Going Native: Rewritten: Homecoming 4.1 (ch. 18) (Patreon)

“Grand Elder! You can't possibly be considering this!” Nail exclaimed, and it seemed like he didn't know who he wanted to glare at. Considering the Elder Guru was like fifty feet tall and probably the closest thing that the Namekians had to a god, he decided to turn that glare to me. “It is bad enough that we allowed them to stay in our home, but to take one of our own?” 

I cupped the back of my head with my hands, unbothered by the glare while Dende -- and it sure was weird thinking of Dende as a teenager -- visibly wilted underneath the glare and Elder Guru's silence. “You're making it sound like I'm kidnapping him or something,” I pointed out, meeting his glare passively. “Or that this was my idea in the first place.” 

“This wouldn't be happening if it weren't for you,” Nail snapped. “It was bad enough that we allowed you to stay, to learn our ways, and now you seek to-” I’m lucky that the Namekians didn't have heat vision because if glares could kill, I'd be dead a thousand times over. 

“Please, Elder Nail, don't be angry with him!” Dende protested on my behalf. “It was my idea to come here! I knew… I knew that if I let myself miss the opportunity, I'd regret it forever!” 

Didn't exactly disprove his point that this was only happening because we had arrived to put funny ideas into his head, but Nail really wasn't wrong there. If we hadn't stayed on Namek, then Dende never would have thought about the stars that shone in the night sky. 

With a dramatic gesture, Dende pointed to me. “He's even tried to convince me otherwise! He's told me about the evil tyrants in the galaxy, like Frieza and the Planetary Trade Organization! He's told me of the sins of his own race! My eyes are open, Brother Nail and Grand Elder!” 

“You know nothing of the Saiyans’ sins!” Nail thundered, taking a step forward, but he was kept at bay by Elder Guru raising a hand. 

“The sins of the Saiyans is not relevant to the discussion at hand,” Elder Guru stated firmly, and Nail seemed chastised at that. “Young Dende desires to venture to the stars above. There is nothing wrong with that desire, Nail. It is one we both shared, once.” 

To that, Nail looked away. “As if I could forget.” 

“Then I ask you to not begrudge young Dende for his wanderlust, nor young Tarble for inspiring that desire,” Elder Guru requested, and I got the impression the only reason why Nail didn't outright refuse was that he didn't want to disrespect Elder Guru. “As it so happens, we do have a very long-standing tradition for those of the magic caste who wish to leave Namek.” 

Dende recoiled as if he had been struck, “To become a Guardian?!” 

“He is not ready! He has decades before he could even attempt to become a Guardian!” Nail protested and I just sat back, watching it all play out. I honestly had no idea where the conversation was going to go. When Dende expressed an interest in exploring the galaxy, he had latched onto the idea of leaving with us. And he couldn't be dissuaded. 

If anything, I think attempts to tell him about stuff like slavery or the global conquests waged by vast empires just spurred him on more. 

“I-I must agree with Elder Nail! I am not ready for such an honor!” Dende agreed, making Elder Guru chuckle. 

“No, you are not,” he agreed. “To become a Guardian is to be responsible for an entire planet. Millions of people, if not billions. You must be their shepherd and guiding hand, but remain neutral enough to let them suffer the consequences of their actions.” To that, Dende lowered his head, accepting the words as an admonishment, but that's not what they were. They were a warning. 

“At the dawn of the Universe, when we began to first spread across the stars, we found that space was empty. We Namekians were among the first to reach beyond the confines of the planet we were born on. Yet, it has been a very long time since then, and the nature of the Universe has changed a great deal.” Elder Guru continued in a gentle voice. “The Galactic Patrol. The Planetary Trade Organization. Empires whose territory stretches across countless planets, if not entire galaxies… the vastness of space has become crowded, and I no longer know if there is still room for the Guardians.” 

As Dende wilted, Elder Guru smiled, “Which is why I ask you, Dende, to find the answer for me.” 

