Dragonball M, Chapter 1: Silent Menace Aproaches!

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

After Maiz, Pinach, and Rutaba left, Sarada retreated back inside to find something to eat. She didn't find much, but she found enough to sate her hunger for the night. After that, she went to bed, where she figured Ishtar would be sleeping. She was a woman of her word; Ishtar wanted her to sleep in her bed for the night to provide a measure of warmth, comfort, and company, and those were what Sarada provided her.

It was a struggle, admittedly, to not fondle the woman any more than she did. To limit herself to squeezing her breasts a few times and flicking her tail between her legs was a challenge. But, she did it! Ishtar needed to rest, and her ministrations were only going to keep them both up at night. In truth, she needed the rest as well. She had a long day of carnal pleasures ahead of her.

In the end, it had been enough to simply lay with Sarada and enjoy the warmth and comfort provided by another. That the girl had also decided to tease her was simply an added pleasure. It was a shame, though, that the Oni could only wiggle and moan weakly, given her state.

Yet there would be time enough in the day to come.

Drifting off soon after Sarada's teasing reached its end, Ishtar offered the girl a simple, and softly spoken, "thank you", before letting sleep take her.

She awoke the next morning feeling better than she had in years. A day of fighting was more than enough to leave her exhausted, so sleep came easily for her. She sensed Jack outside and knew that it was time for her to leave. After bidding Ishtar a fond farewell in the form of a passionate kiss along the lines of the second one they shared two days ago, and another more gracious one bid to Eva, she walked out to the plaza.

For the first time in centuries, Ishtar had slept through the night without dreams; and when the morning came the Oni found herself more content than she had the night previous.

With Sarada offering her a goodbye kiss, before departing when she awoke besides; the day seemed bright.

So as the others began their own routines, Ishtar began the slow process of working her new muscles, and tendons into a state approaching 'workable'. And after it was finished, some time was spent in the company of Nunlil, before the Oni began to read through more of Zurvan's Grimoire.

And while what was found was informative, the feeling of joy that had begun the day, was slowly and steadily replaced by an uneasiness at the information: a mention of a world left behind several thousand years prior ... and of a lesson that perhaps might be found among the ruins of a certain moon ...

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Perhaps it will be enough to mourn the one that was lost." Ishtar offered, with a sad smile. "Yet I am glad there is some measure of solace to be found."

On receiving the Grimoire, then, Ishtar offered Kami a small bow, before carefully tucking it under an arm.

"I shall see that it does not come into the possession of those who would use it poorly."

“Thank you.”

[The Dog]

"With the help of Ishtar, Kai and eventually Evangeline, I recruited Shimmer and crushed Kevi's soul." In a more literal sense than most.

"Then I...cheated. I asked Evangeline for some of her ki, that I might delay Fife. It was a temporary boost, but it was enough of a bluff to keep Fife away while you all killed Battersea. I was left refreshed and able to join the fight."

"Have you spoken with Ochazuke since we sparred?"

Midori blinked, a blush rising on her cheeks as she realized that during her study of sex and all its trappings she'd completely forgotten to speak to Ochazuke. Though she did speak to him momentarily during the battle against Battersea.

Deciding to be honest, she said "I spoke to him briefly during our fight against Battersea. Though he initiated the conversation because I was having a momentary freakout."

[grampagen]

"Usually, I would not use such a word." He concurred to Ochazuke's statement, "Yet in this case, the tenet of all or nothing leads only to death. From what little records my school has remaining, there is nothing that speaks of this power. So, I have come to you, not as a practitioner of the Dino School, but as myself, someone who has crossed that forbidden line."

"Am I afraid? Of the pain, danger, or risk of death? No." His conditioning under the Dino School had saw to that, and he was sure Ochazuke had seen those results. "What I fear... is losing myself." Charco had came dangerously close to doing so against Battersea, and it was only through Totoma's influence that he was able to escape.

A salient observation that took years to find for some. Many would go their whole lives ignorant of what Charco had discovered, and so acknowledging this feat, Ochazuke nod slowly to him in solidarity.

"That is the only fear that matters, losing yourself, for that is the true death."

