NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

I OWN DBZ! I CREATED IT! *Frieza walks in and fwaps her with his tail. She sniffles and rubs her poor wittle head* Oww! You jerk! Grrr. OK! OK! I confess! I DON'T OWN DBZ! But I DOown Onyx. *Glares at Frieza when he smiles and walks away*

Added note: This fic takes place about a year after Frieza destroyed planet Vegeta.

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WARNINGS:

Violence, adult language and brief nudity. Be sure to bring a few tissues too ;)

SONG LYRIC CREDITS:
Master of Puppets - Metallica
At The Beginning - Richard Marx and Donna Lewis
Kissing You - Des'Ree
Live In A Hole - Pantera
Gypsy - Stevie Nicks

Go out and search for the songs and you can put together a soundtrack just for this fic ^_^ I did it for fun and it really helped me write the story.

Well, now that we've got all the gabble-dee-gook out of the way, let's begin!

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A green planet twirled gently on its axis as it orbited its tiny red sun. It was a nice day on the planet's surface. Gold clouds crawling along a pale purple sky. The air was cool and the breeze just right. Ivory-skinned people with pterodactyl-like heads and wings bustled back and forth. Dark red animals with three legs and six eyes hopped from rock to rock, sticking a long mouth-part into the cracks to snatch up slimy yellow worms.

Silence, there was nothing but perfect, peaceful silence. Or there was until a large, bullet-shaped vessel came crashing down through the atmosphere in a ball of fire and smashed into a mountainside. The contents of its cargo bays spilled out just a few seconds before the ship itself exploded and disintegrated in its own heat.

A villager, alerted by the crash and realizing the noise wasn't thunder from over the mountains, dropped his farming tool and spread his wings to catch a breeze. He rose high into the air and glided quickly in the direction of the smoke. It didn't take him long to find the crater where the ship had gone down. All that remained of the vessel was a large crate. The villager furrowed his ridged brow and spilled air from his wings to investigate.

Darkness gave way to a rectangle of light and the face of the alien whose curiosity outshone his fear. Gelatinous pink slime shimmered dully. The entire inside of the container glistened with it. In one corner sat a lopsided purple sphere. Something inside seemed alive. The villager reached out to touch the rubbery sphere-shaped object, then drew back when it moved, making a wet sloshing noise.

Suddenly the sides of the strange egg split open and pink fluids leaked out. Two small slime-covered shapes flopped out into the light, so covered in goo that their features could not be identified. The first to fall had obviously died and partially decomposed, but the second moved. It stretched a black-tipped tail, shivered in the coolness of the air and emitted a shrill cry.

"A…child?"

The villager quickly reached down to lift the slimy newborn into his arms, yanked the large bandanna off from around his neck and wrapped the small body tightly. He spread his wings and took to the air, vanishing over the mountaintops. If the poor alien had thought to look up, he would have realized the explosion he witnessed was nothing compared to what was coming.

Glistening in the sun high above the villager's head, a large, round space ship with a single bulging window up front grew steadily closer to the unsuspecting world. Next to the sun, it was a mere speck. A very dangerous, calculating speck.

Just inside the bulging front window silhouetted by the sun's glare, stood a short figure with twin horns and a tail. Two delicate fingers with manicured black nails tapped against a ridged dark pink bicep. The shadowed shape inhaled slowly. In all the stillness, the only movement from the figure was the goblet of crimson wine being gently swirled.

"Report," Purred a rich alto voice.

From off to the side came a reply, "Sir! We will be landing on Crakeru-sei in one hour. It would appear that the ship we saw on radar earlier has crashed and been destroyed."

"Hmph!" the first voice cut in. "No matter, we shall still continue on our course. The planet before us has excellent fuel resources and the people who live there are weaklings." Murderously grinning lips so deeply crimson they appeared black flashed perfect white teeth and, at the very corners, a hint of healthy coral gums. Small incisors gleamed like tiny fangs as the pair of seemingly painted lips moved to pronounce each whispered word with predatory malice, "This world is as good as ours."

The massive, scintillating vessel continued on its current course, it's engines screaming silently in the vast nothingness of space. Mixed with the engines, the sound of malicious laughter. The eager laughter of a predator with prey in its sights.

~*~lll

Touch Of Innocence

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An explosion swelled near the green planet's equator and faded.

End of passion play, crumbling away
I'm your source of self-destruction
Veins that pump with fear, sucking darkest clear
Leading on your death's construction!

KRAKOOM! FWOOSH!

"AAAAHHH!"

"WAAAARRRRGH!"

"AIIEEEE!"

BUH-BOOOOOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"AAAAAARRRGH!"

"AAUUUGH! NOOO! AAAHHH! SOMEONE HE-"

WHOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"

"Hohohoho…HAHAHAHA!"

Taste me you will see
more is all you need
you're dedicated to
how I'm killing you!

Smoke billowed up into the air as megaton sized explosions went off and destroyed an entire village. Frightened people screamed and ran around in a blind panic, trying to escape the blasts with little success. Over all the screaming, flying bodies and falling debris, laughter could be heard. A low-pitched chuckle mixed with a harsh, girlish cackle.

Come crawling faster
obey your Master
your life burns faster
obey your Master
Master...
Master...

Pale fingers splayed to part the smoke like curtains, and something emerged with a harsh chuckle. Light reflected off the red-tinted glass of a scouter and an equally red eye glared out from behind. Leathery black-cherry lips curved up to reveal perfect teeth and creases appeared in sickly pale cheekbones. Shimmers passed over purple carapace, disappeared in the surrounding wreath of white bone and reappeared on the twin horns jutting out from either side.

"Yes! Run away, you puny weaklings!" The figure's raspy voice was as effeminate as his appearance. He laughed and almost playfully wiggled his fingers to fire deadly red energy blasts in the paths of the retreating villagers. Severed limbs and heads were flying and falling everywhere. Bodies exploded and dropped in unceremonious heaps. Black blood painted the red soil a darker hue. Maniacal laughter, cries of pain and wails grief filled the air. Flesh boiled and burned, creating a stench that left the few survivors vomiting.

"Frieza!" Cried a frightened woman. "It's FRIEZA!"

The figure known as Frieza turned to the screaming woman and smiled. "So my name is known even here. My, my…I've become quite a celebrity, haven't I?" He clicked his tongue at her in mock coyness and examined his manicured nails, then turned his gaze to the woman again. Without warning he reached out and grabbed her by the face, his hand covering her mouth so her screams were muffled against his palm. "You know, it would be so much easier if you just surrendered."

"We will never surrender to the likes of you!" Shouted a wounded villager that died seconds later in the next explosion.

The woman in Frieza's grasp tried in vain to bite his fingers. All her efforts did was make the murderous Icejin laugh in amusement.

"Oh stop, that tickles! Really, do you think you can harm me?" Frieza lazily tightened his grip on the woman's face until his nails dug into her cheekbones like daggers, distorting her features. Blood ran like rivers from her cheeks, teeth and gum tissue gushed out through her shattered lips and the skin was torn to the bone. He grinned when he felt her saliva, blood and skin boil from the heat of his gathering ki. At the sight of pain in the woman's eyes, he licked his lips and tightened his grasp, watching the taut flesh and muscle peel wetly away from her eye-sockets, exposing slimy gray bone and the muscles that moved her eyeballs. She struggled wildly against him, though her writhing did nothing to change his iron grip. The energy in the tyrant's palm slowly discharged into the woman's mouth. Her eyeballs started to bulge and bubble, finally rupturing under the heat. Frieza chuckled, "You know, that look is good for you, too bad you won't survive to see it. No charge for the facial deconstruction," He turned up his power, thus blowing her head off in a splatter of brains and blood. Then the rest of her body disappeared in a flash of white light. Frieza watched the blood boil off his fingernails and laughed merrily. "Poor dopes. This is what happens when you mess with the Lord of the universe!"

Master, Master,
Where's the dreams
that I've been after?

"The child!" Screamed a frightened villager who carried a bundle in his arms. He raced towards Frieza, fell to his knees near the black hoverpod and held the tiny bundle up like an offering. "P-p-please accept this as a sign of our surrender. We…we-we had no idea you would come looking for this child!"

Master, Master,
You promised only lies!

The tall humanoid man with seductive golden brown eyes, pale aqua skin and a long dark-green braid stepped gracefully between Frieza and the frightened villager. Three purple baubles, one on each earring and another dangling from a white circlet adorning his brow, glittered menacingly in the harsh sunlight.

Laughter, Laughter,
All I hear and see is laughter!

"Nobody approaches Lord Frieza until he says so! Now, let's see what we have here…" The green figure's deep voice carried a pseudo-Australian accent. He extended his arm and snatched the bundle from the villager's arms.

Laughter, Laughter,
laughing at my cries…

Frieza blinked when his scouter picked up a power reading of five thousand, two-hundred and fifty. He followed the blinking arrow with his gaze, squinted and pressed a button to adjust the reading. Once again, it pointed to the same spot, and there was no mistaking it: The reading was coming from the bundle!

"Bring me that child!" He ordered. "Quickly!"

The man known as Zarbon threw the villager down, turned to Frieza and handed the bundle over. Frieza snatched the bundle and started pulling away blankets as if he was unwrapping a present. Something black glittered, and his eyes widened.

Tiny white arms were pressed tight to the gaunt little body. Delicate black lips were parted to reveal that the child had yet to grow teeth. Two stubby black horns protruded from the shelf of bone surrounding a black carapace. Miniature three-toed feet twitched intermittently. Black armor shimmered on the tip of a stubby tail. A simple silver chain with a clear sphere-shaped bauble that glittered in the light was laid neatly across the baby's unmoving chest.

Frieza jerked his arm out to grab the villager by the throat, "Where did you get this child!"

"I-I-I-I…" The frightened man trembled. He was so scared he couldn't even think straight. "Th-there was a crash a few hours ago! Nothing left but eggs. All shattered but one…" He gulped, "Th-th-the surviving egg hatched when someone moved it and that baby was in it. There was another too, but it was dead. They would have been identical twins…I – "

"Ahhh, that's the ship we saw on radar earlier. Well then…"

"W-we thought it was a gift from the gods!"

"I am your god now! Allow me to demonstrate my power by snuffing out your life just like the rest of your weakling kind!" Frieza tightened his grip on the villager's neck until his eyes bulged and his tongue lolled out. He dropped the dead creature to the ground and returned his attention to the unmoving baby in the crook of his arm. "Now, as for you…"

"Is it really worth it to keep that thing?" Zarbon asked under his breath.

"Of course it is!" Snapped Frieza as he held the baby at arm's length, letting its head slump lifelessly to the side. His gaze was drawn to the small folds between the child's legs that identified it as female. "She will be strong when she gets older…"

"She? Well…are you aware that she isn't breathing, Master Frieza?"

"Of course I'm aware of it, you stupid fool! And if you talk to me like I'm an idiot again, I'll make sure your trip to Hell is a very slow one! Is that clear!" Frieza snarled.

Zarbon gasped and quickly remembered his place. "Understood, sir. Apologies for speaking out of place."

Frieza waved his hand dismissively and turned his attention to the child. "Now, let's see if we can make you cry." He grasped the armored tip of her tiny tail between his thumb and forefinger, brought the tip to his lips and bit down on the still-soft carapace.

The effect was instantaneous.

The baby girl's tiny face flushed and contorted, and her limbs flailed in response to the pain, "AHA-AHA-AAAHHH! WAAAAAAAHHHH!" The little girl came to life in Frieza's arms.

"Much better." The Icejin smirked, re-wrapping the small newborn in the blanket to keep her warm. "Well, kid, it looks like I'll just have to take you with me. You could be of some use when you grow up…" He glanced down when her cries suddenly stopped and discovered she was once again unconscious. Great…a premature one. This had better be worth it.

"So much for this place." Zarbon muttered from somewhere off to the side.

Frieza ignored Zarbon's comment. Turning his head, red scouter-screen shimmered menacingly in the harsh sunlight, he took a last look around at the destroyed landscape. To him it was glorious destruction, a treat to behold after a day's work.

"Finish sucking out the fuel, destroy the survivors and have a crew sent here to scour this planet for all of its ores. I want nothing left behind." He gathered his power, took off and flew back to his ship as fast as possible. There, he ordered his men to keep the little girl alive. His men quickly followed his orders and got the baby into an Isolation Chamber that was downsized for her needs.

While he waited for results, Frieza went into his personal quarters and hovered by the window with his hands behind his back. He passed the time by gazing out at the destruction he caused. Yes…I could take this girl as my own. I'll teach her everything, and when the time is right she and I can take over the universe! HAHA! Funny…I never did picture myself as a father. This will prove quite interesting and –

"Master Frieza?" Zarbon knelt down respectfully as the door hissed shut behind him.

"Report," Frieza snapped without turning around, annoyed that his thoughts had been interrupted.

"Sir. Our men have done all they can for the child. But I'm afraid she isn't doing so well. Her heart is weak." Zarbon paused when he saw Frieza's posture tense slightly. He gulped and continued, "She's not expected to survive the night."

Frieza moved his hands from behind his back and crossed his arms with a frown. "What a waste. I was hoping this little seed would bear fruit," He hissed angrily at the wasted effort and time put aside to take care of this child. "Get out, Zarbon."

Zarbon, knowing he was trying his master's volatile patience, left without another word. Frieza fumed in angry silence for another ten minutes. Then he floated to the ground, exited his quarters and headed towards the infirmary. He figured he could show one of his own race the proper respect by being present at her death.

Everybody in the hall froze and bowed as Frieza walked by. Those who happened to be in his way were blasted as he passed.

He entered the infirmary and immediately fixed his eyes on the little Isolation Chamber set up on a table. The infant was curled up in it like she was in the womb again. Frieza saw his own reflection on the glass as he stepped up to the little spherically shaped tank and stood there silently, staring down at the baby within.

"Prove my men wrong," Frieza hissed under his breath. "Come on! Nobody thought I'd live either when I was born and look at me!" He growled.

As if in response to his words, the baby girl's eyelids lifted and her head turned mechanically until she was gazing directly into his eyes. As soon as their eyes met Frieza felt his entire body start to tingle. It was a very relaxing, warm and euphoric sensation.

The girl's eyes drifted shut, and instantly, the tingling feeling faded.

"Humph! Fine, die then. See if I care!" A disappointed-looking Frieza sneered as he sat down next to the table, crossed his arms and closed his eyes to think.

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Soft gurgling sounds woke Frieza from a dead sleep, and he lifted his armored head to see the fluid draining from the tank. He looked up with crusty half-closed eyes at Doctor Sanquin, an ugly, yellow-skinned man from the same species as Dodoria. A dangerous glint passed his gaze. "Is she gone?"

"No, Lord Frieza. She's well enough to leave the tank. I don't know how she survived…we may still lose her at any time, still. I don't know if – "

"Go." Frieza ordered simply with a wave of his delicate hand. The trembling man bowed quickly and departed. The Icejin grinned wickedly at the idea that the good doctor was so frightened of him. He turned his head back to the frail black and white form as it slumped in the empty Isolation Chamber. "Make up your mind. Life or death. Don't make me decide for you."

She simply slumped there, unable to hold her head up since she was just a little less than a day old. Not yet strong enough to do much.

Narrowing his eyes, Frieza walked to the tank, broke it open and lifted the baby out by her tail. She dangled from his grasp like a ragdoll, motionless, and didn't respond when he shook her.

"Fine then. I'll just put your out of your misery." He said coldly, locking a hand around her throat and turning her right side up. He squeezed until he could feel the pulse in her neck as it throbbed under his thumb.

The baby's large black eyes suddenly opened when the lack of oxygen brought her around. Frieza's eyes locked onto hers, and neither of them moved for a long time. The look on her face was so pitiful, so pained, so…innocent. A look that not even the mighty Frieza could resist.

Before he even realized what was happening, Frieza felt his hand release her throat, allowing her to drop back onto the table. He put his hands flat on the edge and sighed, his tail twitching in agitation.

"This isn't fair! Why can't I kill you?" The tyrant asked as if he'd get an answer.

She just squirmed, shivering with cold.

What am I to do? I don't know how to raise a child! Frieza thought as he stared at the helpless child on the table. A look of bewilderment crossed his feminine features when she managed to wrap her tiny mouth around his little finger and start sucking. He tried to pull his finger away and ended up dragging her too.

She was stronger than she looked.

There may be hope for you yet, little one…

He placed his hands under her armpits, lifted her off the table and held her at arm's length. She turned her head and tried to mouth his hand while he held her. A string of drool trickled from between her lips and pooled against his knuckles. Heh, heh…I wonder if she'll bite when she gets teeth.

The child squirmed and grimaced. She was still naked, very cold and shivering.

Frieza sighed and glanced around for something to wrap her in. He found a black towel, snatched it up and quickly coiled it around her tiny body. His gaze also fell across a bottle full of formula sitting on the table, courtesy of Sanquin. He grabbed the bottle and tried to hand it to the baby. She stared hungrily and opened her mouth, asking to be fed.

"Ugh…must I do EVERYTHING for you!" Frieza growled angrily. He turned the bottle upside down and not-too-gently shoved the nipple between her gaping lips.

Content with the satisfying formula rolling into her tummy, the little girl suckled quietly. She stared up at her adoptive parent's face with under-developed eyes, seeing only a black-and-white face-shaped outline that vibrated whenever he spoke, and blinked innocently.

Frieza's frown melted when he saw the way she was staring at him and wondered how odd he must have looked. Him, the galaxy's most cruel murderer, bottle-feeding a helpless newborn.

But it will be worth it in the end.

He chuckled to himself and went about examining the baby's wrinkled newborn features, trying to think of a name to call her. The black armor on her skull drew his attention.

"Ah, look at that beautiful armor you have…so shiny and black." Frieza smirked at his own philosophy. "What goes well with black? Ebony?"

The baby wrinkled her nose.

"Don't like that? Well, perhaps Obsidian…"

She snorted and continued slurping on the bottle.

Frieza frowned. This was harder than he thought! "Opal?"

Her nose wrinkled again.

"Hm, then what should I call you?" He placed the bottle on the table when she drank the last of the formula and tapped his scouter to bring up Zarbon's frequency, "Zarbon, I need an answer quick. What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of a black gem?"

"Sir?" Static hissed briefly, probably because he was pondering his reply carefully. "Onyx, I guess."

