Author's Note:
*giggles, very embarrassed* Gomen nasai! Sorry, I know I should've had another chapter out last week (actually two weeks ago, but hey, minor technicality!), but I was so busy...all of a sudden all my teachers decided to gang up against me and I had test after test after test. Any subject, you name it and I took a test on it! History, english, spanish, math, science, and P.E. even! Cut me a break jeez! Anyway, this chapter is going to be just a little bit short, I have another science test coming up this Monday! *sweatdrops* And no, people, Mirai Trunks and Pan do NOT, I repeat, will NOT exactly OFFICIALLY meet anytime soon (it all depends on what you count as OFFICIALLY)...and for those of you who are absolutely dying (heehee)...just keep on reading these author's notes from time to time and you might get hints! But pay attention to the adverbs...
Disclaimer: Putting this really gives me a headache. Okay, no, I don't own DB/Z/GT. Happy now, aren't you? =P Now let's get on with the fic! It's really depressing writing disclaimers you know...
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Revenge of the Saiyan Heart - Chapter Five
His hands gripped the ends of his sword's handle tightly. She'd gotten away from him...again. This wasn't the first time that she had cunningly slipped away from his grasp, right when he had her where he wanted her. This was not good. His master would never let him hear the end of it, of this he was of utmost certainty. After all this training and meditation, she still had that impact on his brain, however little it seemed to be. No matter how he seemed to push it away, the more intense and demanding it pounded on his conscience. Or rather what was left of his conscience, to put it in better words. He had tried to forget her, but recent events forbade it.
He pondered on what had become of their friendship...and their relationship. A few quick stolen moments, the smallest, insignificant seconds spent together now only ended up in boring more holes into their frail woven silk of friendship. It was so easy to destroy, but so hard to repair. Now what was left was a handful of stringy strands, almost pure nothingness. But he had to accept the fact, he was indeed not the same. He really wasn't the same, innocent naive boy that had trailed along his father, running errands and making mischief around the palace with his partner in crime. And he was definetely not, if anything, without a question, going to let himself be weakened by this childhood friend. The same childhood friend that simply spoke pure truth. That was a virtue...or did he consider it a fault? He was just too proud and too stubborn to take it. And for what?
He knew why he had done it. It wasn't so hard to realize the only reason he could've had betrayed his entire race. He didn't really need her to point it out to him. It was scarred in his memory, etched in stone. Forever to be remembered and torturing to him.
{flashback}
The gust of air that rushed by was cold with an ominous silence, signaling the end of a long hard-fought battle. Bodies lay still, strewn all over and gashed with blood, dried on the fighting gis that had scraps of cloth littering the battlefield. Not one ki was fluctuating, not one body of the courageous women were moving. There was no sign of survivors, in fact, there was no sign of life, or so it seemed. Just barren wastelands composed of the now deceased saiya-jin women who fought literally to their deaths. The battlefield was as represented; a grave of honorable deaths. The master had truly trained a strong army. They had outnumbered them eight to one. They didn't stand a chance.
It had been a gruesome war, although he knew that the infamously powerful and intimidating Isagi-jin armies, of which he was training to be a part of, would eventually win. But not without losses. They had lost a mass amount of warrior armies due to the stubborn king of Vegeta-sei and his troops. Now that the remaining survivors had...well, to put it bluntly, DIED, there was nothing left to do but to take over the planet. Or what actually remained of the planet. He was surprised that it was still in orbit after all that chaos.
His master stepped from the shadows and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, rubbing it almost comfortably, but then dug her fingers into his shoulders blades right when he relaxed, causing him to jump.
"Keep on your toes, Seiju, you never know what could happen if you let your guard down," she said in that usual sadistic bass tone of hers. His master was, in the least, a mysterious woman. He never knew her name, never knew her origins or her true power. She seemed to have no trace of detectable ki, but the aura around her was dark and empty. It was simply enchanting, in a dangerous sort of way. The darkness was an indescribable feeling, and he relished in it. It made him forget everything.
"Yes, master," he addressed quietly. He hadn't quite gotten used to the concept of war, this was a first for him. He watched as the general of his master's army returned, dragging an unconscious figure behind him roughly.
"A survivor, master, she is alive," he informed the cloaked woman. "Well, actually, barely."
The face was heavily bruised, and a stained green and black gi was drenched in blood. Chestnut locks of hair cascaded from her back. She wasn't moving at all, but there was just the smallest, almost undetectable of ki in her body. Seiju looked at her more closely. She was familiar...
"Shall I dispose of her for you master?" the general asked, eyeing the girl hungrily. No doubt what he was going to do to her. Seiju had watched as many guards took women for their own sick, twisted pleasures. And then killed them, of course. It was forbidden to have a mate. He thought this disgusting and growled inwardly, as if he was possessive of this girl.
"No." His master said this sharply, eyeing Seiju the whole time. "She will be of use to us. You are not to touch her or approach in anyway. Do you understand?"
The general nodded, but still glanced at the girl longingly. He and the master walked a small distance away, perhaps conferring about the plans she had in store for this girl, leaving him alone.
Seiju just kept staring at her. He felt as if he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't remember. He wanted to see her face, perhaps then he would recognize her.
