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

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar offered the presence a nod, before considering quickly the first thing to ask.

"How did she come to be in this place. A sudden appearance, or the result of your tinkering ?"

“I sensed her arrival coming soon and went to try and make her passage easier. I did not succeed in time.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“I sensed her arrival coming soon and went to try and make her passage easier. I did not succeed in time.”

Ishtar frowned.

Sensed her arrival ?

The Room of Spirit and Time was a place disjointed from the normal flow, an eddying pool of tide, and time, that was not subject to many laws- beyond the laws of gravity, and that time must eventually flow- so how was it such a thing could be open to the arrival of another ...

"Where is she from ?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar frowned.

Sensed her arrival ?

The Room of Spirit and Time was a place disjointed from the normal flow, an eddying pool of tide, and time, that was not subject to many laws- beyond the laws of gravity, and that time must eventually flow- so how was it such a thing could be open to the arrival of another ...

"Where is she from ?"

The voice hesitates.

“I.....do not know for sure.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

When Sarada appeared beside Ishtar, the Oni offered her love a smile, before sighing softly.

"We ... perhaps, should have waited. Yet it seems all is well, in the end."

The others arrived not soon after however, so any other comments would have to wait, in favor of dealing with the situation they now found themselves in.

Oh, great. Even Ishtar thought that they should have held back and waited for the others. Sarada supposed that made sense, but she hated having to admit Parsley was right. Even if, deep down, she knew she was.

She mumbled something that sounded like an agreement and looked away.

A soft impact at Ishtar's side- Ereshkigal- shakes her focus on the unconscious woman, even as the Ronin Kai carries her away to rest, and recover. Wrapping her arm around the girl, then, Ishtar sighs and offers the young Oni a smile.

"Hello again, little one. It is good to see you again."

As for Nunlil, still exposed to the world then, and decidedly more battered than the situation implied, received a smile and a chuckle from Ishtar before she headed off to change.

Turning back to Eresh then, Ishtar frowned before then adding.

"I would speak with your ... companion, if she is yet around. To hear from her, what happened here in this Room of Spirit, and Time." The Oni was of course speaking about the godly spirit that had come to share Ereshkigal's form ... though whether or not this erstwhile Sister to Asha'rah would appear remained to be seen.

Eresh’s smile dropped just a bit, then her eyes change and her voice grows older.

“I linger for a few moments. What would you ask?”

Ishtar offered the presence a nod, before considering quickly the first thing to ask.

"How did she come to be in this place. A sudden appearance, or the result of your tinkering ?"

“I sensed her arrival coming soon and went to try and make her passage easier. I did not succeed in time.”

Ishtar frowned.

Sensed her arrival ?

The Room of Spirit and Time was a place disjointed from the normal flow, an eddying pool of tide, and time, that was not subject to many laws- beyond the laws of gravity, and that time must eventually flow- so how was it such a thing could be open to the arrival of another ...

"Where is she from ?"

That voice...

Parsley turned her attention away from her childish sister and toward the young Oni girl. Much like the woman from before, her voice did not belong to her body. It sounded far too mature, far too old, and far too ancient to belong to a young creature like this. That neither Ishtar nor Sarada seemed too particularly surprised only proved this was not a singular occurrence.

Her head tilted to the side as she listened to the two creatures speak among themselves, gleaning what she could so she could decipher this inane situation.

[Tami]

Sarada was slightly overwhelmed by the onslaught of questions from the Chromakai. She shook her head and answered the one she managed to catch. "I'm fine."



Healing was unnecessary for the woman; just a few hours rest would do her some good. She watched Kai float her into the air and depart for one of the spare rooms. Nunlil departed shortly after, thankfully, to find some more complete clothes to put one.

Sarada heaved out a sigh and watched the young Oni girl wrap her arms around Ishtar. A soft smile touched her lips. "Idiot."

The decrying remarked killed any levity Sarada may have been feeling. "

"You could have been seriously hurt or worse. Why would you just barge into an unknown situation against an unknown assailant without first assessing the situation? Are you that dense? Are you so impulsive that you would throw your own health and the well-being of your empire just for a good fight? Again?What would we do if that woman had been more hostile than she proved to be? What if she killed you? What would the rest of us do if our young Queen had gotten herself murdered for no discernible reason? Gah! I can hardly believe we're even related. It's like I inherited all the common sense and left you with all the stupidity. Next time, wait for me to analyze what's happening before you rush off and get yourself in trouble. Understand?"

