Into the Void

Into the Ring

"Do you smell that?" Goku asked as he straightened his back and turned his nose towards the air.

Pan sniffed, and instantly she knew what her Papa was talking about. The delicious, sweet smell of barbecue ribs. The smell of meat! Real meat! Bulma had done her best to provide for them during their trip, but the meals they had to choose from were not very filling. It had been so long since Pan had tasted real meat that she could feel her mouth-watering.

Trunks had frozen, but it was evident by the way he was sniffing the air and licking his bottom lip that he had smelled it as well. He turned towards Goku and Pan. "I think we should eat first," he suggested.

"Okay!" Pan and Goku were too quick to agree.

XxXxX

The planet Yoi was surprisingly nice and well stocked with goods. After eating, the group had gone to the main market store and stocked up on food. Goku had wanted many things, and Trunks let them splurge a little with meat and other perishables. It would be food that would need to be eaten soon, but with the three of them being Saiyans, he figured it wouldn't take long. Other food items were non-perishable foods. They didn't know when they would find another supply planet or come close to this one again, so they had to stock up well.

With their supplies safely in capsules inside Trunks' pocket, they walked around the plaza to examine the booths. The booths were primarily snacks and jewelry. Goku stopped at everyone he could and tried to take a sample.

"I hope tomorrow goes smoothly, and we'll be able to get the Dragon Balls without any problems," Pan sighed as she stretched.

Trunks but back a snort; he wanted to retort that she was why they had problems with the previous two Dragon Balls. He didn't say anything, though. He still felt guilty for what he had told her the day she had been kidnapped. The look in her eyes the night he had found her in the hatch was enough for him to at least try to be kind to her. He never wanted to see that empty look on her face again.

"As long as we stay focused on obtaining the Dragon Balls and get out as soon as possible, I think we'll be okay," Trunks said.

"Hey!" Goku, who stood in front of a booth, waved them over. "Come and try these!"

Trunks followed Pan over to the booth and stared down at the golden candy. The alien behind the booth gave them a warm smile
as she handed them samples. The candy was sweet and syrupy. It seemed to melt inside the mouth, and it had a pleasant honey flavor mixed in with the sugar and vanilla.

"It's so sweet!" Pan sighed in delight, a soft smile on her face.

"Thank you," the alien smiled happily.

"Via, tell her what the name of it is," Goku grinned at the alien.

"It's called Panna. It means something is sweet on our planet. That's your name, isn't it?" Via asked.

Trunks threw his head back and laughed, and Pan huffed up at him as her cheeks turned pink. "It's close to it," she told the alien with a smile.

"Sweet," Trunks was still snorting.

"What are you laughing about, Trunks?!" Pan huffed at him. "I am sweet!"

Before Trunks could reply, there was a rustling sound and a gush of wind. He glanced up just in time to see a spaceship fly over the market. The aliens gasped in horror, and the lively market grew quiet.

"Who's that?" Pan asked quietly.

Via swallowed hard. "They are Heilkins. They come from the planet next to ours, Heil," she explained quietly. "They are cruel and cause many of us to fear. Whenever they visit, they take whatever they want without paying, and usually, there's a mess to clean up afterward."