The fragments of the broken gauntlet still sparked on the floor, tiny blue arcs fading into silence. Pilaf's face twisted from triumph to horror as he stared at the wreckage — and at the woman standing between him and the Dragon Balls.
Mai's hand trembled slightly, the steel pipe she'd used to smash the device still warm from the impact. The smell of burnt metal and ozone hung thick in the air.
"Mai?!" Pilaf sputtered, eyes wide. "What are you doing?! That was our chance!"
Her voice was calm but firm, though her hands betrayed a faint shake. "You were about to get yourself killed. Again."
"Don't you lecture me!" Pilaf shouted, red-faced. "You betrayed your emperor!"
From the shadows, Buu stepped into the light — silent, unreadable. His gaze passed over the shattered machine, then to Mai, then to Pilaf still clutching his wrist. His presence filled the room like gravity, bending everything toward him.
He didn't need to say a single word. The air itself froze.
Pilaf stumbled backward, dragging Shu by the arm. "W-we'll be leaving now! No need for any... vaporization, right?"
Buu tilted his head slightly. For a heartbeat, the silence stretched so long it seemed to bend time itself. Then, he smiled faintly. "Go."
Pilaf blinked. "Go?"
"I don't repeat myself."
That was all it took. Pilaf and Shu bolted through the nearest exit, screaming something about "revenge later" as they vanished into the night. Their footsteps echoed into nothingness, leaving only the whisper of wind through the ruined hall.
Mai stood motionless, breathing quietly. Her heart hammered against her ribs, yet her gaze didn't falter. When she finally looked up, Buu's crimson eyes were fixed on her.
"You broke his toy," he said softly.
"I saved him," she replied. "And maybe the rest of us."
A faint chuckle escaped Buu's lips — a sound that wasn't quite amusement, nor anger. "Interesting."
She hesitated. "You're… not going to punish me?"
Instead, Buu took a step closer, close enough for the air around him to hum faintly. "No. You've proven useful."
Her brow furrowed. "Useful?"
"Courage. Judgment. Loyalty that isn't blind." He turned away, looking out through a shattered window at the faint horizon. "People like that are rare."
Mai blinked, unsure whether to feel complimented or terrified. "So… what now?"
Buu turned back, that cold half-smile still on his face. "Now you work for me."
Her breath caught. "Work… for you?"
"You can refuse," Buu said, starting toward the throne room, "but I don't recommend it."
Mai glanced toward the gate where Pilaf had fled, then back at Buu — and finally at Bulma's silhouette passing through another hallway. She sighed, dropping the bent pipe with a dull clang. "Fine. I'll stay."
Buu nodded once. "Good choice."
Hours later, dawn painted the sky in shades of amber and rose.
The castle stood in eerie silence, its ruins bathed in golden light. At the top of the fortress, the seven Dragon Balls gleamed in a perfect circle, pulsing with life.
Bulma stood before them, her hair tousled by the morning wind. "So this is it," she murmured, half to herself.
Buu stood beside her, arms crossed, the faint energy of his aura rippling around him. "You wanted this. Now claim it."
Mai lingered a few steps behind, leaning against a cracked pillar. Her eyes flicked from the orbs to Bulma, then to Buu — watching both with the sharpness of someone who'd seen too much and trusted too little.
The ground trembled. The air thickened, electricity crawling across the sky.
One by one the Dragon Balls' golden glow flared, merging into a beam of light so bright it tore through the clouds.
Thunder roared.
"I AM THE ETERNAL DRAGON SHENRON. SPEAK YOUR WISH."
Shenron's colossal form filled the heavens, scales shimmering like molten emerald, eyes blazing like suns. His voice rolled across the mountains, shaking the castle to its core.
Mai gasped softly, shielding her face from the wind. "Incredible…"
Buu's expression didn't change, though his eyes glowed faintly red beneath the dragon's light.
Bulma's gaze lifted, awe and anxiety tangled together. Every reckless journey, every disaster and discovery — all of it had led her here. And now, with Buu's shadow beside her, the wish she once thought simple suddenly felt impossibly heavy.
He turned toward her. "It's your wish," he said evenly. "Choose carefully."
The wind whipped through her hair. Her heart pounded.
Bulma looked at the glowing spheres, her reflection fractured across their surfaces. For an instant, she saw herself not as the genius inventor or the thrill-seeker — but as someone unsure of what she truly wanted.
Her lips parted.
"I wish for…" she began — but the words faltered on her tongue.
The air trembled. Shenron's eyes blazed brighter, waiting.
And somewhere, far away in the shadows, a faint ripple of ki stirred — something ancient, watching.
The wind howled.
Bulma's voice broke the silence once more.
"I wish for—"
Author here: What do you think she'll want? Will everything go smoothly? Find out in the next episode of Total Drama Isla- ah no wait hahah