Dende’s head jerked up, “M-me?” He echoed, looking around like there could be someone else that the Elder was talking to. 

“Indeed,” Elder Guru nodded. “I wish for you to travel the stars and tell me what you see. Both the good and the ill. When you believe that you have seen enough, I ask that you return to give me your verdict.” 

Dende looked up at him with wide eyes and a disbelieving stare, “Grand Elder, are you… do you intend to bring the Guardians back?” Nail visibly dreaded the answer, I saw, telling me the answer. 

“It is something I have long considered,” Elder Guru admitted. “We have been hidden away from the galaxy for eons, child. We hid because of fear. Fear and doubt. I believe we were right to then, but is it still right after all this time? I do not know. Thus, it falls to you and the answer you find.” That's a pretty big responsibility to just throw on someone's shoulders. 

I knew that well enough, because King Vegeta did the same to me. 

“What of his training? His studies?” Nail questioned, and I couldn't tell if it was a genuine question or if he was just trying to poke holes in the plan. 

So, I raised my hand, “I have an idea?”

Elder Guru inclined his head to me, “Speak, Young Tarble.” 

I gave him my plan and Elder Guru was as amused as Nail was enraged.

…

Our time on Namek was drawing to a close. Elder Guru had promised me two years of training in magic, and he’d delivered in full. Plus a little extra. 

“I shall miss this planet,” Kori admitted as we gathered up for our departure. Unlike our time on Tamaran or Okaara, we had accumulated stuff during our stay. Seeds from my garden, training tools, magical supplies, and even clothing since most of our undersuits and armor had long since given out. “It is a very kind and gentle place. I hope that Tamaran can one day resemble it.” 

“I'm sure it will, Kori,” I reassured her, patting her on the back. 

“Any idea where we’re going next?” Caulifla asked, squatting in the grass as she swallowed a yawn and wiped sleep from her eyes. “I wouldn't mind a real mission again! We got in good with those Galactic Patrol guys right? Think they'd have anything for us?” 

Before I could answer, a portal emerged on what had been our front lawn. Looking through it, I saw a couple of familiar faces -- Dendan, Dende, Elion, and Elder Guru. Floating in the air around them were the Namekian Dragonballs. The others were surprised as they traveled through the portal, but Kori was quick to put it together. 

“Dende! Are you being permitted to travel with us?” Kori asked, and Dende made sure to glance at Elder Guru before he nodded, offering a smile. Kori erupted with a joyous laugh before she nearly cut Dende's journey short before it could properly begin by giving him a hug that definitely nearly killed him. 

“We got a new member of the squad?” Raditz muttered, looking at Dende like he wasn't sure what to make of him. “What can he even do?”

“Dende is most proficient with healing magics,” Dendan answered, making Raditz perked up. That was a pretty great selling point for Dende. 

Though, I was curious, “What brings you two around?” I asked Dendan while Dende was fighting for his life in Kori's grip. 

“I wished to see my saviors off and wish them well on their journey,” Dendan answered before resting a hand on Elion's head, “And he wished to join you. According to him, you make the best snacks.” At that, the Saibamen beamed, practically salivating. 

Well, it wasn't like I had any reason to refuse. “Welcome aboard,” I said, making Elion vibrate with excitement. Actually, this was perfect for me. Elion was basically a butler, and he would be perfect for helping test the quality of my soil on the Rebel Moon. 

With that decision made, Elion wasted no time at all reverting to his seed form. Something I didn't know that he could do until I found myself catching him. 

“I'm also here to thank you, Tarble,” Dendan began, looking at Elder Guru, who began to chant to summon Porunga. I glanced at him to see the old Namekian smiling faintly.

I shrugged, “If you're thanking me for saving you, then I already got paid for that.” 

He chuckled, “That is not what I meant. You don't realize it yet, but you set something in motion with your mere arrival. A very old pain has begun to mend because of you.” 

