Hello, everyone!

To old readers:

Hi! Hi, and welcome back! I'm sure you've noticed that a lot of the chapters are gone, and that's because I've been editing and rewriting this story! For the most part, the plot is the same, but I would recommend reading the newly revised chapters since a lot has changed! If you don't feel like reading all the chapters, then here is a few main points that have changed that you'll need to know;

*Pan has some hidden power inside of her. At the beginning of this story, it made her sickly, but now that power is getting ready to erupt and make Pan stronger than she's ever been!

*The way the secrets come out about Pan being half-Saiyan and Trunks being half-human are different.

*In the original version, Pan miscarries her and Trunks' first child. In this version, she does not miscarry, and she and Trunks have twins! A girl and a boy!

*Frieza's death is a lot different in this version, and there are no Super Saiyans (yet).

*Gohan and Marron are already together.

I think, for the most part, these are the most significant changes I've made. There aren't as many chapters, but there's still a lot there.

I know many people don't like that I've been changing my stories. I'm sorry you feel that way, but please understand that these are my stories, and I'm happy with the changes! I hope you guys will be pleased with them too!

To new readers:

Hi! Thanks for reading up until now! I hope you continue reading and enjoying the story! Thank you for giving it a chance; it means a lot!

Enjoy everyone!

47- A New Reign

Mid-Spring

Pan stared at the rug at her feet as her fingers brushed through Takehiko's hair. He was sleeping on her lap, soundly. Takara was snuggled up on Trunks' lap, sleeping as well. It had been two days since Eighteen had shown up, and Pan felt as if she had been in a daze ever since.

"Marron woke up this morning," Trunks commented softly.

Pan's eyes widened slightly. "Did she?"

"Mhm. You should visit her. She asked about you and the twins."

Pan frowned. "I don't think she would want to see me," she muttered. "I killed her mother."

"Her mother, who disowned her, tried to harm our children and nearly killed Marron," Trunks said. "I don't think she'll hold it against you, Panna."

Pan let out a sigh. She wanted to see Marron; she had been so worried about her. "Trunks, I'm scared," she confessed as she looked at him.

"Of what?" He asked gently.

"When I killed Eighteen, I was aware of everything that I was doing. It was all me, not some mysterious thing inside of me. The power I felt was incredible," she whispered. She had never felt so powerful. "What if I end up hurting someone?" She asked. "Some I love?"

"You won't," Trunks said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you." His voice was firm with confidence, and he smiled at Pan. "Every time something has happened to trigger that power of yours, it was because you were protecting either yourself or others. You are a good person, Panna. The best one I know. That power inside of you- I know you'll use it to keep protecting others."

Pan felt herself growing warm. She smiled at Trunks, feeling lucky that she had someone who knew her so well. To protect the ones she loved was exactly what Pan wanted to do. The first thing she had to do, though, was master that power.

"Trunks, don't you think it's weird that we haven't heard anything from Saibogu?" Pan asked the sudden thought. She had been scared that she might have gotten the planet into another war but had been days, and Saibogu had been silent.

"I don't know what they're doing," Trunks sighed. "Eighteen was a wicked Queen, but maybe the council is reasonable. We have proof that Eighteen was here with ill intentions. Most likely, they know they don't have any justified anger against us when it was their queen that attacked. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what they do."

Pan frowned and looked down at her children sleeping. She didn't want a war, but she'd do anything to protect what was hers.

Marron's mind could not rest. No matter how many times she tried to relax, she couldn't. Her mind replayed what her mother had done over and over again. It was maddening, and it was heartbreaking.

Her relationship with her mother had already been strained. Eighteen had disowned her and stripped Marron of her royal title. Even though that had happened, she never would have imagined that her mother would try to kill her.

Marron gasped, sucking in a deep breath. It seemed she couldn't take in enough oxygen now. Her hands came up, and she gently stroked her neck. It was bruised and sore.

A gentle knock on the door made Marron remove her hands quickly. She assumed it was Gohan, and she didn't want to worry him.

"Come in," she said. Her voice was hoarse from her sore throat, and she winced. It was easier for her to whisper.

The door opened, and Marron's eyes widened as Pan walked in. Marron swallowed back a sob as she held her arm out towards Pan. She was quick to rush over, and they held each other tightly for several minutes.

