She was alone, surrounded by a dark, infinite void; a space that could have stretched on for eternity or ended at the tip of her nose; nothing of this place seemed certain. At least she wasn't completely alone, she thought, as a harsh wind blew up what could have been dust and sand from the unseen plains, forcing the young woman to shield her face from the battering ferocity of the storm. The wind began to pick up even more, howling viciously in her ears, the screaming sound morphing into that of a voice; a tangible, distinct, frightening voice. It startled and scared her that voice, like nails across slate, it rang in her ears, growing stronger, louder, and ever more distinct. It took all the reason and will power she had in her not to shake apart in fear, the wind voice echoing in the unseen void, sending chills down her spine. The stress finally griped her as ice cold fingers wrapped around her arm and a death like grip ensnared her waist. Paralysed, she could do nothing but tremble, a cold breath brushing against her ear."I will find you, pure one; you will be mine."She finally did scream and faint dead away, the world turning to black; her last thought a silent prayer that this was all just a meaningless nightmare.

***

Awareness dawning on her once more, she tensed and shivered in fear, her adrenaline filled mind not comprehending what was and had happened. Opening her eyes, she was more shocked to find her surroundings changed, the shadowy void replaced by a peaceful glade. The faintest note of a soft spring breeze lilted through the thick foliage of the forest around her, comforting her after the terror of that other realm. The bright sun light beat down through the leaves, warming her skin after the icy chill of the void, and that voice, that terrible voice. Shivering even in the warmth, her eyes darted around lush glade, the tranquillity of place making her all the more fearful that someone, or something was out there.

"Show yourself! If there is anyone out there show yourself; I swear I'm armed." Staggering to her feet, she relaxed infinitesimally, the rustle of the leaves and the last lingering echoes of her words all that pierced the almost liquid silence. Sighing, she let her eyes close, to sniff the clean air, alive with the smell of the leaves, the moss, the earth, the water. Straining her ears, the light rushing of water over the pebble-strewn earth. Bulma followed her senses towards the sight and the smell, towards the promise of a drink to whet her parched throat, pushing aside branches; her movements slow and dreamlike, in her surrounded but removed from them. The tableaux before her parted, revealing the source of the wondrous sound and smell and a tiny gasp caught in Bulma's throat. Before her, splashing over the tops of tiny waterfalls and whirling around the winding bank run a silence stream, the crystal water emptying out into a wide circular pool, the surface as quiet and perfect as the surface of a mirror. Walking in silence reverence to the pool, she knelt in the soft grass that grew at the water's edge and peered into the calm water. Down, down, deep, Kami, it must have went on forever, there was no end to the water before her. And looking up at her, through the endless depths of that pure water, from the mirror surface of that timeless, silent pool, was her. Blue eyes stared up into her soul, examining and accepting of what stared back at them; her skin, hair, face and body were flawless, like Venus' birth from the foam. Yet, all of those attributes were but a shadow compared with the nimbus of perfect, white light that surrounded, no radiated from her form. Backing away, she felt unworthy to look upon such a sight, the pool was playing tricks with her mind.

"Silly woman, scared of her own reflection. I would understand such fear in the case of one with a black soul; did you not believe me when I showed you what you truly were?"

Spinning around, her eyes were met with nothing but shadows, the dream world around her twisting into a beautiful nightmare, the inherent beauty and peace of the glade now hiding a monster, or worse, the thing that attacked her before. There was no where she could run, they would find her, she realised; if she were to flee now, it would only provide them a measure of sport before she was caught.

"Show yourself, or are you afraid of a mere woman?" Bulma called out, better to know what she was facing than to have this fear eating her inside. Her ears caught the gentle rustling of leaves behind her back and she quickly turned to face the peeping tom, and run smack dab into a body made out of granite and eyes black like the depth of infinity. Frozen with terror, she couldn't move as arms wound around her delicate frame and held her against him, the heat of his body almost burning her skin through the material of her silk night dress. The warm fingers came to life and drew patterns on the up and down her back, relaxing her body against her will, causing a smirk to spread across his face. Bringing one hand up, he tangled his fingers in her hair, stroking her neck with the same gentleness as that of the one on her back. Her body still trembling in fear but slowly she began to calm, looking up into that hard, handsome and somehow familiar face. Half forgotten memories of a dream flowed back into her mind about that face and that body, those eyes looking at her and ….

"So you do remember me, little one, if only as a dream. Silly woman, even when eternity is staring you in the face you are still too stubborn to believe it."

"Who are you, what do you want with me? You can't beat me that easily; if you have any connection with that cold voice or the void I swear I'll run, I'll scream." Concern flashing in though black eyes, it disappeared from her view as his head descended to her neck, his warm breath disturbing the delicate hairs near her ear.

"I am your protector, little one; definitely more trouble than you are worth, it must gravitate towards you like a magnet." His words ended with the lightest of kisses against her throat and she exhaled softly against him.

"Then what drew you here?" she asked in reply, melting against him when the obvious threat was replaced with his amorous attentions. Still frozen in place, she made no attempt to stop his stroking fingers or caressing lips, sighing and gasping at his touch.