“...you mean from what my ancestors did?” I ventured, glancing his way. 

“I suppose the others were hardly subtle with their ire… but yes,” Dendan admitted, confirming my suspicions. “The Ancient Saiyans were a plague upon the universe, and the pain that they inflicted upon us… that pain has blinded my people. Tainted their memory of the times before. They forget that we did not stand alone against your ancestors so very long ago.” 

I was surprised when he reached out and placed a hand on my head, and the feeling was followed by a pulling sensation in my gut. I gasped while Dendan chuckled, a shimmering white aura around me. “It is as I thought,” he remarked, withdrawing his hand and I marveled at the feeling of power flowing through me while the others were cursing and spitting when they realized what just happened. 

He’d awakened my potential. 

It was so distracting that I almost didn't hear him when he continued. “My fathers nearly forgot about the six righteous Saiyans that stood with us. They forgot how they gave their lives to buy us the time to make the wish that we enjoy all these millennia later. They forgot… until you reminded them.” 

“I… didn't do anything,” I muttered, clenching and unclenching my hands. I was a little worried about what he saw when he awoke my potential, but he wasn't saying a word about it. Either he had a great poker face, or what he saw didn't surprise him… or I had been worried about nothing. 

“You reminded them of Yamoshi,” Dendan said, dropping a name I didn't expect. “He fought a similar battle to you, Tarble. He fought to change the evil ways of the Saiyans… and he failed. Because of it, you have inherited his battle… and his will.” 

Yamoshi. In DBZ, we never saw him. His existence was questionable, given that Super had passively retconned him. What we knew of him came from Akira Toriyama in an interview -- that Yamoshi was a Super Saiyan who fought against the evil nature of the Saiyans, but with his failure laid the foundation of the Saiyan God form. 

Hearing his name dropped was the very last thing I expected. 

“You have a long journey ahead of you, Tarble, but I ask that you do not shirk it,” Dendan said as the sky began to darken. I barely noticed Porunga's arrival. The massive dragon dominated the sky, looking down at us as he waited for the third wish. “My old friend wished to see the Saiyans saved from themselves, and I believe that you are the one who can grant his wish.” 

There was a lump in my throat that I couldn't quite swallow down. I became intensely aware of the weight King Vegeta had casually thrown on my shoulders. Time made it easy to forget. When we traveled the galaxy, training and meeting aliens and having fun… the reality of the situation felt so far away. I had been avoiding the Saiyan race. I didn't know a damn thing about our culture because I didn't want to know. I convinced myself that was just fine… 

But now it felt like I was running away from my problems. 

I didn't reply and Dendan didn't seem to expect one, simply turning his attention to Porunga and Elder Guru, who announced the wish that I gave him. 

“Porunga, I wish for every lesson and piece of information that I intended to teach Dende and Tarble to be placed into a series of easy-to-understand texts that will unlock as they progress through the lesson plan,” Elder Guru announced, and that got another chuckle from Dendan. 

“That’s one sly wish,” Dendan remarked. “We’re lucky Father Nail wasn’t here to see it,” he added and I blinked at that.

“Your wish has been granted,” Porunga intoned, his red eyes flashing before piles of books and scrolls materialized from thin air. It was honestly alarming how big the piles were, some of them leaning precariously as they were stacked so high. Even with a quick glance around me, I could tell there was enough books and scrolls to fill up an eighteen-wheeler a hundred times over. There were so many that even the rather expansive library on the Rebel Moon was probably going to need an expansion. 

“Hoo… It seems that I had more to teach than I thought,” Elder Guru remarked, sounding very pleased with himself as Porunga dissipated and the Dragonball began to rise up. I watched them rise to the sky before shooting off in seven different directions like shooting stars. Meanwhile, Elder Guru looked to Dende, who managed to escape the hug with his life. 

