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

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“So it is done. An odd request, but one fulfilled. Each of you must eat half of this fruit at the same time when you desire children. The effect and change shall happen then. Farewell, mortals.”

A golden apple appears in Ishtar’s hands as Tiamat disappears, the dragonballs glowing and firing off into the sky in seven different directions.

Ishtar remained speechless for several moments, after the Apple was offered in fulfillment of her wish ... and it didn't quite seem real, really.

The chance to mate, and have a child with the woman she loved was now not simply a hope. It was a thing realized, and something that could happen whenever they wished, the golden apple being such that it would not rot, and would not lose efficacy in the years between this moment and that final decision ... and that was ...

"Wonderful."

With Tiamat gone now however, and the Seven Dragonballs of Earth now scattered to the wind, it would seem all that remained was to wait for Ereshkigal and Nunlil to leave the Room of Spirit and Time, so that they could train; and the latter of the two Oni could retrieve Jack, and Evangeline, from Otherworld ...

A thing she would need to have Nunlil teach her how to do, in time.

"Deviation," the coarse half-chuckle left him with a partial smile. "Is that what you call it?"

The Dragon's business concluded, Ochazuke's countenance stepped from the film of shadow. A cursory glance at Ishtar within, he became aware of the subliminal change in person and aura where hidden things leaned into his sense-awareness.

"It's not in your nature to submit."

Ishtar blinked. Was that a ... smile, from Ochazuke.

Rarer than the alloys that had been uncovered at the base of the Silvergloam Mine, the gruff warrior's smile was certainly- if only partial- was something the Oni quickly filtered away. After all, in the year they'd known each other, the number of times such had been offered could be counted on one hand.

"Deviation. Divergence. Anomaly. Aberration ... Aberration," the Oni echoed, before nodding once. "Yes ... the path is better off for them."

Though it fell away quickly enough, once Ochazuke spoke once more.

The warrior knew well what the golden-eyed Oni was, or at the least what she had hidden away inside of her, and yet again his questioning pierced to the heart of the matter. There was little sense in obfuscating the truth of things anymore, however- with all Ishtar had said to incriminate herself thus far- and so the Oni simply bobbed her head in a nod.

"Submit, no. You have the right of it ..." Ishtar said, then.

"I am sure you can feel it however, perhaps even see it ... the balance I have forged within myself. It is tempestuous ... hungry, perhaps ... seeking an outlet, a target ... a judgement. Yet that balance is there." Ishtar stated, somewhat softer than the words offered immediately before. "Yet beyond the horizon of self enlightenment, the Universal Balance is all but gone. A thing proven time and again, since the defeat of Battersea .. and a thing I have set myself to correcting, in time; and to do so requires accepting what I sought for so long to avoid for fear of what I would become." Ishtar smiled, and then offered a shrug.

"I do not consider that submission, Ochazuke. A step backwards, perhaps ... but sometimes that is what is required to surge forward. I know this now, too."

"You're right, Charco! I saw someone make a pitcher of kava water and let's get wasted!"

He vaguely remembered Nevanlinna, but all he knew about her was that she was some sort of nameless space elf, "... but you can save all of this holier than thou shit for later. We got Kami and Jack back just in time to kick some dude's face in; this calls for a celebration, not a pissing contest."

Sarada's comment, reminded the Oni that Charco was there- strange new stripe of whitened hair, and all- and with a chuckle at the mere mention of Kava Water, Ishtar shook her head before appraising the young Dinosaur Student a moment. Yet when she caught a whiff of him, her eyes widened slightly.

How passing strange.

"You smell of magic, Charco. Where have you been ?"

There came a pause.

"Also, we never got around to our promised 'spar'."

[grampagen]

Ishtar blinked. Was that a ... smile, from Ochazuke.

Rarer than the alloys that had been uncovered at the base of the Silvergloam Mine, the gruff warrior's smile was certainly- if only partial- was something the Oni quickly filtered away. After all, in the year they'd known each other, the number of times such had been offered could be counted on one hand.

"Deviation. Divergence. Anomaly. Aberration ... Aberration," the Oni echoed, before nodding once. "Yes ... the path is better off for them."

Though it fell away quickly enough, once Ochazuke spoke once more.

The warrior knew well what the golden-eyed Oni was, or at the least what she had hidden away inside of her, and yet again his questioning pierced to the heart of the matter. There was little sense in obfuscating the truth of things anymore, however- with all Ishtar had said to incriminate herself thus far- and so the Oni simply bobbed her head in a nod.

