Chapter 30 – This Is Our Happy Ending

It had been a month since Majin Buu and Babidi were defeated.

Some days were easier than others. Not just for Bra, but for everyone. All survivors of that battle were being burdened by overwhelming grief or guilt. Some even found it hard to believe that the danger was gone, so were constantly on edge and waiting for yet another attack that would rip their world apart.

After the first day of getting their heads around everything, Bulma had just… She broke. It killed Bra inside seeing the helpless state her mother was left in, seeing and hearing her cry herself into an emotionless state. There was nothing she could do to help her, either. But it was like Kakarot gravitated towards her now, as he always stayed by her side. They were experiencing the same sort of pain, after all, so could understand each other. They never did anything more than sit together in silence, but Bra was certain that it comforted them in a strange way.

They were not the only ones experiencing heartbreak. Pan and Gure were just as bad. Whilst the latter threw herself into whatever she could until she was ready to go back to her home planet, all Pan could do was sit there and stare. That was before the tears started, of course. She rarely left her mother's side anymore.

As for Bra and Goten… They were coping, in a way. There was little sleep because of unrelenting nightmares torturing them, forcing them to watch the deaths of their loved ones over and over again, but they comforted each other. It helped ease the pain somewhat when you knew that you were not alone.

About a day after waking up, Goten had gone to visit Broly, thanking him many times for helping Bra and, he also took the older Saiyan plenty of meat. Broly hadn't been happy about the thanks, but he gladly snatched the meat out of Goten's hands. Later that night Goten told Bra that he was happy Broly would become her personal guard.

There were rumours about the deaths of Trunks and Vegeta, however nothing had been confirmed as of yet. They needed to speak with the elders of Vegeta–sei first before releasing the news. And that was where they had just landed, though unknowingly to the Saiyans. Vegeta–sei. Bra had to keep back the powerful urge to hijack the ship and go back to Earth. It felt disgustingly wrong being on Vegeta–sei without her father.

"Queen Bulma," a retired warrior greeted them once they stepped off the ship, "Princess Bra. Please follow me to the meeting room."

He looked ready to argue when he noticed Kakarot and Goten joining them, but Bra silenced him with a hard look, daring him to question them. He did not. Instead, the man nodded once and took them to the meeting room. The entire walk felt like it was testing Bra's patience and she hadn't a lot of it in the first place. Each step through the palace made her heart pound away even harder inside of her chest, made her control on her emotions become much more difficult. This palace was her father's. Everything inside of it, in some way, reminded Bra of him.

The atmosphere in the meeting room when they entered was tense, uncomfortable. It put Bra further on edge than she had already been.

Seated around the table were the elders – six in total – and they all stood up when they walked into the room, though it was reluctantly. From behind them, Bra heard Kakarot sigh. That meant the elders were all in bad moods or needed to discuss something unpleasant. They'd already been informed of her brother and father's deaths, but right now, they were probably wondering on how to address the situation to the empire.

Bra noticed how many eyes lingered on her, though not in a lustful way. It was in a distrusting way. They were sizing her up. Questioning her.

"Sit."

It was the first time in weeks her mother had spoken and because of this, Bulma's voice was hoarse. She ignored the water on the table when it was handed to her by an elder before they all took their seats. Once they had, she and Bra sat side by side in their usual seats, leaving the two other seats vacant. Kakarot and Goten continued to stand behind them. They didn't want to sit in those seats either. No, they knew that they couldn't. Nobody would ever be able to fill those seats.

"First and foremost," the spokesperson of the elders spoke, "we would like to offer you our condolences–"

"Get to the point."

They looked amongst one another warily, wondering if it would be best to continue with the meeting or leave it another day.

Bulma didn't even blink.

Each elder looked the same, in Bra's honest opinion. They all had greying hair and receding hairlines, faces either scarred from battles long ago or had wrinkles imprinted deeply into their skin and all were wearing expensive looking robes. She had never bothered to learn their names. They'd be dead soon, so there was no point. Bra didn't even think that her mother had bothered to learn their names.

"We must discuss what is to happen with the empire." the spokesman sighed, refusing to fidget. "We believe that you–"

"I wish to bury my son before we decide anything else." Bulma told them coldly, her voice holding no room for arguments. "For the past month, my son has been kept in a capsule coffin that has been reserving his body, but he deserves better than that."

One of the elders frowned in confusion. "Only the prince? What about–"

"His body was destroyed in battle."

Bra didn't know how Bulma could it. Her voice, her features – they were all detached.

It probably made discussing such things easier to do.

The elder nodded. "Forgive me."

She didn't answer him and instead kept her cold eyes on the spokesman. "I understand, however, that we cannot simply put off duties because I wish to bury my son. I only want some time before we go making any final decisions."

One of the women elders nodded in agreement. "We understand."

"As for my husband," Bra noticed the faint tremble of Bulma's hands beneath the table as they were clenched tightly but said nothing, "I want there to be a memorial. Nothing extravagant," he hated things that were unnecessarily over the top, "just something, anything, to honour him and the sacrifice he made. The same goes for my son."

