Quest
Sequel to Maintaining
By Pixelgoddess

Summary: Maintaining sequel. Frieza has caused some incredible issues for the Saiyans to overcome, but they are trying. What will it take for them to finally become mates? Yaoi, Yuri. Goku x Vegeta, Chichi x Rezu (OC)
Disclaimer: If I owned it, don't you think there would have been more decent girls to write about?
Warnings: *snickers* Whaddya got? Sex. Rape and it's aftermath. Violence. Bad words. Gay marriage. Krillin-bashing. Dyke Chichi. Straight Gohan. Confused Dende. Smart-ass Piccolo. I think that covers it - for now.
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Chapter 25 - Quest

Goku felt like a tourist as they walked through the dusty streets. There were Saiyans everywhere! He barely resisted the urge to point and stare, although Vegeta had to growl at him once as a reminder. He noticed they got some curious looks as they walked by, but he figured it was because they were strangers.

Vegeta kept up a running telepathic narration, pointing out and explaining things. He was gradually relaxing, but still very withdrawn emotionally, although Goku could feel his pride in his home and his people. Vegeta still wasn't exactly sure when they had arrived - he never had any interest in clothing styles, and technology had remained low in small settlements like this. His best guess was 250 to 300 years before they were born.

Goku didn't see anyone wearing armor. Instead, most wore sturdy fabric or leather pants - he guessed it was something like wearing jeans on Earth. Not all of them wore shirts - some were bare-chested. Others wore vests or complicated leather straps. He spotted one woman - taller and larger than he was - in a colorful outfit that seemed to be specifically designed to expose her extremely pregnant belly. That was when Vegeta growled at him - he was staring at a dairi.

What amazed him most was how everyone seemed so...normal. He saw adults working - talking - laughing... Children were playing games, fflying, chasing tails, racing, - even sparring with great shows of bristling tails and bared teeth. All the Saiyans he had met before had threatened him or his home - he thought they were all that way.

No wonder Vegeta had been furious with him all of those years. He had casually disparaged an entire race. He was ashamed. He prided himself on his ability to get along with nearly everyone, but he had decided all Saiyans were bad based on a few.

::You had only met warriors, Kakorr - and most after they had been affected by the Ice-jins. You never had the opportunity to see Saiyans as they really were.::

They had adjusted their kis so they blended in; the highest levels around them were higher than most humans, but nothing compared to them. Vegeta said they shouldn't attract too much attention; he was worried something would go wrong before they got the information they needed.

Apparently the huge jumps in the Saiyan race's power didn't happen for a few more generations - when more went off planet as mercenaries and soldiers. They were still aggressive - Saiyans seemed to live for combat, but at this point they hadn't begun the damaging drive for strength. The Legendary Super Saiyan who appeared centuries before had been a genocidal aberration. It took a future king who saw profit in power and destruction for them to begin to change.

"I wish you had told me things like this before," Goku said. ::I wish I had thought to ask.::

Vegeta almost smiled at him. ::When we have time, I'll teach you more.::

"This is how Radditz saw our people - wanted to see our people... He was idealistic - I'm a bit more...pessimistic."

::Just a bit,:: Goku teased.

::Baka.:: "I wonder if Radditz' idealism was hereditary. You are as bad as he was - worse, even," Vegeta said, smirking.

It was fascinating and sometimes painful to realize how much his brother had influenced Vegeta growing up. It made sense. After Vegeta-sei was destroyed, he was one of the few positive things in his prince's life.

"He felt we lost our identity over time," Vegeta said regretfully. "It was partly true, I think. One invasion led to another - one war fed another. There was no face-saving way to back out - to back down. Pride and ego meant everything. We got so involved in what happened on other worlds we lost track of our own. It stopped being about protecting ourselves and became an invasion force. Nothing was more important than showing our strength."

::If we had stayed like this, Frieza and the other ice-jins wouldn't have found Saiyans so useful. He might have even ignored us. Maybe Vegeta-sei would have survived...::

"But we like to fight - live to fight...what else would we have done?" Goku didn't like to see Vegeta feeling regret over what his people had become. He wondered if he would have been able to change them if given the chance.

"Fighting is one thing - killing is another. We weren't murderers before."

"You were soldiers, Makoto. Not murderers. There is a difference."

"My ancestors gave the orders. My father did. I would have. Radditz - the others - they were soldiers. I wasn't," he said regretfully.

Goku frowned as he stopped walking and grabbed Vegeta, turning him, forcing him to look at his face. "You have to stop this," he growled, tail thrashing, almost but not quite angry. "I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks I am-"

::I would never mate with someone stupid,:: Vegeta protested, confused at his reaction.

