CHAPTER 29:
Dragonballs Returned

They landed on the edge of the lookout. The sky was clear, the air was cool, and far below, great altostratus clouds were producing snow upon the world. A slight breeze whispered their arrival on the floating island in the sky. When the hatch to the ship opened and each of the three climbed down the ladder, they found Dende and Mr. Popo waiting patiently to greet them.

When Goku landed on the white tile, he turned around and cheered a happy "Dende!" before running over and grinning. "It's so nice to be back here after a year."

Dende nodded with a smile. "Did you find all the dragonballs?"

Pan strutted forward, carrying a brown bag filled with the legendary balls. "We sure did! And it was all thanks to me. I did all the work to get these! The rest of the time, I was trying to get them out of situations." She handed the bag to Dende with a slight smirk, looking over to Trunks. "Right, Trunks? Didn't I do all the work?"

He raised one brow, not really wanting to break into a fight with her at this time, even though she was challenging him. If she wanted all the credit, then he would let her think she had all the credit. Any knowledgeable person would know that Goku and he had to do all the work. He supposed her love for the spotlight was inherited from her other grandfather.

Trunks nodded a bit, and looked to Dende, smirking a bit,"Uh… yeah, that's right, Pan."

Mr. Popo took the balls from Dende and looked at the bag. In his musical voice he said, "I'm so relieved! I was so worried about the safety of the Earth, but I knew we could count on you, Goku!"

"Yes," Dende nodded, "The Earth is safe now."

Pan frowned and crossed her arms, "Didn't you hear me? I said I was the one who got all the balls."

Trunks leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Pan. I'll tell everyone you were a big help on the trip, I promise." He grinned, "You'll get your credit."

She smiled toward Trunks and nodded.

Goku continued his conversation with Dende, unaware of the others' whispering. "I trust the dragonballs will be safe with you. I hope this time around, they can be stored in a safe place."

Dende nodded and glanced toward Mr. Popo, "Yes. The dragonballs will be dealt with… immediately." He smirked slightly, which was a bit unusual for him, "They will be put to good use."

"Yes," Mr. Popo nodded, glancing at Dende with a slight smile, "They will." He held up the bag and studied its contents for a minute. "I'll go take these inside, then."

As Mr. Popo walked away, Dende began to follow him. Pan blinked and felt a little strange about their encounter with the guardians of Earth. Something just seemed a bit off-beat. Perhaps they weren't acting friendly enough, or they had acted a bit too formal… but the feeling in the air was awkward and uncomfortable. Looking to Trunks, she saw that he sensed it, too, but he was trying his best to hide it. Over the year she had spent in space with him, she had learned to read when he was feeling slightly edgy, and this was definitely one of those times.

Goku looked around with a wide grin. After a few glances around the lookout, he called out to the guardian of Earth, "Hey Dende, where's Piccolo?"

Dende spun around and clenched his fists. For a moment, his eyes were wild as if he were angered by something, but then they became blank and glazed over as he politely tilted his head to one side, as he said cooly, "He's not with us." Dende turned and walked through the doors that lead inside the lookout, leaving the three saiyans by their ship.

Goku smiled, "Well, then, if he's off somewhere, I'll be sure to find him and tell him that his dragonballs are safe. He might be glad to know that."

Trunks nodded, "Yeah…" He looked toward Pan and watched her absently as he thought of people he would like to see as well, now that he was home.

A few moments of silence passed between them.

After some time, Goku coughed and looked to Pan, "So… Pan… Are you all packed up and ready to go?"

"Yeah… Everything is in my capsule box…"

"Cool, okay… Well, I'm going to go back inside and grab our things." He paused, looking between them, "I'll be right back." Goku then climbed up the ladder, leaving Pan and Trunks to stand alone outside in the cool breeze.

Another moment of silence passed between the two, as they really didn't know what to say.

Pan broke the calm by clearing her throat and walking up to Trunks. She reached up and removed his glasses, and then proceeded to study them. After a few seconds, she handed them back to Trunks and smiled slightly, "You look better without them."

Trunks nodded and put the glasses in his pocket, "Then I won't wear them when I'm around you. Does that sound fair?"

