Chapter 3 Realization
Yamcha and I were broken up when Goku died by the hands of his brother. Goku's death left me thinking that life goes by so unpredictable. Our reunion, along with Krillin, Roshi, and the others turned out to be his wake. Secretly, on the way back to Roshi's after I took the scouter from Raditz, I thought about him. Not in the Goku-as-a-kid way, but in the view that Goku is now a man, a handsome man at that. He had grown up from a little, innocent boy who would take on anything, into a settled grown man with a beautiful wife and a charming young boy. Looking at Goku made me wish for a husband just like him. He's attractive, honest, loyal, and so optimistic. I could imagine how much joy Chi Chi must feel for having such a wonderful man. I was distantly attracted to him, which made it strange since he was dead and he was younger than I was. I rarely looked at Yamcha the same. He still had that battling instinct that turned me on, but I needed something more. I needed the loyalty that Goku possessed.
The Saiyans were coming, and I began to hope that Goku would come back as strong as ever from training with the King of the Worlds. I knew Yamcha was up at Kami's, but I didn't too much care. All I could think of was how wrong he did me, and always have. There were too many broken promises, and regrets for me to love him the same, but I did. I still loved Yamcha, and Puar kept trying to cheer me up for the wrong reasons. "It'll be okay, Bulma," Puar would say, hovering over me as I tanned at Roshi's isle. "You have to understand that he, well he sometimes get mislead by negative things, but he always comes back, don't he?" That angered me to hear the cat talk like that, but I kept it to myself. "Thanks, Puar. You're a good friend." I know the only thing Puar cares about is Yamcha's happiness; I commend her for that. She is a loyal friend. I bet sometimes she wishes she could transform into a girl and gain his attention. Maybe she already has. How funny and weird would that be?!
Anyway, when the Saiyans arrived, I know Yamcha was eager for the battlefield. He loved to fight. I didn't worry about him losing at all. These Saiyans were in for a helluva fight, I thought. With a new and improved Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Chaozu, Tien, Goku, and my baby, Yamcha, the earth was sure to win. Perhaps after the fight, he would really propose to me, and I would say yes. I would agree to marry a man that took me for so much granted. But I would have especially said yes if he'd ask before he fought. Seeing Yamcha die struck a cord in me I never thought existed. A realization came over me. I realized that these aliens were in a different league. They were fighting for domination, just like all of the others Yamcha and Goku fought. However, they didn't have an ounce of mercy. Plus, they were incredibly fearful and strong. If Puar could have just kept her tears inside, I doubt if I would cry in front of the others. "It's okay, child," Roshi said to me on that day. And I cried. I didn't carry on like Puar, maybe because I didn't fully understand that Yamcha was dead. But he was. After awhile, Roshi tired of me being in arms (or possibly just tired up intentionally feeling me up) and told me to calm down. "Now that's enough, Bulma. Toughen up." "It'll never be enough," I wailed. "I'll was going to have Yamcha's children one of these days!" Wow. I said that. And I meant it. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Yamcha. Just one year, I realized, and he would be back in my arms with the Dragon Balls' help.
We all sat at Roshi's looking at the fight, watching our comrades, one by one perish. The cameramen managed to sneak in close enough to get a glimpse of the Saiyans, the so-called Commander Nappa, and Prince Vegeta. I watched as they sat proud of their power and heritage commenting on how weak us earthlings were. Nappa did most of the killing and fighting, but why didn't Vegeta want to fight? Was he afraid or just so much powerful than that giant he was with? I watched him, and became afraid of Vegeta more than Nappa. He was so proud looking, as his tail wrapped around his waist. That devilish grin he occasionally gave. That cocky stance he kept throughout my friends' deaths. So help me Kami, I thought. I'm enthralled by him. Quickly, I erased any and all sudden feelings I had for that saiyan as so not to mislead my own judgment and trust I had in Yamcha. "Would ya look at that saiyan runt right there," I teased in front of the others. "Yeah, look at that wimp!" Oolong agreed laughing. "I know Goku will make mincemeat out of that jerk!" Roshi cleared his throat and looked at me, and I knew what he thought. I sat back against the table as Ox King and Oolong laughed at my comments. I felt ashamed. I didn't think about that saiyan for a long time after that day.
I was just as eager about going to Namek as the others, of course. There we would find a new set of Dragon Balls, since Piccolo and Kami were dead, and wish back all of our friends, including my 'fiance.' Who would of thought space travel was so damn fun! Fighting off ships, flying through asteroid belts, fighting two mind-boggling aliens; it was a blast! Gohan, Krillin and I didn't know how much trouble we were getting ourselves into on Namek. At first, we worried about running into Vegeta, but then the name Frieza began to ring in my ears. "We've landed in hell..." I muttered. And our savior Goku was still in the hospital. Gohan and Krillin left me for a day looking for the Dragon Balls before the two evil forces grabbed all of them. I sat there in my caved-in a Capsule House, simply evaluating the past year of my life. It'll never be the same. I never imagined the Dragon Balls had such a history as they did. And now, if further word gets out, the whole universe will look for the balls. But mostly, I thought of Yamcha. I wanted to be married. Honestly, I didn't want to be out here at the end of the galaxy searching for these balls; I wanted to be in the arms of my man, my husband Yamcha. The only way to make this dream come true was to be out here at the end of the galaxy. So I toughed up. Soon, I thought. Just have patience.
But I lost patience. I lost it. When Goku arrived on Namek, so much chaos occurred that I thought I was going to die for sure. All the explosions and waves of energy, I couldn't stand it. The only comfort I found was the thought that I was going to die soon and I would be in the after life with Yamcha. Suddenly, I didn't care. I stopped caring. Why should he come back just to hurt me again? Maybe he deserves what he got. I wanted to live. It was Gohan who saved me from falling to my death on a near extinct Namek. And it was the powerful Namekian Dragon Balls that transferred everyone else and I on the planet except Goku and Frieza to Earth. I was so glad to be home. I wept to myself. Something in me said to just let go, just like Roshi told me that one time so long ago. And I cheered. I knew someway, somehow, Goku would come home, no problem. "Kakarot's dead!" Vegeta exclaimed as he lounged in the field. "I will now rule the universe, me, the strongest of all! My dream will now be achieved!" "Shut up, ya big jerk!" Gohan yelled. Whoa, I thought. He actually spoke to him like that. Then I recognized he isn't invincible, like we thought. Hell, Frieza took him out with ease, I heard. He even cried before he died. He wasn't as heartless as I thought; just too much damn pride. I'll see them all again, I assured myself. After hearing from Yamcha myself in hell, I knew it was true. "It won't work," King Kai said sadly through my telepathic conversation with Yamcha. "They would dematerialize in space if you wish them back. It's hopeless." It was, as I told Gohan and the rest of the Nameks that Goku and Krillin couldn't come back. "You idiots!" Vegeta yelled. I forgot he was around then. "Earth has a check-in station, right? Then just wish them back there, and then wish them back to life. Stupid." Hmm, he was right. I was so pleased at that moment. I wanted to hug him and thank him. "Thanks, Vegeta," I simply said with glee. "I'm impressed." He then turned away, but I knew he was blushing. Flesh and blood after all. Not only did I invite the Nameks to my house, but Vegeta also. He needed a rest from all that fighting and killing. "Cool out for awhile with us! You need a break, Vegeta." He didn't agree, but did get on the airship with all the others when father and Chi Chi came to pick us up. Finally, I wasn't afraid of him like I was, and the feelings I had for him when I initially saw him on TV came back. And I liked it.