In the previous chapters…

After coming to Gohan's defense, Piccolo is defeated during a battle with the Androids. With the resulting loss of the dragon balls, Vegeta makes the decision to risk the travel to Namek.

Concerned that the journey will be intercepted by Frieza and his men, he forbids Bulma to join him and Gohan. Knowing that she doesn't stand a great chance for survival on Earth, and not wanting to leave Vegeta's side, Bulma is undeterred by his warnings about the dangers of space. In secret, she designs a ring that straps around her ankle and successfully renders her ki unreadable when activated. Using this, she is able to sneak onto the ship while Vegeta and Gohan are distracted, and hides away in his bedroom. After hours of travel and anxiety at the idea of having left Bulma behind, Vegeta finally discovers her when walking into his room to get some rest.

The trip is long, with the ship feeling way too small at times, but they finally arrive to Namek in one piece. They don't have much time to celebrate their arrival, because they soon learn that some of Frieza's men are there, and they're pillaging the villages of Namek in search for clues of Vegeta's whereabouts. Because of this, he is immediately shunned during his first encounter with an elder. Instead of forcing his way to the dragon ball that the elder is protecting, Bulma convinces Vegeta to confront the ones terrorizing Namek. He takes off, but makes it clear that he's angry about it, which disturbs her a bit at how willing he was to hurt the elder. Bulma, Vegeta, and Gohan arrive just as the culprits are ravaging another village. And, from the hill that Vegeta leaves Bulma on, they see that Frieza's men are specifically targeting an old man and a young boy…

"I have already told you to leave us alone." The elder Namekian, Moori, was stern amid the intimidation. His back was straight and his head was high as he stood up to the ugly figures, even as they terrorized his village. Moori was acting as a shield for his young brother, whom was currently enveloped between his body and the side of the house. "Leave here at once." He continued, feeling the boy's face nuzzle into his back.

"I'm tired of not getting answers..." Cui was replying, his voice a whistle as he spoke. "I know that Vegeta was here… And he is quite the type of man to make his presence known, so I am sure you are aware of that... I want to know what it was he was doing, and where it is he went."

"If I said I haven't seen anyone, what more can I say?" Moori replied. "You cannot force me to lie."

"Want me to beat on him?!" Napple asked, slamming a fist into his open palm. "Ah, tell me to use the kid as an example, Cui! Please tell me I should do that!"

"Yes, and I'll take on the old shit after he watches the little boy die..." Appule hissed. "It's what he deserves for disobeying orders..."

"You will do no such thing!" Moori barked, his body tensing as the child's fingers curled into his shirt. "You will leave Dende and I out of this! We are guilty of nothing!"

"Not guilty? Oh, it's really inconvenient to come all the way out here and not get any useful information..." Cui sighed. "Appule, go ahead and show him the trophy we picked up from the last town. Perhaps it may help to refresh his memory…"

"Yes, sir..." Appule stepped out in front of his commander, raising an object that he had previously been hiding behind his back.

The young child, Dende, screamed as he peeked from his brother's side. Hanging from Appule's fist was the shriveled face of one of the eldery Namekians from the other village. The head, dried blood at its base, was already pale and discolored with decay. The mouth was hanging open as its cold eyes lifelessly stared out into the abyss… As if stuck in a timeless yell. It was dangling like an ornament as Appule held it by a pointed ear, swaying in the calm breeze...

Realizing the true extent of the severity of this situation, Moori straightened even more than he already had been. Terror was coursing in his blood now, but he refused to show it in his eyes. His head and shoulders back, he calmly took a step forward, creating an opening for the frightened child that was still cowering behind him. "Dende. Run. Run far from here. Try to get help." He said quietly, turning to his little brother. "Go now. It's too dangerous for you to stay."

"B-But!" Dende trembled, shaking his head. Not only did running render him vulnerable, but how could he leave his older brother during a time like this? "No, M-Moori!"

