AN: Hey guys! I'm still alive. I don't think I'll be leaving FF.Net until
someone tells me my writing sucks (which I know is true ^-^). Until then, I
am a slave to one of my favorite pastimes. So, please REVIEW!!!! Even if
you thing you're wasting your time, you guys don't know how much it means
to me that you actually took a few seconds to tell me something! So, please
do me that little favor!
*Trunks walks in all depressed. *
A-chan: Hey Trunks! You're back!
Trunks: I couldn't find the Dragonballs. *sigh*
A-chan: It's okay Trunks. We still love you. ^-^
Trunks: *grins* Well, I'm off to go pick on Pan-chan! *skips away*
A-chan: *shivers* Note to self: Never watch Trunks skip AGAIN! It's creepy...
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Don't sue! I don't even own this computer! I own one, but... DON'T TAKE IT AWAY OR I CAN NEVER POST AGAIN (literally)!!!! *sobs*
~*~
Chapter 9: Training
~*~
Pan, Bra and Marron were now outside the house they would be staying in for the summer. But the large building in front of them was not a "house".
IT WAS A MANSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just from the front, it looked like it had thirty rooms. It was a Victorian styled home, and had many vines crawling up the sides. It was peach-colored with large windows. It was also two stories, and it looked so out of place in the woods. It belonged in a rich suburban region with front gates, not in the middle of nowhere. But it was beautiful, nonetheless. It added class to the nothingness of the woods.
Trunks, Goten and Uubu couldn't help but chuckle at their students awe filled faces. It was kind of cute, but that wasn't what they were going for. They were going to shape these girls into fighting machines, not amazed children.
Clearing his throat, Trunks was able to catch the girls' attention. Bra and Marron blushed lightly, like most girls would do in that kind of embarrassing situation. You are never allowed to show a man that they were actually interested in something they had. It made them seem like gold- diggers. Pan just looked at him, and her head had tilted slightly to the right, as she stared.
"First one to get to their chosen room claims it. I suggest you get moving," was all Trunks needed to say because seconds later, the girls were racing up the stairs.
Pan opened a few doors before looking into an orange painted room. There was a computer and desk in the corner. There was a walk-in closet, which was a few feet from the desk. In the middle of the room was a large king- sized bed. The covers were black, and the pillows were also black with an orange lightning bolt in the middle of the cushion. There was also a connected bathroom. It came complete with a bath/shower. There was a sink, medicine cabinet and everything a girl could need. So, Pan chose it.
Since Marron and Bra had similar tastes, it was an all-out war. Both of them scrambled from one room to another, each wanting the better room. They were running up and down the halls so fast, that they almost knocked Pan over. Instead, Pan flipped herself up, thanking Dende they had a high ceiling, and was able to sustain herself in air long enough so Marron and Bra could keep running. Their new masters walked up behind Pan, who had landed on the ground without a sound. They were impressed.
Pan had agility, speed and great reflexes. She was going to be an easy student to teach. She was already showing promise in her simplest techniques. Even Bra and Marron, although they were so into their little competition, you could see they had quick movements and were light on their feet. They were also able to block out everything around them, except each other.
They used to teach guys, who were slower than molasses. It was a sad thing to watch. They just tackled each other until they got what they wanted. They were so bent on brute strength, and still were today. But their former students were starting to take on their own type of fighting style. None of them ever learned all of the fighting moves that belonged to their one-time masters. It was true, they were stronger than when they had first started, but were nothing compared to them.
Were these girls going to be their final pupils? Could they be the ones that would succeed them and teach their skills to others with potential? Would this be their final band of students?
They certainly hoped so. They weren't adults yet, but they wanted to train a group who was worth their time. They needed people who wouldn't waste their techniques to show-off or use merely for fighting. They desired a team who would learn their moves and be able to teach others, so, perhaps one day, they would be legends, like their masters before them. And maybe their methods of martial arts would save someone's life. That would be truly awarding.
Their dreams of the future were soon interrupted by two war screeches. Looking at each other, Trunks, Goten and Uubu bolted down the hallway.
