(AN: Chocolate......... *follows Smabbi-chan, looking wistfully at the chocolate* I wasn't planning on
putting up another chapter, but how can I resist? I would've posted it sooner, but on my computer I can
only use crappy 6.0, which is too slow, and 4.0, which won't let me post, and my dad stole the laptop,
which I CAN post on, until today! Mirai's seen Bulma from a distance, but she hasn't seen him...... yet.
*grins* I created the funeral song. Sorry if the first part of the chapter is a bit depressing. It gets happier!
And more mysterious... heh heh. What're Bulma and Marron up to? *looks sheepish* Actually, I have no
clue. Bulma and Marron won't talk to me... those bad women... And neither will Gohan or Goku! *growls*
Oh, Trunks and Pan get to be idiots in this chapter... heh heh heh. Oh, Jacks, who were you calling a
maniac? *looks innocent* Me? A person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something...
darn... *glares at book in hand* Stupid dictionary... Page 87, people! Oh, and I'm happy! After I post this,
I'm going to try to post the prologue of an AU Mirai Trunks fic! It's called 'The Prince of Saiya'. *giggles*
Trunks likes to kill things in it. *coughs* Sorry, extremely hyper. As I write this, it's 11:56 at night! Fun
fun! Well, enjoy! ~AC)
Chapter Seventeen: While I Sing Thee To Sleep
"While I sing thee to sleep,
I pray thee shall dream in peace
Never to cry, never to weep,
Sleep without fear, love, sleep without fear
Embrace the cold earth that is now your bed
As my voice rises in song
Retelling the adventures thee had, the life thee led
Now sleep without fear, love, sleep without fear
As we lay thee down to dream
Tears shine in many eyes
As thee makes your way towards the eternal stream
Now sleep without fear, love, sleep without fear
Many weep because thee has to go
And I am one of those
Though thou must leave, and I know
Thee shall sleep without fear, yes, sleep without fear
But whilst I sing thee to sleep
I pray thee shall dream in peace
Never cry, never weep,
Now dream, love, weep not, love, sleep without fear
Oh, sleep without fear......"
Rayne's voice trailed off into the silent, dawn-lit air. The downcast crowd watched silently as the three
caskets were lowered slowly into their recently dug graves. Indy, Capra, and Willis had been well-liked.
Once done, a shovel was quietly handed to Gohan, who looked grave. Gently, he tossed the first dirt on
all three graves. As he stepped away, the crowded masses formed a sober line to place dirt and a
memento in the graves. No one noticed, too busy mourning, as Rayne silently slipped away.
****************************************************************************************************************
Mirai watched the funeral from a distance, feeling left-out. Although Goku had told him all about the three
who had been killed rescuing Rayne from being executed, he still feel right, watching the funerals of three
people he had never met. So it was only he who noticed Rayne's slender form slink off, away from the
crowd. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered where the girl was going, then remembered that Gohan had told
him one of the deceased had been Rayne's best friend. She probably just needed some time alone. The
swordsman leaned against a tree, oddly homesick. He missed home, he missed his mother, he missed
his l-
"Mirai?" a quiet voice snapped him from his thoughts, and the blue-eyed Saiya-jinn looked up to
smile at Marron.
"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The older woman managed a brief smile, but her lips
quickly settled back into an unhappy straight line.
"Doctor Bulma wishes to see you," she said, not meeting his eyes. Mirai pondered this. He
hadn't seen his mother- well, Trunks's mother- since the meeting in the Situation Room. That was almost
twenty-four hours ago. Neither Gohan nor Goku knew where she and Marron had been. Frowning slightly,
the lavender-haired man made a quick decision. He was going to find out what those two were up to.
"Lead me to her," he announced, and, smiling slightly, Marron began to walk back towards
Capsule Corporation. Mirai, without hesitation, followed her.
****************************************************************************************************************
Rayne's foot found a slippery piece of grass, and she fell, with a curse and a thump, to the ground. She
sat up, rubbing her aching behind. It had rained slightly during the night. The dark-eyed Sirec sighed, and
buried her head in her hands. Why couldn't it rain right now? Why did everything have to be beautiful and
peaceful? RAYNE didn't feel peaceful. She wanted the world to weep with her over the loss of her best,
her dearest, friend.
She sighed, getting a hold of her emotions. She was being foolish. The clouds didn't have emotions, so
they couldn't weep with her. What was she thinking?
"I'm thinking," she murmured, her eyes downcast, "that I want Terry back."
"That can be arranged," a quiet voice said, and Rayne jumped, her entire body stiffening. She
bolted upright, looking around, but seeing no one.
"Who's there?" she demanded. A sigh escaped the person, and slowly the bushes to the left of
her began to rustle.
"Me," the quiet voice said, and the bushes parted. Rayne blinked, and slowly smiled.
"Hello, Dende," she said to the small green figure who stood in the dawn's sunlight.
****************************************************************************************************************
The funeral was over, and everyone had long since departed for their homes when someone finally
realized that four of their party were missing.
"Say, where's Marron, Bulma, Rayne, and Mirai?" questioned Goten, then continued to stuff his
face with rice. Pan, Bra, and Trunks looked up from their bowls of breakfast. They were seated around a
huge table, filled to the brim with food.
"I don't know," Pan commented, frowning slightly. "But Rayne will be back in a little while. She
has to teach class, remember?" She looked back down at her food, glancing quickly at Trunks, then
towards Bra to see if the other girl had noticed. "She probably needs time to think."
