Okie, longer chapter AS PROMISED!!! Thank you to all who R&R'ed. I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Last chapter: "Pan… you're… you're adopted."

Chapter 5: Pan's Escape

Pan could only stare at her brother… or, this man who was not her brother… or…who was he to her? She didn't know what to say. She had about a million questions in her head, but didn't know which to ask first. She ended up simply throwing out several at once.

"So who are my real parents? Why was I at that loading dock in the first place? Is that why Otou-san hates me so much? Is Pan even my real name? Who else knows about this? Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"Pan… I'm sorry. I don't know what brought us together; I've just always assumed it was fate. I'm pretty sure the only other people who know are Otou-san and Okaa-san. Vegeta was around when you were adopted, but I don't think he remembers. And I never wanted to tell you because Okaa-san made me swear I never would. She was afraid you would run away." Pan could see the pain and sadness in his eyes. He wouldn't even look at her. Instead, his eyes focused on the wooden floor underneath them.

"I… I need to go think." Trunks silently nodded without looking up, and Pan slowly walked out of the gazebo, and around to the other side of the garden. There she headed to a large tree with low branches that was very close to the stone wall surrounding the castle. It had been a long time since she and Trunks had come there together. When there was nothing else to do, they used to come here and climb the branches to see who could get to the top the fastest. But with so much going on lately, there wasn't enough time for foolishness such as that.

Pan sat down, leaned against the tree, and looked up at the sky. A few large, pink clouds floated overhead. Pan closed her eyes. The soft breeze blew some of Pan's black bangs in her eyes, but she simply brushed them away. She could hear a few birds chirping in the midmorning light. Suddenly, Pan recalled the dream she had had the night before, about the wall she had tried to climb, then the tall object she had tried to reach so she could climb it to get over the wall. She became conscious she was leaning up against a tree that was about five feet shorter than the wall. Could this be what her dream meant? Pan had to know. She opened her eyes again, and looked up in the branches of the tree above her. Slowly, she stood up and grabbed on to the lowest branch. She pushed herself up on top of it, and reached for the next branch.

It wasn't long before she was at the very top of the tree. She looked back down at the spot she had been sitting. Then she looked at the wall in front of her. When she was younger, she had never been able to touch the top of it. Now, it didn't seem that far away. Pan stood up on the top branch, but could feel it breaking from her weight. She quickly grabbed on to the top of the wall, and pulled herself up, just as the branch under her snapped and fell. Pan looked back down at the tree, and then at the other side of the wall she was sitting on.

She had never seen anything like it. There were little houses, and shops lining the streets, and… people.

So many people. Pan had never seen the outside world before, and she had never imagined there would be that many people. Women were looking at the goods displayed in the shop carts with young children tightly holding their hands. Men were joking with each other, and running their little shops. Everyone seemed so happy and carefree. Pan spotted a group of children about her age running through the streets with a red ball. She laughed as they tossed it, then dropped it, and ran after it. Pan suddenly had an urge to join them.

She looked directly below her to find a large pile of wooden crates about six feet down. She carefully lowered herself down as far as possible, and then dropped. She landed a bit shakily on the crates. Quickly, Pan climbed down and ran after the group of children.

"Ohayô! Can…can I play?" The children stopped to look at her curiously. There were three of them. One of them came up to her, and circled around her, as if inspecting her. The boy looked to be a couple years older than her. He had dark skin, jet black shining eyes, and a black mohawk. He was wearing a dark green muscle shirt with matching baggy pants and an orange sash around his waist.

"We've never seen you around here before." The boy had stopped circling her, and was now staring at her a bit confused with his arms crossed.

"Well… I, uh… I don't get out much." Pan replied a bit shakily.

"Oh, well, sure you can play with us. My name's Uub." The boy named Uub stuck out his hand, and Pan shook it. Uub smiled.

"I'm… I'm Pan."

