Vegeta woke up suffocated, dirt filling his mouth as he gasped for air. His body ached as if he had failed to draw breath for too long. Dust scratched at his eyes as he tried to open them. Although in a daze, he quickly realized that he lay in a shallow pit filled with earth. He could think of nothing but breathing freely again. Wheezing, he clawed his way to the surface. As he hacked up blood and debris, he felt his eyes water and send little streams down his cheeks. For a few moments, he remained still, gathering the strength and focus to get up.

Frieza had killed him, but here he was, breathing and feeling pain. It didn't make sense. He had awoken in a grave, and he knew not who had lain him there. Perhaps he was in Hell. That didn't matter to him, for whether alive or dead, his will and his body belonged to him once more. With his swollen eyes, he looked up into the sky. The horizon burned red, and the air smelled of smoke. Lightning flashed overhead. He recognized his surroundings, and figured that he stood on Namek, not far from where he had fallen on the battlefield. What had happened? The skies had remained a placid green while he was conscious.

As his power returned to him, Vegeta sensed massive amounts of energy from not too far away. Two figures slashed at each other in a blur. Vegeta assumed that the two could be none other than Kakarot and Frieza, but Kakarot's energy signature had increased exponentially. Kakarot had finally become a Super Saiyan, and Vegeta tracked his movements in livid awe.

But suddenly, Kakarot and Frieza vanished in a flash of light. Vegeta could no longer sense their energy. One instant, the smog of the dying Namek surrounded him, but in the next instant, Vegeta found himself in a grassy clearing, the atmosphere an Earth-like blue and everything quiet except for the wind's rustling in the trees. Vegeta did not understand it all, and his body trembled in fear although his mind registered no emotion.

Just as suddenly as he had appeared, he began to sense energy all around him. He saw dozens of Namekians fill the clearing. They too, apparently, had somehow returned to life and ended up in the same place he had. Vegeta could only surmise that someone had made some wish with the dragon balls. He looked down at his hands, surprised that anyone had bothered to resurrect him.

Vegeta recognized Bulma, Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin among the Namekians. They spoke of the wishes they had made with the Namekian dragon balls — everyone whom Frieza and his men had killed now lived, and the dragon had safely transported them to Earth. Goku had ordered that he remain on Namek to finish Frieza, sacrificing himself to bring the tyrant's reign to an end.

Bulma noticed Vegeta at about the same time her eyes caught him. "Why did the dragon have to bring him back?" Yes, Vegeta's resurrection had been a mistake, a complication. Gohan growled just looking at the man who had threatened the lives of his family and friends.

Vegeta laughed. "With both Frieza and Kakarot gone, I will be the most powerful warrior in the universe!" He lay down and ran his fingers through the grass, plucked it, and threw it into the air. He was happy to be alive. It did not matter to him that others considered his life worthless — he could feel the plush earth again, and he could enjoy the simple pleasure of knowing breath and energy.

Author's Note: Hi, this is your friendly neighborhood flamingpoetic here! Comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. I guarantee a response to every question or review. I love to proofread and edit, so if you want a second pair of eyes on your work, I'd be happy to see what I can do for you. Just send me a message, tell me what you would like me to take a look at, and we'll work something out. Happy reading and writing, my fellow creative people! I'm having lots of fun with The Mistaken Wish—I hope you are too.