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

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Parsley muttered. She kept her voice low to keep Sarada's stupid butch voice from cracking again.

"Tch, of course she is. Inanna's little minx," Sarada hummed. She moved toward Inanna and gave her backside a nice slap. "Mm, nice and firm. I bet it tastes damn good, too. Either way, I'll find out in a little bit."

Parsley's face soured. Sarada was really going to mate in her body. Not just any kind of mating, but... that kind of mating. The kind that couldn't possibly produce a child. And Ishtar -- or Inanna, apparently -- was more than on board. In fact, unless she suddenly had a lapse of sense that rendered her hearing temporarily inoperable, she even suggested that she herself join them. In an effort to learn how Sarada behaved around Inanna in public to better mimic the intimate public displays of affection the two engaged in.

"Disgusting," she spat. "I would die before I watch my sister mate with someone!"

"What's the big deal?" Sarada had the sheer audacity, the utter temerity to ask. "You're already mating with my sloppy seconds." She shrugged. "This ain't that much worse."

"Why you..."

"Hehe. Don't worry about it, Inanna. Parsley's too much of a prude to engage in some fun."

She growled and balled her fists. "I am not a prude!" She smirked. "Just ask Avoca. I can please her far better than you ever could."

"I highly doubt that."

"Hmph. Reality disagrees." She glanced at Inanna and shook her head. "I fear I'll have to decline. The very thought of watching you two makes my stomach turn. Sorry."

She wasn't actually sorry.

"Quite a bit, yes." Inanna responded, before blowing her 'Little Love' a kiss. "Besides, you're in the body of my lover. Can't help myself." Well, she could but that was hardly the point.

Teasing Parsley was.

Though from the way she responded, she misunderstood what had been asked; declining the offer to come and watch with a complete lack of regret. Which caused Inanna to chuckle, and lean in quite close.

"I wasn't suggesting you watch, Parsley~" Inanna whispered, before straighting back up. "Though I feel despite your boasts, you're rather innocent ..." Which was, above all else, "... how absolutely adorable~"

[Yun Lao]

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.

Durive's presence had not gone entirely unnoticed... but enough to perturb the machine mutant, whose sensors were supposedly more advanced than most technology of this time period. Then again, their situation had been anything other than unnatural as the manifestation of magic Morgan had swept them from frozen ruins to an inviting warm home. Her intel furiously scanned her surroundings, trying to make sense of the sudden change in the environment.

"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?"

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.

And now there was a second Durive on her, this one comprised of magic while the original was derived from... cardboard and balsa? She could feel her cybernetic half groaning in frustration as it tried to rationalize how Durive could even exist. It was becoming apparent that it might be safer to push her organic mind to the forefront if only to keep the cybernetic from burning out.

"Arthur?" Morgan asked. "Who's Arthur?"

The question reverberated through the small conjured home, The familiar looking legitimately confused by his statement. "I've not heard..." The girl paused. "...not heard of anyone with that name, not even among the Lords of Amdapor. Avalon is ruled by Queen Persephone and the Amdaporian Counsel. Perhaps your mistaking one of the southern kingdoms.....if so.....my condolences, survival on the mainland is still a hard state of affairs with the eld dragons, cruel monsters they are."

The girl fidgeted under Ochazukes stare, but continued. "Avalon stretches most of the north, but not all of it is inhabited.....perhaps that is why you know not of us. The borders of our lands give off the air of a barren waste to purposely deter the eld from seeking us out. I'm traveled the north countless times....I know all the cities and towns, and I've yet to hear of one called Cask....or maybe I have?" The girl tilted her head in through. "....was it that camp of travelers a few moons back.....or that small one a few moons before that......when did I......it must have been along my last route but...."

The girl shook her head, bringing herself back to the present and focused entirely on the ring being displayed on Ochazukes outstretched hand.

"......what is....hmm..?" Morgan looked closer. "......where did you get....the energy is similar to Lord Uthers but...." the girl looked up to Ochazuke, suddenly suspicious. "Who are you....your not Uther in disguise are you....I swear by the great ones if it is I'll report you straight to..." She paused. "I mean...I'll be very VERY cross...."

It was at this point that Ochazuke slowly began to ascertain the situation. Whatever storied history had led the Familiar to this point was as pointedly removed from the history he had come to know. It seemed the world Morgan hailed from was not quite in step with the rest of the world; perhaps like Mara the Wolf Guardian, she existed as a figment where these secrets lay sleeping beneath the strata of ancient ice.

"On the contrary. The lands outside of your borders endure, despite the elements. As such, I cannot say that they recognize your sovereign, at such a remove." Whether it was a gulf of time that separated them, or else some entirely other degree of removal, he could not say. But as Morgan's eyes drift to the ring of the Earth Guardian, he was less than amused by her sudden change in tone.

"...are you threatening me?"

