Dragonball M, Chapter 3: In Blood, Bone, and Ash! The Way Forward Unlocked!

[Tami]

It had been a long time since Dash returned to her home village of Umamachi. Landing far enough away so as not to draw attention to herself, she slowly, casually walks the final mile or so. It would be good to see her family again, among others.

However, though she tried to slip back in unnoticed, she soon learned that her reputation far exceeded her abilities at stealth.

The crowd began gathering around her almost as soon she entered, children calling to their parents, who then called to others that she had returned. Cringing inside, Dash desperately wished she had a Chromakai talent for invisibility right now. Still, she had been trained well to keep her thoughts and emotions under control. No sense risking offending anyone.

There were many questions, and just as many requests. She answered what she could, and deferred til later the rest. Eventually the crowed was dispersed by the arrival of the three elders of the village, "Wait, just three?" As she greeted the elders, she asked them about the Fourth Elder, her great-grandfather Hirzai.

Elder Sella was the one to inform Dash that her Great-Grandfather passed away peacefully at age 107. The news hit her hard, but she quickly realized that it was inevitable. Still, not being here to say goodby troubled her.

The Elders escorted Dash to her home, keeping the villagers at bay as they walked. It was a short distance, but there was enough time to speak and share information. Just before they reached the house, they asked Dash to consider an offer. She agreed to consider it before seeing her father standing on the front porch.

Moving in quickly, she practically leaped on him, hugging him. "Pa, ah missed you so much."

Kevin Daschiel smiled, "Ah missed you too, little Sunshine."

-------


Dash remained at the Village for three weeks, it was nice to be back but she knew she wasn't ready yet to settle down anywhere. There was still too much more to do. Questions she needed answers to.

The day after arriving back home, her father takes her to the cemetery so that she could pay her respects to her Great-Grandfather. This was followed by visits to other relatives, friends, and neighbors. When she asked about her Step-mother, Kevin replies that "She an ah are kinda split for now. She went back to her folks a few months ago. Said she needed her space." Dash noted that he didn't seem too unhappy about it, but decided not to ask any more questions. There's always been an underlying tension between them. When she was younger, she wondered if she was the cause, but was dissuaded of that after talking it out with her grandmother. Whatever it was, if her father wanted her to know, he'd tell her.

By day three the excitement of her return started to fade slightly, freeing her up to deal with other concerns. Noting a lack of a modern PC computer, she put in an order for one. By day four, it had arrived and she was setting it up in her dad's study. "That's one dang fancy computer you got there." He asked her when he first saw it, then he picked up the bill and looked at his daughter, "This thing cost mmore'n ah make in a half a year. You shouldn't be spending this much money."

"Pa, don't worry about it. Ah have more'n enough money in the bank to cover it. My last job paid very well, maybe too well. If you need money fro anything, let me know."

"That must have been some job, maybe you can tell me about it over dinner later."

"Sure, sure, but I got ot get this set up. Ah have soem work to do, if it's okay." Dash then stood up and went over to him, giving him a peck on the cheek, "Ah promise we'll spend more time togther, there's just something ah need to do. Oh, an this computer is yours once ah finish using it."

"It's okay, you go an do what you have to do, ah'll let you kniow when dinner's ready." with that, he left her alone.

It took Dash an hour to set the computer up and get it running. Once she was done, she pulled out the memory device Jinzi gave her and plugged it in. Calling up the video, she watched closely the fight with the Golems. Watched it several times in fact before a call from her father that it was dinner time interrupted her work. Shutting it down, she headed off to the small dinning room, dbating if she soudl show this to him, or if it would just worry her him too much.

-------

At some point during her stay, she finally decided to share everything with her father. He actually took it better than she thought, though it was clear he worried about her. Afterwards, he suggested that she visit the neighboring village of Stundeville. The elders there might be able to provide her with some answers. That week she made a day of it, even meeting with her cousin and other distant relatives in the process.

After some asking around, she finally found the elder who had originally sent her the vague information about the Elemental Spirits. He admitted that little was known about them, save reports from the past of fighters achieving a high level of ability being visited by one of the four. Though never has a warrior of the Horse Clan ever encounter more than one. At least not since the founders of the Horse School. One legnd did tell of the two original founders being visited by all four spirits after spending months living and training among aherd of wild horses.

In turn, Dash shared the knowledge she learned about the other, older schools and the connection between the Horse Clan and the Bear school.

Elder Cyrus reiterated the comments made by the elders of her own villages that she would be welcome to stay and teach the younger colts. With a shake of her head, Dash responded as she had to the others, "Ah'm not ready yet. Perhaps one day ah will, but ah feel like ah still have things to learn myself." Standing up to leave, "Ah thank you for takin the time to talk to me. If ther is anythin ah can do in repayment, all you gotta do is ask."

