Author: "AUTHOR NOTE TIME! Jesus freakin' Christ, this chapter is LOOOONG. Like... longer than Grey Pixel, AND THAT'S A MOVIE (a written movie, but still). And to think it's not actually a stand-alone chapter, but rather just part two of the previous one... Oh my goodness gracious, doing this rewrite is going to be full of surprises. Now, I do have to advice you all that this chapter will replace the current Chapter 2, which means that there won't BE a REAL Chapter 2 until I rewrite the original and upload it... and then that'll probably replace the existing Chapter 3, and so on and so forth. But by the way I'm doing this, I expect this rewrite to end up making a few more chapters than the original had, so... there's gonna be a lot of replacing with this, I can tell. So if you're new and you haven't read those chapters, it'd help you understand the basics if you did.

OK, let's talk about this chapter now. I added A LOT. Like... A WHOLE FREAKIN' LOT to the original scene where Sakura-WAIT. I can't tell you, because that would technically be spoiling it. Just know that if you're new and you read the original Chapter 1, you wouldn't gain as many feels and be as close to the edge of your seat as you are about to be. That is, well, you know, assuming that you'll actually like this. Hopefully you do, I worked my gluteus off writing this! But yeah, without spoiling much, that's all I have to say.

Re-read, review, follow, fave, do whatchu' wanna do."

Lost Origin: A Saiyan's Quest

Soldier #1: "Sir! We have located a small village near an abandoned facility, sir!"

"Small village, 'ey?"

Soldier #1: "Affirmative, sir! It has a population of 68 inhabitants and is surrounded by over five thousand different species of plants and animals, sir!"

"Aah… It sounds like a perfect vacation spot."

Soldier #1: "Sir, what should we do about this village, sir?"

"Ooh, you know what to do. Clean it. Hehehe…"

Soldier #1: "Sir, yes, sir!"

Chapter 2: Late Departure

In a matter of minutes, Sakura's life had transformed into a lifeless hell. For so many years, she thought she was just as much a part of the family that she lived with as everyone else under the same roof. To discover that all of that was just a made-up story crafted by none other than the man she called a "father," it was beyond her mental capabilities. Since the day of the discovery, the monkey-tailed girl locked herself under that basement altar, staring endlessly at the monument that contained her over a decade ago. A half week had passed, and at no point did she direct her vision or said a word to anyone. People would only see her come out of the altar to walk into the deeper parts of Waterleaf Mountain, presumably to get at least some degree of fresh air and do her "business." She slept in that altar – assuming that she even fell asleep anymore – and only covered herself with the soft, chilled winds of the basement and the cold, hard floor. Once a day, Ninomiya would go down to the basement with a plate of food and left it by Sakura's side, whilst attempting to get her to say something. She was aware of his presence, but chose to not acknowledge it and instead continued staring at the space pod, forever reflecting upon every life choice she ever took. It saddened Ninomiya to have to look at his "ex-sister" go through such an emotional breakdown, though this was not the only problem he had to deal with lately.

The house on top of the basement had a stench of tension reeking from every corner, but particularly from Mr. Ikeda and his son. Hitomi and Mrs. Ikeda were unsure of what to think of Ninomiya for what he had done; he disobeyed his father and even went as far as to talking back to defend his point, but what Ninomiya did was not morally wrong. All lies are eventually uncovered, and the longer they wait to be revealed, the greater the damage caused. The lie in question was anything but insignificant, and it had been kept alive for literally years. Everyone was aware that the truth would surface at some point, but it became harder for anyone to gather the courage to reveal it with every passing day. Mr. Ikeda's intentions were to make Sakura feel like she was a perfectly normal member of the family, and this message was quickly transcribed into the minds of the others. If Sakura had known the truth from the beginning, then she would have undoubtedly gone out to look for her origins at a much younger age, and eventually become detached from the Ikedas. Sakura was simply cherished too much for anyone to let her go so easily; damn her charisma and lovable nature! Mr. Ikeda knew the consequences of his acts, but accepting them was a challenge tougher than any martial arts technique he would ever have to master. In truth, it all went against his principles as a martial arts master, and it was dishonorable for the name of his family, to say the least. Yet, he used the fact that it was Ninomiya the one to set the chaos loose as a scapegoat, blaming his son for all the sins he understood deep down were actually his own. Hitomi wanted to support Ninomiya, but she did not want to be involved with any unnecessary trouble - but was it really unnecessary? Mrs. Ikeda wanted to speak some sense into her husband, though it would probably be all hopeless - or would it? Questions, confusion, and anguish, it all racketed from corner to corner in the Ikeda residence.

Mrs. Ikeda: "… Dinner is ready…"

Hitomi: "… Coming…"

Ninomiya: *sits in front of table* "…"

Mrs. Ikeda: *looks at Mr. Ikeda* "… Hey, honey… I made your favorite… I know this salmon is sure to bring on a smile, right…?"

Mr. Ikeda: *staring at plate* "…"

Mrs. Ikeda: "… Well, umm… En… Enjoy the food… family…"

Mr. Ikeda: "…" *eats*

Ninomiya: *absentmindedly staring at plate* "…"

Hitomi: "(GOD, this is so awkward… I just can't deal with this way of life! I need to say something.)… Dad, I—"

Mr. Ikeda: "Quiet, Hitomi. You know I do not accept senseless conversations on the dining table."

Hitomi: "(Since when is THAT a rule?) …" *sigh*

Ninomiya: *hasn't touched plate* "…"

Mrs. Ikeda: "… Ninomiya, sweetie, it's going to get cold if you don't eat…"

Ninomiya: "… I'm not hungry…"

Mr. Ikeda: "So, you will not even obey your mother anymore."

Hitomi: *almost chokes on food* "(Damn it, dad!)"

Ninomiya: *glances at Mr. Ikeda* "… Like I said, I'm not hungry. But…" *stands up* "… I know who is." *picks plate up*

Mr. Ikeda: "And may we know where you must leave so urgently to?"

Ninomiya: "You know, to feed Sakura." *starts walking away* "… I mean, Someone's got to take care of her."

Mr. Ikeda: *bends spoon without realizing* "…!"

Hitomi: *trying to chew* "(DAMN IT, NINOMIYA!)" *watches as Ninomiya walks away* "… (You… brave idiot…)"

Without another word, Ninomiya left the dining room, knowing that he had just set a forest on fire in his father's eyes. Normally, the thought of angering his father seemed like nightmare fuel, but this time it was different. He was determined to stand his position on the matter, and would for no reason give in to Mr. Ikeda's silent threats. Both Hitomi and Mrs. Ikeda expected the alpha male of the family to explode in fury at any point, and were glad that they had not been down in the basement that day to witness Mr. Ikeda's wrath first-hand. Ninomiya had, though, and to see him dare his father in such fashions made it look like he had more valor than anyone else in the family. That, or he was incredibly stupid.