The girl moaned and wearily flipped over to her side, her hair sweeping over her cheeks to reveal a pale complexion dirtied and soiled with cuts, bruises and rusty blood stains. The eyes fluttered for what seemed like an eternity and finally opened. Seiju gasped just a tiny bit. He knew those eyes anywhere. The purity that seemed to emit from them, the dark, jade green. Those same eyes that haunted him for so long...
"Ami-chan..." he whispered, his own eyes widening. Jade eyes met hazel, and locked together. He knew that she knew who he was. They had shared a special kind of friendship, the kind that could never have been replaced.
The eyes of his best friend were unforgettable. No matter how changed he was going to be, he would always remember her eyes. They had been separated from what seemed like an eternity, to him anyway, while in reality it had been almost fifteen years.
"Ki...Kiyo...?" she croaked weakly. It took a great deal of effort for her to talk, he could tell. "They said you were dead...why are you here?"
He said nothing, fearing her reaction. Her eyes blinked in confusion from his lack of response and darted from him, to the general, to the cloaked figure, to the battlefield, and then back to him. That single glance was all it took for her to catch up on the past long years they had spent apart.
"You didn't..." she said, horrified and almost repulsed. "You're worse than dead." She tried to make her voice stronger, but she could only muster a small whine. She coughed and blood emerged from the sides of her mouth, and dripped down her chin before she passed out again.
{end flashback}
Those four words and that accusing stare. You're worse than dead. That's all it took to unnerve years of training and hard work for him to ascend the military rankings and missions.
He tightened his hold on the sheath as he drew it out just so a small sliver of gleaming silver flashed into the starlit window, throwing a small reflection of a pale face, with hazel eyes and flecks of copper and bronze embedded.
He looked back to the main computer screen. It hadn't traced her yet, and he had a feeling it would be awhile before something came up.
"I will find you," he promised himself. "I'm not going to let you go that easily, especially not when you have Pan with you. You know it too, don't you?"
With that, he slammed the rest of his half-way drawn sword back into its original place, making a loud scraping sound that resonated and echoed through the halls. He was going to find her, for the sake of his master, no matter what the cost. It was only a matter of time before he would find her. He was certain of that.
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"Honestly, Vegeta, I still can't believe you didn't tell us about Pan. It's not that big of a secret you know. I mean, it's big, but it's something worth telling, don't you think?" Bulma scolded, snuggling in the covers next to him, yet careful enough to give him his personal space. She'd had to learn that one the hard way.
"Be quiet woman! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" he barked grouchily, flipping over on his side so his back was facing her.
"Don't tell me what to do!" she hissed loudly in his ear, causing some severe damage to his sensitive saiya-jin hearing.
"Goddamnit! Day and night I have to listen to your ceaseless bickering, you even talk in your goddamn sleep. I am King of all Saiya-jin and you, woman, are nothing!" He glared at her. "At least let me get some peace and quiet."
Bulma gave an indignant "Humph!" and then turned to her side of the bed, burying her head in the soft eiderdown pillow and settled down quietly.
There perhaps was a silence that lasted exactly two seconds.
"Vegeta?" she asked again, flopping herself over, roughly snatching the covers towards her.
He grumbled something inaudibly under his breath while pulling his share of the covers back. Bulma took it as a good response.
"You think we should go over to the Son house just to check up on them? I know Gohan and Videl aren't taking this so well, maybe we should offer them some hospitality," she chattered quickly. "Maybe we could invite them for dinner again sometime or something. What do you think Vegeta?"
He said nothing, but that was okay. Bulma was used to their one-sided conversations.
She sighed at his lack of attention.
*It's like talking to a brick wall,* she thought. *Hopeless. You just can't communicate with him unless you grow spiky black hair and inherit Goku's looks. Then perhaps I'll commune with his fist.*
"I heard that," Vegeta mumbled roughly, turning so he could face Bulma. She had evidently forgotten about their mental link formed from their bond.
"Well, you can't deny it," she replied airily. It was the truth.
"Shut up woman. I'll have you know that I'm the..." he started, but was interrupted by Bulma.
"I know, I know, you're the King of Saiyans blah blah!" she exclaimed softly, exasperated. "I hear that only fifteen million times a day! And why can't you call me Bulma? My name is not woman, it's Bulma! We've been together for a long time now, at least get my name right. Gosh."
"Woman, it doesn't matter!" he retorted, then fell promptly asleep. "I'll call you whatever I want to, because I'm the..."
But he was interrupted again when he felt her ki drop, a sign that she was asleep.
*Finally!* he thought exasperated, closing his eyes so he could relish whatever seconds of peace he had before "the woman" started to sleeptalk. Her record had consistently been ten seconds.
*Eight...Nine...Ten...* he counted down. And like clockwork, Bulma began gesture in her sleep, incidentally whacking Vegeta on the nose as she reached out her arm as if pointing to a graph of market statistics.
"And the Capsule Corporation has experienced immense growth in the market right now, averaging about ten percent higher then analyst precedented earnings. The stock has tripled twice in the last quarter, surely it has been a good investment. Gentlemen, I now present to you Capsule Corp's latest product..."
