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

[grampagen]

Meagan turned to give him an oddly appreciative look, before looking towards the ship and picking up the pace. "To save even just one life, is to save the future." was all she said to him as she neared the entry to the ship and began boarding it.

"What a future to save, without a place to come back to," Ochazuke replied.

"It's no coincidence, either this number of Chromakai slaves or your appearance on Earth."

[Cyke]

They encountered slavers and slavemasters. They fought for the liberation of the oppressed. They freed the hopeless. They had won the day.

The caped Zaofan assisted the Galaxy Police with the child slaves, escorting them to the rescue vessels, treating wounds, handing out water and supplies, Zaofan realized, rather quickly, that as different as this asteroid and its clientele had been, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this before. There were a good number of officers there, and after facing so many abusive, corrupt, hypocritical "law enforcers" on Earth who only wanted a piece of Battersea's broken empire, it was a relief to see those upholding their oaths -- at least, Zaofan assumed there would be an oath, judging by P-Sta's grandiose displays -- by seeing to the children first. As strong as Zaofan may be, with the number of officers on hand Zaofan was merely an additional pair of hands, and that was just fine by him. After taking care of a few more former slaves, he left the rest of the care to the professionals, and went for a quick stroll to help clear his head.

In his travels after the defeat of Fife and Battersea, and after parting ways with Master Balon and Ochazuke, Zaofan swore that he would travel from town to town to repair the harm done by Battersea and his reign of pillaging. From fighting off those who would take advantage of the power vacuum, to repairing homes, to teaching communities how to regain their spirit, it seemed more and more that Zaofan's travels began to amount to something more than just his own journey, but that he would be brought by the hands of fate itself as an agent of restoration -- not just putting his marital prowess to combat, but being able to at least help begin to heal wounds.

Zaofan walked through the wrecked bazaar, well after the others had scoured the place. Wherever these intergalactic beings learned how to cook, Zaofan could tell an oil fryer if he saw one. Spatulas tended to look the same. A grill is a grill. The place may have been a mess -- and Kami knows he's seen messes before -- but he could stick with what he knew. As the hands of fate would have it, cooking itself would be a form of restoration. His travels on Earth after Battersea would lead him to wrecked places, and he took it upon himself to take on the task of restoration. Pushing over a collapsed stack of what he could guess were shipping containers, he found a padded case with a handle in it. He didn't know what it would be, but with everything else wrecked, gone, or taken away, Zaofan figured he should pick up the only thing that seemed to be worth carrying. He then assembles as much food -- or what he guesses is food -- as possible, into a pile, along with a few alien cooking supplies from various vendors. In a big poof, he capsules the items, pockets the capsule, and carries the suitcase-sized container.

Even in space, a frontier which Zaofan frankly felt he had little to do with, those hands would continue to guide him forward. Though he was kidnapped with the others, if Zaofan stuck true to himself and his worldview, he would continue to do in space what he would do on Earth, doing what he knew best of himself.

But it's a funny word -- "worldview." How do his experiences and knowledge as a mere Earthman maintain itself in this great unknown? Could his principles hold up against newer enemies? After all, for all the action he had seen on Earth, he knew above all else that he had never faced anything these children had, and that made him immensely sorrowful for all their tragedies, all their losses -- a scale to which Zaofan could not comprehend, and even on Earth, only something he had seen as aftermath, and not in process. That there would be so much evil in the universe made his heart sank almost as much as in that simulation of the end of the world.

And yet, even when he thought the end of the world was an actual reality, Zaofan persevered thanks to the examples set by the others, as well as their camaraderie. Perhaps that then was the answer, not just for him but for those in despair nonetheless. While strolling through the asteroid from room to room, section by section, he saw Etrina with slight tears speaking with Ishtar. He saw Adam speaking with, whom he deduced, as a transformed Midori. He saw Sarada slightly flustered with Erosa. He saw Jack with his new... findings. Keeping to himself in the background of all these observations, Zaofan saw the hearts and bonds that kept the group going -- and that's what he would do with the children.