Pan just smiled in return, but her grin faded when her backpack started vibrating. "What the…?" She removed her backpack and opened the flap, realizing that Giru had been stuck in her pack for the entire conversation. "Oh Giru! Giru!! Haha, you haven't seen the lookout, have you? This is where Dende, the Guardian of Earth lives, with Mr. Popo and Mr. Piccolo! How do you like this place?"

Giru did a flip, "-giru giru-!"

Trunks put his hands into his pockets and looked around the lookout again. "When was the last time you were here, Pan?"

"I don't even remember. I was really young, I know that. Papa took me here to visit Grandpa once, when he was training downstairs. How about you?"

"It's been a long time for me as well. I'd have to say the last time I was here… was when Bra was born."

"Really? That long ago?"

Trunks nodded, "I haven't had much reason to return. I'm not really that close with Piccolo, and I barely know Dende and Mr. Popo."

Giru did another little flip at the sound of their names, "-giru giru-! Danger! Danger!"

"Huh?!" Caught by surprise of Giru's announcement, Trunks spun around, scanning the horizon for any unwarranted enemy. "Where is the danger?!" He saw Pan tense and frown, also scanning the distances.

"Dende and Popo! -giru giru- Danger!"

Hearing this, Trunks visibly relaxed and let out a relieved smile. "Dende and Mr. Popo, eh?" He chuckled slightly and patted the robot on its head, "Don't worry, Giru, they are just friends."

"Yeah, Giru," Pan poked the robot in the side, "You can't go flipping out over every new person we meet." She giggled a bit under her breath, and looked to Trunks. A thought occurred to her, and she grew serious before looking to Giru again. "Hey Trunks?"

"Yeah?" Trunks was petting the robot and looked up.

"So… I take it that Giru will be going home with you, right…? I mean… since he is the dragon radar and all…"

He laughed, "Why? Did you want him?"

She shifted on her feet, looking down, "Well… I don't know… I mean, I'd like to see Giru every once in a while. Maybe he can stay with me sometimes? I'd really like to show him to my family…"

"-giru giru-! Giru like Pan!"

Pan looked toward the robot, beaming in pride, "You do?! Aww!" With a wide glinting smile, she hugged the robot close to her and said happily aloud, "Pan like Giru, too!"

Releasing the robot, Pan reached up behind her head and untied her bandana. She held it in front of her for a few moments, as if contemplating her next act, and then proceeded to tie her bandana around Giru's body, as if he were wearing a little cape. "There you go," she beamed, "That bandana is for you."

Trunks raised his eyebrows a bit, "Pan, are you sure? I mean," he gestured towards her, "You wear that bandana all the time. I thought it was a keepsake?"

Pan smiled, "It is." She looked up toward the ship and put her hands back in her pocket, "It is actually a portion of Grandpa's gi from when he fought Vegeta – I mean, your dad – back when my papa was little."

Trunks grinned, "I didn't know that."

Pan laughed, "Apparently he should have been glad to have had any clothes on at all, after that fight. Your dad really left him in rags."

Trunks' smile widened as he looked down at her. He always looked up to his father, viewing him as his hero ever since he was little. When he heard stories of how great his father used to be back in his youth, he couldn't help but feel a burst of pride for being his son.

His eyes wandered to the bandana which Giru was sporting around his shell, and then focused on the robot itself. "You know, Pan, I'm going to talk to my mom about Giru. If you like, I can let him come over and visit often, but I just get a feeling that my family may want to keep custody of the dragon radar, for security reasons." Trunks smiled, "And especially now that we know that Emperor Pilaf is still after the dragonballs. I'm sure he hasn't given up his search after his failing wish last year."

Pan looked down as her cheeks tinted slightly, "When Giru comes over… would you be visiting too?"

Trunks took a step toward her and put his right arm on her shoulder. "Would you like me to?"

Pan leaned into him and gave him a tight hug, "Yes! Yes, all the time!"

Trunks chuckled and lightly brought his hands across her back. "How about this?" He leaned his chin on her head and closed his eyes, "This Friday, when you come over – I hope you come over – to spar with my dad, would you like to go somewhere afterward? How about a movie?" He opened his eyes with a grin, "I'm sure we're a year behind on good films."

