Quest: Tales

Chapter 23 - Tales

Goku hummed happily to himself as he cleaned up the remains of their meal. Even Vegeta had commented on how much his cooking had improved. Chichi had started teaching him while he talked to her about what had happened in the Gravity Room. It was helping, too - he didn't blame himself nearly as much; sometimes he even believed being raped wasn't somehow his fault. He almost accepted there was nothing he could have done to prevent it

Dende and Mr. Popo had quickly located the room - apologizing profusely for even forgetting its existence. He could understand though - it had been used for training - no one had ever thought about using it this way. It hadn't been hidden from them like the dragonballs - it had just never been considered. They had been sent home to rest and eat while preparations were made.

He and Vegeta were just waiting now - preparing themselves for what had the potential to be emotionally and physically draining. He wasn't sure what to expect - apparently the room was different every time. Were they going to have to fight for the information?

Goku went out and joined him on the front porch, sitting between his legs on the step below. He leaned back against his prince and stared out at the woods surrounding their house. Vegeta's chestnut tail looped around his arm, the tip brushing against his skin. After a few minutes of silence, Vegeta began to slide gentle fingers through his hair, purring for him. Goku felt the comfortable rumble of his contented thoughts, picking up the occasional word here and there.

::Who are Kikon and Chikara?:: He thought he had 'heard' those names from his prince before, but since they had left The Lookout Vegeta's mind kept returning to them.

Vegeta gave a self-depreciating chuckle. "You picked that up? Maybe I need to block my thoughts more."

He tilted his head back and grinned up at his prince. "If you did that I would pout."

Vegeta smirked. "Baka. You pout anyway. Sometimes I swear you are worse than the brats."

::Then I will have to use the big puppy-dog eyes. Not even my mighty prince is safe from them.:: "Who are they?"

Vegeta sighed. "Characters in a book from my childhood."

Goku grinned. He got a mental image of Radditz reading a bedtime story to a tucked-in chibi Vegeta and started to snicker.

Vegeta snorted in amusement and smacked him with his tail. "Baka."

"Tell me about them," Goku rumbled, curling his tail around Vegeta's leg and closing his eyes in contentment under Vegeta's gentle touch.

"I only really remember the beginning of the story-"

"That's okay. Tell me what you do remember." Goku heard Vegeta's resigned sigh and smiled. It had taken him some time to realize one of the reasons his prince didn't talk a lot was a fear of revealing too much. Surrounded by enemies growing up, every word potentially made him more vulnerable.

Goku didn't really expect him to agree to tell the story, although his prince actually spoke to him. It made him feel good to know Vegeta felt safe enough with him to be so open. He suspected part of it was his influence through the bond making Vegeta more talkative. He didn't always get the monosyllabic answers or sarcastic comments most others did.

::You better not laugh, Kakorr...:: Vegeta hesitated as if steeling himself. "Once upon a time-"

Goku couldn't help himself. He laughed. "I knew it!" ::You try to blame me for being a sentimental sap, when you are worse than I am.::

Vegeta tugged on his hair in warning even as he snorted with amusement, "It's not my fault - it was written for cubs. Now do you want to hear this foolish legend or not?"

He grinned up at his prince, pulling him down for a quick kiss of apology. Goku purred lazily, feeling the warmth behind him; letting the smoky voice of his prince surround and soothe him.

"Once there were two proud warriors, Kikon and Chikara.

"Chikara was brave and powerful, his pelt sleek and rich. His noble pack was small, but influential. His father and mother were shrewd in business, using their skills to gain wealth and power. Chikara was being groomed to follow them and looked forward to the new responsibilities.

"He had many admirers in the city, drawn to him by his good looks and charisma. His family wanted him to find a suitable partner when he came of age: one worthy of his high rank and strength. Offers came from many suitors. Nobles and warriors felt themselves worthy to compete for his hand, but they were no challenge and he defeated them all effortlessly.

"Chikara was unhappy with the ease of his victories. Was there no one able to stand against him? He rejected the losers, scandalizing his pack. They were angry with Chikara, not understanding why he would want a partner who would not submit so easily.