"This will be your final warning." Cui's voice shot. "Now, I will ask you one more time."

"I mean it, Dende. Don't worry about me. All that will happen is simply meant to be. Now, go. Hide." Moori continued. "I want you to run. Now! And don't look back. I will keep them from going after you. Understand?"

Tears were filling the boy's eyes. His big brother, Moori, had been a father figure to him throughout his short life. This was the person who had raised him since his first day, cared for him, and was now protecting him once again. Dende knew that he was specifically being told to do this, and yet the guilt of abandoning Moori was rendering him paralyzed. His feet stuck in place, he was shaking as he watched his brother step even closer to the menacing bandits that were threatening them. "GO!" Moori screamed, and a second later he was summoning his power.

The tears were rolling down his cheeks now, and Dende's breath caught as the fabic of his brother's clothes began to rise. He knew Moori's ki was rocketing – which meant there was no turning back. And, his little body surging into autopilot, Dende turned and began to sprint away. He was gasping, panting, trying his hardest to ward off the emotion plaguing him. The loose fabric of his clothing was threatening to trip him at any moment, but he pushed himself forward regardless. He didn't want to know what was happening behind him. He didn't want to register the commotion that he could hear going on. Even as he listened to Moori's gutless yell, he couldn't bear to look back. Dende just had to get away - he just had to!

… Just like his brother had told him...

"NO!" A new, strange voice suddenly screamed. The next thing Dende knew, all breath was knocked from his stomach, and he was being whipped into the air. He screamed, his heart pounding with adrenaline, and he was helpless to cling to the person that was holding him as they spiraled through the sky.

"You'll be okay!" The strange voice barked in his ear. "I'm not going to hurt you!"

It was then that Dende realized how young this new person sounded, and it was oddly comforting. For the first time he opened his eyes, his curiosity peaked. What he saw was the ground, kilometers below, as his body continued to soar across the sky. Up ahead was a hill that they were fast approaching, and a moment later he was being settled on the dewy green grass.

Wide eyed, Dende stumbled out of his savior's arms, and he clumsily swerved around so he could see the stranger's face for the very first time.

"You'll be safe here!" Gohan was panting. The half-saiyan was trying to be reassuring, but his expression was twisted into a gnarl even as he spoke. Beads of sweat were formed all along his hairline, and the stranger's jaw was quivering. "Stay here, okay? I'm going to go help Mr. Vegeta!"

"V-Vegeta?" Dende blinked. Why, wasn't that the name of the man whom those bandits had been demanding to see? "Wh-Who are you?"

"I'll tell you when I come back, okay? There's no time now! Just stay here. I need to go make those guys pay!"

As Dende watched, his mouth hanging open, the strange boy let out a primal scream. In the blink of an eye, his hair changed from black to gold, and his energy was visibly radiating around him. And then he was off, flying out over the hill, spiraling back down to the battle taking place.

Numb with shock, the green boy looked from Gohan's figure, to his village down below. He could make out the outline of his brother, who was laying face down in the dirt. "M… Moori…" Dende breathed. A gust of air was blowing around the child, whistling into his ears, and it seemed to weigh down on him as he fell to his knees. "Moori…"

.

Gohan had been watching the altercation take place since they had landed on the mountain with Bulma. In the distance, he had seen as Frieza's men threatened and insulted Moori's village.

He had witnessed the gestures of Appule and Cui, and their horrific displays of barbarity. And when Goahn watched Dende step out from behind Moori, all he felt was anger... Dende, so frightened and small, watching helplessly as his caretaker sacrificed themselves in order to save him. It only resonated with Gohan, who had suffered a similar circumstance with his mother and the Androids. Moori was taken down before Vegeta and Gohan could reach them, which only made the young half-saiyan scream out in rage. The fight hadn't started yet, and he'd already failed in saving Moori...

