feet off to their right."And there's a spring behind that rock
cleft. I thought you might appreciate a bath. Soap's in with the clothes. "

"You seem to have thought of everything, Kakarott."

"Well, Bulma's the one who packed it."

Vegeta hummphed as he reached for the knapsack. As promised, there was food and plenty of it. Vegeta tore in with a
vengeance. After a moment, he heard Goku clearing his throat. "What is it, baka?"

Goku's voice was plaintive. "I've been waiting a long time for you to wake up. Some of that was supposed to be mine."

Vegeta tossed the knapsack in the direction of Goku's voice, not even glancing up from his meal. As expected, Goku
didn't let it hit the ground.

"How long did I sleep?" Vegeta asked when his stomach was approaching full.

When Goku didn't answer immediately, Vegeta looked at him in irritation. Goku hastily chewed and swallowed and then
answered. "Sorry, you slept all the way through yesterday. I was starving!"

"Why didn't you eat?"

Goku blushed. "Ahh. I didn't think of it.I just waited. "

Vegeta snorted. "Typical." He was surprised to hear he had slept that long. He must have been training harder than he
had realized. Empty mind could do that, though. He stretched, the throbbing in his head receding with a full stomach.
"Where did you say that spring was?"

"Ower tere," Goku pointed and said around a mouthful of food.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Vegeta said as he gathered up fresh clothes and the bar of soup. Undeniably
considerate of Kakarott. Suddenly he stopped. Why had Kakarott brought him here anyway?

"Since you've been training so hard, I thought you might want to spar."

Vegeta whirled. He knew he hadn't spoken out loud. How had the other Saiyan known what he'd been thinking? Goku looked
at him with guileless eyes, still eating. Vegeta shook his head. He must have spoken out loud. Mustn't he?

He spoke, keeping his voice even with an effort. "I suppose. Might as well show you what real training can do. Not
like that half-baked sparring you do with your half-breed son."There, that sounded right. Kakarott would never notice
that something was wrong.

"Sure. I can hardly wait. I'll be finished eating by the time you're clean."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. The other Saiyan seemed to think of little other than food and fighting.

He went in search of the spring. He was mentally gearing himself for the plunge into ice-cold water when he caught a
whiff of sulfur. Trust the fool to forget to mention that it was a hot spring. Turning to be sure Kakarott was out of
sight, Vegeta hastened his pace to his bath. He could use a soak before battle.

The spring was small but very hot, almost too hot even for a Saiyan. Vegeta lowered himself in with a heartfelt groan
of pleasure. He quickly soaped up, rinsed off and then settled back to relax, letting his mind go blank. The hot
water, combined with the achingly familiar surroundings put him in an unusually good mood, and he caught himself
almost drifting off. Wanting to stay alert for the upcoming battle, he kept his eyes open and glanced around at thecountryside. He remembered training sessions with Nappa. After a particularly good session, the older Saiyan would
take him hunting. Bringing down his prey with nothing but his bare hands was a cherished memory.

Suddenly though, his thoughts turned. He began to notice differences between the surrounding countryside and his
memories of home. Like everything else on this planet, even this barren landscape was lush compared to Vejiitasei.
Memories of Nappa led inevitably to thinking about how alone he was. The last of his race other than the fool Kakarott
and his half-breed son. Damn Frieza! And damn Kakarott and his son for denying him the pleasure of vengeance! Hey
Vegeta, should have avenged his race, not some idiot with no memory of his proud heritage.

But even his usually litany on how he had been wronged by Kakarott couldn't dispel the other, more disturbing
thoughts. Thoughts about how he didn't have to be alone. How there was someone who had come to him in his pain and
offered only comfort, not ridicule.Vegeta colored at the thought of that night, standing alone in dark, wanting to
cry his pain to the sky but not wanting to attract the attention. Why hadn't he flown somewhere else, where he could
have been alone with his dark thoughts?

But then she had come. He had expected her to laugh at his weakness, make some sort of cutting comment. But she had
only asked what was wrong. Of course he could never have told her. A part of him had wished she would leave. But
Another part was glad that she stayed, her hands on him, trying to sooth his tortured soul by soothing the tension in
his muscles.

Almost had he weakened and spoken of his pain, but he was a prince, and a prince did not speak of his troubles to a
lesser being. But, oh, how he had wanted to speak of it to someone. He sighed. And a pitifully weak part of him still
did want to speak.

