Okay, I'm done with excuses. This chapter took entirely too long to write, and that's unacceptable for me. As of now, I'll do whatever it takes to finish this story eventually. Writer's block is loosening up, school work is lightening after midterms, and marching band is all but over. So, with all the more time on my hands, I should be able to work a lot more diligently. Thanks for waiting, and I hope you all can forgive me.

To Kaci: When I got your last review, I knew you were right. I can only imagine how annoyed you all must be with me for putting this off. I'm a woman of my word, and I DID make a promise stating I wasn't going to stop in the middle. My computer is fine, and I DO know how this story is going to end. …yes, I actually took the time to construct a bulleted outline of the remaining plot… Scrupulous, aren't I? Anyway, I understand you were just trying to help me realize I was taking too long, and weren't trying to be mean. Thanks for that.

Chapter 36: Attempted Peace, Disastrous Results

The clouds were thick and heavy over the plains, not even allowing the faint starlight through. No sound could be heard for miles around other than the soft blow of the wind. The leaves of the trees rustled almost noiselessly as the breeze brought with it signs and scents of late spring. All indications of daytime had faded, and the night became vivid with life.

Though all this surrounded her, Pan could only concentrate on what lay ahead; her meeting with Bra. She accurately remembered the last time they had spoken to each other, and their conversation had not been that of the speaking kind.

"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.

That had been five whole years ago, and on her 15th birthday of all days! It had also been during that monstrous battle that had come to be known among the villagers as the Battle of Blazing Hill, evidently named for the pile of ash that the mound on which they had originally lived had become.

As she dashed quickly across the plains toward their predetermined meeting place, Pan couldn't help but worry that Bra was still angry with her. It had been so long, she could barely remember what they had been fighting about. But Bra had sounded so desperate when they had talked the night before.

She was almost there now. She could make out the wide, looming crevice in the mountain's face where she had last seen her former sister… and her twin brother.

"Onee-chan…"

Pan jumped three feet in the air at the sudden voice behind her. She whirled around to see…

"GOKU!!! What the… What are you DOING here?!"

"I heard you get up, and went too see where you were going." The young boy said innocently. "Onee-chan, why are we way out here? You know Otou-san doesn't like it when you go out alone. You're gonna get in trouble."

"This is a special case, Goku! Now please go back home!" Pan urged.

"I can't…" he mumbled.

"Why not?"

"I don't know the way…" Goku dropped his head and looked guiltily at the ground.

"Hey, don't be like that…" Pan sighed heavily and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I don't have time to take you back right now, so I guess you'll just have to stick with me for a while. But you have to promise you won't tell anyone about this, okay Squirt?"

"Not even Trunks-san?"

"Especially not Trunks-san."

"Okay."

Pan took the child's hand and led him into the cave's entrance. They walked in a ways before approaching a hollowed out cavern with a small pool of water.

"Hey Onee-chan, where are we anyway?" Goku asked, looking around. "I feel like I've… been here before."

Pan didn't have time to respond. Just then, a figure burst forth from the water, gasping for air. This made both of them jump, and a small, high-pitched yelp escaped Goku's throat.

"Hey Pan, here you are! I was getting tired of waiting on you!" Bra panted, hoisting herself from the pool and squeezing the water from her cerulean hair.

"O… onee-chan…" Goku muttered, clutching Pan's arm tightly. "W… who's that?"

Bra immediately noticed the cowering child behind Pan. "Um… Pan, I thought you were coming alone."

"Uh… well, you see…" Pan rubbed the back of her head.

"Onee-chan…!" Goku tugged at his sister's sleeve nervously.

"Relax, Goku!" Pan hissed.

"Goku…?" Bra took a closer look at the boy. Sure enough, those deep blue eyes stirred the memory of her baby brother that had been engraved in the back of her mind for five years now. "Wait, that's…"

Pan slowly nodded before turning back to the boy. "Goku, this is an old friend of mine. Her name is Bra."

"She's not from the… other side, is she?" Goku whispered. Ever since he could remember, his parents had warned him about the dangers of the 'other side' of the mountains. So it was completely logical for this innocent youth to perceive anyone from the 'other side' as dangerous and untrustworthy.