Returning to the hanger where only a few dozen more children waited to be boarded, Zaofan drops the suitcase-sized container, picks up a few blankets from the Galaxy Police medics, and drapes them on the shoulders of children. He then stands, smiles at the children, and poses in example, prodding the children to strike various poses with their blankets-turned-capes. Whenever Zaofan strikes a different pose, the children quickly imitate the same pose. In delight, he switches from pose to pose, so quickly and rapidly to the point where the children begin inventing their own poses, showing it off to each other for giggles. Zaofan wouldn't be with the children for long, but hopefully he could help ignite the fires that would help these children bond with each other, not through trauma and nightmares, but through hope and cheer. Just as he did for those trying to survive in the aftermath of Battersea, Zaofan's heart goes out to the children, now free to begin their new lives as agents of their own free will.

With the children now in better spirits, Zaofan waves goodbye as he makes his way to their own ship.

OOC: Cleric, I had Zaofan find a container in the bazaar by the food and market vendors. If he opens it, what would he find?

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Six universes had been quarantined, all under the charge of a single under-resourced administrator. No Gods of Destruction. No Gods of Creation. The Kami were left to fend for themselves, their lines of succession left to slowly break down over the millenia.

Madness. How many eons love and passion had the original Gods of Creation put into the Great Work? Stars were birthed, laws laid down, the conditions for life crafted. Species had struggled for generation upon generation to claw their way from the primordial muck, only to be greeted by a godless sky. All because Zeno was too dumb to deal with an insurgency presented to his face.

Asha'rah shook her head. Though who am I to talk? I missed the same treachery, and I knew Sakin personally.

"If I survive to become strong enough, I will see what I can do to help clean up."

She looked up at the planetarium for the second time since she entered. Floating up to the dummy sun, she tapped on it twice with a glowing finger. The dummy sun shone as if it were the real thing for a moment, then popped open to drop a canister into Asha'rah's palm. Through a sliver of glass running its length, golden aura glowed within, familiar yet somehow undeniably more potent. It was a shard of her power, originally meant as an emergency stabilizer at her peak, about as good as a small blood transfusion to a mortal. But as Asha'rah was now, she suspected it would have a stronger effect.

Looking back to Sihn, Asha'rah wondered what the bespectacled deity's reaction would be. Then she bid him goodbye.

“A few things before you go, Lady Asha’rah. With the threat of those that betrayed us gaining more power, no new Gods or Supreme Kai’s can be elected. You showed us all one could harness the power of both, and it is the Grand Priests fear they would attempt to do just that if they could and break the seals keeping them here. Thus why I am the only one near deity status at the moment. When they are all put down, then new balance can be brought and the seals on our universes removed. That is a promise from Lord Zeno.”

“Also, as to the Kami situation, it is my belief they are being targeted for their small divine essences. Absent Gods or Supreme Kai’s, they are the only source remaining of such power. I have tried to track them down, but they seem to move between the six universes always one step ahead. I swear it is a priority, though. But Inam only one man.”

“Finally, a letter addressed to you.”

Sihn hands her an envelope.

“A pleasure, Lady Asha’rah. Safe journeys.”

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"In hindsight, I should not have consumed those." Ishtar muttered as she and Eresh made their way back towards the Hammer Class GP Ship.

The Oni did not feel sick ... no, despite the cold sweat and the fever, she was not ill. Sickness was not a thing she was generally prone to, besides ... the golden-eyed Oni simply felt ... off. Different. Not as she was. Without wholly understanding what it was that had been done- or was being done, however ... the Oni simply focused inward on discerning the source. Checking first her flow of energy- and the Hakai that resided inside her- before testing the flow, allowing the energy to build before allowing it to dissipate harmlessly.

Whatever it was that was happening, Ishtar wanted to know ... at least so she wasn't blind-sighted.

Ishtar feels a sudden.....flare, in her stomache. Radiating outward, the pain registers lower until it focuses above her butt. Suddenly, she has a long blue skinned tail of about four feet waving behind her (think Freiza’s tail), and her pants have been ruined.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Meagan also finds a cred stick with 200,000 on it and a Nagadarr data pad.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"A relatively recent partnership? Makes sense..." P-Sta mused. "One last thing, then..." he stated, typing to look up any inforation on this unknown technology. A single lead as to what it looked like or how it worked perhaps.

No known matches found.

[The Dog]

"Perhaps I should find a glove to slap Erosa and Sarada with, I believe that is how challenges are offered. In any case, I am glad you are not distressed. If complications arise, please do not hesitate to ask for help." Adam inclines it's head before leaving, walking past Erosa still in an exaggerated feminine form as it heads for the bridge.