Near the end of week three, she began gathering her things an saying her goodbys. She promised her father that she'd be back. She also informed him that she deposited some money for him in his bank account, calling it a belated birthday present.

With that, she headed off in search of herself.

[Tami]

“What about building a new room in each sacred place? A room like the one that previous Guardian spirits can visit? Something like that could be made accessible to only Guardians.”

Her eyes widened slightly, "You know, I never thought to ask how these rooms were made. Here on the Lookout you have several special rooms, like the Room of Space and Time, that I always took for granted. At Iris's Temple, there are also a few rooms that seemed almost impossible to have been created under normal circumstances."

Meagan thought on this, "You know, if it is possible to create a special room like that then that could solve the problem. Only how does one actually make a room like that?"

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Inanna smiled. "You and I both, but it's not the end of the world if 'Ishtar' is the default for awhile to come." Even she'd struggled with it, after all. Would be rather childish to get upset if everyone else did it too.

As for how she felt. Inanna had considered that while she made her fixes so there was no hesitation when she replied.

"It's a wonderful being free to do and choose what I want to, but it's strange. I remember everything I did before this moment, as Ishtar; but it feels different. New. Almost as if I was living but ... vicariously." She explained, in a way Sarada would hopefully understand. "With Zurvan though," Inanna said before sighing.

"There are things I'd like to do. As for what I will ? I'm not sure." She shrugged. "I suppose the question I would have to answer before I decided is ... do I hate him, for what he's done ?" She asked, before going on to say. "Yes. I hate everything he's done to me; and all the things it made me do. But at the same time, without all of that where would I be ?" Otherworld, most likely. Which meant that Evangeline never would have compelled her to come to Earth; something that'd inadvertently helped her along to this moment.

"So I also ... don't hate him. Just see him for what he is."

Looking up at the sky then, Inanna couldn't help but chuckle.

"I used to see everything in black, or white. What a stubborn bitch I was." Of course, all that said the most important things had yet to be said between them. Something Sarada -- in Parsley's body -- got around to after her questions and the answers to them.

"I'm rather fond of it myself ... so if you hadn't liked it, we might have had an issue," Inanna joked, before growing ever so slightly more emotional. "I'm glad you're still here. Wouldn't trade my love for you, for anything ..." she leaned over to give the Saiyan a kiss on the cheek before stopping just short. "Oh ... I uh. Now that you're Parsley. How is this supposed to work ?"

Feeling as if her memories of her past life were being lived through vicariously through another person was something she could kind of relate to. Watching Parsley live her life in her body carried with it this strange, out-of-body feeling that made her feel that she was a spectator watching her own life flash by on a screen. It was like she was watching a documentary, but she had more input in the story being told.

It wasn't really the same thing, or as severe, but at least she had some kind of reference to help her understand. Because this was really... hard to wrap her head around. The woman sitting next to her was Ishtar, and still was Ishtar, even though the portion of her that was referred to as Isthar was dead. Ugh, her head was starting to hurt. **** it. I'm just going to not worry about it. The woman I love is alive, and that's all that matters.

As for Zurvan, Sarada didn't know how she personally felt about him. They had never been all that close; she only considered him friendly because of Ishtar... Inanna. No... Ishtar. But this... after it was revealed that he had been hiding things from his own daughter and then that he had been lying and manipulating her her entire life, her opinion of him soured. She didn't consider him an enemy and didn't regret saving him before, but she wasn't going to be all smiles and grins if he decided to show his face again.

I wonder if this was apart of his master plan. I wonder if Ishtar and me falling in love was in the script. Or us having a baby. ...what if it was? She stopped that line of thought before some very... unsavory theories could have a chance to come to life. "I'm going to channel Maiz and say that hating him is a waste of time and energy. The biggest way to spite him would be to live your life the way you want to." She smiled. "And the first thing we can do is get... what's the word? Married?"

Her face dropped.

Then Ishtar leaned in for a kiss, only to stop short. Damn it, I forgot already.

This was too weird. There was nothing she wanted more than to reunite with her love the right way, but she couldn't. It would have been like listening to Parsley have... that, and she wasn't down for that. Besides, it wasn't right to mate in someone else's body. It was like mating in someone else's bed. It was disrespectful.

"It can't," she replied sadly. "As long as I'm like this, we can't mate. It wouldn't be right for me to disrespect Parsley's body like this. Besides, it'd be like listening to Parsley mate and that's gross. I haven't even enjoyed any, you know, alone time." Meaning she was super pent up. And with Inanna -- yes! Got it on the first try! -- looking the way that she did and with her feeling the arousal and lust, it was going to be hard to resist.

But, it was an exercise in willpower. And an exercise in being willing to find an easy and cheap way at fixing this. She didn't want to rely on dragonballs, but the moment she found a set -- either here on Vocado or even Earth -- she was going to take it. "I'm sorry. I can take you, if you really need the release, and if it isn't too weird. It's still me, even if I have this ugly face."

