Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted Past ❯ Sweet Dreams are Made of These ( Chapter 9 )

Haunted Past

Chapter 9- Sweet Dreams are Made of These

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Dragonball Z…except a bunch of DVDs and I think Vegeta is still tied up in my closet.

A/N: For this chapter, to divide dreams from everything else, I'm using ** to bracket them. Happy reading!

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** He was floating and didn't understand why. As Vegeta looked around, he noticed that he was in a palace, but it wasn't his. Giggling invaded his ears as a red headed child came running into view. `She looks familiar.' The child couldn't be more than five yet she looked just like Athena. Her tiny body was wrapped in a beautiful red silk dress, fit for a princess. A man came into view and he looked just like… `Kakarot…what are you doing here? He's older than me…how is that?'

The child rushed into his arms with a loving smile. "Daddy! I haven't seen you all day, where've you been, what'd you bring me?" The man picked her up and gave her a tight hug.

"Athena, do I have to bring you something every time I leave? You're as bad as your mother." She nodded her head making him let loose a large chuckling laugh. "I didn't bring you anything this time, but your mother wanted to see you about something." The girl made no move to get out of his arms so he carried her towards the royal chamber. Vegeta sank down to the ground and walked after them silently.

The man knocked on the door. A small, feminine voice rang out from inside. "Bardock, enter my love." That was why Vegeta recognized the man, it was Goku and Athena's father. Bardock slowly entered the room and set the tiny girl that he now knew was Athena down. He closed the door as Vegeta walked in and silently watched.

The girl ran towards the woman and jumped into her arms. She cuddled into her mother's chest and looked up at her. "Hera, I do believe that Athena is even happier to see you than she was to see me." The woman looked down at Athena as if to ask her why.

Athena made a disgusted face. "I don't like Sula, she's mean to me… Why can't I watch myself when you two go away, I can take care of myself." Her face scrunched up into a scowl as her parents sniggered quietly.

Her mother looked up at her father. "Bardock, she gets that stubborn streak from you. She couldn't possibly get it from me." A small sound of disbelief from Bardock made Hera glare at him playfully. "Could you leave us for a moment my love? This is woman to woman talk." Bardock made a disgusted face, much like Athena's, kissed them both and turned on his heel and walked out. Vegeta made himself comfortable in a black velvet chair that resembled a miniature of a thrown. Hera set Athena down on the bed and walked over to her dresser. Grabbing a box with the insignia of Vegeta-Sei embossed on it, she walked back to the bed and sat down next to her daughter. She gently set it on Athena's lap and looked at her.

Little Athena softly traced the insignia and looked up at her mother almost expectantly. "What is this Mommy?" Her eyes dropped back down to the box and her petite hands picked it up to study it closer.

"That young one, is a pendant given to me by King Vegeta himself just for you." She took the box from her daughter slowly and opened it, revealing the necklace. "This is the royal insignia of Vegeta-Sei. You wouldn't understand it's meaning yet, but on your twenty-first summer, I shall tell you the meaning. Don't ever lose it, it will be important to you in later years." With that, she tied it around Athena's slender throat and smiled slightly.**

His eyes opened for a moment. `So the onna really has no idea what the meaning of that necklace is…2 more summers and she would…' He relaxed in his bed again and fell back to sleep.

** He was once again hovering above the ground in the palace. He slowly came down to the ground and looked around for the reason for his presence. Athena walked past him, now about 19. She was wearing the Saiyan armor that she had been when she landed on Earth. Strolling towards her parents' chamber, she rapped her knuckles against the sturdy wood and entered without waiting for an answer. He followed her, sensing apprehension. She stood proudly and crossed her arms over her chest before addressing her mother. "You asked for an audience with me Mother? Is Father alright or has he turned for the worse?"

Her mother looked up towards her lovely daughter with tired eyes. "Your father is the one who asked to see you. He is no worse but no better and he needs to speak with you. If you wish, I shall leave for the moment." Athena nodded and her mother walked out, leaving her alone with her father. She paced slowly to the bed and sat next to him, her stoic façade cracking a bit.

She reached out and took his frail hand in her and gave him a small smile. "Daddy…what's wrong? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, but I need to talk to you my little one." Her squeezed her hand gently and sat up sluggishly. "The Ice-jins found out that you exist. I've tried to stall them by telling them that you're off the planet but they didn't buy it. They want you…I refused and now they're coming to take you by force." He waited a moment for this new information to sink in. Vegeta sat in the black chair again. "Athena, you know you have a brother and we know that he's on Earth. I want you to seek him out. He needs to know that you exist, he deserves to know."

A growl erupted from her lips as she stood quickly. "Kakarot deserves nothing! He knows what he is, he must know he has family. He killed his own brother Raditz…MY brother for Kami's sake! He never once tried to seek either of us out…why should I seek him?"

"I want you to seek him little one, for me. He deserves to know that you exist. I don't think any of us will survive the Ice-jins. You should have a life…not a death so early in life…"

She sat back down and stared into his black eyes. "Father, I am a warrior…more than that, I am the Princess of Olympus, and I should be here with my people through life…or death."

He shook his head to the negative. "Athena, you are bound for something special, just as your brother was. Look what he became, he has saved his planet many times and even had a hand in defeating Frieza. You will be just as important, if not more so." She sighed in defeat and nodded her head, conceding. "That's my good girl. You've become quite a beautiful young woman." With a smile he pulled her into a hug. "You make me proud…even more than Kakarot and Raditz. You should say goodbye to your mother and head to the docking bay, you're taking off in 10 minutes."

She kissed his cheek and whispered something that even Vegeta's straining hearing couldn't pick up. With that, she stood and walked out of the bedroom chamber without looking back. Sighing slightly, she pressed a button on the intercom next to the door. "Sula, where is my mother?"

A crackling, harpy like voice came through the speaker. "Princess Athena, Queen Hera is in the kitchen looking into your father's lunch."

Rolling her eyes, she walked north to what Vegeta assumed was the kitchen. After a few moments Athena and her invisible companion reached grand oak doors. She pushed one open and walked inside. "Mother, I'm leaving, come say goodbye to me."

Her mother ran towards her and enveloped Athena in her arms. "Goodbye my beautiful girl…we shall miss you." Athena returned the hug and then kissed her mother's cheek gently.

"Goodbye Mother, take care of Father." She turned around and walked away, leaving a tearing woman behind her. Vegeta could feel the heartbreak coming from the princess. She walked quietly to the docking bay and nodded at a male Saiyan. The male saluted her and gestured towards the readied pod. A slight nod was all she afforded the third-class.

She got in and closed the hatch. A count down could be heard as a mechanical voice sounded out in Vegeta's ear. "Welcome Princess, sweet dreams. Countdown: 3, 2, 1." The pod was shot through a small tube and out to space. As the planet grew smaller and smaller, a ship appeared in Vegeta's peripheral vision. A large blast came from it, shattering the planet as if it were no more than a porcelain doll. Athena was too shocked to utter a sound but he could see that tears were flowing down her face freely.**

Vegeta awoke with a start. He was sweating and struggling to catch his breath. "Athena…why did you downplay it when you told us all?"