Let's backtrack a little...
Not long after Son Gokuu returned to Chikyuu, the Daimaoh Piccolo Junior contacted his son Gohan, stating that he had a message. While Gohan went to receive said message, Gokuu was detained by a less than impressed Chichi.
While at home, receiving a lecture from his wife, Gokuu was visited, or rather, come upon by a frantic young Saiyan woman named Sarro. She claimed to need his help with another Saiyajin female named Kateraope.
Meanwhile, Gohan reached Piccolo, who informed him that an evil force was approaching Chikyuu. Just as Gohan proclaimed that his father, the hero Son Gokuu, could handle it, Katera crashed into Piccolo's waterfall. Katera was about to fight the two when she sensed Vejiita's presence on Chikyuu and took off to assasinate him.
She was thwarted by Gokuu.
Later on, some of Katera's enemies, led by a being named Jiiyar, arrived with the intention of killing her. Unknown to our heroes, Jiiyar was being commanded by two beings. One, a dark figure with incredible power, and another which has only been referred to as a harsh voice in the darkness.
After Jiiyar's defeat, and a show of power from Sarro that did not fit with her scared little girl image, the dark figure went to Chikyuu and killed Kateraope with one blow. What happens after that is by no means meant to be forgotten, but it is this point in time in which I will connect with the present.
For it was that same dark figure that showed up on Sarro's doorstep that day.
Sarro took two steps back after opening the door in surprise and revulsion. " Kisama... " she breathed, for the Dark Power's presence was strong in this visitor, and perhaps she thought this was it.
The dark figure smiled, revealing a row of perfect white teeth. He gave a low bow and introduced, " Greetings, Sarrosama. "
Sarro took another step back. Her fear in this moment was no act. It is one thing to mentally call out upstart remarks when the distance between you and your enemies is few and far between, it is another to show such bravery when they arrive on your doorstep and greet you respectably.
The dark figure advanced into the house, the door closing behind him by no physical means. His long cloak swished around his feet and the spiked armor that adorned his shoulders clanked. He fixed orange eyes on Sarro as she retreated still deeper into the house. Fear was thick in her eyes and he fed off it. It filled him with a terrible lust that would not be denied. Oh, he could just feel it; the sensation of her blood on his hands, her skin tearing and her lifeforce ebbing away. The salty tears adding to the taste of her blood in his throat: and the smell, oh, the smell alone was ecstacy...
But, business before pleasure, he was here to deliver a message.
Outside, an aircar whizzed past, the leaves of a large tree rustled, and a moment later Sarro's house was wiped off the face of the Earth.
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" YEAAAH!! "
Katera swung her sword at her opponent, slicing but air in her attempt.
But the attempt itself was a feat, as she took two running
steps and swung again in the opposing direction of the initial one.
The sword was easily double her length, but it was akin to... say, riding
a bicycle, as Piccolo's upbringing didn't allow him such analogies, she
weilded it as well as before.
There were a few slight modifications to her form, her stance was not so wide-legged, her knees bent a bit more, and her small hands clasping the sword differently; one right up against the hilt, and one down at the bottom of the grip for counterbalance.
During the 'training' (which by now was more of a mutual sparring match than anything else) Piccolo had gained a keen appreciation for the Saiyajin he'd hated upon sight. She was like him in a way, completely unlike the rest of her species, though in different aspects. While Katera was more intelligent than the average Saiyajin, Piccolo was a touch more evil than the average Namekuseijin.
Other than Slug, that is, but the movies really have nothing to do with the story, now do they?
Not to say that it was an insult to the Saiyajin. Piccolo had seen some marginally genius moments in both Gokuu and Vejiita. (they being the only Saiyajin he knew well enough) However, their moments of intelligence were more strategic, more battle-fed... more how-can-I-beat-this-guy-who's-stronger-without-killing-myself?-type intelligence. Katera had the same thing, only a little more developed. She had a wider range of knowledge, and then there was the sword.
Where she'd learned to form tangible weapons out of her ki alone she would not delve into, nor would she demonstrate. She wouldn't give a reason, as she seemed very secretive in regards to her past. But it was true, the sword was linked to her, and it did have a blade of petrified opaque ice that seemed never to melt.
One could not think of the Saiyajin without thinking of Sarro those days, and Piccolo's thoughts soon turned to that.
Sarro was very smart. Gohan-smart, but manipulative like Vejiita could be. She had a secret, a very big, very deadly secret. Piccolo didn't like it.
She was too suspicious, too phony at times. She hadn't come here for help with Katera, no, there was something else. Something much much bigger than Katera that had forced Sarro to Chikyuu.
