Disclaimer: Some guy named Akira Toriyama stole it from me… (Tries to look convincing ;-)

Author's Note: Okay, another story! This is an Alternate Universe fic, of course. My favorite kind! It's fairly self-explanatory. Vegetasei still exists, and all the Saiyans are alive, with a few minor exceptions. There are several different Empires: Cold, Saiyan, etc… I'd go into further detail, but it'll ruin the story. You'll find out the main gist of things in the first couple chapters. Trust me. I promise! Enjoy, and don't forget to review. I have to know what you think of this one. Vegeta's not in this chapter. He'll be in the next!

Prologue

"Where are you going?" The princess demanded.

Her bodyguard pulled her dark, hooded cloak around her slender body, covering up her equally dark ensemble, and pointedly ignored the younger woman's question. She had far more important things on her mind than satisfying her ward's curiosity. "You are to remain in the guest chambers, Your Highness. The Icesei palace is no place for a young woman like yourself to be wandering around," the woman stated, tucking a dagger into her black, knee-high boots.

"Oh, come on. You get to run off and explore the palace, Akira," the girl whined. "Why can't I?"

Glossy, pewter eyes glared across the room at the princess. "I have orders from your father to carry out, and you will respect his wishes and remain in your room," she repeated the earlier command with finality.

Looking back, Bulma wished she had listened. Now, she was running through the bowels of the palace from the royal guard. Ducking into a small crevice nearby, she pushed some loose strands of her curly, aqua color hair away from her sweaty face and gasped for air.

"What the hell was I thinking?" She whispered, silently berating herself for her lack of common sense. She knew something bad would happen if she left her room, but she just had to go despite the warning in her gut. She prayed that she wasn't found because she feared what they would do to her when, or if, they did. Taking a deep breath, she rested her head back against the damp wall and replayed what she had overheard just a few minutes before.

Bulma pressed her back against the cold stone surface of the wall and strained to hear what was being said in the next room. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she hated being left out of important meetings. It made her wonder why her father even bothered to bring her along in the first place. He had to know she'd get bored to tears sitting in the guests' suite twiddling her thumbs all night!

Raised voiced shook her out of her reveling, and she moved closer to the doorway. "Those damn monkeys are always in our way," Freeza hissed, slamming his hand down on the table and earning reproachful looks from both his father and brother.

"Calm down," Cooler spoke up. He was clearly annoyed with his sibling and not afraid to let it show.

"How can I calm down! We need to crush them so we can take over their quadrant of space!"

King Cold cleared his throat, gaining his youngest son's attention. "Now, now, Freeza. Their time is coming. Just a few more months," he replied casually.

Cooler chuckled evilly. "I can't wait to go to Vegetasei. So much to destroy and conquer."

"Especially with that weakling prince now on the throne," Freeza chimed in happily.

"I know," King Cold laughed. "The precious boy did us a favor by getting his older brother out of the way for us." His tone turned serious. "Had Prince Vegeta been crowned king, it would be far more difficult to invade Vegetasei."

"Ah, yes. Vegeta," Cooler said the name with a slight hint of admiration. "Now there's a true talent. I wonder if he could be swayed to join us?"

Freeza did not like that idea. "No one can find him. Besides, it's quite possible that he's not even alive." Oh, how he hated the prince! He would not allow his family to even entertain the notion of allying with Prince Vegeta.

'They're going to invade Vegetasei in a matter of months!' Bulma covered her mouth with her delicate hand and slipped slowly away from the door. All she could think of was the fact that her father had been sent here by the UC (Universal Council) to initiate peace-talks between the Icejins and Saiyans, and these terrible creatures weren't even going to consider it! She accidentally bumped into a piece of artwork hanging on the wall, banging her head against its frame. Her eyes grew wide, forgetting her pain, as she watched it tip forward off the nail it had been hanging on. She tried to reach for it, but it was too heavy. It smashed loudly against the floor, splintering the wooden frame. She ran down the hall and ducked into an open room. She had to find somewhere to hide and now!