Right after killing the elder, Appule had turned on Dende. He had pointed his opened hand at the child, and at any second he was going to take him out from behind. It was too much for the Gohan to bear. "NO!" He'd shouted, temporarily distracting the bandit. It was then that he reached Appule, landing a kick into the reptilian's temple. The alien's head spun from the impact, and Gohan used this opportunity to sweep Dende into his arms and take off.

"What was that?" Napple gagged dumbly, watching as Appule lost his footing and sank into the ground.

"Just a little welcoming gift." Vegeta replied, finally making his presence known. He had a smirk on his face as his feet calmly touched ground. Cui and Napple both spun around the see the saiyan prince. For such a short stature, he appeared so tall, his head high as he stood before them in all of his glory. "Hello, men. You may grovel now, as I have finally arrived."

"Ah - look! It's Vegeta!" Napple gawked, with a pointing of his meaty finger.

Cui rolled his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. "I can see that, you idiot... Vegeta, we meet again."

"Shut up." The saiyan was stone-faced as he spoke, seeing no point with such formalities. "State your purpose for coming here, Cui."

"I don't believe you are in any position to be giving orders right now... Frieza is most unpleased with your latest treason."

"Care to make a more useful statement?" Vegeta folded his arms over his chest. "Tell me what it is that alerted you into coming here."

"Oh, just a small tip from an old friend..." Cui hissed. He turned to lazily look at Appule, who had risen to his feet and was dusting himself off. "Hitting someone while their back is turned, how cowardly," Cui continued. "I must say, it suits you perfectly, your majesty..." None of the three seemed to be giving any thought about Gohan, who had earlier attacked, for they were far too pleased to be face-to-face with the saiyan prince himself.

"Right, and yet you require the same luxury just to take out a few low-leveled Namekians." Vegeta was still smirking, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "What was it you were about to pull on that child? Getting him while his back is turned? My, my, you exhibit such courageousness..."

"I wouldn't talk so boldly if I were you." Cui's calm expression fell into a snarl. "The last time I checked, I outrank your power level. And you no longer have Frieza's protection either, monkey. It would be smart to stay on my good side... Unfortunately for you, you were never on it to begin with."

"Spare me your sob stories, Cui, I'm getting bored." Vegeta cracked his knuckles. "How ironic that you were killing Namekians for information, and yet your life now depends on what you tell me. Now, I want to know how Frieza learned that I would be on Namek."

"I believe we're just talking in circles. Frieza will be happy fill you in once we reunite you two."

"Not happening." Vegeta said. And then, before either of them had the chance to say anything else, Napple let out a sudden shriek of pain. Cui turned to the source of the noise, and he gasped to see Gohan standing where Napple had once been. The half-saiyan had just struck the alien, who had been thrown back and slammed into the hard dirt.

"What?!" Cui spat, taking a step back. This was the first time he was regarding Gohan, having been too distracted by Vegeta to care until now. "Who are you!"

"You guys are terrible!" Gohan spat, his blue eyes glistening as he scowled. "Killing all those innocent people! What did they do to deserve this?! I could never forgive you! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"This doesn't make any sense!" Appule hissed, eyes wide as he stared at the reading on his scouter. "His power level is only 10,000! How did he do it?!"

"It was a lucky hit." Cui replied. "That's what happens when you let your guard down."

"But he KILLED Napple!" Appule replied. "He KILLED him! It's not possible!"

"Don't worry about it! We all know Napple wasn't very strong, and he also wasn't paying attention. He got what he deserved. Now, take care of the kid, and I'll work on Vegeta!"

"Yeah, good luck with that." Vegeta scoffed. "You're both going to need it."

"You know, Frieza said he wanted you alive, but he didn't say anything about delivering you unharmed." Cui let his yellow teeth show as he spoke. "It's going to feel so good beating you! I've been waiting years for this..." And then Cui raised an arm and fired a blast. However, as soon as the beam was shot, the saiyan prince disappeared. "What?!" The indigo man spun on his heels, but his foe was nowhere to be seen. "Where did you go?!"

"Right here, fish."