Midori grinned at the thought of Adam using a glove to slap Erosa and Sarada with while challenging them to a duel for her and Shiro. Waving to him as he left, she turned back to what Shiro and she was doing, looking over the information along with Shiro.

Frowning in thought, Shiro said "So, the good news is that it appears that whatever happened to cause this drastic physical change hasn't adversely affected your various systems and internal workings. It seems that it mostly affected your physical appearance and your skeletal framework."

"That's good. Though my energy readings are a little concerning. We'll have to check my battery to make sure there is nothing wrong with it." Midori said, pointing to the results there.

"Mmmm-hmmm. Now, take off your clothes so we can open you up." Shiro commented, and Midori nodded before pulling out her capsule wallet. Taking one out, she tossed it down and it burst to reveal a medium-sized case. Opening it, Midori pulled out a small half-oval resembling a backpack with three purplish-red circles on it in an upside-down triangle and a remote. Setting it down, she pushed a series of buttons on the remote, causing three long spider-like legs to pop out of the sides, which it rose up on.

Pulling off her jumpsuit, Midori set it aside and sat down. Pushing more buttons on the remote, a cable came out of it and connected to the port in the back of her neck. Laying back, she closed her eyes as bottom-most purplish-red circle opened, allowing a metal tentacle tipped with a camera popped out.

"Good to go." Midori said from where she laid, and with a nod of agreement Shiro moved to kneel on one side of her sister while the strange device took up the other side, a the other two circles opening to allow a pair of metal hand-topped tentacles came out.

Shiro touched the center of Midori's 'collarbone', but frowned as Midori's chest didn't open up for her. Touching the spot again, Shiro's frown deepened as once again her chest didn't open.

"Well, this isn't good." Shiro said, Midori commenting "Apparently whatever happened to me has altered my body more than we thought."

"Indeed. So I guess we'll have to do this the 'autopsy' way." Shiro said, grabbing a scalpel to cut open Midori's upper body with a Y-incision.

"This is going to be so weird to watch. Especially from what is technically a third person view." Midori muttered, glad she'd remembered to shut down her pain receptors beforehand as Shiro began cutting.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

They encountered slavers and slavemasters. They fought for the liberation of the oppressed. They freed the hopeless. They had won the day.

The caped Zaofan assisted the Galaxy Police with the child slaves, escorting them to the rescue vessels, treating wounds, handing out water and supplies, Zaofan realized, rather quickly, that as different as this asteroid and its clientele had been, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen this before. There were a good number of officers there, and after facing so many abusive, corrupt, hypocritical "law enforcers" on Earth who only wanted a piece of Battersea's broken empire, it was a relief to see those upholding their oaths -- at least, Zaofan assumed there would be an oath, judging by P-Sta's grandiose displays -- by seeing to the children first. As strong as Zaofan may be, with the number of officers on hand Zaofan was merely an additional pair of hands, and that was just fine by him. After taking care of a few more former slaves, he left the rest of the care to the professionals, and went for a quick stroll to help clear his head.

In his travels after the defeat of Fife and Battersea, and after parting ways with Master Balon and Ochazuke, Zaofan swore that he would travel from town to town to repair the harm done by Battersea and his reign of pillaging. From fighting off those who would take advantage of the power vacuum, to repairing homes, to teaching communities how to regain their spirit, it seemed more and more that Zaofan's travels began to amount to something more than just his own journey, but that he would be brought by the hands of fate itself as an agent of restoration -- not just putting his marital prowess to combat, but being able to at least help begin to heal wounds.

Zaofan walked through the wrecked bazaar, well after the others had scoured the place. Wherever these intergalactic beings learned how to cook, Zaofan could tell an oil fryer if he saw one. Spatulas tended to look the same. A grill is a grill. The place may have been a mess -- and Kami knows he's seen messes before -- but he could stick with what he knew. As the hands of fate would have it, cooking itself would be a form of restoration. His travels on Earth after Battersea would lead him to wrecked places, and he took it upon himself to take on the task of restoration. Pushing over a collapsed stack of what he could guess were shipping containers, he found a padded case with a handle in it. He didn't know what it would be, but with everything else wrecked, gone, or taken away, Zaofan figured he should pick up the only thing that seemed to be worth carrying. He then assembles as much food -- or what he guesses is food -- as possible, into a pile, along with a few alien cooking supplies from various vendors. In a big poof, he capsules the items, pockets the capsule, and carries the suitcase-sized container.