Those names, Ampadour and Persephone, however, did strike a chord with the other Martial Brother. As Zaofan sipped the hot tea, he found courage slowly spread within him besides its warmth.


"You don't mean...Magi-Queen...Persephone, by any chance?" Zaofan said, "But her kingdom was established almost a hundred-thousand years ago."

Stretching his long fingers around the heated mug, he idly blew the steam off its surface. "Maybe...it'd be easier if we started over. You have to understand this isn't exactly familiar territory for us, Morgan."

"We're wasting valuable time," Ochazuke muttered. As the moments passed, who knew what hell Rex would continue to sow as he moved, unchecked?

"Please," Zaofan raised a hand gently, and nod his assurance to those gathered before returning to their host. "If there's any resemblance to Uther, well, it's just a coincidence, because frankly none of us know who that is."

"Like my friend said, we're all travelers here and mean no offense to your Great Ones, and though our Eld Dragons might not be quite the same, we know what it's like being stuck in the shadow of fear," he continued. "But you've shown us kindness, even though you didn't have to, and I for once appreciate it! You've been a wonderful host, but I'm afraid I'll have to ask just a little more."

Zaofan shift where he stood, slowly crossing the space as he pulled a chair out and sat at the table.

"...where are we?"

Realizing her mind had been trailing off in place of following the conversation, she perked up as tensions rose between Morgan and Ochazuke. The latter had produced an object that Morgan took a great offense to, but it appeared to be a misunderstanding in the end, as things settled down... or at least as much as a situation like this would allow.

"No!.....Well.....yes.......maybe!" Morgan pointed nervously, her glow giving off a reddish Blue hue. "S..Stealing from a Lord of Amdapor is a criminal offense...I....I demand an explanation for where you got that." The girl stamped her foot, gave Ochazuke a determined glare.....fidgeted a little, glanced to the side, let out a nervous cough. "I...I mean.....if you want to....I'd appreciate it...."

"Yes!" Morgan turned, pointing triumphantly at Zaofan. "That's right, Magi Queen Persephone rules the realm of Avalon. She......eh..." Morgan trailed off. For a moment, Zaofan felt something odd from her....the mention of time seemed to give her pause internally. She struggled to find words for several moments before snapping back to reality and seemingly moving on as if the last part had never been said.

Taking a moment to take it what Zaofan said to her, Morgan slowly nods her head. "O...Of course........Forgive me for being rude, your the first of the talking sort to come by in......some time." She paced around, the red from her aura slowly fading to be replaced by light blue.

"Your in Avalon, Snowwall to be exact.....and I'm..." Morgan paused, trying to say something but the word not coming to her mouth. "I....well....its my responsibility to travel around the outlying towns and make sure they're doing well.....and help any refuges that come...." She somehow sounded both convinced and yet, hesitant of her own words. As if she had rehearsed her words for a long time but was still nervous about playing her part. Your not refuges, but your still strangers.....I'd be willing to show you around, if you have some place you wish to visit I can take you there....I know some great restaurants, and Cornwall had the most wonderful..."

The girl choked. ".....has.....has the most....it has the most wonderful fish platters. Its only a few miles to the north west, we can take the scenic route too....there is a wonderful view of the capital and the Speaker Mountain."

"Avalon..." She repeated to herself, her database performing searches of the name, only to find bits of scrap of intel. Fairytales, myths, folklore, but nothing concrete in nature.

"We are not explorers nor refugees," Shōchū corrected, "We were following a very dangerous creature."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Quite a bit, yes." Inanna responded, before blowing her 'Little Love' a kiss. "Besides, you're in the body of my lover. Can't help myself." Well, she could but that was hardly the point.

Teasing Parsley was.

Though from the way she responded, she misunderstood what had been asked; declining the offer to come and watch with a complete lack of regret. Which caused Inanna to chuckle, and lean in quite close.

"I wasn't suggesting you watch, Parsley~" Inanna whispered, before straighting back up. "Though I feel despite your boasts, you're rather innocent ..." Which was, above all else, "... how absolutely adorable~"

Parsley? Innocent? Adorable?

What a laughable assertion. Clearly Inanna forgot her brain when she switched identities. "Hmph. A laughable thing to say. Clearly, Sarada has been influencing you far more than either of you realize. Not wanting to partake in whatever foolishness you're suggesting isn't innocence, it's simple and common decency. Besides, Sarada would be unable to use my divinely beautiful figure to its fullest extent, and I'd rather not cringe myself to death."

Shrugging, she turned and started for the palace. "Now, if you two degenerates will excuse me, my bed is calling me. Good night."

"She's not a prude," Sarada grunted. "She's just a priss. Anyways." She curled her arm around Inanna's and started to pull her toward the palace. "Let's away to our room so I can clap those cheeks."

Parsley's shrill screech could be heard from just beyond the door leading inside.