It was then that Bra realised something: her mother wasn't saying their names. She wasn't saying Trunks or Vegeta. Only 'my husband' or 'my son'. Was it too painful for her? Did it make it too real? Bra had to admit that she had had some difficulty saying Trunks's name, but she'd had just as much difficulty saying 'father' or 'dad'.

"Other warriors," Bulma continued, "will have their names written on a large stone – a cenotaph. It is where people can go to mourn their deaths, even if their bodies are not buried there."

They looked at one another before the leader of the elders nodded once. "We will agree to your wishes. Now, if you do not mind," Bulma stayed silent, "we would like to discuss future arrangements – though nothing final, of course. These will merely be suggestions."

"Such as?"

"Such as who will be ruling the empire until the princess is ready." he gave her a stern look, one that aggravated Bra beyond belief. "We–"

"I will continue as queen."

"But–"

"There are no buts."

"Queen, please hear–"

"No."

"You are acting like a child!" one of the elders snapped before he could stop himself. Once he realised what he had done, his eyes widened. "Forgive me, my queen."

Bulma stayed silent.

"There is something else we must discuss." the spokesman muttered, glaring over at the man who had just spoken out of place. Didn't he realise how emotionally unstable their queen was?

"Go on."

"Queen Bulma," one of the elders reluctantly spoke up, "we know this is a difficult time for you, but we have all agreed that it is best you remarry."

The blank look on Bulma's face shifted to one of rage and by her side and behind her, Kakarot, Bra and Goten all froze. "No."

"Do not make this harder than what it already is." another elder told her. "Princess Bra is by no means ready to take over the throne, since it had been more than obvious that it should have gone to Prince Trunks. That is not even brining up the fact that we know she is not capable of conceiving." the elder who was speaking tried his best to ignore the fierce glares that were now focusing on him, the absolute rage in Bulma's eyes as he uttered Trunks's name. "Also, her choice of mate is not fit to be king as of yet."

"You're still pissed that I didn't choose to mate with your son!" Bra spat, shrugging out of Goten's hold as he tried to calm her down. "It's only been a month! How can you all sit there acting like that? How can you speak of replacing my father and brother like they don't even matter? If they were here–"

"They are not here!"

Bulma was on her feet in an instant, holding the man who had just yelled by his robes and lifting him in the air. "Don't you dare speak to my daughter in such a way." she warned in a low and deadly voice. "And as for them not being here, if Vegeta was here, he would have never allowed you to speak to her in such a way and neither would my son." Bulma threw the man to the ground, looking at him with disgust as he shakily shot to his feet before looking at the rest of them. "I will not remarry."

"We have already picked out a mate for you, Queen Bulma." a much older woman said carelessly. "He must be prepared to take the throne, of course, but I am certain that when we ask him, he will be more than willing, especially since you are already dear to him. We have taken into consideration that as he is now the strongest Saiyan alive and is obviously more than capable of producing powerful children, he is the best choice."

Her stomach dropped when every single one of the elders looked straight at Kakarot, his eyes widening in shock before they narrowed in anger, a look they had only ever seen on the battlefield entering his features. "I might not be royal, but Chi–Chi was just as dear to me as Vegeta was to Bulma and I refuse to remarry. I promised Vegeta that I would take care of Bulma for him, I did not promise to ruin his and Chi–Chi's memory by marrying her only a month after their deaths!"

Goten bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself not to start yelling and screaming.

"You are acting sentimental!" a man roared as he shot to his feet, but the look he suddenly received forced him to calm down, if only slightly. "You must all think of what is best for the empire! Queen Bulma, even with King Vegeta by your side, you both had a difficult time keeping up with everything and if we allow Princess Bra and her mate to take over now, we fear the empire will fall around us and there will be no more royal blood as she is infertile. That is not what King Ve–"

"Don't you dare," Bra spoke up, though her voice was low and deadly and shaking with barely suppressed pain and anger, "don't you dare act as though you knew my father better than my mother and me. If he heard you speaking of forcing his queen into another marriage, only a month after his death, he would have torn you all to shreds and you know it." Bra was suddenly on her feet, powering up to Super Saiyan. "And just because he's not here anymore, it doesn't mean that you still won't be ripped to shreds!"

It took both Kakarot and Goten to stop Bra from actually doing as she said and even then, Bulma had to enter her daughter's mind and stop her forcefully.

"This meeting is over." Bulma spat.

"Queen Bulma–"

"Take another step towards me or my daughter and I will have you executed. Is that understood?"

They fell silent, growing deathly pale. It was the first time they had ever been threatened with execution and the deadly look in Bulma's eyes screamed that it wasn't a threat.

It was a promise.

She was seething.

Her entire body was trembling with the need to transform, with the need to rip those bastards apart. Just who the hell did they think they were? How could they demand such a thing?

Bra had heard previously that they weren't to be one hundred percent trusted, that they were pushy and always tried to dominate over everything. Why hadn't her father killed them? So what if they were the elders? People got old all the time – they could replace them easily and without trouble.

Sighing, Bra sat down and stared up at the family picture that was hanging up on the wall of her bedroom. She and Trunks were only children – her being only days old. The look on his face whilst holding her was brilliant, a smile so bright that it literally lit up the entire picture. Even Vegeta was smiling! Not a smirk, but an actual smile. Albeit a small one. Bulma was grinning almost as brightly as Trunks, but it was definitely his smile that made the picture beautiful.

