Chapter 36: A Second Chance

"Baba," King Yemma said, looking awfully worried - and tired - behind his desk. "Go and get Prince Vegeta."
"Still, Vegeta isn't more powerful than Buu!"
"Perhaps he is not, but he is indeed the strongest warrior we have here. We must take this chance! Vegeta is our last option!"
"You put your money on that hot-headed, thick-headed arrogant prince?" she asked, rolling her eyes.
"Yes," he immediately replied.

The small witch upon her crystal ball frowned and did not move.

"Prince Vegeta? That arrogant dork who's been shouting in rage and training non-stop ever since he was told that Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan 3 during his death? What for, if I may ask?"

King Yemma sighed heavily and pointed the queue in his office and outside. Never, ever, had it been so long.

"As you can see, I am having quite a busy day. Buu killed almost everybody on Earth, and when he's done with this planet, he'll go for the other ones. This monster has no limits, it is the pure incarnation of Evil itself! It must be stopped!"

Baba's eyes narrowed.

"May I remind you very politely that Vegeta has already failed to defeat that thing when it was weaker than that?"
"Perhaps, but as a Saiyan, Vegeta, too, grew stronger since that fight. Moreover, you can't really say that Buu defeated Vegeta," Yemma objected. "Vegeta killed himself in an attempt to take down Majin Buu."

She scoffed.

"You do realise, of course, that if Vegeta is defeated, he will not exist anymore!"
"I will tell him, of course," King Yemma said. "But... I'm quite sure he won't mind."

And, of course, Vegeta had accepted. There was absolutely no way that the mighty prince would refuse to have a second shot at taking this monster down. It had been the easiest thing King Yemma had ever done: all he had to do was to pronounce a magic sentence. "Vegeta, how would you like a second chance at defeating Majin Buu?" Vegeta had immediately agreed - blasting half of Yemma's office in the process. King Yemma tried, of course, to explain him that should he meet death again at the hands of Buu, he would no longer exist and it would be impossible to bring him back, even with the powerful Dragon Balls. Vegeta did not care: he had asked to be brought back on Earth immediately.

Now, as Yemma looked at the screen, he felt hope again: Goku had just appeared next to Vegeta.

Well... perhaps Earth does have a chance with those two.

Goku had never felt so helpless.

"Ten seconds," Buu said cunningly. "I'll allow you ten seconds to find a partner - if you do not, our fight shall go on."

Goku swallowed hard: all right, all right, but not matter how long Majin Buu would give him, he still had very little choice: with only Dende and Satan left, Earth was done for. He took one deep breath: Dende had no martial arts experience at all, and his small size could be a huge disavantage. Furthermore, it was a permanent fusion, and even in such a desperating situation, Goku wasn't so keen on finishing his days half-Namek, half-Saiyan.

He was not Vegeta, but still, he, too, had his pride.

And then there was Mr. Satan... but, if he fused with him, would he end up being as goofy and ignorant of the energies than him? Moreover, would he truly end up stronger, considering how weaker Satan was comparing to him? Well... he was still a fighter.

"Threeeeeeee!"

He was truly his last option.

"Hey, Satan!" he said, catching up his attention.
"TWOOO!"
"CATCH!"

Goku lifted his arm, ready to throw the earring at the so-called champion. As he did so, however, his mind felt something. It was like a sudden flash of brilliant golden light in a sea of darkness, a powerful twitch in his stomach. Eletricity ran down his spine, and his heart started to beat so fast that he could actually hear it: could it truly be? This energy was extremely powerful and very familiar, but it wasn't meant to be there at all.

Please let it be true.

Goku closed his eyes, touched his forehead, and disappeared.

When he opened his dark eyes, he was overwhelmed by a flow of the purest relief one could ever feel: despair disappeared and was replaced by a powerful hope.

"Kakarot?" a rough voice said.
"Vegeta, oh my GOD!"

