Here's chapter 13! This is the part I've been anxious to get to. Hope you like it as much as I do! Oh, and I just want to let everyone know, once this fic is finished and 'The Reunion' comes to a close (Hopefully around the beginning of February), I'll start work on the first fic idea I ever had. I think it's a great idea and I might add some teasers for that to a few chapters of this. Just to build interest! ^_~ Anyway, hope ya like!


Disclaimer: Belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Sony, Jump, etc. etc. Not mine, didn't get

permission, not making money off this. You get the point.


Warning: OOCness as usual. Do I really need to write that anymore? Every chapter is OOC

and will continue to be as such.


Kaoru...The Saiyan??

Chapter 13: The Room of Spirit and Time


Kaoru and Misao stood, breathing hard and clutching their chests. "Goku! Don't do that!"

Misao scowled at the Saiyan as he just grinned back.


"Sorry, girls. Time to get a move on!" He held out his arms and everyone grabbed on, ready

for the trip.


They were immediately on the Lookout again and Dende was waiting patiently. "Greetings,

everyone!"


Everyone nodded their response and Dende motioned for them all to follow him. He walked deep

inside the temple structure and wound his way down many flights of stairs. Kaoru began to get

nervous wondering who her only companion for the next year would be. Her questions were

answered as she heard Gohan and Trunks talking a few floors below them. They rounded a

corner and the two teenagers grinned at her.


Trunks made his way over. "Well, Aunt Kaoru. Time to train."


Kaoru nodded and turned to the others. "I'll miss you guys, even if you don't miss me."


Misao looked at Kaoru like she was crazy. "Of course we'll miss you!"


Kaoru gave a short laugh. "It'll be a year for me and 24 hours for you, Misao."


Misao cocked her head to the side in confusion and then realization dawned. "Oh yeah! I forgot."


Dende looked at the two Saiyan boys. "Now, remember, the room can only support two people

at a time. You may both enter with Kaoru, but one of you will have to leave within 12 hours or

6 months. The room can't take it for longer than that." Trunks nodded.


"I'll be the one leaving. Gohan is staying with her."


Dende agreed. "Yes, that's good. Once you two emerge after your year, Misao and I shall

enter for our year."


Misao gasped. "WHAT?! That was never discussed."


Dende smiled sweetly at her. "Did you think you could master healing within a few months?

This will take a while, Misao."


Misao lowered her head. "If it's the only way..."


"It is."


They all said their goodbyes and watched as Kaoru and the other two entered the Room of Spirit

and Time. Dende led the rest of them upstairs. "Well, Misao. You can at least learn some

basics up here."


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They reached the outside again and saw Piccolo floating in mid-air, meditating. A soft glow was

emitted from his body and every now and then a flash of lightning would strike a nearby bug.

The three Meiji people could only look on in astonishment.


Dende finally drew their attention away and led them to another area of the Lookout. "Piccolo's

meditation takes absolute silence. We don't want to disturb him."


Kenshin went off to one area to practice his kata. Aoshi watched as Kenshin moved gracefully as

he swung his sword one way then the next, shifting his feet and body weight as he moved. He

would leap up and then roll as he hit the ground, leaping back onto his feet in a ready stance.

Aoshi realized with a hint of amusement and a load of understanding that Kenshin was fighting

an imaginary opponent, trying to figure out different ways to counter different attacks. He wants

to be able to step in if Kamiya-san is injured. He knows he can't win that's why all of his

efforts now are on blocks and evasions. He just wants to buy her some time if needed.


Aoshi's thoughts were interrupted at a shout from Misao. "Oh, Dende! That's so cool! Can I

try?"


Aoshi looked over and saw a small butterfly hovering around them. Dende disappeared for a

few moments and retrieved another one from underneath Piccolo, one of the many bugs he had

zapped earlier. "Here you go, Misao. Remember, just concentrate on your own ki and direct

it to the butterfly."


He watched on as Misao tried desperately for what seemed like hours, but was only a matter of

minutes. Dende gently took the butterfly from her and a glow formed around his hands, the

butterfly taking off as soon as his hands were opened.


"Misao, healing takes quite a while to learn. I trained for many years to have the level of control

I do. First, you find your own center. You need to use your own energy to heal, that's why it

can be so exhausting for a beginner. For larger animals, such as humans, you need to try to use

almost all of your energy. For a small creature, such as that butterfly, you need to be able to

hold enough back that you don't hurt it by trying to help. The reason I let you try is because

you haven't learned to channel it yet. Had you been able to do anything, you would have only

been able to produce enough energy to heal that butterfly. You couldn't have hurt it."


