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

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The Eldest had watched the progress of Ishtar's recovery closely in the time the woman had spent in her 'home'. How could it not ?

Day in, and day out, the blue-skinned Oni continued to persist despite the injuries that should well have killed her, even going so far as to remain awake at times -- despite what pain she undoubtedly felt -- so that she could question her wardens. That she retained enough of herself to even speak in the common language ... that Ancient Khosian, that was shared between them too proved surprising in its own way ... as did the metallic arm, that pulsed with a familiar presence.

Yet despite the questions that it wished to ask, the Elemanti was patient.

Besides that ... it had to keep the peace between the golden-eyed woman, and her siblings.

"...-e kill her now." The Youngest stated, pulling the Eldest's focus back toward its sibling. Though it was really not offering much more than it had been, it was certain it had simply expressed, again, a desire to attain its perverted reckoning ... A thing hat had been simmering in its coal-forged heart for five millennia.

"By my reckoning that would make you no better than her," The Archon of Criostalach replied.

Though this was offered halfhearted; especially considering that there was no knowing just what the reasoning was for the blue-skinned woman's destruction of Ilargi, beyond knowing that it was linked to the death of the High Priestess. "Perhaps save your fiery anamacha f-"

"No." The Youngest fired back, cutting of its elder sibling -- and the most powerful among them -- mid-word. "I have waited over five-thousand cycles for this ! Now that it is within my reach to amend I will not wait an-UNF!" Its response was cut off sharply, as its was knocked across the room they had been standing in. A somewhat bemused Archon of Criostalach, then returned her hand to its side and offered a sigh.

"That you were not awake for most of those five-thousand millennia means you will not suffer the loss of a few more moments. So you will wait." As the Youngest corrected itself and prepared to retort then, the Eldest lifted a single glowing finger and offered another sigh. "You interruptions have already stepped well past tiresome. I will summon you again after I have decided what to do, no sooner. Do not return until then."

The words the Lasair wished to offer, burnt to nothing then; and with a grudging nod the Youngest turned and departed ... leaving the Archon of Criostalach alone once more.

Which would not itself, last long.

Before the Youngest had interjected, the Eldest had been on its way to check on their guest ... and perhaps see if she was awake enough to entertain questions ...

---

Ishtar sat across from the Archon of Criostalach, and for the longest time neither spoke.

The Eldest, simply because it did not know what it wished to ask the blue-skinned woman, first ... and Ishtar, because she did not know exactly what to say, or really -- given her current state -- what, if anything, was worth saying ... though in the end, it was not long before the Host began its questions. Though the first question proved to be little more than pleasantries.

<How are you faring ?>

Ishtar shifted, before offering simply. <Well enough.>

The Archon nodded, before glancing over at its siblings -- the Archon of Uisce, and Archon of Gaoth -- who confirmed as much, before responding. <This is good. When we found you I must confess you were ... not expected to survive.> At this, Ishtar simply shrugged, leaving the Eldest little recourse but to ask. <It was through no intervention of ours that you survived at first, however ... might I ask how you did ?>

At this, Ishtar shrugged her shoulders.

<Through force of will.>

The Archon of Criostalach nodded, and considered silently the implication of what this meant, truly. For if this golden-eyed woman was truly in possession of an anamacha so strong ...

<Is that all you wished to ask ?> The Oni asked then, causing the Eldest to return to the present and offer a small sigh.

<No, I simply wished to sate my own curiosity.> The Elemanti explained, before continuing. <I desire to hear a full accounting of what transpired five millennia ago, and from there I mean to, perhaps, decide what to do next.> The Archon paused then, waiting patiently for Ishtar to acknowledge what was offered, and once the nod was given, it resumed. <So I will start with what we know ... Ilargi was sundered by your hands, the result of grief; this itself a result of the murder of Sekhmet, the High Priestess. Beyond that, we know nothing.>

Finished, the Archon waited patiently for Ishtar's response.

A thing that took several moments, as the golden-eyed Oni dredged up the memories.

<You lack the how, and why.> The Elemanti nodded, and with a sigh Ishtar continued slowly, her jaw yet sore from the fractures it suffered. <From what I know, and suffered ... those who stood at the head of the Moonsworn, felt the Order corrupted by the presence of an 'Outsider', and it was this festering ... notion; that corrupted them as a whole.> The Oni paused, to rest her jaw, before continuing on in dispassionate monotone. <So it was, that when this notion had fully taken them, they moved to ask and excise the source of their perceived blight. The High Priestess who opened her heart to another, and the Oni who was bound both by love, and in spirit.>

Ishtar sighed then, and took yet more time to ease her aching jaw.

<Yet away from them as I was, tending to to a Ritual of Passing; they got to Sekhmet first ... and I felt each blow, the knife that pierced her heart, the rattle as she drew her final breath.> By now the monotone had faltered slightly, a faint quivering slowly creeping into her voice; after all, while she had found peace in the end, the memories were hardly pleasant. <I cannot profess to remember what happened then, blinded as I was by grief and pain ... but you know the end result. A ruined moon, and the world beneath it.>

Finished then, Ishtar fell silent. Leaving the Eldest several moments to parse the information; and while it could not ask the Moonsworn directly ... it could sense deception, and all this blue-skinned woman had to offer was the truth. Which set the Moonsworn in night light ... the talks it once remembered, vaguely, about adding new species to its ranks now something of an ... irony. To say nothing of the suffering they caused a woman who seemed guilty of nothing beyond the emotion of love.