Goku, despite the tight situation, smiled widely. He had never been happier to see anyone.

"Vegeta, really, you won't believe me, but... boy, am I glad to see you!"

He showed him his opened hand, where the earring laid.

"Quickly, put this on," he urged. "We're far from Buu but it won't take long before he-"
"What for?" Vegeta asked harshly.
"What?"
"Kakarot, do you really think that this is the right time to be offering me dorky jewellery?!"
"What? No, it's magic - I have one, see? If you wear that one, we can fuse together!"

The prince snorted.

"Why would I want to fuse with you?"

Goku blinked several times.

"But... don't you want to defeat Buu?"
"No, I was just wandering around - I forgot my toothbrush back home when I died, and Yemma was nice enough to allow me to get it back."
"Uh?"

Vegeta blinked.

"OF COURSE I'M HERE TO CRUSH THAT THING!" Vegeta shouted. "But I don't need your help, especially not in a fusion - I can do it alone, thank you very much!"
"Are you crazy?" Goku replied. "You can't! You can't defeat him alone, I can't defeat him alone - I need your help Vegeta, please, you must-"

The prince's dark eyes narrowed into two slits.

"My help? My help? You have some nerves, Kakarot! Asking me for help after what you've done - no words can ever get close to describe the offence -"
"Offence?" Goku cut him. "What are you talking about?"
"DON'T PLAY FUCKING DUMB WITH ME, KAKAROT!"

Goku winced - if Buu didn't get to them through their energies, he would surely hear Vegeta's screams.

"I've travelled to the Other World too, you know!" he continued, eyes throwing knives at his rival. "I know about your Super Saiyan 3 transformation!"
"Oh, that-"
"Yes! Yes, that! You've kept that from me, you didn't use it when we fought!"
"So what? What's the deal?"
"What's the deal?" Vegeta scowled. "The deal is, you held back against me, while I gave you everything I had! Thought I couldn't handle it, perhaps? You've lied to me, Kakarot, and made me believe I could finally beat you! Never in my life have I been so humiliated -"
"But, really, Vegeta," Goku insisted. "Buu's coming, forget about that, we must-"
"Easy for you to order me to forget that - and don't order me around, I am the prince!"

For the first time, Goku truly felt mad at Vegeta. How could he be so stubborn and childish when the fate of the Universe was on their shoulders?

"Listen, Vegeta," he said very firmly, "We truly have no time for this! Buu... he's got everybody, all right?!"

Everybody?

"He absorbed everyone we care about," the other Saiyan continued.

A knife into Vegeta's heart.

"Chichi, Goten - Trunks, even Bulma!" he said, praying that his son and wife's names would convince his old rival.

Two other knives. Vegeta's fist closed tightly.

"They're all gone now, don't you get it? And they can't even die properly because... they're part of that thing!"

Vegeta closed his eyes very tightly. He had given up his life hoping that both of them would be safe... and he had failed. That thing had absorbed the two people he had ever cared about. He had his wife, his woman, the only one that could stand next to him as his equal, the one that had touched his heart of stone and changed it into a heart of flesh, the one who bore his royal heir years ago.

Bulma.

He had lost. He wanted her to be safe, and had lost. Never again would she dig her hands into his hair, never again would she press her body against his and moan his name, never again would she smile or laugh. Never again would her cerulean eyes flash with anger when he called her "woman", never again would she hug their son and tell him the tales of his father before putting him to sleep.

I'm sorry.

Had he not been so great at putting on this cold mask, he would've cried right there, right now, if front of Kakarot. He swallowed hard - both his saliva and his pride - and opened his eyes.

"All right, Kakarot," he said in a low voice. "Give it to me."

Goku smiled and dropped the jewel in Vegeta's gloved hand.

When it's done, I promise, I'll wish you back.

"Oh, one last thing," Goku said.

Vegeta glanced up at him, and he grimaced.

"It's a... it's a permanent fusion."

