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

[MrSandman]

The storm did not abate, nor did it advance. Asha'rah's wrath boiled forth from roots deep in her soul. It was no show. Nor was her restraint a show. Chrona was potentially the quickest way to rescue Erosa and Etrina, and her decades among the monks of Kame were not wasted even now. That was the only thing standing between her and Asha'rah's hands around her throat. Memories flashed before her eyes, not of a War in the Heavens or a noble cause, not of eons or the forging of stars. They were memories of a more intimate nature, deeply personal and very...very special.

She closed her eyes and breathed deep, one with the moment. When she opened them however, the fire within them was, if anything, blazing even stronger.

"If you are truly as omniscient as you claim, you know where continuing to play games with me will lead. Whatever the timeline, whatever outcome you foresee, know this: In every future, in every present, in everything that is and could be, I strive to get Erosa back. You can either help me to get to her now or be my enemy. Now make your choice, Chrona."

".....Ishtar....could you excuse me for a moment. I need to make a quick point...."

Chrona didn't so much as step forward as appeared within a footsteps distance from the angered god. There wasn't any real speed in her action, but to Asha'rah it was beyond even a blur of motion. Her hand flicked forward and with a casual "boop" from the time familiar she tapped the goddess on the nose and the world went white.



Before her, a bleak and lifeless nightmare of ash and pulverized earth continued upon endlessly.

"Listen.....Believe what you want of me. But don't assume I'm treating this as some sort of game......you have no idea the trial and error I had to go through to get a timeline like this just right. I've seen bad endings to this story that would curdle the blood in even a goddesses veins. For example..." Chrona appeared in front of her and pointed outwards.

"In 67.666% repeating of possible outcomes, Erosa dies. It doesn't matter how much you "strive" to avert that outcome......the universe doesn't treat the efforts of even its creator with any favoritism. In a fraction of those outcomes....you strive, a little too hard. Take for example...this one. Alternate Path 2611-B."

Chrona turns to Asha'rah. "The revelation that Erosa dies, despite your best effort to the contrary....acts as a fundamental breaking point. You kill my master, you kill parsic....and you kill me. But that isn't good enough, the sorrow to great, soon you shift the blame onto others.....Etrina for failing to help, Ishtar for being too late. Eventually you kill them too....and your team of friends.....and this world.......this galaxy......"

"Is this an ending you want, Goddess of Creation? Look up....."

Chrona gestures, and the dark ash clouds part above them to reveal a starry sky.

"Your the last god in this timeline....all the others are dead. This universe will never be unsealed....."

The world went white again, and Asha'rah found herself back in the garden before the wreaked house with Chrona back to where she was standing, popping popcorn in her mouth.

"Believe me when I say this....I've seen ever bad ending there is to this tale. The reason I'm here, even bothering to treat with you, is because this timeline is the closest I've come to engineering an ending that benefits everyone....So I'll stake my life on making sure Erosa survives. If she dies, I'll die. Sound fair enough for you?"

[MrSandman]

Blinking a few times, Cyanna put her hand down slowly, "At least it was pretty, if not pretty useless." She then looked around, "Where did the Pixie go?"

"I think you bug zapped her...." Etrina was looking down to the floor by the table, where the little Etrina was rolling around on the ground.

".....It seems I may have made an error. This isn't lightning magic.....if anything, this seems more luminosity Manipulation." The Mage pauses a brief moment before correcting herself. "Light Magic....hardly what I'd consider pretty useless....but that will depend on how we can train you in its uses....though, perhaps it does give me an idea for your Magicite Weapon...."

"In any event....I want you to keep practicing with the basic spellcasting. See if you can do anything with it....focus into a beam, wide range bursts. I encourage experimentation, it is afterall the cornerstone of magecraft."

[Tami]

"I think you bug zapped her...." Etrina was looking down to the floor by the table, where the little Etrina was rolling around on the ground.

