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

[bruceleegreyhulk]

“Hmph. Wish to learn your family’s old ways? Perhaps.”

He draws a small wooden cane out from behind him and nods.

“Very well. I shall attempt to train you. Give me your hand.”

" Yes, and someone once told me that martial arts are worth preserving," Praxat said as he gives her hand to her great great uncle.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

" Yes, and someone once told me that martial arts are worth preserving," Praxat said as he gives her hand to her great great uncle.

When your hand touches his, there is a flare of blue white energy as you and he vanish into a bolt of electricity. Your conscience travels with him, arcing at tremendous speeds, as you leave his home and pass over the market, channeling through a metal pipe that leads outside. Inside this lightning bolt the two of you travel over 100 miles away, before he lets you go and you fall back into your physical form and down towards a rocking outcropping by some old ruins. He, meanwhile, lands artfully on a nearby pillar and nods.

“I am Bulllick McFrog, the Black Thunderer of Dartcha.”

His walking stick transforms into a sword that he rests on his shoulder.

“If you wish to claim your heritage, you must take my sword from me, child. But be warned, none have ever.”

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Her training with E Bekon, ...the other Bekon, and Tasure had gone quite excellently. E Bekon had taken time to teach Tasure about Super Saiyan 2--which she had technically already achieved while fused with her, making re-achieving it on her own fairly easy--and then... some ridiculous-looking, but incredibly powerful form aptly called Super Saiyan 3. And then, for about a year--or a day outside where they were training--he acted as a harsh, but fair teacher. At first, even the three of them together couldn't last more than a minute against him, but by the end of that year they had finally, at long last... achieved a close victory against him.

Nevanlinna had also inquired about the mechanics of that 'Kizuna Nashi' from him, as well as the mechanics of its standard form, the Kizuna, from human Bekon. Kizuna itself was beyond her capabilities, as it required a certain level of psychic ability to pull off, and she was certainly no psychic. It seemed, to a certain extent, that most of the mysterious and eccentric Zhu clan on Earth was. No matter... Kizuna Nashi appeared to be within her capabilities, though without knowing the technique it was derived from, it would take, E Bekon estimated, decades or centuries for her to learn it.

Unbeknownst to him, she had the means to achieve that... but that was something to work on later.

The rest of Bekon's techniques, while interesting, were, ah... not her cup of tea.

Tasure's training with her was the most useful. The saiyaness helped tighten up her hand-to-hand skills--an area she had been sorely lacking in before this point--and, more importantly, her ability to control energy and the way she trained. While the former was ostensibly just ki control, Nevanlinna discovered that it could be easily applied to magic, allowing the Threshling Princess to waste less energy while achieving greater effect.

Perhaps it was their fusing together earlier, but she found herself growing fond of the gruff saiyaness, as a friend. Or perhaps she just had a soft spot for that half of the saiyan race. Regardless, after much discussion, she had convinced Tasure to lend Reshlan her services as a, ah, consultant of sorts. The Saiyans used training methods she had developed and judging from how much they'd improved in the few short years since widely adopting them, they were effective. Pride would demand the Threshlings develop their own homegrown training methods, but Nevanlinna knew that will pride was important to an extent, it could be blinding if taken to unreasonable extents. Ignoring a potentially valuable asset because of pride was one such situation.

And so, their training came to an end and they went their separate ways... kind of. Tasure and Bekon went back to Earth, E Bekon... stayed in Vaikuntha proper to... who knows. In her view, it was to provide beefcake eye candy, but she'd never say it direct to his face. Still, he wasn't harming anything and provided excellent security, so there was no harm and beefy benefits to letting him stay, so... stay he shall.

When she returned, she focused on two things in particular--reading, gaining knowledge and training with Luop, particularly in weapons handling and the arts of forging arms and armor. The ancient threshling art of crafting their ornate battle armors and weapons had always fascinated, but until recently it had been a closely guarded secret, available only to a select few. Since that no longer applied and she had plenty of free time now, and it was a useful skill to know.

Of course, she took to it like a fish to water... geniuses such as her were rare, and with a bit of Vaikuntha abuse, she, from the perspective of those outside of her pocket dimension, had gone from a complete newbie to the lower echelons of mastery in but a few days. It was an unfair advantage for her, perhaps, but why not use it? The Saiyans had their transformations and zenkai, the nevadians their shingan and techniques, the humans their... also techniques and sheer dogged determination, so leveraging her own advantages to the benefit of her entire people was only natural, was it not?

Her solitude during those years actually got her to thinking about the art of smithing. And after, oh... about 2 or 3 years, she realized that while the traditional way was effective, the process could be made so much more... effective. Without fail, the armors produced were bulky, unwieldy... suitable only for Threshlings, thanks to their body manipulation, and while that was OK--it was a threshling art after all--it still limited the wearers mobility, range of motion, line of sight... and in most cases severely limited their ki senses.

It would take years or decades, but she resolved herself to refining the art so that suits as or more effective than their current ones could be produced quicker and with fewer rare and hard-to-get resources. Just the thought of trailblazing like that made her tingle with excitement!

