CHAPTER 5:
Dressed for the Occasion

Trunks looked in the mirror and frowned. He turned to his left side, observing his outfit, and glanced over to Goku, who was sitting in a chair across the room, watching him. They were in a dressing room with several other small Kikaruan women surrounding him, babbling among themselves in their native tongue as they tailored the fabric.

"I look ridiculous," Trunks sighed, "Why do they make the men wear the dresses?"

Goku smiled and put his arms behind his head. "Ah, cheer up, Trunks! You look great, and apparently that's the latest wedding fashion here. I just wish I could have brought a camera."

Trunks groaned to himself as the women continued to measure the skirt length of his white gown. "Goku, I feel so embarrassed in this thing. Isn't there any way I could wear a robe or something? A suit, preferably!"

"Aww, but Trunks, you look so nice. You shouldn't feel so glum about the outfit. It's perfectly normal around here for men to get married in that. It's not like you're in a girl's wedding dress like last time."

"Shhhhhh!" Trunks panicked, and gestured to the women who were babbling, "That never happened." He coughed, and glanced at one of the girls looking at him. "It-it was just a dream you had one night..."

"What? It didn't happen?" Goku got a confused expression on his face suddenly and sat forward. "Wow, I could have sworn it was real! I don't understand. I really thought it happened..."

Trunks' mouth fell open in astonishment. Wow, Goku is really gullible.

"Well, you should hear it then, Trunks! It was really good. All three of us landed on a planet that had earthquakes, and you had to dress up as a woman and pretend to marry the giant that was –"

"Goku, could you tell this to me later?" Trunks moaned through gritted teeth, tightening his fists at his side.

"Oh, sure, Trunks. You're right! Pan might like to hear it, too!" Goku stood up and walked over to Trunks, getting a closer look at what the women were doing. "It really is coming along well, Trunks. I wonder what Pan is wearing."

Trunks cringed at the thought. If a male's dress is this long, imagine what the girl has to wear... and Pan wearing that dress... "Hey Goku, maybe you should go check on her. I don't believe I've ever seen Pan in a dress before. I think she might be going into shock."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be fine. But you're right, I should visit her. I'll be back soon." Goku walked to the door that lead to the hall and turned around. "Will you be okay?"

"Just go," Trunks sighed. As the door closed, he turned to look at himself in the mirror again and moaned, "She'd better not be wearing a suit..."

––––––––

Pan was frowning in the mirror when she heard a quick knock and the door begin to open. Oh no! Nobody can see me in this! This is so humiliating! She ducked behind a couch that was in the room, hoping the trail of her dress would blend into the fabrics that were strewn all over it.

"Pan? Are you in here?"

"No, I'm not. Go away." She felt like she would just die from embarrassment.

"Pan, I just heard you! Are you sure you're not here?" She heard Goku step into the room and start walking around.

"No, Grandpa, I'm not here! So go away!"

"Aww, I just wanted to visit and see how you were doing. Is everything okay?"

"No! I'm not okay! Please..." She felt like she was going to cry. "Grandpa... I don't want to be seen right now." Pan tried to quickly think of some excuse why he could not see her. "I, uh... I don't want anyone to see the bride before the wedding."

"Oh okay. I'm sorry. I'll leave, then."

After she heard the door shut, she peeked out from behind the couch and sighed in relief. Wow, that was too close... She stood in front of the mirror and turned around. It's beautiful. I could wear this a prom, if I trim off the length a bit, but there is no way in all the world I'd ever willingly touch this thing again after today...

The door suddenly swung open. "Oh yeah, Pan, I forgot to tell you..." Goku stopped in his tracks, and stared at her, open-mouthed.

Pan felt like she'd have a heart attack. "Grandpa! Get out! GET OUT!" She ran toward him in a rage that would have rivaled even Bulma's.

"P-P-... Goku just stared in a stupor. "P-...Pink..?"

Pan smacked into him so hard, he flew out the door and crashed through the hallway's wall with a loud "BANG!", crumbling an entire side of the hallway, and into the next room over. She slammed the door and ran over to the couch, intent on dragging it and blocking off the only entrance to the room, but a knock on the door froze her.

"Grandpa, you can't be serious!" She growled and stomped over to the door. "Grandpa... you have got to be the stupidest, most idiotic little boy that I've ever met, if you really think you can ever get on my good side EVER AGAIN!"

"Uh, miss?" she heard a quiet voice behind the door.

"Oh, it's you." Pan opened the door a crack to look out at the little man they had first met. He stood there in a nice white robe, looking a little nervous and twiddling his fingers together in anxiety. "What's wrong?"

