The news was shocking, to say the least.
" She's What?! " Sarro demanded.
" Yeah, " Yamcha confirmed, " Bulma just called me with the news. "
Sarro had no explanation, nor excuse, for the feeling of jealousy that rose within her at Yamcha's mentioning of Bulma. She was friends with Bulma. Dangit, Dende had put ideas in her head.
Attracted to Yamcha. Feh. So what if she was? It wasn't like she was going to do anything about it.
Besides. She had more pressing issues to deal with.
Dende, you could have warned me about this, she accused.
I don't know everything, came Dende's irritable response.
Suddenly she felt Yamcha's hand on her shoulder, and she looked with a start up into his face.
" Come on, " he said softly, " They've got her body at Capsule Corporation. Everyone's there. They figured you'd know what to do. "
" Yes, so they would, " Sarro said absently, for she was at a complete loss.
Once again, she was losing.
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The feeling around Capsule Corporation was a somber one. As Yamcha led her through the network of halls she fumed to herself. She couldn't rewind time this way, not without letting everyone know her secret.
No no no! She would not. She'd worked too hard to blow it all now on prematurely telling everyone about the Dark Power and her true purpose on this planet.
Although, she was seriously evaluating Katera as a mistake.
Hmmph, Saiyajin. The universe would be so much better if Freezer had succeeded in destroying them all.
Finally they reached the room Katera's body had been put within. Everyone was there-- Gokuu, Chichi, Gohan, Gyuu-maoh, Bulma, Doctor Briefs, Mrs. Briefs, Vejiita, Piccolo, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Chaou-zu, Kame Sen'nin, Oolong, and Pouar. It seemed the only person not to come was Ranchi.
They all looked at her mournfully. Except for Vejiita, who was surprisingly impassive (she'd expected him to be smiling, really), and Piccolo, who's facial expression hardly changed anyway.
Sarro approached the body with silent steps in the stifling silence and leaned heavily on the table. " So, " she said in a mournful whisper that was more from her elder side than her younger, " it's true. "
" Feh, " said Piccolo in a low growl with a crossing of his arms, " she's not dead. "
Those words stung Sarro like she'd never thought possible.
" P-Piccolo? " Gokuu questioned, " How could you say that? "
" Yeah, look at her, " Oolong voiced.
Piccolo glared past Sarro at the body. " Someone like that can't die that easily. "
" Ah, Piccolo, " said Kuririn slyly, sidling up to the warrior several feet taller than he, " I think you're in denial. I... think you liked her. "
Piccolo glared down at Kuririn. " What? "
[no black humor here]
Yet, as Sarro stared back at Piccolo she found Kuririn to be right. The crusty Namekuseijin had taken a liking to... well... the crusty Saiyajin. Interesting. A moot point, but interesting nonetheless.
Vejiita crossed his arms and caught Sarro's eye with a feral glare. " Well, I say 'good-riddance' to her. She was a pain in the ass, and I'm glad to be rid of her. " His glare became measured and he spoke directly at Sarro, " She won't be coming back, will she? It's not like she planned on letting any of us live, let alone you, Sarro. "
Sarro was quite fed up with Vejiita's big mouth. Taking one echoing step towards the Saiyajin no Oji she slapped him and shouted in his face, " Shut Up You Arrogant Little Weasel!! "
With a hand to his face, Vejiita struggled through the insult. The second insult Sarro had dared to hand him. [no pun intended] How Dare She?!
Sarro turned away and placed both hands on the table. How? How was she going to solve this? How how how?!
" Sarro? " Gokuu approached her, " Is there, anything, that you can do? "
" I'm thinking, " Sarro muttered.
Everyone looked around at everyone else. No one particularily liked the tone in Sarro's voice.
" Perhaps I can be of service. "
All attention snapped to the door, including Sarro's, and to Mirai Dende standing in the doorway. He stood there a moment, letting everyone get used to his presence, then took careful steps towards the center of the room, and Katera's prone body.
" K-Kamisama? " Gokuu questioned.
" That is none of your concern, " Dende chided. He spread his arms out, and tapped his staff heavily on the floor. " Everyone give me space. " Everyone did without question, though with suspicion that Dende ignored.
Only Sarro remained close. She grabbed Dende by the sleeve and whispered, " What are you doing? "
" Sarro, dear, I said give me space, " Dende told her with that enigmatic smile.
Sarro wordlessly stepped back.
Dende reached out with one thin hand and placed two fingers in the center of Katera's forehead. Starting from his fingertips, a blinding gold light extended over both he and Katera, growing to an intensity that forced all in the room to shield their eyes.
When they could look, Dende was gone and everyone immediately freaked out at what they saw.
All except for Piccolo, who merely said, " Feh, I told you so. "
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" We would have won if not for her Namekuseijin friend, " stated the Dark figure in answer to Dende's solution.
" Perhaps, " was all the harsh voice would conceed.
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Katera sat up and gave all in the room a quizzical look. " Told them what? " she asked, and blinked at the sound of her own voice. " Nani? "
Sarro grinned. Dende, you're a genius.
Heheh, just call it two birds with one stone, said Dende proudly.