That, however, would have to wait. Upon her return from her most recent year of training, something quite interesting had happened on Reshlan. Archaeologists doing research to uncover any ancient history Auroc may have tried to cover up, in fact, discovered... a spacecraft.

Not just any spacecraft, but an old and absolutely gargantuan one. Based on several methods of dating--both technological and magical--the spaceship's age was estimated to be in the tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of years. Its size was equally as absurd.

Approximately one-hundred kilometers long, and with a very large interior space--without even entering the ship, it was clear that this was no war vessel, but a colony ship. Perhaps the one the Threshling's distant ancestors had used to settle on Reshlan eons ago.

Soon enough, Nevanlinna found herself standing at the bustling excavation site...

[KingofPie]

At first it was a back and forth. Sasheem attempted to dart past Xuan Wu's defenses with cleverly placed strikes, but even when he decided to utilize Naga Palm, each and every one of his jabs were swatted away by Xuan Wu's staff. With each strike, the Majin grew more and more frustrated, not because every one of his attacks were being deflected but because the turtle monk was doing it with his eyes closed!

There had to be some sort of technique involved here. His ears, perhaps? Was he using them to-

"While my sense are enhanced, I am not utilizing them to deflect your attacks," Xuan Wu answered, as if reading Sasheem's mind.

Mind reading, that was it! He must be using some sort of telepath-

"I's not mind reading either, in case you were wondering..."

Time manipulation! He must've used it to see brief flashes of Sasheem's movements in the future.

"If you believe that it's something to do in my time capabilities, you're mostly wrong," Xuan Wu answered again.

"Okay, okay, jabroni! Sasheem gives up! What the hell are y-" The Majin began before the staff thwacked him on the skull. If it wasn't for a split-second switch to Katchin mode, his head would've splattered.

"My fighting style is a subset of the Turtle School; The Eight-Trigram Shell. Before even a single finger is raised, those who decide to undertake this must steep themselves in meditation. Only when once achieves supreme spiritual balance may they seek to pursue the martial aspects of the Eight-Trigram Shell."

"Huh. Maybe you and Sasheem got different definitions of balance, baldy but you seem to have as much a screw loose as the Doctor or any other asshole with a god complex Sasheem's seen. You morons should form a club in hell," Sasheem smirked, suddenly blasting Venom Mist in close quarters, using his rant as a sort of distraction.

Xuan Wu frowned and rapidly spun his staff, dispersing the mist before noticing in the corner of his eye, Sasheem about to blindside him with an elbow to the temple. With a split second movement, Xuan Wu was able to deflect the elbow with the back of his hand as the Yami Kintoun darted a small distance away. "funny you speak of balance, Majin. You seek to master the Yamata no Orochi Fist, which I'm faintly aware, also requires heavy spiritual balance. A clear weakness of yours..."

"Oh, wanna bet?!" Sasheem grinned, boosting himself towards Xuan Wu, hanging above his Cloud and firing a beam from his antennae at it. Sasheem was going to see just how fast the Turtle Monk's dark cloud was when it turned into cotton candy but the middle of Yami Kintoun parted into a perfect circle, letting the blast fall through and hit a part of the floor of the temple, transforming it into a pile of cotton candy. As Sasheem was recovering from the blast, Xuan Wu, sent a palm strike to the back of his head sending him downward.

Sasheem, on reflex attempted to grab a hold of the edge of the cloud and felt his hands begin to slip. "Did you not hear me before, Majin? Only one with thoughts darkened can keep a foothold of Yami Kintoun. I myself have admittedly nefarious intentions but with a noble purpose. You...do not even have those anymore. A shell of your former self, forever indecisive, chained by the ankle to chaos. That is the nature of a Majin."

Xuan Wu spun around his staff to strike down once again upon the struggling Sasheem, who upon contact, warped away, reforming rapidly on Xuan Wu's side. "When I had hoped to recruit you, I had hoped you would rekindle your former nature as a being of destruction. The Schools of the Ten were never truly open to one such as you, I hope you know this..." the monk stated, dodging Sasheem's next strike and quickly countering with a heavy kick to the Majin's knee which fired off a ki blast on contact, scattering Sasheem into pieces.

Each individual piece of Sasheem soon formed into miniature versions of himself. A third of which rushed at Xuan Wu in the hope of detonating as the rest rapidly reformed into whole Sasheem. "Rebounding Shell!" Xuan Wu spoke of, as a sphere of ki formed around him blasting outward, decimating all the mini-Sasheems attempting to rush him down. "That's right, fight like a Majin. A tool of destruction but never the master. That was your first true desire was it not?"

The re-formed Sasheem gritted his teeth and fired an Annihilation Orb which Xuan Wu caught with his hands. It seemed to take some effort but the monk raised his own power levels slowly squashing the orb until it was flat like a pancake before dispersing into the air. "For that wasn't what destiny had in mind, was it. You were not to be the God of Destruction, for it was never meant to be. I've learned many times over one cannot change destiny, it must be unmade from the beginning!"

