Mysterious Beauty
Chapter 11: Our Song
By Lady Starra
Rating: PG-13
presea94@netscape.net
See foreword for standard disclaimers.
Umm, okay. I lied...there's not another wedding in this chapter! ^^; But at
least I got this one up a lot faster! Anyhoo, this is rated PG-13 for sexual
references, nothing too bad though. It may not even be worth a PG-13, but
it's better to be safe than sorry, I guess. And I humbly apologize if this
chapter seems like filler, but...there IS stuff that's crucial to the story,
aside from all the WAFF I put in this one. Hope you enjoy it!
*********************************************************************
"Phew! What a wild party that was. I can't believe we're gonna have to do the
same thing when we get married. I can barely walk right now," an exhausted
Mirai Goten said to his fiancee.
"Perhaps you had a little too much wine, dearest," Mirai Bra said.
"Well, I had every reason to celebrate. My niece is married to the man she
loves, and for the first time in seven years, she's truly happy. And...so am
I."
"Me too, Goten. Me too."
They arrived at his room, and she helped him inside and he collapsed on his
bed. "You look exhausted. Get some rest, Goten."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to him, stopping her from leaving.
"Goten!"
"Stay here."
"Goten...I'm so tired! You can't possibly want to..."
"No, no. Just...sleep here, beside me...in my arms."
"Goten, I'm still wearing my formal."
"So take it off. It's not like I haven't seen what's underneath. I just want
you beside me right now. So that when I wake up...I'll know that everything
that's happening isn't a dream."
"Goten..."
He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "I'm gonna make you the happiest
bride, Bra-chan. And I'll never stop loving you, even after I die."
Smiling, she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. "Promise?"
"I swear it."
*********************************************************************
Trunks woke up as a ray of sunshine hit him right in the face. Yawning, he
got up and opened his window, breathing in the smell of the garden flowers
from below.
"Everyone else is probably just now going to bed," he said. The night before,
Trunks stuck around at the wedding feast long enough to eat everything he
could and then went straight to his room. No way was he staying up until
daybreak after the long day that had taken place. "Now it's time to go to
work," he said as he dressed and prepared to fly to the Techna facility.
However, on his way out he noticed some men who seemed to be working on some
kind of space craft on the ground. Curious, he landed and recognized two of
the men as engineers from Techna.
"Oh, good morning, sir. Are you not retiring from the party like everyone
else?" one of the men asked.
"No, I wanted to work today so I went to bed early. What is this thing?"
Trunks asked, looking up at the ship.
"This? It's the king and queen's wedding gift from the staff at Techna. It's their private luxury spaceship. Beautiful, isn't it? Not only does it travel
in space, but it can transform to sail on the water, too. And it can also
hover along the ground for local travel, and being inside is just like
staying in a top-notch resort hotel."
"It's pretty huge for just two people."
"Well, nothing less for our lovely queen and our new king!"
Trunks looked at the ship's name written on the side. "The White Dahlia?"
"Yes, the planet was named after the flowers that are most common here,
dahlias. They come in all sorts of colors, but I guess the queen's favorite
are the white ones, so that's what they named the ship."
"I never knew the facility was building something like this. I didn't think
your technology had been restored enough yet," Trunks said, admiring the
craftsmanship of the vessel.
"We didn't before you arrived, but your mother is a genius. She has helped us
greatly since coming here. We were able to get this done in no time thanks to
her."
"Tell me...are the plans to this ship at the facility?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. Why do you ask?"
"Because I might be interested in making a smaller model of this," he said,
getting another idea in his head. 'This could possibly be a hit for CC's next
airship model,' Trunks thought. 'Not to mention the perfect distraction from
other things for the next year.'
*********************************************************************
"The ship is ready to depart anytime, Your Majesty...er, Majesties," the
servant corrected himself.
"Thank you," Mirai Pan said, somewhat surprised herself at hearing the plural
for the first time. She knew it would be especially difficult for Trunks at
first. Over time, though, he'd get used to it, just as she had.
"Ready to go?" she asked. He remained silent, looking out of their bedroom
window. "What's the matter, Trunks?"
"It's...just so hard for me to believe everything that's happening. I've had
nothing but hardships in my life, but now...it's almost like everything's
perfect," he said. Smiling, she hugged him from behind.
"Everything IS perfect, Trunks. It's perfect, because we have each other now.
I never thought I would see this day, either. Before I left to fight Zio, I
was convinced I'd never be happy again. But Fate was kind enough to bring us
together. I know now, that when the pendant brought me to your world, it was
no accident. This was meant to happen, Trunks. It was my destiny to find you."
He turned around and kissed her, then looked into her eyes. "I love you, Pan-chan."
"I love you too, Trunks. Now, let's go see this new ship they've been keeping
a secret from me."
They walked out to the front of the palace, where The White Dahlia awaited
them.
"Wow...it's huge!" the queen remarked, awestruck.
"She's a real gem, Majesty. Superior accomodations inside as well. It can be
capsulized too, so you won't have to worry about leaving it by itself. Allow
me to give you a tour," Maia said.
"Thank you. I can't wait to see the inside!"
The ship was everything two honeymooners could want...an extremely large bed,
an oversized bathtub, plus baskets filled with fruits, chocolates, and other
goodies, all gifts from the merchants in Dahlia City. The ship's interiors
were designed in an ancient Roman setting, and there was even an indoor pool
and hot tub. Maia explained how to work the controls, and how to use the
autopilot for their trip to Azura. Trunks was pretty confident that he could
work all the controls...they weren't much different from any of CC's usual
gadgets.
"Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon, Your Majesties. I'm sure Aron and
Lutz will have no problems taking care of things until you get back," Maia
assured them.
"There's really not anything big going on right now, other than the plans for
my uncle's wedding. I don't think there should be any problems. And thank
you, Maia, for this gorgeous ship. I know we'll enjoy it."
"Well, the one you should really thank is Bulma. Most of this was her idea.
Or, should I say, THEIR idea. It's thanks to them that we've been able to
pick up the pace at Techna," Maia said.
"My mother's always up for a new challenge. I'm sure she loves working out
there. Now that she's here to live on the planet, it'll probably be where
she's gonna spend the most time," Trunks said.
"We couldn't do without her, Your Majesty. Well, I believe everything is in
order. You can use the communicator in the control room if you run into any technical trouble. Have a safe trip, Majesties."
"Thanks again, Maia."
Maia left the ship, and Trunks sat in the pilot's seat and got the ship
ready. "Sit down and buckle up, Pan-chan. We're taking off."
Pan sat in the co-pilot seat next to Trunks and strapped her seatbelt on, and after pushing a few buttons and pulling a lever here and there, the ship lifted off the ground.
"Wow, this thing is pretty smooth. I hope it lands as well as it takes off,"
Trunks said as he piloted the ship into space. He took in the sight of the
planet as they got further and further away. "It's beautiful. It looks a lot
like earth."
"It does. Azura's very similar to it."
"I know you really wanna go sightseeing Pan-chan, but...can't I have my time
with you first?" he asked.
"Hmm. What do you have in mind?" she asked, smirking.
"Well, I was hoping you would know of a nice, quiet place we could park the
ship so we could relax before we turn into non-stop tourists."
"Hmm. I know. There's a really isolated place on Aridia that we can go to."
"Aridia?"
"Yes, the other planet that neighbors us. Aridia is nothing but desert, and
the people there live on oasis colonies. But I'm sure there are a few places
we can go that are totally empty. Let me set the course."
Pan navigated the ship straight to Aridia, and landed right in the middle of
one of its larger deserts away from most of the colonies. It was nighttime on
that particular part of the planet, and through the ship windows, all of the
stars were perfectly visible.
"Ah. Beautiful. This place is perfect," Trunks said as he got up from his seat and went back to their room, laying back on the large, comfy bed. "Why
leave the ship when everything we could possibly do is right here? We won't
even need to use the pool if we want to swim. The bathtub itself is big
enough."
"There you go, being a party pooper again. I don't intend to stay in this
ship our whole honeymoon," she told him.
"Just promise me that we'll get some private time every now and again, okay?"
"Of course, my king. I could never deny you anything you wanted."
"Then come here," he said as he pulled her down on the bed, giving her a
deep, passionate kiss as their honeymoon officially began.
*********************************************************************
"What? Leave? Where are we going?" Videl asked Lutz, slightly confused.
"We have to start your training. The easiest way for us to complete this is
for us to stay at Esper Mansion for a while," Lutz said.
"Esper Mansion?"
"It's the queen's country estate. Also, there won't be any distractions out
there, which will make it easier for you to train. But with this training,
we'll be moving from place to place a lot. You'll understand once we start."
"How long will we be there?"
"It depends on how long it takes you to master that particular skill. It
could be weeks, perhaps months. It shouldn't take you more than six months to
completely finish this segment of your training."
"I see. Well, when do we leave?"
"Soon. We will be spending our evenings there, so your husband may come
along, if he wishes. He won't be able to spend time with you during the day,
though."
"Lutz," a voice interrupted. It was Goku. "May I come along as well? I'd like
to observe the training. I promise I won't get in the way, I just want to see
some of what you're teaching. Perhaps Gohan and I could train during the day
as well, that way he won't be stuck with nothing to do all day."
"Hmm...I guess that would be all right. Very well, then. We'll be leaving
shortly."
*********************************************************************
"Ohhhh...I wasn't expecting this. Goten-kun, Bra-chan, get up!"
Mirai Bra and Mirai Goten woke up groggily from their peaceful slumber,
surprised to see who was standing there.
"Kaasan?" Goten said.
"Have you been here since the party ended? You've slept for an eternity. Pan-chan
and Mirai Trunks have already left. I looked for you in your room, Bra-chan,
but you weren't there. I figured you were out and about, I didn't think I'd
find you in here."
"Kaasan, what's going on?" Mirai Goten asked, rubbing his eyes.
"We have to start getting things ready for your wedding, silly! I wanted to
take Bra-chan to town today so we could get started!" Chichi exclaimed.
"What...time is it?" Mirai Bra asked, yawning.
"It's noon. Get up, we have lots to do!"
*********************************************************************
Two newlyweds sat in a bubbly, warm bathtub, laughing and enjoying each
other's company. Soft music played in the background, and they were
surrounded by baskets of food as they sipped on some sparkiling champagne.
"Did I ever tell you that our planet is famous for its chocolate?" Mirai Pan
said as she opened a box from a shop she knew rather well.
"Nope, I don't believe you did. Is it that good?"
"Oh yes. You also might not have known, that before Earth was destroyed,
it was the only planet besides ours known to grow chocolate. Now Dahlia-sei
makes a large portion of its capital from chocolate, because people all over
the universe want it. Here, try some."
She stuffed a chocolate-covered berry in his mouth, and he nodded his head in
approval. "It's delicious. What kind of berry is that?"
"It's called a Blushberry. Like it?"
