Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Lucky Chance ❯ Journey to the Past: Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Lucky Chance 12

"Where you going? Come back!! Tousan!!! TOUSAN!!!"

I sprang up in bed, sweating. Why am I having these dreams? I missed my father so much, yet he was lying just a few feet away from me, sleeping. Well...not quite sleeping anymore. I heard him gasping, probably waking up from a nightmare like me. I crawled out of bed and went to his.

"Gohan?" I whispered.

"Pan?" he replied. "What are you doing awake?"

"Nightmares. What about you?"

"Same." He slowly got out of bed and walked over to the abyss. "Haunting, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"The outside. It's so...empty and lonely. I'd hate to get lost out there."

"Me too." I said as I sat down beside him. He looked at me with his black, gentle eyes.

"You and Trunks are in love, right?" he asked. I was slightly shocked by his question.

"Yeah. I suppose we're soul mates. I don't know what it is that I love about the baka. He reminds me just a little too much of Vegeta." We laughed quietly.

"I guess I'm gonna have to watch out for that when you're born here."

"If I'm born here." He was quite for a second.

"What makes you think I won't find your mother in this time?"

"Because, you met her at a shelter during the android holocaust. And you were very young. Lucky chance, if you ask me."

"Why can't you just tell me who she is so I can find her?"

"Because, it wouldn't be true love. If you have to go looking for her, then you're just forcing it to happen. Besides, if you find her, you'll know the signs right away."

"I see what you mean."

"If you want, I could give you a hint."

"Okay."

"She has black hair and bright blue eyes." Dad gave it some thought. We were quiet for a few seconds. "Maybe I'll just find her 'cause we're soul mates, like you and Trunks are." I smiled faintly. I missed Trunks so much that it hurt. Every time I thought about him, I wanted to tear my way out of this god-forsaken room. For a moment, I lost complete control and my eyes began to water.

"I want out," I whispered. "I want to see the light of day. This year is killing me." Dad looked at me with a worried look.

"Don't worry, Pan. We've only got two more months left."

"But I want out NOW!! I want to be with Trunks!" I got up and ran to the door. I weakly clawed at the door, knowing clearly that it wouldn't help me. I struggled so hard to force open the door, but finally gave up and started crying. Tousan sadly walked up to me.

"As your future father, I'm telling you to go to bed," he said softly, not so much as ordering. I looked up at him and giggled slightly.

"You remind me of him, even though you are him. It's just the way you said it. When I was five, and I first started living with him, he didn't know how to take care of me. He would say the exact same thing you just said. He would say, 'Pan, as your father, it's my responsibility to make sure you go to bed.' And I would listen only because I knew how tough it must've been to take care a child whom he'd only known for a few months." I sat on the floor, tears streaming down my face. "I feel so alone in here, out there, everywhere. My dad's gone, my grandfathers are gone and I didn't even get to meet them in my time. I'm away from my mom and grandma, and now I'm away from Trunks. It hurts...so much." I wiped my tears away, trying to be strong, but that was the cracking point in my life. I felt like I was having a mental breakdown that very minute. I knew that I was going insane, and now I could no longer handle the pressure, the stress, and basically my status in life. I grew up in a horrible world, I lost my father and was separated by choice from my family, and now my mind was finally catching up and comprehending everything that was happening. Now was finally when I realized that I couldn't handle life itself. I buried my head in my arms and cried for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, as if someone quickly put together a broken puzzle, I stopped crying and got up.

"I'm sorry, Gohan," I whispered. "I said it and didn't realize it." Tousan gave me a look that was indescribable. "I said that my father didn't know how to handle children, and that's why I listen to him all the time. But now, I'm putting you thought it and not listening at all to anything you say."

"Pan, it's understandable," he tried to reason. "A girl your age should have to ever go through what you're going through right now. A regular human would have completely cracked. But here you are, pulling yourself together. That's a very hard task for most people. Or al least most humans." I shrugged and walked towards my bed.

"Those sound like words of wisdom coming from a 10 year old kid. Thanks..." I whispered. "Thanks for being there for me. In the future and even the past. I'm sure you'll make a great father." I crawled into bed and listened as my future father did the same. I hesitated a few seconds before speaking up again. "You're birthday is coming up. Are you excited? It might be on the same day as the defeat of Cell." Although I could not see him, I knew he was grinning.

"Yeah, can't wait. I know mom will have some big surprise cooked up for us. She always does." After a few minutes, I heard him dose off to sleep. He made the same snoring sound my father made. I closed my eyes eventually and drifted off to sleep as well.

*~*~*

"Getting old?" I looked up from my food at the question.

"Huh?" I mumbled.

"I said 'getting old?'" ojiisan repeated. "You've got gray hair. A whole head of gray hair."

"Nani?! I do?!" I shrieked. "I'm only 15!" I rushed to a mirror and saw my black, raven hair. "You baka! Stop tricking me!"

"April fools!" he snickered. April Fools? Today was April the first, which meant one more month.

