"Rebels of the Revolution"

By Akira

Disclaimer:  Vegeta-sei, Gohan, Goten, Videl, Pan, and Trunks are dutifully Akira Toriyama's.  The first line of the summary belongs to Peter Jackson of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring at the Council of Elrond).  Midwinter comes from several different fantasy books I've read.  Lastly, there is mention of Enerials and Enerial forged weapons in this chapter.  Both belong solely to my friend, Natalie, who has granted me permission to use the Enerials for my own purposes.

Summary: "Saiyans have no king; Saiyans need no king." The heir to the throne returned long from exile – a choice he made long ago. He took the throne, and within months, rumors of a rebellion emerged. The entire planet turned against him… all except one girl.

Thanks go out to… my ever faithful reviewers: Videl17 and Jezika… for reviewing! 

Chapter XI

Dawn practices came and went, as one would expect the routine to but alas, there is always an exception.  On the day after the previously mentioned "civilized argument" between the King and Steward at the High Table, King Trunks introduced a new weapon to his trainee.  Around the corner, Andrean, the assistant commander of the Elite and Trunks's main advisor, was around the corner training with his trainee.  It seemed as if after all the arguments with the Steward, the King had made a point, and Saiya-jins would alter their culture to incorporate weapons.

"The kris, my dear trainee," Trunks held up a silver dagger sort of weapon.  Unlike the original dagger, however, the kris had a wavy blade.  "Small, but a well-placed blow or shot could turn out fatal.  Mid-to-short range weapon.  One can use it as a throwing knife, a regular dagger, or a surprise technique for the enemy."

Pan smiled as the light reflected off the sharp edge of the blade.  She was positive she would love it.  It would be her signature weapon since it was so uncommon – small but lethal, just like her.  "So when do we start, my lord?"

"On the count of three," he replied.  Tossing one of the spares he had towards her, he started counting, "One… Two… Three…."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two more festival dinners passed in similar fashion with the exception of talk of weapons.  It seemed as if Gohan finally realized that weapons held a very strategic point of battle.  On the night after the third festival dinner, Trunks remained behind with Pan, while she finished her dinner, as everyone else retired to their rooms.

"Have you ever considered marriage, trainee Pan?"

By the tone of voice, Trunks was serious.  Pan spit out the bit of venison from the beef stew.  "What?!" she screamed.  When she saw the appalled look on Trunks's face, she settled and asked more calmly, "Pardon?  Did I hear you correctly, my Lord?"

"Yes.  Your father asked me to confront you with this matter soon… preferably before Longnight, which we both know is tomorrow."

Pan thought out the answer to her question as the King leaned back in his chair, sipping a drink equivalent to the sparkling wine from Earth.  It was long the moment before she answered, and when she did answer, she measured out her words slowly and effectively.  "No, my Lord.  In all honesty, I've not even considered marriage in my future.  I want to be a warrior of the Elite.  Those in the Elite must not be distracted by the cry of family duty.  I shall not be an exception."

"Love will find you one day, my little trainee.  For now, however, you made a very wise and good decision.  Though I've not been in the Elite very long, nor have I grown up around Saiya-jin Elite or culture, I've grown to realize that Elite Warriors have a sense of love and duty unparalleled by anything else, and as such, one who is not an Elite Warrior would not understand.  Warriors, especially the Elite, seldom form permanent attachments to anyone or anything.  We're friends, always, and sometimes things get more intense than that, but it doesn't last for long.  Maybe it's because our hearts are given first to our comrades, then to our duty and monarchs – but I've yet to earn all their love – and I guess there aren't too many of us with hearts big enough for a third love.  Their third love would be family, if one were to choose that."

Pan looked at him through wondering eyes.  Three months had he been here, compared to her fourteen years, yet he had observed and understood so much more than she.  Finishing her beef stew, Pan stood and curtsied swiftly to Trunks.  "My Lord, I must retire for the night," she said.  Remembering she was to spend Longnight with her family, and that Trunks had no family, she turned at the door, "My Lord, you're welcome to spend Longnight with us."  As an afterthought, she added, "I'd really appreciate it."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A small rustling noise woke Pan up on the dawn of Longnight.  Her muscles aching from practice with the kris yesterday made her cross as she was roused from her sleep.  "Who is it?" she grumbled, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Lady Pan, I was just arranging your gifts," a small voice replied. 

