Once Upon a Dream

"We would have to get the hard job, wouldn't we?" Goten complained to his best-friend. "I just wanna go home!"

"Shh, Goten!" Goku whispered. "Besides, we're more powerful than anyone on this planet. It should go easy for us."

"I don't think it's a good idea to show our true power now that I think about it," Kat mentioned. "We should try to fight like normal people."

"Why?" Vegeta asked. "Would it make a difference?"

"They already know that we're not from around here. They don't know exactly who you are but we're still taking a major risk. I don't want to screw up time or anything."

"If we change something here, I don't think it would affect our time. It's like when Mirai Trunks came to warn us about the androids." Goku shifted and took some weight from his arm. "We killed them and Cell in our time but they still existed in his."

"Bra-chan? Can you see anything?" Kat whispered to her.

She shook her head. "It's completely empty! I don't know where they are!" She dropped down to crouch beside the others by the window. "This is bad. I hear the battles going on all around us, but I don't see Raven, Vegeta, or Vintri at all."

"What does Raven look like Trunks?"

He shuddered slightly. "She was tall and strong looking, like a tree, and she had long hair that was in a braid but her eyes were the worst. They had a wild look to them like she was barely a person, more like an animal. It was freaky."

She nodded. "And we can spot Vintri because of the scars. Okay, who wants to go in and search?"

Goten and Trunks both shook their heads. "Count me out," The younger one said. "Trunks too."

Kat rolled her eyes. "Vegeta and Goku, I have a job for both of you. Bra, go ahead."

"Aw," She stood and began to climb into the window. "Goten-niichan and Niichan are just chicken!"

"And keep your voice down!"

She shut her mouth and nodded. As she disappeared from sight, Kat began to issue orders.

"Trunks and Goten, you guys stay with me at this window just in case something goes wrong in there. V-chan and Goku, you two can search for our troops to maybe help them and post some people at all the exits. We don't want anyone getting away."

"Sure," Goku said as he and Vegeta slipped away to the other side of the building. Trunks and Goten huddled around Kat with cautious looks.

"Everything's going to be alright?" Trunks asked. "I mean, we can save these people? And by the way, putting Goku-san on recon wasn't the brightest of ideas."

"I don't know." She sighed. "There's a chance."

***

Goku tapped Vegeta on the shoulder and pointed in the opposite direction from where he was facing. Vegeta nodded, without argument for once, and took off in that direction. Goku looked around for some of their people and couldn't find anyone at all.

'That's weird. I heard the battle sounds coming from over here.' He shrugged and continued on, walking as low as he could. When he was almost to the smaller building that was by the corner of the stone wall surrounding Raven's fortress, he heard a cry of outrage.

"They tricked us!!"

'It sounds like a woman. Must be Raven.' He darted to the side of the building and pressed himself flat against it, trying to figure something out.

"I never thought those idiotic fools would be smart enough to trick us!" Raven growled and turned to Vegeta. "Boy, what you heard was a fake plan. You idiot!"

"Calm down Raven," Vintri soothed. "We are still in complete control of the situation."

"Oh yeah?" She was skeptical. "How do you suppose that?"

"That's for me to know, and for you not to."

She crossed her arms and flicked her braid to her back. "Whatever. We just need to get rid of those people and take back our supplies!"

Vintri stiffened suddenly and held a finger to his lips. Raven's rants fell silent and he then pointed to his left.

'Spy,' he mouthed to them. 'Be silent.'

Goku's eyes narrowed once their voices became quiet. 'Something's not right here..." And his thought was confirmed when he felt a harsh tap on his shoulder from behind. Goku smothered a yelp and turned around in a defensive pose. 'Why didn't I sense him coming?!'

Vegeta smirked as the other two stepped into sight in front of Goku. "Are you looking for something.... or someone?"

Goku shook his head and plastered an innocent look on his face. It was so convincing. "Nope. I was just looking around."

"I though you might have been the short man or even the red-haired woman. But it's fitting that they sent a fool on a kamikaze mission."