They exchanged a few private words that I chose not to overhear, knowing that it was a private moment. 

Instead, I looked to Dendan, who waved his hand to create a portal that opened up within the Rebel Moon. That was a security weakness that I never thought about, I realized, watching all of the scrolls and texts lift up before flying into one of our store rooms. The piles looked even bigger in a single room. 

“This is farewell for now,” Elder Guru said, addressing all of us. All of us straightened up while Dende wiped way tears that gathered in his eyes. “I will not ask that you will be safe, or even that you stay out of trouble. I ask only that you one day return.”

“It’s a promise,” I told him, giving him a nod. “If nothing else, you can expect me to bug you with questions on occasion,” I added, keeping my tone light. The others gave more boisterous or reserved farewells to the Ancient Namekians, but one by one, we stepped through the portal. I offered the pair a smile and a thumbs-up as the portal began to close. 

Their expressions were one of peace as the portal closed and we were once more on the Rebel Moon after around two years. 

“Welcome aboard, Captain,” Ada greeted us as we stepped out of the store room. Dende was looking around with a nervous excitement, drinking in the dull gray walls like they were something of otherworldly fascination. “May I chart a course? Perhaps somewhere with a shipyard for repairs?” 

“Yeah, where are we going, Tarble?” Caulifla asked, looking at me as we walked through the halls towards the command center. I thought about the question, but I was not entirely sure how to respond to it. I more or less had a game plan that I had been mulling over for the past couple of years. We’d do some missions and some tournaments while earning enough goodwill that I could try approaching Meerus, Jaco’s superior, and see if he was an Angel. And if he was, I was hoping he could train me in Ultra Instinct. 

Or we could go hunting for Yardrat. If Namek, the PTO, and the Galactic Patrol were all here, it was enough to convince me that Yardrat was here too. Instant Transmission was another technique on my wishlist that I hadn’t had much luck figuring out on my own.

But, as we arrived at the command center and I saw the map of what we knew of the galaxy at large… 

I made my choice. 

“Chart a course for Planet Vegeta,” I said, much to the surprise of the others. And to the excitement of Dende and Kori, both eager to see the planet that we Saiyans hailed from. Ada did as bid, and I saw it would be a week of travel to the nearest hyperplane, and from there, it would be two weeks of travel in realspace. So, in hyperspace, it would be about eight weeks. Just enough time for me to regain my ki control after getting my potential unlocked. 

… 

“So, how’s space treating you?” I asked, Dende as we toiled next to one another in the garden, transferring my enhanced soil and partitioning it out. Some would be for plants that we would harvest, others were plots meant for further experimentation -- both with ki, magic, and one where I combined them both. 

He glanced my way as he took a seed from Elion to plant it in the soil, mulling it over before answering. “It’s kinda boring?” He admitted, sounding surprised even as he said the words. “I thought it would be more exciting. I honestly can’t tell if we’re moving or not.”

“Yup, that's most space travel,” I chuckled, making him perk up as I also took a seed from Elion to plant it. This one was a magic seed, so I squeezed a drop of blood from my already bloody finger onto the seed before covering it with soil. 

“Most?” Dende replied, sounding vaguely hopeful. 

“Nothing will happen in hyperspace, but we can get attacked during travel in realspace. It happens on occasion, but our ship's size convinces most pirates to give up before they try,” I admitted. Then I looked up over at Raditz, Caulifla, Cabba, and Kori -- all of whom were also helping me with my garden to varying degrees of success. Which is why they were tending my mundane plants. “And since the gravity chamber is busted, they’re looking for something to do. I’d give it a few more days before they go stir-crazy. Things will get more exciting then.”

“Lil’ Green! Which one of these is tasty?” Raditz called out, and I had to fight to keep the smile off my face. 

“I-I don’t know? Namekians only need to consume water? We don’t… eat plants,” Dende said, sounding vaguely disgusted with the idea. Then his eyes narrowed, “And I’m taller than you?” 