Even in space, a frontier which Zaofan frankly felt he had little to do with, those hands would continue to guide him forward. Though he was kidnapped with the others, if Zaofan stuck true to himself and his worldview, he would continue to do in space what he would do on Earth, doing what he knew best of himself.

But it's a funny word -- "worldview." How do his experiences and knowledge as a mere Earthman maintain itself in this great unknown? Could his principles hold up against newer enemies? After all, for all the action he had seen on Earth, he knew above all else that he had never faced anything these children had, and that made him immensely sorrowful for all their tragedies, all their losses -- a scale to which Zaofan could not comprehend, and even on Earth, only something he had seen as aftermath, and not in process. That there would be so much evil in the universe made his heart sank almost as much as in that simulation of the end of the world.

And yet, even when he thought the end of the world was an actual reality, Zaofan persevered thanks to the examples set by the others, as well as their camaraderie. Perhaps that then was the answer, not just for him but for those in despair nonetheless. While strolling through the asteroid from room to room, section by section, he saw Etrina with slight tears speaking with Ishtar. He saw Adam speaking with, whom he deduced, as a transformed Midori. He saw Sarada slightly flustered with Erosa. He saw Jack with his new... findings. Keeping to himself in the background of all these observations, Zaofan saw the hearts and bonds that kept the group going -- and that's what he would do with the children.

Returning to the hanger where only a few dozen more children waited to be boarded, Zaofan drops the suitcase-sized container, picks up a few blankets from the Galaxy Police medics, and drapes them on the shoulders of children. He then stands, smiles at the children, and poses in example, prodding the children to strike various poses with their blankets-turned-capes. Whenever Zaofan strikes a different pose, the children quickly imitate the same pose. In delight, he switches from pose to pose, so quickly and rapidly to the point where the children begin inventing their own poses, showing it off to each other for giggles. Zaofan wouldn't be with the children for long, but hopefully he could help ignite the fires that would help these children bond with each other, not through trauma and nightmares, but through hope and cheer. Just as he did for those trying to survive in the aftermath of Battersea, Zaofan's heart goes out to the children, now free to begin their new lives as agents of their own free will.

With the children now in better spirits, Zaofan waves goodbye as he makes his way to their own ship.

OOC: Cleric, I had Zaofan find a container in the bazaar by the food and market vendors. If he opens it, what would he find?

He will find several expensive and rare spices not of Earth, a few bottles of beyond rare alcohol that only Held probably recognizes, and a book.

[Tami]

"What a future to save, without a place to come back to," Ochazuke replied.

"It's no coincidence, either this number of Chromakai slaves or your appearance on Earth."

Pausing for a moment, "The Nagadarr are ruthless, but they are also keenly aware of what something costs and what it's value is. I once saw a Nagadarr nearly kill someone for over-pricing food. Of course, the grocer was only trying to earn enough money to feed his own family, but the Nagadarr didn't care. The grocer's place was razed to the ground, the Resistance got him out alive, but small comfort if his family, and others that depended on him for food, ended up starving."

She turned to Ochazuke, "The number of slaves indicates the value of their lives in relation to whatever weapons the Junjo sold them. The Nagadarr call us bugs, they treat us like animals. Like animals, they either starve us, or use us until we are no longer useful. Lady Eva said she played with fate, perhaps she knew the time of my death and sent my Mentor, Lady Reimi, to me just in time. Once I convinced her to take me as an apprentice, something I still ascribe to my own free will, it was destiny that I would end up on Earth. Fate that I would end up meeting Lady Kami."

She then looked towards the ship, "My fate is tied to that of my people. When one dies before their time, through violence or cruelty, a part of me dies as well. I knew the history of my people, I knew it was possible to reclaim what we once were. To become strong again. I had to prove it the only way I knew how."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Ishtar feels a sudden.....flare, in her stomache. Radiating outward, the pain registers lower until it focuses above her butt. Suddenly, she has a long blue skinned tail of about four feet waving behind her (think Freiza’s tail), and her pants have been ruined.

Sarada had been feeling strange for the last several minutes during her search for Jack. She knew that Ishtar was the root cause, since she could since the discomfort the woman had been in. Whatever she was doing to herself was having an ill affect on her.