Heading into the basement where Sakura was, Ninomiya slowly opened the door and made sure to walk as quietly as possible. If she was asleep, he did not want to wake her up. In fact, if anything that he did had even a smith of probability of making Sakura upset, then he would evade such an action at all cost. Fortunately, Sakura was awake, but in no way better than she had been any of the previous nights. She was sitting cross-legged in front of the ship, with her back facing the entrance of the altar and her eyes slowly shifting to look at every centimeter of that ship for the one-millionth time. Her tail was loosely resting on her knees, making very small and limited motions opposite to how it usually swayed gracefully in every direction. Her hands laid below her tail, partially grasping the furry appendage but not really. If one did not know better, one would say that Sakura was a corpse fastened to a very specific pose. As depressing as it was to look at her, Ninomiya just knew that Sakura would eventually come to her senses and start acting normal again, or at least do something besides sitting there. There was just no way she could stay completely motionless for the rest of her life, right? Right…? Regardless, Ninomiya carefully approached her with his food plate on hand, knowing that he actually was hungry but chose to give his food to Sakura instead. And just like he had done the days before, he tried to start a conversation with her.

Ninomiya: "Hey, Sakura… I, uhh…" *puts plate on ground* "… I brought you some food…"

Sakura: *staring at ship* "…"

Ninomiya: "Umm… I-It's salmon…! I know you like salmon, so I brought you some… Actually, you like all sorts of food, so I'm… sure that you'll… en… joy it…?"

Sakura: "…"

Ninomiya: "… Oh, come on, Sakura! Say something to me, will ya? 'Thanks for the food,' or 'I'm sure it's delicious,' or heck, even a simple 'hi' will do! Just… something, anything!"

Sakura: "…"

Ninomiya: "… Ugh… Look, I know that this must be really hard for you. It was… j-just wrong for us to keep a secret from you, and I can perfectly understand that you're mad at us. But we're suffering, too! Sakura, we miss you up there, we really do! You might not be related to us by blood, but you're very much still part of the Ikeda family! You're not about to just ignore all those memories we made together, are you?"

Sakura: "…"

Ninomiya: "Sakura, please… Please, please, please, I'm begging you! You need me to do anything, I'll do it! If you want me to be a better training partner, then I'll work my butt off to become stronger and get up to your standards! If you want me to be more open to you, then we can talk about anything you want as much as you want! Heck, if you wanna like just open this ship and completely figure out how it works, then I'll go get dad's toolbox and we can get started right awa—"

Sakura: *holds open palm in front of Ninomiya's face* "…"

Ninomiya: "Ah-… Ahh…" *sigh* "…"

Sakura: *slowly retrieves palm* "…"

Ninomiya: "…" *stands up* "Well…" *starts walking away* "… Good night, Sakura…"

Sakura: "…"

The next day…

It was relatively early in the morning, and Ninomiya was still deeply asleep. He had done no training of any kind since the incident, so he could finally enjoy being able to sleep as much as he wanted without interruptions. But this turned out to not be as pleasant as he hoped, mainly because his slumbers were plagued with dark and borderline-nightmarish dreams as of late. They mostly involved him being entirely unable to speak, as if he was mute, while Sakura and his family members would speak to him, waiting for a reply. Perhaps it was a sign that he should have stayed quiet, but then he would have to deal with the other nightmares that he was having of seeing Sakura suffer for not knowing the truth. All-in-all, it seemed like Ninomiya was simply not allowed to win in any scenario he got involved with. Not even his chance to take a break from all the training was going to be fulfilled, as he found out from Hitomi waking him up at 7:00 AM.

Hitomi: "Get up."

Ninomiya: *half-asleep* "Aammah… huuuh…?"

Hitomi: "GET—MMH, c'mon, just…!" *starts pulling Ninomiya's arm*

Ninomiya: "Ah! Hey, hey, let go!" *removes Hitomi's hand from his arm* "Christ, what's this all of a sudden?!"

Hitomi: "Bro, just get off your lazy butt and come with me to the basement! I'll explain on the way there."

Ninomiya: "Basement…?! Hit, what the hell are you planning?"

Hitomi: "Oh my god, how many times do I have to tell you to get—Oh, screw it." *picks Ninomiya up* "Oh, GOD, you're heavy…!"

Ninomiya: "AAH?!" *jumps off Hitomi's arms* "I CAN WALK BY MYSELF, THANK YOU!"

Hitomi: "OK, then just stop complaining and let's go!"

Ninomiya: "OK, OK, fine! Freakin'…" *starts walking with Hitomi*

Hitomi: "Dad and mom are asleep, so you better be extra quiet, got it?"

Ninomiya: "OK, no, seriously, Hitomi, what the hell are you doing?"

Hitomi: "WE are going to put some sense into Sakura."

Ninomiya: "Oh, yeah, totally. Sis, I've been trying to convince her to leave the altar for the past five days, and I have gained no response. What do you think you could possibly say to make her feel better?"

Hitomi: *walking through the corridor* "Say to her, nothing. Do to her, a thing or two."

Ninomiya: "Hitomi, if you do anything to Sakura that'll make her upset, I swea—"

Hitomi: "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Listen, we're going to open that damn ship and figure out anything we can about Sakura's previous life."

Ninomiya: "Wait, WHAT?!"

Hitomi: "BE… quiet, you stupid…!"

Ninomiya: "OHP—" *covers mouth* "… OK, well, how… how're you gonna open it, huh?"

Hitomi: *opens main house door* "I dunno, how did YOU open it back then, Ni?"

Ninomiya: "Sis, that was thirteen years ago, I don't remember…"

Hitomi: *walking around house* "Well, you better start remembering, because we ARE going to open that thing, you got that?"

Ninomiya: "I can't work miracles, you know that. Hitomi, I really think you're taking this too hastily. How do you even know this'll work?"

Hitomi: *stops* "... I don't."

Ninomiya: *stops* "... That's..."

Hitomi: *turns to look at Ninomiya* "Look, I-I don't know, OK?! I don't know if this will make it all better or ten times worse! But, you know what?! I'll take the risk! If there's a slimmer of a chance to fix Sakura, then I'll do it!"

Ninomiya: "..."

Hitomi: *shifting eyes* "..."

Ninomiya: "Hit... You're making someone else's choice for them. You think that's OK?"

Hitomi: "W... Well... Well, no, but..."

Ninomiya: "..." *eye roll* "Ugh..."

Hitomi: "Well, you know, it's fine. If we mess up, then we'll both be to blame, and then we'll have to run away from home and go around the land, being called 'rascals' and 'ruffians' because we have to live the 'low life,' or whatever it is that rebels do."

Ninomiya: "... So... The reason you're dragging me into this is so you don't have to take all the blame by yourself..."

Hitomi: *looks down* "... Kind of, yeah..."

Ninomiya: "..." *sigh* "... You do know... that if you weren't my sister, I would have just smacked you across the head and gone back to my room not giving a damn, right?"