"Is there more?"
Smiling, she fed him another. "Having fun yet, my king?"
"Hmm...I sure am. Why can't we just stay like this for the whole honeymoon?"
"Oh, no. Don't go there again. I told you, I need to get out more. I haven't
had a real vacation since I became queen. And you'd better make the most of
this honeymoon, because now that you're king, you won't have a whole lot of
free time anymore, either."
"Not even time to be a parent?" he asked, and Pan blushed.
"I guess we could make time for that," she said.
"Honestly though, Pan-chan. I can't wait for us to have children. I grew up
without my father, so...I want to be the best father there is."
"Let me guess. You want to have a nice, strong little boy that you can train."
"Actually...I think I'd love to have a little girl."
"Really? Wow, that's not a typical male response."
"I'd want a little girl...because I'd want her to be just like you. Beautiful
and loving. Then I know I'd cherish her with all my heart," he said.
Close to tears, she hugged him tightly. "You really do say the sweetest
things."
"I only say what I feel, my love."
"So...you ready to head to Azura yet?"
"Hmm...not quite. Let's just stay like this...a little longer."
"If we stay in any longer we're gonna turn into prunes!"
"Just a few more minutes, love. Azura's still gonna be there in a few hours."
"Oh, fine. Just promise me something...don't spoil my fun on this trip, okay?"
He smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it, my love."
*********************************************************************
"Wow...this place is almost as big as the palace," Videl said, looking at the
large mansion in awe.
"Let us get settled in. The servants inside will show you to your rooms, and
then we can begin the training," Lutz said, leading them inside.
After finding their rooms and getting a quick tour of the place, Lutz took
them to the beach that was close by to start the "special" training. Goku and
Gohan insisted on coming along so they could observe just what was being
taught.
"This will be the most difficult aspect of your training as mages of the
Mystoke art. Starting today, I will begin training you on how to control the
elements around you," Lutz said.
"The elements?" Videl asked.
"Yes. The basic elements are water, earth, wind and fire. Once you've mastered all of these, you'll learn skills on how to turn water into ice, how
to harness lightning and control the atmosphere, and so on. Eventually you
will be able to make your own spells using the elements. That is where the
true power of this magic art lies. Master the elements, and the remainder of
your training will be child's play," Lutz told them.
"So then...are we gonna like, learn how to use fireballs and stuff?" Pan asked.
"Perhaps. Your older self didn't take a liking to the fire spells. She
prefers using the non-elemental spells over everything else. But you could be
different. We'll just have to see."
"Are we starting with water today, then?" Videl asked.
"Yes. However, keep in mind that this portion of your training is NOT an
overnight process. It takes even the most skilled person at least six months
to learn it in its entirety. It could even take you longer, depending on
which elements you have the most trouble with, if any."
"Let's get started. I want to complete all this as soon as possible," Videl said.
"Very well. Let us begin."
*********************************************************************
"I'm glad we have a chance to talk by ourselves, Bra-chan. I really haven't gotten to know you...well, the older you...all that well. So, tell me
everything about your relationship with Goten. When did you realize how you
felt about each other? Was it recently? Or was it a while ago?"
Bra smiled somewhat nervously at Chichi's enthusiasm. "Well...to tell you the
truth, I've loved Goten for as long as I can remember. But...he didn't seem
to actually start feeling the same way until Pan-chan left to fight Zio. We'd
gotten closer since all the tragedy happened, and he came to care about me
more, I suppose."
"I never would've guessed he would end up with you. But I'm happy, knowing
that he's found someone he loves. It thrills me to see that he's finally
matured. I mean, the servants at the palace call him "Lord" Goten. I never
thought he would ever be in a place of such high rank."
"Well, he is the queen's uncle, after all. A lot of people really respect and
admire him. Everything that happened on Earth forced him to grow up too, I
guess. He wants to protect and fight for what he has left."
"I wish you three didn't have to suffer so much. But...let's not talk about
unpleasant things. What plans have been made for the wedding so far? Have
they started on your dress? Where will you be having the ceremony? I've been
so preoccupied with Pan-chan's wedding, I haven't had time to help with yours."
"It's all right, Chichi-san. Actually, I haven't decided what kind of dress I
want yet. There are two different styles I like, but I don't know which one I
should choose," Bra said.
"Well, perhaps we can sort that out today. And I'm sure your mother would like to be there while we do this."
"My mother?" Bra said as she chuckled slightly. "Which one?"
*********************************************************************
"So. That's the place where the night never ends?" Mirai Trunks asked, looking out at the lights of the vast city.
"Yup. That's Casba, the City of Eternal Moonlight. Come on, let's put the
ship in its capsule and go look around!"
"Sure, looks like fun. There's gotta be some good food in a town that big."
As to not attract attention to their gluttonous eating habits, they went to
several restaurants sampling the different cuisine rather than splurging at
just one place. Trunks had to admit, the Alisa Galaxy had some of the best
food he'd ever tasted in his life.
"Laerma Nuts! Get your roasted Laerma Nuts here!"
"Wow...they smell really good. Is that how they always smell?" Trunks asked
the vendor.
"No, they're roasted in brown honey and coated with sugar and hazelspice. Try
a sample, they're really delicious!"
"Yum...Pan-chan, let's get some."
"Aren't you full yet? And here I thought I could eat a lot."
"We'll take two," Trunks said as he paid the vendor and handed Pan a bag of nuts.
"Honestly, Trunks. I thought you would be done after you ate all those
sweetcakes two blocks ago," she said.