The echo of what had transpired moments ago had not escaped Ochazuke, nor did the irony of his counsel escape him. He'd failed his Kru, the last lesson she'd inadvertently imparted to him as she left would be etched forever in his memory. He would not fail this boy. But to do so, Charco would need to understand.

"All of us who walk on the warrior's path know this. After all, what is strength without the discipline to control it, to know the moment when it must be made manifest?"

An affirmation exceedingly obvious matters, perhaps. Unfortunately, in the two-thousand year practice of Crane School Kikojutsu, statement was a poor substitute for deed. He would not cross this line unless he absolutely had to.

"Listen carefully. The Death-Instinct, even as a source of strength, is not one to be trifled with. To go into that place one must mindful that the moment may be his last. It is like boring through the wall of a dam. To reach the other side and channel the silent power held within, without complete control, without full knowledge, there can only be collapse and ruin."

He'd seen it give rank novices the power to fell masters; an empty victory where none lived to speak of it afterward.

"This is a matter to be considered through meditation. Time is short, however, and self-reflection is not something that anyone can be taught," he said. "But you know the fear. So tell me, what is the difference between a live man and a dead one?"

[Sion Reaver]

A tail wrapped around Karine's waist, and Totoma stepped up beside her, pulling her close. "Hope you don't mind me tagging along. Things have been pretty hectic, and I'd like to spend time with you that doesn't involve getting blown up or having to save the world."

Fidgeting for a moment, he continued. "So, um, hey, between here and where we'll be headed, there's some nice, basically untouched hot springs I happened upon early on in my own journey. Maybe we could stop there for a night... if you're up for it. We could relax together... maybe camp out under the stars. I know you've got a capsule house, but, trust me, camping has its perks."

One would expect him to go with his mother, but he'd told her about the situation with the Cromwells (and she somehow knew about his father being dead, through Kizuna) so she'd probably go spend time with them. She wanted to meet Tamaki, anyway.

In any case, since Karine definitely wanted to visit her family again, that meant there was a good chance he'd run into Mom soon enough, anyway. And, to be honest...

Karine was way more important to him than his mother. Not that his mom wasn't important, but opting to spend time with one's mother over one's mate, when given a choice, was weird. And his mother had agreed when he'd told her that he was planning on traveling with Karine.

"Your choice, of course, but... I think it'd be fun."

Karine was a bit surprised herself that Totoma tail wrapping around her waist didn't make her blush. Progress perhaps?

"Springs? I haven't been one in a very long.." Karine trailed off, sounding a bit nostalgic. The last time she had been there was just a private get away with just herself and her mother spending time together while her little sisters were with friends. Times like those were far more simpler back then, and though for the moment they had more then earned their peace there was a strong possibility this wasn't over. For one, when she asked if there were greater threats out there, Eva more or less confirmed it. Two, the parasites were an obvious potential threat as well.

"I'd love to. Camping too, I think I've been camping with father some time back, but its been some time since I've done so when I got older." Changing that trend wouldn't be a bad idea, and with Totoma it would be far better then going alone.

"For now though.." Karine face took a bit more playful look. "For now, I want to get a feel of something. So why not a friendly race to Capital City? It'll be fun!"

[Ptrvc]

Sarada walked in and around slowly, taking in as much of the stronghold as she could see. Back in the day, this must have been quite the place; now, though, it was nothing more than relic, haunted undoubtedly by the ghosts and memories of yesteryear. "Not bad. Don't have to worry about anyone walking in on us."

That had actually happened when she and Avoca were going at it. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been her actual mother who walked in on them. Luckily, all she did was blink and tell her to meet her outside when she was done.

Anyway, there was no chance of that happening here, unless Jack's mother wondered through for some reason.

"So, about that bet we made yesterday," she said as she started to walk around and explore. "I eliminated four. What about you?"

Jack held up four fingers, "Same...I did break Battersea's sternum, but Slak was the one who finished that with his ki blade," he admitted.

He scratched his chin, "Leaves us at a bit of an impasse I suppose, either we play it Central City Style, and we both lose and all payouts are null or....," Jack shrugged, "Port City Rules, in which case we both win, and the payouts are the same."

"Which do you prefer?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Jack held up four fingers, "Same...I did break Battersea's sternum, but Slak was the one who finished that with his ki blade," he admitted.