"Guh!" The little girl gurgled softly at the word.

Frieza glanced down and grinned wolfishly at the baby girl's reaction. "Thank you, Zarbon. That is all." He held the baby up to eye-level and his smile melted into a smirk. "So, you like Onyx?"

"Ahhhhgagagaga!" She giggled and wrapped her wrinkled tail around his arm in delight.

"Aheh, heh, heh, heh...very well! Onyx it is, then."

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The sound of an infant's cry filled the entire ship. Frieza groaned as he got up to change Onyx's diaper, then fed her and watched her go back to sleep after he was too wide awake to fall asleep again himself. He got his armor out of the cleaning device and slipped it on in the same moment the chimes to the door sounded.

"What?" Frieza snapped.

"Sorry, Lord Frieza. You asked me to make sure you were up and oh-four-hundred hours." Said the pretty looking man.

"Whatever, Zarbon." Frieza groaned as Onyx woke up and started to cry again. "When will that brat SHUT UP! All she has done is cry, cry and CRY!"

"Sir…may I?" Zarbon took a step into the room. When Frieza just waved his hand like 'whatever', he walked over to the crib and picked Onyx up, cradling her gently in his arms. She stopped crying almost immediately, and Frieza blinked a few times.

"How did you do that?"

"I guess when you've been a father once before, you don't lose the 'touch'." Zarbon commented as he looked down at Onyx, who was fascinated by the baubles on his earrings. He sneered mentally because he had been a father until Saiyajins that worked for Frieza came to his planet and conquered it many years previous. His wife and young son were among the first to die in attack. He joined Frieza's army with the hope of getting revenge on the Saiyajins, never realizing until much later that Frieza had been the mastermind behind the raid.

The braid dangling down his back was a customary sign of mourning. According to his religion, cutting his hair after someone he loved passed away would kill the souls of his departed loved ones, and no one would be there to guide him to the Otherworld when it was his time to die. If that happened his soul would get lost and spend eternity in limbo, or, even worse, it would cease to exist.

Zarbon shook his head and rose above his thoughts to hear his master speaking to him.

"Humph. Fine then. She's quiet now, but just you wait…go ahead and take her for a few hours and see if you can handle it." Frieza's delicate little hands danced over the keyboard, and the computer screen reflected his face. Lists of planets, population statistics, coordinates and prices were scrolling across the screen.

"As you command." Zarbon turned with and walked out with his long braid swinging behind. It was a short walk to his quarters, but by the time he got there, he was prying Onyx's hands off his earrings. "My earrings aren't toys, Onyx." When she pulled again, he became agitated, "Onyx!"

With a small shriek, Onyx jerked her hand away from the earring. She put her thumb into her mouth and started to suck on it while Zarbon carried her over to his bed and settled her down on the soft mattress. Seconds later, she was presented with a small rattle that she instantly became interested in.

"You know…you are kind of cute." Zarbon commented. He was rewarded with a coo from Onyx as she yawned. After watching her for a few moments, he walked to his console and sat down to work. He glanced briefly at the hologram of three figures standing above the computer array.

The tallest was a very young-looking Zarbon. His hair was short in the back, but his bangs were long and hanging down on either side of his forehead. The next figure was a very beautiful woman with wavy dark green hair reaching past her knees. She was wearing a circlet and earrings identical to Zarbon's as a symbol of their marriage. The smallest figure, barely reaching the woman's hips, was a miniature version of his father. His innocent gold eyes seemed too large for his face. He had his thumb in his mouth stood half-hidden in the folds of his mother's flowing white skirts.

Zarbon smiled as he started to type. Sweet Jaesira…little Aryzon…know that I still think of you. I haven't forgotten what we had together.

Just as Frieza said, Onyx started to cry within twenty minutes. Zarbon didn't complain; he just got up, carried her with him to the console and continued working with her settled in the crook of his arm.

lll

In his own quarters, Frieza was trying to finish entering data from the last planet he conquered into the computer. He was slowly realizing he couldn't keep his mind on task. The cries that were supposed to interrupt him every hour or so weren't invading his ears, and the silence seemed deafening.

"Great…I can't work with her nearby and I can't think without her…is it possible that we've Bonded? No…that's impossible! I haven't even mated with another yet. So there's no way that eye contact could activate the chemical that triggers imprinting. Unless…no…she can't be an empath…can she?" Frieza spoke aloud to himself as he stared out the window near his computer.

Wait! Wait…wasn't she a surviving twin? Yes, she was! That means her empathic attachment was ripped in half when her sister died, and her abilities adapted themselves to feeling *everyone* in order to fill the sudden void. That's the only logical explanation!

Frieza became so lost in his thoughts that he never heard the chimes to his quarters sound. She needs training and love…but who in their right mind would love a person like -

"Master Frieza?" Zarbon spoke up, seeming to materialize out of thin air. When Frieza looked up, he continued, "Onyx is asleep, back in her cradle." Nodding absently, Frieza made a dismissive gesture and Zarbon promptly left. As soon as Zarbon was gone, Frieza hopped out of his seat and went over to the cradle where Onyx was sleeping.

Onyx's tiny shape was swathed in a black blanket, so only her little doll-like face and hands were showing. She had her little white palms pressed together like she was praying, and her ebony lips smacked occasionally as she dreamed.

Frieza sighed, putting his elbow against the edge of the cradle and resting his chin on his palm as he watched Onyx with heavily-lidded eyes. How can a living thing have a face so precious and hands so perfectly tiny? How can something so helpless be able to manipulate others with a simple cry?

Almost on its own accord, his free hand moved forward and came to rest on the top of Onyx's shiny head, his thumb gently stroking the bridge of her nose. Onyx awoke to the touch, yawned and wriggled slightly in the cloth she was wrapped in.

Frieza felt a strange tingle go up and down his body, and knew right away that she was touching his emotions. That confirms it. She is an empath. He thought silently while still staring down at the little girl before him. Onyx, you are an amazing rarity…you'll learn to feel it when people are lying. I can teach you to feed off another's fear. Oh…indeed…this will be worth it in the long run!

With her face flushing as an early-warning sign, Onyx balled up her fists, opened her little mouth and started to cry softly. Frieza picked her up and held her while cooling down his feelings of annoyance. She quieted down the moment he became calm.

"Hm…you can't control your power yet, can you? Well…that isn't something I can teach you. I'm pretty sure you'll learn on your own."

He moved the blanket away from her face and studied her baby features carefully. She had promise of great beauty when she grew up. The beauty of a goddess.

Onyx snapped out of her reverie and resumed her incessant bawling. Frieza sighed, annoyed, and moved the blanket back in place. "There, there. Don't cry, Onyx…we'll figure this all out somehow." He whispered emotionlessly to the sobbing infant in his arms.

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Five years later…

lll

A bubble floated through the air and popped against the back of an unsuspecting horned head.

Frieza sat alone in his pod, watching the stars go by as his ship flew through space towards his home planet. He could see the reflection of his own pale face in the glass, and a smirk crept across his lips when he saw the second pale face approaching behind him. He didn't turn around, knowing exactly what was coming next.

Two seconds later a pair of delicate little hands clamped themselves over Frieza's eyes and a tiny giggle bubbled up. "Can't see!"

Frieza was as amused as he was annoyed. The child's antics were certainly different to have around. Kind of like throwing purple paint into a black and white picture.

Smiling, he turned his pod around, steepled his fingers and tilted his head down at the tiny form before him.

"Nice try, my Little Goddess, but I saw you coming."

Little Goddess was the private pet-name he made up just for her. Much better than those common words like 'darling' or 'baby-doll'.

"You're no fun Daddy." Onyx quipped, crossing her arms and sticking her lower lip out. When she finished pouting, she reached into her armor, pulled out a metal contraption that looked like a water-gun with three hollow spheres for a barrel and a small hoop at the end. She aimed for Frieza's face and pulled the trigger. The toy gurgled and shot a stream of variously sized bubbles. "Here, this'll help! Magic Happiness Bubbles, away!"

Frieza chuckled quietly, narrowed his eyes and swatted the bubbles away. If anyone else had pulled such a stunt on him, he'd have incinerated them on the spot. He was going to have to get after Zarbon for giving her that bubble-gun, because ever since then, bubbles would start flying around at very inopportune moments. "So, what are you up to?"

"Keeping sad people from frowning. Wanna make something of it?" Onyx did her best to look fierce. She had the glare down at least, but with the bubble-gun in her hand, the rest of her looked…well…Frieza guessed it was what others called 'cute'.

Her large eyes, blacker than the night sky, always sparkled with curiosity and mischief. A tiny nose sat tipped up like a button above mischievously grinning black lips that revealed two missing front teeth. Thick, stubby horns formed two horizontal points on either side of her black carapace. Horns on females was a rarity, and Frieza was sure they would be magnificent when she was full-grown. She was clad in armor like Frieza's with a few small differences. It weighed much less, was colored black to match her carapace and sized down to fit her properly. She seemed to like her 'grown up' outfit and preferred it over her other garments.

Frieza floated to the ground and his feet touched down in the midst of another cloud of bubbles. He readily ignored them, seeing as swatting at them only antagonized the girl to shoot more. Onyx pouted when she got no reaction and kept shooting until her toy finally ran out of 'ammo'. Then she came down in front of Frieza, the top of her head barely reaching past his waist, and peered up at him curiously.

Frieza tapped a button on his scouter, just to amuse himself, and the numbers rolled up to 10,000. Yes, soon I'll be able to teach you to fight. He thought.

"Listen closely now, Onyx…this is your daily tip." Frieza held up a finger to get her attention. "If you want something, take it. If something gets in your way, get it out of your way at all costs." He said coldly with a dark chuckle bubbling up from deep in his chest. "You can even amuse yourself by asking first."

"And what if I can't get what I want? I mean, if something stronger gets in the way?" Onyx asked, blinking.

"When you're done training, NOTHING will be able to stop you."

She smiled a cold sort of smile that made her look a lot more fierce than she really was. Then she jumped up, grabbed Frieza's scouter right off his face and tried to put it on. The translucent red tinted screen protruded over the middle of her face rather than simply covering her eye.

"Second," he continued with a smirk at her antics. "Don't let your opponent know you're scared. Hide the fear by showing another emotion instead. For example, get angry. Not only does it help you look more fierce and heighten your power level, but it also might intimidate your opponent as well."

"So when you yell at me I should yell back?" Onyx tilted her head and blinked once, hiding a smile by pursing her lips. She reached up to catch the scouter when it tried to slip off her ear, and her finger accidentally pressed the button. The scouter came to life, zeroed in on the man standing before her and scrolled up to five hundred, thirty thousand. Wow! Big number!

Frieza put his finger by his nose as he let out a soft chuckle as he pondered her response and watched her react to the scouter in action. "It would make it much more amusing." He smirked and added, "You learn fast."

"I'm glad." Onyx grinned a little and then turned her head to look out the window. "How long till we get home?"

Turning to the window with slightly narrowed eyes, Frieza's lips parted and formed, "Soon."

"OK. I'm glad you're a little happy today." Onyx commented lightly with a goofy open-mouthed grin. It really annoyed Frieza at times, because she could sense it if he was angry before he could even raise his voice. He couldn't hide anything from her.

"Humph." Frieza replied without turning around as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Go run off now. I have work to do."

Onyx nodded, ran to the water system to refill her bubble-gun and scampered out, sliding along the corridor wall briefly before dashing the rest of the way down the hall. Frieza uncrossed his arms as the door hissed shut and started to go about thinking up a training program for her.

Beep!

The scouter on Onyx's face came to life and registered a power level of twenty-two thousand.

Zarbon, unaware, was coming down the hall when a small black and white shape jumped around the corner, yanked on his braid and attacked him with a cloud of bubbles. His eyes opened wide in pain, and he fell over backwards with his feet in the air. He sat up and glared angrily at Onyx. "How many times have I told you not to pull my braid!"

"Phooey!" Onyx shot another cloud of bubbles in his face, batted her eyes at him and turned to continue tearing along the corridor before he could grab her. When she turned around again, Zarbon confirmed that she had Frieza's scouter attached to her ear.

Rubbing the back of his head where his braid was yanked, Zarbon picked up the pieces of his damaged pride and got back onto his feet. He watched Onyx disappear around the corner, sighed and made his way to the large door leading into Frieza's quarters. It was open, and he could see Frieza by his computer with his hands folded behind his back.

"Master Frieza, I came to alert you that we'll be landing in half an hour."

"Excellent." Frieza replied without turning around. "Make sure to protect that braid of yours. Otherwise Onyx will give it a good yank."

Zarbon smirked to himself, "I think it is a little late for that warning, but I'll keep it in mind."

"Good. Now go!"

"Yes, sir." He turned and walked out without a sound, checking the corridor for any sign of Onyx before making a quick trip to his own quarters.

Frieza smirked at Zarbon's retreating back and decided to use his scouter to have a little fun with Onyx. He reached out and pushed a button on a communications console that linked him to his own scouter. "Hello Onyx."

Out in the corridor, Onyx stopped short and fell on her rear end because she was so startled to hear Frieza's voice right there in her ear. She looked around and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Daddy? Where you at?"

"Our quarters. We're landing soon, so I suggest you come back so I don't have to hunt you down later." A soft chuckle punctuated the comment.

"OK!" Onyx chirped excitedly and dashed to her left towards another corridor. She knocked over one of Frieza's attendants in the process, but he simply got up and gave her a brief glare while shaking his fist. If he had done anything more, Frieza would have him chewed up, spit out again four different ways and then fed to some carnivorous animal.

While in his quarters, Frieza was getting into his computer to go through the landing protocols when he ran into some things that Onyx must have downloaded. Among them was a little rhyming story he thought was really stupid and pointless.

"I do not like Green Eggs and Ham. Sam I am…? What the? What kind of doctor would write something as pointless as this?" He skipped that file and then ran into some music files. Most of them were songs from Earth; some old and some a bit more modern. He listened to a few and snarled. "Noise…all a bunch of useless noise!"

Then he encountered a rather unique story. The more he read it, the more interesting it became.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

"Now who would write something like this? Oh well, at least this one is more interesting." Frieza moved the files to another part of the system, making a mental note to remind Onyx not to download stuff directly into his main system anymore.

He finished with the landing plans and pulled his tail up just in time to avoid having it yanked by a pair of tiny white hands. It took everything he had to avoid laughing when Onyx skidded past his legs on her butt.

"I almost got you that time!" She pouted.

"Yes, I know." Frieza smirked down at her small form and tapped his computer screen, "And please don't download files directly into my system. One of the files could have a virus capable of erasing my whole mainframe."

"Is that bad?" Onyx blinked up at him with both eyes wide-open.

"Yes, it would be," He smiled, something he realized he'd been doing a lot since Onyx had come into his life. "I've set aside a bit of space for you to use. Remember what I told you, all right?"

"OK, Daddy!" She grinned and looked out the window at the planet filling her view. "Yay, we're almost home!"

lll

The landing routine was over with and Frieza was seated in his usual hoverpod, his elbows resting on the sides and his hands hanging down. Standing up in the and peeking over the top edge was Onyx, her black carapace and the bauble on her necklace catching the light as she pointed at all the fascinating sights she saw.

Frieza leaned forward and whispered to Onyx, "You haven't seen anything yet." He then leaned back again with a barely detectable chuckle. Sure, his home planet was rather barren, but the purple and white 'palace' was indeed a spectacle. Especially during twilight.

As soon as the palace came into view, Onyx perked up and her large eyes doubled in size. "Ooooh…" She whispered, then recoiled in surprise when a darker figure dropped out of the sky and landed in front of her and Frieza. She found herself looking up at a pair of dark garnet eyes and a face lined with an intense red on either side. Where his skin wasn't red, the person was dark purple and had a white skull with a smaller area of dark blue carapace in the center. He didn't have horns like Frieza.

Onyx remembered what Frieza had told her about fear, so she quickly let out a snarl and fired her bubble-gun at his chest. "That's for making me almost pee down my legs!" Then she added quietly, "Good thing I went potty before coming out here."

Frieza threw his head back and laughed his harsh, barking laugh. "Hello Coola. I see you've effectively scared our guest."

Coola smirked and swatted the bubbles away. He looked down at the snarling figure that was practically in his brother's lap. "Frieza." He nodded. "I take it this is Onyx?"

"Correct."

"Then you're my uncle?" Onyx wondered, no longer frightened.

"Smart kid." Coola smirked and crossed his arms across his bare white chest.

"Daddy says I'm really smart!" Onyx grinned as she bounced up and down excitedly before finally sitting down on Frieza's knee. Frieza glanced down, gave her a slight wink and turned his pod to follow his older brother to the castle.

"Where's Papa?" He asked when they got there, his voice echoing slightly in the throne room as he glanced around briefly with his red eyes.

Onyx hopped out of the pod and turned a circle as she took in everything. It was a huge room with smooth metallic walls and crystalline chandeliers. A large throne, the biggest chair she ever saw in her short life, was nestled up against the far wall.

The moment she saw the throne she ran over, climbed in and sat down. "I'm the Queen! Bow down to me!" She pretended happily. Then she laughed and kicked her feet, which dangled over the front of the huge black cushion.

"Yes, ma'am!" Coola turned towards Onyx and gave a low, sweeping bow. He straightened with a grin and turned towards Frieza, "Father is out doing business somewhere else. He didn't say when he would be back."

"I see." Frieza glanced at Onyx and bit his lip to hide a smile. If only she knew how much trouble she would be in if King Kold caught her sitting in HIS throne without permission. "Well, Onyx, since you've appointed yourself Queen…what would you like to eat?"

"Ice cream!" Onyx squealed after settling down with her feet up on one arm of the throne and her head on the other. She folded her arms behind her head like a pillow and wagged her tail. "Pretty please with sugar on top?"

The reply made Coola chuckle under his breath. "Hooo boy…"

lll

It was extremely late at night. Frieza was lying like a porcelain doll among the black blankets of his bed, which was like a bowl jutting out of the wall. It was a very luxurious bed that could be adjusted to hang above the ceiling or rest low on the floor. He had it positioned low so he could keep an eye on Onyx.

Onyx was curled up in a smaller bed on the opposite wall, her face and hands the only parts of her body that poked above the black sheets. She was sniffling and whimpering while she slept, obviously in the grips of a bad dream. She had been known to have some pretty strange nightmares.

