"Love and Ranks" part 2 **** "This has got to be the longest week I've ever had!" Trunks thought to as he walked down the halls. He rubbed his right shoulder. "Why did Otousama have to throw me that hard?" "Because you weren't paying attention," A voice, his own, told him and he told that voice to shut-up as he walk into his room leaving his escorts behind. After he had his shower he sat in the middle of the floor in his navy blue body suit and tried to meditate hoping to find Pan again. He had done this every night at the same time for the past week but he still could not find her. After several hours of trying he finally gave up again and laid on the flood on his back. His wet, lavender hair sprawled around his head as he looked at the ceiling, trying to imagine what Pan looked like. His tail flipped from side to side as he pictured her, a normal Saiyajin female with wild jet back hair and black eyes, strong and slender and with a tamper that would send anyone running. Trunks laughed, shutting his blue eyes. "Naa, she didn't seem that short tampered," he said. Just then he felt his father's ki approaching. Trunks immanently got up, wrapped his tail back around his waist and brushed off whatever had gotten on him from the ground. He finished just as the doors burst open and Vegeta came in. He wore his white, royal armor, which had the crest of Vegeta on it, and a white cape attached to it. Vegeta stood there, the ever-dominant squall on his face, with his arms crossed over his chest, in front of a kneeling Trunks. He signaled the other guards to leave and they did so quickly. "Brat, where were you today?" Vegeta spat. Trunks did not dare to look up at his father. "I do not know what you are talking about, Otousama. I was in the castle all day." Like I am every day. He added silently. Trunks felt Vegeta flinch at his answer. Unlike his father, Vegeta would never hit Trunks unless in training. "That's not what I meant, brat! You weren't focused in our sparring session. You haven't been for the past six days." "Gomen, Otousama. I?I," Trunks suddenly stood up forcing Vegeta to look up at his son. "At least he's not short like me," Vegeta mused to himself. "I'm tired of staying in the castle!" Trunks began saying as he paced around the too big room. "There's nothing to do here. I don't think I've ever seen the city of Vegeta-sei except though my balcony window! Why can't I go outside the walls like you?" he paused to look at his father. Realizing what he was doing Trunks quickly knelt to the ground once more. "I'm sorry, your highness, my outburst was uncalled for," he said quickly. "Brat, you have too much of your mother's spirit," Vegeta smirked as Trunks looked up at him with wide eyes. "You can't go outside the castle because you are a half-bread." "So?" Trunks squalled looking too much like his father. "The other Saiyajins aren't use to a pail-haired half bread like yourself and the would sooner kill you before even realizing who you are, brat!" Vegeta yelled back. Trunks lowered his head and looked at the ground once more and took a deep breath. "You are right, Otousama," he emitted. Vegeta nodded and turned to leave. Before he reached to door, Vegeta turned back to face his still kneeling son. "Trunks, how many times have I told you to skip the formalities when we're in private?" Trunks smiled sheepishly, "Not enough, evidently." Vegeta smirked once more at him and left. ***** Trunks tossed and turned as he tried to sleep. It was useless though. He couldn't get that girl's voice out of his head. He had to find her, he didn't know why, but he knew had to. Trunks finally sat up throwing the pillow off his face and got dressed in his blue body suit, white gloves and boots and white armor and flew out the window not caring that he was told not to. He had to find this Pan before he went mad. ***** On the other side of the planet, a teenaged girl laid on the dewy grass awaiting the sun to rise. She wore a blue body suit with white armor, gloves and boots Her soft black hair cascaded around her head and her black eyes were shut as she breathed in the fresh, morning air. "I love this time of the day," she thought as her tail flipped lazily from side to side. The girl suddenly glutted up at the presence of a ki coming at her fast. By the time she was on her feet and in a battle stance the visitor had come. She looked up to see a teenaged boy wearing a similar outfit as she. He had lavender hair that hung down to his chin, most of it being tied in the back, and crystal blue eyes that looked at her intently at her. She could tell that he was studying her also and it made her self-consises, which bothered her. She remained in her place as he lowered himself to the ground with his arms crossed dominantly over his chest. "So," he began with a smirk on his face, "you must be Pan, ne?" Pan froze in place, "How does he know my name?!" then something clicked. "You're Trunks?" she asked. He nodded. "How did you find me?" Pan demanded. "I followed you ki," he stated as if it was a daily thing. "I told you not to!" she shouted back. "Not to what? Find you? You only said it wasn't a good idea." Pan fidgeted abet before answering, "It's still not. Lower your ki before Tousan or Jiichan know you're here." Trunks smiled at her and did as she said. He was glade to know that his lost sleep would not be in vain. At least she had not told him to go away. "We haven't formerly met, I'm Trunks," he said stepping forward