Chapter 25 – It's Time

Like Goten had told her, their honeymoon had pretty much revolved around sex.

No, actually, not just sex. Intimacy. There wasn't a moment that went by where the mood was not intimate. After the first night, however, they both agreed that it would be best not to try for a baby until after the battle against Majin Buu and Babidi. Anything could happen and if she was actually capable of falling pregnant, then it would be a huge risk. Bra knew that if she was pregnant, it would be a miracle and if anything happened to the baby, it would crush her.

They had decided to stay for a week. Well, on the last day of their honeymoon, they had decided to return to the palace. A rather unsettling feeling had worked its way into the air, one that had the hairs on the back of their necks standing.

"What's this chill?" Goten frowned, glancing down at his arms to see that they were covered in goosebumps. He had never felt anything like it before!

Bra immediately stopped everything she was doing, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

And it was with that single look that Goten knew exactly what was happening.

"It's time."

"Queen Bulma–"

"I know." she interrupted Krillin and continued to slip the chest plate over her head, then moving onto pulling on her boots and gloves. "Have Bra and Goten's armour prepared for them immediately. They're on their way here."

Krillin nodded once, not commenting on the fact that he was not a servant. Instead he did as he was ordered to whilst contacting his wife via scouter, confirming everything.

A moment later and Vegeta was in the room, also preparing himself for the battle. His eyes were wild with a bloodthirsty look, telling those in the room that he couldn't wait to tear into the bastards. After exchanging a final look with Bulma, Krillin left the room, going to meet Goten and Bra as he sensed them about to reach the palace.

"Vegeta," Bulma spoke seriously, "remember that this is for Bra. Not us."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, tail bristling around his waist. "Do not tell me what I can and cannot do, Bulma."

"I'm not." she argued calmly whilst watching him dress. "I'm simply reminding you of the promise you made to our daughter. That you won't get involved unless she needs you to. Bra needs this, Vegeta. She needs this revenge to put what happened, behind her."

There was a pause, one where he seemed to calm down. "I know."

There was no denying that she was terrified. Her palms were sweaty, her breathing was quick and her heartbeat was even quicker, pounding away in her chest. It surprised Pan that her heart hadn't gone shooting straight out of her chest.

Her parents had gone to meet up with her grandparents, whilst she had gone to the first place she could think of.

To Trunks's room.

The door was open for her when she arrived, meaning Trunks had been expecting her. Pan wasn't sure what to make of that. The sight that greeted her as she entered his room was one she was used to seeing. Trunks preparing for battle. He was wearing his armour, already fully dressed and slipped his sword onto his back. It was rare of him to use the sword, but he took it everywhere with him after being given it by a warrior named Tapion. That was way back before Pan had been on his team, though. Hell, it was before their team had even been created! Back then it had been just him and Goten.

"Trunks?" she called hesitantly, her hands fidgeting in front of her.

He seemed distracted as he mumbled out a reply of, "What is it?"

She stepped forward, raising a hand, but stopped herself as it lowered once more. After their kiss in the hospital, they hadn't done anything else. Trunks kept good on his promise, kept reminding her that he had to protect Bra, no matter what. He couldn't be distracted. It had hurt her, no it had completely crushed her, but Pan understood. If she had any siblings, perhaps she would act the same way? There was no telling. But Trunks and Bra had always been close, had always been there for one another. Right now, Trunks was not the Trunks who could be her possible lover. He was big brother Trunks now, a dangerous and fierce warrior who was going to make their enemies pay for harming his little sister.

"I…" her breathing quickened as the dark feeling she could sense increased, feeling as though it was suffocating her. "I can't breathe."

Trunks's head snapped up, glancing over at her and when he realised she was hyperventilating, panicking, he quickly phased over to her, cupping her face and forcing her to lock eyes with him, to match her panicked breathing with his calm and even breathing. It took a few minutes, but she managed to do it.

"Pan," he sighed, pressing his forehead to hers, "don't let it get to your head."

"How can you say that?" Pan demanded angrily as tears of fear filled her eyes. "I… I can sense them all so much more clearly than the rest of you! I can sense their intentions." a quivering sob shook her body. "My gift is being able to sense energies without even trying to, with picking up on their moods and intentions through their ki. They're all bloodthirsty animals, Trunks! I'm… I'm scared. For me. For my family. You and your family. But I'm especially scared for Bra. No, I'm terrified for her."

It was the truth. Since sensing their disgusting energies, Pan had not stopped shaking once.

"Look at me, Pan." she did so reluctantly, staring into his eyes with obvious fear and worry. "I'm not going to let anything happen to our families. Majin Buu doesn't stand a chance against us if we all stick together, if we fight as one. No, Bra isn't going to like that because she wants to fight him herself, but that's how it is. That's how it's got to be."

