Good news #1: I finally finished this! Yay!
Good news #2: The reason why it took so long is because this chapter, as well as the previous two, will be added to the newly edited Butterflies! I was waiting for this to come up in Butterflies so I could write the last part for it. Even though I've edited many chapter in Butterflies, NONE of The new chapters have been posted on FFNET yet. I won't update the story until I'm almost finished.
Part 3/3
Chapter Thirty- Found
Pan was excited. For the first time in her seventeen years, she was having a sleepover! Her and Bulla had only known each other for a month, but it felt as if they had known each other forever. Bulla even knew sign language, so Pan could talk to her the way she normally talked to her brothers.
"I'm excited," Bulla chirped as she linked her arm with Pan's. They were walking towards Pan's house in the East District. "Next time, we can have a sleepover at my house. That is if my Brother will get out of his mood," she sighed.
Pan frowned slightly. Bulla had said that for the last several weeks, her brother had been extremely moody. Pan didn't know much about him, only a little bit of what Bulla had told her here and there.
The house came into view and Pan opened up the door for Bulla. It wasn't a very big house. The living room and kitchen flowed together. Off to the side was a small laundry room, and in the small hallway laid two bedrooms and a bathroom. Gohan and Goten shared a room, though they were both saving up to add another little room they could have their own bedroom.
"You're house is so cute!" Bulla gushed as she looked around. "It reminds me of my house. Small and cozy," she grinned as she took her shoes off with Pan.
Pan felt relieved as Bulla looked around curiously. She knew Bulla wouldn't have judged the house even if it were a shack, but to hear her say it was cute was nice.
"Gohan should be home," Pan signed to Bulla. "I think Goten is still at university. I'll show you to my room and you can put your stuff in there."
"Okay," Bulla nodded.
The house was quiet as they walked through the kitchen and into the small hallway. Just as Pan reached her door, the other bedroom door opened.
"Hey, Han-" Goten began as he stepped outside.
Bulla let out a small squeak and Pan turned to her brother to see he wasn't wearing a shirt. Bulla grew pink as she turned around and Goten let out a surprised yelp.
"GOTEN!" Pan signed angrily. "I have a guest!"
"I'm sorry!" He yelled as he took a step inside his room and shielded himself with a door. "I forgot, Panny, I'm sorry! And I'm sorry Pan's friend."
"Bulla," Pan signed.
"Bulla," he said. "I'm sorry!"
"It's fine," she rushed out quickly.
"Where's Gohan?" Pan asked.
"He went to go get some snacks, I thought you were him," Goten answered.
"We'll be in my room. Put on a shirt!" She rolled her eyes before she opened her door and rushed Bulla inside. "I'm so sorry," she apologized as soon as they were alone.
Bulla's cheeks were still pink but she let out a small laugh. "It's okay," she shook her head. "My brother walks around half-naked all the time, too. I was just surprised." She glanced around the room quickly, "your room is cute!" She said as she sat her bag down.
Pan smiled and walked over to her bed and sat down at the end of it. It used to be her parent's room, and honestly, she didn't change much of it. The pale yellow walls were the same, as well as the flowery white curtains her mother had hung on the windows. The only difference was that Pan had a few posters hanging on her wall.
Bulla walked over to Pan's desk and picked up a picture frame that was sitting on it. "Is this your Mom and Dad?" She asked quietly.
Pan nodded once Bulla looked at her. "It was on their wedding day," she signed.
"Wow," Bulla smiled. "They look really good together. You favor them both." Bulla set the frame down gently, but there was a sad expression on her face. Pan wondered if she was thinking about her own father. Bulla had confessed once that she didn't even have a picture of him.
"So," Bulla turned around and put a smile on her face. "What's first on our weekend of fun?"
"Are you comfortable?" Dr. Oda's gentle voice asked Pan. She nodded and he smiled. "Alright, you just stay here and rest, sweetheart. I'm going down the hall for a few minutes to fax these papers to the pharmacy, that way your prescription will be done by the time Gohan gets there. I'll be right back," he said before he closes the curtain around the small bed.
Pan listened as he left the office and let out a small sigh. She was no stranger to hospitals, though this was the first time she had been in one in the last few years.