" Ice Blade! "
Piccolo blinked and dodged just in time to the side as the ki attack ripped the ground from under him. He looked towards his little student and observed the scowl on her face.
Sometime's he missed Gohan's smiles...
She sheathed her sword at her back, in the one he'd devised for her. It had an opening all down the side, so that all she had to do was slip the blade in and do the clasp over the hilt. Katera turned to go and called over her shoulder, " I'm leaving if you're not going to pay attention. "
" Ah? "
Katera looked over her shoulder and up at him. " I don't want to fight you if you're just going to stand there and think whatever it is that you're thinking. If it's so important meditate or something and call me when you're ready to give me a real fighting lesson, " her mouth curved sardonically and she added in matching tone, " Piccolosan. "
Piccolo bristled and was about to snap a response when his senses were assaulted by a faraway explosion. He turned towards the direction of the feeling and breathed, " Nani?! "
Katera said nothing, just took off in the direction of the explosion. She stared grimly at her readings as she flew, seeing the exceedingly high number and growling on the inside, There you are...
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The explosion that took Sarro's house off the landscape blew Pouar clean away. With a shrill scream the little cat careened off towards the horizon, and with no powers to speak of, Yamcha wouldn't see his companion for awhile.
But at the moment, more pressing matters held president.
" Sarro! " Yamcha shouted, for no valid reason other than fright. He really did like her. Irrationality began to blame him for leaving. What if she was dead? Then he'd never know what her secrets had been, he'd never--
After what seemed like an eternity of running, Yamcha reached the crater and skid to a stop. Standing on the edge, he stared down in shock at the sight presented to him, and had a sudden frantic wish that Gokuu were there...
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Gokuu was, in fact, on his way, as were Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaou-zu, Vejiita, Yajirobee even had been alerted by the explosion. Yajirobee was scared off when he came across Vejiita headed in the same direction. But that's not important, nor is it surprising.
Son Gokuu flew above the treetops, headed for the city he knew all too well. It seemed to be the center for a lot of disturbances. This was not the first, nor would it conceivably be the last. There had been a number of incidents in the city which had been irrelevant to the story thus far. Numerous small battles which had kept the Earth's Special Forces busy and in top shape for when Sarro's predictions came to pass.
Were Gokuu the sort of man to sink into thought, he might consider that last statement to be somewhat erronous. For the Sarro that had told him of the Dark Power, Kuraft, had been from the future. So was she merely retelling the past that would come to pass to him? Was that in itself a prediction? It was enough to give anyone with the predisposition to think such things a mild headache.
Luckily, all Gokuu thought about was where he was going.
His face was in the grim, almost expressionless expression that gave away nothing of his thoughts. This was the expression he wore commonly in battle: an expression of determination that was not to be undermined by any means.
Gokuu loved Chikyuu and it's people with all his being. The majority of the population wouldn't know that until far far in the future. At the moment Gokuu was known for one thing and one thing alone; he was the one whom had won the last Tenkaichi Budoukai. He was the Strongest Under the Heavans.
They would never know of his saving them from the Saiyajin. All the people of Earth knew was what they had seen on the news; that a tall green man, two little kids, one of them bald, a man with three eyes, a doll, and another man with long black hair had fought a bigger man that had come from outer space. All they knew of the outcome was that the big space man was no longer around, and this meant that they were safe.
As for the little space man? He was at Capsule Corporation, he must've been the big guy's prisoner or something...
Of course, anyone who thought the above, clearly had never met the great Saiyajin no Oji Vejiitasama.
Vejiita's trip to the blast sight was shorter than Gokuu's but filled with more thoughts. While it's not to say that Vejiita's the smartest man alive, he's not an idiot either. Granted, emotionally he's not that bright, some might label him emotionally-challenged in some want for a politically correct application of the prince. But that is a result of a tragic upbringing. Ask any psychologist, they will tell you, that Vejiita, is a victim.
Just don't tell him that.
Most of Vejiita's thoughts were insults directed at Sarro. This was, of course, her fault. She'd done this, if not directly it was certainly indirectly. Oh, and if part of it involved those pitiful, petty followers of Jiiyar who always seemed to find him and Not Katera... he'd have a few words for them.
Before he sent them all to Hell after the others.
Vejiita arrived at the blast site and landed next to Yamcha. He too, upon looking, found himself reduced to staring.
[What the heck...?]
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Sarro struggled within the prison built for her. She could feel the ki surrounding her, and the ki surrounding still that. Enveloped in stark darkness, she felt around the ground and found nothing but pebbles and dust.