"But one day everything was taken from him. His pack was betrayed and destroyed through the murderous treachery of a business competitor, Sekieki. Even though he fought until the attackers were broken and bloody at his feet, nothing would bring back his family.

"His answering challenge was easily met and he was defeated for the first time in his life. Chikara became an outcast for his loss, forced to leave, stripped of his status and wealth.

"He became angry at his inability to defeat Sekieki, the one who ordered their deaths. It was the first time his phenomenal strength wasn't enough and it frustrated him.

"Chikara wandered the planet, challenging and defeating all he met in his quest to become the most powerful fighter so he could return and exact his revenge."

"That's sad," Goku interrupted.

"It's just a story, Kakorr."

::I know. But I still feel bad for Chikara. He lost his whole family because of that guy.::

::Now who is being a sap?:: Vegeta growled in mock annoyance.

Goku grinned and purred. ::It's your fault.::

"Far away grew Kikon, standing firm and tall, his tail thick and full. He lived with his large pack in the mountains. Even at a young age, Kikon had great strength. He was expected to challenge the head of the pack when he came of age and stand as the new leader, bringing great pride to his family.

"He was a clever hunter, doing his part to feed the pack, but he wasn't satisfied. Life in the mountains was uneventful, with few visitors and little excitement. Kikon wanted to get even stronger, but life with his pack wasn't challenging enough.

"Kikon was well-liked and handsome and could have his choice of partners, but he refused them all. He wanted to leave the safety of his village to seek out adventure and a pack he could call his own. Kikon made his plans, saying goodbye to his fathers-"

::Fathers? Plural?:: he interrupted. Vegeta rarely spoke of Saiyan families, but Goku had noticed Chikara had a mother and father.

::There could be any number and arrangement of parents in a family. Two or three males was very common, especially since there were fewer females...about three to one.::

"Oh." He thought of something else that confused him. "What's the difference between a family and a pack?"

Vegeta hesitated, and Goku was sure he was trying to figure out how to explain something he found nearly instinctive.

::There are...were...many different types of packs - such as family, hunting, scouting... The Saiyan language has a different word for each, explaining type, purpose, rank and more - but they don't translate well.::

Goku nodded. He could almost understand that. When he was younger, Suno had tried to teach him lots of different words for snow. He twisted his tail with his prince's and encouraged him to continue.

::In this story, though, a family primarily consists of parents and cubs. Several families join together for their mutual benefit to form a pack.::

"His fathers and dairi-"

::What's a dairi?::

Vegeta sighed. Goku wished he knew more about Saiyans. Vegeta would never admit to it, but he made an effort to learn about some Earth customs. But Goku had never even tried to understand Saiyan culture - for years he rejected it outright as something bad.

The more he knew about Vegeta the more he regretted that. What if he was wrong? Maybe it was just Frieza's destructive influence that made them so bad. These were things Vegeta had grown up with and he suddenly realized how much he didn't know about his prince's life before coming to Earth.

::A surrogate parent - usually a mother although sometimes it was a father. Female dairis especially were in high demand; treasured and cared for. Even when she wasn't carrying - most went at least a year between pregnancies - to hurt one was an instant death sentence. A well-bred dairi could raise the status of a pack within a generation. More than the men, the women could be very selective - and well rewarded. It was a position of honor - carefully chosen for their traits: usually strength and intelligence.::

Goku could feel Vegeta's smirk.

"Fortunately for Nappa, looks weren't important. I heard he once acted as dairi. He wasn't always a traitor... he was an elite and very strong."

Goku laughed softly. "Poor ugly baby."

::The dairi would provide a child if the pair were the same sex or unable to bear children of their own. Some just gave birth and left, but others became a part of the pack.::

"Radditz got to meet his dairi once. Apparently he looked more like her than your father - his long hair came from her."

Goku twisted around and stared in shock. ::Radditz?::

Vegeta shrugged. "Your father - Bardock - was only with Toma then. Celipa - your mother - didn't join the pack until later."

Goku couldn't explain why, but he shivered. He had never known his mother's name. He had never thought to ask. It didn't matter, did it? Why did it matter?

