Gohan was admiring himself in the mirror when suddenly, " Gohan... "
He turned to find Katera standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and
an eyebrow raised as she took in his appearance.
" Why are you dressed like that? "
Gohan smiled and struck a pose. " I am the Great Saiyaman! "
" Gu-ree-to Saiyaman? " she repeated slowly, " What is that? "
Gohan's shoulders slumped, though he should have expected her not to understand. " I'm going to be a superhero! "
" What is a superhero? "
Gohan fumed. " Someone who saves lives, protects the weak, and stops bad guys in their tracks! One who fights for justice, victory, peace, and the general well-being of mankind! " Gohan's words were punctuated by the appearance of some crashing waves and the hiragana for 'sugoi' in bold letters behind him.
Katera hmmphed once in unimpression and turned to go. " I don't recall Gokuusama ever dressing up like an idiot to do so. "
Gohan's face pinched in indignation. " Well, well, what do you know, Katchan? Huh? " He returned to the mirror (which was a much better critic) and proclamied, " I look awesome! " He gave his reflection the thumbs up.
**
Despite his reaction at the time, Gohan smiled at the memory. Katera never had quite given in and accepted his 'Great Saiyaman' identity, but that didn't matter. At least she'd stopped conversing with Piccolo over how 'dumb' (moronic, was the word, actually) he looked... at least around him. He didn't care anyway. He had Videl.
Anyway.
Katera was just going to have to live with being apprehended by the Great Saiyaman. He didn't know who she was fighting, but it was his job, no, his duty as both city protector and her brother to stop her.
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Sarro paced around the ship as it travelled through the emptiness of space. Looking around, she was glad that she and Dende had decided against digging out her old space pod. She wanted the space to move... and train.
Yamcha didn't know this... but she hadn't left Kuraft in the past. She refused to. Somehow the Dark Power had managed to turn her father against her... and what it had said to her just before Gokuu had blasted it...
An involuntary shiver ran through her body. She couldn't think about that. Not yet.
She'd stop Kuraft before it had the chance...
Sarro stopped her pacing at the foreward-facing window and quietly stated the name of the planet Dende had directed her to.
" Neamusei... "
Neamusei... Neamusei... Neamusei... Sarro trailed off into darkness, the words echoing within her mind.
And then a flash, and she jolted out of her almost-hypnotic state.
Sarro shivered, standing once again within the spaceship. One hand flew up to her forehead as she swallowed audibly.
Kuraft... once again it had touched her mind.
Was the Dark Power waiting for her on Neamusei?
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On a lone planet, lost amidst the spiral of stars, forgotten even in the time of Freezer's empire, a lone warrior practiced his katas with formal reverance. Jet black hair hung to his shoulders, to just-so brush his gray skin. Stoic eyes that still somehow had a sense of burning examined his every move, to correct and refine his form constantly. He had to be perfect.
There would be no room for weakness, no room for fault, no room for any leeway when he met the object of his goals.
The warrior paused and steppled his fingers before him, closing his
eyes and curving them slightly, gently resting the tips
against each other. Concentration seeped into his aura, and he whispered
the name given him by the Great Dark Power Kuraft;
" Sarrosama... "
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Sarro paced.
Mirai Dende sat in the pilot's seat and sipped tea.
Sarro paced some more.
Mirai Dende didn't really like tea, in all actuality, but hey, Sarro wasn't drinking it.
Sarro kept right on pacing.
Mirai Dende sighed and set down the teacup.
Sarro shot him a glare, but she didn't stop pacing.
" Sarro, " Dende said in a tone of tired exasperation, " You knew, that sooner or later, he'd stop waiting and come after you again. "
Sarro stopped then and looked at him directly, " Yes, yes I knew that. But knowing that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. " Sarro put her head in her hand and added, " I just wish I knew what it wanted with me. "
Dende regarded her quizzically, " Does refuring to the Dark Power as 'it' make it any easier to deal with? "
" That is one thing and this is another. " The pacing began anew.
" Why me? "
" Likely, it's because you are strong. "
" Then why not Gokuu? "
" Are you wishing this upon him. "
" Would you please quit psychoanalyzing me?! This is Serious Dende! " She was stopped again, looking at him, pleadingly, asking for an answer to it all. Dende stared back without expression.
