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

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Nergal - the name Lady Iris was so obsessed with. Sarada recalled seeing it written in the write-up of lost race of Cyntosia when she was still in possession of that blasted shard. She hadn't looked into since, but she just knew that the two were connected somehow. It seemed she missed the reckoning receiving that gift from the Draconian girl and her mother brought about.

"He was looking for me and that amulet shard, wasn't he?" It wasn't so much a question as a confirmation of what she had already known. Ishtar was attacked because Nergal was looking for her, and she wouldn't give her location to him. "I'm sorry. You paid because I got myself caught up in something." It probably wasn't entirely her fault, but it didn't stop her from feeling bad about it.

"I should have been there to help. You wouldn't have gotten so fucked up if I had been there to help."

Also, fighting someone near Genesis in strength - who had Ishtar visibly shaken and questioning her entire place in everything - would have been awesome!

Ishtar nodded, at Sarada's realization, yet offered a counter response.

"That he was, and that you were not present, I feel, was the only thing I had in my favor." The Oni replied. "I refused, and fled the planet ... that amused him; so he humored me long enough to bide time, and garner strength enough to ... die after I killed him."

Brushing some grime from her lover's cheek then, the Oni simply smiled.

"Do not feel bad though, were it not for you, I might have allowed myself to die. Knowing how much you stood to loose -- and feel -- had I done so; made me realize that Death, as with Time ... is not as set in stone, as I was once led to believe."

As soon as Isthar and Asha'rah had passed through the portal, Meagan shut it down and began to sequence to bring the Temple back to full power. Stepping back and turning around, "The Healing Tanks are upstairs. I'll take you to them." She then smiled at Isthar, "For a friend, it was no problem at all. Come, let's go upstairs to heal and wash up. There is plenty of food as well as changes of clothes if you need them."

Meagan then lead the others through the tunnels and up to the main levels, stopping at the infirmary where two healing chambers were now up and running.

"All the same, thank you Meagan." Ishtar offered a final time, before eagerly -- and graciously -- accepting her offer of a healing tank.

Sarada wasted no time in taking her ruined armor off. She placed her medallion on a nearby counter, then gingerly climbed inside one of the pods. Ah. She wasn't sure of the extent of her injuries or how long it would take to fully heal from them, even inside this healing tank. She supposed that now was a good time to inform Ishtar of what all she missed.

Thus, when she was sure Ishtar had climbed inside the other pod, she contacted her, 'Parsley's dead.' It was easier to tell her this way than to vocalize it. It hadn't even been a week and it was still a sore, raw subject. 'Tuffles attacked Turrip a few weeks ago, wiped out nearly all ten million of them. I sent Parsley to retrieve the survivors, but she was captured herself. They experimented on her, Ishtar. They injected her with some kind of neurotoxin that slowly killed her and turned her own body against her. She died slowly over the two weeks she was imprisoned. By the time I got to her, she was already dead.'

That was the crux of it. Yes, this was much easier than simply telling her, even if the guilt and self-loathing was as evident as a beam of light through the fog. 'If I hadn't sent her there by herself, she would still be here. This is all my fault.'

Everything was.

Like Sarada, the Oni wasted no time slipping out of her ruined clothing, and into the healing tank. Though it seemed she wouldn't be allowed to rest quite yet as, telepathically, her love contacted her from the pod beside her own ... and what was offered certainly gave context.

Turrip was gone, along with its citizens. As was Parsley.

Ah. That explains it, surely.

The pain she'd felt given context now, all Ishtar could feel was a resurgence of sadness, and guilt as it settled. And for a time the Oni remained silent, allowing herself a moment to come to grips with what Sarada herself had suffered alone. After all, it was foreign, this feeling.

The loss of a love was one thing after all, the loss of close kin ? Something else entirely. Eventually however, after she had made the pain her own, Ishtar offered a response.

'I see.'

The Oni fell silent awhile more, before offering something more ... substantial.

'There is an adage, perhaps older than I am. "Uneasy lies the head which wears a crown." ... it is fitting, here. That you did what was expected of you, and the result was far worse than you might have hoped ... is no fault of your own.' She offered before pausing briefly. 'Neither is what was done to Parsley the fault of anyone but those who carried out the act ... all the same, this grief you feel was not for you alone. I should have been there. I am sorry, Sarada.'

