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

[Cyke]

"I have been summoned~!" Little Blue played along, waving her arms at the dopplerganger Zaofan. "....seeing as I am woefully under advised on the situation....why is there a gruff looking Zaofan besides the normal Zaofan."

"Oh, thank Kami. *I'm* still the normal one..."

Zaofan takes a deep breath and then gets back to business.

"But I was hoping you could tell me what was going on, Little One. Or at least to verify that I'm not losing it... Did Sasheem hit me in the head harder than I thought?"

Alt Zaofan snorts.

“Magic? Didn’t take my doppelgänger fer a magician. You do card tricks too, boy?”

Zaofan pulls his head back slightly. "Me? No, I... well, I've been told that I make magic in the kitchen," saying so slightly flattered and egotistically.

"Wait, are YOU from magic?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"This is surreal," Parsley commented. She noticed BluEtrina crawl out of Zaofan Prime's pants... for some reason.

"There you are," she called out to the miniature.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Oh, thank Kami. *I'm* still the normal one..."

Zaofan takes a deep breath and then gets back to business.

"But I was hoping you could tell me what was going on, Little One. Or at least to verify that I'm not losing it... Did Sasheem hit me in the head harder than I thought?"



Zaofan pulls his head back slightly. "Me? No, I... well, I've been told that I make magic in the kitchen," saying so slightly flattered and egotistically.

"Wait, are YOU from magic?"

“Alternate Timeline. Clearly the better one, is that a cape? Hell, what even are you?”

[Cyke]

“Alternate Timeline. Clearly the better one, is that a cape? Hell, what even are you?”

Zaofan puts one hand on chest, a shocked look of 'Oh no you did-uhn.'

"Hey, don't knock the cape! It was a gift! I'll have you know that it's a hit with the ladies!" Zaofan squints and tips his torso forward, pointing at the other's head. "What's with the fancy eye piece, huh? Too much dry eye? Not getting enough light? Mister Myopic over here...!"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Zaofan puts one hand on chest, a shocked look of 'Oh no you did-uhn.'

"Hey, don't knock the cape! It was a gift! I'll have you know that it's a hit with the ladies!" Zaofan squints and tips his torso forward, pointing at the other's head. "What's with the fancy eye piece, huh? Too much dry eye? Not getting enough light? Mister Myopic over here...!"

“Bandit tore my eye out. Replaced it with a cyber eye. Or you referring to the eyepiece? Nice bit of kit, that. Had a lady friend design it. Focuses my ki, amplifies it. Let’s me hit above my pay grade so to speak. Not much scruff on ya, huh? To young to shave hmm?”

He says this while patting his mustache, eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the younger Zaofan.

[Yun Lao]

It took a good bit of willpower not to turn around, especially as he began sensing several things were wrong back in the direction of Capital City, but he knew he couldn't trust himself in battle if he didn't address this now. It didn't take long in his flight before he was greeted by the warmth in the air from the dense jungles that outlined Brick City. Just think about what awaited him threatened to cripple him in self-doubt. Various 'what-if's plagued his mind, but by the time he could even entertain the option of rethinking his task, he had arrived.

Looking upon the ruined temple of the Dino School brought the young boy back to the countless days spent training here. The nostalgia made what he was about to do much harder, as he couldn't bear the thought of disappointing the woman who had saved him from a life of self-hate. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling it out with a sigh, he made his way forward... only to see his grandmother standing at the entrance of the section of the temple that was still liveable.

"I do not remember training you to retreat home with your tail in between your legs everytime you make a mess of things."

That one stung.

"... So you know?"

"No." She replied, "It is as clear a day from your posture, gait, and the fact you had to psyche yourself up just to take a step forward."

Grimacing from being read like a book, he reluctantly began to tell her of what had occurred. The growing influence of Rex, him falling behind from the others, him giving in beneath the mountain. He could feel his body trembling as he spilled his guts in the gaze of Tyranno-sensei cold eye. After all that, his grandmother remained quiet for several moments that felt like an eternity for him. Finally, she spoke, yet it was not the response he expected.

"You have let the outside world influence you, Charco."

"Wait, what?"

"Have you forgotten what tenets we of the Dino School follow? You believe yourself a failure because you sought out a stronger power in order to survive and you believe you are falling behind the others because you cannot comprehend the situation? The fact you worried so much about these issues to the point of breaking down means you have let the principals of others override your own."

Taking a few steps toward him, Charco could feel the tension in the air build and steeled himself for what to become.

