Yes, it's me again. I know what you're all thinking. 'Oh, YOU'RE still alive?' Yes, I know. Anyway, here's the finished product of one of my more heavily modified chapters. Once again, ENJOY!

Chapter 19: Misconceptions

The four hours had nearly past. Everyone in the village was now awake and fully alert. Any able man was instructed to defend their home and family at any cost. The men lined up in the chilly morning air at the entrance to the 40-foot wall surrounding their village. They had rummaged through what little they had to find whatever could be used as an effective weapon; pitchforks, hunting knives, large clubs, and many other strange objects. Some men were even positioned on top of the wall ready with heavy stones, crates, and cauldrons of molten hot magma to pour on the invading army, should their defenses not hold.

Goku, Gohan and Trunks stood at the front of the ranks, looking toward the east; where the enemy was due to arrive. They waited anxiously, none daring to mutter a single syllable. The light of the sun could be seen just over the mountains from which they had come four months ago.

The sun peered over the peak in a sudden bright flash. The three Saiyans shielded their eyes from the blinding daylight. It seemed like the entire world held its breath. As their eyes grew used to it, they lowered their hands to glance over the hills...

Nothing...

The brigade of men began letting out a sigh of relief. Perhaps the warning had been a fake...

... And then they heard it. It started out quiet, but quickly grew. The echo of enraged battle cries was heard over the hills, and the shadows of thousands of armed soldiers appeared. King Vegeta, dressed in his most regal armor, stood at the head of the ranks, Prince Vegeta at his side.

And with one fierce battle cry, King Vegeta raised his right fist into the air, slowly extended his index finger, and pointed it in the direction of the fortress below. His men acknowledged his order with a response of deafening roars as they charged.

"TO THE LAST MAN!!!" Trunks hollered to the men, drawing his sword. They also started to roar deafeningly, and charged recklessly into battle with the largest army on the planet. It almost seemed ironic... King Vegeta and Prince Trunks, of the same royal blood line, led their charges on opposite sides of the battlefield, pure rage filling both hearts.

Pan looked on from her bedroom window, where she could hear the sound of battle cries in the distance. Videl had deliberately ordered her to stay inside and to stay far away from the fighting. She now gazed helplessly at the clear morning sky. Bra sat on the bed behind her, hoping to try and comfort her.

"Don't worry about it, Pan. I'm sure your father will be fine. If he's anything like your grandfather, the man who is my father's only equal, I'm positive he can take care of himself." Bra rubbed her back, not knowing what else to do or say. Pan simply brushed her hand off.

"It's not that. I know Otou-san will be all right." She rose from the bed, and leaned against her windowsill. "It's just that I don't understand why he and Okaa-san won't let me fight with them."

"They just don't want you getting yourself hurt, Pan."

"I know... I know they're just trying to make sure I stay safe... But I just can't help it!" She whirled around to face Bra, and clenched her fists. "Ever since Trunks taught me how to fight, I don't know. Something... something was awakened inside of me..."

"Inside of you? Like what?" Bra asked, utter confusion displayed on her soft delicate face.

"Like... like this incredible lust for being in on the action... being a part of the intensity of battle..."

Bra shrugged. "That's understandable, Pan. It's just your Saiyan instincts. All Saiyans have an urge for battle."

Pan relaxed her fists, took a deep breath, and sat down on the bed again. "But what about you? You're just as Saiyan as I am, and you have always hated fighting."

"Well... It's just that I've never had the time with all my studies and..." Bra stated rather quickly. She lowered her eyes and stared at the carpet.

"Bra...?" Pan crouched on the floor in front of Bra, and their eyes met. Upon contact, Bra looked away quickly. "Are you hiding something?"

"N... no... What makes you say that?" Bra stuttered.

"Because that was a really lousy cover-up. You finish your homework in less than ten minutes every day. Bra..." Pan sighed, and rose to her feet, placing her hand on Bra's shoulder. "Don't you think there are enough secrets in the world as it is?"

Bra turned back and continued to stare at the floor. "Alright... I... I've always been jealous of the amount of time you and Trunks spent together. You two were always training... running off somewhere every so often... and I felt left out."

"I'm... I'm sorry, Bra. I never knew you felt that way... If you would have come to talk to me, of course you could train with us... But we thought you never liked training and sparring."

"But I do... Otou-san just never thought it was something a woman was meant to do, especially a princess. He only changed his mind just recently..." Bra stroked her short hair nervously.

"Hey, that reminds me... why is your hair so short anyway?" Pan sat back down on the bed, and placed a gentle arm around Bra's shoulders.

"I... I cut it." She whispered.

"But why?"

"When Otou-san did want me to start training, he kept calling me weak and useless. I couldn't stand him calling me that, so I wanted to prove to him I was no weakling. So I cut my hair as a symbol of my dedication to becoming stronger."

"I see..." Pan sighed. Then she suddenly thought of something. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you stay here and live with us?"

"Live... with you?" Bra was quite taken aback by this unexpected proposal.

"Yeah! I know how you never wanted to be queen, and how badly your father treats you. Plus, if you lived here, you would be free forever! You could become a full fledged doctor just like you've always wanted!"