Sighing, she decided to cut her search for her Earthman short and went to find the Oni.

"Aaaugh!" she groaned when a sudden pain flared in her stomach, then moved to her butt. "What the hell is she doing?!" Was she having butt sex? Jeez.

She sighed again and rubbed her aching bottom until she found Ishtar and Eresh standing near Etrina. The very first thing she noticed was that Ishtar's pants had been ripped open. The second, and then only, thing she noticed was the long tail waving behind her.

Her eyes narrowed and focused on the new appendage. I swear she didn't have that the last time I saw her.

"Um," she called out, unsure of what to say. With the child standing right there, anything lewd -- and she had plenty to say that would qualify as lewd -- was off the table. "So, you decided to grow a tail," she commented with a sly grin.

[Tami]

Meagan also finds a cred stick with 200,000 on it and a Nagadarr data pad.

OOC: For now they are stored in her capsule, she will check them out later when she has time.

[grampagen]

Pausing for a moment, "The Nagadarr are ruthless, but they are also keenly aware of what something costs and what it's value is. I once saw a Nagadarr nearly kill someone for over-pricing food. Of course, the grocer was only trying to earn enough money to feed his own family, but the Nagadarr didn't care. The grocer's place was razed to the ground, the Resistance got him out alive, but small comfort if his family, and others that depended on him for food, ended up starving."

She turned to Ochazuke, "The number of slaves indicates the value of their lives in relation to whatever weapons the Junjo sold them. The Nagadarr call us bugs, they treat us like animals. Like animals, they either starve us, or use us until we are no longer useful. Lady Eva said she played with fate, perhaps she knew the time of my death and sent my Mentor, Lady Reimi, to me just in time. Once I convinced her to take me as an apprentice, something I still ascribe to my own free will, it was destiny that I would end up on Earth. Fate that I would end up meeting Lady Kami."

She then looked towards the ship, "My fate is tied to that of my people. When one dies before their time, through violence or cruelty, a part of me dies as well. I knew the history of my people, I knew it was possible to reclaim what we once were. To become strong again. I had to prove it the only way I knew how."

With each new discovery, the politics of this celestial expanse grew more twisted and yet disgustingly familiar. Meagan's appraisal and cold words displayed a dour situation.

"And they will soon know what has happened here today. Soon there will be a ruthless accounting for lost assets," Ochazuke replied.

"The question now is, where do we take them now, and how far does the arm of the Nagadarr reach? Understand, this is no solitary task. Not while we are alongside them."

[Tami]

With each new discovery, the politics of this celestial expanse grew more twisted and yet disgustingly familiar. Meagan's appraisal and cold words displayed a dour situation.

"And they will soon know what has happened here today. Soon there will be a ruthless accounting for lost assets," Ochazuke replied.

"The question now is, where do we take them now, and how far does the arm of the Nagadarr reach? Understand, this is no solitary task. Not while we are alongside them."

Meagan looks at him, nods, then turned to head into the ship, speaking as she does, "I do not have all the answers, I may not have any answers. However," She takes a step forward, "I am open to suggestions, if there is advice to give, I would welcome it."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Having stopped at her request, Etrina didn't turn to face the Oni until she was finished. Even then it took monumental effort on her part...not because she harbored any more ill will to the Oni herself. More because if anyone were to see her in the state she was now, tears poking the way out of the corners of her eyes, they may get the wrong impression.

".....Your right....We've all had a very bad day....and you don't need to ask for forgiveness. Honestly, the fact your willing to go to that length to protect someone....with that level of honesty. I wasn't wrong in trusting you. I just need to pay more attention in the future...." Wiping a tear away with her finger, Etrina looked at the wet tip of her finger and let out a quiet chuckle. "..........I still look like a fool though. If Zaofan saw me now I wonder how he'd react."

Wiping the remaining tear away, Etrina held out her hand to the Oni. "But if you feel you must make up for something....look after Erosa when I can't. Shes takes a shine to you, if that new form of hers is any indication"

Ishtar was almost positive- not quite, given her state- that what had been said was not enough to bring a girl to tears, yet as she stood beside Etrina that is what came. Not full, ugly sobbing mind ... simply a few drops that curved the lines of the young mage's face and dripped down to the ruined floor of the asteroid below; but enough to at least give the Oni pause. Though what was said at least, was something easier to address.

"I ... have not had the luxury of friendship, often, in my life," said Ishtar, finally.