Looking up, Pan saw a girl, not even eight winters old yet.  Her attire clearly marked her as a servant, one of the palace servants.  "It's alright, continue."  Pan slipped out of bed, stretching out the kinks that had lodged themselves in her back during the night.  Her sore muscles protesting, she made her way to her privy.  Yesterday, dawn practice had been fascinating.  She was a natural at the kris, and her speedy progress had encouraged everyone to practice an hour or two after their normal ending time.  The hour or two had taken its toll on her.  Walking back out, Pan looked around her room.  It was so bare.  She rarely lived or slept here anymore.  Her chambers now were adjacent to King Trunks's, and no longer was she permitted to sleep in her parents' quarters regularly.

"Midwinter luck, Lady Pan," the servant girl said shyly. 

"You, too," Pan replied, tossing a silver coin to the girl.

Catching it quickly, the girl left hurriedly, no doubt to deliver more Midwinter gifts.  Pan dove into her stack, which was much larger than it had been the year before.  First off, a tiny jeweler's case.  Taking precious care in unwrapping it – she would use the paper next year to wrap her gifts in – Pan unveiled an amulet studded with scarlet rubies.  A fine gold chain held it up, and as Pan admired the many facets of light that passed through it, she caught eye of an insignia engraved on the back – her father's insignia.  The amulet had strong magical protections – Pan had no Gift, but she could see from the runes on it.  Placed by her father, it was likely to be very strong.  Setting it aside for tonight, she continued her journey.

Her mother had given her a wool cloak, perfect to last her through the years of training, for after that, she would have a cloak of the warriors.  Uncle Goten had given her some bruise balm, which he knew would be put to good use.  Now she had five gifts left, one of which she knew must have been from Trunks.

Taking a little black box, she uncovered a charm bracelet from Andrean.  Seeing as he was a healer, and possessed the healing Gift, she presumed the charms were for health and good fortune and immediately slipped it around her wrist.

The next gift was from the Lady Jenaesil.  A silver belt with crystal lining for her future weaponry.  She got up immediately to return it but on second thought, decided it would be impolite, so she sat back down and resolved to return it at a later time.

Three more to go, Pan took a deep breath.  Picking up one of the two leather wrapped gifts, Pan unwrapped a gleaming sword.  "Arda," she whispered.  The sword belonged to her Lord Trunks.  It had been his when he first mastered the sword.  It had been forged in the fires of Namek, and now that he was too big for it, he must have decided it was Pan's turn at it. 

Pan picked up a paper wrapped present with sturdy, well-spaced handwriting addressing it to her.  Unwrapping it gingerly, Pan uncovered a leather-bound diary with a quill.  Pan smiled inwardly, only few knew of her passion for expressing her thoughts, and only one out of those few could have put two and two together and gotten her this book.  She was now undoubtly grateful to her friend and year mate, Blaze.

Her last package was wrapped in leather and a leather thong bound the wrapping.  It bore no card, no greetings, or sign of whom it might be from.  The anonymous gift had a mysterious aura around it, as if she should know, but couldn't remember.  Smiling delightedly at this unexpected surprise, Pan tried to untie the thong with unnatural speed.  The speed, or lack thereof, resulted in a large tangle of knots.  Pan sighed and attempted to undo the isolated knot she encountered near the end of the thong.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pan was in a state of bordering hysteria and madness when Trunks found her.  Knots were now in her hair as well.  Trunks took one look at her and burst into laughter. 

His trainee replied with a scowl and rude gesture.  Then she crossed her arms, clearly disgruntled, and demanded, "Well, aren't you supposed to help?"

Kneeling beside her, Trunks calmly smoothed out her hair with the brush as she worked steadily on untying all the knots in the thong.  Trunks smiled wryly to himself.  Who would think that the King of the Saiya-jins, the mightiest race of all, was here, on Longnight, brushing out a teenager's hair?  He also recognized the wrapping style of the leather which Pan held in her hands.  There could be only one person who would devote so much time and energy into wrapping… not to mention the magic, however little, that one person used to conjure the spell of knots.  He himself had just finished wrestling with his and had come to see how Pan was faring with hers… and to gloat.

