AN: Thank you everyone for pulling me out of a seriously bad funk…

Viper Vegeta: And more you shall have! Its so good to have you back!

Spruceton Spook: I loved NY. I was there for a day and it was so full of energy…reminded me of home. My own humour is incredibly dry…and sometimes wet, so it kinda comes across. But Vegeta is so dry in the series as well. Thank you for your kind words!

John Perry: Actually, I do have a story attached for this one in progress! Remember that suggestion you left for me? Well, I was stampeded by a plot bunny and now I've started writing a side-story to this, which is the bedtime story Vegeta told Kakarot. Its turning out rather darker than I thought but I like it. And there's the Odd Couples story, with Bra and Piccolo…that's coming along well. Don't worry, I have plenty of goodness to come!

Omnimalevolent: Sometimes, I wonder. Well, there are about only five or so chapters left, and the updates would have to go on hold for a good two months if I were to really rehaul the whole thing. I have taken your suggestions to heart and I'm applying them to my new fics. Is that any consolation? I do take you seriously, promise. I guess you might have been gushing shit, but the positive crits were very welcome. The older fics are just corny and immature and crap and not even worth the time it'll take to re-edit them. I've got many other, better stories in the archives and I'd rather put those up. I know I suck, and it'll be a long, long while before I improve, but until then, I can cut myself some embarrassment. And the other reviewers are great, and I thank them all for their input, and yours. rubs back of head I'm just not used to ambivalent reviews yet…I also used to spend my life reviewing, then I realised I wasn't actually doing anyone any favours. So I agree with you! And don't you love Chu's work? Its brilliant…totally off the wall.

Yay: Cool screen name. very, uh, direct. Sure, another update coming right up!

Yami Persephone: I stay very far away from religion. I'm happy to be agnostic. Heh, I need the shots; been swarmed by bunnies and Brolly keeps trying to kill them with house cleaner but it just ain't working.

Brolly: gets nipped by a very large bunny with "CLICHÉ" sprayed on the side

Please kill that one, brolly-kun.

You'll just have to see what happens to our boys. But Goku loves to sleep…can't blame him for passing out, the poor boy. And maybe that's where evil doctors got the idea for needles from. I'm absolute terrified of them…refuse to have them…happy gas is the way of the future!

Clarobell: My little analogies and similes are my editor's favourite parts! Thank you for the review, even if it is short. And that is probably one of the best lines in the story, although there is some stiff competition…

Chuquita: I love flashbacks…there's something so damned easy about filling in plot holes that way! evil snicker I always take the easy way out. Behold the power of the author! And could I borrow your spell book? I need to get rid of a few glitches… I'd love the audio clips! I want to hear more of Veggie's VA! I've got an impressive collection of Japanese releases of uncut Dbz, but Veggie's Japanese VA is brilliant! But I like his Funi voice too. And Goku is so high pitched in Funi…and sadly, stupid too.

pats misunderstood Kakarot

cue growling from jealous Brolly

I'm not cheating on you, Brolly. You're my muse and boyfriend. I especially like those similes. They also came to me quite easily too. I think that's my only real gift in fanfiction; the analogies involving the world. God knows I suck at everything else…

Yay, ego boost for Veggie! I do so love him when he's platonic seme, even if he would be better off as an uke. I think he has issues with dominance, when uke simply means that he's being taken care of for a change, and that Kaks-san just wants to make everything better. And we haven't heard from Nango and Bibishi, but you would think that Vegeta would have pointed out to Turles that Kakarot has the girl tail and he has the manly Nango

Brolly: Kyohaku misses Nango. waves huge tail

Brolly! Not in public!

Heh, I put the 17 story on alert and I'm just waiting! Can't wait for those audio files!

Lenora: Hey, let's grab pom-poms and cheer the Kakarot towards the ship! dons orange pom-poms Go Kakarot!

Brolly: I'm allergic to orange, but I'll cheer Kakarot in a more manly way. whistles loudly instead

Aw, Brolly so cute! Lenora is the official Kakarot cheerleader! whips out sticker and pastes it on Lenora's shirt

And in closing from me

And so, another week passes. I'm going for my driving test tomorrow, so please hold thumbs for me! Its my first try and I hope to get it! I don't have a car, but I'll borrow my daddy's! snerks Yeah, sure.