(Change scene)

"I want two men stationed in every corridor," the commander shouted. "The rest are to scour ever inch of this palace until the spy is caught."

Akira let out an inaudible growl. How'd they find out about her? She was good at what she did. She was, after all, taught by the best. Frowning, she moved deeper into the shadows, waiting for the group of soldiers to pass so she could make it to the window on the other side of the hall.

As the small group shuffled past her hiding spot, she followed them with ever-watchful eyes. She still had to find a way to distract or take out the two guards left behind. Dropping to one knee, she closed her eyes and held her breath. With her superior sense, she was able to pick up on what the two soldiers standing around the corner were saying.

"I'd hate to be the person we're hunting," one said a slight hint of sympathy in his voice.

"They deserve to get captured. Can you believe that anyone would be stupid enough to eavesdrop on King Cold himself?" The other commented.

Akira scrunched up her nose. I wasn't eavesdropping on King Cold, she thought angrily. She had been in the opposite side of the palace, in the communications room! Something crept down her spine, filling her with a sense of dread. Princess Bulma! She stood up and stepped around the corner, not carrying that her foes would hear her. Actually, she was counting on it. Just as she wanted, they turned to her and immediately held up their weapons.

"Hey! Stay right where you are," the one on her left shouted. He moved toward her slowly, his partner following close behind him. "Remove your hood. Show your face," he commanded.

Shaking her head, Akira sighed heavily. "You better radio for backup," she told him.

"A woman, huh?" The other spoke up with a perverted grin on his face. "I hope she puts up a fight. We could have some fun with her."

"I really think you should call for backup now," she repeated, pulling back her hood.

Both men were stunned by what they saw, and the perverted one lowered his weapon slightly and nudged his partner. "It'd be a sin to hurt something so beautiful, don't you agree?"

The other one lowered his gun as well and smirked. "Definitely!"

Akira narrowed her eyes. "I'm only going to warn you once more. Call for backup. You're going to need it."

Her new 'friends' began to laugh riotously. They started to circle her, shamelessly checking her out as they moved around her. One of them reached out and placed his large hand against her hip. Akira turned toward him, and in one quick, graceful move, sunk her closed fist into his gut. He crumpled forward, clutching at his stomach, and she brought the sharp point of her elbow down against the back of his neck rendering him unconscious in two easy moves.

It all happened too fast for the other to even see what happened. He just stared in shock as his comrade lay on the floor. Akira glanced up. He was frozen to the spot as she advanced on him slowly. Her hand reached out, making the man before her actually whimper. She pulled the communication device from his belt. Holding it up to his face, she pressed the call button.

"I gave you three chances earlier," she told him calmly. "Are you really going to pass it up yet again?"

He looked down at the blinking red light and opened his mouth. "C-corridor f-fifteen," he stuttered into the small, black square piece of metal.

Akira dropped the device on the floor, and the sound reverberated through the hall around them. "You're not even worth it," she told him. Rolling her eyes, she reached for his neck and pinched a nerve, watching in satisfaction as he fell into a heap next to the other man. "I hope this'll give Bulma a little time."

Faintly, she could hear footsteps coming from the stairs. "That was quick," she mused, rushing over to the window and prying it open. She climbed through without a second thought and closed it behind her. An open window would just lead them to her, and she still had her own ass to cover as well! She stood on the ledge and looked up toward a balcony on the tenth floor—that was her destination.

She landed quietly on the polished stone in a kneeling position, scanning the area cautiously. She couldn't afford for anyone to see her. She stripped off the black cloak and stormed into guest chambers where King Brief's was awaiting her. He jumped to his feet when he saw her and rushed over to her. Akira closed the balcony doors behind her and drew the curtains immediately. The king watched her curiously.

"I hope you got what we were sent here for."

She pulled a disc from the pocket of her black pants. "Of course."

"What's happening? There's been guards running through the halls for the past ten minutes."

Akira moved closer to the older man, knowing all to well that the room could very well be bugged. "We have a problem," she whispered. "Tell me my hunch is wrong, and that Bulma is in her room."