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Feeling as if her memories of her past life were being lived through vicariously through another person was something she could kind of relate to. Watching Parsley live her life in her body carried with it this strange, out-of-body feeling that made her feel that she was a spectator watching her own life flash by on a screen. It was like she was watching a documentary, but she had more input in the story being told.

It wasn't really the same thing, or as severe, but at least she had some kind of reference to help her understand. Because this was really... hard to wrap her head around. The woman sitting next to her was Ishtar, and still was Ishtar, even though the portion of her that was referred to as Isthar was dead. Ugh, her head was starting to hurt. **** it. I'm just going to not worry about it. The woman I love is alive, and that's all that matters.

As for Zurvan, Sarada didn't know how she personally felt about him. They had never been all that close; she only considered him friendly because of Ishtar... Inanna. No... Ishtar. But this... after it was revealed that he had been hiding things from his own daughter and then that he had been lying and manipulating her her entire life, her opinion of him soured. She didn't consider him an enemy and didn't regret saving him before, but she wasn't going to be all smiles and grins if he decided to show his face again.

I wonder if this was apart of his master plan. I wonder if Ishtar and me falling in love was in the script. Or us having a baby. ...what if it was? She stopped that line of thought before some very... unsavory theories could have a chance to come to life. "I'm going to channel Maiz and say that hating him is a waste of time and energy. The biggest way to spite him would be to live your life the way you want to." She smiled. "And the first thing we can do is get... what's the word? Married?"

Her face dropped.

Then Ishtar leaned in for a kiss, only to stop short. Damn it, I forgot already.

This was too weird. There was nothing she wanted more than to reunite with her love the right way, but she couldn't. It would have been like listening to Parsley have... that, and she wasn't down for that. Besides, it wasn't right to mate in someone else's body. It was like mating in someone else's bed. It was disrespectful.

"It can't," she replied sadly. "As long as I'm like this, we can't mate. It wouldn't be right for me to disrespect Parsley's body like this. Besides, it'd be like listening to Parsley mate and that's gross. I haven't even enjoyed any, you know, alone time." Meaning she was super pent up. And with Inanna -- yes! Got it on the first try! -- looking the way that she did and with her feeling the arousal and lust, it was going to be hard to resist.

But, it was an exercise in willpower. And an exercise in being willing to find an easy and cheap way at fixing this. She didn't want to rely on dragonballs, but the moment she found a set -- either here on Vocado or even Earth -- she was going to take it. "I'm sorry. I can take you, if you really need the release, and if it isn't too weird. It's still me, even if I have this ugly face."

So it couldn't work at all, until they were returned to their bodies. There was moment where it seemed like Inanna was upset by this, and then she shrugged. "Then that's how it will be until it's fixed then. Though it ... may be harder on you than me," the Oni responded only to realize what that meant.

"... which means it'll be even harder on me, won't it." Aka Manah being what it was, and all.

Hm.

"As far as it being weird if we did do anything uh ... lewd. It doesn't. You know I'm not as uh ... bothered by taboos as other people." Inanna replied. After all, when you'd seen as much as she had -- or Ishtar ... whatever -- you tended to lose your concern for most societal taboos. At least not the ones that were obviously wrong. "I won't force you to mate with me, looking like that though. It clearly disturbs you and on top of being wrong of me it'd negatively impact the fun."

The Oni shrugged again, before smiling at her Little Love.

"So we'll just have to stick with uh ... well, I'll have to treat you like I'd treat Parsley, I suppose. At least in public ... and treat her as I'd treat you." There was a moment when she realized what that'd mean and her eyes widened before a nervous chuckle escaped. "That'll be awkward. So uh ... about fixing this ..."

[grampagen]

"Would you believe Sasheem if he said it was for selfish reasons?" The Majin grinned. "If you want a serious answer, though. Sasheem is here for the same reasons he's training under Master Balon...to see if he can learn somethin'."

Without another word, Sasheem followed the Phoenix's instructions, flying westward.

"With your impeccable record, I could hardly expect any less," Ochazuke replied. "However, I have a different theory."

A suspicion that slowly seemed to ratify itself, given the Majin's recent turn.

In his appraisal, across the many choice words one might use to describe Sasheem, subtle would not be one of them. An avaricious demon first, and one crossed to the path of the Five Schools second, the hunger of a killer stood about him as plainly as the scales upon his flesh, and so exposed since that day they fought each other, he had been reticent to lower his guard.

A snake that adorns its face with horns and flame is hardly a Dragon. It will take more than adopting a guise and mimicking the techniques. This game he played was far too familiar and near to mind; he knew it all too well.

Yet despite all this, it was not to the end of pursuing power that he remained on Earth. The history had been long lost, and yet these ancient secrets endured. The meaning behind these legacy skills were meant for something greater. Perhaps one day, we might realize this.