"What would you do, Trunks?" Bra whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I don't… I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Despite all that talk about stealing the throne from you, I don't know the first thing about ruling an empire!" her throat burned with the need to sob but she kept those inside of her. It was bad enough that there were tears. "They're trying to force mom into… into another marriage. With Kakarot. They're trying to replace not only daddy, but Chi–Chi, too. It's crushing Goten just as much as it's crushing me, but I don't think – no, I know we're not hurting nearly as much as mom and Kakarot are."

Her head fell into her hands and finally, a sob tore out of her. "Tell me what to do!"

There was no answer.

Sitting up in her bed, Bulma closed her eyes as she tried to breathe evenly. After the incident in the meeting room, Kakarot had thought it best that she slept for a short while whilst he stayed in the living room of her quarters, just in case somebody needed her or there was an emergency. Nowadays, he was the only one who could truly get through to her.

Sleep was restless, however. No, it was agonising. Since his death all Bulma had been able to see were memories of the times they had shared. Starting from right at the beginning, when they were children and making silly, pointless bets (though at the same time, not pointless, for they had pushed her into training as hard as she did and becoming as powerful as she was), to when they met after all those years. From there, it just got more and more painful, especially when those nightmares, those memories, got to the part where they started their family.

"So, King Vegeta, what do you say? Will you stand by the Human Empire and fight with us?" Bulma asked as she looked at the king hopefully.

"What, we fight for your empire and then you just take control of the Cold's?" Prince Vegeta demanded angrily as he scowled at the princess.

Bulma rolled her eyes. "No, if you join us and we win, we will split the Cold Empire with you." she giggled. "You know, my prince… you should really control that temper of yours. It'll only get you into trouble."

"Hn." Vegeta replied as he folded his arms across his chest. "From what we have heard, my princess, you also have a problem with controlling your temper."

"So you admit that you have a problem, my prince?"

"No, I didn't–" the prince started to say before he was cut off by Bulma.

"Whatever, 'Geta." she winked and used the nickname she gave to Vegeta when they were kids. She turned back to the king, ignoring the prince as he glared at her. "So, my king, will you help us?"

"Of course we will, princess, any excuse to tear those lizards apart."

Oh how he had gotten under her skin. With just a simple look, Vegeta had made her want to hurt him!

All of those 'my prince' or 'my princess' comments hadn't been said in a formal, polite way like they should have been – no, she and Vegeta had spat them mockingly at one another, had muttered them with barely suppressed anger. If only they had known that it wasn't actual hatred brewing between them! It had been sexual tension. It had amused Bulma to say the least when she first figured it out, but Vegeta still had ways of getting under her skin and making her think it was actual anger.

"Bulma, dear, Prince Vegeta is so much stronger than you. What if he hurts you?" Bunny asked as the tears built up in her eyes.

The human princess turned her head when she heard a deep chuckle coming from behind her. When she saw it was only Vegeta who was laughing, she turned back to face her mother with a cocky expression.

"Oh please, mother," Bulma rolled her eyes and waved one hand in front of her, "Vegeta may be strong but he isn't that strong." she smirked when she heard his warning growl.

Bunny frowned slightly. "Now, Bulma, you must show respect to Prince Vegeta. He is risking a lot by helping us."

"No, mother, I will show King Vegeta and Prince Tarble respect because they show me it. But I will not show respect for that arrogant pig." she said stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked forward. He was growing tired of the video transmission but he wasn't allowed to leave until it was over. Sure, he was over a thousand times stronger than his father but out of respect for his father and king, he did as he was told. "As much as I dislike the wench, I will not harm her."

Such a jerk! Who did he think he was, calling her a wench?

A smile graced her lips.

"I am Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans!" Bulma whispered the words Vegeta had spoken so many times.

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

"Well, come on." Vegeta said before his brother could question the girl and probably cause some sort of human emotional break down. "I haven't got all day and we have already missed over an hour of training!" he added before storming out of the room.

Bulma rolled her eyes at his pushiness but followed him. When they got to the end of the hallway she whispered a, "thank you." to him.

"I didn't do it for you." Vegeta replied.

"Of course you didn't."

"I didn't!" Vegeta argued. "I just didn't want to have to put up with your pathetic human emotions."

"Sure." Bulma smirked.

"I didn't!"

"Well someone seems a little defensive, I only said 'sure'." she winked at him.

Vegeta stayed silent and glared at anyone who passed by the two royalties all the way to the training rooms.

Even though he had never admitted it back then, Bulma knew that he cared for her. It wasn't from what he said; it was his actions and unspoken words.

A strangled–sounding sob escaped her as she clutched at her chest tightly, the unbearable pain almost crushing her.

Vegeta flew towards the princess but was stopped by his father's hand.

"Father, she is going to die!" Vegeta protested. "Can't you feel her power? It's too high! She cannot control it!"

The human warriors along with Kakarot, Raditz and Bardock suddenly burst into the room. They left towards the meeting room as soon as they felt the spike in her power.

Bulma slowly levitated off of the ground and turned to face the other people in the room.

What they saw scared even Vegeta.