Cui actually screamed when he turned, and Vegeta was back to standing where he had been in the first place. "How did you-?!"

"I'll let you in on some updates." Vegeta was grinning as he waved a menacing finger. Then, slowly and so casually, he bent down. He made a show of unshackling Bulma's ki-restraint from his ankle, and his eyes were glowing when he stood back upright. His smile grew even wider as he began to power up, his spiked hair standing even more on end as his energy rose.

Cui backed up, the numbers on his scouter soaring. "Wh-what... Wh-"

"The great thing about being a saiyan is that, when we become injured in battle, our strength grows tenfold. In my time away I have been beaten to the brink of death on more than one occasion. Tell me, what would that mean for my power level? Do you like my new strength? I wonder how high the number on your puny scouter will rise…"

"It - It can't be! HOW?!"

"Relying on scouters, tsk tsk. So amateur. During my excursion, I have learned to sense power levels without the constraints of technology. And I have also learned the art of restraining my own ki! Tell me, Cui, do you envy my strength? I'm sure you're rather jealous, don't lie."

"What! Restraining ki?! Is that how that boy was able to kill Napple with a power level of 10,000?!" Cui demanded. Gritting his teeth, the indigo fish was taking a shaky step back. "He… He-"

"Perhaps, because Gohan's power level is much higher than a measly 10,000. He was merely cloaking his energy, too. Now, prepare to die, Cui. I'll look forward to seeing you in hell." Vegeta balled both of his hands into fists. The energy surging through his body was a sensation he never grew tired of, and the look of fear on his enemy's face only enhanced the ecstasy. He yelled out as sparks of electricity flashed around him, his muscles pulsing from the high.

Purple lips were trembling as Cui's scouter reached its limit. Vegeta's ki had risen far too high, and too fast. In an instant the screen on the device cracked, before the scouter exploded from the fish's face. He yelped, taking another step back, as Vegeta closed in on him.

"It will bring you comfort to know that Appule has already joined Napple at the gates of hell." The saiyan glared. "You'll have company."

Cui opened his mouth to respond, but only inaudible sounds could find their way out. There wasn't a single doubt about the truth in Vegeta's words, as he turned to see his second comrade lying face down in the dirt. Gohan stood over him, gasping and looking somewhat bewildered, staring down at his victim.

"S-Sir Vegeta!" Cui cried, dropping to his knees. "This has all been a misunderstanding! I was only serving Lord Frieza's orders! Please! Have mercy!"

"So pathetic. Stand up and die with dignity, fool."

"No! Please! I - I'll tell you how we knew you would be here! I'll tell you all that we know!"

"Oh, I'm not too concerned about that anymore." Vegeta smirked. He lifted an arm and aimed it at the indigo man that was groveling at his boots. "After all, Cui, you were right. I'll just find ask Frieza, himself."

"But-!"

And that was the last thing Cui said. His voice drowned in the explosion of Vegeta's fist, which pummeled his head so hard that it caved in. His limp body was falling to the ground before blood even had the time to spill. And when his purple scales hit the ground, so still, an unsightly hole was gaping where his eyes had once been.

"Ha." Vegeta growled, stepping away. He powered down as he stared at Cui's fatal injury. He didn't turn away from his rival until his ki had completely returned to normal, and the high of his recent kill was less overwhelming by the time he had reached Gohan. The boy was silent as his mentor looked down at him, seeing that there was a line of blood streaming down the boy's arm.

"The lizard actually landed a hit?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"He asked for mercy." Gohan replied blankly. "He… He begged me, and then when I listened… He did this."

"Hm. Naivety is just as deadly as any other weakness, boy." The saiyan prince tsked. "Cowards will always beg for forgiveness, before striking with a sneak attack once you let down your guard. Your injury is relatively minor - cheap lesson. Now you know not to fall for such meek tricks again."

"They killed... they were hurting everyone." Gohan said quietly, as if trying to justify to himself what he'd just done.

