Chapter One

It was well-known in West City that the resident heiress of Capsule Corp loved a challenge. Her name meant underwear, her hair was the most unusual shade of blue; her eyes were the sky: stormy when angry (and that was often), light and soft when she was calm, sparkling with ingenuity and slyness when she saw something she wanted. And when she was set on a goal, she usually completed it. Today was no different. Well..almost no different.


"PAPA!" This very woman stomped throughout a technical lab. Wires were like a mink coat around her neck and an assorted tool belt hung loosely around her waist. Her short, cropped blue hair swished around as she swung her head around, looking for her father. "PAPA?"


"Over here, Buruma." A grainy and timeworn voice called to her. She furrowed her eyebrows and walked over to a neutral colored panel with short legs sticking out like short wires.


"Papa, where's the galaxy fact sheet for Sector 7316 of Solar Section Eight?" She started tapping her foot, folding her arms across her chest, looking impatient.


"I think..." The pair of legs rolled out from under the panel and a lavender-colored mustached man showed himself. He adjusted his glasses as he thought. "Last I remember, Buruma, it was on the desk over..." He trailed off, watching his daughter walk to the desk with overflowing papers and plans. He shook his head and rolled back underneath the ship. A blond-haired woman entered the room with a tray of cookies and a pitcher of lemonade. Her hair held up in curls and face set in an airy smile as she walked in her apron around the laboratory.


"Thanks, Papa!" Buruma smiled at her mother that walked in and used her hands to shift through each layer of papers. It had been over a month for this family. A month to get over the shock, a month to get over the surprise, a month to be prepared. For what, you ask?


"I still don't see why you to have to leave, Buruma-chan." Her mother was uncharacteristically worried. Buruma laughed triumphantly as she shifted through the papers, holding up a paper with black printout data on it. "Gotcha." She ignored her mother's fussing.


"Mama..." She whined, as she turned around and went to an enormous space craft in the middle of the room. "I am a grown adult and well-able to make my own choices. Besides, what could go wrong? Those Saiya-jins wouldn't want anything happening to their new star head Scientist!" She giggled, and looked up to the big egg-shaped ship. "Ah, that sounds great. Star Head Scientist. Buruma baby, you hit it big time this time!" She turned on her heel and looked in at a panel parallel to the one her father was working on.


Mrs. Briefs smiled, feeling all worry wash away and confidence build on her. She put down the tray on a small table beside the desk. "Well, if those strong, handsome men will be around-"


"Aliens, Bura, aliens. They don't apply to our human terms. Call them Saiya-jins." Dr. Briefs chuckled from inside the panel, as some tweaking and sizzling of wires was heard.


"Aliens, Saiya-jins, yes dear me, how could I forget? If those Saiya-jins will be around to protect you, then I have no qualms about this." She laughed, covering her mouth with her small hand. "If you are so sure about this, Buruma, then-"


"Of course I'm sure about this!" Buruma climbed up the ladder and patted the sleek outside of the space craft. This was just what she was craving for. Adventure. Space travel. New possibilities, new dreams, new ventures to the unknown. She smiled contentedly, as she slid down the ladder to face her mother. "Mama, just think: Space!"


Her mother gazed at her, her expression stuck somewhere between an airy smile and a clueless expression. "Space, Buruma?" Her daughter sighed and didn't bother. She knelt down beside her father and reached for the tray.


"Never mind, Mama." She took a cookie and nibbled on it. The plans were rolled down before her as she looked at the print out of the star system. Space. It sent a shiver down her spine. "Papa, what do you think of the Saiya-jins?" She leaned against the ship's scaffolding.


"This Bejita no Ou sounds like a nice fellow." Her father twisted a bolt. He held out a hand, "5/8." Buruma took a 5/8 out of her belt and handed it to her father. She continued to talk.


"Yeah, I mean, space isn't that mysterious. We know tons about it, already."


"I suppose not." Dr. Briefs started to hum. Buruma continued to ramble.


"And this Bejita guy really doesn't mean any harm, right? Just because we never heard of Saiya-jins until a month ago doesn't mean anything bad, right?" Buruma took another cookie from the tray, gobbling it down as she talked. "And we really don't need to worry about communication errors, or foreign moral values, or stuff like that. I mean, how different can an intelligent species be from another? Not very much, right? We're all the same ... sort of. ... Right, Papa?" Her father sighed. He looked at her and smiled at her worried expression.


"Yes, Buruma, it doesn't mean anything. We're all the same." He laughed and held out his hand, "1/2, please. You're not nervous, are you?" The joke hit right on the spot. Of course, she would never admit to it.


