CHAPTER 14:
Destiny

Trunks was blinded as his body plummeted through space and time, experiencing a whirlwind of euphoric sensations that warped into a void of darkness, and ultimately into a tunnel of immense warmth. He emerged as if breaking through a window. It shattered into a thousand shades of green as he was suddenly propelled through light, and fell through a bright and tropical jungle.

SMACK-SMACK-SMACK-SMACK–smack-smack-smack!

Trunks was lashed by dozens of giant waxy leaves in his fall through a dense and bushy foliage, rushing through tall grasses that whipped and whacked his face as he flew in a freefall down a hill. In his trajectory, he struck the grassy ground and bounced, and rolled in the grasses until he came to a stop.

Trunks lay splayed out in the tall green grass, face down, and groaned.

After a moment, he sat up, rubbing his head, and moaning at his headache from such an aggressive roll. He contemplated momentarily about how Pan tended to be even more short-tempered than him, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it all, but then he released the thought. He first needed to get his bearings straight. At this point, Trunks felt he was running on fumes, and he couldn't focus his energy on anything but his mission; the thought of the Dragon Ball was the only thing holding Trunks together, as his stomach jolted from hunger, and his energy reserves were deeply depleted.

Trunks achingly stood up in the tall grasses to look around.

He was surrounded by a green jungle of waxy lotus-like leaves that made a forested canopy above him. All around him were the musical calls of songbirds, and beyond the canopy above, a great purple sky of shifting hues stretched above him, painted with hundreds of white planets that were suspended and floating in all directions of the endless ether.

The light on this world was ambient, lit from all corners as if the air itself carried a shimmer of luminosity. It reminded Trunks of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, from the time that Trunks had trained with Goten to battle Majin Buu twenty years prior. This place was different, though - far more expansive, humid, and teeming with life.

As Trunks marveled at the sight, he heard a loud ZAP sound from the direction from the green-covered slope of a hilly part of the jungle from where he had come. He turned to look up the hill just in time to hear Pan emit an unearthly high-pitched scream.

Her voice jolted Trunks into a defensive stance, and he quickly battered plants away from him as he began to run back for her, to make sure she was okay. As he made his way up the hill, he saw an orange ball fly through the air above him, and could only watch in a shocked stupor as it arched in its fall, and then SMACKED him straight on the forehead before bouncing off of him in a BOING , and then proceeded to bounce down the hill slope below him, toward a lake below. Boing - boing - boing.

"OW!" Trunks brought his hands to his forehead just in time to see Pan burst out from the foliage, looking like a frazzled cabbage-peacock as she bounded down the hillside, covering her front and back with massive waxy leaves as she huffed with her wet hair wild around her.

"Trunks!" Pan screamed as she sprinted down in a flurry of waxy leaves, "Get that Dragon Ball!"

Trunks spun to watch it, "That was the Dragon Ball?!"

The orange ball bounced down the hill, to where it landed on a gravely path, and then proceeded to roll further down the slope, out of sight behind tall grasses and waxy plants.

"What moron puts the Dragon Ball right in the stepping path?!" Pan shouted to the air as she bounded past Trunks, smacking his rear with her leaves as she passed by. Trunks reacted by jumping a bit with flushed cheeks and an amused grin playing on his lips.

As Trunks watched her, he felt a flood of relief, knowing they had finally located the Dragon Ball. They finally received their reward for the sacrifice that he and Pan had to make today.

But was it really a sacrifice? In terms of his relationship with her, it did not feel like a loss at all. It instead fueled a thought - a what if, with Pan - and that thought was quickly realized as something Trunks liked.

He was… happy… as he watched Pan run after the Dragon Ball. He felt his chest clench at the thought, recalling all of his insecurities and darkness up until this point. But only took moments for his life to achieve his sunrise. Pan truly entered his life, and brought with her a sense of wonder and a love of adventure. Her purity of heart shone upon his world, and she made the colors in his life more vivid.

As he watched her reach the bottom of the hill and then look at him expectantly as if he were holding her up, Trunks' grin molded into a soft smile.

He… appreciated her…

The thought was strange to him, but he liked feeling it. This was more than simply accepting her as part of his stages of grief over Goten. No.. this broke the spiral.

The thought was beyond resolution; it was a new chapter.

It meant… he was moving on. He was starting something new. He accepted Pan, and he appreciated her.

He liked her.

He liked feeling amused like this; it was fun to watch Pan try to retrieve the ball. He felt a deep sense of relief knowing that they had finally located it, and now he felt a sense of pride to know this would bring her a smile at the end of the day.

His smile turned wistful as he watched Cabbage Pan scurry as a flurry of leaves at the base of the hill, and then she disappeared from view into more foliage as she followed the path of the Dragon Ball where it curved out of view.

Trunks was in no hurry to scamper down the steep hill. As a male, he had to be particularly mindful about how he navigated through the brush, and he was not a fan of the leaves that smacked against him and tickled his skin as he walked past.

