Dragonball M, Chapter 4: Kidnapping! Invasion! A new Threat Strikes First!

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Sarada frowned and turned to face the sudden commotion going on behind them. The first thing she saw was a hole in the... in the air...? On the other side of that hole was Vaikuntha and a seething Nevanlinna. On the floor of the Lookout courtyard was a man with a fountain... a literal fountain of golden hair. He was a Saiyan, and a Super Saiyan at that, but she had never seen someone with that much hair. Even the luscious mane of glorious hair she sported years ago wasn't that long.

The hole vanished and the man stood up. ...that pose... that hokey monologue... "Totoma?" He was alive again. She didn't know how, but he had somehow brought himself back! And he was supporting more hair than ever before. That meant only one of two things. One, they didn't have barbers in Otherworld - half-breed Saiyans' hair grew throughout their lives, unlike purebreds - or two, he had reached the next level, this Super Saiyan 3 that Parsley spoke about. Only Sir Kakarot of Reshlan and this mysterious Kakarot her sister met when she briefly died - what the ****? - had displayed that kind of power. And Totoma had only just achieved Super Saiyan 2 when they were both attacked on the Lookout. Which meant...

"You're alive!" She ran up to him, face split with an excited grin. "You trained with Vocado? What was he like? I bet he was super ultra powerful, wasn't he??"

"Yep... thanks to Zaofan and some weird **** involving Kizuna that I really don't understand, I'm back, and hoo boy, that training was... something," he said, reverting to Super Saiyan. "Vocado was... man he was strong. Like, he could take on my super saiyan form without even transforming, and when he went Super Saiyan... well, I would've had no chance, even in Super Saiyan 3. Even with Rutaba fighting alongside me, there's not much we could've done if he'd gotten serious."

Totoma blinked. "Oh, and Rutaba's a Super Saiyan now... once she's back, you'll be amazed at how strong she's gotten! Probably could have pushed her to the second level, buuuut... that might not be necessary."

He paused, then realized that comment might need some clarification.

"Turns out Super Saiyan can be just as powerful as the second or third level, with a bit--okay, a lot--of training. Maximum power output, minimum drawbacks. Especially Super Saiyan 3... hoo boy, I managed to figure it out in a few months, but the first time I transformed, I could only hold it for a minute while focusing everything I had on maintaining the form. Looks cool, but not very practical."

"Naturally, I'm gonna pass on what I learned to everyone else... uh, when, ya know, we've got time."

Ya know, when they weren't summoning dragons and making wishes and stuff.

[grampagen]

With a flash and sound of thunder, the massive dragon appears. Once more, it’s great head just peeking past the lookout’s height.

“You who have summoned me, what are thy wishes?”

The sky darkened and with the manifestation of Tiamat the Eternal Dragon, it was as if in that moment, bathed in the majestic glow of a creature that defied Destiny itself, that time seemed to freeze in an instant. Indeed Zaofan had shaded his eyes, and when the lightning had passed and he beheld Tiamat's blue-green winged visage, it almost seemed to him as if she had somehow grown larger than when he last saw her.

Ochazuke, on the other hand, beheld it with a face impassive. The difference from the last time till now, the realms in-between spaces and ends of the Universe he had borne witness to, by all indications, had jaded him as he examined the inner nature of old Fife's Dragon.

A creature of True Magic, one begotten in a hopeful imitation of the First Dragon. What cruel, desperate matters would lead one to pray for a miracle and make a compact with That Man?

Regardless, right now, if these were their last days, they could use one, but only on their terms.

"Looks like we got here just in time," Sarada said as she approached where the balls where gathered. Thankfully, the golden glow of the seven mystical orbs stole the attention of the young child away from the leaves of the frond palm trees. She took her out of her seat and held her in her arms, head facing away from the dragon balls so she wouldn't get any ideas. "Have you guys decided your three wishes yet?" she asked. She didn't have any herself; those, she was saving for when Maiz got off her ass and learned how to make a set for herself.


Well, guess I'll find out.

Sarada stood back and took it all in. Seeing the eternal dragon emerge out of the balls was an exciting, awe-inspiring experience every time, even if she had only see her twice.