"WHAT? ME? Papa!" Dr. Briefs's laughter deepened. Buruma growled and got out the wrench he desired. She plopped it in his hand roughly, folding her left arm around herself and putting a cookie in her mouth. "Baka." She joked, as she persisted her one-sided argument, "All I'm saying is that the Saiya-jins are about as mysterious as the missing link."


"Now, Buruma, don't talk with your mouth full." Her mother chided and left to retrieve more cookies. Buruma swallowed the mush that was a cookie down and frowned. She stared at the floor then switched her gaze to her father's legs. She realized then how homesick she truly was going to be. Space or no space, Vejita-sei or not, Chikyuu-sei would always be her home.


"Papa, what do you think it'll be like?"


"What? Space?" Dr. Briefs paused and rolled out from the panel. He looked at her, his face greasy and goggles covering up his neck.


"Hai." Buruma rocked herself, holding her legs close to her chest as she looked up to the ceiling.


"Well, there would be no gravity for one." He started laughing, then rolled backwards. "I suppose it would be the same as we've always imagined it: mysterious in it's own way, even when we know most of the facts about it already. I think space and Vejita-sei will bring a new future to you, Buruma. This could be your chance to go on that adventure you've always wanted, pursuing that side of you. I only wish this old man had enough bones in him to make the journey with you." Some tweaking was heard as he ventured farther into the ship's inner intestine.


Buruma smiled, and stared at the ceiling some more before getting up. She knitted her eyebrows together, full of determination, pushing aside pre-homesickness and fear.


She grabbed a pair of wire cutters, climbed up the ladder, walked into the ship. There before her was a tangle of wires. She smirked, tossing the wire cutters from hand to hand as she approached the innocent web of metal threads. "Come to Mama..." She smiled and proceeded to work. Hours flew by, and the two were so engrossed in their work. They only knew their dreams would take flight soon. The only real question was would the dream come true?

-----

Two weeks later, the space craft was completed, her plans to leave Chikyuu-sei was scheduled the day after and that meant a day of freedom. Her last day on her planet.

Buruma sighed restlessly as she shifted through clothes. It was late afternoon, the birds were singing outside her balcony, the sun was shining, and the sweet old musk of packed clothes filled her nose. She traced a baseball tee. It said YAMUCHA in red cursive letters and had the team's name, TITANS* on the front. She sighed and remembered that day. She cheered so loudly and so openly, she could see Yamucha's blush all the way from the bleachers.


She put it away, thinking deeply. Yamucha. She hadn't told him yet. She was so busy, she never had enough time to even think about him, let alone call. Buruma combed her hand through her boyish-cut hair and sighed, dropping the tee into her suitcase. She should call.


"I hope he's there..." Buruma said to herself, blowing up her short bangs. There was a ring, two rings, then the third ring before the answering machine came. "Hi. It's Yamucha. Didn't catch me right now, but leave your message at the beep and I'll be sure to get back to you. Dewa mata." Buruma growled lightly. He wasn't home. The beep came after a few moments.


Buruma was at a loss to say. What could she say? "Konnichiwa, Yamucha? It's me, Buruma. I'm leaving off-planet to go into space and work for aliens. Oh by the way, I'll miss you but we have to break up because intergalactic relationships don't last. Sorry?" She shook her head and slammed the receiver down. "Papa will have to explain it to him..."


She got up and started to angrily toss clothes into her suitcase. "Bakayuro ... couldn't he at least be worried about me to leave a message?" Then again, as she mulled over it, becoming more slow with her packing once again, they were both busy. She usually, these days, fell dead asleep after a day's work then check her messages. He was always at baseball practice or something or other, and was like a log when he slept. Her mother would bring her the messages, but ever since she'd started working on that project she saw even her mother only on rare occasion.


But that still doesn't give him an excuse, she huffed mentally. Buruma grabbed another item and looked at it. Yamucha's baseball cap. She lightly traced the logo of the team on the front. It was given to her on the same day she and Yamucha went on their first date. She lightly chuckled. Man oh man, was he scared of her then. Buruma smirked and tossed it into the suitcase. Then she looked at what she packed.


Everything was Yamucha-related. The time they spent together, she saw reflected in her clothes. She held her head. Buruma growled. "I have to get over him if I want to survive." While they hadn't broken up yet, Bulma felt weakness was not tolerated with her. This weakness was one she had to eliminate. I sound like some cyborg, she giggled at the mental picture. Cyborgs, ha! She was really crazy to think like that. The next thing I'll think of will probably be androids! She tried to calm down her laughing, shaking her head. Pffft. Androids. As if. She gave a hearty chuckle.