[MrSandman]

Touche, copy. Touche...Durvie began to slowly twirl the shiv in front of him like a shield. Something he once saw on tv, undoubtedly. He approached his counterpart, intent entirely unclear.

Copy Durive, seeing his copy slowly start to walk towards him....begins spinning his gun in ever increasingly epic ways as he slowly advances across the shoulder to meet him.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Blizzar turns to Held, then turns to watch Sarada leave, and then casually walks back to the table where he sat before and stares into his empty teacup for a minute.

Praxat walks over to Blizzar." Blizzar, how long would it take us to make it to this Apox planet?" Praxat said.

Mr.Gazaki shows up and hands Althena and Praxat two vials." Qaztoh has given Mr. Gazaki instructions to tell you two to take what's in those vials," Mr. Gazkai said.

Praxat holds the vial up to her face." Egg Production Reducer Serum, huh? So Qaztoh did it!" Praxat said.

Praxat and Althena take the serum. ( Shit this stuff is kind of sweet taste nasty, and I do feel there's something different about my body!) Praxat thought.

" Mr. Gazaki, do you know what Qaztoh was planning on doing today?"

Mr. Gazaki nods. " Qaztoh, received a message moments ago from a woman name Craxat for her and you to return to Qacriea. The message state that a woman name Araxat arrange a portal from Earth to Qacriea near Capsule Corp." Mr. Gazaki said.

" Qaztoh has planned on going there, but she told Mr. Gazaki she had unfinished business to do first. She told Mr. Gazaki that she knew Sonata was after her. That she wanted Sonata to capture her so she could take over the Black Diamond and reveal its coordinates, free the children like her on board, and get intel on Sonata's hideout," Mr. Gazaki said.

" I see so Qaztoh, let herself get captured by Sonata. So she could redeem herself. " Praxat said.

Meanwhile, onboard the Black Diamond Earl makes it to his ship. Earl gets into his ship and contacts GP HQ." GP HQ this is Lieutenant Stratovarius. I have gathered sufficient video evidence from The Black Diamond," Earl said.

"Pinning my brother Sonata for two missing children cases. One that happened eleven years ago and one that happened three years ago," Earl said.

" I have the videos on a USB drive, and I'm heading over to HQ with the evidence," Earl said.

[KingofPie]

Copy Durive, seeing his copy slowly start to walk towards him....begins spinning his gun in ever increasingly epic ways as he slowly advances across the shoulder to meet him.

Durive's stopped in his tracks , spinning his shiv even fast, each rotation increasing in speed, until...the flat of the blade smacked against his forehead and he crumpled to the floor, squealing in pain.

[KingofPie]

He nods as they bind his wounds.

“And I would have gone that way too, had a man not come some years ago. He was lost, hurt, dying. I spared his life and taught him our style as best I knew. He later betrayed it but since then I strived to remain vigilante.”

He hisses as they bandage him, but he doesn’t seem in danger of losing his life.

“The Master’s Challenge. Then you are his Chosen Disciples.”

He pulls out a small scroll and passes it to Ochazuke.

“The last place. The true heart of our order. The Tiger was headed there, I sensed her thoughts. She called it Charlie Base. Amidst its ruin is where the Ten Started. Where the Master’s message is.”

He nods in thanks.

“I, Leon, Guardian of this Shrine, charge you to defend the Master’s Will and take back what has been stolen.”

"Charlie Base, huh?" Sasheem muttered. The origin of the Ten? Interesting...the secrets it holds could prove key to attaining his goals. Or at least the goal that he was tasked with by his sensei. The only promise he really carted to uphold. "If we're done playing veterinarian here, we should probably get a move on, right?"

[MrSandman]

Durive's stopped in his tracks , spinning his shiv even fast, each rotation increasing in speed, until...the flat of the blade smacked against his forehead and he crumpled to the floor, squealing in pain.

Seeing his chance, Copy Durive gripped his pistol.....and threw it at the Durive.

He missed, bounced it off the side of Shochu's head and hit himself with it.

[Yun Lao]

The metallic squeal of the bus' brakes woke her from her nap. Groggily staring out the window, her eyes suddenly snapped opened as she realized they were already at her stop, "Wait! I'm getting off!" Drawing a few amused glances her way, the thirdteen-year-old scrambled out of the public transport and stepped onto the sidewalk, her departure signaled by the bus door closing and the vehicle driving off. "Ooof... how embarrassing!" Tightening her grip on the straps of her backpack, Ogatan Hibachi smiled as her thoughts turned to more pleasant things and made her way into the Brick City Public Park entrance. The trip from Capital City made her body stiff, but she knew she would make up for it soon enough.

