Rise and Shine
By Duran the Gladiator
Chapter 5: Training time
"He WHAT?!", shouted Gohan as Pan told her grandfather, father and uncle the whole story, supported by Tora for the story of the rescue. "Without proper proof, without having a chance to defend yourself! That, that…", he stammered as his face turned scarlet of sheer anger. Pan bowed her head.
"The Queen didn't seem too convinced of my guilt…", she said, right at the moment the phone in the room started ringing. Goku saw the screen flash on and reveal a familiar face.
"It's Queen Bulma!", said Pan. Goku, however, didn't seem to know that – he looked terribly amazed by the information.
"Bulma! Hey, it's almost been twenty years, hasn't it?"
"Goku, I'm afraid there has been a terrible misunderstanding…"
"Damn right there has been!", said Gohan, still angry.
"…and I'm coming there to straighten this madness. Gohan told me of a stoleaway being found on his ship, one of our servants, and I'm coming to pick the girl up and settle this kidnapping matter. Vegeta's just being a blood thirsty brute, but do understand that we were upset after losing our son eighteen years ago, and now our daughter… it's terrible." Bulma then noticed Pan and Tora. "Ah, I see Princess Pan is there as well. And… huh?"
"What's the matter, Bulma?", asked Goku, noticing her moment of confusion. Bulma shook her head.
"Oh, it's just something about that man that looks a bit familiar…"
"Oh, you mean Tora? He's just a friend of Pan's. …When did you say you will arrive?"
"In another five days. I'll see you soon!", concluded the Queen of planet Vegeta before closing communication. Goku smiled.
"Eh… Bulma is a friend of yours?", asked Pan very carefully.
"Yes, she's grown up together with me. When I was at university, she hooked me up with Chi, and was maid of honor at our wedding. Heh, she was very nearly mated to Krillin, too, but she refused. She said she really liked him, but as a friend, not a lover and certainly not a mate. And, well, a year after that, Krillin met Eighteen and Bulma decided to go with her father to travel the galaxy. She met someone on another planet and remained there: that's twenty years ago. …But I've never known that 'someone' was King Vegeta!"
"Hmmm… must've gotten together on first sight… Tora told me she was already Queen when he was born, and he's nearly twenty." Pan said. Tora scratched the back of his head, thinking how incredibly lucky he was to have stumbled upon this extraordinary girl – she had given him a job, a whole bunch of friends and an invaluable sense of self-esteem – all in one day.
"Speaking of Tora," said Goku, "have you assigned him a room yet?"
"No. Should I? I mean, I just thought I'd let him say where he'd rather live." Tora got what she meant: she was going to put him up at her apartment.
"If you don't mind, Pan, I would like to live as close to Capsule Corp. as possible", said Tora, a bit too shy to tell her he'd love to come live with her with her family around. Goku and Goten got the idea and both smiled at her – Goku even gave her a thumbs-up. But Gohan was less appreciative of her idea.
"Hmmm, I don't see why you can't live here… plenty of rooms." Not to mention at a safe distance from Pan, he thought as he noticed the sign language that was secretly going on.
"Now, now, Gohan, I don't see why that's necessary. If these two mean, and I think they do, that they need to live close to each other to train for work and just for general purposes – after all, Tora doesn't know everything about our lovely planet and way of life yet -, then why shouldn't they?" Gohan reluctantly consented. After all, Pan did seem very happy to get his approval, he consoled himself. Goku signalled to the rest that they were allowed to leave. Gohan, however, was stopped from leaving by him.
"Gohan… I'd rather you don't object to it."
"Why not? The guy used to be a bum, plus he's still no good…" Goku sighed, how was he going to explain…
"Well, you see, Gohan: that worthless bum did save your daughter's life… and, eh, well…"
"What, dad?" The prince started to develop the feeling he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.
"Let's just say I saved Chichi's life as well once…"
Pan told Tora to close his eyes as she decapsulised her car. He was – of course – absolutely stunned to see a jet black convertible with red flames on the side.
"Tora, wanna go shopping? Well, you have to, you at least need some proper clothing for work. And some PJs…"
"Well, I usually…"
"Then, of course, if there ever would be a fire, you wouldn't mind me seeing?" Tora blushed scarlet. "You'll need them someday. Oh, and some other stuff as well!" Tora shrugged, got in and was driven to a humongous store in the city, where he was introduced to the joys of shopping. Pan had enough money to buy the whole place out, but she had enough sense to buy him enough to get by. Sweaters, shirts, socks, three pairs of shoes, vests, trousers varying from baggy shorts to very formal-looking suede pantalons, underwear (which he had to buy on his own), a Speedo, some PJs, and in another store some general stuff he'd be needing. After that, they went to Pan's place, both a bit anxious about the other's reaction to living together.
Tora had thought it to be an apartment at the very edge of town, but it was actually a small house by the road leading into the city. He smiled as he read the words "Capsule Corp." on the side of the house. Pan grinned, glad he liked it.
"Yes, sorry to disappoint you, it's "only" a Capsule house, version 55, three bedrooms, spatious, with four or so fridges. You'd be surprised how rapidly they're emptied when Goten or Marron comes over here. I'm sure we can hold out with the food there's left in here." She opened the front door, and let them in. Tora was surprised by the nice interior.
