'My time is up.'
That thought echoed through Bulma's mind. Her eyes were closed. Her body felt like a weight, so heavy, pulling her down into the dark while her soul was reaching up toward unfathomable light. She felt the tug of war between life and death passively as she reflected on her life.
In her youth she had known adventure. She had traveled the world hunting dragon balls but found a much greater treasure in the friends she made along the way. It was exciting and also dangerous and they had encountered more than a few villains along the way. In spite of the dangers they faced she never knew real loss because they had Dragon Balls. Everything would be alright as long as they had Dragon Balls.
But then the androids came and then it seemed nothing would ever be alright again. Her life after that was pain, loss, and the fight for survival. She did everything she could to stay alive and protect Trunks, her last treasure. He was always strong, like his father had been, but there was no way he could defeat the androids alone. If only they had dragons balls, they could have wished to undo all the death and destruction. But the dragon balls were gone. Then Bulma wondered if there wasnt another way to rewrite history. She built a time machine, humanity's last hope, and sent her son back to warn his father and her friends of the coming danger.
It didn't change their future. The past her son was born in would always remain unchanged but the alternate history that was created saw a much brighter future. When Trunks returned he was stronger than ever. He destroyed the androids that plagued their lives and finally things began to look up.
But no matter how things changed in her own time, Bulma knew that somewhere out there, in another reality, another version of herself was leading a far better life. That Bulma's world wasn't destroyed. She still had Dragon Balls and her friends. She had all her family together. It was hard not to be jealous of this other Bulma. She had everything she could ever want. Sure she had hard times as well but they would always get better, right? Bulma tried not to resent the other woman. She tried to be happy that her actions had given some version of herself the life she'd hoped for.
In the end Bulma came to except the life she had lived and even find her own happiness. She believed that she had no regrets.
But now, as she held on to the last breath in her lungs she wondered "if I could have one wish... the dragon balls are long gone... but if I could... I wish I could see him again." This was her last thought. One final heartfelt wish as she let go of her earthly tether and her soul began the journey to otherworld.
King Yemma heard this dying wish with amazement. Why anyone would want to see that arrogant Saiyan Prince was beyond his understanding. But there had been so much love and longing in that request that when the women's soul stood before him he asked her about her wish.
"You know that Vegeta is in Hell. He was a killer. A soldier of Freiza and a ruthless warrior. Why would you want to see a man like that?"
"Because he has a good heart. If circumstances had been different he would have proven himself a hero. He just didn't get the chance in this reality."
King Yemma had heard of this alternate reality, had seen it second hand while reviewing Bulma's life for judgment. Supposedly Vegeta had lived to become one of Earth's greatest defenders. Hard to believe. Then the woman continued.
"Even if he hadn't, I would still want to see him. I still have things I needed to say to him," she pleaded with the ogre.
"I am not convinced that Vegeta's soul can be saved," said King Yemma. "But if you believe there truly is something redeeming in him then I'm willing to give him an opportunity to prove it.