It had been some time since her family moved to Capital City and after the incident she was uncertain if she would ever come back to Brick City, but recently she had been spending the weekends and summers here. Having grown accustomed to the path she took, the small girl could easily cut through the brush and leap over the ravine without even looking, although the casual nature of her actions did occasionally drawn the concerned looks of others. Soon enough, the dense forest gave way to the lush jungles that bordered Brick City. There weren't any traditional markers to guide her, only familiar landmarks such as a funny looking tree, that funny looking bush, and her favorite -the skeletal remains of a jungle bear- among many others. The local fauna had grown accustomed to her presence, or rather they had learned not to get into her way, as many had been punted into the canopy from her careless gait.

At last, she found the archways that marked the entrance to the former Dino School temple and upon reaching them, called out, "GRANDMA, I'M HERE!" Charging in without looking, Hibachi would be surprised to find the world standing still as she ran into something... no, someone solid. Falling back onto her rump, she winced and glanced up.



Hibachi screamed, the man screamed in response, and Ogatan Zippa stepped outside to see what the commotion was about, "Why is everyone screaming?!"

"Grandma!" The girl shrieked, pointing to the man, "St-str-stranger danger, I need an adult!"

"...but I am an adult..." The man said, his feelings visibly hurt although whether it was from the girl screaming at him or misunderstanding her comment.

Zippa sighed, rubbing her temples and muttering something about morons, "I'm sorry Jorg, this is my other grandchild, Hibachi. Hibachi this is Jorg Fourmen, he's a family friend and one of Charco's teachers."

"Teacher?!" The girl's eyes lit up and she quickly took to her feet to shake Jorg's hands, "My apologies sir!"

A cry came from the inside of her grandmother's home, causing her to glance over Jorg's shoulders. It was becoming quickly apparent that Jorg's visit wasn't just a friendly get together.

"How is he?" Jorg asked, his tone growing grim, bringing a frown to Zippa's lips.

"He doesn't have long."

----------------------

"Nice, you're recalling how to control your chi. Now I can stop holding back..."

With a flick of her wrist, he felt his body split into six pieces even though he saw the gleam of steel only once. Stumbling onto his back foot, he once more found his body unscathed from Dieselle's blade. Despite his lack of participation, she seemed content in her patience, striking only to keep the pressure on rather than malevolent amusement.

Chi, ki: these concepts were alien for him and yet he knew them?

Yes, he did. There were no memories coming to reinforce this confirmation, but he just knew it. He had put his blood, sweat, and tears into mastering them. His sadness, his rage, his misery, and regret; he had sacrificed so much for it and for what? Trapped in his own mind, getting butchered by the phantom of a cousin he never knew? The absurdity of it all only fed into the frustration of his broken mind trying to think.

"You already know well what it means to fight for your soul...".

"That is something that cannot be snuffed out. To find your way, that alone is something worth fighting for."

The gears of his mind, jagged and shattered, turned, piercing into the sides of his brain as it tore out some fragment of memory.

It hurts...

That voice, stern, yet if you listened closely enough, you would find a sliver of warmth to it. He didn't who whose it was, nor did he understand the context behind it, but it gave him a handhold he could grasp. It was something to keep his sanity afloat in these seas of madness.

Dieselle swung her blade once more, but once again he caught it, this time with both hands. The force behind the strike was enough to push him back, yet he held tight, relying on his forgotten chi control to keep his hands in one piece.

"Just below the surface, huh." Her left hand released the hilt of her sword and darted to her side moments before he felt the wind rush from his lungs as she struck him square in the chest with her scabbard, "I wonder if this is how he felt when he saw me." Dieselle mused aloud, "A frail, broken thing that should have been so much more." To his credit, he managed to hang on despite it all, although he was in a much more perilous predicament as it had driven him down to a knee. Unfortunately, he would be forced to let go after she drove her knee into his jaw, chilling his blood with the meaty crunching sound he heard.

"It's tough trying to rouse it out of you without the whole "threat of death" deal," Dieselle said with a sigh, slipping her scabbard back to her hip, following by sheathing her sword once more. Crossing her arms over her chest, she contemplated for a minute for a devious smile to cross her lips, "You want to know about yourself, huh? I know only secondhand knowledge, but I think I have a story for you..." Uncrossing her arms, her left hand resumed its place at her katana's sheath as she stood up that familiar stance.

"There was once a girl... a sassy girl who often gave people lip," She began now just realizing how untraditional this tale would be, "She had a cousin that she looked up. So much so that she wanted to be just like him even though others told her that she was too young to do some of the things he did."

Unsheathing her sword, Dieselle vanished, the ground where she had been exploding from the sheer force of her departure.

"But there was one person who sympathized with her, a teacher of hers," Although her voice sounded like she hadn't moved from her spot, he couldn't see her, only the explosions that marked the ground and the cuts and slices she gave him.

""I know of a way you can grow up quickly," her teacher told her. In the end, she was left crying but when she told others, no one believed her. After all, the teacher was a good man with a good family. They all looked at her with disgust and called her liar... all of them, except her cousin."

