Chapter 26: the first

The sky seemed to shimmer as Pan flew under it. It looked as though the northern lights had taken over the whole sky and she probably would have thought it beautiful if it weren't for the evil energy she could sense from it.

And we did it by over using seven little balls. She thought. She also noticed that it was slowly getting stronger and all anyone could do about it was Hope that defeating the dragons would make everything alright.

Pan must have been about halfway to Uub's village when she noticed the far-off figure coming towards her. She grinned when she sensed him.

"Uub! Hey! Over here!" she yelled and sure enough he changed course to meet her.

"Pan? I was just flying out to meet you guys! What's going on?" he called when he got close enough. Pan grimaced at him and tossed him his headset.

"A lot. Put that on and Bulma will explain. We have a dragon to find." She replied and Uub complied.

A few moments later and Uub had gotten all the necessary information about the Dragonballs creating evil dragons and the evil energy that was enveloping earth. Now he and Pan were heading to a small lakeside village as Bulma had instructed.

"So I guess a lot has happened since I went home. Anything else I should know?" Uub asked Pan as they sped along. Pan shrugged before answering.

"Goten isn't as mad at grandpa Goku anymore and Grandpa also had his first panic attack as well. That's about it I think."

Uub blinked then smiled.

"Well that's good to hear, the Goten part that is. Nice to know he's calmed down. Your dad told me what had happened with those two so it's pretty good to hear them patch things up a bit." He replied. Pan looked at him thoughtfully.

"What did dad tell you anyway?" she asked. Uub looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Just a brief summary really. He said that Goku sometimes left in order to either better himself or protect everybody. It had burned Gohan and Chichi pretty badly in the past but they always understood to an extent but when Goku left with me, it was Goten's first time with handling Goku leaving. He didn't understand it that well. You know, Goku had told me that he had agreed to train me because I could be a real challenge to fight but I did suspect that there was something more. He probably didn't want to scare me by saying how destructive I could be if I didn't learn. It's a shame Goten didn't realise that right away but then I can't blame him for taking Goku the wrong way." Uub replied and Pan nodded to show she was listening. She had never thought that Uub could be that talkative for some reason.

"Hey Guys, sorry to break up the little discussion but you're closing in on the dragon's position. You better get focused, you're practically on top of him." Bulma's voice cut in through the headsets. Pan and Uub exchanged glances and then ascended down onto a small path that followed the river to the lake. They both immediately covered their noses when they got down there.

"What the heck is that stench?" Pan asked, her eyes watering. Uub frowned and then pointed at the river's odd colour.

"Maybe that." He replied and Pan noticed the dead fish floating on the top.

"Argh, great. Looks like we hit pollution central!" she exclaimed. Uub was inclined to agree.

"Come on you guys, get serious! The dragon is really close by!" Bulma's voice cut in again and no sooner had she finished, the two warriors had to take to the air again as a large group of villagers ran past screaming.

"Guess Bulma's right." Pan said flatly as she landed. She was going to complain to Bulma about getting serious in fowl stenches but now there wasn't much point.

Uub grinned at the younger girl and started leading the way towards the village.

"Come on, we better check this out. The chances are that it's the dragon that's killing the fish." He said.

"Well then he should stop taking baths in the lake." She replied, earning a laugh from Uub as she hurried to take the lead.

They followed the river through the now deserted village and then to the lake. There was a small beach next to what seemed to be a harbour and that's where they stopped.

"Well, where is it? I don't see any dragons." Pan commented as she looked out onto the murky waters.

"Neither do I and it really doesn't help that all of these dragons are suppressing their ki signatures. I can't get a lock on." Uub added.

"Well I can and I can tell you that the dragon is about 50metres in front of you and closing." Bulma told them. Pan looked startled and Uub sunk into a stance in preparation.

"But that means he's in the water!" Pan exclaimed.

"Yea, guess you were right about the bath thing." Uub replied.

"Its not nice to joke about me." A forth voice commented. Both Uub and Pan looked round for its source as Pan matched Uub's stance. They then noticed a trail of bubbles sliding across the water before the surface broke and a head that resembled a frog's rose out of the water.

"It upsets me and you won't like it when I'm upset." It continued as it rose out of the water. It had green skin and a yellow under belly as well as black spikes running down it's back, on its elbows and head. Sharp teeth hung out, over its lips and it had a short, green tail. Finally, a dragon ball seemed to be stuck in its forehead only it was stained purple with its two stars tainted black.

