Author: "AUTHOR NOTE TIME! I'll admit, this chapter could have been more epic. It has some deep thinking moments and lots of background history, but I could have done a better job with the action. Though, I've realized, it looks a lot cooler when you're writing it than when you're reading it. I DUN MAH BEST, KAY?!

In other news, I uploaded a drawing of Ivy on my deviantART, in case you want to get some visual aid as to her figure. I plan on making some more concept arts for the characters that don't have a lot of concept art, and the ones that have none at all. It's always fun to expand characters. And as you can clearly see in this fan fiction, I LOVE to make bunches and bunches of characters. But yeah... read, review, follow, fave, do whatchu wanna do."

Lost Origin: A Saiyan's Quest

Ninomiya: "How are you doing today, Mrs. Shaylot?"

Shaylot: *still swaying tail up and down* "I'm doing quite fine, thank you! Mind if I join in the conversation?"

Isaac: "Oh, sure, have a seat."

Shaylot: *STILL swaying tail* "Thanks!" *sits down* "So, you're talking about that Saku..." *looks back at tail swaying up and down* "..." *pats tail* *tail stops* "... right."

Ninomiya: "Wwwhat was that?"

Shaylot: "Oh, it's just a little... eh, mental disorder, I think. Sometimes my body starts moving on its own."

Rufus: "Woof!"

Isaac: "I'm sorry to hear that."

Shaylot: "It's OK, Isaac, it's nothing serious. So, talking about that Sakura girl again?"

Ninomiya: "Yeah... Let's just say she's... she's an interesting person to talk about."

Chapter 49: Roundtrip

Sakura, Scorzette, and Ivy were finally together again. After an unexpected string of events, our heroes finally reunited, and this time with all seven Dragon Balls! However, instead of making their wish right away, they decided that it would be wiser to find a way back to Planet Earth first. Speaking of Earth, Hitomi Ikeda - Ninomiya's elder sister - began training with her father. Though not expecting to replace Ninomiya's spot as the 134th Guardian of the Ikeda, Hitomi hoped that she could exponentially improve her fighting abilities, and maybe someday match her late brother. Mr. Ikeda was already seeing the potential his first child had, and had no doubt that she would reach far and wide. Ninomiya, on the other hand, was having the calmest time of his life up in Heaven. Him and Isaac met just recently, and now a new ally - a Saiyaness by the name of Shaylot - joined them on their daily endeavors. But, they are not the main protagonists, so we will return with our heroes.

Sakura: *on Wind Shark* "I can see the lab facility up ahead!"

Scorzette: "God, this place is a labyrinth... I know they want to stay hidden, but was it really necessary to build the building right next to a rock formation maze?!"

Sakura: "Hey, look at the bright side: we're all safe and sound! You said it yourself, remember?"

Scorzette: "Yeah, yeah, I guess I did, sure, whatever."

Sakura: "Hah... So, umm... Scorzette?"

Scorzette: "Hm?"

Sakura: "Who... Who... Who taught you CPR-"

Scorzette: "DO NOT."

Sakura and Ivy: "AAH!"

Scorzette: "... Mention... the CPR."

Sakura: "O-Oh... I-It wasn't that bad, just a wee bit awk-"

Scorzette: "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!"

Sakura and Ivy: "AAH!"

Scorzette: "Tsk... Hold on tight."

Our heroes were about to reach the back wall from which Scorzette originally jumped off of to go look for Ivy. At the top would be the helipad where all the commotion started, and where our heroes were planning to get off at. Combining the Wind Shark's electrical charge with her runes, Scorzette created a series of magnetic runes up the wall, the same ones she had used to make the elevator climb faster two chapters ago. Ivy held onto Sakura as tightly as she could, while also using Sakura's body as a shield so the wind would not blow her newly-put bandages away. Sakura then held onto Scorzette's stomach from behind, making sure she would not fall from the extreme speeds. Scorzette was never comfortable with someone getting so close to her personal space without advice, and would normally yell at the "criminal" or even push them away. But with Sakura, Scorzette had already gotten used to it and did not mind anymore, as long as the younger Saiyan would not do anything too clingy. If she did, it would result in heads getting smacked. Scorzette did say to hold on tight, and there really was not much to hold on to in that situation. Finally, after some hardcore parkour maneuvers, our heroes were back up on the helipad from which they had originally come from.