"Submit, no. You have the right of it ..." Ishtar said, then.

"I am sure you can feel it however, perhaps even see it ... the balance I have forged within myself. It is tempestuous ... hungry, perhaps ... seeking an outlet, a target ... a judgement. Yet that balance is there." Ishtar stated, somewhat softer than the words offered immediately before. "Yet beyond the horizon of self enlightenment, the Universal Balance is all but gone. A thing proven time and again, since the defeat of Battersea .. and a thing I have set myself to correcting, in time; and to do so requires accepting what I sought for so long to avoid for fear of what I would become." Ishtar smiled, and then offered a shrug.

"I do not consider that submission, Ochazuke. A step backwards, perhaps ... but sometimes that is what is required to surge forward. I know this now, too."

"That which would consume without distinction you've at last managed to make your own."

He looked over the horizon split between clouds below a canopy of endless blue.

"So it seems in this acceptance, there came an understanding," he said. "Providence is empty without the will to see it through."

Here atop the pole of the Earth, the planet below turned silently, unaware of the doom fast approaching from above.

"To do that which must be done."

[Tami]

“So it is done. An odd request, but one fulfilled. Each of you must eat half of this fruit at the same time when you desire children. The effect and change shall happen then. Farewell, mortals.”

A golden apple appears in Ishtar’s hands as Tiamat disappears, the dragonballs glowing and firing off into the sky in seven different directions.

As Meagan watched Isthar get her wish, a troubled, yet determined look crossed her face. "When this is over," she thought to herself, "I will would seek out the Dragon Balls, if not here than elsewhere, and try to restore to life as many of those whose lives were taken through needless, senseless violence. First we need to deal with the chaos before more innocents die."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"Then you should speak with Jinzi and Adam, they know more about Technology then anyone I've ever met. Intelligence is a powerful weapon, when applied correctly. If your people want to be free of the Replitas, if it is their wish to be free, then they already have to means to do so. They have had the means all along. You don't need to be able to throw around Ki or punch through solid stone to defeat an adversary. All that is needed is the will, the courage, and the intelligence to understand your adversaries weaknesses and devise ways to exploit them."

Meagan glanced over at Jinzi, then back to Praxat, "The choice is their's, perhaps all they need is to be reminded that they still have a choice."

Praxat looks at Jinzi saying " say do you have any sort of communicator I can use to contact my people ? ." " I have to encourage The Princess to stand up." " my kind's King and Queen maybe dead, but The Princess lives on." " my people need a leader and as the only member of the Toadian royalty left alive the Princess has the ability to rally my people behind her."


"I have no idea how powerful the leader of the Replitas but I just remember according to documents his capable of taking down multiple elites of his kind and it's a guessment that each one has power level of around 19,000 ." " one document even states he once ate one of his own elites alive , because he was in a bad mood. " " which makes me question why the Replitas would follow such a demented cannibalistic ruler in the first place?" " I mean who in the hell in their right minds would follow a ruler that eats their own people."

" oh and what was that giant lizard thing just now and did it just grant wishes?" Praxat pauses for a few moments saying " hmm let's see weakness well according to the documents Replitas are prone to going Berserk especially their leader." " they don't wear armor on the count that they can regenerate . " " hmm could the fact that they prone to going berserk and their regeneration be use against them?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The third wish was made, just as Ishtar said she would days ago on their way to Earth. She wanted the means to sire children with Sarada, and the Dragon Tiamat obliged. A single golden apple was the key to their otherwise impossible lineage. Half of the fruit for each of them would unlock the door through which their children and future half-breed heirs to the Saiyan throne would come.

Sarada felt nothing but anxious excitement. While she meant what she said, that she would love nothing more than to carry her love's children, motherhood was not something she was prepared for in the slightest. Even if the palace's resident care-nurse would tend to her children's every need and desire, she was still going to be in their lives. There would be no ambiguity as to who their mother was, unlike her with her own mother and Maiz. The responsibilities that laid within such a relationship terrified her, and Ishtar would feel that permeating terror through the bond that linked them at a spiritual level.

Still, despite that anxiety, she was excited, and would meet that day when they decided the time was right head on.

She stepped over and picked up the apple. "Our future is in the palm of my hand, my love," she said to Ishtar with a fond, loving smile. "I can't wait to embark on it with you." She kissed her on the side of the mouth, not caring that others were there to witness the display of affection, and then placed the apple in a capsule for safe keeping.

