Dragonball M, Chapter 5: Clarion’s Call! The Signal! The Fate of the Universes!

[grampagen]

Jinzi answers.

“Jinzi here.”

A faint anger, determination, and stalwart conviction leaks into his voice. Jinzi was ready.

The swiftness of the reply caught Kenshiko off-guard, and for a moment his tone struck her to silence.

Usually it's Adam that picks up while he's off tinkering in the Geofront. So, you've still got some fight in you after all, huh?

Still, it would be foolhardy to think the man who had stayed one step ahead of Grinthorn for twenty years had no stomach for a fight. She knew that particularly well.

"The intel uplink's been updating in real-time. You're always plugged in, so we'll skip the formal sit-rep," she said, "That culling of planets just set off a few quintillion people, and now that Galactic Patrol has the coordinates to the Forsworn World, there's no way a retaliation strike won't happen.

She looked to the readout before her. The Gotengo's uplink remained, connected via the sattelites that had captured the entire battle of Reshlan. Why hadn't its position changed?

"Ochazuke and Zaofan brought your vision to bear, bridging the way to the divided peoples of the universe. The Saiyans, the Nevadians, the whole alliance just sounded off. They know our guys have been taking the fight to them already, but it's not just them anymore. We only have one shot at this, now we pay them back."

"Prepare Project Parting Glass."

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The swiftness of the reply caught Kenshiko off-guard, and for a moment his tone struck her to silence.

Usually it's Adam that picks up while he's off tinkering in the Geofront. So, you've still got some fight in you after all, huh?

Still, it would be foolhardy to think the man who had stayed one step ahead of Grinthorn for twenty years had no stomach for a fight. She knew that particularly well.

"The intel uplink's been updating in real-time. You're always plugged in, so we'll skip the formal sit-rep," she said, "That culling of planets just set off a few quintillion people, and now that Galactic Patrol has the coordinates to the Forsworn World, there's no way a retaliation strike won't happen.

She looked to the readout before her. The Gotengo's uplink remained, connected via the sattelites that had captured the entire battle of Reshlan. Why hadn't its position changed?

"Ochazuke and Zaofan brought your vision to bear, bridging the way to the divided peoples of the universe. The Saiyans, the Nevadians, the whole alliance just sounded off. They know our guys have been taking the fight to them already, but it's not just them anymore. We only have one shot at this, now we pay them back."

"Prepare Project Parting Glass."

Jinzi pauses, then answers.

“Do it. I’m ready on my end.”

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat turns on her GP communicator and contacts Miras Thane." Miras, this is Praxat reporting. Requesting coordinates to the nearest nebula storm. I'm going to attempt to harness its sprite / cosmic electromagnetic energy into myself," Praxat said.

[Yun Lao]

It was only then, when he actually spoke to her, that she realized that this was the first time she had spoke when Charco in years. Since that bitch cost him his freedom when she stupidly tried to bargain with Rex. Looking at his more reptilian appearance, something must have changed. It was like Deputy Charco from that alternate timeline they encountered way back when.

Regardless of the circumstances, she was thankful and glad to have her friend back. And he felt a ****-ton stronger than he was the last time they fought.

“If there’s an Angel gunning for his head, their ass had better be on that Forsworn World when we show up.” Her face softened a touch. “It’s great to have you back, Charco.”

"I'd rather she stay behind the scenes..." He replied although it seemed more to himself than anything as he offered no explanations, "All-in-all, this long, drawn-out story needs to be put to rest."

As much as he dreaded the existential crisis he was sure to have once Sakin was dealt with, that prospect was much more bearable than the current anticipation.

"I expect a rematch after all of this is said and done. Can't be a tournament champion if I don't defend my title," Charco said with some amusement in his voice, hoping Sarada hadn't become too important with her duties.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Ah-ah, so now a God of Destruction is an danger worth considering."

Koorimaru floated down from his silent perch above. His arms were folded before him, six black drones hovering silent, weightless, beside him like shadows. Throughout the encounter with Inanna, he hadn't received a scratch.

By the smile on his face, the pleasure he'd taken in this fact was obvious.