Scorzette: "Alright, we're back up."

Sakura: "Yay, but... couldn't we have used the front door down there?"

Scorzette: "..."

Sakura: "I mean, it shouldn't have been too hard to convince anyone who saw us-"

Scorzette: *grabs Sakura and Ivy* *drags them to the elevator* "Just... press the button... and don't say a word."

Sakura: "O... OK..." *presses button* *nothing happens* "... Oh, wait. You broke the elevator, Scorzette, remember?"

Scorzette: "..." *stomps floor as hard as possible* *elevator falls down at max speed*

Sakura and Ivy: "WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Meanwhile, on Earth...

Mr. Ikeda: "Good, great, fantastic! I may have underestimated your abilities all these years, Hitomi."

Hitomi: "Heh, well... I am your daughter after all!"

Mr. Ikeda: "Indeed. Now that I understand you general basic abilities, we shall proceed with specialization."

Hitomi: "Sounds good. What are specializing in first, father?"

Mr. Ikeda: "Agility."

As soon as he said the word, Mr. Ikeda very quickly bent his body slightly downwards. With only this small impulse, he was able to jump a hundred meters up in the air! During the jump, his pose stayed exactly the same as it had been when he was standing perfectly still! The wind and momentum seemed to have no effect on his composure, not even bothering his eye sight from all the air coming into them! Some people down in the village looked up and saw a man almost floating a hundred meters on top of them, which terrified them for his health. But as soon as they recognized it was Mr. Ikeda, their worries went away and continued with their previous task. Everyone in Waterleaf Village knew that Mr. Ikeda was one of the strongest and wisest martial arts masters on the planet, ranking only a few spots below the Turtle Hermit - Master Roshi. Hitomi knew this too, but it did not stop her from becoming mesmerized that her own father could do such an astonishing trick. Once he reached the tip of his jump, Mr. Ikeda began his quick and steady descent, never once breaking out of his perfect posture. He landed back down on the tip of his feet, putting their full weight on the ground immediately afterwards. The whole time, he was perfectly still, and no force in the world could disturb his stillness. How serene and smooth his landing was also deserved some recognition from his student.

Hitomi: "Wow, dad, that was... I-I didn't know you could do that! That was awesome!"

Mr. Ikeda: "And it was but a mere taste of what you could potentially accomplish one day, my dear."

Hitomi: "Oh, dad, you know I'm not as good as you!"

Mr. Ikeda: "That we have yet to find out, Hitomi. Now, I expect you to be able to reach as high up as I did by this time tomorrow."

Hitomi: "W-W-WHAT?! B-But I can barely reach twenty meters! How could I ever make that much progress in such a small amount of time?!"

Mr. Ikeda: "Not by complaining, that's for sure, haha! There is a technique, actually. But I'll leave it up to you to figure that puzzle out."

Hitomi: "A-Agh... C-Can't you give me a clue, at least?"

Mr. Ikeda: "I'm afraid not. Figuring it out by yourself will allow you to better understand some key concepts, rather than if I just lay them out for you. Anyways, I suggest you begin soon."

Hitomi: "Aaahhh... I hope... I hope I can do this..."

Mr. Ikeda: "Oh, don't worry, you will." *starts walking back home* "I will check on your mother, see if she needs any assistance."

Hitomi: *sigh* "OK..." *bents down*

Mr. Ikeda: *walking* "... By the way... It only took me three hours."

Hitomi: "?!" *looks at Mr. Ikeda* "H... How...?! UGH... There's a lot of mysteries to this training that I'm not aware of..."

Back with our heroes...

Scorzette: *elevator stops abruptly on bottom floor* "Elevator's broken? Looks just fine to me."

Sakura: *upside down* "Oooowwww... I... I get it... I think..."