No longer did he feel the pain of Dieselle's blade for her words cut much more deeply. He... recognized this story and he dreaded to hear her continue.

"That's enough..."

"Her cousin found the teacher, the good man and left him a bloody mess."

"STOP!"

He could recall the taste of blood and the warmth of it across his knuckles. He could recall the look of terror.

The townspeople called her cousin a mad animal, believing him to have just mauled an innocent man and in their attempts to bring this animal to justice, they too were destroyed," Appearing in her original spot, Dieselle sheathed her sword once more and took her iaijutsu stance. Her casual attitude was replaced with stern determination as she prepared herself for one final strike. Lunging forward, the blade of her sword leaping from its sheath, the moonlight reflected from it burning his eyes in its arc toward him, The teacher's sins were eventually revealed by other victims, but the people of the town could not look at her cousin without disgust and horror. In trying to be like him, she had turned him into an outcast."

"IT WASN'T HER FAULT!"

From his kneeling position, he swung upward yet it was not a fist but rather his hand was curled like a claw. He could feel it, the energies within his body rushing into the limb and peeking out around his fingers. He knew that claw... that Terrible Claw. Dieselle's sword erupted into a shower of steel slivers as he could feel his fingertips piercing her flesh, tearing through muscle and bone, starting from the left hip before ripping out the right side of her throat, showering in the scarlet of viscera.

He then felt something pierce the side of his skull and darkness consumed him.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Parsley? Innocent? Adorable?

What a laughable assertion. Clearly Inanna forgot her brain when she switched identities. "Hmph. A laughable thing to say. Clearly, Sarada has been influencing you far more than either of you realize. Not wanting to partake in whatever foolishness you're suggesting isn't innocence, it's simple and common decency. Besides, Sarada would be unable to use my divinely beautiful figure to its fullest extent, and I'd rather not cringe myself to death."

Shrugging, she turned and started for the palace. "Now, if you two degenerates will excuse me, my bed is calling me. Good night."

"She's not a prude," Sarada grunted. "She's just a priss. Anyways." She curled her arm around Inanna's and started to pull her toward the palace. "Let's away to our room so I can clap those cheeks."

Parsley's shrill screech could be heard from just beyond the door leading inside.

"Sarada, influencing me ?" Inanna asked, somewhat surprised. "Oh certainly not. It's a complicated explanation, but Ishtar ... that Ishtar, is dead. I am who she ... I, was always meant to be." The woman said.

"Named after the long forgotten Goddess of War, and Lust~" she added with a wink, "and like it or not, until you return to your body I am your Consort ... in public at any rate."

As for that comment she made though, about Sarada not using her body to its full potential. She made it to easy. "I do hope you show me sometime," the Golden-eyed woman said with a jiggle, "how to use your body to its fullest~" Of course ... it was time to pay the Queen her pound of flesh, and as she was being pulled away she offered Parsley a wave.

"See you soon, Little Love~."

Goodness I'm having far too much fun with this.

[grampagen]

"Well......If that's true, then your certainly deserving of praise. If you hand it over, I'll make sure it is returned to its proper owner and your rewarded properly for your service." Morgan held out her hand as if it were all but expected he would drop the ring into her palm.

When he didn't.....she eyed her empty palm, look up at Ochazuke and seemed to be preparing to say something. Taking one look at the already stern visage of Ochazuke slowly growing darker with each passing second, the words immediately rolled back by her throat.

"....Er.....Well.....There's no harm in you holding it for a little....ehehe.....just don't let anyone else see that you have it."

Ochazuke stared at Morgan, following the read of her eyes to where his hand gripped the handle of his mug. He lift it slowly to his lips and sip silently, slowly, without once breaking eye contact.

"It seems while Avalon slept, the world outside of its borders had moved on," he said. "This ring was once used to protect this world, and I intend to see that it continues to do so."

But where, indeed, had it come from, if not from the workmanship of the Guardian Arthur himself?

The building, by his observation, had fulled "settled" by this point....with only a vague air of magic permeating the materials around them. The wood under his feet felt solid, the aroma of flowers from a nearby window perfectly matched his expectations, there was even the vague smell of baking bread from....somewhere. The house was a snapshot of a time when it had existed as it was meant to be, perhaps even the splitting image of what it had been when the city was at its height.

"Sometimes they can be hard to spot.....especially from a distance. Its..." The girl paused. "Well....its been awhile since I was close to the capital, so they might need to be cleaned up....same as snowwall. But I promise they're where their suppose to be" Morgan nodded vigorously.



"Y...Yes!" Morgans form began buzzing with delight, multicolored hues flowing down the length of her form like a rainbow cascade. "Why of course! I'll show you as much as you'd like! But.....you don't have to go to the mountain just yet." The pause in her speech was enough to hint to Ocha that she was still....nervous of something, or hiding it at least. "The cleaning should be just about done anyways.....And...."