"Then where's Mirai?" Goten continued relentlessly.
"I don't know," Pan repeated, frowning even more as she shot another glance at Trunks. "Ask
Grandfather Goku or Dad."
"Fine," mumbled Goten, standing, and snagging another bowl of rice before strolling from the
room.
"Maybe he's with Rayne," Trunks commented, spooning some soup into his bowl. Bra and Pan
both snorted.
"They look like friends, but not that good of friends," Bra sneered, rolling her eyes. "Boys."
"Oh yes, at this moment Mirai is comforting Rayne in her arms," added Pan sarcastically.
"Like you two were," Bra mumbled, but both part Saiya-jinn heard her.
"Nani?" the two declared in unison, both blushing bright red. Bra grinned and raised an eyebrow
as they flushed even more.
"I rest my case," she announced, and left the room with a giggle, leaving them to sort her words
out.
****************************************************************************************************************
Trunks watched Pan blush, and growled to himself. Why couldn't his sister learn to shut her mouth? Why
wouldn't she stop teasing them? Why did she have to be so annoying? And why did Bra have to be so...
right?
The lavender-maned man sighed, wishing he could be as far away as possible from Pan at that moment.
He needed time to sort this out. There was no way on Earth that Pan could even possibly like him. He
was ten years older than her. In the eyes of a sixteen-year-old, that would seem ancient. She would, she
should, go with someone her own age. He didn't want her to wake up one day and see an old man instead
of the young man she could have had.
Trunks, casting another wistful glance in Pan's direction, made up his mind. Pan deserved someone
younger than him. He wasn't going to stand in her way to a better life.
****************************************************************************************************************
Mirai couldn't contain himself anymore. His curiosity was killing him. He needed to know what they were
doing behind everyone's back.
"So, what exactly are you two doing behind everyone's backs?" Mirai questioned, following
closely behind the wife of Kare. Marron shrugged in answer.
"Doctor Bulma can tell you," she said mysteriously, and refused to say anything else.
****************************************************************************************************************
Pan finally managed to stop blushing, and stole a glance at Trunks. He was looked down at the table,
frowning. She wondered what could be so troubling as to mar that handsome face...
And there her mind went again, into fantasies. She shook her head to rid herself of them, now frowning
herself. Trunks was a friend. A friend who had grown very close in the last two days, but simply a friend
nevertheless. Besides, she was too young for him, at only sixteen. In the eyes of a twenty-six-year-old,
she probably seemed like a little child. He would, he should, go with someone his own age. She didn't
want him to wake up one day and seen a baby instead of the mature woman he could have had.
Pan, giving one last, longing look in Trunks's direction, sadly made up her mind. Trunks deserved
someone better than her. She wasn't going to stand in his way to a better life.
****************************************************************************************************************
While Goten searched aimlessly for them, Goku and Gohan were having their own secret plans created in
the Situation Room.
"Do you understand, O'Dell?" Gohan questioned the spy, who nodded, saluting them both.
"Perfectly, sir!" he said, standing at attention.
"Really? When Gohan explained the plan to me, I didn't understand it. Still don't," announced
Goku, ruining the seriousness of the situation. O'Dell began to chuckle, as Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Otou..."
"What?" The question was perfectly innocent, and Goku even managed to keep an innocent,
puzzled look on his face as O'Dell continued to laugh.
"Never mind..."
****************************************************************************************************************
Goten, of course, had gotten himself lost once more.
"Dang, this place is a maze. And I always lose at those maze games. Stupid Pac-man," he
growled, recalling an incident with the game, Trunks, a bet, and a box of chocolate-covered raisins.
"How am I going to find my da- Oh no." The half Saiya-jinn gulped in horror as he spotted seven
small figures making their way towards him. "Not... them!"
"Oh, Mister Goten!" Rebeus called cheerfully, grinning a homicidal smile. "A word with you?"
"No!" Goten cried in terror, backing away from the children. "I already got beaten up by Rayne,
thank you very much."
"Not good enough," Ikara announced, and the seven predators- er, children -closed in on their
prey.
"Noooo-" A ragged cough emitted from Goten as Rebeus punched him in the stomach. "Ow..." A
yelp exited the ebony-haired man's mouth as Ikara and Storm began to eagerly pull his hair. "Someone
save me!"
****************************************************************************************************************
O'Dell silently marched from the Situation Room, going over the information in his mind.
His new name was Heidrun. Joseph Heidrun. He was twenty-eight years old, and had been stationed at
the Zounin Base when the rebel army had attacked. He was one of the few soldiers who had managed to
escape being killed or captured. He had escaped with only a wound to the arm, a long, deep gash that at
the moment was in a makeshift bandage.
O'Dell/Heidrun grimaced as his arm sent lightning bolts of pain to his brain. He actually had been injured
during the First Saiya-jinn Battle, as everyone was calling it. A stray shard of glass had slashed his arm.
The spy hurried out into the bright, warm sunlight, and looked around. Ah, a lovely mound of dirt. He threw
himself in it, rolling around and getting as messy as possible, coating his hair with the earth for good
measure. He was supposed to say that he had crawled from the rubble, and wandered around until being
found by a soldier of the Android Army.
O'Dell/Heidrun adopted a dazed stagger as he turned the corner and out of the building's view. Now all he
had to do was get to the base and pretend to collapse. And then, back to work.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bra turned the corner, and giggled at the scene.