The Archon sighed.

<I thank you for your answer ... though in many ways it complicates things.> Namely, the matter of what was to be done with her. A thing that previously was undoubtedly Death -- more to silence the Youngest, over any true justice -- but in light of her ability to seemingly refuse such a thing ... and the truth of her reasoning ... <That you seemingly did not wish to cause such destruction, does not change the destruction caused ... and yet there is no punishment that could restore this world; or by my reckoning feel proper, given what has been made known ...> The Elemanti stated, as it attempted to work its way slowly to the proper course.

Yet not finding one, even after it had slipped into silence to think it over, it simply sighed and turned its eyes to Ishtar.

<I must confess, that I am at a loss ... perhaps a ... no. By my reckoning that would prove fruitless ...> Another moment passed, and then the Archon's eyes lit up, and it nodded slowly to itself. The Youngest would not rest until it had its 'reckoning', perhaps this would be a way enough to settle accounts on both sides.

<By my reckoning, I feel somewhat obligated to provide a 'punishment' of sorts ... regardless of how little I feel such will do, and what little it will change.[/color> The Archon of Criostalach offered, then, Ishtar only nodding along slowly because she could not simply fall unconscious. <[color]So I pass this judgment, then. You will recover yet a few days, in the care of Uisce and Gaoth, and then you shall ... meet, with Lasair. In this way, you will have a chance to fight for yourself if you so wish; while I yet retain some semblance of 'order'. Fair enough ?>

Ishtar simply shrugged her shoulders. <Fair enough.>

The Archon sighed, before lifting off the ground slightly. <Then I shall leave you in their care. Until this 'meeting' as well, you shall remain a guest of this place ... for what little it has to provide; and should you survive the coming encounter we shall speak again. For now, rest, and prepare. I must confess I would prefer you remained alive, knowing what I do now.>

And with that, the Archon departed. Leaving a still wounded Ishtar to think ... and perhaps prepare, for the meeting with the Youngest of the Archon.

[Tami]

It was here. It was all here. Information on the planet itself, its location, nearby solar systems and star constellations for the purpose of navigation. It was all compiled neatly and orderly. "Impressive. All we need is right here," she said. "It won't take my ship's computers long to map out a route. Thought, that will take way too long."

She sucked her teeth and thought hard. The only way to cross multiple light years into what appeared to be another galaxy would be teleportation or a portal. Could Meagan's cross that kind of distance without taxing her?

Only way to find out was to ask.

"Can you make a portal from here to there without taxing yourself?"

Taking a look at the map, both hands on the table as she studied it, Meagan then stood up and spoke honestly, "I don't know what the limits of the temple's portal are. Though there is bound to be some information about it somewhere." She then left the map room and went back out to the library's computer. Searching the database for information on the portal, she was bemused to find it blocked and listed as classified.

Placing her hand on the scanner and stating her name, the blocks were lifted and the location of the data was revealed to be stored in a hidden archive behind a locked door. Moving to a far corner of the library, she found a hidden staircase that went down to a single room with a locked door, a room she hadn't known was there. Placing her hand on the panel next to the door and speaking her name and title, the door opened up for her.

A short time later, she returns to Map Room with a large binder. Placing it on the table, she begins going through the index until she finds the page she was looking for. The text was written in a language that Sarada wasn't familiar with, but somehow Meagan was able to read it.

Finally she looked up and over to Sarada across the table, "It can be done, but ideally only for no more than three people at a time, four would be pushing the limit. It will put a strain on the temple's power source, which means shutting down all non-essential functions. Also there is a risk to the temple's barrier, but I can compensate for that simply by asking one of the Sisterhood to watch over the Temple while we're gone."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Taking a look at the map, both hands on the table as she studied it, Meagan then stood up and spoke honestly, "I don't know what the limits of the temple's portal are. Though there is bound to be some information about it somewhere." She then left the map room and went back out to the library's computer. Searching the database for information on the portal, she was bemused to find it blocked and listed as classified.

Placing her hand on the scanner and stating her name, the blocks were lifted and the location of the data was revealed to be stored in a hidden archive behind a locked door. Moving to a far corner of the library, she found a hidden staircase that went down to a single room with a locked door, a room she hadn't known was there. Placing her hand on the panel next to the door and speaking her name and title, the door opened up for her.

A short time later, she returns to Map Room with a large binder. Placing it on the table, she begins going through the index until she finds the page she was looking for. The text was written in a language that Sarada wasn't familiar with, but somehow Meagan was able to read it.

