AN: It's that time of the week again! Zogeta updates! Thank the kais that I did most of the reviewer replies over the week, 'cause I'm bushed! Worked three double shifts in a row at the oyster/martini bar I work at, and went gambling with my stepmom just now so I'm stukkend, bra! stukkend! However, the money is good…so its worth it, ne?

Guys and girls (although I think there are only two or three guys here…) it helps a lot if you read through all the reader replies in case you have a question or comment that you forgot to ask but someone did. Happy reading!

Have a great week, see you next Sunday

And, on a sadder note…

I offer my sincerest sympathies to the families of those who died in the terrible plane crash today. As it is, my father's family is from Cyprus, the origin of the plane, and I hope that no one in my family has been involved, but since we haven't had a terrible phone call, I think everyone is safe. Let's keep the world in our prayers and hopes and do our bit…everything is just so screwed up now…

Kevornman: (in reply to review from chapter five) That's probably one of the greatest compliments I have ever received! Thanks! And you fcking rock!

(in reply to chapter six review) Hmm, would you really think that my style of writing and storyline would be screwed up if I were to introduce the shonen-ai element? Have some faith in me, no matter where I take the story. It would kinda suck if you just left the story without reading right through to the end just because a decision on my behalf disgusted you. I mean, you've been a really great reviewer so far, but I don't let other's opinions sway me, generally. I really hope you'll stay on no matter what I do, as long as my quality of art stays high. Besides…I don't do yaoi. I generally do shonen-ai, which is basically male likes male, and none of the lemon goodness. But, then again…who knows where I'm going to take this anyway? ;)

Omnimalevolent: I've tried to phrase their words according to their voices, and I always run Dbz in the background while I write. My current DVD loop is the Kid Buu battle but I've kinda put fanfiction on hold while I work on original work and writing for a manga. Don't worry; by the time this is finished I should have something new for you! I rate it'll take another 9 weeks to finish updating this at the rate of 1 chapter a week. It's already been 7 weeks, unbelievably. Vegeta, butterfly basher! I let Goku be a little dorky with that. He loves animals but I don't think Vegeta does. He loves to eat them though…

Chuquita: The fishing expedition should be fun, because it tests Goku's resourcefulness, ya know? I like super long chapters, but my eyes tend to fry after a while. I wish I had my reading glasses; some yaro stole them out my school bag all the way back when I was fifteen, about four years ago. I dig the titles of your stories! Brolly has obsessive-compulsive disorder and it's amusing. As for our two favourite vegetables, the two actually like each others company generally and Vegeta kinda got tired of hating Kakarot, I think. The gutting part was fun to write! I find it interesting that Toriyama took the Japanese word for vegetables and made the name for the Saiyan race.

And your poor Veggie is in a body cast…at least he has the Kaka-germs to keep him company!

Brolly is also one of my muses, as well as one of my 3 clones on the Clones HQ. The other two are Vegito and Bejita no Ou! Vegeta is already taken, but I'm happy with my clones!

And huzzah! I'm going to review your new story! Whoo hoo!

Linkin Park 04: They needed a little honesty, ya know? That is quite a nifty feature, makes life easy.

Mighty Agamemnon: I really like that point! Yeah, Vegeta has done it all on his own, no teachers to teach him tricks. However, I think that's really a talent thing more than a power thing. Vegeta has had tons more experience as well, which is why he's so crafty! I'm glad the story is juicy; I've done a lot of embarrassing superficial stories and its time to change that. I'm chuffed that you think I write their personalities well! Most of the time I'm accused of OOCness!

John Perry: I'm glad you enjoy it so! Don't worry, I'll be sure to finish it and nothing short of dire accident will stop me!

Yami Persephone: I still think he sounds like a really cute bunny! Meh, the Bra/Piccolo thing is kinda weird…it doesn't fall into any one category but I hope it does entertain still. Maybe I'll have Bra save the world! And I also tend to make bad jokes and puns which only I laugh at and embarrass my family beyond words…

Ah, yes, fluff. No matter how hard I try, I just can't avoid it. Vegeta is pretty good at hiding any mushiness on his behalf. We'll just have to see what happens to the Vedge, won't we? Stick with me, Yami! (and you'll never go hungry again!)

falls over laughing at line stolen from Lion King

Lenora: Nah, don't worry about it. I rate a few reviews fall through black holes every now and then. Yes, the Vedge is warming up to the Carrot, much to his quiet horror.

