Chapter 7: Dragon Balls are stolen!

We rode along the path. Bulma commented that we were close to the last Dragon Ball. I listen to the conversation going on as I watched the passing scenery.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you Bulma … once we get all the Dragon Balls, what's our wish gonna be?"

"HO HO HO! Haven't I told you already? A boyfriend! A wonderful boyfriend!"

"What! A boyfriend?! We're risking our lives to help you, and you're gonna make a stupid wish like that?!"

I looked at Bulma confused. "But Bulma, you already have friends that are boys. Why would you want to wish for another?"

"It's not the same! And it's not stupid! Hmph! Kids like you wouldn't understand!"

"But … I'm the same age as you Bulma and I don't understand what you mean. How is it not the same?"

Bulma looked at me in disbelief and said that she'll tell me later.

Bulma and Oolong argued as I suddenly sensed 2 people near us. I spotted something coming for us, and it's coming fast. I leaned over from the back seat to grab the stirring wheel from Oolong to stir us away from the blast. My chest was up against the back of his head, but he didn't notice since the 'something' exploded behind us. Bulma and Oolong shrieked. I hopped to the front, while steering, and moved Oolong to the back.

"Buckle up everyone! I need to lose these people! Oolong hold onto the brief case!"

As soon as I heard all of the clicks to go with everyone, including me, I floored the gas and sent us to twirl once into the air. Bulma shrieked again, along with Oolong's yell of terror. I leveled the car and eased the speed to cruise smoothly. Then I heard it. Something was falling.

I glanced at the back seat to see Goku looking for the people who tried to hurt us and Oolong clutching his head in fear. My eyes widened.

"Oolong!" I heard Bulma screech. I winced, along with Goku, at the high pitch of her voice. Oolong jumped at her voice as I maneuvered the car so we could go looking for the brief case with the Dragon Balls in it. Bulma was spouting death threats at Oolong if we didn't find it.

I just spotted it when it was taken by a bulky humanoid machine. It sprouted flames and smoke as it flew away, faster than the car. I leveled the car to the ground. Then, without my notice, the side of the car exploded.

We flew out of the car and landed roughly on the ground. We delayed a bit to see if anyone was hurt. Bulma ordered Goku to take beck the Dragon Balls at once. He called for the Kintoun.

He went soaring through the sky in chase of the person in that machine. I checked Oolong and Bulma for injuries. Bulma told us that in an old book people would try to take the Dragon Balls, like in our situation. Oolong wanted to call off on trying to get them back and suggest that he would be Bulma's boyfriend. He was rejected savagely.

I remembered that Goku didn't have much knowledge of machines, so he will probable found it. He will think it will be dead when it's turned off. Goku came back and reported.

"I beat him up."

"… And what about the Dragon Balls?"

"They were gone."

"Then why'd you come back for?!"

"Oi, Bulma! What is the point of finding something that doesn't have a way to search for it?"

Bulma went depressed until Goku pointed out that he still had one in a leather bag tied to his waist band. Bulma revived. Oolong commented on the transportation problem. Bulma was smug at first, but it dawned on her that the capsules were with the Dragon Balls. She started to cry.

I felt Yamucha coming. He stopped by us in a hover car with his flying cat friend, Puwar.

Bulma and Goku were happy. Yamucha put on a smile. I frowned a little. His smile seemed a little strained.

"Hey, wait a second?! Wow, what a coincidence! What are you four doing out here?!"

Bulma and Oolong got in/on the car to rid. I sat with Goku on the Kintoun. I heard Oolong kinda say thanks to Yamucha,but his attention was on Bulma. He was nervous for some reason. Bulma nestled the side of his face with hers. Yamucha screamed and veered off the road a bit.

I had to guid the Kintoun to go to the driver's side to correct Yamucha's steering. My hands were on his. He glanced at me. I was looking at him.

"Are you calm now?"