Her eyes that were once a beautiful shade of blue were now an empty white. It looked like her pupils had completely disappeared. Her long blue hair was flowing eerily around her angry face and the black flames just kept on growing.

Vegeta broke out of his father's hold and charged toward Bulma. She didn't even look like Bulma anymore though. She just looked so angry and hurt and it pained him to see her in such a way. He didn't want her to become so over powered by her suddenly monstrous power that it killed her. He didn't want her to hurt herself whether she was doing it knowingly or not. He just wanted her to calm down.

Bulma didn't even notice when Vegeta approached her and she didn't hear his hiss of pain as the touch of her skin burned his hands. All she could feel was the burning and anger in her mind. All she could hear was the voices telling her to go and make Frieza watch as she killed his parents and then she wanted to torture him in the most slowly and painful way possible. All she could see was darkness and all she could taste was blood.

Bulma's stunningly blue pupils slowly came back and her eyebrows knitted together as though she was in a great amount pain. The black flames around her died down until they were completely gone and like her hair, she fell but before she could hit the ground, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and held her close to his body.

"Bulma!" Vegeta's worried and pained voice echoed through her mind before she slipped into a different sort of darkness, the darkness of unconsciousness.

When times got tough and she meant tough, Vegeta was always by her side.

As the memories got too painful for her to remember, Bulma leaned forward until her face was pressed into her bed and sobbed.

"Vegeta…" she whimpered, her eyes closing tightly. "Vegeta!"

It was decided.

Bra's eyes were a fraction wider than usual as she stalked her way through the palace, masking her ki until it wasn't even noticeable, until it seemed like she was nothing more than an empty space.

She had spent the past hour or so crying to herself and then, Bra had decided to pay her mother a visit, wanting her comfort. What had she found? Bulma was passed out from crying so hard. That wasn't acceptable. Already, she was grieving for the loss of not only her husband, but also her son and what were the elders demanding from her? That she remarry not even a month after his death. They had chosen Kakarot because he had "already proved capable of producing powerful children".

Not fucking acceptable.

There was blood lust and madness in her eyes, a madness that had anyone passing her by, cowering in fear. She didn't care. Those bastards were going to pay for upsetting her mother. She didn't need any of that stress that they were putting on her! Not only on her, but also Kakarot and Goten. They were her family now.

"You are making a mistake, Bra."

The calm voice did little to soothe her. "Don't tell me what to do." she spat in return, tightening her hold on the sword's blue leather belt. "They deserve what's coming to them."

In response, the small being stepped in front of her, his expression worried, yet careful. "Would you really stain your brother's sword with their blood, Bra? Let them be. For a warrior, there is no worse death than dying of old age."

"Wrong." Bra narrowed her eyes. "My father believed that any death outside of battle is a pitiful way to go."

He offered her a small smile, purple lips lifting up at the corners. "And you know that they will fight back, meaning it will be a battle to do the death." he cut her off when Bra was about to argue. "Even though you are much stronger than they are, it will still be a battle if they fight back."

The determined, angry expression on Bra's face cracked, the insanity leaving her eyes as they filled with tears of agony. Her features crumbled with the same pain. "Supreme Kai, they're… they're…"

"I know." he told her, aching inside at the pain in her voice that sounded so very childlike. At the end of the day, despite everything she had been through, Bra was still a child. She was barely even seventeen years of age. However… "It is your day of birth tomorrow, is it not?"

She swallowed hard, frowning in confusion a moment later. "I–It is, but… Why…?"

Supreme Kai gave her a gentle smile and held out of his hand. "Come with me, Bra. I have a gift for you."

Another voice spoke up, sounding confused. "Bra? Supreme Kai?"

He glanced over his shoulder at Goten, gesturing for him to join them. "It can be a joint gift," Supreme Kai gave her another smile, lifting a brow, "if you do not mind sharing, that is."

Bra quickly shook her head, wiping away her tears with one hand whilst the other grabbed Supreme Kai's outstretched hand. "It can be a late wedding gift." she joked lightly.

"Goten?"

The Saiyan was wary, but since he didn't want to really let Bra out of his sight so soon after everything that had happened, he walked over to them, grabbing the Supreme Kai's other hand. A second later and a taller man was behind them, placing his hand on him and they disappeared from the hallway, leaving it empty and cold.

It was a surprise when they arrived on a planet neither Goten nor Bra had been on before, making them both frown as they looked around.

"You're giving us a planet?"

Kibito scoffed, whilst Supreme Kai smirked gently. "Not at all. Bra, Goten, have you ever heard of the planet Namek? Inhabited by the Namekian race?" slowly, unsurely, Bra nodded, though Goten shook his head. "You see, Bra, your mother came here not too long ago in order to find something, something that would help her with a problem she was having."

A memory suddenly struck her like a bolt of lightning, making her breath leave her and her eyes widen. "You mean…?"

He smiled. "Yes."

"This is… This is the planet Namek?"

"It is."

"Wait, wait," Goten's frown deepened as he looked between them all in confusion, "what are we talking about?"