"Kakorr?" Vegeta said softly.

Goku turned back around and closed his eyes. Why was he feeling this loss now? It was only a name. His parents were only names. He felt Vegeta's comforting hands on his shoulders and took a deep breath. "We were half-brothers?"

"Not in Saiyan society," Vegeta said gently. "You were brothers. There was no differentiation like there is with ningen. When we mate our sons will be brothers as well."

Goku rose from the lower step to sit beside his prince, suddenly overwhelmed. Strong arms immediately enveloped him; Vegeta's tail and ki curled and wrapped around him, warm and protecting.

::It's alright. I understand.::

How could Vegeta understand? He didn't even understand it. He was confused at this sudden feeling of loss. Where did it come from? He tried to push it away, trying to forget. He wanted to forget. That was how he always dealt with pain. Why couldn't he do that now?

::I'm sorry, Kakorr.::

He looked at Vegeta, feeling the regret roll off of him. ::It's not your fault.:: "I just..." he hesitated as an unfamiliar thought crossed his mind. "That's weird..." he said softly, confused. "I want to blow something up."

Vegeta chuckled and held him tighter. "That's me - it's how I dealt with things that bothered me. The stress is making you lose control of the bond."

"Oh." ::Does it help?:: He couldn't believe he was seriously considering blasting the surrounding woods into kindling.

Vegeta smiled at him. ::Only for a few minutes. You would end up regretting it.:: "And knowing our luck, that woman of yours will show up, demanding an explanation."

He let himself be pulled closer until his head was resting on his prince's shoulder. Vegeta's comforting purrs made him feel safe and loved.

"We should be resting, Kakorr."

Goku gave a tiny smile. "Not yet. Tell me more. Please."

Vegeta gently brushed his fingers over Kakorr's cheek, listening as he purred at the touch. It had been one of his favorite legends as a child, but his memory of it had faded over the years. He could no longer remember all of the details anymore. The images were what stuck in his mind.

"I don't remember much more. Just the pictures."

He smiled to himself, pleased he could visualize the drawings, letting his lover share them. Hopefully Kakorr wouldn't realize how much he had imitated certain things. He had begun developing his Big Bang Attack as a cub; it was embarrassing now to realize he used the same pose as Chikara did when he and Kikon were destroying a desert creature that threatened a village. He had studied the pictures for hours - imagining that he was the one fighting the ferocious monsters, blasting them away with his ki.

No matter what else he had been, he was still a cub, subject to childish flights of fantasy. At least no one ever realized what he was doing - or if they did they didn't dare say anything to a prince. Especially a prince who could blast them out of existence without breaking a sweat.

Radditz had laughed at his childish wishful thinking, but indulged him in his fantasy. He had even helped him smuggle the book onboard with his belongings, only taking it away and destroying it when he realized what type of monster Frieza was and how dangerous it was for Vegeta to have. Even after the book was gone and he only had memories, Chikara was the character he identified with; like him, he had lost everyone.

"I like the one where they are blowing up that big brown monster," Kakorr said.

"That's a jihibiki - they usually burrow underground in the desert, creating destructive tremors. It is one of my favorites too." He hesitated, trying to remember any important phrases.

"The rest of the story was fairly typical of these tales. Chikara wandered, still angry at how he had been treated. He challenged everyone he met, defeating them all, pleased that every victory made him stronger. He planned to return to his city one day, unbeatable, and destroy Sekieki, the enemy who had taken his life from him. Even though he was lonely, he swore he would never be part of a pack again until he knew they would be safe.

"Kikon also traveled, sometimes alone, sometimes with others. He too fought, rarely challenging, but always accepting, confident in his strength. He defeated his opponents with honor, often convincing them to join his growing traveling pack.

"When they finally met - as expected - Chikara recognized a worthy opponent in Kikon. The challenge was accepted and the battle began, no quarter given or taken. As the minutes stretched into hours the combat turned into something of a ritual dance - they were both excited to finally meet an equal. The fight only stopped when they were grinning, beaten, bloody, and too exhausted to move.

