You're Not Alone

Chapter 14

Okay, chapter 15, already! Man! I'm chugging along with this fic! Oh, if you like T/P's, I have another T/P called "When the waves said Akira..." It's a short one, and I only have two chapters left. Check it out if you want. I'm almost done with it. OH, and you guys HAVE to tell me whether you want a lemon scene or not. I almost put one in here, you know, the "if you die tomorrow, I want to have the best memory of you, (and in a saiyan's case...) even if it kills me... blah blah blah...." but I didn't get enough people who reviewed for the last chapter, and besides, that line is oh so corny... so I didn't. Okay, on with the story.

“blah” speech

~blah~ telepathic speech (b/t bonded Saiyans)

::blah:: thoughts

(blah) A/N... miniature authors note

I would like to dedicate this chapter to the following reviewer, who reviewed my story EIGHT times!!! Yay! You should get a huge plaque with gold letters and hang it in your room with spotlights and angels singing in the background! Wouldn't you love that, Jade071? Don't answer that.

`~*`~*`~*Jade071*~`*~`*~`

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Thank you guys! You are now officially my favorite people! ^.^ Don't you feel honored? Don't answer that question either...

Characters:

Trunks: Prince of Saiyans, saved Pan from dying, likes hand to hand combat, but sometimes uses a sword, highest level attained is SS2, half Saiyan

Pan: slave of Lord Sencres Narden, sentenced to death by Kiara for supposed treason but survived thanks to Trunks, fights with sword, highest level attained is SS, 1/4 Saiyan

Bra: Princess of Saiyans, fights hand to hand, highest level attained is SS (Vegeta made her learn martial arts in case anything happened), half Saiyan

Goten: Trunks' body guard, elite, fights hand to hand, only elite in the army who can transform to SS (taught by Trunks so they could spar, only Trunks knows this), full Saiyan

Kiara: Trunks' fiancé, hates Pan, fights with many weapons, highest level attained is-- wait a minute! I'm not going to spoil that! Full Saiyan

Marron: Pan's best friend, fights with daggers, almost a Super Saiyan, full Saiyan

Videl: Pan’s mother, very strong fighter, prefers hand to hand combat, human, taught Pan how to fight, Human

Gohan: Not shown in this fic very often, father of Pan, taken from his family when Pan was very young, super saiyan, half Saiyan

Lord Narden (Sencres is his first name): wealthy land owner, owner of Pan, full saiyan

Vegeta: King of Saiyans, fights hand to hand, very powerful, highest level attained is SS3

Bulma: Queen of Saiyans ,even though she is human, she can still fight well (Vegeta forced her to take lessons so that she could defend herself if anything ever happened to him and he couldn't protect her a/n: how sweet!), fights with her staff (mechanically enhanced staff with a bunch of cool gadgets and stuff on it)

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Pan's entire body was covered in perspiration as she punched her imaginary opponent. Goten had long since turned in, and she was working twice as hard now that she was so tired. Powering up, she shot a few energy blasts at imaginary targets. Pausing to catch her breath, she looked at her torn gi and matted hair. Sweat was dripping off the end of her nose as she rasped out, "Time... for... a shower..."

Slowly touching down, she turned off the gravity machine and walked towards the showers. She quickly washed up and put on some black spandex. Tying her hair up tightly in a ponytail, she walked towards her room looking for armor. As she walked down the halls, she was stopped by Bra.

"Hey, Pan!" she called. Pan smiled for the first time in about 17 hours.

As she reached her friend, she saw that the Princess was hiding something behind her back. "Hey, Bra, what do you have behind your back?" she asked curiously.

Bra smirked. "Just a little something I got made especially for you. To help you in your battle." She said, holding out a utility belt. "I think it's the right size. Try it on." She said, holding out a gold belt.

Pan tried it on, amazed by how comfortable it was. It fit perfectly, and was extremely light. "Cool! So, Bra, what does it do?"

Bra smiled happily as she began to explain it. "Well, each little 'box' or compartment on the belt holds a different thing. That one, if you press it, armor will appear. The armor is heavy though, so only use it in a desperate situation. It is very tough, though. That button holds a special shield, which can deflect ki blasts. It only holds for about ten minutes, though, before it runs out of energy. The one on your right holds a sword. Press the button and a sword with appear in it's sheath, strapped to the belt. The sword is very light and can deflect small ki blasts. I had it put there because I know how much of a master you are at the sword. The other compartments are just tiny things. The last one on your left holds a small bottle of elixir, which can heal minor wounds. What do you think?"