“Little in spirit, Lil’ Green,” Raditz denied with a shake of his head. “We’re older souls.”

“I’m also older than you,” Dende pointed out, now sounding a little annoyed. “By a lot, I think? Are you Saiyans fully grown?” He asked, apparently just now considering it. 

“Ah, no. We’re still considered children,” I replied with a shake of my head. “Counting the time we were in the incubators and the year we spent in hibernation because of space travel… we’re eight. Saiyans finish growing when they’re twenty,” I clarified when Dende started to nod, thinking that made sense before an expression of dawning horror flickered across his face. I’m pretty sure Piccolo was an outlier in how fast he grew in the original Dragonball. 

“That seems highly irresponsible,” Dende noted. 

“Eh, it’s about par for the course when it comes to Saiyans. We get thrown into the Wilds on the planet as soon as we’re born in some dumb proving ritual,” I added, mildly amused to see the emotions flickering across Dende’s face as he took a moment to process that.

His gaze dipped to the garden, then to the seeds in his hand. “I might have made a mistake,” he acknowledged, getting a chuckle from me. 

“Probably,” I agreed. “And ignore Raditz. He’s just trying to pick a fight,” I said, patting him on the back. He managed a feeble and uncertain smile. 

“Plus, it’s way too late for you to think of turning back with your tail- ah, wait, you don’t have a tail,” Caulifla started, before catching herself and tilting her head at Dende. “You get my point, though. You started this path, so you gotta see it through like a warrior! Or whatever you are.” Not exactly the best pep talk I’ve ever heard, but looking at Dende, I saw it had the intended effect. 

“I know,” he admitted, nodding to himself as he continued to plant. “I’m just coming to grips with it, I guess. I’m further from home than I’ve ever been, and I’m going to visit an alien planet. And this is just the start, right?” He said, looking at me, and I gave him a smile. He had absolutely no idea what he was in for. 

“That’s right! This is just the start! Oh, I can’t wait to get the gravity chamber fixed! I wanna see what you’re made of, Lil Green!” Caulifla declared, and I think it was only then that it started to sink in what Dende had agreed to. I’m not sure if Namekians could pale, but I could see the unsettling revelation filling his eyes. 

“I’m of the magic caste! I can’t fight! And stop calling me Lil’ Green!”

I shared a glance with Cabba, who watched the interaction with an amused smile, before the both of us started laughing. 

…

The trip was pretty mundane, largely because we couldn’t use the gravity chamber. Which had the others on their hands and knees begging for some kind of training replacement, but now that we had left Namek, I lost access to my easy supply of materials. And it would be some time before my magic plants could fill that void. But, after an initial bout of stir craziness, they began to settle down. 

I’m not sure exactly what they did with Cabba, Caulifla, and Raditz all breaking off to private areas. However, I did know Kori and Caulifla spent a lot of time reading the texts that Master Ulf had gifted us. Similarly, as Dende settled in he  turned to the magical texts gifted to us by Elder Guru. 

Now, months later, I found myself looking down at a familiar planet. Blood red with white swirls from clouds. I had months to come to grips with my intentions and desires, but I couldn’t lie and say I didn’t feel a little trepidation. Planet Vegeta loomed large as we left the Rebel Moon, parking it near our homeworld's real and pitiful moon that was even smaller than my ship. We had gotten cleared to approach, so our arrival was known. And I was nervous on what that would mean. 

“That’s an alien planet,” Dende muttered, his face pressed against the ki barrier that I surrounded us all with since we left our Attack Balls on Jangos. He was right next to Kori. 

“It looks so strange! It is a pretty red,” she decided, sounding excited. She glanced back at me, “Are you excited? Will you be reunited with your families?”

I noticed how the remark got a twitch from Caulifla while Raditz shrugged his shoulders. “My Mom is probably still on the planet. My Dad is probably on a mission… huh. I wonder if my little brother is still in the Wilds?” I’d nearly forgotten about Kakarot. That made this little trip worth it. Especially if I could grab him before he went native. 