Hitomi: "... Heh... I'm surprised you haven't smacked me across the head yet."

Ninomiya: "That's cause I know you hit back. Tshehe...!" *pats Hitomi's shoulder* "Well... Let's go."

Hitomi: "Hmhm... Right." *starts walking with Ninomiya* "... Thanks, bro."

Ninomiya: "... Welcome."

The relationship between Ninomiya and his sister was quite expected from any other pair of siblings. It mostly revolved around mindless arguments that sparked for no reason, with the elder sibling always proving her authority over the younger one. And like any good brother-to-sister relationship, deep inside the two really did love each other like family, and caressed all the warm moments in life. Despite Ninomiya's arguing against Hitomi's idea, he wanted to get Sakura back to normal just as much as her. It was the idea of finally getting some direct help from someone that made him more and more hopeful about the plan. Hitomi informed Ninomiya that she had checked on Sakura minutes before bursting in his room, and confirmed that the fourteen-year old was asleep. Knowing this, Ninomiya opened the doors to the basement altar with delicacy and silence, attempting to not make any noise that would wake Sakura up. The siblings slowly made their way to the space ship, avoiding Sakura who was laying on the floor a few meters in front of the large object. They examined the ship's sides for some kind of button or lever, or a touch pad, anything that resembled some degree of interaction. But alas, nothing of the sorts could be found on the outside surface of the ship. The two then centered their focus on the gate, outlined by a thin line that circled around the window down to the bottom of the ship. They tried to push the gate in to see if it would open it, but no results were gained. Then they tried to pull it out, but still nothing happened. How complicated should it really be to operate that thing? Out of frustration, Ninomiya unintentionally slammed his fist against the side of the ship, which triggered two events. The first thing that happened was that some lights inside the ship started flickering until they turned completely on! Ninomiya and Hitomi looked with excitement through the window of the ship, anxious to see some degree of progress being made after so many attempts. However, the gate was still shut, so they were still stuck. The second thing that happened was that the combined noise of Ninomiya's slamming fist and some technological noises from the ship woke Sakura from her slumber, which in turn made the siblings turn to look at her with fear.

Sakura: *twitching tail* "Hhnngh..." *opens eyes*

Hitomi: "... Well, crap."

Sakura: "..."

Ninomiya: "U-Umm..."

Sakura: *looks upsettingly at Ninomiya and Hitomi* "..."

Ninomiya: "Ehehe...! G... G-Good morning, Sakura...!"

Sakura: "... What are you doing?"

Suddenly, the gates of the ship began releasing hot steam from the outlined shape! Ninomiya and Hitomi instantly moved out of the way, and stood side-by-side with Sakura in between as they all stared in awe at the object before them. Slowly, the outlined shape began retracting itself from the ship and then descended, revealing a cloud of smoke that made it impossible to see what lay behind the gate. Little by little, the smoke evaporated as the gate opened completely, and ultimately revealed an entrance to the ship! All the people in the room could do was watch, staring at the magnificent event unraveling before them. Once the smoke was completely gone, Sakura stood up without haste, allowing her eyes gaze upon every moment in detail. What event was it that triggered the ship to open? Thinking about it, Ninomiya noticed how the gate started moving as soon as Sakura's voice was heard. If it was indeed Sakura's ship, then it was logical that it would react to her voice, as if it were a command. Or it could have been something else entirely, that he did not know. Though shocked, Hitomi was internally content to see the ship open; now there was a chance that Sakura could figure something out and stop acting the way she had been for that entire week! Standing in front of the opened gate, Sakura observed the insides of the ship, unsure of what other action she should perform at the time. She was simply too baffled to compute.

Sakura: "... I... I... I can't... This is..."

Hitomi: "Ah...! Haha! We opened it, Sakura! Now you can go in there and find out what that ship has!"

Sakura: "But... I don't know how..."

Hitomi: "Well, you're not gonna find out if you just stand there!" *grabs Sakura's shoulders from behind* "C'mon, in!"

Sakura: "Ah! W-Wait, Hito-" *is pushed in* "Wah!"

Ninomiya: "Hit, hold on a second! Can't you see she's uncertain?"

Hitomi: *goes in ship with Sakura* "Gaah, there! A bit tight, but it's no biggie!" *starts pressing buttons* "OK, let's see what these buttons do!"

Sakura: "Wait, Hitomi, don't press so many at...!"

Ninomiya: *sigh* "Sis! Would you slow down for one moment, please?!"

Hitomi: *still pressing buttons* "Hey, there's no need to slow down! The faster we get done with this, the faster Sakura will be happy again, right-"

Sakura: "HITOMI!"

Hitomi: *stops* "AH-..."

Ninomiya: "(Told you. They never listen to me, seriously...)"

Sakura: "..." *grabs Hitomi's hand* "... I... I know... I know you're trying to help... but..."

Hitomi: "..."

Sakura: "It's... my ship... and I want to take my time with it..."

Hitomi: "..." *looks down* "I'm... sorry I was so hasty... It's just..." *grabs Sakura's hand* "Sakura, we just... want you to go back to the way you were. I get that everyone is to blame for not telling you about this whole deal sooner, including myself. I get that you must be really mad at all of us..."

Ninomiya: *watching* "... She's not wrong, actually."

Hitomi: "But I need you to understand that we feel guilty, and we want to make it up to you, somehow! Even if you think otherwise, you have no idea how difficult our lives have been without you, Sakura! I don't care what any DNA test shows or what happened in the past - you're just as much of a sibling to me as this guy is!" *points at Ninomiya*

Ninomiya: "Boy, do you know how to refer to people..."

Sakura: "... I didn't... know that..."

Hitomi: "Well, now you do! Sakura, please, what happened to the always-cheerful and silly sister I grew up with? I know she's in there, but she's lost in a dark cloud, and I wanna help her. If there's anything you want us to do, then we'll do it! So, please, Sakura, we're begging you at this point!"

Sakura: "..." *glances at Ninomiya* "... Well... I'm... I'm sorry that I... that I've been causing you all so much pain... I didn't know..."

Ninomiya: "Tsk-baaaahh, cheer up already! You don't have to apologize, it's us the ones that should be doing that! And believe me, we can't say 'sorry' enough."

Sakura: "Ah... Well, I... I appreciate what you guys want to do for me... I really do..." *looks at Hitomi* "... But I still think I want to get some time alone. At least enough time to get familiar with..." *looks around ship* "... this."

Hitomi: "Hmm... If that's what you want, then..." *exists ship* "But don't hesitate on calling us for any reason! We'll come back in a few hours, and when we do..." *stretches sides of mouth with hands* "I want to see a big ol' smile like this one, OK?"

Sakura: "I'll... I'll try."

Ninomiya: "Oh, yeah, who's the silly one here again?"

Hitomi: *punches Ninomiya's shoulder* "The one with the idiot face, that's who!"