Buruma sat down on her bed, reveling in the sound of bed springs. Tonight would be the last night she would sleep in her own home, own room, own bed, and own blankets. She picked up a few clothes that truly reminded her of Yamucha and tossed them in her dresser. Soon what was overpacked became underpacked.


Just as she opened another drawer, she heard something in the background. Buruma's head turned over her shoulder and she blinked. Then shrugging at the silence, began to turn around and go back to her work then-there it was! Whirling around on her heel, she walked slowly to her balcony and opened the door, nearly getting hit with a stick.


She grabbed the railing and glared down at whoever was attacking her, only to be met with a clean face with wide brown eyes. "Hi Buruma!" Yamucha greeted weakly. He was clutching a tree branch like it was his last lifeline. "Umm, could you help me? I'm sort of stuck..." Buruma didn't know whether to laugh or cry.







They found themselves walking on the streets of West City after Yamucha was rescued. There was a silence, one that made Yamucha squirm. He hadn't said anything, for fear of setting Buruma off. So far, so good, he mused. But he wondered if that was good.


Buruma was lost in her own thoughts: how to break it to Yamucha, how to contain this need to cry, how to deal with this homesickness when she was already home. She dug her hands into the pockets of a blue jacket that was given to her by Yamucha. The sun was still high in the sky, as it began to begin it's descent downwards.


"Buruma?" Her boyfriend's voice stirred her from her thoughts.

"Hmm...?" She looked up as they stopped near a shrine. Yamucha looked worried.


"Are you okay? You haven't yelled at me for not calling or visiting ..." he hesitated and put his hand on her shoulder, "is something wrong?" He seemed alarmed when she started to laugh. Buruma threw her head back and laughed and laughed. Yamucha looked scared again. Buruma sobered and sighed, smiling.


"Yeah, Yamucha. I'm okay. I just..." She trailed off, looking into the sky. It was slowly becoming the peach-red she had always admired when she was younger. "I just don't know how to tell this to you."


"Tell me what?"


"I'm leaving, Yamucha."


"Leaving?" He started laughing, throwing his head back and combing his hands through his mane. "Is that all? I thought it was something serious. Where are you going? Europe, China, or America? Or maybe that Africa place.. I heard it's a lov-"


"No, Yamucha." Her voice was a perfect neutral. Buruma didn't know what to sound like.joyous or mournful. "No. I'm leaving ... for space." There was a silence and Buruma looked to see Yamucha staring at her. Then he snapped out of it.


"SPACE?" He looked stunned for a minute then he grinned. "Is this a joke?" He asked.


"No!" She got angry with him. He stared at her. He furrowed his eyebrows and combed his hair with his hand. He looked at her.

"When?"

Bulma saw the shock still etched on his face and said it slowly, "I'm leaving tomorrow. And, I-I can't see you anymore." She clenched her hands, and looked up to watch the Capsule Cars zoom by in the freeway-tubes. Yamucha still didn't move.


"...what?..."


"Listen, Yamucha, is it that hard to understand?" She brought her fists to her jacket, holding it closer to herself. The way she said that to him, he somehow knew that she wanted him to fight. Trying to provoke a fight out of him, something to make him hate her so she wouldn't feel guilty about leaving him. But Yamucha knew that she didn't mean it. Her eyes said different. They were filled with frustrated tears and mourning. They didn't want to hurt him. Yamucha's hands shook. He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it...


They had been together for over five years ever since they were kids; her seventeen, him just a day over nineteen. In fact, he remembered with sudden realization and humor, two of those years had been spent getting over his fear of Buruma and the rest of the opposite gender.

Before he met her, he was Yamucha the Desert Bandit. She was Buruma the Adventurer. She had crossed his path quite literally as she zoomed on her Capsule Motorcycle. In fact, she almost ran him over.


"Are you okay?" She asked him, lifting her goggles from her head allowing him to gaze at those perfect sapphires she called eyes. He stuttered badly and tried to crawl away, backwards, but she touched him on the shoulder, looking concerned. He never forgot that look.


"I-I-I-I ... I.." He shook with tension and looked around wildly for an escape. "G-gomen, M-m-miss." He attempted to free himself of her hand. She looked puzzled, and started to walk away. He let a breath escape him, closing his eyes in peace. Then footsteps came and the girl kneeled down, holding a first aid kit.


"Stay still." She said. Yamucha protested.


"N-no, tha-that's okay. I'll j-just be-"


"Stay still." It was a command. An order. Yamucha stayed put, shaking. The girl with gorgeous eyes continued to administer to his wounds; ones he got from almost getting run over and others from surviving in the desert. Her hands worked miracles in seconds. He stared at little white bandages all over his exposed skin. As she packed up the first aid kit, he spied his gun that laid only fifteen yards from him in a bush. If he could just reach it...