"Thank you," Marron whispered after a while. If it weren't for Pan, she wouldn't be alive.

Pan pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I should be thanking you. I was able to get Takehiko and Takara to safety because of you."

Marron's lips twitched. "I'm so glad you're all okay."

Pan sat down on the bed and let out a small sigh. "How are you?" She asked softly.

Marron honestly wasn't sure how to answer that. She had been better, much better. She felt hurt and bitter.

"It doesn't seem like it's real," she commented. "What kind of person does that to their own child?"

Pan let out a deep breath. "A monster."

"A monster," Marron agreed with a nod. "I'm thankful for you."

"And I am you," Pan said. "I'm sure Han has been taking good care of you, but if you need anything, let me know."

Marron smiled. Gohan had been taking great care of her. He was like a mother hen, always fretting over her. It was amusing and enduring.

"Has Saibogu said anything?" Marron asked softly.

Pan slowly shook her head. "We haven't heard anything."

Marron sighed. "Let's hope my uncle doesn't get the crown. After everything he did to you and-"

"What?" Pan's brows furrowed. "What did he do to me? Who's your uncle?"

Marron's eyes widened, I surprise. Had Trunks not told Pan who her uncle was? "Oh," she began. "Maybe-"

"Marron, who is it?" Pan asked with a frown.

Marron felt herself frowning as well. She let out a sigh and dropped her shoulders. "Lapis. Gohan showed me a portrait of him, and I knew right away."

Pan's mouth gasped open. "He's your uncle? What was he doing on earth?"

"There's no telling," Marron muttered. "I'm sure he was up to no good."

Pan let out a small sigh. "No, he wasn't."

Trunks was training a batch of soldiers with Goten and Endou when he felt it. The hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. He turned around slowly, and his eyes widened. Pan was stomping her way through the courtyard and coming right at him.

"Dude, what did you do?" Endou whispered.

Trunks furrowed his brows and concentrated. He couldn't think of anything he could have possibly done to make Pan angry, and that scared him more than anything.

"I don't know," he said truthfully.

Goten let out a low whistle. "Better you than me," he said.

Trunks tensed as Pan drew near. He wasn't worried about her hurting him, though he was bracing himself to be yelled at for some reason.

Pan's dark eyes were narrowed. Her face was red, and her hands were on her hips. She looked close to growling.

"When were you going to tell me Lapis was Eighteen's brother?!" She demanded with a hiss.

"Oh shit," Trunks' eyes widened.

"Oh shit is right," Pan gritted her teeth. "Why have you kept that from me after what he did?!"

"I didn't mean to keep it from you for so long," Trunks said carefully. "When I found out, you were recovering from the accident. I didn't want to add more stress on you, and I didn't want you to get riled up."

Pan let out a loud snort, "well, I'm riled up now!"

"Hey Pan, you're frightening the soldiers," Goten said.

Pan hissed at him, and Goten took a step behind Endou. "Lapis, Seventeen- whatever the hell his name is has been on Saibogu this whole time!" She shook in anger.

"Panna, you don't think I wanted to go there and kill him myself?" Trunks asked. What Lapis had done was unforgivable. Trunks still wanted to hunt him down and kill him.

"I know," Pan said. "I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you." Her eyes were gentle and understanding as she looked at Trunks. Then she narrowed them and snarled. "I'm just thinking that nothing will stop him from attacking us now, and if he does- I'll kill him!" She declared with fire in her eyes. "Let him try to harm our children again. I'll make him regret ever coming to earth in the first place!"

Trunks believed every word she said.

Kage walked down the palace hallways in Saibogu's castle slowly. They were cold and unfamiliar. He had been born on this planet, but he felt so unwanted. He had never belonged there, or anywhere.

The two humans who had raised him on earth were good people. Kage had known from a young age that they weren't his birth parents, but he didn't mind. They loved him like their own, and the three of them were happy.

Everything changed when Kage was fourteen. His birth father appeared, and he tore Kage away from the only people who had ever loved him. For the next several years, Kage was trained to learn politics and to become a nobleman. When the time came, his father quickly placed him into a nobleman's family. The elderly Lord and Lady had lost their son years ago, and Kage changed his appearance to fit in with them. They welcomed him but showed him no affection.