and extending his right hand. Pan looked at it like it was going to bite her before she lowered her battle stance and placed her hand in his. "I'm Pan," she said looking up at him. Trunks raised an eyebrow. Is she blushing? He thought noticing abet of blush on her cheeks. "So, did you come to see how good a fighter I am?" she asked bitterly, releasing his hand. Trunks smiled. "Sort of. I've been trying to talk to you for the past week." "I know," Pan looked to the ground, "I could fell your ki looking for me." "How?" Pan surged and sat on the ground, "I donno, I just could." "Then why did you ignore me? I've been going crazy trying to find you!" Trunks blurted before realizing what he said. "You have? Dooshite?" now it was Trunks' turn to blush. "I donno. I've never spoken to anyone outside the castle before. I wanted to talk to you more," Trunks said as he sat on the ground beside her. "You live in the castle? What is it liked there?" she asked curiously. Trunks was more than happy to tell her about castle life. They spent the next hours or so talking before sleep snuck-up on the Prince. He yawned deeply as he laid on the ground. "Ouji Trunks, you'd better get home or else you won't be able to fly striate," Pan giggled only to receive a glare from Trunks. "How many times have I told you not to call me Ouji Trunks? You may call my Trunks, Pan-chan. That title is for servants and lower ranks, not you." Pan rolled over on her back to face the morning sky. "And compared to a prince I am a lower rank, your highness," she said teasingly. Trunks didn't answer her and looked away. "Now," Pan resumed talking as she got up, "you go home and get some sleep. I'm going to hunt breakfast." She began to walk away but was stopped by someone holding her hand. She turned to see Trunks, now standing as he brought her hand to his face and gently kissed it. "Yes, mother," he teased looking up at her with a teasing grin and then began to fly away. "I'd like to talk to you some more. Will you meditate at the same time as before?" He turned back to her. "H?hai, I will," Pan answered shakingly. "Ja ne," she waved it him. "Ja na." He said now flying away. Pan stood there in shock. He had kissed her; she flushed at the memory than shook her head to clear it before running into the woods. **** Sleep overcame the Prince the moment his head hit the pillow. Once he woke-up he felt better than ever and he was finally able to leave on the weekends that Vegeta did not leave and he took the opportunity to visit Pan. He went through the next several weeks with a smile. Not even Vegeta's intense sparring could change Trunks' mood, much to the annoyance of the King. This went on for several weeks. Trunks and Pan would meet nightly on the physic plain and talked about what ever was on their minds, usually Trunks complained about castle life and he taught Pan the things he learned. Now that Vegeta allowed Trunks to leave on the opposite weekends that he did, Trunks went to visit Pan, that's when they spared. He learned that Pan was truly a strong warrior even more so than the elites at the castle. She was a near equal to him when not in Super Saiyajin mode. Her skills seemed to be more instinctive than his are, even though he was stronger. After a hard spar they would collapse on the ground and, sometimes, talk each other to sleep. This was one of the days that Vegeta was gone so Trunks had to settle on just talking to Pan and not seeing her. Upon entering his room with a folder of paperwork the guards, who always ascorted him, left. Trunks laid his armor, gloves and paperwork on his too big bed and took a shower. When he came out, Trunks felt a very familiar ki. There, in the middle of his room, stood Pan, in her white armor and blue bodysuit, her back was to him. "Wow! Trunks, your room's bigger than my hou-" Pans was turning towards him and when she saw Trunks standing there, with wet, shoulder length hair and wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, Pan's mind went numb. They stood, starring at one another with beat red faces. Pan immanently turn around once her mind kicked on and Trunks dove back into his bathroom and shut the door. "P? Pan-chan," Trunks stuttered. "Could you please get me something to wear?" Pan was to embarrassed to laugh at the estuation. Pan walked over to a bundle of clothes, picked them up and walked over to the bathroom door. Trunks opened it just wide enough for her to stick her hand with clothes in; she did so with her eyes pined to the ground. Once the door was closed Pan sat ads leaned against it. "G? Gomen-nasai, Trunks-kun," she said awkwardly. There was no reply. "Trunks?" The door opened and Pan shot-up, not turning around. When he didn't say anything she dared to turn around. Trunks stood at the entrance of the bathroom, now fully clothed in a black, short sleeved bodysuit, his arms crossed over his chest, and squall imprinted on his face. 'Is his face red cuz he's mad, or is he blushing?' she thought. "Pan, what are you doing here?" he asked angrily. "I? I came to visit you." "But it's too dangerous for you to come here!" "What? You don't find it dangerous to visit me?" now Pan was getting mad. She could tell that Trunks didn't find her family much of threat. "What do you think would happen if Tousan and Jiichan found us?" Trunks could fell Pan's ki rising before their argument was interrupted by a knock on the door. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------