“What about everyone else?” Kori asked, looking to me. 

Odds were I was going to meet King Vegeta because he would want an update on my progress. Vegeta was a maybe. I'm not even sure if I had a mom or not. But, it was Caulifla, shockingly, who answered. “I have an older brother,” she informed curtly as we continued down to Planet Vegeta. 

“I hope your reunion is joyful and warms the heart,” Kori wished as we breached the lower atmosphere, flying straight to Capital Vegeta. 

My attention drifted over to Palace Vegeta, or the general location that it was in. There was one presence there that dominated my ki sensing abilities, and the others noticed it as well. 

“The king is pretty strong, huh?” Raditz muttered, a bit of sweat building on his forehead. 

That was one way to say it. Before, I had compared trying to perceive King Vegeta’s presence to an ant trying to eyeball Mt. Everest. I was no longer an ant. Now, I was the equivalent of a human standing before Mt. Everest.

Looking beneath that monstrous ki signature to discover that Vegeta lurked underneath it. Both Vegetas were here. I'm not entirely sure if that was a good thing or not. I had kinda been hoping to duck them both even if I knew I shouldn't. 

It mattered little because a few seconds later, we arrived at a very familiar dockyard platform. I took us to a familiar ki signature that was waiting for, landing at the base of the Attack Ball launch pad. 

“Raditz!” Gine shouted out as the ki barrier lowered, and once more we stood under the familiar eight of Planet Vegeta. As soon she could, she darted forward and scooped up Raditz, much to his embarrassment. She ignored his protests with a mother's ease before patting him down as I'd to make sure he still had all of his limbs. “You're okay!” 

“Of course I'm okay,” Raditz said indignantly. “I'm really strong, you know?” 

That got a gentle but very fragile smile from Gine, who cupped his face with her hands. “I know. You're your father's son,” she told him, making Raditz puff out his chest in a uniquely childish way, very pleased with the comparison. 

I glanced over at Dende and Kori, seeing Dende poke at the red stone with a finger and an expression of awe. Kori, meanwhile, was looking around at the dockyard, her expression bouncing from building to building and Saiyan to Saiyan. 

It led me to do the same. The dock was busier than I recalled by a noticeable margin. It hadn't really stood out to me at first, but now that I was paying attention, I saw a lot more kids in the mix of things as they came and went. 

It also brought my attention to Caulifla, who was standing some distance away, looking through the crowd of people like she was expecting someone. And she couldn't quite keep the disappointment off her face when she didn't see them. Her hands curled into fists and I saw her clench her jaw before she visibly forced herself to relax. 

“Let's head home. I want to hear all that you've been up to,” Gine said, stealing my attention back to her as she grabbed hold of Raditz's hand. “If we're lucky, your father can make a quick trip back!” Gine radiated with a gentle joy, the kind where it was hard to not smile. “And you could introduce me to your… teammates?” 

“Greetings, I am Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran! It is most pleasing to be making your acquaintance!” Kori introduced herself. 

“Ah, it is nice to meet you. And thank you for your hospitality,” Dende added, offering a polite bow to Gine, whose dark eyes twinkled with excitement. 

“It is nice to meet you both,” she returned, her tone friendly if still a bit uncertain. 

“Come on, Mom. I wanna go home. I'm kinda hungry,” Raditz said, moving things along carelessly. Gine smiled before she gestured for us to follow her home, but I lingered back with Caulifla, who seemed fixed to where she stood. 

I gave Cabba a pointed glance, gesturing for him and the others to move on, and he nodded before I approached Caulifla. “They didn't show up?” I asked her, making Caulifla flinch. She reacted like I had caught her red handed or something. No, actually, Caulifla didn't even flinch when we caught her doing something stupid or wrong. 

