Dragonball M, Chapter 2: Lighthouse! Across the Shores of Shattered Time!

[grampagen]

And just like that, albeit briefly, Parsley received a glimpse into the shrouded mist that was Ochazuke's past. It was as guarded a story as any other, one he only revealed in brief anecdotes.

"The lessons that give our lives more meaning are the ones we often learn too late," she remarked as she started on the pie he brought for she assumed them both. Blueberry. Not her favorite, but not the worst by any means.

Doing right by her slain victims could only mean doing her utmost to preserve life and the autonomy of innocent people she came across. That was the opposite of what she used to do before when conquests were still a thing. It just so happened that she had already started doing that here, with the hapless people of this world, so she was already on the right path. That was only to assuage her own guilty. The people she slayed were nothing more than clouds floating in the ethereal realm of Purgatory. Their memories had been wiped clean, their bodies cleansed, and they were made over into new lifeforms - some kind of fluffy white cloud. They no more remembered her than she recognized them from the others.

The unsavory taste of knowing she was walking in the midst of her victims, and the bitter dregs of replaying her own death in her head every day since the moment it happened, it was all to make her stronger.

"Strength from adversity. And learning to appreciate everything once you rise from nothing." A lesson worth learning.

Why am I here? As the shrill screech of her younger sister belted across the plaza, the lyrics of some asinine Earth song erupted from her powerful lungs with all the demureness of a drunken frat boy, Parsley realized again something she had been told over and over again - first by Shek'hinah, then Ishtar, and finally Ochazuke. She was here, because Sarada wanted her to be. There was little doubt she would have been wished back by the catch-all wish made by Eva only just yesterday, yet Sarada went to the guardian of this world and personally requested use of the dragonballs for the sole purpose of bringing her back. Not the Saiyans of Turrip - though there was little doubt they were also on her mind - but just her.

No matter how many times she replayed the horribly embittered words they flung at each other, insulting one another and reassuring the other of their hatred, the love and affection they once shared in the years prior to that terrible day in the Meat Market was still there. In the last few hours, that very same love and affection had been bubbling up to the surface. It wasn't spoke aloud or made manifest in some overt and obvious way. The signs were as subtle as the fading dew in the morning sun. Yet, a keen eye would notice them.

Parsley was silent as she was forced to realize the truth. Sarada loved her still, despite all she had done, and felt her life was worth dredging the dragon from its restful slumber. She turned her head away from Ochazuke, ashamed that she was growing misty eyed from such a trivial and obvious thought. "Sarada isn't one to forgive easily," she stated quietly, recalling the hardened stare her sister gained whenever that day or that man was mentioned either on the news or in general conversation. Then again, that was a grievance that warranted no forgiveness. In the end, Parsley's sins committed against her led to her rise to greatness, so perhaps they were easier to forgive than in the past.

And honestly, the contention between them since Parsley had arrived on Earth was always more about what happened in the Meat Market and not the sabotage of her training.

"If I've earned her forgiveness already, then that's one less person I need to worry about. One day, an incalculable amount to go."

BGM - Brand New Days The Beginning

Ochazuke chuckled. In her own, pragmatic manner, Parsley had voiced a certain understanding that was as insightful as it was so characteristically Saiyan.

“Should I fail, I will only grow stronger for the next time.”

Prideful the mind. Narrow the vision. Forcefully shed of the self, she found there a broader vision, beyond hardened moments to be hewed from the heart of conflict, something greater apart from standing upon another in a show of strength.

Silently, he reached over and seized upon another preparation courtesy of his martial brother. Cold, scentless doldrums, something that looked like a skewered row of bland, plain white cheese balls. He bit in and chewed slowly as he considered his answer.

For they both knew that passionate, temperamental Sarada was as fiercely persistent as she was vengeful of being belittled and denied. Yet, Parsley's examination despite its certainty betrayed the seed of doubt it contained. After a long moment - and a prolonged, dry swallow - Ochazuke's initial response was a single word.

“If.”

The broken sphere rest on the skewer in a concave half revealed contents of red bean paste. All the texture of curdled blood, with the scent of sticky, earthy sweetness. More beneath the surface than could be gleaned from a passing glance alone.

“Do not presume to fall so swift upon a judgment without inquiry,” the gummed snap of the substance sounded as he chewed. “Far be it for you to not realize that seizing an opportunity which may never come again, to make the most of a decisive moment, is not a skill to be reserved for the battlefield alone.”

He glanced toward her for a moment, and with a curt shrug, resumed monitoring the wedding's conclusion.

“To have truly come to know nothing, only then are you able to see everything,” he said, “So you know that to move forward from regret, it is not enough to merely acknowledge fault. It will require that much more to give of yourself and set it right.”

The last of the four globules slid off the skewer, leaving it bare.

“Our circumstances keep her from the Saiyan throne and all the weight that falls upon the Crown,” he said as he stood to gather up the emptied vessels and cutlery. “Don't let another chance slip you by.”

For those who live on borrowed time, there are few who are more certain, more aware of the moments falling away as they move forward, lost in flux. Things needed to be set in their proper place while there was still the strength, still a mind and will to do it. Swifter than a blink it could all be taken away, with only faint echoes of what was there remaining in lonely thoughts.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Althena then walks down stairs saying" I'm going to look for Megan we haven't had our chat yet." " I been meaning to get around to that." " Qaztoh continue during your running laps, and Praxat you look for a sparring partner okay " Praxat thinks to herself ( hmm now who should be my sparring partner maybe Sarada?)


( nah she and Parsley are out of my league . wait I could ask Cyanna to be my sparring partner I better go find her.) Praxat heads down stairs and stops to ask Althena something saying " hey Althena in fight where both of us aren't using any ki just a raw natural attributes which one of us would win?" Althena replies to this saying " well Praxat there's a lot of variables there."