He scratched his chin, "Leaves us at a bit of an impasse I suppose, either we play it Central City Style, and we both lose and all payouts are null or....," Jack shrugged, "Port City Rules, in which case we both win, and the payouts are the same."

"Which do you prefer?"

A tie. Tch. She supposed she shouldn't have been shocked; they were all a good deal stronger than the vast majority of the competition. As for the choices he left her, there was no really need to think things over. "The second. You ask me one question and I answer it honestly, and I ask you one favor that you have to do no questions asked."

[Yun Lao]

A salient observation that took years to find for some. Many would go their whole lives ignorant of what Charco had discovered, and so acknowledging this feat, Ochazuke nod slowly to him in solidarity.

"That is the only fear that matters, losing yourself, for that is the true death."

The echo of what had transpired moments ago had not escaped Ochazuke, nor did the irony of his counsel escape him. He'd failed his Kru, the last lesson she'd inadvertently imparted to him as she left would be etched forever in his memory. He would not fail this boy. But to do so, Charco would need to understand.

"All of us who walk on the warrior's path know this. After all, what is strength without the discipline to control it, to know the moment when it must be made manifest?"

An affirmation exceedingly obvious matters, perhaps. Unfortunately, in the two-thousand year practice of Crane School Kikojutsu, statement was a poor substitute for deed. He would not cross this line unless he absolutely had to.

"Listen carefully. The Death-Instinct, even as a source of strength, is not one to be trifled with. To go into that place one must mindful that the moment may be his last. It is like boring through the wall of a dam. To reach the other side and channel the silent power held within, without complete control, without full knowledge, there can only be collapse and ruin."

He'd seen it give rank novices the power to fell masters; an empty victory where none lived to speak of it afterward.

"This is a matter to be considered through meditation. Time is short, however, and self-reflection is not something that anyone can be taught," he said. "But you know the fear. So tell me, what is the difference between a live man and a dead one?"

The difference between a live man and a dead one. There was a lot of answers to that question, whether viewed literally or metaphorically. The only answer that mattered was the one Ochazuke sought. Charco mulled over this question, contemplating whether the other sought ideas in or out of the box, as the saying went.

Eventually, he replied, "To die is to lose yourself, whether it comes from the hands of an enemy or falling to the weakness within you."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Karine was a bit surprised herself that Totoma tail wrapping around her waist didn't make her blush. Progress perhaps?

"Springs? I haven't been one in a very long.." Karine trailed off, sounding a bit nostalgic. The last time she had been there was just a private get away with just herself and her mother spending time together while her little sisters were with friends. Times like those were far more simpler back then, and though for the moment they had more then earned their peace there was a strong possibility this wasn't over. For one, when she asked if there were greater threats out there, Eva more or less confirmed it. Two, the parasites were an obvious potential threat as well.

"I'd love to. Camping too, I think I've been camping with father some time back, but its been some time since I've done so when I got older." Changing that trend wouldn't be a bad idea, and with Totoma it would be far better then going alone.

"For now though.." Karine face took a bit more playful look. "For now, I want to get a feel of something. So why not a friendly race to Capital City? It'll be fun!"

Heh, so she was up for it! That was great news, and Toto's tail would've been wagging a thousand times a second if it hadn't been wrapped around her waist. Still, a wide, goofy smile spread across his face.

"Hehe, I can't wait!"

The bit about the race... hm, it did sound fun. He had a higher power level than Karine, though, and since powerlevel and speed scaled with each other... he was faster. Helped that he was a much more experienced flyer, too. Still, it could be fun, and she'd probably find a way to surprise him.

"Sure, sounds like great fun, but... what does the winner get? Just bragging rights?"

[grampagen]

The difference between a live man and a dead one. There was a lot of answers to that question, whether viewed literally or metaphorically. The only answer that mattered was the one Ochazuke sought. Charco mulled over this question, contemplating whether the other sought ideas in or out of the box, as the saying went.

Eventually, he replied, "To die is to lose yourself, whether it comes from the hands of an enemy or falling to the weakness within you."

He heard his answer. With a small smirk, he raised his hands and set them down on Charco's shoulders in a distant embrace.

