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

[Lord Falcon]

"You say that Kami's are in danger. The news you share with me is far too late, my fall was caused by one who sought to steal my power. No, Asha'rah, I am in no danger. However my successor, the one to whom I passed on my power and is now the Guardian of this world, she may be in danger. Even if the Angel Sakin came after me in heaven, he would find me to be a poor meal. To Meagan I have passed on all the power that I had set aside for my successor. All the power that had not been taken from me before I was killed. I knew of a danger such as this prior to my death. I was already working with other Guardians to form an alliance, a defense against it. But I failed, and in doing so I paid for it with my life."

Asha'rah turned from the altar to regard the ashen-haired Chromakian who hosted them. It seemed she had been laboring under a false assumption.

"Then it is to you, Meagan, that my concerns shall rest for Chromakai. You are already far beyond what a Guardian is typically of. Perhaps with the aid of the libraries here you may pick up where Iris left off, if you be amenable."

She turned back to the altar once more, withdrawing her hand to clasp them together in a respectful gesture of goodbye.

"Thank you, Lady Iris. Rest in peace."

[Cyke]

The smaller golem throws a flurry of punches as soon as Zaofan gets within range, but his increase in speed allows him to slip past its defense and clear its field of vision. Now behind, his optic blast cracks the back of its head and sends it toppling over...however, in a feat of agility one wouldn't expect from a golem it catches itself on the ground with all fours hands and uses them for forward flip back onto its feet....grabbing chuncks of rubble and flinging them at the cook.

The larger golem lifts itself back up and prepares to move in on Zaofan, but finds its movements impeded.

Up in the ruined hole, Etrina seems to be weakly casting a spell to slow its efforts.

Wolf's Prowl: 4 posts

"Agile, four-armed punk," he tells the smaller golem. "If that's the way you want to play...! RAKAN GEKI!" With his combined Wolf's Prowl and his tried-and-true multi-strike technique, he catches every bit of debris and hurls it back at the golem. While the debris flies at it, he plants his feet and sprints forward, aggressively attacking with his own flurry of punches and strikes: "HOKUTO NIJYURETSU DAN!" Seventeen melee strikes aim for the smaller golem, with three more heavier strikes in the end designed to hit with maximum force.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Bekon nodded. "It was nothing. This... toxin is odd, from what that datapad had on it. Self-evolving to counter-act antivenin and such... almost acts like some sort of virus. Still, while I'm sure the... potion did have some effect on the quantity of the toxin, most of the improvement was simply the result of repairing the damage that had already been done. If I stick around, I think I'll be able to keep her stable long enough for it to run its course. Eventually, her body should metabolize the toxins... or at least I would hope so."

"...ahh, if only the Senzu powder I had wasn't so damn old. Just a few years newer and that young lady would be up already!" Getting ahold of that stuff wasn't easy or cheap, even for the older stuff. Still... even just that potion half-working was far, far better than it not working at all.

Tasure stared down the hall, racking her brain for anything else that could help. One of the healers from Namek, perhaps? The Nevadians also had their fair share of skilled healers, as well. However, right now she didn't have the energy to even instant transmission, so going to either Nevada or Namek was out of the question for now.

"Once my energy recovers, I'll head to Namek and Nevada and pull some strings. The nameks, especially, owe us for saving their green asses just a few days ago. Heh, speaking of which... you'll want to cross Chill off the list of potential threats to the Empire," said Tasure, who allowed herself a small grin at the mention of Chill's demise. It may have sounded like bragging, but, in truth, she was trying to cheer Maiz up with news of the Empire being just a little bit safer now, even with their queen in such a condition.

"So, Maiz, how's that guardian thing going for you?" asked Tasure. "Gotten your gnarled staff carved yet, or are you still deciding on the design?"

"It was created by the Tuffles, so there's no shock that it's so advance," Maiz explained. At the mention of Chill, a Arcosian of some notoriety, Maiz grimaced. "Funny you should mention that. It's suspected that the assassin that attacked Sarada works for Blizz, another Arcosian. The GP have been looking for him ever since it was found out that he was behind the Tuffle attacks on Saiyan worlds."

