The snow had changed directions since yesterday, and it was swirling to the east instead of the west, harder than before, dragging along whips of colored wind with it. It had snowed this way for many, many years, even before she had come here, before any of them had come here. She had never seen a day when the snowflakes would fall to a rest or slow to almost nothing. It was almost as if the very same snowflakes just circled the planet, never falling to join the rest, like they were trapped in a warped, desolate snow globe.

Koronu sighed and removed herself from the chair that she had been sitting in, near the window. The chair of course, was the same as everything else in the building: blood red and velvety. Sukuashi was not known for his taste in decorations, or his taste in anything for that matter, including women.

Why the Earth woman? Why?? She wondered, while gazing at the looking glass that hung above her bed. It can’t just be the fact that she’s pretty, or that she’s different. I know there is more to it than that. Sukuashi is not stupid. He would not risk losing the Saiya-jin Council’s affections for a mere fling with a woman from Earth. There has to be more to it than that. I know it.

As sure as she was of that, she realized that she had never really known Sukuashi that well. Mates were supposed to know each other, but Sukuashi was not just distant, he was light years away. She had been forced into being his mate, and because of this probably, she did not hold any feelings for him whatsoever. She had given him two children, one which she was very proud of, and the other which she would kill if she had the chance.

Potuto, her son, was not the strongest Saiya-jin alive, nor did he have any potential to be a great warrior, but he was intelligent, and more so than that….he was good. It was strange, to hear that about a Saiya-jin, but it was true. Potuto was good. He was unlike anyone she had ever met. It was as if everyone else’s moments of truth and good had been parried off to Potuto, who resembled all of the good that could come from Saiya-jins. She didn’t know where he had acquired his fair temperment, or the virtures that made him, him, but she knew it wasn’t from her.

She was not known to be kind, or anything nearly close. In fact, most would call her the cruelest female Saiya-jin for what she had done in the past. It wasn’t that she was a ruthless animal who would tear apart enemies with her teeth, no, that wasn’t it at all. She was coldly detached and beautifully above everyone else, and a mere glance of her icy and penetrating look was enough to knock anyone off their feet. Most avoided looking at her.

Pi, her daughter….She didn’t even want to call her own. From birth Pi had been an awful, cruel little thing, and had absolutely hated her mother with every fiber of her being. Pi killed for fun, to make people suffer, not matter how important they were, or how kind they had been to her. She was rutheless, more so than she herself had ever been. If it were Pi’s choice, Koronu would have died long ago, along with everyone on the planet except for Sukuashi, who seemed to be the only one she cared about.

And the Earthling who had looked at her so plainly the other day, and sought her as a friend? What was to become of that? She wasn’t sure how to feel about this woman, she only knew that she might be able to identify with her. After all, the Earthling, ChiChi, had been ripped away from her mate, just as she had once been ripped away from her own.

A pang of sadness fell over her as she thought of him. There had always been something special about him. For some reason, around him, she could feel her natural coldness start to ebb away and become something magnificant. He was my true mate, not this Sukuashi, who brings nothing out of me but anger and hate. Damn him! Why did he have to do it? Why did he have to take me away?!

With a balled up fist, she hit the mirror and it shattered into a thousand cracks, each showing a tiny piece of her face in them, reflecting how she felt inside: broken.

Maybe she couldn’t help the Earthling. She could barely help herself through the pain. And that’s what it was too, pain, although through the Saiya-jin heritage you are not supposed to mention that word, that’s what it was. Sukuashi didn’t know what he was doing when he ripped Koronu away from her mate, away from all that was dear to her. Saiya-jins don’t have much to hang onto. They have their pride, and they have their power, and they have their mates. There are little possessions that mean anything, and little materialistic cares. But take away any of those three things, and you will make a Saiya-jin more angry than anyone ever dreamed possible.

I hate him. I hate him so much! Damn you, Sukuashi! Why me?! Why?

Then she owed it to the Earth woman. She owed her a chance to reunite with her mate, because she knew the pain of not being able to. There was no other choice for her. She would help ChiChi, even if it got her into trouble. Even if she was to pay for it with her life. A long time ago, her mate sought the truth and died for it, and now, so would she.

Bulma hugged Bra so tightly to her chest that Bra gasped for air, but Bulma couldn’t stop. She pulled back just enough so she could see Bra’s sweet little face and started crying all over again, much to Bra’s dismay.

I didn’t mean to make them all so upset. I just wanted to make Tayhei happy. I didn’t know I would hurt Mama’s feelings so bad, or make Papa so angry at me. Bra thought sadly, closing her blue eyes. And now I can’t tell either, or Tayhei will be mad at me too.

“Bra-chan, why did you run away?” Bulma asked her, smoothing the turquoise hair away from her face and tucking it back into the bow at the top of her head. “Why?”

