Sarro paused at the beginning of the Serpent Road. Stepping to the edge, she looked down at the golden clouds that acted as the gatekeeper to Hell. Leaping up and sideways, she landed on the head of the Serpent, keeping her eyes still downwards.
A breeze stirred the stilled air, rustling her tunic and her long black braid. A silent tear dropped from her face and she gasped, watching as it stirred the clouds and led the way to Hell.
Sarro squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head slightly. She opened them to the vast pink sky and then directed them towards the horizon, where the Serpent Road disappeared between Heaven and Hell.
Sarro forced herself to take the first step, and followed it with many others.
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Gohan burst into the main building of Capsule Corporation (literally)
and ran into the hallways towards the laboratories.
" Bulma! " he called as he ran, " BULMA! "
Kyande and Goten followed along behind him in silence.
Bulma emerged from a laboratory and gave them a curious look. Then she noticed just what Gohan was carrying. Dropping the tool in her hand she gave a gasp and ran to meet him.
" What happened?! " Bulma exclaimed.
" A fight, " Gohan answered shortly.
" Yeah, duh, Bulmasan. " Kyande piped up. Bulma and Gohan gave the girl a warning look. " Gomen... "
" Where's the regen tank? " Gohan asked.
Bulma looked flustered, " It's not finished yet. I was... I was just working on it now... for Trunks... "
Gohan looked down worriedly at Katera's face. " How much longer? "
" I don't know, " Bulma bit her lip. " A couple hours. Maybe the rest of the day. "
" Stupid Vejiita... " Katera inputted softly, her eyes cracking open ever so slightly, " Figures he'd break it right when I needed it... "
" K-Katchan! " Gohan exclaimed.
Katera gave a groan and her head lolled to the side slightly. " Rucuruu wa...? "
Gohan paused, not sure how to answer, " I don't know. He's probably dead. "
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" I don't know... He's probably dead. "
A thin smile stretched across Rucuruu's lips. " Abudosan, you insult my credibility. " His voice was light, something completely unlike any voice she'd heard before in her short life. Granted, it was a short life that to her had felt like centuries, but short nonetheless. Already in her life she'd been betrayed, been beat near death more times than she could count, and allowed herself to be experimented on.
But she was far from dead.
" I'll... " she licked her chapped lips, " I'll kill you both for this insult. "
Rucuruu turned to Abudo. " You see? Saiyajin do not die so easily. "
He approached the bed, and the little demon with it,
" Now leave us, Abudosan. I need to examine my new student. "
Katera's glare could have reduced him to ashes.
Abudo gave a short bow, and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him silently.
" Now then, " Rucuruu reached down and took Katera's hand in both of
his. Deftly he examined it, folding and unfolding her fingers, rotating
her wrist, prodding her palm, and feeling the bones. Setting it back down,
he smiled at Katera and finished,
" Do you remember what I said when we first met? "
The memory of the dusty battleground entered Katera's mind. Parting her lips, she looked away and responded, " You said that I had strong hands. "
" Yes. " Rucuruu folded his own hands on the bed and leaned forward to capture her gaze. " I've heard about you, Chibi Kateraope. How you were exiled by the young Prince Vejiita, I don't know why, of course. That's something only between the two of you, isn't it? "
Katera's lips pressed together in anger. " I see no reason to tell the likes of you anything. "
" Of course. While you may keep your secrets, my dear boy, I have one to divulge to you. "
Katera struggled to sit up. She glared at Rucuruu through thick bangs and demanded snidely, " And what is that? "
Rucuruu leaned forward, treating her like the child she hated to be. In a soft whisper he stated, " Vejiitasei is gone. Destroyed by Freezer. "
Katera stiffened and her face clouded. " You Lie! You Bastard! " She spat, making a motion to attack...
Rucuruu caught her hand and deftly threw her back down to the bed.
Standing up, he drew a stone longsword from the sheath at his lower back. Under Katera's angry gaze, he began to meander around the room, while idly finishing his 'secret,' " While I did so want the honor of obliterating the Saiyajin, Freezer did leave me with one comfort. For some reason he chose to keep the prince with him, alive. "
Katera's eyes flickered interest.
" You leave Vejiita-oji to me, " she stated coldly.
Rucuruu gave a nod of his head. " You do realize what that means? "
" Yes, that he's alive, so I can kill him. "
An amused chuckle escaped Rucuruu. " True, true, " he acceded. " But it also means that Freezer kept the boy prince alive for a reason. " He stopped at the end of the bed and faced the young warrior. " It means that Freezer himself is likely training the prince. "
" No matter. "
" It does matter. You will need to train much more to match the prince, you will have to train at a level you can't acheive on your own. "
Katera's eyes narrowed, " You expect to train me? "
Rucuruu hefted the stone sword. " Do you know what this is? "
" It's a weapon. Crude and useless. Any warrior who depends on such a thing does not deserve to be called a warrior. "
Rucuruu again looked amused. " And I suppose it does not hold up to your 'Saiyan might'? " His words were mocking, insulting.
