"Love and Ranks"

part 1 
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"Come on, brat. Can't you do better than that?" asked the barony, bold saiyajin as he wiped away perspiration that threatened to blur his vision.

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that, Nappa-san," The purple hair boy smirked at him. "After all, I am my father's son, ne?"

"Hai, and you are as arrogant as he is, Ouji Trunks."

"Ha! I wouldn't let Otousama hear you say that," Trunks laughed as he walked away, signaling the end of their training session. It was a daily routine for him, eat, spar with Nappa, his trainer in the morning, attend his lessons and learn about politics- which he found boring- and the history of Vegeta-sei. After lunch, Trunks often visited the scientist, for some reason he found it interesting and he was good with machines, unlike most Saiyajins. In the evening he would spar with Vegeta, the now King of Vegeta-sei and then eat some more. 

As Trunks walked down the marbled halls of the castle he felt that today was different. A sense of change was in the air. It bothered him so that he could not even concentrate on his lessons which aggravated the teacher. "Ouji Trunks, are you listening?" the teacher scolded and Trunks was snapped out of his daydreaming. 

"Oh, gomenne," he apologized. Even though he was known to be arrogant that was only in battle. Trunks was polite to his elders, whither he respected them or not, he was usually teased about that by his peers, but they stopped after he had beet them into a pulp which, as in a saiyajin culture, had earned him their respect as well. 

Vegeta was proud of his half-bread son, Even though he didn't show it directly. It was hard to be a half-breed on Vegeta-sei because it was believed that half-breeds were weak. Trunks had proved that he was anything but weak, especially to his father by going Super saiyajin during one of their secret training sessions far from the castle and the other Saiyajins.

He was never allowed to do so in public, the other Saiyajins believed that there could be only one Legendary Super saiyajin at a time and by him doing so would cause the others to revolt or something. No one dared to challenge Vegeta after he went SSJ and calmed the throne. That was the way of the Saiyajins, they followed power and Vegeta was the most powerful.

That is except for Goku, which no one knew about. He had decided to live on the other side of the planet where none of the Saiyajins lived that way he and his son, Gohan, could spar as much and as intense as they wished. They, too, came to Vegeta-sei after Freezer had destroyed Earth and after Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta killed him in revenge for killing everyone they loved. By some miracle they, Vidal- being heavy with child at the time, and baby Trunks had survived. Now they lived on Vegeta-sei with everything about their lives on Earth kept secret from the others and this was the way they preferred it.

 

It was now evening but Trunks knew there was to be no sparring for with his father today. Every other weekend the King would leave on his own and sometimes leave Trunks, now that he was 18, in charge. It was a mixed blessing for the Prince. He knew his father trusted him with the kingdom, if only for two days, but he had all the political paper work to do and Trunks hated paper work.

It usually took him all evening to finish it, but this evening was different. Vegeta had taken care of most of the work and Trunks finished with hours to spare. He now walked back to his over sized room to mediate still thinking about the weird felling he had. Once he reached his room, Trunks took off his armor and took hot shower. Then he went the center of his room and did a short kata to calm him further before he mediated. When he was ready he sat down, closed his crystal blue eyes and stretched his ki felling everything around him. 

Trunks' mind was calm which allowed him to stretch his ki farther than he ever had. He wasn't quit sure what he was looking for but he knew he would when he found it. Suddenly he felt a ki.

"Who are you?" a female voice asked in his head. 

He sat there in shock before mentally asking, "Who are you?"

"I asked first."

 Trunks laughed to himself, "So you did. My name is Trunks. Now you."

"I'm Son Pan. Why did you stretch your ki so far?"

"I was meditating."

"Why?" 

Again Trunks laughed, "Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Uh huh," she said happily. 

"I had a hard day. Why are you meditating?"

"I like to. It helps me fight better," she sighed mentally. 

"Really?" Trunks 'said' in shock. "It helps me also."

"It helps anyone, silly," Pan giggled. Trunks blushed. He wasn't use to 'talking' to others outside the castle.

"Oh," He said sheepishly. " So how did you learn how to do this?"

"Do what?"

"This telepathic thing."

"I'm not, but we are."

"Nani?"

"Are kis must be at the same level as we meditate. They kinda crossed into one another. It happens with my Tousan, Ojiichan and I some times."

"Oh. Does it happen with your Okaasan?" 

She paused. 

"Pan?"

"No, my Kaasan died when I was little…" 

Trunks felt like kicking himself. "I'm sorry. I lost my Kaasan when I was little, too," Trunks finally said after a long, uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said sadly

"So," he said trying to change the mood of their conversation, "What rank are you?"

"Rank? Um, I'm not sure."

"You're not sure? What does that mean?"

"Well," Pan said a little uncomfortably, "my family and I live to far from the city to be sure. But, I'm a good fighter!"

Trunks smirked, "How do you know that?"

"…Because my Tousan and Jiichan are." 

"Compared to who?" 

"I don't know!" she said hotly.

"Well then, let's find out," Trunks smiled. 

"Nani? What do you mean by that?"

"I'm going to find you so we can spar."

"NO! That's not a good idea."

"Dooshite?"

"It's…just not. Ja ne." her ki rose than sank out of connection before he could say anything more. But he had felt her ki and now he knew what it felt like.

"Shimatta!" Trunks swore aloud as he stood up, grabbed his armor and headed for the balcony. He stopped before he flew after the ki he had felt just before Pan left.

"No, you can't go. Tousama would kill you if you left while you're sapostta watch the castle, Trunks." He told himself. The prince looked into the night's starry sky and made a wish.