"Shut up," Goten wheezed, laying sprawled on the floor. He was barely visible under the seven
children that perched on his body. From her standing position, she could see more blood trickling from his
nose. She smirked. People seemed to aim directly at Goten's nose for some reason. The azure-haired girl
laughed as Goten attempted to wiggle out from under them, and one of the children gave a hard tug on his
hair, making him yelp.
"Okay, kiddies, time to leave him alone," Bra chuckled, crossing her arm across her chest. "I
think he's lost enough blood for today."
"Okay," the children chorused, scrambling off Goten's motionless body. The oldest of the group,
Rebeus, smirked down at him.
"That is why you don't curse at Willis and Company," he announced.
"No, it's Sirec and Company," Cloud argued, frowning. Tristan rolled his eyes.
"There are more of us Willises than there are Sireces." Storm glared at him.
"So?" she demanded. "It's Sirec and Willis Gang. SW Gang."
"Willis and Sirec Gang. WS Gang," Rebeus declared, rolling his eyes exactly as Tristan had.
Meanwhile, Goten had risen and inched away to hide behind Bra, who had sighed.
"Uh-uh," growled Cloud, shaking his head.
"Hey, what about us?" Ikara and Krill declared, both frowning.
"Excuse me." Bra interrupted the children's arguments. "But does Rayne know you all have
formed a gang?" The seven looked at her with wide, astonished eyes.
"Are you going to tell her?" Rebeus asked cautiously.
"Yes," Goten and Bra said simultaneously. Rebeus sighed, shaking his head.
"Then I'm sorry to do this, but you leave me no choice," he said in mock-anguish, then abruptly
bellowed, "GET THEM!" The seven children charged.
"Run!" Goten yelped, grabbing the stunned azure-eyed girl's arm and dragging her down the
corridor.
****************************************************************************************************************
Gohan and Goku sat in the Situation Room, staring at each other. At last, Gohan spoke, his words low
and troubled.
"Do you think it will work?" Goku sighed, resting his head in his hands.
"It has to." His words were a determined murmur. "It has to." Gohan summoned up a grin, and
placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Let's go get Goten, Pan, Bra, and Trunks," he said, rising from his chair. "I'm sure they're
finished with breakfast by now." Goku managed to grin, his former goofiness returning instantly.
"And we can tell them our plan!" he announced, his smile stretching from ear to ear. Gohan
smiled back, brushing a stray lock of hair away from his eyes.
"I'm sure they'll be excited to hear about it," he said, then added with a chuckle, "Especially Bra."
Goku laughed too, his chuckles blending with his son's.
"I'm sure she will be," Goku announced, standing. He grinned at his older son. "Let's go, Gohan."
"Lead the way, Otou."
****************************************************************************************************************
Trunks and Pan had long since finished their plates, and had been talking for the last ten minutes or so.
They were pointedly not talking about what Bra had hinted.
"Was it fun going Super Saiya-jinn?" Trunks questioned with a grin. Pan smiled back.
"It was... odd," she said, looking thoughtful. "Wonderful, yet terrifying at the same time. There
was so much power in my body. I could've done anything at that moment. Anything."
Trunks nodded grimly, remembering his own experience going Super Saiya-jinn.
"I should have beaten that- that android when I had had the chance," he heard Pan say, her voice
suddenly bitter. Trunks blinked, coming back to the present in time to see the one-fourth Saiya-jinn look
down towards the table, her eyes shining with tears.
"Hey," Trunks said, alarmed. "Don't cry, Pan-chan." He inched closer to her, scooting his chair
towards her. "Come on, calm down. We'll get her next time." His hands itched to brush her hair out of her
eyes, but instead he folded them in his lap, resisting the urge.
"I was so stupid. I should have killed her. Now she'll kill more innocent people, and their deaths
will be all my fault," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"No, you aren't stupid," protested Trunks, feeling helpless. He didn't know what to do with an
upset girl. "And those deaths won't be your fault. Besides, Goku will find a way to get the Dragon Balls..." Pan abruptly looked up, her eyes wide.
"The Dragon Balls," she breathed, looking shocked. "Why haven't they been used in these past
twenty years?" Trunks shrugged, at a loss for words.
"Maybe the androids stole them," he said, and immediately regretted his words as Pan's eyes
filled with horrified tears.
"Oh no," she whispered, biting her lower lip. "Do you think so?"
"If they stole some of them, we can steal them back," he said quickly, trying to calm her down.
And calm down she did, well, slightly.
"Yeah, we can," Pan said, managing a weak smile. The soft curve of her lips immediately made
Trunks feel faint, and he leaned closer instinctively.
'Too old for her? Screw that!' his mind thought, and he mentally sighed in the back depths of his
mind as the rest of his body followed his heart's orders.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Trunks?" questioned Pan, noticing his movement towards her.
"Uh-huh," he said softly, a strange look crossing his face. The look made Pan's heart suddenly
leap to her throat, and she blinked in confusion.
"T-Trunks?" she repeated weakly, raising her eyes to meet his. Obsidian molded with sapphire
as the two stared into each other eyes, and Pan felt like she was drowning. Suddenly, she couldn't
breathe.
A strange fire burning in his bright azure orbs, Trunks leaned forward, his face so close a strand of
lavender brushed Pan's face.