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Goten was silent as he sparred with Trunks at the Capsule Corp's gravity room. They both intended to prepare themselves for the sure chance of a battle and they weren't about to be defeated easily without putting up a fight. But each of their minds was elsewhere. Any ordinary person would not have been able to tell there was a difference in their sparring today, but Vegeta could. To his trained eye, their punches and kicks were nothing more but mere child's play. Neither wanted to show the other their obvious lack of practice. And there was still some tension between the two, and neither Goten nor Trunks wanted to go all out on this one, just to be safe to insure their lives in case they destroyed his precious gravity room.
*Weak. My own son is as weak as Kakarot's brat. What a pathetic man that damn woman made him into. Look at him.* Vegeta scoffed to himself.
Trunks had been turned awfully soft and out of shape due to the fact that for the past years of his life being corralled in that office of his for such a long time by his own mother, Bulma. Goten had managed to squeeze a little bit here and there between his dates. Vegeta sighed in disgust at the two while he observed their spar for just a little while longer and then left, leaving the gravity room quieter and more ominous than ever.
Trunks, however, was the first to break the silence.
"You still mad at me Goten?" he asked while dodging a punch from the side of his head, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be.
Goten didn't say anything at first but then said quietly, "She was my niece, Trunks. And not to mention one of your truest friends. How could you do this to her?"
Trunks stopped abruptly and so did Goten. The two locked eyes for a moment and acknowledged each other with blank, emotionless stares.
"I love Marron. You should learn to accept that," replied Trunks. "You know this love business. Someone always gets hurt and it's Pan this time around. I don't mean to sound inconsiderate, but she kind of needs to get over it, you know? I mean, admit it, it sounds weird. And she's only seventeen, she doesn't know what love is."
"I know you and Marron like each other. And for the sake of your happiness for you two, she gave up her own. I think you're blind to what she's probably going through you know," Goten pointed out.
"But she needs to understand that I don't like her like that, and I was so surprised then right when she told me that I didn't know what to say, so I said what first popped into my head right at that moment. I really didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Trunks responded while wiping his sweat with a large towel.
"I know you didn't. You didn't intend to, but you did. You're my best friend Trunks, I know you wouldn't do it on purpose. But think of Pan. For once I wish all of us would just think of someone else instead of themselves once in awhile," said Goten, doing the same with his own towel.
Trunks said nothing then said finally, "I'm really sorry Goten."
"I forgive you because you're my best friend. But really. You should be saying that to Pan, not me. You're just lucky Gohan hasn't come for your blood yet," Goten replied.
His head snapped up. "Gohan?"
"Yeah. He knows. He read Pan's diary."
"Oh. But I'm sure Gohan would understand right? I mean, I can't really help it and I know that he wouldn't approve of Pan's crush, with being eleven years or something apart," Trunks added, more to reassure himself than to defend himself.
"I guess. Besides, you and Marron are five years apart, so you can't say that age is the definite problem here," Goten continued. "Besides, age difference isn't relevant in love."
"Yeah, but the media sure makes a hell of a racket out of it," Trunks said. "Imagine what they would do if Marron was Pan's age. Or Bra's age. She's one year older than Pan. Think of what scandals the tabloids might make out of it!"
"If I were you, and I really loved a girl Pan's age, I wouldn't give a damn about some fucking media tabloid paper crap."
At that moment, Bra's head popped into the doorway of the gravity chamber.
"You guys, it's time for lunch. We're going to buy some takeout, I think, because I just heard Daddy complaining and Mom yelling again," Bra reported. Her eyes were slightly red, evidently from crying, even when covered up by endling chunks of cream and powder applied on.
As they left and entered into the hallway, Trunks turned around and asked Bra, "Do you believe age makes a difference in love?"
Bra hesitated slightly and glanced at Goten, then blushed a bit and said quickly, "No, I don't. Um...I gotta go to my room and get ready for my date with Takashi." She left the boys in a hurry.
"What was that all about?" Trunks asked, eyeing Goten carefully. He suspected something was up.
Goten stared after Bra, then suddenly looked down when he realized Trunks was watching him closely, his eyes darting between the two, and walked towards the kitchen. "I don't know," he replied sullenly.
"I didn't know you liked my sister," he teased, punching Goten lightly on the shoulder.
"I don't. At least not like that," he protested, punching Trunks back, throwing him back a few steps.
"Oh really?" Trunks smirked. "Then explain why you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous, you stupid ass!" Goten retorted, then stormed down the hall purely by following his stomach's instincts. Rather angrily, or so Trunks thought.
But Trunks knew what was going on. He had a knack for these sorts of guessing games, he could always tell if a girl liked him or not, even during elementary school. He could easily tell by the way Bra was blushing madly and how embarrassed she sounded when she mentioned Takashi. And he knew his sister quite well. And he could also tell from the slight hint of jealousy in Goten's voice and the way his ki rose ever so slightly at the mention of Bra going on a date. And he knew Goten quite well.
His stomach decided to protest and jump in, interrupting his thoughts right then and there, creating a little earthquake that shook the room. Chuckling and scolding himself for not discovering about the situation sooner, he followed Goten into the dining room.
"My best friend and my sister," he whispered softly to himself. Then he added thoughtfully, "Hm. Nah...Dad would probably kill him right then and there. Better not to say anything at all. I'll give Marron a call later, maybe she can set them up and get rid of that Takashi. He's an ass anyway."