"And your destiny was not to rule over the domain of destruction. It was certainly not to find solace and mastery in one of the Ten Schools!" Xuan Wu glanced up as Sasheem dashed up in front of him, using the Spider's Blessing to cloud his movements as he prepared to jab Xuan Wu with the Bear's Claws. "You attempt to find discipline, you may pretend to seek purpose..." Xuan Wu raised two fingers in between the claws, locking them in Sasheem's knuckles to prevent them from reaching his face. Sasheem then sent more arms flying at Xuan Wu and pierced his abdomen.

Xuan Wu doubled back using Yami Kintoun to gain distance as he began to reverberate, reverting the wounds in his flesh to their previous state through a minute manipulation of the time stream. "But your only purpose is to destroy....until you are yourself destroyed..." the monk continued despite the venom painfully leaving his body. "Your feeble attempts to make good will amount to nothing. Your allies barely trust you. If you turn on them, they will feel nothing. No one would. All those who would care about, you yourself killed long ago...."

He trailed off as he saw a large violet ki blast launched towards him. Xuan Wu dodged and his eyes widened as he saw it was Sasheem's homing attack. The Cobra Curse. Instead of dodging now, he took the attack head on, firing a wave of ki, a one palmed Kamehameha, the signature attack of the turtle school. The blue wave split through the Cobra Curse. Sasheem, however, surfed across the wave of ki as if it were water using his Samehada. One arm was raised and armored in Katchin to deliver a Meteor Clothesline.

Xuan Wu caught it with his other free hand, letting his staff fall atop the Yami Kintoun. Blood beginning to seep from his hand as he held the razor sharp ki blast back, he eventually managed to shift it to one side, knocking Sasheem off balance enough for him to deliver a another palm strike, this one powerful enough to shatter the Katchin coating on Sasheem's arm.

"I have seen many timelines, both similar and different and they all tell the same tale. There is no timeline, no universe in which Sasheem wins. You kill, you die, you are reborn as a human. And sometimes not, even that. Such is the fate for a miserable creature such as yourself! I offer you your one chance to change that and you squander it!" Xuan Wu taunts, kicking up his staff back into his hands and forming spears of ki around both ends.

[KingofPie]

Jabbing forward to pierce the Majin further, Sasheem activates Katchin mode once again in tandem with his dragon school technique Daijinryu-Ken to further bolster his defense as he blocked the attack with his arms. "You cannot better yourself! You cannot improve! You are born of Chaos and so shall you remain!"

"You know...." Sasheem began after a long bout of silence on his part. "You sure talk a lotta shit for a monk..."

"As a monk, I only speak truths," Xuan Wu smirked. Sasheem's own expression was fury as he began gathering his energy and releasing it in an explosive kiai!

"Resounding Roar! Lion's Call!" Sasheem bellowed causing the surrounding timespace to ripple as he began to Strike Xuan Wu multiple times form differing near impossible angles, using his sunken fangs technique to launch out more limbs to deliver Venom Mist enhanced strikes. The trouble was every wound inflicted, Xuan Wu could just as swiftly reverse it or replace it with a version of his flesh that was never wounded in the first place.

But Sasheem has already caught on to this technique and had planned to show Xuan Wu just how much he had mastered of the Snake School. "Yamata....No...Orochi...." Sasheem began, a vile, corpulent poisonous aura of ki beginning to form around his body until reality itself began to sear against this caustic aura...as did Sasheem's body. Instantly releasing the attack, Sasheem began to writhe in pain in m

"Killing yourself with your own technique. But, what did you expect? The discipline it requires, the dedication. You were never one meant for the martial arts. I'm certain your own martial brothers have told you as much."

"Screw You, you bald bast-" Sasheem managed to cough.

"I leave you with one parting gift," Xuan Wu smiled as his hands slowly maneuvered in a perfect circular motion, his ki clearly gathering for another Kamehameha. Despite the pain he found himself in, Sasheem attempted to exploit the opening left by this apparently slow gathering Kamehameha, but his rush was immediate repelled and dispelled back by a barrier of a hexagonal shape, almost resembling a turtle shell.

"Taiji Kamehameha!" Xuan Wu smirked, a massive blast emerging from his hands, crackling with energies both of spirit and time. "Normally as beings of spirit, Majin will never hope to experience death as most mortals do. Until the absolute end of all, you will not even hope to taste the afterlife until today! I choose not to kill you but, you will witness the mastery I command over forces you cannot begin to fathom! Watch as I weave time and space. Heavens and hells and send you into a pit of your own making!"

The blast caught Sasheem who felt himself blast downward, one of his arms flying off from the sheer concussive force as he attempted an unsuccessful escape from the blast which launched him further and further down. Beyond Earth and beyond the reach of heaven as he descended through the dimensions. And awoke in darkness.

[grampagen]

There was a brief silence when Zaofan's holographic image materialized into view and started speaking, as if the Saiyans were trying to figure out who he was. It wasn't until he actually said his name that they immediately knew who he was.

"It's Zaofan!" a woman shouted.

"I thought Her Highness was just exaggerating, but he's real!" a man followed.

