I can't believe myself... I got SO wrapped up in school work that I am posting this chapter 5 WHOLE DAYS BEHIND SCHEDULE!!! Okay, so I have a really good chance of not making the deadline... I'm thinking this story is going to be longer than expected anyway... But that's only more good news for you guys, isn't it?!? great, and more cramming for me... ... Oh, you're still reading? I thought most people skipped the intro and went right to the good stuff... Oh, well either you really love me, or are trying to figure out who the psycho is behind the story... Anyway, I'll just shut up now... Enjoy this long-awaited update!

Chapter 23: Cause and Effect

Prince Vegeta was nearing the cavern housing the only known passage through the treacherous mountains. The baby was falling asleep in his arms, not aware of his current predicament. As for Bra, she held on tightly to the back of her brother's shirt, looking into the distance in front of them, in deep thought.

"Hey, Bra... Are you even awake back there?" Vegeta asked suddenly.

"Hmm...? Oh... yes, Onii-san..." She said dreamily.

Vegeta shrugged in minor confusion.

"I'm starting the descent now." He informed her. "Otou-san should be waiting for us."

"Mmm-hmm..." Bra nodded. She could barely pay any attention to what her brother was saying. Her thoughts were entirely concentrated on what she had left behind. Perhaps... she had been a bit hard on Pan... And her parents were truly wonderful people, but she had betrayed their trust... No! She had to... to save their lives... It was all she could do...

Bra was getting stressed out. Her mind had divided in two, and she couldn't tell what she thought anymore.

"...Bra?" Her brother called her out of her thoughts.

"Huh... What?"

"You can get off now. We've landed."

"Oh..." She hopped off Vegeta's back, and took the sleeping baby from his arms.

"Now, where's Otou-san...?" Vegeta wondered aloud.

"I'm right here." King Vegeta himself stepped out of the shadows smirking. "I trust you had no trouble?"

"I only had a little trouble from one of Kakarot's pesky sons. But I took care of him."

"Excellent work..." The king rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "...my son."

"What now, Otou-san?" Bra asked curiously. "Have you heard anything about Trunks yet?"

"No, not yet. I'll have to go out and find him myself." The king sighed.

"Don't bother! I'm already here!" Trunks solidly landed in front of his shocked father and siblings, eyes glowering aqua green, sword drawn, hair blazing gold. Behind him, Gohan landed a bit shakily, beaten and bruised, but still standing tall.

"Hmph! So, you've decided to give yourself up, boy?" King Vegeta smirked.

"Not a chance." Trunks stated firmly. Vegeta glared at the young man, and looked him over a bit.

"What do you mean by going Super Saiyan, boy? Do you mean to fight me?" Vegeta cackled.

"If it comes to that." Trunks said coolly. "First, I want to know something. Why did you send your men out to find me?"

"Well, I may not want to admit it, but you are my son, Trunks. And as my son, you have a duty to the throne.

"I told you, father! I don't want to rule your kingdom! That's why I came here!" Trunks refuted.

"Hah! No matter how far you run, you can't escape your fate! It flows in your blood, as it does mine!"

"So you sent your goons after me so you could make me be king?"

"Well, I really didn't expect you to come willingly. You're so stubborn... like your mother..."

Pan paced the cold stone room, trying to think straight. She felt she would go crazy if she couldn't join the fight.

"Pan, calm down. Everything will turn out fine... you'll see." Zamuri tried to comfort her.

"That's easy for you to say... You can't really do anything to help them, so you sit here thinking everything will be fine, and we'll all live happily ever after! Well things don't always work like that in real life, Zamuri! Have you even seen that army?!? It's three times the size of ours in number, and the soldiers are much better trained and equipped! We can't win with what we've got! We need more... we have to hit them with all we have! And if I'm stuck down here, I know we're not fighting with everything! I may be small, and a girl, but I'm strong, and I can make a difference!!! But I doubt I'll make much of a difference stuck down here with a bunch of people who either live on a false hope that we'll win, or have already given up and resorted to waiting for death!!! I can't stand around thinking everything's going to be fine, because everything is far from fine!!! You can stay down here with the cowards and false expectations, but I'm going to do something!!!" Pan cried, and rushed out the arched doorway, up the stone steps, and out of the storehouse, leaving her brother staring with a mix of fear and amazement at her outburst.

(Not quite the exit I had anticipated...) Pan thought as she raised her ki and took to the sky. She expected quite a few people would be running after her. But to her surprise, she saw no one on the ground below. She shrugged, and sped off in the direction of Trunks' ki.

"Oh no... Pan's run off again!" Videl cried as she witnessed her daughter's rampage out of the room. As she ran for the doorway to catch her, she noticed a small shaking heap huddled against the wall. "Chiaotzu? What's wrong with you?" The pale boy did not answer when Videl knelt beside him. He trembled and stared into space, transfixed on something that was not there. He could barely speak.

"T... Tien..." He muttered, his whole body shaking violently.

"Chiaotzu, calm down!" Videl hushed, trying to steady his quivering. "What about Tenshinhan? Has something happened?" Again, he failed to answer her. Videl looked up at the doorway again. Realizing Pan was not coming back, she called for Paris to tend to Chiaotzu.