Frieza's eyes snapped open and his mind went to full alert when he heard footsteps by his bed. He turned his head and found himself looking right in the face of Onyx. She had tears dotting the corners of her black eyes, one leaving a silvery trail as it ran down her cheek.

"What?" He hissed, annoyed.

"I had a bad dream, Daddy!" Onyx choked quietly. "I'm scared…"

"Nightmares make me laugh." Frieza replied coldly, bending his arm and resting his head against his hand. "I laugh at them because they aren't real, and sometimes they can be quite inspiring."

"But it seemed so real. This boy with gold hair and green eyes came down out of the air! He chopped you up with a sword and then hit you with a ki blast…" She whispered back at him, trembling a little. She could sense that Frieza was annoyed with her, but she was too afraid to go back to her own bed again. "I'm scared. Can I sleep in your bed?"

Frieza sighed and sat up. He reached down, picked Onyx up under the armpits and sat her down on the bed next to him. If it would shut her up and make her go to sleep so he could get some sleep, he figured he might as well do it. As soon as he was laying down again down again, he felt Onyx burrowing under the blanket and wiggling around until she finally curled up with her head on his chest.

"Oh…yours does it too." She murmured.

"Does what?" Frieza whispered through clenched teeth. The idea of a good night's sleep began to evaporate hopelessly.

"It thumps. Here, see? Mine does it too." Onyx grabbed Frieza's hand and put it against her chest so he could feel her quick, fluttering heartbeat. For a moment his expression softened in the darkness, but then it hardened again.

"Oh." He sighed, which caused her head to bob up and down. "It's just your heart. As long as it's beating you'll live. If it stops, you die." He closed his eyes and prepared to go to sleep.

"Die? What is that?"

Frieza was about ready to throw Onyx across the room and scream at her to shut the hell up so he could go to sleep. Then he realized she was picking up on his feelings and calmed himself down. After all, the girl was scared enough. "It's like going to sleep." He said, hoping he was explaining it well enough for her young mind to understand. "But when you wake up, you're in a different place. Some call it Heaven, I guess."

"Does it hurt?" She asked, quieter this time since she was starting to fall asleep.

"It can. But once you're 'asleep', no. When you're dead you don't feel, see, smell, taste or hear until you wake up in whatever place you go to." Frieza replied flatly. He found it ironic that he loved dealing out death, and yet feared the fact that it could happen to him.

"Do you dream?"

Frieza opened his mouth to answer, but realized he didn't know how to answer that question. He licked his lips slowly and said, "I don't know. Nobody does." A sneer made his nose wrinkle slightly as he closed his eyes yet again. He opened them when he felt Onyx's weight shift.

Onyx giggled quietly, leaned down and kissed Frieza right between the eyes, then settled down again with her head resting in the shallow, hollow spot between where his collar bone and shoulder met. She yawned and whispered a simple little sentence before finally falling asleep.

"I love you Daddy."

This left Frieza in a state of surprise. Nobody had ever done that to him for as long as he remembered. Not that he cared. It was just…different. He turned his head slightly and looked at Onyx's sleeping face. In the darkness, her features looked almost as if they were painted on, the way they were so delicate and…innocent…

Do I care? Frieza asked himself as he looked at Onyx sleeping by his side. The longer he looked at her, the clearer the answer became.

Slowly, hesitantly, Frieza moved his hand up and brushed it against the side of Onyx's slumbering face. Her skin was as soft as a rose petal. He spent several moments tracing the outline of her cheekbone with his fingertips, admiring the softness. Onyx inhaled and sighed noisily, causing the hand caressing her face to flit away like a frightened bird. Frieza, his hand still inches from the cheek he was caressing, observed the little girl silently for any signs that she was awakening. When he realized she wasn't, he shifted his arm forward and awkwardly wrapped it around her tiny shoulders. Then, compelled by strange unknown feelings, he repeated the process with the other arm and pulled her close to his chest. He could feel her tiny heart throbbing next to his own and realized, without knowing why, that he was smiling.

"Sleep tight, my Little Goddess…"

Onyx sighed at the touch and her lips moved as she murmured something in her sleep. Frieza felt an odd warmth in his heart when she nestled closer to him. A feeling that had been growing on him over the years the little girl had been with him. He started to realize how much he missed her when she wasn't in the room, or when she was asleep.

Why did he enjoy seeing her smile? What power did the sound of her giggle have over him? Why did fate choose him, of all people, to be her father?

He fell asleep before he could answer his own silent questions.

lll

Onyx was already up when Frieza awoke the next morning. He got up, slipped into his purple armor, wiped the sleep out of his eyes and headed out into the main audience hall to snatch up some breakfast. Coola and Zarbon were there, eating and drinking. A few other attendants were bustling around.

Onyx wasn't there.

"Zarbon. Coola. Where is Onyx?" Frieza asked coldly, while nibbling on something blue. The worm wiggled around between his lips as it was mercilessly chewed one segment at a time.

"Last I saw her she was just outside the front of the palace." Zarbon pointed towards the large door that led to outside. "I haven't heard a peep out of her since."

"She's probably just exploring." Coola added in. He downed the last of his green absinthe, then leaned back, smirking to himself as he tapped the button on his scouter and let the numbers roll off. An occasional snicker came from him when he picked up the power levels of the weak attendants working nearby.

"You idiots!" Frieza roared and pointed in the general direction of outside with an angry finger, "Don't you realize she doesn't know this planet yet! She can get lost easily out there!"

lll

In the meantime, Onyx was out exploring the barren cliffs around the area. There were canyons so large that she couldn't see the opposite side. Others stretched far off over the horizon. A few stray plants dotted the crisp terrain, most of which looked like orange tumbleweed or dark green palm trees. The intense white sun beat down without heat, and the sky seemed perpetually black.

Onyx soon grew bored with her exploration after walking for a long time. She turned around to go back and realized she'd lost sight of the palace. "Oh no! Daddy is going to be really bad at meee!" She sniffled, "I better try to find my way back before he finds out I snuck away…"

lll

Back at the castle, Frieza was hovering around above the castle with his arms crossed. He'd been calling Onyx for the past several minutes, but she wasn't answering. He couldn't even pick her up on his scouter, which meant she was pretty far away. Too far away for his liking.

"Zarbon, get your green carcass out here. Now!" He bellowed.

His right hand man quickly rushed out to his side and bowed briefly. "Yes, Master Frieza?"

"Onyx still hasn't come back. She may have gotten lost in the mountains and can't find her way back." Frieza's expression hardened, "I want her found within the hour! I want her back here ALIVE. This place isn't the safest place for a young child and I don't need my pupil dying on me now." He growled, a dangerous gleam coming to his eye. "If you're not back in one hour, you'll suffer, understand? Now take your men and get out!" He spun around and floated a few feet away to watch another pathway leading up to the palace. His expression quickly changed from anger to glittery-eyed concern. Onyx…where are you?

"Yes, sir! I'll take Coola with me. We can cover more ground that way."

"Just go, dammit!"

Zarbon bowed and sped into the palace. A few seconds later he and Coola took off together with a few attendants.

"Kids are nothing but trouble." One of them muttered.

"Hey you! Zip your lip, or you won't to live to see your next birthday," Zarbon turned his head and sneered as the wind blew a few stray strands of green hair into his mildly feminine face.

"Both of you shut the hell up so I can hear myself think!" Coola yelled as he pushed some buttons on his scouter and listened to it beep. "I hear enough shit from Frieza and my Dad. I don't need more from you imbeciles…" The arrows pointed to various sources and showed several small numbers. "No readings above 900 yet."

lll

Onyx stood at the edge of one of the cliffs and peered down into the chasm. The bottom glowed a dull red, like a hot coal, and the combination of the white sun and red lava caused red and white swirls to appear briefly within her necklace. She could feel heat radiating up from way down there.

Scary stuff.

She fought down the tears and welling up. Frieza was going to be really mad at her, and she knew it. Not only for getting lost but also for being a coward. I won't be scared! She told herself as she sat down on the edge of the chasm and drew her knees up close to her body while gazing down at the distant red glow below.

lll

Back at the castle, Frieza was pacing around with his hands clasped behind his back, listening to the banter between his men through his scouter. He tapped a button and said, "Have you found anything yet?"

"Not yet." Zarbon replied darkly. "She could have fallen down one of the valleys. She can't exactly fly well enough to catch herself yet if she were to fall."

"YOU BETTER HOPE SHE HASN'T!" Frieza screamed at the top of his lungs with such force it caused Zarbon's earpiece to whine unpleasantly. "If she isn't found alive I will have your fucking heads! Now FIND HER!"

Zarbon paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes sir."

lll

Right as the panicked conversation was taking place, Onyx was on her hands and knees, gazing over the edge of a rocky overhang stretching over a chasm that went on for miles. She couldn't even see the bottom, it was so deep. This one didn't glow at all, but it seemed that much more intimidating, because she didn't like the dark too much.

Clunk!

"AAH! Oh no!" The little girl cried out in protest when her precious bubble-gun came loose and dropped onto the narrow branch jutting out below. It wavered precariously close to falling off and getting lost in the perpetual blackness.

Unaware of the danger, Onyx crawled to the end of the cliff she was on and made the slow, long climb down to the branch where her toy gun was hanging. She was so busy crawling forward and reaching for her toy that she didn't realize the wood was old and cracking under her weight.

Crack!

The branch started to sink. Onyx grabbed on with her arms and legs, squealing as she slipped and wound up hanging off the underside of the branch. It sank a little more when she inched forward and stretched a shaking hand towards the dangling bubble-gun. Her tiny fingers locked around the handle and…

Crrrrrraaaack!

"Uh-oh…"

WHAM!

"AAAAHHH!"

Onyx's world flipped wildly as the branch snapped and sent her plummeting towards the gaping chasm. She lost sight of the toy she had tried so desperately to reacquire and realized a little late that she'd dropped it.

"AAAAAH!" She screamed again, trying unsuccessfully to get her ki aura high enough to fly. She couldn't, and she plummeted, screaming and kicking her legs for over a minute before an aqua shape dove down like a hawk to snatch her right out of the air.

For a moment or two she continued to flail around until she realized she wasn't falling anymore, and looked into the pretty face of her rescuer.

"Are you OK? What were you DOING out here?" Zarbon asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I dropped my bubble-gun and I was trying to get it back." Onyx sniffled meekly, sensing Zarbon's hidden anger. "But now it's gone!" She batted her eyes, turned her head and buried her face in his shoulder. Soft sobs shook her tiny body. "I'm sorry I ran away. Don't be mad at me."

He sighed. It was impossible to stay mad at her for long when she turned on the waterworks. "I'll tell you a secret, Onyx. I was more scared than mad." He gained some altitude and looked around to gain his bearings. Then he tapped a button on his scouter. "Coola. I found her."

The little girl blinked. "You were?"

Zarbon simply nodded and waited for Coola to reply.

"Right." Coola answered, feeling very relieved.

Frieza was still pacing at the palace when he heard Zarbon over the com, "I found her, Master Frieza. And not a moment too soon."

His shoulders slumped visibly and the tension drained from his expression. He sighed and tightened his lips, a bit angry at himself for getting all upset. Too much stress always caused a build-up of lactic acid that created annoying soreness in his muscles later.

"Excellent. Have her brought to me immediately if she's not hurt." He said as pleasantly as he could without sounding too relieved.

"Right."

Within a few moments, Zarbon landed with Onyx in his arms, his cape settling behind him. Onyx was trembling and afraid, sensing all the anger and knowing all too well that she was in a lot of trouble. She even jumped when Coola landed off to the side, his toes digging into the soil and his tail lashing back and forth.

Zarbon pried Onyx away from his neck, set her down and gave her a little nudge towards Frieza. Then he straightened and crossed his arms, his face kept carefully expressionless.

Frieza was waiting with his delicately shaped lips pressed tight together, his doll-like features twisted into an angry expression. His garnet eyes were like hot pokers, and if his gaze were a laser it would have destroyed a galaxy.

The black carapace on Onyx's forehead and the necklace around her neck shimmered a little in the sunlight, as did her black armor, as she slowly and meekly stepped towards the fuming man before her. Frieza's anger always felt like a slow heat that would suddenly blaze up when he shouted or found some other way to show his rage.

Frieza put his hands on his hips and bent down until he was face to face with Onyx. His voice came out in a harsh undertone that gained volume with each word, "What do you think you were doing out there? You should know better than to go off alone! What if Zarbon hadn't seen you falling!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Onyx started to remember what Frieza had said about hiding fear with another emotion. She could sense the hint of fear in Frieza's heart. He wouldn't show it, but he had been worried and scared that something awful had happened, and was relieved that she was all right.

"I lost my bubble-gun!" Onyx shot back with a snarl, doing her best to look more angry than she really was. "I thought you were still sleeping. I went after it myself so I could show you that I can be brave on my own!"

"There is a difference between being brave and being foolish! What you did was foolish, Onyx! You could have been killed!" Frieza's hand snapped out and slapped the little girl across the cheek.

The blow wasn't very powerful, but it was strong enough to send Onyx sprawling. She looked up at him and touched the bruise on her cheek, tears trembling in her eyes. It was the first time her father had ever struck her, and it hurt more than just her skin.

Until then she was only pretending to be angry. Now she really was angry.

"That…" her black eyes became two gleaming orbs of dark flames as she screamed and launched herself at Frieza. "…hurt!" Her fist connected with the bottom of his jaw, knocking it right off its hinges.

Frieza, caught off-guard, went flying backwards and smashed into the wall with a thud. He slid down into a sitting position with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His dazed eyes rolled and fluttered as he fought to stay conscious. His chin pointed to the left rather than straight down.

Onyx gasped and covered her mouth with both hands when she felt his intense pain in her jaw. Tears welled in her dark eyes. "Daddy! Oh no! Daddy! I'm sorry!"

For a shocked few moments, nobody moved or spoke. Onyx rubbed her fist and looked around to find everyone staring at her with eyes like dinner plates. Nobody ever hit Lord Frieza like that and lived. Nobody!

Annoyed by everyone's reluctance to help, Onyx scrambled up the steps and sat down next to Frieza. She settled his head in her lap, rubbed her hand across his armored forehead and started to cry. "Daddy…wake up! Don't be dead! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

Frieza finally won the battle for consciousness. He heard Onyx crying and felt her hand petting his brow. Nobody had ever touched him that way. And was she crying for him?

She's crying for *me*…why?

His eyes fluttered open and fixed on Onyx's sobbing visage.

There was a collective gasp when Frieza finally picked himself up, wiped the blood from his crooked lips and stared at the stain on his palm. He grabbed his chin, violently popped his jawbone back into place with a sickening crack, took his hand away and wiggled his lower jaw from side to side to make sure it was in place. The painful movement proved him correct. Gotta love that ability to unhinge my jaw… He thought while everyone winced.

"D-Daddy?" Onyx chirped meekly with a sniffle. She couldn't make sense of the strange angry excitement coming from him. Something she never felt from him before.

Then his lips pulled into a sinister, bloodstained grin like the cat that ate the canary, "Onyx, my dear. I think you're ready to start your battle training…"

lll

It had been three months since that day. Frieza and Onyx trained daily, and Onyx became so good at hand to hand combat that she could synchronize her movements to match or counter just about everything Frieza threw at her. She wasn't as strong as he was, not even close, but she was very fast. Fast enough to go in, slam someone around and be gone again before they even knew what hit them.

Today's training session was especially tiring, and they hadn't even done half of constant blurring, punching, kicking and blasting they usually did.

Onyx finally sank to the floor in exhaustion and leaned on the wall. "Daddy, I feel dizzy." She complained quietly in a tired voice.

"Getting hit several times will make you dizzy. Once you get accustomed to it, the vertigo will pass" Frieza replied coldly as he stood over her. "Come on, it'll go away if you work it off." He crossed his arms and licked his lips while waiting for her to get back up.

"O-OK…" Onyx whispered and got up. The second she was on her feet, her eyes rolled back and she crumpled forward. Frieza stepped back to let her fall, hoping she would learn not to mess with him during training. Rather than stop herself, the little girl hit the floor with a thud

"Onyx!" Frieza growled. "Stop playing around!"

Onyx didn't answer, not even a smile to show she was kidding. She was taking this little game too far, this time! Way too far!

"Onyx! Knock it off! This isn't a game!" Frieza nudged her with the tip of his tail. Usually she would giggle, swat his tail away and stand up to continue.

This time, she didn't move. Not even a twitch.

Realizing this wasn't a game, Frieza stooped down and took the child's head in his hands. "Onyx wake up!" He hissed, and still didn't get a response. "…Onyx?" Vague panic started to pulse over his nerves when he heard her labored breathing. …Might be a punctured lung or something. Better have this checked out.

Frieza gathered Onyx up in his arms and hurried away from the training room. He carried her down the corridor and burst into the medical bay. "Sanquin! Get your lazy bones up and get in here NOW!"

In less than two seconds a whimpering Sanquin appeared to do his master's bidding. "Yes, Master Frieza?"

"Something is wrong with Onyx. Make her well again or I will make sure that you die. Personally." Frieza replied in a very acid tone. "You got that?"

The person called Sanquin gulped, took Onyx carefully from Frieza's arms and carried her to a table. He fought the urge to groan when the Icejin hovered over his shoulder for every procedure. When he finished, he took everything to his lab and started to process the data.

lll

Onyx rested comfortably with an oxygen mask strapped to her small, painted face. Frieza stood over the bed with his hands clasped behind his back. He glanced down at the little girl when she sighed and shifted, which made the bauble of her necklace roll up against her throat. A small smile tugged the corners of his mouth upwards.

"Look at you…so innocent," Frieza sighed a little to himself, reached down and straightened Onyx's necklace. His hand moved from the bauble to briefly cup her cheek. He returned his arm to its previous position and straightened when he heard footsteps.

Sanquin's shadow fell across the floor and the huffing-and-puffing of all the rushing around proved how out of shape he really was. He wanted to lose some weight, but this was ridiculous!

"Are you through yet?" Frieza growled at the fat doctor.

Sanquin's green fishlike lips drooped and he swallowed. "Yes."

"Well?"