I'm currently suffering from author's depression and I'm trying to decide if I should retire from and instead post quietly on sites without a review function…I don't think I'd be sorely missed and I don't think I'm really that good. Yes, the reviews are genuinely honest, but I look at my stuff and think 'but I could do so much better'. So, I dunno. I'll have to see how things are at the end of this story.

Brolly: I think you would be missed, Zo-dono. I mean, Clarobell, Lenora and Viper-Vegeta have been with since the very earliest days. And the new reviewers are so very nice, even Omnimalevolent.

shrugs

I guess so. Anyway, I guess I should just keep trying, ne? Have a fantastic week, everyone, and I hope that Shenron looks after you!

With insanity,

Zogeta and Brolly

Chapter Twelve:

Kakarot's Trials End

He's got two hours left to get here. I admit that expecting him to do a seventy-two hour trip in forty-two hours is rather ambitious but it can be done if he takes all my lessons into practice as well as using the environment to help him.

Wait a second…I'm sure…yes! I'd recognise those elephant footfalls anywhere! Kakarot must be back! I run upstairs to the entrance, and there he is. Bruised, bloody, reeking but here. He gives me a tired grin, one hand on the wall to steady himself.

"I…I did it, Vegeta. I'm home."

I grin. "And in record time, Kakarot. Damn well done."

He stumbles forward but trips over his feet, obviously exhausted. I catch him and he looks up at me, my arms around his torso. "Whoops."

"Yeah, Kakarot. 'Whoops' indeed. You'd best have a shower and a nap and then you can tell me about how your exam went."

He nods, his head falling forward until his face rests against my neck. Oh gods…this is awkward. My face heats up and I can feel the heat radiate off my cheeks. What a sight I must be…

"Hey, you can't fall asleep on me! Come on, mooch, walk to your damn bed!"

Kakarot mumbles something into my neck that sounds suspiciously like 'warm veggies' while his arms wrap around my waist. This is too much for my royal sensibilities. I am not a pillow!

"Kakarot, I am not dragging you about the ship, you ridiculous bastard! Let go of me!"

Too damn late. Kakarot has passed out, in my arms…and is drooling all over my neck. This is just glorious. I sigh as I pat the spikes below my chin.

Why was I so desperate to have him back?

Although, he is rather endearing when he sleeps. It's the only time he isn't hyperactive and bouncing around like a dragonball in a washing machine. But, in all honesty, I prefer him awake.

I haul him downstairs and bruise his shins and knees along the way, but it's not my fault. If the baka would just let go of my waist and let me throw him over my shoulder, I wouldn't have to drag him down flights of stairs, now would I? I drop him unceremoniously onto his bed and leave him to his thundering snores.

I've got a graduation to plan.

KGKGKGK

Mmmm, something smells delicious. I sit up, feeling refreshed after my nap. Now all I need is a shower and I'll be back in action! Vegeta looks around the doorjamb.

"You know, I was starting to think you'd fallen into a coma. Come on, hurry up and get clean. I've planned something special."

I grin and stand up, stretching my arms up until my vertebrae pop. I slump with a grin.

"Alright, Vegeta. You've caught my interest."

He nods and disappears and I pull a fresh combat suit out of my closet. I've gotten used to wearing them now. Of course, they aren't quite the old orange gi, but I might consider a colour change someday. I bundle the gear under my arm and head off for a much needed shower. I blast the hot water to fill the room with steam and peel off my tattered training suit. I wince as a sleeve pulls over an open wound. I'll have to bandage that when I'm done showering. Stupid guntazi and their horns…

VVVVVVVV

I've just about finished with the food when Kakarot bounces into the kitchen. You'd swear the man had been enjoying a long weekend rather than being stranded on this planet without even a lunchbox to sustain him. Talk about powers of recovery.

"What'cha doing, Vegeta?"

I pick up a tray with covered dishes. "I'm organising something. You can help me carry though."

I hand him the tray and he looks at it. "Okay, where do you want me to take this?"

