An imperceptible mass of darkness in the sky. A demonic kit that erased all thoughts from her mind. The garbled Standard speech that sounded to her, an Earth-raised Saiyajin, vaguely american [No offense] fell upon deaf ears.
Not that the command to fight had been even considered in the following.
"You are the last of the Saiyajin, Saiyajin do not 'retire' from fighting," he had said. Ah, how true.
Standing she swatted at the annoyance as though it were no more than an irritating gnat. The larger warrior hit a rock face several meters away. Several others in the cafe around her stared in amazement. They always did.
Sarro felt a smile pull at her lips. Even at this old age she still possessed a remarkable ki. But she was weary, tired of fighting. Tired of feeling that damnable darkness chase her across the galaxies in search of something she could not comprehend.
It was all rather annoying, really.
The darkness paused a moment, hanging in the uppermost reaches of the atmosphere. Sarro felt apprehension crawl into her mind and fill her with doubt. Sweat ran down the side of her face in a glistening drop. Shifting her gaze ever so slightly to the right she noted her space pod sitting against the ground, the door open. It was beckoning to her. This was not the place to fight. It was not the time.
She'd been doing her research, travelling from planet to planet, always staying a half-step ahead of the darkness. Two hundred years ago (as she estimated) she'd felt a slight tug at her ki; like someone was borrowing it. Stretching her senses she'd almost been able to follow the source until a darker, more evil ki was snuffed out of existance and the feeling left her.
Left her feeling empty. Left her with a new purpose, other than avoiding fights in her sometimes futile attempts at retirement. "I am," she had taken to pausing, she was so weary of repeating herself, "retired. I do not fight anymore."
Every day she cursed the tail she had wrapped around her waist beneath the dusty and faded pink tunic. Even the deceptively 'girly' colour could not hide what she was. Her fine, un-Saiyan hair was pulled back into a braid that also failed to hide herself from the universe.
The darkness rippled and bubbled with a dark purple light; so dark it was barely on the visible spectrum. Sarro narrowed her eyes.
No, you don't. No way am I letting you try and force me into a fight.
Stretching her ki she extended it over the cafe, even the warrior she'd backhanded. Somewhere along the lines he'd gotten up and staggered over to stand next to her.
Clamping one hand down on her shoulder he laughed nervously, shooting glances at the darkness in the sky.
"Hey, I was jus' foolin', neh?" He laughed again, his apprehension driving the volume up to unnatural levels.
The darkness blasted ki energy down upon the planet.
Sarro opened her mouth to tell the warrior it was okay, and watched as he was vaporized before her very eyes, despite her shield. All the other beings in the cafe, the cafe itself, all gone in an instant: and Sarro remained.
'Never minding' the why or how, Sarro took off running towards her space pod. Without looking back she could see the ground ripping up behind her. Forget the 'never mind's, How had it gotten through her sheild? Why hadn't she been destroyed? Her ki wasn't high enough to defend against the dark power.
Her research still had some gaps. But her search had sent her to a planet that some beings considered cursed. They called it the cause of the Saiyajin's end. That wonderful blue and green planet Sarro had vowed to never return to.
Chikyuu. Earth.
The apparant home of the man, for all intents and purposes according to her research, was the Densetsu no Supaa Saiyajin: the Legendary Super Saiyan. She may have been Earth-raised, but she wasn't completely ignorant of her heritage.
Knowledge was power afterall, and she needed help fast.
"Computer," she barked, all weariness gone from her voice, "Set coordinates for Earth. Now."
The planet was blown to dust on her leaving in the dark power's rage. Sarro closed her eyes against it remorsefully. Another planet of death upon her conscious. But she had to focus, it could be addressed later.
This man she'd heard of, was an enigma in himself. Some rumors told of him as a boy, some of a young man. Young man, she smirked, for anyone not familiar with a Saiyajin's longevity, that could mean anywhere between their teenaged years to well into their hundreds. Even so, the oldest he could be was her age. Provided the legendary power of the Super Saiyajin hadn't destroyed him, and Earth.
Planetfall was unusual, to say the least. No one on the planet seemed to notice, or much care. Sarro looked around curiously as she climbed out of the impact crater.
Odd, the planet looks to be recovering from something almost apocolyptic. Sarro glanced around, I see about two hundred years of work here. The society has recovered, but the Earth itself... She scuffed the ground with her toe, watching as the ground crumbled slightly beneath her. Perhaps this man back then...
She did have a name to put to this man. She'd gotten it from a colony of Namekuseijin she'd come across. Now what in blue blazes was it? Son Gokuu.
A rather human name. But he'd been said to have the ability to increase his ki dramatically. The Namekuseijin had claimed that the man Son Gokuu transformed from an unassuming Saiyajin to a god-like creature with gold hair and green eyes.
Sarro dismissed that part of the legend. Gold hair and green eyes. All Saiyajin could transform into were Oozaru, the giant monkeys. Gold hair indeed. How things got warped with time.