Excited murmurs rippled through the small crowd of people. It was clear that Sarada had been gushing about her Earth friends to her subjects ever since she first returned to Vocado from her first trip there years ago. And as the years continued and her trips became more frequent, the stories of the M Fighters passed over into legend.

Pois and a line of four women passed through the excited crowd just as the Gotengo crew handed over their gifts. Capsules, which only the Royals had been making use of up until that point, and food. And not just any kind of food, but food prepared with the expert and loving care of a galaxy-renowned chef, one capable of satisfying the palates of Saiyans, Majin, and Id alike. The Langalians approached the table two at a time and helped themselves. Each one offered a hearty thanks to the newcomers and moved to the side so the next person could gather their plate. "Thank you so much for this gracious gift."

"Please excuse Her Majesty's absence," Pois said. "She's currently on another of our worlds attending to an urgent welfare check. My name is Pois, I'll be more than happy to serve as hostess for the duration of your stay."

One of the women accompanying Pois bowed respectfully and extended a picture frame toward the diplomats. It was a hand-painted landscape portraying Earth's Southern Continent as it was two-thousand years ago. "This was painted by King Vocado himself shortly after he returned from his battle on Earth," she said. "Please take it as a token of our newfound friendship." Two more women stepped forward, each with a pair of priceless artworks painted by Vocado himself.

Pois was met by a group of science officers, who were unfortunately by the nature of their work and lack of ki projection, were hermetically sealed behind exoskeleton suits that, but for the glass canopies of their helmets, gave them the appearance of mechanical men. It was, unfortunately, necessary, for though the spirit may be willing to explore the frontiers and embark upon new odysseys, ten times the Earth's gravity was something that needed to be compensated for.

Therefore, graciously - and carefully - accepting the artifact with the utmost tact was one of the folks on security detail. Garbed in formal military dress, they saluted in formation, and handled the exchange with disciplined white gloves, and others offered handshakes where a mechanical appendage would not do. A subtle smile passed from the EDF Corpsmen to the Saiyan ambassadors, a tacit acknowledgement of the strength of their allies, but with a hint of the subtle power they knew they held in kind.

"Understood, Ma'am. Your leaders have their duties, so do ours. They talk to us, we talk to each other," a Corpsman replied, his tone polite as it was curt. Eyeing the acting hand of the queen, with a thin smile and a wink he nodded. "If it please you, the lads would love to stretch their legs and get to know the lay of the land. The more we know about each other, the better off we'll be to help each other out in the days to come, wouldn't you agree?"

Another stepped forward, a pair of small sacks in her hand. "We were told that the one known as Ochazuke would be here. I have a gift for him from Lady Maiz."

For Ochazuke, he can that Langal's civilization was almost perfectly blended with nature. The cities were relatively small and so interspersed within the forests that they seemed to almost sprout out of them as naturally as the towering oak trees that surrounded them. The city behind them, Victory City, was a perfect example. As for the people, there was a general calmness permeating through the population, but with strong smatterings of tense anxiety. Parsley and Sarada are absent, and Maiz literally just arrived an instant ago with Pinach. They seemed to be making their way toward the ship right then.

Deeper within, he found the planet's leylines. Lively and vibrant, they criss-crossed the world and energized every living thing that walked on the surface.

There standing in the midst of his Meditation Field Ochazuke beheld the living presence of Langal, and as Kyokushin Keihatsu gave him an expanded view of the depth and nature of the Saiyan inhabitants and the make of the structures, surveying the world itself with Muhen Sekai Keihatsu let him feel the pulse of energy that flew through the entire planet itself, and in an instant survey the totality of its living energy. Several millions of Saiyan civilians, still more indigenous fauna the like he'd never seen before.

The roots run deep.

More than the aesthetic synergy interwoven between the urban and rural, much of what had grown here was in balance to those who lived upon it. Reaching within the Leylines themselves, the subtle memory-echoes of the planet cast the shades the world's unwritten history written. What a marvel it was to behold the sublime, ancient matter present here.

Only one among many planets in the Saiyan Empire. Just as he would for the Earth, so it was was increasingly clear that they would fight and die to protect it, no matter the cost.

And so when the Guardian arrived, rather than stand on ceremony, Ochazuke slipped to the edge of the crowd and moved to find her from the far side of the procession.

"Maiz," he said, "You're looking well."

Looking to the escort by her side, a small smile curled at the side of his mouth and he nodded approvingly. The boy was taller now, his features leaner, but the burning vigor at the heart of the young Saiyan man seemed to colour his aura, and he was instantly recognizable.

"And Pinach. Enacting your justice has carried you far."

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Nevanlinna studied the reconstructed image of the ship. Modern ships could get quite large, especially ones meant to carry large numbers of passengers, but this... this was simply absurd! That those piloting this ship all those eons ago could even find a place to land was in itself quite impressive... though the ship did have exterior weapons of an unknown make, so it's quite likely that they simply made a landing zone. But for this area to build up again... for this ship to be buried under tons of soil and rock, to become a mountain range... truly, how long ago did it arrive?