"Hey, there's always room for more."
"You're as bad as my uncle. Listen, why don't we go shop over at the Crystal
Square? I wanna bring back gifts for everyone."
"Whatever you want, love. But don't forget, you promised me some private time."
Pan sighed. He was hopeless. Fighting, food and sex. It seemed that was all
he ever thought about lately. Not that those were necessarily bad things...
A FEW HOURS LATER...
"What's this stone called?"
"The bronze-colored one? It's called an Amber Eye. It's one of the more
expensive jewels here," the merchant said.
"Maybe I'll get this for Bra-chan. She likes collecting jewels like this.
I'll take it." Pan said.
"We've been shopping for hours. Can't we do something else now?" Trunks
complained.
"Well...I guess I could always shop more when we go to the next city.
Besides, it's almost time for us to catch our show."
"Show?"
"Yes, we have tickets to go see a musical downtown. It's based on one of my
favorite plays."
"What's it called?"
"It's called The Mysterious Beauty. I've always wanted to see it on stage.
Come on!"
"What about our private time?"
"Trunks..."
"I know, I know. I'm spoiling your fun."
*********************************************************************
"Concentrate. Focus only on the water. Clear your mind of everything else.
Let the powers you already have guide you," Lutz instructed, as Videl and
Young Pan sat on the beach, eyes closed, trying to do as he said.
'Maybe I can learn just by watching,' Goku thought, as he observed what was
happening on the beach. 'I HAVE to help in this fight. I have to protect my
family at all costs.'
"Tousan?"
Goku turned in the direction of the voice. "Oh...hello, Gohan."
"Anything interesting happen with their training yet?"
"No, not really. They're just starting out, after all."
"Tousan...I was hoping I could talk to you about something," Gohan said with
a serious tone.
"What is it?"
"Can we go back to the mansion? I'd rather we talked in private."
"Oh...sure thing."
They returned to Esper Mansion and sat in the downstairs parlor. "Tousan,
I've...I've really had a lot on my mind lately."
"Oh? Like what?"
"Well...Mirai Pan, for one thing. Since the day she came to us...I've been a
little scared. Not only about the future, but...other things, too."
"You're scared for Little Pan?"
"Yes, Tousan. But...the wedding...I didn't know if I could handle it. I mean,
my little girl is only eleven years old. And...watching her as a grown woman,
right before my eyes, and...giving her away to Mirai Trunks..."
"You were really overwhelmed, weren't you?"
"Yes. I mean, I'm happy knowing that she'll grow up to be beautiful and
powerful, but..."
"But?"
"I...I can't let her fight alone! Especially with Videl involved. Tousan,
what would happen if I lost them? What if they can't defeat Zio? I would hate
myself, hate myself for not being able to do anything!"
"Gohan...I understand. That's why I asked Lutz if he would train me."
"You did? What...did he say?"
"He said there were some aspects I could learn, but not the entire magic art
itself. It goes against their laws, I guess. But since he'll be busy with Pan
and Videl, he said I could train with Mirai Pan when she gets back."
"Tousan! I have to train with you! I want to help fight, too. I have to help
protect everyone!"
"Okay. We'll talk to Lutz about it tonight."
*********************************************************************
"Well, thanks for dragging me to that musical after all. I actually really
liked it."
"Princess Serra has got to be my favorite heroine of all time. The music and
acrobatics were just spectacular," Mirai Pan said, sighing as they stepped
inside the ship.
"Well...I liked it for a different reason. That Princess Serra...actually
reminded me a lot of you," he said.
"Me? Why?"
"Well...didn't you think the story was similar to our own life?"
"Similar?"
"Think about it. A lonely warrior has a dream, about a beautiful princess.
When he finds her, he learns that her people are in danger and decides to
help her overcome the villain. Along the way, they fall in love. And the
princess has great powers, just like you. That all sounds pretty familiar, wouldn't you say?"
Thinking about what he just said, Pan finally realized the irony of it. She
smiled. "I guess you're right. I can't believe I didn't catch on before. I
know...how about this? Every year on our anniversary, we'll come back to
Casba and watch it again."
"Well, not only that, but we can listen to it whenever we want to," he said,
holding up the small disc case in his hand.
"Hey...you bought the soundtrack!"
"When I was watching the show...I realized we didn't have our own song." He
put the disc in the music player and took her in his arms. "Dance with me,
Pan-chan."
Smiling, she laid her head on his chest as a familiar song played in the
background.
I have dreamt the beautiful dream,
And have seen it come true,
Have you dreamt of me,
As I have of you?
Your face I couldn't see,
Your voice I didn't know.
And the day you came to me,
I felt complete, from head to toe.
My mysterious beauty,
I fell in love with you that night.
My mysterious beauty,
For you, I will always fight.
My mysterious beauty,
Who has filled my empty heart,
My mysterious beauty,
From you, I shall never be apart.
Pan felt tears as the accuracy of the song hit home. "So...from now on...this
is our song," she said.
"Yes, Pan-chan. From now on, if you ever feel depressed...listen to the song.
Listen to it, and know just how much I love you."
* End for now. *
Okay, um...I'm pretty good at story writing but...I suck at poetry, IMO. Yes,
the lyrics to that song are my own. I was gonna use a real song here, but...I
just thought it would be more dramatically powerful if I used my own. I still
think I could have written it better. Ah, well. But the future Bra and Goten
WILL be getting married in the next chapter...I promise!
