All right minnasan, I finally got through to writing the next part. It's taking me quite a while because school work is just dreadful with finals coming up. I'm also battling a nasty writer's block. It's not bad right now, but I'm sure I'll be able to try and pass it by. Enjoy!
Part 13
By: Christina
Chi Chi looked around the lavished palace. She never thought in her life that she would ever be in here. She looked over at Goku, Gohan, Goten, and Videl who also accompanied her. It had always been a dream of Goku and Gohan's to come to the palace and just see what it was Goten had rambled on and on about. Videl had also been a bit curious.
"Chi Chi, look at all the nice material that is being used in this place." Videl stated excitedly as she ran a nimble finger over the rare silk.
"I know." Chi Chi said in an obsolete whisper as the guard took them to the dining room where they would be having dinner with the king, and of course the queen.
"It's hard to believe that you and the queen used to be best friends." Videl exclaimed.
"I know, I'm still trying to soak this all in." Chi Chi smiled as they were let into the room. There sat the Queen and King atop their thrones dealing with daily business.
"This is almost like a dream." Chi Chi smiled as she saw her best friend at her best.
Pan finished eating her food daintily. She felt like a high class girl here in a new world. And to the Japanese that surrounded her, she was. She was wearing a dress that was from someone called "Gucci" and held a bag from someplace called "Fendi" and just basically the top of the line of everything. Honestly, Pan didn't see what the big deal was. It was just clothes after all. If it were doing its job, then there shouldn't be anything wrong with that right?
"You want anything else?" The Prince interrupted her train of though.
"Huh? Oh no thanks." Pan blushed at the thought of being caught in the middle of her pondering.
"Okay, we'll take the check then." Trunks said to the waiter who obliged.
"This feels nice." Pan said from where she sat. Trunks turned his head to look at her.
"What does?"
"Getting to feel high class." She murmured unconsciously. At the realization of what she said, she stood abruptly. "Maybe we should go."
"Umm, okay." The Prince said still somewhat confused. He excused himself as he went and paid for the bill.
Pan walked a little ahead of the Prince seemingly angry. What she was really angry was about the fact that she had said that out loud. Surely she would be punished for that from someone out there. There was always someone out there to listen to what happened.
"Why don't you slow a bit Pan? We could enjoy our surroundings. There's the beach right there if you'd like to go and sit for a while." The Prince offered. Pan looked back at him and sighed. There wasn't a reason that she shouldn't at least try to enjoy herself or at least let him enjoy himself. She waited for him to catch up to her and they crossed the road to get to the beach.
"It's beautiful here." Pan smiled. "I love Earth."
"You don't like Vegetasei?" Trunks questioned.
"It's not that I don't love Vegetasei, I do. It's just a different love. I love Vegetasei because it is my home and that is where my family is. But I love Earth because it is so beautiful. I mean, look at it! There's no pollution that prevents me from wishing on stars, there's no garbage on the streets that give someone another task, there's clean water that sparkles and dances when sunlight strikes it, and there's a beautiful moon that kisses me with its soft rays." Pan said poetically.
"That was nice." Trunks smiled. Pan looked to the side astonished.
"What was?" She questioned.
"What you just said. I agree with you though, but I need Vegetasei, especially since I am to be its next ruler." He smiled ironically.
"Vegetasei isn't that bad. It has its good points."
"List some." Trunks said smugly.
"Well, it's…umm…and it's…umm…" Pan stuttered. 'What is so great about Vegetasei?'
"Exactly, you got nothing." Trunks said.
"That doesn't mean that you can't change that. If you're the future king and you want to improve it, why don't you? You're the Prince too, that should be another reason for you to try and help solve this problem. It's your birth right to make a difference in the world." Pan said.
"Do you have answers to everything?"
"I try to make do with what I've got." Pan shrugged. She looked at his intent face.
"I wish I knew how to make things better." Trunks said.
"Well, why don't you start by taking some suggestions?"