" I'm naturally stronger and sturdier than you so I could physically tank your hits." " I'm also more skilled at combat." " however you are naturally more agile and faster than I am giving your smaller size." "so I fight like that could go either way, but in most scenarios like that I would win as even though your naturally faster than me , my reaction time is naturally better than yours because I'm more skill at combat than you are Praxat."

" I have better combat efficiency than you do, so yeah I would mostly win in scenario like that in most cases but there's still chance that you might win against me in such scenario." Praxat replies to Althena saying " thanks for the input Althena now I'm going to find a sparring partner ." " say why do you want me to find a sparring partner anyway?" Althena replies to this saying " to help you improve you're reaction time of course."

" you won't be able to improving your reaction time if your just keep sparring against me and holding back all the time." " you need some one on your own level to do that." Praxat then goes off to look for Cyanna to ask her to be her sparring partner while Althena looks for Megan.

[grampagen]

“It is. Do you think me not hurt by Ishtar’s accusation, or her willingness to spurn me so easily upon a revelation? Do you think my soul does not ache that she be so certain and complete in her condemnation of me that she would rank my ego over the merits of a proper exchange? I gave of myself to her, Ochazuke. Far more than I gave to any other since before this universe was born. I love her. I would to apologize to her, even though I see not the wrong she accuses me of. I would chase after her, begging her to lend me her ear. I would prostrate myself before her, and curse my blindness for earning her abhorrence. This is what my heart implores.”

She shook her head, breathing in through her nose before letting out a long, quiet sigh through the same.

“Of course my ego has been wounded. But she does not seek me. On the contrary, she rejects me. To press on in the face of her would be to go where I am not welcome for selfish reasons. It would be the arrogance and ill-discipline of callous divine intervention to chase her still, imposing my will upon a butterfly as she leaves her cocoon. For good or ill, Ishtar has judged me and wishes to hear no more. Her path is her own. Until she becomes a god herself, that is enough.”

Ochazuke reciprocated that meditational breath; an echo of that same stance, the familiar method. The dissonance between Asha'rah's first answer and the second caused him cock his head curiously to the side with a lopsided nod, a short smile crossing his lips briefly before his eyes widened, anchored upon humourless stone.

“Until you reaffirm yourself to that seat from which you are banished, no, from where you stand among us this will not be enough,” he said. “'Divine intervention.' Do the powers of creation expire when you must answer one in need?”

The lack of compassion was so familiar a godly conduct as he had known, apathy set upon a silent course, an unspoken sentiment, and then...nothing. Prayers unanswered and deliverance in suffering within an unfeeling world.

Small wonder why the Eye of Auroc steels his grafted vision to his flock of Threshling thralls. How can we deign to stand before him while we...

If this was a true god's love, it was pablum to justify a cruel, rote dismissal of those deemed lesser. Was that the limit of a divine vision? Only where he had reached deep within the planet by the hidden hand of Zxu'ro, to feel and witness the mere surface of the sublime, did he know a higher force to be true. Yet for those who meant to walk upon a transcendent path given to such bickering, all he saw in this moment was an impending sense of danger, set on a whim between these two powers on the verge of clashing.

“With all that is at stake for this world and countless others, the dam has already been broken, your authority over this disorder yet to reassert itself.” He then turned to Ishtar at that moment and spoke to both sides. “Now, you had best speak to Ishtar's concerns, and you, in turn hear what Asha'rah musters to her defense.”

Ochazuke noted that perhaps that there were more “cracks in the Firmament”, and to this Asha’rah nodded in agreement. It would be a blind fool to have experienced the gods as much as any gathered here and not realize the imperfections of those of the heavens.

“...What meaning did we derive from our work?...Inspiration and transcendence. These are my answers. In the void before all was born, none could challenge us, none could call us to seek greater heights. Zeno was an all-powerful eternal child, someone to be managed rather than to lead. We were forevermore the rulers of everything, and of nothing. We would have stagnated, so we created you.”
__

“Young, curious, striving to survive, to attain, to build. Energy given its own mind, to pursue paths we would not envision. In time, you might force us to grow, to be better ourselves. How exactly, we could not know. But just as we shaped you with our power, I hoped to see you shape us with your influence. In the fullness of time, perhaps you might even surpass us.”
__

“All things strive, and in their striving they give the gods meaning. Whether they succeed or fail, it is the valiant effort, resolve and innovation poured into the venture that are to be treasured. The freedom to choose to make the effort, to take the risk for a worthy cause is what inspires us. Time travel overwhelmingly results in the utter annihilation of everything everyone worked for except for the traveler. It is the attempt to remake other people’s choices for them, to manipulate everyone to a predetermined end, their striving merely an irritating variable to be discarded en masse, then worked around to play people like puppets. Time travel is anathema to the point of Creation.”

Twin orbs grew in Asha’rah’s palms, one golden and brilliant, the other violet and black. These were the domains of the gods, utter Creation and utter Destruction, two realms exclusively theirs.
__

The orbs winked out, allowing the pre-existing light of the room to illuminate once more. At last, she noticed Ishtar had come to listen as well, now that both their duties at the ceremony were over. Ishtar had kept her word, of course. Up till now, she had faced Ochazuke, but for the finale she turned to Ishtar as well.

“Yet even those powers pale in comparison to the consequences of time travel. Whatever I create, whatever I destroy, I will never dictate what choices you make. Whether I approve or disapprove of the choices you make matters not. Your freedom to choose your own path in life is yours alone. Even if that choice is to reject me. Especially if that choice is to reject me. Yet we are in a time of terrible danger, and have we not tied our fortunes together again and again without cause for regret? I still hold out hope we might come to an understanding.”

Gold glowed softly in Asha’rah’s palm, and when she extended her hand to Ishtar, it bore a soft plant limb bearing oval leaves and ripe fruit - a literal olive branch.

“Your creation, made to amuse and inspire you. A lark to pass the time.”

Rather than go mad from the revelation, the nothingness of this story of creation struck him, if anything, as curiously benign. Certainly nothing less than he had come to know in his years crossing the living and lost paths of this planet.