Pan was standing in the doorway of a room. Bra and Marron were standing in it, glaring at each other. Pan couldn't help the sigh that passed her lips. Great. The mother of all catfights was about to ensue and she got front row center. That was exactly what she wanted.
Her masters had arrived just as Marron charged Bra. Bra side stepped, and threw a roundhouse to Marron's stomach. Marron caught her leg, and cart wheeled over it. She back kicked her now enemy, and Bra was able to arch her backside backwards, and dodged it once more.
As the two were duking it out, Pan walked into the room. She stepped into the middle of the fight, and her eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Bra and Marron were frozen where they stood. Their eyes grew a bit, but that was the most movement they could do. Trunks, Goten and Uubu stared at Pan in shock. What was she doing?
Trunks felt the tension thicken, and it went off in his mind.
"Pan, let them go. Your ki overpowers theirs," he said softly. Pan looked over her shoulder at her master, and shrugged. Both Marron and Bra fell to the ground, gasping for air. They could barely breath when Pan held them with her energy.
Goten and Uubu were impressed. They knew that the two other girls were strong, but could not compare to this girl. Pan had an unlimited amount of possibility, they knew that, but they never knew that she was this far along in her training. This would make things easier. Although Bra and Marron couldn't break Pan's control, you could tell their ki were strong as well. They would be able to teach them well, too.
"Bra, take the room down the hall, to the left. It seems more you. Marron, you stay here," Pan said, and the two girls nodded. Bra rushed out the door, and Marron was beginning to unpack. All Pan did was walk away, and the three young men said to them:
"Wake up call is at six. Get some sleep."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pan tossed and turned. She was sleeping peacefully, hoping no one would dare come near her. But, like they all say, life's not fair. You don't always get what you want. And in Pan's case...
"PANNY!!!! WAKE UP!!!!! YOU GIRLS ARE MAKING BREAKFAST!!!!!!!"
Trunks had burst into her room, began jumping on her bed, yelling at the top of his lungs and was demanding she make brunch at... 6:03 AM!!!!!! That's it! He was not getting anything at the rate he was going.
"But Master..." Pan muttered into her pillow. It had always been a sign of respect to call your teachers "Master". That was how Pan and her friends were taught. Although foreign at first, it began to roll of their tongues as they got used to it.
"Nope! Up!" was his reply, and he grabbed Pan, hoisting her over his shoulders.
Pan gave a squeak, and she was carried downstairs. She was too weirded out and too sleepy to even try to escape. Marron and Bra were already down there, beginning the meal. When they saw Pan and Trunks, they smiled to themselves. They had been brought down in similar ways, but it was still cute.
Trunks let Pan down, and she muttered curses under her breath.
"How many meals will we be cooking this summer?" Pan had to ask, as she cracked a few eggs for an omelet.
"Well..." Goten said with a goofy grin, "None of us know how to cook, so..."
"Let me guess. All of them," Bra said with a glare, and the older men just nodded. Pan had to sigh to herself. Of course they couldn't cook. That's why they spent so much time training, to burn all the fat from the junk food.
The three girl finished breakfast, and ate calmly, while their masters shoveled everything in their mouths. It was a surprise they even looked like that good, when they were obviously just pigs. It was so disgusting, seeing them eat like that. They probably weren't even breathing.
After the meal was devoured, Pan, Bra and Marron stood up, and bowed before excusing themselves. As they reached the stairs, their blood boiled when they heard:
"Get dressed. Training starts in five minutes."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The girls were pissed.
That was all that needed to be said. They had to wake up early, during summer vacation, to cook breakfast for pigs, and then train. After that, once they were done changing, of course, they have to hike FIVE freaking miles to get to a lake. I mean, isn't that what everyone does on his or her days off?
The lake had dark water, and it looked like something evil and ancient lived beneath it. It was in the middle of the clearing, only bushes and trees surrounding it. There were also thin stumps in the lake. They were spaced far apart, making it hard to reach another pole. You could tell that the poles were decomposing, and quickly. They were only a few inches in diameter, meaning, whoever was on it, would only have room to put their toes on the post.
The girls stood opposite of their masters. Today's lesson: Speed and reflexes are the difference between drowning and living.
