Night Shadows- Chapter 4

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of the characters... oh, well...

A/N: Thanks to all you wonderful people who are reviewing! It's so nice to know I'm appreciated. ^.^ And thanks to my prereader, Kira, you're so nice to me!

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Trunks continued to fly, cursing himself again for forgetting his jacket as the cold wind whipped by him and lashed at his face. At least the pain would keep him from thinking of Pan. Self-torture had seemed to work for his father, So it should work for me.

He went on, at the height of the clouds, watching as the land below him went from city to suburb to sand. And when the sand gave way to water, he realized he was floating above the ocean, merely staring as the waves crested before crashing to shore.

It gave him an idea, and he began to fly down into the churning sea at high speeds, pulling up right before he hit the ocean floor and then he repeated the process again and again and again. He didn't know when it happened, but the physical exertion tired him and he didn't stop himself in time. He crashed into the rocky bottom and knocked himself unconscious.

The waves carried him to shore, dumping him roughly on the wet sand before receding into the blue, leaving him alone: one man, lying among the pebbles and broken shells.

It was merciful that he wasn't awake to keep him from being reminded of broken promises, broken hearts and the broken look in her tear-glistening eyes. It was her eyes that plagued him the most. Her eyes...

He woke up to the sea spray in his eyes and the salt stinging his self-inflicted cuts and bruises. Remembering himself, he pushed up from his uncomfortable bed of shells and tiny sharp rocks and began to fly home.

He was surprised to see Vegeta there in the doorway, glaring as usual. His father never waited up for him. Soon, he realized the reason for the saiyan prince's unusual behavior.

"You refused her." Vegeta snorted dismissively. "You are even more foolish than I thought. She was here earlier for her training. It's good you weren't around." Then he turned and walked inside, once again ignoring his son.

At work, Trunks sighed as he stared at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. She hadn't come at all that day. He'd never felt more alone in his entire life. He supposed it was best this way. He'd never make himself stop needing Pan if he stayed used to seeing her all the time.

When he stepped into his house and plopped down on the couch, for some reason even more weary than usual, Bra walked up to him, her blue eyes angry and confused.

She sat down next to her brother and sighed. Then she took a deep breath and sighed again before beginning, "What did you do to her, Trunks?"

He understood, but pretended he didn't. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop being like that, Trunks." Another sigh. "What did you do to Pan?"

"It's not that simple, Bra."

"Oh, yeah? Then explain it to me, Brother. What did you do?"

He kept silent for a while, searching for the right words. "I fell in love with her," he said a few moments later, sounding tired and confused at the same time.

"So?"

"Then I left."

"Why?"

"I'm trying to make myself stop loving her, stop needing her. I'm trying to make it so that it doesn't hurt when she's not around like it does now." He sighed. All of Bra's sighing is just contagious, that's all. He thought lamely.

"Don't you realize you're hurting her in the process?"

"Maybe, but-"

"That's enough." She glared at him, her normally crystalline blue eyes cloudy and turbulent, looking shocked, sad, and enraged all at once. "You're so damned selfish!" she screamed. Then her hand came up, and she slapped him- hard, so hard that there was a resounding smack.

He stared at her in astonishment for awhile before defending himself. "I'm not the bad guy! Don't make me out to be one, Bra!" he yelled. But she'd already gotten up and she wasn't listening to him anymore.

He got up and walked outside, and just screamed- in anger, in frustration, just about everything that was wrong in his life. Then, temporarily calmed, he walked inside and called Marron.

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out."

"Great, Marron. How does tonight sound?"

"Okay, wonderful. See you then, Marron."

Bra listened from the top of the stairs, and she waited until he hung up before telephoning Pan. He said her name twice. Once, maybe I was hearing wrong. Not twice, though. Poor Pan, I'm so sorry...

Pan nodded as she listened to her best friend. "Thanks, Bra." Then she hung up.

She shook her head as a few stray tears stubbornly refused to stop rolling down her cheeks. "If this is the way it has to be, Trunks, so be it." No man could ever replace Trunks, and she'd never get over him, but she couldn't stay alone. She just hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. She just couldn't see herself with anyone but him.

For now, though, she'd have to play his little game. With a sigh, she picked up her phone, and dialed Ubuu. (A/N: He miraculously owns a phone, okay?) Pitching her voice to sound cheerful, she spoke. "Hi, Ubuu. It's Pan."

Okay, people. What do you all think? Yes, I promise, there are more chapters on the way. Until then… uh… wait, please.

~Tanyaneko