“Would you have me believe that this, all of this, is as meaningless the rebellion against the ignorant Lord of All Things?”

Gold mist. Black fire. The powers of Creation and Destruction. He had seen the latter rendered, sealed and smoking in a golden well of denial. This display of what Ishtar had been denied did not escape his notice, though the depth of the - perhaps inadvertent - implications were not immediately rendered.

“It seems your continued presence here is divine intervention enough. Shall you rescind this to inaction as well?”

[grampagen]

"After all, what you offered in bulk, was little to do with what I asked. Answers and explanations as they were, to your own questions, which you pointed toward Ochazuke." Ishtar stated, with a humorless smile. "Though I must admit it was clever, the way you 'transcended' from "I" to the collective "We" and used absentee Gods as buffer. Yet ... the Gods you deign to speak for are not here, and cannot answer for themselves. So why should I care what you offer up for them ?" The golden-eyed Oni asked clearly annoyed. "To say nothing of your appeal to creation and how the rebellions enacted by mortal-kind gave you a mind for your own, and how ... hollow an offering that was." Ishtar continued, eyes set on Asha'rah now firmly.

"You did not fight against the established order. You used it. Made it your own. Became its Champion ! And worse still, was that when you bothered to answer me after all these failed attempts to cover your own hind end: your comparisons fell short."

The Oni stepped past Ochazuke then.

"Destruction. Creation. Two halves of a whole created for balance, and things you state cannot be made to bend like Time. This was how you strove to make your point. Yet here you stand, as living proof. Proof ! that the Destruction you fashioned to stymie the ego of the Gods of Creation, can be taken. That it is no more secure in the end than the Time you state so fervently is anathema to your creed that 'all things strive'. And that it is harder perhaps to wrestle away does not change at all the fact that it is possible ... Or did you forget Genesis ? How convenient of you, if so." The Oni fumed, "considering you were there as Zurvan turned back the hands of time. Proving to us a mortal with the might to surprise the Gods themselves, could steal away the Arms of Destruction, and a Projectile of Creation."

The Oni's eyes narrowed slightly.

"And this differentiation you make between Hakai, and Time. How a single soul can use the latter to erase the choice of billions ... trillions, and force them upon a singular path. What then would you consider the fruit of your 'Rebellion' to be, if not that ? When you forced your hand, and amassed the might to storm High Heaven in a gambit you knew was already lost; engendering one-hundred thousand years of stagnation and even entropy as the systems you helped fashion fall to pieces in the absence of their caretakers ... ?"

The Oni stopped short, taking a moment to calm herself.

"... and this is what you offer, and ask, at the end of it all ? After a slap in the face with the summoned Hakai; and further proof of your hypocrisy ?" Ishtar asked, calmly, as she stared down at the proffered peace. For a moment then, the golden-eyed Oni hovered then, eyeing Asha'rah lazily as she seemed to consider what to say. Of course she already knew; and taking a step back and away from Asha'rah's, the golden-eyed Oni offered it.

"Keep your peace. I will not accept it as it is now."

"My rebellion was the spark which caused the current predicament we face. I failed to notice myself being manipulated. I decimated the ranks of the heavenly host. During the war, I fought and killed one of my closest friends, then took his essence for my own. I have inspired my enemies to attempt similar feats to increase their own power. My hand in the crisis we face is plain as day, and I never dreamed I would need to make it obvious to you that I understood that. What blame I deserve for the current state of affairs, the merits of each of my choices, you are free to judge as you see fit. But our rebellion was never without hope, just never with hope of victory through force of arms. Our objective when we stormed Zeno's palace was the same as the day our rebellion started - to show our resolve and make Zeno listen. Every single soul who joined us did so of their own volition. They strove for a greater cause, and our failure does not negate the choices we made towards this endeavor. To strive has never been about the fruit of any action, no matter how great or small. It is the choices made in the striving, the freedom of each to choose their path, that I hold sacrosanct. I would sooner kill my friend than force him to choose a path where he would live."

“Be that as it may, your paths and ours are intertwined. Here and now, neither of you has the right to sequester yourself from your duty, nor the time to fight one another.”

To Ishtar, with a nod, he spoke first.

“Whether Black Fire or the flowing course of things, it matters little,” he said. “The intent has not changed, only the means of enacting it. In the face of entropy and destruction, we may yet need a Creator to mend what would be lost."

He waited a moment for his perhaps vain words to sink in before he turned Asha'rah.

“The monks of Kame-shima were content to shed their tethers to the world as well; that is, until they grew hungry,” Ochazuke said. “It seems as if you chose your friend's path and made his fate for him. That you could bear to answer another you called friend with such magnanimous betrayal, but not burden yourself to strive for Ishtar for the sake of some godly ethos...cheh.”

He took a step forward, aligning a third point adjacent to the two.

“Godliness. The Destroyer, Hammer, was not born into his godhood. It was gifted to him, a Namek mortal with great appetites and lack of scruples.” Ochazuke continued. “What then is the distinction between god and an ascended mortal? A gift you say has been stolen. That you have shown us, can be taken."

"So what then makes a god? Is it enlightened vision? Or is it merely a question of who holds the power? Rising up on the backs of others has resulted in nothing but an outpouring of more who aspire to do the same, to call themselves the new zenith of things. And that is the problem with our current predicament. The both of you strive toward any matter besides that which would require you to hear each other. One hand strives to cut the other at the wrist to spite the already fractured balance. But tell me, who is it that suffers while the gods quarrel?”

Even now, the grave of a planet that buried the deposed god was fresh in his memory.

Zurvan sighs and stands, moving towards Ishtar and Asha’rah.

“What seems to be the issue then? I sense a great deal of.....dissonance.”

The wild man, clothed in flesh sheathing the broken armour of Time itself finally found a moment. There on the Lookout plaza, between god and goddesses, Ochazuke found himself standing a few paces short of each.