"Oh, hey, you're back!" Zaofan said. "Geez, that was quick, but never let it be said that Jinzi is not the model of efficiency, hehe"

He was blabbering on a bit. A nervous habit, but the mention of wishes centred him.

"Only two," Ochazuke said, ever facing the task ahead, "and they must be worded carefully. If there remains another, hold it close for a time."

Crap, he was back on the lookout, and others were nearby. And he'd been forced to make such a lame entrance... that was no good! To make up for it, he struck a dramatic, epic, heroic post, and then (re)introduced himself.

"The Just Saiyan, having overcome death itself, makes his triumphant return to Earth, empowered beyond his previous limits!" he struck another pose. "Villains beware, for I--"

It was at this point he realized that the others were in the middle of summoning the freaking eternal dragon and he froze, realizing that now was... perhaps not the time to be making a scene. "...uh, should I continue or hold off until you're done?

"You got a lot of nerve popping up back here after what you pulled."

Facing Totoma down, Zaofan stood with his back to the light of the Dragon, stretching a long shadow across the Lookout.

"Look at this guy, strutting around, posing- Posing! 'Overcoming death itself', I oughtta--!"

The radiance framing his face cast darkness about his person. If one were to examine the Chef closely...there were tears streaking down his face.

Facing the Dragon, Ochazuke, though silent, was aware of the new presence - shoved roughly from Vaikuntha no less - and the corner of his mouth curled upward.

"Eternal Dragon," the Martial Artist spoke at last, "There is prophecy of things to pass in the coming year. Some entity he Golden Queen, The Mutant Goddess, The Magic Princess. For my first wish, I beckon you to grant to those of us gathered here today, unambiguously, knowledge of what it is which rises to threaten the universe."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Yep... thanks to Zaofan and some weird **** involving Kizuna that I really don't understand, I'm back, and hoo boy, that training was... something," he said, reverting to Super Saiyan. "Vocado was... man he was strong. Like, he could take on my super saiyan form without even transforming, and when he went Super Saiyan... well, I would've had no chance, even in Super Saiyan 3. Even with Rutaba fighting alongside me, there's not much we could've done if he'd gotten serious."

Totoma blinked. "Oh, and Rutaba's a Super Saiyan now... once she's back, you'll be amazed at how strong she's gotten! Probably could have pushed her to the second level, buuuut... that might not be necessary."

He paused, then realized that comment might need some clarification.

"Turns out Super Saiyan can be just as powerful as the second or third level, with a bit--okay, a lot--of training. Maximum power output, minimum drawbacks. Especially Super Saiyan 3... hoo boy, I managed to figure it out in a few months, but the first time I transformed, I could only hold it for a minute while focusing everything I had on maintaining the form. Looks cool, but not very practical."

"Naturally, I'm gonna pass on what I learned to everyone else... uh, when, ya know, we've got time."

Ya know, when they weren't summoning dragons and making wishes and stuff.

There was a lot to unpack, and Sarada's response was very delayed because of it.

First, Rutaba was a Super Saiyan? WHAAAAAAT?! Sarada would never show it or say it, but she was extremely proud of her little cousin. She remembered that she had always been a bit behind Pinach in power for most of their lives. The gap was close enough that it didn't matter, but she had always been weaker. A part of Sarada was afraid that Rutaba would be discouraged and jealous when she came back to life and saw that Pinach was a Super Saiyan. That, thankfully, wasn't going to be an issue. She couldn't wait to see her again and see what Vocado taught her.

Second, what Vocado taught Totoma about Super Saiyan. It sounded like there was a lot more to it than what Totoma initially told her, but that would have to wait until a little later. From what she had been told so far, Super Saiyan had the potential to be as powerful and far more effective than both Super Saiyan 2 and the fabled Super Saiyan 3. She and Parsley hadn't had the chance to try and reach the third level, but hearing that it was so inefficient and such an energy drain was discouraging. If she didn't already know that Lampton's god ascension ritual didn't require mastery of all Saiyan forms, she would have simply not bothered wasting her time learning the form. Instead, she had to waste time achieving it and gaining some form of mastery over it; time that could have and should have been spent empowering the first form.

