All rights belong to Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou and Toei Animation
This is based on the manga cannon, so there may be some discrepancies with the anime.
Vegeta would never admit, even under Frieza's worst torture, that he was grateful that Beerus and Whis had decided to wait a few days before returning to Beerus' planet. Not that he liked having the pair around (at all), but it was nice to spend a few days with his family calming down after the adventure and a half involving an evil Kakarot. He was still disappointed he hadn't been able to work off all his pent up aggression on that face. How had he managed to lose yet again by failing to finish him off quickly enough? Damn his saiyan instincts! More interested in the fight than the victory.
He was even more annoyed that Kakarot seemed, yet again, to have opened up a gap between them. How? How was he always pulling ahead? Vegeta had trained for an entire year but no, Kakarot just had to pull a new trick out of his behind to show Vegeta up, yet again.
He was sick to death of it.
He was supposed to be the strongest. Born more powerful than most adult saiyans, he had been heralded as their people's saviour (and look how that had turned out) so much so that his father (who Vegeta did not believe actually felt anything for him; saiyans weren't parental) had neglected his ancient duty.
Vegeta did not like to dwell on that duty, even if it had been at the back of his mind when he had deliberately formulated the wish to exclude him after that fiasco with Buu.
But for all intents and purposes, Vegeta should have been killed when his middle name was revealed. It was one of the last orders from their great god, and really the only one they were following at the time of their demise. The first saiyan, their god, had been a peace-loving hero-type figure, which was nothing like what the saiyans, his dear children, had become after long-term contact with the Great Darkness. They had morphed into a species bent on power and destruction. So the only order from their once leader that had been respected in Vegeta's day was one involving death.
Because Vegeta was a reincarnation of evil, and should not have been allowed to live.
But he had also been their hope against a warlord far worse than Vegeta had ever been, and they surely disapproved of the original intent of the law (if not its results, because the death of those who might be innocent was completely acceptable) which was to keep the universe safe from a monster.
Vegeta was that monster, but next to his contemporaries, both of his species and from Frieza's army, he had not seemed all that different from your average violence-seeking saiyan royalty. He had himself not thought himself so different until the saga with Buu.
That had been the only time he'd ever felt it, like something outside of him, make itself known. He never would have made a decision like that; not so much the being evil part, but accepting assistance from others? Not a chance.
But the darkness within him had leapt at such an opportunity, never to present itself again, and snapped it up with a sudden force which left the true Vegeta, the person he had become in seven years of peace, reeling.
It didn't matter now, though. The Darkness was well under control. He'd never before felt so free of it, in fact, which sometimes made him feel wrong-footed, wondering what the catch was. Something was bothering him, however. He could almost swear he could still feel it, the Darkness festering just out of sight, and out of himself. He had sensed it only a few days ago, nearby.
But it couldn't be, because it was well and truly secure, under lock and key within Vegeta's own soul. Had been for years and years. Some more tightly bound than others.
He sighed as the communications screen blinked on.
"Vegeta, come inside, it's dinner time. I want you to spend more time with Trunks. Remember what you promised me." Bulma glared at him with her hands on her hips. Vegeta didn't think his behaviour warranted such severity – he wasn't actually late. And they had agreed on his training, knowing it was so important to him as a saiyan, both psychologically and physically.
"Alright, I'm coming."
He had promised to be a better father, and Vegeta put a lot of stock on promises and honour. He was doing better, even Bulma remarked on it when she was feeling generous. But Vegeta still wasn't sure how she felt about the off-world training. She seemed to take it well, especially after Vegeta explained his reasoning, but he had learned that you never really knew with wives.
Vegeta's feelings about Trunks were complicated. Yes, he had admitted that Kakarot had a point about Trunks being needed to defend the Earth, but he had been dead at the time. It was natural for Trunks to take over defending himself and his home when his father was dead. The same did not hold true when Vegeta was alive and kicking. He did not want Trunks to have his childhood, did not want him to be a child soldier. (Gohan was just odd with how well he had turned out). As long as Vegeta was alive he would stand between Trunks and a serious fight.
Even when faced with the adult Trunks from the future he had felt that same protective spark. He supposed it never went away. He would not know. Saiyans had not acted like Earth parents at all; the few who had expressed any parental sentiments had been ostracised for succumbing to weakness. Children belonged to the state and were soldiers from birth.
Needless to say Vegeta did not want that for his son.
And so he was training again, and even submitting to a mentor, because it seemed peace was impossible and there would always be threats to his home and family. He had to get stronger, to defend them. Beerus might snap and decide to destroy them all, or someone else would.
Vegeta exited the Gravity Room, locking it securely behind him (he didn't want Trunks or God-forbid the little idiot Goten to sneak in unsupervised) and walked sedately to the dining room. It seemed his in-laws had returned from one of their many sojourns, as he could smell the distinctively tasty cooking, signature of his mother-in-law.