Sarada's kiss snapped Ishtar out of her momentary stupor, and with a smile the Oni turned toward her love and offered a nod. "It is wonderful, is it not ? That a thing so strange has actually come to pass."

Mindful of her Saiyan's anxious energy, and even worry however, when the Golden Apple was safely stored away inside of one of those wonderful capsules; Ishtar carefully wrapped her arms around Sarada's waist and pulled her close.

"We have all the time in the world now, to decide on a where and when ... a thing we can certainly determine at a later date. For now however, I certainly enjoy the idea of spending a night free of interruption with you- and our friends perhaps- after Evangeline, and Jack are returned from Otherworld."

Of course, Ishtar and Sarada's happy moment was not of course complete, without vitriol from Parsley.

"That you would waste a wish on such a juvenile, childish," Parsley spat before catching herself. Her words were sharper than any blade, denoting the sheer, unadulterated disgust she felt at the very idea of her sister spawning a half-breed child. That this child would be heir to the throne only made her even more ill. "Fine. Have your children with your pet, sister. Don't expect me to treat that... thing with any less disdain than I would that foolish buffoon our brother worships."

"Hmph. I'd expect nothing less from an ignorant fool like yourself, sister."

"Ignorant?"

"Yes. You and the Threshling Princess are cut from the same cloth. That you both seem incapable of realizing that there is more to other races than how they compare to your own only shows you both have chained yourselves to your own limitations. You both won't grow until you take the blinders off and see the universe for what it is, full of races and beings that have so much to offer. Until such a day comes, I have nothing to worry about, since you won't be stepping foot on Vocado until then."

"Heh. You've exiled me?"

"No, of course not. You exiled yourself the moment you spat your hateful rhetoric for the entire empire to see. They won't let you rest until your either dead or repentant, Parsley. I would say you can shack up with Nevanlinna until then, but I think she'll be too busy dodging assassination attempts from her own siblings. Hehe. Maybe you two can convene in the cover of darkness on that little outpost she plans on building for outsiders like you when she takes the throne. If she's even alive by that point."

Parsley fell silent, cutting a sharp glance at the Threshling that Sarada claimed she was one in the same with. Her eyes narrowed, but other than that, she said nothing.

Though in the end, it was merely the whimpering of a wounded animal.

Ishtar simply sighed and offered Parsley a glance.

"What is the root of your ... discontent, Parsley, truly ? Is it that you are not stronger than those of half-Saiyan descent, or one like myself who has no trace of Saiyan in them ? Or are you simply one to blindly follow the belief system of others ... others who, I might point out, are weaker than I am, and you are."

The Oni offered Sarada a kiss before smiling at Parsley, genuinely.

"In any event, I hope you can in time find it within yourself to accept those of partial, or non-Saiyan blood. At the least so that you may see yourself better off for it."

She may have not cared for the monster Parsley was, but Ishtar was at the least, willing to make the selfsame attempt at reaching amicable terms as she had with Lettise, and Guar.

... If only for Sarada's sake.

[Yun Lao]

Sarada's comment, reminded the Oni that Charco was there- strange new stripe of whitened hair, and all- and with a chuckle at the mere mention of Kava Water, Ishtar shook her head before appraising the young Dinosaur Student a moment. Yet when she caught a whiff of him, her eyes widened slightly.

How passing strange.

"You smell of magic, Charco. Where have you been ?"

There came a pause.

"Also, we never got around to our promised 'spar'."

Oh shit, that's right. His list of people who he needed to scuffle with had grown now, "My apologies. I was forcibly trained by a madman for the last... five months, I think?" It was difficult to recall just how long he had been stuck at the Stomping Grounds, "As for magic, your guess is as good as mine." Charco said with a shrug, "Might have been some residual magic where I was since a lot of battles had been fought there."

[Tami]

Oh shit, that's right. His list of people who he needed to scuffle with had grown now, "My apologies. I was forcibly trained by a madman for the last... five months, I think?" It was difficult to recall just how long he had been stuck at the Stomping Grounds, "As for magic, your guess is as good as mine." Charco said with a shrug, "Might have been some residual magic where I was since a lot of battles had been fought there."

Standing back up again, "Charco," Cyanna rubbed her hand as she spoke, "Do you still have the gift Lady Iris gave you?"

[Yun Lao]

Standing back up again, "Charco," Cyanna rubbed her hand as she spoke, "Do you still have the gift Lady Iris gave you?"

"Yeah..." Reaching inside his coat, he fished out the amulet, "Why? What's up? Did you find something out about it?"

