Mysterious Beauty
Chapter 5: All Grown Up
Rating: PG
See foreword for standard disclaimers.
"I...I don't believe this," Gohan managed to choke out. "She IS Pan!"
"NANI?!?!?" everyone cried at the top of their lungs, eyes practically
bulging out of their sockets. Then everyone looked from Pan to Mirai Pan,
back and forth. Pan just looked up at her future self with wide eyes, not
believing what she had just learned.
"That girl...is ME?" She walked up to Mirai Pan, and looked at her up and
down. Pan didn't get it. The boys at school always teased her and told her
that she was ugly. She had started to believe it, too. But this girl was so
beautiful! This was how she was going to look when she got older? Ha, if
only those stupid boys knew about this! "Are you really me?" she asked.
Finally, Mirai Pan lifted her head, the tears in her eyes obvious. "Hai."
Another shriek of disbelief took over everyone when Mirai Pan confirmed her
identity. Everyone just stared at her, dumbfounded and not really knowing
what to say. Meanwhile, Goten mentally slapped himself. 'I'm such a baka!' he
said to himself. 'I can't believe I was thinking about my NIECE that way!'
No one, however, was more shocked than Trunks was. "Pan-chan...I don't
believe this. That's Pan-chan," he muttered quietly.
"Well, if you've come from the future, does this mean that the Earth is in
danger again?" Goku asked.
"Hai, Ojiisama. Very much so," Mirai Pan said, causing everyone to speak
worriedly amongst themselves.
"We must find a more private place to talk, minna," Mirai Trunks said.
"That's a good idea," Bulma agreed. "Come on, we can all go to my house."
* * *
By the time everyone got to the Briefs home, the initial shock had worn off,
and everyone was ready to find out what was up. They all gathered in the
living room, and once again tears began to form in Mirai Pan's eyes. Mirai
Trunks held her, trying to comfort her as the sight of her family brought
back the memory of their deaths.
Goku looked at the future version of his granddaughter with deep concern. Pan
never allowed herself to cry in front of people ever since she was seven
years old. 'Something really terrible must have happened for her to be this
emotional,' Goku thought.
"Pan-chan, be strong," Mirai Trunks whispered into her ear.
She nodded, wiping her eyes, and turned her attention to everyone in the
room.
"I don't get this. How is it that you know Mirai Trunks? I thought Gohan
died in his world, there's no way you could have even existed," Kuririn said.
"Well...that, with everything else, is an extremely long story. Kaasan,"
Mirai Pan said, looking at Videl, "I think you had better sit down for this."
* * *
When everyone thought they'd had enough shocks for one day, Mirai Pan gave
them the mother of them all. She laid out her entire story to them: Zio's
invasion, the fall of the Z Soldiers, how Lutz had rescued her, Bra and Goten
and told her the truth of her lineage, how she learned to use Mystoke, and
how she destroyed Zio...as well as the entire earth. Everyone listened,
horrified and dumbfounded when Mirai Pan explained to them the power of the
Forbidden Technique and that it had been strong enough to disintegrate the
entire world. Videl just sat there, stunned to hear about the truth of her
bloodline, that her mother had actually been a royal princess of some far off
planet.
"When the fight was over, I decided I had to do something. I wanted to come
back in time, and possibly prevent Zio from killing all of you. But the first
time I tried it, something went wrong, and I ended up in Mirai Trunks'
timeline. That's how we met, and then he decided that he wanted to come back
with me. And so...here we are," Mirai Pan finished.
"How did you travel back in time? Was there another time machine?" Bulma
asked her.
Mirai Pan shook her head. "I used this," she said, lifting the pendant from
around her neck.
"You used THAT to travel back in time? So it has some kind of special power?"
Videl asked, shocked again.
"Yes, but if you don't know how to use Mystoke properly then you can't use
the pendant either. Which brings me to the next subject. I've come back to
train my younger self in the art of Mystoke."
Everyone looked at the younger Pan, then back at Mirai Pan. "Kaasan, since
you also have Dahlian blood, I could train you as well. The more prepared you
are for Zio, the better off you'll be."
"But I haven't trained in years! I don't know if I can!"
"I admit, it will be much harder for you, because you're older and the
younger you are the easier it is to learn it. But it's in your blood, you
have to learn as much as you can," Mirai Pan explained.
"Can't the rest of us do anything to help?" Goku asked.
"I'm afraid not. Only people in the Dahlian royal family can learn this
magic."
"Pan, I'm curious. What does it say on the back of the pendant?" Videl asked.
