It's been so long since I updated, and I really apologize! The good news is Twinkle is practically done on book. It all just has to be typed down whenever I get a chance. And this story will get done from start to finish. I hope you enjoy and thanks again for reading!

A loud rapping of knuckles startled Bulma from her stupor. She hitched a breathe and immediately cocked the pistol beneath her desk. Piccolo let himself in and Bulma relaxed the finger on the trigger.

Piccolo pretended not to notice as his eyes flicked over the assortment of papers, tissues and an empty bottle or two stashed unceremoniously behind gadgets until his eyes rested on the large computer screen, split into various images: security cameras around Capsule Corp's compound and interior.

"Vegeta's not back yet?" Bulma asked, turning back around her desk.

"Still searching." Enough was said. Krillin and Yamcha had offered to stay in Capsule Corp. just in case. Vegeta had vehemently denied, but his argument wasn't completely strong. He was like Bulma; awake but not awake. Searching and thinking, more than once even forgetting to eat until he once nearly passed out in midair. If Goku had not been there to catch him he may have starved himself.

Bulma never saw Vegeta like this before, and it worried her even more. The once unmovable force of a man now looked on the verge of collapsing from within. Bulma was no better off herself. Chichi offered to watch Trunks. It was a blessing the Sons were around. Bulma did not even know how to react around her own boy anymore. The first day after Bra's disappearance Bulma barely said two words to him, and once threw a streaming iron in his direction when he asked where Bra was.

"I asked Dende to keep an eye on the planet just in case." Piccolo added, snapping her out of her stupor.

Bulma nodded tight-lipped. She wanted to be alone. Piccolo wasn't helping. But he didn't seem to get the gist. He watched as she replayed the scene with Trunks and Bra in the living room the very day she disappeared. When Trunks got up to get a snack from the kitchen, leaving his sister alone in front of the TV with her toys...

"Stop!"

Bulma jumped, and again nearly brought the gun up if it wasn't for Piccolo jamming her shoulder down with his clawed hand. He stared transfixed at the security cams.

"Replay that."

"Which one?"

"The one with Bra in the living room. Do it."

Bulma quickly enlarged the image so it covered the entire screen and played back the image. Piccolo watched the screen intently, and she in turn watched the Namekian intently for any clues, switching her gaze back and forth from the screen.

"Well?" she insisted, clutching her hands together. "What did you find?"

For a long moment Piccolo didn't answer long after the video feed was over. His eyes glazed over, thinking. It looked menacing, but desperation made Bulma shake his huge frame.

"Piccolo!"

The Namekian looked down morosely. "I know where Bra is."

Bulla was hungry. But with nothing edible in sight all she simply slid under a desk and sucked on her thumb. Fretfully she slept on an empty stomach, unaware of Shenron standing guard. It was a strange dream. She saw a tall green person. She was scared, but he had a warm smile on his face. He held out a bowl of... pudding!

Immediately Bulla devoured the food. It tasted heavenly. The green man laughed lightly, talked to her as he brought her more food from thin air. Bulla was too young, she could not fully understand what this person was trying to tell her. All she knew was that she felt safe and comforted.

Her throat caught. Shadows began to grow on the edge of her vision, the walls swallowed by blackness. She clung to the green man in terror as he too began to fade.

He smiled sadly as he disappeared. The only words she he uttered were the last she understood.

Be strong Bulla... we're watching...

She awoke to cold, clammy semi-darkness. Sleeping under a filthy drawer while Shenron kept watch. The mechanical dragon had no idea, but had he not been there to greet her as Bulla awoke, she would've mentally given up, completely lost herself in this horrible place.

But at the moment she simply hugged her robot, hardly noticing how full her stomach felt as she crawled carefully out from beneath the drawer and continued their journey.

Shenron once again marveled at the emptiness as Bulla crept carefully to the rotted front desk where clients usually met the secretary before meeting with Bulma. He had expected any second now for the enormous ape monster to reappear. Or some other grisly creature. Again he wondered why those things were here and none of the heroes were around to take care of them. Could an apocalypse had really happened and they were the only survivors?