Was he going to kiss her? Her heart dropped down to her toes as he smiled slightly, as if a thought had
amused him. He leaned even closer, bringing a hand upwards to brush a lock of ebony away from her
face. Then suddenly his expression changed, and he leaned back, leaving Pan to wonder what the hell
had just happened. To her astonishment, Trunks lowered his eyes to the floor, a faint redness creeping
into his cheeks.
"Er, hello you two," a familiar voice commented, and Pan turned to see what- or rather, who -had
interrupted whatever was about to happen.
"Hello, Otou," Pan said, taking a deep breath to steady her pounding heart.
Gohan, with Goku standing close behind him, raised an eyebrow and didn't comment.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Come on," Mirai repeated, very near the end of his rope. "Why are you two hiding from
everyone?"
"I told you before," sighed Marron, "the doctor will tell you everything when we get there."
"Get where?" questioned Mirai, but the woman refused to reply.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Do you two know where either Goten or Bra are? We need to talk to you four," Goku said,
smiling. That had been almost too perfect. The two had been about to kiss...
"Nope," Trunks mumbled, still not meeting anyone's eyes. Goku noticed that Pan looked dazed,
her dark eyes round as she continually blinked.
Suddenly loud shouts rang out through the corridor outside the room, and all four turned in time to see
Bra and Goten race by, followed close behind by a horde of screaming children. Their words made the
four raise eyebrows.
"Get them!"
"They can't escape!"
"Let's tie them up and throw them in a freezer!"
"Yeah!"
"We're going to get you!"
"Come back here, you cowards!"
"Cowards, cowards cowards-"
"SHUT UP, TRISTAN!"
"Aw....."
Their voices trailed off as their pounding feet exited the corridor to another. Gohan cleared his throat as he
and the other three stared at each other. Well, he, Goku, and Pan did. Trunks quickly returned his gaze
to the floor, which had suddenly become very interesting.
"Weren't those children Rebeus, Tristan, Aurora, Storm, Cloud, Ikara, and Krill?" he commented
cautiously.
****************************************************************************************************************
"In here!" Goten abruptly gasped, grabbing Bra's arm and yanking her off her feet and into a dark
room. Or rather, a closet. The son of Goku slammed the door shut, leaving them in darkness as they
listened for their stalkers.
"Darn, we lost them," they heard Rebeus growl.
"We'll find them later," someone that sounded like Tristan promised, then the sound of the group
moving off.
Goten sighed, leaning against the cold metal door.
"We lost them."
"That's good, now open the door," Bra growled, blinking rapidly in the darkness. She knew Goten
was only a few centimeters away from her, but she couldn't see him. When Goten didn't respond, she
hissed frantically, "Open the door, Goten!" Bra did not want to admit to him that she was claustrophobic,
but already she could feel hysteria mounting.
"Er, it's locked," she heard Goten say sheepishly. Bra's eyes widened in horror.
"Why, you-" she began hoarsely, then let out a string of profanities she had never let pass her
lips before.
****************************************************************************************************************
"What do you think Goten did now?" Pan questioned, attempting to change the topic.
Gohan raised an eyebrow once more. "Does he have to do anything to get people annoyed at him?"
"No," Pan and Trunks said in unison, and the blue-eyed young man actually looked up to speak.
"But," Trunks added thoughtfully, "I wonder what Bra did. She usually doesn't get into trouble."
Goku shrugged. "Let's go find out." The Saiya-jinn turned and walked from the room. Trunks and Gohan
didn't move, but Pan did, rising from her chair and following her grandfather out with a curious glance in
her father's direction.
Gohan turned, and instead of exiting, closed the door and locked it. He turned, smiling, towards Trunks,
and the lavender-haired man's blood turned to ice at the look on the half Saiya-jinn's face.
"Now," the older man said calmly, knocking Trunks's chair out from under him, and catching the
young man by the front of his shirt, "about my daughter..."
Trunks stared into Gohan's ebon-colored eyes, which were blazing with anger, and gulped.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bra finally couldn't think of any more profanities, and fell silent, panting with exertion. Silence reigned for a
few minutes, until Goten finally spoke.
"So, you're mad at me?" he suggested timidly, eyeing her through the darkness. "Look, I'm sorry,
but come on, being in a closet isn't that bad." His voice suddenly sounded surprised. "Unless you're afraid
of the dark. Are you afraid of the dark, Bra? I wouldn't think you are. Or are you claustrophobic or
something-"
Bra punched him.
****************************************************************************************************************
"So, why are you hiding from everyone?" inquired Rayne, unknowingly repeating Mirai's words to
Marron. The green-skinned God of Earth sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"Because I can't do anything," he said miserably. "The Dragon Balls were destroyed, and I can't
fix them." Rayne looked horrified at his words.
"But- but-" she argued weakly. "They can't be broken forever." Dende looked up and managed a
smile.
"I said I can't fix them. But I know two people who can," confided the Kami.
"Who?" Rayne asked, her dark eyes wide. Dende beckoned her nearer, and obediently she
leaned closer, straining to hear his soft whisper of the names who would save them all.
Dende quietly told her who their saviors were.
Her eyes widened at the names. "Oh. My. God."
(AN: Darn. Trunks and Pan were so close... Oh well. And what are Goten and Bra going to do? This is
definitely the last chapter I can post until the 24th or somewhere around there, since I'm going to be gone.