The color drained from the king's face, and he locked eyes with her. "What do you mean?"

"Someone was eavesdropping on a private conversation between King Cold and his sons," she explained. "And it wasn't me."

King Brief's rushed to the adjoining doors that lead to his daughter's room. The lights were out. It was late. He walked over to the bed, his stomach doing flip-flops the entire time. There was a slight mound beneath the covers, and he sighed with relief. She was abed for the night. He continued forward and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Bulma?" No answer.

The king pulled back the blankets and felt like throwing up. The bed was full of rumpled dresses, obviously put there by his troublesome daughter to make him think that she was simply sleeping if he were to check in on her during the night.

Akira stood in the doorway and furiously glared at the bed. What the hell was she thinking? I warned her not to go anywhere!

"You have to find her before they do," the king begged her suddenly. "You have to find her and get her far away from here." He pulled a small box from his robes and pushed it into her hand. "Complete the mission we were originally sent here for. Return to the UC and tell them what you and Bulma have learned."

Akira sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Her ward had proven troublesome in the past, but this time, Bulma had topped the cake. "Escaping from Icesei won't be easy, but I'll do my best to get her off the planet." She turned to leave him, but something hit her hard in the gut. She turned around quickly and stared into his eyes. She'd grown attached to the aging king over the short time she had been in his employ. He was like another father to her. "What about you, Your Highness? I'm sure if you follow me, I can get both of you out safely."

"No. I have to stay here and keep King Cold and his sons distracted," he told her, his demeanor quickly changing from scared and nervous to brave. "Save my daughter."

(Change of scene)

She could hear someone coming down the stairs, so she squeezed her tiny body behind an air duct that was sticking out of the floor like a pillar. The person that she heard was another guard. He held a large rifle in front of him, and his large, bulbous eyes darted back and forth quickly. The young princess gulped, keeping an ever-watchful eye on him. She wasn't going to let herself be caught off guard! Slowly, the guard crept off down the long hallway flanked by grungy prison cells. Bulma let out a sigh and rested her forehead against the rusty duct in front of her.

"When are they going to stop looking?" She whispered.

A hand shot out of the darkness and clamped down over her mouth. Bulma tried to scream, but it just came out as a muffled cry. As her captor's arm snaked around her stomach, Bulma started to struggle. She kicked her legs out and clawed at the arm around her, trying desperately to cause some pain to her would-be captor.

"Will you stop it?" A soft, feminine voice whispered into her ear. "You almost kicked that air duct and that would have alerted our hideous little friend as to where you are!"

The hand over her mouth slowly moved away, as did the arm around her stomach. Bulma turned to face her bodyguard. Akira! She was so happy to see her that she threw her arms around her and gave her a hug. The silvery haired woman just groaned and pushed Bulma away gently but firmly.

"Thank the gods you found me, Akira! I was so scared that they were going to catch me."

"Keep your damn voice down," Akira hissed. "We don't have time for this. I have to get you out of here now." She walked out into the openness of the hallway and motioned for Bulma to follow her. "First, though," she started. "I want to know exactly what your disturbingly insatiable curiosity got us all into."

"Well, I."

"No excuses, princess. Tell me what you over heard," she demanded again.

The blue haired young princess clasped her hands together and glanced up and down the hall anxiously. "I heard Freeza and Cooler talking about an invasion." Akira eyed her warningly, and Bulma quickly added, "They're going to destroy Vegetasei."

Akira stared blankly at the girl. There were just too many different things going on in her head right now. Sure, she had known that King Briefs had originally planned to send her to spy on the Colds, and she, also, knew that there was a century old grudge between the Cold and Saiyan Empires. The thing that turned her blood cold was the fact that Vegetasei, her native world, was going to be destroyed. She grabbed Bulma's arm, and they ran down the hallway. They both knew they had to warn someone somehow!

(End of prologue)

Okay. It was short because it was a prologue. The next chapter will be longer… much longer, I swear, and Vegeta will be in it! ;-) I know you're all looking forward to that!

PANDORA ;-)