"It's written in an ancient Dahlian code. It says,'Through time and space, in
future and past, the beautiful magic will never fade,'" Mirai Pan said.
"Appropriate," Mirai Trunks commented.
"So this Zio person...nobody can fight him unless they know magic?" Gohan
asked.
"That's right. It was even a miracle that Bra-chan and Uncle Goten survived.
Lutz saved us just in time, I suppose," Mirai Pan said, her voice growing
heavy.
"Exactly when is he supposed to invade?" Vegeta asked.
"In about another five years, on November 6th. By then I'm sure Young Pan
will know the magic as well as I do, probably better. However, a year of that
training is going to have to take place on Dahlia."
"What?! A YEAR?!" Videl cried.
"Yes. You have to learn the Dahlian style of swordsmanship, and you also have
to train with the head sorcerer, Lutz. But that time won't come for a while.
You have to be skilled in the basics first," Mirai Pan said.
"So...we can expect you to be here for quite a while then?" Trunks asked.
"I'm not leaving here until I know Zio isn't a threat to this world. Only
then will I leave," she said.
"When should we start the training?" Videl asked.
"As soon as possible. The sooner the better," Mirai Pan told her.
"Can we start tonight? I want to learn magic!" Pan said with enthusiasm.
"I think that would be a little too soon. So much has happened today, I don't
think I would be able to comprehend much tonight," Videl sighed.
"Why don't we all have a nice dinner together, so we can relax and talk about
more pleasant things?" Chichi suggested.
"Food! All right!" Goten cheered.
"Hai, after that workout you gave me, Pan-chan, I feel like I could eat twice
my normal food intake!" Goku laughed.
"I'm sorry I was so arrogant with you, Ojiisama. I just wanted to see if I
could win, that's all," Mirai Pan apologized.
"Don't worry about it. At least you proved all of us wrong! We all thought
that since you're only a quarter Saiyajin, that you wouldn't be able to
become Super Saiyajin. I'm proud of you, Pan-chan, and that's the truth."
"And so am I," Gohan said, giving his "older" daughter a hug. "Welcome home,
Pan-chan."
* * *
For dinner, everyone decided that they wanted yakitori. (AN: for those of you
who don't know, yakitori is Japanese shesh kebab. It's really yummy! =D )
Since the weather was so nice, they set up picnic tables outside while they
cooked enough yakitori to feed a Saiyajin army.
"Pan, dear, you're going to be staying with us, right?" Chichi asked as
everyone began to eat.
"Well...we brought capsule houses with us. I don't want to inconvenience
you."
"Darling, you're my granddaughter. You could never be an inconvenience,"
Chichi told her.
"And Mirai Trunks, you can stay here," Bulma said. "I insist."
"Well...all right, I don't see why I shouldn't," Mirai Trunks shrugged.
Mirai Pan was getting drilled with all kinds of questions about Zio. Trunks,
who sat across from her, couldn't stop staring at her. Mirai Trunks noticed
this, and began to wonder once again what was going through his alter ego's
mind. 'If he's anything like me, I'm sure he fell in love with her the moment
he saw her,' he thought. 'Baka...he IS you!'
Mirai Trunks sighed. He then recalled how she had been calling to him in her
sleep. She had been calling to the other Trunks, not him. But HE was the one
who had dreamt of her night after night. While she had been asleep, Mirai
Trunks vowed to her that he wouldn't leave her, and had sealed his promise
with a kiss. He wasn't about let anyone come in between him and keeping that
promise...not even his other self.
* * *
After dinner, Mirai Pan helped Bulma, her mother and grandmother clean up
outside. Trunks saw her clearing off the tables by herself and took the
opportunity to make conversation with her.
"This is quite a surprise, Pan-chan. I can't believe it's you. You've grown
up so beautifully, I can hardly believe my eyes," he said.
"Thank you, Trunks," she said as she blushed slightly.
"And I envy your fighting skills, too. You've gotten so fast!"
"Well, that's one of the perks of being a magician, I guess. And I'm sorry if
I seemed...well, a little stuck-up during the match with you."
"That's okay, Pan-chan. You know I can't stay mad at you for long," he said
with a smile.
Mirai Trunks watched from a distance as his other self was talking with Mirai
Pan, feeling somewhat jealous. He wanted to tell the other Trunks to back
off, that she was HIS...
"Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into, boy."
He turned to see Vegeta standing behind him.
"Eh...hello, um...Tousan."
"You don't even know how deep you're in," Vegeta said.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that girl."
