1.) Faced with Reality - Prologue

Pan's POV

Melancholy had taken over me as I sat alone in my room. I suppose it was inevitable that someone as handsome as Trunks Briefs wouldn't be single for long. He was a family friend and he'd been with Mai for what seemed like forever. They were on again and off again, constantly running hot and cold. Nearly two years prior, Trunks was pulled into the intergalactic search for the Black Star Dragonballs, with what was supposed to be my Grandpa Goku and my Uncle Goten. Unfortunately for them, I had other plans. So stuck (at the time) in trying to prove how adult I was, I impulsively decided to join the trip. It was because of my impromptu and ill-advised decision that we took off too soon and my Uncle Goten was left behind.

Trunks threatened repeatedly to take me back, but I fought him on it. For the first three months it was awkward, and I could tell that he was bothered by my presence . Looking back on it now, I thought it was me showing my maturity and bravery by going on this trip and exerting my will over Trunks and my grandpa. Now as I think back on it, I could see what a nuisance I was. Overtime and after much adversity, I could honestly say that Trunks and I formed a somewhat unlikely friendship. The wealthiest, and what most considered the handsomest 25 year old bachelor in the world was friends with a then 15 year old scrawny, plain tom-boy

- unlikely indeed. That's when it hit me so hard. As I sat in my room, reeling from the news that Trunks, someone 10 years my senior, was going to marry Mai, the unusual girl that lived with the Briefs and mooched off of them, like no other. Goten felt the need to blurt it out over dinner at Grandma Chi-Chi's. 'How did I get here?' I wondered. When did the thought of Trunks dating, which for someone his age was a perfectly normal thing to do, hurt me so deeply? Trunks was my friend. He owed me nothing. Since the dragonball hunt and grandpa's disappearance with the dragon, Trunks remained a kind and steadfast friend. Given my behavior along the way, it was more than I deserved. I think I covered for my shock well at dinner though. I decided at that moment there was nothing I could do. I went to my adjoining bathroom and scrubbed away the day, and dressed in my pajamas. As I thought of Trunks, I wondered what drew him to Mai. Sure, she was beautiful and age appropriate, well sort of. I'd heard rumors that she was actually like 40 years older, but trapped in a younger body. 'What's not to like?' I think to myself. 'What did they have in common, other than the fact that she knew the secret of his origins and was unbothered, because her origins were nearly as unusual?'

'Maybe it was time that I grew up?' "I can't wear these tom-boy clothes forever." Mai, Marron, and Bulla all dressed like ladies. Maybe the other girls revealed more than I would, but then again Mai had someone like Trunks to show for it. As I looked through my closet, I acknowledged that my poor mother purchased beautiful dresses and classy casual apparel and I never bothered to wear it. Perhaps, it was time to embrace my coming of age and realize that I have something to offer. No one would give me a chance if I continued to dress like one of the guys, or ever take me seriously. Luckily, my grades were high. My father would expect nothing less, and neither would Grandma Chi-Chi. Don't get me wrong. My father wasn't unkind or overbearing, but it was very clear what was expected of me. My mom never seemed overly concerned with my education. Increasingly, over the last year she seemed less worried about that and more preoccupied with other things, especially in recent months. Gramps had not been

around as much, and mom seemed concerned though she never expressed why. Tonight was another example, we'd just returned from dinner at Grandma Chi-Chi's and mom asked me to head up to bed, because she needed to speak with Gramps privately by phone. It seemed urgent. I admit, sometimes I feel like something is going on around me. I often feel like it's about me, but I can't understand what it could be.

Tomorrow we'll be heading to the Briefs for a barbecue. Bulma loves to host, and the Son's love to eat. It would seem that it was kismet for my Grandpa Goku and Bulma to forge a lifelong friendship based on the adventure that surrounded the mystic dragon balls and eating copious amounts of food (the latter more on my grandpa's part).

As I lay my head on my pillow, I'm determined to start making changes. Lately, I've had the strangest dreams about events that didn't happen, well at least not to me. I often dream of destruction at my hand and rebirth and plagued with decisions, and making arguments in front of large councils. The people in my dreams never change, and yet I don't know them. I'm often plagued by a hideous older man with white milk eerie skin and sinister smile. He's searching for someone, but I don't know who, and to be honest I didn't want to know. The people in my dreams are often dressed well. I found it frustrating knowing that some nights, many nights, my mind was not my own. Tonight would be no different, as the next day came swiftly. Though I slept, I was plagued with more dreams of people far and away that all seemed so real.