"Perhaps one individual every few centuries, less since Sekhmet ..." the Oni trailed off, a story for another time. "In any case ... despite my ... lapse in judgement, I would consider you among that small number. I would protect my friends- individuals I care for- as I intended to protect Ereshkigal. In the future simply .. offer a word in thought, my mind is always open to you ... and I will do my best to keep in mind you will always help in your own way." Offering a small smile then however, she then added. "As to Zaofan ... I suspect he would be on his knees, doing his utmost to make you smile."

The subject of Erosa came up, however, and Ishtar's brow furrowed as she considered what was implied.

"I do not see you losing the ability to care for Erosa, for quite some time ... yet I shall do as you ask." The golden-eyed Oni eventually replied, taking Etrina's hand into her own. "And yes I have ... noticed her new appearance, the horn was of some surprise. I did not know I had that much of an impact on her." While it was true she had been the first so speak with Erosa, their interaction since then had been something of a minimal thing; the young Id choosing to roam separate circles than the one Ishtar had found herself in.

"I am glad she was there to help with Marduk however, he was my kin, once ... yet he has passed far and beyond what he once was."

Ishtar feels a sudden.....flare, in her stomach. Radiating outward, the pain registers lower until it focuses above her butt. Suddenly, she has a long blue skinned tail of about four feet waving behind her (think Freiza’s tail), and her pants have been ruined.

Just then, a sudden flaring of almost mind-numbing pain shot through Ishtar, causing the hand wrapped around Etrina's own to tighten, as the Oni staggered forward; and when the blossoming pain finally came to settle just above her rump ... Ishtar offered Etrina a look of concern before a tail exploded from the base of her spine and ruined her pants. And as Ishtar stood there with her pants ruined and a four foot long tail thrashing about behind her as it grew accustomed to the life it had been thrust into .. the golden-eyed Oni offered a single word.

"Oh."

At least the drinks hadn't killed her, she supposed.

Sarada had been feeling strange for the last several minutes during her search for Jack. She knew that Ishtar was the root cause, since she could since the discomfort the woman had been in. Whatever she was doing to herself was having an ill affect on her.

Sighing, she decided to cut her search for her Earthman short and went to find the Oni.

"Aaaugh!" she groaned when a sudden pain flared in her stomach, then moved to her butt. "What the hell is she doing?!" Was she having butt sex? Jeez.

She sighed again and rubbed her aching bottom until she found Ishtar and Eresh standing near Etrina. The very first thing she noticed was that Ishtar's pants had been ripped open. The second, and then only, thing she noticed was the long tail waving behind her.

Her eyes narrowed and focused on the new appendage. I swear she didn't have that the last time I saw her.

"Um," she called out, unsure of what to say. With the child standing right there, anything lewd -- and she had plenty to say that would qualify as lewd -- was off the table. "So, you decided to grow a tail," she commented with a sly grin.

Ishtar all but whipped around, tail striking the wall with enough force to dent it.

"Sarada ?"

How had she known to come ? It took a moment, but when the Oni remembered that they were yet bound together by the Aka Manah, she sighed, before nodding to herself. Right, yes. Of course this situation would get more awkward. Offering the girl a nod then at the question, Ishtar attempted to explain herself.

"I did not ... choose it. Though I suppose in a way I ... I did ?"

After all she had decided to drink the vials, thinking them to be nothing more than beverages of the most expensive sort. Of course that was in a way not untrue .. she was sure such body modifications would cost a considerable amount. Plus, she did not feel so odd, anymore. She simply had a tail ... that she did not know how to use. How would she sit ?

Ishtar sighed.

"I found some vials containing some festive looking liquids, and after testing to see if they were safe, found them to be nothing more than exotic beverages ... so I drank them ... I suspect that ... ah ... drinking all three of them is responsible to this, I think ... I really do not know." The Oni sighed again, before attempting to manipulate the tail, causing it to swing back around behind her, before the tip wiggled weakly in Sarada's direction.

"At the very least, it is a thing I can busy myself with learning to use one supposes."

Growing somewhat more self-conscious in the presence of the Saiyan with which she shared a bed, however, the golden-eyed Oni offered a furtive glance before saying somewhat sheepishly,

"I uh ... how does it look ?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Ishtar was almost positive- not quite, given her state- that what had been said was not enough to bring a girl to tears, yet as she stood beside Etrina that is what came. Not full, ugly sobbing mind ... simply a few drops that curved the lines of the young mage's face and dripped down to the ruined floor of the asteroid below; but enough to at least give the Oni pause. Though what was said at least, was something easier to address.