A few days ago, she started to have chest pains. Most of them were mild, and she tried her best to act like she wasn't hurting. Her brothers had become experts at reading her facial expressions though. They saw her since and pant and knew right away that she was hurting. By the time they reached the hospital, she had a fever.
Dr. Oda was a heart specialist, and the best one in West City, at least that's what Gohan said. He was an older man, with grey hair and kind hazel eyes. Pan doubted if he would know what was wrong with her. None of the specialists in Ember had known. Still, Dr. Oda had run several tests on her and then he wanted to keep her for a few hours for monitoring, and so Pan had been moved to a small bed in an examination room beside his office.
The light above the bed was shut off, making the room dim and Pan stifled a yawn. She had been given a shot and some antibiotics and so she was feeling drowsy. Carefully, Pan reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace. For the past month and a half, she had kept the necklace on her at all times. She knew it was silly, but there was something about the necklace that made her seem calm.
The office door creaked open and Pan quickly clutched the necklace and put her fist against her chest as she closed her eyes and snuggled into the pillow.
"Dr. Oda?" A voice called.
Pan instantly tensed. That voice. It still caused her ears to ring. It was the same voice as that night. Her hand tightened around the necklace even tighter.
The door opened wider and footsteps came inside. Pan's heart started to thump so hard it hurt. That man was inside the room with her. What was he doing here?
His footsteps grew closer to the bed and Pan's stomach twisted nervously. She started to shake. What if he found out she had taken his necklace? Would he think she stole it when she had only found it? But she couldn't talk, so how would she even be able to explain that to him.
The curtain ruffled, and Pan imagined he had grabbed it. She shut her eyes tight and started to pray that he didn't open it.
"Oh, Mr. Brief, you're here," came Dr. Oda's voice and Pan let out a relieved sigh.
"Hey, Doc," the man greeted. The curtain was let go and his footsteps went away from the bed.
"What were you doing? I have a patient resting there," Dr. Oda said.
"Oh, sorry," the man mumbled. "Want me to come back?"
Dr. Oda walked over to Pan's bed now. She forced herself to breathe normally and to relax her eyes so it looked as if she were sleeping. The curtain slipped open. "No," Dr. Oda said softly. "She's sleeping." The curtains closed and Dr. Oda walked over to the man again. "What can I do for you, Mr. Brief?"
Brief? Pan knew only one person with that last name- Bulla. Could this man be her brother? The one that had been moody here lately? Come to think of it, Bulla had said he started getting moody after Pan had found the necklace. What if he was angry because of that? Pan's eyes opened at the thought.
"Ugh. Come on, Doc. I know you have to be professional, but you know I hate being called that. It makes me feel so old."
"Fine," Dr. Oda said. "Trunks, then. What can I do for you? You've missed your last several appointments but I hear you go to those fights almost every night and you still smoke."
Trunks. His name was Trunks. A strange flutter went through Pan.
"My mother has told on me, I see," Trunks muttered.
"Your mother is worried about you."
There was a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm here. She kept pestering me to do a check-up."
"Okay," Dr. Oda said. "Let's go to the other room to do that so we don't disturb her.
"Alright, let me take this jacket off," Trunks said.
Pan heard a small thunk beside the bed and then she listened as Trunks and Dr. Oda left the room. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at the necklace in her palm. It was Trunks', no doubt about it. She had to give it back to him, it was the right thing to do.
Slowly, Pan rolled over to her stomach and opened up the curtain that was resting against the wall. The chair was right beside it, and thrown across it was a black leather jacket. Pan's heart raced nervously as she slowly scooted forward to not make a sound. She could hear Dr. Oda and Trunks, so she figured she was okay. Carefully, she slid the necklace into a pocket on the jacket. She felt relieved that she got rid of it, but she also felt sad for some reason.
Pan scooted back and secured the curtain against the wall again. She curled up on her side, her eyes focused on the wall as she blinked slowly. She thought of Trunks' voice and for some reason, the guy of dreams came to her mind. She smiled softly. The voice fit him, oddly enough.
Pan's eyes grew heavy and her mind relaxed. She must have drifted off because the next thing she knew, she heard Trunks' voice.
"Those tests are always so much fun," Pan heard him mutter sarcastically.