Seeing that the girl was currently in shock, Kibito spoke up, filling Goten in. "Not long after her thirtieth birthday, your queen began to realise something: she was ageing. It is a natural thing to happen to humans. However, when Vegeta informed Bulma that Saiyans do not age as fast as humans, she became quite distressed, wondering if she would be able to keep up with him and help with the empire. I believe her exact words were: how on earth can an old biddy run an empire?" Supreme Kai nodded once and let out a soft sounding chuckle. "With a push in the right direction, due to all she had done for the universe, Bulma discovered the planet Namek. Not only the planet, but also what was on the planet."

Glancing around himself, his eyes narrowed. The planet didn't seem like anything too special to him. Almost like a confused Earth. Instead of the grass being green and the sky being blue, it was the other way around. The water also looked more green than blue, but they had those kinds of ponds and rivers on Earth, too. They were always dirty and filled with waste, though. This water looked sparkling and fresh.

Kibito watched him examine the planet for a moment before continuing. "Whilst Namek does not look like much, it holds a great power here."

"What great power?" he questioned.

"The power to grant any wish." Bra whispered, her chest and throat both tight with emotion. "You…" she shook her head, smiling softly at the Supreme Kai and Kibito. "With everything going on, it's no surprise that she's forgotten all about the wish."

The Supreme Kai nodded, but his expression suddenly became serious. "This is strictly between us four, do you understand me, Bra, Goten? Not another soul should find out about the dragonballs. It could be disastrous for the entire universe." noticing the look they shared, he sighed. "Yes, I understand that there will be a lot of questions about what has happened and why, however, you must promise me that you will only give away the smallest amount of details. I have sworn to the grand elder of Namek that their planet will remain in the shadows. Namek may be a part of your empire, Bra, but it is more on the Earth side than the Vegeta–sei side."

Sighing, he glanced up at the bright sky. The three suns had very little effect on him despite the heat they were causing. "That is because the Namekians are a peaceful race and I would like for them to remain that way. Already, they know of your presence here, though I have assured them that you will cause them no trouble. The grand elder, otherwise known as Guru, has sent a message across the planet. They will know when to hand over the dragonballs." his head dipped lower a fraction, eyes serious yet pleading as they met with Bra's. "Please do not make me regret this decision by causing this planet or the inhabitants any harm."

Kibito continued where Supreme Kai finished, scowling down at them. "This was no easy decision for Supreme Kai to make. Using the dragonballs has a negative effect on the universe."

"Then why let us use them?" Goten asked, glancing down at Bra. "Why let Bulma use them just so she could stop ageing?"

The taller man nodded, understanding their confusion clearly. "That is because Bulma is a great asset to the universe. Her psychic abilities are like no other that we have come across – and your brother, Bra, was on his way to surpassing her. This is why we have decided to allow this just this once. Just this once, we will turn a blind eye. The universe needs protectors. The universe needs you."

"All we ask is that you do not take advantage of the knowledge we have shared with you." Supreme Kai stated before smiling gently at them. "We must go to your parents now and whilst you have just under eleven months to find the dragonballs and revive all of your people and loved ones – for after a year, they will forever remain dead – we must insist that you have all seven found by the end of tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Many of the warriors who died were buried," Kibito told them, "so we must uncover their bodies and–"

She shook her head. "No, my mom refused to have anybody buried yet. She wanted it to be a huge funeral, a memorial. That way nobody would be left out or forgotten. We may have lost our king and prince, but my mom wanted to make sure that those even in third class were mourned, that their deaths were not in vain or forgotten."

Just as she got halfway through her reply, Goten was shaking his head. "You're wrong, Bra. Many of them disobeyed and buried their loved ones not even a day after their deaths. They refused to have them laying out like they're on show."

Her eyes widened. "You and Kaka–"

"No. Everyone is still being kept in those capsules your mom created – I'm just stating the facts."

Exchanging a look with Supreme Kai, Kibito sighed and nodded once. "I will notify Bulma at once and ask for her to find a way to–"

"That may not be necessary." Supreme Kai stated thoughtfully. "Remember, Kibito, there are three wishes with the Namekian dragonballs. The first wish will be used to bring back all of those who fought against Majin Buu – who fought on the side that protected the universe. It is imperative that you word your wishes wisely, as we do not want Majin Buu to be revived." Bra nodded, swallowing hard. They couldn't risk that happening. "Although it is a great misuse of their powers, for the second wish, you should wish for all those who have already been buried, to be able to find some way out of their coffins or tombs. Whether it be by pure coincidence or by their own strength." he tilted his head to the side, regarding them both. "What will be your third wish?"

This time, it was she and Goten who exchanged looks. However, neither could come up with a single thing to wish for. What exactly did they not have that was so bad they needed to use a wish?

Goten's eyes widened. "Bra, we could wish for–"

"No." she cut him off, eyes suddenly fiercely guarded as she realised what he was thinking.

No. They couldn't wish for that. They couldn't. But… It was such a tempting thought. Would it really work? Would the dragon be able to grant her what they both wanted? In all honesty, Bra hadn't had time to think of her being infertile since her and Goten's honeymoon. Should they wish for her to be fertile?

His expression saddened, seeing her troubled one. "Bra–"

"I said no, Goten."

"Are you–"

"Yes, I'm sure." Bra snapped and looked away, eyes narrowing. "We're not discussing it here."

When Goten looked back at Supreme Kai and Kibito, he tried his best to ignore their sympathetic gazes. "How do we find the dragonballs?" he asked, clearing his throat before continuing. "I mean, we don't have any sort of locator, right?"