"Yes. They did. Now come on, let's go back to Bulma."

"I think I should go check on the one that I saved." Gohan looked as if he were trying not to burst into tears.

"Right. It was smart of you not to take him to where Bulma is, by the way. If those guys had followed you, they would have discovered her... Go check on him, if you must, then come meet us."

Gohan nodded, and then the two were flying off in opposite directions. He was quick to reach the young Namekian, who was sitting with wide eyes after watching the battle that had just transpired. The half-saiyan landed beside him, smiling awkwardly as he did so. "Are you okay?" He asked, noting how perplexed the Namekian was.

"I... I think so... But my brother... Moori."

"I'm sorry." Gohan sighed. "I really wanted to save you all, but we didn't get here quick enough."

"It's not your fault." Dende sadly lowered his eyes, and then he looked to the half-saiyan. "Hey… Your arm..."

"Ah! Oh, uh!" Gohan's eyes widened, and then he let out an awkward laugh, throwing a hand behind his head. "Oh, I'll be alright! It's just a cut!"

"No, let me see." The green child crawled towards his new friend. "It's the least I can do to thank you for saving me..."

.

"Oh, Veggie!" Bulma was squealing. She had her arms wrapped around him, and was rapidly planting kissing on his shoulders and along his neck. "You did it, you did it! Oh my gosh! That was amazing!"

"Woman!" Vegeta rasped, his hands stiff on her hips while she cooed. "Not so loud! ...Someone might hear you!"

"But you were so great! Oh!"

"Okay, okay..." He lowered his voice to a whisper, patting her on the waist impatiently. "Look, Gohan is coming back - you and I can celebrate this victory later... When we have privacy."

"But-"

"Just... Ssh." Vegeta gave her a quick peck on the lips before stepping away and folding his arms over his chest. He scowled and looked down at the ground sheepishly, trying his best to appear nonchalant.

Large blue eyes blinked at the saiyan, stunned by how bashful he was behaving. Wouldn't he be eager to receive praise like this after a battle? After all, it was only Gohan that was coming. They never really exhibited affection to one another in front of him, but surely Vegeta had been around the boy long enough to at least be comfortable hugging her? Nevertheless, Bulma smiled at the kiss she'd received, and she turned just in time to see as Gohan closed in on them from the sky. "Hey!" She called with a wave. "Gohan! Who's your friend?"

"My name's Dende." The little green boy called back with a shy smile. He and Gohan landed side by side, looking up at the adults expectantly.

"What happened to your arm?!" Was the first thing out of Vegeta's mouth. "It's completely healed!"

"Dende did that for me!" Gohan had a devious smile on his face, as if he was letting the adults in on some naughty secret. "It feels as good as new!"

"You did that?" Vegeta gawked, turning on the Namekian boy.

"Yeah, well..." Dende's cheeks became a darker shade of green as he blushed shyly. "It's kind of an ability that I was born with. I told Gohan it was the least I could do for saving me..."

"So Namekians have healing powers?!" It was now Bulma's turn to gape down at the strange boy. Why hadn't she ever learned this from Piccolo?

"No, not really." Dende shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, like an unruly child awaiting punishment. "I-I'm the only one that can do it. Papa Guru told me it's what makes me unique."

"Papa Guru?" The Bluehead pressed.

"Enough with the interrogation. We have other things we must focus on." Vegeta growled, impatience once again setting in. "Listen, Dende. We came in search of the dragon balls. Is there anything we must know concerning them?"

"Good point!" Bulma added. "We already tried to get one of the balls, and this old guy told us we weren't allowed to have it because he said we didn't pass his test. The thing is, we didn't even have the chance to take any damned tests! He got upset when he learned that this is Vegeta. He basically told us that we were disqualified because of those jerks who were looking for us, like a judgmental old-."

"Oh!" Dende interrupted. "Well, you guys did save me... And, even though you couldn't help us all, you stopped those men from hurting anyone else. I'm sure the elders will be happy about that. I'll tell them to give you the dragon balls!"