Dr. Oda gave a light chuckle. "Now, the questions. Have-"
"Yeah, yeah," Trunks cut him off. "Everything's the same. Nothing's changed. My heart is still crazy. I'm still exhausted. I still get sick all the time. Same ole, same ole."
"And are you-"
"No, I'm not," Trunks huffed. "I tell you this every time, I don't know why you don't believe me."
"It's just that a young, handsome man like yourself, it's hard not to think that you don't have a companion every now and again."
Pan felt her cheeks grow warm because she knew what Dr. Oda was talking about. She didn't know what Trunks looked like, but if he was Bulla's brother then he must have been handsome. Her mind drifted to the man in her dreams again. If Trunks looked liked him, then he would definitely be handsome.
Trunks huffed. "Well, I don't," he said flatly.
"Alright," Dr. Oda's gentle voice chuckled. "I personally think it's a smart choice on your part because of your health, getting too wound up could be-"
"I get it, Doc," Trunks groaned. "Please, I don't need the gritty details. You don't have to worry."
Pan heard Dr. Oda chuckle. "Well, since everything is about the same, all I can do is offer you the same thing I did last time. These new pills are-"
"No."
"You won't even try them? They could help with your heart and-"
"Could being the word, Doc, but we both know they won't."
"You don't know that. These pills are the newest that science has to offer. Thanks to your mother we've discovered so much in this field."
"And thanks to my mother, I've had to take a new set of pills every two years. These pills will be the same as the last ones, and the ones before them, and the ones before them. Nothing works, nothing will ever work because no one really knows what's going on with me," Trunks said. "It's not heart disease, it's not that virus that went around decades ago, because if it were, it would have been taken care of by now. It's not cancer, and it has nothing to do with my heart's size, and yet, everything that's wrong with me comes back to my heart, doesn't it? It just doesn't work right. It's broke and there's no fixing it. You guys can't even operate on it because there's nothing physically wrong with it that needs mending!"
Trunks sounded very frustrated and Pan understood where he came from. She understood it very well because his situation was just like hers. Her heart was broke as well. It had never worked right, from the very moment she was born.
"I understand," Dr. Oda said gently, but Pan knew he really didn't. How could he understand the frustration of not knowing what was wrong with your own body? "The medicine you currently take is becoming void, Trunks, you must know that. Your body has grown accustomed to it and your pain is reoccurring. These new pills will numb-"
"No, I won't take them, and I'm legal now. My mother can't force me to take them, either."
"Why are you so afraid to live?" Dr. Oda asked quietly.
"I'm not afraid to live," Trunks' voice was low and even. Serious. "I'm human, it's a natural desire to want to live, isn't it? But I'm tired, Doc, and I'm dying. There's no point in trying to ignore it like my mother so desperately tries to do. I've made peace with that fact, and so, I'm not afraid of dying. I think it would be peaceful," he said softly.
"Is there nothing I can do to change your mind?" Dr. Oda asked quietly.
"No," Trunks said.
Pan listened as he walked over to where she was and grabbed his jacket. He didn't say another word as he left and the door clicked behind him. Pan stared at the wall, her heart was heavy. She was tired too. So very tired. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes.
Trunks huffed as he walked out of the hospital. He hated hospitals. It was always the same thing- the tests, the questions, the new medicines. It was exhausting.
It was only a matter of time before Dr. Oda contacted Bulma and told her everything. Trunks cringed are the lecture he would be getting.
His Eomma really was the best and Trunks knew he didn't give her enough credit for all that she put up with where he was concerned. Life had been too cruel to her. First, his father left and now he would be leaving too. At least he would stay until he no longer couldn't. It had been tempting at times to just end everything early, but every time he got close to doing something like that, something came over him. He wasn't sure what it was- maybe it was the Kais telling him in their own way that he needed to stay until his time.
Trunks let out a sigh and looked back at the hospital. When he was in Dr. Oda's office, he had felt something strange. From the moment he walked in, the air had seemed thick. He wasn't sure what drew his attention to the small bed hidden behind the curtain, but it had felt like some invisible force had led him straight to it. When he had been caught by Dr. Oda, he didn't try to peek again, although he was very curious. Just who was that person and why did they have such an aura that it affected him?
With a sigh, Trunks stuck his hands inside the pockets of his jacket. A strangled gasp escaped his lips as his right hand grabbed something and pulled it out of his pocket. His necklace? He stared at it in disbelief.
