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

[Tami]

" Yeah I am , and what's the price?" Althena said.

"I can not say, only he can. If you wish it, I can take you there and you can ask him yourself."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I never said it was pride, you stubborn oni..." Etrina mumbled under her breath as she watched Ishtar exit through the portal. "....Can't you just shut up and rely on me a little.....I'm not useless..."



"....."

Etrina froze.

She didn't turn to Sarada, she couldn't turn to Sarada...if she did the look at her face would likely burn a hole straight through the Saiyan. Instead, She simply let her gaze linger on the portal while the words slowly chilled their way into her.....

"let's face it"

Cold and hollow and empty.

"you guys will get smeared pretty quickly against Ishtar's alt."

Etrina put her thumb to the corner of her mouth opposite to Sarada, wiping away a tiny stream of black liquid just out of view.

".......Is that so........." The Mage Answered suddenly and a lot colder then she intended. "How fortunate for your kind words.....I might have overestimated my own worth otherwise. Erosa, lets go...."

The Mage started forward, not even pausing to wait for the Id before she had passed the boundary.

The Id, for her part, bounced up beside Sarada and gave the Saiyan Queen a confused look. ".......Mmm.....Gao, she's a bit on edge I think...."

"Tch. What the hell's your problem?" Sarada demanded as Etrina neared the portal to AT2. Erosa filled in some of the blanks by stating the obvious: she was on edge. That much was clear. Her out-of-character outburst at Ishtar was evidence enough that the time mage was off-balance at the moment -- and what a case of shitty timing it was -- but this...

She could understand why someone would take offense, but it was the truth. Sarada was never one to blunt anything she said just to spare someone's feelings. The fact that Etrina took such offense only showed that she knew it was true and didn't want it to be.

"Whatever," she said to the Id. "If she wants to get herself killed to prove a point, let her." With that, she passed through the portal.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

"I can not say, only he can. If you wish it, I can take you there and you can ask him yourself."

" Yes please take me to him," Althena said.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

On board the Black Diamond a pissed off Sonata is on his communicator with Doctor Raccoony." Damn that f@#king Brench-seijin I'm going to have her neck for this. How dare she sabotage my ship, hey Doctor Feelgood can you get the Hyper Warp drives up and running? " Sonata said.

Doctor Raccoony who is in his room rolls his eyes." Dammit, Sonata I'm a psychologist slash psychiatrist slash surgeon slash physician, not a f@#king engineer!" Dr. Raccoony said.

" Hey, you're the smartest person on this ship so don't complain you damn raccoon, cat, bear thing! Just make with the smarty-pants stuff okay!" Sonata said.

Doctor Raccoony turns off his communicator and palms his face." I have a PhD in psychology, and an MD in medicine, psychiatry, and surgery with a major in various things relate to it. However, instead of what I'm supposed to be doing the Captain what's me to go to the engine room and get the Hyper Warp drives up and running. The only person who knows how to operate those warp drives is Qaztoh!" Dr. Raccoony said.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Sheriff Zaofan nods and walks through, and once everyone who is going is through, Zurvan closes the portal with a tired sigh.

“Good luck, Daughter. Be safe.”

————

The portal leads them out of an alleyway and into a Main Street of a large city. It is an odd looking place, familiar yet...different. Tech is familiar, architecture is similar, but both seem...slightly more old fashioned. Clothes too.

Sheriff Zaofan smiles slightly, breathing easier.

“We should...”

A streak rockets through the sky, heading out of town at a high rate.

“Damn, that was Deputy Charco. Something’s up.”

Sheriff Zaofan quickly flies up and gives chase, following his deputy.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

The portal leads them out of an alleyway and into a Main Street of a large city. It is an odd looking place, familiar yet...different. Tech is familiar, architecture is similar, but both seem...slightly more old fashioned. Clothes too.

Sheriff Zaofan smiles slightly, breathing easier.

Ishtar touches down, and in looking around finds herself, for a moment, disoriented. Had she been here before ? Yes ... no.