Clarobell: It would have been really stupid to end it there, but at least they've aired things out now. I hope that today's bit is interesting! I was stuck on it for about a month and had a terrible writer's block. It shifted, but not too well either.

Elenek: Unfortunately, there is absolutely no way I can get my paws on ANY Db here in South Africa without massive difficulty and due to that, my DB knowledge is very, very limited. However, you are completely and utterly justified in correcting me, but in my defence, I wrote this based on what I've seen in Dbz, of which my knowledge is extensive. But thank you for taking the time to beat me over the head; it's very educational! .

Alright; let's go over this, and I'll try explain what I'm trying to do here. I still consider myself something of a newbie; I've only been writing fanfiction for three years and I don't improve much. I'm still, in all honesty, a pretty average writer.

Goku's tail: I was simply exploring the other uses for a tail, but I didn't know that he had strengthened his. He only got his back a short while ago in this story (Vegeta wished it back for him, secretly) and I like to think that he might like to know more about it. Once again, this comes back to my appalling lack of DB knowledge. I wish Animeworx would get the damn series!

Goku running: I don't doubt this…but Veggie is faster! Less weight and all that.

Fishing: That's so cute! I didn't know they did that! I can just see it now. Krillin could put a polo neck jersey on and scare just about anybody. blushes at crude reference Heck, this isn't so much about learning to fish as being a vehicle for Vegeta teaching him a little strategy, you know? Read on and forgive me my ignorance.

Survivor Goku: You see, Vegeta doesn't know about Kakarot's past, and Kakarot isn't the type to get defensive when he knows that someone is ignorant of his past. He might have corrected him if he hadn't felt so bad about other things at the time. Also, Vegeta is comparing his background to Kakarot's, and in all fairness, Vegeta's was harder. He simply thinks that Kakarot had it easier and because he has friends now, he always had them. Bit of miscommunication on their behalves, but I should have made it clearer. Will take care of that.

But I'm glad you like some areas of the story and that you were willing to read past the glaring mistakes to leave a review. We all need crits, and I'm glad that you weren't too harsh.

coddles injured story

I've probably broken hundreds of DB things all the way through, and I do apologise. The story is already written, and is written in a way that it would be the work of a good month to change everything and fit stuff back into place, and sadly, that is time I don't have. I hope that I don't come across as sniffy here, because although no one likes to be criticised over something that really should have been checked, it is always necessary to be reminded of such and honesty is usually a good thing. I feel like a real idiot now…

And in closing from me

I'm still looking out for odd couple stories! I only have two entries, not counting my own, which won't count anyway. Whew, I'm starting to really notice all the screw-ups I made…guess no one is perfect! At least all my spelling is right (well, if SA spelling is the spelling we're discussing.)

We've reached the half-way point, sorta, and I'd like to thank all of you thus far for your wonderful reviews, and for those that weren't so wonderful because flamers keep my skinny, long toes warm. I hope you'll all stay with me right to the end and take the story on its own credit. Take Elenek for example. She stayed to read until the end of chapter six, even though some things really bugged her, and that's awesome. It will be fantastic if she stays on.

Hope all is well in your parts of the world and may Shenron smile on ya!

Til next Sunday.

Zogeta

Chapter Seven:

Stage Four:

Underwater Training

"Kakarot, it's time to wake up."

He rolls over and stretches before blinking blearily at me and smiling. He nods, bones clicking in his back.

"I'll be up in a minute, Vegeta."

I nod back and close the door with my tail, scratching my temple absently. That was easier than I thought…and far more pleasant.

I could get used to being nice.

I pop two of the usual pills, grab breakfast and enjoy the snowy landscape on the doorstep while dining on a leftover steak from the barbeque last night. It had been a surprisingly pleasant evening. We lugged as much meat, firewood and fire-lighters as we could carry to the border between the desert and the snow plains and set up dinner there. Over the smell of roasting guntaz, Kakarot had asked me a little about my past. Of course, I gave him the much edited version; I think it best for his state of mind if he doesn't know the extent of my capacity for destruction.

I hear him coming towards me, and I shift up slightly so that he can sit next to me on the gangplank.

"Mornin', Vegeta. So, when are we leaving?"

I take a sip of my raspberry juice. "As soon as you've had breakfast. There's still some guntaz in the fridge that you can heat up in the microwave. After today, we'll be eating fish. That is, if you catch any."

He smirks. "Are you challenging me?"

"Of course I am. And being a Saiyan myself, I know that you can't ignore it. Am I right?"

He rests an arm on top of a bent knee and looks out over the snow plain.