It was strange that they hadn't heard from the GP captain in charge of that investigation since Sarada was attacked. Surely, he would have heeded Sarada's request to keep them more in the loop than they had in the last few weeks. Regardless, she hoped they heard word from him soon. They needed a lead to work with.

"My staff?" She remembered one of the former guardians suggesting she use one to focus her power through, but assumed it was only that, a suggestion. "Ah, it's still in fabrication. As for my new role, I've adjusted well enough, I suppose. I'm basically doing the same thing I had been doing since Sarada began her reign, only now I have more powers." Those were taking a bit more getting used to. Especially the telepathy. Being able to hear someone's voice in her head and knowing they could hear hers in theirs was off-putting and somewhat unnerving.

Not to mention distressing in that she needed to keep her thoughts to herself at all times, a notion that was novel just a year ago.

"And how's that son of yours? Keeping up with his training, I hope."

[Miburo]

Those on duty in the Flight Control terminal felt Held's power long before they received his transmission. "A Nevadian," one of the two men sighed. "What's he want?" When he received the transmission, however, his eyebrows merged into his hairline. "A Nevadian? Willingly showing up to help a Saiyan?"

"The Queen, no less," his partner added. "I figured they hated us as much as we hate them. Huh." He tapped a button to respond. "This is Vocado Flight Control. You have been recognized. Standby."

He quickly contacted Mato and relayed the situation to him. "So, do we let him through?"

=Held Debon. ...Name sounds familiar. I think he's one of Her Majesty's allies from Earth. I don't know how they would have met there, but... he'd have to be if he made his way all the way out here. Nevada isn't exactly close. Let him through.=

The flight control personnel sighed and nodded, even though Mato was elsewhere in the city. "Great Galloping, you've been granted permission to dock. Please report to docking station fifteen at the following coordinates. There will be an escort to take you to Her Highness."

Well, they didn't shoot him down from the stratosphere, so that was a positive sign. As confident as the Nevadian was in his abilities, and his piloting, he doubted he would be able to dodge the wrath of an angry Saiyan planet unscathed, and further doubted his ability to breathe outside Saiyan atmosphere without the comfort of his ship, if they elected to blow it up.

The Galloping glided down gently through the atmosphere, slowly ascending through the sky towards the docking station, where the escort no doubt awaited.

"Well, I guess there's certainly no backing out now....I can't give my name and then cut and run....I just hope they don't flip out if I can't get the job done..."

Whoever pulled this off, must have been one hell of a technician, to take Sarada out like this....Not to mention, Ishtar should be here but....Well, If she's not with Sarada, she must have a good reason for it.

"I'll honor you, Nevadian, and assume you meant because of the shame and cowardice such an act would entail, and not because of mere prudence." His Majestic companion replied with something resembling a laugh, as it impassively took in the wonders below.

Held sighed heavily as the ship docked with the station.

"...Yes, Crazy Horn. What have I done to make you think so lowly of me?"

"If I expected you to flee out of cowardice, I would have said so." It replied simply, "And I certainly would not have allowed you the great of my tutelage. To do so would disgrace my worth name."

...I think that's the nicest thing he's ever said to me.

"Well. Let's see what we can do then, I guess." Held replied, before shutting off the ship. The entrance doors slowly opened, as Held walked towards them.

"As I said earlier." he said towards the door, hands raised slightly, "We come in peace."

...Please don't be my last words.

[MrSandman]

Wolf's Prowl: 4 posts

"Agile, four-armed punk," he tells the smaller golem. "If that's the way you want to play...! RAKAN GEKI!" With his combined Wolf's Prowl and his tried-and-true multi-strike technique, he catches every bit of debris and hurls it back at the golem. While the debris flies at it, he plants his feet and sprints forward, aggressively attacking with his own flurry of punches and strikes: "HOKUTO NIJYURETSU DAN!" Seventeen melee strikes aim for the smaller golem, with three more heavier strikes in the end designed to hit with maximum force.