Miserable again, all the good of his bath and his delight in seeing someplace so reminiscent of home banished, he
slowly began to climb out of the spring.Might as well fight Kakarott. At least in battle he could forget his
troubles.

Just as he emerged from the pool, a familiar head popped out from behind a rock. "Are you okay? I thought you'd gone
to sleep or something. "

"Kakarott! Do you mind!"

Goku immediately blushed and started looking everywhere except at his naked companion. "Umm. Sorry. I'll ... uhh ... give
you a couple more minutes. "And he vanished so quickly Vegeta wasn't certain he hadn't used Instant Transmission.

"Hmph," he grumbled to himself. “Learned modesty in addition to other earthling foolishness.” For Vegeta hadn't minded
Goku seeing him naked. He just hadn't yet mentally prepared himself for Kakarott's unfailing cheerfulness.

He quickly dressed and stepped out from behind the rocks. Goku was standing several feet away, determinedly facing
away from Vegeta.

"I'm dressed. It's safe to turn around," Vegeta said in dry amusement.

Goku turned around, red still evident on his face. "I'm sorry, Vegeta. I didn't know you'd be getting out at just thatmoment."

Vegeta scowled. "I don't share your modesty. I just wasn't ready for your idiocy. Now, since you brought me all this
way to save, let's get to it. I could be training. "

Goku's face brightened. "Sure Vegeta. I'm ready."

Several minutes into the sparring session, Goku knew he was going to have to revise his strategy. He didn't know what
was wrong, but Vegeta's heart obviously wasn't in it. Goku was pretty sure that Chi-Chi could have blocked some of the
prince's blows, and once Goku strained several muscles trying to pull a blow that Vegeta totally missed blocking.

Goku pulled back and levitated several feet above Vegeta. The other Saiyan let him withdraw and hung limply in the
air. Goku slowly descended. "Come on, Vegeta. What's up? This isn't like you."

Vegeta stiffened and attempted a fighting stance, but Goku shook his head. Gohan had looked more ready when he was
five than the Saiyan prince did right now. "Uh uh, Vegeta. I'd knock you into next week if I attacked you now."The proud shoulders slumped. Goku's heart sank. It must be worse than he and Bulma had thought. He'd been sure that
last statement would goad Vegeta into action. He lowered himself to the ground. "Come on down Vegeta. Talk to me." Hey
settled down, cross-legged, and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Vegeta drifted down and stood by the edge of the cliff, staring out across the valley
below. If it had been anyone else, Goku would have stood by him, maybe with a hand on his shoulder, but he knew the
proud prince would reject any contact, so he waited patiently for the other man to talk.

After a moment, Vegeta spoke. Goku had to strain his exceptional hearing to make out what the other man was saying.
"You wouldn't understand, Kakarott."

"Try me."

"There's no one who would understand. I am the last of my kind."

Goku knew what Vegeta's response would be, but it had to be said. "So I'm Saiyan."

Vegeta whirled, his face a mask of rage. "You are a brain-damaged weak half-excuse for a Saiyan."Goku winced inwardly, carefully keeping his reaction off of his face and body. It could have been worse. "That may be,
but I am still stronger than you. "He hated to say it. The insane rivalry that Vegeta felt was entirely one-sided, but
Goku knew that he needed to goad Vegeta into letting out his bottled up emotions. And the overly proud prince would
only do it if he were angry enough.

Vegeta launched himself through the air at his opponent. Goku had been expecting it and stepped easily to one side,
powering up to Super Saiyan as he moved. He indulged himself in a brief thrill at the power flowing through him before
reading himself for Vegeta's next move.

The prince changed direction immediately after his initial charge and flew back, straight into his powered-up
opponent. Goku didn't even bother to block. He just let his increased power absorb the attack. Vegeta flew back
several feet before pulling up. He hung in the air, fists balled in rage, his ebon eyes crackling.

Before Vegeta could speak, Goku said, "I suppose I really should fight on your level, but I don't want to fight you atall. Save, yes. Battle, no. I have nothing to prove to you. "

The proud Saiyan's shoulders slumped, and he lowered himself slowly to the ground. "No, I suppose you don't. Again,
you prove your superior power. The first of our kind in one thousand years to reach the level of a Super Saiyan. "

Goku dropped out of Super Saiyan. As always, he felt a brief pang of loss as he let go of the power. "Vegeta. I don't
want to prove anything to you. I just want you to tell me what is wrong. "

Vegeta sighed and moved to a nearby rocky outcropping. He