I'll make the next chapter extra long to make up for it. I promise. *grins* Ja! ~AC)
putting up another chapter, but how can I resist? I would've posted it sooner, but on my computer I can
only use crappy 6.0, which is too slow, and 4.0, which won't let me post, and my dad stole the laptop,
which I CAN post on, until today! Mirai's seen Bulma from a distance, but she hasn't seen him...... yet.
*grins* I created the funeral song. Sorry if the first part of the chapter is a bit depressing. It gets happier!
And more mysterious... heh heh. What're Bulma and Marron up to? *looks sheepish* Actually, I have no
clue. Bulma and Marron won't talk to me... those bad women... And neither will Gohan or Goku! *growls*
Oh, Trunks and Pan get to be idiots in this chapter... heh heh heh. Oh, Jacks, who were you calling a
maniac? *looks innocent* Me? A person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something...
darn... *glares at book in hand* Stupid dictionary... Page 87, people! Oh, and I'm happy! After I post this,
I'm going to try to post the prologue of an AU Mirai Trunks fic! It's called 'The Prince of Saiya'. *giggles*
Trunks likes to kill things in it. *coughs* Sorry, extremely hyper. As I write this, it's 11:56 at night! Fun
fun! Well, enjoy! ~AC)
Chapter Seventeen: While I Sing Thee To Sleep
"While I sing thee to sleep,
I pray thee shall dream in peace
Never to cry, never to weep,
Sleep without fear, love, sleep without fear
Embrace the cold earth that is now your bed
As my voice rises in song
Retelling the adventures thee had, the life thee led
Now sleep without fear, love, sleep without fear
As we lay thee down to dream
Tears shine in many eyes
As thee makes your way towards the eternal stream
Now sleep without fear, love, sleep without fear
Many weep because thee has to go
And I am one of those
Though thou must leave, and I know
Thee shall sleep without fear, yes, sleep without fear
But whilst I sing thee to sleep
I pray thee shall dream in peace
Never cry, never weep,
Now dream, love, weep not, love, sleep without fear
Oh, sleep without fear......"
Rayne's voice trailed off into the silent, dawn-lit air. The downcast crowd watched silently as the three
caskets were lowered slowly into their recently dug graves. Indy, Capra, and Willis had been well-liked.
Once done, a shovel was quietly handed to Gohan, who looked grave. Gently, he tossed the first dirt on
all three graves. As he stepped away, the crowded masses formed a sober line to place dirt and a
memento in the graves. No one noticed, too busy mourning, as Rayne silently slipped away.
****************************************************************************************************************
Mirai watched the funeral from a distance, feeling left-out. Although Goku had told him all about the three
who had been killed rescuing Rayne from being executed, he still feel right, watching the funerals of three
people he had never met. So it was only he who noticed Rayne's slender form slink off, away from the
crowd. Raising an eyebrow, he wondered where the girl was going, then remembered that Gohan had told
him one of the deceased had been Rayne's best friend. She probably just needed some time alone. The
swordsman leaned against a tree, oddly homesick. He missed home, he missed his mother, he missed
his l-
"Mirai?" a quiet voice snapped him from his thoughts, and the blue-eyed Saiya-jinn looked up to
smile at Marron.
"Yes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The older woman managed a brief smile, but her lips
quickly settled back into an unhappy straight line.
"Doctor Bulma wishes to see you," she said, not meeting his eyes. Mirai pondered this. He
hadn't seen his mother- well, Trunks's mother- since the meeting in the Situation Room. That was almost
twenty-four hours ago. Neither Gohan nor Goku knew where she and Marron had been. Frowning slightly,
the lavender-haired man made a quick decision. He was going to find out what those two were up to.
"Lead me to her," he announced, and, smiling slightly, Marron began to walk back towards
Capsule Corporation. Mirai, without hesitation, followed her.
****************************************************************************************************************
Rayne's foot found a slippery piece of grass, and she fell, with a curse and a thump, to the ground. She
sat up, rubbing her aching behind. It had rained slightly during the night. The dark-eyed Sirec sighed, and
buried her head in her hands. Why couldn't it rain right now? Why did everything have to be beautiful and
peaceful? RAYNE didn't feel peaceful. She wanted the world to weep with her over the loss of her best,
her dearest, friend.
She sighed, getting a hold of her emotions. She was being foolish. The clouds didn't have emotions, so
they couldn't weep with her. What was she thinking?
"I'm thinking," she murmured, her eyes downcast, "that I want Terry back."
"That can be arranged," a quiet voice said, and Rayne jumped, her entire body stiffening. She
bolted upright, looking around, but seeing no one.
"Who's there?" she demanded. A sigh escaped the person, and slowly the bushes to the left of
her began to rustle.
"Me," the quiet voice said, and the bushes parted. Rayne blinked, and slowly smiled.
"Hello, Dende," she said to the small green figure who stood in the dawn's sunlight.
****************************************************************************************************************
The funeral was over, and everyone had long since departed for their homes when someone finally
realized that four of their party were missing.
"Say, where's Marron, Bulma, Rayne, and Mirai?" questioned Goten, then continued to stuff his
face with rice. Pan, Bra, and Trunks looked up from their bowls of breakfast. They were seated around a
huge table, filled to the brim with food.
"I don't know," Pan commented, frowning slightly. "But Rayne will be back in a little while. She
has to teach class, remember?" She looked back down at her food, glancing quickly at Trunks, then
towards Bra to see if the other girl had noticed. "She probably needs time to think."