"When she was found, I discovered she had a weak heart and didn't think she would survive the night. She managed to survive for five years, all by luck. Lord Frieza, her luck has run out." Sanquin fell silent, his large, bulging eyes glancing towards Onyx and then over to Frieza. "It is the rarest defect in your race. Her heart isn't growing with her body, so it works harder than it has to..." He held up a high-resolution Magnetic Resonance Image printout for Frieza to see.

Frieza snatched the glossy sheet from Sanquin's beefy hand and held it up to the light. He was met with the image of a five-year-old's outline surrounding a heart the size of a newborn's, and understood immediately what Sanquin was trying to tell him. A strange, small pain appeared in the center of his chest and created warmth in the back of his throat.

"Will she suffer?"

"Master Frieza - "

"Answer me, you sloppy yellow blob!" Frieza grabbed Sanquin's throat and lifted him off the ground. "Answer me before I decide to pop your head off and mount it on the wall!"

Gagging, Sanquin tried to reply, but the hand wrapped around his throat choked off his breath. Frieza realized the pathetic excuse of a doctor couldn't reply and threw him across the room to send him crashing into the wall.

"ANSWER!" Frieza bellowed as he stepped through the settling dust that was once a wall. All that could be seen of him was his outline with faint glints of purple.

"N-n-no, sir. Cyanosis will appear twelve or so hours before the end. She'll just get very tired and go to sleep." He whimpered, having just realized he was urinating copiously from being so scared. "Even if she's awake she'll never know it's happening. I swear it!"

Frieza turned his back to Sanquin and snorted indignantly. He was upset, and he needed to kill something to make himself feel better.

"You know…I changed my mind about letting you live." He suddenly turned, opened his palm and fired off a crimson ki blast that reduced the whimpering Sanquin to a bloody pile of bones and ashes. "I think it was about time I put you out of my misery. Humph. I feel so much better already."

Frieza turned from his fresh kill and stared out the nearby window with his fists folded behind his back, the sun shining brilliantly across the purple armor adorning his horned head. His cruel smirk was completely replaced by a look of wide-eyed distress. I can't stand the thought of being without her. I just…can't. God! Why do I feel this way? Why does hearing her call me 'Daddy' make me so happy? What IS this feeling I have for her? Is it love? No…I love no one! There's no way…I am Frieza, supreme ruler of the universe! I have no need for *love*. I don't -

"Daddy?" Onyx's voice cut across his thoughts. Frieza peeked over his shoulder to find her pulling the oxygen mask off and looking up at him with half-closed, watery eyes. The pain was gone from her face, kept away by small doses of pain medication running through the IV entering her tiny arm.

…but I *need* her…

"Not now, Onyx. I'm trying to think." He lied. A faint tingle prickled through his body while he stood there and tried with all his might to keep his expression stoic. Well…she's done it again. I can't keep anything I feel from her!

Onyx blinked when she sensed the heaviness in his chest. "You're sad?"

Frieza turned his back to her and clenched his teeth. He felt something he'd never felt in his life. A hot lump was growing in his throat. There was more moisture in his eyes than normal, and his nose felt a little runny. He turned around to look down at Onyx and something crystalline skittered down his cheek.

For the first time in his life, Frieza shed a tear.

"Yes, my Little Goddess, I'm sad." He admitted softly with no emotion in his voice. Other than the sparkling tear on his cheek, his face was completely expressionless.

"Don't be sad, Daddy." Onyx reached up and used her knuckle to brush away the tear on his cheek. "Your eyes are too pretty to be sad." She sat up and kissed the side of his face. "If I had my bubble-gun, I'd shoot you with my magic happiness bubbles. Then you wouldn't be sad anymore."

Frieza suppressed a smile at her gushing exuberance. She was always so happy when she was with him, reflecting the same feelings he felt whenever she was nearby. Erasing her smile would be too much for him to stand, and he couldn't bring himself to tell her what he knew. He waited for the inevitable question that never came.

"Humph!" Onyx pouted at Frieza's reluctance to smile. She pressed her index fingers to the corners of his mouth and pushed them upwards into an artificial smile. "There, see? Smiles are much prettier than tears!"

Frieza finally gave in and allowed himself a small half-smile. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

"Daddy?" She whispered with a yawn.

"Yes, my Little Goddess?"

"I love you."

"I…" Frieza hesitated for a moment as he sat down next to the bed and watched Onyx fall asleep. His voice was softer than usual when he replied with the only words he could think to say, "I know you do." He reached down and patted her small hand. "I know…"

lll

A lone bubble drifted through the air and popped on the tip of a small tipped-up nose.

"Onyx…" a voice called softly.

Onyx wiggled her nose and looked up from her doodling to see Zarbon standing over her bed. "Huh? Hiya Zarbon!"

"I thought I'd come in here and visit you for awhile." He swept his braid back and tried hard not to smile as he sat down beside the bed with a data pad in his hand. This minor humiliation was going to be worth it in the end. "So what'cha drawing?"

"You and Daddy." She put down her light green pencil and held up a piece of paper. Two figures with bulbous-looking heads, rectangular bodies and uneven arms stood side-by-side. One of them was colored light green with darker green squiggles and "X" marks for braided hair. The other was white and purple with two black triangles on either side of its head. "See? I also made some for just you." She held up another drawing. It had Zarbon and a stretched black and white stick figure with two triangles on its head standing off to the side.

"Heyyy…that's pretty good," Zarbon grinned and stole a look at the door while 'examining' the drawing. "Oh, hey. Something weird has been goin' on and – " He glanced up as another bubble glided into the room and ruptured into nothingness above his head. Another faster-moving one spiraled in to pop against the wall. "There it is again!"

Onyx's large black eyes followed a small bubble as it blew through the door and sank rapidly to the floor. "Bubbles…?" She blinked and scrunched her face up in thought. A cloud of airy clear spheres blustered through the door and popped all over the bed around her.

Zarbon watched the door, waited for the shadow in the corridor to disappear and gave Onyx a nudge. "Why don't you go check it out?"

She grinned and sat up, "Come too?"

He pretended to ponder it for a moment. Then he looked down to find her giving him the puppy eyes and laughed. "Oh, all right!" He slipped his hands under her armpits, lifted her off the bed and placed her carefully on the floor. "Oof! You're getting to be a big girl…"

Onyx blushed and giggled while Zarbon stepped out into the corridor. She galloped out after him, jumped on his back and covered his eyes with her hands, "Can't see!"

"Aah!" Zarbon fumbled blindly and chuckled through the pain of having his braid accidentally yanked, "Hm…who turned out the lights?"

More bubbles flooded through the corridor before she could reply. Unable to resist her own curiosity, the little lizard girl climbed down off Zarbon's broad shoulders and crept towards the bubbles coming from around the corner. Whoever was making them was definitely moving away from her location.

"Ack!" Onyx giggled as a last bubble popped between her eyes. She raced around the corner where it had come from and stopped short.

The slightly dented bubble-gun she'd dropped while out exploring was lying on the floor near a shadowed doorway leading down into the ventilation system. "My bubble-gun!" She scampered forward, grabbed the toy and examined it. Her smile widened when she pulled the trigger to send a stream of bubbles straight up. "Weeeee! It works!"

Zarbon came around the corner, crossed his arms again and grinned, "Oh, so that's what's been causing all those bubbles…hm! Where did you find it?"

Onyx pointed to the floor and grinned. "Magic!" She laughed, "I better go get back in bed so I can show Daddy when he comes to see me!"

"I'm sure he'll be surprised." Snickered Zarbon as he leaned on the wall next to the dark doorway, crossed one ankle over the other and watched Onyx walk around the corner. His expression softened considerably, then hardened. "Well, it was a good idea after all…" He said aloud.

"Yes, Zarbon, indeed it was. I have to commend you on the idea of surprising her." Came a gritty, feminine voice. The shadows shifted as Frieza stepped into the light with a mischievous grin. He placed his elbow against the wall, propped his cheek up against his palm and laid the other hand on his hip, watching the little girl's shadow disappear.

Seeing her face when she found the bubble-gun was worth the effort of going out and hunting for it in the chasm.

"Thank you, sir." Zarbon wiped his nose with the knuckle of his thumb and tapped his scouter to check the time. "Well, I suppose I should go brief my men about the next few weeks." His cape billowed as he turned towards a conjunction where the corridor split off into two directions. "Sir? May I ask what Sanquin said?"

Frieza tipped his head slightly at the question and the smile melted from his painted lips. "She's dying, Zarbon. Just like everyone else I let myself become close to seems to do."

Zarbon blinked as if the words had been ice water dashed in his face. Onyx, dying? He felt as though a brick had fallen on his chest and forced the breath from his lungs. Sure, Onyx was annoying and sure, she had a tendency to pull his braid when he wasn't looking, but he never really minded her antics. To have them suddenly disappear was unthinkable.

Moisture started to build up in his eyes. "I think I'll go now, Lord Frieza." He bowed quickly and walked away, reaching up to wipe his eyes with the palm of his hand. Must be something in my eye…

Frieza watched Zarbon disappear down the hall and sighed heavily. His red eyes shifted to watch a wave of bubbles pop against the wall at the other end of the corridor, followed by the little girl's familiar giggling.

"Sometimes," He spoke aloud to himself, "I really do miss my innocence…"

lll

Onyx's health improved and Frieza kept training her under the assumption that she would get well again and live if he kept her active and physically fit. She did seem to become much healthier than before, and her physical strength was improving bit by bit over time.

A short Icejin with purple armor and an even shorter one with black armor standing by a window with their fists folded behind their backs became a familiar sight around the ship. Anywhere Lord Frieza walked, Little Lady Onyx was sure to be right on his heels. If he was sitting on his throne and swirling a glass of wine, she was sitting beside him and swirling a wineglass full of grape juice.

Frieza would never admit it, but he was pulling Onyx closer and closer to his heart with each passing day.

lll

"…I want to search whatever fragments of Planet Vegeta are still floating around. Especially the remaining moon. If there is anything we can use for better fuel…I want to get my hands on it." Frieza gave out his orders while Onyx stood beside him with her arms crossed, trying to look fierce.

She glared at each person in turn as Frieza spoke to them. It was really a sight to see, however, nobody dared smile for fear of being annihilated on the spot for a lack of attention.

"Lay in a course." Onyx barked when Frieza fell silent and looked down at her. "Turn on all the big scouters and look for bad guys outside while you're at it! Do it or Daddy will blow you all up!"

One of the men nearest to Onyx chuckled at her funny choice of words. Words that carried the ring of youth and innocence. From his location by a computer console, Zarbon bit his lip to keep from grinning.

Frieza glared at the oval-headed alien who was laughing and curled his lip. "Are you mocking my child?"

The soldier composed himself and stood nervously at attention. "Um n-no sir! I was jus - "

"I think you were." Frieza's tone turned dangerously sinister as a grin curled his painted lips. He opened his hand, pointed his palm at the whimpering alien and disintegrated him with a beam of red ki fire. Then he turned his head, smirked at Onyx and turned his attention to the others, "Next time someone laughs at Onyx, I will make sure they have a slower demise! Now GET TO WORK!"

The remaining men scrambled from the main hallway of the ship, stepping around the burn mark that had once been the man who laughed at Onyx.

"See what I did? That's what I meant not-so-long-ago when I said to take what you want and let nothing get in your way." Frieza commented as he kicked some dust over the burn mark while he walked to his hoverpod and sat down. "And there will always be idiots like that to get in the way."

Onyx climbed into the pod with Frieza. Normally she would take up a spot right next to him or stand between his feet and peek over the front edge. This time she climbed into his lap and laid her head down on his shoulder. Frieza wasn't sure how to react, his face taking a look of bewilderment as he stared down at Onyx.

Why…after all you have seen me do…do you even want to stay near me? I kill a man right in front of you and you don't fear me! Not that I'm complaining…but why…?

He sighed slightly, gave her a gentle pat on the back, then lifted his head and said with a somewhat sinister sparkle in his eye, "How would you like to come with me onto the surface of the planet? I think you're strong enough to handle yourself if we get attacked. So whaddya say?"

"OK!" Onyx's face brightened instantly. "Hey, Daddy?"

"Yes, my Little Goddess?"

"What happened to planet Vegeta?" She looked up with curious eyes and blinked.

"The people that lived there were too nasty and dirty for my liking. So I blew it up." Frieza grinned wolfishly at the memory, "I wish you had seen it. Heh, heh…the fireworks were fantastic!"

Onyx's eyes tripled in size. "WOW! You can blow up whole planets! You must be the strongest Daddy in the universe!"

"Naturally." He smirked, basking in the praise while the little girl in his lap grinned up at him.

lll

"Zarbon, you head south. Take any resources you can get ahold of. If any filthy monkeys get in your way…you know what to do." Frieza commanded, chuckling as he said the last words. Then he looked down at Onyx. "You stay with me."

"OK, Daddy."

"Right, Master Frieza." Zarbon bowed, the pink baubles on his earrings and forehead bouncing slightly. His scouter beeped as he headed off in the direction he was ordered to go, and the sound of his cape snapping remained long after he had disappeared.

Onyx peeked over the front of the pod from her spot between Frieza's feet. Already, distant explosions were visible on the horizon like white domes against the red sky, their reflections showing in her dark eyes and black carapace-like forehead. The necklace she wore thumped against her armor as she started to bounce impatiently, which got a small chuckle out of Frieza.

"So, are you ready?" He asked in a whisper.

She turned her head and grinned at him, a grin too kind for what she was about to participate in. For all she knew, she was helping her father do his job. She knew nothing of the difference between good and evil; Frieza never did teach her that. "I've been ready forever!"

"Excellent." He drawled, hunkering down in his pod as he prepared for high speed flight. "Hang on tight now." When he saw Onyx tense her grip on the sides of the pod and felt her tail wrap around his waist, he activated his ki and sent them rocketing towards the nearest village.

"Weeeeeeeeeeee!" Onyx shrieked with glee. "Faster! Fasterfasterfaster!"

"Hm, hm, hm…you want faster?" There was a loud pop as Frieza barrel-rolled and poured more power into his flight. They were soon moving so fast the terrain below was torn to shreds. "If I go any faster your pretty little face might peel off…" He chuckled.

"WEEEEEEE!" She laughed as the wind whipped against her face and pushed her up against Frieza's chest. "This is perfect! WEEEEEE!"

lll

By the time Onyx and Frieza arrived at their destination, everything had been destroyed. Zarbon had the only survivors rounded up. A brown-haired man stood there, trembling, with a dark-haired boy and girl not much older than Onyx clinging to his legs. Three brown tails twitched and twisted nervously.

Onyx stayed hidden in the pod, as Frieza had ordered. He figured it was better that she stayed hidden for this part, just in case the fireworks got out of control. From her vantage point, Onyx could see her father's doll-like face, the seemingly painted on purplish-black lips drawing up into a smirk.

Frieza peered at the Saiyajin man and said, "Now, we can do this the easy way…" He held his hand up and extended his index finger, a purplish sphere no larger than a pea forming at the end of his pale fingertip. The glow created eerie shadows on his face and made his armored cranium glimmer. His features seemed to darken a shade as his girlish voice took on a darker tone to match. "Or we can do this the hard way…"

"No!" The little boy tried to run away, but Zarbon was right there and shoved him back in front of Frieza.

The father growled, "I'm not telling you anything, you freak! Get away from my home and leave my family alone! You've done enough damage around here to last a lifetime!"

Onyx watched as Frieza licked his lips slowly, a devilish grin pulling at them. His flawless white teeth caught the light as he said in mock calmness, "I'm not leaving until you give me what I want, monkey."

All of a sudden, another Saiyajin crept up behind Frieza, and before Zarbon could stop him, the he fired off a blast that caused Frieza's pod to do a complete flip. Onyx lost her grip on the sides of the pod when the blow slammed Frieza's chest into her back. She toppled out and landed heavily on the ground.

After a moment of shocked silence she twitched, got up and waved at Frieza to show that she was OK. Her head turned to the large, muscular and dark-haired Saiyajin that towered at least three times her height. This guy was as big, if not bigger, than Nappa.

Before Onyx could blink or react, the Saiyajin dashed over and lifted her up by the throat. "Gotcha! Now who's laughing, Frieza!"

"Unhand her!" Frieza roared, his lips pulling back angrily. "Unhand her NOW!"

"Put me down you big bully!" Onyx kicked her legs. The angrier she got, the higher her power level rose. The rise made Frieza's scouter beep. "PUT ME DOWN NOW!" She thrust her arms forward as a white ki blast issued from her palms and slammed through the Saiyajin's chest. He let out a yelp as he tumbled to the ground with a crash.

The recoil of the blast sent Onyx flying backwards. Frieza blurred out of his pod, reappeared in Onyx's direct flight-path and caught her with one arm. He glowered down at the dead Saiyajin still lying on the ground and disintegrated his corpse with his eye-lasers.

"Well. Since you aren't any help I might as well dispose of you all." Frieza's eyes gleamed evilly as he pointed his still glowing finger at the Saiyajin and the children. The Saiyajin gasped and closed his eyes, pushing the children behind him so the blast would hit him and not his kids. Frieza gave a low, dark chuckle as he closed one eye and aimed carefully, making sure the shot would hit them all. The glow on his fingertip was just about full power when he felt a hand on his wrist and looked down to see Onyx looking up at him tiredly.

"Don't hurt them Daddy." Onyx kept her hand on his wrist.

Frieza leaned down and whispered coldly, "They're in the way of what I want."

"But the little boy and girl love their Daddy. They would miss him just like I would miss you if you went away." There was a kind of truthful innocence in the way Onyx was speaking. And there was something in her eyes that Frieza couldn't quite place or understand. "Daddy, please? They won't hurt you."

"Oh puh-leeze." Zarbon muttered under his breath, but he gulped and fell silent when he got a glare from his master.

Frieza's eyes narrowed and his delicate nose wrinkled as he sneered. His finger remained pointed at the Saiyajins for another moment as he struggled to overcome his urge to kill. He looked down at Onyx again and said, "For you, I do this." The glow faded and his finger lowered.

Frieza had done many things for Onyx, but resisting the urge to kill because she asked him to was probably one of the most powerful. It wasn't until then that he realized he would do anything for her.