"Did you decorate? Or does it come standard in these "instant houses"?"
"No, I did. Like it?"
"Like it? I could live here forever! You have a great sense of taste – proof enough!", he said, motioning to the many bags filled with clothing.
"Oh, before I forget, here. It's a house key. You'll need it. No bringing girls over – the walls aren't soundproof."
"Don't worry, I don't think I'll have that problem. Girls wouldn't like me."
"Are you sure? I mean, I…", she said, then halted. She had nearly said, on impulse, that she liked her newfound friend – he raised an eyebrow. The tension was almost visibly present. Luckily for them, they were saved by the phone.
"Yes, this is Pan… ah, hey Seventeen! No, I'm fine. …Tora? He's staying with me… And what if I am? Okay, okay…" She gave the phone to Tora. "It's Fern, he wants to speak to you. Say hi to him from me too, 'kay? I'll bring these up to your room.", and she picked up the multitude of bags and dragged them upstairs. As she exited the room again, she heard her new housemate talk.
"Yes… she's nice… And what if I am?" Pan chuckled, wondering if Fern had insinuated to Tora what Seventeen had insinuated to her: if living in the same house raised her hopes for something more. "I don't know yet. I have the feeling she isn't going to go easy on me either. He let you do what?! Yeah, I reckon. And, how's that doctor as an employer. …I can only hope he's more easy on the people in his office…" He looked up to see Pan standing at the staircase. "Gotta go now. Yes, see you… I dunno, when she's over training me, I guess… at work? Yeah, at work. See ya!"
"Man, you can sure talk a lot for a guy…", said Pan as she went to the kitchen. "What would you like?"
"Anything that's edible will do. No, whatever you're having will do just fine", he said as she looked a bit surprised.
"Okay, I hope you like veal…", she said as she took several items from the fridges and started working. An hour later, they sat contented at the kitchen table.
"Damn, that was the best meal I've had in ages! …Hey, it isn't hard to beat fried lizards and baked birds!", he said in defence of his cooking as she laughed.
"No, no, that's not it… I was just surprised that you just admitted to never having used a fork, and yet used one very properly during this entire meal!" Amused, she saw him take a look at his hands. "I hope this natural talent to learn extends to maths and language as well. And hey, if it doesn't work, I still have a little trick up my sleeve…"
"Such as?", he asked, raising an eyebrow at her devilish grin.
"You'll see when it's necessary to show you, dear Tora…"
Tora went to sleep early, claiming he was tired, but in fact just to think the events that had happened so rapidly through a bit.
"Man," he thought, "first I find this pamphlet telling of some prince that went missing seventeen years ago, then that girl that is a princess but was nearly hanged, and the next thing I know she has me and Fern on a spaceship going faster than I've ever seen any ship go before, to a distant planet with a friendly king. And now, now I've got a second chance, work, a whole bunch of new friends, new clothes, and Pan… man, what has gotten into me?! Can't I think of anything else?" But then, with a smile, he remembered her little slip of the tongue earlier. "A princess who damn nearly admitted to liking me, to being attracted to me. Maybe she's as confused as me." He heard sounds coming from downstairs, and realised Pan was going to sleep as well.
"G'night Tora-kun… you don't mind me calling you Tora-kun, don't you?"
"No…", he responded dreamily, "if I can call you Pan-chan."
"Heh… no one's called me that ever since Terence came into the family… I don't mind at all."
"Okay… G'night Pan-chan."
Meanwhile, at Goten's place – a house in the middle of a forest – the phone rang. Goten answered, knowing immediately who it was and why he called.
"Yes, you can tell me."
"She was indeed in very bad shape. Her weakness is probably the sign of long confinement. Doctors say she's lucky to still be alive. Your swiftness in action saved her, Goten. She's stable now, and will come too soon."
"How soon?", said Goten. He was very worried about the girl, and seemed to have taken a personal mission in seeing to it that she was okay.
"Maybe in a week. She has a long time of recovery ahead, since she was seriously dehydrated and underfed. Poor girl must've been mistreated her whole life."
"Oh… Keep me updated, doc. I'm concerned for this girl. She probably ran away from the castle on Vegeta."
"Well, it seems her senses still work, so maybe you can come round sometimes and visit her. By the way, what should we do when she comes to?"
"Well, send her to dad. Mom will talk to her, and sort stuff out for her."
"Oh, yeah… about your mother, one of the doctors told me the operation is routine. Chances are your mother will be back in the castle by tomorrow evening. Good night!"
"Good night, dr. Briefs…", he said before putting his phone back on the table. A smile found its way through him, two reassurements in one had made his night, and knowing that both the strange girl and his mother would be fine, he slept easily.
AN: Thanks to my brilliance, I have a chapter ready for you despite my class' field trip to Leuven. If there's any confusion, any remarks, questions, … feel free to review. And if you just like the story, eh… feel free to review just the same! By the way, I love the way Tora is turning out. A bit like other authors (whose pen names slip away from me every time I need them – like now) depict Mirai Trunks. I'm a big fan of him! (Of course, GT Trunks is hot as well, but Mirai just can't be beaten!) Oh, and those of you who know a bit about DBZ know what I'm insinuating with Pan's "last resort", and she's gonna have to use it! See how it will influence the tensed atmosphere between Pan and Tora soon, very soon… Good night!