32- The Princess Needs No Savior

Late Winter

Gohan shook as he looked out the window towards the North and saw hundreds of rebels marching towards the castle. Yamcha hadn't arrived yet, and Trunks and Goten were still gone. He was outnumbered, but he told himself it was fine.

I'm half-Saiyan, he reminded himself. He knew how to fight, though he knew he wasn't as skilled as Goten or Trunks. If it came down to it, Gohan would just let his instincts take over.

"Your Majesty," a soldier walked up. "The rebels are nearing the fields."

Gohan nodded his head. "Where is Lapis?"

"I haven't seen him since yesterday, Your Majesty."

Gohan wasn't surprised. He knew Lapis was the true one behind the rebellion. For years, Gohan had acted as if Lapis' words were law, but really, he was just waiting for the right time him out.

"Are guards with Pan?"

"Yes," the soldier nodded. "She's in the library in the West Section."

"Good," Gohan said. "Let's go."

The castle was silent as Gohan walked through it. He was sure the maids and servants are off somewhere hiding. He hoped they would stay safe because he didn't want anyone to get hurt except maybe Lapis and Koba.

A small army waited outside for Gohan. It was half the size of the rebel army marching towards them, but Gohan would not back down.

Gohan led the way as they walked towards the dry fields on the Northside of the Kingdom. During the summer months, the fields were green and full of lushes vegetation.

In the distance, Gohan could see Koba leading the rebels army. He didn't understand how anyone could want to force someone else to marry them. Gohan clenched his hands into fists. He would protect his sister.

Koba stopped several yards away from Gohan. "Your Majesty," he bowed his head.

"You call me that, yet you're here to fight me," Gohan stayed.

"We don't wish to fight," Koba frowned. "We just want what's best for our Kingdom!"

"How is a marriage between you and the Princess best for the kingdom?" Gohan honestly wondered what Koba thought.

Koba set his jaw. "Anyone would be better than-"

There was a gust of wind before someone landed between the two armies. Gohan's eyes widened as he watched Trunks straighten up from his crouch and smirk.

"Better than me?" He asked.

Koba gasped as he looked up at the sky where Trunks had just fallen. "How?!"

"Who are you?" Someone from behind Koba demanded.

Trunks squared his shoulders. He was several feet away, but Gohan could still feel the energy radiating off of him.

"My name is Trunks."

"He's the one that wants to marry the Princess!" Koba announced.

"Correction-" Trunks held up a hand. "I am going to marry the Princess."

"You're a nobody!" Koba roared. "Who cares if your grandfather is the Royal Physician. "You're not beneficial to the Kingdom!"

Trunks tilted his head. "That's not true. In fact, you could say that I'll be more beneficial than you ever dreamed of being."

Koba let out a loud, disbelieving laugh. "How so?"

"Well, I'm a Prince."

Gohan could see a look of shock crossing Koba and the faces of the rebels. "Prince of what?!"

Gohan didn't have to see Trunks' faces to know he was smirking. "Saiyans," he stated proudly.

Loud murmuring began on both sides of the field.

"It's true," Gohan confirmed. "That's why I allowed Pan to get engaged to him," he lied. "An alliance with the Saiyans would-"

"You lie!" Koba screamed. His dark eyes looked wild as he glared between Trunks and Gohan.

Before Gohan could speak, another gust of wind swept by, and this one was bigger. Gohan held his arms out in front of him and braced himself so he wouldn't fall. When he could steady himself again, he gasped at the sight. Several Saiyans had joined Trunks, and Goten was standing with them. He had his mask covering his face again, but Gohan knew it was him.

The murmurings grew louder. "That's the King of Saiyans!" One rebel shrieked.

Gohan wondered which Saiyan the king was. A few of them looked familiar from trades, but he had never seen the king before.

A short Saiyan, who had landed beside Trunks took a step towards Koba and the rebels. All but Koba took a fearful step back.

"I am Vegeta," the Saiyan announced proudly. "King of the Saiyans. I am here to accept my Son's engagement and even protect it if I have to," he declared. "Let it be known- Vegeta-Sei has declared an alliance with the Earth through the marriage of the Earth's Princess and Vegeta-Sei's Prince. And if you want proof-" he reached into his cape and pulled out a long parchment of paper. "I have a copy of our contract."

Gohan was more than impressed. How did they manage to get a fake contract so fast? He wouldn't argue with them, though, because as he watched the Saiyan King look back and nod at Trunks, he felt as if things would turn out okay.

Gio let out a nervous breath as he rushed through the castle. It was quiet. All the maids and servants were hiding, and all but a few soldiers were with the King.

"Hey!" Gio yelled as he spotted the two soldiers outside the library where the Princess was. "The King needs backup!" He cried. "He asked me to stay with the Princess! Hurry!"

The soldiers took off, and Gio smirked because they had believed him. For the last six months, he had lived in the castle, acting as a servant and befriending many of its workers. It was ordered from Lord Koba that he become a castle worker.

At first, it was a for a simple mission- watch the Princess, but as tensions grew, Gio's role became more important. He was the one to inform Lord Koba of the Princess' engagement. He was the one who signaled the rebels after Prince Goten and Trunks had left. Now that all the soldiers were out of the castle, it was time for Gio's most important mission yet- take the Princess.

Gio opened up the library door and shut it behind him. The Princess was sitting in a chair in front of the fire. She didn't move when he walked in. Her gaze was set on the fire, and in one of her hands, she held a fire iron as she rolled the logs with it.

Gio cleared his throat. "Princess."

"What?"

A chill ran through the air, and Gio felt a sudden rush of fear almost overwhelm him. He swallowed hard as his body began to shake. Why was he suddenly scared? It was just the Princess- someone who he knew was sick more than she heathy!