The golem charges up an fires several blasts of ki that blast the returning debris, but it still allows an opening for Zaofan to get in close and deliver his attack. Throwing up both sets of arms in defense, the golem takes the full brunt of it......cracking her arms before the final blows succeed in breaking off a pair of the golems arms and sending it on its back.

The larger golem is now approaching the two, pushing its way through Etrinas binding. It raises both its arms over its head and aims to bring them down on Zao.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

For the past four days, Ishtar had been wracked with both physical, and emotional pain and suffering.

Sarada, her love and bondmate, had been poisoned. That the agent used seemed impervious to any and all conventional cures, too, meant that the only thing that could be done was hope that a cure could be found; and worse still ... given previous promises the Oni found herself a world away on Earth, scraping together the Dragonballs -- damnable trinkets -- preventing her from doing anything to help. And that itself was its own kind of Hell, already made to feel guilt at the state Sarada found herself in happening at all, there was an added helplessness to it all that was in many ways reminiscent of the weeks she'd spent broken and bloody in the Crystal Expanse on Tatenen.

Though despite it all, the sleepless nights and the pain and negativity set to drive her to violent madness at the loss of Sarada -- a thing that echoed Sekhmet's own death with such similarity that it was painful in itself -- there was one saving grace: That the pain Ishtar felt would be missed by Sarada herself. Comatose as she was, not even the feeling of her muscles lock, and organs begin to fail could reach her. There was at least too, a small comfort to accompany the pain. After all, as much as it hurt, and as much as she found herself -- to a lesser extent -- hating that she had failed to keep her love safe, it was proof that she was yet alive. A thing that perhaps would not be much longer ... but for now it was all Ishtar really had.

When the matter of wishing was at its end however ... there came a bothersome wrinkle.

“Attention Earthlings, my name is Sir Luop Nosredna, Knight of the Bronze, servant of the Threshling Empire. I have come to this planet for two purposes: 1) the Priestess Anula will be given to me for execution. 2) I challenge your strongest fighters for the right to this planet. The Threshling Empire expands, in the name of our Queen, and we seek to convert your world. Come forth to accept my challenge and bring me the traitor Anula. My coordinates are as follows.”

A mental location is broadcast to the world along with these words.

So despite herself -- and understanding there was for now, little yet she could do -- the Oni departed to assess it.

Appearing with nary a trace -- her surging strength affording a measure of finesse lost on her weaker self -- the golden-eyed Oni grunted, as a now familiar wave of pain rippled through her as she stared up at the Threshling Knight.

It seemed too, that Nevanlinna and her ... child, were here as well; alongside the Voidling Cthylla.

The Oni almost turned away then ... it could be left to them ... and yet ...

Ishtar turned back toward Luop.

Luop nods.

“I would be honored, my Lady. If I am defeated and spared, I shall serve you as best I can.”

"I am not in the mood, for this." Ishtar said with a grunt.

"Auroc," lying snake of a false god, "gave me the woman as a twisted show of 'kindness', after stripping her of all notion of being Threshling. You have no more claim to her now, than he does." The glowing-horn Oni then explained, "if you wish to die over that. Be my guest."

[Tami]

Asha'rah turned from the altar to regard the ashen-haired Chromakian who hosted them. It seemed she had been laboring under a false assumption.

"Then it is to you, Meagan, that my concerns shall rest for Chromakai. You are already far beyond what a Guardian is typically of. Perhaps with the aid of the libraries here you may pick up where Iris left off, if you be amenable."

She turned back to the altar once more, withdrawing her hand to clasp them together in a respectful gesture of goodbye.

"Thank you, Lady Iris. Rest in peace."

There was a knot in her stomach, but there was one thing Meagan needed to do before they left. Placing her hand back on the statue, "Lady Iris, you have not spoken since the ceremony, not til now. I had come here many times to talk to you, yet you never responded."

