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

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"As usual. He managed to escape with the child. She's unharmed, Jinzi got banged up but he's better now. Still sleeping it off inside. How are you holding up?" Meagan gave her a gently concerned look, not wanting to push it too hard.

She breathed out a soft chuckle. Just like always, the genius seemed to escape certain disaster by the skin of his teeth, while at the same time suffering some kind of injury. She supposed he wouldn't be happy unless his life was in constant danger or peril. "Good to here."

Then, as she predicted yesterday, Meagan asked how she was holding up. "I'm over it," she answered succinctly. "People die every second. Shed your tears and move on. You'll be better off that way."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

When it was all said, and done, Ishtar found herself meditating.

What else was there to do ?

There was no celebration in store for a job well done, no revelry or mirth. Only the bitter, empty feeling of loss- twice multiplied- after the fall of the young woman who had slightly nudged the path Ishtar walked on; leading her to somewhere far and away better than she had ever dared to dream ... and that woman, Evangeline, was gone now. Only her silver halo, remained, glimmering weakly in the dying sun as a reminder.

Another memento, from one who died well before their time.

That she would be returned, in time, mattered little to Ishtar as she sat there, and attempted to empty herself of the pain she felt- for Evangeline, and Jack ... and for Sarada's own pain at such- this Death temporary as it was simply served to remind the Oni that this would not be the first time she would outlive another ... and that it would hardly be the last.

In time however, this pain- and the understanding borne of it- began to ebb as the golden-eyed Oni slowly began to erect the familiar mental barriers that had protected her from this pain for thousands of years. A small blessing in the face of the painful days to come, surely. Yet ... before such walls could be erected fully; there came a thing to shatter them.

Suddenly, her power doubled to just a shade under her own. “Surprised, eh? If you thought this was going to be a cake-walk, well...” She disappeared, then reappeared behind her. Her arms wrapped themselves around Sarada's waist and hoisted her back at frightening speed until her head slammed into the ground with enough force to crater it.

With a sudden blossoming of pain, Ishtar's eyes snapped open.

What ?

That the Lookout was not suddenly under attack however, confirmed that the pain was simply an offering from none other than Sarada ... yet why ... how ? Confused by the suddenness of it, the Oni could only sit and wonder before the next blow sounded across the Aka Manah that bound them not a second later.

Parsley rolled them back to the feet and hurled Sarada into the air. “You should feel fortunate,” she stated as she impaled her on her fist, then whipped her head around with a devastating right hook. “Not many get to witness the power of the Saiyan Super Elite and live to tell about it. I'm not going to kill you, so you can remember back to this moment with fondness.”

And the blow itself was enough to make Ishtar grimace.

"..."

The emotions that were offered beyond the blows that caused the Oni to lose her focus however, began flowing freely after those two hits. Rage, Guilt, Fear, and an ache that was all too familiar giving a clue as to the source of this sudden aggression. Yet ... again, before Ishtar could put two and two together, another blow- that preceded a great many others- echoed across the link ...

The punches rained down on Sarada, seemingly coming in from every direction. She couldn't get a bead on where she was going to attack next, so every strike connected for full impact. She could feel the bones in her skull starting to crack from the blows. Blood poured out of her nose and mouth like a leaky faucet. “Super... Elite...” Suddenly, Parsley's next punch missed when Sarada dodged it just in time. The next one missed, followed by the next...

... and left Ishtar all but concussed.

A series of blows as fast as they were devastating were fired off, and the only saving grace- if it could even be considered such- was that the full force of them was not wholly felt. Though that spoke ill of how Sarada was taking it. That the blows stalled abruptly despite the sensation that this ... struggle continued however; offered insight into what had come to pass.

Of course much of this was lost on Ishtar now. Rattled as she was her only thought at the moment was to stand, and hurry toward the defense of Sarada ...

She shifted gears, switching from dodging to attacking on a dime. Her punches and kicks weaved and flowed around Parsley's attempts to defend as fluidly as water around rapids. Combined with Scarlet Impact and her assault had pieces of Parsley's armor flying off. The older Saiyan couldn't do anything to defend herself. For once, she felt as helpless as Sarada did any time they sparred and Parsley 'accidentally' got too rough.