Then the question was suddenly punctuated by a sharp blow to Charco's core. It came, heavy, motionless, the outstretched forefinger knuckle of Ochazuke's fist stealing the air from his lungs as it buried itself in his solar plexus. As the young man fell before him, Ochazuke stepped back and observed.

When training under the tenants of the Crane School, he'd been tasked to walk out toward the sea and fight the tide. Its cruel force came to the broken rhythm of chaotic whim, heedless of what stood against it there on the muddy sand shore. It rose, spreading its cold weight moment after moment stretching from foot to neck, threatening to swallow him as he faced down the inevitable as it came, the only support he had made by the firmament of his stance. The salt-spray stung his eyes and the back of his throat as it came mercilessly, but the sea would not hold him down or wash him out if he really wanted in.

In principle, throwing Charco to drown on an ocean of open air, crude as it was to the means he had available, would have to suffice to test the worth of the young man's words. In the breathless expanse that stretched the moment, would he indeed lose himself to that seconds' weakness?

The instinct would manifest in struggle against this small death. So consumed only with self-preservation in the moment, a man without breath is mindful only of the thing he was without. Striking back against something that cannot be forced, perhaps then when the struggle failed, consciousness would fade when desire was as emptied as his lungs were.

But if Charco were to find the third way, anchored in accepting the situation and becoming mindful of his means, he would find control. The death would pass over, then through him, and the young man would find Ochazuke standing over him there in that place waiting. If he could meet him there, he'd draw breath once more.

[Yun Lao]

He heard his answer. With a small smirk, he raised his hands and set them down on Charco's shoulders in a distant embrace.

Then the question was suddenly punctuated by a sharp blow to Charco's core. It came, heavy, motionless, the outstretched forefinger knuckle of Ochazuke's fist stealing the air from his lungs as it buried itself in his solar plexus. As the young man fell before him, Ochazuke stepped back and observed.

When training under the tenants of the Crane School, he'd been tasked to walk out toward the sea and fight the tide. Its cruel force came to the broken rhythm of chaotic whim, heedless of what stood against it there on the muddy sand shore. It rose, spreading its cold weight moment after moment stretching from foot to neck, threatening to swallow him as he faced down the inevitable as it came, the only support he had made by the firmament of his stance. The salt-spray stung his eyes and the back of his throat as it came mercilessly, but the sea would not hold him down or wash him out if he really wanted in.

In principle, throwing Charco to drown on an ocean of open air, crude as it was to the means he had available, would have to suffice to test the worth of the young man's words. In the breathless expanse that stretched the moment, would he indeed lose himself to that seconds' weakness?

The instinct would manifest in struggle against this small death. So consumed only with self-preservation in the moment, a man without breath is mindful only of the thing he was without. Striking back against something that cannot be forced, perhaps then when the struggle failed, consciousness would fade when desire was as emptied as his lungs were.

But if Charco were to find the third way, anchored in accepting the situation and becoming mindful of his means, he would find control. The death would pass over, then through him, and the young man would find Ochazuke standing over him there in that place waiting. If he could meet him there, he'd draw breath once more.

So caught up in trying to decide the nature of the answer he would give, Charco would be unaware of Ochazuke's plans. Like that, the air was driven from his lungs with a single strike. Collapsing to the ground, the boy gasped for breath that did not come and the realization quickly overcame him. Confusion, panic, rage; these were the first to emerge, but something else stirred within. Black and cold as death itself, it saw an opportunity, yet, like Ochazuke, it waited to see the results of this.

His hands clawed and punched at the floor, yet without a target, all they did was leave scratches and dents upon its surface. There was no where to run, nor an enemy to fight, leaving Charco with only the encroaching darkness approaching. His lungs burned like a pyre and a firework of stars speckled his vision, which grew hazy with each passing moment. Consciousness was quickly fading. There was nothing he could do to prevent it, what mattered is what he would do before then.

Climbing to his feet, the teenager did his best to focus on his footing, the lack of oxygen making each step he took towards Ochazuke more and more unsteady. Placing one foot down, he sought to plant it against the earth before throwing a punch towards the other, which did little more than weakly press his knuckles against Ochazuke's chest before Charco collapsed once more.

[Lord Falcon]

In the end, it had been enough to simply lay with Sarada and enjoy the warmth and comfort provided by another. That the girl had also decided to tease her was simply an added pleasure. It was a shame, though, that the Oni could only wiggle and moan weakly, given her state.