[Tami]

Ishtar nodded, at Sarada's realization, yet offered a counter response.

"That he was, and that you were not present, I feel, was the only thing I had in my favor." The Oni replied. "I refused, and fled the planet ... that amused him; so he humored me long enough to bide time, and garner strength enough to ... die after I killed him."

Brushing some grime from her lover's cheek then, the Oni simply smiled.

"Do not feel bad though, were it not for you, I might have allowed myself to die. Knowing how much you stood to loose -- and feel -- had I done so; made me realize that Death, as with Time ... is not as set in stone, as I was once led to believe."



"All the same, thank you Meagan." Ishtar offered a final time, before eagerly -- and graciously -- accepting her offer of a healing tank.



Like Sarada, the Oni wasted no time slipping out of her ruined clothing, and into the healing tank. Though it seemed she wouldn't be allowed to rest quite yet as, telepathically, her love contacted her from the pod beside her own ... and what was offered certainly gave context.

Turrip was gone, along with its citizens. As was Parsley.

Ah. That explains it, surely.

The pain she'd felt given context now, all Ishtar could feel was a resurgence of sadness, and guilt as it settled. And for a time the Oni remained silent, allowing herself a moment to come to grips with what Sarada herself had suffered alone. After all, it was foreign, this feeling.

The loss of a love was one thing after all, the loss of close kin ? Something else entirely. Eventually however, after she had made the pain her own, Ishtar offered a response.

'I see.'

The Oni fell silent awhile more, before offering something more ... substantial.

'There is an adage, perhaps older than I am. "Uneasy lies the head which wears a crown." ... it is fitting, here. That you did what was expected of you, and the result was far worse than you might have hoped ... is no fault of your own.' She offered before pausing briefly. 'Neither is what was done to Parsley the fault of anyone but those who carried out the act ... all the same, this grief you feel was not for you alone. I should have been there. I am sorry, Sarada.'

As Sarada and Isthar took their turn in the healing tank, Meagan used a communicator to summon one of the Priestesses who were watching over things while she was gone. After talking to her for a few moments, the young woman picked up the discarded clothes and armor, taking them to be cleaned and repaired. She soon returned with suitable replacement clothes, laying them on a nearby table. Before leaving, Meagan spoke to the young priestess, thanking her.

With an appreciative, if modest smile, the girl left the infirmary. Meagan soon left as well, taking the icy artifact to a room set aside for such items. By teh time Meagan came back, Sarada and Isthar would be nearly finished healing.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Ishtar nodded, at Sarada's realization, yet offered a counter response.

"That he was, and that you were not present, I feel, was the only thing I had in my favor." The Oni replied. "I refused, and fled the planet ... that amused him; so he humored me long enough to bide time, and garner strength enough to ... die after I killed him."

Brushing some grime from her lover's cheek then, the Oni simply smiled.

"Do not feel bad though, were it not for you, I might have allowed myself to die. Knowing how much you stood to loose -- and feel -- had I done so; made me realize that Death, as with Time ... is not as set in stone, as I was once led to believe."

Ishtar offered a counterargument, one that made a lot of sense. While Sarada wanted to be there to back Ishtar up against Nergal, had she actually been there, there would have been no reason for Nergal to go as easily against them as he did. She reckoned he would have killed Ishtar right away to make it him and her alone. From there, she wouldn't have lasted long against him, not while reeling from her love's sudden death.

As much as she wanted to disagree, she couldn't. And as much as she wanted to deny it, the way things worked out was the best possible way. They were both still alive, Nergal was dead, and whatever threat he served was over and done with.

"Okay," she relented, smiling softly at the loving gesture. "What did he want with that amulet shard, anyway? It couldn't have done him any good broken like that, right?"

Like Sarada, the Oni wasted no time slipping out of her ruined clothing, and into the healing tank. Though it seemed she wouldn't be allowed to rest quite yet as, telepathically, her love contacted her from the pod beside her own ... and what was offered certainly gave context.

Turrip was gone, along with its citizens. As was Parsley.

Ah. That explains it, surely.

The pain she'd felt given context now, all Ishtar could feel was a resurgence of sadness, and guilt as it settled. And for a time the Oni remained silent, allowing herself a moment to come to grips with what Sarada herself had suffered alone. After all, it was foreign, this feeling.