"You're so childish," I groaned.

"Actually, I wasn't completely lying." He put on his serious face. "You do have gray hair coming through." I glared at him and examined my hair. My eyes widen when I realized what he was saying was true. It wasn't quite gray but...silver. I didn't know why, but my hair had a few strands of silver in it.

"Unbelievable..." I mused. I quickly yanked one strand of silver out of my head and looked at it. There was no explanation.

"Lemmie see," tousan urged. He peeked over my shoulder at the long, silver hair strand.

"Is it possible that there might be a different level of super saiya-jin that can do that?" I asked. Goku gave it some thought.

"I don't know. Maybe. It's like when we turn super, our hair turns blond, but maybe when you turn super, your hair turns silver."

"Or maybe it's called Ultra Saiya-jin," dad joked. We looked at him. "What? What'd I say?"

"You're probably right, dad. I mean, ojiisama has been training me a lot. Maybe I'm on the verge of achieving a new level! That's be so cool!"

"Let's not give our hopes up," Goku cautioned. "Maybe I'm right and you're getting old." I smacked him behind his head.

"You're the one who's getting old, fossil!" I laughed.

After our last month of training, it was finally time to leave the god forsaken hellhole. The big, brown doors opened slowly, revealing the blue sky and the real world. I was so happy to see it again. I ran my fingers through my partially silver hair and took a step outside the room. Gohan and Goku followed slowly. I felt a sudden release of weight as I crossed the threshold. I had gotten used to the gravity in the Room that I had forgotten what it was like to feel light. I looked around at everyone who had waited for us. They were obviously a little shocked to see how much we had changed. There was Piccolo, Tien, Krillin, Vegeta and...

"Trunks!!" I yelled. I ran right passed everyone and jumped on top of Trunks. He fell backwards and landed with a thud with me still sitting on him. "I missed you so much!" I began kissing his face all over, not caring about the strange looks that everyone was giving us.

"Pan, I--hey! Stop for a--PAN!! Wait! I--" I kept cutting him off by kissing him. Even when he stood up, I still clung to him. I had my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs were wrapped around his waist. He finally caught his breath and was about to try prying me off him when he looked at my hair. "Pan, your hair..."

"Isn't it cool?!" I yelled. Over the last month, five thick streaks of silver began growing in my hair. I kept hugging him, afraid that if I let go, he would vanish.

"Have you gone nuts?" he yelled. "Lemmie go, Pan. I'll need air eventually." I silenced him with another kiss.

"I think I have gone nuts. I missed you so much, it was killing me," I whined.

"Pan, we have to talk. All of us do." From up until that moment, Goku and Gohan had been averting their eyes, minding their own business and getting new clothes, but now that Trunks had mentioned 'we have to talk,' they were paying attention. "It's about Cell. We weren't able to beat him. Now he's holding a tournament called the Cell Games in 9 days. He wants to fight all of us." I looked into his eyes.

"You can't be serious. Why couldn't you beat him? He wasn't all that strong before we left."

"He's perfect now, thanks to Vegeta." I tore my eyes away from Trunks and glared at Vegeta. I hopped off of Trunks and ran up to him.

"How could you?!!" I screamed. "Do you realize what you've done?!" Vegeta glare at me.

"Will you stay out of my face, woman?" he growled. "I didn't ask for your opinion. I wanted a challenge and I got one. I always get what I want."

"Yeah, and I bet he beat the shit outta you!!" I blurted out, not thinking before I said it. His eyes flickered greenish blue and slapped me across my face, sending me crashing into Trunks. I heard everyone gasp.

"Just because you're Trunks' mate doesn't mean I won't hesitate to kill you, bitch." I stared at Vegeta as I held my cheek, not knowing whether or not to be frighten of him or angry.

"You're such a bastard!" I yelled, not caring if he hurt me anymore.

"Pan, stop!" dad warned. You don't wanna mess with him, he telepathically told me. He can be very dangerous. Vegeta sent me a death glare. He said nothing and walked into the Room of Time and Space. Once he was inside, grandpa and dad ran up to me.

"Pan, are you okay?" ojiisan asked quickly. I rubbed my cheek sorely, knowing that there would be a mark later.

"That asshole..." I whispered. "Why doesn't he understand that what he does affects everyone?"

"That's Vegeta for you," Trunks said quietly as he rubbed my shoulder protectively. I rested my head on his chest.

"What did he mean by 'Trunks' mate?' Since when am I your mate?" I asked slyly. Trunks blushed deeply. "Well, I guess with all the kissing we do, that probably adds up to mating." He began turning even redder, until he was one hue short from turning the colour of his hair. I snickered. "I'm just kidding." He helped me up and we stood on the edge of Kami's Lookout.

"Are you sure Vegeta didn't hurt you?" he asked me. "He sometimes doesn't know how hard he hits."

"I'm fine," I sighed. "Trust me. I would never lie to you, love."