Read, review, and be merry! =)
Sincerely,
Lady S
Chapter 11: Our Song
By Lady Starra
Rating: PG-13
presea94@netscape.net
See foreword for standard disclaimers.
Umm, okay. I lied...there's not another wedding in this chapter! ^^; But at
least I got this one up a lot faster! Anyhoo, this is rated PG-13 for sexual
references, nothing too bad though. It may not even be worth a PG-13, but
it's better to be safe than sorry, I guess. And I humbly apologize if this
chapter seems like filler, but...there IS stuff that's crucial to the story,
aside from all the WAFF I put in this one. Hope you enjoy it!
*********************************************************************
"Phew! What a wild party that was. I can't believe we're gonna have to do the
same thing when we get married. I can barely walk right now," an exhausted
Mirai Goten said to his fiancee.
"Perhaps you had a little too much wine, dearest," Mirai Bra said.
"Well, I had every reason to celebrate. My niece is married to the man she
loves, and for the first time in seven years, she's truly happy. And...so am
I."
"Me too, Goten. Me too."
They arrived at his room, and she helped him inside and he collapsed on his
bed. "You look exhausted. Get some rest, Goten."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to him, stopping her from leaving.
"Goten!"
"Stay here."
"Goten...I'm so tired! You can't possibly want to..."
"No, no. Just...sleep here, beside me...in my arms."
"Goten, I'm still wearing my formal."
"So take it off. It's not like I haven't seen what's underneath. I just want
you beside me right now. So that when I wake up...I'll know that everything
that's happening isn't a dream."
"Goten..."
He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "I'm gonna make you the happiest
bride, Bra-chan. And I'll never stop loving you, even after I die."
Smiling, she closed her eyes and snuggled closer to him. "Promise?"
"I swear it."
*********************************************************************
Trunks woke up as a ray of sunshine hit him right in the face. Yawning, he
got up and opened his window, breathing in the smell of the garden flowers
from below.
"Everyone else is probably just now going to bed," he said. The night before,
Trunks stuck around at the wedding feast long enough to eat everything he
could and then went straight to his room. No way was he staying up until
daybreak after the long day that had taken place. "Now it's time to go to
work," he said as he dressed and prepared to fly to the Techna facility.
However, on his way out he noticed some men who seemed to be working on some
kind of space craft on the ground. Curious, he landed and recognized two of
the men as engineers from Techna.
"Oh, good morning, sir. Are you not retiring from the party like everyone
else?" one of the men asked.
"No, I wanted to work today so I went to bed early. What is this thing?"
Trunks asked, looking up at the ship.
"This? It's the king and queen's wedding gift from the staff at Techna. It's their private luxury spaceship. Beautiful, isn't it? Not only does it travel
in space, but it can transform to sail on the water, too. And it can also
hover along the ground for local travel, and being inside is just like
staying in a top-notch resort hotel."
"It's pretty huge for just two people."
"Well, nothing less for our lovely queen and our new king!"
Trunks looked at the ship's name written on the side. "The White Dahlia?"
"Yes, the planet was named after the flowers that are most common here,
dahlias. They come in all sorts of colors, but I guess the queen's favorite
are the white ones, so that's what they named the ship."
"I never knew the facility was building something like this. I didn't think
your technology had been restored enough yet," Trunks said, admiring the
craftsmanship of the vessel.
"We didn't before you arrived, but your mother is a genius. She has helped us
greatly since coming here. We were able to get this done in no time thanks to
her."
"Tell me...are the plans to this ship at the facility?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. Why do you ask?"
"Because I might be interested in making a smaller model of this," he said,
getting another idea in his head. 'This could possibly be a hit for CC's next
airship model,' Trunks thought. 'Not to mention the perfect distraction from
other things for the next year.'
*********************************************************************
"The ship is ready to depart anytime, Your Majesty...er, Majesties," the
servant corrected himself.
"Thank you," Mirai Pan said, somewhat surprised herself at hearing the plural
for the first time. She knew it would be especially difficult for Trunks at
first. Over time, though, he'd get used to it, just as she had.
"Ready to go?" she asked. He remained silent, looking out of their bedroom
window. "What's the matter, Trunks?"
"It's...just so hard for me to believe everything that's happening. I've had
nothing but hardships in my life, but now...it's almost like everything's
perfect," he said. Smiling, she hugged him from behind.
"Everything IS perfect, Trunks. It's perfect, because we have each other now.
I never thought I would see this day, either. Before I left to fight Zio, I
was convinced I'd never be happy again. But Fate was kind enough to bring us
together. I know now, that when the pendant brought me to your world, it was
no accident. This was meant to happen, Trunks. It was my destiny to find you."
He turned around and kissed her, then looked into her eyes. "I love you, Pan-chan."
"I love you too, Trunks. Now, let's go see this new ship they've been keeping
a secret from me."
They walked out to the front of the palace, where The White Dahlia awaited
them.
"Wow...it's huge!" the queen remarked, awestruck.
"She's a real gem, Majesty. Superior accomodations inside as well. It can be
capsulized too, so you won't have to worry about leaving it by itself. Allow
me to give you a tour," Maia said.
"Thank you. I can't wait to see the inside!"
The ship was everything two honeymooners could want...an extremely large bed,
an oversized bathtub, plus baskets filled with fruits, chocolates, and other
goodies, all gifts from the merchants in Dahlia City. The ship's interiors
were designed in an ancient Roman setting, and there was even an indoor pool
and hot tub. Maia explained how to work the controls, and how to use the
autopilot for their trip to Azura. Trunks was pretty confident that he could
work all the controls...they weren't much different from any of CC's usual
gadgets.
