CHAPTER 26 – A Second Chance?
Bulma bristled with excitement as Kami lead herself and Vegeta to King Yama's office (not that they didn't already know the way). Soon she would return to a place where night fell, real birds sang, and clouds where just clouds, not disembodied souls.
Vegeta's thoughts where a little more reserved. He had died and gone to hell and soon he would live to tell the tale, not that he would remember what it felt like to be in hell, even now his memories were vague and confused. All he knew was that he didn't want to go back there, and he couldn't help but wonder if this new life would provide him with a chance to repent. Could he change his ways, clean up his act and be rewarded with heaven? Or did the original judgment stand… forever? Was this new life merely putting off his inevitable fate? Perhaps, still rationally he could see that he had nothing to lose and everything to gain by changing his ways, except maybe his pride.
His pride, how could he ever deny it? How could he argue with the thing that gave him life? All his life he was rewarded for his ruthlessness, his strength and his ability to at least appear detached at all times. He was proud of these qualities; if he gave them up what would he have to be proud of? His heritage? How could he be proud to be a saiyan prince if he allowed himself to live the life of a human peasant, just to be with a woman with the physical strength of an insect?
The answers to all of these questions came suddenly and clearly to Vegeta, and his tension disappeared. If he could ascend and fulfill his destiny to become the legendary super saiyan, if he could rid the universe of Frieza and avenge his people once and for all, then no one in their right mind could question his right to anything, never mind his heritage or his pride, he would be a God.
Kami sensed Vegeta's mood change and smiled to himself, he may not have known the saiyan's thoughts exactly, but he knew enough to tell that he had found a solution to whatever inner turmoil plagued him, for now.
They finally reached Yama's office, where Kami's psychic connection to the earth was strongest and it was least risky for them to attempt to teleport to the lookout.
"Good afternoon King Yama" Bulma smiled politely.
"Yeah, and goodbye" Vegeta snorted
King Yama grunted at his insolence, but let it go since he would soon be rid of the troublesome saiyan for at least another 100 years, if his memory for saiyan life expectancy was correct.
"I hope all goes well with the Dragon Ball hunt, and for the earth Kami" Yama sighed
"I will keep you informed sir" Kami bowed to his superior and turned to his charges "ready?" he questioned
"Sure" Bulma replied
"Good, each of you take one of my arms" Bulma obeyed, but Vegeta sniffed
"Do I really have to hold your hand?" he said sarcastically
"Yes, if you don't want to stay here with King Yama for another couple of months" Kami retorted.
Vegeta took one look at Yama and did as he was told. The trio blurred out of sight and all in limbo breathed a sigh of relief.
Bulma opened her eyes to see the tiled area of the lookout lit by torches, it was late evening and she sighed in relief as she turned to the west to see her first sunset in over a year. She smiled as a gentle breeze gave her a slight chill, she felt alive again, even if she was stuck on this lookout until that was the case.
Vegeta smirked
'So this is earth' he thought as he walked to the edge of the lookout and peered down onto the world below, nothing but a mass of green and blue swirls, but even from this height he could make out the twinkling of distant lights as the darkness set in. 'not displeasing on the eye' he thought almost optimistically.
As both were lost in thought, Popo ran over
"Kami you're back!" he smiled gleefully "I have the guest rooms prepared and dinner will be on the table in a matter of moments"
Kami smiled at his reliable assistant
"Thank you Popo, we'll be with you in a minute, first I have something to discuss with our guests"
Popo nodded unquestioningly and returned to his chores. Bulma and Vegeta looked quizzically at him (though the look was obviously less evident on Vegeta's face).
Kami sighed. Now that they were out of limbo, he thought it would be safe to tell them the whole story, it was only fair. Right now though, he was feeling less than enthusiastic about the task.
"It is time for explanations" he replied to their unspoken question. Wordlessly they sat on the steps of Kami's palace and waited for him to take the lead.
Kami was unsure where to start, but began anyway hoping the words would simply come.
"You have both experienced death first hand, however at this present time only one of you was destined to have done so"
The listeners took this in, neither of them really understanding what it meant. Kami continued
"Vegeta, according to The Book of Destinies, you should not have died. You were supposed to reach super saiyan and destroy Frieza. Somehow, this did not happen and a rift in time could result if we do not act to rectify this, perhaps ending in the implosion of the universe. For this reason, the bizarre events of the past year have been part of an extremely elaborate plan."
