Without further ado:
Chapter 15: Where Are They?
REWIND~ Before Goku saved Kagome ~REWIND
Onyx colored eyes snapped open as a gasp parted his lips allowing dirt to fall into his mouth. Sputtering and spitting, the revived saiyan leaped from his grave. His senses buzzed as he looked around trying to remember what had happened to put him there. And like a tidal wave it hit him, Frieza had killed him but not before saying that Kagome was alive, that she was here on Namek.
Looking from where he felt the clashing ki's, that could only belong to Frieza and Goku, and to the ship, it wasn't hard for him to decide, in fact, there wasn't even need to choose. Even if Frieza was lying if there was even a possibility of her being there he had to check. Kagome was far more important than some fight, or revenge for that matter. She was alive, and that's all that mattered.
Racing towards the ship faster than he had ever been before. She was here; they could be together as they should have. He was going to make up for all their lost time; he would prove to her that he was worthy of being her mate. And that he would spend the rest of his days making up for not saving her. He would become strong enough to protect her and any of their future children.
He had been on that same ship a thousand time before, yet he had never noticed. That's what hurt the most. He had been so close to her, so many times before and he had failed to save her.
The ship was in sight within seconds, his heart raced, and a smile came to his lips. Kagome She was here; she just had to.
And as he was to move closer, his body froze in mid-flight, his ki and muscles refusing his request to move. There was a moment of weightlessness; his senses were hazy once more. He couldn't even move or see past the streaming of color that swirled past him. It almost made him sick.
Had he died again without noticing?
And just as it had happened he was falling; he fell upon a hard surface. It took several blinks before he could see his surroundings. What he had landed on was, in fact, the ground in which was covered in bright green grass, all around him he saw tall trees and far above he saw a blue sky.
Was he back on Earth?
Standing he looked around with growing anger. Why was he here? What force has dashed his hope of reuniting with Kagome?
Throwing back his head a roar, similar to that of a beast's, ripped from his chest. His ki surged around him in bright flashes of light, the force knocking down trees and picking up dirt.
"KAGOME!" He screamed to the sky.
Gohan rushed towards the sound followed by Denda and Bulma. Coming upon the newly created clearing the young boy had to shield his eyes, same with the others. Denda even holding onto Bulma so he wouldn't fly away.
"Vegeta! Calm down!" Gohan yelled
Beast-like eyes turned towards him, red clouding the normally white part of his eyes. Even without the Moon, and his tail, it seemed the prince was close to changing.
"Calm down!? I need to get to my mate!" He roared at them the force knocking Bulma to the ground with a shrill scream.
"She has to be on earth! Everyone besides Goku and Frieza was wished here!" Bulma yelled back.
This made Vegeta freeze and the color to recede from his eyes, but the power remained making him glow much like a star. No one dared to take another step forward for fear he'd turn that raging power onto them.
"We'll help you find her," Gohan nodded. If he was right that nice lady that saved him was this 'Kagome' person that Vegeta was looking for. "Does she had black hair and blue eyes?"
This made the saiyan both happy and angry. Glad to know she was alive, and angry that the kid had seen her without telling him. He couldn't hold it against the boy as it had never come up in the limited conversations he had with the kid or the small group for that matter.
"Do you know where she is?"
"No, but I remember her from when she saved us from Frieza back on Namek. He would have killed me if she hadn't attacked him,"
Vegeta's form visibly stiffened, his eyes taking on a glazed look. Had she attacked Frieza? Had he killed her because of it? Was that the reason as to why he couldn't sense her on the ship?
Gohan walked up to him slowly, ignoring the protest of Bulma and Denda, and once next to the taller saiyan he gentle grabbed his hand. The act made Vegeta flinch before looking down to the small boy who offered him a small smile.
"Let's go find her and if we can't, we'll wish her back with the dragon balls," the boy beamed, and as much as he tried not to Vegeta gave him the smallest of smiles.
Sadly their search would turn up empty, everyone worried about the battle between Goku and Frieza, while Vegeta worried for Kagome.