Zarbon watched with a smirk as Frieza disappeared over the horizon where the ship was waiting. Only when he was out of sight did the secret order come. With a single blast, Zarbon incinerated the Saiyajins and took off to join his boss at the ship.

lll

The ship had returned to Frieza's home planet and everyone was back in the palace. Coola had left to conquer a planet at the other end of the galaxy, and due to return at any moment. King Kold was still absent and dealing with matters on Zarbon's home planet.

Zarbon, soaking wet and wearing nothing more than a towel after a quick shower, stepped away from the steamy bathroom and sat down in front of his expensive bathroom vanity set. His dripping wet hair reached just past his waist, and one strand that was shorter than the rest hung perpetually in his face. He was soon in the process of drying his long locks with the blow-dryer, not hearing the sound of his door hissing open.

A bubble drifted through the air and popped on the mirror.

Raising one of his slender eyebrows, Zarbon turned to look over his shoulder with the brush halfway through his dripping hair and saw nothing. Then a pair of black eyes peeked over the edge of his bed and the nozzle of a bubble-gun appeared nearby.

"Boo!"

"Onyx!" Zarbon stood up to face her and the towel around his waist fell off to bare all. His cheeks darkened as he snatched it up and held it in front of his legs, "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to see what you were doing." She ignored the fading blush in his cheeks, having already sensed he was embarrassed. "Is my timing that bad?"

Zarbon sighed in defeat and started up the hair dryer to finish drying his hair. Onyx crawled over the bed and stood on her tippy toes to peek over the counter. Her hands were covered in grease from swinging across a freshly-greased coolant pipe, so her tiny hand prints were soon marking the polished white countertop, and a trail marked where she'd touched the bedsheets.

"Onyx, please wash your hands before you touch anything else. You're making a mess! I just had this thing cleaned!"

"Oops!" The little girl blushed and thrust her hands under the faucet Zarbon had turned on for her. She grinned sheepishly and batted her eyes when she caught his gaze.

At that very moment, Frieza crept near enough to the door to pick up the conversation going on inside, as if he didn't trust his own men with his little girl.

Onyx's voice filtered out into the corridor, "Wow, look at it. Can I touch it?"

"Well uhh…sure I guess." Zarbon's voice answered. There was a moment of silence and then, "Ahh…ohhh hey be careful. Don't pull on it!"

Frieza's eyes widened and he pried the door open to find Onyx standing on the counter, brushing Zarbon's hair. Zarbon coughed noisily, nudged her with his elbow and nodded to the door. She turned her head towards her father and grinned widely.

"Hi Daddy!"

Zarbon just cleared his throat and stood up with one hand on the towel to keep it from falling off his waist again. "Yes, Master Frieza?"

Casually leaning on the edge of the hatch that led into Zarbon's quarters, Frieza drawled, "At ease. I just came to see what Onyx was up to."

Onyx started giggling and said, "I was playing with Zarbon's hair." She held up a long green lock to show off the purple ribbon she had meticulously braided in, "See?"

Zarbon's cheeks turned a darker aqua.

Half of Frieza's mouth curved into an amused smirk. "Yes, I noticed. Perhaps you should leave him alone so he can get some clothes on." He suppressed the urge to snicker at poor Zarbon's predicament. "Wouldn't want you to catch a draft now, would we, Zarbon?"

"No sir." Zarbon sneered slightly and walked back into the side room. "Onyx? Next time, press the tone chimes before coming in." He added before the door closed. He knew all too well that saying that never worked.

Onyx giggled as she fell into step with Frieza in the corridor. It wasn't long before her giggles turned into a belly laugh.

Frieza watched her laugh all the way down the hallway and stopped, peering at her with his hands on his hips. "What's so funny?" He finally asked.

"He dropped his towel when I scared him." She covered her mouth, blushed and whispered with another burst of giggles, "He's got a big ding dong!"

Now it was Frieza's turn to blush. "Ding dong?"

"The big finger he's got between his legs" Onyx replied. "How come girls don't have one?"

"Uhhh…because…"

"And how come his has hair and yours doesn't?"

Frieza felt a massive sweatdrop roll of his temple when he remembered her walking in on him while he was relieving himself. He rubbed the back of his neck and struggled to find an answer proper enough for someone her age. "He's an alien that just happens to have hair. Most alien boys with hair on their heads get hair on their…you know…when they grow up."

"Just like grown-up girls get balloons in their boobies?"

"HA!"

BOINK!

Frieza fell over backwards with his feet in the air and twitched a few times.

"Grown-ups…" Onyx shook her head and walked away to go play.

lll

Later on, Frieza lost track of Onyx and spent almost a half-hour searching the palace for her. He finally referred to his scouter and followed her power level outside. The sun was going down and the already black sky seemed blacker than usual, but Frieza wasn't paying attention to it. His mind was on the search for Onyx.

He found her sitting up on a rocky outcropping, watching the sun as it seemed to go down into one of the very distant canyons. She was holding the bauble on her necklace up in the air, and it peaked his curiosity as to what she was up to.

Onyx watched as the bright sun started to vanish, leaving the horizon a brilliant silver color. The few stringy clouds in the sky turned a pale shade of purple, then deep blue and red. She looked at her bauble and waited in silence so thick that when Frieza spoke, it startled her.

"What are you up to, my Little Goddess?"

"Oh!" Onyx jumped in fright and smiled when she realized who it was. "Hi Daddy. I'm just making colors."

"I don't see any colors." Frieza's eyes narrowed slightly, then returned to normal. He walked over to where Onyx was sitting and crossed his arms.

"That's because it's not the right time yet." She giggled and turned so she could face her him. "But it's almost time. Come watch." As she spoke, she stood up and held the bauble up high over her head until it glimmered in the fading sunlight.

Frieza shrugged and watched, not expecting anything special. He got quite a surprise when a pure rainbow shot straight up out of the little bauble and shone up into the sky for at least a hundred or so yards.

"How do you do that?" He asked, blinking.

"It's easy Daddy. Even you can do it. Here let me show you." Onyx's black carapace flashed in the fading light as she bent down and grabbed his hand.

Frieza watched her put the necklace into his hand and pull his arm up where the sunlight could reach the bauble. The glorious rainbow reappeared, and for a moment in time, a pleasant smile appeared on his face. A smile of pure delight and joy instead of a sinister, twisted grin of evil intentions.

Eventually, too soon it seemed, the light faded too much for the rainbow to stay visible.

"Pretty, wasn't it?" She smiled brightly with a sparkle in her dark eyes.

Still smiling slightly, Frieza replied, "Yes it was. I must admit. Come, lets get into bed. We have to get up early and go back to that moon tomorrow." He handed Onyx her necklace back. She slipped it over her head and let it come to rest against her chest.

"OK! See you there!" Onyx giggled her usual, playful giggle and ran ahead to the palace. Frieza took his time, lagging a little behind so he could watch her. He glanced down at the soil where she was running and took notice of her little footprints. Seeing them reminded him of that story about footprints that he'd read a few months before. It also brought to mind something that had been eluding his thoughts for a long time.

What was this feeling she kept making him feel?

Gradually, Frieza quickened his pace to catch up with Onyx and watched her go about her routine of harassing Zarbon with her usual good night.

Zarbon flopped onto his back and opened an eye when his door opened. His voice come out in an annoyed moan. "Mmmh…who's there?"

"It's just me. I'm coming in to say good night." Onyx tip toed in, obviously not considering the fact that some people did actually go to sleep earlier than she did. She climbed onto the bed next to Zarbon, settled down on her stomach with her head next to his and grinned impishly. "You go to bed too early."

"I get up earlier than you do," Zarbon turned his head towards the door and a strand of long hair fell over his left eye. Assured nobody was watching, he reached up and patted Onyx's cheek with a yawn, "Well…g'night, Sweetheart."

"Hehe!" The little girl blushed, "Hey Zar-boo-boo?"

He smirked at her funny way of pronouncing his name. "Hm, Onyx?"

Onyx leaned over, placed one small elbow on the pillow and rested her chin on her palm. She used her free hand to push the loose strand of green hair hanging over his eye aside. "Will you marry me when I grow up?"

Zarbon opened both eyes, stared at how serious her childlike face was and started to laugh lightly. It was the first time he'd laughed in a long time. He played along with her innocent question and replied, "Sure, I think we could work something out."

"Goodie!" She grinned, leaned over and kissed his cheek. Then she wrapped a piece of gold ribbon around his ring finger and tied it neatly into a bow. "I couldn't find a ring. I hope this works till then."

"Yeah, it's fine." He yawned and rubbed his eyes with the back of his fist, "I have to get some sleep now, Onyx. But first…" He propped himself up on one elbow, pressed his lips to her cheek and joked, "Now don't go flirt with anybody else or I'll get jealous."

The little girl's cheeks turned bright red and a tittering laugh fluttered in her chest as if she were a princess being kissed by a prince. "What's flirting?"

"You'll learn when you get older." Zarbon smirked again and flopped down on his back. "G'night."

Onyx squealed happily, "Night-night!" and raced out of the room with a grin stretching from ear to ear.

Zarbon watched her go, shook his head with a small smile on his face and rolled onto his side. He peered at the ribbon wrapped around his finger, chuckled to himself in amusement and closed his eyes to sleep.

"Goodness, you certainly look happy," Frieza noted with a grin as Onyx walked along beside him. They were both walking with their hands clasped behind their back.

Onyx turned her armored head, panted and grinned. "I asked him to marry me when I grew up and he said yes!" She clasped her hands together and brought them up to her cheek, "And he gave me a kiss!"

Frieza suppressed a laugh without hiding the smile. "Oh really? Since when have you liked Zarbon?"

"Since forever." She sighed dramatically. After a moment she stopped walking as if remembering something and asked, "Hey, Daddy? What's a cunt?"

BONK!

Frieza jerked to a stop and hunched his shoulders as if the word Onyx just asked about had smacked him in the face. He put a hand on the back of his head and stared at the ceiling in thought. The bridge of his nose and cheeks turned bright red. First she asks about a penis and now this? A sweatdrop appeared on his temple. "Uh...it's…um… Ugh…who told you that word?"

She giggled at his reaction. "One of the slaves said it to a girl he was kissing."

Frieza stopped shaking and crossed his arms, regaining his composure. "It's a very naughty word that has to do with your no-no place, Onyx. A word that little princesses like you shouldn't be saying." He frowned and tapped his foot solemnly, "I'll let you off easy because you didn't know what it meant. But if I hear it again I'll have to punish you. Understand?"

"Oh! I didn't know it was bad!" Onyx pouted, folded her hands behind her back and wagged her tail. She looked at him through the tops of her eyes and stuck her lower lip out. The ultimate puppy look that had the power to melt the most icy heart in the galaxy. "I'm sorry Daddy."

Not the eyes! They're too precious! Frieza thought with a silent, inner laugh. The look broke through his tough outer aloofness and reached straight into his heart. He didn't let his expression show what was going on inside, even though keeping a straight face didn't let him hide from Onyx.

"Just remember not to say that word again."

She nodded and melted out of pout-mode, returning to her usual giggly self.

The door beside them hissed open and Coola stepped into the light. He smirked as his attendants went their separate ways. His armored forehead shimmered slightly in the dim light. "Well, I'm home." He commented with a slight yawn. "And I'm tired."

"We all are." Frieza commented with a sigh. He reached his pale hand up and rubbed it across his eyes as if to emphasize that fact. "Papa didn't arrive?"

"He's still trying to settle that matter on Setsune-sei."

"Humph. Those people are too stubborn. Hard to believe that Zarbon came from that decrepit place." Frieza sneered. "Stupid Setsunites…at least the one working for me has some form of a brain."

Onyx hid a yawn behind her hand, walked over and wrapped her tail around Coola's leg. Coola shrugged at a very annoyed-looking Frieza, then looked down with one eye shut and one eye open at Onyx. He hesitated for a few moments before bending down and picking her up.

"What are you up to?" He asked, glaring at one of his attendants for taking too long to get back into the castle. The attendant let out a little yelp and slinked into his quarters as fast as he could.

"Noooothing." Onyx rolled her eyes and giggled. She wrapped her arms around Coola's neck, kissed his cheek and said, "I got busted for a dirty word." She pouted.

"Uh oh! Better not say it again, then." Coola shook his head and decided not to fight the smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Guess what? Zarbon's gonna marry me when I grow up!" She cried happily.

He opened his eyes wide in pretended surprise and grinned briefly in Frieza's general direction. "Really! Can I come to the wedding?"

"Sure! Daddy gets to come too. And everyone else…" Onyx yawned again and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sleepy. I think I'll go night-night."

"Well…" Coola turned his head, touched his lips to her cheek and said, "Good night, Little Lady Onyx. Sleep well." He put her down and let her go back to Frieza.

Such a sweet girl, I'm almost sorry that she'll be corrupted later. He thought as he watched her scramble away.

Onyx glanced back at Coola and smiled, then dashed to catch up with her father as he headed into his room. Coola watched her disappear through the door and headed into his own room for the night.

lll

Frieza was lying in bed with his arms behind his head. He was trying to enjoy a moment where he wasn't trying to think or do anything, and while that was going on, he started to analyze the weird way he had been feeling for so long. He knew Onyx was the source. That was all he could make sense of.

Onyx let out a faint yelp and curled into a ball. The noise woke Frieza from his reverie, and he turned his head to look over at her. She was trembling, cold and frightened, lost in the grips of a bad dream.

Without giving it any more thought, Frieza reached over and drew Onyx close. He shook her hard enough to wake her, yet gently enough so as not to jolt her. Her skin felt…odd. Clammy, almost. Normally she was very warm to the touch. He shrugged it off and rubbed her shoulder, sure she was merely cold from the dream.

"Uhh?" Onyx murmured, her eyes opening drowsily. Frieza could see the tear streaks on her face in the dim light. He brushed his knuckle against her pale cheeks to wipe them away.

"It was just a dream, my Little Goddess...don't be frightened," He said quietly, "But that isn't why I woke you up."

"Oh?" She lifted her head tiredly, rested it on his chest and looked at him with glittering black eyes. "Then why?"

"Just…hm…" Frieza sighed slowly, the rise and fall of his chest making her head bob up and down. He chickened out at the last moment, asking a dumb question rather than what was really on his mind. "When you think of Heaven…what do you see?"

Onyx blinked at the question, bit her lip and crossed her eyes. Then she giggled, "You tell me what you see first!"

"Angels. Maybe some bright light. A bunch of clouds. And music…I guess," Frieza snorted at his own inability to say what he wanted to say. He ran it through his mind a million ways, and yet there was no other way for him to say what he wanted to say. "Now, your turn."

"Well…when I think of Heaven, I just see you." She giggled softly and yawned, waiting for him to tell her what was really on his mind.

Frieza closed his eyes and smiled, touched deeply by the innocent words. It gave him the courage to continue. "Onyx, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time. I didn't know I wanted tell you until now…didn't realize what was happening to me." He closed his eyes and paused, but the pause was just long enough for Onyx to start talking.

"Did I make you proud today?"

"You've always made me proud, Onyx." Frieza whispered affectionately, "What I wanted to say was that…you've made me happy for the past five years. I've never been happy." He ran his tongue across the back of his front teeth, "I want to say thank you. And that…"

The tiny Icejin girl blinked at her father's unusually stilted speech. He was always so straightforward, now here he was struggling for words.

Frieza lifted his head and peered at the small creature that had brought him the joy and laughter he hadn't experienced in so long. That little girl, who was thrust unexpectedly into his life five years ago, had the power to stop him from killing what he hated the most. That little girl, so fragile and precious, had the power to see into him in ways no one else ever could. That little girl, as innocent and pure as an angel, was his. His little girl.

And with that realization, the words came to him. Words that seemed too small to compare with what burned in his heart. Words that expressed an emotion he never thought he could feel.

"I…I love you, Onyx."

Onyx sat up and stared down into Frieza's eyes, grinning from ear to ear as if a moment she'd been waiting for her entire life had finally arrived. Her smile was like the sun come out on a dark, dreary day. "I knew all along, Daddy. I love you too!" The girl cooed and lowered down to press a tender kiss into his cheek. "You're the bestest Daddy in the universe…"

Frieza smiled into the darkness, turned his head and softly kissed Onyx's cheek. "I love you, my Little Goddess…" He repeated into her ear as he curled an arm gently around her shoulders to hold her close. Then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Onyx curled up next to him, smiled and allowed her head to rest on his chest with the softness of his lips still lingering on her cheek. Thank you… She thought as she listened to his heart and watched his face while he dreamed. His face always looked so pretty when he was asleep. So calm and serene. And warm.

"I knew you would figure it out, Daddy." She smiled, kissing his cheek again as she curled up on his chest and settled down to sleep.

lll

Morning had come, and Zarbon was one of the first ones up as usual. He quickly brushed his silky green hair and was in the process of re-braiding it when he noticed one of Onyx's hand prints on the counter. He traced its outline with a forefinger, noticed the ribbon around his finger and smiled. He quickly finished braiding his hair and left his quarters to give out the first orders to his small number of men.

Coola was sitting in his father's throne with an empty wine goblet in his hand. "Running late by two minutes, Zarbon." He smirked.

"Shut up." Zarbon sneered, "I overslept."

"Whatever."

Frieza yawned and sat up, thick-headed with his eyes still sticky from sleep. He rubbed his eyes, got out of bed, stretched a bit and slipped into his armor. Then he noticed Onyx was still asleep. She looked so angelic with her lips curled into the tiny smile from last night. Frieza thought she looked so happy and at peace, and regretted that he had to wake her and disturb that slumber.

"Onyx, we have to be ready to go in an hour. Get up." He commanded, but she didn't stir. "Onyx, come on…get up! I don't have time for games!"

She just kept right on sleeping.

C'mon, Onyx! Stop being so lazy! Frieza thought as he charged over to the bed and grabbed Onyx's shoulder to shake her. He stopped as soon as he touched her. Her skin was extremely cold, even though she'd been under blankets all night long. He shook her gently, then harder.

"Uh…" Onyx finally began to stir and looked up with tired eyes. "Daddy?"

Frieza let out his breath without even realizing he had been holding it. Then he saw Onyx reach up to rub her eyes and noticed something strange about her fingernails.

They were blue, and they were supposed to be black.

No! It's really going to happen! Frieza thought in a moment of silent panic.

He made a split second decision and walked to the communications console on the wall. There, he pressed a button to bring Zarbon's face up on the screen. "Cancel today's mission and take any important transmissions that come in." He gritted his teeth, "I do not want to be disturbed for any reason. Do you understand?"