"What about Pan?"
"You've fallen for her. No...you haven't just fallen for her, you've actually
gone and BONDED with her."
"Bonded?"
"Yes. I've seen how you look at each other. You feel strongly for her, and
she feels the same for you, and somehow you've connected to each other."
"Connected?" It was outrageous, but it made sense. 'No wonder we were able to
speak telepathically to each other,' he thought. "So...you're saying..."
Vegeta sighed. He had to spell it out. "She's your lifemate, you baka."
"Lifemate!?" Mirai Trunks said in shock. "Are...are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am."
"I...I do love her, Tousan. She's the most incredible person I've ever met.
But..."
"But?"
"She's not from my time. If we were to be together, I would have to leave my
world, or she would have to leave hers. She's a QUEEN, Tousan, and I can't
take that from her."
"Then go with her to her world."
"It's not that easy."
"Boy, I will tell you right now that if you go your separate ways and don't
stay with each other, both you and the girl will feel wretched for the rest
of your existence. Bonding with someone is not to be taken lightly. If you
are without each other, it could very well kill one or both of you. That is
how strong a Saiyajin bond is," Vegeta told him.
"Oh, boy," Mirai Trunks sighed in frustration. 'Me and Pan-chan, lifemates?'
He shouldn't have been so surprised. He had wished for that to be so the
moment he first saw her. But he didn't think Pan would actually feel the same
way. If what Vegeta said was true...that they could die without one
another...
The promise he made to her once again entered his mind. His coming with her
to the past was not just because he loved her, but because of what Vegeta
said...he may have died and become miserable if she left him and never
returned. But also, they had just met. If he told her now that they
supposedly "bonded" it was sure to scare her off. He WAS NOT going to break
his promise to her. When the time was right, he would confess his love, and
somehow...he would find a way to stay with her.
* * *
The Sons stayed at the Briefs' until well past midnight. All night long,
Young Pan was asking her older self a thousand questions about magic and what
it was like being a princess. Before Mirai Pan left with her family, she said
good night to Mirai Trunks.
"Thank you again, Trunks," she said as she hugged him. "I couldn't have done
this without your help."
"I told you, I'll always be here for you, Pan-chan. I'm not leaving you
anytime soon," he said as he hugged her back.
"Good night, Trunks," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. He returned
the gesture by kissing her on the forehead.
"Good night, Pan-chan."
Meanwhile, another blue-eyed, lavender-haired figure watched them from around
the corner, jealousy gnawing at his heart.
'What are you jealous of, Trunks? Yourself?' He sighed. 'I wonder if they
love each other...'
Then, he thought about Pan as a little girl. He was still having a hard time
believing that a little tomboy like her would grow up to be someone so
elegant and beautiful. And, provided they would be able to defeat this Zio,
he would watch her become the swan that was before him. The younger Pan was
fourteen years younger than him, but knowing that she would be like THIS
when she was older...
"Hi, Trunks!"
Startled, Trunks turned to see Young Pan behind him.
"Oh, eh...hi, Pan-chan," he said.
"Trunks, you weren't spying on them, were you?" she whispered as she looked
around the corner.
"Um...well..."
"Can you believe it, Trunks? I still can't believe that she's me. I can't
believe how pretty I am! Aren't I pretty, Trunks?" Pan asked excitedly.
"Yes, Pan-chan. She is very pretty," he agreed, smiling at her.
"I want to be just like that when I'm older, Trunks. Pretty and strong." She
took off her orange bandana and handed it to him. "Here. Keep this for me,
okay?"
"But...Pan-chan, you love this! You never go anywhere without it!" Trunks
said.
"I know. But I want to be like her, Trunks. She doesn't wear it, so I'm not
going to either. I'm going to be just like her one day, Trunks. Just wait and
see."
* * *
Later on, at the Son residence, Mirai Pan couldn't sleep. She got up and sat
outside, looking up at the stars. The stars on Dahlia were so different, and
she had almost forgotten what the night sky here looked like. So many
memories...
She was with her family again. Then, the images of their deaths once again
appeared in her mind. So much pain...
Finally, she did the one thing she had been wanting to do ever since that
afternoon. She began to sob, and tears overtook her and she couldn't stop it.
"Pan-chan?"
Mirai Pan hadn't noticed her grandfather walk outside next to her.
"Pan-chan, what's wrong?"
"Ojiisama," she sobbed in a choked voice, going into his arms.
"It's okay, Pan-chan. You know you can always talk to me, right? Why don't
you tell your grandpa everything?"