I pick up another tray that also has some capsules rattling around on it. "I thought we should enjoy one more outside dinner before we go home. Follow me."

We carry out a couple of trays and set up underneath the mountain where all the names are carved out. A capsule grants us a dome for protection against the wind as well as a table with chairs. While I leave Kakarot to set up, I go back into the ship to fetch a few more things before we can get started on dinner.

By the time I get back, Kakarot's opened all the capsules and put out all the food. He's licking his lips but is patient enough to wait for me. I put a long box down behind my chair and sit across from Kakarot. He gestures towards the box.

"What's in there, Vegeta?"

I pick up my knife and fork and smirk. "Food first, Kakarot, presents later."

His eyes light up and he grins, leaning around to see the box. "For me?"

"Baka. Of course it's for you! Now hurry up and eat before the food gets cold."

He obliges and rampages through the formidable spread between us. I let him eat his fill; I made sure to eat earlier so that I wouldn't go hungry now. After a noisy twenty minutes, Kakarot slows down, leaning back slightly to ease the pressure on what is probably a very stuffed stomach. He grins and rubs said stomach.

"That was great, Vegeta, thanks. Much better than raw fish and berries."

I pile the plates to one side out of my way. "You managed to get home two hours under the allotted time, Kakarot. I was going to give you a leeway of four hours but, once again, you exceeded my expectations. How did you do it?"

Kakarot leans forward, putting his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands.

"Well, I used a little friendly persuasion with one of those huge pterodactyls we saw the other day. Remember when we went to that other desert to do further heat training, and we came across that nest full of eggs?"

I nod, folding my arms. "Yes, I remember. And you caught a guntaz for the parents and spent a good two hours playing with them. How can I forget?"

He ignores my sarcasm. "Anyway, I ran into the father, and he let me catch a ride on his back. I've ridden a horse before, and this was the same principle, basically. I used my knees to control his direction and he gave me a ride from the desert all the way to the edge of this area. Unfortunately, as I landed, a guntaz attacked me and gored me in the arm. I think they all have a grudge against me or something, because this one tried to trample me into Saiyan sirloin steak! But I managed to bring it down by kicking its head and breaking its neck.I gave the meat to the pterodactyl as thanks and limped my way here."

"Outstanding, Kakarot. Like a true warrior, you used allies and your wits...and brute force too."

He blushes and puts a hand to the back of his head. "Well, I was kinda desperate. I got lost in the desert and passed out for way too long and I really didn't want to get back late. Fortunately for me, the pterodactyls were staying on the mountains I was heading for and understood what I wanted. I've always had a sort of gift with animals."

I stand up and pick up the box behind my chair, placing it on the table and sliding my fingers under the sticky tape that keeps the lid on. "Kakarot, stand here before me."

He complies, and I lift the lid off the box. "It is tradition for the teacher to give their student a reward and a memento of the training. I think I've chosen your gift wisely; it took me a lot of travelling to find it, but it was worth the trip to Planet Morgania."

In the box rests a sword on white silk. I lift the weapon and rest the blade against the flat of my palm, the black material absorbing light rather than reflecting it. The sword is far too long for me to use, but it is the perfect size for Kakarot. He looks at it with the child-like wonder I've come to associate with him, then he lifts his eyes to mine.

"Vegeta…I…it's…"

I hold it out towards him. "It's made of kacheen, the strongest substance in the universe. I thought it apt that it should belong to you. Take it, Kakarot."

He hesitates, then takes it into his hands, holding it as though it were made of spun glass rather than the formidable weapon it is. He blinks at it, then strokes the blade.

And then, in typical Kakarot style, he flings his arms around my shoulders and squeezes tightly, almost cutting off my air supply. My eyes widen as I hear the sword slice the air far too close to my back.

"Oh, Vegeta, this is the best thing anyone has ever given me! I promise I'll look after it! Thank you, sensei, thank you!"

I don't like blushing but sometimes, I can't help it. Damn baka and his…I don't know what to call it. Shenanigans? Machinations? Well, whatever it is, it gets to me. In a nice way.

