5- Gaze

Late Spring

Trunks let out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom. His eyes lazily watched the golden fans on his ceiling spin. They were like a spell, allowing his mind to wonder to places it shouldn't- like a human girl on earth.

It had been a week since Trunks had last seen her and he had been a little aggravated with himself for how easily he let himself think of her. All of his life had been brought up to believe that humans were weak and cruel, and though her power level was ridiculously low, she wasn't ugly. She was cute, in a bunny type way, but not ugly. He couldn't see her being cruel, she just didn't seem like the kind of person.

Trunks groaned and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He had to stop thinking about her! Quickly, he sat up as he thought of something. He could back to the earth again and see her! He would go back, watch her, realize that she wasn't anything special after all and then she would stop invading his mind. Trunks would finally get some peace!

The trouble was, Trunks wasn't sure how he would get to the earth. He frowned as he knitted his brows together in thought. He couldn't take a space pod, that would cause too much suspicion since he never went outside of Vegeta-Sei unless ordered to.

A small smirk spread across Trunks' lips. He had a mad-genius for a mother. Surely she would have something that could help him! He stood up and grabbed his sword that been resting on the back of the couch and strapped it to his back. He secured his boots and then disappeared from his room to find his mother.

Trunks wasn't surprised to find his mother in his father's study. She was probably in there more than his father was. "Eomma," he walked up to her as she sat on a chair reading.

"Yes?" She glanced up at him as she raised a brow. "What do you want?"

"Why do you think I want anything?" Trunks asked.

"I know you," Bulma simply grinned.

Trunks let out a small sigh. "Okay. Do you happen to have anything that will allow me to travel long distances in just a matter of seconds?"

Bulma glanced around him curiously as she knitted both of her brows together. "Why?"

"Radtiz and Endou are training new recruits and I don't have anywhere to train in peace," Trunks lied smoothly.

Bulma blinked at him before she stood up. "I think I may have something." She said as she walked towards the large bookcase nestled against the wall.

"Um, Eomma, your lab is that way," Trunks pointed towards the door.

"Who said I only had one lab?" She smirked as she pulled a book down to reveal a hidden doorway.

"You're shitting me," Trunks whispered as he followed Bulma through the door. "You and Appa have a hidden lab? Holy shit!"

"There are certain things I invent that I don't want falling into the wrong hands," Bulma said carefully. She didn't have to say Frieza's name, but Trunks knew that's who she was talking about.

Trunks' eyes widened as they entered the spacious laboratory. It was a lot bigger than her other one and this one seemed to have so much more as well! His eyes roamed about the room, trying to take in everything before his mother tapped his shoulder.

"Here," she held up a bracelet between her thumb and pointer finger.

"What is it?" Trunks knitted his eyebrows together.

"Your teleportation device," Bulma smirked as she grabbed his right wrist.

Trunks watched as she clasped it around him and gasped when he felt a sharp prick. "Hey! It poked me," he told Bulma.

"It gets a drop of your blood so it knows it's traveler," Bulma explained. She turned his hand around so he could see the front part of the bracelet. "See this flat part? Press a finger on it and think of the place you want to go. The bracelet will take you straight there."

"Wow, Eomma, impressive," Trunks told her with a smirk.

"Of course," Bulma smirked back. "Your mother is a genius you know. Where are you going to train?"

Trunks shrugged. "Probably the hills to the west," he said. "Not may people go there, so I won't be disturbed."

"Trunks, you are being careful, right?" She asked quietly.

"I'm always careful, Eomma," Trunks grinned.

"I'm serious," she huffed. "You know I worry about you."

Trunks frowned as he grabbed his mother's shoulders and gave her a gentle hug. Honestly, he wasn't the best son and he knew it. He gave her more worries than not, especially when it came to a certain lizard, but Trunks couldn't help it. The Icijin just made him so angry sometimes that it was hard for him to just bite his tongue!

"I'll be careful," he promised Bulma. He kissed her cheek before he took a step back. "This thing really will work, right?"

"Are you doubting me, Son?"

"Of course not," he grinned before he pressed his thumb to the bracelet. He thought about the stream on earth and the green, blooming trees that surrounded it and he gasped as he world shifted right in front of him.

"Holy shit," Trunks whispered as he glanced around the opening.

He really was on earth! The Gravity was less than Vegeta-Sei's making the air more breathable. He glanced around quickly to see if the human girl was there, but she wasn't. Maybe he was a fool to think that she would be in the same spot he had left her in, waiting.

The same song from before caught his attention and he gasped. It was her! His heart gave a small pound as he jumped into the same tree he had last time and watched as she entered the clearing. Her dark hair was just as wild as it had been the last time. Didn't she ever brush it or pin it up? She wore a long, soft-pink dress with sleeves that came down to her elbows and she carried the picnic basket from last time. Again, she unfolded the blanket before she sat down on it and then, she looked right at Trunks again!

His lips parted in surprise. This was the second time her eyes had found him, and although he knew she couldn't see him, it still made him nervous. He didn't like her doe eyes looking at him like that. It made his face grow warm for some odd reason.

"Hello?" She spoke and Trunks would have fallen from the tree if he hadn't caught himself. "I know someone is here," she said. "You don't have to be shy. My name is Pan. I live in the castle just towards the east. I packed some extra lunch if you would like to eat with me."