".....It seems I may have made an error. This isn't lightning magic.....if anything, this seems more luminosity Manipulation." The Mage pauses a brief moment before correcting herself. "Light Magic....hardly what I'd consider pretty useless....but that will depend on how we can train you in its uses....though, perhaps it does give me an idea for your Magicite Weapon...."

"In any event....I want you to keep practicing with the basic spellcasting. See if you can do anything with it....focus into a beam, wide range bursts. I encourage experimentation, it is afterall the cornerstone of magecraft."

Her smile grew wide as her hearts leaped a few beats in excitement, "Light magic, yeah, I like that. Are there many other mages who use light? Or is it weird?" Cyanna then looked down, reaching out her hand, "Little Pixie, are you alright? Sorry, Lady Etrina did say it was alright for me blast you. You're not hurt, are you?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The demon is still disoriented by the time-limit induced de-fusing, when he sees Sarada come right at him.

And he barely has enough time to raise his hands in panic. "NO WAI-"

The demon's head turns left, right, up, down, over and over and over again. Certain punches elicit flickers of flame to shoot out of his eyes, nose, and ears as if they were blood, but there is no defense whatsoever.

Sarada might delight that each punch causes a unique and explosive sound effect thanks to this fire, almost like fireworks with the bass turned up.

---

Watching this savage beating, the human Ryu Shingen, quickly stands, turns, and runs, leaping up to engage in flight. Zaofan, lying bloody and dying on the floor, even with his eyes swollen shut, raises his hand at Ryu, activating the Woven Path, and cutting off Ryu's access to ki-flight. Ryu is essentially grounded on the Lookout, his escape cut off.

"Ahhahahahahaha!" Sarada laughed gleefully at the display. The demon's head was just snapping back and forth like one of those cartoons. But! There was no resistance, no defense, and thus, no fun.

After the umpteenth hit to the face, she sighed. "Bored now. Time for you to die." She thrust out her hand toward the demon and enveloped him in a tremendous red blast that careened off into the sky.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

for Cleric


Althena hands Eva the book of Mahtoesa Hetto no Hwe-Atkam saying "if you what to read it you what." " I would also like to demonstrate the power up techniques just to show them off."

She nods.

“Please, by all means.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"A worthy successor..."

The echoed words left Ochazuke, as if repeating them aloud would somehow reveal something. So captivated by this thought, he cast a look to the woods round him.

Where the ancient trees raised themselves, the closer to the sun they came, so much longer did their shadows trail along the ground. All manner of things were shrouded, and in the frame of these ancient hulks did life manage to persist, free from the scorch and burning.

So long as their protector remained.

The words of the ancient Turtle on the mount echoed in his mind. It was for this reason that the Kamesennin Kuki departed for the abandoned reaches of the world, never to return to a humanity that time and again abandoned itself.

Zxu'ro left, and those among him who chased the power of beasts forgot their compassion. The Master disappeared, his teachings like the rotted logs that were fodder for seedlings.

The simple truth was that the day never came. This realization shook him to the core.

"We are beholden, then, to you, and for the departed, to find the forgotten path," he said. "For the sake of all the Earth."

He nods and bows to him and the others.

“Go then, brother, and find the path. I wil aid you as best I can. You need merely call upon me.”

The location of the Phoenix Shrine is not passed on. He explains that he doesn’t know where it is, but Samson interjects that he thinks he knows how to find it. It will take him a few days though.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar watched as Shek'hinah offered Asha'rah a blessing of forestalled Death, a rather mighty gift considering the one who made the offer. Yet it was not that, that gave the golden-eyed Oni a moment's pause ... it was Zurvan's own. A spell, or perhaps simply a blessing of might such that it could stall time for all save one ... for ten seconds ...

Despite her own misgivings, the Oni accepted such without a word; only nodding and speaking after her surrogate father explained what had been offered, fully.

"You taught me much, Zurvan ... to watch, to wait ... I will not waste this boon."