But then again, he was also not about to pick up the fronds, giving in like Pan. He'd be caught dead before running around like a turkey.

Trunks laughed at the thought as he reached the base of the hill, and proceeded to casually follow the trail.

He found Pan around a bend in the gravel path, where it forked by the bank of a small lake. Pan was knee-deep among tall water plants, full-back exposed as she was using her right hand to dig around in the water.

At this point, Pan had found a vine among the foliage that she had used as a rope to wrap the large leaves around herself like armor. It was an excellent thought in theory, but poorly executed, and she instead resembled a bit of a bad artichoke cosplay.

"Need help?" Trunks' wide smile stretched from ear to ear as he leaned against one of the tall waterbed plants, tugging at a leaf to keep his hands busy as he watched her.

"No," Pan's voice was stressed, and her expression clearly indicated that she was not in a good mood. As she searched the murky water, she muttered, "Some moron put the ball right by the portal , so I tripped on it." Pan then yelled upward to where they had come from, "And who builds a portal right at the top of a hill?!"

Trunks chuckled as he kept his eyes on her, "I think it was meant for the view."

Pan moaned in frustration as she swished her right hand in the water as she held together her makeshift vine-rope with her left hand, "Stop watching me search, and start searching , Trunks!"

"Alright! Alright," Trunks grinned as he turned his eyes away and scanned the water, "How did you lose it in here, anyway?"

Pan's voice was shrill and defensive, and Trunks realized he hit a sore spot as she yelled, "I didn't lose it! I'll find it!"

"You dropped it," Trunks' lips played on the words in amusement as he playfully accused her.

"I did not! It slipped!"

Trunks laughed and shook his head as she waded the shallow end searching a rising cloud of mud from her disturbance in the water.

Then his eyes caught a glint of orange in the water behind her that caught his attention. His lips toyed with a smile as he curiously walked past her and waded calf-deep into water.

"That just means," Trunks reached into the water, wetting, and brought his hand back up to reveal the Five Star Dragon Ball, which he eyed in admiration and relief, "that I get the points for finding this."

"No, give it to me. I was the one that found it when I tripped on it." Pan reached out for it.

Trunks held it up above his head, "Nuh-uh, I get the points since you lost it in the mud."

"What points?" Pan tried to reach out, but shied away from looking directly at Trunks as she got close, and he easily swatted his hand away from hers.

"I don't know. Points. " Trunks grinned to her and hand the ball securely against his chest. "The ones for the audience to track."

"What audience? What are you talking about?" Pan looked to Trunks in confusion, with narrowed eyes as if to indicate he might be a little looney.

"You know," Trunks allowed himself to look down at the Dragon Ball again when he realized Pan wasn't reaching for it, and spoke with a teasing grin, "for the Mystic gods that are watching us."

"Ouu, stop trying to be funny , Trunks," Pan waded out of the water, holding her leaves against her as her vine rope began to fail. "As if they even cared to watch your boring butt. "

"Hey, my butt is very interesting," Trunks followed her out of the water and back onto the path with a grin, "I bet they're enjoying the sho-"

"Get OUT! Get OFF MY PLANET!"

Trunks was interrupted by a loud, scratchy voice that jolted them both from their skins.

"Ahhh!" Pan dropped all of her leaves at once in surprise as her vine came loose, and then screamed as she bent and tried to re-secure her leaves, crouching in embarrassment. "There's a witness! I'm going to diiiiee!"

Trunks felt an innate impulse to step forward as a barrier between Pan and the approaching figure among the foliage. He watched as a a portly blue man emerged, running toward them, with anger etched on his face beneath small, round sunglasses. His fist shook at the heavens, with his antennae stiff and pointed back with displeasure. He was clad in a black overrobe bearing a religious symbol, and long-sleeved crimson underclothes.

"Why do all the nymphomaniac hedonists scampuh around in MY garden?! Go BACK ta where ya came from!"

Not knowing who was approaching, and feeling an urgent need to safeguard them, Trunks stepped boldly onto the path, and frowned as he flared his ki in warning. With a sharp look that pierced like a broadsword, Trunks extended his right hand in warning, and commanded, "Stop."

The rotund man paused for a second as he scrutinized Trunks with a discerning gaze, then shifted his attention to the where Pan was unsuccessfully hiding behind a plant stem. He took a sharp intake of breath as if he realized a cosmic revelation. "What-what, it's YOU guys?"

"Huh?" Trunks was caught off guard, and looked to Pan with puzzled eyes. Her equally confused gaze met his own as she shrugged in response to his unspoken question. Trunks blinked at the blue man and tried to jog his memory. "You knew we were coming?"

"Knew ya were comin'!" The blue man huffed haughtily, "Of cawhse I knew! I know everythin' dat happens around… Wait!"