Dammit. That surge of power from... whoever he was, must've done a real number on her nice house. Oh, he was going to pay. If she ever got out of here.
Wherever here was.
At first she'd assumed that she was underneath rubble, or the ruins of her house, but testing her ki had proved ineffective, making this more than an accident. Sarro was trapped for a reason.
But what was the reason? Why would-- Sarro froze. She was trapped in darkness.
Darkness...
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Katera arrived at the scene, landed hard enough to crack the ground beneath her, and took one step towards the lip of the crater before she too was stayed by the sight within.
" Uso... " she trailed off, her voice sounding all the younger.
[trans. No way]
Piccolo arrived, followed soon by Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Chaou-zu, and finally, Gokuu. All were frozen to the spot by that which they saw in the crater. It was unbelieveable.
Not a scrap of wood nor cloth nor anything remained of Sarro's house. All that remained was a scorched depression in the earth, and the blackened walls of the surrounding houses. Adding to the incredulity of the matter, the front lawn was conspicuously unharmed. Each blade of grass stood as perfect and fresh as it had been before. It was as if whatever had happened had come from Sarro's front step and worked it's way backwards.
Gokuu was the first to move, taking a few running steps into the crater he hollered, " Sarro! " Those few steps stopped short again when he sank to his ankles in the ground and fell flat on his face.
" Gokuu! " Kuririn yelled and prepared to go after him. He was stopped short when Katera's sword blade swung out to bar his way.
" Fly, " she said shortly, wisely, then took to the air herself.
Kuririn stared after a moment in shock, then took her advice. The two smaller warriors flew over and aided Gokuu out of the muck. Together the three returned to solid ground.
" Son? " Piccolo inquired.
Gokuu looked back at the crater suspiciously. " It's mud. The top is scorched to a thin crust, but the rest is... mud. " He narrowed his eyes and scanned the area. " Something very strange is going on here... "
" Demo... " Yamcha piped up. " Where's Sarro? "
" Good question, " Tenshinhan said, which was the closest thing to an answer any of them had.
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The harsh voice in the darkness chuckled. " Her players do well. "
The Dark Figure crossed his arms and leered down at the monitor which showed the Earth's Special Forces, Vejiita, and Katera observing the crater. " Shall I go down and kill them? I could handle the Super Saiyajin power well enough. "
" Iie, " the harsh voice countered softly, withdrawing further into the shadows he remained within, " you shall not. We'll let them suffer through their ignorance, until it becomes so painfully obvious that I've won. "
" What about Sarrosama? "
" Ah, I have her in my grasp. You've done well, Quaker, let me do the rest. " Another chuckle rippled out of the darkness, rich with the satisfaction the Dark Power Kuraft felt, " Let me savour my victory... "
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It wasn't very often that Senpyou climbed his way to Heavan's Platform. Every once in a while he'd risk going up to visit Dende for some tea, or out of curiousity. No one came to Karin tower that much anymore. Since Yajirobee had passed away, (his cowardice had paid off in the end, he died a ripe old age and of natural causes) practically no one had come to Karin tower in search of the Holy Water. Senpyou supposed his magic was outdated. No one even asked for Senzu seeds anymore.
The squat old cat sauntered across the platform and waved to Mr. Popo. " Popo! " he greeted amicably, " How goes it? "
Mr. Popo bowed low to the cat. " Oh, things here are fine. "
Senpyou's ears twitched at Mr. Popo's choice of words. " Here, eh? What about Sarro? How's she doing the past. I hope everything's all right, she was such a nice girl. Quite ladylike for a Saiyajin, pleasant company she was. "
Mr. Popo looked uncomfortable. " Well, I'm afraid the past isn't going quite the way we'd like it to. "
" Oh? "
" You see, Dende can't find Sarro anymore. She's disappeared completely. " Mr. Popo wrung his hands worriedly.
Senpyou considered this, leaning on his staff and twitching his whiskers
as he thought. " That's impossible, she's got to be
somewhere. "
" Indeed she does, " stated Dende, making his way wearily out towards them. " and she is. The problem now is where she is. "
Mr. Popo and Senpyou blinked at him.
Dende closed his eyes in mourning. " Kuraft has her. We've lost. "
¤¤
[Well now, here's an unexpected string of events. Is Dende right? Have our heroes, unknowingly, lost to the Dark Power Kuraft? Son Gokuu cannot lose! No! I won't believe it. Besides, don't you think SOMETHING might have happened in the future to indicate as such? Then again, maybe not. Ah hell, I haven't a clue (and that's the truth!) So, I'll see you next time in Chapter Seventeen; Finally! The Arrival of the Dark Power.]
[Written by Inseiko, 2000]