Bra's hair was held up with a red hair band. Her training gi was red, with a light blue shirt inside. Her obi (belt. For anyone who's Japanese comprehension is limited, like me ^-^) was also light blue. Her cerulean eyes were narrowed in anger at her masters.
Marron's was a hot pink gi. The shirt within was a baby pink, as was her obi. She had her hair tied in pigtails. She looked equally angry. Marron was never a morning person, but this was just an all-time low for her.
Pan wore an orange gi (think Goku), and looked almost exactly like her grandfather's; except for the black top and obi she sported. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she tapped her foot impatiently. 'This sucks,' was pretty much all she thought about at the moment.
"Today, you'll be crossing across the lake, but you can't fall in. No one will go after you. You either cross the lake on those old posts in the middle, or try to swim back. The lake is deep though. It will drag you into the middle once it gets a hold of you," Uubu said, and the girls nodded. All they needed to do was jump to the other shore. But, would those pieces of wood still be standing? You could tell they were decaying. They would easily fall apart at the slightest tension.
Marron went first, followed by Pan, and then Bra.
Marron jumped as quickly as she could, trying to keep herself and the poles in balance. Her balance was fair, but she wasn't the best. She knew she would need to improve on that over the summer.
Pan was jumping hastily, but she barely touched the wooden posts. She was almost to the end. Speed was their team's specialty, but Pan was one of the fastest on Earth.
On the other hand, Bra was having some trouble. She wasn't the best person when it came to balancing. Of course she was quick on her feet, but she didn't have the experienced balancing exercise that her friends did. She was able to get a little past halfway.
As Bra jumped to another post, her foot was able to land on the piece of rotting wood. But, the wooden pole was covered in moss and was already breaking. As soon as her foot came in contact with the lumber, it snapped in half. Bra hadn't noticed the crack in it, and was about to jump, when it crashed into the lake!
Since the posts were feet apart from each other, Bra couldn't go anywhere! She was too shocked that she hadn't even tried to get away, and plunged into the water with a scream...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: You know, it would suck if I left you guys here, so I'll continue. ^-^ I wanted to leave it here, but a little T/P moment is going to happen. I think you guys would appreciate a little, since there won't be much in the next chapter, or a couple others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When everyone heard Bra's cry, Marron had just gotten to the end of the lake, and Pan was a few feet behind her. Marron turned to see her friend struggling in the water, and moved like she was about to reenter the training grounds where the poles stood, but Uubu held her back.
"No one may go after her. We already told you," Uubu's voice was muffled because of Marron's thrashing. She fought against the dark-toned man, but he wasn't going to let her go. They had stated the rules. She wasn't going to get a chance to help her companion.
Pan, on the other hand, wasn't one to leave a comrade behind. She quickly doubled back, despite Goten's calls to come back. She jumped to the closest post that was within Bra's range. She kneeled to try and help her friend out, but, despite Bra's lashing out for her hand, she couldn't reach Pan.
Knowing Bra was going to drown if she didn't hurry, Pan did the only thing she could think of at the second...
She jumped in.
She was able to help Bra by catapulting her into the air. She put her hands together, and caught Bra's foot in her palms. She gave the blue-haired girl an upward thrust, and Bra shot out of the water. She was able catch herself, and landed on a pole. Pan was just barely able to keep her head afloat in the murky water.
Uubu was right. The lake did try to drag you down. If you weren't careful, you'd be dragged beneath the water, and into the darkness of the lagoon.
Bra was ready to go after Pan, but Goten held her back. He knew that, if Pan went after Bra, than Bra would surely go after Pan. He couldn't have her going back in after Pan because, if she did die, than it would be a waste of two lives if Bra just went with her.
Pan's head was beginning to sink, and she was barely above water. If she didn't think of anything soon, she would be a victim to the water.
When Pan disappeared, she didn't come up. Bra and Marron were fighting harshly against the Master, while Trunks merely washed from the sidelines. He knew there was more to this than any of them thought. But he was beginning to get worried. Where was she...?
As Goten carried Bra to the shore, she had given up. Her head was on his shoulder, and Goten rubbed her back. Marron looked like she was trying not to break down on Uubu's chest. Why hadn't their Panny-chan surfaced?