The purple being shook his head. "I'm afraid not. However, across Namek, there are several villages. Six in total. In each of these, there will be one dragonball."

"And the seventh?" Bra asked quietly, still looking away.

"The seventh will be with the grand elder." Kibito told them. He stepped forward a moment later, confusing Bra as he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes snapped up to his. "Do what you believe is the right thing to do, Bra. I cannot say that your way of thinking is right, but I can say that it is not wrong, either." he paused for a moment, seeming to be thinking over his words. "Follow your heart and what you believe is the right thing to do."

With that, he stepped back, placing the very same hand on Supreme Kai's shoulder as he shared with him a discreet nod.

"Good luck." the smaller man told them with a suddenly knowing smile, one they didn't fully understand. "The first village is a hundred miles south."

And just like that, they were gone.

The Namekians really were a peaceful race. Bra had noticed that several times in the past few hours.

They'd been on Namek for over four hours now and their body clocks were telling them that, on Vegeta–sei, it would be way past one in the morning by now. In ways they were still recovering from the battle and were to take it easy. That included sleeping as much as possible, but not so much that it disrupted their daily routines.

In one of the villages, they had been granted access to one of the homes and were told that they could rest there for as long as needed. Not entirely necessary, as Bra planned to be up as early as possible and setting out for the other dragonballs. Altogether, they had two. It seemed the villages were spaced pretty far apart, but that didn't bother them too much as they had more than enough energy. Hopefully, that energy would last, because unfortunately, Namekians lived off water and they hadn't brought any supplies with them. No clean clothing, no shelter and no food. All they had on them were the clothes on their backs and Trunks's sword. It had been a surprise trip, after all.

Laying back and staring up at the ceiling, Bra sighed. She'd upset Goten. Earlier that day, instead of snapping at him and being moody, she should have told him her reasons.

"Trunks always believed you would become a Super Saiyan." Goten told her quietly, his eyebrows knitting together. "He's always believed in you, Bra."

His suddenly spoken words surprised her to say the least, earning him an unsure, yet hopeful look. Where was this coming from? "He did?"

The dark haired man nodded and took a moment before continuing. "No matter what you choose the third wish to be, I know it will be something that's meaningful. Trunks… He always said that even though you're impulsive, you mean well – and I know that's true because I watched you grow into who you are today!" Goten grinned proudly for a moment before it slipped away. "I'm just… I don't know why you wouldn't use that wish to be selfish, just this once. After everything that's happened to you, after everything Majin Buu has done to you, you deserve to be selfish."

Her hands were shaking ever so slightly, but Bra refused to focus on that. And despite feeling tired, sleep would not come to her due to the fact Namek had three suns and it was difficult to shut all natural light out of the small hut. Whilst her body clock was telling her that it was time to sleep, her mind was as energetic as ever, thinking it was time to be up.

"I don't want to," she sighed, eyebrows knitting together, "get my hopes up." his eyes snapped to hers, widened with surprise. "What if the dragon can't change natural things such as that? What if it says that the wish has been granted and we try over and over again, only to find out that we still… we still can't have babies?" Bra shook her head. "I'm not risking it. I don't want to get my hopes up. Not over something like this."

Remembering how devastated she had been, how broken up the news of her infertility had made her, Goten decided to let it go. He closed his eyes, pulling Bra against him until her face was buried into the crook of his neck. Her hold on him was just as tight.

"It's okay." he murmured, evening out his breathing and smiling softly when he noticed Bra matching his, drifting off to sleep. "No matter what your choice is, I'll stand by you, Bra."

She smiled.

"You must be Bra and Goten."

The being before them was unlike any of the other Namekians they had encountered so far. So far, they had come across tiny little Namekian children, grown–ups who were rather muscular and, in their own way, powerful, and then there had been the other elder Namekians. This particular Namekian was… Well, huge.

Guru was seated in a large throne, towering over them with his impressive height even whilst sitting down! Like other elder Namekians, his once vibrant green skin was now old and dull, appearing darker with age. Bra wasn't sure how he was looking at them – if he was at all – because Guru's eyes were shut, almost like he was sleeping.

"We are." Goten replied in a strong, calm voice. There was something about Guru's presence that had him feeling so very relaxed and at peace. For the first time in a month, since the battle against Majin Buu, he felt at peace. "And we would like to thank you for allowing us to use your dragonballs. Supreme Kai told us both that when misused, they have a negative effect on the universe."

The grand elder nodded once, the movement seeming like a lot of effort for him. Clearly, obviously, Guru was getting on in his years. "That is correct. However, not having protectors for our universe will have an even greater negative effect."

By his side were two different Namekians, one seeming fairly young, although definitely an adult, whilst the other one was quite short and seemed much younger. It was the younger one who spoke up. "You're Gohan's younger brother! Wow, you look so much like him!"

Goten blinked in surprise and Bra stared up at him with furrowed brows. "You knew Gohan?"

"How?" Bra asked.

