Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat, do not own DBZ. Although if I did, I'd be rich by now…. just imagine... no more loans to take out for college... sighs wistfully


Chapter Four: Power shock

"How dare he say that! How dare they!" Pan huffed angrily as she stormed her way towards the apartment. Tears of frustration welled up and only pride kept them falling.

"Mommy?" Sayo's small voice penetrated through her frenzied thoughts. Looking down into the toddler's bright eyes that reflected the same conflicting emotions as hers, though for different reasons, made her hug him closer to her chest as tears finally fell.

"Pan! Pan, wait up!" Kai's voice called out from behind her.

She froze mid-step, and with Sayo still wrapped up in her arms, turned around to look at the man she had called her saving angel, aside from her son, for the past five years. Betrayal flared strongly before she shoved it forcefully away. It wasn't his fault entirely that this happened. He was only trying to help by giving her the chance to exorcise her demons. She just wasn't strong enough.

"What?" Okay…so that came out a bit more sharp than she's originally wanted, but she pinned it on the tears that were threatening to drown her.

"Calm down, Pan! Don't you take that tone with me. You know better." Kai's eyes flashed dangerously as he stared at the angry female across from him. 'Danger' his mind warned as he observed the fire burning within her darkened pupils.

Pan felt her anger flare once more, and without meaning to, she let it take control. "Don't tell me what to do."

Kai winced slightly as he felt her aura blaze brightly and heard windows within the area shatter from the force. "Calm down now! Do not forget that your power is harnessed by your emotions, Pan! Control yourself. Don't let the anger win. Find your center once more." His own aura began to rise in answer to hers. A limitation to the amount of power she held had yet to be found and he knew, first hand, how dangerous she could be when she lost herself to the emotion. "Pan Son! Calm yourself this instant!"

"Mommy!"

The sharp command paired with the frightened scream of her child cleared the haze that clouded her. She blinked once… twice… and again. "Kai?" Tears could be heard in her voice as her legs gave out under her, causing her to fall to her knees with a dull thud that cause the man to flinch softly.

Breathing out a sigh of relief as her ki dropped to a normal rate, he felt his dropped as well before kneeling in front of the shaking woman. Wrapping his arms carefully around her, mindful Sayo in between them, he rocked her gently back and forth. Whispering comforting words into her hair, he felt Sayo wrap his small arms around his mother in answer to her despair.

"What's wrong with me?" was the broken whisper that came from the young woman in his arms. And it was with this whisper that he felt his will shatter. He had to tell her… had to tell her everything.

And in a house blocks away, heads spun towards the front door when the first wave of power hit.


A.N.: Thank you for the reviews. Hope they keep coming in. I know I said that I'd be on a break for an undecided amount of time, and I will be, but I just wanted to add this chapter in before I'm 'indisposed'. Another chapter should be up soon, after which no updating will occur for a while longer, and it should be longer than all the other chapters I've posted, I think.