The Future Unknown

Aftermath

*****
23- Aftermath

Pan woke up with a groan. She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting and failing to fall back into her dreamless sleep.

"Pan?"

Pan peeked her eyes open and blinked them as she took in Trunks' face. He had beginnings of bruises on his left cheek and by his temple. A bandage was on the right side of his jaw, and dark shadows were under his eyes. Despite looking like that, he smiled at Pan softly.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a truck," her voice croaked as she spoke.

"You know what it feels like to be run over by a truck?" Trunks cracked a teasing smile. Pan narrowed her eyes at him, and he laughed as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Pan furrowed her brows. Images of the night before flashed through her mind. Kain attacked her in the alley, and then Trunks showed up with Goten and Alister. The battle began, and she was fighting Zara through most of it. Then, Leon showed up and grabbed her. She could still feel the cold, sharp metal of the knife pressing against her neck.

Pan shuddered as she remembered the ghost-like whispers that filled her ears. 'Protect her. Must protect her,' they had chanted softly. After that, Pan didn't remember much, just the feeling as if she were floating. The next thing she knew- she was waking up.

"What happened after Leon grabbed me?" She asked Trunks.

He adjusted himself, so he was leaning on his elbow. "I've never seen anything like it, Little One- none of us have. Leon went to strike you- I rushed forward with Goku, but before we could reach you, your necklace started to shine. It let out a blast that sent Leon back. You were glowing," he whispered, his eyes dazed over. "Your hair was silver, as were your eyes. You raised your hands, and the stone was sparkling like a miniature star in your palms. Then you pushed them forward, and a blast came out of the stone.

Pan's eyes had grown wide throughout his story. Had she done that? And with her necklace?! She glanced down, and the chain was still in place around her neck. "So Leon-" Pan began before she swallowed hard. "Did I kill him?" She whispered.

"Something unexpected happened," Trunks said gently. "Hera appeared out of nowhere, and she jumped in front of Leon right before the blast hit him. From what I saw, she was severely burned. Kain was nearby, and the blast got him as well."

"Did I hurt any of us?" Pan whispered.

"No, we were unharmed," Trunks said.

Pan let out a sigh of relief. "And the Hiltheans?" She asked. "We're any of them dead?" She whispered. She knew they were terrible people. They had been trying to kill her and her family, but Pan hadn't wanted to kill them. She just wanted them to leave earth and never come back.

"I don't know," Trunks admitted. "You passed out right after. Goku and I brought you back here to Brief Manor. The others stayed in the city to make sure the Hiltheans left. Goten said he didn't think any of them were dead, but many were severely injured. Dende contacted us just an hour ago and said the Hiltheans were gone- this time for good."

Relief flooded through Pan. For the Hiltheans to leave was all she had wanted. She looked down and saw that she had been changed into one of Trunks' shirts. The stone hung around her neck in the necklace it had been in. She picked it up, and it was cold to the touch.

"It doesn't look like it did anything," she commented.

"I know. Goku tried to touch it last night after we got back, but it burned him."