"Nothing more than to see the light, beautiful beacon that you are." He smiled against her skin before nipping at her collarbone left exposed by her silk covering. She too seemed to smile at that; what madness he speaks of, she sighed in her head, her thoughts like an open book for him to read. No more madness than you to say you love me, Vegeta smirked at her thoughts; if she only knew. She still thought it was all a dream, even now she still can't quite remember, picking up the faint wisps of her memories of that night. Scanning her mind, he picked up a smattering of sights and sounds that turned his blood cold and hardened his demeanour; that voice. The Master still wanted her, and if he was willing to affect her dreams, his attempts would soon move past the realm of the dreaming, to the land of the living. Vegeta's concentration died on that thought as a pair of deft little hands lost their nervousness and entangled in his hair. Purring into her shoulder, he crushed her fragile frame against him, a hairwidth from biting her neck as desire overwhelmed reason. Madness must truly be contagious on this planet, it's begun to affect him already. Or maybe it was just the woman, what wonders and amazements she could conjure with nothing but her presence. And her hands and that mouth of hers, he growled low in his throat as she began to nip at his ear lobe.

"Have lost your fear I see, why you cling to it I'll never understand. I've seen that passion of yours, little one; you could burn a man alive." He whispered against the flesh of her shoulder, his hands and teeth finally ridding him of the first barrier between them. He felt another rebuttal form in her mind and he quickly silenced it, his mouth covering hers, his hands smoothing over her back. What had happened to him since he found this woman, nothing less than his own resurrection, he smirked. He had tried to forget her, to dismiss his odd behaviour as mere lust but then why had he followed and tracked her for the last four days, she was even in his dreams. He knew this had to stop, when she broke the kiss for air, he would knock her out and end this. No reason not to enjoy himself though, he decided, hearing her light moans against his mouth, her naked body pressing against his own clothed one. Feeling her fingertips run down his back, he prepared himself to end it, this wasn't healthy for a warrior, particularly a Saiyajin, to become so attached to a simple earth woman, though she did taste wonderful. Starting to pull away from her, he felt his blood suddenly burned and he bit her shoulder, feralness overcoming him at the fingers on the base of his tail. Gasping at the pain, Vegeta felt her fingernail dig into his back as he sucked the blood that flowed from the wound in her neck, the thick red liquid filling him with an overwhelming blood lust. It wasn't long before she joined him, the ecstasy of his bite infecting her and she bucked her hips, digging her nails in deeper. Moving slowly down her body, he nipped and lapped at her breasts, receiving loud moans as reward. Unfortunately slowly wasn't good enough as his all too willing partner grabbed at his tail again, stroking his fur first softly and then with harder strokes and he clamped his mouth one of her breasts to keep himself from yelling out. His breathing had become ragged, his legs lost battle against gravity and he feel to his knees, the soft grass cushioning his fall. Not that his little human even noticed, her body wrapped around his own like they were of the same body, licking at his neck and tugging at his clothing.

"Please, what is your name?" Bulma moaned in his ear, her attempts to find the helm of his shirt finally succeeding and her palm caressed everything they could come in contact with, her other hand working at his pants. Ridding herself of the impediments between their bodies, her fingers brushed against the base of his tail and he shuttered against her.

"Prince Vegeta." he was finally able to moan out, Bulma smiling in response and grabbed his head, angling his face and covering his lips with her own. She couldn't believe she could be like this, so sexual, so domineering, but all she could think about was having this man, this 'Vegeta', making him scream out, proving herself as a woman. Tongues duelling with one another, she willingly gave back the advantage as his fingers found her entrance, feeling her obvious wetness. Bucking more violently against him, she arched her chest against his own, willing him to go faster. Smirking down at her, trying to regain his own shattered control, he finally screamed out in ecstasy as she attacked his tail with both of her hands and he entered her, and the world stopped. The two of them desperately tried to regain their composure, to calm their frantic breathing, before Vegeta started to move over her. Using long slow strokes, Bulma was soon bathed in sweat, her head lashing back and forth, crying out in pleasure. It was getting difficult to think, to even breathe, all her waning concentration on the spot when their pelvises met. The fire seared along her nerves, a wonderful feeling building up in her, coming closer with every stroke of his beautiful body over hers, in hers. She was so close, all logic and reason swept from her mind as she ran her finger against his tail. At her touch, his strokes turned from controlled to frantic and their bodies tensed, his and hers, reaching the pinnacle together. The last of his control gone, Vegeta pumped madly, she was so warm and tight, felt so good. Her light and his aura fused together in the act, flooding the glade with a blue white glow, blinding anything but the two at the centre of the radiance. Suddenly, his body tensed, and he …

The Saiyajin warrior bolted up from his slumber, breathing ragged glowing white in the cold and his body still reacting to the images in his head, the smell of the grass, the water and the woman still in his head. What was he doing, torturing himself; this had to stop or he'd lose his mind. Jumping to his feet, steadying himself against the tree that had been his resting place for the night. Always priding himself on his control, the evident of his weakness sickened him; how he could protect her and keep his own skin if he wasn't alert. He had heard in her thoughts the Master's voice, whether it was an omen or his own instincts flaring he knew it would be only a matter of time before his switch was noticed and his retribution would come. Taking to the sky, he headed for the lake in the local park that had now become his home; he needed a cold bath.

***

Illuminated by nothing but the dim glow of the street lamp outside, a woman stared into her darkened room, gasping out in shock, amazement and fear. From her bed, a breathless Bulma clutched the sheet, her mind a whirl with images and feelings more real any dream. Wiping her sweat covered brow; she allowed her hand to cover her chest to still her wildly beating heart.

"Prince Vegeta?"

* * * * *