And just like that, there was a disturbance in the water. A soft pulsing began, and small waves emitted from the center of the water. The signs of something large beneath the pond were beginning to show. The waves started as mere ripples, before they began to lap against the shore fiercely, trying to crumble the land around it.
With a burst of power, something shot out of watery depths. A white light that shone like the evening stars, was high above their heads. But it wasn't a supernatural being...
It was Pan!
She manipulated her strong ki into a beam, large enough to blast her way out of the dewpond that had pulled her down. It lifted her far into the sky, before it disappeared, back into her body. Her agility had not left her, though. She tucked herself into a small ball, and flipped herself on to the shore near her friends and masters. She landed kneeling, her chin tucked into her chest. Her breath was labored as she looked at her friends.
Both girls had large watery eyes, and their tears threatened to spill. Had they really thought she was going to die? Some faith they had in her abilities.
Uubu and Goten stood beside Bra and Marron, their smiles proud. They had never seen a woman who could give off so much energy and live to tell about it. She was so close to using her vital power. Neither even dreamed that Pan had survived such an encounter, when many others had died. That was why many feared their harsh and merciless training. None could take it.
Trunks began to approach Pan. She looked down, as he towered over her. She knew she would be in so much trouble. Not only did she break the rules for the training, but also she almost killed herself in the process.
Her head was bowed as she waited for a hit or some type of yelling, but it never came. She knew that Master Trunks had stooped down in front of her. He was probably going to shout at her, she knew it. But when Pan looked up at him, she couldn't believe it.
He pulled the young girl into his arms, and tears fell softly into her hair. She wouldn't have even guessed he was crying, except for the small hiccups that escaped his lips.
"Don't ever do that to me again..." was all he said, and Pan was left stunned.
She smiled her softly, and her eyes turned into crescents as she clutched his gi.
"I wont."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Woohoo! My best chapter, and longest! I think this one was my sweetest. I hope you all review! This story isn't my favorite, though. "Friendship, or More?" is my favorite, but it's not as popular as this one. Why? I'm not completely sure.
Oh well. Reviews are reviews.
Trunks: That means you have to review, or I'll have to hunt you down!
A-chan: *sweat drop* Whatever! But he's right! Review, or I'll get Trunks to hunt you down. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Chow for now!
Much love,
Adobo-chan ^-^
*Trunks walks in all depressed. *
A-chan: Hey Trunks! You're back!
Trunks: I couldn't find the Dragonballs. *sigh*
A-chan: It's okay Trunks. We still love you. ^-^
Trunks: *grins* Well, I'm off to go pick on Pan-chan! *skips away*
A-chan: *shivers* Note to self: Never watch Trunks skip AGAIN! It's creepy...
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Don't sue! I don't even own this computer! I own one, but... DON'T TAKE IT AWAY OR I CAN NEVER POST AGAIN (literally)!!!! *sobs*
~*~
Chapter 9: Training
~*~
Pan, Bra and Marron were now outside the house they would be staying in for the summer. But the large building in front of them was not a "house".
IT WAS A MANSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just from the front, it looked like it had thirty rooms. It was a Victorian styled home, and had many vines crawling up the sides. It was peach-colored with large windows. It was also two stories, and it looked so out of place in the woods. It belonged in a rich suburban region with front gates, not in the middle of nowhere. But it was beautiful, nonetheless. It added class to the nothingness of the woods.
Trunks, Goten and Uubu couldn't help but chuckle at their students awe filled faces. It was kind of cute, but that wasn't what they were going for. They were going to shape these girls into fighting machines, not amazed children.
Clearing his throat, Trunks was able to catch the girls' attention. Bra and Marron blushed lightly, like most girls would do in that kind of embarrassing situation. You are never allowed to show a man that they were actually interested in something they had. It made them seem like gold- diggers. Pan just looked at him, and her head had tilted slightly to the right, as she stared.
"First one to get to their chosen room claims it. I suggest you get moving," was all Trunks needed to say because seconds later, the girls were racing up the stairs.
Pan opened a few doors before looking into an orange painted room. There was a computer and desk in the corner. There was a walk-in closet, which was a few feet from the desk. In the middle of the room was a large king- sized bed. The covers were black, and the pillows were also black with an orange lightning bolt in the middle of the cushion. There was also a connected bathroom. It came complete with a bath/shower. There was a sink, medicine cabinet and everything a girl could need. So, Pan chose it.