Finally she looked up and over to Sarada across the table, "It can be done, but ideally only for no more than three people at a time, four would be pushing the limit. It will put a strain on the temple's power source, which means shutting down all non-essential functions. Also there is a risk to the temple's barrier, but I can compensate for that simply by asking one of the Sisterhood to watch over the Temple while we're gone."

They could take the portal, but only 3 of them could pass through at a time. It would take her ship - judging by the maps - over a month to get there. Unacceptable, so the portal was their only choice.

"We'll have to go through the portal." She sighed and leaned over the table. She wished Parsley were here. This would go a lot smoother with someone like her. As it stood, it waa just going to be her and Meagan, as she wasn't sure how much time they had before things got worse.

"I don't know how much time we have, but let's leave now. The threat shouldn't be too much for the two of us to handle. If things get too bad, I'll just have to risk using Hitozaru."

Tasure's warning rang in her head. Irreparable damage to her ki wasn't something to be taken lightly, but this situation called for every option to be placed on the table. If their positions were reversed, she knew that Ishtar would stop at nothing to get her back.

"We'll go now," she repeated. "I'm ready when you are."

[Tami]

They could take the portal, but only 3 of them could pass through at a time. It would take her ship - judging by the maps - over a month to get there. Unacceptable, so the portal was their only choice.

"We'll have to go through the portal." She sighed and leaned over the table. She wished Parsley were here. This would go a lot smoother with someone like her. As it stood, it waa just going to be her and Meagan, as she wasn't sure how much time they had before things got worse.

"I don't know how much time we have, but let's leave now. The threat shouldn't be too much for the two of us to handle. If things get too bad, I'll just have to risk using Hitozaru."

Tasure's warning rang in her head. Irreparable damage to her ki wasn't something to be taken lightly, but this situation called for every option to be placed on the table. If their positions were reversed, she knew that Ishtar would stop at nothing to get her back.

"We'll go now," she repeated. "I'm ready when you are."

"Give me a few minutes." Meagan then walked to an office on the other side of the library and made a phone call. She then opened up a panel in the side of the wall, revealing a computer control system that almost seemed anachronistic to the traditional style of the Temple. Deftly operating the controls, the lights in the library began to dim, and a faint sound can be heard as other systems were being placed on standby. She then set the barrier to a timer, allowing the Elder Members of the Sisterhood access to the Temple. They will remain to watch over it while Meagan is gone, while discreetly keeping this unexpected trip to themselves.

Next she quickly moved to her residence quarters, where she changed from her Guardian dress to her The Armored outfit Jinzi made for her some time ago. Taking up a capsule case containing weapons, medical supplies, and other necessities she had packed in advanced, she returned to Sarada about ten minutes later.

"We need to go to the Portal Room to do this. I've already transmitted the coordinates, so it should be ready for us."

She then led Sarada downstairs and through the secrete passageways and tunnels beneath the temple. Then to the cavern in which, in the center, was a stone staircase leading to a portal, already activated.

"Once we enter, I'll follow your lead since you stand a better chance of tracking her down."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

after showing off her Universal translator , hair generate ray , hover boots , bionic lenses and teleport watch. Qaztoh shows off the rest of her inventions besides Mr. Gazakai . the last invention she shows is a high tech suit saying " this is a high tech stealth suit which can allow a person to phase through objects via quantum tunneling." " as this is the prototype it's stealth features are limit. " " the Camouflage tech in this suit only works on visible light. "


" the Mark II version of this suit which I made for the Stratovarius Buccaneers on the other hand is works on variety of light including infrared light. " " the Mark II version also has tech that makes a persons movements nearly Inaudible and undetectable ." " it's also nearly scentless so it makes the person who wears it almost undetectable by smell. "

"finally Mark II version has additional tech that makes a person nearly undetectable by various radars." " well it's not a weapon but I'm pretty sure Captain Stratovarius and the rest of his crew used the Mark II version of this to steal stuff." Qaztoh gives Jinzi the high tech stealth suit saying " yeah you can dispose of this." " my current project will be working on Mark II version of my Universal Translator. "


Qaztoh actives her Jobox and a strange force pulls the inventions she has out and not on her into the box and afterwards it immediately closes. Qaztoh turns around to look straight at Jinzi saying " Joboxes are what my kind use to store their belongings ." " they were invented by one of my ancestors name Uazakioi Zorak who live 1,000 years ago and were improve upon down the line after her death." " she was the Toadian Queen 1,000 years ago. "


"I have never once on my home planet Qacriea saw what the original Jobox look like."

[grampagen]

The guardian blurs, avoiding each strike as it closes in on the group. Getting in close, it suddenly leaps upwards, ki gathering at it’s feet as it plunged back towards the strands, ready to discahrge the ki into an AOE knock back attack on them.

With each gliding step he took across the strands of the web, Ochazuke made his way gradually toward the guardian.

I see...

He was swift, lithe, and perfectly balanced, and were it not for the weight of the task and the forboding of the chasm below their feet, he might have relished the moment to appreciate the artistry in the Spider's movement. Yet as the distance closed between them, so did the gulf between merely observing the technique and understanding the method behind it.

