20- To Vegeta-Sei
Summer
Chi-Chi's lips twitched in amusement as she watched Pan and Trunks sitting at the desk in the greenhouse. Their heads were bent together as they whispered about something. Chi-Chi could tell that whatever it was they were talking about was something that excited Pan. Her daughter was grinning as she wiggled in her seat.
Chi-Chi sent away the few gardeners that had been helping her and wiped her hands on her pink apron before she walked over to the table to investigate. "Okay, you two," she said. "What's up?"
Pan looked up at Trunks, who nodded his head. She beamed, "Mama! Trunks invited me to visit his home for the weekend so that I can see the Summer Festival. Can I please go, Mama?"
Chi-Chi's eyes widened in surprise. Did Pan want to go to Vegeta-Sei? So many thoughts ran through Chi-Chi's mind. She wasn't worried about Pan's safety; Chi-Chi knew Trunks would take excellent care of her. Pan's health was Chi-Chi's primary concern.
"Isn't the gravity much stronger there?" Chi-Chi asked softly. That would put too much of a strain on Pan's frail body.
"My Eomma has these anti-gravity bracelets that I can get for Panna," Trunks said. "It'll make it to where she's like here on earth."
Chi-Chi nodded slowly. That eased her mind a little. "How will you travel there?"
"Trunks can teleport us," Pan said eagerly.
Chi-Chi's eyes widened. "You can teleport? There no magic bracelets for that?" She asked. She had always assumed that's how he managed to go back and forth between the earth and Vegeta-Sei daily.
"Well, there are," Trunks nodded. "I used to have one, but I learned a technique that used my Ki and allows me to teleport myself."
Instant Transmission. Chi-Chi knew that technique. She had seen Goku use it countless of times. One of the times she had seen him use it was the night Pan was born.
"And how are you going to get Panny there without being suspicious?" Chi-Chi asked, genuinely curious.
Finding out Trunks was a Saiyan wasn't nearly as big as a shock as finding out that he was also the Prince. Chi-Chi tried not to let that unsettle her too much. Pan was okay with that fact, and so was Trunks, so Chi-Chi needed to be okay with it as well. Her only worry was that once Trunks and Pan decided to take their relationship to the next level, such as marriage or mating, would the Saiyans accept a weak human as their Princess and Future Queen?
"My little sister just turned sixteen, the same age as Panna," Trunks said. "She's in on the mission, and she said that Pan could pretend to her friend visiting from Josen, a nearby trading planet."
"Mama," Pan spoke up before Chi-Chi could open her mouth.
Chi-Chi saw Pan's dark eyes widen in a silent plea. She knew just how much Pan wanted to go by the look in her eyes. Chi-Chi let out a small breath. Somehow, it felt wrong to deny Pan the opportunity to go to Vegeta-Sei. Pan wouldn't know it, but she would be going to a planet that was apart of her heritage.
"Okay-" Chi-Chi said, and Pan let out a squeal. "Wait!" Chi-Chi said quickly. "I have one condition," she said. She looked at Trunks, "I know I don't have to ask this of you," she began, "but keep my Panny safe."
Trunks smiled as he nodded his head. "You have my word. I'll make sure she's safe at all times."
Pan jumped up and rushed around the table so she could hug Chi-Chi tightly. "Oh, thank you so much, Mama!"
Chi-Chi smiled gently and hugged Pan back. For some reason, Chi-Chi felt sad. It wasn't like she was sending off Pan to get married, not yet anyway, but still, she felt as if she was saying goodbye to a part of her daughter's childhood. Chi-Chi was giving Trunks the responsibility to look after Pan now, and she saw that he was more than up to the job as Pan let go of her and ran to him. Pan was smiling from ear-to-ear, obviously excited, and Trunks was looking at her so affectionately that Chi-Chi almost felt as if she was intruding.
"It's this weekend, correct?" Chi-Chi asked.
"Yes, Mama," Pan nodded. "In just three days."
"We'll leave Saturday morning," Trunks said. "The festival is an hour before sundown, and then Sunday is a big market in the town square. I'll have her home Monday afternoon," he promised.
Chi-Chi smiled and nodded her head. She had heard Goku talk about the festivals on Vegeta-Sei countless of times, and she knew that Pan would love it.
"Oh!" Pan's eyes widened as she looked at Chi-Chi. "What should I tell Han?"
