Do Dreams Come True?

The cool night breeze lifted the gauze like curtains and made them dance on the tips of its invisible fingers. The night was silent except for the occasional sound of breathing from the bed's occupant. The breeze hovered over him, its cool tendrils caressing his cheek with the gentleness of a lover until he stirred and rolled to his side.

He dreamed…

* * * * *

The past sprung to life around Vegeta. Trapped in memories so vivid that for a moment he forgot it was only in his mind and fell back into the routine of his former life without question. The stark, metallic walls of the ship echoed back his footsteps, deserted as they were at this time of night. He'd just returned from T'nari. His mission had been a success. Another planet conquered and ready to be sold, an entire race decimated. It was all in a days work.

He was exhausted… his body was weary, though he could feel himself growing stronger with each step. The food he'd eaten in the mess hall was partially credited for that. That wasn't enough to account for the urgency he felt as he made his way to his quarters. He'd almost forgotten what it was that made him rush, but it came to mind so suddenly that he almost tripped over his own feet mid-stride.

Trina…

( "Vegeta… I'll be waiting for your return, Love… Hurry back to me." The words had been spoken in a dreamy whisper as he roused her from her sleep to take his leave.

"I will return, My Princess.. very soon." His promise had been sealed with a soft kiss. )

He rushed through the doors of his quarters, knowing she'd be there, ready to hold him, ready to make the memories go away… Searching through his rooms turned up no sign of her. He could vaguely catch her scent on the air, the sweetness of flowers, the richness of musk. The door opened and he turned at the sound, sure he'd see her standing there apologizing for being late…

"Welcome home, Vegeta. I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." It was Freeza, not Trina… the memories suddenly came flooding back causing him to take a step backwards. No, he didn't want to hear it again. "I'm afraid she's gone… there was an accident…" The smirk on Freeza's face, the coldness of his eyes.. there was so much more to this he knew. "We would have warned you, but it slipped my mind." The cruel laughter.

"No! No.. you're lying!" Vegeta felt the rage coursing through his body. The pain was unbearable. It couldn't be true… she couldn't be… "Nooooooo"

* * * * *

"Nooo.." The word died as Vegeta sat up in bed. Sweat rolled down his forehead, his breathing came shallowly. Staring unseeing at the wall, he struggled to contain the pain and rage that had been reawakened deep within.

Standing, he tossed the blankets aside with an impatient gesture and strode to the window to look out at the night. He hadn't dreamed of that night in so long, why did he have to now? Didn't his daily life have enough pain and drama that he needed no more? He slammed a fist into the window pain, splitting the wood from top to bottom.

Not even bothering to throw a shirt on, he turned and fled the room. He couldn't quell the pain and the anger that coursed through his body. He had to escape. Passing by Bulma's room, he heard her stirring inside. He was vaguely aware of her door opening and her yelling something at his back. That was the last thing he needed, Bulma harping at him for waking her from her beauty sleep. The woman had become so insufferable as late that he found it hard to be in her presence.

The night air rushed to meet his body as he jumped from the window at the end of the hall, tired of navigating through the massive building that was Capsule Corp. He moved with such speed that the scenery below passed by in a blur. No matter how quickly he moved, he couldn't go fast enough to escape the memories. Landing in a deserted spot in the mountains, he dropped to his knees and gritted his teeth, struggling with the emotions that threatened to spill from him.

How long had these memories remained buried deep inside of him? For so long he'd pushed them away, they'd been too painful to bear. Trina… his mate, the one who'd held him together. After the day Freeza had told him of her death, nothing had been the same. The shadows had grown darker. The torture.. the death.. the murder…they had become his life once more. There had been no one and nothing that could hold the murderous urges at bay.

Nothing until he'd come to this planet. Even then the urges had been there and, on occasion, had made themselves known. No one had been able to help him defeat them. Bulma… for awhile he thought he'd found someone at last who could see him as Trina had, but he'd been wrong. She was just a human, she did not understand the way a Saiyan felt and thought. No one on this little backwater world had. Not even Goku, despite his blood.

He'd attempted to teach his children, but their human blood limited them from understanding. They'd never seen Vegetasei, they'd never seen it's twin moons, felt the power that was drawn from them. Saiyans were both man and beast, it was the way it was meant to be. This planet seemed to change that for those here. They denied who they were, hiding behind the polished veneer of civilization when their primal urges fought just as strongly to be released as his did. To Earthlings, appearances were everything and in that was their greatest failing.

He was alone. The thought came to him unbidden. There was no one in this universe that shared his memories, shared his heritage. No one who could fondly recall looking out over Lake Jehall and seeing the reflections of the moon and stars. (Here, even the stars he had known as a child were no more.) There was no one.. In that moment, Vegeta felt more alone than ever he had.

"Vegeta…" He would never have heard his name spoken had the wind not carried it to his ear. Turning, his eyes widened at the ghost that stood behind him, a hand stretching in his direction.

"Trina…"