"Ojiisama...it was so horrible. I had to watch...everybody die. I don't know
what I would have done if Uncle Goten and Bra hadn't survived. I've missed
you all so much, Ojiisama," Mirai Pan cried softly as her grandfather
consoled her.
"I can't imagine how difficult things have been for you. But I'm glad your
Uncle and Bra-chan are still there for you. And now, it seems that you have
Mirai Trunks as well, ne?"
She looked up at her grandfather in surprise.
"I've seen the way he looks at you, Pan-chan. He cares for you. Deeply. Maybe
it's even more than that. I think he loves you, and I think you love him
too."
"It...it's complicated, Ojiisama. I've loved Trunks all my life. But I don't
think he ever loved me. And now, with Mirai Trunks...he's different from the
Trunks I knew, and the possiblity that he could love me is so ironic. We come
from two different realities, two different worlds. We can't be together."
"Pan-chan," Goku said gently. "If you love him, and he loves you, you'll find
a way. If you love each other, nothing's going to keep you apart." He gave
his granddaughter a warm smile. "Remember that."
* * *
When he finally got the chance to be alone, Mirai Trunks took the time to
call his mother.
"Trunks! You guys made it!" she said happily.
"Hai, Kaasan. We've already met everyone from this time and told them
everything. How are things going at home?"
"Oh, Trunks. Things are not looking well. The environment is still getting
worse, and by my calculations, within a year and a half our water supply will
be completely ruined. We need to find a new planet to inhabit, and soon."
"Oh, no. Kaasan, isn't there any way to fix it?"
"We've tried everything, Trunks. Nothing seems to work. The cyborgs did a
very thorough job destroying this world, there's no doubt about that."
Mirai Trunks became disturbed. He wasn't sure how long it would be before he
returned home. Pan didn't want to leave until her mother and her younger self
were trained, and that would take a few years at most. They had already sent
a team out in space to either look for a new planet to inhabit or to find a
way to save the earth.
"We haven't given up hope yet, Trunks. We'll find a way, don't worry."
"I know you will, Kaasan."
When he finished talking with his mother, Mirai Trunks was deep in thought.
'A new planet. I wonder...'
* * *
'Pan-chan! Pan-chan! Are you awake?'
Mirai Pan jumped in surprise when she heard his voice in her mind again.
'Trunks?'
'Hai. Still up?'
'I can't sleep very well. What's up?'
'Pan-chan...what's it like on Dahlia?'
'Hmm? Why do you ask?'
'I...just want to know. I want to know everything about it.'
'Everything?'
'Everything.'
'Well...it's beautiful. It's smaller than the earth, but it's the largest
planet in the Alisa solar system. The weather is always gorgeous, and it
rarely ever gets cold. But nighttime is the best. The stars...they're so
different there. The constellations are incredible. The beaches are so clean
and beautiful, and we have blue dolphins on Dahlia. They're so friendly, you
can swim with them all day long.'
'Wow...'
'And Dahlians have the best cuisine I've ever tasted. Crops are always
plentiful there, and the marketplaces are a shopper's dream. There are
islands, mountains, and forests everywhere, and the lagoons on the islands
are simply breathtaking. All of the animals are beautiful, and I have a lot of
strange pets at home.'
'Like what?'
'Well, I have a winged horse named Tenshi, and I also have two Dahlian
Panthers named Yuki and Tenka.'
'Dahlian Panthers?'
'They look and move just like panthers, but they're completely white and have
silver eyes. And they're very friendly with people. Not only that, but all
of the animals on Dahlia can talk.'
'Really?'
'Hai. My pets are my best friends, and I talk to them about everything.'
'How big is the population?'
She was beginning to wonder why he was asking all this. 'It used to be much
larger than it is now, but it's never been anywhere near Earth's population.
Before the wars when my great grandparents ruled it was about 250,000. Now
there are less than 30,000.'
'It sounds like a really great place, Pan-chan. I wish I could see it.'
'You can.'
'How?'
'When I take my mother and my younger self to Dahlia for their training
there. You can come with us.'
'Do you really mean it?'
'Of course. I'm sure Bra-chan and Uncle Goten would love to meet you.'
'That sounds wonderful, Pan-chan. I can hardly wait.'
Whoa, I got this done a lot faster than I thought I would! I dunno when I'll
finish the next one, maybe in a week but I'm not sure. As always, I hope
everyone enjoyed it! =D
R&R please!