"I'm Marron!" Another one of the children, this time a girl, had introduced herself to Pan. She looked to be around the same age as Vegeta Jr., perhaps younger. She had long blond hair tied into two braids under a pink sun hat. She wore a pink jumper with a white shirt underneath.

"And I'm Zamuri." The third child came up to Pan. He was the exact same height as Pan, and looked about the same age. His wide, flashing black eyes reminded her of her own eyes. His hair was also black, and hung a little below his ears. He wore a red cloth band around his head that caused his spiky bangs to stick up a little bit. He was wearing a white muscle shirt with baggy black pants and a red sash.

There was something about him…

Suddenly, there was a loud crash, followed by terrified screams coming from just down the street. People started running frantically in all directions. The pursuers seemed to be a large group of Pan's father's soldiers.

"Oh no… not again…" Uub's voice quivered in fear. The sparkle drained out of his eyes. He backed away slowly, before totally turning around and running in the opposite direction. "Follow me! Hurry!!!"

Marron and Zamuri motioned for a very confused Pan to follow.

The three led Pan to a small house in a darkened alleyway. Uub led the way to a small green door that Pan would have never seen if they hadn't pointed it out. Uub knocked three times on the door, paused, and then knocked four times more. On the other side of the door, the sound of a lock could be heard sliding from its place. The door slowly creaked open, then swung open and all four were pulled inside, and the door was shut again.

Pan found herself in a house around the size of her whole bedroom in the castle (which was considerably large). There was a small fire lit in a fireplace, and a table with three chairs around it in the middle of the room. There was a wooden stove surrounded by cabinets filled with kitchenware. On the other side of the room were two beds and a few blankets. Then Pan noticed the two people who had dragged her inside in the first place.

Both looked to be in their mid thirties. One of them was a fairly tall man wearing an orange muscle shirt, matching orange baggy pants, and a blue sash. His black hair spiked straight up, save one spike which dangled down the middle of his forehead. The other was a woman who wore her long black hair in a single braid. She wore a yellow t-shirt with a jean jacket on top, and a pair of long jean pants.

The two people were suspiciously peeking out the windows, and pacing anxiously.

"Um… excuse me…" Both of the adults stopped, as if they hadn't even noticed Pan was there.

"Oh, hello dear. I'm sorry, my name is Son Videl. I'm Zamuri's mother." The woman smiled sweetly at Pan.

"Honestly, Videl. There's no time for that now." The man had begun pacing again, until there was a knock on the door, in the same odd pattern Uub had used. Then he ran to open the door.

"Oh Gohan, be nice! Can't you see she's scared?" Videl turned to Pan, "I'm sorry about my husband's rude behavior."

"Gohan?" The name seemed familiar…

Gohan was talking to another man who had just arrived. Then the man began to run, and Gohan turned back to his family.

"Alright everyone, let's go!" Marron, Uub and Zamuri ran out the door after him, and Videl quickly ushered Pan out after them. They were led by the strange man who had come to Gohan-san's door. Pan noticed they were being joined by more and more people.

Pan quickly caught up to Marron, who was running alongside Gohan.

"Hey, Marron! Do you know what's going on?"

"It's another raid, Pan!"

"A raid?"

"Yes, a raid, where the armed forces from the castle come here to capture a certain number of us to ship off to work on the mining planet!" Uub said, having caught up with the two girls. "Have you been living under a rock or something?"

Pan didn't have time to answer. At that moment, Gohan had shouted, "Alright, we'll take off here!"

Suddenly, Gohan grabbed Videl and Zamuri, and hoisted them on to his back. Then he flew off into the sky!

Pan stopped, and stared. All of a sudden, someone had grabbed her wrist and she was on the back of a strong young man in his early twenties.

Pan looked behind her to see that Marron was being carried by a short man with graying hair and a mustache. They were followed by a taller, short-haired blond woman. She assumed they must be Marron's parents. There were others flying after them too, but they were too far away for Pan to make out. Pan looked in front of her to see they were all being led by that same man who looked exactly like Gohan, except perhaps older. He had longer hair, and was even wearing the same clothes as Gohan. On his back was a woman with a yellow and blue dress, and had short, black shoulder-length hair.