"So, that's it?" Bulma grinned, looking to see Vegeta's reaction. "They're basically as good as ours?"

"I can't promise, but I think if I talk to the elders they'll understand."

"Yay!" Gohan shouted, shooting a fist in the air. "I'm gonna get my wish! I'll get to see my mom again!"

"Not so fast, boy!" Vegeta replied. "I'M going to get MY wish!"

Bulma could see an argument brewing, so she turned to the young Namekian with a thoughtful finger to her chin. "Back on Earth, we had to wait a full year after using the dragon balls to be able to make a wish again. I don't suppose you guys have more leniency with their usage here, do you?"

"You have to wait 130 days." Dende replied.

"There! Hear that?" Vegeta nodded at Gohan. "That means I get my wish first! Without it, we might not still be around after 130 days!"

"I don't understand..." Dende tried, but Gohan was already yelling his retort that drowned out the Namekian's soft voice. "Hey..."

The two saiyans were now barking in each other's faces, with Vegeta leaning down to be eye level with the boy. Bulma and Dende watched, cringing at the scene. The Bluehead had a palm to her cheek and shook her head. Dende was looking like a scared animal that only wanted everyone to get along. "Guys...?" He tried again.

"I came all the way out here to make sure I see my Mom again!"

"YOU came with the purpose of gaining experience in combat, boy! You know perfectly well that the intention of the dragon balls has always been for ME to use, since day one!"

"Guys?" Dende mumbled, looking to his feet.

"Well why do you get to have the first wish?! I've been helping you! I should be able to have some say! It's not-!"

"HEY!" Bulma finally snapped, rendering both saiyans silent. They turned to glare at her, but she ignored their exasperated looks and continued. "Would you both be quiet and listen to Dende, already?! HE'S the expert, here!"

"Really?" Vegeta spat, folding his arms over his chest. "Really? And I don't suppose will he take my side in telling Gohan that he needs to learn who he is talking back to, will he?!"

"Uhh... no." Dende gulped. "It's just... I don't see what the problem is. The dragon balls will grant three wishes, so-"

"THREE WISHES?!" Bulma and Gohan exclaimed in unison, while Vegeta's mouth silently dropped open. The Bluehead turned to Gohan, taking him by his small hands as the two began to hop up and down in circles. The boy was giggling as she began to sing. "That's one wish for each of us! This is better than ever! Hooray, hoo-rayyy!"

"Three wishes..." Vegeta gulped, his right eye twitching. He was watching the Bluehead and the half-saiyan as they celebrated, but his mind was far away as he blankly stared...

Three wishes…

All that made sense was the concept of having so many wishes to himself, and all at one time… It was intoxicating, and it wasn't until Vegeta realized that they were all looking at him that he finally broke out of his trance. He cleared his throat, shaking his head to assume a more casual posture. "...Fine, that settles it." He grunted. "Let's hurry up and commence our retrieval of the balls. I'm losing all patience I have left."

"Okay!" Gohan was still smiling from ear to ear as he turned to Dende, his lips stretched so wide that it nearly hurt. "So, you'll come with? We could sure use your help!"

"Hm... Well, okay." Dende smiled. "As long as we can go visit Papa Guru first."

"That sounds great to me!" Gohan replied. "What do you say, Miss Bulma?"

But Bulma didn't respond. She was too fixated on Vegeta, who had been sporting an expression on his face a moment ago that had taken her by complete surprise. He'd wiped it away as soon as he'd noticed her staring, but it hadn't been quick enough for her not to have been unnerved by it…

… Vegeta had been clearly distracted by an internal dialog that was transcending his imagination. His eyes had been narrowed into a dangerous smile, his pupils dilated with unspoken plans. He had turned away and was avoiding eye contact by now, and his body language only filled the Bluehead with more unease. Something about hearing how many wishes the Namek dragon balls offered had immediately set something off in him, and Bulma didn't like this one bit. Something about this was disconcerning…

"Miss Bulma?"