But after months of searching the planet she began to wonder. Could Son Gokuu be just that; a wayward legend? No one on the planet seemed to have heard of him. Someone had to remember him. Desendants, family, friends. Anyone. Someone.
But no, this man, Son Gokuu was harder to find than... well, than the reason why the dark power kept following her.
Sighing, Sarro leaned against a tall white tower. Her search had brought her here, out into the wilderness of Earth, where hardly a soul resided. Still, she'd felt a high ki power out here. Only to find nothing.
Sarro smirked slightly. The story of her life.
After hours of standing there leaning in dismay, it suddenly hit upon Sarro the oddness of a tower standing in the middle of nowhere. Turning she looked up and up... and up. The simple white tower stretched up impossible heights to touch the clouds.
Sarro's curiousity overwhelmed her and she lifted off the ground to follow the tower up. Just below the clouds she found a balcony and landed. Stepping into the tower she looked around with wide black eyes and called,
"Hello?"
"Hello there," came the response.
Sarro turned her head to the source, to find a squat old cat with a staff. The cat ignored her look of mild surprise and inquired, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes," Sarro smoothed down the bottom of her tunic and straightened up as she asked, "I am looking for a man named Son Gokuu. I've been told that he resides, or resided, on this planet."
" Gokuu, huh? " The cat wandered towards the balcony she'd entered from. " Gokuu hasn't been around for a long time now. Last time I saw him was at the Tenkaichi Budoukai his descendant fought in. I hear he's protecting the Dragonballs to thwart a repeat performance of... well, that's a long story, and one I'm not fit to tell. " The cat pointed upwards with it's staff. " Follow Karin Tower to the very top. There you will find Heavan's Platform and Kami-sama. " The cat smiled an oddly wisened smile. " Though I'm sure he'd prefur you call him Dende. "
Sarro felt her tail twitch impatiently. " So Son Gokuu is gone, neh? Then what reason do I have to talk to this Kami-sama? "
The cat pointed upwards. " Hey, I'm just the messanger. But I think you should go. "
Sarro sighed, relaxing her shoulders and stepping off the balcony. Turning she apologized. " I'm sorry, sir, but I've had a very tiring trip... a very tiring life, " she added in a mutter, then offered a weak smile. " Thank you. "
" No problem. "
Sarro looked up at the clouds overhead and shot upwards. Kamisama, Dende,
Heavan's Platform. Bah. More legends she had to decipher. But as the clouds
broke and she saw the gilded bowl- shaped platform come into view, she
wondered if there was some truth to it all.
Landing on the platform proved not to be difficult. She stood on the white tiled floor, or ground, or whatever it was and stared around at it all. There were two lines of perfectly pruned trees, and hedges. Everything seemed so clean. One look over her shoulder told her that the ground was not visible from up here. How interesting. Why would the guardian of a planet chose to obscur that which he protected?
The sound of something clattering to the ground caught her attention,
and she whirled around. Falling into battle stance she eyed
the round little black figure that was retreating from the threat before
she'd even initiated it. Sarro never relaxed after that, not until the
black figure returned with an elderly Namekuseijin at his side. Sarro voiced
her surprise with the species' name.
" Saiyajin? " The Namekuseijin said, his own surprise and wonder sounding.
Sarro eyed the Namekuseijin she assumed was the cat's Kamisama. He was old for a Namekuseijin. With a well creased face and slightly bloodshot eyes. He dressed simply, and in the Namekian fashion, with a floor length off-white robe and a burgundy vest overtop. His weight he heavily placed upon a knarled old staff that was slightly taller than him.
Sarro straightened up. She took a deep breath and launched into it, speaking as polite as she could, considering the respect one must garner before earning the title 'Kami.' " My name is Sarro, I am a Saiyajin, regrettably. "
Dende nodded. " I am Dende, I am Kamisama, and lately I've been considering
adding 'regettably.' " He flashed her a smile that
immediately relaxed her to a point she didn't know existed.
Sarro continued, " I am looking for a man named Son Gokuu. All I know of him are legends and heresay. But if the legends are true, he is, or was, or whatever, a Super Saiyajin. "
Dende nodded and conceeded, " One of them. "
" One of them? " Sarro repeated.
Dende wavered it away. " Son Gokuu left many years ago. Oh, Mr. Popo apologizes for startling you, but your ki startled him and it all went from there. "
Sarro furrowed her brow. Was the Namekuseijin losing it? How had that come about?
Dende grinned his enigmatic grin again. " I see what you're thinking. You have a ki level higher than the last known one of Gokuu's. The question here is, why do you seek him? "
Sarro's eyes misted. " Out in the universe there is a dark power growing in strength and power, enough to destroy this and every other world. It is following me, I can feel it, and no one else seems to be able to. I, it follows me wherever I go and whatever I do. I don't know why and I don't have the power needed to stop it, but together with a Super Saiyajin I should. " Sarro closed her eyes. " If there is no Son Gokuu, there is no hope for the universe. "
Dende's voice softened out of sympathy. " There are the descendants of Gokuu and those who fought with him. But their power has diminished. No one has been able to match Son Gokuu, but for you as far as my knowledge goes. If he were still here, he'd be stronger than you now. " Dende looked at Mr. Popo. " But there is a way you can gain Son Gokuu's help. "
" How? " Sarro looked at him suspiciously.