"And here I thought strategic mindsets were a liminal state with you, you've thought this up before the moment approached, well done! The only problem with that, however, is the breadth of the information hardly matches the depth required to approach the task ahead."

His tail spooled behind him, and his eyes, unblinking, lizardlike, took on a terrible, wicked sheen.

"You seem particularly invested in this one, hmm-ah? I was there when the Queen hurled herself headlong into it and came out of it with a new colour." he sneered. "Sarada-sama, you answered her challenge, but you weren't the target of the attack after all, were you?"

"Yes, yes," Parsley said with a tired roll of her eyes. "Saiyans are mostly stupid and don't think ahead. Brilliantly clever."

"Of course I am," she replied with a sigh. "I want to kill Cancer more than anyone." With the time she had taken to silently collect herself after the haphazard battle with Inanna and her rebirth, she was able to focus on the grander picture. That didn't mean, though, that she had forgotten what happened on Sarada and Ruco.

Sarada sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, I already knew going in that I was never the target. My daughter was. And her children. Cancer got away with one, barely." It literally came down to her being unable to liquify the other half of that fucking Icer vamp's body. Cancer lucked out. "We assumed Sakin wanted them for leverage, but since he intended on destroying the universe all along, who fucking knows."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I'd rather she stay behind the scenes..." He replied although it seemed more to himself than anything as he offered no explanations, "All-in-all, this long, drawn-out story needs to be put to rest."

As much as he dreaded the existential crisis he was sure to have once Sakin was dealt with, that prospect was much more bearable than the current anticipation.

"I expect a rematch after all of this is said and done. Can't be a tournament champion if I don't defend my title," Charco said with some amusement in his voice, hoping Sarada hadn't become too important with her duties.

Sarada had been hoping to hear some kind of explanation into the nature of Charco's relationship with this Angel. Was she his teacher? The person responsible for him merging with Rex so seamlessly? His lover who was pregnant with his child that they intended on naming Xicor? Inquiring minds needed to know. Alas, no such elaboration came, leaving Sarada floating in an endless sea of what-ifs and baseless assumptions. "This nightmare day ending sounds like a dream at this point. There's still so much to do."

She huffed out a sighed and rubbed her head. It felt like the day had been dragging on forever, with no end in sight. The tension and gravity of the situation had increased a thousandfold once Sakin revealed his true plans. "Ah well. We'll kick every ass that needs kicking. That's what we do best, right?"

At the mention of a rematch, she was suddenly transported to years ago when things were simpler. Two young battle-hungry hotheads clashing fists until they knocked each other out and fell into the ocean under the Lookout. Those were the days. "I never got a chance to get my hands on Rex." Or that **** Cyanna for that matter. "I'll just have to make do with you." She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "And I'm glad you mentioned that tournament. Things have changed lot since then, so I won't be going easy on you!"

They probably needed to find some abandoned planet somewhere to minimize the collateral damage.

[grampagen]

"Yes, yes," Parsley said with a tired roll of her eyes. "Saiyans are mostly stupid and don't think ahead. Brilliantly clever."

For a moment, Koorimaru's pupils slid across the cold whites of his eyes, shifting briefly to the reincarnation that walked among them and the foetid corpse of the dragon that stretched its length around the perimeter of the newly restored Threshling capital city.

"Fuh-fuh-fuh...as you say."

The cold appraisal from those eyes, unblinking from beneath a domed brow, remained in his usual reptilian poise, nothing but a mask of dark fascination stilled upon his features.

"Of course I am," she replied with a sigh. "I want to kill Cancer more than anyone." With the time she had taken to silently collect herself after the haphazard battle with Inanna and her rebirth, she was able to focus on the grander picture. That didn't mean, though, that she had forgotten what happened on Sarada and Ruco.

Sarada sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, I already knew going in that I was never the target. My daughter was. And her children. Cancer got away with one, barely." It literally came down to her being unable to liquify the other half of that fucking Icer vamp's body. Cancer lucked out. "We assumed Sakin wanted them for leverage, but since he intended on destroying the universe all along, who fucking knows."

"A trap."

He began to pace contemplatively and the sound of strangely weighted footsteps echoed behind him.

