Bab 11: Chapter 11: Grief and Afterlife
Received the second sincere review, here's the bonus chapter!
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The sky was a soft shade of blue as Bulma's personal plane zipped through the clouds. For the past few days, she hadn't heard from Vegeta. That wasn't entirely out of the ordinary, Vegeta often kept to himself during his training. But this time felt different. The eerie silence made her uneasy, and Bulma had learned to trust her instincts. It had been too long since he or any of the Z-Fighters had contacted her.
Korin's Tower appeared on the horizon as Bulma piloted the plane with a steady hand, her heart heavy with worry. The moment she touched down on the Lookout, she quickly exited the plane, her pace hurried as she approached the platform where she saw Dende and Mr. Popo standing. Their expressions confirmed her worst fears.
"Dende!" Bulma called out, her voice trembling. "Where's Vegeta? Where are the others?"
Dende's face was pale, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Bulma... they're gone. Frieza... he killed them all."
The words hit her like a physical blow. Bulma staggered backward, her hands flying to her mouth as the reality of the situation settled in. Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice cracking as she screamed, "No! That's not possible! Goku... Vegeta... they can't be gone!"
Her knees gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, her sobs filling the empty air of the Lookout. Dende and Mr. Popo stood nearby, helpless to ease her pain. Bulma's world was unraveling before her eyes. She had lost Vegeta, the man who had become everything to her. And Goku, her friend since childhood, was gone too.
Her hands fumbled for her phone as she shakily dialed Chi-Chi's number. The phone rang several times before Chi-Chi answered, her voice brisk and unaware of the catastrophe about to unfold.
"Bulma? What's wrong?"
Bulma could barely get the words out. "Chi-Chi... they're gone... Goku... Vegeta... Frieza killed them..."
There was silence on the other end of the line before Chi-Chi's voice broke. "No... no... Goku can't be gone. What about Gohan? What about my son?"
Bulma's tears fell harder. "All of them... Gohan too."
A heart-wrenching sob echoed from Chi-Chi's end of the line. "My Goku... my baby... not Gohan too... please no..."
The phone fell from Bulma's hand as Chi-Chi's wails filled the air. Bulma clutched her knees, her heart breaking not only for herself but for her friend. The two women were left in the devastation of their losses, their loved ones taken from them in a blink.
....
Days earlier, when Frieza's devastating attack had struck, the Z-Fighters found themselves in the Other World, their forms floating in the ethereal landscape of King Yemma's palace. Goku was the first to land, his instincts kicking in immediately. He knew where they were, he had been here before, during his first death. The rest of the Z-Fighters materialized one by one around him: Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin.
Vegeta was scowling, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "So this is it? We lost to that bastard again?" His voice was filled with a bitter rage, though deep down he couldn't deny the truth.
Goku placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. "We did all we could, Vegeta. But this isn't the end."
Gohan, looking dazed and confused, stood next to Piccolo. "What happens now, Dad? What do we do?"
Goku gave his son a comforting smile. "We go to King Kai's planet, Gohan. We'll train. If we get revived, we need to be stronger, more prepared. Frieza's more powerful than we thought."
Krillin, still adjusting to the fact that he had once again died in battle, nodded solemnly. "I guess we should get moving, huh?"
Goku led them toward the snake road that stretched out before them, its path winding into the distance. "Come on, guys. King Kai will be expecting us."
Piccolo remained quiet, his thoughts racing. He had been through death before, but this time felt different. He had failed to protect the Earth, failed to stop Frieza. He couldn't shake the weight of his own failure as they started their long journey down Snake Way.
As they traveled, the atmosphere grew lighter. Goku, ever the optimist, tried to keep spirits up, encouraging Vegeta and the others. But even his light-hearted nature couldn't erase the gravity of the situation. They had been beaten, and Frieza was still out there.
"Let's make sure this is the last time we die," Goku said, smiling as he floated ahead.
Vegeta grunted in agreement. "Next time... I'll be the one to destroy Frieza."
As the Z-Fighters neared the end of Snake Way, the small planet of King Kai came into view. Goku's heart lifted slightly. He knew that with the right training, they could get strong enough to take on Frieza. But for now, they had to wait, wait for the chance to be revived and return to the battlefield once more.
Upon reaching King Kai's planet, Goku felt the familiar pull of the planet's heavy gravity as his feet touched the ground. The Z-Fighters landed beside him, each of them struggling for a moment under the pressure. Even Vegeta had to adjust to the difference in gravity, though he gritted his teeth and refused to show weakness.
King Kai emerged from his small house, looking at the group with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Well, well! What brings all of you back here? You weren't planning to die again, were you?"
Goku scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "We didn't exactly plan on it, King Kai. Frieza... he's back, and stronger than ever. We need to train if we're going to have a chance against him."
King Kai's face grew serious. "Frieza... that's not good. You'll need more than just training if you want to defeat him this time. But..." he chuckled, his light-hearted nature returning, "while you're here, you can help me with some chores! Maybe clean up Bubbles' mess!"
Vegeta glared at King Kai. "You expect the Prince of Saiyans to do chores?"
King Kai waved his hand dismissively. "You want to train on my planet? Then you'll follow my rules! Besides, a little work never hurt anyone."
The Z-Fighters exchanged tired looks, but Goku spoke up, keeping them on track. "Before we start training, King Kai... can you help me contact Earth? We need to let them know what's happening."
King Kai nodded. "Sure, Goku. We can do that. But after that, it's back to training! You've got a long way to go if you want to beat Frieza."
The Z-Fighters braced themselves for the intense training ahead, knowing that this time, they had to be ready. Frieza would not get another chance to win.
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