Ivy: *shielded by Sakura's body* "A-A-Aaahh... sca... ry...!"

Scorzette: "Right, well, we better get moving. I've had about enough 'adventures' in this planet, I think I'm ready to head back home."

Sakura: "Aah..." *jumps back on her feet* "There..." *lifts Ivy up* "We might have to come up with some clever ideas if we want the Gurugurus to let us borrow a space ship or a rocket. I don't think that's something you just give away."

Scorzette: "Oh, come on, they're just octopii! It can't be that hard to convince them!"

Sakura: "I-I'm not sure... specially after all that ruckus earlier... Hey, Ivy, do you have any ideas?"

Ivy: "Hm?" *shakes head* "Mhmh..."

Scorzette: "Well, for now, let's just look for someone that might be willing to help us. Maybe a control room or something will have a good samaritan or two."

Wasting no time, our heroes began looking around the lab facility, hoping to find something that would resemble a control room or perhaps a meeting office. They went from left to right, up and down, seeking their objective. However, due to the immense size of the building, this task proved to be more difficult than the Saiyans anticipated. Seeing as they would be in the need of help, Sakura decided to ask the Gurugurus walking around the facility. But to her surprise, none of them even bothered to turn and look at what she had to say. It was as if everyone intentionally chose to ignore Sakura's presence. She continued trying, calling the attention of any individual that passed by them, all to no avail. Scorzette was getting highly upset by this, and she was ready to forcefully stop the next octopus that came around until they spat some answers. But Sakura insisted that she not do this, as it would only scare the Gurugurus away and make it even more difficult to gain some feedback. Yet, they were getting no feedback at all, regardless of whether they used peaceful methods or violence. Ivy also began to get upset, not by the Gurugurus' indifference, but by the sadness that was growing in Sakura.

Scorzette had no problem believing it, but Sakura was simply incapable of computing the utter carelessness of the people surrounding her. She always thoughts there would always be at least a small group of people out there, willing to help her with small tasks such as this one. Yet being ignored this much - even though Sakura thought it would only be a bad dream - was the crude reality of the moment. They would not even care to look at a group of aliens in their facility! Could there really be beings out there so cold hearted? Sakura pondered over these thoughts, and she stopped trying to get the attention of the Gurugurus all together. Then she remembered Octodad and the rest of his family, as well as the other inhabitants of that village. Those people were kind hearted enough to lend our heroes a hand, and they did so with open arms. Those people were of the same species as the ones Sakura was trying to interrogate now, so why were these so different? Sakura then remembered all that she was taught about the Saiyan race in her ship, and how much it differed from what Scorzette told her weeks after their first battle. No matter how much history said that Saiyans were ruthless murderers and space pirates, Sakura knew well that her, as well as Ivy and for the most part Scorzette, were pure of heart and fought to help the people around them. She already had this thought, but it was now further clarified: species does not define a person; only one can define the self. Stereotypes and generalizations are only there to taint blindness into the heart, distancing broad ideas and enclosing people into selfish mentalities. And clearly, all of these Gurugurus had long defined themselves as cold and indifferent. Perhaps Sakura was over thinking the scenario too much, but lately, she had been one to side herself with philosophy.

Scorzette: "Damn, these idiots just won't budge! Should it really be this hard to get some basic chatting around here?! Bah, whatever, let's just look for a map or some... th... Litua?"

Sakura: *thinking* "..."

Ivy: "Huh?" *pulls Sakura's leg* "Ah!"

Sakura: "Why are they... so..."

Scorzette: "Litua... hey... hey!" *whistles*

Sakura: "Ah! W-What?"

Scorzette: "You were kind of in a trance there."

Sakura: "Oh, sorry, I just... dozed off, I guess."

Scorzette: "Anyways, well, OBVIOUSLY we're not gonna get answers from these morons, so we'll just have to keep looking ourselves. There should be a map or something that we can use close by."

Meanwhile, in Heaven...