"So I take it that you're the dragon that's supposed to be around here." Pan asked, calming down a little as she managed to sense his energy.

"Yes I am. I'm Haze Shenron, born from the wish Son Goku made many years ago to resurrect the guardian of Korin tower's base. And I'm the strongest of the seven dragons-" he was interrupted there by a giggle from Pan. Haze's commanding stature failed as he nearly face vaulted and he glared at the saiyan girl.

"What's so funny?" he snapped and Pan smirked up at him.

"Its just that when you and the other dragons all got spit out, we could sense you. It may have only been a glimpse but it was enough to work out who was the strongest," she explained and then turned to Uub's perplexed face, "and we got landed with the weakest."

Haze huffed at this and continued to glare at Pan.

"I am not the weakest!" he snapped.

"Oh yea? I could probably beat you without even transforming." Pan replied. The dragon growled deeply at her, his glare narrowing.

"Why don't we test that theory?" he asked and then faded out of view. Pan grinned before raising her hand and firing a blast in what seemed like a random direction. After it exploded, the dragon fell to the floor and Pan flew towards him.

Uub blinked as he watched them and slowly a droplet of sweat ran down the side of his head.

Why am I here again? He wondered and watched as Pan fought the dragon.

Pan kicked the dragon across the length of the large lake and then appeared in front of him. She punched Haze across the face and entered a five hit combo of punches then kicked him hard in the jaw, sending him flying up high where she met him and double fisted him back into the water.

Haze swam back to the beach, bruised and breathless.

Ok, maybe this wasn't the brightest idea I ever had… he thought before a pair of trainers stepped in front of him. Haze looked up weakly to see Pan smirking over him. He growled and jumped to his feet and swung a clawed hand at him that she dodged before sending her fist into his exposed gut. He gasped and then sent a volley of punches her way, all of which she lazily dodged before he threw a beam of energy that she slapped back. He raised his arms to defend himself and after it had exploded, she appeared directly in front of him and kicked him over the lake again. Once he was over it, she continuously hit him towards another part of the lake and met him there just to do the same again and there was nothing Haze could do about it.

Then he felt it. Her blows were getting weaker and she was slowing down. He smirked.

Pan was about to kick haze to the other side of the lake again, completely unaware that her power was slipping, when Haze twisted round and landed punch on her jaw that sent her flying backwards. Haze grinned evilly and grabbed Pan's foot and flung her towards the beach, blasting her as she sailed towards it. Pan cried out when it hit her and just managed to re-gain her wits when Haze appeared over her. She blocked his punch but he then punched her in the gut and kicked her to the side. She growled as she landed cat-like and then lunged at him, flinging as many attacks as she could muster at him, all of which Haze dodged almost lazily before kneeing her as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Pan doubled over and then found her face in the dirt after Haze slammed his elbow into her back. She growled as she lifted herself painfully up but Haze kicked her towards Uub, who caught her. Pan pushed herself out of his grasp and let out a frustrated scream as she powered up, her hair turning golden, her muscle mass growing and her eyes turning teal as she went super but as soon as the changes came, they were gone again and she fell to her knees gasping.

"Wh-what? H-how?" she asked between breaths and Haze Shenron began to laugh.

"Simple, I am the dragon of pollution. I have been polluting this environment ever since I landed here and my pollution has a very pleasurable side affect. You see it drains the energy of everything it comes into contact with except for me. Fighting me just sped up the process." He explained as he continued to laugh. Pan's eyes widened.

"No…" she whispered as it dawned on her. She wasted her energy and now there was no way she could beat him.

Footsteps filled the air as Haze walked confidently towards Pan.

"You've been most entertaining but I'm afraid that I most dispose of you now. I think a dip in a pollution bath would finish the job nicely." He said and stopped right in front of her. Pan growled and shakily got to her feet, tossing her arm lamely towards the dragon in a punch that he caught.

"Goodbye." He said wickedly and then tossed her over his shoulder and into the heavily polluted water of the lake.

"No! Pan!" Uub yelled and dived in after her. Haze watched and blinked.

"Suicidal fool." He muttered.

Uub swam straight towards where he could feel Pan's ki diminishing. He mentally cursed as he picked up the pace, finding it difficult to see anything in the murky water.