"Quite a cruel one, you must agree. He does not play in half-measures, this one," he started, then he began to recite some familiar lines:

"The Golden Queen, upon a won Throne caked in blood and loss and suffering. A mutant Goddess, one born from the death of another yet unable or unwilling to escape or change the path laid before either. A Magic Princess, a truly redeemed soul seeking to do good and find the truth..."

The words seemed practiced by rote. "It was a vision thing once, perhaps, but now, well..."

He continued to pace, surveying the length of Jorgunmandr's dead and broken body as he went.

"An army of my alternate kin...an interesting turn of affairs, for slavery does not become us, hm? It would not be so unless there was something to gain from this sanguine transaction...or something they were brought to believe, lingering in a moment of obsession. I suppose it is an evergreen quality of ours, even Officer Blizzar might agree. Opportunity rings loudest, all proud races subject to suggestion at their weakness...some prouder than others for that matter."

He looked over to Parsley and Caliban near her, a god much diminished of what he had once been and cleared his throat.

"A-hum. So it is possible. Imagine! The power of a Super Saiyan God under the thrall of a Vampire Queen loyal to Sakin...heavens, that will not do at all, we must not allow this to pass."

With that, he turned his head and peered over his shoulder.

"...would you like to know how to reach her?"

[Yun Lao]

Sarada had been hoping to hear some kind of explanation into the nature of Charco's relationship with this Angel. Was she his teacher? The person responsible for him merging with Rex so seamlessly? His lover who was pregnant with his child that they intended on naming Xicor? Inquiring minds needed to know. Alas, no such elaboration came, leaving Sarada floating in an endless sea of what-ifs and baseless assumptions. "This nightmare day ending sounds like a dream at this point. There's still so much to do."

She huffed out a sighed and rubbed her head. It felt like the day had been dragging on forever, with no end in sight. The tension and gravity of the situation had increased a thousandfold once Sakin revealed his true plans. "Ah well. We'll kick every ass that needs kicking. That's what we do best, right?"

At the mention of a rematch, she was suddenly transported to years ago when things were simpler. Two young battle-hungry hotheads clashing fists until they knocked each other out and fell into the ocean under the Lookout. Those were the days. "I never got a chance to get my hands on Rex." Or that **** Cyanna for that matter. "I'll just have to make do with you." She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "And I'm glad you mentioned that tournament. Things have changed lot since then, so I won't be going easy on you!"

They probably needed to find some abandoned planet somewhere to minimize the collateral damage.

"It's not too late," Charco said, more amused now, "I am part Rex after all..." A pause was given before he added, "... it's a long story. Let's just say Inanna wasn't the only one who completely changed."

Although who knew when they would be able to fulfill this promise, he was excited for what the future held.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The call answered, the cavalcade of voices rose in unison, undaunted. The moment contact had been established with those allies across systems, between peoples, the clamour redoubled as affirmation took sattelite and wire and frequency alike.

"You saw it, well so did we. Now let me ask you this, what are you going to do about it?"

"The place where it all started, we have a route to the planet? Heh, can't leave this up to the GP, after all! We live here too, you know!"

"Yes! Indeed it has not ended! To dance, clap hands, exult, shout, skip, leap, roll on, float on!*

BGM - Decisive Battle

With each declaration, the silent distance between them had all but disappeared, and now in these darkest days, the spirits endured as a hope had kindled anew.

"BGS-01, this is EDF Commander Kenshiko. Prepare the Stargate coordinates."

"Captain Prizzm, if you would, I need you to make a delivery."

"With everything ramping up as it is, frankly the last thing I'd want to do now is a cargo run-"

"Anything at all we can do to support them, we do it. It's not their fight, this concerns all of us" she replied. Kenshiko straightened up and adjusted her red beret. "Besides the Saiyans left something in port before taking off. We'll only get one shot at this, so we're going to do it right."

"...ah hell, it'd be on the way to the Admiral, we'll get it done with an emergency launch and tractor beam. Over and out."

The viewscreen thinned to a single line, then silence. Her attuned ki sense for a moment made the raucous hordes of enemies loud; to behold such illumination of a Guardian brought things so sharply into focus even upon ordinary sensation, as if seeing everything all at once, that it had all become overly bright to her eyes. She took the moment to adjust her shades.