Pan just kind of stared at the belt as Bra droned on about the different things it did. She was amazed that such a little thing could hold so much. "Wow... Bra, how long did it take you to make this?"

Bra twirled her short, aqua hair around her finger as she sat in thought. "Umm... only about... three or four hours..." she said, waving her hand around as if to brush it off. "No big deal."

Pan stared at her friend. "You did all that for me?" Bra nodded her head, a big smile planted upon it. "THANK YOU!!!" she said, glomping her best friend. (Isn't "glomp" a funny word? For all of you that don't know, it's kind of like a running, jumping in the air and land on your friend/boyfriend in a bear hug, literally choking them to death. It's much easier just to say "glomp".)

Bra smiled and pried her friend off of her, rubbing her neck. "Uh... you're welcome..."

Pan strapped the belt to the waist and pulled out the sword, swinging it around. "Hmm... nice..." she said as she swished it around. Tying the strap so that it hung over her shoulder (like Mirai Trunks' sword, only thinner and stronger), she slid the sword into it's sheath. "Thanks for the sword, Bra."

Bra nodded and continued to walk. "You're welcome. So, how do you think you'll fend against Kiara?" she asked.

Pan's features turned serious once again. "I don't know. Her ki seems weak, but she could be good at suppressing it. I haven't seen her at her maximum." She said, picking up her pace.

"Well, I wish you good luck. Do you want anything to eat before you fight? You need the energy."

Pan nodded as she followed Bra. "Sure. Why not."

They sat down at the table, where they were met by Vegeta and Bulma, who were also eating some late breakfast. "Mother, father, Pan will be eating with us this morning. Is that all right with you?" she asked.

"Yes, that will be fine, dear." replied Bulma, showing them to some seats.

The meal was particularly quiet, except for the munching of food here and there. A few minutes later, Trunks popped up, Kiara on his tail. Kiara growled at Pan as she sat down across from her. The meal was continued in silence, except for Kiara's on and off compliments to the king and queen and her flirting with Trunks, who wasn't really flirting back.

Pan finished and set the fork down on her plate, slowly standing up. "Your majesties, I am finished. May I be excused?"

Bulma smiled up at her. "Yes you may, dear."

Pan pushed her chair in and slowly walked out of the dining hall. Bra stood up to follow, but when Pan shook her head no, Bra reluctantly sat back down.

Trunks watched her go, an aggravated look on her face. He looked at his mother, mentally telling her to keep Kiara occupied. She understood and immediately began a conversation with her as Trunks got up and followed Pan.

"Pan! Wait!" he shouted after her.

She spun around and looked at him, her features softening. "Trunks? Nani?"

He caught up to her and smiled into her obsidian eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pendant on a necklace. "I thought you might want something, for good luck."

Pan took the necklace and turned the pendant over in her hand. It was a purple gem, carved in the shape of a Saiyan symbol. It was outlined with silver metal, which held the pendant to the chain of the necklace. It was very beautiful. "It's... I love it..."

Trunks smiled. "The symbol, it's the same symbol that I wear on my armor. It means that you are sophisticated, important, stuff like that. On the back it says Pan in Japanese, the language from Earth."

"I... I don't know what to say..." she stuttered. No one had ever given her anything in her whole life, especially jewelry. And with a royal symbol on it at that!

He knew she liked it. "May I?" he asked, motioning towards the necklace. Pan nodded timidly, and he pulled the necklace over her head, locking the clasp in the back. "It looks good on you."

Pan smiled. "T-thanks..." she said. She was surprised by how nervous she was acting around him. Maybe it was the skittish feeling she was getting about the upcoming battle that was making her act this way.

Trunks watched as her she stood there, her face scrunched up as she thought deeply about something. She always looked so cute when she did that. "I never got a chance to ask you, did you get the rose that I sent you?"

Pan blushed slightly, remembering the memory they brought up. "Y-yes, I did."

Trunks smiled, brushing a stray strand of black hair out of her eyes. "Do you remember the first time I gave you one?" he asked, a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes..." she whispered, her blush deepening.