"Then where's Mirai?" Goten continued relentlessly.
"I don't know," Pan repeated, frowning even more as she shot another glance at Trunks. "Ask
Grandfather Goku or Dad."
"Fine," mumbled Goten, standing, and snagging another bowl of rice before strolling from the
room.
"Maybe he's with Rayne," Trunks commented, spooning some soup into his bowl. Bra and Pan
both snorted.
"They look like friends, but not that good of friends," Bra sneered, rolling her eyes. "Boys."
"Oh yes, at this moment Mirai is comforting Rayne in her arms," added Pan sarcastically.
"Like you two were," Bra mumbled, but both part Saiya-jinn heard her.
"Nani?" the two declared in unison, both blushing bright red. Bra grinned and raised an eyebrow
as they flushed even more.
"I rest my case," she announced, and left the room with a giggle, leaving them to sort her words
out.
****************************************************************************************************************
Trunks watched Pan blush, and growled to himself. Why couldn't his sister learn to shut her mouth? Why
wouldn't she stop teasing them? Why did she have to be so annoying? And why did Bra have to be so...
right?
The lavender-maned man sighed, wishing he could be as far away as possible from Pan at that moment.
He needed time to sort this out. There was no way on Earth that Pan could even possibly like him. He
was ten years older than her. In the eyes of a sixteen-year-old, that would seem ancient. She would, she
should, go with someone her own age. He didn't want her to wake up one day and see an old man instead
of the young man she could have had.
Trunks, casting another wistful glance in Pan's direction, made up his mind. Pan deserved someone
younger than him. He wasn't going to stand in her way to a better life.
****************************************************************************************************************
Mirai couldn't contain himself anymore. His curiosity was killing him. He needed to know what they were
doing behind everyone's back.
"So, what exactly are you two doing behind everyone's backs?" Mirai questioned, following
closely behind the wife of Kare. Marron shrugged in answer.
"Doctor Bulma can tell you," she said mysteriously, and refused to say anything else.
****************************************************************************************************************
Pan finally managed to stop blushing, and stole a glance at Trunks. He was looked down at the table,
frowning. She wondered what could be so troubling as to mar that handsome face...
And there her mind went again, into fantasies. She shook her head to rid herself of them, now frowning
herself. Trunks was a friend. A friend who had grown very close in the last two days, but simply a friend
nevertheless. Besides, she was too young for him, at only sixteen. In the eyes of a twenty-six-year-old,
she probably seemed like a little child. He would, he should, go with someone his own age. She didn't
want him to wake up one day and seen a baby instead of the mature woman he could have had.
Pan, giving one last, longing look in Trunks's direction, sadly made up her mind. Trunks deserved
someone better than her. She wasn't going to stand in his way to a better life.
****************************************************************************************************************
While Goten searched aimlessly for them, Goku and Gohan were having their own secret plans created in
the Situation Room.
"Do you understand, O'Dell?" Gohan questioned the spy, who nodded, saluting them both.
"Perfectly, sir!" he said, standing at attention.
"Really? When Gohan explained the plan to me, I didn't understand it. Still don't," announced
Goku, ruining the seriousness of the situation. O'Dell began to chuckle, as Gohan rolled his eyes.
"Otou..."
"What?" The question was perfectly innocent, and Goku even managed to keep an innocent,
puzzled look on his face as O'Dell continued to laugh.
"Never mind..."
****************************************************************************************************************
Goten, of course, had gotten himself lost once more.
"Dang, this place is a maze. And I always lose at those maze games. Stupid Pac-man," he
growled, recalling an incident with the game, Trunks, a bet, and a box of chocolate-covered raisins.
"How am I going to find my da- Oh no." The half Saiya-jinn gulped in horror as he spotted seven
small figures making their way towards him. "Not... them!"
"Oh, Mister Goten!" Rebeus called cheerfully, grinning a homicidal smile. "A word with you?"
"No!" Goten cried in terror, backing away from the children. "I already got beaten up by Rayne,
thank you very much."
"Not good enough," Ikara announced, and the seven predators- er, children -closed in on their
prey.
"Noooo-" A ragged cough emitted from Goten as Rebeus punched him in the stomach. "Ow..." A
yelp exited the ebony-haired man's mouth as Ikara and Storm began to eagerly pull his hair. "Someone
save me!"
****************************************************************************************************************
O'Dell silently marched from the Situation Room, going over the information in his mind.
His new name was Heidrun. Joseph Heidrun. He was twenty-eight years old, and had been stationed at
the Zounin Base when the rebel army had attacked. He was one of the few soldiers who had managed to
escape being killed or captured. He had escaped with only a wound to the arm, a long, deep gash that at
the moment was in a makeshift bandage.
O'Dell/Heidrun grimaced as his arm sent lightning bolts of pain to his brain. He actually had been injured
during the First Saiya-jinn Battle, as everyone was calling it. A stray shard of glass had slashed his arm.
The spy hurried out into the bright, warm sunlight, and looked around. Ah, a lovely mound of dirt. He threw
himself in it, rolling around and getting as messy as possible, coating his hair with the earth for good
measure. He was supposed to say that he had crawled from the rubble, and wandered around until being
found by a soldier of the Android Army.
O'Dell/Heidrun adopted a dazed stagger as he turned the corner and out of the building's view. Now all he
had to do was get to the base and pretend to collapse. And then, back to work.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bra turned the corner, and giggled at the scene.