"Princess, you have to come with me," Gio forced his voice to come out loud and strong. Even if she refused to go with him, he knew he could force her. He was much bigger and stronger than she was. He could easily overpower her.

"Why?" The Princess asked. She still wasn't glancing his way.

Gio shifted uneasily from the way she made him feel. "I am here by orders from Lord Koba. You must come with me."

The Princess was still for several seconds. She let out a small sigh and stood up, the fire iron still in her hand. She turned to face Gio, and he let out a fearful gasp. He took a step back to get away from her, but he stumbled over his feet and fell to his bottom!

The Princess laughed as her dark eyes blazed with a fire inside of her. If Gio didn't know any better, he would say that the woman stalking towards him wasn't the Princess- it couldn't be her. But it was!

A smirk crossed her face as she reared the hand holding the fire iron back above Gio. "My apologies to Lord Koba," her voice was just as dark as the look in her eyes. "But in about to make him wish he never wanted me."

"Princess-" Gio gasped. He tried to move, but he was frozen with fear! All he could do was scream as the Princess plunged the fire iron straight to his eye.

Trunks could feel his eyes twitching in annoyance. Never had he met a human as irritating as Koba. The rest of the rebels were quick to take steps back when his Appa stride forward, but not Koba.

"Is that even real?" Koba spat as he looked at the document Vegeta held.

"It is," Gohan spoke up as he walked up. He stopped beside Goten and let out a breath as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Trunks watched Vegeta turn around to look at Gohan. His eyes widened in shock, and Trunks' brows furrowed together. What was with that look?

"That's right-" Vegeta's voice was calm. He shook his head and turned his attention to Koba.

"Why hasn't the King announced the alliance before?" A rebel spoke up.

"We wanted to wait until the wedding got closer so our kingdoms would have more reasons to celebrate," Gohan said.

Trunks was surprised by how easily Gohan was lying. Then again, it was to protect Pan.

"We'll see how this ends," Koba narrowed his eyes. "Do you think-"

There was a loud, echoing boom overhead that silenced the field. Something in the air made the hairs on Trunks' neck stand, and he swallowed hard. He let out a strangled gasp as he a slim and small figure landed in front of them.

Trunks' heart pounded in his chest frantically. He was frozen in his spot as he watched Pan straighten and shake her dark hair. An erratic Ki was crackling around her as she faced Koba and his rebels. There was a mixture of shock and fear on their faces.

"Panna-" Trunks whispered before he swallowed hard.

"What's going on?!" Goten whispered to Gohan.

Trunks side-eyed them, hoping he could get an answer, but Gohan looked shocked and scared as she shrugged his shoulders.

Trunks looked back at Pan quickly. She had a fire iron in her right palm, and it, as well as her arm, was covered in blood. Her left hand held a man, who she was holding by the back of his shirt, and that man was screaming hysterically. He raised his head, and a few of the rebels even screamed. The man's right eye had been gouged out.

"This belongs to you-" Pan drooped the man onto the ground with a thud.

Her voice didn't quite sound like Pan's, but it had to be her! So many questions were running through Trunks' mind.

The man jumped up from the ground and screamed as he held a hand over his eyes. "SHE'S A MONSTER!" He shrieked as he took off through the rebels sobbing.

Trunks took a shaky step towards Pan, and she turned to face him. He gasped at the sight of her. She even had blood splattered across her face, and she was smiling in amusement about it. But it was her! Those were her eyes looking at him, but she felt different.

"Are you-" Trunks breathed shakily. "Are you and -"

"We're fine," Pan told him gently as she smiled widely.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" Koba demanded as he glared at Pan.

Quicker than a human could have moved, Koba reached for his sword and ran forward. Trunks grabbed Pan, ready to shove her behind him for protection, but a bright light blinded him. He gasped in surprise and shielded his eyes, and when he opened them just seconds later, he gasped.

Koba's sword was lying on the ground, several feet away. Pan had Koba's shirt in her hand as he kneeled on the floor underneath her. There was a long slash across Koba's cheek as he looked up at Pan, whimpering and panting. And Pan, she had the fire iron on Koba's chest. Right on his heart.

The field was deathly quiet, and Trunks wondered if everyone was wondering the same thing he was. What in the world just happened? Where had that light come from? What was going on with Pan? Who was this woman in front of him? Had this kind of power been inside Pan all along?

"Let me make myself very clear," Pan's voice was soft, but it echoed across the field. "If you ever threaten my family again, I will kill you," she promised darkly.

Pan removed the fire iron from Koba's chest. She let go of his shirt before she raised her palm back and slapped it against his chest. Koba flew back several feet before he skidded to a stop in the ground. He jumped up quickly, his eyes not even looking back at Pan before he took off in a run.

The rebels stood still and silent in shock, as did everyone else, Trunks imagined.

Pan raised her head and looked at the rebels with a hiss. "If you don't want to be sentenced to death for treachery against your King than you better start running!" She shrieked.

The rebels turned on their heels with screams of horror before they started to run.

"Holy shit," Trunks could hear a Saiyan behind gasp. "Is she our new Princess?"

"Yeah," Endou answered, sounding both impressed and a bit frightened.

Trunks let out a breath and stepped towards Pan and touched her shoulder. She let out a loud gasp as the fire iron fell from her hands. She stumbled back, and Trunks caught her quickly. It was almost as if she had been knocked out of a trance. Her dark eyes were wide, and looking at him tearfully.

"Trunks-" her soft voice croaked. "What?" Her body shook as she raised her blood-stained hand, and she screamed. "WHAT DID I DO?!" She sobbed.

"She walked through the fire wearing nothing but a smile because she knew damn well she'd bring her demons to their knees."
-Unknown