"What did I say, buddy?" She glared at him. Yamucha stiffened.

"I w-wasn't ga-ga-gonna-"


"Yeah right." Her eyes held a flame. "Listen buddy, if you wanna live I suggest you lay down while I get my Capsule case. Got it?" Yamucha nodded eccentrically, misinterpreting her threat of not living. When the girl was satisfied with him staying put, she turned and walked to her Capsule Motorcycle. As she did, Yamucha let out a breath. Geez, the girl made his heart pound like a rabbit's!


So he didn't move. Sure, he had a perfect opportunity to grab his gun and take hold of the situation, yet there was something about the girl's eyes. He was deathly afraid of her, yet the eyes made him catch his lost breath. He wondered if he was coming down with something.


Soon, the girl with the marvelous eyes and black helmet returned. The sun beamed painfully into their skin, making him burn. She looked down, took off her helmet, revealing neck-length blue hair, and kneeled yet again, starting to caress his cheek with a cool lotion. He flinched and started crawling away but stopped as she growled.


"What did I say?"


"Gomen." He looked down and felt the lotion be inhaled into his skin. He felt healed, clean, almost pure all over his body. And he looked to the girl. She was an angel. He stuttered, telling her so and she looked at him in disbelief, shock, then burst out laughing and out of nowhere flung unto him, much to his displeasure and pleasure.


"You're the first guy to say that to me." She whispered, blushing, pulling away. Yamucha looked away, already red as a tomato. She had mistaken it for bad sunburn.


"Need anymore sun block?"


"N-no." He blushed more and finally, after staring at the hard, dusty ground, asked her, "What's your name?"


"Buruma." The name flowed in his mind and he tried it out on his vocal cords quietly to himself, "Buruma." Then he smiled at her, feeling enchanted by her smile. "Yamucha." As they spent the evening together, talking, Yamucha knew he could never be alone again. But he knew that she wouldn't and couldn't stay with him forever ...



And now it was impending unto him, he thought. She was leaving and there was nothing he could do. Worst of all, she was breaking up with him! After everything, after all the things they had done with each other, she was leaving and throwing him to the ground.


Buruma watched as the sun came closer to the horizon. Yamucha's quietness bothered her. She wanted a fight out of him, something to persuade her to stay, to live here, to reject the Saiya-jins' offer. But no objection came. She looked over her shoulder to find the still Yamucha staring at her. His lips moved, yet no sound came out.


Finally his voice box worked, "...If." He struggled for the right words. "If that's what you think, Buruma. Okay." His bangs went over his eyes, shadowing the stood-still wetness in them. Buruma held him, stroking his back.


"It's hard." He whispered into her hair, embracing her back.


"I know." She whispered back, smiling through his clothes. She closed her eyes, looked up, and leaned up for their last kiss. When it was over, she stepped back. Now they were friends. Yamucha's Adam's apple bobbed up and down. He hated himself for not standing up, for his voice not working like it should. He should've kept her caged!...But then again, the bird in the cage always dies so much sooner. Yamucha took a shaky breath of air.


"I'll miss you, Buruma." She nodded, eyes searching his for an answer to some unknown question. Yamucha wished he had an answer. The silence continued on for several moments, each trying to memorize the other. She slipped from his grasp and walked away then took out a Capsule, uncapsulizing it.


Hopping on her motorcycle, slipping on the attached helmet, Buruma hit the switch and revved the motor, flying off into the horizon. Yamucha stayed where he was, watching the figure zoom away. One tear stayed still in his eye, stuck between rolling down his cheek and keeping in his eye. He blinked it away and turned, knowing he couldn't love another woman like he loved his Buruma. Wonderful, smiling, intelligent, soft, angry, laughing Buruma.

He walked away knowing he made the biggest mistake in his life letting her fly away like the bird in the open cage.

-----

Buruma rode all through town, breathing in the air, watching everything fly by her. Had she made the wrong decision by breaking up? She shook her head and revved up the motor more. It hadn't been a bad decision or mistake. More of a gift, a thing that could set her free.


She sped through the city, ignoring all the yelling around her. It was her last night on Chikyuu-sei and she would not spend it moping around.


She stopped the motorcycle and looked up at the sky. It was turning blue again. The sun had set thirty minutes ago and the stars came out, twinkling at her. The sky seemed unmeasured and obtainable. Unreachable to everyone, everyone but her.


I'm going to be there, Buruma thought. I'm going to be sleeping in the stars. She started laughing, holding her helmet. She stopped at a cliff and screamed to the sky, "I'M COMING, VEJITA-SEI!" Then she laughed louder than ever. She was still scared, but her courage and determination overrode what was named Fear. She felt her father's dreams and hopes pour through at her as she looked at those stars. She threw her helmet to the sky, watching as it fell down to the earth. "I'M COMING! I'M COMING!" She roared, falling into the soft grass and dirt.