For the first time, Morgans eyes seemed to focus down on Erosa...who had been giving her a mixture of scathing glances while prowling around the house attempting to hunt down the source of the bread smell, and somehow failing.

"I suppose I should ask.....Which of you does she belong too? You..won't be looked kindly upon in the capital if you let your familiars run loose like that....I'm sure we could get a collar from one of the shops here."

"Gao!" Erosa let out a yelp that made Morgan jump almost out of her aura. "What do I look like, a house pet...." The Id growled, and then leapt up onto a table...knocking all its contents over onto the floor, and sat with a smug "your move" look on her face.

"...I think it's quite clear our Erosa is her own person," Zaofan chuckled, "and she's...familiar...enough with us, that we can trust her to~"

The Id landed on the table, and the cutlery and place settings flew up. Zaofan's speech cut off quickly as his image blurred, and in instant the table's contents were stacked in neat piles before him. "Come on, be nice."

"As I was saying, we'd love to take a look around, if you'll continue to host us."

But still it seemed as if Morgan was dodging their request. As if she was afraid to merely speak of the matter - and further, afraid to leave the scope of the image she had curated for herself.

As they conversed, Ochazuke had been reaching into the very matter of this place, and traced its location. Where they once were in the ruins of Snowwall and now in this idealization of what it once was were one in the same. Magic. Temporal energy. A crafted image of illusion. She brought them here to escape what it had become, but they had hardly moved at all.

The char upon the tablecloth from their campfire was proof enough of that.

In the corner of the room, the hearth fire started to choke, and the temperature slowly began to fall in spite of the sunshine.

"Avalon..." She repeated to herself, her database performing searches of the name, only to find bits of scrap of intel. Fairytales, myths, folklore, but nothing concrete in nature.

"We are not explorers nor refugees," Shōchū corrected, "We were following a very dangerous creature."

Oh yes, of course. That's why we're here. Zaofan mused. Just how long did that vutter lay him out? Whelp, Erosa wouldn't have roped me into this if it wasn't truly important.

Continuing on Shochu's statement, Ochazuke spoke once more. "There is something out there that threatens the world. He may not be one of your Eld Dragons, but he is no less a threat."

The ethereal flame of Karura no Kaen spread invisibly from Ochazuke, the force of the spiritual fire coursing across the four walls and those gathered, until they fell over Morgan herself. "Against the darkness that encroaches upon your Avalon, nothing will be accomplished if we only hide from it."

The emenation of his will seized upon the projected image, seeking to undo the shelter rendered upon them; Through immolation of the lie, purge the impediment to the truth.

"If you do not take us to the Mountain to see to this matter, then what happened here may fall upon the rest of the world as well."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Sarada, influencing me ?" Inanna asked, somewhat surprised. "Oh certainly not. It's a complicated explanation, but Ishtar ... that Ishtar, is dead. I am who she ... I, was always meant to be." The woman said.

"Named after the long forgotten Goddess of War, and Lust~" she added with a wink, "and like it or not, until you return to your body I am your Consort ... in public at any rate."

As for that comment she made though, about Sarada not using her body to its full potential. She made it to easy. "I do hope you show me sometime," the Golden-eyed woman said with a jiggle, "how to use your body to its fullest~" Of course ... it was time to pay the Queen her pound of flesh, and as she was being pulled away she offered Parsley a wave.

"See you soon, Little Love~."

Goodness I'm having far too much fun with this.

Well, that explanation... hit closer to home than Parsley anticipated. The woman who had been standing before her mere moments ago before she departed was technically Ishtar, but she was who she was supposed to be, rather than who she had been for the duration of their association. If they could have a serious conversation without the absurd teasing, she would love to compare notes, because she herself had gone through a similar metamorphoses after death and resurrection.

Parsley didn't care to respond. Her mouth felt dryer than a desert. There was no telling how Inanna wanted to learn how to use Parsley's body properly. She was certainly that bastard Sarada was going to do her best to demonstrate. This can't be happening. This is so disrespectful! It was worse than mating in another person's bed.

She disrobed and drew herself a hot bath. Sliding down into the water, she sighed contently and dialed Avoca.

"Hi, babe," she greeted on the other end.

"Hello. How is everything?"

"Just fine. Mom likes the kids, so that's fun." In the background, Parsley could see her father-in-law carrying her son on his shoulder. "Pretty sure I'm gonna leave them here and head home soon."

Ah, perfect. Parsley needed Avoca nearby to reaffirm that she was married and to forget the foolishness Inanna subjected her to. "Oh, good. Just so you know, Ishtar is back and she's... very different."

"Oh?"

She explained it all. There was much more to it than the highly abridged version, but it was enough to at least gain a passing understanding of why Ishtar, now Inanna, was a much freer and fun-loving person. She also dared to tell Avoca about the teasing, if only to get ahead of any lies and exaggerations Sarada may have had in mind. Avoca's reaction was... not what she expected.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Oh, ho. Is that so? Well, if some Oni can do it, then I can, too."