" I know. "
Sarro blinked back tears and turned away. " I was happy. "
Dende picked up the teacup again. " This is your chance to remain that way. "
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" Gokuusan! " greeted Chichi abruptly as her husband returned to their home. He paused and looked at her, half-grinning in confusion over her angry tone. She stormed over to him and glared up into his face.
Gokuu put his hand behind his head and gave a nervous chuckle, " Neh, Chichi, what's wrong? "
" Gokuusan! What's Katera gotten into? " She stepped back and grew teary
eyed as exaggerated thoughts of horror entered her overactive imagination.
" Has that Piccolo hurt her? Did she have an unpleasant altercation with
the law? " She gasped,
" Did more of her enemies come from outer space to challenge her?!
" Chichi burst into tears and hid her face in her hands,
" SHE'S ALL ALONE OUT THERE AND SHE WON'T LET ME HELP HER!!!! "
Gokuu blinked. He didn't think he'd ever quite understand Chichi's melodrama. But he was used to it. His smile now a comforting one, Gokuu approached his wife and rested a hand on her shoulder.
" Maa, Chichi, " he said gently, " Katera's grown up now, both mentally
and physically. I have faith in her, she can take care of
herself. "
Chichi looked up at him with tearful eyes, and wiped her face with her sleeve. " Gokuusan... " she trailed off.
Gokuu patted her shoulder and offered, " Shall I go get a fish for dinner? "
Chichi finally smiled back at him. " Ha-Hai. Onegaishimasu. "
[trans. Yes, please do.]
Gokuu made an impressed sound and placed both hands on his stomach, " Ahh! We haven't had fish in a long time! I can't wait! "
Then he was out the door.
Left in his wake, Chichi stood in the doorway and looked up to the sky. A motherly smile graced her face, and she reached up to wipe the last of her tears from her eyes.
Katera, she said mentally to the clouds, knowing full well that her 'daughter' would never listen to them anyhow, I was a little resentful at first, when Gokuu brought you into our house. But since then you have become my daughter. Please be safe, and don't do anything stupid like dying or anything...
Aloud she ammended, " And Come Home For Supper Sometime!!! "
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Kyande dove to the side and deflected one of Katera's (many) wayward
attacks. Already Kyande's young mind had turned to
analyzing the battle going on. She knew that Katera was... affected
by this. Well, okay, so affected wasn't perhaps the best word. But Katera
was more than angry this time. She was bothered. Bothered? Was that the
right word? In any case, Katera's mind wasn't entirely on the battle. That
was for sure.
" Kateraoneechan! Gambatte! " Goten cheered, gaining a break as Katera and the funny guy who'd called himself Rucuruu flew farther into the sky. Katera never made any response, but then again, she never did.
[Gambatte => Do your best!]
By now most of the spectators were relatively safe, at least until the two warriors came back down to Earth. Goten ran over to Kyande with a big smile plastered across his face and proclaimed, " Haha! Kateraoneechan's gotten stronger! "
" Hai, soo desu, " Kyande responded, staring into the sky. " But I still don't like this Goten... "
" Mm? " Goten questioned, " Why not? "
Kyande looked at him, " Don't you remember what Rucuruu said to Katera? "
Goten pondered this. " He said a lot of strange things. "
" That's the point! " Kyande shouted in his face.
Insult you?! My best student falls to Chikyuu's curse, and I'm not expected to insult him-- pardon-- her. You've handed me the biggest insult of all, Yurusenai!
Kyande pointed skyward, " I think that guy is from when Katera was training to be a swordfighter! "
Goten blinked his incomprehension.
" He's not Saiyajin and he proclaimed to be her sensei! He said she was his best student! " Kyande waved her arms. " Is any of this getting through to you?! "
Goten smiled, laughed a bit, and said, " Daijoubu! Kateraoneechan will beat him! "
Kyande fell over.
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Katera's breath was a broken hiss through clenched teeth. Sweat ran down her face and her back, and her hands gripped her sword hilt in a white-knuckle grip. How dare he, her mind repeated over and over, How dare he attack the kids... Stupid Vejiita, this is all his fault!
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And from the solitary planet... there came a ship...
**
[~blinks at screen~ That's very reminiscent of how I ended the last Gundam Wing chapter... ah well... Will Katera beat Rucuruu? Is anyone surprised that she's blaming Vejiita? (I'm not) Will Sarro find Kuraft waiting for her on Neamusei? Who the hell is after her now? These questions and more next! Chapter Thirty-one; Legacy! A Bitter Past Strews the Battlefield with Blood]
[Written by Inseiko, 2000]