Kaiousama adjusted his glasses.
" Well done, Sarro, " he complimented, " You've completed your training within a day and a half. I commend you. "
Sarro remained impassive.
" But, " Kaiousama declared, " You cannot use Kaiouken until you realize one very important fact about your quest. "
" Is this another joke? "
" No it's not, " Kaiousama said sadly. " I'm perfectly serious. If you don't realize the true intentions of your quest, then you are doomed to fall prey to Kuraft's intentions. "
Sarro's fists clenched and her face clouded in anger, " Never! "
Kaiousama looked away. " It's sad to see such a smart woman act so stupidly. "
" What?! "
Kaiousama pointed back the way she'd come, " Follow the Serpent Road back to Lord Enma's. There you will find Dende waiting and your passage to the living world. "
" So this was pointless, " Sarro muttered.
" No it wasn't, " contradicted the indignant god before her. " If you weren't so clouded with rage and anger, you'd see things more clearly. " He turned cheery and called his monkey, " Say bye-bye Bubbles! "
Sarro flew up to the Serpent Road and paused for a moment. Unable to get Kaiousama's words out of her head, she turned and bowed respectfully. " Doomo arigatou gozaimasu, Kaiousama. "
Kaiousama waved at her as she began the trip back to Lord Enma's.
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An unspoken sign got the battle going.
Katera and Rucuruu snapped blades together and tore the room apart within minutes.
Gokuu leaped forward and scooped Trunks up, shielding the boy against the backlash from the battle (Well, it's not like Vejiita could be depended upon to do it). The man stopped next to Vejiita and stared in worry at the battle.
Gohan and the kids arrived and stopped short in the doorway.
" Neechan! " Goten cried.
" Gah! How is she doing that?! " Kyande wailed.
Gohan stared on in silence. He then noticed his father and stared at him. " Tousan... "
Gokuu looked back, and an understanding passed between them. If Katera failed, Gohan was the only other one with knowledge of how to swordfight.
Gohan swallowed and looked back to the battle. Katchan... please
be careful...
Through the wall into the next room and through the ceiling out into the open air. Wind rushed past and adrenaline pushed by battle drove the pain of her wounds away. Katera bared her teeth in a true Saiyan lust for battle. Drawing on her strength she pushed Rucuruu back and sucked a deep breath. Tossing her head back, she gave a holler, throwing her ki higher. Her hair stiffened and rose, turning a shimmering gold, and her muscle mass increased. When Katera lowered her head again to gaze at Rucuruu with piercing emerald eyes, she was grinning.
Rucuruu moved back momentarily. It was the legendary power, the Super Saiyajin. His face compressed in anger. It was that power that turned her against him. He raised his sword and flew at Katera with an outraged yell. The blades clashed and threw them apart, only for the two warriors to go at each other again.
Katera moved back and infused her blade with power. " Ice Blade! "
Rucuruu dodged to the side of the ki attack and flew towards his opponent. He cut past, slicing her arm at the bicep, and turning when just past to drive the point between her shoulder blades.
Katera reached back over her shoulder and caught the blade in her hand. Bending her body backwards, a feat amazing for someone with her type of wounds, she placed the other hand on Rucuruu's hilt and lifted, tossing him over her and into the ground below.
Rucuruu got up, and launched himself into the air. Stopping at the same level as Katera he commented, " Very skillful. But you're bleeding again as a result. "
" I was bleeding to begin with, " responded Katera quietly. With a short cry she flew at him, slicing him in a bypassing maneuver and then switching her grip to get him across the back as she threw her arm behind her. Turning, she adjusted her hands again, placing her left palm against the end of her hilt and stabbed at Rucuruu. The blade went over his shoulder to lie with the flat against his chest. One of Katera's knees she firmly placed in the small of his back and pushed him forward against the cool ice.
Not one to be beaten so easily, Rucuruu swung his blade around at her free leg. Katera raised it out of the way, and he turned the blade upwards, chasing her. Katera's smaller frame made it easier to evade yet again, and she leaped up to his shoulder, where she pushed off into the air, turning her blade so that it sliced Rucuruu from midriff to collarbone as she went.
Rucuruu screamed in pain and threw his arms about himself to slow the bleeding. He looked up suddenly when the cold feeling of Katera's sword pressed against his neck became apparent.
Katera met his gaze, now back to her normal form. Her face held an almost impassiveness, like she wanted him to believe that this was nothing for her to do. How very typically Saiyajin.
" Sumimasen, sensei, " came her voice quietly, " you were right. "
There was silence as Rucuruu took the time to accept his defeat.
" I loved you like a son, " Rucuruu admitted, for the first time verbally.
Katera looked saddened by this. " No you didn't. You loved the thought of an ironic revenge. You loved your hatred, just as I once loved mine. "
" What changed you? " He had to hear it in her own words.
Katera smiled ruefully and tilted her head. " Chikyuu's curse. "
Rucuruu lowered his head in defeat. Taking up the stone sword, he laid it out in both hands and offered it to Katera.
" I don't want that. "
" Then the boy...? Trunks-Oji? "
" Has his own. " She smirked at the look on his face. " Iie, it was a gift from someone other than I. " Her eyes misted, " I would not do that to him. " She paused. " I love him too much. "
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Gokuu, Gohan, Goten, Kyande, and Vejiita ran out. Trunks followed as fast as he could manage. What they found was Rucuruu's body lying next to the stone sword and Katera still in the air, her arms at her sides and her posture relaxed.
" Katera! " Gokuu flew up to meet her.
" Eh? " She looked at him as if surprised that he was there. " Gokuusama... "
" Katera, did you...? " the question trailed off as she shook her head 'no.'
" He did it himself. " Both father and daughter looked down at the body, " Without revenge, he had nothing left to live for... "
Gokuu looked back at her then. Katera offered him a weak grin and turned to fly back to where the others stood waiting.
" Katerasan! " Trunks cried and met her as she landed.
The (only slightly) taller fighter winced as he hugged her. " Eh, Trunks. Not so hard. "
However, Trunks' greeting was nothing compared to Goten's:
" Kateraoneechan! " He shouted and glomped onto her back. Katera shouted in pain and twisted her head to glare at him.
Gohan snatched 'little brother' and scolded him, " Goten, Katchan's very hurt! "
" Gomen nasai. "
" You'd better be you little youma! " Katera snapped in good humor.
Kyande surveyed the damage to Capsule Corperation. " Bulmasan's gonna be ticked. "
Everyone looked nervous for a moment, but headed inside anyway.
" ... go get some bandages for your new wounds, " Gohan offered to Katera, emphasizing the word 'new'.
Katera hardly heard him, for she had noticed Vejiita glowering at her and just had to return the look. They continued to glare at each other right up until Katera passed him on the way into the building.
Having observed all this, Gokuu smiled. Some things just refused to
change.
**
[What a place to end a saga! That's right! It's done! Finito! YEAH! ~really proud~ But is this the end of Dragonball ZL? ]
[Written by Inseiko, 2000]