She glanced at me, working her jaw for a moment, as if she had to work herself up to answer. “How'd you know?” 

“Because I know you. Things don't usually bother you, so when it does, it's pretty obvious.” I replied, crossing my arms as I looked out at the tide of Saiyans that were coming and going each way. 

“Is that what's been bothering you?” Caulifla shot back, her tone defensive. “It was your idea to come back here, but now you look like you already want to leave.” 

I hummed, realizing that she wasn't far off the mark there. “I'll tell you if you'll tell me?” 

Caulifla visibly hesitated for a moment, and there was an expression of vulnerability on her face that almost seemed completely out of place on the brash girl. “Raditz has… a family,” she began, crossing her arms as she seemed to chew on what she had to say before spitting it out. “Kori has a family too. Even Lil Green had people to see him off. It was weird to see at first, but on Tamaran…” 

Her expression pinched, “I got curious.” She said, her tone guarded. Like she expected judgment. “When we came back to the Saiyan Empire for the Healing Pods, I did a check on my genetic history.” 

I had absolutely no idea that was a thing. Honestly, I didn't think that Saiyans bothered to keep track of stuff like lineage beyond the royal family. “And?” 

“My parents are dead,” Caulifla replied, sounding largely unbothered by that, but only to hide the disappointment she couldn't quite keep out of her voice. “But, I have an older brother. His name is Resno. He's Elite-Class,” Caulifla said, puffing out her chest with pride before she visibly deflated with disappointment. “I… dunno. I thought he'd be here…” 

It bothered her more than she wanted to show or admit. She wanted what she saw Raditz had. Or Kori. She wanted that familial connection, but she didn't know how to express it or even understand her own expectations. 

I found myself reaching out and patting her head, something that earned me a dirty look but she didn't brush away my hand. “He might not know about you,” I reassured her. “Or he might be on a mission. We can hunt him down and you can meet him.” 

That got a fragile smile from her, but it quickly fell. “What if he doesn't want to meet me? Or if he doesn't like me?” She asked in a small voice that betrayed how young she was. For all of our power and independence, it really was easy to forget how young they - we - were.

“Then I'll hold him down and you can break his legs. We'll keep him on the Rebel Moon until he wisens up,” I answered easily, and got a laugh out of her. 

It was a nice moment, and only after being sufficiently reassured did she swipe my hand away. “What about you? What's been yanking your tail about coming home?” She asked, returning to her usual self. At least partly. 

I wasn't even sure how to put it into words. I had months to mull over what Dendan had said, and what he asked of me. And, the truth of the matter was… 

I didn't owe the Saiyan race anything. It wasn't my responsibility to correct the wicked ways of the Saiyans. Some Saiyan dying a bazillion years ago with business left undone didn't make it my problem to solve. Even deciding to help the kids was stupid, and completely beyond my ability, but I chose to do it because the way they'd been treated had really, really, really pissed me off. 

Course correcting an entire species was… a lot. And I'm not sure if it was a fight that I wanted to pick. It was one I would have to dedicate myself to. One that I would have to put my entire ass into, because half assing it was a recipe for disaster. It would be decades… centuries of work, and that was to say nothing of the roadblocks that I would face. 

“I love being a Saiyan, but I don't think I like the Saiyan race very much,” I admitted to her. “I'm here to either learn that my preconceived notions about the Saiyan race are wrong… or I'm going to gain a lot more reasons that prove me right.” 

Caulifla didn't get it. I could see it in her eyes, but that didn't matter. It was something I would have to deal with in my own way and my own time. Well, I had hoped that would be the case but no such luck there as I sensed a very familiar ki signature approaching from the direction of Castle Vegeta. 

In no time at all, the very same old man who had chucked me out of a window once more stood before me. I looked up at him, knowing exactly what he was here for. 

“King Vegeta demands your presence,” the old man informed, crossing his arms. Caulifla glanced at me, her body tensing as if she were ready for a fight. The reason why only became clear when I realized how tense I was. 

