Lema jerked awake, feeling someone in the room with her. They were silent, but it was the fear in Vegeta that had alerted the danger to herself. Quickly she jumped from the bed, thankful that she had a robe on from her earlier shower. 'Run!' Her father snarled.

'Vegeta...'

'Will live... The Saiya-jin stalking you has several poison tipped weapons. One mark and none of us can save you... Get out of there now!'

Lema wasn't the type to run, but the moment she reached for her power, she knew she was in danger. Her power was critically low, far from its normal levels. Now was not the time to figure out her problem. Lema ducked, barely dodging the ki blast. Another second and she would have looked like her bed, nothing but ashes. Her eyes widened. Whom ever her attacker was, wasn't willing to play games; he wanted her dead.

A snarl came from the shadows, filled with veneomous hatred. He was blocking the door. Lema leapt out the window, crashing to the ground three stories below. She gasped in pain, again shocked at how weak she had become. Lema tried to stand, but her body protested and collapsed.

'Lema! Run!' She heard the panic in her father. Did he truly care about her? Bardock had told her, but she hadn't believed... 'Lema, you've proven me wrong every time, don't fail to do so now! You must get up!'

She rarely wanted or needed anyone, but at that moment she wanted her father. Lema stumbled to her feet, using the walls to stagger away from her attacker. It did no good. She heard him jump easily to the ground, his tail whipping out to snag her back. A hand wrenched her neck back, holding it secure against his shoulder as his other arm pinned her arms down.

Lema stared into insanity. There was no reasoning with this one. She struggled, but his fingers dug into her flesh, making it hard to breathe. Lema stopped. "Bitch..." he hissed. "Normally I would play, but in your case... Die!"

Everything was going dark. Suddenly a bright light surrounded her, throwing her assassin back. She coughed, trying to catch her breath. Lema, fading into darkness, looked at her savior. She knew him, but how...

"Take her," a voice encouraged.

Strong arms lifted her, easily carrying her away as two others blocked her assassin's path. He roared in rage, but a barrier had been erected to keep him from getting any closer. Lema was so tired, feeling safe with the Saiya-jin. He worried about her. The child took a lot of energy and too many wanted her eliminated.

"Open your eyes," he gently spoke.

Lema couldn't refuse, staring into beautiful emerald eyes. "A Super Saiya-jin..." she whispered. "Vegeta doesn't know you..."

"Are you surprised?"

"No; it's just... Things will be the same... Will he ever know..."

"Perhaps..."

"I'm tired..."

"Do not sleep, Lema." Too much energy was going to the child. Lema would die. Her eyes drifted close, despite his command. He hissed, "No! This is not to happen!"

"I'm sorry..." His voice was distant, fading to darkness. He had promised to not interfere until a later time, but if she died... Very carefully he settled her on a patch of grass, focusing all of his power on the center of her being. A tiny spark of life, yet already so powerful. The baby was thriving on his mother's energy, demanding what she could not afford to give. Lema would not have survived the first month, let alone the full term required to carry a Saiya-jin, not without his interference.

His mind brushed the little life, cutting off the supply to his mother. For a moment he stopped, confused and hungry. It did not take the new life long to figure out that all the food he wanted was coming from the golden energy surrounding him. He ate his fill, swelling with power, but content enough to allow his mother to recover from the massive drain of energy.

For now she was safe, but the Ancient knew she had a long way to go before the baby could be born. He sighed. None in the castle would be able to sustain her for long periods of time. He had little choice. Temporarily, he fused with Lema, forming a barrier between her and the child. The baby would be allowed to receive all the necessary nutrients from his mother, but he would receive all his energy from the Ancient.

The other two remaining Ancients were at work trying to save King Vegeta, forcing the poison from his system as he battled Nappa. The Ancients were furious, everything they had strived to protect was close to the edge of destruction.