Trunks held her hand as he stepped closer. "Did you like it?" he asked in a hardly recognizable seductive tone.

Pan smirked and got a bit closer to him, her body almost touching his. "I don't know, did you want me to?" she replied.

Trunks' smirk widened. "Would you like me to refresh your memory...?"

Their bodies were touching now, Trunks pulling her body up against his. "Sure, it wouldn't hurt..." she said as their faces got closer.

Trunks brushed his lips teasingly against hers as she pressed against him. She could feel his hot breath on her face. Pan wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss. Trunks more than gratefully accepted it, and snaked his arm around her waist. He ran his tongue along her lips, begging for entrance. She granted it and their tongues played happily with each other. She closed her eyes, leaning into him even more. Trunks slowly moved his hand up and down her back, feeling her every curve through the tight spandex she was wearing. But before he could get very far with his exploration, she pulled out of the kiss. She looked deep into his bright blue eyes and sighed, looking away sadly. "What's wrong, Pan?"

Pan slowly brought her eyes back up to meet his. "I know what you want, but I - I can't give it to you." She whispered. Trunks looked at her questioningly. "What I mean is, I can't... I... Trunks, you know about our bond, how it's not as strong yet?" He nodded, motioning for her to continue. "Well, if we risk it getting stronger in any way... and I die... what will happen to you? You could be miserable for the rest of your life, or if the bond is strong enough, you could even get sick or die. I couldn't live with myself if I ever harmed you..."

Trunks understood. He knew what she meant, he had seen this coming. "Pan, first of all, you are not going to die. Why would I pick you as my mate if I didn't know you couldn't take care of yourself. Secondly, even if you died, and I was miserable for the rest of my life, I would be happy that I was mourning the loss of my mate, and I would be touched that, even after you died, you still found a way into my heart." He lifted up her face, seeing that tears were forming on the brim. "Panny, I don't care what happens, I will always love you." He said, pulling her into a loving hug.

She was about to cry, but she didn't know why. Was it because she was so happy that he loved her, or was it because she didn't want to fail him... to leave his side... afraid she might not make it through, afraid to see him so lonely and bitter. A single tear slid down her face. "I... I love you too, Trunks." She replied quietly, burying her head deeper into his chest. ::I'll win for you, I promise...::

Trunks held her in an embrace for what seemed like an eternity, neither of them wanting to let go of the other. Slowly letting go, she stared deep into his eyes. "Trunks... I need to ask you something, before I go..."

"Yes?" he asked, still wishing she could stay with him.

"If something happens to me... will you take care of my mother for me? Make sure she's safe?" she asked, thinking about her mother.

He smiled down at her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "Of course I will. I'll see you after the match, Pan, okay?"

"Okay." She replied, kissing him briefly, one last time before turning to her room to prepare. He stared after her, sighing deeply. ::I know you can win, Pan... I know you can win.::

~*~

It seemed like forever until noon finally arrived, the anxiety growing throughout the kingdom. Every Saiyan was prepared to watch the fight, the battle for power. As families began to gather in the stadium, Vegeta and Bulma decided to make their way out to maintain the crowd. Trunks shortly after with Kiara, and Bra stayed behind with Goten (with her request) to escort Pan to the match.

Bra raced towards Pan's room and flung open the door. "Pan! Let's go! The match is going to start in about twenty minutes!"

Pan was staring out the window towards the city, watching everyone in the arena as they waited for her arrival. "I know..." Pan slowly stood up and walked towards the door.

Bra looked at her quizzically. She had never seen her friend so strung up and serious about a matter before. "Okay, let's go then." She said, patting her on the back and leading her out to the carriage, Goten hot on their tail.

As soon as they reached the carriage, Pan refused to get in. "I'm going to fly."

Bra looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you nuts? You'll waste up you're energy doing that! You need all the energy you can get to fight Kiara. She's no easy task."

Pan turned away from the carriage. "I'm not going to look weak in front of her. I'm going to fly." She replied coolly.

Before Bra could object, Pan shot into the air towards the battle stadium. Bra turned to Goten. "You follow her, I'll catch up." Goten nodded and blasted off after her.