Had he over-looked this jacket while he had searched for it? No, that was impossible. He had searched through all of his jackets at least three times and even turned the pockets inside out. So how was his necklace in the jacket now? It made no sense.
Trunks let out a breath and glanced around warily. He saw nothing out of the ordinary and he examined the necklace. The chain had broke, but that was something that could be easily fixed. Other than that, it looked as good as new. The ruby was shining and he ran the pad of his thumb over it. The necklace was one of the few things Trunks had that connected him to his father. He wouldn't lose it again.
Gohan sighed heavily as he bowed his head into his hands. His elbows were propped up on the table in the kitchen and it was quiet. Too quiet. Goten was at his part-time job and Pan was laid up in her bed sick. Gohan's stomach felt a little queasy. Pan's illness had started off as a little cold, but soon it turned much worse. She was weak and couldn't move much before she was straining to breathe. Her chest throbbed constantly though she tried hard to not let him or Goten see just how badly she hurt. She was a fighter but every time she got sick like this it worried Gohan. This was the first time in years that she had been this bad and because of how bad it was she hadn't been to school in almost two weeks.
Gentle knocks on the door caught his attention and he stood up quickly before heading over to the door and opening it. Bulla stood there with a bouquet of sunflowers in her hands. Behind her stood a woman, who honestly looked like an older version of Bulla. Her blue hair was cut into a short pixie cut and she smiled warmly at Gohan. He had the strangest feeling like he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't place her.
"Hey," Gohan greeted and opened the door wider. "Come on in."
"Thank you," the older woman said.
"This is my Eomma, she brought me here so I could see Panny," Bulla said softly once the door was shut. "Is she up for a visitor?"
"Yes, she'll be so happy to see you," Gohan smiled. "You can go ahead to her room. She's just watching TV."
Bulla nodded with a smile. "Thanks," she said before dashing off.
"Hi, I'm Bulma," the woman spoke once Bulla had disappeared. "I hope we're not intruding. Bulla has told me so much about Panny and her brothers. She's been very worried since she's been sick."
"Oh, no, you're not intruding at all," Gohan promised as he shook his head. "I'm Gohan," he smiled. "Would you like some tea or coffee?"
"Coffee, please," Bulma smiled.
A few minutes later, both of them were sitting at the table with cups of coffee. "Thank you for bringing Bulla to visit," Gohan said. "I think it will really cheer Pan up."
"It's no problem," she said. "Honestly, I'm rather thankful for Pan. Bulla has never been good at making friends, but she and Pan hit it right off."
"Yeah," Gohan chuckled. "Pan was so excited after her first day because she made a friend. She thinks very highly of Bulla."
"And Bulla does her as well," Bulma smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, what is Pan's condition exactly? Bulla mentioned she has a bad heart?"
Gohan nodded slowly. "Truthfully, we don't know," he admitted. "She's always been frail. When she was born the doctors didn't think she would survive through the night but she did. She's always gotten sick easily and was easily exhausted. It wasn't until she was about twelve that the chest pain started to occur. Her heart would suddenly go frantic and skip beats. We lived with our grandfather in Ember at the time and he took her to a specialist. They ran so many tests on her," he sighed. "They couldn't find anything, though. Pan's heart is the size it should be, there are no tears, and it's not stressed- at least that's what the results of the tests say. She goes to a specialist in West City and he has her on some new medicine that's supposed to help with the pain. That's all we can do until we find out what exactly is wrong with her," he sighed.
"Does she go to Dr. Oda?" Bulma asked quietly.
"Yes," Gohan looked at her in surprise.
"My son goes to him," Bulma said. "It's so strange, from what you've told me, Trunks has the exact same thing Pan has. There's no explanation to it."
"Really?" Gohan's eyes widened. "How old is he? Has it gotten better?"
"He's twenty-one, and no, I'm afraid not," she said quietly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Gohan mumbled.
Bulma shook her head, "it's alright. I know you must be going through a tough time. Trunks is, ah, well, a bit of a hellion," she admitted. "He's always doing something to stress me out-" she laughed. "But, I was thinking that maybe once Pan is feeling better, if it's alright with you, I could bring him over and let them meet? Perhaps, it would be comforting to both of them for them to know that they're not alone."