"Have a wonderful time on your honeymoon, Your Majesties. I'm sure Aron and
Lutz will have no problems taking care of things until you get back," Maia
assured them.
"There's really not anything big going on right now, other than the plans for
my uncle's wedding. I don't think there should be any problems. And thank
you, Maia, for this gorgeous ship. I know we'll enjoy it."
"Well, the one you should really thank is Bulma. Most of this was her idea.
Or, should I say, THEIR idea. It's thanks to them that we've been able to
pick up the pace at Techna," Maia said.
"My mother's always up for a new challenge. I'm sure she loves working out
there. Now that she's here to live on the planet, it'll probably be where
she's gonna spend the most time," Trunks said.
"We couldn't do without her, Your Majesty. Well, I believe everything is in
order. You can use the communicator in the control room if you run into any technical trouble. Have a safe trip, Majesties."
"Thanks again, Maia."
Maia left the ship, and Trunks sat in the pilot's seat and got the ship
ready. "Sit down and buckle up, Pan-chan. We're taking off."
Pan sat in the co-pilot seat next to Trunks and strapped her seatbelt on, and after pushing a few buttons and pulling a lever here and there, the ship lifted off the ground.
"Wow, this thing is pretty smooth. I hope it lands as well as it takes off,"
Trunks said as he piloted the ship into space. He took in the sight of the
planet as they got further and further away. "It's beautiful. It looks a lot
like earth."
"It does. Azura's very similar to it."
"I know you really wanna go sightseeing Pan-chan, but...can't I have my time
with you first?" he asked.
"Hmm. What do you have in mind?" she asked, smirking.
"Well, I was hoping you would know of a nice, quiet place we could park the
ship so we could relax before we turn into non-stop tourists."
"Hmm. I know. There's a really isolated place on Aridia that we can go to."
"Aridia?"
"Yes, the other planet that neighbors us. Aridia is nothing but desert, and
the people there live on oasis colonies. But I'm sure there are a few places
we can go that are totally empty. Let me set the course."
Pan navigated the ship straight to Aridia, and landed right in the middle of
one of its larger deserts away from most of the colonies. It was nighttime on
that particular part of the planet, and through the ship windows, all of the
stars were perfectly visible.
"Ah. Beautiful. This place is perfect," Trunks said as he got up from his seat and went back to their room, laying back on the large, comfy bed. "Why
leave the ship when everything we could possibly do is right here? We won't
even need to use the pool if we want to swim. The bathtub itself is big
enough."
"There you go, being a party pooper again. I don't intend to stay in this
ship our whole honeymoon," she told him.
"Just promise me that we'll get some private time every now and again, okay?"
"Of course, my king. I could never deny you anything you wanted."
"Then come here," he said as he pulled her down on the bed, giving her a
deep, passionate kiss as their honeymoon officially began.
*********************************************************************
"What? Leave? Where are we going?" Videl asked Lutz, slightly confused.
"We have to start your training. The easiest way for us to complete this is
for us to stay at Esper Mansion for a while," Lutz said.
"Esper Mansion?"
"It's the queen's country estate. Also, there won't be any distractions out
there, which will make it easier for you to train. But with this training,
we'll be moving from place to place a lot. You'll understand once we start."
"How long will we be there?"
"It depends on how long it takes you to master that particular skill. It
could be weeks, perhaps months. It shouldn't take you more than six months to
completely finish this segment of your training."
"I see. Well, when do we leave?"
"Soon. We will be spending our evenings there, so your husband may come
along, if he wishes. He won't be able to spend time with you during the day,
though."
"Lutz," a voice interrupted. It was Goku. "May I come along as well? I'd like
to observe the training. I promise I won't get in the way, I just want to see
some of what you're teaching. Perhaps Gohan and I could train during the day
as well, that way he won't be stuck with nothing to do all day."
"Hmm...I guess that would be all right. Very well, then. We'll be leaving
shortly."
*********************************************************************
"Ohhhh...I wasn't expecting this. Goten-kun, Bra-chan, get up!"
Mirai Bra and Mirai Goten woke up groggily from their peaceful slumber,
surprised to see who was standing there.
"Kaasan?" Goten said.
"Have you been here since the party ended? You've slept for an eternity. Pan-chan
and Mirai Trunks have already left. I looked for you in your room, Bra-chan,
but you weren't there. I figured you were out and about, I didn't think I'd
find you in here."
"Kaasan, what's going on?" Mirai Goten asked, rubbing his eyes.
"We have to start getting things ready for your wedding, silly! I wanted to
take Bra-chan to town today so we could get started!" Chichi exclaimed.
"What...time is it?" Mirai Bra asked, yawning.
"It's noon. Get up, we have lots to do!"
*********************************************************************
Two newlyweds sat in a bubbly, warm bathtub, laughing and enjoying each
other's company. Soft music played in the background, and they were
surrounded by baskets of food as they sipped on some sparkiling champagne.
"Did I ever tell you that our planet is famous for its chocolate?" Mirai Pan
said as she opened a box from a shop she knew rather well.
"Nope, I don't believe you did. Is it that good?"
"Oh yes. You also might not have known, that before Earth was destroyed,
it was the only planet besides ours known to grow chocolate. Now Dahlia-sei
makes a large portion of its capital from chocolate, because people all over
the universe want it. Here, try some."
She stuffed a chocolate-covered berry in his mouth, and he nodded his head in
approval. "It's delicious. What kind of berry is that?"
