Mizu is Bulma, Kachi is Vegeta, Kaze is Goku/Kakarrot, and Chikanji is Chichi

Heartless

Goku shifted comfortably on Kintoun. Chichi had fallen asleep hours ago, and Goku marveled at how trusting she was towards him. After all, they had only known each other for less than a day!

The girl was just barely a woman, and physically, she had not even reached her twentieth year. Her mind was more mature... more complex... Kaze smiled found himself stroking Chichi's hair.

"Now how long have I been doing that?"

A silly grin spread across his face. He could not have cared less. The only thing that mattered was finding Chikanji's home without waking her up. She had fallen into a deep sleep and needed the rest in order to fully recuperate. Goku looked at the sky as if the heavens would open up and supply him with guidance. For a time, he felt stupid for not waking her up to ask the direction of her home.

A hand tightened around Goku's waist. He chuckled lightly. Even in her sleep, Chichi was still aware as to how far up she was. Suddenly, Goku's eyes widened. A solution had come to him. He knew just who to find… the only one who knew the Earth better than he did.

"I suppose we should see Vegeta."

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"May I ask why you lay idle?"

A humanoid was seated in the brittle dirt, running his grimy fingers through a pile of dust. He saw Vegeta's pair of sandal-clad feet and spat on them.

"No."

The demon rubbed the dust onto the feet, spreading the mud. Kachi remained eerily calm.

"Stand up."

"No."

In an instant, he struggled to breathe. Vegeta's hand was firmly clamped on his neck. The accursed man clawed at Vegeta's arm madly, and his icy blue eyes glowed with hate. Vegeta only sneered at the worthless human. He was disgusted! The scum in front of him had brought himself to hell, into the flesh of a demon to stir Earth's perpetual fires. Evil was repaid with eternal damnation. This knowledge nearly made Vegeta feel a tinge of pity for the slave...

"Fool."

Kachi's eyes remained empty. They were voids of the deepest black, and something shone in them. Pale flecks of gold, contrasted to dark pitch and made Vegeta's complexion satanic. Already, the skin of the choking man was marred with blisters as Vegeta's hand tightened around his throat.

"You brought yourself here. There is no rest or comfort! You are here because of your own damnable deeds! And do you know what the best part is?"

The man was barely able to shake his head.

"You cannot die," Kachi sneered.

Viciously, he impaled the creature with his own hand. A thick red liquid oozed everywhere and dripped down Vegeta's arm, splashing across his face. Vegeta dropped the man and removed his hand with something grasped in his fist. Snarling, he tried wiping the blood off his face, only to smear it further. The man kneeled, sputtering and clutching his bleeding chest in spasmodic heaves.

"I believe this belongs to you."

Vegeta threw the slimy organ to the ground. It still moved, rhythmically contracting in horrendous beats. With unnaturally wide eyes, the afflicted one curled in agony. Without so much as a second glance, Vegeta left the appalled man to suffer.

Vegeta walked away from the clamor of noisy slaves. His upper lip curled in annoyance when he felt a familiar presence.

"What do you want Kakarrot?"

Goku stepped out of the shadows to reveal himself and an unconscious woman. He was frowning.

"That was completely unnecessary, Vegeta. That man did nothing wrong."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Save your talk for someone who will listen. He was a mass murderer in his time. Being here is his problem, and it is my job to make everyone's stay as hellish as possible."

"Yes, but you did not have to do resort to such gruesome measures. It could take centuries for his demon form to regenerate!"

"Well, he should have thought of that before defying me. I know your reasons for coming here are not entirely set on annoying me. Why have you come?"

Goku sighed. Vegeta had been the brother-like figure he had looked up when they were children. His own brother was hardly worth any praise, so the boy named Kakarrot had grown attached to the older boy, Vegeta. Since Vegeta had become more ruthless and unforgiving in his afterlife, Goku had trouble remembering to whom he was talking to. Darkness was like a thick fog, lingering about Vegeta's very mind. He was clouded by hate and war.

"I am here to ask a favor."

Kachi nodded, "Go on."

"This woman is Chikanji, Mother of Earth."

Goku drew in a quick breath, waiting for Vegeta's reaction. Surprisingly, his long-time friend's eyes were filled with boredom.

"Of what importance is this knowledge to me?"

"I am certain that she has a home somewhere, but I was not able to locate it within a reasonable amount of time. There are many evil spirits that roam the mortal world... Chikanji works to control the dilemma, and I do not think that she has gotten any rest in a long while. Please- she needs a safe place to sleep."

"And how does this concern me?"

"Well, you know the Earth better than anyone, so I figured you could help."

"Look, Kakarrot, I do not have time for petty road travels! If this woman is really an immortal, then just go and find her a home among the mortals. I am sure she will do well with them."

"Vegeta!" Goku whined.

"Very well! Hand her to me," Kaze ordered.

"Huh?"

"Hand her over, fool! I haven't got all day!"

"Alright, alright..."

Kaze hesitantly lowered Chikanji onto Kachi's outstretched left arm. Kachi concentrated on his free hand. He balled it into a fist while Kaze watched curiously. When Kachi's hand opened, a tiny flame crackled on his palm. He brought it close to Chikanji's limp arm, half expecting her to wake in a panic. To his amazement, Chikanji's skin was not affected in the least. She had not even batted an eyelash.

"Interesting," was the only thing Vegeta could say. "Perhaps she is worth the time."

Goku released the deep breath he had held.

"And this is good?"

"Come, follow me," Vegeta said, not answering the question but instead placing the woman back into Goku's arms.

Goku handled Chichi carefully and followed Vegeta through stone halls away from the eternal fires.

------------------------(Random flashback…)

"Come on! We should go on an adventure or do something dangerous."

"Bulma, it would not be too wise to-"

"Save your excuses, Vegeta. Do not tell me you have not been itching to get out of the palace. I have been out exploring plenty of times!"

"Well I should know…" Vegeta mumbled sarcastically.

"Sitting around here is boring."

Vegeta pouted. He felt extremely aggravated at having to bend to the little princess' every will. She was a prick in his side, a rose. He would never tire of her razor tongue. She always had a sly response for everything.

Bulma's eyes clearly showed that she was irritated.

"Are you coming or not?"

She carefully walked to an open window on the tips of her toes.

"Bulma!" Vegeta warned.

"Farewell," Bulma smirked. She gripped the ledge and flung herself off.

"Bulma!"

Vegeta ran to the balcony ledge and searched feverishly for a glimpse of blue hair. Then he caught sight of a moving limb. He scanned down the tree's trunk, and saw the princess. She smiled deviously at him and beckoned him to her. The warrior only let out a sigh of relief. After only six months of being Bulma's protector, he had begun to believe that she would be the death of him.

The princess's bodyguard silently leapt into a nearby tree. He went undetected by the royal guards. Bulma had a more difficult time sneaking away since her blue hair was not something that was easily concealed. The moment Vegeta jumped to solid ground, they threw off their sandals and departed from the palace in a swift sprint. Vegeta figured that if they ran fast enough, the guards would not recognize the movement and excuse it as an animal.

The forest was so near that Bulma could make out the features of tiny rodents that scampered away at the sound of crunching twigs.

"You are slowing, princess."

"Be silent and keep running," she snapped.

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Bulma woke with a cold sweat. She breathed deeply from the sudden memory.

Why did I have the dream when it is a memory so easily forgotten?

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A/N

I'm hoping this story will be much cleaner and better written than before.