"Shut up," Goten wheezed, laying sprawled on the floor. He was barely visible under the seven
children that perched on his body. From her standing position, she could see more blood trickling from his
nose. She smirked. People seemed to aim directly at Goten's nose for some reason. The azure-haired girl
laughed as Goten attempted to wiggle out from under them, and one of the children gave a hard tug on his
hair, making him yelp.
"Okay, kiddies, time to leave him alone," Bra chuckled, crossing her arm across her chest. "I
think he's lost enough blood for today."
"Okay," the children chorused, scrambling off Goten's motionless body. The oldest of the group,
Rebeus, smirked down at him.
"That is why you don't curse at Willis and Company," he announced.
"No, it's Sirec and Company," Cloud argued, frowning. Tristan rolled his eyes.
"There are more of us Willises than there are Sireces." Storm glared at him.
"So?" she demanded. "It's Sirec and Willis Gang. SW Gang."
"Willis and Sirec Gang. WS Gang," Rebeus declared, rolling his eyes exactly as Tristan had.
Meanwhile, Goten had risen and inched away to hide behind Bra, who had sighed.
"Uh-uh," growled Cloud, shaking his head.
"Hey, what about us?" Ikara and Krill declared, both frowning.
"Excuse me." Bra interrupted the children's arguments. "But does Rayne know you all have
formed a gang?" The seven looked at her with wide, astonished eyes.
"Are you going to tell her?" Rebeus asked cautiously.
"Yes," Goten and Bra said simultaneously. Rebeus sighed, shaking his head.
"Then I'm sorry to do this, but you leave me no choice," he said in mock-anguish, then abruptly
bellowed, "GET THEM!" The seven children charged.
"Run!" Goten yelped, grabbing the stunned azure-eyed girl's arm and dragging her down the
corridor.
****************************************************************************************************************
Gohan and Goku sat in the Situation Room, staring at each other. At last, Gohan spoke, his words low
and troubled.
"Do you think it will work?" Goku sighed, resting his head in his hands.
"It has to." His words were a determined murmur. "It has to." Gohan summoned up a grin, and
placed a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Let's go get Goten, Pan, Bra, and Trunks," he said, rising from his chair. "I'm sure they're
finished with breakfast by now." Goku managed to grin, his former goofiness returning instantly.
"And we can tell them our plan!" he announced, his smile stretching from ear to ear. Gohan
smiled back, brushing a stray lock of hair away from his eyes.
"I'm sure they'll be excited to hear about it," he said, then added with a chuckle, "Especially Bra."
Goku laughed too, his chuckles blending with his son's.
"I'm sure she will be," Goku announced, standing. He grinned at his older son. "Let's go, Gohan."
"Lead the way, Otou."
****************************************************************************************************************
Trunks and Pan had long since finished their plates, and had been talking for the last ten minutes or so.
They were pointedly not talking about what Bra had hinted.
"Was it fun going Super Saiya-jinn?" Trunks questioned with a grin. Pan smiled back.
"It was... odd," she said, looking thoughtful. "Wonderful, yet terrifying at the same time. There
was so much power in my body. I could've done anything at that moment. Anything."
Trunks nodded grimly, remembering his own experience going Super Saiya-jinn.
"I should have beaten that- that android when I had had the chance," he heard Pan say, her voice
suddenly bitter. Trunks blinked, coming back to the present in time to see the one-fourth Saiya-jinn look
down towards the table, her eyes shining with tears.
"Hey," Trunks said, alarmed. "Don't cry, Pan-chan." He inched closer to her, scooting his chair
towards her. "Come on, calm down. We'll get her next time." His hands itched to brush her hair out of her
eyes, but instead he folded them in his lap, resisting the urge.
"I was so stupid. I should have killed her. Now she'll kill more innocent people, and their deaths
will be all my fault," she whispered, her voice cracking.
"No, you aren't stupid," protested Trunks, feeling helpless. He didn't know what to do with an
upset girl. "And those deaths won't be your fault. Besides, Goku will find a way to get the Dragon Balls..." Pan abruptly looked up, her eyes wide.
"The Dragon Balls," she breathed, looking shocked. "Why haven't they been used in these past
twenty years?" Trunks shrugged, at a loss for words.
"Maybe the androids stole them," he said, and immediately regretted his words as Pan's eyes
filled with horrified tears.
"Oh no," she whispered, biting her lower lip. "Do you think so?"
"If they stole some of them, we can steal them back," he said quickly, trying to calm her down.
And calm down she did, well, slightly.
"Yeah, we can," Pan said, managing a weak smile. The soft curve of her lips immediately made
Trunks feel faint, and he leaned closer instinctively.
'Too old for her? Screw that!' his mind thought, and he mentally sighed in the back depths of his
mind as the rest of his body followed his heart's orders.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Trunks?" questioned Pan, noticing his movement towards her.
"Uh-huh," he said softly, a strange look crossing his face. The look made Pan's heart suddenly
leap to her throat, and she blinked in confusion.
"T-Trunks?" she repeated weakly, raising her eyes to meet his. Obsidian molded with sapphire
as the two stared into each other eyes, and Pan felt like she was drowning. Suddenly, she couldn't
breathe.
A strange fire burning in his bright azure orbs, Trunks leaned forward, his face so close a strand of
lavender brushed Pan's face.