"Sir?"

"Just do as I say, Zarbon!" He sneered.

Zarbon flinched and swallowed. "Yes, sir! Right away, Lord Frieza!" The screen blipped off.

Frieza twitched his tail and walked back to the bed where Onyx lying. She was like a wilting flower, so weak and tired looking. He actually had to fight to keep his face and voice expressionless as he sat down next to the bed, "I canceled everything for today, Onyx." His voice gained a hint of warmth, "I was thinking we could spend the day together. You and me. Whaddya say?"

"Sounds like fun!" Onyx's little lips curled into a smile as she opened her eyes to look up at him. "But I have to go potty." She giggled and climbed out of bed. Other than being out of breath while walking, she showed no other outward signs of weakness. That was going to change soon. Too soon.

Frieza gave no hints of his inner turmoil while staring out the window with his fists folded behind his back. Inside him a battle raged between his pride and feelings. Was his pride really so strong that he would maintain the act of indifference while the one thing he loved was dying?

Then, out of the blue, came that thought that silenced the whole inner fight.

She has no tomorrow…

With that haunting thought, Frieza turned away from the window to look at Onyx when she clambered back up onto the bed. Onyx…my little darling. I know it's a bit late, but I swear, I'm going to make up for those five years I neglected you. Even if we have to cram it into one day. Who has to know? A small smile formed in the corners of his mouth. Like she once said…we can't be evil *all* the time…heh, heh, heh…

"Onyx?" He swished his armored tail and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. "What would you like for breakfast?" There was still very little emotion in his voice. "You can have anything you want."

Onyx sat up, her eyes huge. "Anything?" She dripped as much sugar into the word as she could. The trill in her voice seemed to punch through the barrier Frieza was struggling with. It reached a part of his mind that had been suppressed for most of his life and overrode most of the anger dwelling within him.

"You want me to change my mind?" He grumbled softly as he tried as hard as he could not to smile openly. "C'mon, out with it!"

We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

The little girl simply giggled, seeing right through his feigned annoyance. She stretched out on her stomach with her chin on her folded-up arms and wagged her tail. "Ice cream!"

Frieza grinned and pranced over to the communications console. He touched the button and drawled, "Appul! You have ten minutes to prepare the largest fudge sundae you've ever had your men put together. And you'd better make it good, or I'll have to exterminate you."

"Y-yes sir!" Came the frightened voice on the other end.

No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me
This is the start

Within a few minutes Onyx and Frieza were nibbling on the biggest fudge sundae they had ever eaten and laughing about how poor Appul peed down his legs while offering over the masterpiece. When they finished, they sat back, patting their bloated tummies and sighing in delight.

And so their great day together began.

lll

And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey

Frieza lifts his head and starts walking around the room as if looking for something he misplaced. His hoverpod is behind him, and while his back is to it, Onyx peeks over the edge. She ducks again when Frieza turns around, only to poke her head out, cover her mouth and giggle when he walks out of view. A hand comes down from above to tap her shoulder. She jumps and jerks her head around to see Frieza chuckling at her with the lower half of his face buried in his arms, which are folded on the back of his hoverpod.

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

Onyx is pouring something white into two bowls containing glowing blue mush while Frieza watches over her shoulder. He turns to walk away and stops when she says something unheard. The moment he moves to look at her again a glob of the blue stuff sails forward to splatter all over his face. Onyx falls on her butt, holding her sides in laughter while Frieza stands there with a disgruntled look on his face and a sweatdrop over his head.

We were strangers, on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming, how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand, unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you

A shadow moves across the floor and Onyx peeks under the bed. Then she stands up and scratches her carapace-like head. Frieza is 'standing' on the wall above and behind her, using his ki to stay aloft and smirking as he watches her. He phases out when she looks up, reappears at the other end of the room with a grin, thinking he won this round. Onyx suddenly appears upside down in his face with her fingers in her ears and her tongue sticking out. Frieza's eyes go wide and he falls over backwards with his feet in the air.

And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey

Frieza sits in his hoverchair, working away on something at his computer console. He stops and turns his head to look over at Onyx. She is turning dials and punching away at a set of brightly colored keys on a toy computer console shaped exactly like his. She sees him watching, grins and reaches over to push a button on his console. He reaches over to push a button on hers and puts both hands over his own keyboard so she can't pull the same trick again. As soon as he takes his hands away to continue typing, Onyx's tiny hand reaches over his shoulder to push a button. Frieza picks up the bubble-gun sitting on the console and shoots her with it. Onyx laughs and jumps around, popping the bubbles as they fly at her.

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

Onyx peeks over one side of the bed and ducks. Frieza peeks over the other side and ducks. Onyx peeks over again and ducks once more. Frieza does the same. Then they both poke their heads up over the bed at the same time and start shooting at each other with twin bubble-guns.

Knew there was somebody, somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
Now I know my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

Seemingly overcome with a strange urge, Frieza picks Onyx up on his shoulders, runs up to the wall and jumps, doing something he hasn't done since he was a child. He slides along the wall while she shrieks, laughs and covers his eyes with her tiny hands. Frieza reaches up to dislodge her hands and pulls her arms open like wings. He opens his too, moving them accordingly for balance as if on an invisible skateboard while they circle the room once, twice, then a third time, doing speeds that rival a centrifuge. "WHOOOOAAAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHA!" "WEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The sounds of their shouts and laughter fill the room as Frieza bends his forward-facing leg further, causing them loop around, swoop up towards the ceiling and back around to the floor.

And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey

Frieza looks up, Onyx looks down…then both run out into the corridor and leap at opposite walls, grinning at each other and occasionally moving their outstretched arms to stay balanced as the world blurs by. Poor Zarbon gets run down by a black-and-white streak moving one way, then again by a purple and pink shape going the other. He lays there with his chin propped up one hand and uses the other to drum his fingers on the floor.

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

Frieza and Onyx crawl under the bed to sneak up on each other. They knock heads, recoil and laugh while rubbing the bruised spot. The door to the room opens and they shush each other while Zarbon's boots pass the bed, turn around and sweep back out. Onyx and Frieza peek out from under the round bed-dress, turn towards at each other and snicker while Zarbon disappears down the hall.

Life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing on
Starting out on a journey…

Onyx and Frieza sit outside to watch the distant pale sun go down. In the next moment they're lying head-to-head, Frieza's legs pointing one direction and Onyx's pointing the other, while gazing up at the stars and watching the fireflies come out.

Life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing

Onyx, attached to an oxygen tank via a nasal cannula, is sitting up in a medical bay bed with the lights off. Frieza sneaks into the room and uses one hand to cover her eyes, causing her to giggle. He places something covered by a sheet into her hands, takes his hand away from her eyes and pulls the shroud off to reveal a jar full of glowing goldish-white fireflies. They look like living stars flitting and ricocheting about. Onyx looks on with awe and grins up at Frieza with reflections of the fireflies glistening in her eyes. Frieza grins back, his eyes glistening with the same reflection.

In the end I want to be standing
At the beginning with you…

Frieza lies stretched across the bed with Onyx's head on his chest. Both of them are falling asleep while watching the fireflies drift around inside the jar.

lll

A lone firefly, the last stubborn survivor, drifted lazily around in the transparent container clutched between a sleeping Onyx's tiny hands.

Frieza straightened, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and climbed off the bed so all his moving around wouldn't wake his little girl. He knew she was still alive because her quiet, shaky breathing cut through the silence every few seconds. He moved to the window across the room and folded his hands behind his back while gazing out at the dark landscape. It was the hour where time stood still, that interval where it wasn't quite night and wasn't quite morning. The sky was still dark with just a line of light barely visible on the craggy horizon. The stars shone brightly like dew on black velvet. In the dimness of the room, Frieza appeared little more than a dark silhouette against the flickering sky.

Onyx shifted slightly, causing the sheets and pillow to rustle. Her hands moved and the container rolled out of her grasp, and it would have clattered to the floor if Frieza wasn't so quick to catch it. The plastic made a loud slapping sound when his hand caught hold of it, and the lid fell off. It landed loudly on the floor, spun on its edge a few times and finally settled flat.

At the noise, Onyx opened her eyes in time to follow the last surviving firefly as it drifted from the open container, fluttered lazily through the air and landed on the middle of her chest.

Frieza, not noticing right away that Onyx was awake, laid his hand on the edge of the bed and put the jar down on the bedside table. He looked down when he felt a small, cold hand slide over to rest across his delicate knuckles. Onyx was staring up at him in the dimness, barely illuminated by the flickering firefly on her chest. She didn't appear to be in any pain, which made him feel a little better.

Frieza sat down on the stool beside the bed and met her dark eyes. Onyx turned her head a little so she could see her daddy better. Her left hand moved up Frieza's arm, across his shoulder and stopped at his face. Frieza closed his eyes when her palm drew a half-circle from his forehead to his chin, found his soft lips and immediately her thumb and middle finger pushed the corners up into an artificial smile. Frieza, smiling a little because she wanted him to, opened his eyes and inquisitively lifted his brow ridges at her show of affection.

Onyx appeared to smile slightly after seeing Frieza look happy. Her palm moved to stroke the side of his pale face again, then weakly retraced its path back down his arm. Then she inhaled a few times in rapid silence and parted her lips like she wanted to speak, but no words came out. She shifted her other hand across her stomach to settle on her chest, frightening the firefly into a wild upwards spiral. It shot up towards the ceiling and fell again to land right back on the spot where it took off. Its glow flickered out. Frieza paid it no mind and gazed into Onyx's eyes as intently as she was gazing into his. He watched her blink three times; the first time her eyelids closed completely, the second time they only closed halfway, and the third time they barely moved at all.

It was suddenly very silent in the little medical bay room. Nothing moved, not even time.

Frieza numbly looked away from Onyx's eyes and stared down at her little hand near his. He lifted her limp arm and turned it over, watching her hand dangle before unfurling her miniature fingers one at a time as though fascinated by their size. With shocking gentleness, Frieza lowered Onyx's hand to lie on top of the one already on her chest and slowly pulled the blanket up to her chin. He used his other hand to gently close her eyes and caress the side of her precious face like she had done for him a moment previous. She looked so peaceful, like she was asleep.

"Oh, my sweet, innocent Little Goddess," Frieza placed his palm on the top of Onyx's armored head, closed his eyes and bent down to tenderly press his lips into her forehead, "Good night."

The medical bay doors swished open and Frieza's small form stepped sharply out into the empty corridor with a severely expressionless face. He was alone in his confusion. The only people awake at this hour were those down below working on making food for the day, the night-time security and cleaning crew, and those in charge of monitoring the mainframe computer systems for any sign of viruses or hacking.

Oddly enough, Zarbon, fresh out of bed, fully dressed and still looking sleepy, was making his way down the corridor when he spotted his master in the dimness. He rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't the goo in them playing tricks on his vision.

"Lord Frieza?" He blinked, realized why Frieza would be up at this hour and yawned openly, "How's Onyx doing?"

The small Icejin stopped after passing Zarbon and turned his head a little, his metallic scalp and horns creating a gleam in the shadows. With much agony whispered, "She just died, Zarbon. She's gone."

Zarbon's eyes snapped open and his mind went to full alert. He had to have heard wrong! "Are you sure?"

Frieza's shoulders sagged a little and his fists tightened, but his face remained cold and devoid of feeling. "Of course I'm sure, you incompetent wretch!" His hooded eyes and gritty voice betrayed his pain, "I was sitting right there, staring into her eyes when she stopped breathing." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "She…she didn't even know it was happening, and it ended so fast…and so painless…" It was quickly obvious that Frieza had never seen someone die a peaceful death before.

"I…" Zarbon, too, began to feel the pangs of emptiness, though he understood how and why the pain was there. He had hoped he would get a chance to see Onyx one more time before she passed on, but now that was not to be. Just like with his wife and child, he never got his chance to say goodbye. "My sincere condolences, sir."

"I don't want your pity, Zarbon!" Frieza snarled. He whipped around to face the man with the long hair, his red eyes burning, "I do not wish to be disturbed once I enter my quarters. If you or anyone else enters my quarters before sunrise, there will be horrific consequences. Is that understood?"

Zarbon stood at attention immediately. It was time to be a soldier, not a grieving man. "Yes, sir, Master Frieza!" He gave a brief salute.

"Good. Now go about your business. Tell no one what you know. I want to give the news myself."

Nodding quickly, Zarbon wheeled away from Frieza and hurried down the corridor to get away from his master as fast as possible.

Frieza's footsteps fell heavily on the metal floor. In his heart grew an emptiness as profound as that of the deserted hallway. He was relieved when he could step into the solitude of his quarters where nobody could see him and stand by the window with his arms behind his back, totally lost in mind and heart. He didn't know what to think or feel, nor could he understand the pain forming in the center of his chest was the sensation of his newfound heart breaking in two.

lll

Pride can stand thousand trials
The strong will never fall

Armored soldiers, workers and medical staff all stood at attention as Frieza appeared on the dais with his fingers steepled. The cold glare in his eyes was replaced by a hollow stare. His gritty voice was little more than a husky whisper that barely seemed able to keep itself from trembling.

"I am afraid I have some terrible news." Frieza looked around at the gathering and pursed his lips to keep his expression stoic, "Onyx died just before sunrise this morning," He took a deep breath to control himself. "Her loss diminishes us all…"

But watching stars without you
My soul cries

A few of the men lowered their heads. Others were silent. Coola gulped and sat down hard, surprised that the innocent little girl he'd kissed good night two days ago was gone. Zarbon had his head turned and his eyes shut as tears flowed steadily down his face. It was taking all the control he could muster to keep from sniffing out loud.

The loss of Onyx had taken something from everyone. But she had also left something behind as well. Her love, present in every tear shed and every moment of laughter, continued to thrive.

Heaving heart is full of pain
Ohh, ahh the aching

"Carry on." Frieza ordered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'll be in my ship if somebody needs my assistance." With that he turned and disappeared through the airlock leading to his ship.

'Cause I'm kissing you, ahh
I'm kissing you, love

As soon as he entered his quarters in his ship, Frieza stepped out of his pod and reached for the palm-sized crystal sphere containing Onyx's ashes. A sphere so similar to the bubbles she loved to play with so much.

Earlier that morning he'd cremated her body with a carefully-directed ki blast, having been unable to find it in his heart to place her in a hole in the ground where insects and worms would feed off her flesh. Seeing her pretty, still-smiling face turning to ash with the rest of her body forced him to see that she was really not coming back.

Right before he'd fired that fated blast, Zarbon had knelt at Onyx's side, wrapped a gold ribbon around her ring finger and leaned down to kiss her cheek. The moment had been so moving that Zarbon openly let a few tears flow, but Frieza's eyes remained just as bone dry and cold as ever. He never even hinted to Zarbon that it took all his willpower to raise his hand and turn his little girl's body to ashes.

Holding the little sphere gently to his chest, Frieza left his ship and flew straight up until he was just beyond the atmosphere of his planet. He looked down at the shimmering object in his slightly trembling hand and wondered how her precious remains seemed so little in comparison to the mass of her five-year-old body.

Touch me deep, pure and true
Give to me forever

"Onyx," He whispered, "I could never give you the stars, but now I will give you to the stars. Where you belong. So go now, my Little Goddess. Return to the Heavens from which you came." With that, he punctured the sphere so the ashes would be able to leak out and flung it as hard as he could into the distance.

'Cause I'm kissing you, ahh
I'm kissing you love

The sphere was catapulted from his grasp, leaving a sparkling trail of silver and gray ashes as it disappeared into the universe. It flew like a fast moving bubble with a tail until, finally, it came in contact with a nearby nebula. The little glass sphere shattered and melted in the tremendous heat. Its precious cargo spilled into the cloud like a smoky gray mist that sparkled as it was gradually pulled into a swirling disk of gas.

Moments later the gas condensed and exploded with light to become a new star.

And where are you now
Where are you now

From his vantage point, Frieza saw the new star begin to shine ten minutes after it actually happened, and he knew his Little Goddess had made it home.

"Goodbye…my daughter."

'Cause I'm kissing you
I'm kissing you, love…

lll

The stars rolled by the window, which reflected the pale, doll-like face that stood behind it.

Frieza was going to go meet his father and see if he could help him finish off this problem on Setsunite, as much as he hated that planet. The people there were too whiny for his tastes and he wondered often how his dad could stand them.

For a moment he saw a second pale face reflected behind him. He almost opened his mouth to tell Onyx he saw her coming, but the silence told him otherwise. There were no hands to suddenly cover his eyes. No little voice to giggle and say, 'can't see!' No 'magical happiness bubbles' to flit across his face at inopportune moments.

Frieza turned his head and saw Onyx standing next to him with her hands behind her back. She turned her head to flash a goofy little grin, as if to say life was never serious. Then her image faded, leaving the Icejin all alone in his quarters.

The tyrant sighed and looked a little further past the empty spot to a pile of important papers Onyx had used markers to draw on when he wasn't looking. Sure, he could still read the documents through the ink, but explaining it to his men without them laughing was no easy task! The stack was piled unnaturally, as though something underneath was keeping them from piling straight. Frieza pointed his palm to the papers and they blew away to reveal Onyx's metal bubble-gun, though it was in shadow so he didn't recognize it right away. He turned his palm up, gestured towards himself and used his telekinesis to flip the bubble-gun up into his grasp.

At the sight of Onyx's favorite toy, Frieza felt the gnawing ache in his chest spread up through his throat and into his face. He squinted and new lines formed on his face as his lower lip started to tremble. Something wet blurred half his vision and blazed like fire down his cheek. He reached up to wipe the irritant away, but another took its place on the other side. The pain kept getting worse and worse, and his eyes were soon so blurred that he couldn't even see the toy in his hands.

So angry at being unable to control his own emotions, Frieza flung the bubble-gun back where he found it and slammed his fist down against the windowsill. The weak blow did no damage because all his energy was focused on controlling the pain wracking his heart and soul.

"No! I am Lord of this universe! I will NOT be weak! I…" but the pain persisted. The tears came faster and harder, and soon his lips pulled back into a pained grimace. His little girl, the only person who ever touched his heart, was gone. She'd been ripped from his life by a defective heart. And he, with all the power in the universe, couldn't do a thing to save her.