She shook her head. He didn't understand, did he? Babidi… Yes, he could be taken down easily if he somehow couldn't use his magical powers, but Majin Buu? No. Pan didn't think it would be possible to defeat him. His energy was dark, a pool of nothing. It was endless. There literally was no end to his murderous, disgusting energy.

And then Trunks was kissing her, completely surprising her and making her mind go blank.

When he pulled away, he gave her a devilish smirk. "You know, we're going to have to work on the fact that you never kiss me back if we're going to–"

Pan silenced him by pressing her lips to his, her hands fisting in his hair.

The battlefield was eerily silent when Bra and Goten arrived.

Everybody was already there, already in position. There were not many Saiyans there, but there were a hell of a lot of powerful humans. Each had their own gift, their own strength. They would use them against Majin Buu and Babidi.

They dropped down to the ground by her parents. Bulma sent her a look Bra couldn't fully understand, but she could distinguish the worry in her eyes, the fear. She gave her mother a confident smirk, trying to ease her mind. It didn't work. Trunks was stood on the other side of her parents, next to their father, who was glaring ahead of him, waiting for the enemy to appear. The only reason why Goten was allowed to stand beside her was because he was now her husband. If he had only been her lover, he would have had to stand back with his family.

"Nobody touches Majin Buu." Bra reminded them, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she glanced at her father. "He's mine."

Vegeta didn't answer her.

Nobody did.

And then they heard a sharp intake of breath from Pan, both felt and smelt her fear filling the air as she sensed the enemies finally showing themselves. Somehow, they had managed to transport themselves onto the planet. Bra didn't care how they arrived or when they arrived. All she knew was that they were going to die here, on the planet Earth. And she was going to be the one to kill the vile bastards.

"They're here." Pan informed them, her voice a little higher and shakier than usual as she took a half–step back, her entire body trembling as the dark, murderous intent weighed down on her. "They're here!"

The enemies were suddenly appearing out of nowhere, standing a hundred feet away from them. No two warriors looked the same, meaning Babidi had been recruiting men from all over the galaxy and not just that, but every single one of them had the letter 'M' on their forehead. So they were under Babidi's control? That didn't matter. They would still have to die. They were threatening their empire, their people.

Bra strengthened her stance, her eyes glaring viciously and tearing through the enemy, trying to locate the ones she wanted to kill more than anything. They were not there.

"Pan." her voice was low and dark, sending shivers up the younger girl's spine. "Where is Majin Buu? Or Babidi?"

Reluctantly, Pan closed her eyes and focused on the darkest energies of all, but snapped her eyes open a moment later as flashes of their evil faces and ki filled her mind. They were pure evil! In her mind, the lighter the energy was, the more pure it was. Take her grandfather for example. His energy was an incredibly pale yellow, meaning that whilst he was innocent and pure hearted, there was still a darker side to him, even if it was only minute. Right now, Kakarot was transformed into a Super Saiyan and Pan hadn't failed to notice how, when in that form, all who could unlock that form were a little darker, a little more vicious, whilst in it. Their energy was not as light. Kakarot's was now a deep golden colour.

Majin Buu's energy was the darkest she had ever come across and Babidi's was just as dark, just as evil. A shiver ran up her spine.

"They're… hiding." Pan told her after a moment of tense silence, her eyebrows knitting together. "Waiting to see how we all do against these guys."

Trunks nodded once, agreeing with Pan. "Think of it as a tournament, Bra." he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "If you win against these guys, then those two will come out and fight us themselves."

Her upper lip curled, her energy enveloped her entire body and Pan's breathing quickened as, in her mind, Bra's ki suddenly went from a calm and relaxing sky blue to a dark navy.

"Bastards!" she spat.

Bulma and Vegeta exchanged a look and as they did, their thoughts and words drifted through their bond, through their connection.

This was it.

After all of the warnings, the preparation, the head games, it was finally time.

Bulma and Vegeta stood side by side with their children as well as Goten whilst Kakarot and his family stood behind them, flanking them. Eyes narrowing and fists clenching, every warrior there powered up to their maximum just as Bra had.

This was their Empire and they would do anything to protect it.

Bra's left foot slowly moved backwards and much to everybody's surprise and horror, she blasted forward ahead of the rest of them, a murderous, bloodthirsty look on her face as she reached the other army, as she tore through them. The king and queen were right behind her, backing her up and making sure nobody touched their daughter. It was a second later when Trunks and Goten joined them, the former pulling his sword from its sheath and swinging it around and bringing it down on the enemies, not even sparing a second glance at them as he cut them in half, as he made sure they wouldn't get back up.

It was with that sudden start that the rest of the army all darted forward.

The battle had finally begun.

A/N - Started college today, which is why I didn't update around my usual time! I get my official timetable on Friday, so I'll see if I'll be able to update on Wednesdays still or not. I might start updating on weekends if I can't.

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)