Ninomiya: *walking out of basement with Hitomi* "Ow! Hey, at least I don't sing in the shower like I was in a freaking concert!"

Hitomi: "Oh, is that coming from the guy who pees his pants when he sees a spider?!"

Ninomiya: "OK, who ISN'T afraid of spiders?! I mean, look at them! They've got those legs, and those eyes, and…"

The two siblings continued talking (arguing) as they left the basement, leaving a confused Sakura behind. As soon as she heard the doors to the altar close, the monkey-tailed girl turned back to the machinery inside the ship, mesmerizing at the technology. Being raised in a village as humble and antique as Waterleaf Village, anything that even resembled a computer was of odd nature to her. Besides questioning what each of the dozens of buttons in front of her did, Sakura returned to wondering where she was really from. What kind of advanced civilization did she belong to? What was their history? Will she ever be able to find them? Who were her parents? How big was her family? Were there any particular traits about her people (besides the tail) that set them apart from humans? It was a storm of questions that Sakura had no umbrella to protect herself with, and answers were becoming more of a necessity with every passing second. But simply sitting there doing nothing was going to solve nothing as well, so Sakura began by pressing one random button on the keyboard on the wall. It did nothing, to her dismay. On top of the keyboard was a holographic screen, which had some text written in a language that reminded her of Japanese, though there were a few characters new to her. The actual pronunciation of the words written on the screen was also slightly reminiscent to the Asian language she was aware of, but again not entirely. If she had to guess, the words on screen said something about an incorrect command, judging by the little she understood. She tried different keys on the keyboard in order, until one of them finally triggered a different text on the screen. It said "please wait…" or something similar. Doing as what she believed the screen said, Sakura waited for a few seconds before the screen turned black for a moment, then loaded again with some type of background image and smaller images with text below them. She was unsure of what was happening, but it looked like progress.

Later that night…

Sakura: *looking at screen* "Hmm… OK, maybe… No, wait… Umm…"

Ninomiya: *opens door with Hitomi* "Sakura! We brought food!"

Hitomi: "Hey, any progress with that ship?"

Sakura: "Oh, hi." *Ninomiya hands her plate* "Thanks, Ninomiya. Well, umm… I don't really know how this machine works, but it's trying to say something."

Ninomiya: "Say something? Can I have a look?"

Sakura: "Uhh… sure."

Ninomiya: *sits besides Sakura* "OK, let's see… A… ha… A… Wait…" *looks closer at screen* "… That's not Japanese, is it?"

Sakura: "It looks like it, but there are words and signs I've never seen before… What do you think that says, Ninomiya?"

Ninomiya: "Blababaaaababahh… Hmm… Hey, Hitomi, can you see this?"

Hitomi: "Hold on." *peeks head in* "Huh… Oh, yeah, that's weird… OK, so that's that, and… It says something about asking for something so it can go somewhere else…? I think?"

Ninomiya: "Ugh… Can't we change the language of this thing?"

Sakura: "Uhh… Maybe… Hold on, I think this is the options button." *presses options button*

Hitomi: "Oh… 'user preferences,' go there." *Sakura goes to user preferences* "Blah, blah, blah, blah—there, language selector."

Ninomiya: "There's two options… 'speech' and 'text?' Go to text, Sakura." *Sakura goes to text* "Oh, oh, look, one of those looks like English!"

Hitomi: "You mean Latin, bro."

Ninomiya: "Whatever, close enough."

Sakura: "'Modern Latin…?' Well, anyways…" *goes to speech* "Uhh—Ah, there! English!" *selects English* "Great! Now we can finally know what the screen is saying!"

Screen: "Plantec XPro is requesting for authorization to expose the computerized system's algorithmic data headquarters [complete access]. Please, select your desired command."

Sakura: "… What?"

Screen: "Would you prefer to utilize simplified English?"

Ninomiya: "YES, very much so."

Screen: "Would you like Plantec XPro to show the system's locked files?"

Sakura: "Ah." *selects yes*

Screen: "Accessing. Please wait…"

Hitomi: "What kind of files do you think this thing is talking about?"

Ninomiya: "Well, if they were locked, then it's probably something important."

Sakura: "Ah, it loaded. So, it says… 'Agriculture,' 'Architecture,' 'Atlas,' …"

Ninomiya: "I see… It's organized in alphabetical order, and these must be like information archives for whoever your people were, Sakura."

Hitomi: "If that's the case, then… Sakura, go down the list and look for 'History.'"

Sakura: "'History,' 'History,'… Ah, here it is."

Screen: "Error. File is corrupt."

Sakura: "Aww, what?"

Hitomi: "Tsk, looks like we can't use that… OK, try 'Government.'"

Screen: "Error. File is corrupt."

Ninomiya: "Darn it… 'Trading?'"

Screen: "Error. File is corrupt."

Hitomi: "Gaaahhh! 'Geography?' 'Science?' 'Religion?' Anything?!"

Screen: "Error. File is corrupt."

Ninomiya: "Damn! Does anything in this blasted thing work?!"

Sakura: "A-Aaahh… Wait, what is this… 'Code of Combat?'"

Screen: "Due to their natural instincts for battle, Saiyans have developed a 'Code of Combat' that is monitored by the IIC (International Institute of Chivalry). Unless otherwise stated by a governmental figure, it is required by law that all people across the world follow the guidelines stated in the Code of Combat."

Sakura: "'Saiyans…?'"

Screen: "First, all parties must accept a combat challenge before a fight may begin. If any of the involved individuals refuses the challenge, then that person is exempt from fighting, and an attempt to attack them shall be considered as unreasonable violence and will be charged accordingly.

Second, the use of weapons is only permitted if everyone involved in a battle has access to their own armament. It is illegal for an armed individual to fight a bare-handed individual, regardless of their respective levels of power and skill.

Third, each and all battles must take place at least five kilometers away from civilization and harm of persons not involved in the combat. The land provides Saiyans with extensive open fields to perform their fighting needs, therefore it must be done in those areas.

Fourth, killing another individual during combat is ILLEGAL IN ITS TOTALITY. Under no circumstances should any party in a fight recur to an attempt of murder. Killing another person is only permitted if your own life is being threatened, and you must have viable evidence to prove that your life was indeed at stake.

Fifth and final, the use of a full moon or a Power Ball during combat is ILLEGAL IN ITS TOTALITY. The Great Ape transformation is highly unstable and has the potential to pose a lethal threat against entire populations. Only in an apocalyptic scenario where anarchy reigns and survival is unlikely will the use of the full moon or a Power Ball be a reasonable measure to take."

Ninomiya: "… OK, I have absolutely no idea what that fifth rule means, BUT I did notice it says something about 'Saiyans.'"

Sakura: "Yeah, I noticed that, too… Do you think… that's what I am?" *raises tail* "A Saiyan?"

Hitomi: "I dunno, you could be. That thing the computer said about a 'natural instinct for combat' definitely fits you. But if that's the case, then Saiyans look a whole lot like humans! I mean, minus the tail, of course."