There was a tugging at her arm now, and the Bluehead looked to see Gohan grasping her wrist. "You okay, Miss Bulma?"

"Oh - Of course I am… What's up?"

"Guru?" Gohan asked. "We're going to go see Guru. Weren't you listening?"

"No." Vegeta finally spat. "Absolutely not. We are to retrieve all nearby dragon balls first! What's with you two and constantly wanting to make detours?"

"But, Vegeta..." Bulma turned on him. She hoped that her voice sounded less on edge than she felt. It seemed that he was back to acting normal, but that didn't necessarily make her feel better. "…If Dende is there to vouch for us, then surely this Guru guy will be able to also help us out, don't you think...? There's a reason Dende wants to go see him..."

"Bah!" Vegeta spat. "Here's what we're going to do. I'LL go retrieve the dragon balls from the villages that were already pillaged by Cui. In the meantime, you three go visit whoever that man is. We will regroup after."

"Alright, sounds good!" Gohan grinned. He smiled at Bulma again as his fingers dropped from her wrist to her hand. "Ready?"

Frowning, the Bluehead was back to staring at the saiyan prince. It was as if he could tell that she was suspicious – he'd already gone back to avoiding eye contact. Clearly he wasn't going to bid her farewell. This was typical of the saiyan, who enjoyed maintaining a distant image. But still…

With a sigh, Bulma turned to the boy. "Alright. I'm ready."

"Okay Dende, lead the way!"

It was then that the three took off, with hardly any more time to be wasted. Vegeta remained still as they went, not wanting to look up, and risk catching the Bluehead's eyes. He waited for the sounds of their flying bodies to dissipate into silence before he bothered to move. Shaking his head, he turned around to look down upon Dende's destroyed village. "The first dragon ball will be in there somewhere..." He muttered.

And then he began his hunt, closing in on the town. The farther away that Bulma flew, the less foreboding his conscious felt. The trademark smirk had returned to his cheeks, and slowly he stepped towards the tattered buildings.

'Three wishes...' He thought again... Not one, but three? What would one do with three whole wishes? …What was there to desire other than immortality?

Vegeta knew the answer to that. He knew it perfectly well...

... His planet...

If Vegeta could think of what he wanted almost as much as eternal life, it would undoubtedly be the return of the world he'd come from. To be able to go back there, to walk the soil as an adult, and to assume his rightful position as prince.

But what would a third wish dictate?

Ah, the saiyan had to gulp down saliva as his mouth began to salivate with yearning. He knew fully well what that third wish would be. It went without saying. With a third wish, he could bring every saiyan killed by Frieza's men back to life. He'd have his kingdom to rule over. His army, and his men. It would be as if nothing had happened in the first place...

... The saiyans would finally rise again...

'Wow,' Vegeta thought, licking his lips. His tongue ran over his pointed canines, enjoying the feel of their jagged tips brushing into the skin. The plan was coming to him so fast, in one smooth flow of thought. Like a book that has been cleverly written and was now being devoured so hungrily. These were things he'd dreamt of, but had never considered would come true... And yet, here it was. The opportunity to take back what had been stolen from him so long ago…

The Bluehead would be upset with him. In fact, she already was. He could tell. She had the uncanny ability to read him unlike anyone before ever could, and she was already aware that his plans had changed. 'Oh well.' He thought, so intoxicated with his own imagination, that he lacked the capability to consider how she might feel about all of this. After all, he was going to tell her. He would just have to talk to her when they had the benefit of privacy… There wasn't anything else he could do about that right now…

'Three wishes...' The saiyan's face was crooked as he pushed open the door to the first village house, stepping inside to see if this was the one that contained the dragon ball.

This was almost too good to be true...

Another chapter down! Thank you for being so patient with these! I hope you enjoyed this!

The next update will come on Friday, November 1st!