With Sihn confirming what Ishtar herself had mentioned moments before, then, the Oni offered the trio of Gods a faint smile.

"I have a question, if I may. Do we slay him ... Auroc, or bring him to you ?"

“End him.”

Sihn says this as he picks up the horn and stows it away for now.

“He’s a majin like creature. Best to end him instead of letting him regenerate.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Asha'rah took Shek'hinah's hand and clasped it in her own. None among the Gods of Creation had a greater gift for tilting the scales between life and death than Shek'hinah. When Asha'rah had brought Ishtar back from the very brink all those months ago, pulling life back into a burnt out husk, it had been an art and a science, a great striving that took everything she had. To Shek'hinah, such a feat was part of who she was.

As her sister's gift descended into her, she squeezed the giving hand in thanks.

"A gift immeasurable in the randomness of life's struggle, Shek'hinah. I will treasure it, just as I treasure your return to the living."

The taller woman tears up and then lunges, pulling Asha’rah into a bone crushing hug.

“Be safe, Ashy.”

[Cyke]

Chrona watched quietly as they dig out the rubble.....and at their speed it wasn't long before they bore fruit.

"Gah.....my magicite hip..." Zaofan discovered the White and Red Etrinas under some broken dishware and an overturned shelf. The white one had been pinned between the shelf and the floor while the red had somehow managed to remain completely untouched...as if the house had collapsed around her and not on her.

Ishtar Found the Blue Etrina cowering under a pile of books she had seemingly been reading at the time, and had made a sort of makeshift defense when things started collapsing around her. Not wishing to lose face...the Mini-Blue put an exasperated expression on. "....Well....this is indeed a mess worthy of Erosa...."

The Green Etrina....was already outside and sitting on Chronas Shoulder when they got to turning their attention back to her. Both were eating popcorn and had a general look of being comrades in arms in general laziness.

His damaged throat still tries to reach out to the others. "Hey! I've found two of the Etrinas! How are you, my little friends?"

Ishtar gave the blue Etrina, a small pat on the head when she was found. "I consumed the energy hidden away at the core of Parsic, too. Without Erosa around at current, who else would have ?"

Pausing a moment as Zaofan discovered the others however, the Oni sighed.

"That said ... You need to help the Cookman find his love. I should not like to see him a loss so similar to mine; and while I could simply hunt her down. I feel this is not for me to do."

"Any help will do, Etrinas-Plural."

Turning to Chrona, then, the Oni flashed an almost pleasant smile.

"Hello, dear step-sister. How goes your gambit ?"

Zaofan was out of immediate danger. And while part of her rejoiced in seeing Ishtar once more, there was little time to waste. While the two busied themselves with the wrecked house, Asha'rah approached Chrona. The fallen god's face betrayed no immediate intent to harm, but her cloud-like hair grew dark, rumbling thunder betraying the wrath she was keeping in check.

"You took Erosa when she was most in need. If you attempt to flee again, I will dismember you. Then I will rip you from your master's body and annihilate you, second by precious second, until the only time you have left will be for me."

Her orbs spun quickly, orbiting her in long loops, itching to be unleashed.

"Where. Is. Erosa."

Chrona takes a popcorn, and eats it.

“Tone the rage down a bit chief....that timeline has a pretty bad ending. Erosa is exactly where she needs to be, and if you want to save her and the girl you need to quit giving me trouble.”

Chrona ate another popcorn.

“.....Ugh...quit giving me the death glare. I swear she hasn’t been harmed. All part of the plan.”

When the battle first started, Zaofan was too occupied with Parsic to notice that the flash meant Erosa's kidnapping. He turns to Chrona. "Why would you need her? She's just a --" he refrained from calling her a child, since Erosa is so much more than that. "-- she's just a year old. This is her birthday. What plan are you talking about?"

[MrSandman]

His damaged throat still tries to reach out to the others. "Hey! I've found two of the Etrinas! How are you, my little friends?"

"Any help will do, Etrinas-Plural."