Ninomiya: "... and then these soldiers came to our village, saying that some 'King Avarez' person claimed ownership of our home. Sakura, being the courageous/insane person that she is, jumped into action and tricked all the soldiers to shoot at each other! It was certainly a very clever technique, something I would have never come up with. Though, I can't say I wasn't mad worried that Sakura was gonna get hurt."

Shaylot: "Wow, this Sakura girl does sound like a brave person! Though, I've never heard of a Saiyan by that name... Oh, well, guess you discover something new every day!"

Rufus: "Woof, woof!"

Ninomiya: "Indeed you do. Hey, let's take the focus away from Sakura for a bit and focus on you, Mrs. Shaylot. I'm interested to know what your story is. Though, if you feel uncomfortable, I'll understand."

Shaylot: "Oh, it's not a problem! I was kind of hesitant at first, but I've spent so long up here I've learned to get over it, haha! Anyways, where should I start...?"

Isaac: "Whenever you feel is proper."

Shaylot: "I guess I'll start with my childhood! Well, I was born in a small town on the eastern sector of Planet Vegeta, thankfully far from the western people. And well, I guess the first thing worth noting is that... my... my mother died giving birth to me, and that's when I got the mental disorder you saw earlier."

Ninomiya: "Oh, no... We're sorry to hear that..."

Shaylot: "Thanks... As I grew up, my father made sure to always tell me that my mother died on my birth day. It was a tough thing to hear, but it would have been much worse had I lived a lie. He showed me some pictures of her, which I still remember like it was yesterday. I've tried to look for her up here in Heaven, but this world is just so vast that that might never be the case. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to trail off the topic like that..."

Isaac: "It's OK, Mrs. Shaylot, you can stop whenever you desire."

Shaylot: "Ah... anyways, besides that, I lived an over-all peaceful and enjoyable life. At least until my late teens which was when things started to get ugly... but I'll save that for later. My dad was the only other person that lived with me, but we were never alone. My home town was crawling with all sorts of different animals, so we had a lot of pets to keep us company! It turns out I was really good with animals, much to the amusement of a certain person. And that person is currently my husband."

Ninomiya: "Ah, you met him since childhood. Those are always interesting relationships."

Shaylot: "Mhm! He himself is an interesting guy, too. His name is Poutex, and he's lived with me here in Heaven for over seventy years, just like he lived with me back on Vegeta. At first, we were simply great friends; you could always find us hanging out somewhere in the neighborhood. Specially since I was the only person Poutex had left, because his family..."

Isaac: "If you do not wish to go into detail, we will understand."

Rufus: "Woof..."

Shaylot: "It's OK, Isaac... Well, to keep it short, he lived alone on the lower part of town, fending for himself. Me, on the other hand, I don't even know how to fight! He's tried to teach me martial arts and stuff before, but I just never get them. So I always felt safe being close to him. Dad was skeptical of Poutex at first, but it changed with time. We continued living happily for a few years, until... until... this 'Frieza' came in and began taking Saiyans all over the world. He wanted them for his army, so he could start taking over other planets across the galaxy. Saiyans are a really strong race, so that's why he wanted us. Fortunately, Poutex and me were able to sneak away before they caught us, as well as a few other people from town. But only a handful managed... and... my dad... he... he..."

Ninomiya: *pats Shaylot's shoulder* "Mrs. Shaylot, I think you should stop for now. We're sorry we asked about all of those things, we didn't know how hard it's been for you. It's best that you take a break now and let all the sad thoughts go away."

Shaylot: "Ah... I... I-I'm sorry, I just..."

Isaac: "No need to apologize, Mrs. Shaylot. If you need help with anything, we're here."

Rufus: "Woof!"

Shaylot: "T-Thanks, boys... I'll just... I think I'll lie down for a while at home. Well..." *stands up* "I-I'll see you three tomorrow!" *leaves*

Ninomiya: *sigh* "Poor Mrs. Shaylot... Saiyans... really did have a tough life, huh..."

Back with our heroes...

Scorzette: "Alright, here's a map. It says 'gurugurugurugurugurubaaaaah' whatever, I can't read this... Litua?"