You believed in them all that much? In us as well. That's why Sakin took his shot. Time for a little payback for him...and for what we owe the lot of you.

The offworlders had come through after all. Kenshiko stole her gloved hand to a red phone upon the console. Her thoughts remained upon the blue world they'd built their garrison around, and now more than ever, they needed their brightest mind.

"Get me the President. Yes, I know he's not in his office, he's never there at the best of times. Right now, he's probably at the top of the world."

Contact with Earth had been established and a myriad of voices from across the stars filtered out through the communication relay. Though the races and languages varied, the sentiment their words carried remained constant: this was their universe, too. The M Fighters may have been the spearhead, but they were by no means the only cog in their resistance. If Sakin was going to fall for good, it was going to take a united effort from everyone, even those who couldn't fight worth a damn.

Mato nodded to himself as he listened to the correspondence. A little while ago, the Galaxy Police sent a set of coordinates to that Forsworn world belonging to Sakin. His eyes stared at the numbers. On the other side of the universe, the battle for everything was to take place. It was a battle that he would not see fought in his bealf.

"Most of the soldiers have arrived," it was announced fifteen minutes after he gave the order for all soldiers to report to Sarada. "The rest should be assembled within five minutes."

He nodded. His brow furrowed. The weight of every decision weighed heavily. With stakes as high as they were, there was no room for any indecision or doubt. A second of hesitation may have been all the difference between waking up tomorrow and oblivion.

"Prepare every warship and space pod," he said. "And input these coordinates into the portal control. As soon as we receive the okay, we're heading in."

"Understood."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"It's not too late," Charco said, more amused now, "I am part Rex after all..." A pause was given before he added, "... it's a long story. Let's just say Inanna wasn't the only one who completely changed."

Although who knew when they would be able to fulfill this promise, he was excited for what the future held.

Sarada's grin widened as excitement began to come to a boil. "Well, in that case, the first punch I land is for that smug bastard. Say, you wouldn't happen to have any of Cyanna in you? I owe her a few of these," she said, holding up a clenched fist. Things may have turned out for the best, but Sarada hadn't forgotten.

"A trap."

He began to pace contemplatively and the sound of strangely weighted footsteps echoed behind him.

"Quite a cruel one, you must agree. He does not play in half-measures, this one," he started, then he began to recite some familiar lines:

"The Golden Queen, upon a won Throne caked in blood and loss and suffering. A mutant Goddess, one born from the death of another yet unable or unwilling to escape or change the path laid before either. A Magic Princess, a truly redeemed soul seeking to do good and find the truth..."

The words seemed practiced by rote. "It was a vision thing once, perhaps, but now, well..."

He continued to pace, surveying the length of Jorgunmandr's dead and broken body as he went.

"An army of my alternate kin...an interesting turn of affairs, for slavery does not become us, hm? It would not be so unless there was something to gain from this sanguine transaction...or something they were brought to believe, lingering in a moment of obsession. I suppose it is an evergreen quality of ours, even Officer Blizzar might agree. Opportunity rings loudest, all proud races subject to suggestion at their weakness...some prouder than others for that matter."

He looked over to Parsley and Caliban near her, a god much diminished of what he had once been and cleared his throat.

"A-hum. So it is possible. Imagine! The power of a Super Saiyan God under the thrall of a Vampire Queen loyal to Sakin...heavens, that will not do at all, we must not allow this to pass."

With that, he turned his head and peered over his shoulder.

"...would you like to know how to reach her?"

"A trap? Probably. They took Totoma's family and tried to take Neva's mother, so I'm not sure that quote from Night has anything to do with it. Further, if they wanted to lure us into a trap, Sakin would have taken more people close to us." There had been an angle he was playing toward at the outset. Sarada wasn't sure if it was still in play or not, what with him switching plans to something more overt.

"They were stronger than your average frosty, that's for sure," she agreed. "Knowing you people, it's probably self-preservation." Either that or the promise of "power". Ambition blinded anyone, but especially the prideful. All it took was one person to bite. Assuming they could turn each other, one was all she needed. She shrugged. "It hardly matters. They're all as good as dead."