"Vegeta?" it came as a soft whisper, similar to a coo. Giving the person a sideways glance he noticed it to be the human woman Bulma; mate to Goku.
"What is it?" he asked in a not so gentle manner. He didn't really care at the moment, his hopes of being with his mate had been dashed.
Heat rose to the bluenettes face."I'm going to let your attitude slide because you're going through a hard time, but I wanted to offer you a place to stay while on Earth. We can wait to wish on the dragon balls there with all the Namekians,"
He raised an eyebrow now fully looking at her. "Woman, do you really have enough room to house all of us?"
She stomped her foot with an angry huff. "It's Bulma!"
"Alright Bulma~," He said with a roll of his eyes. "Do you have enough room to house all of us?"
She blinked at him a few times not expecting him to be as civil as he was now. He seemed nothing like the saiyan that threatened to kill her entire species. "Oh yeah, my family is one of the richest on Earth, second only to the Tashio family then again they go back centuries," Vegeta rolled his eyes and looked away as she continued to drown on about her family, the Briefs, creators of Capsule Corporation who were rivals with Tashio Corporation. It seems she liked to talk. "I'm sorry seems I was babbling there," she laughed nervously, or maybe in embarrassment, a light shade of pink coloring the bridge of her nose.
"I accept your offer," he inclined his head in gratitude. He would be in debt to this girl for some time as he figured out how to survive this world.
Shaking her head and arms her blush darkening. "It no problem, really!"
"Still it is most generous of you to offer me, someone who you no doubt thought of as an enemy, a place in your home,"
"Well, of course, I would, I can't leave you to be homeless. And besides you're not all that bad, I think Goku was right about you back on Namek," her eyes glossed over as if she were no longer there but back on Namek. "He didn't believe you to be evil, in fact, I think he saw you as some kind of friend, or maybe he wants to be friends. I don't know, but he trusted you, so I'm going to trust you too,"
A humorless laugh left Vegeta as he stood looking down at the slightly shorter woman. "You and your mate are very strange,"
Bulma shook her head slightly confused as to what he meant by 'mate, ' but that could wait for some other time. "Whatever, let's get going," turning on her heel she lead the saiyan to where she had previously used one of her plane capsules. Seated in the clearing was a large Cargo plane, it had knocked down several trees to make room for itself.
~o.O~O.o~ 130 Days Later ~o.O~O.o~
Vegeta sat back as everyone gathered around the Namek dragon balls to make a wish. Porunga had been summoned, his large form just as intimidating as he remembered it to be the last time he saw the muscular dragon of dreams. The skies, within a good several mile radius, turned black just as they had on Namek leaving the dragon to glow in all his powerful glory.
The first wish had been to wish Goku and Krillin's souls to Earth's check-in only for the dragon to inform them that Goku, in fact, survived the destruction of Namek although he didn't tell them how or where the saiyan was.
"Is there anyone else in place of this Goku?" Porunga asked.
A yell was building in his throat; he deserved one of those wishes, after all, he had earned the one he'd received from that namekian elder. He couldn't bring himself to demand a wish; he'd caused a lot of problems for these people, both humans, and namekians. How could he wish back Kagome when several of their friends and family had died to fight Frieza.
"Excuse me," everyone turned to the large elder, the very one who'd gifted him one of the balls on namek. "But I believe one of those wishes should go to him, after all, I did give him the one from my village," he said pointing a finger at Vegeta.
His eyes grew wide as the elder eyed him across the way, his large hand tenderly placed on Denda's head.
"But that's Vegeta! He's almost as bad as Frieza!" Vegeta visibly flinched at the small namek's comment.
The elder shook his head with a small laugh while staring down at Denda. "You are wrong. He did not harm any of my people or any of our people, those that he killed were men working for Frieza," this made the child gasp as Vegeta looked away. "The desire for revenge can take many forms,"
"B-but-"
The elder cut him off with a solemn shake of his head. "I have seen into his soul and knew he would not wish any harm to any of us, all he wants is his family back. Everyone else is to be reunited with theirs why not him?"