Sarada's teeth her gritted together. Parsley had some nerve dressing her down like this. Where the hell did she get off doting over her like she gave a **** about her welfare? If anything, she was probably hoping she got hurt so she could make a case to inherit the throne. "Stop pretending you care about me," she growled.

It was brief, so brief that Sarada could pretend she never saw it, but a look of hurt flashed across her sister's expression before she reset it back to neutral. "Tch. You really are this stupid. I weep for our race. Perhaps the Keebler Elf was right and we'll all be extinct shortly, so I suppose none of this matters."

"No, we won't be. We'll be just fine." Like hell she was going to fail and prove not only that bitch elf but also her bitch sister right. No way.

Watching and listening from behind, Cyanna spoke up, "Meagan gets all upset when I do something dumb too. Sisters are like that, always worrying about each other. You must really care about your sister, Princess, or you wouldn't be so angry with her." She then smiled, "I'd better go, see you later." she then teleported back out of the room.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Oh, great. Even Ishtar thought that they should have held back and waited for the others. Sarada supposed that made sense, but she hated having to admit Parsley was right. Even if, deep down, she knew she was.

She mumbled something that sounded like an agreement and looked away.

Ishtar chuckled, before shaking her head.

"Tonight we will just have to make up for what has happened today, hmm ?"

The voice hesitates.

“I.....do not know for sure.”

Which itself was troubling. Ishtar sighed, before her head bobbed in a nod once more. "A final question, then. Will the Room be fixed in time to prepare for Jagam."

[grampagen]

With a whump sound, the mists detract auddenly and form into a humanoid shape. Eresh, Nunlil, Sarada, Ishtar, Asha’rah, Etrina, and everyone else, free of the mists it able to see through them now, watch as the mists coalesce and then shatter, leaving this behind:

*snip*

The girl floats down, then falls unconscious to the floor.

The RoSaT is nonfunctional right now, the endless expanse not present. Just a simple room with a building where most of them are standing. Whatever this stranger did broke the time dilation for the moment.

The fragmented consciousness was made whole, and when the mist no longer spilled from the ancient doorframe, Ochazuke knew in that instance the mage's work had been completed. Exhaling, he summarily retracted the font of his focus, the burning of the ethereal flame receding with it.

Etrina's safe, Zao. Standing to his feet, the energy orb she'd given him still beat with the mark of its living presence. What a feat to restore that which was thought lost.

Inside the chamber he was made aware then of a seventh presence, but it seemed the boundaries which before had stretched endlessly in all directions had been reduced to a cloister. Greater mysteries still here in the seat of Guardianship.

Sarada was slightly overwhelmed by the onslaught of questions from the Chromakai. She shook her head and answered the one she managed to catch. "I'm fine."



Healing was unnecessary for the woman; just a few hours rest would do her some good. She watched Kai float her into the air and depart for one of the spare rooms. Nunlil departed shortly after, thankfully, to find some more complete clothes to put one.

Sarada heaved out a sigh and watched the young Oni girl wrap her arms around Ishtar. A soft smile touched her lips. "Idiot."

The decrying remarked killed any levity Sarada may have been feeling. "

"You could have been seriously hurt or worse. Why would you just barge into an unknown situation against an unknown assailant without first assessing the situation? Are you that dense? Are you so impulsive that you would throw your own health and the well-being of your empire just for a good fight? Again?What would we do if that woman had been more hostile than she proved to be? What if she killed you? What would the rest of us do if our young Queen had gotten herself murdered for no discernible reason? Gah! I can hardly believe we're even related. It's like I inherited all the common sense and left you with all the stupidity. Next time, wait for me to analyze what's happening before you rush off and get yourself in trouble. Understand?"

Sarada's teeth her gritted together. Parsley had some nerve dressing her down like this. Where the hell did she get off doting over her like she gave a **** about her welfare? If anything, she was probably hoping she got hurt so she could make a case to inherit the throne. "Stop pretending you care about me," she growled.