"Knew?" the youngest Namekian repeated before it suddenly hit him. "Those warriors you're reviving…" Goten nodded once. "I'm so sorry. When I met Gohan… It was a long time ago. He came here with a woman who looks just like you, Bra – your mother, I believe. They came to find the dragonballs and it was me who helped them with the password and finding them." he smiled. "During that time, Gohan became a very dear friend to me. I haven't seen him in a while, but I still like to think of him as my friend."

Gohan always had that effect on people. They just felt so safe with him that it was difficult not to like him.

"Dende," Guru spoke up, "I want you to do what you did the last time and help the two before us with the password."

"Yes, Lord Guru."

The sky was unnaturally dark, the air so thick with power that it had Bra gasping in shock and taking a step back, her blue eyes widening as a dragon seemed to appear out of nowhere, shooting across the sky until it was stretched out before them completely. Red eyes glared down at them and she felt a shiver run up her spine at the sheer size of the dragon. Bra didn't know what she had been expecting, but it wasn't this.

"Amazing!" Goten breathed, staring up at the green dragon with wide, fascinated eyes.

"Why have you summoned me?" the dragon's loud voice boomed around them. "You have three wishes. Name them now and they shall be done."

They seriously had three wishes!

"What is your first wish?" Dende asked politely, glancing over his shoulder at them.

Goten glanced at Bra. She took a deep breath. "I wish for all those who fought against Majin Buu, his master Babidi and their lackeys, to be revived!"

Dende repeated her words to the dragon in the same, strange tongue he had spoken in when summoning the dragon. They were guessing that it was the Namekian language.

Suddenly, the dragon's eyes were glowing a deeper red. "It has been done."

"The second wish." Goten told her with a hint of urgency in his voice.

She understood clearly. "I wish for those who have just been revived, who are also buried, to be able to find some way out of their coffins, capsules or tombs! Either by coincidence or with their own strength."

Again, the dragon's eyes became a deeper red when Dende told him her second wish. "It has been done. All those who were buried after the battle against Majin Buu, his master and their lackeys, will now find a way out. What is your final wish?"

Bra took another deep breath. Her final wish. In her chest, her heart was pounding away, to the point where she was certain it was going to shoot right out of her. It surprised her when a large hand wrapped around her own, his fingers entwining with hers and making her hand look so very feminine and dainty. The hold brought Bra a sense of comfort, of safety. And when she looked up, Goten was smiling down at her softly.

"No matter what, I'll stand by you."

"For my final wish," Bra tried to make her voice louder, but it didn't work. Thankfully, Namekians had sharp hearing, "I wish for my father, Vegeta, the current King of all Saiyans and also myself and Goten, as well as Chi–Chi and any Saiyans that remain on Earth, with the exception of Broly, to be transported to the main palace on Vegeta–sei."

That was quite a mouthful, she thought after a moment.

Dende also seemed to think it was a mouthful as he translated it into Namekian, though she hoped more than anything that he didn't leave a single word of her wish out, especially the part about the exception of Broly. He was to remain on Earth, otherwise it could possibly break the deal between him and her mother if he went on a rampage. There was no telling what those voices in his head were telling him, although they nearly always told him to destroy and kill.

"Your wish has been granted…"

The world was suddenly disappearing around them and in response, Goten and Bra held onto each other tightly, squeezing their eyes shut as the air around them began to heat up.

And then it just… stopped.

Were they still on Namek? Hadn't it changed anything? What was going on? Had the dragon even granted them their wish?

Slowly, unsurely, Bra opened her eyes.

The sight before her had tears filling her eyes, had a sob tearing right out of her.

Stood not too far from them, staring down at his hands in confusion, was her father. His ever present scowl was still there, but the moment he heard Bra's sob, his head snapped up, eyes widening.

"Daddy…" her features scrunched up as she attempted to hold back her sobs.

"Mom."

Bra couldn't look away from her father as Goten strode forward and engulfed his mother in a tight, warm hug. Chi–Chi looked rather confused, though the moment she realised where she was and who was holding her, she was returning Goten's hold just as fiercely.

She shot forward without another thought, slamming into her father and wrapping her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his chest. The sobs simply wouldn't stop. Nothing could control them. And it seemed Vegeta understood, despite not liking public displays of affection, for he silently placed his hand in between her shoulder blades, awkwardly rubbing it in a circular motion – something he had seen Bulma doing when she was comforting their children.

Bulma.

"Bra, your mother…?"

"Is right here."

The voice was a whisper, clogged with emotion ranging from sadness, agony and happiness. By her side was none other than Trunks, their hands clasped tightly, almost like Bulma was afraid of letting go of him.

Other Saiyans began appearing around the room and amongst them were Gohan, Tarble, Raditz and Bardock, all of them joining their families. It wasn't long until those who Bulma had sent a message out to began to enter the large throne room. They seemed just as unsure as Bra had, like they didn't want to get their hopes up, but the second they spotted their loved ones, it was like all restraints snapped away and they were darting forward, holding each other tightly. Friends were smiling through their tears at one another, greeting each other as though nothing had happened – siblings, too. Mates and lovers were holding onto each other desperately, shaking as they breathed in one another's scents, not wanting to let go ever again.

"Vegeta…" Bulma sighed and finally closed the distance between them, the ever–present pain in her heart evaporating when his hands fell to her hips and she felt him breathing in her scent. "I love you, too." she whispered in his ear, closing her eyes tightly when one of Vegeta's arms slowly wrapped around her, his tail doing the same.

