Chapter 62. Reconciliation
On the Marauder's journey to Sunstrewn Vegeta could finally get back to his training. Apart from the short daily conferences with his father and the high ranked officers joining them on the treaty mission, he spent all his time alone in one of the training chambers, at last permitting himself the seclusion he needed to truly be able to unwind.
His greathearted and jovial father, who was always surrounding himself with people, understood little of his son's need for solitude. He had been bonded to his sober and introverted mother long enough to respect that Vegeta needed it even so and did not disturbe him despite wanting to train together. After discovering the power his son possessed, the Great Vegeta couldn't wait for a chance to witness his son in action and see how far it would advance him if they took up training together. His father greatly enjoyed the noble life, but his indulgence had never gone so far that he had forgone on keeping up his skill. He still dilligently put in three hours of training a day every day.
Enjoyable as all this alone time was, Vegeta did long to be reunited with his little mate. Especially at night when he lay in bed, he missed having her by his side. His love for solitude didn't go quite that far. Having Akane join him on the mission would have meant Aina had to come along too, as well as their unborn babe. Vegeta didn't know what awaited them in the neighbouring galaxy. This might be a mission to secure peace and he might now possess power few could hope to match, he had been part of the WTO too long to trust anyone who had ever affiliated themselves to Cold's empire. Taking his daughter and pregnant mate along just wasn't a risk he had been willing to take.
Trunks would join him for the actual signing because he was the heir to the throne and he had to be groomed for it. His son was well capable of holding his own, no matter his young age and his instant transmission technique gave him the opportunity to get to safety should things really go tits up. His father was certain that the rulers of Sunstrewn genuinely sought to extend their hand in friendship, but his judgement hadn't exactly proven to be sound in the past. Vegeta rather chose to be prepared for anything.
His little mate understood his choice to leave her on Vegetasei. She had reconciled herself to his decision without argument, no matter how she disliked being parted with him for that long or being left out of the negotiations with the rulers of Sunstrewn. As the commandor of the Royal Fleet she should have been part of this mission. He could have made good use of her manipulative talents too. Because she was so skilled in manipulating others, she could also readily recognize it when someone did it to her. If this treaty mission turned out to be a ploy, Akane could have quickly sussed that out.
His little mate left him to his solitude as well, understanding how much he needed it. She only sought him out telepathically when she found him receptive to it. Vegeta loved her all the more for that. She wasn't inclined to remain in solitude for long herself. After a week of boredom inside the palace, she decided to travel to the South with her kinsfolk where she would stay for the remainder of Vegeta's journey to Sunstrewn.
She had been quick to put forth that his adversary's father would be joining them just to aggravate him. Vegeta refused to play along and have his buttons pushed and he kept it up right until the very end, where his relief at her conveyance that the Warrior Chief was moving on to his own tribe gave him away to his nefarious mate, making the two weeks of feigned disinterest in the matter he worked so hard to front a total waste of effort.
And it proved that the Queen's scheming did not stop there when days later another one of her crafty designs was laid bare during his training.
Vegeta stumbled in the middle of a crescent kick. He regained his balance, looking down disbelievingly to the brown-furred tail that snaked into in his opened palm.
"What the..." he panted.
He made the tail lash behind him, instantly aware of how he had missed the apendage over the years by how grounded and solid his footing suddenly felt. The next crescent kick he performed was sound and perfectly balanced. He had not realised until now that he had been slightly off kilter ever since the tail was taken from him by that fat craven Yajirobe during his first visit to Earth.
Vegeta was still throwing glances over his shoulder to assure himself that his tail had truly somehow grown back when someone popped into the training chamber with him.
"Hiya, Vegeta." Goku cheered.
Vegeta let go of his tail and automatically coiled it about his waist while he folded his arms, throwing back an irritated: "What do you want, Kakarot?"
"Akane sent me." Goku explained, unfazed as always by Vegeta's hostility.
Vegeta's mood eased at the mention of his little mate. He quickly grasped: "She did this."
Goku nodded happily. "Wished it back for you with the Earth dragon. She also gave you my instant transmission technique. I'm here to help you master it."
Vegeta looked at his adversary suspiciously. "I reckon you're not doing all this on my behalf. What's in it for you?"
"I am doing this for you. You are my friend." Goku shrugged at Vegeta's disgusted expression. "At least for my part. I'm doing it for myself as well. We should spar more. Akane said so too. You are the only warrior left that can help me advance and I am long from finished ascending. It works both ways, you know. If you want to gain more strenght, you should train with me again."
"That might be true, but I don't like you, Kakarot." Vegeta said frankly. "You always have some fucking trick up your sleeve. Every time I gain on you, you best me by being sneaky. It makes me look like a fool and it pisses me off."
"That's on you." Goku said. The friendly smile did not leave him even if he sounded grave.
It seemed that they were finally going to have it out after fifteen years of circling around the knowledge that neither would have come as far as they had gone if it hadn't been for the other and that if they wanted to keep advancing, they still had need of eachother.
"You are the stronger warrior." Goku confessed without any reluctancy. "During our first encounter you defeated me. If it wasn't for Gohan's transformation, I would have lost to you then. You were also ahead of me when we fought the Androids. Even on Namek, after I spent a year training under King Kai, your strength was still superior to mine. It's just that you..." he hesitated. "You have a death wish. When I am confronted with an opponent that's stronger than me, I break my limit because I need to live. That isn't a trick and it isn't to show you up. The threat advances me. You opt for fighting to the death."