"You're right, as usual. And you said that you're going to teach me how to stay underwater for ten minutes."

"Yes, I will. Have I ever let you down? I'll also spar with you underwater, teach you a few techniques. You'd be amazed at the things I've learnt to do underwater. I think Cell was surprised too, when I sneaked underground like that."

Ah, fond memories. Pity the rest of that day turned out so shit. Kakarot gently interrupts my musing.

"Well, you've done a lot of travelling. You must have millions of stories to tell."

I smile before I chug back the last of my juice. "Undoubtedly, but I don't think you'd find them interesting."

Amazing how his eyes go all big and sparkly like that.

"But you're like a space-pirate, and pirates always have such cool stories to tell! I bet you've been on lots and lots of adventures and seen so many weird places!"

I laugh and shake my head. "There wasn't anything glamorous about being a planet broker, Kakarot. I have, however, been to over seven hundred planets in my long life." And destroyed ninety-nine percent of them, but I neglect to tell him that. I'm not proud of it…not anymore.

And just when I think it's impossible that his eyes could go any wider, they can. Wonders never cease.

"Wow! That many! You've gotta tell me about the best and the weirdest and grossest ones! Pretty please, Vegeta?"

"Aren't you a little old for stories?"

He shakes his head, still grinning. "Nope!"

I sigh, shove to my feet and go to the door of the ship, looking back over my shoulder at him. "Alright, maybe I'll tell you a story tonight then. But I warn you; I'm not much of a story teller."

He nods happily. "You promise?"

"Yes, Kakarot, I promise."

His tail thumps against the gangplank. "I can't wait! And I think you'll be a great story teller!"

I can't help smiling as I walk inside. It's nice to know that someone has so much faith in me…and from such an unlikely source.

After a quick blindfolded morning spar and lifting weights with our tails for a few minutes, we take a sprint across the snow plains in the opposite direction of the desert. Kakarot is starting to get the hang of increasing his lung capacity and he can almost keep up with me. Smart third-class.

We reach Lake Tanganyika, a huge expanse of water with whale-sized fish occasionally leaping out of it. One wags its fins jauntily at us. Kakarot whistles when a particularly large one leaps.

"That's one huge mother of a fish."

I test the water and smirk. The cold seeps right through my gloves. "Perfect. This little exercise will do you good."

Kakarot cocks his head to the side and grins at me. "So, now what, sensei?"

I smile internally at the term. It makes me feel…warm. But I have a hardass reputation to uphold, despite what Bulma says.

"Let's see how well you can warm up without your energy. I want you to go into that lake and catch me the biggest bastard you can find."

"But…but…but aren't you going to show me how?"

He looks a little panic-stricken, which is rather amusing. "I want you to find out what the difficulties are, and we'll go from there. In you go."

He gulps as he starts wading into the water, shivering as the water licks against his skin. The water is just above freezing point, and the lake is supplied with melted snow. The suns shine on the surface for a short time each day, so it doesn't get much heat. Its cold, but he won't die…and he probably won't get sick.

Probably.

He yips as the water reaches his tail, the fur puffing out while the whole length quivers. He turns back to look at me with big, pleading eyes, but I shake my head and gesture for him to go further. Sorry, Kakarot, but I never said it would be easy.

"Vegeeetah! It's so cold!"

"Stop being such a big baby! Start swimming and you'll warm up when your muscles do some work. Come on, do you want fish for dinner or not? I make great sushi!"

The promise of food seems to harden his resolve. With a deep breath, he dives in, his tail the last thing to disappear from sight.

GKGKGK

It's not so bad after a while. It's quite refreshing, actually. Fortunately for me, the water is clear and I can see the outlines of fish. Now, how do I catch something bigger than Mr Satan's ego? I mean, I've caught big fish before but damn…these ones are HUGE! I have my hands and my feet…I need to find a weak spot and the eyes are always a good way to go. Alright, here comes a fish now…

I lunge forward, kicking hard and swimming towards the face (front?) of a fish the size of my house. I jam my thumbs into its eyes but it doesn't stop. It just keeps going and ignores me. Shit. Time for a change in tactics then. With a couple of kicks I break the surface and take a breath, my lungs aching. A distant figure on the shore waves at me.

"Having a little trouble, Kakarot?"

I grin. He's actually making the effort to be nicer and I'm so happy he chose to do so. "I'm doing just fine, Vegeta! I'll have lunch caught in a minute!"