Sakura: "Yeah… A Saiyan… Well, let's look around and see if we find anything else."

Checking all the other files that were previously locked, the three realized that unfortunately the Code of Combat was the only thing not corrupted. Going back through the folders on the screen, Sakura started checking different places, hoping to find some more useful information. Doing this became a lot easier now that the computer had been set to a language everyone in the room could perfectly understand. Thinking about that fact, they figured that these "Saiyans" must have not been too vastly different from humans. In appearance, if they looked like Sakura, then all that particularly changed was the presence of the monkey-like tail, which some human-animal hybrids might have already. Clearly the Saiyans had some kind of governmental system, and there were definitely files for other activities found on Earth – such as economy, transportation, science, etc. – but they were simply not accessible. From that information, there might have not been much that differed Saiyans from what Sakura was already familiar with, so she might not have needed to become thirsty for information. But that notion was short-lived. This became so upon finding a single file in a folder no one had checked yet.

The file appeared as a thumbnail with an image too dark to recognize what it was. The name below it was simply a series of numbers and lower-case letters, so at plain sight there was no way for anyone in the room to know what it was. Selecting the file caused a smaller screen within the big holographic screen to appear, with a rotating circle that signalized that there was something loading. Once it loaded, the small screen showed a dark red sky whose clouds flew by violently, and there were even meteors falling like giant fireballs down to wherever the place was. Below, there was the silhouette of a series of deformed objects – possibly buildings – and what appeared to be two people. There was no real light source, so making out what these people looked like was impossible. On the corners of the screen were some borders that looked identical to the ones on the very ship the Ikeda siblings were in now. This was enough information to deduct that this was a video that had been recorded at some point in the ship. Wherever this place was and whatever was going on cannot have been good; rather, the scene looked almost like the end of the world – the world that could have once been home for Sakura. Then, the people in the video started talking. Instantly, they revealed to be Sakura's parents – her real parents. They spoke some words of encouragement, like the kind you would hear in any cheesy speech. But these were not a pair of typical individuals speaking, these were Sakura's parents, and that was what struck deep in her soul. They were talking about how this was going to be the last time they ever had a chance to speak with her, and they showed that they were willing to sacrifice everything for her. Realizing this - knowing just what kind of people she never got to truly meet – it destroyed Sakura's heart. The final thing that they said was "Goodbye, Litua," revealing that her real name was "Litua." And when they said this, a small glimpse of the reflection of tears could be seen sliding down both of her parents' faces. With this, the video screen showed static, turned to black, and ended, leaving a pair of dumbfounded watchers and a crying girl to stare at its emptiness.

Sakura: *crying* "... They're..."

Ninomiya: "... Sakura..."

Sakura: "... dead... My... My parents... are dead..."

Hitomi: "... I'm sorry..."

Sakura: "Dead... They're dead, they're dead, they're DEAD, THEY'RE DEAD!" *cries on Ninomiya's shoulder*

Ninomiya: "... And just when things were starting to look up... Agh!"

Hitomi: "I'm really starting to regret this..."

Sakura: "Nooo...! Whhyyyy...?!" *releases Ninomiya's shoulder* "You know... m-maybe they're not dead...! Y-Yeah, m-maybe they're just... j-just out there, s-somewhere!"

Ninomiya: "Sakura, you saw the video... I'm really sorry, but-"

Sakura: "No, no, no, t-think about it! I-I mean, t-they're my parents! A-And I'm strong, right? Y-You've said I'm strong, right?! W-Well, if I-I'm strong, then th-they've gotta be even s-stronger! S-So strong that they s-should be alive, r-right?!"

Hitomi: "(Oooh, no... She's in denial...) Uhh... L-Listen, Sakura, theeere's some things that... well, you just gotta... let 'em go, you know? It must be really hard for you right now, but it's really just gonna get worse if you don't accept the truth."

Sakura: "B-But I am saying the truth! M-My parents aren't d-dead! They CAN'T be dead! They just... Wait... Don't you believe in me?"

Hitomi: "T-That's not what I meant, I'm just saying tha-"

Sakura: "No, you really don't believe me... You don't believe me!"

Ninomiya: "Sakura, wait, she's just trying to-"

Sakura: "NO! Both of you think I'm just going crazy! You just won't believe that my parents are alive!"

Ninomiya: "W-We're not trying to say that, Sakura! Please, just think about what we're saying!"

Sakura: "YOU'RE LYING!"

Hitomi: *steps back* "Ah...!"

Sakura: "Why are you trying so hard to say that I'm wrong?! Some stupid video doesn't say anything! You don't even want to help me like you said you did!"

Ninomiya: "That's not true! We really do want to help you, Sakura!"

Sakura: "No, I don't wanna hear it! Just... J-Just leave me alone!"

Ninomiya: "Wait, Sakur-"

Sakura: "I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Saying this, Sakura kicked (literally) Ninomiya out of the ship and closed the gate, locking herself in. Hitomi helped her brother up, and they both stared at Sakura through the ship's window. The young girl curled herself up and lied down on the bed-seat of the space pod, covering her face with her knees and wrapping her tail around her legs and lower back. Obviously she was crying, but this time there was nothing anyone could say to try and make her feel better. With a feeling of defeat and a hint of guilt, Ninomiya and Hitomi left the basement, preparing themselves mentally for the inevitable furious speech that their father was surely ready to deliver. Sakura on the other hand turned the lights of the ship off, covering herself in darkness, though the darkness on her body was not as dense as the one in her head. Every thought that processed through her mind was filled with depression, completely expunging the positivism out of her mindset. Continuing her sorrowful whimper, Sakura eventually cried herself to sleep, not at all excited for the nightmares that she would have that night.

The next morning…

Sakura woke from her sleep, rather earlier than usual. It looked like it was 6:30 AM or so – probably at least half of Waterleaf Village was still asleep. She was still inside her space pod like she remembered last night, with the keyboard to her right, some levers and tubes to her left, and the window in front of her. She also remembered the tantrum she threw minutes before going to sleep last night, and the feeling of regret started to kick in. Everything that she said that night was from pure impulse and rage, and she vented all of her anger on Ninomiya and Hitomi, who had nothing to do with the state of her parents. It was childish, and Sakura wanted to say sorry for it. But there were other plans in her head, perhaps more important than an apology. Sakura knew that staying in Waterleaf Village would not answer any of the hundreds of questions that she still had on her head. Furthermore, she was still upset – even if to a lesser degree – at her "family" for keeping a secret so massive from her. And she was also scared to confront Mr. and Mrs. Ikeda for her recent behavior. Truth be told, Sakura had actually started thinking of running away since the time of the incident earlier that week, and said thought had grown since. After finding out about her parents last night and discovering that she was a Saiyan, she had a valuable question to ask – ask to people different from those she knew. If she was to run away, what would she need for the journey? Clothes? She had clothes on already, and she could just wash them at a river or lagoon when need be. Food? Mother Nature had a rich variety of food, and Sakura could eat just about anything they put in front of her. Shelter? Some cave or a big enough tree should do her fine. Really, all Sakura needed to embark on a journey was herself, and she certainly had that. And so, the young Saiyaness made her choice. She opened the gate to the space pod, the doors to the basement, jumped over the house's fence, and ran to the woods, sure that no one saw her.