Vegeta's facial expressions danced between shock and anger. He couldn't help but feel like a failure, how much more of a failure can a person be than to not even achieve that which is destined of them? He also didn't enjoy the idea that he had been treated like a pawn in Kami's elaborate plan to save the universe, but he could accept it.
"Continue old man, what should have happened?" Vegeta ground out between clenched teeth.
"In the destined course of time, you were to destroy Frieza, disband his armies and then, by some set of circumstances of which I am not aware, eventually come to earth. Here you were to meet Bulma… I'm sure you can imagine the rest. As it happens, Bulma, by some endlessly fortunate coincidence, was always destined to die at the time she did, and then be wished back a year later. After much persuasion I convinced Yama to allow you two to meet and spend a year together while I organized Goku to go to Namek and wish you both back at the same time."
"What I don't understand…" Started Bulma "is why it's so important that we get wished back at the same time that you were willing to send Goku and Krillin all the way to Namek?"
"Well," Kami faltered "in order to restore the natural balance of time, Vegeta must destroy Frieza and disband his armies, and as it happens Frieza will be arriving on this planet in just four or five months, depending on how many stops he makes on the way." Bulma gasped, so soon her planet could be destroyed, but before she could dwell on this Kami continued "Therefore Vegeta is needed within the next year, plus the gang have to be on Namek in order to pick Vegeta up when he is revived, he will reappear in the spot where he was killed."
"You mean I will reappear in the middle of space? The moon we fought on will have disintegrated to nothing, that much I did work out before I died!" Vegeta snarled
"Don't worry Vegeta, the gang have the exact coordinates of the old moon, you will rematerialize on board their ship if all goes to plan"
Vegeta folded his arms in disgust,
"Whatever" he snorted. Bulma rolled her eyes at his behavior, but still had questions
"So that means I'll be wished back to down on earth were I was struck by lightning? Which means that Vegeta…." She trailed of, looking pale "… he'll be alone on a ship with Goku and Krillin for a couple of weeks." She felt nervous, she couldn't imagine Vegeta taking to her friends too well, especially not Yajarobe.
"Yes, this is an unfortunate flaw in the plan" Kami sighed "but really we have no other option" Bulma nodded, Vegeta frowned
"What is wrong with these people? Why is it so awful that they will be sharing my ship with me?" he asked, suspiciously
"Nothing much Vegeta, its just that they're… not really your kind of people." Kami attempted to be diplomatic
"Yeah, for one thing they won't take to kindly to you calling the ship they've been using for over a month 'your ship', you really have to get over yourself" Bulma scolded
"Woman, if this 'Goku' truly is a saiyan, then he should understand that, as his prince, I out rank him and therefore all his possessions are mine as soon as I deem it so!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Vegeta, Goku isn't some dumb lackey for you to order about!"
Kami sighed and turned to enter the palace, tuning out the ongoing battle between his two guests. He had seen enough of their arguing over the last year to know that they would soon tire out and come looking for food.
Back on Namek, on a hilltop, the air was still and silent except for the sound of two space pods opening, and the grunts and groans of their occupants as they stretched out after their long journey.
"All the way from the Northern galaxy in that little box!" one groaned as he simultaneously stretched out his shoulders and kicked the pod by his feet
"Well I'm so sorry, next time I'll ask Master Frieza for better conditions" The other grunted sarcastically
"So what do we do now?" the first said after a pause
"First we eat, then we get right on with purging this dirt ball just like master Frieza ordered"
The first snickered at this
"Just like he couldn't the first time" the second smirked, he had to admit it was amusing to imagine Frieza running from a planet due to bad weather.
"I heard that" a dangerously low voice uttered from their scouters
"S-sorry Master Frieza" both men gulped
'Why did he have to be listening in just then?' the first mentally whined
"Just get on with your work monkeys!" the voice growled as the connection ended.
Both men sighed with relief and set about hunting for their dinner.
Ok! Chapter 26 done, and if you haven't already guessed who the two mystery men on Namek are, I'm disappointed in you! Review and tell me if you know or even if you don't!!