To be on the cutting edge of something like this... such excitement!

"Quite impressive, isn't it, your highness?" said the head researcher, stepping up beside her. "A colony ship, buried under the Edinnu mountains... astounding!"

"Yes, quite astounding indeed. Have you gained entry yet?"

"Ah, yes... we did a few hours ago. Send a team in, escorted by three Gold Knights. We, ah..."

He stopped, his tone sounding... uncertain. Nevanlinna sighed. "...you lost contact, I assume?"

"As astute as always. Yes, we lost contact with the team a bit before your arrival. It's regrettable, but we believe the internal defense systems may still be active, at least partially."

Active, after all this time... amazing, but that knowledge was not worth the loss of three gold knights and their charges. They had been in short supply even before the liberation of Reshlan, and doubly so after. She had plans to make warriors of their caliber easier to train and equip, but had not yet completed the methods to do so.

"...mm, very well. I shall enter the ship, myself," said Nevanlinna. "I assume the team was transmitting what it had mapped out before contact was lost. Give it to me, and I shall be on my way."

If the head researcher wanted to respond, he would quickly find himself cut off by Luop. "My lady, I must oppose this course of action. For you to go in alone, knowing that whatever dangers that lie within claimed three gold knights... it is far too reckless."

His concern was touching, but misplaced. "Noted... but you of all people should know that I am very well-equipped to survive things others cannot. And besides, we both know you shall follow me, so I will hardly be 'alone'."

Luop remained silent for a moment, though the princess' keen hearing picked up a... grumbling under his breath. At last, he sighed. "...you know me too well, Princess. I, as ever, shall be your shadow."

"Good. Let us prepare and then go."

Preparations were quick. It was a simple matter of storing supplies in capsules she had procured on Earth, with excess being placed into Vaikuntha. Ah, such a convenience, that realm.

And so, she, Luop, and a small group of golds descended into the depths.

Foreboding (Yasunori Mitsuda)

The exterior was in surprisingly good shape, but the interior, oh it was pristine in comparison. Even the lighting, at least some of it, still worked. Emergency lighting, as far as she could tell. The dim lights gave the hallway they'd entered into an eerie, ethereal quality. Not that such a thing would deter her. Nevanlinna quite appreciated the ambiance, in fact.

Exploring was warranted, but right now... she considered this a rescue operation. They had the location where contact had been lost, and what they had mapped out. Getting there should be quite simple. The team set out.

The first leg of the trip was... uneventful, though there were some interesting things to note. Small bloblike creatures would occasionally move in and out of their view. Upon further examination, she realized that they were not creatures at all, but rather some sort of mechanical construct. Nanomachines would be her guess. With a bit more examination, she determined that they were, in fact, the ship's cleaning and repair system... they would seep out of nooks and crannies, deconstruct debris, dirt, dust, then use the matter to repair what they could, while, she believed, also using a portion of the matter to refuel themselves.

Certainly these interesting little creations, in large part, explained why this ship was in such excellent condition despite being abandoned for so long.

As the group pressed further in, they came upon evidence of battle--recent ones, too. Certainly the work of the first team. There were scattered pieces of... multiple combat automatrons, now being deconstructed and reassembled in their wall-ports by those little repair slimes. None were active yet, but it was something to keep note of for the return trip.

At long last, they reached the room where the first team had been when contact had been cut. Though to call it a room would be a misnomer. The light was dim, yes, but just the way the air felt, how the sound reverberated spoke to this room being large... probably large enough to fit multiple copies of the royal palace inside. Straining her senses, she could see, in the darkness of the room's center... two solid yellow eyes.

And they were peering straight at her and the group.

The reason for the first team's disappearance?

She motioned for her men to shadow her, then began approaching the eyes confidently, activating her Aura of Fire to illuminate the area. As they reached the owner of the eyes, they found another automaton. At this range, she could tell that this automaton was... nothing of the such. Its mien told her that it was intelligent, not a mere automaton carrying out its programming.



Around it was the first research team... or what remained of them. They had been killed--ripped apart, mulched... quite nasty.

What a waste.

"More of Auroc's slaves, come to plunder old graves," said the automaton. "So bet it. Unless you be an Exemplar, then your life be forfeit."

...

Okay, perhaps this artificial being was not so much intelligent, but rather insane. Still, it wasn't quite attacking yet, so...

"I am Princess Nevanlinna of the Threshling Empire, and its heir apparent. While we were his slaves, Auroc has been dead for months."

"Alive, dead... it matters not. His chains still bind, your eyes still rendered blind."

This thing's rhyming was already quite tiresome. She had the distinct feeling it was merely doing it for its own amusement. But then, this thing had probably been in here for tens of thousands of years--perhaps hundreds of thousands--so it was not unfair to expect a sapient being to be a bit... odd, after such a time.

"...you're not going to let us leave, are you?"

"Aye, you have come here, ultimately to die." That damn rhyming again.

"Is there no way to avoid violence? Our interest is merely to retrieve these individuals and curiosity."

The robot cocked his head. "Curiosity? Well, for a time, that may stave off my animosity. Answer my question, and you may forevermore avoid my aggression."