Sincerely,
Lady S
Chapter 5: All Grown Up
Rating: PG
See foreword for standard disclaimers.
"I...I don't believe this," Gohan managed to choke out. "She IS Pan!"
"NANI?!?!?" everyone cried at the top of their lungs, eyes practically
bulging out of their sockets. Then everyone looked from Pan to Mirai Pan,
back and forth. Pan just looked up at her future self with wide eyes, not
believing what she had just learned.
"That girl...is ME?" She walked up to Mirai Pan, and looked at her up and
down. Pan didn't get it. The boys at school always teased her and told her
that she was ugly. She had started to believe it, too. But this girl was so
beautiful! This was how she was going to look when she got older? Ha, if
only those stupid boys knew about this! "Are you really me?" she asked.
Finally, Mirai Pan lifted her head, the tears in her eyes obvious. "Hai."
Another shriek of disbelief took over everyone when Mirai Pan confirmed her
identity. Everyone just stared at her, dumbfounded and not really knowing
what to say. Meanwhile, Goten mentally slapped himself. 'I'm such a baka!' he
said to himself. 'I can't believe I was thinking about my NIECE that way!'
No one, however, was more shocked than Trunks was. "Pan-chan...I don't
believe this. That's Pan-chan," he muttered quietly.
"Well, if you've come from the future, does this mean that the Earth is in
danger again?" Goku asked.
"Hai, Ojiisama. Very much so," Mirai Pan said, causing everyone to speak
worriedly amongst themselves.
"We must find a more private place to talk, minna," Mirai Trunks said.
"That's a good idea," Bulma agreed. "Come on, we can all go to my house."
* * *
By the time everyone got to the Briefs home, the initial shock had worn off,
and everyone was ready to find out what was up. They all gathered in the
living room, and once again tears began to form in Mirai Pan's eyes. Mirai
Trunks held her, trying to comfort her as the sight of her family brought
back the memory of their deaths.
Goku looked at the future version of his granddaughter with deep concern. Pan
never allowed herself to cry in front of people ever since she was seven
years old. 'Something really terrible must have happened for her to be this
emotional,' Goku thought.
"Pan-chan, be strong," Mirai Trunks whispered into her ear.
She nodded, wiping her eyes, and turned her attention to everyone in the
room.
"I don't get this. How is it that you know Mirai Trunks? I thought Gohan
died in his world, there's no way you could have even existed," Kuririn said.
"Well...that, with everything else, is an extremely long story. Kaasan,"
Mirai Pan said, looking at Videl, "I think you had better sit down for this."
* * *
When everyone thought they'd had enough shocks for one day, Mirai Pan gave
them the mother of them all. She laid out her entire story to them: Zio's
invasion, the fall of the Z Soldiers, how Lutz had rescued her, Bra and Goten
and told her the truth of her lineage, how she learned to use Mystoke, and
how she destroyed Zio...as well as the entire earth. Everyone listened,
horrified and dumbfounded when Mirai Pan explained to them the power of the
Forbidden Technique and that it had been strong enough to disintegrate the
entire world. Videl just sat there, stunned to hear about the truth of her
bloodline, that her mother had actually been a royal princess of some far off
planet.
"When the fight was over, I decided I had to do something. I wanted to come
back in time, and possibly prevent Zio from killing all of you. But the first
time I tried it, something went wrong, and I ended up in Mirai Trunks'
timeline. That's how we met, and then he decided that he wanted to come back
with me. And so...here we are," Mirai Pan finished.
"How did you travel back in time? Was there another time machine?" Bulma
asked her.
Mirai Pan shook her head. "I used this," she said, lifting the pendant from
around her neck.
"You used THAT to travel back in time? So it has some kind of special power?"
Videl asked, shocked again.
"Yes, but if you don't know how to use Mystoke properly then you can't use
the pendant either. Which brings me to the next subject. I've come back to
train my younger self in the art of Mystoke."
Everyone looked at the younger Pan, then back at Mirai Pan. "Kaasan, since
you also have Dahlian blood, I could train you as well. The more prepared you
are for Zio, the better off you'll be."
"But I haven't trained in years! I don't know if I can!"
"I admit, it will be much harder for you, because you're older and the
younger you are the easier it is to learn it. But it's in your blood, you
have to learn as much as you can," Mirai Pan explained.
"Can't the rest of us do anything to help?" Goku asked.
"I'm afraid not. Only people in the Dahlian royal family can learn this
magic."
"Pan, I'm curious. What does it say on the back of the pendant?" Videl asked.