One moment he had felt as weak as a kitten, Nappa closing in on him. The next, he could breathe, as if nothing had ever been wrong. Vegeta immediately knew that the Ancients had saved his life, working through him to purge his blood of the deadly poisons. 'Lema...'

'He protects her...' Vegeta wanted to know who the leader of the Ancients was. He could recall nothing of that one, nor was there any reference other than he was the most powerful Saiya-jin alive over a thousand years ago and that his mother had sacrificed everything to keep him alive.

'Why won't she answer me?" Vegeta snapped, lunging for Nappa's throat at the same time. The traitor dodged barely in time, his eyes bulging from his head.

"Impossible! You were dying!"

Nappa ran away, knowing he couldn't win in a physical fight with Vegeta. His only chance would be through his soul mate, but even that was denied as all attempts to approach the unconcious female resulted in several injured Saiya-jins. Cowli refused to give up, slamming against the golden barrier again-and-again. His eyes glowed red, and several of the guards tried to hold him back. His hands and arms were badly burnt, but he didn't care.

She wasn't moving... Cowli had been in the medical facilities with Arico when he saw Bardock being carried in, several knife wounds covering his muscular body. Alarms were going off through the palace, several of the guards shouting that the King had been attacked. Cowli didn't hesitate to head for Lema's chambers, finding the room destroyed and the window shattered.

The assassin was gone, but he didn't rest his guard as he tried to get to his friend. Cowli snarled at the other guards, hands and tails hauling and slamming him back. He struggled to break loose, determined to destroy what ever barrier that had been erected around her.

Excited whispering announced the presences of King Vegeta. His clothes were tattered and bloodied, his skin pale from the poison. Vegeta knew the ancients had saved his life, just as he knew the strongest of the remaining three was doing something to Lema. He swiftly thrust himself into her mind, finding the Ancient hovering in the shadows. 'Is she...?'

'She will live,' was all he said. The Ancient would settle for nothing less. If we wanted something to happen, it would. Failure did not settle well with the powerful Saiya-jin. Vegeta easily spotted the tiny life the Ancient protected. 'Take her to the medical facility. Do not allow them to kill or remove the baby. He must be born.'

King Vegeta started to protest. His life mate was first, but the Ancient would kill anyone that defied him, including King Vegeta. 'How long?'

'She's lost a lot of energy.' The Ancient did not lie. He sounded regretful, almost sad, but Vegeta couldn't imagine the powerful being anything other than confident and savage. 'I am everything you describe,' he confirmed, 'And I will be again.'

'Who were you?'

'Your life mate will have the answers you want evenutally. My presence pains her tremendously, but this can never again happen if we are to save this race. Take her; I grow tired. Not even I can sustain her without the regeneration tanks.'

The barriers lowered, allowing King Vegeta to lift and carry her. He nuzzled her neck, growling and purring. She didn't move. Lema was always so active. His eyes flew to Cowli, "Find Nappa and Paragus. If possible, I want them alive!" There was a lethal promise in his voice, the words unspoken. The two assassins would be made an example of, publicly in the Arena.

Cowli snarled. His loyalties to Lema ran deep and for that reason alone, Vegeta didn't kill the kid for his defiance. "She will not be safe, Cowli." They were the perfect words to motivate the warrior into action. He turned and leapt back into Lema's room, sniffing and scanning every trace of her assassin. Paragus was good at hiding, but Cowli was better at tracking.

'The boy must be given to Cowli immediately,' The Ancient foretold. 'Already the Ice-jins make their way to Vegeta-sai. Say nothing of her condition and let no one near her to find out.'

She floated, unaware of the passage of time. Everything was peaceful here; she was happy and in a time before there was a need for violence or hate. They were all there, the Ancients; yet they had not always been Ancient. She wasn't the strongest of their group, but they protected and sheltered her. Lema felt something pulling her away; she didn't want to go. Defiantly she struggled to remain, but gradually the members of the Saiya-jin pack vanished, leaving only her and the unborn child she carried.