"What are you going to do once you rule the world?" He took several steps back to include all three of them in his gaze since he didn't really know who was in charge.

Vintri laughed and spread his arms wide. "Why, this planet is only the beginning! I hope to rule the universe with terror!"

'So you *are* in charge.' The saiyan filed this away for later use. "Can you just let me go now?" He spoke aloud. "I have something to do."

All three of them gave incredulous looks. "Are you insane?" Raven asked. "You actually think that we'll just let you go now?"

Goku shrugged. "It was a thought."

Vegeta snorted. "Not a very good one."

A loud roar rose up from nearby, close to the area that Vegeta had gone to. It was closely followed by an owl's call, three in succession, that prodded Goku into movement.

"I can't stay to chat anymore," Goku looked in the direction the sounds came from, "I have to go and help them."

"Wait a damn minute!" Raven lunged at him but all she grasped was empty air. "Is he a wizard?" She asked, shocked.

Vintri shook his head. "It was just speed. Pure speed. There is nothing to fear, I can still take him and anyone else who crosses my path."

"You keep saying that," she growled, "but I don't see you do *any* of the work around here!"

He spun on her, his eyes fixing her to the spot. As he stalked in her direction, her eyes widened in unexplained fear. "Would you care to repeat that, Raven?"

She shook her head with great effort. "Uh, no. I don't."

He smiled, the scars on the right contorting with the movement. The chieftess carefully disguised the shudder that was working its way through her body and backed away. "Good," he said. "We have an understanding."

Vegeta strode to the edge of the equipment building and looked around. "Don't you think we should be going after those people?"

Raven shook herself mentally. "Yes, of course. Vegeta, you can pursue the man that was here. I will go after the ones who stole our weapons. Where do we meet?"

Vintri appeared to think it over. "How about the throne room? No one should be there since you dispatched all of the royal guards on battle preparations." He smirked at her and it was even more hideous than his earlier smile.

Raven ignored both him and the laughing Vegeta and took off in the same direction that Goku had done, her sword naked in her hand. Vegeta soon followed.

***

"Vegeta!" Goku called out over the chaos around him. "Where are you? Is everything okay?"

"Over here Kakarott!" It was coming from over to the far right, behind a small grove of trees. Goku focused on Vegeta's ki and made it to him in record time.

"What happened?" He noticed immediately the wounded man on the ground and kneeled next to him.

"Even surprising them wasn't enough," the man coughed slightly and blinked the sweat from his eyes, "They are so much better than we are. They attacked us head on, with archers shooting us before they even reached us and because we don't have long range weapons, five of us were picked off almost instantly." He grunted in pain and cradled his right arm where there was a deep slash.

Goku shushed him and turned to Vegeta. "Did you see what happened?"

He nodded. "It was as bad as he said it was. Maybe even worse. No one survived except for him and they captured the lord that was with them."

Goku sighed and placed two fingers to the soldier's neck. "Well, he's gone now too." He folded the man's hands across his chest and sighed. "Why do so many people have to die for such a stupid reason? It doesn't make sense!"

Vegeta stood. "Kakarott, it rarely makes sense. You do what you have to so that you stay alive."

"But what about everyone else? People seem to only do things if it benefits themselves!"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course Kakarott! It's the whole point for living! If you don't think of yourself first, who's going to do it for you?"

Goku was shocked. "Do you really still think that way?"

He remained silent for a few seconds before he answered. "I have to say hai. I know that the onna, the boy, and Bra-chan are important, who's going to protect them if I'm dead? Do you understand what I'm saying? I don't think I can get resurrected a third time."

Goku frowned. "I guess I understand your point."

"You do?" He smirked. "That's a first."

"Anyway," he rolled his eyes, "we have to find everyone."

Vegeta began to pace. "That's not necessary. I think they're all dead except for the commanders."

He thought about that for a moment. "You know, I think you're right."