"Well Duke Darja…"
"No." Pan interrupted. "I mean, you should take some suggestions from the people that are affected from your entire decision making?"
"Meaning?"
"Commoners Trunks!" Pan said exasperated. She laughed as she had said it because his facial expressions were priceless.
"Commoners?"
"Yes commoners. We're not as sad as you think we are. We know a thing or two, believe it or not. I actually think you should give us a little more credit. Some of us are doctors and scientists, and working to find cures for diseases that kill all – even high class soldiers. Although we don't focus on our income as much as the others do, we do try and better everyone. I think maybe one day you should experience common folk life. You'd be surprised at how much everyone is like one big family."
"Yeah, maybe one day I will."
"That's good." Pan said leaning back into the bench and inhaling the fresh scent of the ocean.
"So I was sitting on the bed and I mentioned I was pregnant. I swear I saw Vegeta's hair recede a bit!" Bulma laughed close to tears. Chi Chi herself laughed along with the Queen. Goten, Gohan, and Goku couldn't help but laugh. Who would have guessed; the King wasn't perfect after all.
"It's so good to catch up with you again." Chi Chi calmed a bit looking at her close friend. She looked as though she were going to cry.
"I know. I missed you so much too." The Queen smiled.
It was at that moment that the highest and the lowest of society had forgotten about everything that had segregated them.
"I bet I can skip this rock more times than you." Pan said picking up a rock as they walked along the beach skirts.
"Okay, you're on." Trunks said picking up another. Pan carefully launched her flat stone into the water and watched as it kept going.
"How do you know if you win? Let me try." Trunks said. He threw his rock also. "I can't even see mine anymore either. I guess we'll never know who wins then." The Prince shrugged.
"Don't be too sure of yourself. Give my rock five more minutes." Pan stated smugly as she sat on the sand.
"Five minutes?" The Prince questioned. When he didn't receive an answer, he took this as a cue to sit down also.
The sun shone brightly in the dark sky. It was beautiful. He noticed that Pan was also enjoying the stellar view.
"Make a wish." Trunks whispered. Pan snapped back to reality when his voice interrupted the silence.
"What?" She questioned.
"Make a wish." Trunks repeated.
"Why?"
"You mean to tell me that you don't know about making wishes on stars?" Pan shook her head to indicate that he looked like a nut. "Well, my mom told me that if you wish upon a star, that your wish could come true." He shrugged.
"Huh, interesting." Pan said looking up. "Okay, I'll give it a shot." She chose her star, closed her eyes, and made her wish.
"You done?"
"Yeah." Pan said chirpily. She raised her hand as though to grab something and into her hand flew a rock. "I told you it would be back."
They both began to laugh as Trunks examined the rock.
"This isn't yours!" He bickered.
"Yes this is! You're just mad that I won." Pan taunted.
"Am not!"
"Are too!" Pan challenged.
Trunks' eyes flashed with a mischievous glare and he picked her up and took her to the water.
"Oh no you don't! This is a new dress! I'm guessing it's expensive too!" Pan yelled over his shoulder as she semi-tried to get out of his grasps.
"That's okay, I'll buy you a new one. It was, what? $1,406.00 or something like that." He said as he tossed her into the water.
Pan sputtered to the top and looked at him murderously.
"Okay I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." Trunks said going to the waters edge and offering her a hand.
"You're damn straight it was!" Pan screeched taking his offered hand. Using her Saiya-jin strength, she tossed him into the water. She watched with amusement as he came to the top.
"That's what you get." Pan said wringing the water out of her hair.
"Oh it's on!" Trunks yelled running towards her.
"Ahhh!" Pan yelled running along the shore of the beach. For once she was able to act like a real girl instead of a responsible young woman who had to stay focused – it was fun…and dangerous.
As always, I will try and get the next part out as soon as I have enough time and as soon as I have many many more ideas. Thank you all for your support. Ja ne!
-Christina