In the end, she had saved his life, stopping an evasion on their planet. Lema thought she had died; so how... It was him... Somehow he had managed to preserve their spirits, resurrecting each of the original Saiya-jins. Three remained, soon to be two.

"Don't go...!" she felt him within, shielding her from the baby she carried. The baby was one of the original, but not the last child she had carried.

"I'm so tired..." he admitted. "Just for awhile, I want to forget..."

"I can't do this alone!"

"You're not alone. Trust in your life mate and trust in your strength. Nothing must happen to either of you." The Ancient spoke of the child she carried and herself. There was something he wasn't telling her, a terrible secret that he was determined to forget.

"Will I see you again?"

"In time..."

She answered his summons, unable to resist the weariness in his tone. He wanted to be released from his thousand year promise, but only she could give it to him. Lema was shocked at his power, watching him merge with her body. In an instant, he was a tiny life form, a placenta forming. He had no father. Her eyes widened. It was like the first time. Her life mate had already vanished before she had become pregnant with this child, but there had been no father then as well. "Who are you?" she asked, not for the first time.

"One day you will know. Stay close to Bardock or Vegeta, little one. They will provide the energy you need to survive." His energy faded, dimming to a soft glow as he took on the mentality of the baby he had become. She protested, but he did not answer, nor would he for many years to come.

Vegeta felt her agitation, her sorrow, and eventually acceptance. Three days had passed before she opened her eyes, floating in the re-juvinating liquid. There were no tears, but he could see the haunting regret deep in her black eyes. He thought of asking, but decided she would tell him in her own time. Vegeta no longer sensed the powerful Ancient and he knew the Saiya-jin's disappearance had affected Lema tremendously.

Alarms blared in the palace. He wanted to stay with her, but she was already heading away from the space docs and deep into the castle. Cowli, unable to find Paragus or Nappa, closed in beside her. Vegeta hated to see his mate so grief stricken, but he had no time to comfort her as he raced to meet the new threat to his planet.

The Ice-jins were ugly creatures, but their scouters indicated unspeakable power. Vegeta waited beside Bardock, their tails tightly wrapped around their waists. Neither knew what to expect; only that these freaks would be responsible for the destruction of their planet and almost all of their race.

"They look like monkey's," said a green man beside the lizards. "What's so special about them?"

"Silence," the purple and white one hissed. "I wish to speak with the ruler of this world."

Bardock, without hesitation, stepped forward, startling several of the guards. A single glare kept them in check. King Vegeta said nothing, trusting the man completely. If Bardock had wanted the throne, he would not have waited until now to take it. Rather, if the Ice-jins were a threat, King Vegeta would remain a live and unknown.

There were two Ice-jins. One was sitting in a chair, with a fat pink tail and two horns on the top of his head. He was an ugly creature, but cruelty was set at the edges of his mouth. The other was tall, sleek, almost elegant looking. It was clear that he was in charge of the little party. The two Ice-jins glanced at each other, doubt in their hate filled eyes. "I would have thought the leader was thinner; not quite so tall," said the pink one.

Bardock said nothing, guaging the enemy through silence and observation. The Ice-jins hissed in fury, wanting a reaction, but receiving none. "Forgive us," the purple one said, switching to sly cunning speach. "My brother's manners are lacking. We have travled to this world looking for warriors. The reputation of the Saiya-jin race is well known throughout the galaxy."

"What is it that you want?" Bardock finally spoke, not dropping his guard.

The Ice-jin smirked. "I am Cooler. My brother is Frieza. We are the sons of King Cold, ruler of the Ice-jins. Our goal is to rule the entire universe, enslaving or destroying those who resist our conquest."

"We have no desire for slaves or planet conquest. Other humanoid creatures were exterminated from this planet long ago; we have no desire for outsiders here."

"Refusing our offer is very unhealthy," Frieza spat, looking for a reason to fight.