"I heard you turned into a Super Saiyan." a smug voice stated from beside her. In his next words, however, he sounded incredibly proud. "I always knew you had it in you, Bra."

"Thanks." she murmured and dragged him into a hug. "For believing in me, I mean."

"I take it you missed your big brother?" Trunks asked her teasingly, tugging on the sword that was still on her back.

"Shut up." Bra rolled her eyes, chuckling once although it sounded more like a sob. He didn't comment on it. "I'm just glad I won't have to be queen, now."

He laughed in her ear, the sound taking Bra back to when she was a little girl. It comforted her greatly. "And why is that?"

Bra looked up from his shoulder, smiling softly at the dark haired girl standing with her family, hugging her father tightly whilst Kakarot was being embraced by Chi–Chi in the same way. He seemed too stunned to do much else than accept her hold. "Because you promised that role to someone already, Trunks."

The laughter faded away as Trunks asked quietly, "Did Pan…?"

She shook her head. "Pan survived the battle, though only just. Your death on top of her family members'… It almost destroyed her." pulling away, she smiled up into his blue eyes. "Go to her. I know she'll be relieved to see you."

And when he did, Trunks found that his little sister was right.

"Pan?"

Her entire body froze in the process of releasing her father, who smirked down at her knowingly in response until he was being distracted by Videl.

"Trunks…"

Grief flashed over her features before Pan was whirling around and punching him.

"What was that–"

"Don't ever do that to me again!" Pan sobbed into his ear, embracing him lovingly.

He pressed an affectionate kiss to her cheek. "I'll never leave you again, I promise."

It had been over a month now since those who had died were brought back to life. Much to Bra's astonishment, it had been easy slipping back into her previous life. Well, it wasn't entirely the same, but once everybody was certain that there wouldn't be another attack, that their loved ones weren't going to suddenly drop dead once more, it slowly got back to normal.

Speaking of dropping dead, the night everyone was revived, it was reported that all six of the elders had been slaughtered by what appeared to be a vicious, wild animal. Bra smirked. It had been no wild animal and she had warned those idiots that the moment her father found out about their plans, he would tear them all to shreds. She knew her daddy and his anger. Those bastards had died only hours after he had been told the news. Nobody grieved over their deaths and already, they had new elders, ones who knew their place and didn't try to dominate every single thing that happened.

Couples like Bulma and Vegeta… Bra shuddered. For the first couple of weeks, it had been better to avoid them when they were around one another. She couldn't blame them for their need to be sure that they were really there, to feel, but it would have been nice not to have to run away from certain rooms when she heard moans and grunts, when she heard wet slapping sounds.

Oh God they had mentally scarred her worse than she already was.

Trunks and Pan were now officially a couple and even though they were taking things slowly, he had confided in his younger sister that he wanted to 'pop the question' soon. That hadn't surprised Bra in the least for Pan had always been in love with Trunks and apparently, those feelings had always been reciprocated.

Many families were falling into their original pace once more and things were thankfully getting back to normal.

Bra took a deep breath, staring at the screen before her.

And now, there was more good news to share with her loved ones.

It certainly explained why, the last time she saw them, Supreme Kai had smiled knowingly at her, why Kibito had placed his palm on her shoulder. They had been examining her without her knowledge.

She was running before she even knew it, going to the fields where her family had taken to training together. And Bra meant her whole family, which included Goten's side of the family as well as Tarble and Gure. Those two had agreed to stay on Vegeta–sei for a short while.

Would nine months be classed as short?

"Goten!"

Goten paused in his spar against Trunks and at the sight of her tears, he frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked with confusion. "Why are you crying?"

At his question, almost every movement in the training grounds stopped and they were all watching Bra carefully. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her tears, but he realised a moment later that they were happy tears – the thought of people crying when happy was still ridiculous to him. And by his side, Bulma tilted her head to the side, curious as to what could have made her so happy.

"It's not bad!" she grinned, a faint blush sweeping over her cheeks as she tried to calm herself. "They're happy tears." when his look of confusion grew, she smiled softly. "I'm pregnant." Which certainly explained her inability to control her emotions the past couple of months. "I'm two months into the pregnancy, to be exact."

Silence.

And then strong arms were wrapping around her, lifting her off the ground. "I knew we could do it." Goten whispered in her ear and when he lowered her to her feet, he couldn't help but kiss her softly. "Thank you, Bra."

The End

A/N – Not too sure on the ending, but I wanted to give Bra a happy ending! I think she deserves it, doesn't she? And if you all remembered in a much earlier chapter (17 or 18, I think), I mentioned the dragonballs and the fact Bulma used them to keep herself from slowing down and ageing.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

So, this is the end of Battle of the Minds! I'm kind of glad for that, because I got a little (a lot) stuck on it after around the thirteenth chapter, but I forced myself to keep going. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's when writers on here give up on their stories halfway through them and leave all of their readers hanging. I get that they don't want to force the story, but it's still not fair to the readers! Not to mention it's so frustrating, especially when they leave it at a good part and mark the story as 'complete' simply because they can't do anymore for it.

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE FINAL CHAPTER AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)