The reactive skill of kinetic listening! To discern an opponent's intent through a point of contact! The master of his detested legacy and the Turtle Hermit Kuki had called this Kakie; written in the memory-projections of the Dragon's Claw, they called it Ting Jing.

He moves last and reacts first, while reading the web-

This is when Dash makes her move. Flying may be out, but horses are known for their powerful leaps. Moving in fast, she leaps up and lands onto Zaofan's shoulders, then Shashem, then Ochazuke. Leaping and moving on top of each one, using them as stepping stones in order to avoid touching the webbing and to get some height.

Pegasus Slices the Wind - As she moves in towards the Guardian, she leaps at him, aiming powerful Ki infused kicks at his head, while releasing blades of Ki towards him.

Suddenly a great weight fell upon his shoulders, and in the midst of his thoughts he sunk his step into the web mid-stride. His balance had already precarious as it was when he had to focus on both maintaining some small control over the web while analysing the feedback of the Guardian's subtle movements hidden among the silk. Before he could catch himself, it was already far too late when his foot left the line.

Imbecilic foal~!

Ochazuke's eyes widened, stared upward only to meet the ceiling of the cavern. Dash moved on.

A sordid, hollow expression seized his face as he fell there between the silken strands, and all to swiftly, was swallowed by the darkness at the bottom of the breach.

[Cyke]

The old fraud Yakimesh Toh Magoh lays against a fleshy wall in a dimly lit cave, unable to move with his wrists and angles tied by purple tentacles. None of his struggling proves fruitful.

A dark and ethereal voice echoes through, indicating that he should stop struggling. "No need to writhe your way out. We both know that, one way or another, you won't have to worry about your bonds soon." The face soon reveals itself from the darkness...




Shinku No Manto, the Crimson Cloak. Behind him is the masked helmet of Master Shingen, the Demon Lord Shogun. When they emerge, wisps of blue flame and a few bats scatter through the air.

"I -- I don't understand what you want from me! It's not like Zaofan and I parted on good terms," Toh Magoh says with a panic. "I know nothing about him!"

Shingen responds as the extended claw of a nail on his index finger points at him, "Oh, but you do. When you last fought, he beat you down. Sent you flying. I want to know how he became so powerful in such a small amount of time."

"But... but why? Why do you want Zaofan, of all people?" Not that Toh Magoh necessarily cared for the vagabond chef, but his curiosity was piqued. And perhaps he could stall for time.

"From one sensei to another, I'm sure you can appreciate the disappointment of a student leaving your tutelage. I was reminded of his existence when he broadcast himself on global television, when he and a group of powerful fighters defeated Simon Battersea, destroying Turtle Island in the process. When he was our student, he had no access to such power. But even then, that is just a secondary concern."

"Secondary...?"

"Yes, as in, there is more to it than that. Do try to keep up. My associate Shinku No Manto and I both sensed his awesome power not long ago. He has been through tumultuous times. He is drenched in blood magic. That stench is ... delicious."

Toh Magoh's eyes widened in confusion. "Delicious...? Look, I don't know what you're into, and I don't care, but..."

Shingen continued. "That boy is remarkable. From weakling to capable of going toe-to-toe with Battersea himself. From escaped disgrace to visiting blood realms and swimming in dark arts. I want to know how he became so powerful. I want to know how he accessed that dimension. And, for someone covered in that much blood magic, it must mean that he killed. A lot. I feed off that power. And that power restores Shinku No Manto here, bit by bit. Getting Zaofan would provide a boost like few others."

"But... but he has friends! Powerful friends! You saw them fight Battersea, too! At the tournament!"

The Crimson Cloak speaks up, licking his tongue. "Yes, yes. And we'll get them, too. Some of them are even more powerful than Zaofan. We'll get to them eventually. But Shingen has personal... history... with him. And my senses indicate, even from this distance, that somehow he would taste better than the others. You see, while Lord Shingen here will grow more whole, I would need someone of the traveler's pedigree to restore my rightful place and rank of the Makai Realm. His defeat will bring my glory and strength. And, for the both of us, we might gain the secrets of a realm even more powerful than the Makai."

Toh Magoh calculates in his head, occasionally struggling against the tentacles but always put back into his place. "That still doesn't explain what you want from me, though. I can't give you any insight into the lad! He escaped me just like he escaped you!"

Shingen faces him. "He did not just leave us. He joined the Turtle School. His affiliates include students of the Five Schools, and then then some. What do you know of them? What would the Turtle School instill on him? What other disciplines did he study?"

The old man panics, as if he hadn't studied all year for a final exam. "Now, wait! I kept my distance from the Crane School! From the other schools! You know me, Shingen! We go back! We used to work together!"

"The folly of my youth, I'm afraid. I used to think you were dependable, if not inferior. Now you can't even stay updated about the world around you. Just how much power do you really wield, criminal? Feh."

Shinku No Manto puts his own pale hand on Shingen's shoulder. "We still haven't asked him if he knows why Zaofan is running around with the blasphemer, the Guardian Evangeline. The Makai fear her, and yet, for all his bloodletting and turn to evil, she houses him. Trains him. Befriends him."