The prince's eyes widened: so after that... he wouldn't exist anymore? He would never be with Bulma ever again... but, after all, he was dead now. He wouldn't be with her no matter what. Being trapped forever with his rival, sharing his body...

But Bulma would be happy and safe. She'd smile, laugh, and play with their son. Perhaps she would even keep on telling him about his father's life as a warrior. Nothing else was important to Vegeta's eyes right now.

"Kakarot, you idiot," he said, rolling his eyes as he was about to put the earring. "Don't you think you could've said so before?"

Nonetheless, he put on the earring: and he stopped existing.

Vegeta took one deep breath. They were overpowered by Buu: for a split second, he almost regretted that he had destroyed the earrings. Buu was better in everything: he was stronger, faster, and more endurant. He could even reform his body even when blasted off - he had to be destroyed, atom by atom, but they were clearly not strong enough to do that.

We lost.

No.

He shook his head. Come on. If they couldn't beat him using brute strength, then they would do it with their minds: Kakarot was surely not the smartest cookie in the jar, but Vegeta himself, on the other hand, had always been recognised for fighting with both his mind and body. Most Saiyans were all muscles, like Nappa: Vegeta, however, had received a surprisingly clever brain. As a child prince, he had also been taught battle strategy.

Buu couldn't be beaten face to face, but surely he could be outsmarted.

"Dende!" he said.
"Yes?" the young Namek replied in his mind.
"Dende, I have a plan, but I will need you. It's crazy but it's gonna work."
"Whatever you have in mind must be tried."
"Go to your people's new planet and gather their Dragon Balls. Now!"
"Gotcha."

Yes. Yes, yes, this is going to work, the prince thought, staring at his rival as he fought Buu. If Dended spoke his wishes exactly like he asked, this was going to work.

"Kakarot! I have a plan!"
"Hope it's a good one-" Goku managed to say before being thrown on the ground.

Better than anything you could ever come off with.

"Vegeta? Vegeta, I have the Dragon Balls now! Porunga is waiting for your wishes!" Dende said.

The Saiyan smirked.

"All right. Here is my first wish: I want the planet Earth to be restored the way it was before Majin Buu destroyed it!"
"Ok."

After about thirty seconds, the teenage Namek's voice rose again:

"Porunga says it's done! What's your second wish?"
"Listen carefully now: I want everybody that died since the beginning of the World Tournament to be brought back to life, except for the evil ones!"
"Erm... ok."

Vegeta sighed.

"Wait, no! I can't! We Nameks don't believe in bringing back people to life - our Dragon Balls can revive only one person per wish!"

The prince's eyes widened: what?! What kind of lame Dragon Balls were those?!

"No, no, sorry, my bad - they can now!"
"Dork," Vegeta mumbled.

There was a moment of silence, and then Vegeta felt like a terribly heavy weight had been taken away from his chest. Before Dende's confirmation, he already knew: it had worked.

Bulma had been wished back to life - he knew it.

Bulma frowned, looking hesitantly around her.

"What..." Chichi started. "What are we... I mean, weren't we-"
"Dead, yeah," Videl said. "This... is weird. I have legs now."

Her eyes widened.

"Hey, we're alive!"

Bulma frowned even more.

"But... how's that possible?" Satan's daughter asked.
"The Dragon Balls," Bulma understood. "We've been wished back... but how? Who could've-"
"People of the Earth."

Her entire body trembled at the sound of this voice in her mind, and tears came up her beautiful eyes.

"Vegeta," she whispered, her hand covering her mouth. "That's... that's him! How - he died..."
"You can't kill those Saiyans," Chichi joked.
"Raise your hand to the sky," Vegeta's voice said, "And allow us to use your energy to destroy that monster forever!"
"What is he saying?" Videl asked.
"Whatever plan he has in mind," Bulma said, "It must be a good one."

Without any hesitation, she did exactly as her husband had asked: Yamcha, Krillin, 18, Chichi, Videl, and even Marron did just like her.