Yet there would be time enough in the day to come.

Drifting off soon after Sarada's teasing reached its end, Ishtar offered the girl a simple, and softly spoken, "thank you", before letting sleep take her.



For the first time in centuries, Ishtar had slept through the night without dreams; and when the morning came the Oni found herself more content than she had the night previous.

With Sarada offering her a goodbye kiss, before departing when she awoke besides; the day seemed bright.

So as the others began their own routines, Ishtar began the slow process of working her new muscles, and tendons into a state approaching 'workable'. And after it was finished, some time was spent in the company of Nunlil, before the Oni began to read through more of Zurvan's Grimoire.

And while what was found was informative, the feeling of joy that had begun the day, was slowly and steadily replaced by an uneasiness at the information: a mention of a world left behind several thousand years prior ... and of a lesson that perhaps might be found among the ruins of a certain moon ...

Asha'rah floated along, taking stock of their victory one more time before preparing to move on. While a happy air remained, so too did a heaviness gnaw at her core. The longer Asha'rah thought about it, the more it bothered her. Fife had been defeated in battle, his body hollowed out and used as a puppet. Unlike what they had believed until just yesterday, the former Kami had never betrayed his post. In a way, this was heartening for Asha'rah, to see the Kami system remain sturdy and relatively free of corruption till now. Fife had been a worthy choice, as was Evangeline after him, tragic though the circumstances of her ascension were.

But the fact remained that the world had seen Fife turn upon the populace he had sworn to protect. He had killed countless innocents, wiped out entire cities before being stopped for good. It was by a hair's breath that he had failed to regain his old power, to wreak his unknowable brand of justice upon the world. It would have been immensely dangerous, but perhaps they should have captured the grey parasite that had lurked within Fife's corpse. Its existence itself would be ample proof of foul play. Whatever was out there was hunting Kamis, drawing them out and overwhelming them individually. Maybe Fife was not the only one to be turned against their charges, the plight of the parasites unknown by the populace at large. Beyond the damage done and life lost, what would it do to the reputation of the Kami system? What use were guardians who turned against the very worlds they were meant to guard? Whoever this parasite's master was, they risked dissolving confidence in a sound system that had stood the test of eons of neglect from greater heavenly management.

Asha'rah would not sit idly by while some cackling devil undermined the one divine institution she had built herself. She needed to find out more about what was going on out there. And she needed to further free her soul from the body she had been bound to. There would be little use confronting a being she had no hope of defeating.

It was then that she found Ishtar, reading a strange book in the sunlight. She appeared comfortable enough, and whole. If Asha'rah had missed anything critical, it would likely have manifested by now. Unless it was a heart defect, those could really sneak up on you. But Asha'rah had worked on that organ first, and was confident she had given the oni a strong engine for her body. Ishtar's tendons, on the other hand, could probably use some breaking in.

Ishtar did not appear free of worry herself either. Her shoulders appeared tense, her brow furrowed. What troubled the oni so? Curious, Asha'rah allowed to settle down beside the oni, and began to meditate. She had no desire to disturb Ishtar in a moment of deep focus. She would wait till Ishtar was ready.

[grampagen]

So caught up in trying to decide the nature of the answer he would give, Charco would be unaware of Ochazuke's plans. Like that, the air was driven from his lungs with a single strike. Collapsing to the ground, the boy gasped for breath that did not come and the realization quickly overcame him. Confusion, panic, rage; these were the first to emerge, but something else stirred within. Black and cold as death itself, it saw an opportunity, yet, like Ochazuke, it waited to see the results of this.

His hands clawed and punched at the floor, yet without a target, all they did was leave scratches and dents upon its surface. There was no where to run, nor an enemy to fight, leaving Charco with only the encroaching darkness approaching. His lungs burned like a pyre and a firework of stars speckled his vision, which grew hazy with each passing moment. Consciousness was quickly fading. There was nothing he could do to prevent it, what mattered is what he would do before then.

Climbing to his feet, the teenager did his best to focus on his footing, the lack of oxygen making each step he took towards Ochazuke more and more unsteady. Placing one foot down, he sought to plant it against the earth before throwing a punch towards the other, which did little more than weakly press his knuckles against Ochazuke's chest before Charco collapsed once more.