Since Marron and Bra had similar tastes, it was an all-out war. Both of them scrambled from one room to another, each wanting the better room. They were running up and down the halls so fast, that they almost knocked Pan over. Instead, Pan flipped herself up, thanking Dende they had a high ceiling, and was able to sustain herself in air long enough so Marron and Bra could keep running. Their new masters walked up behind Pan, who had landed on the ground without a sound. They were impressed.
Pan had agility, speed and great reflexes. She was going to be an easy student to teach. She was already showing promise in her simplest techniques. Even Bra and Marron, although they were so into their little competition, you could see they had quick movements and were light on their feet. They were also able to block out everything around them, except each other.
They used to teach guys, who were slower than molasses. It was a sad thing to watch. They just tackled each other until they got what they wanted. They were so bent on brute strength, and still were today. But their former students were starting to take on their own type of fighting style. None of them ever learned all of the fighting moves that belonged to their one-time masters. It was true, they were stronger than when they had first started, but were nothing compared to them.
Were these girls going to be their final pupils? Could they be the ones that would succeed them and teach their skills to others with potential? Would this be their final band of students?
They certainly hoped so. They weren't adults yet, but they wanted to train a group who was worth their time. They needed people who wouldn't waste their techniques to show-off or use merely for fighting. They desired a team who would learn their moves and be able to teach others, so, perhaps one day, they would be legends, like their masters before them. And maybe their methods of martial arts would save someone's life. That would be truly awarding.
Their dreams of the future were soon interrupted by two war screeches. Looking at each other, Trunks, Goten and Uubu bolted down the hallway.
Pan was standing in the doorway of a room. Bra and Marron were standing in it, glaring at each other. Pan couldn't help the sigh that passed her lips. Great. The mother of all catfights was about to ensue and she got front row center. That was exactly what she wanted.
Her masters had arrived just as Marron charged Bra. Bra side stepped, and threw a roundhouse to Marron's stomach. Marron caught her leg, and cart wheeled over it. She back kicked her now enemy, and Bra was able to arch her backside backwards, and dodged it once more.
As the two were duking it out, Pan walked into the room. She stepped into the middle of the fight, and her eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Bra and Marron were frozen where they stood. Their eyes grew a bit, but that was the most movement they could do. Trunks, Goten and Uubu stared at Pan in shock. What was she doing?
Trunks felt the tension thicken, and it went off in his mind.
"Pan, let them go. Your ki overpowers theirs," he said softly. Pan looked over her shoulder at her master, and shrugged. Both Marron and Bra fell to the ground, gasping for air. They could barely breath when Pan held them with her energy.
Goten and Uubu were impressed. They knew that the two other girls were strong, but could not compare to this girl. Pan had an unlimited amount of possibility, they knew that, but they never knew that she was this far along in her training. This would make things easier. Although Bra and Marron couldn't break Pan's control, you could tell their ki were strong as well. They would be able to teach them well, too.
"Bra, take the room down the hall, to the left. It seems more you. Marron, you stay here," Pan said, and the two girls nodded. Bra rushed out the door, and Marron was beginning to unpack. All Pan did was walk away, and the three young men said to them:
"Wake up call is at six. Get some sleep."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pan tossed and turned. She was sleeping peacefully, hoping no one would dare come near her. But, like they all say, life's not fair. You don't always get what you want. And in Pan's case...
"PANNY!!!! WAKE UP!!!!! YOU GIRLS ARE MAKING BREAKFAST!!!!!!!"
Trunks had burst into her room, began jumping on her bed, yelling at the top of his lungs and was demanding she make brunch at... 6:03 AM!!!!!! That's it! He was not getting anything at the rate he was going.
"But Master..." Pan muttered into her pillow. It had always been a sign of respect to call your teachers "Master". That was how Pan and her friends were taught. Although foreign at first, it began to roll of their tongues as they got used to it.
"Nope! Up!" was his reply, and he grabbed Pan, hoisting her over his shoulders.