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She stretched out her index finger and lifted it up towards the sky, letting it weave and bounce as it traced a familiar path between the stars that, even though she was older now, still held that magical quality to them. Her breath made little puffs of steam that curled around in the nighttime air. Up, down, she traced through the stars, reminding her of her grandfather and that trip in space. She let her hand guide her from the stars of the constellations she and Goku had spents hours naming. She traced them like she was playing connect the dots.
"Hah, there's Grandma Chi Chi's frying pan constellation," she giggled quietly as she traced the Big Dipper.
She sighed. She knew she couldn't be holding on to those memories anymore, she knew she couldn't hold on to her past entity, but she couldn't help herself from subconsciously drifting back between what seemed to be two alternate worlds for her. The person she was, and now the one she was expected to be. She didn't ask to be "the one" that some stupid Isagi-jin wanted to rule some universe or whatever. No, she wanted to be NORMAL. But she wasn't. She never was. She could never be. Her heritage and her bloodline wouldn't allow it. She was cursed.
*I can't control what I am. I will never be able to be perfectly human, to be accepted for who I am at school,* she thought bitterly, remembering her date the afternoon she had first encountered her chibi grandfather. He wasn't the first human to ever be frightened at her strength. No, he was just one of the many scared humans, who were always constantly but unknowingly ripping Pan's pride and pummeling her on her neverending quest to be accepted. It seemed to her that no matter where she was, she could never fit in totally.
*Look at me,* she thought. *I can't fit in with humans, but that doesn't mean I can't fit with the saiyans right? Wrong! I have to work a million times harder to be accepted. And I've broken the barrier. But what good does it do me? Look at Bra. She's about as human as Marron. Typical girl, popular, Miss Perfect-Always-Getting-Her-Way, fashion obsessed, boy crazy...she doesn't give a damn about fighting. And she's half saiyan! Vegeta's daughter! Don't they expect anything from her? At least to throw a decent punch? No. They don't take her seriously as a warrior, but they treat her nicely. Me? No, I was just a saiyan wannabe. They never said it, but I could feel it. I know they expected me to be just like Bra, but I wasn't. I can't be, and I never met their expectations.*
A lone tear made ways from her eyes down to the middle of her cheek. She fingered the ki bracelet on her left wrist. Megami had instructed her to wear it at all times to prevent from being detected.
*And so what does that make me?* she pondered. *Who am I? Sadly, I have to say I'm just nothing that I want to be. I'm really just molded by what everyone wants me to be, but my goddamn saiyan blood won't allow me to be coerced into being someone I'm not. But who am I? I'm just plain old Son Pan, daughter of Son Videl and Son Gohan, granddaughter to the "great" Hercule and the best man ever to live, Son Goku...yes. But what am I inside? I'm not saiyan enough to be saiyan, if you know what I mean because I'm only a quarter. But also at the same time, I'm too saiyan to be human. I act too much like a boy to be treated like a girl...and yet, I'm too much of a girl physically to be treated like a boy does. And where does that leave me?*
She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if to release her inner turmoil. There was a tension between her and her heart and it was one barrier she could not break, even if it willed her.
*At least maybe I'm needed here. Megami and I are becoming quite close. At least she takes me seriously, in some ways. She's like the teacher I never had, she understands me, she truly does. She knows how difficult it is to be female, to be thought of as weak. But she's stronger than my own father and I'm willing to bet that she might even be a match for Vegeta-san. The only problem with her is that she's keeping a lot of things from me and I don't like that. I know I can't trust her completely, but what am I to do? I can't sense her ki, but I know she's strong. Call it warrior's intuition or something, but she holds this strange power over me. There's something about her, I can see it in her eyes. She knows everything, and yet she never tells the complete truth.*
She glanced up at the sky longingly, stretching so her arms were behind her head.
"If only I could stay somewhere, far from here, where I could feel loved for who I am, regardless of anything. I must belong some place out there," she whispered softly to herself. "Right?"
She paused as if waiting for an answer from the twinkling lights above. But the stars were silent and the only one to hear her plea was the gentle hush of wind that blew past her.
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to be continued...
Author's Note:
I had to add that part with Vegeta and Bulma, I'm sorry! ^_^ They're such a funny couple, it's hilarious. Yeah, that's just an example of my lame shot at humor. Besides, this chapter should be a good treat to all you Goten and Bra fans! Yay! I told you the romance was worth waiting for, even though it's just a slim development so far. And I should note, the romance is somewhat in the background, but it's noticeable. Like I said, just remember the littlest details in this story and you'll probably figure out what comes up next. Okay, I know that chapter took a little long... *hears her friends yell "What do you mean, a LITTLE long?!?"* Well, anyway I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you review and tell me what you think. You don't know it, but your reviews kind of influence how the story goes (the storyline, not whether or not I continue it). Why? How? Just review!
Like this one person, I forgot who, decided "Hey! Goten and Bra are the best couple!" and I say, "Okay, sure!" and so here you are, with a snippet of romance...I'm new at this fanfic writing business though, give me some feedback! Thank you very much, I love you all! ^_^ Ciao!