Yet step that was managed, echoed with the impacts of Sarada's punches, and kicks; the Oni's own knuckles beginning to ache even as her knees and feet followed suit as the echoes of combat offered hints to the truth of just how hard the Saiyan was fighting. Another hint, and despite the pain, a name that had been mentioned several times between the two- despite never meeting- took shape.

It must be Pars-

A blue streak of ki erupt from Parsley's hand and pierced through Sarada. It didn't leave a hole, but it felt like she had been run through by a red hot energy sword. As she gasped for breath and fell to her knees, Parsley rose, albeit wobbly.

The thought was silenced yet again however, by a blistering pain that ripped through Ishtar's core.

"Nnng."

The reunion, for that was what it was, truly ... could not have come at a worse time. Almost at the edge of the Lookout now, however, the Oni made ready to leap, yet instead found herself being hammered again by a flurry of echoing punches, to what might be assumed to be Ishtar's kidneys.

When she heard a pop and the pained bellow that followed, she grunted. “How many times must I repeat myself? I. Did. Not. Leave. You. On. Purpose.” Every word was punctuated with a savage punch to the kidneys.

In the end, the blows did relatively little beyond add to the already mind-numbing pain that Ishtar found herself in.

Yet the blows to come, even as the Oni continued to make her way from the Lookout turned the leap- and required mental focus- to streak off towards where her Saiyan love was engaged in combat with her sister; into an all too familiar fall from the Lookout.

Oh.

... “I couldn't find you! I went home at first because I thought you had found your way back. When you didn't show, I went back to look for you.”

“What?” They exchanged blows relentlessly, rocking each other with crushing punches and body-rending kicks. They both blocked more strikes with their faces than any other part of their anatomy. “How the hell could an eight year old get out of that shithole by herself?!”

The cantor shocked Sarada far more than the ferocity of the punches hitting her in the face unabated.

“I looked for you all that night, all the next day, and the morning after that,” she continued, even as she rained down straight rights. “I looked everywhere. I asked around, but no one was talking. It wasn't until I decided on a complete guess to check that bastard's ice cream shop and the apartment above it that I found you, moments away from being sodomized.”

Unfortunately for Ishtar however, the blows that began filtering in across the Aka Manah then were of a force beyond the others, and when each came in- only scant seconds between impacts- what focus could be managed was stripped away, with barely any time to attempt recovering it before the next came ... and all the while those emotions of rage, and the dull ache of past wrongdoings, amplified by the pain of the Deaths suffered today, continued to bleed through.

... and the Earth below grew closer, and closer.

Abruptly, she rose off of Sarada and walked away a few steps.

By the time the blows finished raining down, the damage was done however.

Wholly unprepared for what came, and having foolishly attempted to act regardless; Ishtar was too stunned to do much more than brace herself before slamming into the ground enough to crater it ...

O ... okay.

That it hurt far less than anything that had happened in the moments previous was a blessing, truly.

She wanted to say she was wrong, but she couldn't. Sarada herself admitted as much just a short while ago. She knew exactly how she treated Jack. The fact that Parsley was able to determine that almost immediately spoke volumes.

“So, how long with this one keep your attention before you move on to the next one? Hm? A few months? A year? Avoca lasted, what, three before you moved on from her. The Earthman only a few weeks, it seemed.”

“It will last! I love Ishtar.”

The next several minutes were largely a haze for Ishtar ... too stunned to focus on anything more than the fact that her head was spinning more than the planet beneath her, and her love was no longer in pitched combat with her sister. Though there were certainly moments of painful clarity ... a flickering of love, a torrent of regret borne of a realization the golden-eyed Oni wasn't quite sure of ... in the end, whatever it was that the two discussed was as painful as the blows that had been traded moments before.

And when it was finished, all that remained was the ache.

When it was over however, only the ache remaining, Ishtar slowly came to realize that Sarada herself would be fine. Battered, and emotionally vulnerable surely, but fine ... and in the end that she had not called out for help- knowing well she could have- meant that Ishtar did not need to continue on her way to offer assistance. Too shaken, and battered herself to actually manage that now however; this itself was another silver-lining.