"It's written in an ancient Dahlian code. It says,'Through time and space, in
future and past, the beautiful magic will never fade,'" Mirai Pan said.
"Appropriate," Mirai Trunks commented.
"So this Zio person...nobody can fight him unless they know magic?" Gohan
asked.
"That's right. It was even a miracle that Bra-chan and Uncle Goten survived.
Lutz saved us just in time, I suppose," Mirai Pan said, her voice growing
heavy.
"Exactly when is he supposed to invade?" Vegeta asked.
"In about another five years, on November 6th. By then I'm sure Young Pan
will know the magic as well as I do, probably better. However, a year of that
training is going to have to take place on Dahlia."
"What?! A YEAR?!" Videl cried.
"Yes. You have to learn the Dahlian style of swordsmanship, and you also have
to train with the head sorcerer, Lutz. But that time won't come for a while.
You have to be skilled in the basics first," Mirai Pan said.
"So...we can expect you to be here for quite a while then?" Trunks asked.
"I'm not leaving here until I know Zio isn't a threat to this world. Only
then will I leave," she said.
"When should we start the training?" Videl asked.
"As soon as possible. The sooner the better," Mirai Pan told her.
"Can we start tonight? I want to learn magic!" Pan said with enthusiasm.
"I think that would be a little too soon. So much has happened today, I don't
think I would be able to comprehend much tonight," Videl sighed.
"Why don't we all have a nice dinner together, so we can relax and talk about
more pleasant things?" Chichi suggested.
"Food! All right!" Goten cheered.
"Hai, after that workout you gave me, Pan-chan, I feel like I could eat twice
my normal food intake!" Goku laughed.
"I'm sorry I was so arrogant with you, Ojiisama. I just wanted to see if I
could win, that's all," Mirai Pan apologized.
"Don't worry about it. At least you proved all of us wrong! We all thought
that since you're only a quarter Saiyajin, that you wouldn't be able to
become Super Saiyajin. I'm proud of you, Pan-chan, and that's the truth."
"And so am I," Gohan said, giving his "older" daughter a hug. "Welcome home,
Pan-chan."
* * *
For dinner, everyone decided that they wanted yakitori. (AN: for those of you
who don't know, yakitori is Japanese shesh kebab. It's really yummy! =D )
Since the weather was so nice, they set up picnic tables outside while they
cooked enough yakitori to feed a Saiyajin army.
"Pan, dear, you're going to be staying with us, right?" Chichi asked as
everyone began to eat.
"Well...we brought capsule houses with us. I don't want to inconvenience
you."
"Darling, you're my granddaughter. You could never be an inconvenience,"
Chichi told her.
"And Mirai Trunks, you can stay here," Bulma said. "I insist."
"Well...all right, I don't see why I shouldn't," Mirai Trunks shrugged.
Mirai Pan was getting drilled with all kinds of questions about Zio. Trunks,
who sat across from her, couldn't stop staring at her. Mirai Trunks noticed
this, and began to wonder once again what was going through his alter ego's
mind. 'If he's anything like me, I'm sure he fell in love with her the moment
he saw her,' he thought. 'Baka...he IS you!'
Mirai Trunks sighed. He then recalled how she had been calling to him in her
sleep. She had been calling to the other Trunks, not him. But HE was the one
who had dreamt of her night after night. While she had been asleep, Mirai
Trunks vowed to her that he wouldn't leave her, and had sealed his promise
with a kiss. He wasn't about let anyone come in between him and keeping that
promise...not even his other self.
* * *
After dinner, Mirai Pan helped Bulma, her mother and grandmother clean up
outside. Trunks saw her clearing off the tables by herself and took the
opportunity to make conversation with her.
"This is quite a surprise, Pan-chan. I can't believe it's you. You've grown
up so beautifully, I can hardly believe my eyes," he said.
"Thank you, Trunks," she said as she blushed slightly.
"And I envy your fighting skills, too. You've gotten so fast!"
"Well, that's one of the perks of being a magician, I guess. And I'm sorry if
I seemed...well, a little stuck-up during the match with you."
"That's okay, Pan-chan. You know I can't stay mad at you for long," he said
with a smile.
Mirai Trunks watched from a distance as his other self was talking with Mirai
Pan, feeling somewhat jealous. He wanted to tell the other Trunks to back
off, that she was HIS...
"Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into, boy."
He turned to see Vegeta standing behind him.
"Eh...hello, um...Tousan."
"You don't even know how deep you're in," Vegeta said.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that girl."
"What about Pan?"