The stout blue man stepped back in realization as he exclaimed, "Why are ya NAKED?!" His face shifted to an expression of surprise and then embarrassment. "Ya two weren't...! Oh my goodness! And by da sacred lake!"

"NO!" they both shouted in unison as their whole upper bodies burned red. Pan emitted a wail as she turned away and covered her face with both hands.

The blue man threw his head back and belly laughed. His entire torso vibrated with his mirth. "Naw, I'm just kiddin', ya guys, haha! Ya guys are funny. Okay, let's fix dis."

The rotund man snapped his right fingers, and -POOF- , Trunks felt a whiff of steam, and the feel of soft cotton against his body. He looked down to see what he was wearing, and gasped.

Both Trunks and Pan now wore white, iridescent bathrobes.

"Woah, COOL!" Trunks rubbed his hands against the material, "It even has pockets!" He grinned as he contentedly dropped the Dragon Ball into his right pocket for safekeeping.

"AMAZING!" Pan finally emerged from the foliage to look down at her robe and spin. "You can do this too? How come everyone knows how to do this?!" She looked up to the blue man eagerly, "Can anyone learn how to do this?!"

"Aaah," the blue man waved his hand and then shrugged his stocky shoulders, "It's always been a Kai ting dat just got passed down one way or anudda."

Trunks immediately picked up on the man's words, and suddenly things started to make more sense. "Hold on, you're a Kai?"

"Yep!"

Trunks looked him up and down, then looked around and made a realization. "Wait… is this Other World?!"

"Sure is, kiddo!" The round blue Kai put his hands on his hips and harrumphed a nod.

"And… if this is your planet, are you… the Nameless One?!" Trunks gaped at the blue Kai in awe.

As if Trunks had said the funniest joke in the heavens, the blue Kai broke into a hearty guffaw, "Ahahahaha!"

Trunks wasn't sure how to react, and so he just closed his mouth with wide eyes and waited as the Kai laughed.

"Ahahaha!" The blue Kai pointed to Trunks, "Yer funny! How old do ya tink I am?! Do I I look like da creatawh of da universe?!"

"I - uh," Trunks stammered and looked to Pan and then back to the blue man, feeling slightly sheepish, "I wouldn't know."

The blue man waved his hands as he talked, "Dat guy dates so far back tuh da Ancient times, he's got no name no more - lost in history after he got all split in de original fight against Majin Buu. Ya with me?" He then gestured all around to the lake, garden, and walking path, "But can ya believe it - it left his property open fa new management all dis time."

"So… this is his planet?"

"Naw, it's all mine now! Seein' as I helped train one o' da best fighters in all da universes..." the Kai flexed his muscles immodestly, "... da Supreme Kai granted me an upgrade ta a nicer planet. It's a bit overgrown, but I like ta tink of it as a 'free-range' botanical weed experience!

"These are botanical weeds?" Pan looked around curiously.

"Ahaha!" The blue man laughed heartily, "Not these plants. You should see the dragonweed in my back yaad!"

"AH!" Trunks immediately flushed and cut him off with a slicing motion, "Pan's fifteen! Don't talk like that in front of her!"

"What!" the blue man continued to laugh, "That's a hefty comment coming from you, Trunks Briefs! That didn't stop YOU at her age, ya dig?"

The Kai winked at him, and Trunks fully flushed again.

"AHH!" Trunks brought his hands to his hair as his eyes widened and he fully scrutinized the blue man up and down, "H-How would you know that?!"

"What's dragonweed?" Pan looked to Trunks innocently.

"Who ARE YOU?!" Trunks was too much in shock to register anything else.

"Me?!" The blue man patted his belly with a jolly grin, "I'm King Kai!"

"King Kai?" they both blinked, registering the name in their minds.

"Yeah! King Kai! North Kai! King o' da Jokes! I would'a thought you'd -" King Kai stopped in mid-sentence as he got a better look at Trunks, looking him up and down through his small round black sunglasses. "Ahh!" He pointed a finger at Trunks, "Wait, I just realized! You're Trunks Briefs!"

"You just realized it was me?" Trunks blinked in confusion.

King Kai looked genuinely confused. "What are YOU doin' here?"

"What?!" Trunks was taken aback and confused. "Was I not supposed to be here?!"

King Kai put a finger to his chin and scratched it in thought. "Fa some reason, it said it'd be Goku…"

Trunks' eyes widened, "You know Goku?"

King Kai deflected Trunks' question with a flick of his left hand, "Ahhh, it's just some Kai business I musta messed up on. It's haad ta keep track of durin' all da renovation. Lemme just double-check somethin' here…"

The Kai reached into his robe and pulled out a rolled piece of paper. He held it out with his right hand and adjusted his sunglasses with his left as he skimmed it, muttering under his breath, "Sawrry guys, I'm gettin' used to these things just poppin' up in the house here, and I lose track. I had a whole comedy routine set up ta practice on him. Let me see. Yeah, Goku was supposed ta - OH!"