"Okay, first, Rutaba being a Super Saiyan is fucking awesome," she said with a wide grin. "Maiz will be wishing her and Mato back once she makes her own dragonballs, so I'll see her soon. Second, Super Saiyan 3 is useless, huh? Figures. If we didn't need it for the god ritual, I'd say **** it and not waste my time." She sighed.

Kumara had been staring at Totoma the entire time. She reached up to try and grab his hair.

"It's great to have you back, by the way. Ishtar and the fairy managed to escape, but we'll track them down and wipe them out."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

7 months in.

At the Gukraimano in Wetalia on Qacriea Althena is attend to her duties as Guardian of Qaceria while training Praxat's sisters Craxat, Sraxat, Draxat, Nraxat, Fraxat.

Althena looks up at the sky. ( hmm, by now, Praxat, Dash, Miras Thane, and Blizzar should have retrieved Earth's Dragon balls. Of course, I know the reason why Eva scatter her dragon balls throughout space. she informs me of the reason why.) Althena thought.

( Maybe I should have my own dragon balls. No, that's a bad idea, ) Althena thought. Althena looks at her pupils." Craxat, Sraxat, Draxat, Nraxat, Fraxat today will be a team-building exercise," Althena said.

" I want to see how the five of you have progressed as a team, so all five of you will be sparring against Killrog at the same time. Let's see if you all can manage to land a hit on him this time. Oh, and Killrog, please go easy on them this time. I don't want to have to heal them like last time," Althena said.

" Okay, before the team-building exercise starts, I like to say congratulations on your and Fraxat offspring, Killrog. So how is the incubation going? Killrog, Have you and Fraxat decided on names for your three offspring yet?" Althena said.

" Oh, and have you or Fraxat told Praxat yet? Also, Killrog, after this team-building exercise is over. How about you and Fraxat help yourselves to a relaxing read in the Gukraimano's library," Althena said.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The sky darkened and with the manifestation of Tiamat the Eternal Dragon, it was as if in that moment, bathed in the majestic glow of a creature that defied Destiny itself, that time seemed to freeze in an instant. Indeed Zaofan had shaded his eyes, and when the lightning had passed and he beheld Tiamat's blue-green winged visage, it almost seemed to him as if she had somehow grown larger than when he last saw her.

Ochazuke, on the other hand, beheld it with a face impassive. The difference from the last time till now, the realms in-between spaces and ends of the Universe he had borne witness to, by all indications, had jaded him as he examined the inner nature of old Fife's Dragon.

A creature of True Magic, one begotten in a hopeful imitation of the First Dragon. What cruel, desperate matters would lead one to pray for a miracle and make a compact with That Man?

Regardless, right now, if these were their last days, they could use one, but only on their terms.



"Oh, hey, you're back!" Zaofan said. "Geez, that was quick, but never let it be said that Jinzi is not the model of efficiency, hehe"

He was blabbering on a bit. A nervous habit, but the mention of wishes centred him.

"Only two," Ochazuke said, ever facing the task ahead, "and they must be worded carefully. If there remains another, hold it close for a time."



"You got a lot of nerve popping up back here after what you pulled."

Facing Totoma down, Zaofan stood with his back to the light of the Dragon, stretching a long shadow across the Lookout.

"Look at this guy, strutting around, posing- Posing! 'Overcoming death itself', I oughtta--!"

The radiance framing his face cast darkness about his person. If one were to examine the Chef closely...there were tears streaking down his face.

Facing the Dragon, Ochazuke, though silent, was aware of the new presence - shoved roughly from Vaikuntha no less - and the corner of his mouth curled upward.

"Eternal Dragon," the Martial Artist spoke at last, "There is prophecy of things to pass in the coming year. Some entity he Golden Queen, The Mutant Goddess, The Magic Princess. For my first wish, I beckon you to grant to those of us gathered here today, unambiguously, knowledge of what it is which rises to threaten the universe."

OT: Just to make sure, he’s asking about the various visions Auroc and Banespell saw, or just about what’s coming in general? Or both situations?

I just want to be sure before I respond.

[grampagen]

OT: Just to make sure, he’s asking about the various visions Auroc and Banespell saw, or just about what’s coming in general? Or both situations?

I just want to be sure before I respond.