Fortunately Whis and Beerus were absent for the time being, and his father-in-law was absorbed in the newspaper, so he could eat in –
"Oh, Bulma, dear, I'm so jealous of what you managed to snag. Why, I don't think your hot hunk of a man has aged a day since I met him."
As if he could eat in peace with Panchy around, he thought, face growing crimson. Would she, his own mother-in-law who had been at their wedding stop flirting with him?
"It's because he's a saiyan, Mum. They age later," Bulma replied long-sufferingly.
Vegeta forbore to mention that neither of them seemed to age, either. He had a feeling that would not go well for him in the long-term, for whatever reason. Instead, Vegeta focused on the delicious spread in front of him, as any saiyan should. His son was a chip off the old block, scarfing down his plates with less manners than Vegeta would have liked. He was so different from his future counterpart, so fun-loving and carefree. Despite being exposed to many dangerous situations, he still looked at life with a laugh and a smile. Vegeta remembered that he had been exterminating species for the sale of planets under a tyrant's fist at the boy's age.
How different they both were. How different all three of them were, when Future Trunks was thrown into the mix. It just went to show how important nurture was in the formation of character.
"Trunks, why don't you tell your father about your day?"
Vegeta tried to politely hide the fact that he hated small talk.
"It was fine."
Trunks obviously had similar inclinations.
"Trunks!"
"Look, the teacher taught us some things, I played around with Goten, it was a normal day," the boy grouched, a sullen look on his face.
"Vegeta?" Bulma prompted.
"Yes…?" she was obviously expecting something, but for the life of him he could not deduce what.
"You're supposed to reply."
"Well, what do I say?"
Bulma rubbed her forehead. "Why don't you and Trunks play some video games before bed? Spend some time together."
"Yeah, practice so you can beat Goku!"
Hook, line and sinker. Why was he so easy to manipulate? He had a lot of practice dealing with manipulation, courtesy of Frieza. It should not be so simple for a child to play him like that.
Nevertheless, Vegeta found he did not mind spending more time together with his son, even if the skills he was building weren't related to fighting in any way. Most of their interaction prior to the World Martial Art's Tournament had been training, and quite vigorous training at that.
Also discipline, because Trunks had more respect for his father than his mother, for some strange reason. Vegeta had never really worked that one out. Bulma could be very intimidating, but Trunks listened to him more.
Vegeta had not felt comfortable being responsible for this part of his son's upbringing. He had no idea how to properly raise a child. The saiyan concept of discipline involved fists, and throwing children into walls, if they survived in the army at all. His own father had been quite liberal with his power whenever Vegeta had done anything to disappoint him.
And then Frieza…well, that didn't bear thinking about.
Vegeta had long considered himself a poor excuse for a saiyan, especially compared to his father's lofty standards. Supposedly the reincarnation of a legendary monster, Vegeta couldn't stomach hurting his own child even to teach him a lesson. The one time he had accidently-on-instinct punched Trunks in the face in retaliation to being hit, he had quickly caved.
Playing video games with his son was far better for their bond than mutual fisticuffs, he supposed, and maybe for his own psyche, since he was getting rather used to losing. Before arriving on Earth, Vegeta had never lost before – he couldn't afford to, as otherwise he would not have survived. Of course, people stronger than him had beaten him up, par for the course for an intergalactic army of world destroyers, but he had never lost a fight.
It had been entirely the wrong kind of new to him. But he was getting accustomed to it now. And to being unaccountably weaker than some people who he would not name. It was grating, but he would rise above it.
"Dad?" Trunks broke in hesitantly, after a few laps of the racing game Vegeta had recently been introduced to.
"Yes?"
"Are you leaving again, with Mr Whis and Lord Beerus?"
He was glad the boy was being respectful, on the off-chance either of them walked in.
"Yes."
"Oh."
Trunks' face looked downcast, but Vegeta didn't understand why. Wasn't he proud of how strong his own father was getting? Didn't he appreciate the danger their once peaceful planet was constantly in?
Did he really yearn for Vegeta's presence so much, even though he'd been such a distant father in his early childhood?
"What's the matter, Trunks?"
"I just…I don't see you much, now. And Mum's hardly around with all her work, I…"
"Don't tell me you're lonely. What about that psychotic twin of yours?"
"Goten? Well, I suppose he is family, sort of, but he's not a parent."
"Trunks. I'm sorry, but I do need to –"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're a saiyan, you need to get stronger and stuff." That boy was developing an unacceptable rebellious streak.
"You should know better than to interrupt me, brat! But yes, in the absence of a challenge a saiyan does…how do I put this?
"Go mad?"
