to find her."
"West City isn't nearly as far away as Mount Paozu… We wouldn't have much of an issue to let you go…"
"But as your caregivers, we would like to know the reasoning behind it." Tabatha said.
"Well, to find out about my heritage, there must be something special about it."
"I see. We noticed that there was something very extraordinary about your father from the start, and I'm positive that some of it has been passed on to you."
"You really think so?"
"Yes, actually there has been things you have done, in which you have amazed us." Stef noticed the curious look upon Pan's face and couldn't help but to chuckle. "I have noticed rather often that you're capable of moving square hay bales without breaking a sweat… Those things are not light to begin with. You're also able to outrun the dogs by far without having to gasp for air. One more example, you're capable of jumping a little higher than a normal being."
She rubbed the back of her head a little as she thought about it. "Now that you mention it…it seems a bit odd. I guess I never recognized because I don't really have someone else around my age to compare to."
"Anyway, if you plan on going, it might be wise for you to go gather up some things you might need." Tabatha said, just to receive a smile from the girl.
"Right, I'll go do that now!" Pan stated as she took off for her room.
"It's nice to see her in good spirits." Stef said, turning to his wife. "How about we have a fairly large dinner tonight?"
"That would be a good idea. I'm positive she wouldn't want to put off her little adventure."
"I agree. Well, I'd better go look for a map and compass for her, then get back outside to finish my chores."
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That's all for the chapter. Like I mentioned at the beginning, this chapter has been rewritten to prevent confusion and not to be as vague as it first was. Due to that, Stef's and Tabatha's reaction to Pan's urge to know more about her heritage changed, and besides that, there's additional information than originally in Gohan's letter.
Little additional note for those who do not check Author Profiles: Due to Pan being born when Gohan and Videl were both 15, she is only 7 years younger than Trunks (8 years with ROSAT). Most of the sources I came across mentioned that Trunks was 19(20) when he killed 17 and 18, and about 3 years later when he killed Cell. So with this information, it would make Pan 15 around the time of Cell's death. I hope this makes it a little clearer.
Please leave me a review with a thought or two. Now time to get cracking on the next chapter!