King Kai quickly rolled the paper back up and shoved it into an inner pocket of his robe. He then held out his hand, and a scroll PUFFED out and landed in his hands. He unrolled it and brought it up to his face to read closely again, making a small whistle as he skimmed the words.

"Yeah, my mistake," King Kai mumbled under his breath, "I was lookin' at the other choice. Dey really should make those notes ta da same scro- OH!" He paused to look up at Trunks, and then back at the scroll, " Yeah, dere ya are, Trunks. My bad , whoops!"

Trunks eyed the document in King Kai's hands with wide eyes and a racing heart. "Is that…" Trunks looked to King Kai's eyes with wonder, "Is that a time scroll?!"

"Oh dis? No. Dis is mawh of a receipt. De ackshul scrolls are kept in a - OH!" King Kai snapped alert and seemed abashed for a moment. He rolled up the scroll and also shoved it into an inner robe pocket., "Sawrry, Kai business. I digress."

Trunks needed to press. He needed to understand what he had just seen. "You were originally expecting Goku?"

King Kai waved his hand dismissively again, "Oh it was from a road not taken; I was readin' the wrong words - but I made a LOT of food expectin' him."

"Food?!" Pan brightened and stepped forward so she was next to Trunks. She rubbed her hands together and looked at Trunks expectantly, but his eyes were unfocused, and he did not seem to register the words.

"Yeah, come on, follow me. I'll walk us back ta da house." King Kai turned around on the path and gestured for them to follow.

Trunks followed Pan and King Kai feeling somewhat absent. He only could vaguely listen to King Kai talking.

Trunks could only faintly register King Kai's words as they walked, "... ya should see it - I've been renovatin'... just installed an upgraded ultra deluxe edishun bathroom…. jacuzzi and fountain…. whole new kitchen appliances…"

Trunks' head was spinning in realizations about his theory of prophecies being indirectly confirmed. He had seen a time scroll for himself - or at least the receipt of one. He had affirmed firsthand how there were different scrolls for different decisions. He learned that he did have some control over his destiny.

There was another path that had been ready to activate, had Trunks chosen to not step forward.

As they walked, Trunks thought about the alternate universe - the potential other choice of the prophecy . A what-if … if Pan would have instead bonded with Goku.

In a timeline in which Pan did bond with Goku instead, what qualified Goku to pair with her? What made Trunks or Goku voluntary? Wouldn't that make either of them replaceable?

What was Trunks' purpose? If Trunks was not essential to Pan's story, then was he… expendable?

Trunks thought back to the events on Planet M2, and their harrowing escape from the robotic planet controlled by the artificial intelligence life form, Baby. At the time of their escape, Trunks' presence on the team was important to ensure Pan would safely make it off the planet, so they could arrive on this moon. Goku convinced Trunks that he did make a difference to the team back then. But, moving forward, was his part in Pan's story truly optional?

He didn't know why he wanted to ask about it. Yet, he had a gut feeling, and as they walked, the words tumbled from Trunks' mouth before he could think.

"In the alternate prophecy scroll - the one in which Pan bonded with Goku…" Trunks started, "... was I… set to die?"

"Trunks!" Pan gasped at Trunks' unprovoked and out-of-nowhere question. She spun to him with her hands over her mouth. "How could you ask that?!"

King Kai huffed in surprise, "Oh I can't be spillin' prophetic stuff like dat! Okay? No no, not even as a joke. Just treat dat scroll as somethin' dat ya didn't see, and know it won't happen. Okay?"

Trunks did not take rejection well, and doubled-down on his question, intent on understanding more about his choice.

"You're right - it won't happen ," Trunks said clearly, and gestured with his hands, "The words will be forgotten. It's overwritten by the actual events, and it doesn't matter, right? So it won't matter if you tell me . Did those words from that choice say I was going to die?"

"Oh Trunks," King Kai's voice was amused, "Everybody dies sometime! Okay? But I like ya gusto. Dey say 'if ya don't ask, ya don't get!' So I'll make light of it ta brighten ya day. Ya wit me? I might just do ya a fava , and spill da beans! Get it?" He grinned.

Trunks perked up, "You might tell us?"

King Kai's voice was lighthearted as they rounded a bend, and could see his white house, which looked like a small palace "Yeaahhhh, I might." He grinned, "Depends on if ya got a funny joke to spill!"

Trunks was surprised and taken aback, "Joke?! What joke?!"

"Oh no!" Pan groaned, "You're asking Trunks for a joke?! Don't get him started!"

"Oh yeah?" King Kai perked up.

Pan brought her right hand to grab at the right side of her face in anguish, "He's so bad that even knock-knock jokes pretend they're not home ."

"Hehehehaha, yer funny!" King Kai jested, "Okay ya pass, Pan. Trunks, yer next."