Chi-Chi knew that Gohan liked Trunks, but she was unsure of how her son would react if he knew that Pan's boyfriend was a Saiyan. She wasn't even sure if how Gohan would react if Chi-Chi told him Pan would merely be going to Trunks' hometown for a visit. He was very protective of his little sister.
"Don't worry about your brother," Chi-Chi said. "I'll handle him," she promised. She would just wait until Pan was gone before telling Gohan.
"Are you ready?" Trunks asked.
Pan grinned as she nodded her head. She had her bags packed, and she had said her goodbyes to her mother earlier. "I'm ready!" She said.
Finally, Pan was getting to see Vegeta-Sei! She couldn't wait to see the place where Trunks had grown up at.
Trunks grabbed her left wrist before he placed a thin silver bracelet on it. It tightened around Pan's small wrist instantly, and she let out a little gasp. It was warm!
"I know it doesn't look like much, but it's the anti-gravity bracelet that will keep you from feeling heavy," Trunks said.
"Thank you," Pan smiled at him warmly. He was so considerate where she was concerned that Pan couldn't help but swoon a little.
Trunks took her hand and smiled at her. Pan squeezed his hand a little tighter. She had never used instant transmission before.
"What should I do?" Pan asked.
"Just hold onto me tight," Trunks instructed gently.
Pan grabbed Trunks' arm with her free hand and curled tighter against his side. She noticed the room shifting, and she let out a small gasp as a buzz ran through her body. It was as if her body was being zapped up off the ground! It only lasted a second before her feet were firm on the ground again, but she blinked her eyes as she took in a room that wasn't hers.
This room was just as large as hers, but it seemed frilly. The dark oak canopy bed had pink and purple sheets on it. There were plush pink carpets on the ground and a tiara display off the side.
"Are you okay?"
Pan looked up at Trunks and smiled as she nodded her head. "That was weird," she admitted, "but it wasn't bad."
Trunks grinned, "you'll get used to the feeling."
There was a small bang before a little yell was heard. Pan barely turned her head before blue curls filled her vision.
"Bulla!" Trunks huffed as he let go of Pan's hand and shoved the girl back.
Pan blinked as the looked girl in front of her. She was just a few inches taller than Pan. She was beautiful! Her blue curls came down to her chest, and she was grinning at Pan brightly. If Pan had to pick a definition of a Princess, Bulla would be it. The sleeveless, short red dress Bulla wore was beautiful, and it seemed to be made out of some type of shimmering silk.
"You're beautiful," Pan commented.
Bulla let out a squeal as she reached over and grabbed Pan's hand. "I was just thinking the same thing about you! But you know, you look familiar," she said as her brows knitted together and she pooched out her lips.
"How does she look familiar, you've never seen her before," Trunks muttered.
"I don't know, she just does!" Bulla huffed with a shrug. Her eyes widened, and she grinned and squeezed the hand she was holding. "Maybe it's a sign that we're meant to be friends, right Pan?"
Pan laughed and nodded her head, "yeah!"
"I've been so excited to meet the girl that has my Oppa walking around with little hearts in his eyes!" She gushed.
"Bulla!" Trunks choked out a gasp as his cheeks turned pink.
Pan let out a small giggle as her face grew warm. Bulla just grinned and let go of Pan's hand as she clasped her hands together. "So, what's first on the list?"
"What?" Trunks knitted his brows together.
"We have to show her the gardens! That way she can see that our planets are kinda similar in -"
"Wait," Trunks spoke up. "Why do you sound like your coming with us?"
"Because I am!" Bulla stayed in a matter-of-fact tone as she placed her hands on her hips. "I'm apart of the plan, so I get to tag along," she grinned.
Trunks let out a heavy sigh before he met Pan's eyes. "Sorry, they'll be no stopping her."
The castle on Vegeta-Sei was breathtakingly beautiful. Pan marveled at the dark stone walls of the castle. The stones had been melted and pressed, making beautiful markings along the walls. Some parts of the walls were even sculpted into shapes that reminded Pan a lot of tree branches.
Pan got to see the throne room, which was empty, and neither Bulla nor Trunks knew where their parents were. She also got to see several libraries, all of which she was tempted to go to shelves of and see what she could find. The table on the grand dining room seemed as if it were made of solid gold.
Pan couldn't believe how beautiful the palace was. Bulla told her that before the festival started that they would go back up to her room to get ready, but Pan wanted to see Trunks' room. She wouldn't ask to see it through, at least, not in front of Bulla.
Trunks and Bulla often bickered throughout the tour, but it didn't bother Pan. She could tell they were close that way, and it reminded her of herself and Goten.