Soon after this event, Ninomiya woke from his heavy slumber. Instead of going to wash his face, change his clothes, or go for something to eat, the first thing he did was head out of the house and go to the basement. There was a good chance that Sakura would not want to speak a word with him, but he wanted to make sure that she was still physically OK. He had been worried for her more than any other time in his life. To his strangely unpleasant surprise, Ninomiya immediately noticed that the doors to the basement were open. OK, maybe Hitomi beat him to it and she was already down there with Sakura. That is until Hitomi called for him from behind, meaning that she was not down there with Sakura. Hitomi told him that she was also going to check on Sakura, but then noticed the same thing Ninomiya did. Their suspicion started heading in a grim path, so they both ran into the basement. The gate to the ship was open, and Sakura was neither in the ship, nor around it, nor anywhere in that basement. Both siblings quickly theorized the worst conclusion – Sakura ran away. If they thought they were in trouble with their father before, then now it would be time to kiss their lives goodbye. Sakura had to be tracked down and brought back quick before anyone found out, or else their punishment would be immeasurable. Yet, there was another reason they wanted to find Sakura, the one they should have thought about in the first place. Regardless of whether they got in trouble or not, could they really live with themselves knowing that Sakura was out there in trouble? She was like a sister – no, she WAS their sister, and siblings have to look after each other. With that mindset, Ninomiya and Hitomi could careless of what Mr. Ikeda would do to them; Sakura was their main concern. Ninomiya headed in one direction and Hitomi in another; if any of the two found Sakura, then they would bring her back to the basement and meet with the other sibling in an hour.

Somewhere within Waterleaf Mountain, Sakura took the time to stop and take a breather, believing that she was away from the village enough to not come across anyone. She needed to take the time to think where she was going; she had never been too far away from the village, after all. The only time she remembered being particularly away from the village was when she was seven, when Ninomiya and her were stranded close to a cliff and had no memory of how they got there. That was also the day when she discovered the signature red head band that she almost never unwrapped from her forehead, but that was besides the point. Sakura had no idea where she was going, actually, but she was not afraid of the unknown. But being afraid was not going to hinder her – being alone would. It had not even been an hour yet, and she already felt bad for leaving Ninomiya behind without a word. That person she used to call her "brother" had gone everywhere with her, done everything with her, and suffered through with her. She had a soft spot for him (and vice-versa). Sakura cherished everyone else in her adoptive family, and even some of the people in Waterleaf Village, but Ninomiya was just special. It pained her greatly, but there was no way she could afford to go back and say something to him. There was the risk that she would be restrained – physically and/or emotionally – to the house and miss her possible only chance of running away. And losing that chance would stop her from ever acquiring her answers. It was time to move on, as painful as that notion could be.

While sitting down under a tree, Sakura was almost ready to start moving again. But not before a group of voices – children voices – were heard in the near distance. She recognized that some of those joyful laughs came from some kids she knew in Waterleaf Village, but why were they all the way up there? Regardless, Sakura stood up and was going to run away before being seen, but her luck would have none of that.

Kid #1: "Huh? Hey, Sakura!"

Sakura: "APBT-…" *turns around* "Ah…"

Kid #2: "Oh, hey, Sakura! Are playing in the woods, too?"

Sakura: "Playing in the woods? This far up the mountain? Kids, you shouldn't be this far from the village! Go back!"

Kid #3: "Aww, but Sakura, there's more space up here!"

Kid #1: "Yeah, and there's better trees to climb, too! You're a monkey, Sakura, you should come climbing with us!"

Sakura: *swaying tail nervously* "I'm not a monkey, guys! But that's not important; I really mean it, you have to go back. And, please, don't tell anyone you saw me, OK?"

Kid #3: "What? But why not?"

Sakura: "Because… Umm…"

Kid #2: "Oh, come on Sakura, don't be such a bummer! Let's go play, let's go play!"

Sakura: "Guys, I can't play! Just go back to the village already, please! I can't tell you—"

Man #1: "Hey!"

Unexpectedly, a man called for the attention of Sakura and the kids. Turning to look at the person, they realized that he was not alone, far from it in fact. There were at least a dozen other men with him, and all of them were wearing the same uniform – which looked an awful lot like a soldier's uniform. What was more worthy of attention was the fact that all of them were holding guns, assault rifles. And none of them looked happy. The children were scared; so was Sakura, but not quite as much. One of the men asked if Sakura and the others came from Waterleaf Village, in a rather menacing tone of voice. She hesitantly answered yes, keeping a close eye on every move from the row of armored men. With a serious look, another soldier explained the reason for their visit, or more accurately intrusion. They were following the orders of their leader – a person called King Avarez – to "clean out" Waterleaf Village. Saying no more, all of the men aimed their guns at Sakura and the kids, ready to fire! As if on cue, Sakura grabbed all three kids by the back collar of their shirts with her hands and tail, then jumped back behind a tree. As she did this, a barrage of gunshots were heard as a storm of bullets came rocketing in Sakura's general direction. She had been fast enough to dodge the bullets and keep the children safe, but just barely. Now the kids were crying for their lives, reasonably, and Sakura's heartbeat accelerated too much for comfort. Without warning, she had gotten herself in a life-or-death situation, and the lives of innocent youths were also on her shoulders. Maybe running away was not such a good idea after all.

She ordered the children to stay behind that tree, and to not move for any reason unless she instructed them to. An escape plan was needed immediately, or at least some way to get the children to safety. Fighting was not particularly an option, seeing as these people were armed and would not hesitate to injure or even kill their target. When the shots stopped, a suspenseful silence appeared, and Sakura was still unsure of what to do. Then she heard footsteps, dozens of them, approaching rapidly towards her and the children. Sakura needed to distract the soldiers before they could get to the kids, even if it meant to get herself in dire danger. Looking at the tree she was holding her back against, Sakura figured a quick plan and started climbing it, reaching the first branch she saw at top speed. She jumped from the tree's branch to another tree's branch, and the force of her motion broke the former and caused it to fall to the ground. The soldiers instantly stopped running and turned to look at the falling branch, then aimed their guns at the tree tops and fired! Sakura had luckily jumped to a tree outside of the area of the shots, but she was still terrified at the thought of barely saving herself from death. There were simply too many of those soldiers! There had to be a way to decrease their numbers.