So instead, as the sun finally died and the stars above dazzling brilliantly, Ishtar simply chose to lay there awhile where she had fallen.

[Tami]

She breathed out a soft chuckle. Just like always, the genius seemed to escape certain disaster by the skin of his teeth, while at the same time suffering some kind of injury. She supposed he wouldn't be happy unless his life was in constant danger or peril. "Good to here."

Then, as she predicted yesterday, Meagan asked how she was holding up. "I'm over it," she answered succinctly. "People die every second. Shed your tears and move on. You'll be better off that way."

It was a response Meagan understood and chose not to question. "Have you decided where you will spend the next several months?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

It was a response Meagan understood and chose not to question. "Have you decided where you will spend the next several months?"

"With Ishtar," she answered nearly immediately. "We promised to train together and… I promised to help her get stronger. No better time to start than the present."

What she didn't mention was that she wanted to spend as much time with the Oni as she could to prove to her and herself that she loved her, unlike what Parsley insinuated. She would prove her sister wrong, then throw it back in her bitch face.

"We also have some research to do offworld. About this," she reached into one of her jacket's inner pockets and pulled out the amulet. "The sooner we figure out what this thing does, the better."

She returned the amulet to its place. "What about you? Returning home for a bit?"

[Tami]

"With Ishtar," she answered nearly immediately. "We promised to train together and… I promised to help her get stronger. No better time to start than the present."

What she didn't mention was that she wanted to spend as much time with the Oni as she could to prove to her and herself that she loved her, unlike what Parsley insinuated. She would prove her sister wrong, then throw it back in her bitch face.

"We also have some research to do offworld. About this," she reached into one of her jacket's inner pockets and pulled out the amulet. "The sooner we figure out what this thing does, the better."

She returned the amulet to its place. "What about you? Returning home for a bit?"

"It's something I've been seriously considering. Will probably stay with Jinzi for at least a few days before starting my own training. After he wakes up I'll talk it over with him."

Meagan looks back to the building briefly, before continuing, "Still, there is something both familiar and unfamiliar about this situation. If we manage to defeat Jagam and whomever is with him, assuming that there are more immanent threats, I suspect the next one after that won't give us six months of prep time."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"It's something I've been seriously considering. Will probably stay with Jinzi for at least a few days before starting my own training. After he wakes up I'll talk it over with him."

Meagan looks back to the building briefly, before continuing, "Still, there is something both familiar and unfamiliar about this situation. If we manage to defeat Jagam and whomever is with him, assuming that there are more immanent threats, I suspect the next one after that won't give us six months of prep time."

Meagan was right about that. They were lucky they had two six month periods to train. If they were absent that, or decided to use that time to rest and relax, they surely would have been killed on the Junjo planet. They were fortunate.

Sarada knew that good fortune was only temporary. Once Jagam and his Ally were dealt with, she was going to have to continue training as if the next threat was coming the next day. It was the only way to make sure she was strong enough and ready enough to face them.

"All the more reason to keep training. If we slack off, we deserve to be killed by whoever comes next. So, I'll be training my ass off."

[Tami]

Meagan was right about that. They were lucky they had two six month periods to train. If they were absent that, or decided to use that time to rest and relax, they surely would have been killed on the Junjo planet. They were fortunate.

Sarada knew that good fortune was only temporary. Once Jagam and his Ally were dealt with, she was going to have to continue training as if the next threat was coming the next day. It was the only way to make sure she was strong enough and ready enough to face them.

"All the more reason to keep training. If we slack off, we deserve to be killed by whoever comes next. So, I'll be training my ass off."

It was impossible not to smile at that, "I'm sure Isthar will be keeping a close eye on your ass."

Then with a shuffle and a sigh, "My Mentor once told me that, 'while conflict makes one stronger, peace makes one smarter and happier'. I will continue to train as well, though I would welcome a time of peace. Perhaps we will all be fortunate enough to see that one day. "

[Sub-Zero MKA]

It was impossible not to smile at that, "I'm sure Isthar will be keeping a close eye on your ass."