Goku smiled softly. It had taken years, but Vegeta no longer saw him as a fool. "I know being here disturbs you - I understand that," he said more gently. ::But you are not responsible for what happened in the past. You aren't responsible for what you did under Frieza's control. You've proven many times over you aren't that person.::

Vegeta looked at him uncertainly - he knew his prince wanted to believe him, but he still doubted himself. Vegeta had enjoyed the destruction and death more than Goku would have liked, but he didn't want to see him dwell on that phase of his life. "You've changed, Makoto." ::You aren't a monster. You were trapped by circumstance. You have to accept that.::

"We've all done things we regret - they can't be undone. You have to forgive yourself and move on. You can't let your life be ruled by past mistakes." ::We've been given another chance, Vegeta. Let's not waste it.::

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"Hey - Vegeta? It looks like that kid is coming over here..." A teenage boy was headed in their direction. He didn't seem threatening; instead he kept looking around as if checking to see if anyone else had noticed him. He stumbled to a stop before them, his tail flicking in front of him strangely.

::It is saying he is not trying to be a threat.:: Vegeta interpreted for him. Goku wondered if he would ever learn to read tails like that; his seemed to do what it wanted to.

"Look," the boy said without preamble. "Don't get mad or anything - but are you two nuts?"

Vegeta's tail snapped and Goku heard the beginnings of a growl. ::Hold it, Vegeta. He's just a kid.::

::Fine:: Vegeta huffed. ::You deal with the brat.::

He looked at the teen again and smiled. He reminded him of Goten with his over-enthusiastic awkwardness. It was interesting how his understanding of Saiyan made it sound like the boy was talking like a typical Earth teenager. He was sure Vegeta heard it differently. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you serious?! I have enough work to do without having to patch you up. You are going to get hurt doing that!" He nodded at Vegeta. "I'm sure you have your reasons, and it's probably loads of fun playing royalty in bed, but man, you are going to get your ass kicked. There are palace guards all over the place and they're totally pissed."

"Why do you care, boy?" Vegeta demanded. Goku thought it was kind of nice that a stranger was worried about them.

The boy sighed. "At this rate I'm not going to get my work done," he said to himself. Goku smiled sympathetically. "The Rouba wanted me to go hunting, but because of the guards, I couldn't. They've already cracked two guys' tails for saying things about the prince. It took me forever to set them they were so messed up. If they see you trying to look like him they are going to totally freak out."

Vegeta made a sharp inhalation at the word, but Goku couldn't understand its significance. 'Old woman'... why was he suddenly so interested? He looked over to see Vegeta intently studying the boy. "Vegeta?"

"Prince Vegeta," the boy quickly corrected. "They're looking for him. He bolted when he heard who his father paired him with. The king is furious. He sent the guards to bring him back but they're not having much luck finding him."

"The prince is out of the palace without an escort," Vegeta stated, sure he already knew the answer.

"Yeah. Where have you been?" the boy continued. "It's all anyone is talking about. They say a war might start because of it."

"We've been traveling," Vegeta said quickly, returning his attention to the boy.

::I think I know when we are.:: Vegeta started pulling his hair down so bangs hung over his eyes using whispers of ki to make it stay.

Goku just stared, confused. He suddenly felt out of his depth. Vegeta had suddenly become tense and was sweeping the surrounding area for ki. He made his own search, but felt nothing out of place. He could feel concern pouring off Vegeta, but didn't understand its cause. What did a runaway prince have to do with them?

::What's wrong?::

Vegeta frowned. ::The brat is right. This is a dangerous place for me to be right now. The prince has gone against the king's order - his refusal threatens the crown. A war nearly breaks out because of it.::

::What does that have to do with you? Why are you doing that?::

::Politically, it's complicated. Just accept I don't want those guards to bother me - us. And they will, as long as I look like this. I studied this time - it is a crime to try to pass as royalty - and since I don't exist yet, the guards will want to arrest me. I'm too easily spotted like this - someone will try to stop us. I hope we haven't been seen by the wrong person already.::

Goku frowned. He would never let anyone hurt his prince. ::You're not telling me everything, are you? Something has you worried...::

::I promise I will explain later. As for the guards - I know we could defeat them easily, Kakorr, but doing that would just mean the palace would send more. We'd be so busy fighting we wouldn't get the chance to learn what we came here for. The guards would prevent anyone from helping us.::

Vegeta continued to flatten his hair, his distinctive gravity-defying spikes hanging down shaggily.

The boy was watching them curiously. "I don't get why the royals wear their hair like that anyway. It seems kind of show-offy if you ask me. You know - they've got so much ki they can waste it on stuff like making their hair stand up," the teenager said.

Goku could hear Vegeta's mental chuckle. ::The style is reserved for royalty, Kakorr. The brat actually understands something about the reason for it. I was taught how to do this since childhood - I don't even think about it any more.::

Goku knew he should be paying more attention to the boy - talking to him - but Vegeta's appearance captivated him. His hair was a chestnut disheveled mop making him look younger and more feral somehow. ::I like it. This looks...more like you. Like a wild animal.::

Vegeta grinned. Kakorr had totally forgotten the existence of the brat; he was too busy staring. It was strange - now that he was in his natural state, in his own environment, he felt freer somehow. Just this simple act had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders. He had a goal; he was unstoppable - nothing - no one - would keep him from mating with Kakorr. Maybe...maybe he was getting closer to the person he should have been - was meant to be - would have been if it weren't for the lizard.