"After that, Kikon and Chikara developed an uneasy friendship, neither willing nor able to submit to the other. Chikara refused to join Kikon's pack, but associated with them on occasion, even coming to their aid. Together they returned and defeated Sekieki, even though it had been too long to gain anything but satisfaction at the victory.

"They acknowledged each other's great strength, and developed a grudging respect for the only opponent they couldn't overpower. Eventually - many pages and adventures later - Kikon and Chikara realized how much they needed each other and became mates - true equals. The book ended with another of my favorite pictures - the two of them embracing under a blood-red night sky."

"I love happy endings," Kakorr purred, his head resting on Vegeta's shoulder.

"Baka," he chuckled. "It's a fairy tale. Of course it has a happy ending. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't believe such a thing were possible if I hadn't met that pair at court."

There was a huge difference between mating and other forms of families, Vegeta mused. In Saiyan culture with the emphasis on strength there was a tendency to focus on dominance. The strongest had their choice of partners - something desired because that meant any cubs would be stronger.

It started out as a natural survival trait, but became an insane obsession by the time he was born. By then their society had begun to stagnate - even Radditz recognized that - nothing was more important than power. Intelligence wasn't as prized as strength, leaving them increasingly vulnerable to outside influences - like Frieza. The emphasis was on having the child who would become the Legendary Super Saiyan. Any cub without that potential was considered valueless and discarded away - like Kakorr was.

That was one of the reasons mates were so rare. They flew in the face of society's norms with their emphasis on equality. But they were also believed to be stronger than others, since their strength was supposed to be combined.

Vegeta had grown up watching the posturing and battles for control. Even though he was still young, he knew he was expected to choose a partner who would bend to his will. He was schooled in dominating others - the prince should submit to no one. He was good at it too; even as a child he could control anyone weaker with ease - and everyone was weaker. He even enjoyed it; power and control was an addiction.

But for a partner? That was different. He didn't dare voice it, but that wasn't what he wanted. Vegeta didn't want to dominate someone he cared for, but he didn't want to submit to them either. He had enough of that with Frieza. He wanted someone he could relax with, not constantly waiting for the next attack. He wanted one person he didn't have to fight with or compete with - who would share - be his equal.

"That's why you loved Bulma, isn't it? She didn't submit," Kakorr said softly.

Vegeta blushed. Kakorr heard him - he had let himself get distracted and hadn't tried to conceal his thoughts. He was right though. He enjoyed the verbal spars with the woman. She was no match for him physically, but her temper and intelligence thrilled him. But now Kakorr knew he wanted something as foolish as an equal partner.

::Wanting a mate isn't foolish.:: "I'm...honored...you would consider me your equal."

Vegeta just stared at him for long minutes. He was slowly beginning to realize he no longer felt he had to prove himself to Kakorr. Now that he was stronger he wanted Kakorr to be just as powerful. He didn't want Kakorr to feel he had to struggle to keep up the way he had all those years.

"As ruler I was expected and required to dominate everyone. The king..." he hesitated, "...my father... said as royalty it was our duty to make others submit to our will. Even...even in the bedroom."

He couldn't help but remember the line of... all he could think of them now was victims... 'bedmates' of his father's. Maybe...if he hadn't been abused by Frieza he would have ended up the same as the king. But looking back he could only feel sorry for them. They started out so happy, proud of their status - until the king broke them - forcing them to cower beneath him - breaking their spirit.

"Makoto - that was your father. I'm sure every Saiyan wasn't like that. Radditz wasn't, was he? He didn't try to break you - you didn't try to break him. You've never tried to do that to me."

Vegeta looked at him, thinking of all of the times he had tried to kill Kakorr, or to beat him bloody.

"That's different, Makoto." ::I'm talking about us loving each other.:: "You aren't your father, Vegeta. You don't have to do what he did. You can make your own choices."

He had rarely questioned himself on this before, but was that one of the reasons he trained so much? So he couldn't be forced to submit anymore? It was bad enough with the lizard, but he couldn't bear to be seen as weak before another Saiyan. Kakorr had quickly become an obsession, driving him to be stronger, striving to be his equal. Was the thought of mating on his mind even then? Was he angry and frustrated, not because Kakorr was so much stronger, but because he wouldn't consider Vegeta a worthy mate?