The following years had been dreadful. His time was filled with more lessons or meetings. He had to make himself the perfect son, not only for his fake parents but his father as well, who was hard to please.

Kage knew that all the years of learning politics wasn't preparing him for this. This crown was never supposed to be his. He was just supposed to be a puppet they could use to sway others on earth. But this crown, it was his. By chance, it had fallen into his grasp. His mother, that he had never known, was dead, and his sister was disowned. Kage didn't feel anger or remorse for either of them.

"Your majesty," a servant greeted Kage and bowed. "Lord Seventeen is inside, waiting."

The metal doors opened slowly, and sitting in the steady was a familiar man. A man Kage had a hard time pleasing.

"About time you arrived," Seventeen said, not even glancing up from his book.

Kage clenched his jaw. He had t expected a welcoming home feast, but to not even been looked at made him irritated.

"It's not my fault," he said. "My summons were sudden."

"I guess that's true. That blasted woman and her impatience," he huffed. He looked up at Kage finally, and his face contorted into a snarl. "Why do you have that scar still on your face?"

Kage reached up and touched his left cheek, where a thin pink scar rested. He looked close to his original appearance before he had become Lord Koba. He once again felt like he was Kage, but he kept the scar. It would be a reminder.

"The princess gave me this scar. I kept it to remember her," he said smoothly.

Seventeen scoffed and closed his book. He had a look of disgust cross his face. "Don't tell me you fell for that brat."

"Of course not," Kage rolled his eyes.

Kage could still remember when he was told that he would have to start courting the Princess of Earth. Seventeen's plan had been to marry her off to Kage so she could be controlled. Kage had learned early on, even before he had gotten the scar, that Pan was not a woman who could be controlled. She would do whatever she wanted, and there was no stopping her.

The Princess was one to admire, but she had also made Kage into a fool. She had embarrassed and shamed him. He'd never forgive her, and he would make her pay. Now that he was about to become Saibogu's king, he had the perfect opportunity to do so.

Seventeen let out a sigh and stood up. "You'll be made King this evening. We'll send our apologies to the Saiyans and then wipe our hands cleans of them. I have my eyes on-"

"Wait. What?" Kage raised an eyebrow. "You're done with the Saiyans? Just like that?"

Seventeen let out another sigh. "Yes, I am. Eighteen made a mess of things. Plus, they're building up alliances. I'm not about to-"

"But this is our chance! This is when we need to-"

"No!" Seventeen's eyes flashed. "We will not! "

Kage felt a tick run down his body. For years now, he had been following Seventeen's orders and doing exactly what he was told to do. That hadn't done him any good. It was his turn to take charge. He was the one becoming king, not Seventeen! He knew that as long as Seventeen was around, though, he would never be in complete control. Seventeen would use him as his puppet, just like he had for years!

Seventeen turned around and straightened his back. "We have-"

Kage stalked over to Seventeen and rammed his hand through his chest. Seventeen gasped in surprise as his body tensed. He was gurgling as he turned around to look at Kage with shocked and confused eyes.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Kage asked him softly. "You did this very thing to Dr. Gero, who was like a father to you, and I'm doing it to mine."

Seventeen's eyes widened in shock, and Kage smirked. He had known for a while now about his parents' incestuous relationship. As disgusting as it was, Kage couldn't bad-mouth it since it was because of that he was alive.

"I'm sorry, Father," he apologized monotonously. "I'm the King, not you."

Kage pulled his hand out before he grabbed Seventeen's head and twisted it. The body fell to the floor limply, and Kage let out a sigh as he stared at his bloodied arm. "Half Android but still so bloody," he frowned.

He turned towards the door, so he could head to his room to wash up. The servants standing nearby jumped at the sight of him. "Seventeen tried to murder me because he wanted the throne. I used self-defense, and now he's dead," he lied to them smoothly. "Get rid of his body, but keep his head."

"Y-you want us to keep his head?" A servant asked timidly.

"Did I stutter?" Kage asked darkly.

"N-No, Your Majesty!" The servants bowed quickly before they took off into the room.

Kage smirked as he walked through palace hallways. Saibogu was his.

"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other, but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
-Charles Bukowski