"Who is Evangel--"

Shingen raises his hand abruptly. "No knowledge. No power. I suppose we must use him for the only other reason we would want him." Shingen raises his index finger with the sharp nail, and slices across Toh Magoh's chest. While the cut appears slight, the wound opens.

"ARRRGH! No! NO! Please don't! Please don't...!"

"Oh, quiet yourself," says Shingen. "Once a coward, always a coward. No. You'll still be of some use to us. In your days of lies and killing -- and not just an assassin but as a headmaster of scores of assassins, you've accumulated quite the blood energy yourself. Your aura is particularly raw with the blood spilled of matriarchs, mayors, the wealthy, whole villages even. Your armies are inadequate, but with all the blood on their hands, they've made you tasty yourself. While we don't have Zaofan, you'll do well for now."

Shinku no Manto and Lord Shingen both raise an open palm high above the wound, which begins to spill out red and blue energy streams, flowing straight into their hands. Toh Magoh's fists clench as he tries once more in vain to pull against the tentacles, but soon nearly passes out from exhaustion and the energy drain.

His head hangs low, but he has enough strength to open one eye and look at the two imposing figures. Right before he falls unconscious, he sees one last image, that of the face of the wizard Shinku no Manto:



"Hm. This coward, this false crane, he tastes like...chicken."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Give me a few minutes." Meagan then walked to an office on the other side of the library and made a phone call. She then opened up a panel in the side of the wall, revealing a computer control system that almost seemed anachronistic to the traditional style of the Temple. Deftly operating the controls, the lights in the library began to dim, and a faint sound can be heard as other systems were being placed on standby. She then set the barrier to a timer, allowing the Elder Members of the Sisterhood access to the Temple. They will remain to watch over it while Meagan is gone, while discreetly keeping this unexpected trip to themselves.

Next she quickly moved to her residence quarters, where she changed from her Guardian dress to her The Armored outfit Jinzi made for her some time ago. Taking up a capsule case containing weapons, medical supplies, and other necessities she had packed in advanced, she returned to Sarada about ten minutes later.

"We need to go to the Portal Room to do this. I've already transmitted the coordinates, so it should be ready for us."

She then led Sarada downstairs and through the secrete passageways and tunnels beneath the temple. Then to the cavern in which, in the center, was a stone staircase leading to a portal, already activated.

"Once we enter, I'll follow your lead since you stand a better chance of tracking her down."

While waiting for Meagan, Sarada changed into her battle armor. It likely wouldn't do any good, but any added protection was better than no protection, which was exactly what her regular royal clothing offered.

She then spent the next several moments mentally preparing herself, instilling herself with hope and optimism that yes, she was going to save Ishtar and yes, she was going to kill any and all those responsible for keeping her away from her love for this long.

I'm coming, my love.

Meagan returned after ensuring the temple would be safe during their trip and led her to the portal room, where it was waiting to whisk them across dozens of light years in an instant.

She would take point, which was fine by her. "Alright. Here we go." Sarada stepped through the portal, and stepped foot onto Tatenen.

[grampagen]

Capital City

Dusk poured through the studio windows, the illuminating red glare far too short for these tall ceilings and fell upon the wall where he sat watching through his shaded lenses. They called it a mote of character; he called it a flaw in the estate, and bad acoustics besides.

Neither did the retch and throat-scraping expirations inspire anything more from the seminar held at the Chidori Wellness Clinic, echoing horridly amid the creak of twisting footfalls. There were nothing but kids, all the best the hollow-cheeked maintainer Suicho they'd left in charge here could muster. They stood in uneven rows, scattered semicircles around the little celebrity in the centre.

"Okay, right! Now, while you hold the stance, be mindful of your structure! Maintain tension even while you breathe!"

Aiko Fukuhara twist her left hand, bringing it round and then close with a restrained inhale - block! Shifting a foot forward, she slowly extended her hand forward to full extension, one long exhale along the course of it, punctuated with a sharp outward breath to finish.

The mass followed her with the limpest of execution, and that hollow gurgle-spit that indicated just as swiftly they had no idea what they were doing. Did they have any concept of what the Sanchin kata was for? Over two-thousand years had passed since Lady Nomi crossed the sea with the Thirteen, and fought to restore the Senbei Kingdom at Tanchozurujima. The Crane School spread across the world since then, none of it would be possible without this, the origin of they kata! He shuddered to behold it now where the heir was all too happy to slap effort into their weakling forms.

"Firm up," came the bright, but pointed voice. "It's not a race, you build up from the form first." Skinny, iron fingers plucked the limbs of ruddy boys like unwound gut strings. "Remember to put your whole body into, that's a stable foundation!" She turned around, retracing the last step and led them, a fragmented mirror-image delayed by a split second. "And close...and bow..." She crossed her hands before her and they all followed, "OSU!"

He had been stuck gloomily upon the side, a dour shadow in the corner seated on a gymnasium bench. He exchanged a look with Suicho; the head instructor froze, pale, and thawed from the form in reticence. What was he even doing here? There was more pressing business to attend to...

