The dreams have been getting progressively more vivid. Problem is, he wasn't sure they were just dreams, especially today since he had been wide awake and training when his mind was hijacked by the visions that had only haunted his sleeping mind before.
It had been so long since he had experienced these types of visions that he had all but forgotten about this rather strange ability of his. Bardock chuckled inwardly, "Ability, or curse?"
Surely the Kanassan that had "gifted" him with his ability to see glimpses of the future had not meant it to be beneficial to him, or to Saiyans in general.
But the images chilled him to the bone. It was a vision of the Planet Vegeta exploding; not that he hadn't experienced that vision before, but instead of Frieza laughing maniacally over their destruction, it was some other face, a completely alien face.
Bardock realized that he had been blanked out with his vision, and thinking about it, long enough to have drawn the attention of his mate, Celritri, his son, Raditz, and his brother, Turles who he had been working out with. They were now asking him what was wrong, and looking very worried about him. He tried to respond, his jaw moved, but he wasn't able to produce anything audible, much less coherent.
Celeriti yelled at Raditz to call the medics, which had the effect of snapping Bardock out of his stupor.
"N-no! I'm fine woman!" Bardock said as he realized that he was sitting down against a wall, his cheek sore and a bit swollen. Bardock's hand absently reached up to rub the painful area.
"Sorry brother." Turles smirked half teasing. "I've never seen you let your guard down that badly before. Sorry if I hurt you."
"It wasn't you." Bardock jumped up to his feet suddenly. "I had a vision."
"A vision?" Celritri asked.
Bardock had not talked much to others about his peculiar ability. He hadn't even told his mate. So he set about explaining it as best he could.
Naturally, everyone wanted to know what he saw.
Bardock obsidian eyes met similar pairs of eyes, the eyes of his family and then his eyes fell to the floor. "Our deaths."
Bardock suddenly headed for the door.
"Where are you going my love?" Celeritri asked worry clearly etched on her face and in her voice.
"You guys clean up, I have to talk to Jessica."
"Do you think these kids can handle it?" Vegeta looked at the five youngsters that Goku had pinned the hopes of the universe on.
"They'll be fine Vegeta." Goku smiled
"How can you be so confident? Vegeta frowned.
"How can you not be?" Goku retorted.
Vegeta smiled. "I've always found that the be the single most irritating thing about you."
Goku smiled back. "I know."
"NO!! YOU CAN'T BLOCK A KICK THAT WAY!" Piccolo's raspy voice could be heard yelling at an offending trainee.
"I don't think I've seen Piccolo this happy in a long time." Vegeta said.
"Well, he was the head tormentor in HFIL for a reason." Goku laughed.
"He's riding them pretty hard all right." Vegeta smiled.
"They look beat. Piccolo has forbidden them from going Super Saiyan." Goku said. "They are starting from ground zero."
"They've achieved the various levels of Super Saiyan far too easily. They've never really explored the full potential of any of the levels." Trunks said walking up behind them. "They need to start from scratch."
"True." Vegeta said. "Frankly, I preferred the days when Super Saiyan levels were difficult to gain. Not that these guys didn't work hard, but what did any of them really have to sacrifice to get there? Look at your brats Kakkarot, they're not even 30 years old yet but they've managed Super Saiyan 5… It's incredible, but…"
"I know what you mean Vegeta. It just seems too easy some how." Goku said scratching his head.
"Exactly!" Vegeta agreed. "They haven't paid any dues."
"There's not much you can do about it I suppose." Trunks said. "It seems that the stronger a Saiyan is when they conceive, the stronger the resulting child will be. But look at the two Earth Saiyans. Their parents weren't very strong, they didn't train much, but these two have still become Super Saiyan 2's in their late teens."
"Perhaps the strength factors take longer to breed out, than they do to be bred in." Vegeta observed.
"Of course! That must be it." Trunks snapped his fingers. "The Saiyan genetic factors must be very strong, and not easily bred out."
"Don't discount the human factor in the mix as well." Goku said. "They were once Saiyans."
"Hmmm… That's true." Trunks pondered.
