On some aspect it could be viewed as sad that the fight between Sarro and Vejiita was only a sparring match. Were it a real, all out, fight to the finish battle it would have gone on for hours with no clear winner until one or both died.
This troubled Sarro.
I thought for sure I'd be stronger than I am... She furrowed her brow as she and Vejiita exchanged blows, I've been too lax in my training. I should be far more stronger than Vejiita.
Vejiita let out an echoing battle cry and lifted into the air to kick Sarro in the temple. She ducked down and to the side, coming up behind him and with an overhand blow with her fist to the small of his back had him crashing to the ground.
While he took the second to recover, Sarro resumed her thoughts, If Vejiita and I are this close in power, I can only imagine the power Son Gokuu possesses. Her face set grimly, Damn. If only I could find the power of the Super Saiyajin. Then I'd take care of my problems and not waste my time with this worthless game. Her eyes narrowed as she evaded Vejiita's next barrage of attacks. A flicker of his words invaded her mind.
Now I remember you! Yes, it wasn't even that long ago now that I think about it. One of King Cold's tournaments... that is, if you really are the Densetsu no Sarro...
Pity she'd lost her temper. Her memory failed her in trying to recollect some time in the past when she'd met Vejiita. She'd certainly never fought him at any tournaments. Her brow furrowed. Was Vejiita bluffing to get a rise out of her? Or did he really know something she didn't... and if so, how much was that?
Damn it. This was going to bother her if she didn't get it out.
Mustering up all her strength, Sarro called upon the power she'd been reserving. Yes, she and Vejiita were close, but she was the stronger, and it was time the little prince were put in his place. Sarro splayed her fingers and touched fingertips together. Slowly moving her hands apart, her ki manifested as a writhing ball between her hands. With a short grunt of exertion, Sarro fired the ball at Vejiita. The prince could only stare as it caught him in the chest milliseconds after Sarro's firing it and sent him crashing across the room.
Striding across the room, Sarro called after him, " That's enough for today. "
" It's never enough... " Vejiita muttered bitterly.
Sarro reached him by that time and regarded him in confusion. " What was that? "
In response, Vejiita took a swipe at her. Sarro leaped lightly back and out of range.
" Vejiita, " she said kindly, though to him it sounded condescending, " I'm curious. Have we met? Before Chikyuu, I mean. "
" No, " answered Vejiita roughly. " We never got the chance. "
Now genuinely intrigued, Sarro leaned in and enticed him, " Do tell. "
" Katera got in the way. "
Sarro sat down at that and prepared herself for a long story. " That's my other question, actually. I see now they tie together. " Vejiita glared at her. Sarro smiled. " If you think about it, sitting here in this gravity is almost an exercise in itself. "
" For the weak, maybe, " snapped the prince.
Sarro smiled tolerantly. " Why don't you start at the beginning anyway? "
Vejiita stared at her for a long time, his lip twisted slightly into a sneer of repulsion. Sarro could see that talking wasn't the prince's strong suit.
Feeling it was time for another lie, Sarro prompted, " We have all the time in the worlds. "
Vejiita sniffed, but complied anyway. " I don't know why Katera was inclined to disguise herself as a male. It did her no good either way, just gave Nappa excuse enough to make a big deal of it.
" But if you want to hear it from the beginning, Katera and I first met when she had just returned from the planet she'd been sent to as an infant. It was a passing meeting, but a meeting nonetheless. I saw her and was intrigued by the power she seemed to have. I was very young at the time, it was right around the time Freezer took an interest in me. Now that I think about it, I wonder why Freezer didn't notice her. At an age almost as young as I, she could take on the elite and manage.
" I won't go into detail because I don't know. Somehow Nappa discovered her secret and revealed her to be female to myself and a large group of the elite. Katera was ridiculed, and pissed off. Right then and there she beat the shit out of Nappa. "
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It's understandable that no one really took any notice when Nappa barrelled into the arena. Nor did anyone bother to pay attention to the young boy in warrior's armor who's arm had all but disappeared into Nappa's massive fist. But when Nappa spoke, the volume alone was enough to make even the little prince pay a mild attention.
Nappa grinned widly, perhaps foolishly, for he had some clue already of what was in store for him. But in this crowded area, his little captive couldn't acheive much.
Lifting his captive high into the air, he waved him around slightly like a bit of meat to a pack of hounds and boomed, " You all know Chibi Kateraope here! "
Vejiita-Oji blinked. Yes, he knew the little warrior, but only by name. It had intrigued him that there was another Saiyajin small as he with close to the same amount of power.