OOC: I suppose in general. Along with those two that were led into from Auroc's journal, there was a prophecy that I think Night conveyed to Parsley, who then passed the message to Ochazuke, who then passed the message to everyone else. Just past the half-year mark when this one-year prophecy is going to pass, Ochazuke would figure it would be prudent to remove ambiguity about this situation.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

At the Gukraimano in Wetalia on Qacriea. Althena waits for a five on one sparring match between Paraxt's sisters and Killrog to start. As she does, she thinks about The Gukraimano's library. ( The Gukraimano's library. When I was just an apprentice Guardian,) Althena thought

( My master Doxal, the previous Guardian of Qaceria, told me that The Gukraimano's library's archives hold the entire sum of Qaceria's history. He also told me I was forbidden to enter Gukrainmano's library. Told me I could only have access to it and its archives when I became a Guardian,) Althena thought.

( Now that I'm I have complete access to Gukrainmano's library and its archives,) Althena thought.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

“Your wish is granted.”


Light fills their eyes, and the world shifts.


—————

The sun beats down as those on the lookout find themselves looking at a scene they cannot interact with. A cave entrance, an unknown planet, an unfamiliar sky.

A balding blue skinned man walks slowly out of the cave, steps getting stronger with each one. Walking beside him is Genesis, eyes faintly glowing. She stops and narrows her gaze, looking at a patch of nearby shrubbery. A chuckle, a familiar cigar smoke, and than Eldfen stands beside the blue skinned man.

“Dragon.”

The blue skinned man nods, eyebrow arched. Eldfen grimaces and nods.

“Angel.”

He eyes Genesis with his hooded eyes, cigar smoke lazily drifting about him.

“So this is your champion? Her?”

Sakin nods slowly, a staff appearing in his hands as he leans against it.

“Indeed. A most fortuitous find, Genesis is. I take it your ally will be here soon enough?”

Eldfen nods and gestures lazily.

“Remnant and Asha’rah’s body will be along soon enough. Convincing the abomination to help was…difficult. But a promise to remove Inda’ren and Asha’rah from it, for it to be its own entity, was enough. And it knows I can do that, depending on you releasing me in full. Which you will, won’t you Sakin?”

The words are spoken with a chilling calm, eyes never leaving Genesis as Eldfen recognizes which is actually the bigger threat to him. Sakin smiles slightly, eyes crinkling in amusement.

“I would never break my word, Eldfen. I need your help, you need mine. A mutual benefit to all, your freedom for your aid. Simple, easy.”

Eldfen smokes a bit more, eyeing the woman who has remained silent so far.

“Inanna and that damn Ochazuke are going to come here. They won’t rest until both of us are in the dirt. I have no doubt Genesis and Remnant are dangerous foes, but we’ll need more than those two to slow all the M-Fighters down if your Ceremony is to work. And I doubt your pathetic parasites will pose much of a problem.”

Sakin nods and draws a glyph into the ground with his staff.

“I am aware that in my current state and yours, we won’t have much power to spare for defense due to the ceremony. I’ve spent thousands of years preparing it, dragon. Which is why I intend on…..outsourcing some help. A wish from Eldfen has much sway after all, and I know several that will jump at the chance. Presuming your willing, of course?”

The old dragon narrows his eyes and finally turns to look at Sakin.

“I see. Very well, a promise of a wish that can rewrite reality itself for aid. But be warned, Sakin. I won’t just be your fixer here. This partnership only works if we both commit, your word and mine. Oathbound.”

The fallen Angel nods and grins.

“But of course. And in the end, we’ll both get what we want. Rebirth, Freedom, and the walls finally pulled down.”

The vision fades and another starts to take its place……….

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Still alive, huh?"

Sarada told Zaofan when she spoke to him that she had a feeling Eldfen was still around even after Ochazuke conked him on the head with Banespell's magic hammer. She didn't know why he trusted that idiot. 'I hAvE a MeAnS tO dEaL wItH eLdFeN.' What a jackass. Granted, the vision may have been from before Eldfen confronted them on Darkle, but she honestly doubted it.

Regardless, there was a lot to unpack.