Suddenly a photo-flash filled the expanse. A slacker in the back row. Clearly he hadn't read the rules. He stood up and bore down on the child.

"No cameras."

No response. Aiko broke from the flock of fledgling Cranes asking pointers from their little celebrity.

"Jitori-"

Too late, he'd snatched the kid's phone, and the plexiglass bent inward and crinkled where his fingers met it. He tapped his finger on the screen and pushed through it as easily as thin, taught paper, and bits of circuitry traced around the silicon as it hit the floor; he folded the rest in half just as easily.

"Your too soft on them," he said. "Bloody noodle-armed, they have no backbone because they have no structure..."

The kid was dumbstruck. With a grunt Jitori reached into his coat, pulled out a handful of 100s and tossed them on the ground callously. Turning his back he walked through the crowd, making his way to the training equipment. He set his hands on a Capsule Corp reinforced heavy bag. "Soft times make soft men."

"Would you lighten up, they're just kids. Besides, we're all part of the Crane School-"

"A Crane without wings is no true Crane. Where shall they set themselves if they know no duty?"

"They have no place else to go, and we have ample coffers, besides-"

"We do not peck through the muck. Those who ascend shall, but those who cannot..." A roaring boom filled the hallway. The Capsule bag left its hinges, scattered on broken links as it skid to a stop before Aiko.

She'd brought him here to show the start of how she would change the Crane. Funny, now he knew where to balance the books.

"Ikken Hissatsu. One strike, one kill." His demonstration concluded, Jitori bowed, his narrow expression never leaving his concealed eyes. "By your leave, Sensei."

[Tami]

While waiting for Meagan, Sarada changed into her battle armor. It likely wouldn't do any good, but any added protection was better than no protection, which was exactly what her regular royal clothing offered.

She then spent the next several moments mentally preparing herself, instilling herself with hope and optimism that yes, she was going to save Ishtar and yes, she was going to kill any and all those responsible for keeping her away from her love for this long.

I'm coming, my love.

Meagan returned after ensuring the temple would be safe during their trip and led her to the portal room, where it was waiting to whisk them across dozens of light years in an instant.

She would take point, which was fine by her. "Alright. Here we go." Sarada stepped through the portal, and stepped foot onto Tatenen.

Meagan followed right behind, the portal closing as soon as she was through. Keeping her senses up, but her Ki levels suppressed, she stood next to Sarada waiting fro the next move.

[grampagen]

Off the web and into the shadow Ochazuke continued to fall, gazing ever upward at the light of the Spider's cavern above. Curious, how the drift and waver filled him; he'd eluded this sinking feeling for nearly four years, until now he was brought face-to-face with it. No foothold to brace, nor air by which to arrest himself in defiance by will. The only thing that greeted him there was the fading view of his goal. All from a moment's negligence, everything was lost, and the Legacy was as now as distant to him as the Guardian was.

Zao, the Hidden Hand of Zxu'ro...

He shut to blot out the fear and accept it. But behind the last breath he drew, he heard no heartbeat. Only her words.

It's not always about forcing your way ahead or lingering on doubts, yeah? If you can't find a way in directly, well no point in going down that same old road again. Instead, find a new angle. With just the slightest change, there's a world of difference.

Just missing the target, Dash lands on a rocky outcrop, standing on the narrow surface by only one foot. Smirking, "Ah trained long before ah learn to fly or ki sense. You just got the home field advantage is all." She then looked around, "Can you be in all places at once?" With that, Dash raises her arms, and electricity sparks between her hands, Pegasus Summons Lightening . Soon bolts of lightening are slamming against the walls of spider shrine cavern and smashing down onto the ground. As it does, electrical charges race along every surface, including the webbing, reaching into every corner of the area.

Balon lites the darkened cavern up, using floating globules of Dragon’s fire while Dash renders the place with lightning. The Guardian chuckles, but is forced to manage his path more carefully, limited as he was, and now Sasheem was upon him. Despite the precarious battlefield, and his loss of mastery over much of it, the Guardian dodged and weaves around Sasheem, seemingly ever sure footed and aware. He never retaliates, though, simply dodging and observing.

Ochazuke's eyes snapped open and in the darkness, silhouetted against the lashing energies above saw the core of the ancient ruins amongst the strands. Curiously the very web itself seemed to surge with a glow, and a sharp thunderclap sounded in the distance.

...the Hidden Hand...will not be forgotten today!

No doubt by now the Guardian had his hands full, attending to a three-pronged assault, his mystery unraveling all the clearer moment to moment. It would be difficult to miss under the tempest and roaring flames, no more than a gradual zither hiss as it loosened from the outer circumference of the spider's sheet. The length of the silk thread Ochazuke attached himself to earlier peeled round off of the radial supports, feeding toward the centre. The web unwoven traced its way downward into the darkness, falling round the battered column of the ruin like a spinder, carried towards him the length of lightning into the abyss. Reaching round his waist, Ochazuke seized the webline with two hands; as the electricity reached him, using Saifa Kensaku the lightning split apart on contact to become a benign length of illumination, just as the itself line ceased its unravelling.