Pan was curious about her new captor. "Excuse me…?"

The young man looked back at her, and smiled. "Ohayô! My name is Son Goten!"

"Oh! Are you related to Son Gohan?"

"Yup, I'm his little brother!" Goten put on a goofy child-like grin, and then looked forward again.

"Oh. My name is Pan."

The groups of odd flying Saiyans broke through the pink barrier of clouds, and were now soaring right above them. Pan had never flown before, but this feeling of being above the clouds, above the reality below, it felt comforting, almost familiar… like an old familiar world she had merely forgotten…

Pan suddenly had the urge to know just where these people were taking her. "Um… I don't mean to distract you from your… er… flying, but… where are we going?"

"Wherever Otou-san leads us." Pan looked at the leader of the group again. His father?!? Gohan-san's father?!?

"What's your father's name?"

"Son Goku."

The group had grown larger as more Saiyans joined. They were also joined by a few creatures Pan did not recognize. There was a small blue cat-like creature floating next to a man with a long thick ponytail, and a nasty-looking X-shaped scar on his left cheek, and another across his right eye. There was also a very short pale boy with red dots on his cheeks flying by a bald man with a third eye in the middle of his forehead. Also, there were two creatures with green skin, and two antennae.

These strange people were now floating below the clouds, and were headed down to a huge, thick forest. This Son Goku led them to a small clearing surrounded by the trees. Once everyone had landed, they all followed Son-san to a large cave built into a hill just inside the tree covering. Everyone entered the cave, and a few fires were built.

"It looks like we might be staying here for a few hours, Pan." Goten said. "The raiders will never find us here!"

During the four hours of sitting around in a dark cave, Pan had met just about everyone. Besides the people she previously met, she also made friends with Kuririn and Juuhachi-gou (Marron's parents), Yamucha and Puar (the man with the scars and the cat-like creature), Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu (the three-eyed man and the short, pale boy), Son Chi-Chi (wife of Son Goku and mother of Son Gohan and Son Goten), Hercule Satan (Videl's father), and even the green men, Piccolo and Dende (who called themselves Nameks). But the person Pan had not had a chance to meet yet was Son Goku himself. She wanted to thank him for bringing her here, and see if any of her questions about who she was might be answered. By what she had heard, she guessed he was a very wise, strong and trustworthy Saiyan. (A/N: Well, she got the last two right! ;;)

"Hey, Pan!"

"Oh, hi Zamuri." Pan turned to greet her friend.

"Listen, we're going to leave pretty soon. My grandpa Goku just got back from the town, and he said the raid was over."

(So that's why I couldn't find him!) Pan thought.

"C'mon, let's go!" Pan followed Zamuri to the entrance of the cave. About ten minutes later, Pan hopped off Goten's back once again, only to see a deserted ghost town.

This town? This town, which had been bustling with happy, carefree people only that morning?

"Where did everyone go? Were they all taken?"

"No, Pan. They've just found places to hide." Goten looked around the deserted town.

"This is terrible! Goten-kun, does this happen a lot?"

"About once every six months. It's such a big town; you can't really tell the population is decreasing." Goten's eyes came to rest on a small cottage that looked like no one had lived in it for years.

Goten suddenly grit his teeth; his fists began to tremble. He stared at the ground in wild anger.

"Goten-kun? Goten-kun!" He did not respond. Pan ran to Gohan, and pointed at Goten.

"What's wrong with him?" Pan asked.

"Oh, he's remembering a raid from about fourteen years ago. It was the biggest raid any of us had ever seen. They must have taken more than a hundred of us. And one of those was his girlfriend."

"His girlfriend?" Pan looked empathetically at Goten, who was now trying to relax, and take a few deep breaths.

"Yes. Do you see that house? That was where she used to live." Gohan pointed to the same old cottage Goten had been staring at.

"What was her name?"

"Paris."