Casting his glance between one to the next, despite the energy diminished much in the way of the familiar living ki, there was an undeniable energy rendered there in silence, more primordial essences cast against the fabric of his very being, against which he found his breath staggering, and a cold sweat dewing at his temples. In spite of himself, he simply found it difficult to move. His leaned forward toward Zurvan then, and though the martial artist struck up no stance, he was very visibly guarded.

“Only an inquiry beset by haste and in words inadequately suited to passions,” he managed to speak, though the words flew tight from his throat. “One of many possible courses, one supposes. And many possible truths, depending on what is heard.”

He inhaled air slowly, carried it to still the chilled blood that streamed through the vessels of his scarred heart.

“Is this the eventual course for those who bear the mantle of Destroyer and of Creator? If it is indeed all for nothing and whim to fitful disagreement, then perhaps you might see it would be best we stand aside and let them sort it out. For they are the worthy.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

BGM - Brand New Days The Beginning

Ochazuke chuckled. In her own, pragmatic manner, Parsley had voiced a certain understanding that was as insightful as it was so characteristically Saiyan.

“Should I fail, I will only grow stronger for the next time.”

Prideful the mind. Narrow the vision. Forcefully shed of the self, she found there a broader vision, beyond hardened moments to be hewed from the heart of conflict, something greater apart from standing upon another in a show of strength.

Silently, he reached over and seized upon another preparation courtesy of his martial brother. Cold, scentless doldrums, something that looked like a skewered row of bland, plain white cheese balls. He bit in and chewed slowly as he considered his answer.

For they both knew that passionate, temperamental Sarada was as fiercely persistent as she was vengeful of being belittled and denied. Yet, Parsley's examination despite its certainty betrayed the seed of doubt it contained. After a long moment - and a prolonged, dry swallow - Ochazuke's initial response was a single word.

“If.”

The broken sphere rest on the skewer in a concave half revealed contents of red bean paste. All the texture of curdled blood, with the scent of sticky, earthy sweetness. More beneath the surface than could be gleaned from a passing glance alone.

“Do not presume to fall so swift upon a judgment without inquiry,” the gummed snap of the substance sounded as he chewed. “Far be it for you to not realize that seizing an opportunity which may never come again, to make the most of a decisive moment, is not a skill to be reserved for the battlefield alone.”

He glanced toward her for a moment, and with a curt shrug, resumed monitoring the wedding's conclusion.

“To have truly come to know nothing, only then are you able to see everything,” he said, “So you know that to move forward from regret, it is not enough to merely acknowledge fault. It will require that much more to give of yourself and set it right.”

The last of the four globules slid off the skewer, leaving it bare.

“Our circumstances keep her from the Saiyan throne and all the weight that falls upon the Crown,” he said as he stood to gather up the emptied vessels and cutlery. “Don't let another chance slip you by.”

For those who live on borrowed time, there are few who are more certain, more aware of the moments falling away as they move forward, lost in flux. Things needed to be set in their proper place while there was still the strength, still a mind and will to do it. Swifter than a blink it could all be taken away, with only faint echoes of what was there remaining in lonely thoughts.

Parsley had herself another piece of pie as she ruminated over Ochazuke's reply. Whether her assumption of whether or not she had Sarada's forgiveness already was right or wrong wasn't the point; rather, assuming without actually talking to her about it was foolish. As much as she wanted to avoid that conversation, it was one they needed to have. Unlike other assumed grievances, what she wanted forgiveness for was an actual offense and had been a point of contention between the two of them for years.

In order to move on, she needed to do more than admit her guilt and accept it. If not within the next few days, then possibly not for a while. Once Sarada returned to Vocado, her duties would be waiting for her. She had a very tight schedule even the last time Parsley was on her homeworld - and there was no telling how strenuous it had become in the year since. The frank conversation regarding reparations and forgiveness would need to happen before Sarada departed for the alternate timelines.

How that conversation would go - and also how it should go - remained to be seen. She couldn't imagine Sarada wanting to talk about; not to say she herself wanted to; but, part of life was doing and saying the things that one would very much rather keep hidden or perhaps understate.

"To move forward from a past of guilt and regret, one must do the things that previously would have been difficult and uncomfortable," she finally spoke after her pie was gone. As she stood from her seat on the steps, she sighed. "How easy it would be to simply ignore this and move on. Though, I've learned that things worth having never come easily."

Sarada was nearby, battling the Id that apparently belonged to Etrina. Parsley knew that she wasn't going to get anything out of her at the moment, so she opted to try at a later time. She started to leave, then turned and bowed to the human she once mocked for being so philosophical. "You've given me much to think about. Sincerely, thank you."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

After her conversation with Ochazuke concluded, Parsley headed inside to put her dishes away - it seemed the celebration was over and it was time to clean up - and to find a change of clothes. She wasn't one to wash dishes - she hadn't fallen that far - so she placed her plates in the sink in the kitchen, then filled it with soapy water for whoever was unlucky enough to have to wash the mountain of dirty silverware, plates, and cups that were sure to be piling up soon.

She then looked for a change of clothes, and found one in a closet. It... wasn't something she usually wore, but the days of wearing her armor all day, every day had ended long ago. Now, Saiyans were wearing more casual clothing with more frequency. Even Parsley herself, with her dresses - as ugly as they were.

New clothings cloaking her form in lieu of her usual armor, she headed back outside. Sarada was still sparring with the Id - if their powers being that high could still qualify as a spar and not a full out battle - so she headed elsewhere, to more closely observe a conversation she had been keeping an ear on since it began.

That being the one between Ishtar and Asha'rah. In the time since she left to find more clothes, it swelled to include the likes of Ochazuke and the mysterious being, Zurvan. As she approached, she could hear Asha'rah giving her response. A lengthy diatribe of flowery words that, judging by the faces of those in attendance, had little to do with the inquiries to which it provided answer.