Eventually Ochazuke was brought to the centre, beneath the battlefield, still connected to the web by the length he still had under his control. In addition, he now seized upon a means of attack within the web as he now controlled the span of the energy Dash had imparted into it.

Not the way I would prefer to do it, he thought, gritting his teeth as the rank, humid foeter of the cavern floor was far nearer to him than he liked by this time, but there may be some way to recover upon this yet...

Doggedly walking upward against gravity, Ochazuke began to gather pounds of the spider's silk beside him while, even from this distance, listening to the change of the battlefield where he was connected to it.

A span of the electricity disappeared from a swathe of the webbing above before Zaofan; immediately a second discharge shot up beneath the Guardian's feet where he was entangled near Sasheem and Dash.

[Cyke]

With each gliding step he took across the strands of the web, Ochazuke made his way gradually toward the guardian.

I see...

He was swift, lithe, and perfectly balanced, and were it not for the weight of the task and the forboding of the chasm below their feet, he might have relished the moment to appreciate the artistry in the Spider's movement. Yet as the distance closed between them, so did the gulf between merely observing the technique and understanding the method behind it.

The reactive skill of kinetic listening! To discern an opponent's intent through a point of contact! The master of his detested legacy and the Turtle Hermit Kuki had called this Kakie; written in the memory-projections of the Dragon's Claw, they called it Ting Jing.

He moves last and reacts first, while reading the web-



Suddenly a great weight fell upon his shoulders, and in the midst of his thoughts he sunk his step into the web mid-stride. His balance had already precarious as it was when he had to focus on both maintaining some small control over the web while analysing the feedback of the Guardian's subtle movements hidden among the silk. Before he could catch himself, it was already far too late when his foot left the line.

Imbecilic foal~!

Ochazuke's eyes widened, stared upward only to meet the ceiling of the cavern. Dash moved on.

A sordid, hollow expression seized his face as he fell there between the silken strands, and all to swiftly, was swallowed by the darkness at the bottom of the breach.

"OCHAZUKE!!!"

Before he could fully turn his attention away from the the Guardian, Zaofan saw a cloud of dust and webbing where his fellow brother once stood, now a hole of tatters dangling in the wind. Zaofan's own voice echoes down the giant hole, reaching apparently nothing, just like his brother it seems.

Ceasing his attack on the Guardian, Zaofan unwraps the web whip from the webbing around Sasheem, and zips back up to the ceiling via his web whip, latching the blade from the rock face. He shoves downward along with gravity, kicking the ceiling and causing a ripple of cracks to form as he spring down into the abyss. He dives down, fists forward.

Good Kami, this pit must be truly deep! I can't see the bottom! I can't see Ochazuke!

"OCH-A-ZU-KE!!!"

He becomes fearful that he's lost him. With his web whip, he throws blindly into the darkness, the full 10 feet fully extending, while summoning Bojack once more, and shoving the staff into the rock wall, gradually slowing his decent. With his whip catching nothing and dangling in the air, he swings his feet back towards the wall, holding onto Bojack embedded into the wall.

No...! I can't believe it! I've lost...! I've lost Ochazuke! No...!

In his fit of despair, Zaofan is momentarily lost, his heart itself nearly sinks to the bottom of the cavern. Nonetheless, he can hear the ravages of battle up above. He dislodges Bojack and holds onto it, while grasping the wall with a hand and feet. Swinging the knifed-end of the web whip, he swings it upwards to the other wall, rappelling up, and repeating it again at great speed, climbing his way back to battle.

Off the web and into the shadow Ochazuke continued to fall, gazing ever upward at the light of the Spider's cavern above. Curious, how the drift and waver filled him; he'd eluded this sinking feeling for nearly four years, until now he was brought face-to-face with it. No foothold to brace, nor air by which to arrest himself in defiance by will. The only thing that greeted him there was the fading view of his goal. All from a moment's negligence, everything was lost, and the Legacy was as now as distant to him as the Guardian was.

Zao, the Hidden Hand of Zxu'ro...

He shut to blot out the fear and accept it. But behind the last breath he drew, he heard no heartbeat. Only her words.

It's not always about forcing your way ahead or lingering on doubts, yeah? If you can't find a way in directly, well no point in going down that same old road again. Instead, find a new angle. With just the slightest change, there's a world of difference.




Ochazuke's eyes snapped open and in the darkness, silhouetted against the lashing energies above saw the core of the ancient ruins amongst the strands. Curiously the very web itself seemed to surge with a glow, and a sharp thunderclap sounded in the distance.

...the Hidden Hand...will not be forgotten today!

No doubt by now the Guardian had his hands full, attending to a three-pronged assault, his mystery unraveling all the clearer moment to moment. It would be difficult to miss under the tempest and roaring flames, no more than a gradual zither hiss as it loosened from the outer circumference of the spider's sheet. The length of the silk thread Ochazuke attached himself to earlier peeled round off of the radial supports, feeding toward the centre. The web unwoven traced its way downward into the darkness, falling round the battered column of the ruin like a spinder, carried towards him the length of lightning into the abyss. Reaching round his waist, Ochazuke seized the webline with two hands; as the electricity reached him, using Saifa Kensaku the lightning split apart on contact to become a benign length of illumination, just as the itself line ceased its unravelling.