"Not knowing your enemy is just as unhealthy," Bardock snarled, his eyes flickering a deep emerald. Vegeta kept a straight face, hiding his surprise. He had known the man beside him all of his life, and until now he had never known Bardock too openly display fear, pain, or rage to his opponents.

"We will go, but think about our offer. Next time we meet, will not be so friendly," Cooler warned.

The enemy retreated, but not from fear. Rather they were just as cunning as the Saiya-jins, not wanting to start a war without knowing their opponent first. "Can we stop them?" King Vegeta demanded.

"Defeating Frieza would have been simple, but the older Ice-jin is another matter. Only one can defeat Cooler, and he has yet to be born."

"Dammit, why is one Saiya-jin so damn important? Couldn't we train more? Who the hell is he? I try to remember before we died the first time, but there is nothing!"

"I know nothing of the Saiya-jin myself. Lema doesn't want to remember him. As for defeating the Ice-jins; all the training we could or would do wouldn't be enough. Everything depends on Lema's survival. She will not stay here once the children are born."

"Children...?"

Bardock knew Lema's secret, but he would say nothing to Vegeta. It was best for Lema to tell him. She was truly special among them, the chosen one. His long brown tail wrapped loosely around his thigh, not concerned about anyone grabbing it. He found her sitting alone, hidden in the darkness. She was next to her mother's picture, but not really focused on it.

"Go away," she snapped.

He ignored her, finding a place close, but putting enough distance to avoid a sudden attack. Her mood could go either direction, between severe depression or blind rage. "He never told you much, in either life..." Bardock was a part of her thoughts, but couldn't find a single memory that revealed who the Ancient truly was. Deep down, she knew, but she refused to face the truth. All he knew was that the Ancient's mother had been Lema in the past and would be again a few months from now. What he didn't comprehend was how an Ancient could be so powerful that he could bring himself to existance without a father either time? Who was this Saiya-jin and why did he choose Lema?

"Did it matter?" she snapped. "He was there... Everyone else was..." Her eyes flashed dangerously, a burst of power flaring in the room before she pulled it back. To say he was surprised was an understatmenet. She should have been weak as a kitten. "Dammit! I didn't want this; any of it! If I had known..." Just as quickly as it had come, the anger vanished, replaced with a deep agony. "It's all happening again; he only prolonged our future by having us re-born."

"There's a chance, little one..." Bardock encouraged, trying to reach through her barriers. She was shutting them out, including her soul mate. For all of their sakes, she had to find the strength to stand, even if it were to be alone one more time.

"A chance for everything to die this time!" Lema roared. "I risked everything for this stupid planet; and for what? The Saiya-jins are nothing of what they were a thousand years ago. They're arrogant, cruel, weak, and are no better than the bastards trying to destroy us! Give me a reason to care! Tell me what's worth saving! If you can explain it, I might be able to smother this emptiness..."

"How did you die the first time?" Bardock asked. She was trying to keep it from him, but pieces were leaking out as her control slipped further and further.

"The Tuffles! They almost succeeded in wiping us out, but in a fit of rage, he destroyed every last one of them! I don't remember anything after that, only that he somehow managed to capture our souls, lock them away, and wait until we were needed again. He was my son, but I knew next to nothing about him... I knew he was different than the rest of us and there would never again be a Saiya-jin like him unless he had a child himself. He wouldn't let me die after... No soul mate should be asked to continue after the death of their other half. Yet, he always seemed to know when I wanted to give up."

Bardock flinched. He knew better than anyone how Turles struggled with his own desire to end it all, to join his soul mate Leana. Hunted to the verge of extinction, he could only touch the terror and pain she felt before she finally died. Very slowly, he uncurled his tail, and curled it around her waist. She tried to resist, but Bardock was stronger, and in the end she came to him. "Everything will be better, little one. You have to believe in what he's trying to do."

"It's just... He was the only strength I had left. With him, I still had a reason to fight."