Sakura: "Let me see... OK, so we'reeee... here, fifth floor." *points at map* "And there is... a launch operations room on theeeee... third floor, there." *points at map again*

Scorzette: "Oh, goodie, we passed by there like four times. Brilliant." *sigh*

Sakura: "Well, I said it kind of looked important, but you said that you had a feeling it would be on the next hall-"

Scorzette: "I GET IT, I GET IT, geez... No need to tell me twice... Anyways, let's get moving." *starts walking*

Sakura: "Eeh... Hey, Ivy, want me to carry you for a while?"

Ivy: "Ah!" *holds arms out for Sakura to pick her up*

Sakura: *puts Ivy on shoulder* "OK, let's go!" *follows Scorzette*

Ivy: "Hmm... hm?" *looks at Dragon Balls in Sakura's bag* "Uh... ah?"

Sakura: "Oh, the Dragon Balls? They're these magical objects that, when all are gathered, will summon the Eternal Dragon. This Eternal Dragon will grant whoever summoned him one wish, whatever they desire. We're collecting the Dragon Balls so we can revive a friend of ours who died defending me in a battle not too long ago! His name is Ninomiya, and he's a really nice person! Once we revive him and you two meet, I'm sure you'll be friends with him as well!"

Ivy: "F... Fr... iend..."

Sakura: "That's right, a friend! You know, just how you and me are friends, Scorzette and I are friends, you and her are friends... A friend is a person who gives you company and is always there for you, both in good scenarios and bad ones."

Ivy: "Friend... friend... mate!"

Scorzette: "Hm...?"

Sakura: "M... Mate?"

Ivy: *points at Sakura and Scorzette* "Mate!"

Sakura: "I... I-I guess that works, too..."

Scorzette: *to self* "Aaahhh... South eastern... Her parents must've gone through hell when Frieza came in... Poor girl..."

Being as young as she was, Ivy was extremely curious about everything around her. She also paid very close attention to everything Sakura and Scorzette told her, trying her hardest to understand what they were saying with her undeveloped brain. However, Ivy was anything but stupid. Maybe not a genius child, but at that age she was capable of comprehending basic concepts, and for the most part kept up with her newest friends' conversations. Some words stuck out to her, words that she might have possibly heard in her previous life - her short-lived experience in Planet Vegeta. As of currently, any and all information about Ivy's family remains unknown, other than the fact that they existed. But now Scorzette, seeing as the word 'mate' was constantly used by south eastern Saiyans, deducted that Ivy was possibly born and raised in that area, at least for the first few years. And from the little history she remembered, she knew that the south eastern people were colonized as soon as Frieza arrived. Unlike the rest of the world, they did not have the technology or the organization to defend themselves in the matter, and were almost completely taken in to serve under Frieza's command. It was known that south eastern Saiyans had their own small colonies within Frieza's dominion, and tried to be as united and collaborative with each other as possible. Another common fact was that the great majority of them refused to proceed with planet-eradication missions, which cost them their lives. Upon return, the few that accepted either took their lives away or tried to hide somewhere, all to no avail. If Ivy's parents lived long enough to send her away and educate her to at least a small degree, they might have not been very strong, otherwise they would have been involved in the holocaust missions and follow a miserable death. That, or they were clever enough to escape Frieza's grasp. Asking Ivy would be useless, though, as she could only faintly remember small bits of her past. Not to mention the fact that she could not speak. They might never hear more than single-word sentences coming from her. Ivy not just wanted to be with Sakura and Scorzette, she needed them. A child her age needed protection, and there was no one else that would provide. However, more than only her guardians, Ivy was beginning to see the two other Saiyans as parental figures. She was beginning to see them as the family she will never have again.

Sakura: "Here it is! If the map was right, this should be the launch control room."

Scorzette: "There better be someone in here who can help. I'm tired of wandering up and down, looking for some assista-" *door opens*

Guruguru: "Guru! Gu gurugu rugu guru, guru guru ruru!"