"It's called a Blushberry. Like it?"
"Is there more?"
Smiling, she fed him another. "Having fun yet, my king?"
"Hmm...I sure am. Why can't we just stay like this for the whole honeymoon?"
"Oh, no. Don't go there again. I told you, I need to get out more. I haven't
had a real vacation since I became queen. And you'd better make the most of
this honeymoon, because now that you're king, you won't have a whole lot of
free time anymore, either."
"Not even time to be a parent?" he asked, and Pan blushed.
"I guess we could make time for that," she said.
"Honestly though, Pan-chan. I can't wait for us to have children. I grew up
without my father, so...I want to be the best father there is."
"Let me guess. You want to have a nice, strong little boy that you can train."
"Actually...I think I'd love to have a little girl."
"Really? Wow, that's not a typical male response."
"I'd want a little girl...because I'd want her to be just like you. Beautiful
and loving. Then I know I'd cherish her with all my heart," he said.
Close to tears, she hugged him tightly. "You really do say the sweetest
things."
"I only say what I feel, my love."
"So...you ready to head to Azura yet?"
"Hmm...not quite. Let's just stay like this...a little longer."
"If we stay in any longer we're gonna turn into prunes!"
"Just a few more minutes, love. Azura's still gonna be there in a few hours."
"Oh, fine. Just promise me something...don't spoil my fun on this trip, okay?"
He smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it, my love."
*********************************************************************
"Wow...this place is almost as big as the palace," Videl said, looking at the
large mansion in awe.
"Let us get settled in. The servants inside will show you to your rooms, and
then we can begin the training," Lutz said, leading them inside.
After finding their rooms and getting a quick tour of the place, Lutz took
them to the beach that was close by to start the "special" training. Goku and
Gohan insisted on coming along so they could observe just what was being
taught.
"This will be the most difficult aspect of your training as mages of the
Mystoke art. Starting today, I will begin training you on how to control the
elements around you," Lutz said.
"The elements?" Videl asked.
"Yes. The basic elements are water, earth, wind and fire. Once you've mastered all of these, you'll learn skills on how to turn water into ice, how
to harness lightning and control the atmosphere, and so on. Eventually you
will be able to make your own spells using the elements. That is where the
true power of this magic art lies. Master the elements, and the remainder of
your training will be child's play," Lutz told them.
"So then...are we gonna like, learn how to use fireballs and stuff?" Pan asked.
"Perhaps. Your older self didn't take a liking to the fire spells. She
prefers using the non-elemental spells over everything else. But you could be
different. We'll just have to see."
"Are we starting with water today, then?" Videl asked.
"Yes. However, keep in mind that this portion of your training is NOT an
overnight process. It takes even the most skilled person at least six months
to learn it in its entirety. It could even take you longer, depending on
which elements you have the most trouble with, if any."
"Let's get started. I want to complete all this as soon as possible," Videl said.
"Very well. Let us begin."
*********************************************************************
"I'm glad we have a chance to talk by ourselves, Bra-chan. I really haven't gotten to know you...well, the older you...all that well. So, tell me
everything about your relationship with Goten. When did you realize how you
felt about each other? Was it recently? Or was it a while ago?"
Bra smiled somewhat nervously at Chichi's enthusiasm. "Well...to tell you the
truth, I've loved Goten for as long as I can remember. But...he didn't seem
to actually start feeling the same way until Pan-chan left to fight Zio. We'd
gotten closer since all the tragedy happened, and he came to care about me
more, I suppose."
"I never would've guessed he would end up with you. But I'm happy, knowing
that he's found someone he loves. It thrills me to see that he's finally
matured. I mean, the servants at the palace call him "Lord" Goten. I never
thought he would ever be in a place of such high rank."
"Well, he is the queen's uncle, after all. A lot of people really respect and
admire him. Everything that happened on Earth forced him to grow up too, I
guess. He wants to protect and fight for what he has left."
"I wish you three didn't have to suffer so much. But...let's not talk about
unpleasant things. What plans have been made for the wedding so far? Have
they started on your dress? Where will you be having the ceremony? I've been
so preoccupied with Pan-chan's wedding, I haven't had time to help with yours."
"It's all right, Chichi-san. Actually, I haven't decided what kind of dress I
want yet. There are two different styles I like, but I don't know which one I
should choose," Bra said.
"Well, perhaps we can sort that out today. And I'm sure your mother would like to be there while we do this."
"My mother?" Bra said as she chuckled slightly. "Which one?"
*********************************************************************
"So. That's the place where the night never ends?" Mirai Trunks asked, looking out at the lights of the vast city.
"Yup. That's Casba, the City of Eternal Moonlight. Come on, let's put the
ship in its capsule and go look around!"
"Sure, looks like fun. There's gotta be some good food in a town that big."
As to not attract attention to their gluttonous eating habits, they went to
several restaurants sampling the different cuisine rather than splurging at
just one place. Trunks had to admit, the Alisa Galaxy had some of the best
food he'd ever tasted in his life.
"Laerma Nuts! Get your roasted Laerma Nuts here!"
"Wow...they smell really good. Is that how they always smell?" Trunks asked
the vendor.
"No, they're roasted in brown honey and coated with sugar and hazelspice. Try
a sample, they're really delicious!"
"Yum...Pan-chan, let's get some."
"Aren't you full yet? And here I thought I could eat a lot."
"We'll take two," Trunks said as he paid the vendor and handed Pan a bag of nuts.
"Honestly, Trunks. I thought you would be done after you ate all those
sweetcakes two blocks ago," she said.