"No, little one. Both your sons will need you this time. Do not give your first born a reason to sacrifice himself a second time. He would do it without hesitation, as would your soul mate. This Ancient is our last chance and his strength is from you; why I don't know. You're important to all of this or he wouldn't have chosen you then nor now."

Lema listened to the steady rhythm of Bardock's heart, finding comfort in his strength. This was the way it had been, when she could afford to lean on the others. This was before, when the Tuffles had been only a small threat to the Saiya-jins. They had all sheltered her, the only female of their group at the time. Later there had been others, but she had been the only one they had accepted, all striving to survive. She had given birth to her first son in the mountains, their chosen leader curled at her side protectively. None of them had known if they would wake to another day or not, leaving the labs behind to make their way into the wilderness. The Tuffles had tried to re-capture them, and in time, they had managed to free all the other Saiya-jins.

The Tuffles were from another planet, where, the Saiya-jins never discovered. It didn't matter. They performed cruel experiments and they killed any of the Saiya-jins that didn't meet their specifications. Vegeta had found her in a dirty cell, about to be terminated by the Tuffles. Her and five others he freed, all on the extermination list as well. The origins of the Saiya-jins was also uncertain. All they knew at the time was that the Tuffles had captured all of them and were determined to keep them as slaves.

One-by-one, they died. In the end, Lema had been the only one left. Close to death herself, her second son was born, giving her a reason to continue until he was old enough to take care of himself. He never gave her a chance to join her soul mate. Why? Nothing made sense anymore.

"You know what needs to be done, little one."

"No!"

"Dammit, we've discussed this Lema!"

"I'm not going anywhere; not unless you promise to take King Vegeta, Zucca and leave as well! I don't care where you go, how you do it, but you take them and keep them safe! I meant what I said! I won't do this a second time! I can't! If I never see either of you again, at least I would know all of you were still alive! Promise, or I'll find away to defy him! None of you ever found soul mates in the past, only Vegeta and myself. I think that's why everything is different this time."

"You are so stubborn!" Bardock snarled.

"I learn from the best..." she shrugged. "Promise that you'll take them from here."

"Fine."

"You have six months."

She was suddenly gone, pulling away and walking into the shadows. Bardock cursed the gods! It was cruel to force her into this a second time, but they were very clear about what needed to be done. Her head was held high and her shoulders straight. There was no indication that something was wrong. Only the people who knew her would see past the mask.

Cyan wanted nothing more than to go to his twin. "Lema..."

"You are safe?"

Leave it to his twin to think about others before herself. "Fine! Hurry and get here already!"

"Time, brother. Give me time... Things will happen very quickly. He will come to you ahead of me. Cyan, please protect him. He's never had anyone to lean on... There was no one strong enough..."

"He will not come to harm, Lema."

"Thank you."

"What about you?"

Lema knew something would stop her from joining her son, but it didn't matter as long as both were safe. One would go with Cowli, and the other would be shoved into a space pod just in time to avoid disaster. Cowli was growing closer and closer to the servant girl, Arico. He was so gentle with her... At times, when she found people like Cowli and Dillon, she could find that reason she needed to save her race. They were a resemblance of the past, and a hope for the future.

She had barely a month before her son would be born, Arico not far behind. Cowli didn't let anyone near his pregnant mate, no one except Zucca. Making a decision, she went to Zucca. "I need a favor."

Beside Zucca was her protector, a woman named Fasha. "Send your guard with Cowli and Arico. They will need her. You are to go with Bardock and King Vegeta when the time comes. Bardock will not leave if you stay."

"Will our leaving make a difference, Lema?"

"One can hope, Zucca. Bardock says not to give up; I have to trust him."

"Alright."

Vegeta awoke in a blind rage. The past had come flooding back to him, the hate, the running, and never knowing if they would live from one moment to the next. She had been so terribly alone, even now she tried to shield him from her fate. Still, the strongest of the Ancients did not come to him. He had come after, how and when he did not know. "You will not do this alone," he vowed. Shaking the covers from his body, he stormed out of his room, leaving his sleeping mate. He hadn't wanted to leave the planet, but not even he could repeat that hell for her. Defeating the Ice-jins was impossible at that time.