*giggles, very embarrassed* Gomen nasai! Sorry, I know I should've had another chapter out last week (actually two weeks ago, but hey, minor technicality!), but I was so busy...all of a sudden all my teachers decided to gang up against me and I had test after test after test. Any subject, you name it and I took a test on it! History, english, spanish, math, science, and P.E. even! Cut me a break jeez! Anyway, this chapter is going to be just a little bit short, I have another science test coming up this Monday! *sweatdrops* And no, people, Mirai Trunks and Pan do NOT, I repeat, will NOT exactly OFFICIALLY meet anytime soon (it all depends on what you count as OFFICIALLY)...and for those of you who are absolutely dying (heehee)...just keep on reading these author's notes from time to time and you might get hints! But pay attention to the adverbs...
Disclaimer: Putting this really gives me a headache. Okay, no, I don't own DB/Z/GT. Happy now, aren't you? =P Now let's get on with the fic! It's really depressing writing disclaimers you know...
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Revenge of the Saiyan Heart - Chapter Five
His hands gripped the ends of his sword's handle tightly. She'd gotten away from him...again. This wasn't the first time that she had cunningly slipped away from his grasp, right when he had her where he wanted her. This was not good. His master would never let him hear the end of it, of this he was of utmost certainty. After all this training and meditation, she still had that impact on his brain, however little it seemed to be. No matter how he seemed to push it away, the more intense and demanding it pounded on his conscience. Or rather what was left of his conscience, to put it in better words. He had tried to forget her, but recent events forbade it.
He pondered on what had become of their friendship...and their relationship. A few quick stolen moments, the smallest, insignificant seconds spent together now only ended up in boring more holes into their frail woven silk of friendship. It was so easy to destroy, but so hard to repair. Now what was left was a handful of stringy strands, almost pure nothingness. But he had to accept the fact, he was indeed not the same. He really wasn't the same, innocent naive boy that had trailed along his father, running errands and making mischief around the palace with his partner in crime. And he was definetely not, if anything, without a question, going to let himself be weakened by this childhood friend. The same childhood friend that simply spoke pure truth. That was a virtue...or did he consider it a fault? He was just too proud and too stubborn to take it. And for what?
He knew why he had done it. It wasn't so hard to realize the only reason he could've had betrayed his entire race. He didn't really need her to point it out to him. It was scarred in his memory, etched in stone. Forever to be remembered and torturing to him.
{flashback}
The gust of air that rushed by was cold with an ominous silence, signaling the end of a long hard-fought battle. Bodies lay still, strewn all over and gashed with blood, dried on the fighting gis that had scraps of cloth littering the battlefield. Not one ki was fluctuating, not one body of the courageous women were moving. There was no sign of survivors, in fact, there was no sign of life, or so it seemed. Just barren wastelands composed of the now deceased saiya-jin women who fought literally to their deaths. The battlefield was as represented; a grave of honorable deaths. The master had truly trained a strong army. They had outnumbered them eight to one. They didn't stand a chance.
It had been a gruesome war, although he knew that the infamously powerful and intimidating Isagi-jin armies, of which he was training to be a part of, would eventually win. But not without losses. They had lost a mass amount of warrior armies due to the stubborn king of Vegeta-sei and his troops. Now that the remaining survivors had...well, to put it bluntly, DIED, there was nothing left to do but to take over the planet. Or what actually remained of the planet. He was surprised that it was still in orbit after all that chaos.
His master stepped from the shadows and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder, rubbing it almost comfortably, but then dug her fingers into his shoulders blades right when he relaxed, causing him to jump.
"Keep on your toes, Seiju, you never know what could happen if you let your guard down," she said in that usual sadistic bass tone of hers. His master was, in the least, a mysterious woman. He never knew her name, never knew her origins or her true power. She seemed to have no trace of detectable ki, but the aura around her was dark and empty. It was simply enchanting, in a dangerous sort of way. The darkness was an indescribable feeling, and he relished in it. It made him forget everything.
"Yes, master," he addressed quietly. He hadn't quite gotten used to the concept of war, this was a first for him. He watched as the general of his master's army returned, dragging an unconscious figure behind him roughly.
"A survivor, master, she is alive," he informed the cloaked woman. "Well, actually, barely."
The face was heavily bruised, and a stained green and black gi was drenched in blood. Chestnut locks of hair cascaded from her back. She wasn't moving at all, but there was just the smallest, almost undetectable of ki in her body. Seiju looked at her more closely. She was familiar...
"Shall I dispose of her for you master?" the general asked, eyeing the girl hungrily. No doubt what he was going to do to her. Seiju had watched as many guards took women for their own sick, twisted pleasures. And then killed them, of course. It was forbidden to have a mate. He thought this disgusting and growled inwardly, as if he was possessive of this girl.
"No." His master said this sharply, eyeing Seiju the whole time. "She will be of use to us. You are not to touch her or approach in anyway. Do you understand?"
The general nodded, but still glanced at the girl longingly. He and the master walked a small distance away, perhaps conferring about the plans she had in store for this girl, leaving him alone.
Seiju just kept staring at her. He felt as if he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn't remember. He wanted to see her face, perhaps then he would recognize her.