Vegeta-Sei was hot, but it wasn't the kind of muggy hot like Pan was used to on the Earth. The heat from the two suns warmed up her skin, making her feel nice in a toasty kind of way.
The gardens were beautiful and blooming with a variety of flowers. Some Pan recognized from the Earth, and she wondered how they got there.
"Eomma set up a water system that runs out here to water the plants," Bulla said. "It keeps them thriving, and most of them have adapted to the gravity pull of the planet, too."
"That's amazing," Pan awed. She glanced up at Trunks, who had been observing her during the tour. "Vegeta-Sei is beautiful," she told him truthfully.
Trunks' lips twitched into a proud smile. "I knew you would like it."
The castle sat on top of a high incline, so as Pan glanced around, she could see the capital down below bustling with activity to get the festival ready. She couldn't wait to see it!
Pan turned her head and, in the distance, saw several tall mountains. Something ran through her at the sight of them, like she had seen them somewhere before. Had she dreamed about them? Pan felt so strange as she looked at them, and it almost felt as if they were calling towards her.
"What is that?" Pan asked Trunks softly as she continued to stare at the mountains.
"That's the Dragon's Den," Trunks spoke softly.
"The place where Vegeta-Sei rubies are?" Pan asked, remembering what Trunks had once told her.
"Yeah, it's not quite those two mountains, but it's nearby. Those two mountains are said to be haunted."
"By what?"
"Legend says that many years ago there was a Super Saiyan- a Saiyan with incredible and blinding power. The Super Saiyan had a league of Dragons that fought alongside them, and after the Super Saiyans death in the Tuffle War, the Dragons fled to the mountains. But after researching the legend myself, I discovered that wasn't entirely true," Trunks shook his head. "The Super Saiyan has an army of over 10,000 Saiyans that were supposed to have followed them to the fight against the Tuffles, but the army of 10,000 grew scared and didn't show up, leaving the Super Saiyan to defend for themself. After the Super Saiyan's death, the Dragons became wrathful to the 10,000 that betrayed their master, and chased them into the mountains where they killed them."
"Pan, don't believe that," Bulla cut in with a huff. "That used to be our Appa's favorite bedtime story to tell Oppa and me."
"Bulla, have you ever been close to those mountains?" Trunks countered, and Bulla pouted her response. "I have, and let me tell you- there's something haunted about it."
Pan stared at the mountains for just a little while longer. Vegeta-Sei seemed to have several legends and myths that were so different than the ones she knew on the earth. She turned her head to ask Trunks more, but a voice cut in through the garden.
"Ah, is this your guest, Bulla?"
Pan turned to see a woman walking towards them. She looked to be about the same age as her mother, but if Pan didn't know any better, she would have thought that she was Bulla! Her royal red and gold dress brought out the blue to her short hair, and she had the same color eyes as Trunks and Bulla. She was breathtakingly beautiful!
"Eomma," Bulla smiled as she stepped up beside her. "This is Pan, you know, my friend from Josen."
"It's nice time meet you, your Majesty," Pan bowed deeply.
"Please, call me Bulma," she smiled at Pan warmly. "And look, Bulla, you even have Trunks helping you out with the tour, that's new," her eyes cast to Trunks, who just rolled his eyes. "Your Appa is busy preparing for the festival," she turned towards Bulla. "Will you help me get ready for the preparations before you and Pan get ready?"
Bulla opened her mouth, "but Pan's tour-"
"I'm sure your Oppa will be more than happy to finish it, right?" She grinned at Trunks.
Pan glanced at Trunks and saw his eye twitch. "I'm not even surprised," he muttered.
Bulma snickered, "you know better than to try to hide something from me. Plus, you should be thanking me. I'm giving you two time alone for a while."
"Thanks," Trunks said with a sigh.
"Pan, I wish I had more time to talk to you. Hopefully, tomorrow we can chat more," Bulma said. "I'd love to talk about the newest technology on Josen-" she winked.
"Eomma-" Bulla gasped as Bulma grabbed her arm and started dragging her away. "You know-?!"
Pan blinked as Bulma and Bulla left. "Wait," she said slowly. "She knows that I'm human?"
"Yeah," Trunks nodded. "I told you, my Eomma's a genius. She's the one that invented the bracelet you're wearing and most of the technology we have today. It's okay-" he reached down and grabbed one of her hands. "I can tell by the way she's grinning that she's going to embarrass the hell out of my trying to talk to you."