(Wait a minute! Paris? That's the name of Okaa-san's nursery maid! She's the one who takes care of the baby!) Pan stared blankly for a moment, before Gohan spoke up again.

"My family also lost someone. You see, we once had two children, but one was taken a little after Paris in the same raid."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"No, it's nothing. Videl and I have gotten over it, but Zamuri doesn't even know. He was only five months old during the raid." Pan looked at Zamuri, who was now chasing Uub and Marron in a game of tag. He didn't know?

(So many secrets. Too many secrets. How could adults bear to keep these things hidden from their children?)

The Saiyans, Nameks, and all other unfamiliar creatures went off in different directions toward their homes, and Pan followed the Son family to the familiar alleyway. Should she tell them? Should Goten know that Paris was alive? That she was within two miles of him right now? Pan decided that some secrets were not meant to be kept.

Pan asked to see Goten alone for a moment when they reached the small green door. Everyone else went inside.

"Goten-kun, I have some information for you; it's about Paris."

Goten blinked at her and stared hard into her eyes. "You know about Paris?" Pan silently nodded.

"But before I tell you anything, you must swear you will not repeat this to anyone!"

"I promise."

Pan looked from side to side, to make sure no one else was around.

"I'm not who you think I am. I don't live here in this town." Goten nodded in understanding and growing interest. "I actually live in that castle. I'm… I'm a princess."

Goten almost fell over in surprise. All this time, a princess? He had carried a princess around on his back, and not even known it?

"Re… really?"

"Yes. And that's not all. I know where Paris is."

Instead of falling over this time, Goten grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and stared deep into her eyes.

"Where?"

"She lives in the castle as a nursery maid for my mother, Queen Bulma."

"SHE WHAT?!?" Goten completely fell over this time. The noise of his hard head crashing into the wooden crates surrounding them made Gohan poke his head out of the door, asking what was going on.

"N… nothing, Onii-san!" Puzzled, Gohan went back in the house.

"Wow, I can't believe this! She's alive and working as a maid? That's incredible! I mean, I knew she always loved caring for kids, but… the castle?" Pan nodded.

"Now… you won't tell anyone?"

"Not a soul will know!"

"Arigatô, Goten-kun. Thank you. I knew I could count on you." Goten winked and made the peace sign. Then he started to head back into the house.

"Would you like to come in?"

"No thanks; I think I had better get home before my mother and siblings get too worried about me."

"What about your father?"

"Oh, Otou-san wouldn't care if I just keeled over and died." Goten laughed a little, then waved goodbye.

"Will you ever come back?"

"I feel I have to." Goten looked a little confused, then shrugged and said goodbye again. Of course she had to. Pan still hadn't found out who her real family was.

Pan ran back to the pile of crates she had come down before. She climbed them, and then pulled herself up to the top of the wall. She then took one last look and the outside world, before lowering herself into the branches of the tree.

(My life will never be the same again,) She thought as she climbed down the tree. (All those wonderful people, living every day in fear that those they love might be taken away forever…)

"Where were you?" A strong familiar hand had clasped around her right shoulder as she had lowered herself to the ground.

(Busted…) She thought. Pan slowly turned around to see the face of her older brother, looking very worried.

"I… I was just…… Oh, Onii-san! Why… why must everything be this way?!?" Pan rushed into his arms, and sobbed hysterically. It had been at least ten years since Pan had cried, due to her father's lack of tolerance for weakness. Trunks put his arm around her shoulder, and led her to her room for the night, deciding to ask nothing more about her adventure beyond the white stone walls.

That night, Pan had a dream. She was standing in a dark room. She saw Trunks standing with his back toward her. When she called his name, he did not look at her. Instead, he walked toward an open window, and jumped out of it. Pan rushed toward the window, and screamed for Trunks. She finally saw him, flying toward the clouds. Higher… higher… higher… Trunks was gone.

When Pan awoke, she thought nothing more of it. After all, it was just a crazy dream…

Wasn't it…?