The loss of a love was one thing after all, the loss of close kin ? Something else entirely. Eventually however, after she had made the pain her own, Ishtar offered a response.

'I see.'

The Oni fell silent awhile more, before offering something more ... substantial.

'There is an adage, perhaps older than I am. "Uneasy lies the head which wears a crown." ... it is fitting, here. That you did what was expected of you, and the result was far worse than you might have hoped ... is no fault of your own.' She offered before pausing briefly. 'Neither is what was done to Parsley the fault of anyone but those who carried out the act ... all the same, this grief you feel was not for you alone. I should have been there. I am sorry, Sarada.'

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. That was a common saying on Vocado, as well; one she had heard and meditated on often. It was true. She hadn't known stress until she became Queen. It seemed that every decision she made had farther reaching consequences than she intended. Her decision to send Parsley alone was no different.

It was a mistake. A task force of several Saiyans would have been able to repel whatever resistance managed to defeat Parsley on her own, if only because the numbers would have been more even. Or, perhaps her mistake was striving to save the innocent Tuffles who only benefited from the army's actions. Had she allowed Parsley to kill anyone on sight, then perhaps this wouldn't have happened.

She kept trying to figure out where she went wrong, and doing so nearly caused her to miss the rest of Ishtar's reply.

This wasn't her fault, despite how badly she wanted to make it so. It was the Tuffles. It was Appel's and no one else but hers. She was the one who experimented on Parsley, not Sarada.

If she told herself that enough times, then maybe one day she would believe it.

'You can more with me, but please don't apologize for not being there,' she replied. 'You had your own shitty situation to deal with. With that, she left it at that. 'I went to Earth today to talk to Eva. She agreed to let me summon the dragon to wish everyone back, but we have to do it within a week of the balls becoming active again, or we'll only be able to resurrect one at a time. If I'm not able to go at that time, I'd like you to make that wish.'

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The ones present can hear this One-Fourth Shingen take a deep breath. They can see him close his eyes while doing so, and then open his eyes slowly. Anyone with ki sense can feel that this One-Fourth Shingen will increase his power back to One-Half, the result of reabsorbing his copy, defeated by Ishtar. "I feel... warmer inside. Spicy. No doubt your work, my literally-smoking blue beauty -- and who might you be?" he asks Ishtar. His posture returns to one of casual relief. "Sure, I could have said 'Blood Magic,'" he nods, "...but my friend Sasheem here asked, and context is king. Or rather, Lord. I am Demon Lord Shogun Ryu Shingen, of the House Hokuto Shinken. And you sense... deliciously. Had I known a practitioner of Blood Magic were here, I would have gone directly to the source."

Shingen then tilts his head upwards, sniffing the air like an artesian smelling the finest of wine in the air. "No, there's more...! You've used the blood of others here in your rituals! You are a treasure trove, my dear! I admit, I am a rank amateur with the finer workings of Blood Magic, but something tells me you won't volunteer your knowledge as easily as you imply."

He then turns to Sasheem, "Is this true? That she's bound you to a knife? Is that what your friends do -- that they trap you? You look like a guy who enjoys a good time. And his freedom. You'd like nothing more than to literally cut off your bonds, eh?"

While maintaining eye contact with Sasheem, looking with deep sincerity and seductive promises, he rushes Ishtar instead. "CHOU NINPO! Hachimon Kudan!" He unleashes a series of 8 strikes, each inducing 8 different sensations of pain, with certain portions bubbling, yearning for release. In anticipation of a rather messy explosion of non-vital body parts, he yells, "CHOU NINPO! SUJYUHA!" Shingen recoils his hand and fires forward, an intensely powerful concussive jet of pure water sending Ishtar flying back some yards away as pain shoots through her body, the previous technique handling her for him.

"I must be mindful of my time here, Sasheem. I really should get back to finding the two natives." He pulls out a paper talisman, and with the nail of his claw, etches in a pentagram. Once the image is finished, a brief flame of fire and brimstone sparks and brands it to the paper. "Here's my calling card."

Before Ishtar could offer a response, she felt the self-proclaimed 'Demon Lord' strike her a series of times, only for her to be quickly blasted away from -- and ultimately through -- the Lookout's surface.

As she righted herself, from the minor inconvenience then, too, the eight blows that had struck her detonated in their various Places. Causing Ishtar to grimace, blood leaking from her mouth.