"You've fallen for her. No...you haven't just fallen for her, you've actually
gone and BONDED with her."
"Bonded?"
"Yes. I've seen how you look at each other. You feel strongly for her, and
she feels the same for you, and somehow you've connected to each other."
"Connected?" It was outrageous, but it made sense. 'No wonder we were able to
speak telepathically to each other,' he thought. "So...you're saying..."
Vegeta sighed. He had to spell it out. "She's your lifemate, you baka."
"Lifemate!?" Mirai Trunks said in shock. "Are...are you sure about this?"
"Of course I am."
"I...I do love her, Tousan. She's the most incredible person I've ever met.
But..."
"But?"
"She's not from my time. If we were to be together, I would have to leave my
world, or she would have to leave hers. She's a QUEEN, Tousan, and I can't
take that from her."
"Then go with her to her world."
"It's not that easy."
"Boy, I will tell you right now that if you go your separate ways and don't
stay with each other, both you and the girl will feel wretched for the rest
of your existence. Bonding with someone is not to be taken lightly. If you
are without each other, it could very well kill one or both of you. That is
how strong a Saiyajin bond is," Vegeta told him.
"Oh, boy," Mirai Trunks sighed in frustration. 'Me and Pan-chan, lifemates?'
He shouldn't have been so surprised. He had wished for that to be so the
moment he first saw her. But he didn't think Pan would actually feel the same
way. If what Vegeta said was true...that they could die without one
another...
The promise he made to her once again entered his mind. His coming with her
to the past was not just because he loved her, but because of what Vegeta
said...he may have died and become miserable if she left him and never
returned. But also, they had just met. If he told her now that they
supposedly "bonded" it was sure to scare her off. He WAS NOT going to break
his promise to her. When the time was right, he would confess his love, and
somehow...he would find a way to stay with her.
* * *
The Sons stayed at the Briefs' until well past midnight. All night long,
Young Pan was asking her older self a thousand questions about magic and what
it was like being a princess. Before Mirai Pan left with her family, she said
good night to Mirai Trunks.
"Thank you again, Trunks," she said as she hugged him. "I couldn't have done
this without your help."
"I told you, I'll always be here for you, Pan-chan. I'm not leaving you
anytime soon," he said as he hugged her back.
"Good night, Trunks," she said as she kissed him on the cheek. He returned
the gesture by kissing her on the forehead.
"Good night, Pan-chan."
Meanwhile, another blue-eyed, lavender-haired figure watched them from around
the corner, jealousy gnawing at his heart.
'What are you jealous of, Trunks? Yourself?' He sighed. 'I wonder if they
love each other...'
Then, he thought about Pan as a little girl. He was still having a hard time
believing that a little tomboy like her would grow up to be someone so
elegant and beautiful. And, provided they would be able to defeat this Zio,
he would watch her become the swan that was before him. The younger Pan was
fourteen years younger than him, but knowing that she would be like THIS
when she was older...
"Hi, Trunks!"
Startled, Trunks turned to see Young Pan behind him.
"Oh, eh...hi, Pan-chan," he said.
"Trunks, you weren't spying on them, were you?" she whispered as she looked
around the corner.
"Um...well..."
"Can you believe it, Trunks? I still can't believe that she's me. I can't
believe how pretty I am! Aren't I pretty, Trunks?" Pan asked excitedly.
"Yes, Pan-chan. She is very pretty," he agreed, smiling at her.
"I want to be just like that when I'm older, Trunks. Pretty and strong." She
took off her orange bandana and handed it to him. "Here. Keep this for me,
okay?"
"But...Pan-chan, you love this! You never go anywhere without it!" Trunks
said.
"I know. But I want to be like her, Trunks. She doesn't wear it, so I'm not
going to either. I'm going to be just like her one day, Trunks. Just wait and
see."
* * *
Later on, at the Son residence, Mirai Pan couldn't sleep. She got up and sat
outside, looking up at the stars. The stars on Dahlia were so different, and
she had almost forgotten what the night sky here looked like. So many
memories...
She was with her family again. Then, the images of their deaths once again
appeared in her mind. So much pain...
Finally, she did the one thing she had been wanting to do ever since that
afternoon. She began to sob, and tears overtook her and she couldn't stop it.
"Pan-chan?"
Mirai Pan hadn't noticed her grandfather walk outside next to her.
"Pan-chan, what's wrong?"
"Ojiisama," she sobbed in a choked voice, going into his arms.
