It's been quite busy around here and I finally had a small amount of downtime to get this chapter out. It's starting to come towards the end of this story and I'm probably going to work on Blue Flame next after this story is completed. I do thank everyone for being patient with me as I have been puttering along. Real life is always in the front before my stories. I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out but here it is and hopefully I won't take so long with updates. I know I say that every time, but life never stops and being busy is a state of mind.

VP

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Chapter 20

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Bulma looked down at the completed pendant with a sigh. This was it, the final hope that Goku would remember what he needed to. She shook her head and started to head up the stairs. It wasn't like her to feel defeated, but this was clearly out of her hands now. Sometimes science and magic were not meant to mix and as optimistic as she was previous, this was a whole new ballgame. It wasn't about amplification, it was about tampering with the mind. Goku hadn't had his memories in over 20 years. This could either do nothing, or scramble his brain beyond repair. She had her doubts that his memory would return simply because of how long it had been.

In her musing, she looked up to find herself at the door to the bedroom and stepped inside. Vegeta was laying on the bed reading one of the many magazines that lay about their room. She smiled softly at him before deciding to take a bath. It had been a while since she was able to relax and it felt like a much needed activity.

"I'm going to take a bath." She stated before moving to kiss him.

"I'll join you." He sighed before getting up. "I cannot rest anyhow."

"Tomorrow's the day."

"Indeed. Whether or not Kakarot retains his memories is irrelevant. The battle will go on and we must be victorious." He undressed as she turned on the water. "For now, I just require some time with my mate. Come, let us relax."

He eased into the large bath tub and instantly shifted into his true form. His body leaning against the back of the tub as he crooked a finger in her direction. She smiled a lazy smile before joining him and easing against his warm, smooth body. A sigh escaped her as the warm water eased her aching muscles from too many sleepless nights. It was definitely a good idea, she decided, as all the worries drifted away on a heady note of lavender and rose oil.

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Goku was tired, utterly dog tired. He didn't get hardly any sleep the night before. He knew the risks involved with what was going to happen today. Going into a battle with no memory of the enemies, no understanding, no nothing. It was unsettling and Chi-Chi honestly didn't make it any better on him at the moment. She supported his choice to help, but she didn't like it. He understood, to an extent. He was happy with their normal life too, but now normality was only a construct.

He reached the end of the stairs towards Bulma's lab, his entire body on autopilot as he walked through the open door to see Vegeta and Raditz on either side of the blue-haired queen. He rubbed the back of his neck as the awkward silenced stretched on between them all. There was no turning back now and as much as he was uncertain if he wanted what little memories from his past back, the truth was that it might make things easier.

"Just sit here, Goku." She sighed and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "There will be no pain, you'll either remember or you won't."

He swallowed hard as she picked up a necklace from the tray, the pendant attached to it inside a strange looking contraption, before she connected it around his neck and stepped back. Vegeta stepped forward then and placed two fingers on the center of the stone and closed his eyes. He felt energy coming out of his fellow mer before his eyes glossed over and he was taken into darkness.

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Vegeta sighed as he probed the mind of the second son of Bardock. It appeared to be a void of bleakness after he finished sorting through his 'human' life memories. Nothing beyond coming ashore was found. It seemed that time had damaged anything useful. It was an empty void, bleak, unending and the mindscape was crumbling around his feet the longer he stayed. He tried to keep looking for anything of use, but there was nothing but a foggy gray plane of existence.

With a huff, he eased out of the area and back towards the 'human' side of his mind that was lively, and full of memories. It seemed that this last ditch effort was all for naught. Time had taken its toll on the mind of Kakarot and nothing from his previous life remained. Maybe Bardock did it on purpose so that this son didn't have to face a fate worse than death.

Having enough, Vegeta exited his mind and opened his eyes to the face of his mate and then turned to Raditz as well. "He has no memory of anything before coming ashore. Time has erased any and all knowledge of our culture and people."

"Then the war is lost." Raditz looked at his feet. "I was not meant to have the power he was to posses. It's for the second born son alone."

"The war is not lost." Vegeta growled. "Just because he doesn't remember the family secret, doesn't mean we do not have other means. We leave for the kingdom in three days time. Be ready."

"What about Kakarot?"

"He's coming with us, he's already agreed to fight. We just have to figure out what we're going to do differently. There is much potential in him even if he's not completely battle worthy yet. Something is stirring inside of him that needs to be let loose."

"I see." Raditz looked down at his brothers sleeping frame. "What is it?"

"I do not know, but we have little time to dwell on it now."

"Indeed."