"Alright, Kakarot, glad you like it. Could you let go? There's still something else I want to give you."

He nods and withdraws, his hands lingering for a moment. I lift up the silk in the box to reveal a heavy platinum-like chain with a pendant hanging from it. I let it rest in my hand a moment, running my thumb over the intricate carvings and colours. I won't have use for it for much longer. Can't take it with me when I die…might as well give it to my student…and friend.

I turn to face Kakarot, who is running his fingers over the hilt of the sword and feeling how it sits in his hand. He looks up and notices the chain hanging from my hand. I look down at it, then up at Kakarot.

"This is the crest of the Royal House of Vegeta, the crest of my family. I was given two crests by my father and until now, I've kept them somewhere safe in my galactic safety deposit box. I used to keep all my valued things in an intergalactic bank and I went to go retrieve everything after Majin Buu. I was supposed to give them to my two sons…it's tradition to have two, but my father never got round to giving me a brother. And since I only have one son and he already has a crest…I can think of no one better than you to take the other."

If the sword didn't make him speechless, this most certainly did. I reach up and place the chain over his head, the red crest resting against his heart. Strangely enough…he looks as though he was always meant to wear it. He looks down at it, then shakes his head.

"I can't take this from you, Vegeta. It means so much to you, this is your birthright. I have no right to wear this; I'm…I'm third class."

He motions to take it off, but I rest my hands on top of his, pressing them against his collarbone.

"No, Kakarot. You are not third class, not any more. In my eyes, you're first class, worthy of being one of my very own elites. Please, keep it. Because you're my student…and most of all, because you're my friend."

He gives me a long, steady look, then nods. His hands let go of the chain and mine fall to my sides. He smiles and bows, one hand over his heart. "It will be my honour, Vegeta no Ouji."

I smile in return, and gesture to the wall of names beside us. "Shall we add ourselves to the legacy? I think there's space for us…and for the rest of the Sons, when you bring them too."

He leans back to look up at the wall, the afternoon sun making the names stand out in sharp relief. "There's a patch up there we can use…if you hop on my shoulders, you should be able to reach it."

I put a hand over my ki manacle. "I'm going to need my ki to carve into this rock…so…"

I apply pressure and there's a beeping noise, prompting me to activate the password.

"Decorum," I say, and the manacle pops open. I do the same to Kakarot's and he almost stumbles when he feels his energy rushing all over his body, filling him up the way it does me. He flexes his hands, and now that I can sense his energy…it's doubled, almost tripled! He reacted better to the training than Trunks did and it seems to have pulled out those energy reserves he only taps into when severely angered. He stares at me with wide eyes, almost choking on the discovery.

"Oh gods, Vegeta…my power…I've never…didn't I think I'd ever…"

His loss for words is enough thanks for me.

I achieved my goal, and so much more. I gained a friend and did some learning for myself. Kakarot's strength dwarfs the mountains around us, makes mine feel more inferior than usual. Now I know that when I go, Earth and the universe will be more than safe.

"Come on, Kakarot. Let's write our names…and then we can spar and you can really test how far you've come."

He grins widely and follows me as I float upwards to an open patch of rock. Lighting up a finger with hot energy I begin carving our names into the rock in Saiya-go.

Vegeta no Ouji ke Sanzo Kakarotto

Avril 2076

Tevera Syliste

Kakarot looks at the runes, none of which make sense to him.

"What does it mean, Vegeta?"

I point my finger to each symbol as I explain. "It says: Prince Vegeta and Sanzo Kakarotto, April 2076, Strength Unparalleled."

He scratches his head. "What does 'Sanzo' mean?"

"It's the name of your family. Raditz told me so. You're a descendant of the House of Sanzo."

We float down to the ground, Kakarot musing over this discovery. "Kakarotto Sanzo…Son Goku…heh, I like both!"

'I thought you would. Follow me, Kakarot."

We walk out of the dome and get to the middle of the snow fields, where this whole thing started. When I started to realise that Kakarot is truly deserving of all his power…and that there's no reason for me to resent it any longer. And not long after that…I started to open up to Kakarot.

How much I've learnt…

"Let's spar, Kakarot. It's a whole new game now."