"So what if she is?" Pan questioned haughtily.

"Onee-chaaan, Otou-san's gonna be sooo mad at you!! You're not supposed to!!" Goku whined.

"Oh honestly, Goku! You take everything Otou-san says to heart!"

"Um… Pan, can I… talk to you alone for a minute?" Bra cut in hesitantly.

"Hmm? Oh, sure!" Pan nodded, following the princess to the far side of the cavern.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning on bringing him?" Bra whispered once they were out of the boy's earshot.

"I didn't! He followed me here, I swear!" Pan defended.

"Okay, I believe you! But…" Bra gazed at the child lovingly. "… It just caught me a little off guard. I don't know if I'm ready to face him, after all that's happened… Will he even like me?"

"Bra-chan, he doesn't have a clue who you are! Otou-san and Okaa-san were especially careful in seeing to it that he was informed of nothing concerning his infanthood."

"So… he thinks… you're his sister?" Bra whispered. Pan nodded in response.

"He doesn't know about Zamuri either, or your kingdom. Heck, for all he knows the world beyond these mountains is full of flesh-eating demons!"

"But Pan… that's exactly how my father raised you!" Bra exclaimed.

"Wha…" Pan stuttered.

"Remember? Otou-san never told you anything about your past. You had to hear it from Trunks after Okaa-san died."

"So what's your point?"

"Pan-chan, think about it! You can't keep these secrets from Goku forever! He's going to find out eventually, whether you want him to or not. Take my advice, and tell him while he's still young! The older he gets, the more questions he'll ask."

"Why would I?! I mean…" Pan turned to gaze at the boy, who had proceeded to remove his shoes and swish his feet in the water. "… What if he hates me for it?"

"It's for the best, Pan. And I think you should be the one to tell him."

"But why me?"

"Better you than my father."

There was a long silence as Pan considered the consequences of letting Goku hear his father's side of the story.

"Okay, you're right." She sighed finally. "Now if you don't mind, I think we should start on what we really came here to discuss."

"Oh yeah!" Bra laughed.

"So, let's start from the top." Pan said in a much more serious tone. "Tell me everything that's been going on."

King Vegeta had everything he had ever wanted. His kingdom was at peace, there were no rebels, no wars, no Kakarot. His children were all strong, well-respected Elites, and completely loyal to him. But best of all, he had her. He could once again see her smiling face, gaze endlessly into her deep azure eyes, and caress her long cerulean hair. He felt young again, without a care in the universe. Damn, why did he have to wake up?

The king sat up in his bed, alone in the darkness. He released a burdened sigh and collapsed back down onto his pillow. It was not yet morning, so why was he awake? Then he felt it. Something wasn't right. He quickly sat up and looked around, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then it hit him. His daughter's ki signature was not in its usual place, just down the hall. He jumped out of bed, threw on his royal blue robe, and raced down the red hallway lined with portraits.

"Bra?" He whispered softly as he quietly opened her bedroom door. But just as he feared, her bed was empty.

"Otou-san… what's going on?" Prince Vegeta's sleepy voice muttered from behind him. The king quickly whirled around to face his son.

"Vegeta! Where is your sister!?"

"She's… in her room, isn't she?" He yawned.

"No, she's gone!" He exclaimed. "Wait…" Relying on his ki-detecting abilities, he soon sensed she was about 15 miles to the east amongst two other unknown kis, one just barely stronger than hers. "She's in the mountains!"

"Wha… the mountains…?" The prince still wasn't fully grasping the situation.

"As if they haven't humiliated me enough!" King Vegeta screamed. He clenched his fists so tightly that the nails had cut into his flesh and blood began to trickle out. "They turn my eldest against me, corrupt the mind of my youngest, and now they kidnap my daughter too?!? Kakarot has gone too far! He will pay with his life, as well as the lives of everyone he holds dear!!!"

Not even Prince Vegeta had seen his father this angry before. The entire castle quivered as the furious king erupted into his Super Saiyan form, sparks of electricity dancing around him.

