Chapter 23
A/N ok, so I hated the last version I put up of chapter 23…it was way too rushed, and besides, today I had a much cooler idea for an ending, so I am re-doing. Please forgive. Half of the piece is the same, so skip it if you've already read it. Sorry for the trouble!
"Holy Kami," Bulma murmured. All the Saiyans had frozen on the spot, perking their ears up to hear the jets more clearly.
"How far off would you say, Vegeta," Cartock grunted. He began pacing furiously back and forth, his arms tucked behind his back. Vegeta detached himself from Bulma and went to face the Saiyan officer.
"At best, I'd say twenty minutes," Vegeta said gravely. A month ago, Vegeta would have cared nothing about his father's destructive revenge on Earth. He wouldn't have even cared last night, until the bathroom incident with Bulma. Until he finally realized that he actually cared for Bulma. And as much as he despised Goku, he couldn't help but feel glad that Goku, once a tough, fierce Saiyan, was struggling through the same attachment to an Earthling as Vegeta was.
"VEGETA!" Bulma, Chi Chi, and Cavala seemed to scream at the same instant. His attention had noticeably drifted away for a moment.
"Vegeta, we will never last against an army of Saiyans," Chi Chi screeched.
"Yeah!" Bulma wailed. "I mean, the only ones who have trained are you and Goku and Cartock. We don't stand a chance!"
"Vegeta," Cavala said, stepping up before her brother, "we can't let Father kill them. They are your friends…we can't let him do it. We HAVE to stop him." Cavala's lip quivered and her jade eyes seemed to sparkle with tears. Typically Vegeta was patient with his sister's humanly emotion, but now was not one of those times.
"WOMEN!" Vegeta boomed. "This is no time for yelling or crying. It's a time to think and plan. It may be a short time, but it's all we've got." Vegeta seemed to pacing in step with Cartock now. "And Cavala, I don't want another word out of you today. You've done enough to get us into this trouble by even being here." Vegeta turned his back to his sister as she slumped to the ground, burying her face in her hands and sobbing.
"I'm so sorry," Cavala sobbed genuinely.
With that, Cartock stopped pacing and squarely faced Vegeta.
"Vegeta, right now I don't care about your position or lineage. I will step out of line to tell you to step back IN line. Don't ever talk to her that way again," Cartock fumed, motioning to Cavala. He towered over the shorter Saiyan, jabbing him sharply in the breastbone. "She is your sister, Vegeta, and you have no idea how much your supposed 'death' crushed her. She came here because she loves you, and without her, you have nothing, so show some respect." Cartock spun furiously away from Vegeta, and resumed pacing. Vegeta wasn't quite ready to be talked down to, though.
"What gives you any right to believe you know anything about my sister? You have no authority to lecture me about her!" Vegeta raged.
"I HAVE ALL THE AUTHORITY TO LECTURE YOU ABOUT CAVALA," Cartock boomed, causing all three females to cover their ears in pain.
"WHAT GIVES YOU THIS AUTHORITY?" Vegeta shot back in equally deafening tones.
"I AM HER MATE!" Cartock yelled, finally quieting Vegeta. "We weren't planning to tell anyone at the time because Cavala was so distressed over your 'death.' And then we decided to come find you, so we definitely couldn't tell anyone then." Cartock narrowed his eyes at Vegeta. "So there you have it, Vegeta, your sister even put her life on hold for you."
This time Vegeta didn't say anything in return. He'd been put in his place, and rightfully so. In the short time of silence, Yamcha, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
"I hate to say it, guys, but you've wasted about seven of those twenty minutes with your arguing," Yamcha said from his position on the floor, and after receiving a death glare from both Vegeta and Cartock, he fell silent once more.
"Well does ANYONE have ANY ideas…anything?" Cartock tossed this phrase into the open, thinking it would be met with no reply, but instead, everyone in the group began to shout and argue, hardly suggesting anything to save Earth.
In the midst of the confusion, Chi Chi had looked out the window, a movement catching her eye.
"Guys…" she stammered, only to be drowned out by Vegeta and Bulma and Cartock, all shouting out strategies at once. "Guys…" she tried once more, but to no avail. "GUYS!" she finally screamed at the top of her lungs.
"WHAT!" Vegeta, Cartock, and Bulma screamed at Chi Chi in unison, turning to glare at her. But all they saw was a deathly pale Chi Chi, whose eyes and mouth were opened with fear, and whose arm pointed shakily out the window. Everyone's eyes followed Chi Chi's gaze, and to the amazement of the group, they could see thousands of space jets, filling the air. Bulma's horrified neighbors were stepping outside of their homes, looking at the sky with terror and amazement. The four Saiyans and three petrified humans also stepped outside, keeping their eyes on the sky.
"Looks like twenty minutes were wishful thinking," Vegeta grunted. He began bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, seemingly preparing for a vicious fight.
"Vegeta, now is NOT the time for your cynicism," Bulma snapped. "Something has to be done! NOW!" Her voice grew increasingly frantic, and Chi Chi latched onto Bulma's arm for support.
"Something will be done," Vegeta retorted. "In about three minutes, when these jets land, we will either fight or die." With that, he commenced jabbing the air in front of him.
"Wait!" Chi Chi yelled, almost gleefully. "Goku! The DRAGONBALLS! Can't they solve this problem?"
"But I was gonna wish for my ta--" Goku started, only to be interrupted by Vegeta.
"You fool! You've had dragonballs this whole time?" Vegeta nearly spat on Goku. "Give them to me, now."
"No," Cavala whispered, "Give them to me; I have the perfect wish."
As the jets rapidly approached, and their roar grew to a deafening pitch, Chi Chi shoved her satchel, full of dragonballs, into Cavala's slender arms. In a flash, Cavala had pulled out the balls and summoned the dragon, mere seconds before the jets began to land.
"HURRY!" Bulma screamed, bracing herself for the impact of the jets.
"What is it that you wish, Cavala," the majestic, smoky dragon questioned.
"I wish…" Cavala began. The group could feel the rush of air as the jets prepared for landing.
"HURRY CAVALA," Vegeta bellowed, not wishing to die because of his father's vengeance and his connection to Bulma.
"I WISH MY MOTHER NEVER DIED!" Cavala screamed.
A blinding flash of light filled the sky, and Bulma, Chi Chi, and Yamcha threw their hands to their eyes. Everything stopped. No sound was heard. No jets were landing. Bulma peeked out bravely from her fingers, and her eyes were met with a cloudless, jetless sky. Her neighbors were out watering their gardens, walking their dogs, laughing.
"Ww-what happened?" Chi Chi breathed out in confusion upon opening her eyes. "Oh my Kami!" Chi Chi screamed. Goku, Cavala, Vegeta, and Cartock were no where to be seen or found. "Oh my god, Bulma," Chi Chi said, tears welling up in her eyes, "If Cavala's mother never died, the King would have never wanted revenge on Earth. He would have never sent Vegeta to scout us out; he would have never exiled Goku. Cavala would have never come here looking for Vegeta. The would have never existed to us!" Chi Chi sobbed violently, slumping to the floor and crying painfully. "I loved him, Bulma. I loved him," she whispered between sobs.
"Oh Kami," Bulma muttered. "What has Cavala done?"
A/N: this is obviously not the end, so please keep reading. Thanks for the reviews!