Then with a shuffle and a sigh, "My Mentor once told me that, 'while conflict makes one stronger, peace makes one smarter and happier'. I will continue to train as well, though I would welcome a time of peace. Perhaps we will all be fortunate enough to see that one day. "

While she was tempted to say that peace was boring, Sarada knew that she'd much rather have peace than the constant threat of annihilation of some kind. And it was easier to train without any kind of soecter hanging over her head all the time, constantly reminding her of what she stood to lose if she failed.

"Peace… sounds nice right about now. Once Jagam is dead, I'm taking a long vacation. Maybe to Ruco again. Have you been there before?"

Probably not, but one never knew.

[Tami]

While she was tempted to say that peace was boring, Sarada knew that she'd much rather have peace than the constant threat of annihilation of some kind. And it was easier to train without any kind of soecter hanging over her head all the time, constantly reminding her of what she stood to lose if she failed.

"Peace… sounds nice right about now. Once Jagam is dead, I'm taking a long vacation. Maybe to Ruco again. Have you been there before?"

Probably not, but one never knew.

"Traveling with my Mentor, I've been to many different worlds, but not Ruco. Perhaps Jinzi and I might have an excuse, once all this is over, to travel to other worlds. Unless I'm called to duty on Chroma,' Meagan shakes her head once, as if to dispatch the unneeded concerns, "but its too soon to worry about that now. Is Ruco a good place for a vacation?"

It was then that she realized that the facial injuries on Sarada were not there after the fight with Chris. Looking at her puzzled, "If you don't mind me mentioning it, you look more beat up now then you did yesterday."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Traveling with my Mentor, I've been to many different worlds, but not Ruco. Perhaps Jinzi and I might have an excuse, once all this is over, to travel to other worlds. Unless I'm called to duty on Chroma,' Meagan shakes her head once, as if to dispatch the unneeded concerns, "but its too soon to worry about that now. Is Ruco a good place for a vacation?"

It was then that she realized that the facial injuries on Sarada were not there after the fight with Chris. Looking at her puzzled, "If you don't mind me mentioning it, you look more beat up now then you did yesterday."

Meagan asked if Ruco was a good place to vacation. Instead of answering, Sarada simply tapped on her wrist and pulled up a picture of one of the beaches she took recently. She plucked the holographic photo out of the air and handed it to her. "You tell me. White sand, crystal clear water, perfect weather nearly all year round. The Saiyans there are much more accepting of other races, and friendly too. I think you and Jinzi will like it there."

When she mentioned the bruises on her face, her expression darkened. She didn't want to mention Parsley, but she knew she needed to. It was only going to be a matter of time before she ran across the others and they needed to be prepared.

On the other hand, it was quite clear from their confrontation yesterday that there was so much more under the surface that she kept hidden from everyone. Sarada only knew of what Parsley decided to show everyone. Everything that she kept hidden away in her heart was a complete mystery.

"I got into a fight with my sister. It's no big deal," she answered, deciding to keep it simple until she could figure this out.

Shit.

She only just then realized that Ishtar experienced everything she did the day before, including getting her face beaten into roadkill. If she wasn't concussed, then she definitely wasn't in the best of conditions; and on the same day that they lost so much... Damn it.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Parsley's reunion with Sarada -- if one could truly call a confrontation that immediately escalated to intense violence a reunion -- hadn't gone the way she hoped it would. Oh, it went exactly how she figured, but she would have hoped that her sister would have been too emotionally distraught to bother lifting a finger in assault against her.

A fool's dream, but Parsley actually wasn't there to antagonize her. It was just that Sarada made it so easy that she couldn't resist.

After she departed from the frozen wasteland, she wondered the planet aimless for the rest of the day. The final thing Sarada said to her weighed more heavily than she would have liked. "Jagam will be here in six months." There was no request for help, nor was there anything particular in her tone of voice that would denote it was anything other than a simple fact. Jagam, Naito Rukkā, would be descending on this planet in six month's time. Why, she didn't dare hazard a guess.