Sarada tilted her head and turned to glance at Parsley and Caliban, only to flinch when they disappeared. Her brow creased in confusion and slight concern but thought little more of it than that. So, she plans on transcending the cheap way. Tch. Then again, I guess there's no real "fair" way to get this kind of power. Not like you can train yourself into godhood. "Cancer? I suppose so. But we'll be crossing paths soon enough. Especially with how our battle on Ruco ended."

[grampagen]

"A trap? Probably. They took Totoma's family and tried to take Neva's mother, so I'm not sure that quote from Night has anything to do with it. Further, if they wanted to lure us into a trap, Sakin would have taken more people close to us." There had been an angle he was playing toward at the outset. Sarada wasn't sure if it was still in play or not, what with him switching plans to something more overt.

Koorimaru narrowed his eyes, and it seemed that he could no longer keep his typical disgust in check as it had come to the surface.

"Let me make this easier for you."

Still peering behind him, he pointed one finger up. Normally, it would have been reserved for as something as simple as a Death Ball, but this time it carried something much more daunting.

"Your niece."

Two other fingers lift to make three.

"Totoma's children." Yet another still "Tasure's." Four.

Turning around, he lift his hand before him, all five fingers now.



"Your nephew. And finally your daughter would make six, or...." His hand closed, and his killer's hand point straight at her. "Yourself...or your sister."

He smiled, though there was no humor in it as he let his hand drop.

"Do recall what they've been trying to do. Think hard. Indeed, it's the only reason why I'm here with you lot."

"They were stronger than your average frosty, that's for sure," she agreed. "Knowing you people, it's probably self-preservation." Either that or the promise of "power". Ambition blinded anyone, but especially the prideful. All it took was one person to bite. Assuming they could turn each other, one was all she needed. She shrugged. "It hardly matters. They're all as good as dead."

"Do what you must, I care not. As far as I'm concerned, their lives are forfeit, just as the children's are by now."

The words fell blunt, clinical.

Sarada tilted her head and turned to glance at Parsley and Caliban, only to flinch when they disappeared. Her brow creased in confusion and slight concern but thought little more of it than that. So, she plans on transcending the cheap way. Tch. Then again, I guess there's no real "fair" way to get this kind of power. Not like you can train yourself into godhood. "Cancer? I suppose so. But we'll be crossing paths soon enough. Especially with how our battle on Ruco ended."

"Hoh hoh hoh...of course. Storm the Dark Moon of the Forsword World and nothing will stand in your way," he chuckled. "With what happened today, it might even amuse me...except I now find myself in league with you lot."

"Regardless, Sarada-sama, do not get the wrong idea. You know very well in the face of calamity, if it would be to divert it, I would do what you may not have the will to do. It is likely Cancer has turned them already, and the change quickens within their blood as we speak."

"But...if sacrificing these few is not an option, and I can only scarcely imagine why not, you should know that despite the moon's physical coordinates, it is not so simple as making a landing there."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

“Just once. Good luck with it, girlie.”

Time and space fade away for a moment, Parsley no longer on Reshlan as she and Caliban stand amidst a different planet altogether. Magic lays thick on the air, and the old goblin seems….truer, more real before her now. It thrums and hums all around, and she has never felt more magic before in all her life. Behind Caliban, a simple stone temple seems to stand, and she gets the impression this was the first world Caliban created in his universe, the first place of magic and power.

He moves impossibly quick, palm flat against her chest and a mighty surge of mystic and Creational energy roars through her body, burning away her Ki reserves like lava through her veins. Pain, heat, radiant force purges her Ki and makes it…….better. It seems to take forever, her thoughts in a singularity as her power is remade.

Magic, Ki, and Creational energy merge and pour into her, bleeding a crimson red aura around her as Caliban takes his power and converts it into something Parsley can use. After an eternity, the old goblin slumps back. His power, magic, Ki, and Creation, are gone. He seems……diminished, old and tired. He looks at her and grins a bit.

“Red looks good on ya, girlie.”

Parsley, your body thrums with the same type of crimson god energy that Sarada does, though your aura has wisps of magic layered throughout and the shade is different from Sarada’s.