"Uhhh....Sure, I don't know how we're suppose to help...." The White MiniE groaned. "I suppose...we could point you in her direction. We still have a link going afterall."

When the battle first started, Zaofan was too occupied with Parsic to notice that the flash meant Erosa's kidnapping. He turns to Chrona. "Why would you need her? She's just a --" he refrained from calling her a child, since Erosa is so much more than that. "-- she's just a year old. This is her birthday. What plan are you talking about?"

"....Hmm....Right. No sense having you fly completely by the seat of your pants....Listen up because this may get a bit confusing." Chrona tosses her popcorn aside and let the Etrina on her should hop down into her hand. "Think of all this like a fancy clock....every cog has a place and purpose. You place and purpose in this clock is to be at the right time and place to save your girlfriend....it has to be you and only you, because only you can do that job and do it properly. Same with Erosa....she has a time and place in this system where she'll perform a function that will save you. Ishtar and Asha'rah here....they have places in the clockwork that will lead to both your parts."

"As for the Little ones....they have a direct link to their mommy. Tap into it, and you might be able to....lets see.....transport yourself to her general position." Etrina let the green one rejoin the two with Zaofan...and then handed him a magicite stone.

"All make sense now? Good? Great.....so I just need you to put your soul in there." Chrona clasped her hands and stared at him expectantly.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“End him.”

Sihn says this as he picks up the horn and stows it away for now.

“He’s a majin like creature. Best to end him instead of letting him regenerate.”

Ishtar cracked a smile.

"With permission, I shall make such an ending ... permanent."

[Lord Falcon]

The taller woman tears up and then lunges, pulling Asha’rah into a bone crushing hug.

“Be safe, Ashy.”

Asha'rah laughed as she returned the hug, grateful once again that she did not need to breathe. To the extent Shek'hinah's hug hurt, it was a sweet pain. The pain of life and love.

"I cannot promise that. But I will endeavor all the more to emerge intact."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

With a last nod, Ishtar and Asha’rah are returned from whence they came.

[Cyke]

"Uhhh....Sure, I don't know how we're suppose to help...." The White MiniE groaned. "I suppose...we could point you in her direction. We still have a link going afterall."



"....Hmm....Right. No sense having you fly completely by the seat of your pants....Listen up because this may get a bit confusing." Chrona tosses her popcorn aside and let the Etrina on her should hop down into her hand. "Think of all this like a fancy clock....every cog has a place and purpose. You place and purpose in this clock is to be at the right time and place to save your girlfriend....it has to be you and only you, because only you can do that job and do it properly. Same with Erosa....she has a time and place in this system where she'll perform a function that will save you. Ishtar and Asha'rah here....they have places in the clockwork that will lead to both your parts."

"As for the Little ones....they have a direct link to their mommy. Tap into it, and you might be able to....lets see.....transport yourself to her general position." Etrina let the green one rejoin the two with Zaofan...and then handed him a magicite stone.

"All make sense now? Good? Great.....so I just need you to put your soul in there." Chrona clasped her hands and stared at him expectantly.

"Feh." Even in his forcibly hushed tones, his grudge is clearly audible. "Just because we need to help them, doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with this plan. I like my soul! It's where I keep my essence!"

Before Zaofan offers his hand, he asks, "What should be expected in there?"

[Yun Lao]

How long had he been on that island? Time seemed to blur together as Charco had thrown himself into his training, doing what an observer could only see as a madman trying his damnedest to break his body. Trudging from the woods, the boy found himself back on the beach where he allowed his body to fall. The sandy shores provided enough of a cushion to keep his body from harm, even if he now had sand in his nose and mouth through sheer force of impact.

In his exhaustion. Charco wondered how the others were doing. Were they also training, or maybe they found their growth through adventures? Hopefully, they hadn't gotten too far ahead of him.

Right now, however, he was going to get some rest and after that, probably give his farewell to Papaya Island before heading back to the Lookout.