The little man gulped a bit and glanced away, looking down the hall to see if anyone was coming. "May I come in for a minute?"

Pan's eyes narrowed. There is no way I'm going to let him see this dress. "What do you want?"

"Well," the man looked at her again. "I want to tell you what goes on in a bonding here. Ibe not sure if yoube familiar with our customs. I just want to make sure you know what you bedoing..."

"Oh." Pan rolled her eyes upward in thought. "Well, I guess I could let you come in. I guess every rule has some exception. You're right, I need to know what's going to go on." She opened the door with a sweeping gesture to the room, and the man cautiously entered.

"By the way," the man said, "I don't think I ever formally introduced myself. My namebe Hikaru, and I'll be performing the service today with my mate, Lelanu."

Pan cleared the fabrics to the side of the couch and sat down, patting beside her, inviting him to sit. He just stared at her, standing fixed in his place. "Come on, sit down. Is it a long explanation?"

"Well, no, not really," Hikaru blinked. "It benot long enoughthat we have to sit, but if you insist..." The little man sat down, edging himself to be as far away from her as possible when on the couch.

"So is there something important you want to say?" Pan raised her eyebrow at him.

"Because I don't believe you will be staying after yoube married, I will skip over the marital customs of this moon. But the wedding itself has a lot of tradition to it that you need to uphold, or you might upset our mighty Lord Raiyan."

"Has Trunks heard any of this yet?"

"No, miss, he has not. I have decided to come to you first because theybe still preparing his outfit and he bea little busy at the moment." The man uneasily shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

Pan felt impatience start to creep up on her. "You know, you don't have to be scared of me. I'm not going to bite. Seriously." She could not help but notice how uncomfortable he was around her.

"Miss..." Hikaru paused and seemed to work up some confidence before looking her in the eyes, "Were it you who destroyed the wall in our hallway?"

"No, that was my Grandpa. I simply kicked him out of my room. He was the one that crashed into your walls. But I'm sorry. Is that why you are upset?"

"We have a rule that no violence may occur during our ceremony. It shall be peaceful and harmonious. All unions under our Lord will be so. I just hope yoube able to control your anger during the ceremony. I know how you were so against the idea of it yesterday."

Pan scoffed at him. "Actually, that was more of Trunks' anger, but he'll probably appreciate the warning. What else do I need to know?"

"We have a certain tradition that might trouble you. I want you to be aware of this before you perform it." Pan raised her eyebrow a bit but waited for him to continue. "You see, we have rings that the couple will don during the ceremony..."

"Oh that's the problem? Pfft, we have rings at home. Don't worry about that. Although I don't wear jewelry, I don't think that any ring would be a problem to me."

"No miss. That benot the problem. You see, you must present the rings to each other and chant an incantation while slipping it onto the others' finger. That incantationbe what bonds you until one passes onto Raiyan's realm."

"What are you saying? That we'll cast some sort of spell on each other that makes us fall in love forever or something?" Pan was beginning to believe the man about how she might begin to feel troubled.

"No. It bejust that it will bond you. After this incantation, you will not be able to be bonded with anyone else..."

Pan stood up and faced the man, putting her hands on her hips in frustration. "What are you saying! I don't understand you. How will we be bonded? Do we lose any part of our personality? Do we become slaves to each other? Do we lose our will powers? What the heck could possibly be wrong with a ring incantation?"

The little man stood up and bowed politely to her. "I besorry, Miss. No, you wont be affected at all by it. It's just that you won't be able to bond with anyone else. The rings symbolize the bonding that you have already encountered, and we mate for life."

"Oh, I get it. I guess the rings symbolize a lot to you guys." Pan pondered a moment, observing his nod toward her. "On Earth, it symbolizes a lot as well. Don't worry, I'll take care of the ring." She smiled at the man, who visibly sighed in relief. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Yes, and this be very important. When you enter the Temple, you be not allowed to be clothed."

Pan flopped to the floor, turning as red as a beet. He's got to be kidding me! "No... clothes...?"

"Our Temple be a sacred place. Our Lord Raiyan believes that his subjects should not feel the need to hide any part of themselves from him. And, considering you would have bonded to your mate, it symbolizes your trust in him, to understand that he fully accepts you for the person you be, and not by the mask you wear."

This can't be happening. Me, naked in a room with Trunks, of all people. This is NOT happening... "Can't I bring in any cloth? Even rags? Anything at all?"

Hikaru shook his head, "Absolutely not. That would be hypocrisy."

Pan gulped, fearing the worst. Her stomach was reeling, and she was beginning to see stars.

"Is there... anything else you want to tell me?"

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9/20/04