Pan smiled as she squeezed his hand. "Your Eomma and your sister both seem nice, and your planet is beautiful, Trunks," she told him. "Thank you so much for bringing me here."
Trunks grinned as he pulled Pan through the crowded festival square. For the last several hours, they had been enjoying booths, foods, and games. Bulla had walked with them for a little while before she scampered off, and Trunks wasn't even going to wonder where she went.
All through the night, Trunks had watched Pan as she learned about his home. Her eyes filled with wonder at every little thing, and her smile hadn't left her face.
It was growing late into the night, and soon, the tame part of the festival would be over. After the big fireworks display, many children and young ones have to go home because then, the alcohol merchants come out. Trunks was sure Endou would be down there until morning, but he was going to make sure he and Pan were back at the castle.
"The fireworks are about to start," Trunks told Pan with a grin. "And I know the best place to watch them."
Trunks pulled Pan into an empty street and pulled her close before he used Instant Transmission. He barely heard Pan's gasp before the popped back onto the ground. Pan let out another gasp and took a few steps forward as she looked at the glowing booths underneath them.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"The castle's roof," Trunks said with a grin. "C'mon," he led her to a small alcove on edge. Pan followed Trunks and sat down beside him. It was just far enough away from the ledge that they could lean back and rest their legs over the edges.
"It's beautiful up here!" Pan said as she kicked her legs with a grin. "The lanterns from the booths look so soft and peaceful, like little yellow wisps. Where did you find a place like this?"
"Years ago, my Hyung took me here to watch fireworks for a summer festival," Trunks said with a small grin. He hadn't been but six, and he almost fell off the edge several times before Tarble caught him quickly. Ever since Tarble had died, Trunks made it a point to watch the summer festival fireworks from this spot.
An explosion above them made Pan jump. Trunks watched the colors from the fireworks dance in Pan's eyes. She watched it with wide eyes, and her lips parted in awe.
Several minutes ticked by before the explosions sizzled away. Now, there was nothing but stars that littered the sky Pan looked at them for several long minutes before she let out a sigh as she leaned back against the stone wall of the alcove and closed her eyes.
"It feels like I'm in a dream," she said with a small smile.
Trunks felt like the day could have been a dream as well. He had wanted to bring her to Vegeta-Sei for a while now, and that he finally had, he didn't want her to leave.
Pan looked like a Princess from one of her stories. With her eyes closed and a gentle smile on her face, she looked as if she were waiting for someone to come and wake her with a kiss.
Trunks leaned down, his lips just barely brushed against Pan's, but that's all it took for her to respond. Pan's lips were soft and warm. Trunks placed his hand on the ground beside hers, and she laced their fingers together as they kissed.
Before Trunks could think about it, he was kissing his way down Pan's jaw. She let out a small breath that made him shudder, and when his lips touched her neck, her fingers squeezed his. Trunks froze for a few seconds, wondering if maybe he was going too far, but then Pan tilted her head to the side as if encouraging him.
Trunks couldn't help but notice just how nice Pan smelled. She always smelled soft, just as she felt. Her skin was smooth, and as he kissed her neck, he could feel her pulse thudding just as hard as his was. Pan's hand slid to his chest, and Trunks was sure she could feel his heart racing. He didn't care as he kissed her slowly and licked up her neck. There was so much he wanted to do. He wanted to bite her and mark her, and that made him think of actual dreams that he had had of them. Dreams that always woke him with an arising problem.
With a sigh, Trunks pulled away from Pan. They couldn't stay there. It was dangerous because Trunks was fighting with a good portion of his self-control at the moment. He wanted to take things slowly with Pan and enjoy every moment they had. Most importantly, he didn't want to rush her.
"It's getting late," Trunks commented softly. "I'll walk you back to Bulla's room."
Pan would be sleeping with Bulla for the next two nights. Trunks was sure he would regret it because he knew his sister and knew Bulla would pester Pan so she could know everything about their relationship.
Trunks stood up before he helped Pan up as well. She seemed to be frowning, but when he looked at her closer, she was grinning.
"Are you okay?" He asked her softly. Had he moved too fast back there?
"I'm wonderful," Pan said with a heavy sigh as she grabbed his arm and rested her head against it. "I'm just so happy I'm here with you."
Trunks smiled in relief. "Me too," he said.
"I realized I was thinking of you, and I began to wonder how long you'd been on my mind. Then it occurred to me: Since I've met you, you've never left."
-Unknown