"Trunks! … I admit that you're not exactly wrong, but I implore you to have more respect for the race your own father ought to rule over. You are part saiyan also. Remember your pride." If Trunks learnt nothing else from him, he would learn the value of pride.
"Yes, Dad."
The game continued in silence, until Bulma entered and bid Trunks to go to bed. She slunk around the lounge, swinging her hips and giving him a long wink. He did not react.
"So, how was your day?"
"Why do you always ask that?"
"Because I'm curious."
"If it were any different to my usual routine, you would know."
"Something's bothering you." She frowned at him, poking his taut shoulder.
"Nothing's bothering me," he replied, fending off her feeble attack.
"Don't lie, I can tell when you try to deflect me. Well, out with it!"
Vegeta harrumphed, crossing his arms and turning his face away.
"I…have a gut feeling…something seems off." He confessed quietly.
"What is it?"
"I don't know!"
"Oh, I think you do."
"The other day, when we came back with Lord Zeno, I…sensed something. Something sinister."
"You think something came back with you?"
"It is…possible."
"But didn't Zeno erase everything in that timeline? There would have been nothing except him to bring back."
"I am aware. Only, I know what I felt."
"Hmm…no one else has said anything."
"It was not my imagination."
"I'm not saying it was, honey. But I think we'll have to wait and see what happens. Let's make the most of the time we have now, before you go back with Beerus and Whis. You still want to try for another, don't you?"
Vegeta had not been expecting a repeat of the night when they returned, but he certainly wasn't about to turn it down. Instead, he gave her his best smirk, purring,
"Of course. I never back down from a challenge."
Vegeta wasn't surprised to see Whis and Beerus in the lounge room in the early morning when he went to fetch a snack. What he was surprised about was the level of palpable concern on Whis's features. He had seen Beerus lose composure before, but Whis?
"Ah, Vegeta, good morning."
"Good morning," he replied uncertainly.
"I was wondering…you didn't seem to have any knowledge of the Super Saiyan God transformation. How is your general Saiyan history and mythological education?"
Vegeta blinked. Of all the things he could be asked, relating to whatever had Whis (and Beerus) so riled up, it was that?
"I…did not have the opportunity to finish my education." He put it diplomatically, "What is it you want to know?"
"Tell me, have you ever heard of anything called the Great Darkness?"
Vegeta's stomach dropped as the glass in his hand cracked from an involuntary twitch. Did they know? Were they going to finish his father's job? There was no way Vegeta was strong enough to face Beerus, let alone Whis.
"Vegeta?" Whis prompted, oblivious (or pretending to be) to his student's inner turmoil.
"A little…what about it?"
"The Grand Priest himself has just informed me of an unusual energy a few lightyears away. He says that it reminds him of an ancient enemy, one who even Lord Zeno himself could not erase. An enemy known commonly to the saiyans as the Great Darkness. Now, why would he emphasise the saiyan nomenclature? What can you tell me about this Darkness that has my f—the Grand Priest so concerned?"
"According to saiyan legend, the reincarnation of Saiya Vegeta, along with his disciples and all the combined forces of Sadala, battled against a force of evil long ago, known as the Great Darkness. It infected people, changing them into its puppets and even altering the very DNA of the saiyans who were exposed to it for a long duration."
"But what species is this creature? Where did it come from? How did this reincarnation defeat it?"
"I don't know the species, or where it came from. But Vegeta, that is Keel Vegeta, fused it with his own soul to imprison it."
"Hmmm…fusion."
"We know where it's come from, this time." Beerus broke in with a scowl, "You idiots brought it back with you from the future timeline."
Whis nodded, "We sensed something, and it matches exactly with the feeling from this…ahem…Darkness when we arrived to investigate. It would seem in the past even Zeno could not erase it, and it would certainly be best that he not find out it has returned."
Well, I'm certainly not going to tell him! Vegeta thought, then worried that the idiot Kakarot might.
"We were wondering if you might have any ideas on how to address the situation?" Whis continued.
"What do you mean? Can't Lord Beerus just destroy it?"
"No!" Beerus snapped.
"It seems impervious to physical or ki-based damage," Whis explained.
"Could you imprison it? Kakarot knows some kind of technique…"
"Something that big?" Beerus objected.
"Big?"
"Yes, it engulfs whole planets, and it's still growing!"
"What?!"
Whis seemed to finally understand Vegeta's confusion, since he hadn't been with them to investigate the Darkness.
"It seems to be some kind of mist, spanning a wide and ever increasing area. But you are right, perhaps we ought to involve Goku."
While Vegeta wanted to insist whatever the problem was, he could handle it, he had to admit that Kakarot was the one who knew the imprisonment technique, not him.
Why was it always Kakarot who got to play the hero?