"My dearest child. Once a bird gains her wings and takes flight from the nest, she must find her own path through the sky. As long as I am permitted, I will remain connected to this place, and to you. Yet you must craft for yourself your own identity, your own destiny as Guardian. Never let anyone try to make you into my image, you must stay strong and true to who you are. Believe in yourself, that is all the power you will need." With that the voice faded away, and the spirit of Iris once more returned to her rest.

With a determined release of breath, she looked at Asha'rah, "Let us talk more of this. If there is a fight to be had, I wish to be as strong and as prepared for it as I possibly can be." She then lead her friend out of the garden and towards the library, talking along the way. Meagan had many questions about this threat, and she asked them without reservation.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

For the past four days, Ishtar had been wracked with both physical, and emotional pain and suffering.

Sarada, her love and bondmate, had been poisoned. That the agent used seemed impervious to any and all conventional cures, too, meant that the only thing that could be done was hope that a cure could be found; and worse still ... given previous promises the Oni found herself a world away on Earth, scraping together the Dragonballs -- damnable trinkets -- preventing her from doing anything to help. And that itself was its own kind of Hell, already made to feel guilt at the state Sarada found herself in happening at all, there was an added helplessness to it all that was in many ways reminiscent of the weeks she'd spent broken and bloody in the Crystal Expanse on Tatenen.

Though despite it all, the sleepless nights and the pain and negativity set to drive her to violent madness at the loss of Sarada -- a thing that echoed Sekhmet's own death with such similarity that it was painful in itself -- there was one saving grace: That the pain Ishtar felt would be missed by Sarada herself. Comatose as she was, not even the feeling of her muscles lock, and organs begin to fail could reach her. There was at least too, a small comfort to accompany the pain. After all, as much as it hurt, and as much as she found herself -- to a lesser extent -- hating that she had failed to keep her love safe, it was proof that she was yet alive. A thing that perhaps would not be much longer ... but for now it was all Ishtar really had.

When the matter of wishing was at its end however ... there came a bothersome wrinkle.



So despite herself -- and understanding there was for now, little yet she could do -- the Oni departed to assess it.

Appearing with nary a trace -- her surging strength affording a measure of finesse lost on her weaker self -- the golden-eyed Oni grunted, as a now familiar wave of pain rippled through her as she stared up at the Threshling Knight.

It seemed too, that Nevanlinna and her ... child, were here as well; alongside the Voidling Cthylla.

The Oni almost turned away then ... it could be left to them ... and yet ...

Ishtar turned back toward Luop.



"I am not in the mood, for this." Ishtar said with a grunt.

"Auroc," lying snake of a false god, "gave me the woman as a twisted show of 'kindness', after stripping her of all notion of being Threshling. You have no more claim to her now, than he does." The glowing-horn Oni then explained, "if you wish to die over that. Be my guest."

“Auroc”, he spits out “can go fornicate himself. I serve not that false fool. I serve only my Queen, and it is her wish Anula be taken care of. She disapproves of Auroc giving outsiders access to Threshling Magic’s.”

He draws his sword glance out of the ground.

“By her order a new age of Threshling power shall be seen amidst the universe, and Auroc can taste my blade if he disagrees.”

[Cyke]

The golem charges up an fires several blasts of ki that blast the returning debris, but it still allows an opening for Zaofan to get in close and deliver his attack. Throwing up both sets of arms in defense, the golem takes the full brunt of it......cracking her arms before the final blows succeed in breaking off a pair of the golems arms and sending it on its back.

The larger golem is now approaching the two, pushing its way through Etrinas binding. It raises both its arms over its head and aims to bring them down on Zao.

Wolf's Prowl: 3 posts

Zaofan charges his eyes with cackling ruby energy, aimed at finishing off the smaller golem on the ground, only to see his own shadow swallowed up by two much-larger shadows in the shape of forearms and fists.