Saving an entire planet was futile, the Saiya-jin race no longer what they had been. Lema had been right. Still, there were a few that was worth trying at a new future. He made preparations, filling sevearl ships with food and supplies that would last years. Vegeta knew he would not be returning, hearing his friend approach silently. "When?" Bardock asked, not trying to stop his leader.

King Vegeta wondered when he had started seeing the warrior as a friend? "Soon."

"Cowli will meet up with Raditz and Dillon after the babies are born." King Vegeta nodded.

Lema was so tired. Soon. She touched her stomach, a fond affection for both children growing inside her. Despite the one not having an actual father, she loved him no less. She just hoped she didn't disappoint him, whomever he was. Lema knew his name from the past, but she had a strong feeling he was far more than he wanted everyone to think. He kicked, as if in agreement. Strangely, he had provided the other child with the energy it wanted, taking as little from their mother as possible.

She smiled. About a week and they would enter the world. If only the future wasn't so uncertain. Lema hoped that they would find peace, that neither would remember themselves as ancients or where they had come from. She would protect both with her last dying breath. After the birth of her children, she would do the hardest thing of her life. Lema would track down and slaughter the entire Ice-jin race; alone.

Lema kept her mind hidden from her family and Vegeta. They had sheltered her in the past; they would not do so again. It was her turn to shelter them.

"Dammit, how can one female be so helpless!" Raditz snapped, snatching Ringo away from the avalanche of machinery. "You can't fly, you can't fight, and you can't cook!"

"I didn't ask..."

Raditz ignored her hurt protest, his hands searching for signs of injury. Despite his anger, he was extremely gentle with Lema's friend, surprised at how attracted he was to her. He despised anyone weaker than himself, yet he found himself unable to ignore Ringo or allow any harm to come to her. "Save your skills for catching our dinner!"

"I am not your slave!" Ringo snarled, finding a rare burst of courage.

"No, but if you want to eat, then we're going to need those tracking abilities of yours. Stop messing with things you don't understand!"

Ringo had no idea how Lema put up with her arrogant cousin! He was so... so... obnoxious. Dillon hovered in the background, clearly amused at the enraged female. She couldn't see it, but Raditz purposely started arguments with Ringo, his way of coping being away from his home world and the people he may or may never see again. Despite her lack of fighting abilities, she was a female and a rather attractive one. She demanded nothing of Raditz and tried to avoid his help rather than ask for it.

Dillon had to admit, Ringo was one of the most helpless females he had ever run across in his life. He doubted seriously Torn was responsible. Some Saiya-jins were simply born that couldn't fight. She was one of them.

"We'll be landing in a few hours."

"Does it have food?"

Dillon shrugged, as if the answered didn't matter one way or the other. There was enough supplies to last another month, but only on rationed proportions. "Damn!" Raditz grumpled, storming out of the engeneering room. Dillon guided Ringo, closing the door behind them. "For all our sanity, stay out of trouble," Dillon advised.

"He can't control me!" Ringo defianatly said.

"That is not his desire and you know this... Raditz is more than strong enough to demand your obediance if he chose. You are important to Lema and therefore he will do everything in his power to keep you alive and safe."

"He's worried about her?" She never really thought about it that way before, but it would explain why he was always so hostile and on edge.

"Raditz knew her far better than most. Lema strikes me as the type to go her own way rather than bring danger to the planet she wishes to save."

"She isn't doing something stupid again, is she?" Ringo wouldn't put it past her friend. "She doesn't have to be the hero all of the time!"

"Does she have a choice?" Dillon gently demanded. Ringo wanted to cry. Why was Lema always the one to suffer for everyone else? Did anyone even know the sacrifices she made? Did anyone even care?