"Thank you for the warning. What's your name, boy?" he asked.

"Sakka."

"I'm..." Vegeta hesitated. He couldn't use his name here. It was as distinctive as the hair. He almost used the name Chikara, but since he didn't know when the story was written it might be seen as a joke. He chose one with a similar meaning. "Kairiki. And this is my...partner. Shinbou."

::Why...?::

He smirked. ::Your Earth name would sound strange here. And no one is allowed to call you Kakorr but me. Shinbou means nearly the same thing as Kikon - I thought you would like it.::

Kakorr grinned. ::You could have said Kakarott.::

::If we are going have this adventure, we are going to do it right.::

"Do you guys do that all of the time?" Sakka asked.

"Do what?" Kakorr asked.

"Talk to each other in your heads."

"You can hear us?" Vegeta frowned.

"No, no." He held up his hands in protest. "I can just feel a buzz when you do it. Rouba is teaching me how to use it for other things - like hunting and scouting."

Vegeta felt a thrill of hope. The old woman could help them. That was what she did. "Can you take us to the Rouba?"

He heard Kakorr's unspoken question - he might know the language, but he still didn't understand the significance. ::It's her name and her title. Unofficially, she has as much power and authority as the head of a pack. She's something like a wise woman. Part mid-wife, part healer, part matchmaker - you could call her a witch. There aren't many - a few hundred. She should be able to help us.::

"Sure. But she probably won't be back for another day. Two dairis went in to labor at once at the next settlement. She went to help with the birth. Maybe I can help. I'm her apprentice. I'm going to be a Rouya," Sakka said with pride.

::The male equivalent, Kakorr.:: Vegeta made a courteous head-nod of a bow, pleased to note Kakorr instantly mirroring him. He quickly reviewed his previous comments and was relieved he hadn't been rude to the boy. He quickly explained to Kakorr if Sakka had been wearing his cloak, he would have recognized him for what he was immediately - and would have bowed slightly deeper. A Rouba - or Rouya - were one of the few royalty would bow to - a sign of respect for their vital skills. "We are honored to meet you," he said formally.

Sakka smiled before returning the gesture. "Well met." He laughed. "You really don't have to be so formal, okay? I'm not wearing my robes or anything. What is it that you need?"

"We want to learn about mating," Kakorr said.

Sakka looked at them in surprise. "Really? That's cool. I never met anyone who wanted to risk mating before. Why don't you come to our den? I'll see if there are any records. Otherwise you'll need to wait until Rouba is back."

Vegeta nodded his understanding before noticing something in the distance and emitted a low growl. ::Fuck.:: Kakorr followed his gaze, but it was already too late. It - he - had vanished.

::Vegeta...what is it? What's wrong?::

Vegeta swore. He hadn't been wrong before. Now he was positive he had felt that strange ki. But why? Was he here because of them? Would he do something to interfere - point them out to the guards? Was he just being paranoid? Maybe it was just a coincidence. They did trade with other planets - maybe he had a legitimate reason to be here.

::I felt - I saw...something.::

Kakorr waited for the answer, doing his own search for the source of his concern. They wouldn't dare try to stop them. He wouldn't let them interfere with his plans. He knew the instant Kakorr found his target, his eyes widening with alarm and tail bristling.

::Vegeta...that's - that's a...Kai.::

TBC
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For this section, I'm including some vocabulary. (And yes, I'm aware some people hate this. Did it anyway.) You don't need to know what the words mean as you read the story, since I use most of them as character names. But knowing what I meant when I chose that name will add something to your reading, I think.

Word - dictionary definition - (How I'm using it - who it is or meaning intended)
Chikara - force, strength, energy, might, power, authority (Character from Vegeta's book)
Dairi - proxy, agent, substitute, alternate - Dairihaha is surrogate mother. (Surrogate parent)
Henoko - testicles, penis (Second man Goku has sex with - after Olibu)
Jihibiki - subterranean rumbling, earth tremor (Desert monster - think something like Tremors)
Kairiki - superhuman strength (Name Vegeta gives himself while in Saiyan past)
Kikon - patience, perseverance (Character from Vegeta's book)
Noujou - farm (Mountain range near village in Saiyan past)
Rezu - lesbian (Chichi's wife)
Rouba - old woman (Village wise woman - both name and title)
Rouya - old man (Male equivalent of Rouba - both name and title)
Sakka - author/writer/novelist/artist (Teenage boy in training to be Rouya)
Sekieki - lizard (Character from Vegeta's book)
Shinbou - patience, endurance (Name Vegeta gives Goku while in Saiyan past)