I can hear him snort and I go back underwater. Alright, so the eyes aren't a vulnerable point. Hmmm…maybe the underbelly? I'll need something sharp enough to tear the skin. I look down at my hands. Well, I haven't trimmed my nails in a while, and they look pretty damn sharp…I love Saiyan evolution. A long dolphin-like fish swims above me and I kick upwards, digging my nails into the skin just behind its fins and swiping downwards.

Yes! There's a groan from the fish as the skin parts below my nails, blood clouding the water. It thrashes but I grab its tail and start kicking back towards the shore. Man, this thing is heavy! I'm halfway back to shore when something tugs on my fish. I look back over my shoulder to see other fish munching on mine. Dammit! I tug back, but the predators hold on tight. One fixes bright orange eyes on me and suddenly loses interest in my dolphin.

Shit.

I turn and swim like hell, my lungs shrieking for air. A gloved hand closes over my wrist and tugs me upwards. My head breaks the surface and I gasp, blindly grabbing at Vegeta.

"Move, Kakarot! That kijin is coming for you!"

Thanks for the reminder! I manage to get to the shore and heave myself up onto the sandy banks, panting with my head resting on my forearms. Vegeta climbs out of the water next to me and sits down.

"Now, what did you learn back there, Kakarot?"

"Vegeta, I'm not a kid, you know."

"I guess that's one lesson."

"Aw, shut it."

I swear I can hear him smirk sometimes.

"You almost had it. Nice idea to use your nails; I can see the bits of meat stuck in them. But as tasty a snack you would have made for the kijin, I need you alive."

His tail pats me on the head and despite the patronizing tone, I can't help grinning. He would have made a great king; it's so easy to follow him.

"I guess we all suffer defeat at some point, Kakarot. I find it highly amusing that your first time was a fish."

"Twist the knife a little more, Vegeta." I sit up, swiping water out of my eyes. "You didn't warn me about the sharks."

He leans back on his palms and smirks at me. "Kijins, not sharks. Shame, would you like me to hold your hand next time?"

"Then let's see you do it, Mr Vegeta."

He pushes to his feet and goes towards the water. "I hope you're taking notes."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm not going to save your ass if a Kijin thing bites your leg."

He wades into the water. "It's nice to know that you care so very deeply for me. I'll be back with lunch in a minute."

He takes a deep breath, then exhales. The second time he holds it and goes down. I stand up and watch the water. I wouldn't really let a shark nibble on him…

I tap my foot as the minutes pass. Wow, he really has big lungs. But I guess all the shouting he's done over the years has helped too. This day has actually been incredibly fun though. When he's this relaxed, I can't help liking him. Wait a second…the water is starting to ripple. I grin as Vegeta bursts out, panting with his hair flat. Oh, so it does obey gravity sometimes.

"Catch anything?"

He ducks underwater again and I can see his shadow moving towards the shore. There's another shadow following him, though. Shit, it could be a predator! I'm about to go in and help but he gets to the shore and grins as he steps out of the water, a fish tail in one hand. As he walks up the shore, the fish behind him doesn't seem to end. It's enormous! It's like an eel with pale green scales and a yellow fin along its back and about as wide my father-in-law! With a tug, Vegeta brings the rest of it onto the shore.

"I just caught this little morsel…should do for starters."

I whistle as I nudge it with my boot. "Damn, Vegeta…this is perfect for steaks!"

He looks rather pleased with himself as he coils it up and sits on it. "Come on."

I scratch my head. "Huh?"

He inspects his hands for a moment before sliding his eyes up to mine. "Well, aren't you going to ask me how I did it?"

I grin. "Does your ego need feeding?"

"It doesn't need feeding, Kakarot. It's self-sufficient. But yes, you may stroke it."

I sit down on the ground nearby his feet. "Alright, I'll take the bait. How did you capture the fish, Vegeta?"

He looks as pleased as Yajirobe at a free-for-all buffet. "Aside from your godsawful pun…it was simple. I simply applied the theory, 'know thine enemy'. Never go into a battle without at least some rudimentary knowledge of your opponent, Kakarot. With the fish, I decided to cut off its air supply. Now, it's damn nigh impossible to strangle a fish, since they don't have airways like we do. But it can be asphyxiated. I just sat on its back and held its gills shut. No blood to attract predators and the fish is otherwise undamaged. Simple and effective."

"So cunning. Can you show me how to stay underwater longer?"

"Since you asked so nicely, yes, I will."

He stands up and hauls the fish into the shade of a tree so that it'll decompose slower.

"By the way…how long is your hair going to lie flat like that?"