Pan gave a squeak, and she was carried downstairs. She was too weirded out and too sleepy to even try to escape. Marron and Bra were already down there, beginning the meal. When they saw Pan and Trunks, they smiled to themselves. They had been brought down in similar ways, but it was still cute.
Trunks let Pan down, and she muttered curses under her breath.
"How many meals will we be cooking this summer?" Pan had to ask, as she cracked a few eggs for an omelet.
"Well..." Goten said with a goofy grin, "None of us know how to cook, so..."
"Let me guess. All of them," Bra said with a glare, and the older men just nodded. Pan had to sigh to herself. Of course they couldn't cook. That's why they spent so much time training, to burn all the fat from the junk food.
The three girl finished breakfast, and ate calmly, while their masters shoveled everything in their mouths. It was a surprise they even looked like that good, when they were obviously just pigs. It was so disgusting, seeing them eat like that. They probably weren't even breathing.
After the meal was devoured, Pan, Bra and Marron stood up, and bowed before excusing themselves. As they reached the stairs, their blood boiled when they heard:
"Get dressed. Training starts in five minutes."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The girls were pissed.
That was all that needed to be said. They had to wake up early, during summer vacation, to cook breakfast for pigs, and then train. After that, once they were done changing, of course, they have to hike FIVE freaking miles to get to a lake. I mean, isn't that what everyone does on his or her days off?
The lake had dark water, and it looked like something evil and ancient lived beneath it. It was in the middle of the clearing, only bushes and trees surrounding it. There were also thin stumps in the lake. They were spaced far apart, making it hard to reach another pole. You could tell that the poles were decomposing, and quickly. They were only a few inches in diameter, meaning, whoever was on it, would only have room to put their toes on the post.
The girls stood opposite of their masters. Today's lesson: Speed and reflexes are the difference between drowning and living.
Bra's hair was held up with a red hair band. Her training gi was red, with a light blue shirt inside. Her obi (belt. For anyone who's Japanese comprehension is limited, like me ^-^) was also light blue. Her cerulean eyes were narrowed in anger at her masters.
Marron's was a hot pink gi. The shirt within was a baby pink, as was her obi. She had her hair tied in pigtails. She looked equally angry. Marron was never a morning person, but this was just an all-time low for her.
Pan wore an orange gi (think Goku), and looked almost exactly like her grandfather's; except for the black top and obi she sported. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she tapped her foot impatiently. 'This sucks,' was pretty much all she thought about at the moment.
"Today, you'll be crossing across the lake, but you can't fall in. No one will go after you. You either cross the lake on those old posts in the middle, or try to swim back. The lake is deep though. It will drag you into the middle once it gets a hold of you," Uubu said, and the girls nodded. All they needed to do was jump to the other shore. But, would those pieces of wood still be standing? You could tell they were decaying. They would easily fall apart at the slightest tension.
Marron went first, followed by Pan, and then Bra.
Marron jumped as quickly as she could, trying to keep herself and the poles in balance. Her balance was fair, but she wasn't the best. She knew she would need to improve on that over the summer.
Pan was jumping hastily, but she barely touched the wooden posts. She was almost to the end. Speed was their team's specialty, but Pan was one of the fastest on Earth.
On the other hand, Bra was having some trouble. She wasn't the best person when it came to balancing. Of course she was quick on her feet, but she didn't have the experienced balancing exercise that her friends did. She was able to get a little past halfway.
As Bra jumped to another post, her foot was able to land on the piece of rotting wood. But, the wooden pole was covered in moss and was already breaking. As soon as her foot came in contact with the lumber, it snapped in half. Bra hadn't noticed the crack in it, and was about to jump, when it crashed into the lake!
Since the posts were feet apart from each other, Bra couldn't go anywhere! She was too shocked that she hadn't even tried to get away, and plunged into the water with a scream...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: You know, it would suck if I left you guys here, so I'll continue. ^-^ I wanted to leave it here, but a little T/P moment is going to happen. I think you guys would appreciate a little, since there won't be much in the next chapter, or a couple others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When everyone heard Bra's cry, Marron had just gotten to the end of the lake, and Pan was a few feet behind her. Marron turned to see her friend struggling in the water, and moved like she was about to reenter the training grounds where the poles stood, but Uubu held her back.