To be honest, with all this rhyming, she kind of wanted to dismantle this robot, but while she could probably survive, there was no guarantee Luop and the others would be so luck. "A question?"

It nodded. "Do not lie. Why do you think birds fly?"

...

What the hell sort of question was that!?

[Sub-Zero MKA]

There standing in the midst of his Meditation Field Ochazuke beheld the living presence of Langal, and as Kyokushin Keihatsu gave him an expanded view of the depth and nature of the Saiyan inhabitants and the make of the structures, surveying the world itself with Muhen Sekai Keihatsu let him feel the pulse of energy that flew through the entire planet itself, and in an instant survey the totality of its living energy. Several millions of Saiyan civilians, still more indigenous fauna the like he'd never seen before.

The roots run deep.

More than the aesthetic synergy interwoven between the urban and rural, much of what had grown here was in balance to those who lived upon it. Reaching within the Leylines themselves, the subtle memory-echoes of the planet cast the shades the world's unwritten history written. What a marvel it was to behold the sublime, ancient matter present here.

Only one among many planets in the Saiyan Empire. Just as he would for the Earth, so it was was increasingly clear that they would fight and die to protect it, no matter the cost.

And so when the Guardian arrived, rather than stand on ceremony, Ochazuke slipped to the edge of the crowd and moved to find her from the far side of the procession.

"Maiz," he said, "You're looking well."

Looking to the escort by her side, a small smile curled at the side of his mouth and he nodded approvingly. The boy was taller now, his features leaner, but the burning vigor at the heart of the young Saiyan man seemed to colour his aura, and he was instantly recognizable.

"And Pinach. Enacting your justice has carried you far."

Maiz nodded once upon arrival. Before responding, she took a moment to gaze at the ship Ochazuke and Earth's ambassadors arrived on. "Earth has been busy," she remarked with a growing smile. Indeed, she didn't recall them being space-bound the last time she spent any substantial time there, which was only five years ago. "Only" because it wasn't a long period of time in the grand scheme of things, yet things seemed completely different. That was good. Progress was always good, and necessary if a race was to survive. "It's good to see you, as well. I hear you have something for me. Before we get to that..." She held her hand out, at which point, the woman from before placed the small bags in her hand. Nodding her thanks, she presented them to him. "A special blend of green tea leaves I grew myself some years ago. And seeds for you to grow your own."

Pinach gave a small smile and salute. "Thanks, Mr. Ochazuke. It's good to see you again." The boy's - well, man at that point - spirit and passion for justice still burned as hot and brightly as it did those years ago when they last spoke. Yet, there was something muted in his demeanor. Despite being older and around people he knew - for the most part - he was reserved and quiet, not at all like he was when he and Rutaba were on the Lookout nearly four years ago. "We took your advice," he said. "The prisons nowadays are more focused on rehabilitation than punishment. Crime has dropped quite a bit these last few years."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

When your hand touches his, there is a flare of blue white energy as you and he vanish into a bolt of electricity. Your conscience travels with him, arcing at tremendous speeds, as you leave his home and pass over the market, channeling through a metal pipe that leads outside. Inside this lightning bolt the two of you travel over 100 miles away, before he lets you go and you fall back into your physical form and down towards a rocking outcropping by some old ruins. He, meanwhile, lands artfully on a nearby pillar and nods.

“I am Bulllick McFrog, the Black Thunderer of Dartcha.”

His walking stick transforms into a sword that he rests on his shoulder.

“If you wish to claim your heritage, you must take my sword from me, child. But be warned, none have ever.”

Thank's for the warning, but I will be taking that sword from you , senesi Bullick," Praxat said. Praxat then takes off her weighted clothing, powers up, and goes for the sword.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Thank's for the warning, but I will be taking that sword from you , senesi Bullick," Praxat said. Praxat then takes off her weighted clothing, powers up, and goes for the sword.

He flashes like lightning, the blunt side of the blade swung like a bat. He slaps her away with it and sends her hurtling thousands of feet away like a rocket.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

He flashes like lightning, the blunt side of the blade swung like a bat. He slaps her away with it and sends her hurtling thousands of feet away like a rocket.

Praxat stops herself midflight." Okay, looks like I'm going to have to up my game," Praxat said. Praxat uses Aome Efficiency mode.

Praxat blasts towards Bullick using Flash Hop.

[grampagen]

Maiz nodded once upon arrival. Before responding, she took a moment to gaze at the ship Ochazuke and Earth's ambassadors arrived on. "Earth has been busy," she remarked with a growing smile. Indeed, she didn't recall them being space-bound the last time she spent any substantial time there, which was only five years ago. "Only" because it wasn't a long period of time in the grand scheme of things, yet things seemed completely different. That was good. Progress was always good, and necessary if a race was to survive. "It's good to see you, as well. I hear you have something for me. Before we get to that..." She held her hand out, at which point, the woman from before placed the small bags in her hand. Nodding her thanks, she presented them to him. "A special blend of green tea leaves I grew myself some years ago. And seeds for you to grow your own."