"Allow me to remind you of what you've forgotten; of the cruelty and brutality of the Dino School."

BGM: "Wolf Totem"

No matter how strong he'd gotten, no matter the techniques acquired or injury endured, taking a hit from Zippa Ogatan was like being hit by a train. One open palm strike to the gut was enough to launch him across the jungle, his body occasionally skipping off the ground before he could right himself and come to a skidding halt. The sound of his own sharp intake told him that the strike had knocked the air from his lungs and he had only now remembered to breathe. In the distance he could see her approach, gracefully gliding like a spirit through the path of wreckage his passage had left behind.

"Are you hesitating?" Zippa asked, her tone ice cold, "Filial piety, overconfident of your own power, or a lack of understanding on the severity of the threat; allow me to correct your thoughts." It was upon reaching him that Charco realized how serious she was, but before he could make the motion to defend himself, a swipe of her Terrible Claws splattered the nearby flora red with a chunk of his side. Hissing in pain, Charco lobbed a jab toward her only for it to be seized in her palm.

"You've allowed yourself to be mired in a sense of honor and pride," She said flinging his arm aside before slashing him across the chest, leaving four bloody trenches in his flesh, "You believe you've failed because you don't meet up to your own heroic standards." Gripping his throat, her nails digging into his flesh, she lifted him off his feet, "None of these notions belong to the Dino School. You've been deluded by some fool."

"... it was you..." Charco croaked out from his constricted throat.

This caught her by surprise, the cold steel look of her eyes flickering briefly. Her grip loosened and he ends up dropping to the ground like a sack of vegetables, "Explain yourself," demanded his grandmother. Rubbing his throat he looked back up to her, "You... you once told me I should use my power to protect others. Is that not why you spoke to Kami on my behalf?" A brief silence came, only before Zippa began to gently laugh, bewildering Charco.

"It seems I am indeed the fool." She finally said, her laughter fading to a warmer tone of voice, "I suppose I should have known that you would have taken my jaded words for something more optimistic. Charco, you don't have to be a hero; goodness knows that there are plenty out there. The only burden you should have to endure is protecting those things of utmost importance in your own way. Others may find deem it selfish, but in the end, what you selfishly fight for are the only things that matter in your story."

Smiling, Zippa gently extended a hand to her grandchild. The fact he so foolishly worked himself into trouble from those words long ago told her just how much those words meant to him, then and now. "While you sort yourself out, let's get you patched up."

[Cyke]

“Bandit tore my eye out. Replaced it with a cyber eye. Or you referring to the eyepiece? Nice bit of kit, that. Had a lady friend design it. Focuses my ki, amplifies it. Let’s me hit above my pay grade so to speak. Not much scruff on ya, huh? To young to shave hmm?”

He says this while patting his mustache, eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the younger Zaofan.

Zaofan's voice would get louder, more competitive. "HEY! Hairness is not an indicator of strength, OKAY?! You no good steampunk cowboy rip!"

He returns the scrutiny, his body posture adopting a more aggressive stance. "Alternate timelines? Eye beams? Layers? What a bunch of B.S.! Are you trying to replace me? Copy me? You're so... redundant! 'OoOooh, Look at ME, I'm a mysterious drifter blah-de-blahhh!'"

[MrSandman]

"This is surreal," Parsley commented. She noticed BluEtrina crawl out of Zaofan Prime's pants... for some reason.

"There you are," she called out to the miniature.

"I have been spotted....Aborting summon." Mini Blue sunk back into Zaofans pants for a moment before sticking her head back out. "Just joking...I would never think of ducking out on my other more more violent master."

[MrSandman]

Zaofan's voice would get louder, more competitive. "HEY! Hairness is not an indicator of strength, OKAY?! You no good steampunk cowboy rip!"

He returns the scrutiny, his body posture adopting a more aggressive stance. "Alternate timelines? Eye beams? Layers? What a bunch of B.S.! Are you trying to replace me? Copy me? You're so... redundant! 'OoOooh, Look at ME, I'm a mysterious drifter blah-de-blahhh!'"

"Hey....if your talking about hairiness there happens to be quite a large amount of it in here." Mini Blue proclaims. "Quick Zaofan, drop your pants so that he may look upon it in shame."

[Cyke]

"Hey....if your talking about hairiness there happens to be quite a large amount of it in here." Mini Blue proclaims. "Quick Zaofan, drop your pants so that he may look upon it in shame."

Zaofan's eyes grow wide and turn red, not to power up or blast, but from sheer force of blood rushing up to blush.