Trunks could feel his heart pounding against his chest. He knew her name now. Pan. Such a simple name, but oddly it fit her. Was she the Princess? She had to have been for her to live in the castle!

"Holy shit, I'm stalking the Princess," Trunks muttered to himself. Worse yet, she knew he was there and was wanting to have lunch with him! He was an idiot!

"I don't don't really have friends," Pan spoke again. Her eyes weren't looking at him anymore, but rather the blanket in front of her. "But I would like it if you were my friend," she told him. She pulled her picnic basket closer to her and pulled out several books and a sketch pad. "I don't know what you like to do, so I brought all kinds of stuff. If you want to, you're more than welcome to look at them."

She had brought those things for him? Why? He didn't even realize he was leaning forward curiously before he stopped himself and pulled back. No! He could not go down there! She was a human, and he wouldn't get involved with her.

So why couldn't he just leave?

His plan had been to see her, realize that she was boring and leave, but it had totally backfired. She was intriguing him more.

Trunks watched as she picked up one of the books she brought and started to read it out loud. He had to admit, she had a very calming and nice voice. He leaned back against the tree and he listened to her story about a Princess locked away in a high tower that was guarded by a dragon and she was waiting for a prince to come and save her. He wanted to snort. Did she see herself as that Princess? Maybe she was waiting to be rescued as well.

Before Trunks knew it, the Princess was at a part in the book where a gallant knight had come, proclaiming he was there to rescue her. Instead, that knight had stolen from her from her tower and left her even more heartbroken than she originally was.

"Would you like to find out what happens next?" She asked him, even though she knew he wouldn't answer. "If you come back next week, I'll read the rest," she promised.

Trunks was silent as he watched her pack up her things. He didn't particularly care about how the story ended, but, he did want to listen to her read again. He had felt calm the whole time she read, and for a short while it was as if he forgot his problems.

With a sigh Trunks stood up. It was time for him to go back to Vegeta-Sei and to the real world. He would have to leave the Princess behind for now.

Pan let out a heavy sigh as she walked through the castle hallways slowly. Although her guest returned, they hadn't came out of the shadows. She wasn't really surprised, since she had already assumed they were shy. Pan could be patient though, she would have to be if she wanted them to keep returning.

"Panny."

She turned with a gasp. "Mama!" She cried and ran to Chi-Chi who was standing right out her door. She threw her arms around her in a tight hug. "When did you get home?"

"Just an hour ago," Chi-Chi laughed as Pan pulled away. "I asked Gohan where you were and he said the clearing. I should have known," she teased.

Pan gave her a small smile. "It's beautiful this time of year, Mama. The flowers are about to bloom. You should come with me sometime!"

"Maybe," Chi-Chi said as she lead Pan into her room.

Pan frowned but didn't say anything as she followed her mother. When she was younger, she remembered her mother going there all the time, but after her father had died, she stopped going.

"Come, I want to show you what all I got," Chi-Chi smiled as she changed the subject.

Pan smiled in return, "Okay!"

The second sun was just nestling down in the horizon when Trunks exited his shower. He had went and trained for a bit after visiting the earth to try to help him clear his mind, but it didn't help much. He was still just as confused as he had started off.

With a sigh Trunks made his way to his door. He had to find something to do to keep his mind off that Princess. He could find Endou and ask him to go out for a bit. Endou was never the one to turn down drinking.

"Oppa!"

He turned to see Bulla walk his way. He studied her for a few seconds. She was a true definition of princess. Her curly blue hair was pinned back neatly out of her face. On her head rested a sparkling tiara and in her ears were dangling earrings. She had on a necklace that even matched. Her poofy, pink dress made her hair stand out even more. Bulla was gaudy and proud of it, the earth's princess seemed to have more a simple taste.

"Just where have you been all day?" Bulla asked with a sly smile.

Trunks smirked. He knew his sister was clever, but there was no way he would tell her where he had been. She would never let him hear the end of it, or worse- she would tell their parents. "Away," he answered simply.

Bulla pouted, "that doesn't tell me much..."

Trunks laughed, "what makes you think I'll tell you my secrets?"

Bulla's pout deepened and Trunks' smirk widened. Bulla was a noisy creature by habit, just like their mother. "Well, Appa is looking for you. Lord Frieza contacted him."

Trunks' smirk dropped and his eyes widened. "And?"

"There's a raid," Bulla sighed. "Appa has the details."

Trunks let out an annoyed sigh. I'd there was one thing he hated the most about being under Frieza's rule, it was the raids. He looked at Bulla and saw her worried face and he patted her head, being careful to not let her crown fall.

"It'll be alright," he promised.

She gave him a small smile and nodded. "I know. You're the strongest, Oppa, you can handle anything."

"That's right," he smirked. "I had best go find Appa before he sends a search party for me."

Trunks let out a sigh as he turned to go to his father's study. So much for going out with Endou for the night. Depending on what the raid was he might not get to hear the end of the Princess' story.

"Sometimes when I look at you, I feel like I'm gazing at a distant star. It's dazzling, but the light is from tens of thousands of years ago. Maybe the Star doesn't exist any more. Yet sometimes that light seems more real to me than anything."

-Haruki Murakami