Pan laughed into him, "Yeah, especially if you compare them to films like 'The Great Saiyaman'." Patting his back lightly, she smiled, "I'd love to go to a movie with you. I've never been to a movie with a guy before."

"Huh? Never?!" Trunks pulled away and gaped slightly at her.

"Yeah, the one movie I tried to go to… That date didn't really work out." Pan looked away blushing and smiling. Looking down for a moment, she finally brought her eyes to look at his and winked, "So…does this mean I'd get a kiss at the end of the night?"

Trunks laughed heartily and ruffled her hair, "You're so funny, Pan-chan."

Pan stepped back, blushing more deeply, and brushed her hair back with her fingers. The sound of weight hitting the lookout tile brought both their attentions back to the ship. Goku stood with several boxes of dyno-cap containers under his arm and two bags thrown over his shoulder.

Goku grinned and donned a pair of sunglasses. "Okay Pan, we can leave now. I think I got everything."

Trunks nodded, "Yeah, if you forgot something, I'll be sure to return it to you two later on."

"Did you two say your goodbyes?" Goku grinned devilishly.

"It's not really goodbye, Grandpa!" Pan smiled, "I'm going to go with him to a movie on Friday night!"

"Oooh really?!" Goku beamed happily, "A movie?! Oh I can't wait to go! What movie will we be seeing?"

Pan growled and felt her temple throb. "You baka!! He's going with me! And how am I supposed to know what movie we're going to see? It's not like I've had the chance to check the local listing!"

Trunks flushed a bit and put his hands in his pocket, swaying a bit, "Well, I mean… if he really wants to come too… I mean, it's not like it's a da–"

Goku clapped his hands and laughed happily, interrupting Trunks, "Oooh! I can't wait to go! Wow! And I'm going to invite Chi Chi and Gohan and Goten and … and Piccolo and Bulma and Bra and Vegeta, and maybe even Krillin and…and…"

Pan gave an exasperated sigh and hung her head in her hands. Trunks chuckled and nudged her in her side, leaning over to whisper, "Don't worry, we can go somewhere else after the movie if you like."

Pan chuckled and nodded to Trunks.

"…and Eighteen and Marron and Yamucha and Tien…"

Pan looked over to Goku. "Grandpa?"

"…and Chaotzu and Master Roshi and Turtle and … and…"

"Grandpa!!"

"Oooh! And how about Launch?" He turned to Pan distractedly, "Yeah, Pan?" His eyes glazed as he thought of all of his friends, "Wow, it can be a reunion at the movie theater!"

"Grandpa, when are we leaving?"

Goku snapped out of it and blinked. "Why, right now! I have to tell Chi Chi about our plans for Friday, and she's going to want to get started right away!" He nodded to Trunks and smiled, "It was a great trip. I hope we can go on a journey again, sometime."

Pan smiled and stepped forward to embrace him, "I'll see you later!"

"Bye." Trunks gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped back to wave.

He watched Goku and Pan take off to the sky in the direction of their homes. He smiled to himself when he realized it was over. Everything they had worked so hard for had paid off, and he was finally going home.

He turned to Giru and adjusted the robot's new cape to fit more evenly across his body. "Well, Giru, it looks like it's just us now."

"-giru giru-! -giru giru-!"

He smiled, "I can't wait to introduce you to my family."

He walked over to the ladder and climbed it slowly. When he reached the top, he realized that it was strange to hear the ship so silent. Without the engine running, or his company conversing, it seemed like a forgotten memory already. It just seemed a little weird walking about in an empty ship, as if ghosts of the past somehow haunted the rooms.

Then again, the strange sensation he was experiencing might also have been part of the sickness he'd been feeling ever since they'd entered the solar system. As they were approaching Earth, it felt as if it were getting stronger. At first, he had thought it to be a cold, which was highly probable since Goku was contagious for a week. But later, he had grown to feel as if it were some premonition. After seeing the people in the park, it only confirmed his suspicions. He was going to have to have a talk with his father tonight. Somehow, he always knew what was going on. He'd know what to say.

Starting the engines, the ship gave a jerk and then revved to life. Giru bleeped happily beside him, "Trunks save the world! Trunks hero of the world!"

Trunks blushed shyly and chuckled at the robot. "You'll be meeting a lot more heros soon, Giru. Just you wait."

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-11/29/04-