By now, everyone in the palace had awoken to their master's enraged cries.

"Keiko, what's going on?!" Mitsuko yelped over the thunderous roars of the king.

"I don't know. But I'm going to go find out! Princess Bra might be in trouble!" Keiko leaped out of bed and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail before racing out of the servant's quarters, not listening to a word of protest from her older sister.

By the time she reached the sleeping chambers, Keiko had heard enough of the king's screaming to know exactly what was going on. The princess was kidnapped?! But why? There was only one person she felt she could go to for answers.

"Zamuri, wake up!" Keiko began shaking the young man frantically as soon as she reached his cell.

"Morning already…?" He mumbled.

"Zamuri, I'm sorry to wake you like this, but something terrible has happened!"

The panic in her voice made Zamuri snap awake immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Princess Bra has been kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped?! By who?!"

"Master Vegeta thinks it was one of the reb- I mean, someone from your father's region."

"WHAT?!? But my family would never do something that low!" Zamuri stated.

"I'm glad to hear that. I never believed for a second that it was true. But still, where could the princess have…"

"YOU!!!"

Keiko yelped and whirled around in alarm to see Prince Vegeta, now wide awake, staring wrathfully down at the two of them, his fuming eyes fixed on Zamuri.

Easily pushing Keiko aside, he grabbed Zamuri's neck with one hand and screamed, "I know you had something to do with this! Now where's my sister?!"

The young Saiyan desperately tried to pry the prince's grip from his neck, but was unsuccessful. The more he struggled, the more lightheaded he became.

"Please, stop!" Keiko pleaded. "Your highness, leave him alone, please!! He had nothing to do with…"

One swift kick in the side, and Keiko was sent sprawling against the cold stone wall before she could finish her sentence. Turning his attention back to his squirming victim, Vegeta formed a small red ki blast in his free hand and aimed it at Zamuri's face.

"Now I'll ask you one more time." He smirked through grit teeth. "Where's… my… sister?"

"I… don't…" Zamuri gasped, but could say no more. His hands fell to his sides in defeat, and consciousness slipped away.

Keiko could take no more. Before she had time to think, she found herself clasping her hands together above her head, jumping as high as she could, and bringing her fists down on the back of Vegeta's neck with her whole body's momentum behind her. The ki blast in Vegeta's hand immediately dissipated, Zamuri felt the hold on his neck loosen, and the prince fell flat on his stomach, out cold.

"What did I…?" Keiko muttered, completely taken aback by her own strength.

"Wow… thanks, Keiko!" Zamuri gasped.

"Oh, KAMI… I just knocked out the prince…" A look of sheer panic crossed the girl's face.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out of here! Quick, get me out of these things!" Zamuri urged, referring to the shackles still binding him to his cell. Keiko hurriedly obeyed, and they fled up the spiral staircase, and down the grand hall.

On the way, they passed a very confused Mitsuko, closely followed by the head maid, Chikako.

"Keiko, wait!" She called to her sister, but Keiko simply glanced back for an instant, a pained look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Onee-san." She called back, and turned away. But not before catching a gleam in Chikako's expression that reassured her she was doing the right thing. (Thank you, Boss.) She thought. (Now I understand what you meant that day.)

"Keiko, dear… When the Kais send you a blessing, it's sometimes best not to ask why it was sent."

Keiko smiled to herself as she began to realize what she meant. Meeting Zamuri had changed her life, and it looked like she was about to be granted her freedom as a result.

"Hop on!" Zamuri called as they reached the front gate. He squatted down so Keiko could scramble onto his back. Before she knew quite what was happening, he took off into the sky, pushing his ki out from below him, sending them higher and higher.

"WOOHOO!!! I haven't done this in years!!" Zamuri cried joyously.

"Are you sure you remember how?" Keiko called nervously, her arms clasped tightly around his neck.

"Of course! It's like learning how to walk! You never forget!"

The two glided off as fast as possible toward the eastern mountains, where they could just make out the soft glimmer of the rising sun.