I forced myself to relax, blowing out a sigh before glancing over at Caulifla. “I'll be back in a bit. Head over to Gine’s house and make sure the others don't get into too much trouble, would you? Especially Dende. This is his first time being on another planet.” 

Caulifla held my gaze for a very telling moment before she jerked her head into a nod. “I'll protect him,” she agreed easily enough and I looked at the old man. 

“If you would follow me,” he said, the words sounding like a request but the tone they were uttered with was a demand. He threw himself up into the air, and after giving Caulifla a quick wave goodbye, I blasted off after him. I could feel her gaze on me for as long as I was in sight. 

Castle Vegeta was hundreds of miles away from Capital Vegeta, yet it was entirely too quickly that we arrived before two titanic sized doors that two servants pushed open effortlessly for us. The castle itself hadn't seemed to change much since I last walked its halls. The gaudy piles of treasure had grown a bit, but beyond that… it was mostly counting down the steps to a man who I had met twice before. 

The same servant as last time pushed open the doors to the throne room, and it was there that I once again met the gaze of King Vegeta. 

The look in his eyes was different this time. First, his eyes had been filled with scorn and anger. The second, there had been a dismissive curiosity in them. This time, however, I could see acknowledgement. 

And, standing near the throne that King Vegeta sat on, was little Vegeta. His eyes shone with an intense satisfaction as a little smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He looked like someone who had been proven right. 

“Leave us, Matillo,” King Vegeta ordered, and the old man bowed his head before doing as instructed. No one said a word even after the doors closed behind him. I could tell King Vegeta was getting the measure of me. Just as I was getting the measure of him. 

I didn't realize how strong he was. I hadn't been prepared for how strong he was. 

In the incubator, his presence came and went. But, it was so vast and overwhelming that I struggled to comprehend it in those early days. Just as I could only learn how powerful Vegeta was by comparing him to Bardock, I could only now learn just how monstrously powerful King Vegeta was in this universe by comparing him to the single strongest enemy I had faced. 

King Vegeta was about three Qur-Eks. 

King Vegeta, who had been one shot by Frieza in his first form, had a power level of 150 million in his base form. 

No wonder he had been so disappointed in me. He probably hadn't even been convinced that I was his kid. 

“I am impressed,” King Vegeta suddenly broke the heavy silence that weighed down the throne room. “Years ago, you proclaimed to me that you would grow stronger. I was dismissive of your claim, and even with your record breaking graduation from the Wilds… it was enough to convince me that you had potential, but nothing more. Yet, here you stand with that potential realized. You are even stronger than your brother when he was your age.” 

Lil Vegeta didn't seem bothered by that remark, only cocking his head at me as if he was now considering me as a possible challenge. 

“At a mere five years old, you boast a power level of three and a half million. Even your talents at conquest as TLS_Saiyaman, reaching the top one hundred thousand in the leaderboards have proven your worth,” King Vegeta informed, and there was pride in his voice. Not because of me and the fruits of my labor, but because of how my power reflected upon him. “As you are now… I deem you worthy of acknowledgment, Tarble. You are worthy to be called my son, and to be inducted into the royal family as you deserve.” 

I held his gaze for a long moment, my expression completely blank. A lot of thoughts crossed my mind in that fraction of a second. And a few of them were utter bafflement on how he knew that I was TLS_Saiyaman in my RTS game. But, mostly, they were about the man before me and what he represented -- and that was a massive roadblock. And a goal to overcome. 

I thought about it for a long second. Long enough that King Vegeta's eyes began to narrow as the loud silence stretched on. I weighed the pros and cons, carefully considering what accepting could mean for my future… but one thing overcame logic and reason. 

I fucking hated King Vegeta.

“Nah, I'm good. I can't stand the idea of acknowledging you as my father. Thanks for the offer, though.”