"Help, please?" Pan pouted.  She had learned this trick worked on Trunks. 

He sighed and took it from her.  "I undid mine way faster."

"Does that mean you know who it's from?" Pan asked eagerly.

"Yes…."  The package he held was light in his hands, unusually light for a package this size.  "Before you ask, no, I will not tell you who it is."

"Oh, fine," Pan replied, sticking out her tongue, and slipping back into bed.  She had yet to change out of her night shift.  Her shift was rumpled; her comforter was disheveled; her eyes were clouded with sleep; the only part of her that looked kempt was her hair, which he had taken the time to brush.

Half an hour later, Pan lay asleep on her pillows, and Trunks finally finished.  Shaking his trainee awake, he showed her the leather thong.  He had yet taken off the leather wrapping.  The mystery and gift was not for him to unveil.

"Thank you," she said, taking the package from him.  Slowly, carefully, unwrapping it, her fingers maneuvered around deftly.  Suddenly her fingers tightened around the end of the package.  Trunks recognized that hold.  He had shown it to her yesterday morn, when he was showing her the proper way to hold a kris.  Who would give her a kris?  Who would know she had just learned to master the kris?

Pan felt as puzzled as Trunks as her hands subconsciously knew what the present was.  Her fingers remaining around the hilt, she unwrapped the blade.  It was not a normal blade.  The designs clearly marked it as Enerial-forged.  The bright light reflecting off of the silver blade made her squint.  She looked away – rather, she looked down.  Careful as not to drop it, she unwrapped the hilt of the kris.  The midnight black hilt matched the hilt of Arda, but it was quite obvious to the naked eye the difference between them.  "It's beautiful," she breathed, her eyes gleaming.  The kris had become her favorite after just one practice – perhaps that was partially due to the fact that she as more than a natural at it.  "Have you any idea whose this is?"

Trunks had more than an idea.  He held out his hand, and Pan dropped it into his hand.  At the base of the hilt, Trunks looked very closely.  Engraved there, in the Enerial language, was the name of the owner, or previous owner in this case.  Naethegaelyn Saynarette.  "Look at the base, my trainee," he said, handing it back to her.

Pan's eyes bulged and then she started to get up.  "Excuse me, my Lord, I must go return this.  He surely did not mean to give this to me."

Trunks gripped her forearm as she went past him.  "Pan, Enerials don't just give things out.  The only people to which they give gifts are those they love, and when they give out gifts, they expect you to treat their gifts with as much love as they did before you.  Now, I've already tried to return my gifts… and they're a bit preoccupied and probably will be for the entire day, so I suggest you either keep the gifts or wait."

"But, my Lord!"  Pan took out the belt she had unwrapped from Jenaesil.  "Lady Jenaesil gave this to me… surely, you do not expect me to keep it!"

"I do.  They are Enerial royalties, Pan.  They give these away because they love you… or like you enough to give them to you.  They don't need them anymore, and they can always get replacements.  They're not exactly the poorest of the poor.  Now, I will tell you this.  Naeon's favorite weapon is the kris… or so Jenaesil told me.  He must've liked you enough to give it to you."

Pan picked up her old practice sword, which was still too big for her, and hastily wrapped it in the leather she had unwrapped from Trunks's present. 

"What're you doing?"

"I must go deliver one last present," Pan said, going into her changing room.  Reemerging a few minutes later dressed as a proper young lady would be, she picked up the wrapped sword.  "I'll be back.  Father and Mother should be awake now."

Trunks watched as Pan left the room.  Time to face the music and see if Gohan would allow him to stay….

End Chapter XI

A/N: Aite, I missed an update last week due to finals.  They're over on Monday, and I found the time to post this!  ^_^"  I just wanted an excuse for not studying!  Hope you enjoyed!

Has anyone ever read Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series?  If so, can you identify which line I took from the second book?  I'll dedicate the next chapter to you if you can do it!

Oh, and anyone want to be on my e-mailing list?  For updates that is… strictly updates.

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