"Bothersome."

Shaking it off, the golden-eyed Oni broke into a sprint to gain momentum, before e teleporting beside the fleeing Ryu; slamming into him broadside to knock him off course.

"You will regret that, boy."

OT: Ishtar's teleportation is just instant-transmission with a different name.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

".....Fate? Curious phrasing......have you been listening to a little blue bird....." Parsic whispered, the crack down her face oozing some sort of a blackish liquid even as she hung from Ishtars hand. "....tick tock...so ends the clock...When she learns the blue birdy talked...so ends the cl..ock....."

Parsic narrowed her eyes, suddenly a look of contemplation passing over her. "....I see.....I see.....what a clever birdy.....playing both sides is she. It doesn't matter...I love her all the same. I'm sorry...what was your question?"

Parsic hung in her grip a moment longer before raising her finger. "Your looking for fate yes? If you grab your head and twist til you hear the snap I'm sure you'll get to meet the fate you deserve......even if its not the one you want. Here...I'll show you..." Parsics hands shot up, to out to Ishtar, but swifty onto her own head....twisting with such immediate and overwhelming force and crack that followed was like the thunderbolt. Parsics body went limp in Ishtars hand....a twisted smile on her still bleeding face as it began to dissolve away along with the rest of her body.

It was similar to the way Erosa dissolved after being "killed", no doubt the easy way out given the situation.

Yet as the last vestages of her form dissipated, Ishtar heard a mental whisper. ".....If you want your answer....ask the little ones among the ruins. I'll see you again soon..."

Ishtar shook her head.

"I am unbound by the machinations of my ... Aunt, what awaits me after Death; is not for her to decide."

Before much else could pass between them however, Parsic took the coward's way, breaking her own neck with such force that a shockwave caused Ishtar to stagger. Though she offered a singular insight:

'Check with the little ones'.

Clearly the Foci, undoubtedly upset -- yet alive -- in the ruins of Etrina's home.

As the corpse began to dissolve however; Ishtar realized something, and so with a slowing of time the Familiar's dissipation ground to a halt.

It was curious, Cthylla's response ... that the Void familiar was not wholly of 'them', yet and still she was undoubtedly ... touched. A being of both worlds, Void, and Creation; with an energy to match.

"Hm."

Ishtar moved quickly then, hand upon the time locked corpse, and set about pilfering the binary spark that remained ... and when it was finished, the golden-eyed Oni allowed the Void familiar's leavings to disintegrate.

Before turning to Zaofan.

"Help me find the Foci. We need to find Etrina, and Erosa swiftly."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Sihn sputters, face reddening as Sheki laughs. A discordant note rises from the horn as it suddenly shifts from her grip and transforms.

[img]~snip~[/img]

He lurches, looking around wildly, teeth clenched.

“Damnit.”

Sihn has his gun drawn on the demon.

Ishtar simply blinks from where she is with Shek'hinah, and waits for the tension to die down before asking.

"Did you intentionally dress yourself that way ?"

With the amount of metal chains, and the drape that seemed to hand between its legs with a gaudy bauble dragging along at the end of it ... one certainly hoped not.

[MrSandman]

"What a mess...." Chronas voiced loudly at the wreaking of Etrinas house, closely and loudly enough for the three to hear her. If the three were to scan the environment now...they would find the PLs that had been inside the house were now gone completely. Only they remained now....and Chrona, though she had done well in suppressing her powerlevel. Not so much her voice however.

