Catching Up With Current Time
[QUOTE=Sub-Zero MKA;4346828]Sarada beamed at the congratulations and leaned into the kiss. "Thanks," she said, the single word somehow radiating with all the excitement she was feeling inside. "I can hardly wait to start training so I can get stronger."
Maiz was going to flip her lid when she saw that Sarada that finally transformed. She couldn't wait to see the proud look on her face. ...She couldn't wait to see her period. It had been over a week since she had been home, and slightly longer since she had seen anyone for longer than a few minutes. [I]Maybe I'll head home before the final mission and brief everyone on what's been going on so far. I would just stay, but they'll need me to fight Ishtar's alternate.[/I]
Briefing, and taking a nap. It was going to feel [I]so[/I] good sleeping in her own bed again. Well, sleeping period, honestly.
"As for you... you definitely feel stronger. And you feel more harmonized, if that makes any sense. Of course, there's only one way to find out for sure how strong you've gotten."[/QUOTE]
Ishtar flashed another smile, when Sarada expressed again her excitement and desire for training; before easing back into the tub to consider her latter comment.
[i]... there's only one way to find out for sure how strong you've gotten.[/i]
Which was true enough.
Though at the same time, her 'change' had happened only a few short moments before the arrival of Glacia, and if the measure was combat, it had not gone well. [I]A hole punched in my side, a deep gash across my back ...[/I] Whatever power she had recovered from having her Hakai -- and by extension her Ki, as intertwined as the two were -- returned; seemed not to influence much.
... Of course, she had not used it.
So with a sigh, Ishtar responded. "I suppose so. Yet I am not liable to find it out anytime soon as it is not as if I can simply test it ... too dangerous now, I should think." Which made this more of a slap in the face, really. As now that the Hakai was free, there was no knowing truly how it would react, or change, what she'd managed to learn up til this point [I]without[/I] -- as far as her utilizing the full extent of it, consciously -- Hakai.
"Setting all of my issues aside for now, however ..." Ishtar said then, pressing up against Sarada. "I still have you at least. Which makes everything else seem less bleak, and more bearable."