"No one may go after her. We already told you," Uubu's voice was muffled because of Marron's thrashing. She fought against the dark-toned man, but he wasn't going to let her go. They had stated the rules. She wasn't going to get a chance to help her companion.
Pan, on the other hand, wasn't one to leave a comrade behind. She quickly doubled back, despite Goten's calls to come back. She jumped to the closest post that was within Bra's range. She kneeled to try and help her friend out, but, despite Bra's lashing out for her hand, she couldn't reach Pan.
Knowing Bra was going to drown if she didn't hurry, Pan did the only thing she could think of at the second...
She jumped in.
She was able to help Bra by catapulting her into the air. She put her hands together, and caught Bra's foot in her palms. She gave the blue-haired girl an upward thrust, and Bra shot out of the water. She was able catch herself, and landed on a pole. Pan was just barely able to keep her head afloat in the murky water.
Uubu was right. The lake did try to drag you down. If you weren't careful, you'd be dragged beneath the water, and into the darkness of the lagoon.
Bra was ready to go after Pan, but Goten held her back. He knew that, if Pan went after Bra, than Bra would surely go after Pan. He couldn't have her going back in after Pan because, if she did die, than it would be a waste of two lives if Bra just went with her.
Pan's head was beginning to sink, and she was barely above water. If she didn't think of anything soon, she would be a victim to the water.
When Pan disappeared, she didn't come up. Bra and Marron were fighting harshly against the Master, while Trunks merely washed from the sidelines. He knew there was more to this than any of them thought. But he was beginning to get worried. Where was she...?
As Goten carried Bra to the shore, she had given up. Her head was on his shoulder, and Goten rubbed her back. Marron looked like she was trying not to break down on Uubu's chest. Why hadn't their Panny-chan surfaced?
And just like that, there was a disturbance in the water. A soft pulsing began, and small waves emitted from the center of the water. The signs of something large beneath the pond were beginning to show. The waves started as mere ripples, before they began to lap against the shore fiercely, trying to crumble the land around it.
With a burst of power, something shot out of watery depths. A white light that shone like the evening stars, was high above their heads. But it wasn't a supernatural being...
It was Pan!
She manipulated her strong ki into a beam, large enough to blast her way out of the dewpond that had pulled her down. It lifted her far into the sky, before it disappeared, back into her body. Her agility had not left her, though. She tucked herself into a small ball, and flipped herself on to the shore near her friends and masters. She landed kneeling, her chin tucked into her chest. Her breath was labored as she looked at her friends.
Both girls had large watery eyes, and their tears threatened to spill. Had they really thought she was going to die? Some faith they had in her abilities.
Uubu and Goten stood beside Bra and Marron, their smiles proud. They had never seen a woman who could give off so much energy and live to tell about it. She was so close to using her vital power. Neither even dreamed that Pan had survived such an encounter, when many others had died. That was why many feared their harsh and merciless training. None could take it.
Trunks began to approach Pan. She looked down, as he towered over her. She knew she would be in so much trouble. Not only did she break the rules for the training, but also she almost killed herself in the process.
Her head was bowed as she waited for a hit or some type of yelling, but it never came. She knew that Master Trunks had stooped down in front of her. He was probably going to shout at her, she knew it. But when Pan looked up at him, she couldn't believe it.
He pulled the young girl into his arms, and tears fell softly into her hair. She wouldn't have even guessed he was crying, except for the small hiccups that escaped his lips.
"Don't ever do that to me again..." was all he said, and Pan was left stunned.
She smiled her softly, and her eyes turned into crescents as she clutched his gi.
"I wont."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN: Woohoo! My best chapter, and longest! I think this one was my sweetest. I hope you all review! This story isn't my favorite, though. "Friendship, or More?" is my favorite, but it's not as popular as this one. Why? I'm not completely sure.
Oh well. Reviews are reviews.
Trunks: That means you have to review, or I'll have to hunt you down!
A-chan: *sweat drop* Whatever! But he's right! Review, or I'll get Trunks to hunt you down. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Chow for now!
Much love,
Adobo-chan ^-^