While she pretended effectively to not care about him or the Saiyans he slayed, the truth was he disturbed her greatly. A man capable of killing that many Saiyans and remaining a complete mystery was beyond unnerving. As of today, there were only two people who knew anything of him: Tasure -- who apparently had been brought back to life by a dragon's genitals -- and her half-breed son, Totoma. She had met neither of them, but she heard everything they had to say. The details of the Saiyan Killer were spread throughout the Saiyan Empire like wildfire. Before long, everyone knew everything Tasure knew of him: what he looked like, what he wore, his fighting style, his techniques, everything.

Information like that was invaluable, and now, Parsley was in a very good position to earn herself quite a bit of glory. If she could slay the Saiyan Slayer, then she could position herself in a very favorable position, perhaps even lining herself up for a shot at the throne.

Though, for that to even be possible, she would need to get stronger. The prospect of fighting a Super Saiyan wasn't a keen one. If the stories of the great Super Saiyan Vocado were true, then there was no one who would be able to stop Jagam.

Except her when she became a Super Saiyan, of course.

I suppose I'll have to stay here and train. Sarada better not have been exaggerating.

Eventually, in the dead of night, she returned to her stolen hotel room and made the occupants sleep on the floor while she slept in the master bedroom. Humans were so accommodating. In the morning, she would find her sister and make her tell her where she did her training so that she herself could as well.

So instead, as the sun finally died and the stars above dazzling brilliantly, Ishtar simply chose to lay there awhile where she had fallen.

Morning came far too quickly for Parsley's liking. It didn't help that the idiots on the floor were crying and begging for her to let them go. Parsley was not a morning person, so their incessant whining wore her nerves down far too quickly. Punching a hole through the chest of the largest male shut them right up, however. She had to do the same to the rest of them to keep them from screaming moments later.

She really didn't want to have to do it, but they just wouldn't shut up.

She managed to clean herself up and escape before any trouble came her way. Now, she wondered silently, If I were a big-headed Saiyan brat, where would I hide? She asked because she didn't sense Sarada in the Northern continent anymore. She seemed to somewhere to the east. Hm. She already knows I'm here, so no use in hiding my power level.

She exploded into the air, leaving behind a white energy trail in her wake.

Meeting her sister's "friends" was going to be something, but was for sure. She was certain they were as pathetic as she was, or why else would they waste their time associating with her. Parsley wondered what kind of people could possibly endear themselves to a Saiyan. Strong fighters, certainly. Talented, too. Hm. What else, though? Hm? What's this?

Down below, she found herself coming up to a small crater in the ground. Flying down low to inspect it, she found that there was what looked like a blue woman in the center. "..." She landed quietly and walked up to her. Just from a few feet away, she could smell the same scent that Sarada was covered in yesterday. So, this must be Ishtar. What an odd looking creature. Not bad looking though.

"What a strange place to take a rest," she commented.

[Tami]

Meagan asked if Ruco was a good place to vacation. Instead of answering, Sarada simply tapped on her wrist and pulled up a picture of one of the beaches she took recently. She plucked the holographic photo out of the air and handed it to her. "You tell me. White sand, crystal clear water, perfect weather nearly all year round. The Saiyans there are much more accepting of other races, and friendly too. I think you and Jinzi will like it there."

When she mentioned the bruises on her face, her expression darkened. She didn't want to mention Parsley, but she knew she needed to. It was only going to be a matter of time before she ran across the others and they needed to be prepared.

On the other hand, it was quite clear from their confrontation yesterday that there was so much more under the surface that she kept hidden from everyone. Sarada only knew of what Parsley decided to show everyone. Everything that she kept hidden away in her heart was a complete mystery.

"I got into a fight with my sister. It's no big deal," she answered, deciding to keep it simple until she could figure this out.

Shit.

She only just then realized that Ishtar experienced everything she did the day before, including getting her face beaten into roadkill. If she wasn't concussed, then she definitely wasn't in the best of conditions; and on the same day that they lost so much... Damn it.

Meagan raised an eyebrow, then pursed her lips in thought, "Maybe you should find Isthar...?"

She then added, "There is a fine line between love and madness. I pray that you and Isthar don't cross that line, for your own sake and hers."