With a great show of bravado, Nappa reached up and grasped Katera by the ponytail at the back of 'his' head. " Well, " Nappa's grin grew wider as he baited his audience, then reeled them in, " I know something you don't know about our little friend here. " This said, he ripped out the ponytail's binding (and quite a few strands of hair) and as the now loose hair fell (fell! How unusual) around Katera's shoulders, he declared triumphantly. " Kateraope's a Girl! "
The reaction was rather mild for Saiyajin. Some claimed to have heard someone in the back shout, " So what!? " (probably one of the few female elite)
However, Vejiita-Oji was regarding Nappa's little prize with narrowed eyes. Female elite were rare, and at a young age this one already was? What was to become of her in the future then?
His little face puckered in distaste, Vejiita snatched a scouter off the face of the warrior closest to him and placed it over his own eye. He watched through it as Katera attacked Nappa in insult and beat him to the ground despite the collassal difference in size. This Kateraope Nappa spoke of was no longer a point of interest, she was a threat. But, Vejiita didn't want to risk fighting her. No sense in making the other elite believe that he was not the strongest.
" Matte! " Vejiita snapped.
Katera turned to face him with a glare, upon seeing who it was, she dropped to one knee and murmured, " Ojisama. "
Vejiita sniffed and commanded, " Get up. "
She did, and he immediately regretted it. She was the same height as him, and could meet him eye to eye. Not only could she, but she did, and Vejiita hated her all the more. How dare she threaten his position. He was the strongest. He was the Densetsu no Super Saiyajin. He was Freezer's favorite. Him, and only him.
" For acts of treason against your commanding officer, your prince, and the Saiyan empire, " Vejiita-Oji informed Kateraope haughtily, " you are hereby exiled from Vejiitasei, Kateraope. "
She glared at him in disbelief, then a seething anger like nothing Vejiita had ever seen. Her fists clenched and he smiled slightly at her in all his arrogance. Handing her the scouter he offered,
" Go ahead and check. I'm still stronger than you. " He never added aloud what went through his head; though not by much...
Katera took the scouter and squeezed it until it shattered. Her eyes never left Vejiita's the whole time. In fact, she had the gall to step closer to him and whisper harshly, " Perhaps not now, but someday I will be, and that is when I will return to kill you, Vejiitaojisama. " It was the first time she'd put sarcasm into his title, and he'd never heard different since. Tossing the remnants of the scouter into Vejiita's face, Katera stalked from the arena.
Nappa stood next to his prince, wiping blood from his face. " Should I kill her? "
" No, " answered Vejiita with a smile, " this is something so much worse than death... "
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Vejiita's eyes had taken on the faraway look of someone delving into memory. " She was a threat to my position, and when I saw with my scouter that she wasn't that much weaker than I, I exiled her from Vejiitasei. Therefore, Freezer never heard of her, and my position as strongest of the race was assured. " Vejiita's face twitched as he came to the next stage. " A year later, Vejiitasei was annihalated by he whom I was so desperate to impress. "
Sarro sombered sympathetically, on some level understanding what it's like to be betrayed in that manner. Then she furrowed her brow and asked, " How old were you then? "
" Four. "
Sarro choked and sweatdropped. " You were definately born for the job, Vejiita. "
Vejiita snorted and stood. He began heading for the door, announcing,
" I'm going to shower. If we're not going to fight I might
as well leave. "
" You haven't told me where you knew me from. "
Vejiita paused, but didn't turn. " It was a tournament. This isn't the first Katera and I have seen of each other since Vejiitasei. You won because we nearly killed each other before Freezer intervened. Happy? "
" What tournament? "
" One of King Cold's, the last one I think perhaps. There were rumors of a Legendary Sarro that fought like a demon and portrayed Saiyan qualities. Radditz wanted to find her and mate her. I just wanted to fight her. But then Katera showed up thinking she could beat me and I never finished the tournament. "
" But... Zello... " Sarro trailed off in confusion.
Vejiita resumed walking. " There was a call for a 'Zello' to take a call. I happened to see you respond. " Then he was gone, and Sarro was left to a very painful memory.
Maybe I am going about this thing wrong...
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[Gee, Sarro whatever gave you that idea? Well, this is the end of the first saga of Dragonball ZL. But don't fret! Things are going to be picking up sometime in the near future! I promise! Who were those figures observing the group's progress in the fight with Jiiyar and his followers? What is Sarro really up to? Next! Saga Two; Kuraft begins with Chapter Fifteen; Future, Past, and Time Galore! Gokuu's Strange Visitor!]
[Written by Inseiko, 2000]