"And those Saiya-jins better prepare for me." She smiled to herself, laying on the ground, watching the wide sky filter with stars. "They'd better." She grinned as she started counting the stars.


The message had first been received by accident. Or what seemed like an accident. Just the right (or wrong) angle of the satellite had transmitted the message that had been from a random space station almost a year ago. Ever since then, she and her father had done everything they could to connect with the galaxy. Up until six months ago it was a continuing failure.


When they had finally made themselves known, they made themselves an Anonymous planet (their name of their planet and location was unknown), only representing the daughter and the father. Obviously, their technology had impressed some aliens. To be more specific, the Saiya-jins.


It was a deal made in heaven, she decided. She would go to Vejita-sei, learn about them, be their scientist, then return home in a year and for them, she would build more inventions and such to help them advance technology. She would come back with more knowledge and reaped the fruit of the fields. It was the perfect thing to happen. The only problem was the homesickness. It was an easy thing to deal with in theory. When you confront it head on, it's like taking down a bull.

And Bulma would take it down, even if it meant losing everything in the process.

-----

"I'll miss you!" Her mother cried. She sobbed daintily into a handkerchief. Buruma sighed and shook her head as her mother went to cry on her father's shoulder. Dr. Briefs comforted the crying woman, patting her on her back, saying in gentle, soothing tones, "Now, now Bura, it's only for a year." Buruma turned away with a slight grin.


She breathed in deeply, looking around the Capsule Corp yard, chest swelling against her mechanics suit, the CC logo over the side of her chest. She smirked at the workers around her preparing the ship. She looked around and saw her father, with the ever-present Tama, the onyx cat on his shoulder, there as well. Her eyes watered for a minute.


She thought of life without her father and mother there. Their ever-present and ridiculous routines. Feeding their pets, playing chess without really knowing how, ice tea and lemonade in the summer. Buruma drew in a shuddering breath, calming herself down. Somehow, she knew the homesick would get to her if she let it. No, she shook her head, smiling as she walked over to her father. No. She would be stronger than it. She looked at her father, now checking the fueling tanks, mumbling to himself.


"Papa." She said quietly, gaining her father's attention. Dr. Briefs looked at her, turning away from the fuel tank monitor.


"Buruma! I was just going through last minute checks and-" He was interrupted by Buruma suddenly hugging him. She drew back with a teary smile.


"The fueling tanks?" She grinned suddenly, wiping any faint trace of tears in her eyes. Her father looked at her and smiled, mustache lifting up.


"My little girl.." he mused then shook himself out of his daze, "...the fueling tanks? Oh yes! The fueling tanks. They're almost all full. We should be able to take off." He said. He gave another quirk of a smile and blinked through his glasses. Tears were uncommon for him. He hardly cried..but..the realization that he was going to lose his only child.. struck him to his core. What if she never returned home? He smiled secretly. No..this was his strong Buruma-chan.

Buruma nodded, walking away from her father. She stopped when she heard a small meow, and looked over her shoulder. The black cat on her father's shoulder stared at her. "I'll miss you too, Tama." The blue-haired female wrenched around, walking to the ship's shade.


She drifted around, looking at the sky, trying to gulp down the anxiety and gall in her stomach. "Hey," A whisper came. Buruma swayed around, startled to see Yamucha. "What are you doing here?"


He chuckled, rubbing his head sheepishly, holding a small cage in his other hand. "Don't I get to say goodbye?"


She smiled and blushed, "Gomen. I just didn't expect you to come." In fact, she never expected him to even think of her, let alone see her off. She expect resentment, hate, sadness, even begging. She was impressed by the maturity Yamucha showed.


"Five years, Buruma. Give me more credit, here." He grinned and held up the small cage. Buruma peered and covered her mouth with both hands, squealing excitedly. "You know my cat Puar? Remember I told you she was pregnant two months ago? This is one of her kittens. I sort of thought you might want a piece of Chikyuu to bring with you." Buruma smiled sweetly at the eight-week old kitten and let it play with her finger. Yamucha looked hopeful. "Do you like him?"


"I love him!" She breathed, giggling as the kitten batted her finger.


"Good. You're taking him to space then."


"Nani?" Buruma looked up, shocked at Yamucha. Yamucha arched his eyebrow, folding his arm across his chest. He dangled the cage with a secure grip.

"What? It's not such a crazy idea to have a pet in space or to take it to another planet. It happened in a lot of movies." Buruma rolled her eyes at that 'argument.'


