Ch 3 - Into the Next Step
Vegeta had set off to the next step in his life. The last step, he'd darkly named it. He'd embraced the solitude as seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours, then hours into days. At first, he didn't go far, still lingering on the ability to sense his family left on Earth. Pushing himself to go further while still sensing their presence on the blue planet he'd called home. But as days turned to weeks, he knew he couldn't move forward without leaving everything behind.
He'd turned into a family man. How the years had turned him soft, yet he had never been stronger. Always contrary to the other. If he was to find a way around his age, he needed to find a way around this dilemma. Something he'd never had to face within himself before.
Sure he had been uncertain in himself; Babati took advantage of that 40 whole years ago. This was different… But it was also the same. Before he embraced the evil to rid himself of the good… Could he now embrace the good in order to rid himself of the evil? He'd never fully accepted the concept before. His pride was always in the way. He needed to find a new pride. One not of himself or his children or grandchildren. One not of the connections he knew.
The saiyan was in deep thought as he lay on his cot when his ship shifted. The ship felt as though it hit something as it jostled and steered off course. Instantly, his eyes snapped open and he jumped to the control panel. He'd enabled the warp speed Bulma had engineered in order to travel deep in space, but he refused to believe her calculations were wrong. His ship wasn't faulty… Perhaps there was an anomaly?
Controls lit in warning and as he read them, his face grew further confused. Instantly, he slammed his fist on the emergency air brake to stop the shuttle's warp capabilities and slow the ship to a dead rest. Perhaps the navigator malfunctioned? No, Ana checked the navigator herself and there would be no way it could have broken so easily after working perfectly so far…
Could it really be possible that Vegeta was 50 years in the past?!
"Blast it all," Vegeta cursed under his breath. "The woman used a freaking time machine as a base for this vessel… If this was on purpose, I'm not laughing, Bulma!"
After a few moments to digest that he was potentially sent far into the past, he gathered his thoughts together. Let's see, 50 years ago, where would he himself be? Well, he'd be in space on the hunt for Kakarot just after Frieza… He couldn't just go on a man hunt for himself, could he? There was no way he'd be near there, anyhow…
However, Yardrat couldn't be too far away. In this ship, Vegeta could be there in about an hour on the lowest setting. He wasn't about to risk warping again, after all. If Kakarot was there, then Vegeta would admit to himself that Bulma certainly had a screw loose, metaphorically or literally.
Setting the navigator to his new destination, he mentally prepared for any outcome he might face. Then again, could you really mentally prepare for being surprisingly sent to the past? Or a better question: could you really mentally prepare for Kakarot?
The answer was no as Vegeta's ship came closer and he could easily sense Kakarot's ki. The man was weak, even for what he should have been at that time, but he was alive and there on Yardrat. Instantly Vegeta regretted going to Yardrat, and then regretted even trying the warp speed in the first place. It'd been 25 years since he'd last seen Kakarot when the fool disappeared with Shenron. How could you be prepared to talk to someone who you hated for years… who died?
Then again, he was here for an adventure and if time said anything, it's that Kakarot always found adventure. Perhaps he could entertain the idea for a little while? He was already here, and at this point it was possible that Kakarot had already sensed his presence nearby. After all, the time machine didn't exactly work in the terms of time but more so in the terms of reality. Anything he did here would only affect this reality and not his own. In a way, it was liberating as he could do anything he wanted. But what did he want?
Vegeta refused to accept that he actually wanted to see Kakarot. Nope, definitely not that! But then why? Well, he supposed it wouldn't be useless to go and join Kakarot's training. After all, Kakarot learned Instant Transmission on this planet during the full year and a half he was gone. If Vegeta was correct, and he reckoned he was, then Kakarot was already half-way through his training. No matter. Vegeta could easily catch up on the lost time.
With his goal set, Vegeta prepared for landing on the planet Yardrat of the past. The ship gracefully avoided the city scape and touched down gently. As he took his exit, he was instantly surrounded by the locals. They had sensed his presence and teleported to greet him in anticipation of his arrival. Nervous but curious creatures.
"I won't hurt you. An acquaintance of mine is residing here training. I wish to train as well," Vegeta announced loudly enough for the crowd before him to hear.
Their native tongue was a form of clicks and clacks as if insectoids. Vegeta waited patiently as the group came to their decision. Yes, they would take him to the guru. Having the natives' approval, Vegeta capsulized his ship before following their lead out into the rural periphery area of the planet's city. He had purposefully landed somewhat nearby to Kakarot's ki in order to waste little time finding the clown.
The alien people led Vegeta to a small house on a hill. He could easily sense Kakarot there as well as another presence with a larger ki than the average Yardrat. No doubt that other presence was the guru. Vegeta was left to face the two alone.
Without a thought of privacy, Vegeta opened the door and walked in. It was very small and had a short coffee table and a cot on the floor. Kakarot lay in the cot with the blankets thrown to the side and his legs and arms dangling to the floor. Kakarot looks so… Alive… It sent a strange wash of emotion over Vegeta as he realized he was legitimately standing before Kakarot as a far stronger being than that man would ever know.
The presence of the guru approached the house's door and Vegeta turned to address the Yardrat, "I take it you are the one training this fool?"
"What is your business here?" the alien returned in a thick accent.
