" How long do I have, Dende? "
" A day... maybe... "
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" Mm? " Gokuu blinked, letting the name sink in. " Rucuruu? "
Father and daughter stood at the peak of Pauzu Mountain, far from where anyone else could hear.
" Hai, " confirmed Katera.
Gokuu contemplated this. " ... Do I know him? "
Katera shook her head. " No. You wouldn't. But he'll know you. But, you are not one of his targets. He thinks the half-Saiyajin have made me soft. "
" Why does he care? "
Katera paused. Finally she drew her sword from her back and displayed the blade for him to see. " He was the one who taught me to use this. "
Gokuu blinked, then, " OH! Okay! I always wondered about that! Vejiita didn't seem to like sword, so I knew it wasn't a Saiyajin thing! Demo... that doesn't explain why he wants to kill the kids... "
" Ee, ano... he trained me with the intention of killing Vejiita. "
Blink. " But you already planned to! "
Katera nodded. " But I wasn't getting anywhere when I first left Vejiitasei,
Rucuruu came across me after one of the fights with
Jiiyar. "
" You fought Jiiyar a lot. "
" Yeah, well, it was good for me. Got stronger every time. "
Silence.
" So... this Rucuruu guy... trained you to swordfight? "
Nod. " He taught me everything he knew, and a few things I made up myself. Apparantly, I'm the only student he's ever had since the death of his planet to be able to form a sword out of my ki. "
Again, this had to take some time to sink in. " OH! That's why you can't let the sword break! "
" Yes. "
" Oh. So. Why's he killing the kids? "
" You'll notice I haven't killed Vejiita yet. "
" I don't like that 'yet' Katera. "
" Sadly, it's become force of habit. I have serious doubts that I'll ever get around to it. There's you, and there's Gohan... and there's Trunks... "
" You really like training Trunks, don't you? "
Katera's silence was answer enough.
" For awhile there... we were concerned. We didn't understand why you were, then we accepted the fact that you were doing something with your life. That was good. " Gokuu placed a hand on Katera's shoulder from behind and offered this small comfort. " I will fight with you. "
" You can't fight Rucuruu. "
" Why not? "
" Because I have to. "
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" Mm? " Kyande peered at the display intently.
" Nnnn... " Goten grinned and grabbed one of the packaged figures with both hands.
[Author's note; If you watch a lot of anime, particularly Sailormoon and other Shoujo stuff, you may have noticed that characters (and real Japanese ppl, actually) kinda... hum when their content/happy. I find it exceedingly kawaii! The problem was trying to illustrate it in text. Thus, I settled on just 'nnn'. For a vocal note, it's a sound made in the back of your throat as opposed to a nasal sound.]
It was certainly a neat action figure, coming with 'Karate-chopping action' and a special 'removeable cape and helmet'. In addition, every package sported a fuzzy press photograph of the Great Saiyaman in action. Often the picture was blurred and underexposed, but there was enough detail to reveal that, yes, it was the real Great Saiyaman.
But what Kyande found interesting was what was in the background of one of the pictures.
" Neh, Goten... " she peered even closer, " ... is that.. us? "
Goten popped his head over her shoulder and examined the picture closely. " Yeah! " He said, moving forward in his exuberance.
" Ack! " Kyande wailed as Goten knocked her over and both children hit the display, bringing it and a whole mess of action figures tumbling down upon them.
Goten popped out of the pile of action figures holding the package in question and laughing. " It is! It's us and Trunkskun! "
" Yay! " cheered Kyande as she too emerged from the pile of toys.
" We should buy one for Trunks too then. " She picked up another one in addition to the one she'd claimed for her own.
" Is that the one with us? " Goten inquired.
Kyande checked. " Yup. " Giggle. " Lookit the silly look on your face! " Kyande looked backwards over her shoulder. " Boy, we sure made a mess. "
Goten nodded.
" Let's go before somebody finds out. "
" Good idea. "
Purchases bought, Kyande and Goten trailed out of the store, meandering despite themselves towards the candy shop.