Misao let his words sink in. She was going to master this. One year away from Aoshi or not,

she would become a healer. They all needed her to be. Sure, they had Megumi, but some

wounds needed quick treatment. Misao would be able to bring people back from the brink of

death. That was something Megumi could not do.


Aoshi watched as Misao sat, seemingly entranced by the young green man's voice. He decided

to do a little training himself and got into a meditation pose.


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Kaoru sat on the white floor of the room. It was just an infinite white space, the only thing in it was

the three beds, a bathroom and vast amounts of food. Trunks looked at the beds and began to

scratch his head in thought. "Weren't there only two beds last time we were here?"


Gohan turned to his friend. "I think Dende said something when we got here about having

the room set up for three."


Kaoru jumped up. "All right, let's get going. I want to be as strong as possible."


Trunks and Gohan flew at her, signaling the start of some serious sparring.


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Kenshin looked up and found Goku and Vegeta sparring above his head. They would block

and attack and counter and suddenly separate and then fly at each other again. He drew his

attention back to his own training and started again.


Misao was still being lectured by Dende and still listening intently. "Okay, Misao. There is a

power that lurks within each of us. Remember when Kaoru had to find hers and draw it out?"


A nod.


"I need you to do the same thing. It's kind of odd, but the first step in learning to fight is the

same as the first step in learning to heal."


Misao took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling around for the pull Dende was talking

about. She felt it then, slight at first, but the more she concentrated on it the stronger it became.

She snapped her eyes open and looked down at her hands, waiting. Aoshi was also waiting.


He had stopped meditating when he felt the change happening in Misao and had moved over to

them to watch. The more they all watched, the more her hands seemed to glow, the power she

was seeking right there. She just needed the extra push to materialize it.


She let go, worn out and breathless. "I can't get it to release."


Dende nodded. "I'm not surprised. You weren't supposed to." Misao looked at him blankly

and he continued. "Today is your first day of training. Kaoru got her powers to materialize

the first day. That's impressive, but not anything out of the ordinary for a top notch fighter.

For a healer, that same process can take up to a week. While we need to start the same way,

it takes longer for a healer to begin than a fighter."


Understanding dawned on Misao's face. "So, I might not be able to release it for a few days

still?"


Dende nodded once. "That's the reason you're going in the room with me only once, while

Kaoru has to use her two days. The year we'll spend will be plenty to get you ready for this

battle. All you have to do is keep everyone alive." Misao's worried expression earned a laugh

from the young Namek. "Don't look so worried! You have Megumi's help. And I'll give you

a good supply of Senzu beans. That way, you'll only have to worry towards the end of the fight."


Aoshi's deep voice cut through the air and made Misao jump, obviously the first time she noticed

he was there. "Senzu beans?"


Dende pulled a small bean from an inner pocket of his robe. "This is a Senzu bean. When

someone eats one, their wounds heal, their energy is restored and it keeps them full for ten days.

However, they are very hard to come by. The only person on our planet who grows them is Korin,

the cat-like creature who lives on a small platform below the Lookout. And while he has many

Senzu plants, the beans themselves can take years to grow."


Aoshi's face lost its usual icy look and he glanced at Misao. "Is there any way I could help out

and heal as well?"


Dende shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid not, Aoshi. You have a warrior's ki. The only way

Misao is able to learn these techniques is because she has a healer's ki. You could help by being

her moral support, though. She'll need it."


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Kaoru met the two young men blow for blow, never giving them the upper hand although she

was outnumbered. When the training seemed at a stand still, Kaoru went Super Saiyan and

flew at them again, knocking them both over with a single punch. Gohan and Trunks gathered

themselves up and went Super Saiyan themselves, going at Kaoru from different directions.


After three hours, Kaoru let herself fall back to the floor, stopped right before she hit, and let

herself down easily. "I'm so tired!"


Gohan looked over at her and grinned. "I know! I feel like we've been training for weeks."


Trunks chuckled. "It has been weeks. We've been in here for four months now."