The small namek looked at the ground with trembling fists. The half saiyan, Gohan, put a hand on his shoulder giving him a nod and reassuring smile.
"Who is it you want wished back? We will wish them to the earth's check-in station with the others,"
"Her name," he took a deep breath, it had been so long since he's said her name. "is Kagome,"
Denda nodded as he looked up to Porunga. "Come on, who else is to be brought to Earth's check-in, I don't have all day," the dragon groaned out.
"We wish for Kagome to be brought back in place of Goku," Denda yelled up at the dragon.
The dragon's eyes glowed red for several moments as Vegeta held his breath in anticipation.
"It cannot be done,"
"What?! Why!?" Vegeta yelled.
"The one known as Kagome, the sacred miko, lives,"
Vegeta turned to Denda with desperation not only in his voice but written on his face. He didn't care if anyone thought him weak, he only wanted her back. "Wish for Kagome and Goku to be brought to earth," he cared not if Goku was wished back to earth but it would save everyone a wish.
Denda looked back at Gohan and Bulma who nodded quickly; clearly wanting the same thing.
"For our second wish, we wish for the ones known as Goku and Kagome to be brought to earth,"
The dragon nodded slowly before eyes once more become a shining red; several seconds went by as everyone looked on anxiously.
"It cannot be done, Goku does not wish to be brought to earth at this time. As for the one known as Kagome, the sacred miko, my magic can not touch her. They will come to earth together but on their own,"
Everyone looked up at the dragon in awe.
But Vegeta turned away, his eyes brimmed with angry. Kagome was alive, had been alive, for all the years they'd been separated. Why wasn't she here then? If his magic couldn't touch her, what saved her from the destruction of Namek? The only thing he could think of is that she made it off with Goku which would explain why the dragon said they'd arrive together.
Kagome…
"This Kagome, what's she to you?" It was the bluenette, her normally loud voice now a soft whisper.
"She was to be my mate," he sighed sitting against a tree. The others cheered as Krillin, and then Yamcha was brought back completing the three wishes guaranteed by the Namek dragon. The darkness receded to show sunny blue skies.
Bulma looked over her shoulder once before sitting down next to Vegeta. "Your mate? What does that mean, were you two going to be married?"
He took a deep breath. "Mating is different to each species, for Saiyans taking a mate is for life, binding them for all eternity. There are many forms of unions we take part in; runting, seasonal, breeding but none so precious as being mated, it is a eternal promise to protect and die, to live solely in their honor. The bond is said to carry into death,"
"Wow, then she must mean a lot to you,"
He nodded. "All this time I thought her dead," he didn't know why he was telling her all this. "She mustn't want me anymore if she has yet to return to me?" How could she possibly love me after all I've done? I failed her as a mate.
"Don't say that!" she nearly yelled causing him to look at her. "There has to be more to the story! You said people only mate because their soulmates, right? Then there has to be a reason as to why she's taking her time in returning to you like Goku. The dragon didn't say that she wasn't ever going to come to earth, she could be on her way right now for all we know." She spoke with such conviction he, almost, believed her.
He looked at her wide eyed. How could she be so sure of what she was saying?
"Be positive," she winked. "They'll be here before you know it,"
Then she became all serious with a concerned almost shy look. What was wrong with her? Did she have multiple personalities? Such suddenly mood changes couldn't be good for one person.
She was poking her fingers together in a nervous, almost embarrassed, fashion. Pink dusted her nose as she looked to the ground. "How did you know you and her were meant to be mates?"
His raised eyebrow his way of asking 'Why?'
"It's just I've been with Yamcha for so long... but Goku..." She groaned in frustration and her head fell forward in defeat. He almost laughed, it reminded him so much of how he had been when he realized he wanted Kagome to be his life mate.
"Would you die for him?" he asked.
She simply looked at the ground.
"Would you live for him?"
Again he received silence, it was clear from the look in her eyes that her mind was reeling, trying to process her thoughts and feelings as they undoubtedly clashed.
"If you can't say yes to both, then you have your answer,"