His adversary smiled knowingly, showing that he wasn't half the idiot Vegeta had branded him all those years ago.
"I get it. You didn't really have anything worth fighting for back then, being a soldier for Frieza. But I think that has changed for you now. You found your reason to live."
Vegeta wanted to throw some insult the other warrior's way because his words rang true and that vexed him to no end, but what he said was: "If you want us to train together again, you need to cut the sentimentality."
"It pisses you off?" Goku joked.
Vegeta ground his teeth. "Just tell me how to use that bleeding instant transmission technique."
"Okay. You should try for Akane. Concentrate and hone in on her ki." Goku said.
"I'm always honed in on her ki." Vegeta replied, abandoning his irritation with the Earthgrown Saiyajin.
This technique would enable him to get to his little mate while he was on this treaty mission. He would get the best of both. The seclusion when he wanted it and the opportunity to return to Akane's side when he was done with solitude. It also made his visits to his elder daughter easier. He wouldn't have to use his son as his footman anymore or be forced to ask Kakarot to take him to Earth. It was just a right nice deal all around.
"Like me and Chi Chi." Goku said happily. "That makes it a lot easier."
Vegeta laughed in spite of himself. "You are more Saiyajin than I ever gave you credit for. You bonded with your Earthwoman. I rather try instant transmitting to my son. I can't face my mate just now."
"Why not?" Goku asked incredulously. "That's the whole point of this meeting."
"I have to desensitize my tail again before I get anywhere near her or she'll really turn me into her bondsman." Vegeta explained. "It's probably the reason why she wished it back for me."
"No, she thinks it is going to help you transcend to another super level. My father went on and on about some advanced state of super. He said we might not be able to reach it because we lost our tail. If that's true, I want to wish back my own tail as well." Goku frowned. "I'm just worried about the full moon. How do you deal with that on Vegetasei?"
Vegeta was intrigued. If there was a level of super Saiyajin beyond three, he wouldn't rest until he had obtained it. For once his little mate's scheming looked to be to his advantage.
"We never have a true full moon. The two suns prevent it." he said. "You could wish back your tail and spend your time on Vegetasei during Earth's full moon. You are right, Kakarot, and so is my mate, we should go for this next level together."
Goku looked so absolutely transported that Vegeta almost regretted his words. He was going to have to learn to stomach that irksome cheery disposition some way and he knew it wasn't going to be easy. He thought back on their year spent inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber together where they prepared for the showdown with Cell. They had both gained such an insane amount of strength that being locked in there with Kakarot had been more than worth it. If they could advance to another level with each other's help, it would be worth it again.
"Will I have to desensitize my tail?" Goku asked.
"Your brother Raditz opted not to. Some warriors do that. It seems madness to me. I told him it would be his downfall. He was too cocky by far. Expected no one would ever be able to get near enough to exploit his tail. You proved him wrong. Even that gorm Nappa knew it wasn't a risk worth taking."
Goku looked sad at the recollection of the brother he had killed. It was beyond Vegeta why the only oponent Kakarot had not shown mercy was one of his own blood.
"What did my brother gain by it?"
Vegeta grinned broadly. They were straying into territory the Earthgrown Saiyajin would not be able to handle without some serious blushing and discomfort. "Sexual pleasure."
Goku looked abashed, but at the same time very interested. "Really?"
Vegeta laughed at that. "Just ask, Kakarot. Don't be coy. It's past time you became a man about these things. My son is more ballsy about it than you."
Goku scratched the back of his head, a thing he ever did when he lacked composure. "So is it like... you know... like when you..."
Vegeta folded his arms smirking. He waited to let Goku struggle with it on his own.
"Like when you do it?" Goku finally asked embarrassedly.
"Do what? Fuck? Crack one off?" Vegeta riled. "You need to be more specific. I refuse to do euphemisms when I talk to grown ups."
Goku was becoming frustrated. He virtually growled back: "Well, what does it feel like?"
Vegeta snickered, admitting: "I don't really know. I was the heir to the throne so I wasn't allowed any weaknesses. It was about the first thing they rammed out of me when I was a boy. If my former subordinates were to be believed, it takes the carnal to a whole different level. You should give it a go with your woman. I don't gather she'll use your tail against you."
"You don't know Chi Chi very well." Goku said, rubbing his chin in the exact thoughtful way his brother Turles tended to do. He was actually considering it.
Vegeta decided to throw the man a bone. "Even if she did, what harm could she possibly cause you anyway? It might be worth your while. I imagine you're dealing with the same problems I had with the woman. It could add to your carnal, compensate having to pace yourself."
"I have no complaints." Goku denied.
Vegeta wasn't very impressed by it. "Keep telling yourself that."
"If it's such an improvement, why don't you leave your tail the way it is?" Goku wanted to know.
He still didn't look entirely comfortable with the topic. That he refused to drop it, told Vegeta just how hard Kakarot was kidding to himself.
"You don't know my mate very well either. With that kind of power over me, she will have me crawling on all fours for her permanently."
"That's too bad." Goku said.
"It is. Maybe I should give it a go myself. Just the one time." Vegeta mused.
Goku practically grinned. His time on Vegetasei had clearly breathed some life into his latent Saiyajin side. "So we'll aim for Akane?"
Vegeta grinned as well. "No, I can't risk it with this treaty mission. Besides, I'm more than content with the way things are. I never have to pace myself. I'll try for my son."