Was he going to kiss her? Her heart dropped down to her toes as he smiled slightly, as if a thought had
amused him. He leaned even closer, bringing a hand upwards to brush a lock of ebony away from her
face. Then suddenly his expression changed, and he leaned back, leaving Pan to wonder what the hell
had just happened. To her astonishment, Trunks lowered his eyes to the floor, a faint redness creeping
into his cheeks.
"Er, hello you two," a familiar voice commented, and Pan turned to see what- or rather, who -had
interrupted whatever was about to happen.
"Hello, Otou," Pan said, taking a deep breath to steady her pounding heart.
Gohan, with Goku standing close behind him, raised an eyebrow and didn't comment.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Come on," Mirai repeated, very near the end of his rope. "Why are you two hiding from
everyone?"
"I told you before," sighed Marron, "the doctor will tell you everything when we get there."
"Get where?" questioned Mirai, but the woman refused to reply.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Do you two know where either Goten or Bra are? We need to talk to you four," Goku said,
smiling. That had been almost too perfect. The two had been about to kiss...
"Nope," Trunks mumbled, still not meeting anyone's eyes. Goku noticed that Pan looked dazed,
her dark eyes round as she continually blinked.
Suddenly loud shouts rang out through the corridor outside the room, and all four turned in time to see
Bra and Goten race by, followed close behind by a horde of screaming children. Their words made the
four raise eyebrows.
"Get them!"
"They can't escape!"
"Let's tie them up and throw them in a freezer!"
"Yeah!"
"We're going to get you!"
"Come back here, you cowards!"
"Cowards, cowards cowards-"
"SHUT UP, TRISTAN!"
"Aw....."
Their voices trailed off as their pounding feet exited the corridor to another. Gohan cleared his throat as he
and the other three stared at each other. Well, he, Goku, and Pan did. Trunks quickly returned his gaze
to the floor, which had suddenly become very interesting.
"Weren't those children Rebeus, Tristan, Aurora, Storm, Cloud, Ikara, and Krill?" he commented
cautiously.
****************************************************************************************************************
"In here!" Goten abruptly gasped, grabbing Bra's arm and yanking her off her feet and into a dark
room. Or rather, a closet. The son of Goku slammed the door shut, leaving them in darkness as they
listened for their stalkers.
"Darn, we lost them," they heard Rebeus growl.
"We'll find them later," someone that sounded like Tristan promised, then the sound of the group
moving off.
Goten sighed, leaning against the cold metal door.
"We lost them."
"That's good, now open the door," Bra growled, blinking rapidly in the darkness. She knew Goten
was only a few centimeters away from her, but she couldn't see him. When Goten didn't respond, she
hissed frantically, "Open the door, Goten!" Bra did not want to admit to him that she was claustrophobic,
but already she could feel hysteria mounting.
"Er, it's locked," she heard Goten say sheepishly. Bra's eyes widened in horror.
"Why, you-" she began hoarsely, then let out a string of profanities she had never let pass her
lips before.
****************************************************************************************************************
"What do you think Goten did now?" Pan questioned, attempting to change the topic.
Gohan raised an eyebrow once more. "Does he have to do anything to get people annoyed at him?"
"No," Pan and Trunks said in unison, and the blue-eyed young man actually looked up to speak.
"But," Trunks added thoughtfully, "I wonder what Bra did. She usually doesn't get into trouble."
Goku shrugged. "Let's go find out." The Saiya-jinn turned and walked from the room. Trunks and Gohan
didn't move, but Pan did, rising from her chair and following her grandfather out with a curious glance in
her father's direction.
Gohan turned, and instead of exiting, closed the door and locked it. He turned, smiling, towards Trunks,
and the lavender-haired man's blood turned to ice at the look on the half Saiya-jinn's face.
"Now," the older man said calmly, knocking Trunks's chair out from under him, and catching the
young man by the front of his shirt, "about my daughter..."
Trunks stared into Gohan's ebon-colored eyes, which were blazing with anger, and gulped.
****************************************************************************************************************
Bra finally couldn't think of any more profanities, and fell silent, panting with exertion. Silence reigned for a
few minutes, until Goten finally spoke.
"So, you're mad at me?" he suggested timidly, eyeing her through the darkness. "Look, I'm sorry,
but come on, being in a closet isn't that bad." His voice suddenly sounded surprised. "Unless you're afraid
of the dark. Are you afraid of the dark, Bra? I wouldn't think you are. Or are you claustrophobic or
something-"
Bra punched him.
****************************************************************************************************************
"So, why are you hiding from everyone?" inquired Rayne, unknowingly repeating Mirai's words to
Marron. The green-skinned God of Earth sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"Because I can't do anything," he said miserably. "The Dragon Balls were destroyed, and I can't
fix them." Rayne looked horrified at his words.
"But- but-" she argued weakly. "They can't be broken forever." Dende looked up and managed a
smile.
"I said I can't fix them. But I know two people who can," confided the Kami.
"Who?" Rayne asked, her dark eyes wide. Dende beckoned her nearer, and obediently she
leaned closer, straining to hear his soft whisper of the names who would save them all.
Dende quietly told her who their saviors were.
Her eyes widened at the names. "Oh. My. God."
(AN: Darn. Trunks and Pan were so close... Oh well. And what are Goten and Bra going to do? This is
definitely the last chapter I can post until the 24th or somewhere around there, since I'm going to be gone.
I'll make the next chapter extra long to make up for it. I promise. *grins* Ja! ~AC)