In the empty hall of the white room, Charco twist on the ground. The divine light, the self same outpour which permeate every chamber seemingly sourceless within the foundation of the Lookout made his struggle clear to Ochazuke's vision, the subtler things below the surface struggle he observed through the field of his waking meditation.

Nothing escaped his sight as tortured fingers strove to render to terrible claw where they hit the floor. The habit of violence leapt from Charco, diminished and futile as he struggled to fight against something external, lashing out against the visible foe where the greater struggle was within.

And there was no power there hidden in the firmness of form gathered to the boy's fist. His steadfastness to rise still, much less gather himself for the attempt, however, was worthy of praise. The muscles bundled fast where he had struck and a wall of muscle pushed his hand away.

Interesting. Even in this condition his focus is ever upon the threats around him.

Ochazuke observed Charco further as his knees folded under him, coiled and spent to render impeccable form.

"The presence of mind to find your footing is commendable. Your Grandmother has trained you well," he said. "If you can gather yourself to do that, then you can do more."

He could feel the wild frustration, the bestial panic and rage lashing out in the scope of his sense-awareness. Ochazuke knew that this was all according to how he had been taught in the scope of what he was familiar to. It is a common folly to chase the unfamiliar course with a mind fixed to a proper way, what is known, instead of seeing a thing for what it truly is.

"Still your mind now. Collect yourself. Or have you forgotten how to breathe?"

[MrSandman]

Tore apart by mindless beasts. Over and Over and Over.
Cut down by the sword wielding Chrona. Over and Over and Over.
Consumed by Parsics Void. Over and Over and Over and Over.

Every time she awoke at the beginning, the moon above her in the same position, the time unchanged.

Perhaps the most horrifying aspect wasn't the pain, or the hopelessness.....but how Death had slowly lost its impact for her. Fear of Death was a normal aspect of life, one that took those who fought years to harden against. Yet here, in this hell, every death was different yet ended in the same result. Perhaps it had been the a mercy beyond her comprehension at the time....but the two Familiars always did their task in the quickest, least painful way. In a twisted way....she soon started to prefer to be caught by them rather then the hounds.

So it went on...fear gave way reckless determination. Which each new attempt she strived to learn something new. Where the hounds tended to hide, what paths the two familiars took, how to distract them, what she could and couldn't get away with. Though each attempt ended with failure she would only start off again at the start.....and as long as she was caught by the familiars it would be a quick retry.

Like a game.

Hell had become a game.....perhaps in the only way her innocent mind could remain intact and carry her through it.

She would attempt it, learn as much as she could, die and put that information to use in the next attempt. Over and Over, again and again. Yet...her limitations as a child were so....so....

Insurmountable.

Determination was something the child had no short supply off, but with every failure...even one in which she learned something...that block was chipped away. Etrina was weighted down by frustration and hopelessness, the will to live beaten out of her with one failure after the other. Death didn't matter, life didn't matter, every attempt yielded the same result.

Insurmountable.

She turned the corner, her former careful motions lost....walking full speed into a surprised Chrona, sword already drawn. Perhaps there had been a look of pity in the aspects eyes at first....But that was not the memory Etrina had.

She remembered the look of horror the aspect had as the little girl impaled herself on her sword, of her own choice. At the time...she had done so because such a thing had no meaning here. Being caught meant death, no matter how much you struggled or fought. It didn't matter, nothing mattered. Better to have it done quickly so she could try again.

Repetition had eroded all worth from her own life.....and in the reflection of the aspects horrified eyes, she saw the cold dead thing she had become......and the child was once more scared, but for death, but for what she had turned into.

Insurmountable.
...


...
As the primal forces of the cosmos bared down on the two, Asha'rah strode forward and faced them head on. Her words of encouragement still rang in her ears. Now was the time to face face her demons, and right a terrible memory that had plagued her from her youth. She had trained for this, bleed for this.....had died for it, more times then she could ever count. But here.....in the realm of her memory, the edge of the abyss behind them and the end of time in front of them.....

....she was freezing up.

