A Dark Secret
Disclaimer: I do NOT own DB/Z/GT!!! v.v'.. that's probably why I'm so pessimistic...

Ehehehehe.... sorry to keep you waiting for this chapter... unless you read this story after I post the NEXT chapter... then. you wouldn't be waiting that long for this one... confusing am I? Not really.. you just don't know me that well! Well. sorry again for leaving off so suddenly! ENJOY!!!!

Trunks:21

Ubuu:21

Pan:20

Marron:20 ½

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Pan jerked up without warning and swiftly but gracefully kicked the man that was feeling her up across the room into a wall, making a visible and obviously irremediable dent. "Now, now.... it's not nice to take advantage of a 'helpless little girl'.... right? Especially when she can slay you with one indiscernible motion," Pan warned with a searing aura around her unperturbed body. "Fuck you... but I won't today," he smirked, wiping the small trace of blood away with the back of his hand. "Don't be so crude with your inadequate amount of vocabulary. Then again, what should I expect from an immature bastard like you?" "Don't be so hypocritical, princess," he spat. "Oh, but I like to be hypocritical! It pleases me so much to know that I can get under your skin just like that. I don't even have to try. Don't you think it's sad that you, a 'fierce lone warrior' worthy of praise from every corner of the world, can be so affected by mere words and movements?" "I can't pick my own gender and forthrightly, if I could, I wouldn't want to be a girl whom may be unaffected by such... arousing actions, but I admittedly say that I would be frightened...... frightened at the fact that I may have the chance to turn into such a heartless bitch like yourself," the voice drenched in spite rose. "Oh, thank you!" Pan said with a puerile innocence surrounding her. "Don't take it as a compliment," he glared, walking over once again to the pair of tantalizing, voluptuous lips that had gotten him into so much trouble. "Well, what should I take it as?" she wondered, giving him a sly grin and an unnerving gaze. "Don't play with fire.. you'll only get burned...." the warrior mumbled and came closer to Pan until he was millimeters away from her face. That was when Pan felt a tender brush against her lips. Her eyes grew wide and before she knew it, she was on the ground with an unconscious lavender-haired boy on top of her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Nightfall ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trunks moaned and griped as he awoke and sat up. He felt an unpleasant pounding sensation in his head the moment he stood. Wobbling a bit, Trunks walked silently through the darkness until he experienced what many would call a 'crash landing'. "Oh, shit!" he screeched, kicking the wooden chair out of his way. Right when he had pulled himself together, a light turned on and descending down the stairs was a glowing beauty. "T- Trunks......." the unrecognizable voice stuttered, already tearing up. Squinting his eyes, Trunks got a better focus on the anonymous lady. Since the room was only lighted with that single candle that was in the grasp of the silently weeping individual that Trunks didn't even know, he had a hard time determining if she was an enemy of the deadly night or a comrade here to assist. Was it even a she? No, he was sure it was a girl..... ".... Bra.....?" There was a proverbial sigh, and soon he heard a young girl emitting a cry of rapture. Delicate hands wrapped themselves around Trunks' well-built body while salty water dripped onto his tattered shirt, dampening it completely. Without warning, lights illuminated the entire room with their magnificent glow, and Pan walked down with little to no vim. Her aggravation was apparent on her face as she watched from afar at this little rendezvous. A sickened look pasted itself onto Pan's face as she stared down on the mismatched couple. "I haven't seen you in so long!" Bra screeched. Suddenly, Trunks felt a jab in his lower abdomen. "THAT'S FOR NOT VISITING AND DITCHING ME, YOU WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A-" "I'm not in the mood to listen to you badmouth this imbecilic lowlife of a bastard, so if you'll kindly shut up and let me go to sleep, I would truly appreciate it," she glared down as if to relay a message saying that everyone around her was irrelevant when measured up to her.

