Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Perchance to Dream ❯ To Die, To Sleep ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z! If I did, I'd be a lot richer.

Author's notes: This takes place about 6 years after the Cell saga. This is my first DBZ fic! Please R&R... constructive comments welcome. Flames will be used to toast marshmallows. :)

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Chapter 1: To Die, To Sleep

"Come on, you've got to do better than that!" Vegeta growled, catching his young son by the arm mid-punch. He'd set the gravity room to only 50 times Earth gravity, but still the boy struggled with the sparring practice. Little Trunks grimaced, then flipped backward, kicking against his father's chest for leverage as he twisted his arm free. He landed a few feet away.

"Just... watch... me..." Trunks said, breathing heavily. He recovered quickly and powered up for another attack. "Yaaaah!" He let out a loud yell as he charged toward his father.

The Saiyan prince smirked as he sidestepped his son's headlong rush. He swept out his leg to trip Trunks, but was surprised when the boy managed to jump over it on the way by. Trunks stopped a few steps past, then turned to face his father again. Vegeta nodded slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not bad," he said. "But still not good enough. Let's see if... aagh!" He stopped mid-sentence as an intense wave of pain swept over his entire body. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

"Dad!" Trunks ran over and grabbed his father's arm. "What happened? Are you OK?"

"I'm... fine... I... just... aaah!" Vegeta collapsed face-down to the floor. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire. Black spots appeared in his vision as the room seemed to spin around him. Then, there was a terrible, unfamiliar feeling of a part of his spirit being torn away, a part that he had been unaware of until that very moment. Its absence left a terrible, gaping wound in the Saiyan's soul. Before he lost consciousness, one word slipped past his lips:

"Bulma..."

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Vegeta floated alone in a dense, black fog. A familiar voice called his name, and he turned toward the sound. A ray of pure white light pierced the mist, and he saw Bulma hovering a few feet away, her eyes closed. Her hair drifted around her face as she smiled and reached out toward him, calling his name again. Vegeta extended his arm toward her, and barely brushed the tips of her fingers with his own. Suddenly, her smile turned into a look of shock and her eyes flew open as dark tendrils shot out of the mist, wrapping around her wrists and ankles. Her cry of pain was cut off as another tentacle enclosed her neck. Vegeta struggled to reach her, but was frozen in place. He could only watch helplessly as the strands pulled tighter and tighter, stretching her arms and legs outward. Finally, Bulma's body was violently ripped apart, her mouth still open in a soundless scream.

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"Dad! Dad! Wake up, please!" Vegeta awoke slowly to Trunks' nearly hysterical voice. A hand shook his shoulder, and he opened his eyes, squinting against the bright lights of the gravity chamber. A look of relief crossed Trunks' tear-streaked face as he saw his father come around. He quickly swiped his hand across his eyes. "What happened? Was it something I did?"

Vegeta groaned slightly as he pushed himself onto his hands and knees. "Heh... as if something you'd do could hurt me, boy." He shook his head to clear the persistent dizziness. "How long was I unconscious?"

"J- Just a few minutes. I turned off the heavy gravity and then tried to wake you up. I was just about to go try and call Mom's car phone." Trunks looked worried again. "You said Mom's name right after you... fell down. Do you want me to go call her?"

"No!" Trunks jumped a little at the force in his father's reply. "Don't do that." Vegeta forced himself to stand up despite the lingering pain in his muscles. He took a deep breath and looked down at his son. "There's something I need to do. You go and play with Kakarott's boy this afternoon."

"Bu- but Dad, what's going on? Is something the matter? Where are you going?"

"Stop pestering me, child!" Vegeta growled. "Do as I say!" He didn't look back as he stalked out the door.

Once outside, he immediately launched into the sky, flying as quickly as he could toward Dende's lookout tower. His head hurt too much to even think, and it took all of his concentration to keep his energy stable enough to stay aloft. Finally, the thin pole that held the earth's Guardian's home came into view. The Saiyan shot straight up, following the line past Korin's terrace, and soon landed on the white stones of the courtyard.

"Guardian!" he yelled roughly, then thought a moment. "Dende!" he called again, moving toward the domed palace. "Come out!"

After a short time, the great doors of the mansion opened , and the small Guardian exited, followed closely by Piccolo and Mr. Popo.

"Vegeta," Piccolo growled. "What do you want?"

Vegeta crossed his arms. "I came to see Dende, not you."

The larger Namekian glared at him, and had opened his mouth to retort when a hand on his arm stopped him. "Let's hear what he has to say," Dende said softly.

"Alone."

Dende nodded, then gestured for Piccolo and Mr. Popo to go inside. Piccolo appeared ready to argue, but a glance from the Guardian made him reconsider. He nodded, then followed Mr. Popo back inside the mansion. Dende turned back to Vegeta. "What is it?"

"The dragonballs. I require them, and I know you have them here."

"What do you need to wish for?"

An expression of pain crossed Vegeta's face. "My mate is dead," he replied. "If she is not brought back to life soon, I will die as well."

To Be Continued...

AN: Sorry this is so short! I know this story may be like a lot of others out there, but hopefully it will entertain some of you. :) Please review!