"But Yamucha," she said slowly as if speaking to a child. Yamucha pouted at the tone, not appreciating it at all. Buruma continued, "this isn't the movies. I don't have the special food, or the catbox, or even the bed! I'm not prepared for a pet to take! And I'm about to leave in fifteen minutes! I doubt I can salvage anything in that amount of time."


"Buruma, Buruma, Buruma. You still give me too little credit." Yamucha smiled and held a capsule between his index finger and thumb. Buruma stared at it and smiled. A pet-shop capsule, Buruma mused silently. One of the first to come out with the first versions of the capsule. Papa made it with the first auto capsule, she remembered, as a sort of companion to take care of his animals everywhere he went. Yamucha handed it silently to her, allowing her to stare at it, the kitten forgotten for a moment.

The pet-shop capsule she held in her hand was an older model than the recently made ones, Buruma noticed. It was a bright fire hydrant red, some with a blue CC-2378 band on the middle, vaguely looking like... like one of her mother's dresses. A red dress with a blue sash Mama wore once when she, herself, was seven years old. Mama had patted her on the head and kissed her on her cheek. "Be a good girl for the babysitter and pets, Buruma-chan." Mama had whispered as she left the child to dance away at majestic, faerie-like balls with Papa.

She gave a small quirk of her lips, looking over her shoulder. Her mother was currently sobbing into a worker's shoulder who looked rather flustered with the situation. Her eyes softened at her mama. She turned to the smiling Yamucha.


"You know ... maybe it was a bad idea to break up." She suddenly laughed, tossing the capsule into the air, capturing it in her hand, and pocketing it. Yamucha forced a chuckle and stared at her. She stopped laughing and gazed back, holding his face. There was a soft silence. Yamucha rubbed his nape and gave a small nod to some unknown fact that one usually did when they ran out of things to talk about.


"Promise not to fall for any aliens in space?" He half-joked, bringing the cage into her hands. Her palm left his face and she looked down at the kitten.


"Can't promise that." It took Yamucha a moment to realize that she was teasing him. He looked at her, memorizing her features, trying to remember how she felt in his arms, and stepped away. The temptation to steal her away was greater than ever and he knew she would be pissed at him if he did what he wanted to.


He grinned, "Sayounara ... Buruma-chan." He leaned in and stole a kiss, one so chaste and innocent, before running off. He looked back, just once, to see her, and his lips twitched at the sight of a shocked Buruma touching her lips, a slight pink around her cheeks and nose.


Buruma blinked and touched her lips. The warmth through her body left her feeling pleasantly peach. Her lips twitched up and her eyes glowed with tears as she looked over to where Yamucha was currently driving away in his car, speeding away.

"Sayounara." She whispered back to the air. A small mewing brought her out of her reverie. She looked down and saw the wildcat colored kitten looking curiously at her, and she let it play with her fingers again. The only part of Yamucha she was taking and wouldn't regret. A part of Chikyuu-sei. Her home. Something living and breathing.


"I have to think of a name for you, little one." Buruma mused, as the kitten started to wildly bat at the finger and taken to it's last resort of biting it. Despite the small pain, Buruma felt the name come to her.

"Toro." The name felt right. The kitten stopped batting and looked up at the name. Buruma cooed at the kitten. "Yes, Toro." Then she climbed upwards to the cockpit. Somehow, she felt Toro* and her would have a great future together. And somehow, she knew that Toro understood her too. Her little piece of Chikyuu-sei that an old lover gave. A little piece of Chikyuu-sei that she took with her to another planet that never even heard of cats.


She arched her eyebrow at the mewing kitten. Man, were the Saiya-jins in for a surprise.

-----

She strapped the kitten into a protective antigravity cage where it would remain safe if there was a malfunction. Buruma looked through the screen as Toro tried to paw at her. He floated around and around, making small mewing noises. Buruma smiled and answered Toro's silent question, "Lunch will come later, Toro." As if understanding, Toro made a small mew at that. She got up and looked to the panel, as the red lights came on. The countdown had begun. 30 ... 29 ... 28 ...


Buruma jogged to the seat and buckled herself in. The computer blinked continuously the words: DESTINATION?


Buruma clicked in the star charts and typed in: SOLAR SECTION Corona Borealis Sector of Star System: 7316. LAUNCHING AT NEGATIVE TWENTY DEGREES. PLANET VEJITA-SEI. And then laid back, grabbing a mask, tying it to her face. She typed in the command to release the sleeping gas. 10 .. 9 ... 8..