That cold, creeping doom that plagued her memories was slowly wrapping its hands around her heart. Even after everything she had done to prepare...nothing had changed. She was just an ant before a mountain. Insurmountable. Just as she had been as a child....in that never ending loop of hell.

Yet for that very reason, it was also less directed, cruder. The universe was not simply a void now for good reason. After all, what else had been the point of the Gods of Creation? Leaving Etrina to handle the swordswoman, Asha'rah faced the Singing Void. She recalled her orbs to herself, and allowed her annihilation aura to subside. Now knowing the nature of the foe, she reached out with her senses, feeling, feeling...there! Her two orbs, trapped within the void, enveloped in layers upon layers of nothingness made manifest. But they were no ordinary material, and no ordinary part of Asha'rah.

Asha'rah and her orbs began to glow gold, including the two within the Singing Void's aura.

"In the beginning there was the Void. Then a God said, 'let there be light.' And there was light."

The Light of Creation surged forth, flooding the maze in gold approaching the brilliance of the sun. It flowed from Asha'rah, from the orbs around her...and the pair within the Void. Nebulae and minerals, plasma and ice, all came into being within creation's embrace, fighting against the void by virtue of their very existence. As they were reduced to nothing and renewed again, their battle released a panoply of brilliant light, creation in its matured brilliance fighting for its place in the cosmos. They beat back against the void, forming a rainbow bridge between Asha'rah and the golden haired woman.

The fallen God of Creation strode forth, closing to meelee range.

"No...don't...." Etrina attempted to speak. but the word were lost. Asha'rahs focus had turned to Parsics late arrival, and without her orbs to stall her advance...Chrona was approaching with her weapon. This facsimile of Chrona mirrored the worst aspects of Etrinas memory of her time here....there would be no pity to be found in her eyes.

Before...it had only taken one of them finding her to drop her chance of success to nil. Now both of them were here, and though Asha'rah went to face one...all hope was slowly evaporating from her mind even against the one opponent that remained.

Etrina took a step back, wand shaking with her hand. But Chrona was closing the distance all to quickly. Soon the time aspect would swing her sword....cut her down where she stood.

Perhaps that was for the best....this attempt was already a bit too far into unwinnable territory anyways. Though it would likely be a bit disappointing to Asha'rah....perhaps the best option at this point would be to just die and try it again.

Yes, lets just get it over with now and try again.

Die and try again

Die.....and........Try Again?

No....NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo....

...I refuse...

"....I refuse...to die......not again...." Etrina gritted her teeth, the shaking in her hand ceasing has her knuckles went white. Chrona stepped within swinging range, lifting her weapon to strike off her head in one quick slash. It was a move she had done before, many times.

Infusing her wand with temporal magic, Etrina brought it up to parry the swing. There was a tremendous clash as the sword, a temporal weapon in itself, slide against the wand that itself was charged with potential temporal energy. Though it only held a moment, it was enough for etrina to slip in under Chronas stance, charging ki into her palm and striking the familiar in the stomach. The aspect skidded back, and though she took only a moment to resume her stance....the blow did wonders for Etrinas personal morale.

Perhaps......perhaps this fight was winnable afterall....

Perhaps...

---------

At that moment, a blinding light distracted both Etrina and Chrona.

Asha'rahs light of creation flared up around him....and inside the emptiness behind parsic the same light grew brilliantly amiss the light sucking void.

"......god of creation......." Parsic tilted her head, her golden eyes shining like beacons even in the backdrop of creations light. ".....That light..........yes.....it fills me up........just like before.....so long before..."

The golden haired aspect walked forth to meet Asha'rah in the middle, her void putting pressure against Asha'rahs creation. ".....I was whole.....complete......yet you.....you violated my unity with tumors....creation....matter.........can I destroy you? Can I? Can I violate your creation...just like you violated my emptiness?"

[Ptrvc]

A tie. Tch. She supposed she shouldn't have been shocked; they were all a good deal stronger than the vast majority of the competition. As for the choices he left her, there was no really need to think things over. "The second. You ask me one question and I answer it honestly, and I ask you one favor that you have to do no questions asked."

Jack nodded in agreement, "Well, since this is my home and you are my guest, that means you get to go to first, what do you want me to do, Sarada?"

I'm guessing it's gonna be a fight...or....

Huh....

Uh-oh.