Trunks bristled when he heard the door creak and shut. "Bra? I- " "What an amateur..... you can't even tell that it's me," the composed and lethal tone replied. "Oh... what are you doing in my room?" he wondered. "Well, we haven't exactly had time to get reacquainted that much...." Pan fibbed, thinking of the moment they spent insulting each other in the temple. "Well, what do you want to talk about?" "..... Who said I wanted to talk?" "Well, I assumed-" "Come on," Pan interrupted rather abruptly. With greater knowledge now, Trunks knew that he should shut up before he got more than a tongue-lashing. " The breezy night played with Trunks and Pan's hair, whipping it around as they stared each other down. With the posture of a connoisseur, the dark princess watched intently and never let her eyes wander more than an inch of her target. Suddenly, she disappeared leaving a distracted Trunks on the cold ground. Feeling the warmth of a body coming closer to him, Trunks concentrated his energy into a single attack. Hopefully, this would work to his advantage and maim his opponent. "You little idiot....." the disapproving voice uttered. Right before Pan was about to strike, she froze in midair with a surprised expression. Then, she smiled and landed safely on the ground next to her enamoring partner.

"So, you have the nerve to come back...." "... You had your chance to strike, but you decided to stop and chat? Don't you have any qualms about what I'm going to do next?" "Why would I? I already know what you're going to do next..." "Oh, and what, pray tell, would that be?" the crimson warrior wondered. "You're going to collapse onto the filthy ground in a broken heap of bones, while I watch and laugh in amusement as you bleed out your life's blood." This made the clearly unwanted spirit look Pan straight in her eyes and glare with a hint of conviviality. "Well, that sounds pleasurable, but I rather we finish what we started earlier," he tilted his head to the side and gave her a mischievous grin. "No, thank you. Why did you decide to come out and play right in the middle of Trunks' and my spar?" "So, you do prefer him to me?" "Stop answering questions with questions!" Pan snapped slightly. "Am I frustrating you?" "Isn't it evident?" "Now, who's the one answering questions with questions?" he smiled ferociously. "Still you. However, I'm getting tired. I should go before I actually do shatter your body into several fragments for my own satisfaction," Pan cautioned. As she walked towards the house, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, if we're not going to spar..... why don't we talk like I thought we were going to do?" Pan turned around to find Trunks back to his normal self again. 'I'm getting weary of these damn alterations of his,' Pan thought aggravated.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Trunks' Room ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"So, what has happened during these seven years that I was gone?" "Why ask now? The past is the past and I have no intention of treading back to that godforsaken time." Trunks quieted down immediately when he heard what she had just said. "Rough?" "I'm surprised you figured that out so promptly," Pan shook her head, rolling her eyes. Trunks glowered a bit, recollecting his childhood memories. ".... Bra befriended me instantly without inquisition about who I was or where I came from. Then again, she was only five at the time and I was seven. The aroma of freshly baked bread dangled in the air..... I was famished by the time I got to the foreign land. That was when a strange and tiny blue- haired girl jumped onto my leg, grabbing it tightly. She was an orphan, just like me.... but unlike me, she was loved and cared for..... by her fellow friends here. They all despised me with more than a passion, but Bra didn't listen nor did she care about the dirty rumors that were spreading. Everyday, she shared portions of her meals with me, and not once did she abandon me to go play with her other friends," Trunks said quietly, smiling a bit at the thought. His look immediately changed to one with much despondency. "But.... I deserted her... for this journey....."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Flashback ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Trunks? Where are we going?" the petite youngster asked in a childish voice regardless of the fact that she was already twelve. "WE aren't going anywhere. I'm leaving on a quest," the fourteen year old answered curtly. "Why!?! I WANNA GO, TOO!!" Bra sniffed indignantly. "You know, for someone who's so well- educated, you act like a two-year old. Although, that's not really something new to me," Trunks grinned roguishly. "Shut up! I want to go! Please? Besides, for someone who's only fourteen, you act like a twenty-five year old bastard!" After saying that, she started begging with the saddest pout she could muster. He remained silent as he packed up the rest of his items and belongings. For some reason, he heard her shriek with glee and rush out of the room with such an invigorating glow that he could feel it resonating off of her. Once night came, Trunks walked into Bra's room and gave her a small kiss on the cheek and stepped outside with a clear and blatant purpose in mind. "Sorry Bra..... but I never said yes......." he whispered and took off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ End of Flashback ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pan sat there, taking in everything he said and sighed. "What?" Trunks asked. "Nothing..." she muttered. Two minutes passed and not a word was said between the two. The uncomfortable stillness of everything bothered Trunks a bit, so he began to get up. "You do realize that you are slacking, do you not? The second temple is already waiting for your languid body to conquer," Pan told Trunks. "Fine......" Just as Trunks walked out the door, the wind started to pick up and soon, both were dropped onto a cold floor. "W-where the hell are we!?! Goddamnit..... why am I cursed with this.. this.." Trunks balled up his fists and shook with antagonism. "Hm, I never took you for the quiet type, Vegeta," Pan intervened, sensing someone eavesdropping on them. "So, you do remember me you little bitch! All these years that I have cared for you and nurtured you with my powers.... and you turn on me. I'll make you pay," a voice boomed throughout the slime- filled corridor. "Vegeta, I never thought of you more than a minuscule puppet.. and I, the puppet mistress. Look around you.... I own everything," Pan growled. A cackle escaped the dark king's mouth at that point. "Are you sure about that? Let us see! Surely, a woman of your capabilities is able to defeat the dragon emperor of Death Mountain without breaking a sweat." "So what?" she asked with seldom interest. "I want you to go and do that, if you can. You see I shall be lending your enemy some of my power. That will even the playing field, won't it?" "Not even close...... furthermore, it's too much of a hassle to go to that hellacious pit of fiery death. I feel no challenge awaiting me there unless you call dodging falling rocks a challenge....." she stated rather tiredly. "Of course not, but what if I was to imprison your 'friend' in that mountain? Then, what would you say?" Vegeta asked, snapping his fingers. At once, Trunks was captured in a lustrous sphere and whirled away to a distant area.