The girl moaned and wearily flipped over to her side, her hair sweeping over her cheeks to reveal a pale complexion dirtied and soiled with cuts, bruises and rusty blood stains. The eyes fluttered for what seemed like an eternity and finally opened. Seiju gasped just a tiny bit. He knew those eyes anywhere. The purity that seemed to emit from them, the dark, jade green. Those same eyes that haunted him for so long...
"Ami-chan..." he whispered, his own eyes widening. Jade eyes met hazel, and locked together. He knew that she knew who he was. They had shared a special kind of friendship, the kind that could never have been replaced.
The eyes of his best friend were unforgettable. No matter how changed he was going to be, he would always remember her eyes. They had been separated from what seemed like an eternity, to him anyway, while in reality it had been almost fifteen years.
"Ki...Kiyo...?" she croaked weakly. It took a great deal of effort for her to talk, he could tell. "They said you were dead...why are you here?"
He said nothing, fearing her reaction. Her eyes blinked in confusion from his lack of response and darted from him, to the general, to the cloaked figure, to the battlefield, and then back to him. That single glance was all it took for her to catch up on the past long years they had spent apart.
"You didn't..." she said, horrified and almost repulsed. "You're worse than dead." She tried to make her voice stronger, but she could only muster a small whine. She coughed and blood emerged from the sides of her mouth, and dripped down her chin before she passed out again.
{end flashback}
Those four words and that accusing stare. You're worse than dead. That's all it took to unnerve years of training and hard work for him to ascend the military rankings and missions.
He tightened his hold on the sheath as he drew it out just so a small sliver of gleaming silver flashed into the starlit window, throwing a small reflection of a pale face, with hazel eyes and flecks of copper and bronze embedded.
He looked back to the main computer screen. It hadn't traced her yet, and he had a feeling it would be awhile before something came up.
"I will find you," he promised himself. "I'm not going to let you go that easily, especially not when you have Pan with you. You know it too, don't you?"
With that, he slammed the rest of his half-way drawn sword back into its original place, making a loud scraping sound that resonated and echoed through the halls. He was going to find her, for the sake of his master, no matter what the cost. It was only a matter of time before he would find her. He was certain of that.
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"Honestly, Vegeta, I still can't believe you didn't tell us about Pan. It's not that big of a secret you know. I mean, it's big, but it's something worth telling, don't you think?" Bulma scolded, snuggling in the covers next to him, yet careful enough to give him his personal space. She'd had to learn that one the hard way.
"Be quiet woman! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" he barked grouchily, flipping over on his side so his back was facing her.
"Don't tell me what to do!" she hissed loudly in his ear, causing some severe damage to his sensitive saiya-jin hearing.
"Goddamnit! Day and night I have to listen to your ceaseless bickering, you even talk in your goddamn sleep. I am King of all Saiya-jin and you, woman, are nothing!" He glared at her. "At least let me get some peace and quiet."
Bulma gave an indignant "Humph!" and then turned to her side of the bed, burying her head in the soft eiderdown pillow and settled down quietly.
There perhaps was a silence that lasted exactly two seconds.
"Vegeta?" she asked again, flopping herself over, roughly snatching the covers towards her.
He grumbled something inaudibly under his breath while pulling his share of the covers back. Bulma took it as a good response.
"You think we should go over to the Son house just to check up on them? I know Gohan and Videl aren't taking this so well, maybe we should offer them some hospitality," she chattered quickly. "Maybe we could invite them for dinner again sometime or something. What do you think Vegeta?"
He said nothing, but that was okay. Bulma was used to their one-sided conversations.
She sighed at his lack of attention.
*It's like talking to a brick wall,* she thought. *Hopeless. You just can't communicate with him unless you grow spiky black hair and inherit Goku's looks. Then perhaps I'll commune with his fist.*
"I heard that," Vegeta mumbled roughly, turning so he could face Bulma. She had evidently forgotten about their mental link formed from their bond.
"Well, you can't deny it," she replied airily. It was the truth.
"Shut up woman. I'll have you know that I'm the..." he started, but was interrupted by Bulma.
"I know, I know, you're the King of Saiyans blah blah!" she exclaimed softly, exasperated. "I hear that only fifteen million times a day! And why can't you call me Bulma? My name is not woman, it's Bulma! We've been together for a long time now, at least get my name right. Gosh."
"Woman, it doesn't matter!" he retorted, then fell promptly asleep. "I'll call you whatever I want to, because I'm the..."
But he was interrupted again when he felt her ki drop, a sign that she was asleep.
*Finally!* he thought exasperated, closing his eyes so he could relish whatever seconds of peace he had before "the woman" started to sleeptalk. Her record had consistently been ten seconds.
*Eight...Nine...Ten...* he counted down. And like clockwork, Bulma began gesture in her sleep, incidentally whacking Vegeta on the nose as she reached out her arm as if pointing to a graph of market statistics.
"And the Capsule Corporation has experienced immense growth in the market right now, averaging about ten percent higher then analyst precedented earnings. The stock has tripled twice in the last quarter, surely it has been a good investment. Gentlemen, I now present to you Capsule Corp's latest product..."