He tugs a lock, glaring at it from the corner of his eye. "Probably for about an hour or so; it takes longer to dry naturally and for some obscure reason, only cold water does this. But I hate it when this happens. Not only do I look terrible, but it gets in my eyes and face. I don't know how you can stand having bangs, Kakarot. I had them when I was a kid; they fell out when I turned twenty."

I blink. "You had bangs? Aw, that must have been adorable! You must have been a really handsome little kid. And you look much younger with your hair down."

Except for your eyes, Vegeta. They're older than you are.

He snorts, folding his arms. "I was not adorable! Devastatingly handsome, yes. But I used to scare other kids! And grown men too…"

I grin. "Only because you probably used to beat them all up for their lunch."

He allows a smirk. "Of course." His head tilts to the side as he looks up at my hair. "Your hair, however, is totally unaffected by any element…except maybe fire. Maybe it's a third class thing."

This is so weird. I am having a conversation about hair with Vegeta. Without prior warning, he takes off a glove, reaches up and sinks his hand into my hair. His face softens as he runs his hands through my spikes.

"The texture is so different. Yours is more like wire wrapped in velvet."

I blush and look at my boots. "Yeah…can I…can I touch your hair?"

Now we're both blushing, but he nods. I lift my hand and rake my fingers from above his widow's peak to the back of his head. I've always been so fascinated by his hair. So different from anyone else…and one of his trademarks. He withdraws his hand from my hair and I do the same.

"Yours is surprisingly soft for something that usually ignores gravity."

He shrugs and tugs his glove back on. "It'll stiffen later when it dries. Now, before we were so oddly sidetracked…yes, we were discussing underwater survival…"

We sit and he explains lung capacity to me, and the difference between clavicular and diaphragmatic breathing. He moves onto the battle strategy of knowing one's opponent and how to find out things as quickly as possible. I'm riveted to this lesson. If anyone else were to explain this to me, I would have moved onto a daydream about my favourite puddings long ago. But his examples are so unheard of and his theories make so much sense! I've always kinda known these things, but the refresher course is more than welcome and helps tie up a few loose ends.

"Sometimes, Kakarot, you'll go into a battle knowing that you're going to lose. The best you can do is to cause as much damage as possible so that the next person will have an easier job. You've applied this before."

I shake my head. "No, I haven't. I've never gone into battle knowing that I'm going to lose."

A wry smirk sneaks onto his face. "What about Cell?"

"Oh…yeah, there was that one time. What about you?"

He looks over the lake, leaning against a tree trunk. "The first time was against Frieza. I wanted to believe I was a super Saiyan…but I knew that you would be the one to defeat him. All I could do was buy you the time to heal, and that became my objective."

I feel a shiver run down my spine. "You mean…you mean you knew you were going to die? And you still fought?"

He shrugs and looks down at his knees. "I had no other option. I wanted Frieza to die, Kakarot. I wanted it so badly. After everything he had put me through, after he had wrecked my life and destroyed my planet, just the knowledge that you were capable of defeating him gave me the strength to stay alive until you arrived."

I shift closer to him. "Vegeta…I'm sorry. I've always wished I could have made it there just a little earlier. I could have done something to save you."

He shakes his head and looks away from me. "Even if I had lived, those injuries would have been a hindrance. Your friends would have dumped me and left me to die and don't bother defending them because they've told me this already. It was just as well. It wasn't your fault, Kakarot."

I want to hold him, something, anything…if it'll just take the resignation out of his voice. Then another thing hits me.

"When you went to fight Buu, why did you knock me out?"

He almost turns away from me. "Because I knew from the start that it was going to take everything I had to beat him…and I didn't want you to get hurt. I knew that if you were to die again, you'd disappear forever and I didn't want to take that risk. Besides…you would have stopped me if you had known what I was going to do."

He's right. I would have insisted on fusion, or…or maybe I would have hurt his pride by turning super Saiyan three right in front of him and defeating Buu.

"You're braver than I am."

He turns to look at me. "No, I'm not, Kakarot. You've willingly died twice for your home. You stayed in Otherworld to protect Earth. You're nobler than I'll ever be. I'm just a fighter and a Prince over nothing but my ego, and even that's out of my control sometimes. Stop talking shit and let's carry on with what we were discussing before this nonsense about me being something I'm not came up."

I rest a hand on his shoulder and squeeze. "You are more than the average, Vegeta. I know you are."

I smile and he hesitantly returns it, his tail winding around my wrist and squeezing once before letting go.