Lazuli opened her eyes.

A harsh light flooded her vision, and she shielded her face with her hand. At least, she tried to. What? she thought. I... I can't move! Suddenly afraid, she struggled against the bonds, but they refused to give.

Unable to do anything else, Lazuli shut her eyes tightly to block out the brightness. She focused on her other senses, trying to pinpoint any other people that might be in the room with her.

She heard breathing: faint gasps of someone just barely clinging to life.

"Uhn... La... zul..."

Lazuli started in surprise and relief. "Lapis?!" she cried as she tried to spring from the hard table, but the restraints held. "Lapis! Are you OK?"

"Lazuli... you need to... get out..."

"I'm not leaving you!" She tried turning her head in the direction of her brother, and she couldn't believe her eyes. He was also strapped to a table, and his face was twisted in agony. Dried blood coated the back of his neck, and his hair was matted. Surrounding him on nearby shelves were all sorts of tools, none of which looked harmless.

"Lapis! Oh my gosh, what did they do to you?"

He coughed weakly. "It doesn't... matter. Get out while... while you can..."

"Lapis, I-"

She was interrupted by a cruel laugh. "You what? You're too weak to save your brother?"

Anger mixed with a petrifying fear. She had heard that voice before. At the river...

The white bearded man stepped smoothly from the shadows to Lapis' table. "Hmm, where shall start? Gut you like a fish and replace your organs one by one?" Lapis didn't flinch under his evil grin. "If I leave you conscious, you'll probably die from shock. Now, neither of us wants that to happen, so I think this should do the trick." He picked up a gas mask and sealed it to Lapis' face, forcing him to breathe a knockout gas.

"No!" Lazuli shrieked. "Leave him alone!"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You get to go next." He selected a thin knife from the rack.

"Don't touch him! Lapis!"

"No!"

Eighteen gasped and bolted upright, breathing hard as adrenaline coursed through her body.

"Ow! Hey, Sis! What was that for?" Seventeen sat up covering his ears. "If you're going to deafen me like that, at least give me a warning!" No answer. "Sis?"

He turned to look at her and slowly stood up, confused. She was sitting with her knees tucked against her chest, rocking back and forth and staring at something he couldn't see. As he came closer, he noticed she was mumbling something over and over: it can't be real.

"What's wrong?" Seventeen asked, now thoroughly concerned.

Eighteen didn't reply at first. When she finally raised her head, she gasped. "No, it's not true..." she whispered.

He frowned, not understanding. "What isn't?"

Instead of speaking, she got up and silently buried her face in his chest. Seventeen was surprised, but he wrapped his arms around her reassuringly. "I'm here, Sis. Don't worry." 'This is bad. She's shaking. What on earth happened?' She said something, but her voice was muffled by his shirt. "What?" he asked.

Lifting her head, she repeated what she had said. And those few words turned Seventeen's world upside down.

Trunks scanned the bleak horizon for any sign of movement. The wind howled in his face, making clear vision nearly impossible. Mom said to go to the desert, he mused, but there's no one here. Frustrated, he kicked aside a small stone. To his surprise, it made a hollow sound as it bounced across the rocky soil. He picked it up, curious, and quickly realized that it was not a stone, but a small wooden instrument. Looking ahead, he noticed a faint pair of footprints heading off towards a grassland.

"That's her!" Trunks exclaimed in relief when he recognized the pattern on one of the prints. When he examined the second set, he frowned in confusion. "No shoes? What kind of idiot walks around barefoot?" He shook his head in mock despair and started off in the direction of the trail.

By the time the sun reached the median, he came to the abandoned amusement park Super World. I don't like this place, he grumbled. Too many bad memories, and everything here is just plain creepy. Shaking off these unsettling thoughts, he began searching for Bulma and her unknown companion, whose mental stability Trunks was beginning to question.

Once again, his search proved fruitless, and he paced back and forth, trying to think of where they would've gone. A black and grey lizard poked its head out of a crevice, quietly observing him before scuttling back into its little home.

They've been traveling for at least two days, he recalled, and they haven't stopped to eat at all. Even if they had brought food, they're going to need to restock soon. They're probably going to head for a nearby town. Sighing, he realized the rest of his day was going to be spent town-hopping. Could be worse, he reasoned as he took off towards the nearest settlement.

By the time the small town of Riverside came into view, Yusira was exhausted. She tried her best not to show it, but the constant traveling had finally worn her down. She wanted nothing more than to stay in the town and rest, yet she knew her presence there endangered everyone. The monster who had destroyed her homeworld was undoubtedly looking for her. Bulma, on the other hand, seemed rejuvenated, delighted to be in a community again.

"Come on, Yusira! You should stay here for tonight!" she exclaimed. "This is one of the few places that actually has a public spa nowadays! You have to try it at least once."

Yusira winced internally. And then there's that… Why must she tempt me so? Assuming an apologetic look, she calmly explained for perhaps the fifth time that she must move on as soon as possible.

Bulma wasn't going to give up. Crossing her arms, she smirked at her. "Oh, sure. Well, if you're in such a hurry, why are you still standing there?"

She does have a point… yet for some reason I cannot bring myself to leave. She sighed. Forget it. Just go already.

Noticing the serious look on the alien's face, Bulma rushed to reassure her. "I was kidding! Just one night won't hurt, right? That… big ugly guy won't find us anytime soon, since we've travelled by foot…"

"Not quite," Yusira interrupted, halting her in mid-sentence. "I said walking would help mask our trail; I didn't say it would destroy it completely. And even if we left no trail, I think he somehow just… knows… where I am."

Bulma caught her breath. "He can sense your Ki?"

"Y-yeah. Whatever that means." She bit her lip, weighing her options a final time. "I don't really have a choice, do I?" she muttered to herself. Raising her voice again, she addressed her friend. "I'm leaving. I'm going to lead them away from this town so you and everyone here will live."

"What-" Bulma protested, but Yusira immediately turned her back, cutting her off.

"Just forget about me," she commanded, but her voice was breaking. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she continued softly. "It's for the best."

She started walking, away from the town. She didn't look back once; she couldn't. Otherwise, she wouldn't have the will to continue on, because her mind was flooded with doubts. Am I really making the right choice? Or am I just throwing my life away? Shivering, she tried to banish the miserable thoughts, but one by one they always resurfaced. And once again, her worst fear rose to the top of the mess:

Can I actually succeed in this, when my entire race has already failed?

WHY HOMEWORK WHYYYYY?

Ok, that was my rant for the day- I mean month... *ahem* SOoooooooooo... Been crazy here. AP courses are HARD. I think it might be helping me with writing, though, since I have to write an essay practically every month. This particular one happens to be... ten pages long... *sigh* I really should finish it, shouldn't I?

I almost hate myself right now. I promised I wouldn't stop the story... yet I did... for months... and it sucks to wait forever for updates. I'll try to post more often from now on, but I'm afraid there are no guarantees. R&R so I know how I'm doing. Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through this... miserable roadblock. Bye for now!