Suddenly the ground shook as Vegeta Jr. hit the ground hard.
"WHAT WERE YOU DOING? DAYDREAMING? I SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SNEAK UP ON YOU LIKE THAT!" Piccolo screamed into Vegeta Jr's face as he lay in a small crater made by his own body.
"BLAST YOU! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT!" Vegeta Jr. screamed back.
"I'M PICCOLO! I'VE BEEN TRAINING WHELPS LIKE YOU FOR OVER 100 YEARS! NOW PICK YOURSELF UP AND GET BACK INTO THE FIGHT!" Piccolo took off after Bardock Jr.
"Oh… You are going to pay!" Vegeta Jr. said to himself as he started to get up. His hand slipped on some loose dirt and he dropped back into the crater.
Vegeta looked up at the sky. "BLAST!" Suddenly, a hand came into view.
"You shouldn't take what Piccolo says personally." Gotarm said smiling.
"What would you know?" Vegeta said slapping the hand away and levitating out of the hole.
"Haven't you noticed?" Gotarm said.
"Noticed what?" Vegeta said brushing off his gi.
"The fear." Gotarm said looking around.
"What?" Vegeta stopped suddenly interested.
"Well, check out their eyes sometime. Try to sense their emotions." Gotarm said. "Whatever this enemy they are training us to face is, it's got most of them spooked."
"Most of them?" Vegeta asked.
"Nothing scares dad." Gotarm shot a crooked grin at Vegeta. I've never figured out whether it's bravery, or utter cluelessness, but he never lets fear take hold. No negative thoughts enter into his head. Look at them, the most powerful warriors the universe has ever known, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, Goten, Piccolo and the rest. We cut our teeth on stories about these guys, and they are afraid."
"If they are afraid, then what chance do we have?" Vegeta said quietly.
"They've put their faith in us, and I for one am not going to let them down." Gotarm smiled. "So have at you!" Gotarm fired a large ki ball straight at Vegeta Jr.'s head.
"It seems that Vegeta Jr. has a rather large streak of pride." Goku smiled.
Vegeta smirked, "Yeah, I can't imagine where he got that from."
Goku laughed out loud. "Nope, me neither. Must come from Bulma's side of the family."
Trunks chuckled. "I don't know, he seems an awful lot like a certain 'Prince of all the Saiyans' we all know and love."
Vegeta smirked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I have no idea what you mean son, I haven't a prideful bone in my body."
"Cha Right!" Trunks laughed.
Vegeta smirked and took off toward the battle. He hovered above the din and Goku joined him. They both looked on in silence as their progeny trained at the merciless hands of the Super Namekian.
Everyone was told to gang up on Goku Jr. He had never fought multiple foes before, and the foes he was fighting were every bit as strong as he, or more so. Shi-Chi couldn't resist being the first in to attack.
"Okay Nephew, here's some lumps!" Shi-Chi said as she unloaded a serious of wild haymakers at Goku's head. Goku deftly dodged the assault.
"You're not going to hit me with those!" Goku Jr. laughed. Suddenly, Goku felt pain in his lower back as Gotarm kicked him right into one of Shi-Chi's haymakers.
"Ow! No fair! He hit me from behind!" Goku complained.
"Shut up! Do you think an enemy will care about being fair?" Piccolo yelled, "Now get up and defend yourself!"
"I think we have a lot of work with Goku Jr." Vegeta said.
Goku winced. He didn't like the idea, but he knew that Vegeta was right. "I know" He managed to say.
"Do you think he has it in him, Kakkarot? Could he destroy an enemy if he had to? He still seems so innocent." Vegeta said. "He's like you were when we first met."
"Well not everyone enjoys killing Vegeta!" Goku said it, but even as it left his mouth he regretted it.
Vegeta winced, but he pressed on. "I'm not talking about teaching him to enjoy killing, just to do what has to be done to protect this universe."
Vegeta started to fly away.
"Vegeta!" Goku yelled.
Vegeta turned.
"I'm sorry Vegeta, I had no right to say that. Please accept my apology." Goku said.
Vegeta smirked. "No problem old friend. It's forgotten."