The Dragon had made a deal to team up with Sakin. It seemed that Genesis was also working with Sakin. Was he her creator? He created Auroc, who was relatively powerful, she supposed. It wouldn't have been a leap to assume that the blight to the universe that was Genesis was also created by the fallen Angel. In addition to them, Remnant had also been brought on. The abomination that was Remnant agreed to help under the condition that Asha'rah and Indar'en were both removed from it so it could be its own being. Sarada felt herself frown. Depending on the latter's state of mind, that could have been either a good thing or a bad thing. There may have been a way to turn Indar'en possible return to the land of the living to their advantage.

All in all, that was mostly bad. Their major enemies had all teamed up with the expressed purpose of preventing two of them from ruining the Ceremony. The Ceremony being, Sarada assumed, what Sakin needed to do to open the Way Between Worlds and unleash the horrors held within upon the unsuspecting universes. That, obviously, was something that they needed to prevent; but that many powerful enemies was going to be prove to be a major and steep obstacle to overcome.

Good.

They lined themselves up in a nice little row for them to knock down, permanently. And once Sakin was dealt with, the sealed universes could rejoin the multiverse proper again. Which meant Sarada could travel to different universes to fight all the strong fighters there and grow as a warrior. And even make some new friends along the way. I wonder if there are any Saiyans in these universes.

"Well, this is bad. But at least we know that our last enemies are the ones we've known about all along." She sighed heavily. "Looks like we need something with more oomph than that jackass' magic hammer."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The second vision was more….personal. It seemed to project a future event, one terrifying and potentially universal ending.


It shows a woman, beautiful and reminiscent of Asha’rah’s mortal form mixed with Genesis’. But the eyes, the eyes are those of Sakin, old and calculating and selfish. Creation and Destruction energies curl around her hands, and ringed around her were her allies.

Sarada, Parsley, Totoma, Tasure, Avoca, and Inda’ren reborn, golden auras all subservient to the woman. With them were six clad in silver auras, Charco, Sasheem, Etrina, Nevalinna, Held, and Sheki’hinah. These too were beholden to the women.

Three others float alongside this new Sakin. Ruination Ishtar, She Who Stalks, and Inanna. Three Destroyers to accompany their new Master.

Behind this group lay a shattered and battered looking portal, and in front of the group lays an assortment of fighters and defenders. Amongst them the remaining M-Fighters, their allies, and many they did not recognize. A Saiyan with a red aura, another with Crystal blue. A namekian in a turban, a vampire with a plethora of Frost Demons behind her. A goblin, two blue skinned Angels, a tall and muscular grey alien, and dozens more all opposing this force.

In an instant, the vision shows the destruction of a universe and it ends, the dragon once more before you all.

“What is your second wish?”

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The second vision was more….personal. It seemed to project a future event, one terrifying and potentially universal ending.


It shows a woman, beautiful and reminiscent of Asha’rah’s mortal form mixed with Genesis’. But the eyes, the eyes are those of Sakin, old and calculating and selfish. Creation and Destruction energies curl around her hands, and ringed around her were her allies.

Sarada, Parsley, Totoma, Tasure, Avoca, and Inda’ren reborn, golden auras all subservient to the woman. With them were six clad in silver auras, Charco, Sasheem, Etrina, Nevalinna, Held, and Sheki’hinah. These too were beholden to the women.

Three others float alongside this new Sakin. Ruination Ishtar, She Who Stalks, and Inanna. Three Destroyers to accompany their new Master.

Behind this group lay a shattered and battered looking portal, and in front of the group lays an assortment of fighters and defenders. Amongst them the remaining M-Fighters, their allies, and many they did not recognize. A Saiyan with a red aura, another with Crystal blue. A namekian in a turban, a vampire with a plethora of Frost Demons behind her. A goblin, two blue skinned Angels, a tall and muscular grey alien, and dozens more all opposing this force.

In an instant, the vision shows the destruction of a universe and it ends, the dragon once more before you all.

“What is your second wish?”

Tiamat showed them a second vision. It, from what Parsley and Maiz told her, was an expansion of the vision Eva had while she was dying. The woman, the centerpiece of the vision, was an amalgamation of Asha'rah, Sakin, and Genesis. She wasn't sure how, but the three had managed to merge bodies. Surrounding them were twelve people, six enshrouded with golden auras and six with silver auras. Those of silver were Charco, Sasheem, Etrina, Nevalinna, Held, and Shek'hinah. Those of gold were Parsley, Totoma, Tasure, Avoca, Inda'ren, and... "Me? Bullshit! I don't bo2 to anyone except Inanna! No Saiyan would. I won't allow it!"