Suddenly, the branch where Sakura was standing cracked and broke, causing Sakura to fall to the ground plagued with soldiers! She fell on her back, right in front of one of the soldiers that was all the way to the right, and of course he instantly aimed his gun at her head. Sakura reacted quickly enough to kick the man's rifle out of his hands, leaving him unarmed. But the rest of the men were not without their weapons, and their instant reaction was to fire in the direction were the loud thud came from. With that, Sakura saw the horror - not for herself but for the person in front of her. The soldier received a large number of the shots from his "comrades" from behind, and Sakura saw as blood covered the man's back and his painful screams were terrifyingly heard. She jumped back and hid behind some bushes, but the image of the event that just happened was now engraved into her subconscious. The man's body was now dead on the ground, bleeding from a great quantity of bullet holes on his back. How could they do this to their own comrade? Could they not have noticed that shooting her would involve shooting that soldier as well? After that, Sakura at least expected the men to stop their attack for a moment and go check on the deceased soldier. But no, the rest of the men completely ignored the murder they had just committed and proceeded to reload their guns. Not one - not even one of those bastards took the time to worry over their dead partner. What kind of heartless people were these? Were they even human? Sure, Sakura herself was no human either, but at least she had a strong sense of humanity. These men, they had none, they were monsters. And even though she wanted to decrease their numbers, was ending their life really necessary? The thought of having indirectly been the cause of someone's death was a grim idea, and Sakura wanted no more of it. However, one death would not be enough to satisfy that day.

The kids had quieted down somewhat after Sakura told them to sit still, but after witnessing the soldier die, they became alarmed again. They began bawling loudly, gaining the unwanted attention from the group of soldiers who started running towards their hiding spot! Sakura noticed this, and she had to act. Looking back at the soldier's corpse, she noticed that his gun was on the floor in front of him, potentially still loaded with a few bullets. Knowing not what else to do, she jumped out of the bushes and reached for the rifle, holding it an a manner that definitely was wrong. Sakura had never used a firearm before, and she really wished she never had to, but this situation called for extreme measures. Pulling the trigger, the monkey-tailed girl fired in the direction of the soldiers, but with terrible accuracy. Part of her below-average shooting was due to her inexperience, and the other part was related to the uncontrollable shaking of her arms. Whether she hit some soldiers or not, the main idea was just to get their attention towards her and away from the innocent children. Fortunately - or unfortunately - several shots managed to hit their mark and injured about half of the soldiers; one of them even died from a bullet to his throat. When Sakura saw that one of the soldiers started making horrifying and agonizing noises, she dropped the rifle and stared for a moment. The man dropped to the floor still making those noises and held his hands around his throat, which was bleeding at dangerously lethal rates. She could not stare any longer because she had to dodge the incoming shots from the soldiers, and so she ran behind another tree. But she knew that that man was going to die; she no longer was the indirect cause of someone's death, now she was the direct cause. Sakura hyperventilated and stared at her hands, which had some bloody stains from the bloody rifle. Looking at the red liquid pouring down her arms made her feel guilty, in the same way she thought murderers felt. Not in a million years did Sakura think she would ever be responsible for an individual's death, and now here she was, with a body count of two on her back. She prayed to whatever god was up there on the Heavens for forgiveness. Could she afford forgiveness?

Despite leaving her emotionally scarred, Sakura's attack did manage to slow the soldiers down tremendously. Now only about five of them were in the condition to fight, while the rest of them laid on the floor trying to calm the pain from injuries in different parts of their bodies. However, instead of doing their inefficient strategy of going all out after one target, they decided to send three soldiers after Sakura while the other two would go for the kids! There was just no way she could bypass the incoming soldiers while distracting the others in time. If those kids' lives were taken away, then the guilt would simply be too much to handle, and she might as well have given up and let the soldiers end her miserable life. She was actually considering suicide at this point. And yet, like a miracle granted by the arch-angels, Sakura saw Ninomiya run in behind some bushes. His instant action was to throw a rock at one of the soldiers that was after the children, hurting the man somewhat but gaining their attention. With that, Sakura became extremely relieved to know that her friend was here to help. But she knew there was a list of things he wanted to say to her, and most of them were probably unpleasant. However, he also understood that the scenario would have to push that conversation back until these soldiers were taken care of. Just like Sakura had seen Ninomiya, he had seen her as well, and he also signaled in the direction of the children. What he meant was that he was going to take the children to safety, so Sakura would not have to worry about their health anymore. She owed Ninomiya big time for what he was doing.

As Ninomiya ran for the children, Sakura climbed up the tree where she was hiding before the men could get to her. She monkey'd her way through the branches, making loud sounds so the soldiers would focus on her rather than Ninomiya. The Ikeda brother had also dodged the bullets from the two soldiers long enough for Sakura to call for their attention by throwing fruits at them. He was almost with the children, thankfully. All five remaining soldiers had their full concentration on shooting at Sakura up on the tree tops, and she had her full focus on trying not to die. Suddenly, one of the bullets hit the branch where Sakura was standing on, breaking it and making her fall in front of the tree the branch belonged to! Downed on the floor, she was an easy target for the soldiers' guns, but they forgot she also knew how to react fast. Sakura lunged her body at the tree and swung herself behind it, managing to dodge the soldiers' shots for the umpteenth time.

The men were starting to become very desperate, as Sakura noticed when they continued shooting even if she was behind the tree. Receiving such a barrage of bullets dealt heavy damage to the trunk, so much so that the tree was actually about to fall. If that tree fell, then there was a possibility that it could hurt the hiding children and Ninomiya! Having no time to think it twice, Sakura dug her fingers into the tree trunk from her spot and started pulling it towards her, trying to stop the tree from falling. Just how did she gather the strength to hold that massive plant from falling Sakura may never know. She turned to look at Ninomiya and noticed that he was carrying the last kid away, meaning that he and the children were safe now. Knowing this, Sakura could afford to let the tree go and let it fall on the soldiers. But something inside her mind told her that she wanted more. These men came to invade her "home," threatened her life and the life of those she cared for, and proved to be as ruthless and careless as devils. Not to mention the unimaginable amount of emotional distress she had acquired from them. Simply letting that tree drop gave these men a chance of survival, whether because they could have the time to run away or because the impact would not be strong enough to kill them. Opposite to her previous mindset, Sakura actually wanted to see these people dead - they deserved it! Rage flowing through every vein in her body, Sakura jumped towards the middle height point of the tree with her body facing away from it. She quickly turned her head to face the tree, and with it her entire body. She extended her left leg during this motion, and performed the strongest kick she could to that trunk. The impact of Sakura's kick was so immense that the tree became completely detached from the soil and crashed down on the soldiers like a meteor! It created a boisterous sound that could be heard all the way back at Waterleaf Village! After that came an echo, and after that echo came silence. Sakura stared at the bodies under the tree, completely crushed and lifeless. She had mixed feelings about the scene before her eyes, unsure if she should be relieved that the chaos was finally over or dreading the idea of being a killer. But she was not alone anymore.

Ninomiya: *running towards Sakura* "SAKURA!"