“Cinder. Farewell, brothers. Come again if you retrieve the secrets.”


Balon motions.

“I know the way. Farewell, Cinder! We shall meet again. Until then!”

He bows to the Phoenix, then lifts off and heads westward.

"Cinder." Onimous name. Had it been gifted or chosen? The last light of a fire extinguished before it falls to ash, the last sign of its former magnificence worn, a remainder rising in fleeting, glowing motes.

All the fire it needed to continue was the proper vessel to bear it.

"We will return."

By now Zaofan had departed, keeping his position near Balon. Ochazuke followed suit, chasing after them across the Western skies.

[grampagen]

The spirit, for lack of information, regarding their words quietly.

As Zaofan once more reaffirmed who they were, guests, the figure tilted her head.....and though the cook could not see it through the visible blur that came with her ethereal form, he could sense something akin to growing happiness. The being suddenly glided forward, emitting an child-like cry, and wrapped its ethereal arms around Zaofan. There was a tingling sensation...but beyond that he could feel the mass no more then if a regular child were hugging him.

"Finally someone is here!" The ghost cried softly. "Its been so long.....Its been so long....Thank you....Thank you...."

A merry little giggle would ordinary caused his heart to melt, but here within the ruins of the ancient brickwork, though no more than a whisper carried through the howling wind the little ghost-child's cry seemed to come from all sides. The unearthly glow carried upon its light, and yet Zaofan found his blood ran cold. Even though he wanted to, his legs refused to obey, locked in place like a panic-stricken goat pursued over the meadow.

"-hhhlllp~!"

Slowly, through his senses and skill, Ochazuke began to unravel something of the being that was now attached at Zaofans hip.

It was a ghost, there was no proper ki in her being. Rather....she was formed more from coalesced magic. The same sort found to a much greater effect in Erosa. Etrina had referred to it on countless occasions...magic that could bind conceptual beings into physical manifestations. The being before them was a Familiar, or at least shared something in common with familiars....only a mage would know for sure.

She shared nothing in common with the energies that flowed around her...no the corruption in the grounds, which seemed to make her something of an oddity.

Clearly this fact has not been lost to Erosa...but the Id was somewhat preoccupied with throwing territorial glares and hissing at the ghost to comment.

An isolated spirit. Yet what he could glean of its nature, this spirit was not alive in of itself. Neither ki, nor life energy could be read in its wake. Rather, its magical makeup refined its presence, and was a manifestation of something, sourced from an abstract.

The remainder of some such summoner's sorcery, perhaps?

The similarities with Erosa were hard to miss, and so was her reaction.

"Going to the mountain? But you just got here." The ghost looked to him now, arms still around Zaofan. "Stay awhile....oh dear the place is such a mess.....Hang on."

The girl releases Zaofan, floats back, extends her arms and briefly channels some sort of spell before.....something quite bizarre takes place.

Firstly Ochazuke, who had been observing via his senses, felt an extraordinary amount of magic suddenly spill forth from the girls form.

Secondly, Zaofan, Shōchū, Ochazuke and Erosa would all be momentarily blinded by the intense light of as etherial light similar to her own filled in the space around them...filling in the gaps in the wall, forming complex shapes and finally taking on contextual shape.



"Ok...much better." The ghost clapped her ethereal hands. "These old places are never in a condition to receive guests......eehh." The ghost quickly realized the place where the group had started their fire had been directly under the original position of the table and quickly banished it with a hand wave. "Welcome to Avalon, Honored guests. I'm Morgan."

"~eep!" As she let him go, Zaofan felt as if all the weight of the grease trickling on his insides suddenly redoubled itself. On wobbly legs, he sauntered backwards onto...

...flat footsteps set upon a hardwood floor? "...wait a second." Warmed by the sight and feeling of the hearth flame, his voice had recovered much of its former courage. "...I don't think I'll ever get used to this," he sighed. "All the same, appreciate it, Miss Morgan!"

Ochazuke in the meantime turned his attention to the newly manifested environment. Like our host, a thing of sorcery plucked and rendered from nothing. Yet he'd been made aware within that vision on the Coldlight of the origin point of magic. That in itself had been enough to draw him from his training. Finding Rex roaming around these parts was merely convenient.

As Morgan spoke, he brushed his hand against the wall. If this place was raised from the grounds, or existed in some dimensional intersection, he would seek to determine its true nature, and hopefully gain some clue as to proceed on the perilous, living trail ahead where the beast roam within the shadow.

"Avalon?" Curious. He'd heard that name once before, but it held no stake for him until very recently. "Is this a kingdom come to return, then?"

If the sight before them did not draw their attention, none would notice the miniscule chief of the Galaxy Police had hitched a ride on Shōchū's shoulders, clapping his tiny chopstick hands when the room was shaped before them all.