The world was unfamiliar, but the scenario was not.

After all, this was hardly the first time she had done this, moved from world to world, by means of Zurvan's 'guidance'. Bade to go, and watch the rise -- and more often than not, the fall -- of a civilization. Though it was different this time ... wasn't it ? She was not to be some passive Watcher.

Not this time.

... Will it be the last ?

Ishtar exhaled slowly, and regained her tenuous grip on her composure.

"Does not matter ..."

“We should...”

A streak rockets through the sky, heading out of town at a high rate.

“Damn, that was Deputy Charco. Something’s up.”

Sheriff Zaofan quickly flies up and gives chase, following his deputy.

The streak disrupts the Sheriff however, a power-level quickly rising and fading as it arcs overhead and disappears; and in seeing it Ishtar sighs.

"... too slow."

Without another word then, the Oni takes off after Zaofan.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Sheriff Zaofan nods and walks through, and once everyone who is going is through, Zurvan closes the portal with a tired sigh.

“Good luck, Daughter. Be safe.”

————

The portal leads them out of an alleyway and into a Main Street of a large city. It is an odd looking place, familiar yet...different. Tech is familiar, architecture is similar, but both seem...slightly more old fashioned. Clothes too.

Sheriff Zaofan smiles slightly, breathing easier.

“We should...”

A streak rockets through the sky, heading out of town at a high rate.

“Damn, that was Deputy Charco. Something’s up.”

Sheriff Zaofan quickly flies up and gives chase, following his deputy.

Once she was through the portal, Sarada took stock of her new surroundings. It looked much the same as the Earth they had just left, but something about it was off. Everyone who passed them by seemed to be dressed... peculiarly. She couldn't put her finger on it, as she hadn't spent that much time around humans to notice the difference other than her gut feeling.

The buildings, on the other hand, seemed horribly outdated and archaic; at least compared to the buildings on Vocado or in Capital City. Everyone dresses like that other Zaofan, and everything looks so old-fashioned, she pondered silently. I guess we jumped to the past?

She wasn't sure, and there was no time to figure it out. A streak of light Zaofan identified as his deputy, Charco, zipped across the sky, heralding trouble.

She grinned and took off into the air. Not even here five seconds and there's already some excitement!

[KingofPie]

Sheriff Zaofan nods and walks through, and once everyone who is going is through, Zurvan closes the portal with a tired sigh.

“Good luck, Daughter. Be safe.”

————

The portal leads them out of an alleyway and into a Main Street of a large city. It is an odd looking place, familiar yet...different. Tech is familiar, architecture is similar, but both seem...slightly more old fashioned. Clothes too.

Sheriff Zaofan smiles slightly, breathing easier.

“We should...”

A streak rockets through the sky, heading out of town at a high rate.

“Damn, that was Deputy Charco. Something’s up.”

Sheriff Zaofan quickly flies up and gives chase, following his deputy.

"We take one step in here and the fun's starting already!" Sasheem cackled, taking off towards the streak. An alternate version of Charco it seemed.

As he flew, Sasheem took a look around, raising a brow in surprise. "What's with all the yippi-ki-yay ****?" He inquired. He figured the old west get up was just this Zaofan's style, but it seemed as if this entire time line was a rootin', tootin, and falutin' as the sheriff himself. The Majin could only hope that they didn't all talk with some goofball accent....or on second thought he did. Might give him something new to mock while he's here.

[Yun Lao]

The portal leads them out of an alleyway and into a Main Street of a large city. It is an odd looking place, familiar yet...different. Tech is familiar, architecture is similar, but both seem...slightly more old fashioned. Clothes too.

Sheriff Zaofan smiles slightly, breathing easier.

“We should...”

A streak rockets through the sky, heading out of town at a high rate.

“Damn, that was Deputy Charco. Something’s up.”

Sheriff Zaofan quickly flies up and gives chase, following his deputy.

"Deputy..."