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Goten was silent as he sparred with Trunks at the Capsule Corp's gravity room. They both intended to prepare themselves for the sure chance of a battle and they weren't about to be defeated easily without putting up a fight. But each of their minds was elsewhere. Any ordinary person would not have been able to tell there was a difference in their sparring today, but Vegeta could. To his trained eye, their punches and kicks were nothing more but mere child's play. Neither wanted to show the other their obvious lack of practice. And there was still some tension between the two, and neither Goten nor Trunks wanted to go all out on this one, just to be safe to insure their lives in case they destroyed his precious gravity room.
*Weak. My own son is as weak as Kakarot's brat. What a pathetic man that damn woman made him into. Look at him.* Vegeta scoffed to himself.
Trunks had been turned awfully soft and out of shape due to the fact that for the past years of his life being corralled in that office of his for such a long time by his own mother, Bulma. Goten had managed to squeeze a little bit here and there between his dates. Vegeta sighed in disgust at the two while he observed their spar for just a little while longer and then left, leaving the gravity room quieter and more ominous than ever.
Trunks, however, was the first to break the silence.
"You still mad at me Goten?" he asked while dodging a punch from the side of his head, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be.
Goten didn't say anything at first but then said quietly, "She was my niece, Trunks. And not to mention one of your truest friends. How could you do this to her?"
Trunks stopped abruptly and so did Goten. The two locked eyes for a moment and acknowledged each other with blank, emotionless stares.
"I love Marron. You should learn to accept that," replied Trunks. "You know this love business. Someone always gets hurt and it's Pan this time around. I don't mean to sound inconsiderate, but she kind of needs to get over it, you know? I mean, admit it, it sounds weird. And she's only seventeen, she doesn't know what love is."
"I know you and Marron like each other. And for the sake of your happiness for you two, she gave up her own. I think you're blind to what she's probably going through you know," Goten pointed out.
"But she needs to understand that I don't like her like that, and I was so surprised then right when she told me that I didn't know what to say, so I said what first popped into my head right at that moment. I really didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Trunks responded while wiping his sweat with a large towel.
"I know you didn't. You didn't intend to, but you did. You're my best friend Trunks, I know you wouldn't do it on purpose. But think of Pan. For once I wish all of us would just think of someone else instead of themselves once in awhile," said Goten, doing the same with his own towel.
Trunks said nothing then said finally, "I'm really sorry Goten."
"I forgive you because you're my best friend. But really. You should be saying that to Pan, not me. You're just lucky Gohan hasn't come for your blood yet," Goten replied.
His head snapped up. "Gohan?"
"Yeah. He knows. He read Pan's diary."
"Oh. But I'm sure Gohan would understand right? I mean, I can't really help it and I know that he wouldn't approve of Pan's crush, with being eleven years or something apart," Trunks added, more to reassure himself than to defend himself.
"I guess. Besides, you and Marron are five years apart, so you can't say that age is the definite problem here," Goten continued. "Besides, age difference isn't relevant in love."
"Yeah, but the media sure makes a hell of a racket out of it," Trunks said. "Imagine what they would do if Marron was Pan's age. Or Bra's age. She's one year older than Pan. Think of what scandals the tabloids might make out of it!"
"If I were you, and I really loved a girl Pan's age, I wouldn't give a damn about some fucking media tabloid paper crap."
At that moment, Bra's head popped into the doorway of the gravity chamber.
"You guys, it's time for lunch. We're going to buy some takeout, I think, because I just heard Daddy complaining and Mom yelling again," Bra reported. Her eyes were slightly red, evidently from crying, even when covered up by endling chunks of cream and powder applied on.
As they left and entered into the hallway, Trunks turned around and asked Bra, "Do you believe age makes a difference in love?"
Bra hesitated slightly and glanced at Goten, then blushed a bit and said quickly, "No, I don't. Um...I gotta go to my room and get ready for my date with Takashi." She left the boys in a hurry.
"What was that all about?" Trunks asked, eyeing Goten carefully. He suspected something was up.
Goten stared after Bra, then suddenly looked down when he realized Trunks was watching him closely, his eyes darting between the two, and walked towards the kitchen. "I don't know," he replied sullenly.
"I didn't know you liked my sister," he teased, punching Goten lightly on the shoulder.
"I don't. At least not like that," he protested, punching Trunks back, throwing him back a few steps.
"Oh really?" Trunks smirked. "Then explain why you're jealous."
"I'm not jealous, you stupid ass!" Goten retorted, then stormed down the hall purely by following his stomach's instincts. Rather angrily, or so Trunks thought.
But Trunks knew what was going on. He had a knack for these sorts of guessing games, he could always tell if a girl liked him or not, even during elementary school. He could easily tell by the way Bra was blushing madly and how embarrassed she sounded when she mentioned Takashi. And he knew his sister quite well. And he could also tell from the slight hint of jealousy in Goten's voice and the way his ki rose ever so slightly at the mention of Bra going on a date. And he knew Goten quite well.
His stomach decided to protest and jump in, interrupting his thoughts right then and there, creating a little earthquake that shook the room. Chuckling and scolding himself for not discovering about the situation sooner, he followed Goten into the dining room.
"My best friend and my sister," he whispered softly to himself. Then he added thoughtfully, "Hm. Nah...Dad would probably kill him right then and there. Better not to say anything at all. I'll give Marron a call later, maybe she can set them up and get rid of that Takashi. He's an ass anyway."