"He's taking our energy," Krillin commented after lowering his hand. "I smell a Spirit Bomb coming right for Buu's ass."

Bulma frowned a little.

"But Vegeta can't do a Spirit Bomb," she objected.
"Goku can," Yamcha said. "Vegeta said a group of warriors has taken the fight on your behalf... which means he isn't alone."
"Goku's time on Earth has expired."
"But we're there - maybe he was wished back, too," Chichi said, hope sparkling in her eyes.
"People of the Earth, this is not a joke! Raise your hands to the sky now, or else the whole Universe is done for!"

This time, the prince's voice showed that he was getting frustrated.

"We heard that already," Yamcha said. "Why is he-"
"Because people aren't listening," Krillin understood. "Except for us, and Piccolo and the others if they are alive too... nobody must've listened to him."
"What a bunch of fucking idiots-" Bulma started.
"We can't blame them," he replied. "Imagine, you hear a voice ordering you to raise your hand to the sky, and you don't know the guy. You think this is a freaking massive joke or something."
"People of the Earth," Vegeta's voice spoke again, much softer this time. "Please. I beg of you - we need your help. Don't let Majin Buu win, don't let him have your life again, and your children's!"

Bulma's heart sank: never had she heard her husband like that. The whole planet litterally had a prince to his knees for them, and they couldn't even realise it.

"Did he say..." Krillin started.
"Please?" Yamcha ended.

"Vegeta," Goku said with a hint of despair in his voice. "I'm not getting any more energy!"
"The Hell with it!" Vegeta scowled. "Who would've thought - I came up with the only way to defeat that thing, I'm giving them a way out of this mess on a fucking silver platter, and yet they can't even raise their goddamn hands - well, screw them."

He scoffed and crossed his arms as Goku too did an attempt to convince the Earthlings. Surprisingly, it worked: the Spirit Bomb grew bigger. Apparently, the clown was more popular than the prince, but this still was not enough.

Popular.

"Damn, Vegeta - I really need more energy!"

Vegeta quickly turned at Mr. Satan, who was hiding himself behind a huge rock.

"YOU!" he said, pointing him. "You talk to them!"

He seized the champion's shoulders.

"They're your goddamn people, they workship you like a freaking God - you tell them to raise their hands to the sky before it's too late!"
"But-"
"NOW!" Vegeta ordered.

Vegeta mentally crossed his fingers as Satan did his attempt to convince the Earth: he was truly their last chance.

Yes, they had stepped incredibly low to be putting their hopes on that prick.

"It's - wow - it's working, Vegeta!"

The prince smiled. Finally, a way out of this fucking mess.

"Hey, Buu - CATCH!"

Goku threw the huge Spirit Bomb towards the villain: but... but... the thing actually catched it! He was struggling, but... he managed to hold it back!

"Is there no limit to this thing's power?" he asked for himself.

They had gathered all the energy they could: how would they do, now?

Think, think!

Then, it occured to him as he laid his eyes on Kakarot: he was exhausted - the Super Saiyan 3 transformation had eaten up a lot of his energy. But if it could be restored...

"DENDE!"
"Ow, don't yell-"
"Dende, is the Dragon still waiting?"
"Y-yes... and he's quite impatient, glaring at me with those red-"
"I don't care - I've found a third wish! I want Kakarot's energy to be brought back to its maximum! NOW!" he ordered.
"Porunga says it's done," he announced about ten seconds later.

But Vegeta could already tell: Kakarot was glowing brighter than ever. He could even see him smile. The prince fell on his knees, unable to take his dark eyes away from the bright like that destroyed every cell in Buu's body: he felt the evil energy progressively disappearing.

He had done it.

He had saved Bulma.

End of the chapter: There you gooo ^^ I kinda cut a lot of stuff (mostly, fighting) because it's amazing to watch in an anime, but boring to write ^^ I hope you won't mind and still liked it!