Ishtar's original charge was that Asha'rah was a hypocrite for deciding that the "gods" should have placed tighter restrictions on the energies that governed time in order to prevent a situation such as the one they currently found themselves in - that being one mortal making long strides toward undoing the entire thing and taking it all for himself. That anyone could argue otherwise was laughable.

The hypocrisy in question allegedly stemmed from the fact that Asha'rah murdered her close friend - !!! - and stripped him of his Hakai power - the energy of destruction itself, evidently - to take it for herself, an action that was as unprecedented as it was taboo. Not only did she overstep her bounds as a so-called Creation God, but she also showed several others that it was indeed possible to strip a god of his or her energies and take them for oneself.

It was a truth that Asha'rah readily admitted, but it was damning nonetheless.

What Parsley wondered was what that had to do with time being restricted. Surely, no one could argue that there were certain aspects of the universe that should have been off-limits for the benefit of everyone. Like a responsible parent telling their young child not to mess around with their training equipment, thus restricting their freedom to a certain degree, restricting time - and thus mortalkind's freedom to a certain degree - was a necessary evil to ensure that no one got into something that was well and truly beyond them.

Again, this was something no sane person could argue against, especially considering the worst-case scenario that one would hypothesize to argue for such restrictions was currently well underway.

Parsley remained silent as Ishtar offered her acerbic reply. Again, she pointed out that just as it was possible to abuse time itself, so too was it possible to abuse Destruction itself. The robotic "goddess" was living proof of that, after conjuring forth a pair of orbs, one of which was violet and black like the darkest flames. Evidently, there were some who had in fact stolen Hakai energy after Asha'rah proved it was possible, a fact that gave credence to Ishtar's point.

The hypocrisy she accused earlier was becoming evident. Was it not hypocrisy to lament - in hindsight - that one aspect should have been locked away while using another aspect as she saw fit by bypassing the restrictions she herself put into place? After all, Parsley could only imagine stealing the energy of a god was an arduous task, yet Asha'rah herself proved it possible, just as The Doctor proved it possible for a mortal to manipulate time and was on the cusp of bringing reality itself to its knees.

As Parsley continued her slow approach, deliberately so to ensure she got the full sense of everything being exchanged, Ochazuke offered his potent analysis. A Namekian named Hammer ascended to his station, serving as a God of Destruction despite being born a mortal. Such a fact proved that it was possible for mortals to not only contain godly energy, but also harnass it as gods themselves. ...Something to remember for a later date. At any rate, the issue was clear: if mortals could harness an abstract concept such as time itself, then they could just as easily harness the divine energies of those who stand above all others. Thus, by her... rebellion - the cause of which was a topic of meditation and conversation for another time - Asha'rah showed all others that the latter was just as easily - a relative term - stolen as anything else. That it was a rare occurrence meant nothing when one thought back to her original point: that this entire conundrum they found themselves in could have and should have been avoided with more stringent restrictions. That this was a rare occurrence itself was irrelevant; the very threat of something like this happening should have occurred to someone long ago.

When Ochazuke finished, Parsley had finally reached the others, and stopped just short of standing beside Ishtar. She remained quiet for a time, preferring to await the response from the robotic goddess - her curious form was also a topic for later discussion. Thus far, her conclusion was set - while Asha'rah was correct in that tighter restrictions should have been placed on time to prevent its blatant manipulation by anyone aside from Zurvan, that she bypassed her own restrictions to strip a God of Destruction of his energy showed she was attempting to have it both ways. That wasn't possible.

After all, Asha'rah herself said that Hakai was created to balance out creation energy - whatever that was called. Thus, it was safe to assume that it shouldn't have been possible for a creation goddess to even think of wielding it, much less actually going through the steps to make that thought a reality. That she had a reason for doing so was irrelevant. That she didn't see anything wrong with her actions - as disturbing as that was - was also irrelevant. The only thing that matter was she overstepped her bounds, yet saw fit to criticize the failure to take the necessary steps to keep The Doctor from overstepping his.

The sentiment was sound, but Asha'rah was the wrong person to profess it.

She sighed, deciding to speak up. "Not that anyone asked, but I'd like to offer my own thoughts, if that's okay." She looked into the Asha'rah's eyes, holding her gaze for a moment before turning it to the floor. "Unless I'm wrong, you created this destruction energy to balance out your own natural energy. Thus, I feel it safe to assume you also created restrictions to prevent a creation god from wielding it as a destruction god would. That you overstepped those restrictions - either concrete or understood, it doesn't matter - for a cause you felt important enough is one thing. Fast forward to now, and The Doctor has overstepped the understood restrictions to not only steal time energy from Zurvan, but also wield it with reckless abandon to tear the timestream apart and become the god of time himself.

"These two actions are synonymous in their result: that being two beings stealing and wielding power that did not belong to them for reasons they saw fit to act in accordance with. Whatever reason you had for stealing Hakai is irrelevant. Whatever reason The Doctor has for stealing time energy is also irrelevant. The fact is you wield a power you have no right to possess, just as this alternate Jinzi Pantaloons also wields a power he has no right to possess. That you saw fit to declare that the gods of old should have placed tighter restrictions on time itself to prevent the latter, while acknowledging the former, makes you a hypocrite. The sentiment and spirit of your declaration are true. There should have been a more care taken to prevent a concept of the universe from being unduly manipulated by a mortal. While that sentiment is true, you aren't the right person to make it."

She shrugged lazily. "But, what do I know? Far be it for a mortal to question the ways of the divine and almighty."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat finds Cyanna saying " hey Cyanna would you do me the honor of being my sparring partner." " I been sparring with Althena but that's over now." " since she told me I shouldn't continue sparing with her and seek out some one equal to my own power level to be my sparring partner ." " so here I am."

"truth be told during my sparring match with her today deep down inside I was holding back because I was afraid that I would hurt her." " turns out she's pretty tough and is able hurt opponents like myself who are way above her own power level." " this all has to with her natural brute force." " she has enough natural brute force to punch above her power level. "

"still there's limit on how far her natural brute force can take her in her base state since she threw our sparring match when I power up further." " Althena told me that if I keep sparring with her I will never improve my reaction time since I will always hold back against her."