[rhyvurg]

Deep in the Lookout, a silvery sphere levitates in an unused room. Adam has turned itself inward, rather than attempting to incorporate new technology. It was seeking to refine and improve it's internal systems, trying to find the flaw that had allowed Eva to die. It knew it was superior to all other forms of life, so why was it constantly struggling to overcome challenges?

[KingofPie]

P-Sta had spoken to Jinzi about receiving a new ship for transport and the inventor obliged, managing to procure a viable spacecraft so quick, that it was somewhat frightening. Either way, he had his means to head back to the Galaxy Police HQ and thus no reason to stay on Earth any longer.

"Farewel...er Mighty fighters of Earth! ...M-Fighters!" P-Sta stated as he saluted all who were available on the lookout. "It was an interesting journey I've had with you all and I hope we one day meet again! I have learned much but for now, I must return to the force! Hopefully, the GP will be able to assist you in the coming months! I, myself, will train excessively for the coming battle with your foe Jagam, but for now...I must concentrate my efforts on the capture of your...former ally Sasheem. Wish me lucl! He could be anywhere in this galaxy!"

With that, the Galactic Police officer boarded his new ship and took off from the Lookout to the stars...

Meanwhile...

Sasheem remembered the lookout was around hear. Earlier, he had sensed some type of fierce battle had occurred here, but it had since subsided. He would've investigated, but he saw a bakery nearby and figured a snack and nap was needed before he spoke to those stoo-pid Earthlings and their friends again.

As he approached the lookout, he saw a streak shoot up from it and into the stars. Another spaceship perhaps? Those idiots were really all over the -lace these days...Hopefully a few were still around to help him out.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

When Ishtar regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that the Sun was up again.

Exhausted, and in both crippling emotional and physical pain, it was no surprise that she had passed out. What came as some surprise however, was that the 'bedding' beneath her, was nothing more than the detritus from a fall she barely remembered. The reason why she had fallen from the Lookout however came clearly enough, the dull ache of Sarada's reunion with her sister saw to ensuring the Oni wouldn't forget that much, at least; yet what had transpired fully during that momentary descent was simply a blur of sensations, emotions ... pain.

Really, yesterday had been an utterly Hellish, thing.

Though that was fine ... it would be fine.

Ishtar could feel well enough Sarada's Ki signature, far and away to the East. Which meant, among other things, she had returned to the Lookout. That the emotional echo that was offered across Aka Manah was similarly muted, also meant that she had recovered somewhat. Or at the absolute least ... that was the hope. Though there was truly only one way to find out ...

Offering a sigh to the open air, Ishtar attempted to lift herself out of the crater she found herself in.

I suppose I should ...

Only to stop suddenly, offering a pained huff. The fall- and the battering offered by Sarada- had not been kind. Perhaps in the end ... a few more moments rest might not be the worst idea ...

Down below, she found herself coming up to a small crater in the ground. Flying down low to inspect it, she found that there was what looked like a blue woman in the center. "..." She landed quietly and walked up to her. Just from a few feet away, she could smell the same scent that Sarada was covered in yesterday. So, this must be Ishtar. What an odd looking creature. Not bad looking though.

"What a strange place to take a rest," she commented.

... though of course, that too, was not fated to be.

Registering the additional flare of Ki a moment before the individual touched down, Ishtar found herself approached by someone; and while the Oni had no idea who she might be from the sound of her voice or the Ki she did not bother to suppress; the Oni knew well enough who it was.

Of course ...

"... Parsley." Ishtar muttered, eyes opening slowly a moment later to focus on the young Saiyan.

"You have the right of it, at the least ... I did not intend to rest here." With a grunt the golden-eyed Oni forced herself into sitting then, taking a moment to huff in annoyance at both the pain- and state she had been found in- before turning her focus back toward the Saiyan she was almost positive she shouldn't trust. And in looking at Parsley then fully, she certainly looked a mess. Proof at least that Sarada made her sister earn it ... what an amusing thought.

"You certainly picked a poor time to attempt a reunion. Yesterday was not a pleasant one, particularly for Sarada. Though I suppose it cannot be helped now ..."

The Oni shrugged.

"Though it compels me to ask. Should I be concerned ?"