"I…" He closed his eyes and slid down to one knee, so great was his fight to avoid the tears. It was a battle that he could never win, no matter how hard he struggled.

"NO!" Bang! Frieza's fist impacted the floor. His lips and eyes shuddered visibly as crystalline tears trickled off the tip of his nose and landed on the floor with soft pat-pat noises. Each breath he took shivered its way in and out of his lungs. He was gasping. The pain was so far beyond his understanding. The weakness it caused scared him, he couldn't fight it off. It felt like he was dying. "N-no…I-I…c-can't be…w-weak! I-I-I-I…hurt…so…m-much…"

He wanted to scream, to hurt someone. He wanted his little girl back by his side. He didn't know why, but he didn't feel alive without her there. A simple, frail little girl had woven her way into his soul and then was ripped away. It felt like half his body had been torn clean off and what remained was hurting, bleeding and confused.

The battle for emotional strength was lost. Frieza curled up on the floor like a frightened child, pressed his fist against his mouth to muffle any sounds he might make and squeezed his eyes shut as the convulsive sobs shook his small, thin body like waves. He shivered, wailed, screamed and kicked his feet. He beat the ground and the wall with his free hand. He lashed his tail at the empty air. For almost ten minutes he was two years old again, sobbing and throwing a tantrum because he couldn't understand why his heart ached so badly. He could hear people walking by outside, totally unaware that inside the room their cold-hearted master was curled up on the floor, writhing and crying, lost in the throes of grief. For just a fleeting moment the grief-stricken Icejin wished that someone would come in and put their arms around him to offer comfort, but he knew that no one would come. No one would want to come.

He was alone, always alone!

Frieza closed his fingers around the tiny bubble-gun toy and depressed the trigger. A spray of bubbles shot out through the little hoop near the nozzle. They all fluttered down to pop against his face and head like a thousand tiny kisses raining down on his skin. Still sobbing and shuddering, he pulled the toy close to his chest, closed his eyes and caressed the metal as gently as he had often done to Onyx's precious face while she slept. Somehow that brought him comfort, lowering his heart-ache to a tolerable level.

He stayed as he was, all curled up in a tiny purple and pink ball on the floor, squeezing the trigger so the bubbles would shoot out and watching them fall back towards him.

In his own quarters, Zarbon sat by his mirror and finished drying his long hair. He was in the process of combing and re-braiding it when he thought he saw Onyx peeking over the counter. Of course when he glanced down, he saw only an empty space and a greasy handprint that had yet to be wiped off the counter.

Putting the comb down, he glanced at his left hand where half of a frayed gold ribbon was still tied around his ring finger. Tears glistened in his golden eyes and formed glittering trails down his cheeks when he ran his fingers across the tiny string of cloth. He sat down on the bed with his face in his hands and sighed. He wasn't as close to Onyx as Frieza was, his tears didn't rush onto him, but still they fell. Unlike Frieza, Zarbon understood the emotions that caused him pain and accepted them as they came.

Coola was walking down the corridor when he noticed a few bubbles floating out from around the corner, and he could have sworn he heard Onyx giggle. He almost jumped away from the wall to avoid her approaching form and raced forward in search of the source of the flying bubbles. The ventilation cleaning unit sitting on the floor seemed to mock him with the reality he didn't want to face. He slammed his fist hard into the wall, denting it, and walked away.

Onyx was really gone.

lll

Frieza's tiny form appeared in the starlight. Still curled up on the floor in fetal position, he'd fallen asleep after his tears exhausted him. Even while he slept, fresh tears kept bleeding out onto his face like his heart was an open wound that refused to heal. It seemed that sleep was the only way for Frieza to escape his pain.

All at once he felt warm sunlight on his tear-stained face. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on a beach with ivory sand and sapphire water. When he uncurled, sat up and looked down, he saw two sets of footprints. One set was just his size, and the other was smaller. Waves lapped at the shore, but the footprints remained undisturbed with bits of water collected in the bottoms.

How bizarre…Frieza thought as he got to his feet and patted the sand off his rear end.

Suddenly, a cloud of bubbles erupted all around. Tiny hands clamped over his eyes. "Can't see!"

Frieza felt his heart do a leap for joy. He used his tail to bring the small black and white shape around front, chuckled softly and smiled. This was too good to be true! As much as he wanted to just leap upon the girl and hug her until she couldn't breathe, his pride only allowed him a soft, "I missed you…"

Onyx giggled as he put her down, "Hi Daddy! I missed you too."

"My Little Goddess…" He reached down and put his hand gently on the top of her head. "You're such a good little girl, Onyx. Don't…don't ever change…"

"I won't," She said, her lack of knowledge between good and evil showing through when she said, "But you have to stay the same too." Her grin became impish and faded to her usual tiny smile. For a moment she turned and looked out over the sparkling, crystal clear water reflecting the sunlight in all colors of the rainbow. "I have to go now, Daddy."

"Go? Where?" Asked Frieza.

Onyx pointed to the bright sunlight where a power that couldn't be measured radiated from. "There."

"Heaven?"

She winked and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "You're my Heaven, Daddy."

Frieza blinked slowly and appeared to struggle with himself until he finally lifted Onyx into his arms and hugged her tightly to his chest. He felt tears escaping his eyes, but they didn't matter. Onyx was back in his arms, warm and breathing. The sight of her lovely white face, her glistening black armor and goofy little grin…he was about to say goodbye to them all, probably forever.

"G-Goodbye, Onyx, my Little Goddess…"

Onyx smiled, reached up and brushed away her father's tears the same way he had done for her. "See you in the stars, Daddy." She kissed his cheek again, hugged him tight and nuzzled him when she felt more wetness drip onto her neck, fully aware that he was suffering. Well, she knew how to fix that! "Wanna see a neat trick?"

Frieza blew a puff of air out through his tightened lips, straightened and crossed his arms. Tears continued to escape his eyes, even though his face was stoic. "Sure. Impress me."

"OK! Watch close now. One…" She started to shimmer, "…two…" The necklace around her neck glowed, "…three!" She giggled and exploded into a cloud of clear, airy bubbles. ~*Here I go! Bye-bye, Daddy!*~ The tornado of bubbles swirled furiously and sped off into the sun.

"Bubbles…" Frieza smiled softly as he watched the bubbles disappear into the distance. "Somehow I knew she would make an exit like that." He sighed, lowering his eyes and turning around to gawk at the footprints stretching out behind him.

In the large footprints, he could see his own memories. In the smaller ones, he saw Onyx's, and his mind started to make sense of the memories she'd placed in his head. He saw himself picking her up. Calling her his 'Little Goddess'. Smiling at her for no reason, or when she did something funny. Getting angry and worried when she got in trouble. Holding her hand. Wiping away her tears when she cried. Stroking her face and hugging her when he thought she was asleep. Playing with her for a whole day. Staying by her side in her last moments.

He experienced each memory as if he was actually there, and he could feel how much Onyx had loved him. The emotion was so overwhelming it brought tears to his eyes and a smile to his lips.

"Onyx…I feel it. I feel it…you. I feel you! I understand!" He bent down and threw a handful of sand into the air with a merry laugh. He didn't care if he looked like an idiot, nobody else was around to see it. He laughed and danced around like he just won a grand prize. "It's…everywhere! I feel it! Ahahaha! I feel it! It's – "

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

" – beautiful!" Frieza jerked awake to the sound of his scouter beeping in his ear. He uncurled himself with a pounding heart, climbed into his pod and reached up to open the channel with a shaking hand. He growled mentally while laying his hand over the button to hold it down. His free hand moved to rub up and down the opposite side of his face, remnants of the dream still clear in his mind. The first dream he ever had in his life just had to be interrupted. "Frieza here."

"We're landing and your father is waiting." Zarbon replied. "He doesn't look too patient."

"Whatever. I'll be there in a minute. Cripes." Frieza killed the connection, hopped out of his hoverpod and turned towards the door. "I'll teach him to interrupt me while I'm trying to dream…" With a yawn, he wiped the sleep out of his eyes and reached down to grab something shiny before leaving the room.

lll

King Kold, a large, extremely muscular figure with a bony white forehead, blue armor and two swept up horns, paced around in the main hall of the crystalline green Setsunite castle. He growled when he noticed Frieza stepping into view with one hand behind his back.

"So you finally decided to arrive. You are late!"

Frieza knelt briefly to his father as a sign of respect, hiding a sneer because his reason for being late was more important than a stupid planet. "Something came up that required my immediate attention, Da — " He stopped. I almost called him Daddy! He smiled mentally, keeping his face expressionless.

Kold ignored the sudden silence and started explaining the utterly meaningless situation on the planet. His thoughts were interrupted when he glanced down at Frieza and noticed something odd on his armor. "Frieza. What is that?" He pointed a large finger at the object of his interest.

"Oh, this?" Frieza looked down at the shiny bauble on a silver chain hanging just above his chest. Onyx's familiar giggle tinkled, unheard, in the speck of light gleaming off its surface. "It's a…" A smirk that was partially a sad smile crept across his face as he replied cryptically, "…touch of innocence…"

"Humph." Kold made a dismissive gesture and turned to leave. He blinked when a cloud of bubbles flew past his head and popped against the wall, and glanced over his shoulder. "What the…Frieza? What the hell is going on?"

"What the hell what?" Frieza stood there with both hands behind his back, a bony eyebrow raised. He reached his left hand up to scratch his nose. "I didn't see anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Papa." Frieza's finger paused in its back and forth motion. A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he tapped his thumb against the barrel of the bubble-gun he was concealing behind his back. "Quite sure. Perhaps someone failed to properly rinse one of the air vents during a routine cleaning."

"Yes…" King Kold placed his fists behind his back, glanced at the reflective wall Frieza was standing in front of and saw the concealed bubble-gun. "I see…" He returned his eyes to his son's.

For a moment he saw a timid little boy with stubby black horns peering up at him with red eyes that seemed too large for his face. He saw himself beating that poor child relentlessly, pushing him to be stronger, wasting all the years and never showing that he really did care.

The large Icejin blinked again and saw his son once again a young adult. Somehow, somewhere, he'd grown up into the man he wanted him to be without ever knowing love.

Yet, somehow, love had touched him. He could see it in his eyes.

What if something happened to him? What if this was the last time they ever met eye-to-eye?

Frieza's blood ran cold when he heard a rustle and saw his father's massive hand coming towards him. Expecting a beating, he squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced. He felt the hand cup the back of his head, pull him forward and press his forehead against something warm. His eyes blinked open and the grimace melted to a look of confusion that remained frozen long after the warmth and hand withdrew. He heard a rustle, looked up and watched as his father's broad back disappeared through the door at the other end of the room.

"Wha…?" He blinked as the large shadow disappeared.

lll

KAAA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Planet Namek exploded in a ball of brilliant light, throwing Frieza out into the vacuum. A gaping wound marked where his right eye and ear used to be. Parts of his cranium were gone, exposing his bleeding brain. Some of his internal organs floated freely beside him. Torn entrails dangled from the lower half of his body. The stump of his severed arm wavered uselessly. Globules of blood surrounded him like crimson bubbles.

Bubbles…

For the first time in a long while, he thought of Onyx. Her open-mouthed grin. Her eyes. Her black carapace. Her sweet little face. The sound of her giggle. He started to hallucinate her voice as more and more of his half-destroyed brain shut down.

"Daddy!" Her voice cried, "Who did this to you?"

"Monkey…" Frieza whimpered tearlessly in response, the remaining half of his face locked in a rictus of pain. "He was just a…monkey…"

And then he drifted into darkness.

Onyx…can you hear my heart? Can you feel me? My Little Goddess, are you there? Why don't you answer? Why did you leave me? Why?

Silence.

His mind continued to break down and jumble as hypothermia set in. Distorted memories and sensations came to him as clear as day. Crazed fantasies and twisted thoughts raged through his mind. Nightmares of the Super Saiyajin who defeated him filled every half-conscious dream, and not even the release of endorphins could stop his silent screams.

lll

"Sire! We just lost all contact with Lord Frieza's power level! I'm assuming it was the explosion that disrupted the external scouters, which means the planet has been completely annihilated. The scouters should come back online any second now." The nervous dark-haired humanoid spoke with a trembling voice. Crew-members raced around mindlessly like ants crawling through a hive, each one knowing one mistake would mean death.

A mountain of pale purple flesh and blue armor stood before the window, staring out into the gloom of space without giving a hint of hearing what was being said.

"Sire?"

King Kold's smooth black lips pressed themselves tight together against his front teeth. A low growl emanated from his throat, warning the servant of his volatile mood. "Captain Kokanut, need I remind you that my hearing is perfectly normal?" He turned his horned head to sneer down at the smaller alien.

"Scouters are online!" Someone else announced, the distraction saving the poor Captain from being vaporized.

Kokanut raced over to his post and gazed down at the read-outs. Numbers scrolled up as the computer attempted to locate Frieza's location. It finally flashed the words 'TARGET NOT FOUND' in large red letters. "The computer can't find him!"

"What?" Kold finally shifted his tall frame around and walked over to the display screen while other technicians trembled in fear. He narrowed his slanted red eyes and spoke in a low hiss, "Change course. Take us to the location of Namek's remains." His frown deepened, "Top speed."

"Yes, sir."

The large space vessel, with its twinkling lights and glistening window domes, quickly changed its course. Namek's remains appeared on the sensors within the hour and the search for Frieza was on.

"Your Excellency. It's just as I predicted. Planet Namek has been completely destroyed. And um…" Kokonut cleared his throat, "Well… There is still no sign of Lord Frieza just yet. But we are very hopeful - "

"You disappoint me, Captain," The large Icejin interrupted as he walked closer to the window and peered at his own reflection. His pride wouldn't allow him to show how concerned he truly was. If Frieza was all right, he would have come to the ship as soon as it appeared in Namek's vicinity.

"You seem to underestimate Frieza's ability to survive such a pitiful blast. My son is not so easily destroyed as a planet. He is out there. Alive!" Kold's lips curved into a cold grin as the power of his mind formed cracks in the glass. The vacuum's strong pull shattered the glass once it was weakened, and many helpless crew members were sucked out to their deaths.

A pointy-eared man with a gray mustache spoke up when the external sensors registered a faint blip, "I've found him, sire! It's a faint signal, but we have locked on to Lord Frieza's location."

"Excellent! Have him brought aboard immediately!" King Kold turned from the window and headed to the airlock where Frieza would surely be waiting for de-briefing. Instead, he entered to find a bloody white thing with half-frozen entrails lying on the floor after being sucked through the airlock.

A brown alien with a beak and mohawk-like hair pushed past the tall King and knelt at Frieza's side. He touched his throat, turning his head to expose the horrid damage done to his face, "Your Majesty, he needs immediate medical attention. I can't find a pulse!"

Kold's eyes widened. No, my son!

"Then what are you waiting for, you stupid lizard? Get going!"

"Right away, sir!" The brown creature raced from the airlock with Frieza's torn frame in his arms.

King Kold was about to turn and follow when something shiny caught his eye. His gaze focused on the bloodstained silver chain and shiny crystal bauble. He could have sworn he saw that same necklace around Frieza's neck the last time they spoke to one another.

So many years…Kold thought ruefully. He pointed to the necklace with his index finger and it zoomed into his hand as if drawn by a magnet. Then he headed to the emergency medical ward where Frieza was being placed into the Isolation Chamber.

lll

Three months passed with Frieza lying motionless in the Isolation Chamber, an air mask pumping oxygen down his throat and an electrode on his chest forcing his heart to continue beating. Three whole months of seething silently over his defeat.

He'd had enough.

Crrrrrrraaaaaaacccck.

Small hairline cracks began to form in the glass and droplets of the liquid behind it started to leak out.

A Setsunite with short hair working near the Isolation Chamber blinked at the sound. King Kold, also present, lifted his head and turned his attention towards the odd noise with narrowed eyes. He walked closer to the Chamber and folded his hands behind his back.

The green light on the side of the chamber changed from red to green. Before the system could beep the all-clear, the glass shattered with a bang, sending jagged shards and a wave of water sweeping through the room. The force of the water threw Frieza's battered form right into King Kold's chest.

Frieza, rendered completely blind because the blast destroyed the vision center in his brain, opened his remaining eye and listened to the pandemonium surrounding him. There was a lot of rustling, shifting and sloshing. He felt his father's hand touch the back of his head and press his forehead against something warm, and his mind flashed back to the first time he experienced the gesture.

King Kold stepped away from the Isolation Chamber with Frieza's dripping frame in his arms. It was like watching him hatch all over again, and he couldn't help but chuckle at his exuberance. "Really, Frieza, are you that eager to get yourself a massive infection?"

Disoriented and unable to breathe on his own, Frieza started to panic. He realized the familiar bauble wasn't in his hand anymore. Normally, he wouldn't care about a sentimental object. But this was special.

Where is it?!

His fingers closed on empty air.

"Lord Frieza, please calm down." The Setsunite doctor finally regained his composure and came forward.

"Give him some air, you fool!" King Kold roared in the doctor's face. It felt good to yell and get rid of his pent up worry. "Hurry up!"

"Right away, your Excellency!" The doctor bowed and went to work with trembling fingers. In less than five minutes Frieza had a black collar around his neck with a coiled pencil-sized tube poking out the front. The tube flexed and relaxed as air was forced in and out.

Blessed air filled Frieza's lungs once again. He stopped panicking instantly, but his fingers continued to insistently close on empty air. "Neck…necklace…" He hissed.

"Ah, you mean this little thing?" Kold reached into his armor and pulled out the shiny bauble.

Frieza felt something smooth and spherical graze his palm. He closed his fingers, smiled and lost consciousness before he could respond. His fingers relaxed and the bauble dangled off his fingertips, held in place by the chain pulling tight around his wrist.

"Take him away." King Kold ordered apathetically.

lll

Frieza floated silently in the sterile antigravity sphere, tethered by the respirator coil, several nourishing IV lines and a rubber coil protruding from the bottom of his half-body. Every so often the rubber tubing would vibrate and suction away stomach secretions. Without any digestive system left to carry the acid away, his body had started eating itself from the inside out, so some quick surgery was in order to remove his shredded intestines and replace them with the suction device.

The antigravity sphere was a step up from the Isolation Chamber, but with the condition the wounded Icejin tyrant was in, it would probably be his world until the day he died of old age.