"I ... have not had the luxury of friendship, often, in my life," said Ishtar, finally.

"Perhaps one individual every few centuries, less since Sekhmet ..." the Oni trailed off, a story for another time. "In any case ... despite my ... lapse in judgement, I would consider you among that small number. I would protect my friends- individuals I care for- as I intended to protect Ereshkigal. In the future simply .. offer a word in thought, my mind is always open to you ... and I will do my best to keep in mind you will always help in your own way." Offering a small smile then however, she then added. "As to Zaofan ... I suspect he would be on his knees, doing his utmost to make you smile."

The subject of Erosa came up, however, and Ishtar's brow furrowed as she considered what was implied.

"I do not see you losing the ability to care for Erosa, for quite some time ... yet I shall do as you ask." The golden-eyed Oni eventually replied, taking Etrina's hand into her own. "And yes I have ... noticed her new appearance, the horn was of some surprise. I did not know I had that much of an impact on her." While it was true she had been the first so speak with Erosa, their interaction since then had been something of a minimal thing; the young Id choosing to roam separate circles than the one Ishtar had found herself in.

"I am glad she was there to help with Marduk however, he was my kin, once ... yet he has passed far and beyond what he once was."



Just then, a sudden flaring of almost mind-numbing pain shot through Ishtar, causing the hand wrapped around Etrina's own to tighten, as the Oni staggered forward; and when the blossoming pain finally came to settle just above her rump ... Ishtar offered Etrina a look of concern before a tail exploded from the base of her spine and ruined her pants. And as Ishtar stood there with her pants ruined and a four foot long tail thrashing about behind her as it grew accustomed to the life it had been thrust into .. the golden-eyed Oni offered a single word.

"Oh."

At least the drinks hadn't killed her, she supposed.



Ishtar all but whipped around, tail striking the wall with enough force to dent it.

"Sarada ?"

How had she known to come ? It took a moment, but when the Oni remembered that they were yet bound together by the Aka Manah, she sighed, before nodding to herself. Right, yes. Of course this situation would get more awkward. Offering the girl a nod then at the question, Ishtar attempted to explain herself.

"I did not ... choose it. Though I suppose in a way I ... I did ?"

After all she had decided to drink the vials, thinking them to be nothing more than beverages of the most expensive sort. Of course that was in a way not untrue .. she was sure such body modifications would cost a considerable amount. Plus, she did not feel so odd, anymore. She simply had a tail ... that she did not know how to use. How would she sit ?

Ishtar sighed.

"I found some vials containing some festive looking liquids, and after testing to see if they were safe, found them to be nothing more than exotic beverages ... so I drank them ... I suspect that ... ah ... drinking all three of them is responsible to this, I think ... I really do not know." The Oni sighed again, before attempting to manipulate the tail, causing it to swing back around behind her, before the tip wiggled weakly in Sarada's direction.

"At the very least, it is a thing I can busy myself with learning to use one supposes."

Growing somewhat more self-conscious in the presence of the Saiyan with which she shared a bed, however, the golden-eyed Oni offered a furtive glance before saying somewhat sheepishly,

"I uh ... how does it look ?"

So, Ishtar offered her explanation for the brand new appendage, looking incredibly self-conscious about the entire affair. When she was done, Sarada took the time to think it over.

She supposed she could see the lack of harm at drinking what appeared to be simply a set of expensive looking beverages. Still, they were in vials, so that alone should have set off some kind of warning alarms that maybe she shouldn't drink all three of them at the same time. Then again, it had been an extremely long, very tiring, and incredibly mentally taxing day for all of them; she could forgive Ishtar for not thinking things through as thoroughly as she should have.

In the end, Ishtar was left with a four-foot long tail that she appeared to have control over. She resisted the slow, crawling grin that threatened to appear, but the lewd, perverted thoughts she suddenly had at all the ways Ishtar could use that tail behind closed doors made it very apparent what she made of this new development.

When asked how it looked, there was only one way to respond.

"As beautiful as the rest of you," she answered honestly. "If you need some points on how to manipulate it, I will do what I can to help."