Zamuri was still staring at the doorway, not knowing what to make of Pan's reaction. She had never gotten angry with him before. He tried to tell himself it was caused by built up stress, but he couldn't help feeling she was somewhat right. He couldn't really do anything to help because he couldn't fly yet. He knew he was strong, but he knew his sister was much stronger. And her craving for battle was much stronger as well. Not that he had no longing for a good fight. He just had more self-control and patience. But his patience suddenly snapped, knowing Pan was in danger.

"Okaa-san, I'm going after Pan!!!" He shouted.

"Oh no you're not!!!" Videl grabbed his wrist, but he wrenched it out of her grasp, and sped up the stairway. This time, Videl did follow. "Zamuri, come back here now! There's nothing you can do to help!"

"NO!!! I'm tired of people telling me I'm useless, and I can't help! I CAN help Pan, and I WILL!!!" Zamuri rushed recklessly out of the storehouse, and felt his ki rising with a mix of self pride and anger. He just wanted Pan to accept him... He wanted to impress her, and show her he could help... He could see it perfectly in his mind... The night when Pan had taken him above the clouds to see the stars... He had wanted to be just... like... her...

As if on impulse, Zamuri pushed off from the ground, and raised his ki even further. He suddenly realized he was no longer running on the ground, but soaring in mid air, going higher and higher...

Videl could only watch in awe from the entrance to the storehouse as the last of her family drifted off into the distance, only a tiny black speck among the clouds.

As Goku, Goten, and Kuririn landed in the scorched meadow and began fighting once again, they were almost immediately joined by Yamucha.

"Hey, guys! I'm so glad you're back!" He exclaimed, trying to catch his breath. He appeared to have been wounded in the left arm. He clutched it tightly with his right hand, stumbling along.

"Hey, Yamucha! What happened to you?" Kuririn asked.

"Never mind that, Tien is dead!!!"

A stunned silence hung in the air as the three grasped his words.

"... How did it happen...?" Goku mumbled hoarsely.

"A whole bunch of guys just ganged up on him... He never stood a chance... I tried to help, but they started attacking me too... That's where I got this..." Yamucha displayed his crimson-stained arm for all to see. "I just barely made it out of there alive, but Tien wasn't so lucky... One of them punched a hole right through his stomach, and then a couple more blasted him... There's nothing left of him... He's gone..."

"... Is anyone else...?" Goku couldn't finish his thought. One of his best friends was dead...

"I haven't heard from anyone in a while, so I'm not sure." Yamucha responded.

"... Well, all the more reason for us to win this!!!" Goten finally broke the silence. "In Tien's honor!!!"

"You're right, buddy." Kuririn agreed. "Let's do this!"

"Mmm!" Goku nodded quickly. He knew that engaging in this battle in the first place would bring casualties, but Son-san had not fathomed the horrible result of his actions; the death of those he held dear to him.

"You're so stubborn... like your mother..."

The words rang in Trunks' head in perpetual repetition. It had been quite a long time since he had even thought about his dead mother. He had been so preoccupied with his new life that he had all but forgotten his true heritage.

A sudden familiar image returned to his mind.

"I want you... to name him... Go...ku..."

Trunks winced upon the sight of his dear mother's pained look as her eyes fluttered shut for the final time. Then with a heavy sigh, the burdened expression seemed to lift from her young face and a look of long awaited peace and relief took over.

Puzzled by Trunks' reaction to a simple comment, Gohan lightly tapped his companion on the shoulder.

"... Trunks? Are you okay?"

Trunks blinked, and the image of his mother was wiped from his mind, and his eyes refocused on the present.

"Huh...? Oh... yes, I'm fine, Gohan..." He uttered. He turned to face his father again, green eyes flaring.

Bra had been staring at her eldest brother since he had made his sudden appearance. She, like Pan, had never seen him as a Super Saiyan before. She didn't have to sense his ki to tell how powerful he had become. She could see it in his eyes; they flashed dangerously at her father, as if he were ready to spring at any second. His poise was so tall and confident as well. Any ordinary Saiyan would cringe in fear from such confidence and determination. It even scared Goku a bit. When the tiny infant stirred to look upon the scene around him, he began to whine and buried his face in Bra's shoulder. Bra rubbed his back soothingly, not daring to break her gaze from Trunks.

Prince Vegeta had also not taken his eyes off his older brother. A surge of hatred and jealousy arose inside the prince that made his blood boil, and muscles tighten. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth menacingly. As long as he could remember, his father had trained both of them to become members of the Warrior Elite, and perhaps someday, a Super Saiyan. Vegeta had always known of his abnormal power level, and the great pride his father had in him. He wished never to let his father down, no matter what. But even with all his tremendous strength, the Super Saiyan form was stronger still. And the prince had yet to achieve such great power. But now he looked upon his older brother, who had been born with an average ranking, and yet had obtained the power of this remarkable force long before him.

(It doesn't make any sense!) Vegeta thought to himself. (I should have been the one to attain this level first! What does HE have that I don't?!?)