There had to be some major and crucial detail that Tiamat didn't show them. There was no way Sarada or any Saiyan would submit to anyone, much less some triune god. That wasn't even mention Charco or Sasheem.

Wait... Charco?

He was alive? How? She thought he was lost forever when Rex took over his body. A small glint of hope and happiness gleamed through her otherwise annoyed attitude.

"The details are missing. This is just the end-result, so we don't know the path that led up to this. There has to be a reasonable explanation for this." How else could she explain her future self bowing down to someone else? It seemed that Inanna was under this person's control, which was absolutely impossible. Inanna was immune to telepathy and general mind-fuckery. She and Parsley, while not immune, were incredibly resistant to it. Them being mind-controlled was highly unlikely. And she knew it wasn't a conscious thing, so what?

"I need to talk to her about this when she gets back," she murmured.

The defenders and those opposing "them" were a curious thing. It included the M-Fighters not under Asha'sis's sway, and several people she had never seen before. People from other universes? If so, then that fight had to have been a big deal to require a resistance of that caliber. Still, Sarada couldn't bring herself to seriously battle her friends. There was something they were missing that would make it all make sense.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Far away, in another realm:


Cleos watches the sand. The wind blowing it in swirls and eddies. Patterns never repeated, ever changing to the eye. Mysterious and intriguing. To her eyes, they all pointed to her guilt.


She had killed.


It was anathema to her. It goes against her Heka, her ideals. Not even when she had been a Palantine has she done as such: she was a healer, a nurturer. She had been Guardian to her people and had helped lead her fellow Palantine to victory over Eldfen. Yes, she had passed on, but she had been the elder to them all, her death had been natural, necessary.

She had killed Inanna. Killed her and buried her in a place so deep not even Sheki’hinah would find her. Such was her fright, her fear at what Inanna could be. The once Oni had lost control and nearly killed her, a second death that there is no coming back from. Soul deletion it was called to her people, a fate truly worse than any death or torture possible. Cleos had faced that fear, had almost been dealt that second blow, and so she had heeded Lampton’s words.

She had struck Inanna down.

Cleos stares at her hands, sitting amidst a dune in her personal afterlife. She watches the sand trickle from them, the guilt eating away as each grain falls. After a period of time, perhaps days or even weeks, she finally gets up and leaves her afterlife and goes back to where she left Inanna.

She takes the head and body back to own abode, her personal place, and lays the two on a gilded table. She runs her hands over the decapitated form, seeking out corruption and removing it. Any found is cleaned away, the spilled blood wiped, and once she has ritually cleaned the body, she goes to work.

She removes the old organs one by one, taking each out and pouring a bit of her heka into it. Renewing them before cleaning them off and placing the back inside, her hands twitching as golden energy threads leap from her fingers as she stitches the body up. Each limb is severed and checked over, cleaned and renewed before being put back. Finally, the head and face are cleaned and fixed, sewn back on to the body with an artists touch.

Hours of work later, the gilded energy threads had faded, leaving behind no scars but a perfectly healed body. Even her artificial arm had been fixed and altered back to normal. The body remains whole, but the spirit does not linger.

And so more hours pass as Cleos slowly pulls Inanna’s spirit back to her body from whence it wondered in Cleos’ afterlife. Souls don’t go to the check in if their mortal forms die here, instead they linger where their mortal shells fell and Inanna was no different, wandering in the wastes and deserts of Cleos’ small world, unknowing and lost.

Finally, life breathes back in. Inanna lives, but Cleos has not brought access to her powers back to her yet. She would question Inanna first before restoring those abilities.


Clearing her throat, Cleos leans back and sighs.

“Inanna, can you hear me? You must awaken, for we have much to discuss.”

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

In the months that she'd been here, Inanna had come to affectionately refer to the deepest layer of HIFL, as "The Feeding Pit". Uncreative perhaps, but Death had had a funny way of twisting the mind and dulling a once sharpened wit... understandable, given the circumstances. Her corpse had barely begun to cool after all, before the carrion-eaters had come and taken it from her. Stripped her down for parts, leaving behind little more than those bits of her soul she managed to cling to... or been left with:

A scrap of her soul, and the modicum of power contained within it.