Turning around, he sees the gigantic golem -- the one he had forgotten about, ready to smash him. Zaofan's energy eyes revert to normal as his pupils grow wider. He stands still, unmoving, waiting for the arms to come down on him. If the giant swings down, it'll hit Zaofan with full force, hopefully also slamming the smaller golem...

...or rather, the giant golem would smash Zaofan's visage thanks to the Zanzoken after-image technique. Comfortably out of the way, a red aura flares around Zaofan as he rockets towards the giant's head, fist fully out, and completely charged with energy containing the combined might of five schools. "CHO GATTAI KEN!"

[grampagen]

"OCHAZUKE!" he would hear from the distance. Zaofan arcs in from above and speeds up to match a parallel course, joining him in mid-flight, white aura flailing about while he maintains his course. "So, you heard the summon, too, apparently! I should've known you'd never be one to turn down a challenge! Threshlings cause no end to trouble, am I right?" he says in jest, happy to see his martial brother. "Once more unto the breach, dear friend!"

The world rolled over the horizon, and on the course to answer Threshling summons Ochazuke found better company than he could hope for. He turned his head with a small smile before further picking up speed towards that grim vision before them.

"This one is kindred the the few we know," he answered Zaofan, "but still, it seems the ill intent of Auroc's people is the same as ever."

The last he saw of him after the Hokuto Shin Ken master had fled, he had been out of sorts. Now under the precipice of action Zaofan's elated spirits for the moment lifted his dour mood. "Seems they didn't understand our message, for they still seek to convert our world. 'but when the blast of war blows in our ears'..."

...imitate the action of the Tiger.

"...heh, seems the responsibility of the Legacy is at hand again, and so we have our duty ahead of us."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Well, they didn't shoot him down from the stratosphere, so that was a positive sign. As confident as the Nevadian was in his abilities, and his piloting, he doubted he would be able to dodge the wrath of an angry Saiyan planet unscathed, and further doubted his ability to breathe outside Saiyan atmosphere without the comfort of his ship, if they elected to blow it up.

The Galloping glided down gently through the atmosphere, slowly ascending through the sky towards the docking station, where the escort no doubt awaited.

"Well, I guess there's certainly no backing out now....I can't give my name and then cut and run....I just hope they don't flip out if I can't get the job done..."

Whoever pulled this off, must have been one hell of a technician, to take Sarada out like this....Not to mention, Ishtar should be here but....Well, If she's not with Sarada, she must have a good reason for it.

"I'll honor you, Nevadian, and assume you meant because of the shame and cowardice such an act would entail, and not because of mere prudence." His Majestic companion replied with something resembling a laugh, as it impassively took in the wonders below.

Held sighed heavily as the ship docked with the station.

"...Yes, Crazy Horn. What have I done to make you think so lowly of me?"

"If I expected you to flee out of cowardice, I would have said so." It replied simply, "And I certainly would not have allowed you the great of my tutelage. To do so would disgrace my worth name."

...I think that's the nicest thing he's ever said to me.

"Well. Let's see what we can do then, I guess." Held replied, before shutting off the ship. The entrance doors slowly opened, as Held walked towards them.

"As I said earlier." he said towards the door, hands raised slightly, "We come in peace."

...Please don't be my last words.

When Held exited his ship, he would find three Saiyans in black battle armor waiting for him. "There's no time to waste. Follow us, quickly." Without waiting for a response, they led Held to the Palace. It was about this time that the millions of resurrected Saiyans appeared out of nowhere, causing mass pandemonium and hysteria down on the streets below.

"That the hell is going on?!"

Held would sense Parsley's power level stand out among the far lesser powers for a brief moment before she vanished into thin air.

"Gods! Take Debon to the Queen. I'll help get some order around here." With that, one of the guards broke rank and veered toward the squirming throng of absolute madness, leaving the other two guards to lead Held to the Palace.