::I've made my choice.:: "I want you, Kakorr. As my equal. As my mate."

------------------------

"Why are they here?" Vegeta asked. He and Kakorr had arrived at The Lookout only to find Yamcha and Gohan waiting for them with the Namek.

"Protection," Piccolo said.

"I don't need protection, Elf-boy," he growled.

"Yes you do, asshole. You and Goku are going to be extremely vulnerable during this. You won't be able to protect yourselves. Are you willing to risk Goku's safety for the sake of your ego?"

Vegeta scowled and glanced over at the other two. Kakorr was sitting on the ground, talking to Dende and Mr. Popo. He watched for a moment, noticing the pleased smile crossing Kakorr's face; the genie had just given him knowledge of the Saiyan language.

"Why them?"

"Do you have any better ideas? We don't have many options. Unless you want Krillin here."

He growled at the sarcastic suggestion. "That runt has become unhinged. I don't trust him. He has hurt Kakorr enough - he won't get another chance."

"I was just kidding, Matchstick. I'll just feel better with them here, okay?"

He sighed his reluctant acceptance. "You think we will be in danger?" He didn't see how a ningen would be of any help, but what if Piccolo was right? The Kais had already tried to kill him; he hadn't told anyone about their attempt to use Kakorr on Namek.

"I don't know. The Kais might try to take advantage of it. I would. I just want to make sure you two are safe until you are back in your bodies."

This was an argument he was going to lose - Piccolo could be incredibly stubborn when he wanted to be. Vegeta suddenly grinned, surprising the Namek. Fine. He didn't know what this room was like, after all - maybe Kakorr could be hurt. "Yes mom."

"Asshole."

"I know. Thanks."

Piccolo frowned and suddenly became serious. "Don't thank me yet. No one really knows what to expect. I hope you know what you are doing."

"I want this, Piccolo. We want this." He didn't understand why the Namek - who had always been supportive - was hesitating.

The Namek shook his head. "Just remember - even if you want to you can't stay and you can't change anything."

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Vegeta demanded.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling. Kami isn't making much sense. He's carrying on about prophecies and stories."

"It doesn't matter. We're doing this." ::Kakorr. Are you ready?::

He smirked when Kakorr practically bounced over and answered him in Saiyan. They should have asked for this ability ages ago.
-----------------

The room was strange. It seemed to have no visible walls, the darkness stretching away endlessly. A huge pendulum was swinging, illuminated by the glowing red circle carved into the floor. Within the circle's borders were geometric symbols arranged in a design that looked like it was part of some ningen magic. The air was still and damp, making him uneasy..

Gohan and Yamcha had taken up positions outside the door. Piccolo had accompanied them to the room. He now stood near the entrance, arms crossed, watching with expressionless dark eyes.

"I think you will want to sit down," Dende said. "I don't know how long this is going to take you. It might be a few minutes - it might be a few days."

"Fine," Vegeta grumbled, sitting cross-legged in the center of the pentagram. Kakorr across from him, knees touching, and grinned. Vegeta smirked back and twisted their tails together.

"Please relax and close your eyes."

He hesitated a moment - even with Piccolo guarding them, the idea of making himself deliberately vulnerable wasn't easy. He glanced over. Kakorr was waiting for him. ::Are you sure about this?::

Kakorr beamed at him. ::I'm looking forward to it,:: he answered in Saiyan.

Vegeta grinned. A kid with a new toy. He nodded and closed his eyes, breathing in rhythm with the pendulum's arc.

Dende's voice slowly faded away and after several minutes he became aware of changes in the air around him. Warm. He was actually warm. The cloying dampness was gone, the air comfortably dry.

::Vegeta?::

He opened his eyes to see Kakorr gazing around in fascination. Vegeta looked as well. Red sky. Twin suns heating golden sands. Snug dens carved into orange cliffs. Tree covered mountains in the distance.

"I'm home."

TBC