"Well......In any event....I suppose this was inevitable.....Hey, Oni! Goddess! Cook! Your not dead right? Come out....we have work to do if you want that happy ending...."

~~~

Etrina awake with a start.

The last thing she remembered was taking her father hand before a wave of darkness enveloped her.

She wasn't even sure how much time had passed, and with who was involved it would be impossible to predict anyways. What she did know was she was alone now...she could detect no Power nearby. Her surroundings were too dim to view properly, but the air was thick...it had a taste of age to it.

"Welcome, Etrina." Her fathers voice echoed from somewhere nearby.

"Father, what is the meaning of this....Where am I?" Etrina shouted as she spun, trying to get a hint of his location.

"We're home, as I promised you.....I told you I needed to test you one last time before I could be sure you were worthy of this...inheritance.

"What sort of test? I.....wait..." Etrina felt a cold shiver run down the back of her neck. Something primal...something....familiar....

The clouds that had blocked out the moon parted....the tall hedges slowly lit up under the ethereal light.

The Maze stretched out before here...as mockingly now as it had been an age ago.

---

In a far away room, shrouded in shadows. Aiden Stoltengarde watched his daughter with a slowly spreading smile.

"Yes..My Daughter. Show me what you've learned. Fate has provide you the means to ascend....." He turned to the darkness and spread his arms. "Yes! We're almost here! The new Scion will at last be forged....My legacy will be set in stone and the cosmos will be changed forever. We just need the weakness hammered away. I've taken care of everything!"

Aiden dropped to his knees, a fit of madness seemingly taking hold. "Well.....What do you see to that? My sweet angel? Are you satisfied now? Is your daughter everything you wanted?"

The shadows flickered, illuminated a brief moment. Within them a girl sat seated in the shadows, flanked by unseen servants.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Ishtar offered a counterargument, one that made a lot of sense. While Sarada wanted to be there to back Ishtar up against Nergal, had she actually been there, there would have been no reason for Nergal to go as easily against them as he did. She reckoned he would have killed Ishtar right away to make it him and her alone. From there, she wouldn't have lasted long against him, not while reeling from her love's sudden death.

As much as she wanted to disagree, she couldn't. And as much as she wanted to deny it, the way things worked out was the best possible way. They were both still alive, Nergal was dead, and whatever threat he served was over and done with.

"Okay," she relented, smiling softly at the loving gesture. "What did he want with that amulet shard, anyway? It couldn't have done him any good broken like that, right?"

What did he want with it ?

Ishtar shrugged.

"From what I understand, and what he himself mentioned that Witch, Gelia, bound his former strength inside of them before splintering the shards. One would assume reforming the amulet might offer up that power but knowing how he came to possess it ... I would not recommend it. In the end, I do not even know if it was the Nergal I knew, anymore."

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. That was a common saying on Vocado, as well; one she had heard and meditated on often. It was true. She hadn't known stress until she became Queen. It seemed that every decision she made had farther reaching consequences than she intended. Her decision to send Parsley alone was no different.

It was a mistake. A task force of several Saiyans would have been able to repel whatever resistance managed to defeat Parsley on her own, if only because the numbers would have been more even. Or, perhaps her mistake was striving to save the innocent Tuffles who only benefited from the army's actions. Had she allowed Parsley to kill anyone on sight, then perhaps this wouldn't have happened.

She kept trying to figure out where she went wrong, and doing so nearly caused her to miss the rest of Ishtar's reply.

This wasn't her fault, despite how badly she wanted to make it so. It was the Tuffles. It was Appel's and no one else but hers. She was the one who experimented on Parsley, not Sarada.

If she told herself that enough times, then maybe one day she would believe it.

'You can more with me, but please don't apologize for not being there,' she replied. 'You had your own shitty situation to deal with. With that, she left it at that. 'I went to Earth today to talk to Eva. She agreed to let me summon the dragon to wish everyone back, but we have to do it within a week of the balls becoming active again, or we'll only be able to resurrect one at a time. If I'm not able to go at that time, I'd like you to make that wish.'

It was some time before Sarada eventually responded, clearly torn between what she felt and what was true, before she responded; and with what was said, Ishtar understood that for now the matter was to be closed. Though before following along with the subject change, Ishtar offered a simple:

'True, though in some respects that is no excuse. I will do what I can to be there for you, from here on.'