Trunks stopped walking, in shock. "Wait, what! What do you mean she passes?"

King Kai stopped and gestured to himself, "She got me ta laugh!"

Trunks stared, "So you just need to laugh?"

King Kai smiled and patted his chest, "Ya gotta try haada to be funny!"

"Uh," Trunks looked around, thinking.

"Yeah Trunks," Pan smirked with her hands on her hips as she parroted, "Try haada!"

At her mimicry, both Pan and King Kai erupted in laughter. Trunks was still racking his head for a spontaneous joke.

"Yer good, Pan!" King Kai nudged Trunks with his elbow, "Trunks, ya got a funny one."

Trunks blushed as he looked down to King Kai and then to Pan. "I- I'm funny too!" He blushed nervously, "Uhh…"

Trunks was not used to being pressured on the spot. It had been a long time since he had a roster of pre-prepared jokes in his head for party games, so he defaulted to one of his favorites to crack around the coffee machine.

Trunks stammered, feeling pressured on the spot, "Water-melons to do if they cant-aloupe?"

"What," Pan asked, unimpressed.

"Feel… melon- choly…"

Pan groaned.

King Kai snorted, "Kekekekeke… okay dat was good enough!"

Good enough? Trunks felt the pressure continue to strain against him.

This was the King of Jokes. "Good enough" was not good enough. Trunks needed to prove Pan wrong. Trunks needed them both to accept him as great.

"No, wait I can be really funny!" Trunks balled his fists and shook them in his fervor, "I can do better! I can prove I can do knock knock jokes!"

Pan groaned, "You don't have to prove it!"

"Knock knock!" Trunks smirked.

Pan waved her right arm in front of her, "He said you passed. You don't have to joke anymore."

Trunks' eyes narrowed as he repeated. "Knock knock!"

King Kai chirped, "Who's dere?"

"Mustard," Trunks grinned.

"Mustard who?"

"Mustard been funny enough if you answered the door." Trunks gestured to himself with his right thumb.

"Knock knock," Pan said with a flat face.

"Who's there?" Trunks smiled wryly.

"Natto."

"Natto who?"

Pan rolled her eyes with a grin, "Natt-onother bad joke."

King Kai scoffed and covered his mouth.

Trunks bent toward Pan in challenge, "Knock knock!"

Pan leaned back with her hands still on her hips, "Are you serious right now?"

King Kai giggled.

Trunks gestured to himself with a cocky smile, "Sake-to me, I did another bad pun."

Pan groaned, "Water you doing still joking around?"

King Kai laughed.

Trunks looked to King Kai and pointed to himself with his thumb again, "Shii-talk-e lot about my bad jokes, but I think they're funny."

King Kai's laughter bellowed.

Pan crossed her arms, "I'm So-oba these food jokes."

King Kai's laughter was contagious, and at Pan's final joke, Trunks lost his composure and broke into a belly laugh. Both Trunks and King Kai bent over and cackled.

"You laughed! I win!" Pan brought her arms up to box the air, and then raised them in a victory pose, "I'm still better!"

Trunks snickered as he stood up straight, wiping his right eye, "I didn't realize you could WIN knock knock jokes."

King Kai's laughter evened into a jolly chuckle, "Ya guys are hilarious! Yo Trunks, yer a funny guy!"

BINGO!

Trunks grandly gestured to himself while raising his eyebrows and nodding confidently to Pan, with an "I Told You So" written on his face.

"Look," Trunks grinned haughtily, "He says I'm a funny guy!"

Pan moaned, "Oh no."

Trunks raised his right hand to point a finger upward, "Indisputable proof, from the King of the Jokes himself."

"Oh no," Pan held her hands to her face, "You've fed the troll."

Trunks laughed and grinned, "That's what they call me." He pointed to himself with his thumb, "Trollface Trunks!"

King Kai belly-laughed anew.

Pan groaned through her hands, "Who calls you that?!"

"I do," Trunks confidently brought his hands to his hips, "And now the King Kai of Jokes too."

Pan tugged her face down, "Oh great gods, he is letting loose again."

King Kai chortled and walked up to Pan, giving her a solid PAT on the back. "Ya've got a good guy, Pan." He raised his hand to take off his sunglasses, "I'm glad yu'll have a much bettaa chance of savin' his' life dis time around."

"Saving his life?" Pan questioned.

Then, both of them stopped.

They both processed his words and watched him silent shock as King Kai wiped his sunglasses on his robe to clean them.

Trunks eyed him and recalled the Kai's words that replayed in his head: "Better chance of saving his life this time around…"

The words echoed, "better chance… saving his life… this time… this time… this time…"

"What?" That was all Trunks could manage to say.

"Dat's whatcha wanted ta know, right? Da difference in da scrolls."

"What…" Trunks repeated with unfocused eyes, realizing that there must have been another time when Pan didn't save his life.