[bruceleegreyhulk]

OT: I made changes to my last post.

[Tami]

"Yeah..." Reaching inside his coat, he fished out the amulet, "Why? What's up? Did you find something out about it?"

She gave him a sly smile, as she held out her hand and the stone embedded within began to glow. As it did, the stone embedded in Charco's amulet also began to glow, resonating in a way similar to how the Dragon Balls react to each other. Putting her hand down, She leaned in to speak quietly to him, "The stones are powerful on their own, but when all seven stones, jewels, whatever, are brought together, they can summon a Dragon. They are like very tiny Dragon Balls. Problem is," she suddenly sounded a little disappointed, "the other five could be anywhere the universe."

[Yun Lao]

She gave him a sly smile, as she held out her hand and the stone embedded within began to glow. As it did, the stone embedded in Charco's amulet also began to glow, resonating in a way similar to how the Dragon Balls react to each other. Putting her hand down, She leaned in to speak quietly to him, "The stones are powerful on their own, but when all seven stones, jewels, whatever, are brought together, they can summon a Dragon. They are like very tiny Dragon Balls. Problem is," she suddenly sounded a little disappointed, "the other five could be anywhere the universe."

"Hmm. Well, that's certainly something."

On one hand, he could understand the creator wanting the seven stones to be less conspicuous compared to the dragon balls, yet in this form, they would be much more difficult for someone to collect. Lowering his voice, he added, "I can see why it would be a problem. So what's your plan? Going to collect them or leave them as is?"

[Tami]

"Hmm. Well, that's certainly something."

On one hand, he could understand the creator wanting the seven stones to be less conspicuous compared to the dragon balls, yet in this form, they would be much more difficult for someone to collect. Lowering his voice, he added, "I can see why it would be a problem. So what's your plan? Going to collect them or leave them as is?"

With a shrug, "Don't know. I mean, Lady Iris traveled to many planets and she only found the one you have. It could take a lifetime to find the others. Sooo," Cyanna swayed back and forth, her arms behind her back, hands clasped in a 'cute' pose, "maybe? That is if you want to come with me? After all this, that is."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

The comments of the others had little effect on Nevanlinna, at least outwardly. The fools simply didn't understand. Reforming threshling society was as impossible as moving a beach to the other side of the planet grain-by-grain. It was a task too great for one person to accomplish in any reasonable amount of time.

Furthermore, that they couldn't see that her anger at Sarada was because, in her view, her method of disposing of Jagam was a dereliction of her duty as a royal, was infuriating in and of itself. In her view, it was a royal's sacred duty to ensure the continue safety and prosperity of his or her people, through the most effective means necessary. Even if it meant using underhanded, dishonorable, or cowardly methods. And yet this child-queen would place her entire species at risk... and for what? To satiate her battlelust and foolish, asinine pride.

However, before she departed, she did respond to her, as well as Ishtar. Her tone was considerably more even, without the vitriol of before. "Sarada, Ishtar. I wish you to consider this... would Mato have been as successful with his reforms if he'd been alone, if Maiz and Tasure and others hadn't lain the foundation for his reforms for decades? Would he have succeeded if Vocadoan Saiyans had no hard proof that his wild claims were not the ravings of a mad man, as they did with some of the other colonies? I invite you to contemplate just how successful a Mato would be if he were alone, the first of his kind to harbor such ideas openly, with no hard proof that his ideas were even correct, and who has to deal with the added dimension of deeply-rooted religious belief that are so woven into the fabric of his culture that they might as well be indistinguishable. You are not stupid, and such a person would not get far. In point of fact, on Reshlan, they would almost certainly be killed, regardless of station."

Her gaze focused on Ishtar, in particular. "You call my ideas a half-measure. I call them a compromise... or perhaps, more charitably, a first step. Threshling culture has ten thousand years of inertia behind it, with the added dimension of religion, compared to the... what, nine hundred the saiyans had to overcome. Getting a people who have had priests and priestesses drilling their innately, divinely-granted superiority and dominion over all of creation to accept... what are viewed as twisted abominations or even demons in the span of even a Threshling lifetime is far too much to expect."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sarada's kiss snapped Ishtar out of her momentary stupor, and with a smile the Oni turned toward her love and offered a nod. "It is wonderful, is it not ? That a thing so strange has actually come to pass."

Mindful of her Saiyan's anxious energy, and even worry however, when the Golden Apple was safely stored away inside of one of those wonderful capsules; Ishtar carefully wrapped her arms around Sarada's waist and pulled her close.