"I don't know." Goku said. "I don't know if he is up to it, but I believe he will be."
"That's good enough for me then." Vegeta smiled.
Bardock's stride was determined. He had to find his son's adopted daughter. He sensed her at last in the mall outside of the palace, and she was headed directly at him. He looked up to see that the object of his search was striding directly at him just as determinedly.
Jessica had become a fine woman with both inner and outer beauty. She would one day make a great queen, if Gerald ascended the thrown when his father either died, or decided to retire. Now, however, Bardock could plainly see that the woman was upset. Worry lines creased her forehead, and her tail twitched nervously behind her.
They reached each other in front of the north tower of the palace.
"You seen it too, didn't you Uncle Bardock?" Jessica said. "You were there too!"
"Yes, I did." Bardock answered simply. "What was that thing?"
"I do not know." Jessica shivered as she thought of the creature she had witness in her own vision. She had the same vision that Bardock had. Just before the vision ended, she and Bardock had seen each other. A fraction of a second later, the world blew up.
"If this vision is true, and we have every reason to believe it is, then when will it happen?" Bardock wondered out loud.
"The trees." Jessica muttered. "I seen the trees before the planet exploded."
"What about the trees?" Bardock asked.
"The leaves had not yet begun to change. It was still summer." Jessica pointed at a nearby Elm that Gohan had brought from Mt. Pau, on Earth and dedicated it to the strength of the Saiyan Race. It had a place of honor in the middle of the palace garden.
"There is only a month left before the leaves will normally start to change." Bardock said. "It will start turning cold then."
"Yes. Sometime in the next month, possibly sooner, a hideously evil creature will destroy the planet Vegeta, and all of us." Jessica said horrified.
"We have to prepare." Bardock said. "We must tell King Roger immediately." Bardock swiveled on his heel and headed toward the palace gate. Jessica followed immediately behind.
"Uncle Bardock, I didn't know that you have psychic abilities." Jessica said more as a statement, than a question.
"I don't like to talk about it. It's rather unnerving, but back during the planet trade days, a rather vengeful alien cursed me with being able to see the future." Bardock smirked. "I have come to call it "The Kanassan Curse". Anyway, it hasn't happened in many years, so I thought maybe I was done with it, but apparently not.
They reached the palace gate and were immediately admitted. Bardock was, after all, one of the king's personal guards, along with Nappa, Raditz, and Applinia.
Applinia was a new addition, having completed her training just last month. She has proven to be strong, and capable, with a mind like a steel trap. Bardock liked her very much. She was one of the "New Geners" as they were now being called.
The "New Geners" were the first generation raised completely without Frieza's influence. They are far happier, more content Saiyans that display more peaceful tendencies. Some of the older Saiyans think of them as lazy, but nothing could be further from the truth in Bardock's experience.
He has seen these kids display a potential for greatness. They work, and train hard, they are much less likely to fight among themselves, they are more intellectual, and problem solvers. Not that you would see them avoid a fight if all other possibilities were exhausted, but they, unlike their predecessors, thought before fighting.
All things considered, Bardock was quite pleased and proud of the new direction that the Saiyans were taking, anything to wash the stain of Frieza off his people.
Gohan deserved the main credit for the new attitudes. Gohan's schools were all over the planet now, and were mastered by Saiyans and non-Saiyans alike. Bardock was intensely proud of his children and grandchildren grew up to be great people, despite the circumstances of their lives. The fact that Bardock enjoyed a certain degree of celebrity due to the fact that he was the father of the man that defeated Frieza was not lost on him either. Not that he cared for the actual celebrity aspect, but it did open a few doors for him over the years.
The best part of all! He had his mate back at long last! He felt whole again! When the Kai's promised him a second chance, they weren't kidding around! He had everything he had cheated himself out of so long ago.
"…and I'll be damned if I'm going to let some two bit monster from a B-budget Earth horror movie take it away from me again!" Bardock muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something Uncle Bardock?" Jessica asked.
"No, nothing important." Bardock fibbed. "Here we are."
Bardock knocked on the door to the King's offices.