This was it. The final battle. Super Saiyajin Son Gokuu relished
in the feeling. This was what he lived for. This was what his blood yearned
for. Gokuu enjoyed fighting, it wasn't anything bad or evil to him. It
was a passtime, leisure. This was how he unwound, and it filled him with
pride to think that he was fighting for good.
Don't get me wrong, Gokuu's an all-around nice guy, it's just that he's Saiyajin. The mistake Sarro made in the past was to try and rid herself of her need for a fight. Gokuu did not attempt this, but he had been raised to know when was a good time to fight and when was not.
This was one of those times when fighting was good.
The moment of staring had passed, and the Dark Power Kuraft launched itself at Gokuu, the rush of air created by it's movement causing it's form to waver and streamline, giving it even more of a flame-like appearance.
Gokuu blocked, taking the brunt of the first attack in a test of power. This soon became a test of wills as the Dark Power kept coming, and Gokuu's feet dug trenches in the ground. Gokuu grunted with the strain, keeping Kuraft just barely at bay, until he had seen enough and with a yell pushed Kuraft up and into the air.
The Dark Power was strong. Very strong.
For the first time since the battle with Freezer, Gokuu had doubts about whether he would be able to win.
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So many unanswered questions.
Sarro had lost track of them. Most of them were 'why's and 'what if's, a few 'how's and 'when's.
Why was the Dark Power so fixated on her? What if her father wasn't really dead? How could she have been so stupid? When did her father and Kuraft cross paths?
What was going on?
She was still lost within her mind. Vaguely she thought she could hear voices. Dende's... Kuririn's... Yamcha's...
There was an odd gathering. Well, not so much Kuririn and Yamcha, but Dende. What was he doing there anyway? He was supposed to be in the future. He'd better not be messing with her plans.
Her... plans...
Did they even hold anymore? Her as-little-intrusion-as-possible plan seemed to have fallen through. Had it ever really been possible? She was here, she had become a part of Chikyuu's history.
Strange.
Sarro felt at home here. She'd never felt at home before. Then again, the last time she'd been on Chikyuu she'd not had any friends. Now all of a sudden she had plenty. Gokuu... Bulma... Chichi... Yamcha... Now Kuraft would destroy them all. It had planned on it all along, they were afterall, part of the universe. But Sarro hadn't known them before. She hadn't known what special people they were. Truly, a timeline without Son Gokuu would not be one worth existing in. Suddenly it hit Sarro, though in a way she'd known it for a long time.
She didn't want to leave Chikyuu.
Originally the plan was to have Gokuu defeat the Dark Power for her, and then leave. But that was terrible. That was using him. Only after first meeting him had Sarro disliked that notion.
Using... him...
Using him made her no better than Kuraft. Kuraft had used her. Used her and Potaeo. Sarro's mental projection of herself scowled. She didn't Like being used. It made her angry. In fact, it made her furious. How dare Kuraft use her, then dump her when...
Why had Kuraft released it's hold on her? She couldn't remember the words. Something about greatness in her future. Did that mean... did that mean that she could defeat it? If not now, later? Had her arrival on Chikyuu altered her future in this timeline?
How had Son Gokuu become so strong? Sarro reviewed what Dende had told
her of the future past. Of course, it had to be the fact that... that Gokuu
was always engaged in a fight. Soon Mirai Trunks would arrive, telling
of the jizuningen. A year would pass to train, and then the battle would
start. Just when they thought they'd won, Cell appears, and they fight
him. That was the battle in which Gokuu would die. But then... then after
seven years' peace Babidi would ressurrect Majin Buu, and that fight would
stretch, making Gokuu more powerful as he was brought back to life through
some accident with fusion. Again, after that, peace would stretch, until
an old enemy, Pilaf, would wish Gokuu into a boy and send him off into
space in search of the Black Star Dragonballs. On that trip, Gokuu would
fight more battles, making an enemy out of Bebi [or is it Babi?] and fighting
Bejiita. (Vejiita seemed to have the incapability to get a grasp on himself
enough to not be charmed into the 'perfect Saiyajin') After that the Dragonballs
would split, and Gokuu would fight his way to Ii Shenlon. Then, at the
peak of his power, he would
pass away for good, unable to be there two hundred years later when
a weary traveller would come in search of his help.
Yes, of course, if Sarro remained on Chikyuu, then she would be there for all those things... and she'd grow in power in much the same way. As a member of the Earth's Special Forces, she'd be involved in those fights and then... and then Kuraft would...
No... that too, didn't seem right.
Sarro was retired. Sure, she'd be forced into some battles. It was inevitable. But then... why...?
Of course. The game wasn't over yet. It had only changed, leaning for once in her favor. So why... why was she still alive? If the Dark Power Kuraft's only option was to destroy her... then why wasn't she destroyed?
Sarro felt her anger rile, she was getting angrier. She was being toyed with. Kuraft wasn't going to destroy her. It was waiting for her to fight back, to make the next move.
Sarro was about to grant it's wishes.
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Gokuu and Kuraft exchanged blows that sent shockwaves through the trees. Leaves were stripped from branches and sent twirling towards the horizon, in some cases followed by those now bare branches and even the trees themselves.
Dende, Yamcha, and Kuririn sheilded themselves as best they could, using ki to repel whatever debris became projectiles in their direction. Even though they felt as though they were being blown away, they somehow managed to hold their positions until it ended. Gokuu and Kuraft were still fighting, however.