[Tami]

Praxat finds Cyanna saying " hey Cyanna would you do me the honor of being my sparring partner." " I been sparring with Althena but that's over now." " since she told me I shouldn't continue sparing with her and seek out some one equal to my own power level to be my sparring partner ." " so here I am."

"truth be told during my sparring match with her today deep down inside I was holding back because I was afraid that I would hurt her." " turns out she's pretty tough and is able hurt opponents like myself who are way above her own power level." " this all has to with her natural brute force." " she has enough natural brute force to punch above her power level. "

"still there's limit on how far her natural brute force can take her in her base state since she threw our sparring match when I power up further." " Althena told me that if I keep sparring with her I will never improve my reaction time since I will always hold back against her."

Cyanna looked to Meagan, who nodded. She then said, "Praxat, you can come with us. We're going to train in the mountains."

Meagan added, "It would be good to have an extra person for Dash and Cyanna to spar with. Do you want to come?"

[MrSandman]

"..."

Sarada stared in... something as a second Erosa was formed by, like, Erosa shedding or skin or some such. What a weird fucking thing. Then, the copy lunged at her, intent on capturing her in a bear hug.

It seemed that time itself slowed down. This... this was an unprecedented opportunity, one she had been hoping for for a very long time. Erosa, leaving herself open...

Even if she wasn't the real Erosa, it didn't. Fucking. Matter.

Sarada's eyes widened as the clone Id closed in. Her hands shot forward. It seemed like she was planning on blocking, yet, her hands were all wrong. No! She wasn't going to try and stop the hug. Rather, she let it happen, letting the clones boobs land right in her waiting hands.

Her ****... were so fucking soft!! Holy ****, it was like she was kneading two balls of gooey dough. It was amazing! Incredible! Stupendous! Sarada would never forget this moment for as long as she lived.

Aaaand check Erosa off my list!

As expected, the real Erosa charged in with a punch to the face. That punch landed, knocking the Saiyan for a loop. Because she extended her arms to grab some titties, the Clone Erosa couldn't get her arms around Sarada to hold her in place. The Saiyan fell away, a trail of blood from her nose.

Heh.

Hehehe.

Erosa would quickly find that Sarada lost complete focus. A pair of red handprints remained on the fake Erosa's chest, and quickly spread through her entire body. Cardinal Touch requiring physical contact came in so handy, it wasn't even funny.

The Id would only have a few seconds before the clone exploded at point blank range.

One wonders, what sort of divine comedy ensued within the mind of an Erosa born to live but a few moments, and cursed to end that bitter short life in a explosion. One may never know for sure.....

....But if the sad vacant look in her eyes was any indication as she floated back into Erosa just prior to violently exploding, it was that getting sexually harassed by a monkey queen had not been the ending she would have wanted.

....and the look of surprise and annoyance on the Original face was enough to show this wasn't any better outcome for her.

Then she exploded.



The blast wave bowled the Saiyan over even as she retreated from the explosion, and in the moment she could spot of smoking body launched clear....plummeting downwards, past the lookout and towards the ground far below.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

One wonders, what sort of divine comedy ensued within the mind of an Erosa born to live but a few moments, and cursed to end that bitter short life in a explosion. One may never know for sure.....

....But if the sad vacant look in her eyes was any indication as she floated back into Erosa just prior to violently exploding, it was that getting sexually harassed by a monkey queen had not been the ending she would have wanted.

....and the look of surprise and annoyance on the Original face was enough to show this wasn't any better outcome for her.

Then she exploded.



The blast wave bowled the Saiyan over even as she retreated from the explosion, and in the moment she could spot of smoking body launched clear....plummeting downwards, past the lookout and towards the ground far below.

Sarada was still in her post-grope high, so she didn't even register the fact that Erosa's clone merged with the prime body, then exploded seconds later. The force of the explosion knocked her into the Lookout floor, hard, creating a small crater where she landed. "Ugh..." That was enough to knock her from her high.

Her eyes cracked open, the force from the previous punch and the explosion blurring her vision. It was clear enough to see the smoky body falling from the sky. It missed the Lookout completely and was hurtling toward the ground several miles below.

"...****..."

She hadn't meant for Erosa to explode, only for the clone. Then again, she supposed catching an explosion at point blank range was the same as exploding herself.

Her back was aching badly from the landing, but she crawled to her feet as quickly as she could manage and shook the cobwebs loose. "Hang tight," she muttered as she took to the air and quickly flew after the body. Jeez. She just came back and she's already dead. What a bummer.

She hoped the Id wasn't dead. Sarada still may have been irritated by her antics, but she had gained a great deal of respect for her, thanks in no small part to what Ishtar told her. Plus, fighting her was a lot more fun than she thought it'd be, titty-time not included.

Please don't be dead. She caught up to the body and scooped it up out of the air and slowed to a stop. "Hey, are you alive?" She poked Erosa's face with a finger.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Cyanna looked to Meagan, who nodded. She then said, "Praxat, you can come with us. We're going to train in the wasteland area."

Meagan added, "It would be good to have an extra person for Dash and Cyanna to spar with. Do you want to come?"

Praxat replies to this saying " sure ." Althena arrives saying " there you are Megan I been meaning to talk to you." " Praxat have you found a sparring partner yet?" Praxat replies to this saying " yes I did Sensei."

Althena replies to this saying " you know even though I'm no longer sparring with you I will still be training you as your mentor / teacher." " you saw the Mahtoesa Hetto no Hwe-Atkam technique Flash stop in action and I think it's about time you learn it." Praxat replies to this saying " Althena will you teach me Mahtoesa Hetto no Hwe-Atkam's greatest technique Kamzkoto Maskuito Lazikui Gazikao too?" Althena replies to this saying ah yes Rebound Flash Boost Counter a technique design to even the odds against a more powerful opponent. "


"it's technique design to reverse Ki attacks back at the attacker while boost the overall power of the attack by more then twice it's original power level depend on how powerful the attacker is." " that includes even punches and kicks amplified with Ki ." " however Rebound Flash Boost Counter isn't a unbeatable technique and it's very difficult technique to learn let alone master." " I still believe you aren't ready to learn it yet Praxat."