"Pantaloon was insistent we not fall behind the wider universe. I only provided the means for him to do so."

Receiving Maiz's gift, the man seemed somewhat dumbfounded at first as he held the leaves and seeds, but accepted them graciously nonetheless.

"Heh, an heirloom variety, how thoughtful," Ochazuke remarked. Even in the crowded air it aroma bloomed, verdant and floral. "I do recall you took yours green."

I wonder how it stands to the rigours of ferment and oxidation. Its characteristics may be markedly different from Earth's varieties.

"Perhaps when the first harvest is successful, I might discuss the finer points of tea culture with you. All in due time."

Pinach gave a small smile and salute. "Thanks, Mr. Ochazuke. It's good to see you again." The boy's - well, man at that point - spirit and passion for justice still burned as hot and brightly as it did those years ago when they last spoke. Yet, there was something muted in his demeanor. Despite being older and around people he knew - for the most part - he was reserved and quiet, not at all like he was when he and Rutaba were on the Lookout nearly four years ago. "We took your advice," he said. "The prisons nowadays are more focused on rehabilitation than punishment. Crime has dropped quite a bit these last few years."

"Cheh. I did nothing. This is the result of hard work from those who aspire with sincerity," Ochazuke said. "If it is true that justice has a place for people outside of a cage or the lash of retribution, then given the chance, people will find it as yours have."

The words were spoken plainly, yet held something of a bittersweet edge. In some small way, with the turn of events that came once Earth reclaimed itself from the shadow of Grinthorn, such a pithy ideal he himself had slowly begin to thaw towards, but for the Destroyer who had cast them off when she departed their ranks. Though the numbers may have been diminished, in each order they still held fast to face their fight, but not without consequence.

"I heard about Rutaba. Nobody, least of all her, deseves to die so callously. My condolences," he said grimly, "From what I heard, however, I'm certain Sarada is seeing to the task of making things right as we speak."

A ruthless creature like Tundra clung to an ancient, savage hierarchy, of fear and bloodlust and conquest. Pinach was just a boy the last time he saw him, his sister a girl when he first met her. How many more times would battles like these need to be fought?

With this in mind, his words turned back to Maiz.

"If the other planets of the Saiyan Empire are as far along as Langal, then your stewardship over them is most commendable. Pertaining to this, however, there is a matter of dire urgency I wish to discuss with you."

For a moment he has a glance over his shoulder. The absent Zaofan's face lit up in the hologram hanging over the reception crowd, his image seeming to conduct the tide of celebration and good fortune and hospitality between worlds. It wouldn't do to spoil the mood.

"But not here. In private."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Pois was met by a group of science officers, who were unfortunately by the nature of their work and lack of ki projection, were hermetically sealed behind exoskeleton suits that, but for the glass canopies of their helmets, gave them the appearance of mechanical men. It was, unfortunately, necessary, for though the spirit may be willing to explore the frontiers and embark upon new odysseys, ten times the Earth's gravity was something that needed to be compensated for.

Therefore, graciously - and carefully - accepting the artifact with the utmost tact was one of the folks on security detail. Garbed in formal military dress, they saluted in formation, and handled the exchange with disciplined white gloves, and others offered handshakes where a mechanical appendage would not do. A subtle smile passed from the EDF Corpsmen to the Saiyan ambassadors, a tacit acknowledgement of the strength of their allies, but with a hint of the subtle power they knew they held in kind.

"Understood, Ma'am. Your leaders have their duties, so do ours. They talk to us, we talk to each other," a Corpsman replied, his tone polite as it was curt. Eyeing the acting hand of the queen, with a thin smile and a wink he nodded. "If it please you, the lads would love to stretch their legs and get to know the lay of the land. The more we know about each other, the better off we'll be to help each other out in the days to come, wouldn't you agree?"

The Saiyans took stock of the scientists' exosuits. Their ki signatures were surprisingly low, but the mechanical suits more than made up for the lack of innate battle power. Pois and the other four ambassadors took turns shaking hands with the science officers. "Excellent, we're in agreement. While Mr. Ochazuke is speaking with Maiz, I'll be more than happy to show you around Victory City." With that said and a wave of her hand, Pois took to the air and flew toward the capital city.

First sight of the city confirmed what Ochazuke's sublime preternatural senses already determined: the city was almost perfectly blended into the natural ecosystem around it. The buildings, as Pois explained, were built directly into the environment, rather than obliterating the environment to make room to build the city unobstructed. "Dating back to our ancestors on planet Sadala, we've always striven to leave our natural surroundings as unimpeded as we could," Pois explained. "There's something... calming about being one with nature. There are so many breathtaking sights that it'd be a real shame to remove all of that just so we can build a civilization."