Dende smiled again. " If this power will follow you to anywhere you go, who's to say it won't follow you to any time? "
" I see, " Sarro returned the grin, feeling her hope return to her. " And if I can't find time, Dende, I'll make time. "
Dende laughed amicably. " Then a history lesson is required, I believe. "
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The sun was low over the horizon, marking twilight. Sarro didn't favor the idea of going Oozaru and the full moon was tonight. Hell, this whole planet was getting on her nerves. From the way the air hung heavy with dust to the locals trying to coax her into a fighting tournament.
And Saiyajin Did Too retire.
Damn her species to hell and back. Even being the last of them hadn't gotten the stain of reputation off her back. Travelling in a space pod probably didn't help either, but she had no money and really had no interest in it. So, she was stuck with the descript little ship her parents had stuck her in.
Sarro felt a pang as her parents came to the forefront of her mind Her mother was dead, starved after falling prey to an Earth-bound addiction. As for her father, who knew where he'd disappeared to. Not too long ago she would have bared her teeth at the thought and spat 'Good riddance.' But time had changed even her.
Gone was the Legendary Sarro. Now all that remained was a tired, worn out slight once-warrior who just wanted to be left alone.
She sensed the warrior trailing her long before he clamped a hand down on her shoulder. Not that he'd been trying all that hard to hide his approach. She sighed as he forced her around and snapped in her face with a voice riding on foul smelling breath,
" I knew I recognized you! You're Sarro! You're the one who won the last of King Cold's fighting tournaments. "
" Mm, yes, " Sarro replied, her tone bored, " the last one before he called them off after his son Freezer met with an, unfortunate, end on Namekusei. But I've retired since then. "
" Bah, " the warrior pushed her away roughly, " retired. Sure. " He crouched into a laughable fighing stance (descendant of the Ginyuu Force, perhaps?) and invited, " Fight me, Saiyajin. "
Sarro turned and walked away.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she sensed the ki attack racing towards her back. A small smile curved her lips as she prepared a retaliatory strike. Fight, no, but a quick death she was all but willing to give.
Although, to her surprise, she never got the chance. Another ki blast flared out from the left and cancelled out that of Sarro's attacker. This was followed immediately by a short groan and the soft thud of the warrior's body hitting the dust strewn ground.
Not turning, Sarro said without emotion. " Thanks, but I really didn't need that. "
" I, of all people, should know that, naturally. "
Sarro stopped short as her own voice answered her. This voice was older, more matured, but her's just the same. Slowly, Sarro turned and found herself faced with a much older version of herself. This version wore a simple gray floor-length dress, and her face was creased with worry lines the Saiyan race had hardly lived to see.
" What sort of trickery...? " Sarro hissed.
Her older counterpart placed both hands on Sarro's shoulders and began speaking in earnest. " Far off in the universe there is a dark power growing in strength: strength enough to destroy all living things and that around them. "
" Is it so hard to just say, 'everything?' " Sarro questioned.
Elder Sarro smiled faintly. " I apologize, I guess I've gotten wordy in my old age. Nonetheless, you have the power to stop it. Already you know of one weakness, it will follow you, " the smile widened slightly as she realized an error, " me... us, no matter where or when we go. Dende and I have run tests that prove this to be true. " Elder Sarro leaned forward and lowered her voice, " What I need you to do, is go to a planet it's inhabitants call Earth, or Chikyuu, or Terre, or whatever name you're familiar with, and employ the help of a man named Son Gokuu. I will meld with you in a moment, and then you'll know everything else. "
" Then why are you nattering on to me now? " Sarro demanded.
Elder Sarro thought a moment. " Preparation? Dende said to talk to you first, make sure you were at the point in time that was best. I see now that it is. Retired, but with the fighting spirit. "
With that, Elder Sarro wrapped her arms about Sarro's neck in an embrace of sorts and disappeared.
Sarro blinked at the sudden change, and took a moment to look around as she got her bearings. The ground was cast in indigo hues with the oncomming night, and the warrior's dark blood was coagulating with the dust. On the pooling blood she caught a faint silver glimmer that indicated the moon was rising, and quickly turned to go. Keeping her eyes downcast, she climbed into her space pod and hit the command that closed the door. Sighing again, she leaned back against the cushioned seat and then reached forward to enter in a flight course.
" Earth, " she said in a mutter as the space pod lifted off, " here I come. "
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[The mysterious warrior who calls herself Sarro has set her sights on Earth, in search of our hero Son Gokuu. But are her intentions as pure as they seem? What is the Dark Power, and what does it want with her? Perhaps this and more, in Chapter Two; You Have to Help Me! Sarro's Second Arrival on Earth]
[Written by Inseiko, 1999]