BGM - Sad Bill and Poor Ben

Immediate after he spoke to Morgan, Ochazuke froze as his sense fell on subtle nature of this small creature. Though its oblong construction should not have stood, nevermind support its deft movements upon such thin, filamentous limbs, within this hall of warmth and refuge he felt a profoundly sinister emptiness within the hollow of that hard-angled, chitinous cardboard frame. Silently, he remained at the further end, taking the measure of the construction of this place and its true nature.

But Zaofan who had remained near Shochu throughout, passed wide, deeply blinking eyes from their host, back to Durive, then settled at some straw-nestled spot on the floor. One day back. Could this get any weirder?

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"Tch. Forcing children into a life of piracy isn't saving them, you idiot. Racking up bounties, breaking the law, forcing them to do your dirty work. It's slavery, pure and simply, furbag."

His armor was durable, but even the most powerful materials had a limit. She covered her fists with ki and laid into him, a unrelenting barrage on Fang's armor.

"You and people like you are scum," she snarled. "You think that just because you 'saved' these kids, that means they have to do what you say no matter what. Guess what, dickhead. They don't. They have free will and can leave whenever they want. And if you were this righteous savior, you'd let them. You don't and that makes you and the rest of these pirates slavers. You're not better than the Saiyans of old or the Junjo."

Every word was punctuated by a powerful punch that cracked his armor. Dozens of punches that chipped away at the armor until there was nothing left.

As Fang armor shatters. His body is revealed to have numerous scars, some of them really old. Fang coughs up dark green blood, which burns through the floor like acid." The Captain isn't scum, The Captain is a hero, He's my savior. " Fang said.



Fang slumps over just as Marasito shows up. You are a prime example of Stockholm Syndrome. You believe your Captain to be this righteous savior when he actually a not. Your body is cover in scars, no doubt from the beatings you received from you so-called savior," Marasito said.

" He only punishes me. Cause he loves me. Sonata is like a father to me," Fang said.

Marasito lowers his head." You poor unfortunate soul. You are clearly a delusion." Marasito said.

Fang finally dies, but the illusions that most of the children are seeing don't stop. So to each child expect for the Metalmen one. It looks as if a little kid was killed by a different type of monster by each kid seeing it, one that embodies each kids' worst fear.

The Metalmen child walks up to Marasito. Marasito hugs him. " I found you, my son," Marasito said.

Marasito then focuses his ki, and closes his eyes if to search for something that is out of place." Come on out, you damn red cat-bear. Show yourself, coward," Marasito said.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

So it couldn't work at all, until they were returned to their bodies. There was moment where it seemed like Inanna was upset by this, and then she shrugged. "Then that's how it will be until it's fixed then. Though it ... may be harder on you than me," the Oni responded only to realize what that meant.

"... which means it'll be even harder on me, won't it." Aka Manah being what it was, and all.

Hm.

"As far as it being weird if we did do anything uh ... lewd. It doesn't. You know I'm not as uh ... bothered by taboos as other people." Inanna replied. After all, when you'd seen as much as she had -- or Ishtar ... whatever -- you tended to lose your concern for most societal taboos. At least not the ones that were obviously wrong. "I won't force you to mate with me, looking like that though. It clearly disturbs you and on top of being wrong of me it'd negatively impact the fun."

The Oni shrugged again, before smiling at her Little Love.

"So we'll just have to stick with uh ... well, I'll have to treat you like I'd treat Parsley, I suppose. At least in public ... and treat her as I'd treat you." There was a moment when she realized what that'd mean and her eyes widened before a nervous chuckle escaped. "That'll be awkward. So uh ... about fixing this ..."

Watching Ishtar get up close and cozy with Parsley was going to be the fucking worst. Even if it was all just an act. They had to get this **** straightened out as soon as Saiyanly possible. "I'm glad you understand," she said with a sigh. "It's going to fucking suck having to watch you and Parsley together, but it's only for a little while."

As for trying to fix this, there were a few options. "Well, there are the dragonballs. Those are the easiest and quickest fix. But, the last time I went to Earth to ask if I could use them, Eva seemed hesitant, so I really don't want to go through that **** again. Unless there are balls here on Vocado, I guess that's a no go. The only other option I can think of is finding the bastard that did this and making him undo it."

She pulled up a 3D image of Letchee and showed it to Ishtar. "This is him. Parsley said she felt some strange energies around this ball thing," she zoomed in on the artifact he had been holding. "I don't remember much about it. One minute I was myself, the next I was Parsley. I did feel cold and dark for, like, a few seconds, but that went away pretty quickly."

She sighed and dissipated the image. "Our best bet, I guess, is to find him and make him turn me and Parsley back to normal." She scoffed and looked away. "Fat chance of that happening. He's backed up by this powerful Frost Demon named Tundra. I've never heard of him, but apparently he's behind the Tuffles and the attack on Turrip."

