Let Our Hope Reign
By Awa_Bubbles
Chapter Three
Pan came rushing into the room, Trunks following her and scrubbing furiously at a pink mark on his cheek.
"Father?" Pan asked anxiously.
Vegeta said naught but nod his head at the TV. Pan and Trunks sat on the floor, listening as Gohan explained his plan.
"... We need to bring Goku back. Every time he seems to die or go missing, our world falls out of balance." Gohan looked at the ground then back at the camera. "I needn't explain history to you, I'm sure you have a pretty good conception of what I'm talking about. The next question is now 'Where is Goku?" To answer this we have to go back to the battle of Evil Shenlong and Goku and recreate it. As you know, the battle was furious and each were tired, though both did not let on to this.
"My theory here is pretty sketchy and maybe far-fetched, but it's the only thing we have to go on. I believe that Evil Shenlong sooner or later realized he had no chance of winning and tried to retreat. Evil Shenlong did not just try to retreat to another place, but another world. His world, an uh... fantasia if you please."
"The psycho's gone nuts!" Vegeta exclaimed.
"Shhh!" Pan hissed.
"His world that consists of other creatures of his kind, a child's world, that on which he feeds of.
"Goku then some how figured that out and tried to stop Shenlong. Obviously, though, Shenlong was victorious in transporting to his home world, but brought Goku with him. That's where I believe Goku is now, in Shenlong's world, the world of a child.
"Now, the only question left is: 'How do we get to Shenlong's world?' You see I think the only way Goku could have traveled to Shenlong's world was to actually have the characteristics of a child, and we know he does. Yet that doesn't help us now because Goku isn't here. That's were I come in, I've got enough of Goku's child-like characteristics to summon the world in which you three must venture into and find Goku and bring him back. That is why I've built that contraption." Gohan motioned to the TV. Station's transmittal wires that had both been bent into half circles, creating one large circle. "Please, you three are this world's only hope, you have to come or else this earth will come crashing down over our own heads. I will give you until 11:00 tonight to get here. I only pray that at least one of you have seen this." Then the screen went blank and the three were left with their own thoughts.
"I can't believe this, he's cracked. Gohan can't actually expect us to believe all that!" Vegeta complained.
"I do," Pen said defensively. "My father needs us and perhaps what he said is not logical, but what's happened in the last few days aren't logical either. I'm willing to believe and follow in faith on what Gohan has come across."
"And I second that." Trunks agreed.
Pan looked at Vegeta, but his face was still pursed in a sour expression.
"... And besides," Pan continued," we might just find a way to bring back Bulma and the others."
That caught Vegeta's attention. He looked at Pan long and hard as if having a silent argument about what she said and if it were true. Then, after a long while, Vegeta broke the stare, standing up.
"The brat could be right. We leave half n' hour before the appointed time." With that, he left the room.
Pan then too stood up and stretched. "Well, I'm off too."
* * *
Bra knocked sharply on the bathroom door. "Pan! What are you doing in there? Vegeta and Trunks are leaving now! You have to come out, come on."
There was a pause until Pan spoke in hushed tones. "Tell them I'll meet them there."
Trunks approached the door, his brow creased in worriment. "Are you okay Pan? I'll stay back if you want me to."
Another pause. "No, I'm..... Fine, Trunks. You go on ahead."
Trunks started to back off, heading toward the door, when he suddenly turned around to head back towards Pan, but Bra was blocking his path.
"Don't worry Trunks! She'll be fine here, go on."
Trunks took one more reassuring look at the still-closed door and then reluctantly turned away, joining Vegeta at the door. Bra waved at the two as they flew away from the house.
A few minutes later, the handle on the bathroom door jiggled and then swung open, revealing Pan. Pale-faced and weak, she made her way to the house's exit.
"Pan?"
Pan turned around to face the worried expression of Bra.
"Are you... okay? You don't look that great."
"N-no, Bra, I'm just.... Perfect. I-I'll be going, now."
"You know where they went, right?"
"Yeah." Without another word, Pan left, flying in the direction Vegeta and Trunks had gone.
"Bye." Bra whispered.
Then, turning her back on the whole scene, Bra retraced her steps back to her room, yet when passing the bathroom she stopped, and in mock curiosity, she entered. Inside, nothing seemed different, or even out of place, but when passing the garbage, she noticed a small plastic wand sticking out amidst an avalanche of blue Kleenex. Picking it up, she instantly realized what it was. Looking fearfully at the small box that had been carved into the simple device, she saw a red plus sign, clearly marking: positive. In horror, Bra dropped the plastic wand and ran out of the bathroom, only to stop and wipe away small tears that coursed her cheeks.
"Oh no!" Bra said in disbelief, "she can't!"
* * *
Vegeta and Trunks landed on the TV. Station's roof, soon joined by Pan. All faces were solemn, even Gohan's; there was nothing but seriousness in this matter. The explanation was short, get in there (wherever "there" was), get Goku, and return home. That was their main objective, nothing more and nothing less.
What happened next was nothing but a blur in everyone's mind, but the next thing they knew, the three were spinning through oblivion.
tO bE cOnTiNuEd.........