That it seemed however, that Parsley's death might be short-lived -- along with those millions dead on Turrip -- was at least a silver-lining; and it seemed if Sarada already had the matter well enough in hand, with a contingency should anything trend poorly. To which the golden-eyed Oni could only say. 'I can do that ... I may, perhaps, have an idea in mind for a third wish; presuming there is another not in need. For now however ... you have managed to escape your Queenly duties, and you temporarily ... un-alived ... an Immortal. I suspect that is something worth enjoying, if only momentarily.'

[grampagen]

Despite his time in captivity and the strain of Zaofan's flight, Toh Magoh's heart skips several beats nonetheless. "Who dares...!"


Toh Magoh raises his hands, his voice shivering as he recognizes the unique sound of the charge up. "Whoa whoa WHOA!" A Dodonpa...?! HERE?!"

The old fraud turns slowly, as calmly as possibly, to face the attacker. "Peace, brother! Peace, fellow Crane! I-I-I am one of you!" Toh Magoh cautiously brings his hand forward, clumsily attempting to repeat the hand gestures of martial brotherhood -- something he hasn't had to do in years (or was it decades?). Eventually he completely fumbles the greeting, and he takes a deep breath in frustration.

"I am a guest of Zaofan's! He brought me to ...well, whatever this place is! I am his sensei! Taught him everything he knows! Yeah, that's it! H-he brought me here to help him!"

Ochazuke looked the withered old bird in the eye. The assassin's point burned at the tip of his finger, aimed dead to rights; no further, for the orthodox precision ingrained in the motion favoured swift efficiency. Thus when he made his desperate plea, it was heard with the utmost clarity.

"Oh?" From this distance he could see the sweat there on Toh Magoh's brow, and where his shaking limbs made a crooked salutation, the corner of his mouth twist into a short smirk. "We are greeted with the presence of a Master Crane now? How fortuitous."

As he bore his stare down on him, there was something malevolent in this man's aura. Despite his diminished appearance, Ochazuke's sublime sense caught the connection between this one and the Dark Shogun currently contesting a number of those gathered.

"Then does it amuse you to see your student fight for his life, 'Sensei'? To measure his worth in valour and deed and lay claim to the greater share of honours while venturing none of your own?"

For a moment, the Dondonpa continued to burn brighter.

"I see. So this is your aid to Zaofan."

The ki slowly receded, and with it faded the bloody shadow cast by its illumination. Yet Ochazuke gaze seared right into the man's soul.

"It is, as you say, the courtesy of a Crane, true to form," He seized Toh Magoh by the collar and lift him up off of his feet. "And so I shall return it in kind to you."

[Tami]

In the second month since her ascension to the role of Guardian, on a calm and sunny Chroma day, Meagan was not out enjoying it. Instead, she was sitting at a table in the library, an open book nearby. Across from her was an older gentleman, his chartreuse hair streaked with grey, his tweed suit jacket resting on the next chair over.

Looking flustered, Meagan puts down the pencil she had been using to work out equations on a pad of lined paper. "I just don't get it. Green's Theorem is ∫CF⋅ds=∬D(∂F2∂x−∂F1∂y)dA, but where do I get 'c' from? Maybe I'm not ready yet for advanced Calculus."

"Have you been studying the chapters I assigned? Have you been doing the practice sheets? I know you are busy, Lady Meagan, but so am I. If you did your homework..."

Meagan suddenly stood up, "Of course I've been doing my homework!" she then stepped away, calming down, before turning back to the table, "I'm sorry, Professor Neon. I thought I'd be good at math, but maybe I'm not."

"Nonsense, you've done remarkably well so far." He then stood up and picked up his jacket, "I will return next week. If you haven't worked it out by then, we'll go over it together. The finals aren't for another 4 weeks, you should be ready by then if you keep working at it." The Professor then leaned over to the briefcase on the table, opening it up and pulling out soem papers. Placing the papers on the desk, "Remember to try to work out the problems first before checking the solution sheets."

Looking down at the papers, Meagan then looked up at her tutor and nodded once, "Of course. Let me see you out. Do you have a ride back to the city?"

He put on his jacket and picked up the briefcase, closing it as he did, "My daughter will meet me by the road."

As they walked to the entrance to the Temple, "When is the baby due?"

He replied with a proud smile, "Two months, give or take."

Meagan smiled, "Then she should be home resting, not driving you around. Next time I'll get someone pick you up and take you home. Give her my regards and my blessings." Reaching the entrance, she opens the barrier.

"I will, thank you my Lady."

"No, thank you for all that you are doing, not just for me but for all the students you are helping."

The man bowed, then exited the Temple. Meagan watched as he walked out of the cave to the waiting car below before closing it up again.

As she did, she heard a familiar voice, "You have grown so much, in so many ways."