[MrSandman]

Sarada was still in her post-grope high, so she didn't even register the fact that Erosa's clone merged with the prime body, then exploded seconds later. The force of the explosion knocked her into the Lookout floor, hard, creating a small crater where she landed. "Ugh..." That was enough to knock her from her high.

Her eyes cracked open, the force from the previous punch and the explosion blurring her vision. It was clear enough to see the smoky body falling from the sky. It missed the Lookout completely and was hurtling toward the ground several miles below.

"...****..."

She hadn't meant for Erosa to explode, only for the clone. Then again, she supposed catching an explosion at point blank range was the same as exploding herself.

Her back was aching badly from the landing, but she crawled to her feet as quickly as she could manage and shook the cobwebs loose. "Hang tight," she muttered as she took to the air and quickly flew after the body. Jeez. She just came back and she's already dead. What a bummer.

She hoped the Id wasn't dead. Sarada still may have been irritated by her antics, but she had gained a great deal of respect for her, thanks in no small part to what Ishtar told her. Plus, fighting her was a lot more fun than she thought it'd be, titty-time not included.

Please don't be dead. She caught up to the body and scooped it up out of the air and slowed to a stop. "Hey, are you alive?" She poked Erosa's face with a finger.

"Geh...." Erosa choked at the finger poke, eyes blinking open on her blacked face. "........Sarada? Uhhh........I'm sorry......I swear I never explode this early.......ehehehehe.....ehe...." The Id make a dirty joke with as straight a face as she could manage, then coughed violently. "......Hey....since it was me exploding......that doesn't count as you winning...ok. Self inflicted Knock out.....I'm still undefeated...." The Id cracked a smile as she lay in Saradas arms.

[Tami]

Praxat replies to this saying " sure ." Althena arrives saying " there you are Megan I been meaning to talk to you." " Praxat have you found a sparring partner yet?" Praxat replies to this saying " yes I did Sensei."

Althena replies to this saying " you know even though I'm no longer sparring with you I will still be training you as your mentor / teacher." " you saw the Mahtoesa Hetto no Hwe-Atkam technique Flash stop in action and I think it's about time you learn it." Praxat replies to this saying " Althena will you teach me Mahtoesa Hetto no Hwe-Atkam's greatest technique Kamzkoto Maskuito Lazikui Gazikao too?" Althena replies to this saying ah yes Rebound Flash Boost Counter a technique design to even the odds against a more powerful opponent. "


"it's technique design to reverse Ki attacks back at the attacker while boost the overall power of the attack by more then twice it's original power level depend on how powerful the attacker is." " that includes even punches and kicks amplified with Ki ." " however Rebound Flash Boost Counter isn't a unbeatable technique and it's very difficult technique to learn let alone master." " I still believe you aren't ready to learn it yet Praxat."

"Althena," Meagan replied with considerable patience, "Seeing as we both will be staying here to guard Earth while Praxata and the others are away on the mission, we will have plenty of time to talk. For now, I have invited Praxat to come with me and my apprentices on a training session in the mountains. After we return, you can resume working with her."

She then spoke to the Toadian warrior, "Are you ready to leave?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Geh...." Erosa choked at the finger poke, eyes blinking open on her blacked face. "........Sarada? Uhhh........I'm sorry......I swear I never explode this early.......ehehehehe.....ehe...." The Id make a dirty joke with as straight a face as she could manage, then coughed violently. "......Hey....since it was me exploding......that doesn't count as you winning...ok. Self inflicted Knock out.....I'm still undefeated...." The Id cracked a smile as she lay in Saradas arms.

Sarada could only sigh in relief when the Id was revealed to have survived. "Spin it however you want, but this is a notch in the win column for me." She cracked a small smile as she carried Erosa back to the Lookout. When she landed, she placed her gently on the ground, then reached inside her armor to pull out a capsule. She clicked it open, showing the contents - the food Bekon gave her yesterday to strengthen her after Held saved her life from the lethal neurotoxin.

That reminded her that she needed to repay him for that.

The food had healing properties like no other, meaning that it should have healed Erosa no problem. "Here, eat this," she said, handing Erosa some of the food. "Totoma's dad made it and it's got some kick-ass healing properties, so you'll be back on your feet in no time."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"My rebellion was the spark which caused the current predicament we face. I failed to notice myself being manipulated. I decimated the ranks of the heavenly host. During the war, I fought and killed one of my closest friends, then took his essence for my own. I have inspired my enemies to attempt similar feats to increase their own power. My hand in the crisis we face is plain as day, and I never dreamed I would need to make it obvious to you that I understood that. What blame I deserve for the current state of affairs, the merits of each of my choices, you are free to judge as you see fit. But our rebellion was never without hope, just never with hope of victory through force of arms. Our objective when we stormed Zeno's palace was the same as the day our rebellion started - to show our resolve and make Zeno listen. Every single soul who joined us did so of their own volition. They strove for a greater cause, and our failure does not negate the choices we made towards this endeavor. To strive has never been about the fruit of any action, no matter how great or small. It is the choices made in the striving, the freedom of each to choose their path, that I hold sacrosanct. I would sooner kill my friend than force him to choose a path where he would live."

It seemed throughout all of this all Asha'rah seemed able to do was hear, and not understand.

For after a repetition of a thing Ishtar expressed plainly she cared not hear, the Fallen confessed as much. Speaking of how she could not see what approach the Oni was after over things that again, failed to compare to the scale of Creation, Hakai, and Time. So when she added those on -- or at least the two most relevant -- and expressed that the energies in question remained in Godly hands, only to then state herself that they did not; to say nothing of the simmering Oni that stood before the former God whom herself was no true God ... there was a momentary silence as Ishtar considered how best to respond.