Eventually Ochazuke was brought to the centre, beneath the battlefield, still connected to the web by the length he still had under his control. In addition, he now seized upon a means of attack within the web as he now controlled the span of the energy Dash had imparted into it.

Not the way I would prefer to do it, he thought, gritting his teeth as the rank, humid foeter of the cavern floor was far nearer to him than he liked by this time, but there may be some way to recover upon this yet...

Reaching the webbed battlefield and seeing Sasheem and Dash maintain their assault, Zaofan looks for an opening. At the speeds both of them are operating, he'd be hardpressed to find a good spot to engage the Guardian. Just then...

Doggedly walking upward against gravity, Ochazuke began to gather pounds of the spider's silk beside him while, even from this distance, listening to the change of the battlefield where he was connected to it.

A span of the electricity disappeared from a swathe of the webbing above before Zaofan; immediately a second discharge shot up beneath the Guardian's feet where he was entangled near Sasheem and Dash.

The force of which is nearly enough for Zaofan to lose his footing on the webbing, as his hands flail to regain balance, his rear foot bracing the rest of his body. "O-Ocha--?!"

With the discharge up and rocks still falling around the cavern, Zaofan tries again a previous gambit. With the discharge shooting straight up beneath the Guardian's feet, Zaofan makes note of the Guardian's own agility and ability to sense the space around him. And so, he fires an Optic Blast, this time bouncing off the falling rocks and the steady cavern walls themselves, until they create their *own* web, a cage, an Optic Net, so to speak, in several directions and all three dimensions, hoping to trap the Guardian, prevent its escape, and even more, hopefully hitting him with a blast as well. This would be Zaofan's way of controlling the battlefield.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Meagan followed right behind, the portal closing as soon as she was through. Keeping her senses up, but her Ki levels suppressed, she stood next to Sarada waiting fro the next move.

So, this was it. Tatenen.

The ground was charred and blackened like charcoal. A river of molten lava snaked and wound through as far as the eye could see. Gloomy, dark clouds hung morosely overhead, giving the entire scenery of this place a dreary, depressing atmosphere.

This was the place where Ishtar had nearly lost her life, and was in danger still. It was up to Sarada and Meagan to save her and get her out of her before something tragic happened. She would her Queen.

"Doesn't look like anyone has lived here in... a long time." She reached into her armor and removed a capsule. She wasn't sure what to expect, so she came prepared with a mode of transportation just in case. She clicked it, and out popped a sleek hover car.



"Flying probably isn't an option right now, so let's play it safe. Jump in." She herself suppressed her power, then jumped in the driver's seat. She tried to sense where Ishtar was. It shouldn't have been too hard; it didn't look like there were too many people there other than the three of them.

[Tami]

So, this was it. Tatenen.

The ground was charred and blackened like charcoal. A river of molten lava snaked and wound through as far as the eye could see. Gloomy, dark clouds hung morosely overhead, giving the entire scenery of this place a dreary, depressing atmosphere.

This was the place where Ishtar had nearly lost her life, and was in danger still. It was up to Sarada and Meagan to save her and get her out of her before something tragic happened. She would her Queen.

"Doesn't look like anyone has lived here in... a long time." She reached into her armor and removed a capsule. She wasn't sure what to expect, so she came prepared with a mode of transportation just in case. She clicked it, and out popped a sleek hover car.



"Flying probably isn't an option right now, so let's play it safe. Jump in." She herself suppressed her power, then jumped in the driver's seat. She tried to sense where Ishtar was. It shouldn't have been too hard; it didn't look like there were too many people there other than the three of them.

Wrapping her clock around her, Meagan took the passenger seat. The landscape around them had the look of a world, either in it's earliest days of existence, or in the throws of it's last dying breaths. She briefly wondered how Isthar had arrived on this world and why, then stored those thoughts for later. Her main concern was who or what they would be facing once they find the danger-prone Oni.

[Cyke]

"....Erosa is still out in the yard I believe........and keeping her distracted isn't an issue." Etrina stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. "....I don't know......Zaofan, she just hasn't been the same since coming back home. I thought this was some sort of stupid mood because one of the saiyans nabbed the pies before she could....but that was 9 months ago. Zaofan....I.....I have FOOD in my pantry...Uneaten food. I'm starting to get really worried about her."

The mage leaned against the wall and sighed. "I'm....banking on this party to put a little life back in her...like it did for me back in the day."

Zaofan's hands are covered in a fine layer of flour. He pats them against his apron and wipes them further before turning to Mistress.

"Well... the party sounds like it's kind of a shot in the dark. Do you have any clues into why she'd be acting this way? A party's no good if it doesn't solve what's ailing her."

He grabs an apple off a bowl on the island. These apples were meant for desserts, but just this one time, he takes an apple, wipes it against his shirt, and takes a satisfying, crunchy bite. "Or maybe I could talk to her, once I get the oven going."