" I'm hungry, " proclaimed Goten. This was accompanied by a rumbling in his stomach.
" Me too. Let's get something chocolate. I have enough Zenii left for some malt balls. "
" Un! " Goten agreed and ran ahead of Kyande towards the shop.
Before he got there, however, the candy shop exploded into flames and Goten was knocked back into Kyande. Gingerly the two children picked themselves up and gazed up at the figure that floated amidst the smoke above what had been the candy shop.
" Who the hell are you?! " Kyande demanded.
With crossed arms, Rucuruu observed the two and commented, " Such children. I don't understand it. It appears that Chikyuu is merely a planet of disappointments. Nothing less, nothing more. "
" Hey! " Kyande shouted, taking two steps forward and fisting her hands, " I asked you a question! "
" ... " he contemplated this. " Rucuruu desu. "
" There now, " said Kyande condescendingly, " That wasn't so hard, was it? "
" Shine. "
" Kuso! " Kyande leaped to the side of the ki blast that tore up the asphalt where she'd been standing.
With a yell, Goten jumped backwards and retaliated, " Kamekameha! "
Not bothering to see if Rucuruu had been hit or not, Kyande turned on the Son boy and demanded, " When will you get that right?! It's KameHAmeha! "
[Okay, I don't know for sure if Goten actually mispronounces that attack, but I like the idea. ^_^]
" Kyandechan! " Goten cried.
" Mm? " Kyande turned, just in time to take Rucuruu's fist in the face. The young girl staggered back and landed hard on her rear.
Immediately after she hit the ground, Rucuruu took a swift step forward and caught Kyande in the midriff with his foot. The girl went flying and collided with Goten. Children, packages, and pride went sprawling.
Kyande groaned and got to her feet tenatively. Glaring at Rucuruu she brought her hands together and blasted,
" Savage Flash! "
Rucuruu evaded the attack and flew towards Kyande and Goten with his
sword raised, ready to strike them down.
Kyande took a step back and glanced at Goten over her shoulder.
" Betcha this is what Dendesama told your Okaasan about, " Goten shuddered.
" Fat load of help it did us, " Kyande sneered. " Let's show this jerk our true power. "
Goten nodded and stood next to Kyande. Simultaniously the two escalated their power to Super Saiyajin level.
When Rucuruu swung his blade, Kyande reached out and caught it between two fingers. She grinned sadistically at Rucuruu as Goten punched through the blade, shattering the stone.
Rucuruu flew over them to land face down in the middle of the street. But when the two turned to observe their handiwork, he got back up and stated, " I am not like him. "
" Buh? " was Kyande's less than intelligent response.
" Him? What him? " inquired Goten.
Rucuruu looked preturbed. " How is that so hard? I am not connected to my sword by ki like him. " Confusion remained plastered across the faces of both Kyande and Goten. " Not like Kateraope, " Rucuruu ammended, hopefully now they would get it.
Blink.
" Kateraoneechan? " Goten inquired.
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Yamcha stood at the doorway and peered into the darkness that enclosed Sarro's office. Just barely, he was able to make out the form of his wife sitting at the desk in the back of the room.
" Sarro? " he questioned hesitantly.
" Yes? " came the quiet response.
" Are you going to tell me what's going on? "
Sarro's voice had taken on that I-no-longer-in-a-good-mood tone when she responded, " When it's time. "
Yamcha nodded, knowing better than to argue. But before he turned to go, he did bring up one point. " Thirteen years of marriage, Sarro, and I'm still just one of your 'players,' is that it? "
" If you're going to be petty about it. "
Yamcha 'hmm'ed once in something like disapproval and left Sarro to
her machinations.
¤¤
[Sarro borders on having a split personality, doesn't she? What is the bad news that Dende gave Sarro, and why is she going to have to go to space? Will Kyande and Goten be able to hold their ground against Rucuruu? Will Katera take on her old mentor alone? Find out answers and perhaps more (or less) in Chapter Twenty-nine; Secrets and Lies. Swords of Stone and Ice.]
[Written by Inseiko, 2000]