Scorzette: "Umm... ah... d-d-dewhat...?"

Sakura: "He... He thinks we're test subjects, and he's yelling at us for being late...?"

Guruguru: "Guruguu! Guruguru gugu ruru... Ru, guruguru gu, rugurugu guru gu guru!"

Sakura: "Uh... He mentioned something about a new space ship that needs a test run, and that we better get ready to board or we're fired..."

Scorzette: "..." *idea bulb* "Aha! Litua, tell him that we were told that the test run's destination has been changed. We are now supposed to go to Planet Earth."

Sakura: "Huh? Oh, I get it!" *turns to Guruguru* "Rugu guru, guru guru Ruguu ruru guruguu."

Guruguru: "Ruguu? Gu... Guru guruu."

Sakura: "He needs to look up the location of Earth. Let's follow him."

Guruguru: *sits in front of computer* "Guu... Ruguu... ruu... gu-guguguru! Rugu guruguru ruuguu gu gu guruguru! Guguru guru guruu, gururuu!"

Sakura: "W-WHAT?! H-H-He says that reaching Earth would take centuries with the model we're supposed to be testing! We were merely supposed to go to the fifth moon, and he's really mad and confused!"

Scorzette: "CENTURIES?! But we got to this stinkin' planet in less than twenty four hours, for Christ sakes! What the hell is he talking about?!"

Ivy: "Ah?! Ah?!"

Sakura: "E-Eh..." *turns to Guruguru* "G-G-Guru guru, rugu guruu guru gu?"

Guruguru: "Guu... Ru? Ruguru guru gu guru gu ruuru gugu... Guru rugu guru guu guguu!"

Sakura: "There's... There's a vortex not too far from here, and it may be able to transport us much closer to Earth if we go through it! He's also cursing the company for wanting to take such high risks with the ship."

Scorzette: "Right! So, there are risks, but this is our only chance! Litua, we have no choice but to take the job. Tell him we're on our way to the space ship. And... And ask him where the space ship actually is..."

Sakura: "Roger!" *turns to Guruguru* "Guru, rugu gu! Guru guru gu guguu?"

Guruguru: *pulls out map* *not-amused face* "Gu ru."

Scorzette: "Let me guess, 'get moving' or something like that?"

Sakura: *takes map* "Yyyyup."

Ivy: "Go!"

Meanwhile, on Earth...

Hitomi: *jumps* "Hut!" *falls* "Hah... hah...!" *jumps* "Gah!" *falls* "Ugh... I can't even get half the high dad can..."

Mr. Ikeda: *appears* "How has your progress been, Hitomi?"

Hitomi: "Not... Not good at all... I just can't... can't seem to get the potency to jump high enough... Me being tired doesn't help, either... Hah!" *jumps*

Mr. Ikeda: "Hmm... She still does not understand what the technique is, I see..."

Hitomi: *falls* "Ah! Man..." *gets ready to jump*

Mr. Ikeda: "Hold on, Hitomi. Allow me to demonstrate once more. Pay very close attention to this."

Hitomi: "Oh... OK, my full focus is on you, father."

Just like he had done before, Mr. Ikeda jumped a hundred meters in the air, barely even moving a muscle in the process. He stood motionless while in the air, only aiding Hitomi's confusion. Gracefully, he fell back down to the ground, landing on the very tips of his toes. Hitomi made completely sure to keep her vision locked onto her father the entire time, and yet, she saw absolutely no changes in his subtle motions. But then, a thought came to Hitomi's mind. Despite how powerful his jump was, Mr. Ikeda's actions blew no wind around him, neither in the launch nor the landing. Even if he was very still the whole time, at least a small gale should have been felt in the immediate area. In all of her jumps, Hitomi blew massive winds around her, and she also had trouble keeping her eyes open due to all the air getting in her eyes. Though not completely, she began seeing what the problem with her technique was, but finding a solution to it would turn out to be another challenge.

Mr. Ikeda: "Hitomi... you're only using your feet to jump. There's more to it than just your movements, you know!"