Turning around quickly she saw a woman who looked to be around the same age as her, her long black hair tied back into a tight braid, her crimson red cloak draped along her back.

Eyes wide, Meagan ran to her, "Sensei!" giving her a hug, before stepping back and bowing once, "Welcome, what brings you here? It's been a long time. Can you stay? I can make tea, and there are pastries to go with it."

After a moment, "Yes, let's sit down together. There is much to talk about."

[Tami]

Place Holder for now

[Lord Falcon]

Sihn sputters, face reddening as Sheki laughs. A discordant note rises from the horn as it suddenly shifts from her grip and transforms.



He lurches, looking around wildly, teeth clenched.

“Damnit.”

Sihn has his gun drawn on the demon.

Asha'rah spread her hands in welcome to the demon lord.

"Lord Daben, how wonderful it is to have you with us. I have good news: You are not dead yet. Depending on how our conversation goes, this might even continue!"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

What did he want with it ?

Ishtar shrugged.

"From what I understand, and what he himself mentioned that Witch, Gelia, bound his former strength inside of them before splintering the shards. One would assume reforming the amulet might offer up that power but knowing how he came to possess it ... I would not recommend it. In the end, I do not even know if it was the Nergal I knew, anymore."

Gelia, the witch whose journal Sarada was in possession of, bound much of Nergal's power inside an amulet before shattering said amulet into pieces. Possibly she broke it instead of destroyed it because destroying it would have released the power she had drained from the mad being. In the end, that no one but a handful of people knew what the shards contained, and only two knew where one was, was a benefit. It meant that there was no risk of anyone getting a hold of both or how many ever there were and reuniting them to tap into that monstrous power.

"Then, it's best if we destroy the shard on Langal and end any possibility that anyone can unlock the power." When she mentioned that he may not have been the person she knew before, Sarada quirked an eyebrow briefly. "Was he a cousin? Or a friend?"

It was some time before Sarada eventually responded, clearly torn between what she felt and what was true, before she responded; and with what was said, Ishtar understood that for now the matter was to be closed. Though before following along with the subject change, Ishtar offered a simple:

'True, though in some respects that is no excuse. I will do what I can to be there for you, from here on.'

That it seemed however, that Parsley's death might be short-lived -- along with those millions dead on Turrip -- was at least a silver-lining; and it seemed if Sarada already had the matter well enough in hand, with a contingency should anything trend poorly. To which the golden-eyed Oni could only say. 'I can do that ... I may, perhaps, have an idea in mind for a third wish; presuming there is another not in need. For now however ... you have managed to escape your Queenly duties, and you temporarily ... un-alived ... an Immortal. I suspect that is something worth enjoying, if only momentarily.'

To hear that Ishtar would strive to be there when Sarada needed her was a great comfort. One that she could only reciprocate. That it took almost three weeks for Sarada to even think to come for her was unacceptable, even if she had more on her plate than she could handle. Silently, she promised to be there when Ishtar needed her. There would not be a repeat of Tatenen if she could help it.

With that, it was settled. There was nothing left to do but heal and bask in the glory of defeating a powerful elemental creature. 'Let's head to Ruco for a week to unwind. It's been a long month for the both of us,' she offered.

[grampagen]

Barlon smiles widely.

“Good. When you see Brutus again tell him it’s time he visited. He hasn’t brought his kids around in a year or so. Too busy cooking. Heh, always a wanderer he. Even stuck with the Bedlam wrestling style instead of the Bear. Anyways, let us meditate.”

The big man kneels by a tree and places a hand on it, closing his eyes. Breathing deeply, as the rest do so too, a peace and calm fills the clearing.

Balon feels it first, a connection that flares to life. He, Ochazuke, and Zaofan travel that connection and through it feel the forest truly for the first time. A genius loci of sorts, a collective mind woven between the trees that is immensely strong. The filtered ki in each plant and tree and animal combined to form an immense strength.

For Sasheem, he finds whispers in his mind. Faint traces of long lost fighters that do not think he should be here. But he pushes on. Stubbornly, he pushes into the meditation and finds faint traces of something. Following it, he discovers a small pool of power slightly different from what the others find.

For Dash, a voice speaks to her.

‘Though not a Bear, you are descended from it, young colt. Distantly your blood is tied to Bedlams, and through him, to me. A boon I grant you, Horse daughter. May it serve you well.’

———————