One of those breathtaking sights she showed them was the Grand Hall. While it wasn't natural, it was a marvel of engineering. The twenty story tall building was the research and archeological hub for the Saiyan Empire. All historical research - and there were countless projects being conducted even at that moment by dozens of researchers - was conducted there. It also served as a library for the masses. Thousands of shelves housed hundreds of thousands, if not millions of works of literature the galaxy over. Covering a wide array of genres, there was something for everyone. The most important pieces were displayed right front and center. Held on eight book shelves on the first floor of the Hall was the entire modern history of the Saiyan race, dating back to when they first arrived on Vocado over two thousand years ago and branching off to the entire history of five of the six original colonies. The only one not included was Inshinsa, the first; that was only because the entire population mysteriously vanished without a trace shortly after inception.

"We Saiyans have had a bloody history," Pois said as she picked up one of the books. "For five hundred years, we reigned terror over the galaxy, slaughtering innocent people, taking survivors as slaves, and selling the planets for profit. This very planet was once inhabited by a race of cryomancers before we cleared them out a hundred-and-fifty years ago." She sighed heavily and replaced the book. Most of us feel shame over our past actions and those of our ancestors. But, it's something we don't hide from. It's up front for all to see. If we do nothing else than serve as a cautionary tale for other races about what happens when pride and lust of power and control run rampant, then we've accomplished a good thing."

[grampagen]

The Saiyans took stock of the scientists' exosuits. Their ki signatures were surprisingly low, but the mechanical suits more than made up for the lack of innate battle power. Pois and the other four ambassadors took turns shaking hands with the science officers. "Excellent, we're in agreement. While Mr. Ochazuke is speaking with Maiz, I'll be more than happy to show you around Victory City." With that said and a wave of her hand, Pois took to the air and flew toward the capital city.

First sight of the city confirmed what Ochazuke's sublime preternatural senses already determined: the city was almost perfectly blended into the natural ecosystem around it. The buildings, as Pois explained, were built directly into the environment, rather than obliterating the environment to make room to build the city unobstructed. "Dating back to our ancestors on planet Sadala, we've always striven to leave our natural surroundings as unimpeded as we could," Pois explained. "There's something... calming about being one with nature. There are so many breathtaking sights that it'd be a real shame to remove all of that just so we can build a civilization."

One of those breathtaking sights she showed them was the Grand Hall. While it wasn't natural, it was a marvel of engineering. The twenty story tall building was the research and archeological hub for the Saiyan Empire. All historical research - and there were countless projects being conducted even at that moment by dozens of researchers - was conducted there. It also served as a library for the masses. Thousands of shelves housed hundreds of thousands, if not millions of works of literature the galaxy over. Covering a wide array of genres, there was something for everyone. The most important pieces were displayed right front and center. Held on eight book shelves on the first floor of the Hall was the entire modern history of the Saiyan race, dating back to when they first arrived on Vocado over two thousand years ago and branching off to the entire history of five of the six original colonies. The only one not included was Inshinsa, the first; that was only because the entire population mysteriously vanished without a trace shortly after inception.

"We Saiyans have had a bloody history," Pois said as she picked up one of the books. "For five hundred years, we reigned terror over the galaxy, slaughtering innocent people, taking survivors as slaves, and selling the planets for profit. This very planet was once inhabited by a race of cryomancers before we cleared them out a hundred-and-fifty years ago." She sighed heavily and replaced the book. Most of us feel shame over our past actions and those of our ancestors. But, it's something we don't hide from. It's up front for all to see. If we do nothing else than serve as a cautionary tale for other races about what happens when pride and lust of power and control run rampant, then we've accomplished a good thing."

Pacing through the archive of the Saiyan Empire, the science officers tread behind as quietly - as quietly as the exoskeleton suits would allow, anyway - hanging onto every word they spoke. Their helmet HUDs took in the sight in totality, each moment recorded and not a single word or piece of footage lost as they went, merely taking in the history as they went.

The soldier escorts, not nearly as adorned as their studious counterparts, seemed to be more ready for conversation whether they flew or stood at the ready.

"You have a ferocious reputation, certainly," the military man, Master Chief Petty Office Spopovich remarked, thumbing his chin with a nod. "Five hundred years, across...how many worlds did you say? It's no wonder why."

Pois' resignation at the mention of historical bloodshed did not go unnoticed, and the man gave her a moment of silence in solidarity. "We've been on a long road headed your way, and it does seem to be an unfortunate commonality between many great peoples across the universe, present company and ourselves included." His eye scanned the multi-storied library, corner to corner, column to archway, as if he spotted something keen in the structure, laughing lightly about something silently as if he'd remembered some private joke.

"Ah! War! Cruel mistress that she is! She is the muse for innovation, mobilizes men with her red veil of courage that swells the heart so large until it bleeds with passion," Spopovich continued, "She promises you the world in exchange for many a favour...but seldom does she deliver, for she only has affection for the one that desires her most."

Crossing over to where some of the roots knotted the ground, he took a knee and inspected the intersection between overgrowth and masonry.

"Truly remarkable, this house of knowledge. We have a saying on Earth, that to kill a man it is not enough to make him bleed, you must strike out his name from the history. Only then is there nothing left. You still remember the Cryomancers, this is good. Perhaps if our last President had been so merciful as this, we too might have had a Grand Hall of our own by now."

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat in efficiency mode using Flash hop catches up to Bullick and goes for the sword.