It was brief, so brief that Sarada could pretend she never saw it, but a look of hurt flashed across her sister's expression before she reset it back to neutral. "Tch. You really are this stupid. I weep for our race. Perhaps the Keebler Elf was right and we'll all be extinct shortly, so I suppose none of this matters."

"No, we won't be. We'll be just fine." Like hell she was going to fail and prove not only that bitch elf but also her bitch sister right. No way.

He entered the chamber in the midst of a heated exchange. Behind the military precision of the cold words, there was something wrought from something unbecomingly naive in its sincerity. He saw it then, a crack in the facade before it settled and was buried under layers of greater apathy.

Silently, he folded his arms and leaned back against the wall, resigning for the moment to ensure everybody was accounted for. In the pursuit of deeper mysteries, it is all too easy to forget the seemingly mundane.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar chuckled, before shaking her head.

"Tonight we will just have to make up for what has happened today, hmm ?"



Which itself was troubling. Ishtar sighed, before her head bobbed in a nod once more. "A final question, then. Will the Room be fixed in time to prepare for Jagam."

She tilts her head.

“In less than 24 hours? No.”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Watching and listening from behind, Cyanna spoke up, "Meagan gets all upset when I do something dumb too. Sisters are like that, always worrying about each other. You must really care about your sister, Princess, or you wouldn't be so angry with her." She then smiled, "I'd better go, see you later." she then teleported back out of the room.

Parsley snorted. "She's my race's queen. There are people I actually care about that live on the throne-world, so her not having her head up her ass means they'll survive to see each sunrise."

That was what Sarada wanted to hear, so that was what Parsley gave her.

Ishtar chuckled, before shaking her head.

"Tonight we will just have to make up for what has happened today, hmm ?"

Sarada, despite her soured mood at having been talked to like some little kid, smiled slyly. "Hm. Now whatever could you mean by that, love?"

Which itself was troubling. Ishtar sighed, before her head bobbed in a nod once more. "A final question, then. Will the Room be fixed in time to prepare for Jagam."

She tilts her head.

“In less than 24 hours? No.”

"..."

There was no way she heard that right. "You mean days... right? Tell me you meant days!"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

She tilts her head.

“In less than 24 hours? No.”

Ishtar blinked.

"I see. Some of this will not survive this." The Oni fell silent for several moments, before nodding to whomever it was in possession of Ereshkigal's body at current.

"Thank you for your honesty, ... whatever it is your name is."

[grampagen]

She tilts her head.

“In less than 24 hours? No.”

"Cheh."

With this sharp seeth, Ochazuke broke his silence at the door of the chamber.

Wordlessly he turned, crossed the observation deck of the Lookout in pursuit of Kai.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Kai is found outside.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Parsley snorted. "She's my race's queen. There are people I actually care about that live on the throne-world, so her not having her head up her ass means they'll survive to see each sunrise."

That was what Sarada wanted to hear, so that was what Parsley gave her.



Sarada, despite her soured mood at having been talked to like some little kid, smiled slyly. "Hm. Now whatever could you mean by that, love?"





"..."

There was no way she heard that right. "You mean days... right? Tell me you meant days!"

She shakes her head.

“No. The Priestess accompanying him has sped up his ship, much as I did for ours on our journey here from Chroma. She only just did it. Without that you would have had two weeks. Now.....conciserabky less. Interesting, she seems to....ahh, I see.”

Eresh frowns and her eyes glow.

“She is clever. She has been scrying on us. That is how she knew to speed the ship up. I have stopped that from here in in. She is quite the accomplished magician it seems.”

[grampagen]

Kai is found outside.

Ochazuke walked towards the Apprentice Guardian, greeting him with a solemn nod.

"I trust our...visitor is well taken care of. There is some small victory to be had then, with less than a day remaining."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar blinked.

"I see. Some of this will not survive this." The Oni fell silent for several moments, before nodding to whomever it was in possession of Ereshkigal's body at current.

"Thank you for your honesty, ... whatever it is your name is."

“Shek’hinah. My name is Shek’hinah.”