A thing she settled on ultimately, in short order.

"You speak of Zeno as some Child God ... and yet, as I see it, he was not the one to throw a tantrum when the Universe was not as he envisioned it," Ishtar cut back, flatly, at first. Though ... such comments were hardly the point. Simply barbs designed to wound, and lay bare the flaws of Asha'rah's mentality. So with an upward sigh that blew an errant strand of black hair from her face. "Which is, in a way, part of the point ... and the hypocrisy you fail to grasp; and be it willful ignorance of the Truth, or something else entirely ... it still falls to me to state again, and perhaps more plainly."

Allowing a moment to pass then, the Oni sighed once more before continuing.

"As I stated not moments ago ... before you tore off on your empty equivocation: You are no different from this twisted version of Jinzi Pantaloon. One who seeks, as you sought, to influence reality with their own two hands by wrestling away control of a thing that was not theirs by right. Yet despite that you deigned to lament, and wish that you and yours had made Time itself immutable ... All the while standing before us, in possession of Hakai." Ishtar clarified. "And it is for this, you are called hypocrite. After all, how can one decry the actions of another -- and be taken seriously -- for doing the same as they have done ? Though it is worse than that, for he merely strives to what you have already succeeded in doing, unchecked as you were; which was to upend the order and balance of things, for a purpose determined to be true." The Oni explained, further.

Yet it was the outcome of this action, and how it was measured by Asha'rah, that disturbed Ishtar the most.

For she had continued on, after expressing her confusion, to admit for all the culpability of the current ruined state of the Universe. A thing Ishtar herself knew well, surely, and yet never truly understood Asha'rah's feelings -- beyond at least the killing of Indar'en ... a thing she only superficially lamented -- toward. Though in hearing what the Fallen had to say past her admittance of guilt, the golden-eyed Oni's eyes flickered with something.

... and then she laughed.

"... Sooner kill your friend, then force him upon a path ? What a fool you are then, to not realize that you forced Indar'en upon a path the moment you crafted a world to kill him on." Ishtar responded with, once the laughter faded. "You know as well as I do, his choices were two, even before the moment he arrived. Abdicate, or Judge. Yet you knew well his mindset and how he was, in your own words, 'loyal to a fault'; so that narrowed it to one. You knew that rather than abdicate his mantle of responsibility as a God of Destruction; he would stand in opposition, and do his duty to Judge you for your actions. You knew how he would strive ... and you twisted that against him. So tell me again how you would rather kill a friend, than deny his right to strive. For in the slaughtering of Indar'en, you succeeded in both."

The Oni stared silently a time then, only for Ochazuke to interject.

“Be that as it may, your paths and ours are intertwined. Here and now, neither of you has the right to sequester yourself from your duty, nor the time to fight one another.”

To Ishtar, with a nod, he spoke first.

“Whether Black Fire or the flowing course of things, it matters little,” he said. “The intent has not changed, only the means of enacting it. In the face of entropy and destruction, we may yet need a Creator to mend what would be lost."

He waited a moment for his perhaps vain words to sink in before he turned Asha'rah.

Ishtar listened, silently, as Ochazuke turned his insight toward her, and it was not long before she decided that his point was fair.

The Universe was in shambles -- the direct result of Asha'rah's perversion of balance -- and there would come a time when a rebuilding would be required, Creation once again finding its use among the Tapestry of Stars, after Destruction had been laced throughout to purge the ruinous elements. Ishtar understood that as well as she understood herself, and understood too her hand in it. Yet it was that former thing, the matter of the creative hand, that was a thing she ultimately disagreed with.

A thing she stated plain as day for all around to hear.

"If you are implying it will be for Asha'rah to do, this rebuilding. I would disagree. For the moment she stole Hakai for herself, she abdicated her duties as Creator." Despite this rebuttal however -- weak though it may have been -- the first words spoken by the stoic warrior were by far the most poignant, and with a heavy sigh the Oni conceded a nod. After all, but a few paces away from them, the one who raised her was dying. And with three days left before the task before them needed to be carried out and through to completion, Ishtar's disagreement with Asha'rah, legitimate though it may be, began to lose its sway.

"Though I suppose this should wait. What time we have left should perhaps not be wasted with words."

He took a step forward, aligning a third point adjacent to the two.

“Godliness. The Destroyer, Hammer, was not born into his godhood. It was gifted to him, a Namek mortal with great appetites and lack of scruples.” Ochazuke continued. “What then is the distinction between god and an ascended mortal? A gift you say has been stolen. That you have shown us, can be taken."

"So what then makes a god? Is it enlightened vision? Or is it merely a question of who holds the power? Rising up on the backs of others has resulted in nothing but an outpouring of more who aspire to do the same, to call themselves the new zenith of things. And that is the problem with our current predicament. The both of you strive toward any matter besides that which would require you to hear each other. One hand strives to cut the other at the wrist to spite the already fractured balance. But tell me, who is it that suffers while the gods quarrel?”

Even now, the grave of a planet that buried the deposed god was fresh in his memory.

Yet again another fair point, and one that Ishtar had no reason to argue against. That they were clearly talking past themselves at this point was fairly evident -- Asha'rah failing time and again to grasp what the hypocrisy of her words and deeds was, and Ishtar herself wasting time that could be spent focusing on other things -- though it was the question Ochazuke asked, that perhaps resonated the most.

Who suffered ? Ishtar sighed.

"I am no more a God than you, Ochazuke, my birth at the hands of two not changing what I am: an Oni." Ishtar responded, before falling into a silence that broke first with a sigh, and then an admission. "Yet you are not wrong to ask who suffers, for it is ever those who reside beneath the Gods who do ... the selfsame who will suffer should this Alternate Jinzi succeed in his quest to become the next Time Deity."