"Ya know, da reason ya started ta joke around!" King Kai turned and began to walk again toward his house.

As they walked, Trunks frowned as he looked down toward Pan's feet, thinking about how Pan had a better chance of saving his life this time around. This time… This time…

King Kai raised his hands as they walked, "Why the long face?! Don't worry, da scroll is different dis time, so whatevuh happened den wont happen da same way now . Dey call it a dragonfly effect . Ya dig?"

Trunks swallowed dryly, "You mean a butterfly effect?"

King Kai stopped again, at the base of the stairs leading to his house. He shot Trunks a knowing grin. "Yer funny, Trunks. Dragonfly effects are from choices done by Dragons."

Trunks stopped before him and looked at him oddly.

King Kai reached out and tapped Trunks' forehead. "Right, Ramen Bowl?"

The realization that King Kai was aware of his thoughts struck Trunks like a lightning bolt. His eyes widened and he involuntarily gasped. A deluge of countless emotions surged within him, unraveling a red knotted string of interconnected thoughts.

King Kai simply grinned at Trunks, while Pan looked between them with a furrowed brow, not understanding.

Trunks felt stupefied. A tidal wave of enlightenment just hit him that they were in front of the actual God of the entire Northern Quadrant of their galaxy.

King Kai's grin widened.

"You're…" Trunks' throat was dry, and his thoughts were fleeting as he looked at King Kai in an amazed stupor. "You're a… god …."

"You just realized that?!" Pan looked to Trunks like he was crazy.

King Kai shrugged and raised his hands, "Yeah, well technically the Kais are above the gods. Da gods report ta me."

"What…" Trunks' head was still spinning. "Wait…" His eyes widened as he realized the true being that he was standing before. He truly acknowledged the power and wisdom and might of King Kai.

He remembered where he heard this name before. This was the Kai that trained Goku to defeat his own father, Vegeta.

His own life was tied to this Kai. If not for this Kai , and all of the consequential dragonfly effects, Trunks and Pan would never have been born.

Trunks' stomach clenched and his breath caught in his throat. He didn't even know where to begin to give all of his respects.

In the same thought, Trunks realized that all of his behavior had been so foolish up until this point. This wasn't just any Kai. This was a King. And Trunks had not shown his proper respects. He had not contemplated the significance of this moment.

Goku had started a trend that normalized mortals within the Other World realm, to the point where his own father had trained among the Kais with Goku. Pan's father, too…

… But once Trunks stepped back from that normalcy and fully understood the scope of their current visit to this planet, it dawned on him how Trunks had been completely oblivious to the larger picture. And he finally grasped the full view.

"I'm -" Trunks' eyes were wide as he choked, "I'm so sorry!"

"Whaa?" King Kai was taken aback, and Pan also raised her eyebrows in confusion.

Trunks realized his own shortcomings and brought his hands to his hair, "I'm such an idiot!"

Pan, who was shocked by his unprompted reveal, laughed aloud.

"No, I'm not joking." Trunks looked to her with wide eyes, still trying to wrap his head around his realization. He looked to her with stupefied eyes, realizing they were literally in the middle of a religious experience .

They were talking with a King of their Gods… And the Kai revealed that Trunks was originally supposed to die .

Trunks looked to Pan with realization and awe in his eyes as he reflected on his original destiny, and then thought of what King Kai said to follow those words.

Pan might be able to do something this time … to save him.

With his mouth slightly ajar, Trunks regarded her with damp, bewildered eyes that reflected a mixture of cautious surprise and incredulous judgment.

She's going to save my life.

The thought instilled a unique emotion within him - a sensation that surged heavy and stoic, serious and concrete, like unyielding water that relentlessly shaped the landscape of a riverbed.

The thought carved deeply into his thoughts like a mandala pattern that grew and branched as a fractal of realizations.

He was in uncharted emotional waters. Trunks struggled to pinpoint the word that would capture this distinct feeling, but lost himself as sentimental waves surged against his crumbling emotional coastline.

Trunks saw Pan's lips move, yet her words drifted to Trunks as if they were underwater, and from the depths, he realized the anchor weight of his realization — his newfound respect for her.

Suddenly, everything felt a lot less funny, and as the tide receded, and his mental clouds parted to the light, he realized with a dawning thought, I made the right choice.

Trunks just watched Pan with dumbfounded eyes, and was lost to the Other World for a moment.

He heard Pan's voice. "Trunks, are you alright?"

"No," Trunks' eyes bore a haunted expression as he clasped her hand and drew her closer to him. Before she could protest, he swiftly wrapped his left arm around her back, as if securing her for a dance, and he pleaded down to her, "Please forgive me."

King Kai's face lit up and he excitedly raised his arms with elbows bent in anticipation.

Pan blushed, uttering a hesitant "Um," as he held her so closely, and the warmth of his breath brushed against her face.