Hitomi: "Hah... yeah... I kind of get it... Kind of... Anyways, I'll keep trying!"

Mr. Ikeda: "Well, actually, I would suggest that you take a break."

Hitomi: "Huh...?"

Mr. Ikeda: "You seem tired, you should get your energy back and running before you continue. Besides, your mom made salmon today! Ooohhh, my favorite! Don't be late for lunch!"

Hitomi: "Huh... Well, I guess a break wouldn't hurt..." *walks home*

Back with our heroes, they were sitting in the space ship, wearing astronaut suits. It was extremely awkward to fit them on because they were designed for Gurugurus, not for Saiyans or other humanoids alike. However, our heroes managed and were now waiting for the Gurugurus to give the launch approval. They had set the ship's destination to Earth, and programmed the ship to take a detour straight into the vortex before heading to the planet. Everyone was anxious, some were scared, but none were reluctant. Not saying that the Gurugurus' planet was a horrible place, but Sakura and Scorzette were really missing home now. Ivy was going to miss her latest home, but her excitement to meet her new home overcame the former feel. Sakura was perhaps the most enthusiastic to return to Earth, holding her bag full of Dragon Balls and eagerly waiting to see Ninomiya again. Finally, after almost an hour of waiting, the Gurugurus got the approval for launch and began the countdown. Everything that was holding the ship down on the surface began separating from it, and the engine was powered up to full. After ten seconds, our heroes' ship left the solid ground and rapidly ascended towards the skies above! It quickly broke through the atmosphere and further away from the ground. In just a few minutes the Saiyans looked back at the Gurugurus' planet, as it rapidly became nothing but a small dot in the distance. Even its many moons were now almost completely out of sight, which when they thought about it was a god-send. Also, let us completely ignore the fact that preparing for a ship's launch realistically takes months of training and learning, why do we not?

Sakura: "Wooow! Space is so beautiful! It still amazes me, even after being out in space so many times these past few months!"

Scorzette: "Ugh... I just wish we didn't have to wear these stupid astronaut suits..."

Sakura: "Oh, we don't have to wear them. I just told the scientist that we wanted costumes, since they looked so cool!"

Scorzette: "... KKRRAAAHH!" *rips costume from the inside*

Sakura and Ivy: "AAAHH!"

Scorzette: "Aarrghh...! Litua, you are annoying me more than usual today! Is this revenge for the kiss or something?!"

Sakura: "K-K-Kiss?! I... I... I-I thought it was CPR..."

Scorzette: "Who said 'kiss?!' I said 'CPR,' damn it!"

Sakura: "Aaah! B-But you did say 'ki-"

Scorzette: "LITUAAAA!"

Sakura: *cute squeak* "I... I... I'm sorry..."

Scorzette: *sigh* "Look, just... just forget about it and focus on the trip ahead."

Sakura: "OK..." *starts taking off astronaut suit*

Two hours later...

Scorzette: "Hm...? Wait, there's something up ahead..."

Sakura: "It's... It's the vortex! And it's moving! It's moving...? Why is it...?! Scorzette, look over there!"

Ivy: "AAH!"

Scorzette: "What is iiii... Oooohhh... crap."

Far in the distance, our heroes saw something that they wished they would never see in their entire lives. Light minutes away, any and all matter that might have been in the area was revolving around and being sucked into a black hole! It was absorbing all the light coming to it, so the only visible hint our heroes had to tell them there was a black hole were the many planets, comets, and starts being sucked in! And not too late afterwards, the vortex, alongside our heroes' ship started getting pulled in! If the vortex and themselves got closer to the black hole, the gravitational pull would be too strong for them to escape! Almost automatically, the three Saiyans began pushing the ship towards the vortex from the inside. They put all their energy into pushing the massive machine towards their only way home, but it was not enough! The ship was still being pulled in, and the vortex was already starting tear itself apart! Ivy even tried to use her telekinetic powers to push the ship, but the target was simply too large for her to accomplish anything! Sakura thought of all that was waiting for her on Earth; her family, her friends, her home, and Ninomiya, unknowingly waiting for her in Heaven. She could not bear with the thought of losing all of that, she would not allow it. Ivy was being driven by fear; she did not know what a black hole really was, but it looked dangerous enough to make her go in panic. And Scorzette, Scorzette was just fighting. The situation rapidly became a battle for survival, and everything was at stake. If she lost, everything that Scorzette ever knew would be lost forever. Who knows where the black hole would take them, and wherever that was, they would probably not get there in one piece. The thought of losing just like that was uncanny, and she would have none of it.