"We have all the time in the world now, to decide on a where and when ... a thing we can certainly determine at a later date. For now however, I certainly enjoy the idea of spending a night free of interruption with you- and our friends perhaps- after Evangeline, and Jack are returned from Otherworld."

Of course, Ishtar and Sarada's happy moment was not of course complete, without vitriol from Parsley.

As Ishtar pulled her close by wrapping those sculpted arms around her waist, Sarada allowed herself the indignity of melting into her lover's embrace. She sighed contently, knowing that once Jagam was dealt with, their future was bright and sure to be wonderful. To this end, she was thankful that she didn't make the wise Nevanlinna suggested. She would have had to wait an entire year to feel this joy and excitement. The prospect of having a child -- a biological child -- with her love, another woman, was beyond comprehension; yet, it was right on the horizon, waiting to be seized when they decided the time was right.

To that end, a night of enjoyment and relaxation before weeks of hard, intense training in preparation of the looming life-or-death battle ahead sounded wonderful and well needed indeed. Despite her jest to Charco, she really hoped that it wasn't marred by the introduction of kava water. The last time she got drunk off that stuff, she made out with Ishtar in the middle of the dining area and apparently tried to proposition Meagan for mating. This time, there was no telling what she would do. Not only did she have to consider her company, she also had to be mindful of her station. She was representing not only herself, but also the Saiyan Empire. As such, she absolutely could not do anything that would bring reproach on the millions of Saiyans around the cosmos.

Never mind the fact that getting drunk was likely what at least a good three-fourths of them would be doing in this exact situation.

"A night with you sounds lovely," she answered. Being on the Lookout meant no love-making, unfortunately, but perhaps that was for the best. There was no telling how far Parsley would spew her vomit once she caught ear of the raucous passion that Sarada and Ishtar often produced when they were in the mood. Besides that, she remembered the Eva had a strict rule against mating on her Lookout, and she still respected that.

"Perhaps I can cook you something to eat tonight. It can't be that hard." The harder part would certainly be resisting the urge to eat whatever she made as soon as she made it.

Though in the end, it was merely the whimpering of a wounded animal.

Ishtar simply sighed and offered Parsley a glance.

"What is the root of your ... discontent, Parsley, truly ? Is it that you are not stronger than those of half-Saiyan descent, or one like myself who has no trace of Saiyan in them ? Or are you simply one to blindly follow the belief system of others ... others who, I might point out, are weaker than I am, and you are."

The Oni offered Sarada a kiss before smiling at Parsley, genuinely.

"In any event, I hope you can in time find it within yourself to accept those of partial, or non-Saiyan blood. At the least so that you may see yourself better off for it."

She may have not cared for the monster Parsley was, but Ishtar was at the least, willing to make the selfsame attempt at reaching amicable terms as she had with Lettise, and Guar.

... If only for Sarada's sake.

Parsley silently considered Isthar's questioning of her reasons for hating half-breeds and mixed relationships so absolutely. The answer was simple -- they were inferior. Saiyan genes produced some of the greatest warriors the universe had ever seen. She herself was living proof, as was Sarada. Even warriors of the past, such as Vocado, offered evidence of the need to preserve the Saiyan gene pool and its purity.

When that pool was sullied, and alternate genetics were introduced, it lessened the results. Yes, half-breeds were scientifically proven to be stronger than purebreds, but those creatures were no warriors. More often than not -- depending wholly on the other species -- they cared for combat and training with vastly less fervor than a purebred. If it was allowed to continue, eventually the purebreds would die out, leaving the remainder of the Saiyan race to be comprised of nothing but lazy half-breeds who cared less about combat and training than they did whatever inane stupidity they involved themselves in. They would be ripe for either extermination or enslavement.

It was why Parsley saw the need to nip this epidemic in the bud early before it took root and festered. That so many Saiyans either failed to or refused to see reason and logic both disturbed and irritated her. Fools, all of them.

She turned to answer when she saw Ishtar kissing Sarada tenderly on the lips. Her sister.... was kissing her back, and actually leaning into her body to deepen it. It was the first time she had seen such a display so up-close and personal. She reacted accordingly.



"Disgusting," she spat. "Confine that foolishness to behind closed doors."

Sarada turned and gave her what could never be mistaken as anything other than an intentionally mischievous grin. It was then that Parsley regretted saying something. Before she coudl stop her, her sister grabbed Ishtar by her face and pulled her down into an even deeper kiss than before. If she wasn't mistaken, she even jammed her tongue in her mouth.