"Of course I am! We need to find Kat and the others. They're probably still at the main building." Then his eyes suddenly widened and he lunged forward to push Goku out of the way. Raven, her weapon aimed directly at Goku's head, sailed harmlessly passed to land with feline grace on the ground. She spun to the other saiyan and snorted.

"Even warning him won't save him from death by my hand."

"How come you didn't sense her?!"

Goku shook his head. "I was looking for Kat-chan. Besides, she has barely no ki at all."

Raven growled and raised her sword once again. "I don't know what you two are talking about but stop wasting my time!"

"You've found them!" Vegeta popped his head around a tree. "Vintri will be pleased." He walked over to stand beside the Chieftess. They both got into battle stances and smirked at the two saiyans.

"How do you wish to die?" Raven questioned them. "Quickly or slowly?" And without giving them a chance to answer, she lunged with all of her speed almost catching Goku on the arm.

"How can she be so fast with such a low amount of ki?" he asked as he hopped backwards. Vegeta frowned.

"Somehow both she and the boy have been hiding it. They're still hiding it now."

"We don't have time to fight with you!" Goku said loudly as he caught Raven's arm. He nodded to his companion and they both leapt into the air. Vegeta placed one hand on Goku's forearm and they both disappeared, teleported to the location of Kat's ki. Raven and Vegeta were left on the ground, astonished, as they just vanished from sight. Vegeta turned to his superior.

"Raven, Vintri's not going to like this."

She nodded, more than a little afraid. "But I don't think he knows what abilities those two have." She shrugged. "Then again, he might and just not bothered to tell us about them."

The boy nodded. "That sounds about like him."

Raven sighed, already dreading the return trip to the throne room where she knew their leader had gone. "Yes, it does."

***

Bra tip-toed around in the darkness next to the wall trying not to alert anyone to her presence. She couldn't sense anyone around but that didn't mean they weren't there. Something didn't feel right

Then a light flared up around Raven's throne and she knew that her caution was a good thing.

"Well hello little girl," said a voice. It was someone Bra had never seen before. "How are you doing today?"

Then the light from the unknown source caught the man's body, bringing into view the marred flesh of his right side.

"It's you!" Bra said loudly enough to alert the others outside. "The man with the scars!"

Anything else Vintri was about to say died in his throat as Bra brought up his most interesting feature.

"You must not comment on them!" He shouted in rage, making Bra flinch slightly. She carefully slid her eyes from Vintri to the window and back again in hopes someone would be there soon. From the story she heard about this man, she didn't want to be left alone in a room with him. The Lord of Darkness calmed almost instantaneously and sat there, just staring at her.

"I, uh, apologize for what I said earlier," she said in a small voice, "It won't ever happen again."

He nodded, his attention momentarily elsewhere. Then his small, dark eyes focused on her again. "We know of your efforts."

That was the last thing that she expected him to say. "Huh?"

He elaborated. "You and the 'good' people of Vegeta's kingdom have come to the Wastelands to stop my plans." He leaned back in his seat and folded his hands across his stomach, the perfect epitome of calm.

"Well about that-"

He cut her off with a single slashing motion of his hand. "No explanation needed. I know perfectly well why you're trying to stop me."

"Oh."

"But I'm afraid that you simply won't be able to succeed."

Bra sighed in relief when she felt the other three at her back. The little man was more than a little creepy.

Vintri smiled cruelly. "I was wondering when you three were going to join us."

Trunks' eyes widened with his words. "He's even freakier than Raven!" He whispered loudly to the others.

"Why thank you. I try to be."

"You may not think we can win, but we have to at least try." Kat assumed a defensive stance. "There is more to you than the others sense. I know all."

He hopped from the dais. "As they say, bring it on Godling."

Goku chose that exact moment to appear in front of Kat. She blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?"

Goku was frantic. "I think that leader man is on his way!"

Vegeta tapped him on the shoulder and pointed behind him. "Kakarott, I think we're a little late."

Goku turned. "Aw man!"