Sarro crossed her arms, still with the grin and regarded Katera. The other Saiyan warrior was now a small child, about Gohan's age. She sat with her feet hanging over the tabletop and her eyes wider than Gokuu's as she took in her new appearance.
Really, remarked Sarro to herself, she was quite the adorable child. Still wearing the blue gi, with her scouter on, and her hair in a ponytail. She looked... cute.
And then she spoke.
Staring at her little hands, Katera breathed, " Kisama... " she then looked up at Sarro and pushed off the table to attack, " What Have You Done To Me?! "
Still got her adult mind? inquired Sarro mildly.
Yes, and her scouter will alter as she grows. I didn't want to completely leave her without her life, Dende remarked.
Piccolo reached out with one hand and caught Katera mid-attack. Katera began shouting obsenities that sounded even odder coming from a child's throat.
" What... happened? " Bulma breathed, her purple eyes on Katera.
Sarro hedged a moment, " We-e-e-e-ell... Yes, well, um, Katera, um, died... and, I still, um, needed, well, it wasn't right how she died, you see. I mean, one surprise blow and she's gone, that's no death for a Saiyan warrior by any means. "
" Got that right, " Katera muttered, lethal eyes on Sarro.
Sarro edged backwards despite herself. If looks could kill... " So, my, my friend... and I... "
And you? inquired Dende shrewdly.
Shut up. " ... ressurected Katera... again... "
" Again? " echoed Kame Sen'nin, having never heard of the last occurance.
Starting quiet but crescendoing as she went, still hanging from Piccolo's grasp, Katera asked, " But why did you have To Do It In This Damned BODY?! "
" Yeah, " Kuririn said, " Why didn't you just use the Dragonballs? "
" Yeah, " Chaou-zu agreed, " Katera hasn't been wished back yet. "
Sarro straightened up and answered, " Because, you can't use the Dragonballs... without... my... permission... "
" Why Sarro? " Gohan inquired.
Sarro laughed nervously. " I... can't tell you! "
" Why? "
" I just can't! Just be satisfied with the fact that you can't use the Dragonballs... and you can't kill each other. Yeah... "
" Can we get to the problem at hand? " Katera muttered angrilly.
" I was, " said Sarro with a dismissive wave of her hand, " anyway, the only way to resurrect Katera without using the Dragonballs... "
" I still don't see why not, " Kuririn muttered.
" ... or getting Vejiita into a tizzy... "
" A tizzy? " repeated the still indignant Saiyan prince.
" ... was to revert her age... a bit... " Sarro concluded.
" A bit? " repeated Katera incredulously. " A Bit?! You call this a f***ing Bit?! "
[I'll go pretty far in the swearing department, but not that far. 'sides, Konekochan will Kill me!]
Sarro giggled again nervously. " Yes, well, we had our reasons. "
Vejiita caught on despite himself. " Sure Katera, " he strided over and sneered in her face, " now that you're pint sized, you won't be such a pain in the ass. "
" Right, " Sarro agreed, " you won't try to kill Vejiita, and if you do... " she trailed off.
Quite happily, Vejiita sneered in adendum, " You can't! "
Katera's facial expression was one of beyond rage. Taking a swipe she caught Vejiita in the jaw with one fist, while using the momentum to carry herself around and blast Piccolo in the face. He dropped her, and she landed on her feet on the ground. Pushing off immediately she sneered, " I think you're forgetting, Ojisama, " she knocked the wind out of him with a blow to the midriff, " that I may look like a child, " she got him in the jaw again with a swift uppercut, " but I most certainly am not. " She watched and pushed her bangs from her face as Vejiita's knees hit the ground.
While he suffered, Katera stalked over to her sword, which had been
leaned against the table she'd been on. Grabbing the hilt with both hands,
she twisted around to pull it out, and promptly fell over. The sword remained
standing. Getting up, Katera's expression had gone beyond words. Repeatedly
she attempted lifting her sword, finding failure at every turn. " Kuso,
" Katera swore, staring down at her now useless hands. All her work, all
her training... for nothing?! For her to be stuffed into this
tiny little body and forced to go through the torment of growing up
all over again?! No!
" So, " Dr. Briefs attempted clearing a fog, " Katera still has her adult mind, but a child's body. "
" Sure, " Sarro shrugged, " she has the same sentu ryoku as well, my friend and I thought it best not to handicap her anymore than was necessary. She's a fair enough warrior. "
" Fair enough? " Katera's indignity went off scale at that one.
" Then why can't she lift her sword? " Yamcha inquired.
Sarro twisted her face in thought. " It's more of a size thing than anything else. She'll get used to it. "
Tenshinhan looked at Sarro, touching on another aspect of the conversation alltogether. " Who was your friend? Was that Zello? "
Sarro snapped a murderous glare on him. " What did you say? "
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[Uh... huh. That name, there it is again. Perhaps now we'll get some answers from our mysterious friend by name of Sarro. Is friend the wrong word to use? What's to become of Katera?! Hey, I'll tell you a little secret... nah, maybe I won't. Next Chapter! Gohan's New Sister? Let the Training Begin!]
[Written by Inseiko, 1999]
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