Gone was Reshlan, the M Fighters, her wife and sister, and apparently Universe 15. Parsley and Caliban stood on a foreign world. The ground was solid beneath her knees as she continued to kneel before the god, but the air felt different. It tasted different. Magic permeated the air like a thick, choking smoke. She had never felt such powerful magic before. She wanted to reach out with her magic senses, with Muda! to gauge just how powerful the magics were, but there was no time. Caliban was ready.

Before her stood the true face of a god. The form of an unassuming Goblin bartender had been stripped away when she first realized his true nature a year ago. Even that realization, though, failed to prepare her for what she was witnessing at that moment. Magic flowed and melded seamlessly with Creation. He placed his hand on her chest.

Whatever sensation she felt immediately after that was instantly drowned out by the searing, unspeakable pain she felt. Every cell felt like it had been taken out of her being, dipped into the sun’s core, then slapped haphazardly back into her makeup. She cried out, a long and meandering wail that persisted well after her throat felt hoarse and raw.

She could feel her power being stripped away. For ever bit that was taken, something wonderful took its place. The process was slow. Bit by bit, Caliban’s power replaced her own. If felt like days, or months, or years had passed. It was an eternity, and with that eternity came torment that had no end nor would it relent in its intensity.

Her screams had run her throat ragged, turning her anguished wails into a hollow chorus of hoarse whispers. It felt like every crevice in her body was beginning to turn in on itself and implode when... it stopped.

The pain, the burning, the screaming... it all stopped. She felt more powerful than she ever had as a Super Saiyan 3. Her ki felt cleaner, purer, and more in-sync with her magic that it ever had been. So, this is God Ki. Parsley’s eyes had been squeezed shut for the duration. When they opened, she beheld a Caliban that was a far cry from any version of him that she had ever seen. He looked old and haggard and devoid of his power. It was then that she could finally realize what he had done.

“You gave me your power.”

A look of resignation settled on her face as she looked at her hands. They, and the rest of her, were enfolded in a dark red aura. It wasn’t like the fiery crimson aura that surrounded Sarada. Hers was tamer, more refined, more controlled. There were also these curious wisps of magic streaking across her aura. Strange.

The power of a god funneled into a mortal to push her to new heights. In a way, it was very similar to how Kakarot helped her ascend to Super Saiyan 2 on Reshlan. ...In fact, it was exactly the same, just on a much higher scale.

I wonder if Kakarot has also transcended, she thought to herself. I hope we cross paths again, somehow, so I can see how much stronger he’s gotten.

Shaking him from her thoughts, she returned her attention to Caliban. “You didn’t have to do... no, you did, didn’t you?” The more she took in wizened form, the more sorrowful her expression became. “Thank you, Caliban. What happens to you now?” Fears that this was it for him overtook her. If it truly was the end of the line for him, then she would use the power he gifted her with as best she could and finish the job they had been given.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Gone was Reshlan, the M Fighters, her wife and sister, and apparently Universe 15. Parsley and Caliban stood on a foreign world. The ground was solid beneath her knees as she continued to kneel before the god, but the air felt different. It tasted different. Magic permeated the air like a thick, choking smoke. She had never felt such powerful magic before. She wanted to reach out with her magic senses, with Muda! to gauge just how powerful the magics were, but there was no time. Caliban was ready.

Before her stood the true face of a god. The form of an unassuming Goblin bartender had been stripped away when she first realized his true nature a year ago. Even that realization, though, failed to prepare her for what she was witnessing at that moment. Magic flowed and melded seamlessly with Creation. He placed his hand on her chest.

Whatever sensation she felt immediately after that was instantly drowned out by the searing, unspeakable pain she felt. Every cell felt like it had been taken out of her being, dipped into the sun’s core, then slapped haphazardly back into her makeup. She cried out, a long and meandering wail that persisted well after her throat felt hoarse and raw.

She could feel her power being stripped away. For ever bit that was taken, something wonderful took its place. The process was slow. Bit by bit, Caliban’s power replaced her own. If felt like days, or months, or years had passed. It was an eternity, and with that eternity came torment that had no end nor would it relent in its intensity.