Sakura: *pushing* "We're... We're losing! It's going to suck us in!"

Ivy: *pushing and crying* "Aaaahh! AAAHH!"

Scorzette: *pushing* "Keep pushing! We can't let it end like this, we just can't!"

Sakura: "I... I don't..." *starts crying* "I don't want to die! I want to LIVE! Please, don't let this be the end! There's so much more that I want to do; that I have to do!"

Ivy: "WAAAAAHHH!"

Scorzette: "GAAAHH! No... we can't lose... I can't lose... I WILL... NOT... LOSE! HHYYYYYYAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

In a fraction of a second, Scorzette became engulfed in a violent, golden aura. Sakura, who was right next to her, immediately turned her attention to her shining friend. Ivy followed Sakura's gaze as well, and now the two could see what was happening to Scorzette. Her hair was now colored a bright gold, and it was much spikier and wilder than it usually appeared. Her usual black-colored eyes turned a light turquoise, blazing with rage and power. Scorzette's over-all muscular structure seemed to grow, adding even more strength to her already enviable body. And just by being there, the younger Saiyans could feel Scorzette's energy increase substantially, far surpassing both of their strengths combined. It was as if Scorzette had transformed into a warrior of legend, which she indeed had. The extreme pressure of the scenario and utmost desire to win drove Scorzette to her very limit, and she reached the legendary transformation of the Super Saiyan!

With this much power on their side, our heroes finally turned the tables of the situation. The ship that was previously being pulled into the black hole was now rocketing towards the vortex, and entered within seconds! All of the space around the ship was spinning around it, and everything was colored with a series of different hues and shades, almost like a rainbow! It was as if they were in some sort of space tunnel, and the ship was going at massive speeds through it! Soon afterwards, our heroes reached a light at the end of the tunnel, and the ship came flying through the other side of the vortex, the same vortex they had unknowingly gone through when they left Earth days ago. They must have been fast asleep to not notice, but that was besides the point. Upon finally coming back to a normal pace, the three Saiyans fell on the ground exhausted. Specially Scorzette, who was now back to her normal form, and quickly fell asleep. Sakura and Ivy followed her example, and now our heroes lied peacefully on the ship's floor. What will Scorzette say when she finds out she achieved the legendary transformation? And what is to become of the Ikeda family? Find out next time on Lost Origin: A Saiyan's Quest!

To be continued...

Bonus Skit

I have a strange feeling things are about to get ugly.

Author: "Why? I mean, everything went smoothly in this chapter, rig-"

Scorzette: "YOOOUUUUUUU!"

Yup, I am out of here. *leaves*

Scorzette: *grabs Author* "WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!"

Author: "AAH! W-W-WHAT DID I DO?!"

Scorzette: "When I said 'make me go Super Saiyan in the next few chapters,' I meant it in like a fight scene or something! You know, something epic! But it was just to push a stupid, godforsaken ship?!"

Author: "Hey, hey, it was to save your life! And it was really epic, too!"

Sakura: "I-I liked it!"

Scorzette: "SHUT IT, LITUA! Now, YOU! I'm gonna have fun tearing your pathetic excuse of a face apart!"

Author: "AH! S-Sakura, close Word! Close Word!"

Sakura: "E-Eh?! H-H-How do I do that?!"

Author: "With the mouse! Click on the X thing at the top!"

Sakura: *holds mouse* "T-This?! O-OK, so... uh..." *pressures too hard* "... Oops... I... I think I broke it, hehe..."

Author: "... AAAAAAAHHHHH!"