[Miburo]

When Held exited his ship, he would find three Saiyans in black battle armor waiting for him. "There's no time to waste. Follow us, quickly." Without waiting for a response, they led Held to the Palace. It was about this time that the millions of resurrected Saiyans appeared out of nowhere, causing mass pandemonium and hysteria down on the streets below.

"That the hell is going on?!"

Held would sense Parsley's power level stand out among the far lesser powers for a brief moment before she vanished into thin air.

"Gods! Take Debon to the Queen. I'll help get some order around here." With that, one of the guards broke rank and veered toward the squirming throng of absolute madness, leaving the other two guards to lead Held to the Palace.

Held barely heard the words of the rank breaker, distracted by the mass of Saiyans that seemed to flicker out of reality like a mirage. Had he not been so focused, and had what he saw not resulted in pandemonium, he would have wrote it off as the stress of the day.

More disconcerting was the familiar power level that had suddenly appeared, before vanishing before Held could ever gather his thoughts. While they were not on the closest terms, enough time together made it a trivial matter to detect the ki signature of--

"...Parsely?" The Nevadian turned his head slightly as he walked, his step slowing slightly.

...That aura....It felt like....Held, focus, we have our hands full with one sister.

Held briefly considered asking the guards to explain just how this fate had befallen Sarada, before deciding against it. His Shingan would reveal the truth soon enough.

So that's the Palace, Huh?

"So....Is it as bad as I've been lead to believe?" he asked the guards as they continued onwards.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Held barely heard the words of the rank breaker, distracted by the mass of Saiyans that seemed to flicker out of reality like a mirage. Had he not been so focused, and had what he saw not resulted in pandemonium, he would have wrote it off as the stress of the day.

More disconcerting was the familiar power level that had suddenly appeared, before vanishing before Held could ever gather his thoughts. While they were not on the closest terms, enough time together made it a trivial matter to detect the ki signature of--

"...Parsely?" The Nevadian turned his head slightly as he walked, his step slowing slightly.

...That aura....It felt like....Held, focus, we have our hands full with one sister.

Held briefly considered asking the guards to explain just how this fate had befallen Sarada, before deciding against it. His Shingan would reveal the truth soon enough.

So that's the Palace, Huh?

"So....Is it as bad as I've been lead to believe?" he asked the guards as they continued onwards.

"As far as we've heard, Her Majesty only has a little more than a week left to live," one of the guards replied. Soon thereafter, they arrived at the Palace. "He's with us on official business," they told the guards stationed at the palace entrance.

As they led Held through the Palace halls toward where Sarada was being tended to, he would notice the overwhelming security. A guard was posted seemingly every ten yards, there were inconspicuous cameras at every corner, and security checkpoints every so often. It seemed the attack on Sarada had them spooked to the point of paranoia.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

“Auroc”, he spits out “can go fornicate himself. I serve not that false fool. I serve only my Queen, and it is her wish Anula be taken care of. She disapproves of Auroc giving outsiders access to Threshling Magic’s.”

He draws his sword glance out of the ground.

“By her order a new age of Threshling power shall be seen amidst the universe, and Auroc can taste my blade if he disagrees.”

Despite her state, Ishtar found herself ... amused.

"Well in that, we can agree ... despite my ... pact; I am hunting him. An echo of his energy a prerequisite for the necessary means to run him to ground." Ishtar glanced at the sword, and offered Sir Luop an interested glance. "I would however, recommend you put that toy away."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Despite her state, Ishtar found herself ... amused.

"Well in that, we can agree ... despite my ... pact; I am hunting him. An echo of his energy a prerequisite for the necessary means to run him to ground." Ishtar glanced at the sword, and offered Sir Luop an interested glance. "I would however, recommend you put that toy away."

“I cannot. I am honor bound to carry my Queen’s orders out. I have chosen this place to lessen innocent casualties to nothing. Nor did I simply raze the planet from orbit as I could have. Honor demands I give Earth it’s fair chance.”

The weapon begins drawing energy from the icy surroundings.