"I wish to train with you. The tales of the Instant Transmission technique are admirable," Vegeta cooly replied.
"Instant Transmission?" the alien questioned before appearing to think about the words itself more than the question. Realization dawned on the creature before he answered, "That is a sacred technique to my people."
"And yet you'd teach it to a stranger," Vegeta rolled his eyes in the direction of Kakarot still fast asleep on his cot.
"I've done no such thing as of yet. The man is still recovering from his mess with the cold killer in body and in mind," the Yardrat guru defended.
"Then allow me to start over," the saiyan said before taking a bow towards the shorter being in front of him. A display he'd given no one but Frieza when the slime was still alive. "Please train me in the way of Instant Transmission. I have been around for a long time and am in search of something new. A sensei might be the change I need."
After a time for the Yardrat guru to look the saiyan over carefully, the creature eventually accepted the strange request, "Very well. You shall join Goku in his training." The elder saiyan stood once again and nodded as the Yardrat turned on his heels. "I will only share the Instant Transmission technique should I find you would be able to master it. It is a sacred technique to my people and I will not tolerate the use of such technique in the hands of those unworthy. As you put it, a mere stranger learning something so important is not meant for the weak hearted."
With that, Vegeta replied, "I understand. I will not disappoint."
The older saiyan turned back to look down at the sleeping Son Goku. The much younger saiyan was obviously recovered from any physical ailment by the dorky expression on his face and the lack of bruises on his exposed skin. It also appeared that the younger saiyan was not exhausted but rather was simply resting for the sake of being able to. Well, Vegeta could put a stop to that as he leaned over and flicked his fingers against the man's forehead.
As soon as Kakarot stirred and lazily opened his eyes, the man seemed to get over any excess sleepiness as his eyes grew wide at the sight before him. He yelped, "Ah! V-Vegeta?!" and sat up straight in his cot. The older saiyan backed up as to avoid being smacked by the younger saiyan's hard head. Looking back and forth to observe the situation, Kakarot asked, "How'd you get here?!"
"Tch," Vegeta exhaled annoyed, feeling a growing annoyance at the sound of Kakarot's voice. The very look and sound of the saiyan before him made his stomach churn in disgust. It always had.
"Man, you sure look different…" Kakarot commented with a tilt of his head as he fully inspected the older saiyan standing over him. Vegeta was wearing saiyan battle armor as Bulma had provided him with, although roughed up a bit from his travels thus far. The biggest change was his physical appearance as his hair had been somewhat tamed in the past 30 years from his daughter's influence as well as his actual body build being far more lanky with age.
Not letting Kakarot even consider his relations to the Vegeta he knew, the Vegeta of the future insisted roughly, "Get up. I don't have all day. We're training."
Without question, Kakarot quickly rose to his feet and changed into his Yardrat-provided battle gear. He followed Vegeta outside before asking, "What are you doing here, Vegeta?"
"I'm not who you think I am, Ka… Goku," Vegeta sneered. His intent was to shut the younger saiyan up, but that had never stopped the man in the past.
Kakarot's expression turned from confusion to a serious look, "You were going to say Kakarot. You're saiyan, right? If you're not Vegeta, then who?"
"I am saiyan," Vegeta answered simply, his tail swiped away from his waist in his growing frustration. Kakarot required a lot of patience, especially with that look of wonder and excitement that grew on his face at the sight of the saiyan monkey tail. "I am not the Vegeta you know. I'm here for training and the Yardrat won't train me without you, so you are going to join me and shut that large mouth of yours while we do so."
"Right, okay," came the surprising response. The younger saiyan was shockingly quiet as he fell in place at Vegeta's heels on the way towards the ki presence of the Yardrat guru. Vegeta could tell Kakarot had more to say, he always did, but the younger saiyan remained silent as they walked up the hill to a ruin that was obviously meant for meditation.
Without a word, the two saiyans sat at either side of the guru and joined in meditation. Well, they attempted to join the meditation. Goku could not concentrate for long as his eyes would flutter open and he would take glances towards the mysterious saiyan who joined him. What were the chances of another saiyan out there? Pretty slim considering the last words of Vegeta before he died on Namek to Frieza. It was exciting that there were more of them out there! Plus, he looked so similar to Vegeta that it was uncanny! Could this man before him be related to the prince?
The older saiyan finally turned his head and glared daggers at the younger. Goku raised his hands in front of him in defense, "S-sorry! I just… Are you and Vegeta related or something? You just look so much alike!"
A growl came as reply, "Something like that, now quiet down and meditate for Kami's sake!"
"Oh!" Goku gasped as if he'd forgotten that was the point all along. The two continued their meditation, but it didn't last long before Goku became unfocused again. "Oh! I got it! I'll call you King Vegeta! You're a lot older so if you're related that'd mean you're the king, right?!"
The Yardrat teleported behind the young saiyan and bonked him right on the head making him cry out from the sudden aggression. Neither of the two realized the complete shock and slight blush that covered the older saiyan's face. Had Kakarot truly just called him king?
Recovering from the outburst, the future Vegeta snapped, "Blast it, pipe down!" When the younger saiyan resumed meditation position and the guru settled as well, Vegeta continued lowly, "I'm not a king of anything that's here. Now leave me alone and do as the sensei instructs."