Buruma breathed in the sleepy chemicals and looked at the computer with woozy eyes. The large screen was a smear to her as she tried to focus on the commands. She punched in the enter key slouchily, her glassy eyes registering on the screen, barely making out the words: THANK YOU FOR FLYING WITH CAPSULE CORP. HAVE A NICE DAY, BURUMA. She gave a brief chuckle before passing out. A trace of her father threaded into the ship's commands after all.

-----

The stars were more beautiful here, out in it's own neighborhood, then in the sky on Chikyuu, Bulma decided, tracing a faint outline of a faraway star on the window. In the corner of her eye, Toro was playing with a crumpled paper ball, wildly throwing it around and pouncing on it. She giggled, turning away from the marvelous sight outside her window to her unfinished inventions.


It was only a project to keep her from going insane out in space. Maybe she should've taken Yamucha..., she mused then shook her head. No, it wouldn't have done anything. Their relationship wasn't going anywhere. He hadn't proposed, nor had she asked. It was like standing in a boat tied to the dock. It wouldn't go anywhere unless someone cut it free.


So she did.


Buruma sighed fitfully and rested her face in her palms. The days had passed quickly in space, turning into weeks, and finally three months. So unlike what she read in science fiction novels. Usually it was that time passed too slowly. She was strange that way; always going against the tide. Then again, as she looked upon it, it didn't really seem all that strange to her. Just to everyone else.


Buruma let her eyes stroll around the ship. Her temporary home was split into two levels. Right now she was on the Upper Level where gears, wires, and such were scattered all over the blue floor. She smiled warily. Not even all these projects could take her mind off of the upcoming Vejita-sei.

Just a couple more galactic cycles, she thought, and it'll be all over. Her smile grew. Since her travel into space, she'd been getting used to the time used there. Buruma snorted. It wasn't so hard. An infant could learn it! Of course, she conviently forgot her first embarrassing tries on Chikyuu-sei at the lingo. It wasn't as if it would do anyone any good if they knew... she giggled.

Suddenly she felt a creature's claws imbed into her calf and looked down, startled to see Toro use her leg as a scratching post. Buruma shooed the cat away, wincing as it scampered away. She moved her scratched leg and decided to get the first aid kit.


Buruma soon found out another synonym for trouble: cat.


Maybe it was revenge from Yamucha. Maybe it was traveling in space with no other company besides a small animal that chewed on flesh for fun and a computer that bleeped and played solitaire with itself. Maybe it was the loss of patience she had and her mind beginning to snap into two. Whatever it was, Buruma was getting sick and tired of the little kitten (who she strongly suspected was the reincarnation of the devil), and was about to go mad at any moment.

"Damn you, Yamucha!" She muttered. She ignored the cat that wildly sprinted across her path to suddenly duck under her bed on the lower level.


She slid down the ladder and entered the bathroom, fumbling through the cabinets. "I could have sworn I told Papa to put them there..." Buruma mumbled to herself as she leaned into the cabinets. She shifted some bottles around and smiled. "Aha! I found-" Just as her hand reached for the white box, the ship gave a lurch.


Startled, she gripped the handles in the bathroom. Three moments after the lurching began, it stopped. After a minute, Buruma got up, still gripping the handles. She looked around, groaning. Darkness filled the ship.


"Great. Just great." She muttered under her breath, feeling her hands around for solid things to help her walk. "What more could go wrong?"


She felt fur brush against her leg and looked down, seeing the faint outline of her cat. She sighed, picking Toro up. "You're going to be the death of me, Toro." A meow was her reply.


She moved along, slightly tripping with every four steps or so, and gripped a plushy object. She felt it up, sighing with relief that it was her seat. Buruma strapped herself in, holding the resistant Toro close to her. She leaned in, as the shaking started again and pressed START SYSTEMS. The screen blinked on, making a small musical sound that her father adored.


She typed in SYSTEMS CHECK, watching the screen. It typed back, 50% OF SYSTEM IS DOWN, BURUMA. She banged her fist against the counter, making her cat jump against her. "Shit!" Buruma started to frantically type with one hand, trying to retrieve the power the ship lost. How could this have happen?


SHIP'S ENERGY DEPLETION IS DUE TO THE SUDDEN GRAVITIONAL PULL OF PLANET.


Buruma kicked the counter, cursing yet again. Toro gave a small meow. She started typing back, ignoring her cat. WHICH PLANET, COMPUTER?

There was a sudden quiet in the spacecraft, even as the shaking increased. Alarms started to go off, making Toro very complainantive. The computer typed back, PLANET VEJITA-SEI, OF SOLAR SECTION Corona Borealis Sector of Star System: 7316.


Buruma couldn't move. How could this have happened? Were they that close to Vejita-sei?? How could she miss the days? WHAT IS THE DATE SINCE DEPARTURE FROM CHIKYUU-SEI, COMPUTER? she typed.