"Kono yaro.." With that said, Pan transported to Death Mountain with a scowl on her face. "Who said it would be that easy for you, PRINCESS?" Vegeta was heard all through the mountain range. The ground rumbled and quaver with such dynamism that it brought Pan to her knees. Boulders started to shake and fall rapidly as the dark princess struggled to get up and inside the fire temple. As she made it, the entrance suddenly waned. "Damnit...." she cursed as she floated up the center of the winding maze and in front of an iron-shackled door. "Oh, give me a break," she mumbled, slashing through the material as if it were butter. In the middle of the room was a floating island, which Pan, got to with no effort at all. Right then, a head spurted from one of the lava holes in the floor. Gradually, the rest of the body appeared and a roar echoed in the room. "Let's have a test of voice, shall we?" Pan smiled ingenuously. Without hesitation, the dark princess let out a shrill scream that brought down the cave walls along with the ceiling. "Wow, that was hard..." she said sarcastically watching as the dragon, who didn't even get to lay a scale on her, expire. "Vegeta, I thought you were going to lend that minion of yours some of your powers...." "Oh, did I say that I would lend that retched lizard my power? I'm sorry......" As he finished, Pan felt a cut on the back of her neck. Turning around, she saw nothing but thin air. Another cut appeared on her wrist. "Listen, if you think you can hurt me like that, you're sadly mistaken. I can convalesce faster than you can slash," Pan said calmly. As she walked towards the central point of the floating island, she felt hands on her shoulders. Before she knew it, she was on the floor with the Master Sword pointed at her heart and a choking grip around her neck. "I told you, don't play with fire... you'll only get burned.."

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Wuh-oh..... hehehehehe.... Well, what will happen to our lovely princess??? Will the crimson warrior really hurt his cute bishojo? Why the hell is Vegeta there!?! Find out in the next chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to LoNeLy*PaN, Kutie- Pan, lovelylady, Pyromaniac, Mistress Son Pan, fireworks, pan0gwen, Takara Arashi, Heather Tsouki, Chou-Hoshi, Angelbabe14, Little Demon Child, chibigoten124/SSJ3MysticPan, Firefly-of- Darkness, and AnimeFreak-TrunksPan- luver4evr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!