There were some silver-linings, however. Well... one. She was still ostensibly 'alive'; and had avoided the fate she'd recalled seeing for so many: to exist in Otherworld, and its myriad afterlives, as a spiritual mote of dust; too weak to possess even a familiar form or higher brain function. Which... is where it stopped. As her soul was not the same as her corporeal body- despite her attempts to alter it- and without the... eccentricities her corporeal form had possessed, as a spirit she was nothing more than an Oni, missing an arm. What Lampton had helped her to do... become still lingered but she was nowhere near where she'd been. Which meant that in addition to finding a way to survive down in the dark, and hope beyond hope she might find a way out of the Feeding Pit in once piece; Inanna had been forced to create an arm for herself- a crude, blocky thing- from the brimstone she 'stood' upon.

It was an altogether humbling experience.

To be killed and stripped of everything you'd scraped together, only then to have to relearn the very basics of control and finesse with an ability you'd left by the wayside an iteration or two before... simply because it wasn't as useful as say, the ability to annihilate something completely and utterly... or set your blood on fire. The irony to, was also something to consider. As the arm she'd been forced to create for herself bore a resemblance, however fleeting, to an arm that had once been offered as a gift by a misguided boy who thought himself a man... So that's how it had been, the first month. Learning how to keep her arm in one piece subconsciously as she did anything else. A process that had to be repeated many, many times.

It was thus Inanna learned her first lesson.

Though once the basics had been relearned through humiliating trial and error while she hid from the slavering maws down with her in the dark; she slowly put together a rudimentary list of where she'd last sensed 'her'. It seemed that multiple entities had stripped her body down, and she intended to recover what was stolen by any means necessary. Before long though, Inanna found herself constantly moving from one fight for her life to the next... her training to relearn the fundamentals of an oft-forgotten while intrinsic ability, and subsequent successful encounters with the 'slavering maws' doing as much to increase the strength of her soul and will, as it did turn her into a dinner bell.

A dinner bell that drew one of her targets out of hiding...

[bruceleegreyhulk]

7 months in

At the Gukraimano in Wetalia on Qacriea. Althena watches the sparring match between Praxat's sisters and Killrog. ( I should contact Eva and see how she's doing,) Althena thought.

Onboard, Miras Thane's ship Praxat is working on projects. (really wish I could be there to see Tiamat, but I'm busy," Praxat thought.

Praxat has a bowl of water next to her. She uses her electricity on the water in the bowl, causing it to superheat and turn into steam. Praxat lets out a sigh. ( dammit, this isn't what I'm trying to accomplish. This isn't electrolysis,) Praxat thought.

(All I did was superheat the water. Electrolysis is the process of decomposing ionic compounds into their elements by passing a direct electric current through the compound in a fluid form. My goal here is to use my Bio-Electricity to separate H2O into H2 and O2. Well, I guess I just have to keep trying until I succeed," Praxat thought.

Praxat then grabs another bowl of water and sits it on a desk in front of her.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"You got a lot of nerve popping up back here after what you pulled."

Facing Totoma down, Zaofan stood with his back to the light of the Dragon, stretching a long shadow across the Lookout.

"Look at this guy, strutting around, posing- Posing! 'Overcoming death itself', I oughtta--!"

The radiance framing his face cast darkness about his person. If one were to examine the Chef closely...there were tears streaking down his face.

Facing the Dragon, Ochazuke, though silent, was aware of the new presence - shoved roughly from Vaikuntha no less - and the corner of his mouth curled upward.

"Eternal Dragon," the Martial Artist spoke at last, "There is prophecy of things to pass in the coming year. Some entity he Golden Queen, The Mutant Goddess, The Magic Princess. For my first wish, I beckon you to grant to those of us gathered here today, unambiguously, knowledge of what it is which rises to threaten the universe."