"WHAT?!"

"See ya soon, babycakes ~" She winked, blew a kiss, and ended the call.

Parsley stared at the video phone projecting from her wrist, wide-eyed and mouth agape. She had just made a horrible mistake. If Inanna -- a woman she had no desire to mate with -- could hurl her into a tizzy, just what could the woman she loved more than anything and whose luscious curves she had been unwillingly refraining from enjoying do?

The foreseeable future was going to be absolutely horrifying.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

He sighs.

“Understand that our name, First Race, is not a pretentious title. We are the First Race, the first sentient species created outside of Angels and Kai. We predate Oni, Darklings, Voidlings, Prometheans, all of them. We were the First, and with that comes a.......a mentality. A certain level of inborn arrogance. We were First, everyone else is second. With that.....we saw ourselves superior. Eventually, in what you would call Universe 18, the first and oldest one, we sought to be the masters. To be the rulers as was our right.”

“Some of us sought a different path, and we fled to this universe as Lady Asha’rah was still finishing it. Unlike any other race, we existed solely in Universe 18, so we knew this universe would not know our past or know of our sins. So we sought asylum and she took pity on us. However......our intentions were betrayed. Our flight to this universe had been under false pretenses. Those amongst us, our leaders, were actually here to do as we had in Universe 18. Conquer. Control. Spread our might. And they would have done so to every Universe.”

He shake his head and sips his tea, a bone deep weariness in his form.

“Time passes, we amassed power in secret, until just before our leaders were to launch the attack.....I rebelled. I sabotaged. And some joined my cause. Eventually....eventually we stood the victors of a war the universe knew nothing about. Auroc was one of the only beings who knew of us, and we briefly crossed paths during this conflict. He even helped us once. After that we won I ordered our places of power destroyed, and those who wanted only peace followed me here, to our exiled paradise. The only time any of us have gone from here is when the old dragon, Eldfen, was set to conquer the universe. Some few of us, we Palatines joined together to beat him back. Your brother is among our order.”

"Hmm. That all makes sense I suppose seen it so many times before." Inanna finally said. "Better to know than to assume though, so thanks for shedding some light on it." As for why the conquest failed ? A rather interesting wrinkle it was; and shed some light into why Haden had decided to ally himself with what his peers would've assumed to be inferior.

"Auroc is certainly a pest now isn't he ?" She then said, when she heard of how he'd helped. "Ah well, another corpse-to-be; and I suppose what's done is done. You stopped your species from killing everyone in this and for that you have my thanks ... and we visited Universe 18 after a battle with a Threshling hybrid. Nothing left there but automatons and the ravenous dead."

"As for Eldfen," Inanna said then. "I know him well ... or at least well-enough to want him dead, too. Tried to get me to make a wish on him, release him from his confinement, but I declined ... and he was recently stripped of his omnipresence as well, thanks to the efforts of the Earth's current guardian." She said, before chuckling. "He revealed himself briefly around the time he was stripped of that though, roughly two years back. The Dragon, his true self ... powerful enough to make my nosebleed; and I wasn't even in the same plane of existence." A silence settled then for several moments, before the Oni continued on.

"We know what you all did to stop him the last time ... but events have caused us to come into possession of several of his Dragonballs." She said, carefully. "More than likely going to need your help again."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"Hmm. That all makes sense I suppose seen it so many times before." Inanna finally said. "Better to know than to assume though, so thanks for shedding some light on it." As for why the conquest failed ? A rather interesting wrinkle it was; and shed some light into why Haden had decided to ally himself with what his peers would've assumed to be inferior.

"Auroc is certainly a pest now isn't he ?" She then said, when she heard of how he'd helped. "Ah well, another corpse-to-be; and I suppose what's done is done. You stopped your species from killing everyone in this and for that you have my thanks ... and we visited Universe 18 after a battle with a Threshling hybrid. Nothing left there but automatons and the ravenous dead."

"As for Eldfen," Inanna said then. "I know him well ... or at least well-enough to want him dead, too. Tried to get me to make a wish on him, release him from his confinement, but I declined ... and he was recently stripped of his omnipresence as well, thanks to the efforts of the Earth's current guardian." She said, before chuckling. "He revealed himself briefly around the time he was stripped of that though, roughly two years back. The Dragon, his true self ... powerful enough to make my nosebleed; and I wasn't even in the same plane of existence." A silence settled then for several moments, before the Oni continued on.

"We know what you all did to stop him the last time ... but events have caused us to come into possession of several of his Dragonballs." She said, carefully. "More than likely going to need your help again."

Haden frowns.

“How many of the dragonballs are in your possession? Each was taken by a Palatine and hidden away, and even though most have passed on now for sure, the spheres should have been too well hidden.”