"Oh Pan, I... I couldn't!"

"Don't be silly! Okaa-san won't mind at all, plus Trunks is right next door. You could spend all the time you want with him!"

"No, Pan. I really mean I couldn't..." Bra's voice trailed off.

"What?!? But why not?" Pan asked, shocked.

"Because of Otou-san. I know he's really tough on me, and he has a very short temper, but... I couldn't just leave him! He's my father! I know it seems like he doesn't care, but he really does. When I collapsed one day after hard training, he carried me up to my room and had the maids tend to my wounds and give me some food for when I woke up. Plus, the next day he said I could take the day off from training."

"But he's launching a full scale war against us as we speak! And he knows that two of his sons are here in this village! Plus he doesn't even know about his only daughter being here! Doesn't he realize he's just putting his own children in danger?" Pan refuted hotly.

"No, Pan! You just don't understand!!!" Bra shouted, leaping off the bed and staring menacingly at her. "Why do you think Otou-san organized this attack?"

"To get revenge against my grandfather... Why else?" Pan replied, trying to remain calm.

"No... that's where you're wrong, Pan. He came to get his sons back. That was the only reason. He even gave his entire army specific instructions to bring them to him unharmed! Don't you see? He doesn't care about Kakarot anymore!"

"His name is Goku!" Pan shot back.

"Otou-san says your grandfather disrespects our entire race by calling himself something other than the name he was given at birth!" Bra said. "Do you remember that one day you and Trunks were training, and you shot your first ki blast? Well, Otou-san heard the explosion and came running. When he found you, you were both unconscious. He was the one who carried you to your rooms and gave you food."

Pan struggled to remember that day, which had taken place about seven months ago.

"Doesn't that prove he's not such a bad person?" Bra continued. "He knew you were never truly his child, but he still cared for you like one!"

"What about the naming ceremony? You and I both tried to convince him to name the baby Goku, but he still refused!"

"Once again, you fail to understand Otou-san's real intentions." Bra rolled her eyes. "He said himself that if Okaa-san had chosen any other name, he would have obliged. But he couldn't name any son of his after his greatest rival! I didn't understand why he hated that name before, but now I do. Before Otou-san and Okaa-san were married, she and your grandfather were great friends. When the arrangements were made for their wedding, you grandfather made Otou-san promise to take very good care of her, and he agreed. Ever since Okaa-san died, Otou-san has been beating himself up about that promise. Though they were rivals from the day they met, a promise is a promise, even if it was to that baka, Kakarot."

"HIS NAME IS GOKU!!!" Pan shouted, jumping to her feet, unable to control her anger anymore.

"Fine, have it your way. Kakarot... Goku... It makes no difference to me." Bra shrugged defiantly. "You still don't get it. Did you really think I would walk here from the castle on my own in the dead of night?"

"What are you talking about...?"

"Hah!" Bra laughed. "Didn't you notice that when I arrived I didn't look the least bit tired from my long journey? I didn't come here alone. Otou-san brought me here."

"But... I thought you said no one knew you were here!"

"You think I can't tell a lie? Think again! You and Trunks fell perfectly for my act! Well, nearly perfect, anyway. I arrived when I did because I thought there wouldn't be enough time for you to prepare for the attack! But that was where I made my mistake. You being the stubborn Saiyans that you are did your best to prepare anyway!"

"But... Why? Did you want us to be unprepared for the attack?"

"Exactly. Now you're finally catching on, Pan." Bra smirked. "I wanted you to think there was no way you could win, so you would just surrender! Trunks would give himself up and go back home. And baby Goku would be returned as well! I tried to make it easy for you, but you have left my father no alternative. Since you didn't surrender, he'll just have to take his sons back by force!!!"

"Get... out..." Pan grimaced, her fists clenched tightly again. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!!"

"I think I will! I can't believe I ever thought I was related to you!"

"I don't have to stand here and listen to you insult my family!" Pan shouted, pushing Bra out of her bedroom door, and slamming it behind her.

"Well at least I was insulting someone who actually deserves it!!!" Bra hollered from the other side of the door. She stormed off, passing a very alarmed and confused Videl along the way. Videl said nothing, and decided to let the two cool off for a while.

Pan punched the stuffing out of her pillow, and then collapsed on her bed. She had never fought with Bra before. The two had always gotten along so incredibly well, and had always used each other as a shoulder to lean on when times were hard. But now that they were in the midst of the hardest time of all...

Pan couldn't take it. Bra had no right to say such things about her grandfather. Son Goku was a great man. She could never see him as the type of person who was a disgrace to his own kind. Pan had too much anger that she though impossible for all the pillows in the universe to relieve. She opened her window, and shot off into the morning sky. Once up a couple thousand feet, Pan powered up, and prepared to release all her anger in the form of ki. But just before she let it all loose, she spotted the rising smoke from the battle below.

(At least all this energy will be put to good use.) She thought, as she dove straight down toward the battle. Once she reached the ground, she immediately started mercilessly attacking all enemy soldiers within a 50-foot radius, expelling all of her excess ki. It was only by chance that no one she knew saw her.