Katera sniffed. " Of course. "
Rucuruu made a curious noise and swung the sword around and downwards, slicing the air right next to Katera's ear. Small strands of her hair floated down to the bed, and the weight of them alone sent the corner of the bed crashing to the floor.
Katera stared at the clean cut, and then at Rucuruu.
Rucuruu was smiling at her again. She'd grow to be very annoyed at that smile.
Cold Saiyan eyes on his, Katera said quietly, " Teach me. "
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Rucuruu's foot caught a root and he fell on his face in the dirt. With a groan he rolled to his side and his breath threw up little dust clouds. With watery eyes he watched them dissipate before reaching the vast sky that was their goal.
How ironic.
He knew exactly how they felt.
Suddenly a man with a fish walked past. Two steps later, the man noticed him and looked back. " Mm? "
Gokuu blinked at the spot where Rucuruu had been. " That's funny, " he said, scratching his head. " I could have sworn I saw someone there. "
He looked around, but still saw nothing. Narrowing his eyes, he called on his ki sense, but again got nothing. With a shrug, he gained a better hold on his fish and went on his way.
" Anooo, " he commented, " Katera got beat up really bad again... I hope she's okay. "
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Kyande sat on the couch, swinging her feet and trying to pull all of her hair into a ponytail on top of her head. Pouar floated next to her, trying to help with his stubby little paws. Goten sat next to Dr. Briefs on the couch munching on a gigantic chocolate chip cookie, while Mrs. Briefs cooed over how cute he was and how much he resembled Gokuu. Vejiita stood leaning against the side of the couch, with his arms crossed and his eyes closed.
" Yamchasama's sorry he couldn't make it, Kyandechan, Minnasan, but he had a meeting with Mirai Dende, " Pouar apologized for the fifth time.
" Stupid icky Dende, " Kyande scowled and muttered insults.
" .. So much like Gokuu...! " Mrs. Briefs continued.
Dr. Briefs nodded in agreement. Goten munched.
Vejiita said nothing. Vejiita did nothing. Vejiita just stood.
Bulma and Gohan entered, disrupting it all. Bulma was wringing her hands and Gohan's gloves were bloodstained. Everyone stopped talking, Goten momentarily forgot his cookie. (while it was in his mouth) Vejiita opened his eyes.
The seconds ticked by in silence.
Kyande dropped her hair. " Ohmigod! She IS Dead! "
Goten dropped his cookie and began bawling. " Neechaaaaaaannnnnnnnn!!! "
Pouar wasn't very far behind him.
Gohan sighed. Bulma glared at Kyande. " She is not! "
Vejiita raised an eyebrow in interest.
Bulma sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. " Katera's not dead. But she's not fine either. Tousan, come on, we need to finish repairing the Regeneration tank by the end of the day. "
Dr. Briefs got to his feet, placing the cat firmly on his shoulder he stated, " We'll have it done sooner! Ikimasu! "
Gohan sat next to his brother and hugged him.
" Where is she? " Vejiita asked abruptly.
Gohan stared at him, startled. " Vejiitasan... "
The prince continued to glare straight ahead.
Gohan smiled slightly, " Across the hall from Trunks. "
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" Ahh! There you are! " Kaiousama's voice rang out in greeting.
Sarro paused, and looked around. The Serpent Road had come to a point where it meandered and wound around a barren mountainous region.
" Down here! "
Sarro followed the voice to it's source, a cave set in the rock, encompassed by a semicircle of flat rock that had become the new home of the World God.
" So, " said the rotund blue god when her gaze finally found him, " you want me to train you? "
Sarro turned to face him, remaining on the road. " Dende wants you to train me, yes. "
Kaiousama chuckled a bit. He turned towards the cave, and beckoned to it. From within emerged a monkey and a grasshopper. " Bubbles has been very excited at the prospect of another student. Why don't you come on down, and I'll make lunch before we begin. "
At the mention of food, Sarro's stomach growled insistantly.
**
[Sarro has arrived at the home of Kaiousama, Gokuu's long ago teacher. Will he have any answers about why Mirai Dende sees fit for Sarro to learn Kaiouken? Will Mirai Dende be able to bring Sarro back to life? Speaking of lost lives, will Bulma and her father be able to finish the Regen tank in time to save Katera? Did Gokuu really see Rucuruu? Or am I just weird? (or both...) I'll try to have some answers in the next chapter!]
[Written by Inseiko, 2000]