"HEY! I've been too busy to manscape lately, okay?! Could you not give him more ammo, please? Who's side are you on?"

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Totoma had followed along with the others, after being summarily ignored by this... alternate Zaofan. Saying nothing, he simply observed their new... acquaintance. He moved sorta similarly to Zaofan, and yet there were subtle differences. The way he carried himself... also similar, but with slight aberrations. It was... ah, surreal was the word he used.

And then they ran into the real Zaofan... er, well, their timeline's Zaofan. Both were real, of course, but... ahh, forget it. Point is, the alternate Zaofan gave the... non-alternate Zaofan a dressing down, and the blue Etrina chipping with a comment about...

...

Yeah, better not to think about that comment.

Still, he had a few questions.

"Uh... Zaofan? Cowboy Zaofan, I mean. Mind if I ask you what your world is like?" he said, floating up beside the alternate version of his friend. "I'm really curious about it. Hehe, I'm Totoma by the way. Or the Just Saiyan as I've come to be called, though I'm half Earthling, too."

[Tami]

Zaofan's voice would get louder, more competitive. "HEY! Hairness is not an indicator of strength, OKAY?! You no good steampunk cowboy rip!"

He returns the scrutiny, his body posture adopting a more aggressive stance. "Alternate timelines? Eye beams? Layers? What a bunch of B.S.! Are you trying to replace me? Copy me? You're so... redundant! 'OoOooh, Look at ME, I'm a mysterious drifter blah-de-blahhh!'"

"Um, Zaofan, you're kinda proven his point. Acting like a kid ain't gonna prove your a man, not that you need to in my book. Or your lady-friend's. Ah know your weirded out, heck ah'd be weirded out if another Dash suddenly shows up." She then looks at Alt-Zaofan, "Ah don't suppose you know of someone like me, do you? Ah figger if there was she'd not be so cocky as to dye her hair like mine. Probably have kept it black."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Alt Zaofan just laughs at Zaofan’s embarrassment.

“Knew it, too young. Bet you can’t even hold your liquor. And that powerlevel, what is that? You a defender of earth or a golf caddy, I can’t tell the difference at that level.”

He shakes his head before looking at Dash.

“Nah, can’t say I ever saw you round Tomb City, miss. Zaofan the Crimson Gaze they call em. You?”

[Cyke]

Totoma had followed along with the others, after being summarily ignored by this... alternate Zaofan. Saying nothing, he simply observed their new... acquaintance. He moved sorta similarly to Zaofan, and yet there were subtle differences. The way he carried himself... also similar, but with slight aberrations. It was... ah, surreal was the word he used.

And then they ran into the real Zaofan... er, well, their timeline's Zaofan. Both were real, of course, but... ahh, forget it. Point is, the alternate Zaofan gave the... non-alternate Zaofan a dressing down, and the blue Etrina chipping with a comment about...

...

Yeah, better not to think about that comment.

Still, he had a few questions.

"Uh... Zaofan? Cowboy Zaofan, I mean. Mind if I ask you what your world is like?" he said, floating up beside the alternate version of his friend. "I'm really curious about it. Hehe, I'm Totoma by the way. Or the Just Saiyan as I've come to be called, though I'm half Earthling, too."

Zaofan -- that is, Normal Zaofan -- allows Totoma's line of questioning to begin, to cool off from this... charlatan. "Oh my Kami, Alternate Timeline Saiyans... I shudder to think...!"

"Um, Zaofan, you're kinda proven his point. Acting like a kid ain't gonna prove your a man, not that you need to in my book. Or your lady-friend's. Ah know your weirded out, heck ah'd be weirded out if another Dash suddenly shows up." She then looks at Alt-Zaofan, "Ah don't suppose you know of someone like me, do you? Ah figger if there was she'd not be so cocky as to dye her hair like mine. Probably have kept it black."

Zaofan narrows his gaze at Dash, then sticks out his hand, palm side up and wide open. "Dash. Soup. Now."

[Tami]

Alt Zaofan just laughs at Zaofan’s embarrassment.

“Knew it, too young. Bet you can’t even hold your liquor. And that powerlevel, what is that? You a defender of earth or a golf caddy, I can’t tell the difference at that level.”

He shakes his head before looking at Dash.

“Nah, can’t say I ever saw you round Tomb City, miss. Zaofan the Crimson Gaze they call em. You?”

"Rayne Dashiell, but everyone calls me Dash. Not quite ready to forgive and forget whatcha did to Meg, though."