"'Love?'" he asked as he raised on eyebrow. I felt my cheek burn when I realized my slip-up.

"Um...I..." He pressed a finger to my lips.

"It's okay." At that moment, I felt my heart race as I looked into his eyes. They were like deep oceans and I had a hard time trying to look away. I ran my slender fingers through his hair, noticing it wasn't tied back anymore. It fact, it was cut.

"When did you get a haircut?"

"Just half an hour ago. My kaasan did it."

"You actually let her touch you with a pair of scissors. I wouldn't even trust her with a fork."

"She is a genius, you know. You know, you need a haircut too. Your hair's almost past your waist." I smiled warmly.

"I kinda like it like this, but it's harder to brush. So, you gonna train?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Yeah."

"I wanna train with you."

"Hang on," grandpa spoke up. "I was thinking maybe we should rest. I mean, after all, you just finished training, and Trunks, I'm sure you fought Cell, so I think we should take it easy the next few days." My eyes widened in shock.

"You're kidding, ne?" I asked. "Grandpa, what if we're not strong enough?"

"Part of train involves rest. We spent a whole year training non-stop. I think we need some R and R."

"Goku, what's up with you?" Krillin questioned, concerned. "You're acting like this is some sort of joke. Do you have an ace up your sleeve or something?"

"Actually, I don't have any sleeves, and nope, no ace either." Grandpa had his 'Son' grin on. "I just think we should rest for three days, train for three and rest for another three days."

"I...guess that sounds good," I agreed. "How 'bout it, Trunks?" He gave me a skeptical look.

"Sure, why not?" he muttered.

"C'mon then," Goku said as he led the way. Gohan, Trunks and me followed him. "I have to make one stop before we go home." We flew towards Earth and stopped by Korin's tower. "Hey Korin. How's it going?" I had never been to Korin's tower before, so I was expecting to see an old man like Kami. But instead, a white cat walked up to us and grinned.

"Hey Goku," he said. "What brings you here?"

"Listen, I need you to measure out my power compared to Cell's."

"Sure. Power up then." Gohan and me took a step back waited. Trunks had a dumbfounded look on his face as if he had never seen Goku power up before. I shook my head and yanked him backward towards us and away from grandpa. Ojiisan stood still for a moment before getting into stance and charging up. His power gradually increased. Soon, the place was beginning to rumble. Grandpa ignored it and getting charging up. His ki kept getting higher and higher, almost without end. Trunks' eyes widen, while tousan and I were completely content. The tower shook violently and threatened to tip over or fall apart. Korin was getting deeply worried.

"Okay! Goku, you can stop now!!" he yelped as grandpa's ki continued to rise and practically tear this place apart. "You are very strong. Stronger than I could have ever imagined, but I'm afraid Cell is still much more powerful." A hint of sadness added to my face.

"Oh well. Thanks Korin!" ojiisama said cheerfully. I looked up and wondered why he was so cheerful. "Let's go." He took to the sky and began descending to the ground. Then I felt someone tap my shoulder.

"What's up with Goku-san?" Trunks whispered. "Why is he so calm?"

"I think he feels that we've trained enough," I replied.

We arrived at grandpa's home and he opened the door slowly.

"Chi-chi?" he called cautiously. "We're home." The peaceful quiet was broken when we heard Chi-chi's ear-piercing complaints.

"Goku, you no-good, lazy, bum! Where have you been? You dyed your hair?! Why'd you go and do that for? I've had to manage the place while you were gone. You just took off when we were at Kame Island and left me all by myself to find a way to get home. And then when I got home eventually, I find the place a mess! Look what those stupid androids did!! They trashed my beautiful home! And they went through all my stuff. I bet that one of them took my best dresses 'cause those are missing! How could you let all that happen?!" When she was finished her rant, ojiisan smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry. I'll buy you another dress." Baasan's hard, cold expression turned into a soft, happy expression.

"Fine, I'll accept that but--ACK!! What happen to their hair?!" grandma came rushing up to us and examine our hair. "You dyed theirs too?! Gohan looks like some kind of punk and Pan looks like a gothic. And why are they wearing those ridiculous outfits? Change them back!"

"I didn't do it," ojiisan said sheepishly.

"Like hell you didn't!" obaasan yelled.

"Me and Gohan are super saiya-jins right now and Pan's close to ultra saiya-jin." Obaasan open her mouth to speak, but no words came out. "Chi-chi, we came to take you out for a while."

"Oh..." she was speechless. I could tell that grandpa was never the type to simply say, 'I'm taking you out somewhere.'

"We're going to have a picnic, and then we'll go fishing, and kite-flying and all sorts of stuff."

"What about...Cell?" she asked slowly.

"Don't worry about him. Just have fun." Grandma smiled warmly.

"Alright then. Let me get some things and we can go on our picnic." She ran to the kitchen where I was sure she would be cooking up a storm for us. We sat down in the living room, waiting for her to finish. Finally, I was going to find out what it was like to live in a peaceful world.