"It's okay, Pan-chan. You know you can always talk to me, right? Why don't
you tell your grandpa everything?"
"Ojiisama...it was so horrible. I had to watch...everybody die. I don't know
what I would have done if Uncle Goten and Bra hadn't survived. I've missed
you all so much, Ojiisama," Mirai Pan cried softly as her grandfather
consoled her.
"I can't imagine how difficult things have been for you. But I'm glad your
Uncle and Bra-chan are still there for you. And now, it seems that you have
Mirai Trunks as well, ne?"
She looked up at her grandfather in surprise.
"I've seen the way he looks at you, Pan-chan. He cares for you. Deeply. Maybe
it's even more than that. I think he loves you, and I think you love him
too."
"It...it's complicated, Ojiisama. I've loved Trunks all my life. But I don't
think he ever loved me. And now, with Mirai Trunks...he's different from the
Trunks I knew, and the possiblity that he could love me is so ironic. We come
from two different realities, two different worlds. We can't be together."
"Pan-chan," Goku said gently. "If you love him, and he loves you, you'll find
a way. If you love each other, nothing's going to keep you apart." He gave
his granddaughter a warm smile. "Remember that."
* * *
When he finally got the chance to be alone, Mirai Trunks took the time to
call his mother.
"Trunks! You guys made it!" she said happily.
"Hai, Kaasan. We've already met everyone from this time and told them
everything. How are things going at home?"
"Oh, Trunks. Things are not looking well. The environment is still getting
worse, and by my calculations, within a year and a half our water supply will
be completely ruined. We need to find a new planet to inhabit, and soon."
"Oh, no. Kaasan, isn't there any way to fix it?"
"We've tried everything, Trunks. Nothing seems to work. The cyborgs did a
very thorough job destroying this world, there's no doubt about that."
Mirai Trunks became disturbed. He wasn't sure how long it would be before he
returned home. Pan didn't want to leave until her mother and her younger self
were trained, and that would take a few years at most. They had already sent
a team out in space to either look for a new planet to inhabit or to find a
way to save the earth.
"We haven't given up hope yet, Trunks. We'll find a way, don't worry."
"I know you will, Kaasan."
When he finished talking with his mother, Mirai Trunks was deep in thought.
'A new planet. I wonder...'
* * *
'Pan-chan! Pan-chan! Are you awake?'
Mirai Pan jumped in surprise when she heard his voice in her mind again.
'Trunks?'
'Hai. Still up?'
'I can't sleep very well. What's up?'
'Pan-chan...what's it like on Dahlia?'
'Hmm? Why do you ask?'
'I...just want to know. I want to know everything about it.'
'Everything?'
'Everything.'
'Well...it's beautiful. It's smaller than the earth, but it's the largest
planet in the Alisa solar system. The weather is always gorgeous, and it
rarely ever gets cold. But nighttime is the best. The stars...they're so
different there. The constellations are incredible. The beaches are so clean
and beautiful, and we have blue dolphins on Dahlia. They're so friendly, you
can swim with them all day long.'
'Wow...'
'And Dahlians have the best cuisine I've ever tasted. Crops are always
plentiful there, and the marketplaces are a shopper's dream. There are
islands, mountains, and forests everywhere, and the lagoons on the islands
are simply breathtaking. All of the animals are beautiful, and I have a lot of
strange pets at home.'
'Like what?'
'Well, I have a winged horse named Tenshi, and I also have two Dahlian
Panthers named Yuki and Tenka.'
'Dahlian Panthers?'
'They look and move just like panthers, but they're completely white and have
silver eyes. And they're very friendly with people. Not only that, but all
of the animals on Dahlia can talk.'
'Really?'
'Hai. My pets are my best friends, and I talk to them about everything.'
'How big is the population?'
She was beginning to wonder why he was asking all this. 'It used to be much
larger than it is now, but it's never been anywhere near Earth's population.
Before the wars when my great grandparents ruled it was about 250,000. Now
there are less than 30,000.'
'It sounds like a really great place, Pan-chan. I wish I could see it.'
'You can.'
'How?'
'When I take my mother and my younger self to Dahlia for their training
there. You can come with us.'
'Do you really mean it?'
'Of course. I'm sure Bra-chan and Uncle Goten would love to meet you.'
'That sounds wonderful, Pan-chan. I can hardly wait.'
Whoa, I got this done a lot faster than I thought I would! I dunno when I'll
finish the next one, maybe in a week but I'm not sure. As always, I hope
everyone enjoyed it! =D
R&R please!
Sincerely,
Lady S