Gohan felt his lips stretching into a grin. "I think that would be wonderful." For so long, he had been scared because Pan seemed to be the only one with this rare condition, and even though he hated the fact that Bulma's son had it as well, it was comforting to know that Pan wasn't alone.
Bulma smiled. "I hope this would help both of them."
"Me too," Gohan said sincerely.
Pan sighed as a cool breeze rushed through her window and swept across her face. It was May, and yet the air had a chilly tint to it. Her breathing was slow and ragged. Her chest tightened painfully with each breath she took. With heavy eyes, she looked around her room. Gohan had opened her window to let some cool, fresh air in. The skies were blue and so beautiful and Pan ached at the fact that she couldn't go outside. On the window sill sat a vase and the sunflowers Bulla had brought her were in them. It had been a week since then, and sadly, the flowers were wilting. The stems were drooping and the soft, bright yellow petals were crumbling and becoming brittle. Pan felt a lot like the flowers.
With shaking arms and a grunt, Pan sat up. She used the back of her hand to wipe her sweaty forehead. Her legs shook as she shuffled to her window and looked at the beautiful day. It was just now noon and the day was still young. She rested her head against the top part where the cool glass still sat and sighed.
Pan's mind wondered back to earlier that morning. Dr. Oda had made a house visit since Gohan was too wary to move Pan. Dr. Oda had checked her over thoroughly and more intently than he ever had before. Pan was drowsy, because of some medication and pretended to be asleep as she listened to Dr. Oda and Gohan talk.
She was sick. Sicker than she had ever been before. The medication she had gotten just a few weeks prior wasn't helping her, and her old medication wasn't strong enough anymore. Dr. Oda had quietly and somberly explained to Gohan that now her kidneys were shutting down. He was fearful that a kidney transplant could be too much strain on her already weak heart. She wouldn't be able to survive it. She was dying, either way, it seemed.
Gohan and Goten's sobs had made Pan shudder but her drowsiness overcame her and as she closed her eyes, she wondered if it would be the last time. She had woken up though. Now she stood in front of her window, feeling extremely fatigued and nauseous. She knew Gohan and Goten both would try their best to find something to help her, but her mind went back to what Trunks had said when he had visited Dr. Oda. He wasn't afraid to die and strangely, Pan felt peaceful at the fact as well. Her time was near. She would be with her parents soon. Gohan and Goten would be free from taking care of her.
Pan didn't understand what the point of prolonging the inevitability. She was in pain and she would only be in more pain the more the illness progressed. Wasn't it better to end her suffering while it was still tame instead of waiting until it would be unbearable? She didn't want to hurt anymore. She was tired.
With a sigh, Pan walked over to her closet and pushed back her clothes until she saw a box. She opened it up and saw a stack of her mother's old clothes that she had kept, hoping to wear them one day. Pan pulled out a beautiful white summer dress. It was perfect for her last outfit.
Trunks let out a breath as he stood in the hallway and enjoyed the peacefulness. All the windows were open, letting the fresh May air inside. Trunks' heart tightened for a few seconds and he winced as he grabbed his chest. He wasn't sure how many more days like this he would have left. His house had become his sanctuary over the last several weeks. He no longer went to university. What was the point of going when he wouldn't be able to get his degree anyway? He no longer went to the fighting rings, either. He was much too exhausted to do that anymore.
Slowly, Trunks walked down the stairs. He made sure to be quiet so he could enjoy the peace. He rounded a corner to enter the kitchen and saw his mother at the counter. She had her back turned to him and he quietly walked up. He had plans to scare her- that is until he saw what she was doing. She was replacing his old medicine, the medicine he had agreed to take until he ran out, with a new medicine. It was most likely the medicine Dr. Oda had recommended but Trunks had declined.
"What are you doing?!" Trunks demanded hotly.
Bulma jumped in fright. "Trunks," she gasped when she saw him.
"Eomma," his voice was shaking because of his anger. "Stop," he grabbed the pill bottle from her before emptying them in the sink to ruin them.
"Trunks!" She shrieked. "What's wrong with you?" She cried.
"Wrong with me?" He bit back. "What's wrong with you? It's my decision, why can't you accept it?"