"I.. we're …." Trunks shook his head trying to find his words. "We're in front of a Kai, Pan. I don't know if or when we'll have the presence of a Kai again in our lives. But… but… I want to tell you something real, in the presence of King Kai, so you know I truly mean it. I'm not being funny."

Pan hitched her breath as her eyes widened, "W-what…?"

Trunks' face was serious and his eyebrows turned down to a resolute expression, "I will always look out for your life. And I will always want to be with you. I appreciate you, and I want us to work."

Pan looked down to his arms, and then back to his face, confused, "What are you doing?"

"I'm telling you that you've…" He swallowed, "You've brought out a side of me that I've missed. I know my sense of humor doesn't always beat to your tempo… but even still, I feel alive with you. I want to live..." he spoke slowly, "... with you."

Pan tensed and her cheeks turned rosy as she flushed and appeared bashful. "W-Why are you saying this right now?"

He took a long breath, and swallowed. "Because if there's a 'better chance' that you can save my life after today… I'm grateful. And, um…" Trunks looked away, and then back to her eyes, and his cheeks blushed. "... If it turns out you can't save my life… Well…" He breathed, "I'm still grateful." He thought of how he would have died if Goku bonded with her instead. "I still know I made the right choice."

Pan stared at him, speechless. Meanwhile, King Kai had grown so excited that he began to hop between his quick feet with fast footwork.

Trunks looked up to the sky and groaned as he tightly squeezed his eyes as he inwardly berated himself. "I'm such an idiot, Pan. I was making jokes when I should have seen the forest for the trees."

"The… forest?" Pan's eyebrows twitched in her confusion, looking up at him and clearly unsure of what to say or do.

Trunks lowered his gaze, peering deeply into her eyes. "I should have kissed you at the altar, Pan."

"Ah..?!" Pan's eyes were wide as her heart audibly began to race.

His eyes were hard, "I should have been better to you. And I promise you in front of our North Kai that I will make it up to you."

Pan just watched agape, her head shaking slightly as she struggled to grasp Trunks' words and motivations.

Trunks leaned in and whispered, "You told me you wanted a better proposal. So… I propose …" He looked deep in her eyes, "... May I kiss you and make up for it?"

Pan's eyes watered, "I.. I.." and then her expression hardened in question, "Are you serious?! Right HERE? Right NOW?"

Trunks continued to lean in, "Let me give you your real first kiss."

King Kai's fists clenched, and he emitted an excited quip as anticipation surged through him. He hopped energetically between legs with quick, eager feet.

Pan's heart raced and her whole neck flushed as she stared wide-eyed at Trunks. "Uh… uh…" She swallowed with mild hesitation, "Okay… "

Trunks leaned down and met her lips gently, pressing himself to her, holding her against him more tightly.

It was a simple kiss, but it was meaningful and heartfelt.

"WOOOOOOWWWW!" King Kai broke the silence with fireworks of giggles, "Dat was ROMANTIC!"

They both blushed profusely and broke apart.

"OH WOW! If dere's anythin' bettuh than a comedy , it's a real, bonafide LOVE STORY! Ya guys are GREAT!"

Trunks became acutely aware of everything he had said, and awkwardly laughed as embarrassment washed over him, reaching a point where he half-jokingly thought he might drop dead.

"Congratulashuns ta da happy couple!" King Kai danced between his legs in his joy. "Let's celebrate with some home-cooked dinnuh! Ya guys hungry, or what?"

It was like the clouds parted and the angels sang. Both Trunks and Pan eagerly crooned, "Yes."

"Well, good!" King Kai sprung up one of the steps to gesture to the house, "I made lasagna! With extra meat!"

They both reacted in unison, "Lasagna?!"

Trunks then remembered that King Kai could read his mind, and his eyes went wide when he realized that the Kai had been watching him the whole time.

Pan grinned as she made her way up the steps to the house, "Oh boy, I'm starving!"

King Kai followed her up and spun to beckon to Trunks.

"Great, me too!" King Kai grinned, "Let's Consummate!"

––––––––

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_._._.-.–12/5…–.-._._._

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King Kai stood at the top of the steps to his house. He had just returned from instant transmitting Trunks and Pan back to the Mystic temple, and was wiping his hands in satisfaction, when he sensed an ethereal presence on his planet that made his antennae stand up on end.

He heard the voice before he saw the Kai. "Please excuse my intrusion."

The voice was soft, with undertones of bells and wind chimes. Despite the pleasant tone, it was clear whose voice it belonged to. And if he was here, then there was trouble.

King Kai looked at the threshold of his doorway to confirm his thought, and felt all his ichor drain from his face.

Kibitoshin Kai, the Supreme Kai and Lord of Lords, leaned against the edge of his open doorway with a stern glare upon his soft purple face. He watched him with tight lips and arms crossed. His white hair was straight and long, down past his waist, and was perfectly tidy as if he had been finger-combing it down. He wore a red unmarked overrobe and mint green undergarments, and his purple ears were tipped back and down as if he were in a sour mood.

