A Warrior's Quest Part Eight: A Clue to The Origins of The Twelve Objects Revealed Pan sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat the food Chichi set in front of her. "You need to keep up your strength and eat well for the baby," Chichi said sternly. She waved a spatula around to try and prove her point. Pan nodded and swallowed the food she'd been chewing. "Veggie-sama and Bulma-san are now installed in their cabin on the ship. I still haven't told them about their grandson yet though," she said. Chichi nodded and began making more food when she saw that Pan had finished everything off already. Vegeta walked into the kitchen and walked over to the table. He sat down and demanded food before turning to Pan. "How did you get my quarters to look exactly like they did on Vegeta-sei before it was destroyed?" he asked. "Went back in time and took a couple dozen photos of your room. I developed them when I came back. Tried to make it as close to your old room as possible," she said between mouthfuls of food. Vegeta nodded between mouthfuls of his own. "Arigatou," he managed to get out between bites. Bulma wandered into the kitchen and began to talk to Chichi about laundry and starch. Pan's eyes widened and she grabbed her food before running out of the room, Vegeta close behind her. "Hey Pan-chan. Why'd you run from the kitchen so fast?" Goku asked as he walked up. "Bulma-san and Baasan are talking about laundry and stuff," Pan replied. Goku shuddered. "You were smart to get out while you could Vegeta-san. But why'd you leave Pan-chan?" he asked, scratching the back of his head. "I thought girls liked that stuff." Pan shook her head and walked back into the kitchen, dragging Vegeta with her. 'Tru-chan, I'm going to be telling your parents about the baby. Are you coming?' she asked silently. 'Hang on a second. I've got to get from one side of the ship to the other,' Mirai Trunks called back. Vegeta was trying to get back out of the kitchen, not sure why Pan had dragged him back there. He was a bit surprised when Mirai Trunks strode into the room. "Why am I here?" he demanded. "Tru-chan and I wanted you and Bulma-san to know that you will have a grandson in about four months," Pan said, putting a hand on her slightly swollen stomach. "I'm too young to be an obaasan!!!" Bulma wailed. But she had a smile on her face as she said it. Vegeta smirked. "So one of my brats finally did their job," he said. He pretended to be injured when Pan hit his shoulder. "Congradulations Pan-chan. What are you going to call him?" he asked. "His name is gonna be Vegeta Gohan Briefs," Mirai Trunks replied. Pan hugged Vegeta. "I wanted to name him after you cause he'll look just like you. Even as a baby," she said, looking up into Vegeta's face with a grin. "I'm honored," Vegeta said. "Will he have purple hair?" he asked, frowning. Pan shook her head. "Black hair, black eyes and a scowl to match yours," she said. Vegeta nodded, satisfied, his arms still around Pan. He shared a smile with Bulma. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Pan and Vegeta made their way up the sheer side of a cliff, Mirai Trunks and Yahmcha a bit below them. "Are you sure she should be doing this in her condition?" Yahmcha asked Mirai Trunks as he looked back down the way they'd come. "Would you like to try and stop her?" Mirai Trunks asked. "We're almost there!" Pan called back down as she climbed over the top of the cliff. A fierce wind nearly pushed her off the side. Vegeta grabbed her arm and pulled her in front of him, offering her the shelter of his body. He waited till his son and Yahmcha were standing in front of them before handing Pan over to her mate. "Let's keep moving," he said and turned to walk into the cave. Pan ran over to Vegeta's side and grabbed his arm. "Let me go first. This object is protected by a Guardian and only I can beat him," she said urgently in Saiya-go. Vegeta looked down at Pan with raised eyebrows. "Why don't you want thte others to hear what you're saying?" he asked in the same language. "Because Tru-chan and Yahmcha-san would try to stop me and we really need to get this object. This planet is going to disappear in a few hours and the object with it if we don't get it now," Pan replied. She spared a glance over her shoulder at her mate and Yahmcha. "Cover me. I'm going in," she said and walked into the cave. "Pan-chan!" Mirai Trunks yelled and tried to go after his mate. Vegeta stopped him. "Only she can go into the cave," he said and pushed his son away. Yahmcha stood there, not quite sure what was going on. "What did Pan-chan say to you?" he asked Vegeta. "She explained why only she could go inside," Vegeta replied curtly and sat down to wait. *************** Pan used a small bit of her ki to light her way as she walked deeper and deeper into the cave. She looked around her with wide eyes, taking in her surroundings. She liked the way the light reflected off the walls and ceiling of the cave in all colors of the rainbow. At last she came to what she was looking for. *************** Mirai Trunks paced the ground in front of the cave, a frown on his face. "If you're not careful, you'll get wrinkles," Yahmcha said. "Like I care," Mirai Trunks snorted. "My mate is inside that cave and I can't go with her." Vegeta opened one eye. "You can still talk to her, can't you?" he asked. Mirai Trunks nodded. "Then sit down, shut up and talk to her," Vegeta ordered. Mirai Trunks meekly did as he was told. **************** "Who are you and what do you want?" the glowing woman said. Her long red hair floated around her and her ruby eyes were focused on Pan's face. "I am Pan and I seek the fourth of the twelve objects," Pan replied, her eyes locked with the Guardian's. "Are you worthy of the Ruby Shield?" the Guardian asked, her voice teasing. "I am," Pan replied. Something about the Guardian felt familiar to her and that was beginning to bug her. "Prove it to me Little Princess," the Guardian crooned. Pan's eyes narrowed as she recognized why the Guardian felt familiar. "And how do I do that?" she purred. "Kill me to show me your worth," the Guardian replied. "Iie. You've done nothing to me," Pan replied. The Guardian smiled. "You are indeed a challenge," she said and attacked. Pan blocked every blow the Guardian made, not fighting back, only defending herself. The Guardian stopped and her smile returned. "You have proven your worth Little Princess. Come take the Shield and leave before the planet is gone," she said. She held out her hand to Pan. Pan took the Guardian's hand and the Guardian disappeared, becoming the Ruby Shield that Pan sought. She allowed herself a smile of victory before running back to the mouth of the cave. "Let's get out of here!" she yelled as she ran past the men and flew off the cliff towards the ship. The guys quickly followed Pan, sensing that there was a reason for speed. *************************************************************************************************************** Pan looked out the viewport at the spot where the planet had been, the Shield still in her hands. "You knew the planet was going to disappear, didn't you?" Mirai Trunks asked as he came to stand beside her. Pan nodded. "I knew," she said. "Why didn't you tell me that it was going to disappeaer?" her mate asked. "Because you would never have let me onto the planet if you knew," Pan replied, turning to look at her mate. Mirai Trunks nodded. "I worry about you and our baby," he said. "Don't. We'll be fine. We've got you and the others to protect us," Pan said. She put the Shield away in the storage area and went back to cuddle with her mate.