But no, this happened before. On a separate occasion before they returned to reality. Maybe it was-

Shenron broke off. A voice sifted wordlessly quietly through the air.

Bulla had jumped and nearly fled before Shenron halted her. He raised his head slightly as the sounds continued outside the broken window. Something about that voice was familiar. For some reason, all Shenron could fathom was it was a safe voice. But he was wary. Could they trust it?

Making his mind, Shenron told her to follow it.

Bulla shook her head fiercely.

Shenron hesitated. "How about this, Bulla. Set me down here, and I'll crawl to the voice while you hide." This made the child even more frightened as she hugged her friend tighter. "Bulla, listen please. That voice, I think it's a friend, but you have to let me see."

Again, the child shook her head. "I go, too," she whispered.

Shenron nodded slightly before placing a claw to his jaw. "Quietly."

The little girl stepped carefully over broken ornaments and upended furniture, possibly caused by the enormous ape that had trampled in the room last night. They arrived outside to the familiar clouded gray skies, crumbled buildings and sour tang of decay and debris. Shenron still could not fathom what happened to this city. It's almost as if a large nuclear twister came and went. But then, why were there no uprooted trees? There were many standing, but decayed and rotted.

Possibly a plague? Was Bulla in danger? Shenron's sensors picked up no foreign ailments within the child, just cold and misery.

The voice came around the corner of the building. Bulla sidled to the wall and carefully peaked round the corner. A faint outline crouched just feet from them. It stirred.

The... key...

"P-Piccolo?" Shenron stuttered.

Bulla blinked blankly. Twin black dots shone on the wispy face.

Find... the... key...

"Key?" Shenron leaned closer. "What key are you talking about?! Can it get us out of here?"

The figure reached out a hand. It held a round familiar object. A snow-globe with a dragon in the middle.

Bulla's birthday gift?

"That's the key?" Shenron said doubtfully.

"It-" The figure suddenly disappeared along with the snow-globe.

Shenron hissed angrily. What the Kami is happening?!

Bulla stared at where Piccolo had been crouched, her eyes wide. Shenron nudged her slightly.

"Come on, Bulla. Let's keep moving." The robot dragon thought about the snow globe in Piccolo's hand.

Key... could it be the snow-globe is the key to getting out of here?

Shenron stiffened. Something's watching them. Just beyond the gates in front of capsule corp.

"Bulla, hide-"

"Hi there!"

Bulla jumped. The small form shuffled closer until the moonlight bathed its appearance. Shenron was thankful Bulla didn't scream, not that she could. She was scared stiff.

This creature was shaped like a child, but an ugly child. Long arms trailed around short knobbly legs. His filthy clothes hung in tatters, unable to cover the bloated grayish stomach. His face was hidden behind a big paper bag with three holes for eyes and a mouth. The eyes leered at the duo as he shuffled closer.

"I've never seen you here before. Who are you?"

"Um, we're visitors," Shenron said politely, all the while looking at every which way they could escape.

The paper bag eyes regarded them a moment. "Want to play a game?"

Shenron shook his head carefully. "We'd really love to, but we're very busy." Bulla backed away. "But we'll see you later."

"Play with me." He stepped closer. Shenron noticed a pair of rusty scissors in one of his tiny hands. "No one plays with me anymore. They always cheat."

"But we need to find something-"

"A game?" Glee erupted from the paper bag. "What are you looking for?"

"Um... a snow-globe..."

"Oh, I've seen that. Old Imak was carrying that before he told me to leave his home." He pouted, revealing misshapen teeth as he crossed his long arms over his chest, snipping his scissors angrily

Bulla stared at the scissors as a new idea popped in Shenron's mind. "How about this. Help us find that Snow-globe, and we'll play with you."

"Really?" The boy waved his arms happily. "It's a deal! Come on!" He turned and ran monkey-like out on the streets, waving a long arm.

Bulla backed away. "I don't like him."

"I know, Bulla." Shenron sighed heavily. He didn't trust this stranger either. "But that snow-globe is the key to getting out of here. I just know it is. Let's follow him far away; if he does something we'll run.

They duo watched as the creature continued to beckon them, and once again Shenron had the strange sense that he saw this child before.