Balon, Ochazuke, and Zaofan have learned the Bear’s Strength: When activated, they may draw upon the genius loci of any place (the surrounding energy) to enhance their physical strength by 3x (this is the companion piece to the Wolf’s Prowl). Not their powerlevel, but their actual physical strength.

Sasheem, you have learned the Bear’s Claws: You may grow bear style claws from your hands, but each is more dangerous than a catchin blade as far as sharpness goes. They can also combine with your Venom Mist, you think, to act as a poisoned claw attack.

Dash, you learn the Bear’s Endurance: You have found a way to absorb ambient energy to refuel yourself. When wounded or tired, you may absorb energy from the world around you to refuel and restock (sort of like the Spirit Bomb, only it replenishes your ki instead of gathers it into an attack).

————-

“You will need to train with these gifts for a bit before you head to the Phoenix Shrine. What you learn there will be challenging, and you will need to master these gifts before you go there.”

Seated there beneath the slow, swaying boughs of the trees, the forest seemed permeated at once with its bounds of solitude with a perfect stillness. In this pristine moment, one might be pass it by. Within idle serenity there was so much more.

How savage, that primal conflict, the atavistic will of predator and prey. The natural law bound all manner of living things to blind ambition, of a struggle desperately to survive within the rush of the living world, to rend by tooth and claw a space to claim dominion. All for a pre-ordained time of brilliance, then to fall into shadow when all was spent.

The roots dug deep, drawing its sustenance from far within the Earth, the unseen formless power woven deep within all that rose from its surface. Ochazuke, beholding it in its raw state was filled with a silent awe, and became aware of the sublime path it wove. He felt it there, slowed to a rhythm between long-drawn breaths, from the tapestry of shed leaf and needle and cone shrouding the innumerable denizens of the forest. The interconnectedness of all which drew sustenance, from glasslike spore projections, the unfurling lichen, and the trunk to his back which reached toward the sun and sky above. There was in this effortless expanse a continuous growth and motion, nigh imperceptible in the subtle order of things.

Long had Ochazuke sought the means to a purpose greater than the conceit of violence. How could a creature as rational as man with all his reason and virtue and greater vision be taken with jealous folly? For all the knowledge acquired through the generations, so often was it that by guarded fear once-noble ideas were twisted, sequestered, and fell to rest, forever to be forgotten. And yet here there remained, emanating immaterial, that undeniable silent strength, and with it the hidden muse drawn from the Earth itself.

Could this be it? His ki chased from the upper limits of the tree body to its bold tether below the ground, and followed that collective mind through Barlon's silent shrine; stretched firm with the idea of Tao'ro woven path, with all the speed of a prowling guardian, and his awareness moved went beyond unlike any depths he had known before. Shall the will of the Master of Masters save this world? Or will it be its doom?

one hundred thousand fleeting visions, an essence restored of within that which they called form, technique the distillation in that unknowable force they claimed, like beasts, to be their territory alone. Perhaps it had been the innate knowledge to mirror the human pursuit of that sublime idea in nature. Ochazuke understood then, immediately, that it was all of it connected, an inspiration drawn from the spiritual heart of the planet, silently binding all of those upon it together.

And drawing the ire of those who would destroy it.

He saw then a vision there in the distance. Vermilion feathers, the marker of grave grounds which swallowed dry the crystalline tears of an age past. A memory-echo coursed through the Earth, begging to be heard once more.

Ochazuke's eyes snapped open from his meditation, and he took to a knee, placing a hand on the ground before him. His fatigued countenance was revived by a force he'd never comprehended before, yet somehow innately knew. He drew it within him as he felt that great unifying source connection, and found renewed vigour to pursue their great martial ancestor. Slowly rising to his feet, it took great effort to contain the font of power, and near as much to let it go.

"My thanks for your guidance," he said. He brought his fingertips to his eyes, pressing them quietly together for a moment. "Barlon...little remains about the Master Zxu'ro but for the faces of his Ten. Do you know anything of that higher purpose he sought?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Asha'rah spread her hands in welcome to the demon lord.

"Lord Daben, how wonderful it is to have you with us. I have good news: You are not dead yet. Depending on how our conversation goes, this might even continue!"

The demon spits on the ground, a small portion of it turning to stone.

“Well shit, Lasy Asha’rah herself. An honor.”

He mockingly bows, but the slight fear in his eyes is noticeable. He looks around and sneers a bit, though he gives Sihn and his gun a look of acknowledgement towards his situation.

“What do you want of me?”