TWO GALACTIC CYCLES. IN CHIKYUU-SEI TERMS, FOUR MONTHS. Four? Buruma thought alarmed. A cycle was translated into two months in a rough estimation, so two cycles meant...meant four months... but wasn't it three? She typed, mumbling obscenities under her breath. It was probably just a bug in the computer's database. Damn piece of crap, she cursed mentally at the offending object in front of her as she typed. COMPUTER, IS DATA CORRECT?


AFFIRMATIVE. The word blinked and computer bleeped a small cheery tune.


Her grip on the seat and the cat became iron-like. That meant...that meant she was under the false impression that only three months had passed.

"Four months." Buruma whispered to herself, eyes wide. "Four months." She took away her hand and quickly put Toro between her seatbelt, allowing him to be trapped. He let out a yowl of uncomfort. Typing, the sweat on her brow coming down from her side, CAN COMPUTER STALL THE TURBULANCE?


NEGATIVE. It bleeped.


OVERRIDE GRAVITY PULL? Buruma typed.


NEGATIVE. It bleeped again.


ANY AVAILABLE OPTIONS?


NEGATIVE.

Buruma stopped typing to massage her temples. This wasn't working. She looked at the anguished Toro then to the screen. She came to the decision that she hated.

'Damn this. We're going to die!' A part of her whispered. Buruma violently shoved that part away. "No.." She whispered outloud, "not as far as I can help it." She laid back, holding Toro, closing her eyes. She would let her ship crash when all else failed. She would only choose that fate when there was no available choices. There was still a chance (though faint) that her ship could be salvageable after they crash landed. Their lives were safe, as long as the strap remained secure and the landing wasn't too rough. She prayed to Kami that it wouldn't.

ARRIVING...... The computer beeped once, then twice, as Buruma sat, her spine straight, smelling of fear. Her kitten was still in her arms, claws refluxing painfully into her chest. Her eyes clenched shut and she bit her lip from making noise, not wanting to give any sign of pain.

VEJITA-SEI.


She felt the ship go through turbulence, moving. The clattering of various unsupported items fell to the floor. Toro screeched and she felt the claws dig in deeper. Buruma held it in. The pressure drove up on her as the ship accelerated downwards; the heat of the atmosphere building inside making her sweat. Then the finale: crash. It was a tragic play in the making, ending here...at the crust of Vejita-sei. Their lives were in Fate's hands and Fate didn't look too sure at the moment at what to do with them except let them die... as all good characters in a play should.

She held unto her cat and the seat as the drove hard into the ground, her last thoughts were of Chikyuu-sei, her home, her family. Her mother's smile. Her father's pipe as he sat down and made his blueprints. Their games of chess, their jokes..Yamucha's boyish grin .. her first kiss.. a day of adventuring... her shelf of unfinished plans that she dreamt up over the summer...

It all flashed by in a moment. It was like some fast paced commercial ... coming and going like the wind, briefly showing her memories like leaves caught in a whirlwind.

And then it was gone. Just like that. A snap of the fingers. The flight of a bird. A leaf going south for winter. A tear traveling down a cheek.

End of the reel of flashbacks. The crash disrupted the flow of memories. It was gone as darkness took over. The last thing Buruma saw was the computer screen being impaled by a large jagged rock. Then she knew no more.








To be continued.







AN:

*Titans: Actually spelled in the anime TIATANS. English mistakes are often in Japanese anime, so no worries. I used the correct version so there wouldn't be anyone to burn my buns. ^_~

*Toro: Japanese word for expressing one's mind, speaking out, being wild. It also means tuna meat ^^;; [ironic for a cat] Also a Saiya-jin name for the meaning of 'Yams.'



Also, I'm sorry if I got the sci-fi part of the chapter totally wrong. ^^; I tried my best to understand all the mumbo-jumbo that the Internet and people were feedin' me. I would also like to say these two things: one, I will not enjoy it if anyone gives me a Yamucha-bashing review. It's disrespectful to the anime, the fanfic, and the readers (also author). To be to receive something like that when bashing is just senseless makes me very angry and upset at ANONYMOUS people who deliberately like to have their damn kicks that way. Shut the hell up. It's only a character. Go bash Yamcha on some other fanfic that might actually say "Hurray" to your efforts, guys.

Two, this chapter may SEEM boring but it's actually just this thing to show it. The next two get REALLY exciting and also long. Stick around and you'll see. Our favorite prince makes his appearance real soon.




Many thank-yous to: The faithful readers, the beta-readers, reviewing readers, and ... readers in general. ^^;;