Sakura: *staring* "Ah...! Ninomiya!"

Ninomiya: *tightly hugs Sakura* "Sakura...! I thought I was gonna lose you!"

Sakura: "I... I... I-I'm... sorry..."

Ninomiya: "A-Are you OK?! Does it hurt anywhere, o-o-or are you bleeding, o-o-"

Sakura: "I'm fine, Ninomiya... I-I'm fine... W-What about the kids?"

Ninomiya: "I told them to go back to Waterleaf Village already. But, are you ABSOLUTELY SURE you're fine?! You know I can take you to the doctor if-"

Sakura: "Ninomiya, I'm fine, really! But..." *pushes Ninomiya away gently* "... I'm... not sure where to start..."

Ninomiya: "Ah...?"

Sakura: "Well... F-First of all, I'm sorry for... for causing you and everyone so much trouble. I was... selfish, and childish... I didn't mean any of those things I said to you and Hitomi last night, either. So... I just want to say... that I'm sorry..."

Ninomiya: *sigh* "... Sakura, don't worry about that. I forgive you, of course, but all that matters now is that you're safe. Now, we need to go back to the village and-"

Sakura: "That-T-That's the other thing... Ninomiya, I'm... I'm not going back."

Ninomiya: "W-What?! What do you mean you're not going back?!"

Sakura: "I... I can't... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but staying in Waterleaf Village won't help me find answers at all! I need to go out and find the answers myself, otherwise I'll always be haunted by these thoughts going through my head!"

Ninomiya: "B-But, what about the others?! What about mom and dad, and Hitomi, and the neighbors, everything?!"

Sakura: "Don't get me wrong, this isn't an easy choice for me. Even if this past week has been very difficult, I still love the family and the village to no end. I'm not excited to leave it all behind, and I don't know if I'll be able to bear with missing all of you... but I made up my mind already."

Ninomiya: "But..."

Sakura: "B-Besides, these soldiers... they said that they were following the orders of some 'King Avarez' person to kill everyone in the village. They were so heartless, going as far as threatening the lives of kids, so just imagine the kind of person their leader must be! Who knows what that person is planning; hundreds, thousands of lives could be at stake here! I can't just stand around knowing that someone like that is roaming free! So... I just can't go back, Ninomiya..."

Ninomiya: "..."

Sakura: "... I'm sorry..."

Ninomiya: "..." *sigh* "Sakura... just letting you know, I'm not gonna let you go anywhere alone."

Sakura: "... I made up my mind already, Ninomiya..."

Ninomiya: "So... you have two choices here: we either go back to Waterleaf Village right now... or you're stuck with me wherever it is that you're going."

Sakura: "..."

Ninomiya: "OK, I'm waiting."

Sakura: "... Well... When you put it that way..." *turns around* "..." *looks back at Ninomiya* "... Let's go."

Ninomiya: "Umm... Sakura, Waterleaf Village is that way." *points behind him*

Sakura: "I know." *sways tail happily* "Let's go!"

Ninomiya: "Ah... Hmhm... Oh, Sakura, you're gonna be the death of me, I swear."

With that, Sakura and Ninomiya started walking. They knew not what awaited them beyond the wilderness, but there was no time to turn back anymore. Ninomiya was forced to make a tough decision himself, since he was also going to have to bear with leaving his loved ones behind. He knew Hitomi was still out there looking for Sakura, or maybe even waiting for his return back at the altar. He felt terrible for leaving her waiting for something that would no longer happen, but there was nothing he could do on the matter. Ninomiya was reassured to know that even if he left his family alone they would be fine in the village, but he could not say the same about Sakura. There was an obligation that chained him to her, since he was affectionately her older brother and he would do everything in his power to protect her. Our heroes hoped for the best in their upcoming future, anxious to find out what awaited them in their quest.

Kid #1: "There it is, Hitomi! That's where those men were!"

Hitomi: "And Sakura?"

Kid #2: "She was sitting under a tree, and then those men appeared, and they started shooting at us, and Sakura grabbed us, and she took us behind some other tree, and-"

Hitomi: "Guys, I know, you told me already, but where is Sakura?"

Kid #1: "We don't know! Your brother came up after a while, and he saved us. But you should have seen Sakura! She was jumping around, and climbing, and dodging a whole bunch of bullets, it was so cool!"

Kid #3: *elbows kid #1's shoulder* "Hey, it wasn't cool! Sakura could have gotten hurt, you know!"

Kid #1: "Hey, but why'd you have to hit me?!"

Hitomi: *walks up to soldier's corpse* "Sakura was here... and so was Ninomiya... huh?" *picks up piece of paper in soldier's outfit* "... This is... a map... Hey, kids!"

Kid #3: "You're a jerk, you kno-huh? Yes, Hitomi?"

Hitomi: "Who did you say these people mentioned again?"

Kid #2: "Some 'King Avarez' person, I think."

Hitomi: "'King Avarez,' huh..." *looks ahead* "... Yup. Kids, listen."

Kid #1: "Yeah?"

Hitomi: "Go back to the village and to my house. Tell mom and dad about what happened here, and then tell them that Sakura, Ninomiya, and I will be back later. Tell them that we're out to get some 'fresh air,' and to sort out a few businesses. And tell them we'll be back... later. Got it?"

Kid #2: "Maauuu! Why are we getting bossed around by everyone today?"

Saying this, Hitomi grabbed one of the many assault rifles on the ground and strapped it around her back, as well as some ammunition magazines. Looking at the map, it seemed that Waterleaf Village was the destination and the departure point was somewhere to the west, a fort of sorts. She guessed that if Sakura and Ninomiya had gone anywhere, then it must have been after these soldiers. Armed, Hitomi left in the direction of the base signaled in the map, trusting that she would find her siblings there. What adventures await in the near future for our heroes? Will the Ikeda siblings cross path as intended? Find out next time on Lost Origin: A Saiyan's Quest!

To be continued...

Bonus Skit

UUGH... That was too long...

Author: "I know, right?! I love it!"

OK, dude... how... just HOW... in the HELL did you go from a little over two thousand words to almost twenty thousand?! I know it is a rewrite, but why would you make chapter one SO DAMN LONG that you had to split it up in two?!

Author: "Ah, that's called improvement! The original first chapter of LO:ASQ felt too bland for my currents standards, so I had to-"

Actually, I do not give a crap if you improve or not, I need MONEY. I wasted way, WAY too much saliva narrating this, my throat hurts!

Author: "Hey, man, it's all for the good of the fic, right?"

I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS! You just created me and put me to read your god-damned works that are all detrimental for my mental health! I QUIT!

Author: "B-B-B-B-B-But, you can't quit!"

Who says I cannot?

Author: "I-If you do, then... I have to make another narrator! I don't wanna!"

... So, basically, you are saying that either I suffer or some other innocent soul does.

Author: "Well, you see, when you put it that way-"

I hate you.