That's right, just as there were an alternate Zaofan and Ishtar, there had to be one of him.

Unfortunately, Charco had little time to ponder on this, as the metaphorical **** had hit the fan. Along with the others, he took to the air and followed them.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Qaztoh runs into Praxat, and Praxat crosses her arms." Hey' Qaztoh there's a slight problem with this Quantum Toxin collector you gave me," Praxat said.

" And what's that? "

" Its electric feedback is unbalanced. So do you think maybe you can fix it?" Praxat said.

" Do it yourself I'm busy with researching and coming up with formulas for a liquid solution that could solve our race's population problem, which I'm going to test in a virtual testing simulator I created," Qaztoh said.

" Why not just use physical testing, What can a simulation do that good old hard work can't? " Praxat said.

" Physical testing is dangerous, and virtual testing is a lot safer," Qaztoh said.

" Physical testing is only dangerous if you don't take the necessary safety precautions," Praxat said.

" Yeah, and virtual testing eliminates the need to take safety precautions. It is the future, Praxat!" Qaztoh said.

" Well I don't like it, and there's nothing wrong with physical testing," Praxat said.

" Yeah beside the fact that it's a outdated, and virtual testing is miles better, nothing," Qaztoh said.

" Just because something is new doesn't make it automatically better, Qaztoh!" Praxat said.

" Whatever I don't have time to argue this I'm busy!" Qaztoh said.

Qaztoh rushes off to her room.

[Tami]

"Deputy..."

That's right, just as there were an alternate Zaofan and Ishtar, there had to be one of him.

Unfortunately, Charco had little time to ponder on this, as the metaphorical **** had hit the fan. Along with the others, he took to the air and followed them.

After passing through the portal, Cyanna seemed distracted by her surroundings until she suddenly realized that Charco had taken flight. Quickly lifting off the ground, she followed close behind him. It was then that she noticed the others all following the Sheriff who seemed to be chasing after something in the distance.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Following about five miles out of town, they see Deputy Charco land on a bluff overlooking a wasteland, Sheriff Zaofan landing beside him seconds later.

The two hug briefly in reunion, and then Deputy Charco looks up at the sky.

“She’s a coming, boss. Got five ships with’er. I got Totoma and his lady protecting the civies and getting ready as backup.....though seems you brought your own.” He says, nodding at the group.

This Charco is......not quite the same. Sounds identical though.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Ishtar quirked an eyebrow at the Deputy, before glancing at her own known version; but whatever she might have said was gone the moment the Lizardman spoke.

She's a coming ... five ships.

The golden-eyed Oni glanced up briefly as if searching for them, only to look back down as she remembered why they were here.

"Then we have no time to bother. The Temporal anomaly, where is it ?"

[Yun Lao]

Following about five miles out of town, they see Deputy Charco land on a bluff overlooking a wasteland, Sheriff Zaofan landing beside him seconds later.

The two hug briefly in reunion, and then Deputy Charco looks up at the sky.

“She’s a coming, boss. Got five ships with’er. I got Totoma and his lady protecting the civies and getting ready as backup.....though seems you brought your own.” He says, nodding at the group.

This Charco is......not quite the same. Sounds identical though.

"...whatthefuck..."

That was him? That was him?!?

Aside from his whisper, the boy was speechless upon seeing his alternate self, clad in the saurian form of Rex. It was his very nightmares given flesh and yet this Charco was... still himself?

He wasn't quite sure how to react and simply averted his gaze to the nearby horizon in order to gather his thoughts in how he should feel about this and what questions he should ask his other self.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Ishtar quirked an eyebrow at the Deputy, before glancing at her own known version; but whatever she might have said was gone the moment the Lizardman spoke.

She's a coming ... five ships.

The golden-eyed Oni glanced up briefly as if searching for them, only to look back down as she remembered why they were here.

"Then we have no time to bother. The Temporal anomaly, where is it ?"

The detector in your group points upwards.

Towards the ships still incoming.

Seems Alt Ishtar already acquired it.