Just a Nightmare
(Part III: Slumber of the Dead)

Teaser from Chapter 1

"Arise, Shenron, and grant my wishes!"

The sinuous serpentine form of the Eternal Dragon formed of golden light first before solidifying into green scaled flesh. He stared down at them, ruby red eyes fathomless. "Speak your first wish."

Vegeta, with forced calm, commanded, "I wish that Son Goku be brought back to life."

Shenron's eyes glowed for a moment and everyone held their breath. "The one you call Son Goku cannot be resurrected."

"Why the hell not?!" the ouji shouted as everyone else gasped in surprise.

"His soul is beyond my reach, therefore I cannot resurrect him. Choose another wish."

He was deaf to anything else said beyond that moment. His brain focused itself completely on the words "cannot resurrect him". Why? What was preventing Shenron from granting his wish? Doubts filled his mind. What if his mate didn't want to return to him? What if he was happier being dead? "Iie, I refuse to believe that."

"But what if?" a seductive voice whispered in his ear. "I've told you time and time again that he doesn't really love you."

"You are just a lingering doubt that nags me when I spend to much time thinking."

"If you truly believed that he was yours I would not exist at all."

Vegeta clenched his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears. "Leave me alone!"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? You do not believe that he wants to stay with you for all eternity."

"SHUT UP!"

The voice laughed, mocking him unmercifully. "My name's Vegeta no Ouji and no one stays with me. My father and mother both left me, my first mate left me, and now my one true love. Oh, boo hoo."

"Stop it now!" he shouted aloud. Kuririn stopped mid-word in his wish and turned to stare at him along with everyone else. He blinked and carefully schooled his face into one of impassiveness. One by one the rest returned their attention to Shenron until only Bra's eyes remained on the ouji. She alone saw his clenched jaw and tightly balled fists. She alone saw the pain and anguish in his eyes. With maturity beyond her years, she spoke to him.

"Go, Papa," she said quietly. "Go to tousan." She knew that he would never be happy otherwise.

With a nod and a kiss on the top of her head, he launched himself upward and off to a place where he could be alone.