"Hey, there's always room for more."
"You're as bad as my uncle. Listen, why don't we go shop over at the Crystal
Square? I wanna bring back gifts for everyone."
"Whatever you want, love. But don't forget, you promised me some private time."
Pan sighed. He was hopeless. Fighting, food and sex. It seemed that was all
he ever thought about lately. Not that those were necessarily bad things...
A FEW HOURS LATER...
"What's this stone called?"
"The bronze-colored one? It's called an Amber Eye. It's one of the more
expensive jewels here," the merchant said.
"Maybe I'll get this for Bra-chan. She likes collecting jewels like this.
I'll take it." Pan said.
"We've been shopping for hours. Can't we do something else now?" Trunks
complained.
"Well...I guess I could always shop more when we go to the next city.
Besides, it's almost time for us to catch our show."
"Show?"
"Yes, we have tickets to go see a musical downtown. It's based on one of my
favorite plays."
"What's it called?"
"It's called The Mysterious Beauty. I've always wanted to see it on stage.
Come on!"
"What about our private time?"
"Trunks..."
"I know, I know. I'm spoiling your fun."
*********************************************************************
"Concentrate. Focus only on the water. Clear your mind of everything else.
Let the powers you already have guide you," Lutz instructed, as Videl and
Young Pan sat on the beach, eyes closed, trying to do as he said.
'Maybe I can learn just by watching,' Goku thought, as he observed what was
happening on the beach. 'I HAVE to help in this fight. I have to protect my
family at all costs.'
"Tousan?"
Goku turned in the direction of the voice. "Oh...hello, Gohan."
"Anything interesting happen with their training yet?"
"No, not really. They're just starting out, after all."
"Tousan...I was hoping I could talk to you about something," Gohan said with
a serious tone.
"What is it?"
"Can we go back to the mansion? I'd rather we talked in private."
"Oh...sure thing."
They returned to Esper Mansion and sat in the downstairs parlor. "Tousan,
I've...I've really had a lot on my mind lately."
"Oh? Like what?"
"Well...Mirai Pan, for one thing. Since the day she came to us...I've been a
little scared. Not only about the future, but...other things, too."
"You're scared for Little Pan?"
"Yes, Tousan. But...the wedding...I didn't know if I could handle it. I mean,
my little girl is only eleven years old. And...watching her as a grown woman,
right before my eyes, and...giving her away to Mirai Trunks..."
"You were really overwhelmed, weren't you?"
"Yes. I mean, I'm happy knowing that she'll grow up to be beautiful and
powerful, but..."
"But?"
"I...I can't let her fight alone! Especially with Videl involved. Tousan,
what would happen if I lost them? What if they can't defeat Zio? I would hate
myself, hate myself for not being able to do anything!"
"Gohan...I understand. That's why I asked Lutz if he would train me."
"You did? What...did he say?"
"He said there were some aspects I could learn, but not the entire magic art
itself. It goes against their laws, I guess. But since he'll be busy with Pan
and Videl, he said I could train with Mirai Pan when she gets back."
"Tousan! I have to train with you! I want to help fight, too. I have to help
protect everyone!"
"Okay. We'll talk to Lutz about it tonight."
*********************************************************************
"Well, thanks for dragging me to that musical after all. I actually really
liked it."
"Princess Serra has got to be my favorite heroine of all time. The music and
acrobatics were just spectacular," Mirai Pan said, sighing as they stepped
inside the ship.
"Well...I liked it for a different reason. That Princess Serra...actually
reminded me a lot of you," he said.
"Me? Why?"
"Well...didn't you think the story was similar to our own life?"
"Similar?"
"Think about it. A lonely warrior has a dream, about a beautiful princess.
When he finds her, he learns that her people are in danger and decides to
help her overcome the villain. Along the way, they fall in love. And the
princess has great powers, just like you. That all sounds pretty familiar, wouldn't you say?"
Thinking about what he just said, Pan finally realized the irony of it. She
smiled. "I guess you're right. I can't believe I didn't catch on before. I
know...how about this? Every year on our anniversary, we'll come back to
Casba and watch it again."
"Well, not only that, but we can listen to it whenever we want to," he said,
holding up the small disc case in his hand.
"Hey...you bought the soundtrack!"
"When I was watching the show...I realized we didn't have our own song." He
put the disc in the music player and took her in his arms. "Dance with me,
Pan-chan."
Smiling, she laid her head on his chest as a familiar song played in the
background.
I have dreamt the beautiful dream,
And have seen it come true,
Have you dreamt of me,
As I have of you?
Your face I couldn't see,
Your voice I didn't know.
And the day you came to me,
I felt complete, from head to toe.
My mysterious beauty,
I fell in love with you that night.
My mysterious beauty,
For you, I will always fight.
My mysterious beauty,
Who has filled my empty heart,
My mysterious beauty,
From you, I shall never be apart.
Pan felt tears as the accuracy of the song hit home. "So...from now on...this
is our song," she said.
"Yes, Pan-chan. From now on, if you ever feel depressed...listen to the song.
Listen to it, and know just how much I love you."
* End for now. *
Okay, um...I'm pretty good at story writing but...I suck at poetry, IMO. Yes,
the lyrics to that song are my own. I was gonna use a real song here, but...I
just thought it would be more dramatically powerful if I used my own. I still
think I could have written it better. Ah, well. But the future Bra and Goten
WILL be getting married in the next chapter...I promise!
Read, review, and be merry! =)
Sincerely,
Lady S