"Supreme Kaiiiiii…." King Kai started with his arms out and welcoming, "How ya doin'?! Thanks again fa da planet by da way. Ya hungry?"

"No. I'm angry . And you know why."

"Uh oh!" King Kai turned sheepish, "Busted!"

"Busted," Kibito narrowed his eyes.

King Kai scratched his right antenna. "I didn't know ya were tuned in."

Kibito crossed his arms as he continued to lean against the doorframe, "I didn't know you made a habit of telling mortals their destinies ."

"Aw, c'mon! I barely scratched da text!"

"Idiot!" Kibito stood up straight and stomped his foot while pointing to the ground, "What scroll did you reveal to Trunks Briefs?"

King Kai stepped back, "S-supreme Kai! I, uh - I, uh -!" He pulled the scroll from out of his robe.

"Give it here!" The Supreme Kai walked down to King Kai and snatched the object from his fingers, turning his eyes to it as he unrolled the parchment and reviewed it.

King Kai raised his arms next to Kibito, "I didn't tell him anythin', I swear! It's not gonna change what happens ta his timeline!"

Kibito's eyes widened as he read the scroll. "Oh great spirits, what have you DONE?!"

"Nuttin'!" King Kai waved his hands, "He just gets ta maybe live dis time. But I didn't tell 'im dat for sure!"

Kibito rolled the scroll back up and glared nuclear warfare at King Kai, "You told him Pan saves him."

"I did not!" King Kai assured, "I implied it."

"It doesn't matter what you said! It matters how he perceived it!" Kibito tucked the scroll into his own inner robe pocket. "That kind of information is confidential for a reason . You know why Kais are not supposed to interfere with mortal prophecies!"

King Kai slumped forward, "Oh drat. What's goin' to happen now?"

"Yes, you're right that Second Prime Trunks is still set to die! But now you've just thrust us from the Second Prime into the Third Prime timeline!"

King Kai was confused, "What - or - what?!"

Kibito pointed to the sky to emphasize his point in his castigation, "You've created an interference with the time machine that is set to arrive!"

King Kai's face paled, "What?"

"And now, you've just doomed Second Prime's sacrifice to be in vain!"

King Kai tried to be hopeful as he put his two index fingers together, "Ya sure it's written?"

"It is set to be." Kibito glared. "Do you know what lengths we went to write Baby's death to have been quick?! Literally leaping through timeline hoops, and now it's ruined?!"

"Yikes!" King Kai held his head.

Kibito's eyes were dark and livid as he sneered to King Kai, "From here on out, this is Supreme Kai territory. You hear me?! You are not allowed to interfere again."

"Right, right! Heavens! Ya don't gotta say it twice."

"Good."

King Kai lowered his hands, looking down, then back up to Kibitoshin Kai. "But uh, Lord of Lords? If I may ask a question?"

Kibito did not seem to be in a mood for more conversation. "What."

"Is Trunks really dat big a threat ta da universe? He's a pretty funny guy."

Kibito looked hard at King Kai, and then looked off to the hill where the portal led to Kikarroo. "He is now about to make a blunder that will completely void his own heroism, thanks to you." Kibito turned to look at King Kai, "And most importantly, because he lives in this timeline, he is going to get entangled with the Legendary Mystic prophecy.

"The fairy tale?"

Kibito's expression turned stoic.

King Kai had to think for a moment, and then he turned pale and gasped in realization.

Kibito's look was stern, "Then you know what Trunks might become."

"Good grief!" King Kai brought his hands back to his head, "All because I told him dat one tiny bit?"

Kibito's look turned grim, "You've done an inception and changed one of his beliefs about Pan."

"... Is da universe in dangaa now?!"

"No," Kibito looked out to the other planets in Other World, "We still have time, and much is still unwritten. The new time machine will still be destroyed, so it should eliminate the Paradox fork… for now ."

Kibito looked down to King Kai and his eyes softened slightly as he continued slowly, "In fact... it might even be the case that your botch-up could resolve into a happy ending for the entire universe... " Kibito stopped and slowly tapped the edge of the door frame as his voice lowered, "... And that is the only reason why I'm not revoking this planet as punishment for your misdeed."

King Kai whimpered and slumped. "Sawrry."

Kibito looked sternly at King Kai, "For now, just continue to keep tabs on this timeline's Goku. He also has new cards to play. Things will be different this time around."

King Kai brought his hands down, "How sure are ya?"

Kibitoshin Kai, Lord of Lords and Supreme Kai, gave a gentle, classically unreadable smile, as he ignored the question and stepped back. "Please excuse my intrusion."

And then, the Supreme Kai was gone.

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–A: 12/05/23–

–F: 7/23/24–