I shouldn't have let her fight him alone! I should have fought him and finished it off quickly! If she's not all right then I'll never forgive myself…he thought and then noticed a large, human shaped shape in front of him and he smiled. It was Pan and soon he was holding on to her arm and trying to swim up to the surface.

But he wasn't going fast enough.

He was actually sinking.

No…all of this pollution has gotten to me to. I can't…speed up…he thought and tried powering up but his aura simple dispersed into the murky water. Soon he found himself on a rock at the bottom of the lake with his eyes starting to get heavy. He slowly fell to his knees whilst still holding Pan.

Must…get…up…so tired…he thought and then noticed something. A small stream of bubbles was escaping through the gaps in the rocks beneath him with a few small fishes swimming between them. And with them was clean water.

I wonder…he moved Pan so that her head was right next to the bubbles. A matter of seconds later and her eyes fluttered open. Uub's theory was right! The clean water washed away the affects of the pollution. It hadn't completely restored her strength but it was enough to weaken the pollution's affects.

Pan gestured a 'what's going on' with her hands after Uub managed to stop her from breathing in the water. Uub raised his hand to gesture 'wait a moment' before he lowered himself to the same spot he had put Pan in. he felt the pollution's affect dull and then offered his hand to Pan and placed his middle and index finger on his forehead. She caught on instantly and grabbed his hand. He wanted to instant translocate to the surface to save them from being affected by the lake's pollution again.

Uub grinned and then they had both disappeared.

Haze hadn't gone very far since Uub and Pan had gone into the lake. He was busy working out how he was going to expand his territory when he heard something behind him. He looked confused and slowly turned round to see Uub and Pan floating over the lake with smug expressions on their faces. Haze nearly had a heart attack when he saw them.

"What? You should be dead by now!" he yelled at them.

"Well we would have been but it looks like the lake had an underwater supply of water as well as the river. Looks like fresh water is the perfect cure." Uub replied calmly.

"So now we think that we'll finish you off and take back the Dragonball now." Pan finished and both warriors pulled back their hands.

"Ka…me…ha…me…" they said in union.

"NO! Wait!" Haze cried.

"HA!" they fired their beams at the exact same moment and the two beams spiralled round one another to make one larger beam that hurtled towards Haze Shenron. The dragon could only raise his hands in a lame defence but it didn't stop the beam cutting through as if he were butter. When the blast faded, all that was left was a slightly singed Dragonball. Pan rushed down to get it whilst Uub watched her, making sure that he couldn't sense the dragon anymore. Pan picked up the ball and ran her eyes over it.

"Hey Uub! Look!" she called and held up the ball so that he could see it. It turned back to an orange colour in front of them and the two stars became red again.

"Its back to normal." She exclaimed and Uub turned back to the lake to see if that would change to. It didn't seem like anything had changed.

"I guess that will take a while to fix naturally." He sighed.

"Never mind that now you two, you better get that Dragonball back here. It shouldn't take long for the others to finish off the rest of the dragons." Bulma told them through the headsets. Uub and Pan shared a glance and Pan smirked.

"Race ya!" she chirped and then flew off with the Dragonball. Uub laughed and chased after her, pushing all thoughts of the other dragons to the back of his mind for the mean time.

A/N: and I'm done! –Shifty eyes looking out for anyone else who dares interrupt before I can post-

Ok, not many changes there plot wise but it's kinda different. Meh, I need more time off to get through the next three dragons…-grumbles-

Reviews:

Erica: yep, everyone is looking for there own dragon, some just happen to be in a group of 2. Glad ya like.

Super saiyan 4 chichi: well, it's not that much of a new invention. It was really the only way I could think to have everyone be able to track the dragons without brining out several new radars.

Chico: yea, she's not cooled down yet. And glad you liked my twist! There should only be two obvious pairings with the dragons but that might just be me…

Trugeta: I could never understand that either. Why only try and help against Omega Shenron instead of all of them? So that's why I changed the plot a bit. Well that and now I have a chapter focusing on a different group rather then a bunch of chapters focused on Goku saving Pan in each one. Hopefully it's a little better.

Rejhan: glad you liked, here's the update.

Son Oliver: well you didn't review but I want to say something to you anyway. 1) I managed to fit in a little explanation about what Gohan told Uub like you wanted & 2) this chapter might be able to count as punishment for Pan for being so brattish. Hope you enjoyed!

So next time we have Rage Shenron against ?. See you next Saturday.