Bra told the carriage driver that they would not need his assistance and took off after the two warriors. They finally caught up with each other and flew towards the battlefield, Pan leading the way. As they finally got there, Pan landed, bowing towards the King and Queen. Goten walked with Bra as she approached her parents, Pan in behind. "Mother, Pan has arrived. May I be of notice as to when the battle shall begin?"

Bulma nodded, pointing to her daughter's seat in the balcony by her brother. "Sit. It shall begin now. Send Pan to the arena."

Bra motioned to Goten and he escorted Pan to the arena. Kiara was already waiting there, standing in one of the corners next to her escort, an elite who wore a black hooded cape. Goten noticed him. ::Hmm... Folcron, I didn't think he'd be the one to take Kiara's side:: he thought to himself as Pan stepped into the ring.

She looked around curiously, scanning the crowd for Narden's slaves. Spotting Marron, she smiled and waved to her. Marron's face lit up as she saw her best friend still alive. "PAN!!" she yelled over the other saiyans, waving frantically.

Pan looked over to the balcony, where the royal family was sitting. Trunks waved at her, winking. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the same pendant which Pan was wearing, giving her thumbs up for good luck. She smiled as she fingered her own necklace before looking up at her opponent.

Kiara was smirking, talking with her escort. He was wearing a black hooded cloak and very nice armor. Pan turned to Goten. "Is that an elite with Kiara?"

He nodded. "Yes. And a very good one at that, but he's not at our drill practices very often. His name is Folcron. I don't train with him very often, so I don't know much about him."

Pan thanked Goten as Vegeta stood up and faced the crowd of Saiyans, who immediately became quiet. "My good Saiyan warriors, we are gathered on this fine afternoon to experience the fight of two women." The crowd exploded with cheers at the sound of a battle. With one swift movement of his hand, the mass of people were silent once again. "So as not to get into detail, let's get on with the fight!" There was another uproar from the crowd. "In the right corner is the exquisite beauty as well as excellent fighter, Lady Narden Kiara! She is the daughter of Lord Narden Sencres, as well as the current fiancé of Trunks, the Prince of Saiyans!"

This statement brought a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd, as well as some whistles from the male Saiyans. Kiara was dressed in a hot pink spandex, matching her eyes. She wore heavy white armor, and had a sword dangling from her waist. Her green hair was up in a tight bun, and she batted her eyelashes at Trunks, who tried not to roll his eyes.

"The other opponent is Miss Son Pan. Daughter of Son Gohan and Son Videl, she is a slave under the control of Lord Narden. She is an excellent martial artist and an expert swordsman." Pan did not acknowledge the King's introduction as the crowd grew silent. Many whispered to each other things like, "Did he say, slave?!" and "Son Pan?! She's the one who was tried and killed for treason!!"

The slaves, though, stood up and cheered as loud as possible. Pan smiled and waved at Narden's slaves. Then, she heard a faint cheer behind her. "Go Pan-chan!" She spun around to see her Mother, dressed in pants and a shirt that said "Fight" on it. She smiled and ran up to her, tears filling her eyes. "Kaa-san!" She flung her arms around her in a huge hug.

Videl smiled and pulled out of the hug. "Yep, it's me. Did you miss me?"

Pan nodded and squeezed her mother's hand. "Kaa-san, how did you get here?"

Her mother pointed up to the balcony. "That handsome young Prince took me out of prison so I could see you fight, and let me sit on the sidelines so I could instruct you. He really loves you, honey."

Pan nodded, smiling up at Trunks and mouthing thanks. "I know..." she replied.

"Well, go on, go beat that girl and get that man's heart!" she said, shooing her onto the field.

Pan got up and walked to the center of the arena, nodding towards the King. The two fighters powered up, though not to their maximum. Vegeta reached into a gold chest and pulled out a red flag. Holding it over the side, he dropped it. The two women watched the piece of cloth slowly fall to the ground. As it touched the ground, Pan and Kiara looked at each other fiercely before Kiara took to the air.

She glared down at her foe before shooting down towards her, aiming a spinning kick to her head.

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BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'm SSSOOOOOO evil!! ^.^ Don't worry, action is sure to fill the next chapter, as well as the battle! (I'll make sure to be really detailed). Until next time. I won't post the next chapter unless I get 10 reviews, so keep reviewing! ^.~