He shakes his head.

“I will help as I can. What help that will be, I cannot say. I am not as powerful as I was.”

[grampagen]

He nods as they bind his wounds.

“And I would have gone that way too, had a man not come some years ago. He was lost, hurt, dying. I spared his life and taught him our style as best I knew. He later betrayed it but since then I strived to remain vigilante.”

He hisses as they bandage him, but he doesnÂ’t seem in danger of losing his life.

“The Master’s Challenge. Then you are his Chosen Disciples.”

He pulls out a small scroll and passes it to Ochazuke.

“The last place. The true heart of our order. The Tiger was headed there, I sensed her thoughts. She called it Charlie Base. Amidst its ruin is where the Ten Started. Where the Master’s message is.”

He nods in thanks.

“I, Leon, Guardian of this Shrine, charge you to defend the Master’s Will and take back what has been stolen.”

After patching Leon up, Zaofan started to vigorously rub his hands together until a Warm Glowing, Warming Glow fell over his palms. Pressing them into the Shrine Guardian's side, he began to work at the edges of the major wound with Shiatsu Seiten. Supplementing his own ki along with reworking the surface of his exposed flesh, shortly after the bleeding stopped and the healing process got quite a kick.

"A hah! There," he laughed, "Give it a little time and you should be alright." Patting his hands clean, he helped him to his feet.

"A man came here? You must mean Simon Battersea." Though the memory was fresh, a mischievous, thin smile spread across Zaofan's face. "Interesting

As Leon spoke, Ochazuke listened intently. "His chosen disciples?" He repeated the words, but even as they left his lips, something about it beggared belief.

"Hardly. What once was complete has become fractured. That which should have protected this world has instead left it vulnerable," he said. "We were not chosen, no more than my...the Tiger Master."

A low grunt pressed through him as if Ochazuke had been dealt a sharp blow.

"We only seek what was lost. And yet, you speak as if Zxu'ro is somehow still alive."

"Charlie Base, huh?" Sasheem muttered. The origin of the Ten? Interesting...the secrets it holds could prove key to attaining his goals. Or at least the goal that he was tasked with by his sensei. The only promise he really carted to uphold. "If we're done playing veterinarian here, we should probably get a move on, right?"

Returning from cleaning his hands in the stream that ran through the Shrine grounds, Zaofan dabbed his hands dry, and wrung the drying cloth with such vigour, that thick droplets hit the stone.

"Would it kill you to show a little respect? I thought you came hear to learn, but you keep going on like you have it all figured out." Holding the corners taut, he spun the little white rag into a thin, damp spindle. "I'm starting to think the only reason you keep tagging along is because you have literally no other place to go."

With a gentle tug, the towel stopped dead. "And that's really sad, man."

"If they've made their base at the ruins, then doubtless the Red Raiders are already working to decipher the Master's last message," Ochazuke considered. "We may be too late already."

The legacy of the ages was nearly within grasp, but now that they came so close to reaching the end of this to at last realize the truth of the teachings of the Ten Schools, the life he had left behind caught up with him. With a low seethe, he drew his left hand up, laid to rest on the hidden scars over his heart.

The dream of the past cut short a future lost. The reconciliation of the present diverted by the rupture set in the heart of the history of this world. The thoughts ran through his head as he unfurled the scroll.

When Alakazah set his sight upon this world, there were those who refused to forget what they had lost. Hadn't this been what this quest was meant to achieve? And yet between him and Kenshiko, what exactly had been the difference in their pursuit as heirs of the Master's legacy?

It was then that he remembered the first hint they had discovered that set them on the first steps towards mending the wounds left by two-thousand years of war and hatred.

Six scrolls lay within, each in perfect condition. Five are the foundation scrolls of each school, with the basic forms and techniques. The sixth is a letter.

“To all who read this, hear my words: When the crane flies, the tiger strikes. When the turtle crouches, the snake is lost. Above all, the Dragon is summoned, and the time shall come. Find me when the five are one, find me at the place of birth. Find me, and let your belief be cast against my own.”

—Zxu’ro, Founder of the Five, Grandmaster of the Chimera.

"My comrades and I, our master, we have trained hard. If there is a fight to fall upon our heads, we will stand to oppose it," he said. "But in this battle for the soul of the Earth, fresh blood will not wash away the old."

By Leon's own words, the desire for strength had plagued the craven, the fearful, and power had given them purpose. Those who had sought to affirm their strength had failed to cultivate the qualities with which to wield it, and in the end had found themselves lacking. That was not the sole purpose of this path they walked.

"With Two of the Five Hidden Hands, they may not decipher the Master's message so easily, otherwise, why would they have any need to pursue you and Cinder?" he said. "But there is one place yet that they have not discovered."

He turned to Leon then. Zaofan stood by the Shrine's guardian and Samson Balon, his arms folded.

"Where is the Place of Birth?"