Parsley's stomach did literal cartwheels and the struggle to keep the torrent of bile from spewing all over the pristine white tiles of the Lookout plaza was an intense battle of wills. She sucked in air through her nose to keep it down. "You... disgust... me... you...ugh."

She was certain to have nightmares that night about the horrors her so-called blood relative knowingly subjected her to. She should have had her arrested by the Galaxy Patrol and charged with heinous torture and vile acts of misconduct. Parsley's eyes would never be the same; the image of these two animals swapping spit not once, but twice directly in front of her in full view of the gods and the entire world was forever tattooed on her brain.

"Is there any bleach around here?" she asked Kai. "If so, just pour it directly into my eyes. Thanks."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The comments of the others had little effect on Nevanlinna, at least outwardly. The fools simply didn't understand. Reforming threshling society was as impossible as moving a beach to the other side of the planet grain-by-grain. It was a task too great for one person to accomplish in any reasonable amount of time.

Furthermore, that they couldn't see that her anger at Sarada was because, in her view, her method of disposing of Jagam was a dereliction of her duty as a royal, was infuriating in and of itself. In her view, it was a royal's sacred duty to ensure the continue safety and prosperity of his or her people, through the most effective means necessary. Even if it meant using underhanded, dishonorable, or cowardly methods. And yet this child-queen would place her entire species at risk... and for what? To satiate her battlelust and foolish, asinine pride.

However, before she departed, she did respond to her, as well as Ishtar. Her tone was considerably more even, without the vitriol of before. "Sarada, Ishtar. I wish you to consider this... would Mato have been as successful with his reforms if he'd been alone, if Maiz and Tasure and others hadn't lain the foundation for his reforms for decades? Would he have succeeded if Vocadoan Saiyans had no hard proof that his wild claims were not the ravings of a mad man, as they did with some of the other colonies? I invite you to contemplate just how successful a Mato would be if he were alone, the first of his kind to harbor such ideas openly, with no hard proof that his ideas were even correct, and who has to deal with the added dimension of deeply-rooted religious belief that are so woven into the fabric of his culture that they might as well be indistinguishable. You are not stupid, and such a person would not get far. In point of fact, on Reshlan, they would almost certainly be killed, regardless of station."

Her gaze focused on Ishtar, in particular. "You call my ideas a half-measure. I call them a compromise... or perhaps, more charitably, a first step. Threshling culture has ten thousand years of inertia behind it, with the added dimension of religion, compared to the... what, nine hundred the saiyans had to overcome. Getting a people who have had priests and priestesses drilling their innately, divinely-granted superiority and dominion over all of creation to accept... what are viewed as twisted abominations or even demons in the span of even a Threshling lifetime is far too much to expect."

Nevanlinna responded, considerably more even keel and more reminiscent of her demeanor when they first met than just a few minutes earlier. And in her response, Sarada's ignorance regarding the Threshling race was put on full display.

The Saiyans only had to overcome around five hundred years of being molded into oppressors, slavers, and genociders. They only had five hundred years of being told at any and every opportunity that they were the superior race, that there was no comparison in the entire universe, and that theirs was the superior power. They only had five hundred years of exalting the pure bloodline and despising half-breeds.

The Threshling had ten thousand years. Superiority was their religion. It was drilled into them from the moment they could comprehend words that their superiority was divinely ordained, that they were above any and all others in the universe because their god willed it so. To that end, someone like Mato coming in and clashing against the raging tide of hateful prejudice was like a goldfish resisting a raging river.

Sarada wasn't so naive to believe that Mato's Threshling contemporary would have even a modicum of success. In fact, Nevanlinna said with utter confidence that such a person would have been killed almost immediately.

How backwards and... hateful this society was. She thought the Saiyans on Callion were bad, and in many ways, they were the only point of reference. She remembered vividly the protests against her and her desire to bring half-breeds to the same level as purebreds. She remembered clearly the violence shown toward her and especially Ishtar. She remembered watching in utter shock as half-breed children and their parents -- who did nothing but dare to be a family in public -- were publicly executed, then fed to rabid animals.

She wouldn't have been shocked to hear similar stories about Reshlan.

"I see. Your words remind me of Callion. Their prejudice runs deep, but not as deep as yours." She sighed, unwilling to let this go, but seeing no reason to continue arguing a moot point. "Fine. I'll drop it. If you believe there is nothing that can change your people for the better, than there is no reason arguing with someone who knows better. As long as you don't make the same mistake we did and start eradicating 'lesser' races for whatever reason."