That reminded her of something, something she couldn't believe she forgot, considering how much of a headache straightening out the aftermath caused her on top of all this other ****. "Some clown broke the Tuffles out of prison some time ago. Parsley and I fought them when they tried to take over Turrip again. We won, but the living weapon they had with them destroyed the planet." She sighed and cradled her head in her hands. "Turrip is gone and now we have ten million more Saiyans living here on Vocado. It's been a real pain in the ass trying to find housing for all of them. We're building two new cities, but that'll take years to finish and people are getting impatient."

And one last thing. "Oh, and we're tearing down the Meat Market and building a new city for them to live in. So there's that."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

As Fang armor shatters. His body is revealed to have numerous scars, some of them really old. Fang coughs up dark green blood, which burns through the floor like acid." The Captain isn't scum, The Captain is a hero, He's my savior. " Fang said.



Fang slumps over just as Marasito shows up. You are a prime example of Stockholm Syndrome. You believe your Captain to be this righteous savior when he actually a not. Your body is cover in scars, no doubt from the beatings you received from you so-called savior," Marasito said.

" He only punishes me. Cause he loves me. Sonata is like a father to me," Fang said.

Marasito lowers his head." You poor unfortunate soul. You are clearly a delusion." Marasito said.

Fang finally dies, but the illusions that most of the children are seeing don't stop. So to each child expect for the Metalmen one. It looks as if a little kid was killed by a different type of monster by each kid seeing it, one that embodies each kids' worst fear.

The Metalmen child walks up to Marasito. Marasito hugs him. " I found you, my son," Marasito said.

Marasito then focuses his ki, and closes his eyes if to search for something that is out of place." Come on out, you damn red cat-bear. Show yourself, coward," Marasito said.

Wolf boy fell after making up some dipshit excuses for his shitbag of a leader. "Savior, my ass," she muttered before capturing the corpse in a capsule. Not only was she going to have herself a nice wolf-skin cloak to walk around in, but she was also going to eat well tonight. The guy looked pretty meaty and wolf meat was pretty tasty.

Mustache started barking for some cat bear thing after reuniting with his son. She nodded and walked out. "Hey Mustache, make sure those kids get to safety after they snap out of whatever trance they're in. I'm going after the leader of this clown circus."

She slipped out of the room and headed for the strongest power she could feel besides hers and that other guy's. And it just so happened that Qaztoh was also in the vicinity. Meh. Two birds, one stone.

Hold on. I should look up and see if these guys have any bounties.

She typed on her PDD and looked up any possible APBs the GP may have had on these jokers. And boy was she in luck! "Holy ****! 2 billion credits for this Sonata guy! Fang blah blah Von blah... Qaztoh? She's wanted, huh? Well, I'd better do my civil duty." This would be a fine way to get in good with the GP, even more than she already was. "I wonder if they'll pay the same if Sonata is dead?" she muttered as she walked into the engine room.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Watching Ishtar get up close and cozy with Parsley was going to be the fucking worst. Even if it was all just an act. They had to get this **** straightened out as soon as Saiyanly possible. "I'm glad you understand," she said with a sigh. "It's going to fucking suck having to watch you and Parsley together, but it's only for a little while."

As for trying to fix this, there were a few options. "Well, there are the dragonballs. Those are the easiest and quickest fix. But, the last time I went to Earth to ask if I could use them, Eva seemed hesitant, so I really don't want to go through that **** again. Unless there are balls here on Vocado, I guess that's a no go. The only other option I can think of is finding the bastard that did this and making him undo it."

She pulled up a 3D image of Letchee and showed it to Ishtar. "This is him. Parsley said she felt some strange energies around this ball thing," she zoomed in on the artifact he had been holding. "I don't remember much about it. One minute I was myself, the next I was Parsley. I did feel cold and dark for, like, a few seconds, but that went away pretty quickly."

She sighed and dissipated the image. "Our best bet, I guess, is to find him and make him turn me and Parsley back to normal." She scoffed and looked away. "Fat chance of that happening. He's backed up by this powerful Frost Demon named Tundra. I've never heard of him, but apparently he's behind the Tuffles and the attack on Turrip."

That reminded her of something, something she couldn't believe she forgot, considering how much of a headache straightening out the aftermath caused her on top of all this other ****. "Some clown broke the Tuffles out of prison some time ago. Parsley and I fought them when they tried to take over Turrip again. We won, but the living weapon they had with them destroyed the planet." She sighed and cradled her head in her hands. "Turrip is gone and now we have ten million more Saiyans living here on Vocado. It's been a real pain in the ass trying to find housing for all of them. We're building two new cities, but that'll take years to finish and people are getting impatient."

And one last thing. "Oh, and we're tearing down the Meat Market and building a new city for them to live in. So there's that."