He blushed and coughed a bit. Is he sick? "Uh yeah, I'm okay."

I smiled and let go of his hands and steering wheel. "That's good."

I looked up. I saw a large castle. "That must be it!"

We slowed to a stop. We entered the base of the structure. We walked along the walls of a dark corridor. I was leading with Goku behind me. Bulma was behind Goku. Yamucha was behind Bulma. Oolong and Puwar was behind Yamucha. I heard Yamucha's comment that the thief wasn't an ordinary thief.

I called an affirmative. I spotted an arrow on the ground, then another the corner. We followed them to a dead end. Yamucha and Bulma yell the obvious. I was getting slightly annoyed. I can just hear the doubt and mirth of our captor when we fell for such a trap.

Goku, Yamucha, and I tried to break down the wall. Yamucha and Goku couldn't make even a crack. I did manage to make one of the stone split, but not break down the wall.

"Damn it! Maybe if I kick it?"

I heard Yamucha's attempt for a joke. He shouted at Oolong for his rejection of the joke. I smiled in amusement despite myself. I turned to the screen when it shouted at us to listen.

"I am Emperor Pilaf!"

Bulma accused the little blue person of stealing the Dragon Balls. He confirmed it and wanted the one we have. I heard what Goku and Yamucha said. I turned to him in annoyance and started to poke his chest as I speak.

"Now look here, don't you dare call Goku a moron! We happened to haven living on an isolated mountain our entire lives. I know what most of the things here are because I worked at a town at the base of the mountain. If I hear you say anything like that to Goku again, I'll make sure you'll regret it!"

During my tirade, Pilaf tried to torture Bulma. But, it was only a blow kiss, so it doesn't really count as torture. Goku asked me what a television was. I calmly and patiently explained it to him. I turned to make Yamucha apologize to Goku until smoke clouded my vision. I felt sleepy, then black.

I woke to feel something warm, firm, and moving. I open my eyes to see Yamucha's face next to mine. I figured out that I was on top of him. My hands were on his chest. His hands and arms were around my waist. I used my tail to get his arms off of my waist. His grip tightened. I huffed in annoyance, my breath ruffling his bangs. I smacked him on the face. He startled awake and let me go. I sat up and off of him.

I went to Goku to see if he is okay. I noticed that the Dragon Ball he had was gone and that he is fine. I told Yamucha such. He started to freak out, thus waking the rest. Goku, Yamucha, and I tried to break down the walls again. I managed to make the split stone into a hole. Goku tried to widen it with his Kamehameha wave. It only did a bit and smoothen the jagged edges.

Yamucha reported that they haven't summoned the dragon yet. He had Puwar transform into a bat to snatch one Dragon Ball so that the plan of theirs would fail. Bulma forced Oolong to do the same thing. Bulma and Yamucha crowded the viewing hole to see the dragon appear. I hung back, not really interested, while Goku tried in vain to see.

The couple started to despair until Oolong made a wish for … a girl's pair of underwear? The Dragon vanished and the Dragon Balls floated into the air. They shot off into the night like shooting stars throughout the Earth to hide away for a year, or so says Bulma.

Silence~~~~~

Bulma rejoiced a bit, along with Yamucha. Goku got a glimpse of the Dragon before he disappeared. Goku started to freak out about not having Grandpa's Ball. That was when realization hit me. It's gone, for a year. I turned angry tears to Bulma.

"Damn it! You knew this would happen! Why didn't you tell us?!"

And for the first time since Grandpa died, I cried silent tears. Then a sob broke me down. I started to crumble. All the realizations hit me. Grandpa being dead, living with only Goku for family (being alone), my planet destroyed, and all the responsibilities I've taken on, of knowing and being strong for Goku, everything. I felt Goku hug me from behind. I turned my head to see him smiling. I brought him into a full hug. I buried my face in his neck and chest and just, cried. I soon fell asleep from exhaustion.

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Whew! Done! XD