"I refuse to accept it!" Bulma shook her head with tears in her eyes. "How can a mother-"
"Eomma," Trunks' voice had a plea to it. "I'm ready-"
"I'm not!" She yelled with a sob. "I won't let you die before me!" She hiccuped.
CRASH!
Trunks turned quickly to see Bulla at the other end of the kitchen. Her blue eyes were wide. She had been carrying some plates that had crashed to the floor and broke in shards.
"You're dying?" Bulla whispered to Trunks. Her eyes filled with tears quickly. "I thought you were just anemic, and you two haven't told me anything," her hands balled into a fist as she took in a breath.
"I haven't been hiding the truth from you, Bulla," Trunks told her softly. "I just didn't want you to worry. Eomma here is the one that's been lying- to herself mostly."
Bulma's sobs had quieted down a little. She was trying to compose herself, Trunks figures for Bulla's sake. "Bulla, honey-"
"Is Oppa really dying?!" She cried. Her eyes flicked between Bulma and Trunks'.
"Yes," Trunks said.
"No," Bulma said at the same time.
Trunks' eye twitched. "Eomma-"
Bulma held up her hand as she sniffed. She took a breath and cleared her throat to compose herself even more. "Say what you want, Trunks, but I can't accept it. I'll work until my fingers are raw if I have to- I'll find a cure."
"You won't be able to," Trunks spoke softly. "Please, Eomma, don't do this to yourself."
"I can't lose you," she whispered brokenly to him.
Bulla stepped over the smashed plates and ran to Trunks. Her arms wrapped around his waist tightly. "I'll do whatever I can, too!"
Trunks felt like his heart was being torn. He was ready to go, but his mother and his sister weren't ready. Couldn't they see that the longer they held onto him the more painful it would be when he finally left?
"Okay," he whispered. He would please them, for now. He would let them think the battle could be won when he knew it was impossible. At least, for now, he would comfort them.
Bulma let out a teary cry and joined the hug as well. Trunks felt guilty as he wrapped his arms around them. He felt like he was lying to them, and in a sense, he was. He was giving them a false sense of comfort.
They stayed like that for several minutes until Bulla was just sniffing. "Hey," Bulma said as she pulled away. "How about we have a picnic? The weather is so nice outside."
"Yeah," Bulla was brightening up. "We haven't done that in a while. Wouldn't that be nice, Oppa?" She looked up at Trunks expectantly.
"Yeah," he smiled. "It would be nice."
"I'll make the sandwiches," Bulla offered. "And I'll-" before she could finish, her phone started to ring. She pulled it out and smiled at the ID. "Pan!" She answered happily.
"Pan?" Trunks furrowed his brows together. Why did that name sound familiar?
"Bulla's best friend," Bulma explained. "She usually calls her Panny."
"Oh," Trunks looked back at Bulla. Her eyes were wide and tearful again. Her skin had paled and Trunks knew right away that something was wrong.
Trunks looked at the small house the Sons lived in as he got out of the car. Bulla has been called by one of Pan's brothers and was told her friend was missing. He had called in hopes that Pan would be with her but when Bulla tearfully told him she wasn't, the situation became more serve because Pan was sick, really sick. Immediately the three of them had left and rushed over to help look for her.
Goten rushed outside as soon as they pulled up. His confused eyes met Trunks'.
"My brother, Trunks," Bulla told him.
Of course, Goten already knew who he was. They used to have a university class together. From the moment Trunks had seen him he knew there had been something familiar about Goten, though he didn't know what.
Goten shook his head. "Gohan went to the police station. I've searched the area around here but I haven't gone far into the woods," he motioned around them. The house was surrounded by thick woods.
"Should we team up and look?" Bulma asked.
"No, we can cover more ground by sunset if we split up," Trunks said. He knew by the look his mother threw at him that she was worried but he would be fine. "Goten, take the north side, Bulla go east, Eomma go south, and I'll go west."
They all nodded in understanding.
"Wait!" Trunks called before they split. "What does she look like?" He asked, suddenly aware that he had never seen her before.
"Seriously?" Bulla huffed. "How many girls do you expect to be out here?" Trunks opened his mouth to respond but Bulla was already talking again- "she's about two inches shorter than me. Long black hair and even darker eyes. Trust me, you'll know her when you see her."