Zao-san's tone and countenance was... angry? Annoyed? Something like that. But beneath it, he could tell that his friend was glad to see him, as he was glad to see him. And though he couldn't see his face, he was sure that Mr Ohazuke felt the same

"Hehe, sorry about that. But that Sihn guy was in danger and I couldn't think of any other way to get to him besides acting like a beacon, ya know? As for staying there, I... well, Vocado's a legend among saiyans, and I figured that there wasn't anyone that could put me on the path to drawing out my Super Saiyan powers than him." He was mostly right about that, although the experience had not come without its own emotional costs...

...god, he wanted to see his family. But he could be patient juuust a bit longer.

There was a lot to unpack, and Sarada's response was very delayed because of it.

First, Rutaba was a Super Saiyan? WHAAAAAAT?! Sarada would never show it or say it, but she was extremely proud of her little cousin. She remembered that she had always been a bit behind Pinach in power for most of their lives. The gap was close enough that it didn't matter, but she had always been weaker. A part of Sarada was afraid that Rutaba would be discouraged and jealous when she came back to life and saw that Pinach was a Super Saiyan. That, thankfully, wasn't going to be an issue. She couldn't wait to see her again and see what Vocado taught her.

Second, what Vocado taught Totoma about Super Saiyan. It sounded like there was a lot more to it than what Totoma initially told her, but that would have to wait until a little later. From what she had been told so far, Super Saiyan had the potential to be as powerful and far more effective than both Super Saiyan 2 and the fabled Super Saiyan 3. She and Parsley hadn't had the chance to try and reach the third level, but hearing that it was so inefficient and such an energy drain was discouraging. If she didn't already know that Lampton's god ascension ritual didn't require mastery of all Saiyan forms, she would have simply not bothered wasting her time learning the form. Instead, she had to waste time achieving it and gaining some form of mastery over it; time that could have and should have been spent empowering the first form.

"Okay, first, Rutaba being a Super Saiyan is fucking awesome," she said with a wide grin. "Maiz will be wishing her and Mato back once she makes her own dragonballs, so I'll see her soon. Second, Super Saiyan 3 is useless, huh? Figures. If we didn't need it for the god ritual, I'd say **** it and not waste my time." She sighed.

Kumara had been staring at Totoma the entire time. She reached up to try and grab his hair.

"It's great to have you back, by the way. Ishtar and the fairy managed to escape, but we'll track them down and wipe them out."

"Didn't take her long at all to reach it. She's a natural," said Totoma, grinning. "But I suppose you'd know that, given how she's your cousin and all."

Ah, right, the god ritual. He'd forgotten about all that, with how immersed in his training with Rutaba and Vocado he had been. It still sort of interested him, but on the other hand...

"Heh, looking forward to seeing how strong that god ritual makes everyone. I'll help, of course, but I think I'll pass on becoming a god, myself, unless we really need it." He might still end up needing it to keep up, but as weird as it sounded, especially for someone like him that had often coasted on natural talent and, uh... asspulls--because that's what a lot of his harebrained ideas like combining Super Saiyan and Hitozaru amounted to--taking a shortcut like that just didn't sit right with him.

He remained silent for a moment, then continued. "...I know the rest of you have more or less discarded it--even mom seems to consider it just a... novelty or teaching aid at this point--but I feel like I'm just on the edge of really figuring out Hitozaru's true potential. I've gotten my body used to it, and Haurvatat can heal any damage that it does cause, and I can blend it with Super Saiyan pretty well, but it's still... unstable? Not like 'haha boom' unstable, but 'waste a crapton of energy' unstable. Like Super Saiyan 3 on steroids."

Sighing, Totoma scratched the back of his head. "...might just be crazy and wasting my time, but... guess we'll see."

At that moment, Totoma felt a tug on his hair, turned around and saw... a child? What was a child doing here?

"Oh? And who's this adorable little fighter? Friend of yours, Sarada?"

Huh, judging from her appearance, she was a halfbreed. And also adorable. This was a little-known fact, but the Zhu clan had a noted love of children. Simply adored them. Probably why the Zhu clan was... large enough to be its own ethnic group, at this point. Kneeling down, Totoma rummaged around his pocket and... ah, there it was!

Pulling out the Muffin Button, he held it out to the young half-saiyan. "Here, push... you'll get a tasty treat!" Clicking the button with his thumb, a double chocolate muffin *poofed* into existence and landed on the floor. Still edible, since it did have that little... wrapper thingy that muffins came in, too.