Yamcha blinked in utter shock and bewilderment as another aspect of the scene before him came to his attention.
" S-Sarro?! "
Piccolo landed next to them and informed, " She stood up when the second shock wave passed by. "
" Oh, " Kuririn went off topic then and asked, " Hey, Piccolo, why aren't you fighting? "
" Even I know when a battle has surpassed my limits, " stated the Namekuseijin with a slight tone of resentment.
" I hear ya! " Kuririn agreed emphatically.
Yamcha and Dende merely stared after the woman whom had become such a big part of their lives...
Sarro walked towards the fight between Gokuu and Kuraft, glaring at the Dark Power with a ferocity embedded in hatred. Pure, unabridged, hatred. It coursed through her veins and mingled with adrenaline and ki to form a strange aura that encircled her in a writhing, constantly changing glow around her.
She never heard when Yamcha stuttered through another sounding of her name in the background. She could only focus on what was before her. Katera, Potaeo, and Gohan lay at different places in the field. All casualties of her personal war. Sarro could understand now why Katera had been so vehement about the rest staying on Chikyuu when she went to face Jiiyar. It hurt all the more when someone died for your own personal cause.
Tears glistened in Sarro's eyes. She'd been a fool to play this game. Now she was going to end it.
" Kuraft! " she shouted, her voice rasping over the word, making it sound feral, like an animal's call that called for blood.
Kuraft and Gokuu paused to look at her. Somewhere along the lines Gokuu had gone Super Saiyajin, though that didn't in anyway change that adorable cluelessness in his eyes.
" Sarro? " he questioned, then gave a wide smile and flew towards her. Landing before the woman he grabbed her in a massive hug.
" Gak! " Sarro choked, for a moment losing hold on her anger, " Gokuu! You're too strong!! "
Sheepishly he let her go, mumbling apologies.
Suddenly in the midst of this interlude, Kuraft was there. It raised one arm and backhanded Gokuu into what remained of the Son house. The building crumbled around the impact and fell below ground as the Earth's crust itself could not withstand the blow. Sarro stared in shock a moment, before turning back to Kuraft and glaring.
Kuraft chuckled and then spoke chidingly to Sarro, " Ah, Sarrosama, I hadn't expected you to come to so soon. I'm not ready to kill you yet. " The Dark Power leaned forward and whispered something in Sarro's ear that only she could hear.
Sarro gave a gasp and her eyes widened in horror. She then glared again and turned her face to train that glare on Kuraft. " I'm retired. "
Kuraft chuckled again, a low rumbling sound that Sarro had to fight to keep from making her back down. Her eyes began to glisten with tears and she blinked rapidly to keep them from falling.
Yamcha and Kuririn looked at each other in despair, and at a loss. For they hadn't heard it.
Piccolo and Dende exchanged sidelong glances, they'd heard what Kuraft had said.
Suddenly, in the middle of it all, a loud, drawn-out, (high-pitched) yell broke the silence, and drew all attention to the remains of the Son home.
There stood Gokuu, gathering his power into one, big, blue-white glow around his hands. The yellow flame of the Super Saiyajin surrounded him, creating a stark contrast of cool and warm. Kuraft turned to face Gokuu, and with one arm pushed Sarro to the ground. She fell back in surprise and outrage, then stopped when she hit the ground and realized just what was going on.
" Chikushoo, " she swore and flew backwards to land by the others. Then, " Ack! Vejiita! "
" What? " asked the prince dourly. He dropped Gohan and (yes! even) Katera on the ground and crossed his arms.
Sarro blinked and assured him hurriedly, " Nandemo nai! "
[trans. => It's nothing!]
Vejiita glared at her, but said nothing either way.
Meanwhile, Gokuu had gathered up enough energy and took a step forward to add more power behind his, " Kamehame-HA!! "
Kuraft turned and looked directly at Sarro as the ki blast overtook it, and when it finally dissipated, Kuraft was gone.
With a heavy exhaling of breath, Gokuu fell out of Super Saiyajin, not to mention on to the ground.
Kuririn looked to Sarro, a look of confusion plastered on his face. " Wh-what does that mean? " he asked.
Sarro closed her eyes, turning her head so that when she opened them again she didn't have to look at the spot where Kuraft had been. " It doesn't mean anything, " she answered, and headed for Gokuu. " It's over. "
" Just like that? " Yamcha inquired skeptically.
" Yes, " Sarro responded, something of an edge in her voice, " just like that. "
¤¤
[Sure, just like that. This may very well be the end of the saga, but
not the story! ~evil maniacal laughter~ For now I take a short reprive
to write sum Gundam Wing fanfiction, during which I will be posting Dragonball
ZL Extra, The Alternate Universe Story {version one!} which will catch
us up to date before saga three, which takes place far in the future. How
far may change in version two, but you haven't read version one and don't
know about it!! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha... um... ha... um... yeah. Anyway, ZL
Extra is about Kyande, who is the daughter of I won't tell you who. (c'mon,
you can probably guess) and
provides us with some delightfully amusing hijynx until Katera's past
returns to haunt her AGAIN! (Oh yeah, did I forget to mention she survived
Absolute Zero?) For now, dear reader(s) always remember that no matter
what may happen Gokuu WILL save the day!]
[Written by an exceedingly weary Inseiko, who just needs SLEEP, 2000]