Trunks' eyes widened. The girl he dreamed about suddenly flashed through his mind. The short description fit her, but no, it couldn't be her- could it? No, it was impossible. Although he had been seeing more of the girl here lately. Had they both been sleeping a lot?
Trunks shook his head as the group split up. He headed west, which was behind the house. He had only gone a few yards into the woods when his chest tightened so painfully that he almost fell to his knees. He let out a strangled gasp and clutched his chest.
"Get your shit together," he huffed at himself in aggravation. "Let's at least find her first," he grunted. He continued going west as he followed an invisible force that he knew would lead him to Pan.
The scene was beautiful. Between two mountains nestled a beautiful lake, and reflecting on the lake's clear water was the setting sun. Pan thought it was a beautiful sight to see in her last moments. She let out a breath and tightened the blanket around her shoulders. Pan had used what little strength she had left to make her way up the cliff and now her body was trembling. Even if she changed her mind, she wouldn't be able to make it back down.
Pan wondered if her brothers knew she was missing yet. She was sure they did since they had been taking very good care of her. It was cruel to leave them like this, she knew it was, but the thought of telling them goodbye was too painful. This way, they wouldn't have to say goodbye at all.
With trembling fingers, Pan let go of the blanket and it fell to the ground around her ankles. She slipped her flat shoes off and let her feet sink into the warm grass for the last time. The white dress that was her mother's, was sleeveless with a modest v-neck, and it flowed to her ankles. Pan ran her hands over the soft fabric as she let out a sigh. Her heart drummed in her ears.
Pan closed her eyes as her chest tightened painfully. It was better if she couldn't see where the cliff was. Her arms shook as she held them out wide. Maybe she would feel like she was flying. She had always wanted to fly.
She took the first step. The second step. The third step and the forth. She hadn't been that far, had she? It was just a matter of a few steps for her to reach the end. She hoped it would be peaceful and faster than falling asleep.
Pan was taking her seventh step when it happened. An arm wrapped around her middle and knocked the breath out of her as they pulled her against them. She gasped silently as her eyes flew open. Her foot was hovering over the edge of the cliff.
"Are you crazy?!" A familiar voice huffed.
Pan's weak heart hammered frantically. Her skin was buzzing. He was there. He was touching her.
He took several steps back and took her with him, his arm still firmly around her waist. His breath came out in pants like he was tired. When they were several feet from the cliff he spoke again.
"You're Pan, right?"
She cast her eyes downward. The air felt extremely thick. She was almost nervous to look at him, though every fiber of her being seemed to want to.
He let go of her waist and found her wrist. His hands were shaking, like hers, but his grip was tight. "I found you," he said.
A shift rolled through the air. One that Pan couldn't place. Her stomach fluttered and it felt like something electric ran through her veins. She turned slowly. First, she noted that he was a good foot taller than her, at least. Her head didn't quite reach his shoulders. She glanced up at him finally, black eyes meeting blue.
Pan's eyes widened. Her body trembled. It was like a dream, a dream come to life. He was there, in flesh. She blinked her eyes quickly as a strong surge of love ran through her. A love so deep, that it would cross alternate universes. That's what this was, she realized. An alternate universe, one where he and she had never knew each other- but he had found her, he had truly found her.
His eyes were wide as well as he held her gaze. He too seemed to be thinking and feeling what she was. Could he see their lives flash before his eyes, as she did? Did he know that they had been together since they were young? That they had grown up together and fell in love with each other? That they started dating out in space while hunting for Dragon Balls? And that this universe, this universe where they were both ill and deathly, wasn't really real. Not anymore. He had broken it.
The world was changing around them, Pan knew it. The ground below her feet was shaking, the wind was roaring, but it wasn't taking her away from him, not this time. She let out a broken sob as he finally reached out and cupped her face.
"Panna," he whispered her name like a prayer. Pan cried as she placed her hands over his and held him tightly. "I found you," he leaned close.
For the first and last time in this fake universe, Pan found her voice. "Trunks," his name was a caress on her lips. That was all she had time to say before his lips found hers and the fake world around them, disappeared.
This will be my last chapter for this story. If you have any questions about this or the new Butterflies chapters please PM me so I can answer them! :)