Unless a miracle came along.

He spent most of his time writhing in the grips of nightmares and auditory hallucinations. Memories of gold hair and turquoise eyes plagued his dreams and waking thoughts.

It was enough to beat you, Frieza. Now live with the shame. Keep it bottled up inside. Silently.

"Grrr!" He jerked himself awake and slipped right back into the clutches of unconsciousness. And immediately, he started to dream again.

"Daddy," Onyx's voice called out to his dreams, "Daddy, you're full of boo-boos! What are you doing in a giant bubble? Why won't you show me your face?"

"You wouldn't recognize me, Onyx." He replied weakly. "I'm…not what I used to be."

"Awww…OK," Her familiar giggle bubbled up.

"My Little Goddess…I think…I think we're going to see each other again. Very soon…"

Arms wrapped around his neck. Tiny arms with equally tiny hands and fingers. Someone kissed away the pain of his 'boo-boos'. A familiar voice trilled directly into his ear, "Don't be scared, Daddy. I'm here."

Frieza's fingers tightened around the necklace and his black lips stretched into a smile as he slept. At least for a little while, he could forget about his pain.

lll

Finally a day came when the doors slid open and a brown-haired technician walked in with words that made Frieza's heart skip a beat.

"Lord Frieza, there is a chance that we'll be able to restore your body."

Frieza jerked his face in the voice's general direction and glared sightlessly at the wall above the technician's head. The light fell across his horribly misshapen head, which looked as if something had bitten into it like a hamburger. Exposed brain tissue and muscle glistened with pulsing blood vessels. Exposed ribs protruded under his armpit where part of his skin had been ripped away.

The gagging technician turned his head to avoid the horrid sight and approached the sphere attached to the wall. "We've built cybernetic parts that will replace the parts of you that were destroyed." He trembled when the Icejin twitched his lips into a smirk, and continued, "All we're doing now is waiting for synthetic skin to grow so we can cover the parts and make your body look more natural once it's rebuilt."

Frieza's wine lips tightened as he waited for the coil to give him a breath so he could speak. His voice was weak and stilted, "How long…will it take…to grow the…skin?"

"Approximately two years. I could try and - "

CRASH!

Frieza's hand smashed through the sphere and wrapped around the technician's neck. "Attach…the parts…" He rasped.

The poor man shrieked in shock and horror, "But, Lord Frieza! The skin!" He felt the grip around his throat tighten until the blood pulsed behind his eyes and roared through his ears.

"Fuck the skin! Attach…the…parts. NOW!" Frieza paused while the machine gave him another breath, "And implant…this…in my chest."

The technician gulped as something warm ran down his left leg, "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" He fell to the floor in his own puddle when the hand around his throat suddenly relaxed and released him. He looked up to see a crystalline bauble on a chain being dropped in his face. "Yes sir!" The man said again, grabbing the bauble. Sweat poured out of his body as he raced from the room to prepare for surgery.

lll

Frieza opened his eyes under the bright light of the operating room, surrounded by the electrical buzzes of his new cybernetic parts. Ah, blessed light! I can't believe how much I missed it… He tested the internal neural implants and brought up a status report that scrolled across his mechanical eye.

As ordered, the necklace was indeed inside his body. His sensors could see it lodged between the two power coils that kept his heart beating. How touching, he smirked.

Something black flashed at the foot of the table. Was it Onyx?

Frieza sat bolt upright to peer at the foot of the bed, ignoring the technician telling him not to move too fast, and discovered the flash was merely armor on a servant cleaning up the blood on the floor. Blood. It reminded him of his defeat.

Renewed hatred filled Frieza's heart. He sneered, turned to peer up at the surgical studio window and met King Kold's aloof gaze. "We are going to Earth."

"Planet Earth? Whatever for?" King Kold replied with a frown.

"I want to kill the Super Saiyajin…"

King Kold's eyes widened. He jerked his head around to sneer at the nearest servant. "Ready the ship!"

Within minutes, Frieza's demand was met. He, with his untested cyborg body, and his father, prepared to help fight for his son's honor, traveled to Earth as fast as the ship would carry them.

Daddy…you're afraid…what happened to you? You're cold… Onyx's voice spoke in the back of Frieza's mind. Her voice was one of the many he often hallucinated. Daddy? Why won't you answer me?

Shut up, Onyx. The 'me' you knew a long time ago is dead now. I am but a shadow of my former self. Frieza replied coldly to the voice. Hearing it always caused him pain and nothing he did would shut it out once it started. You may not recognize me anymore…He looked at his mechanical hand and flexed the fingers, listening to the whirring noise they made. The same process was repeated on his tail and legs.

Daddy…

Onyx , I -

"Frieza, my son. You're zoning out again. Are you sure you're well enough to be doing this?" King Kold spoke over a crystalline wineglass full of red liquid.

Frieza turned his face away from his father and stared out the window. His black lips twisted into a sadistic grin. "Ask me after I've killed the monkey, Papa."

lll

Silence awaited Frieza when he emerged from the ship with King Kold at his side. He spent a moment observing the lovely vegetation growing all around. So green and fresh. The sky was clear and blue. Mountains rose all around. Then his thoughts darkened, and he could have sworn he saw the Super Saiyajin standing on one of the nearby cliffs. Rage and electricity boiled all around his body as he recalled the end of their fight.

Full of grief I scream at the wind
Thought I heard the words of others

No!

Frieza clenched his fist and bit the horrible memories back. He wanted his mind clear enough to savor his revenge. Every little bit.

"And I think I'll start by vaporizing all of his friends one by one!" The thought alone made Frieza burst into insane laughter. He threw his hands up and spun a perfect pirouette, all the while laughing his head off. "And my, oh my, won't he be surprised when he comes home and finds no one here to welcome him but ME!"

Imprison myself
And stay in a shell
I won't let you in to have a story to tell

King Kold sneered at Frieza's behavior. "Yes, do be quick about it. I don't want to spent too much time on this pathetic mud-ball. Not that I don't just love it here." He frowned, "But I don't see why we can't just blow the planet up right now."

Frieza sneered at his bored father and looked to his platoon of soldiers. "Spread out and begin your search. And when you find them…show no mercy!"

"Yes, sir!"

His men nervously followed the order and started to fan out, covering most of the area with watchful eyes and ready weapons. Surely someone would come stumbling along, and then the party would begin.

Things tend to drag me down
Don't understand so they hate me now

SLASH-SLASH!

Bodies fell everywhere, slashed apart by a very sharp weapon. None of them had time to scream before they died. Frieza heard the swish and turned to face its source.

An average-looking teenager lowered from the sky and set down gently on the dirt. The hilt of a sword poked up above his right shoulder. His purple hair rippled in the breeze. Light glistened in his seemingly innocent sky blue eyes. His face expressed many years of hardship, anger and pain.

Trunks, unimpressed by what he saw, met Frieza's gaze. "Ah, so you must be Frieza…"

Frieza laughed at him to hide his fear. Why did that boy seem so familiar? And why did he look like Vegeta?

No time to think! The battle had begun!

Frieza toyed with Trunks at first, never once considering what he was up against. The boy was really nothing more than a human, right? He was just a -

My fear grips the will of stone
My grip fears I'll die alone

Then Trunks turned Super Saiyajin, and Frieza's blood ran cold. If he still had a bladder he probably would have lost control of its contents as he stumbled back a few steps. No! No! This is a nightmare! I'll wake up any second now! Any–The battle started again. Frieza fought with everything he had, probably more, running on blind instinct like a dying bird struggling in the jaws of a hungry predator.

Then the tide turned! Frieza unleashed his Deathball at almost point-blank range and watched it start to sink into the planet with a deafening roar. He heard King Kold start to complain for the millionth time that day and snarled, "Oooooh! Sometimes there's just no pleasing you, Papa! I swear - "

Frieza stopped talking when he realized the rumble had suddenly died. He turned around to see his Deathball frozen halfway into the planet. "What!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!" King Kold shouted. Until that very moment, this entire trip to Earth had been a joke to him. Something he was doing to appease his angry son. No! This can't be! He's stronger than both of us! No…no…he's just lucky! Just LUCKY!

I promised myself somewhere in the teenage life
I'd never submit to the ones I will not be like

The Deathball started to move backwards as Trunks lifted it with one hand. He walked out of the crater and looked up at Frieza with a grin. "Excuse me, is this yours?"

Nobody…nobody mocks me that way! NOBODY!

Frieza's lips trembled as he allowed himself to make the worst mistake a warrior could make: he became blinded by his rage.

"Why…you…little…GRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" He pointed to the deadly ball of energy in Trunks's hand and released a small blast. The Deathball quickly became unstable, brightened and exploded in a blinding flash of light. Debris sandblasted the area with such force that King Kold had to shield himself with his cape and a ki barrier.

Live in a hole
But stay close to my kind
Cause they understand what burns in my mind

When the roar died down and the smoke cleared, Trunks was gone. Frieza sighed in relief and watched his father hop down from on top of the ship.

Kold was beside himself with laughter. "Well-done, Frieza. It only took you…" he counted off on his fingers, "…four tries! HAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHohohoho!"

I still feel incomplete
Friends are few and far between

Frieza didn't like being mocked by his father any more than he did an enemy. "I was just warming up, that's all! Really! Grr…" He felt himself sweatdrop when he realized how much like Onyx that sentence had sounded. He couldn't believe that -

"Hey, Frieza!"

BOOM!

"Argh!" Frieza, caught off-guard, jumped away from the blast and turned to face the source. He snarled angrily, "When I get my hands on - " His pupils became pinpoints when he realized he couldn't find the brat.

My fear grips the will of stone
My grip fears I'll die alone

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Trunks's scream came from above. "HAAAAAI-YAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Frieza stared stupidly at the Super Saiyajin youth descending upon him. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't think. He wanted to cry out, to scream for mercy. He even wished he could close his eyes, but the terror left him completely paralyzed.

Onyx's dream…it was a…a prophecy! Oh God…help me! Someone HELP ME! HELP MEEEEEE! HELP M -

SLASH!

My fear grips the will of stone
My grip fears I'll die alone

With blinding speed the sword came down and sliced Frieza cleanly from cranium to crotch. With sheer luck, the blade missed the necklace when it sliced through his pounding heart.

There was no pain at first, like being cut with a scalpel and not realizing it until the blood appears. When the pain finally did hit, it was detached. Part of a dream that would go away as soon as he woke up.

Frieza watched a white line stretch across the center of his vision. Half of Trunks appeared to go one direction while the other half slid in the other. He tried to scream through vocal cords that no longer came together. The only sound that came out was a faint whimper.

Reality gradually faded into the distance. He was falling away from himself while staring into the face of the Super Saiyajin youth with Onyx's reflection in his sword.

Onyx!

She had appeared after all.

Frieza smiled mentally as the last shimmer of life left his empty red eyes. He let go of his reality, watching as it faded to a pinpoint of light and disappeared. The last thing he remembered was Onyx's necklace creating a ring of rainbows as it was thrown free of his body and tossed away by the force of Trunks's raging ki aura.

My fear grips…
My fear grips ME…

Time restarted, and Trunks brought his sword back into position as Frieza's ki shrank down to nothing. He wanted to make sure nobody could rebuild him ever again.

His sword glistened as he held it high.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Frieza's body came apart like a dismantled mannequin and disappeared in the fire of a simple ki blast. Whatever remained burned up before hitting the ground.

King Kold stood in a mix of shock and grief. All memories he had of a tiny child with large red eyes shattered and sank into a sea of tears that never fell. He could see nothing but the color red. That little bastard just killed my son! My flesh and blood! NOOOO!

Kold could have run away and escaped with his life. He could have jumped back into the ship, taken off and forgotten about the whole thing. Staying would mean his death, and he knew it. But he also knew that leaving would dishonor him forever, and Frieza's death would never be avenged.

Fear turned to rage. Rage turned to grief. Grief turned to silent resignation. He looked briefly at the blue sky above and sighed. One last moment of glory…

With that thought, King Kold attacked Trunks.

And died trying to avenge his son.

lll

The flames of Hell burned without spreading or changing. Lava ran throughout various caverns while demons and other evil beings danced about. Tortured people screamed, cried and begged for salvation. Others laughed and beat up on the weaklings who couldn't defend themselves.

Frieza's white form lay curled up in the dark corner of a cave, away from everyone else. He stopped caring about how much time passed. He wouldn't talk to anyone and ignored everyone that spoke to him. He hardly even left the place where he had awakened after dying on Earth.

For days, he would lie there on his back and stare at the ceiling. Not moving. Not blinking. Not even breathing. He was dead, after all, so why did it matter whether he moved or not?

Being so accustomed to sitting as still as a corpse, Frieza didn't even blink when a shadow fell across his white face.

"Hey."

He craned his neck to peer at the source of the voice. A tall, slender woman stood at the mouth of the cave. Her black armor and carapace glittered dully in the firelight. The two horns grew from either side of her skull like magnificent spikes capable of impaling anything unfortunate enough to run into them. Large black eyes sparkled and matching lips pulled into a smile.

She was beautiful! As beautiful as a goddess!

Frieza swallowed hard and pushed himself to stand, though it was difficult since he'd been laying there for so long. His muscles were weak and sore from disuse. "Onyx?"

"Yup! It's me." Onyx looked down at him and smiled brightly, "You look different!"

"You too," He blinked and lifted his eyes to meet hers, "My Little Goddess…you're not little anymore…"

"I know." She laughed her familiar, albeit more mature sounding laugh. "You're seeing me as if time has passed. Look with your heart. Close your eyes and remember me as I was twenty-six years ago."

Frieza sighed and closed his eyes, not expecting much. He imagined Onyx as she was at five years of age. With her goofy little open-mouthed grin, huge innocent eyes and infectious giggle. The mental picture made him smile, and his eyelids lifted.

Red fire sizzled around first form Frieza as he lifted his gaze to the cave entrance. Reflected in the depths of his cold eyes was a small black and white shape standing with her hands linked behind her head, looking up at him expectantly.

His little girl, now and forever.

~*When I think of Heaven, I see you…*~

Suddenly, Hell no longer seemed like Hell anymore.

"Onyx…I see you…"

"Yay, Daddy!" Onyx trilled happily and raced forward with her arms outstretched, her tiny feet scraping against the unforgiving rock floor.

Frieza bolted across the cave so fast the Devil himself couldn't keep up with him. Flames parted as he crashed through them. Goz and Mez wheeled out of the way to avoid being trampled. He ignored them and everything else except for the tiny shape running towards him in slow motion, fast forward and real time.

He caught Onyx by the hands, swung her around and pulled her into a hug. "My Little Goddess…I missed you!"

"Me too, Daddy. Me too!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tail around his waist and her legs around his hips, effectively rooting herself on him. The force of their impact twirled them both around in circles a few times. Finally Frieza lost his balance and toppled over onto his back with little Onyx lying across his chest.

After a time, they detached themselves from one another and smiled at how silly they must have looked. Frieza couldn't stop smiling at Onyx standing before him. He'd been waiting for decades to meet her again…

"Hey, Daddy? Let's go for a walk!"

"Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere…as long as it's with you."

"All right, then." Frieza pointed to a walkway by a sea of lava, "How about there?"

"OK!" Onyx grinned and clambered up onto his back when he turned away. She clamped her hands over his eyes and giggled, "Can't see!"

"Ack!" He laughed and fell on his butt in the dirt as her giggles wreathed around the cave walls. That playful part of his consciousness was starting to awaken again, just like it had when they played before she died.

"No more being apart, right, Daddy?" Onyx looked up with her huge, black doe-eyes and smiled. A nearby flame caused shadows to fall across her face.

"That's right, my Little Goddess. No more being apart…now whaddya say we clean up and go for our walk?"

"Hehe!"

Together, the father and daughter patted the dirt off their rear ends after their moment of fun. Sounds of screams and the scent of burnt flesh surrounded them as they walked hand-in-hand in the dark.

lll

So I'm back, to the velvet
underground
Back to the floor, that I love
To a room with some lace
and paper flowers
Back to the gypsy
that I was
To the gypsy...
that I was

And it all comes down to you
Well, you know that it does
Well, lightning strikes,
maybe once, maybe twice
Ah, and it lights up the night
And you see your gypsy
You see your gypsy

To the gypsy that remains
faces freedom with a little fear
I have no fear, I have only love
And if I was a child
And the child was enough
Enough for me to love
Enough to love

She is dancing away from me now
She was just a wish
She was just a wish
And a memory is all
that is left for you now
You see your gypsy
You see your gypsy

A tall man with black hair and a little girl with the same color hair were walking along the beach when the father noticed something glittering under the sand. Curious, he bent down, dug through the sand and stood up with a glistening round object into his hand.

"Daddy? What did you find?" The little girl asked.

"It's a necklace." Said the father, smiling as he turned it around and showed it to the little girl. The sphere-shaped bauble scintillated under the setting sun. "Whoever it belonged to must have really been loved by somebody else."

"Probably another Daddy who loved his little girl a lot." The girl tilted her head back, grinning at her father as he put the necklace around her neck and picked her up.

"Probably…" the father smiled down at his little girl as he hefted her up onto his shoulders. Behind him, two sets of footprints stretched further than the eye could see.

The little girl giggled, put her hands over her father's eyes and squealed, "Can't see!"

"Hey!" The father laughed, going along with the little game by groping blindly until he fell on his rear in the sand. They both laughed.

The little girl would never know the glittering necklace around her neck once belonged to a child like her, whose innocence melted the heart of the most evil being who ever lived. She would never know how the same little girl chose to spend eternity in Hell when she learned her father would not be able to enter Heaven.

The only thing she knew was that she loved her father very much, and that her father loved her too.

And that was good enough for her.

Together, the father and daughter patted the sand off their rear ends after their moment of fun. Sounds of waves lapping the shore and the scent of the ocean's sparkling spray surrounded them as they walked hand-in-hand in the light.

lll

Lightning strikes,
maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you

And it all comes down to you

Lightning strikes,
maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you

I still see your bright eyes,
bright eyes
And it all comes down to you
I still see your bright eyes,
bright eyes
And it all comes down to you

I still see your bright eyes,
bright eyes
(She was just a wish)
(She was just a wish)
And it all comes down to you

Lightning strikes,
maybe once, maybe twice
And it all comes down to you