Bra thought quickly. “Because you’re leaving me.” The more she thought about it, the sadder it made her, and she felt a strong sense of hopelessness. She didn’t know why, but she knew that if her mother went, something bad was going to happen.

Bulma hugged her again. “It isn’t for forever, Bra. I will only be gone for a little while.”

A hand stretched out over the snow, grasping for something, but feeling nothing, as cold snowflakes landed on it. All around the hand and the arm, the snow was dyed a deep red color as blood sank into it, sharply contrasting against the white.

Bra’s chin trembled heavily, and her big azure eyes filled with tears. “Iie, mama. Don’t go. Please.” She tugged at her mother’s shirt insitantly. “I’m sorry for running away, just don’t go. Please.”

“Bra-chan….I have to. It’s my duty.”

A loud slash, metal slicing skin, a painful scream, and saw droplets of blood scattering over the snow again, following by the same hand as before, falling gently to the ground, in slow motion.

“Iie!!” She cried, and clung to her mother.

Bulma hugged her one final time and stood, dusting off her expensive new traveling pants and adjusted the ball cap on her head. She backed away slowly, looking confused at the sudden emotion her daughter was displaying, and took a step towards the door of the spaceship. Bra watched her through tear-blurred eyes, feeling more hopeless and more scared than she had ever felt in her life. Arms grabbed her from behind, as Dr. Briefs, her grandfather, picked her up and held her safe in his grasp.

“You be careful, dear.” Mrs. Briefs said to Bulma, while smiling and waving happily. “You too, Vejiita. And Trunks.”

Vejiita said nothing, and Trunks smiled and waved happily at her. “Hai, Obaasan. I will. Take good care of Bra-chan.”

Trunks smiled nicely at her, for the first time in a long time, and she began to feel scared for him too. As annoying as he was, he was her big brother, and she didn’t want to lose him. Who else would tell her it was all right when their parents fought, or cuddle up with her and her stuffed animal at night when she was scared? No one but Trunks.

“Iie, Oniichan. Don’t go.” She whispered softly, looking into Trunks’s eyes. The smile fell off of his face, and he stepped towards her and patted her on the head.

“I’ll be back, Bra-chan. It is only for awhile.” He affirmed, and smiled at her again. She smiled back, hestitantly, and clung to her grandfather’s lab coat. With wide eyes, she looked at her family again, her eyes falling on Vejiita.

And….Papa. What about him? What if he gets hurt too? What if there is no one left to take care of me at all? Maybe he can protect Mama. I know he can.

“Papa?” Bra asked quietly. “I’m sorry I ran away.”

The whole family looked at Vejiita then, to see his reaction. He sneered and shouted, “What are you all staring at?! Bakas! Leave us be!”

Dr. Briefs set Bra down on the ground and walked inside the house with his wife, casting but one weary look at Vejiita, and the rest boarded the space ship, after waving goodbye to Bra. She stood there silently, not moving a muscle, and not even blinking as they left. When they were all gone and out of sight, Vejiita looked around to assure himself that no one was there, then crouched down and motioned for Bra to come closer.

With tears falling all over the place, Bra ran to him and he clasped her tightly in a hug. Vejiita closed his eyes, willing away all the bad thoughts about never returning to his little girl and held onto her tighter.

“Please don’t leave me, Papa.” She begged, crying against his chest.

“Iie, Bra. I have to.” He said, in an odd voice. “I will be back though.”

She shook her head and pulled back to look at him with eyes so wide and full of fear that it was amazing. “If you don’t go, Mama won’t go. And I know she will be hurt. I know it.”

Vejiita narrowed his eyes at the thought. “Bra, if anyone so much as touches your Kaasan, they will pay the price.”

“Don’t let them hurt her.” She whispered.

“Okay.”

“Promise!”

He hesitated, then: “I promise.”

She threw her arms around him again and hugged him tightly, still crying, though not as hard as she had been before. She trusted Vejiita. He was such a strong man, surely he could stop any danger from coming Bulma’s way.

“Arigatou, Papa. Bye Bye.”

“Sayonara, Bra.”

And with that, Vejiita boarded the space ship along with everyone else, without a last look at Bra, Capsule Corp., or anything. Bra stood there, still crying, standing perfectly still. She could see her mother through the large glass window at the front of the ship, but Bulma never once looked down at her. She was so beautiful, and so wonderful, her mother. More so than Vejiita, Trunks, or even Tayhei, she loved her mother, and wanted to be absolutely just like her when she grew up to be as old as Bulma was now.

“Be careful.” She whispered, and continued to stand there, staring, until her mother’s blue eyes finally met hers, and her face warmed with a soft smile. Then the engines of the ship started whirring, and the wind tossed Bra’s hair around her and made her skirt sway every which direction, but she did not move until Dr. Briefs came out of the house and retrieved her, carrying her away as ship started to move.

Chapter 17
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