"Well, think of it this way. You'll be a better fighter by the end of it, since having to play act as Parsley means you'll be working on your observational skills." Inanna offered, in an attempt to cheer Sarada up. "Plus, you've something to look forward to once it's sorted."

Inanna gestured toward herself. "Y'know. New body and all."

With the Dragonballs being unlikely though, given the recent over-reliance on them in general; this Letchee -- information on which Sarada readily provided -- individual seemed like their best bet barring some manner of magical fix. Was surely something about it in the Archives on Earth ... if not squirreled away in her memory.

"I may pay this ... nut a visit, however." The Oni eventually said, "will add it to the list of 'to-do's'. As for this Tundra, the Turrips, and ... whoever released them from confinement ? Well, I can't say it's surprising. Always someone looking to stir up ... **** ?" She added, testing the word out before being rather pleased with the way it rolled off the tongue.

"****." Inanna nodded to herself.

"I can see why you're so fond of it, the swearing." Inanna then muttered, offhand. Though even acknowledging that, she couldn't see making a habit of it every sentence.

With the other happenings on and around Vocado, being focused on restoring what was lost and moving forward from there however, Inanna couldn't have been more proud of her Little Love; and it was nice to see that the measured heads and calm voices -- in the form of Maiz, and the Vocadan Council -- was certainly paying dividends.

"Removing the Meat Market is a great idea, as is finding a home for the refugees of Turrip. Though ... perhaps it would be of some benefit to find them another home ?" Inanna asked.

"I could for Turrip what I did for Tatenen; and the chances of former inhabitants swearing revenge would be nonexistent." Or ... hm. That was certainly an idea. "Would they be opposed to moving to another planet, in time ?"

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Of the few things left for Inanna to do, following up on the information obtained concerning the First Race never abandoned her list of priorities. So when the moment presented itself for her to go and see for herself; she did so quite easily thanks to her improved Instant Transmission. Though when she arrived to the Binary Star system, and set foot upon an icy star. What she found was somewhat surprising: the star system was all but dead.

The solar system was innundated with asteroids, though from where they'd come she couldn't say ... perhaps the remnants of former planets. Though under the glow of the dying Binary Sun, she found what planets remained not that much better. As after searching the planets -- of which there were only three -- top to bottom all she'd found was that they had been dead quite a long time; and had on them nothing more than ice, and dirt.

Feeling a fool for wasting the time, Innana was on the verge of leaving. Though when she scanned the system again to search for any signs of life ... she sensed it. A flickering blip of energy, hidden away on the far side of the star.

Relieved, Inanna locked in on it, and when she stepped back into reality she found herself standing on a derelict outpost of the same make as the Star Forge; and without a single moment's hesitation Inanna headed inside ...

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Of the few things left for Inanna to do, following up on the information obtained concerning the First Race never abandoned her list of priorities. So when the moment presented itself for her to go and see for herself; she did so quite easily thanks to her improved Instant Transmission. Though when she arrived to the Binary Star system, and set foot upon an icy star. What she found was somewhat surprising: the star system was all but dead.

The solar system was innundated with asteroids, though from where they'd come she couldn't say ... perhaps the remnants of former planets. Though under the glow of the dying Binary Sun, she found what planets remained not that much better. As after searching the planets -- of which there were only three -- top to bottom all she'd found was that they had been dead quite a long time; and had on them nothing more than ice, and dirt.

Feeling a fool for wasting the time, Innana was on the verge of leaving. Though when she scanned the system again to search for any signs of life ... she sensed it. A flickering blip of energy, hidden away on the far side of the star.

Relieved, Inanna locked in on it, and when she stepped back into reality she found herself standing on a derelict outpost of the same make as the Star Forge; and without a single moment's hesitation Inanna headed inside ...

It is relatively small, more an outpost or station of some sort. The normal First Race design and patterns met her sight. After probably two hours of searching, she finds only three things:

-Emptiness. No one and nothing remains here.

-A single odd metallic cube about four by four by four inches in size.

-Data. The place was a research station, and it looks like the scanners it employs are beyond anything, even Jinzi, has made. From here the First Race scanned the Galaxy, and terrifyingly their information gathered concerned hundreds of races, some so far away (including Earth) that it shouldn’t be possible to reach that far.

The data seemed benign though. Descriptions of the planets, their races, biology, chemistry, etc.....

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Her eyes widened slightly, "You know, I never thought to ask how these rooms were made. Here on the Lookout you have several special rooms, like the Room of Space and Time, that I always took for granted. At Iris's Temple, there are also a few rooms that seemed almost impossible to have been created under normal circumstances."

Meagan thought on this, "You know, if it is possible to create a special room like that then that could solve the problem. Only how does one actually make a room like that?"

“Call upon the spirits of the previous Guardians. Together you should be able to manipulate the sacred place to create such a room.”