Kaoru suddenly felt lonely. Sure, these two guys were great and she absolutely adored them as

friends, but she missed everyone else. Kenshin's face flitted through her mind. As much as she

loathed to admit it, she missed that idiot too. She was trying to forget him, but it didn't work

out. Every time she thought about him, she only felt pain and longing and couldn't change it

to anger or indifference. She sighed and stood. "Well, boys. I do believe it's about time for

some dinner. Let's go eat."


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After dinner, it started again. Punching, kicking, blocking, dodging, energy beams, it all melded

together for Kaoru, becoming instinct. Trunks was sitting this one out, allowing some one on

one action for Kaoru and Gohan. He watched attentively as Gohan started to provoke Kaoru.


"Come on, slow poke. Can't you hit me?"


Kaoru grit her teeth and swung at him again, missing.


"Geez, Kaoru. Thought you were some tough Saiyan princess! This is a piece of cake!"


Gohan dodged her easily and began to hum and make exaggerated yawning motions to further

enrage Kaoru. It worked. Something clicked within her, something she had been aware of and

trying to unleash for a few weeks now. Gohan watched, a knowing smirk on his face as Kaoru

yelled out and began to glow again. Her hair took on a more angular look and her eyes became

angry slits. "Now, see if I'm so easy to beat."


Gohan and Kaoru went at it again, but this time there was no humming, no yawning, no rest for

the young man. Kaoru was angry and stronger than before, a very worthy opponent.


Trunks smirked. "Super Saiyan Two already! Unbelievable!"


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Kenshin fell to his knees, his physical training had been going on for hours and he was exhausted.

All strength drained, he propped himself against a wall and began to meditate. His old habits as

a hitokiri coming back. If you can't train physically, expand your mind. A good warrior is a

smart and fit warrior.


Aoshi kept his watch while Misao tried repeatedly to bring out her energy. She grew more and

more frustrated with each failed attempt and finally gave a growl. "I can't do this! I know I'm

not supposed to get it right away, but when you make me do it over and over I can't take it!"


Dende smiled gently and laid a hand on Misao's shoulder, a glow coming out. The young ninja

calmed down and sat back. "What was that?"


"I merely calmed you. You were very tense in one shoulder, keeping your energy from its release.

Now it should be easy."


Misao's eyes almost bugged out. "You've made me do this for hours when you knew what the

problem was and could fix it?!"


Dende smiled. "No, you weren't ready for it before. It was close, but you had too little of it to

form a ball. Now try."


Misao narrowed her eyes at him, but tried again. This time it came forward just as before, but

she relaxed and closed her eyes. She felt a slight pressure and then it was gone. She opened

her eyes and saw the small ball in her hands. "I did it! Aoshi, I did it!"


Aoshi let a small smile creep out. "Yes, you did it."


Misao rose up on her knees and wrapped her arms around Aoshi's neck, giving him a quick kiss

on the lips. Dende looked away uncomfortably and cleared his throat. Misao let go of Aoshi and

apologized to Dende. "Sorry. I was just so happy."


Dende nodded. "I understand. Let's continue."


Kenshin looked at the clock on the wall of the temple. It had been eleven and a half hours.

Trunks would emerge soon and it would be half over for Kaoru. He couldn't wait to see her.

A sudden strange thought entered his mind. If she was in that room for 2 days, wouldn't that

make her two years older and closer to his own age? Instead of 18, Kaoru would be 20 and

Kenshin would be 29. It was still a large gap, but it wore down the age difference enough

that it wouldn't bother him as much.


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Kaoru let her legs dangle off the edge of her bed. Trunks and Gohan were asleep, snoring

away on their side of the room. She got up and quietly dressed in her training outfit. There was

no way she could sleep. There were so many thoughts in her head and she needed to sort

through them all. It was evident to her, she loved Kenshin. She knew it long ago, but she couldn't

stop like she was hoping. She wanted to fall for someone else after he pulled his sword on her,

but it wouldn't happen. She missed him terribly, too. The year in here was tough on her. She

wanted to fling the door open and run out to him, but she couldn't do that. There were too many

people counting on her to be strong. She had to complete her training.


And then killing. She still wasn't sure if she could. Sure, it was easy in theory. Just build up a

good energy beam and let it go. But, in reality it was a different story. She sat down and began

to meditate, just like Piccolo taught her. Within minutes her mind cleared up, her breathing

evened out, and she fell asleep right there on the training room floor.


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A/N: Hope you liked! Please leave a review! Hugs & Kisses!