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She stretched out her index finger and lifted it up towards the sky, letting it weave and bounce as it traced a familiar path between the stars that, even though she was older now, still held that magical quality to them. Her breath made little puffs of steam that curled around in the nighttime air. Up, down, she traced through the stars, reminding her of her grandfather and that trip in space. She let her hand guide her from the stars of the constellations she and Goku had spents hours naming. She traced them like she was playing connect the dots.
"Hah, there's Grandma Chi Chi's frying pan constellation," she giggled quietly as she traced the Big Dipper.
She sighed. She knew she couldn't be holding on to those memories anymore, she knew she couldn't hold on to her past entity, but she couldn't help herself from subconsciously drifting back between what seemed to be two alternate worlds for her. The person she was, and now the one she was expected to be. She didn't ask to be "the one" that some stupid Isagi-jin wanted to rule some universe or whatever. No, she wanted to be NORMAL. But she wasn't. She never was. She could never be. Her heritage and her bloodline wouldn't allow it. She was cursed.
*I can't control what I am. I will never be able to be perfectly human, to be accepted for who I am at school,* she thought bitterly, remembering her date the afternoon she had first encountered her chibi grandfather. He wasn't the first human to ever be frightened at her strength. No, he was just one of the many scared humans, who were always constantly but unknowingly ripping Pan's pride and pummeling her on her neverending quest to be accepted. It seemed to her that no matter where she was, she could never fit in totally.
*Look at me,* she thought. *I can't fit in with humans, but that doesn't mean I can't fit with the saiyans right? Wrong! I have to work a million times harder to be accepted. And I've broken the barrier. But what good does it do me? Look at Bra. She's about as human as Marron. Typical girl, popular, Miss Perfect-Always-Getting-Her-Way, fashion obsessed, boy crazy...she doesn't give a damn about fighting. And she's half saiyan! Vegeta's daughter! Don't they expect anything from her? At least to throw a decent punch? No. They don't take her seriously as a warrior, but they treat her nicely. Me? No, I was just a saiyan wannabe. They never said it, but I could feel it. I know they expected me to be just like Bra, but I wasn't. I can't be, and I never met their expectations.*
A lone tear made ways from her eyes down to the middle of her cheek. She fingered the ki bracelet on her left wrist. Megami had instructed her to wear it at all times to prevent from being detected.
*And so what does that make me?* she pondered. *Who am I? Sadly, I have to say I'm just nothing that I want to be. I'm really just molded by what everyone wants me to be, but my goddamn saiyan blood won't allow me to be coerced into being someone I'm not. But who am I? I'm just plain old Son Pan, daughter of Son Videl and Son Gohan, granddaughter to the "great" Hercule and the best man ever to live, Son Goku...yes. But what am I inside? I'm not saiyan enough to be saiyan, if you know what I mean because I'm only a quarter. But also at the same time, I'm too saiyan to be human. I act too much like a boy to be treated like a girl...and yet, I'm too much of a girl physically to be treated like a boy does. And where does that leave me?*
She sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as if to release her inner turmoil. There was a tension between her and her heart and it was one barrier she could not break, even if it willed her.
*At least maybe I'm needed here. Megami and I are becoming quite close. At least she takes me seriously, in some ways. She's like the teacher I never had, she understands me, she truly does. She knows how difficult it is to be female, to be thought of as weak. But she's stronger than my own father and I'm willing to bet that she might even be a match for Vegeta-san. The only problem with her is that she's keeping a lot of things from me and I don't like that. I know I can't trust her completely, but what am I to do? I can't sense her ki, but I know she's strong. Call it warrior's intuition or something, but she holds this strange power over me. There's something about her, I can see it in her eyes. She knows everything, and yet she never tells the complete truth.*
She glanced up at the sky longingly, stretching so her arms were behind her head.
"If only I could stay somewhere, far from here, where I could feel loved for who I am, regardless of anything. I must belong some place out there," she whispered softly to herself. "Right?"
She paused as if waiting for an answer from the twinkling lights above. But the stars were silent and the only one to hear her plea was the gentle hush of wind that blew past her.
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to be continued...
Author's Note:
I had to add that part with Vegeta and Bulma, I'm sorry! ^_^ They're such a funny couple, it's hilarious. Yeah, that's just an example of my lame shot at humor. Besides, this chapter should be a good treat to all you Goten and Bra fans! Yay! I told you the romance was worth waiting for, even though it's just a slim development so far. And I should note, the romance is somewhat in the background, but it's noticeable. Like I said, just remember the littlest details in this story and you'll probably figure out what comes up next. Okay, I know that chapter took a little long... *hears her friends yell "What do you mean, a LITTLE long?!?"* Well, anyway I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you review and tell me what you think. You don't know it, but your reviews kind of influence how the story goes (the storyline, not whether or not I continue it). Why? How? Just review!
Like this one person, I forgot who, decided "Hey! Goten and Bra are the best couple!" and I say, "Okay, sure!" and so here you are, with a snippet of romance...I'm new at this fanfic writing business though, give me some feedback! Thank you very much, I love you all! ^_^ Ciao!