[MrSandman]

"~eep!" As she let him go, Zaofan felt as if all the weight of the grease trickling on his insides suddenly redoubled itself. On wobbly legs, he sauntered backwards onto...

...flat footsteps set upon a hardwood floor? "...wait a second." Warmed by the sight and feeling of the hearth flame, his voice had recovered much of its former courage. "...I don't think I'll ever get used to this," he sighed. "All the same, appreciate it, Miss Morgan!"

Ochazuke in the meantime turned his attention to the newly manifested environment. Like our host, a thing of sorcery plucked and rendered from nothing. Yet he'd been made aware within that vision on the Coldlight of the origin point of magic. That in itself had been enough to draw him from his training. Finding Rex roaming around these parts was merely convenient.

As Morgan spoke, he brushed his hand against the wall. If this place was raised from the grounds, or existed in some dimensional intersection, he would seek to determine its true nature, and hopefully gain some clue as to proceed on the perilous, living trail ahead where the beast roam within the shadow.

"Avalon?" Curious. He'd heard that name once before, but it held no stake for him until very recently. "Is this a kingdom come to return, then?"

"You....don't know about Avalon?" She seemed surprised at the revelation at first, but slowly the spirit girl started bobbing up in down in growing nervous excitement. "Avalon is the Protected Realm of Humankin, making up all the lands of the north. You couldn't have arrived at a better time, I was only passing through to check on the area....but if you need a guide I can show you around!"

Morgan conjured several cups of steaming tea with a gesture, letting them float just in reach of each.

"If you came here without knowing....are you explorers perhaps? Or refugees from the southlands?" She leaned forward, close enough for Ocha to make out her features amiss the glow of her form. "How are things with the eld dragons?"

If the sight before them did not draw their attention, none would notice the miniscule chief of the Galaxy Police had hitched a ride on Shōchū's shoulders, clapping his tiny chopstick hands when the room was shaped before them all.

After performing the deed, a momentarily distracted Morgan eyes the little police chief. "....heh.....what a cute familiar." She smiled, twirled a glowing hand, and a creature materialized on Shōchū other shoulder with a similar appearance. "Don't mind me....I like crafting new things. Now they can be friends."

The Familiar Durive stood, turned to the other arm and waves his hand in friendship.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Wolf boy fell after making up some dipshit excuses for his shitbag of a leader. "Savior, my ass," she muttered before capturing the corpse in a capsule. Not only was she going to have herself a nice wolf-skin cloak to walk around in, but she was also going to eat well tonight. The guy looked pretty meaty and wolf meat was pretty tasty.

Mustache started barking for some cat bear thing after reuniting with his son. She nodded and walked out. "Hey Mustache, make sure those kids get to safety after they snap out of whatever trance they're in. I'm going after the leader of this clown circus."

She slipped out of the room and headed for the strongest power she could feel besides hers and that other guy's. And it just so happened that Qaztoh was also in the vicinity. Meh. Two birds, one stone.

Hold on. I should look up and see if these guys have any bounties.

She typed on her PDD and looked up any possible APBs the GP may have had on these jokers. And boy was she in luck! "Holy ****! 2 billion credits for this Sonata guy! Fang blah blah Von blah... Qaztoh? She's wanted, huh? Well, I'd better do my civil duty." This would be a fine way to get in good with the GP, even more than she already was. "I wonder if they'll pay the same if Sonata is dead?" she muttered as she walked into the engine room.

Marasito doesn't say anything and just Silently nods. Marastio then fires a blast of Ki at what seems to be a little boy." How dare you hide yourself among these children Cat bear. After the little boy is hit by the blast.

It suddenly morphs into a Red Panda humanoid alien. The alien runs off in fear. " I deal with you later. right, now I need to attend to these children," Marastio said.

Once free from Von's illusion. The kids snap out of there trance, and Marastio escorts them into the portal. Later a Red Panda humanoid alien wearing a lab coat and white gloves runs pass to the engine room and stops when he notices Sarada.

" This is all you're fault bitch. You should have followed my orders as you were told. You and the rest of the children are supposed to do what they're told," Sonata said.

Sonata stomps on Qaztoh." because of you, and that F@#king Brench-Sejin Nadila. Just up leaving my crew, it started a chain reaction," Sonata said.

" Causing the rest of the brats onboard to think they can leave this crew. No one leaves this crew!" Sonata said.

" Three years ago, I found you lost in space, I rescue you, and how to you repay me. You take over my f#$king ship and give away its location. Not only that, but you unlock the damn cell doors," Sonata said in anger.

Qaztoh spits blood into Soanta's face." f#$k you! You didn't save me, you f#$king abducting me!" Qaztoh said.

While Sonata is beating Qaztoh. A skeleton appears before Sarada," Stop right there, don't take a step further." the skeleton said.