Her screams had run her throat ragged, turning her anguished wails into a hollow chorus of hoarse whispers. It felt like every crevice in her body was beginning to turn in on itself and implode when... it stopped.

The pain, the burning, the screaming... it all stopped. She felt more powerful than she ever had as a Super Saiyan 3. Her ki felt cleaner, purer, and more in-sync with her magic that it ever had been. So, this is God Ki. Parsley’s eyes had been squeezed shut for the duration. When they opened, she beheld a Caliban that was a far cry from any version of him that she had ever seen. He looked old and haggard and devoid of his power. It was then that she could finally realize what he had done.

“You gave me your power.”

A look of resignation settled on her face as she looked at her hands. They, and the rest of her, were enfolded in a dark red aura. It wasn’t like the fiery crimson aura that surrounded Sarada. Hers was tamer, more refined, more controlled. There were also these curious wisps of magic streaking across her aura. Strange.

The power of a god funneled into a mortal to push her to new heights. In a way, it was very similar to how Kakarot helped her ascend to Super Saiyan 2 on Reshlan. ...In fact, it was exactly the same, just on a much higher scale.

I wonder if Kakarot has also transcended, she thought to herself. I hope we cross paths again, somehow, so I can see how much stronger he’s gotten.

Shaking him from her thoughts, she returned her attention to Caliban. “You didn’t have to do... no, you did, didn’t you?” The more she took in wizened form, the more sorrowful her expression became. “Thank you, Caliban. What happens to you now?” Fears that this was it for him overtook her. If it truly was the end of the line for him, then she would use the power he gifted her with as best she could and finish the job they had been given.

The old god shrugs, then smiles a bit.

“Now? Now I get to rest, girlie. My godhood…..it won’t come back, but magic will eventually. And now…..I’ll start aging again, and, die eventually. But……”

He pats her on the thigh.

“I’ve got a few years left, if I’m careful. Now then, one last little bit of help…..”

He snaps his fingers and the two are back on Reshlan.

“Give that old blue slagnort hell, girlie. Sakin deserves a kick where it’ll hurt.”

[bruceleegreyhulk]

Praxat is on her GP communicator. " Miras, if you want to talk me out of attempting to harness the cosmic electromagnetic energy of a nebula storm into myself. Then you need to give me a better option because right now, I see this as my only option to "transcend," Praxat said.

"Everyone, I made up my mind. I'm going to copy what my ancestor Disdemona did in a passage in one of her travelogues. I'm going to harness the sprite / cosmic electromagnetic energy of a nebula storm into myself and make it my own," Praxat said.

" This is something I have to do to go beyond my limits," Praxat said.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Koorimaru narrowed his eyes, and it seemed that he could no longer keep his typical disgust in check as it had come to the surface.

"Let me make this easier for you."

Still peering behind him, he pointed one finger up. Normally, it would have been reserved for as something as simple as a Death Ball, but this time it carried something much more daunting.

"Your niece."

Two other fingers lift to make three.

"Totoma's children." Yet another still "Tasure's." Four.

Turning around, he lift his hand before him, all five fingers now.



"Your nephew. And finally your daughter would make six, or...." His hand closed, and his killer's hand point straight at her. "Yourself...or your sister."

He smiled, though there was no humor in it as he let his hand drop.

"Do recall what they've been trying to do. Think hard. Indeed, it's the only reason why I'm here with you lot."

"Do what you must, I care not. As far as I'm concerned, their lives are forfeit, just as the children's are by now."

The words fell blunt, clinical.

"Hoh hoh hoh...of course. Storm the Dark Moon of the Forsword World and nothing will stand in your way," he chuckled. "With what happened today, it might even amuse me...except I now find myself in league with you lot."

"Regardless, Sarada-sama, do not get the wrong idea. You know very well in the face of calamity, if it would be to divert it, I would do what you may not have the will to do. It is likely Cancer has turned them already, and the change quickens within their blood as we speak."

"But...if sacrificing these few is not an option, and I can only scarcely imagine why not, you should know that despite the moon's physical coordinates, it is not so simple as making a landing there."

"The vision." The vision that had been proven inaccurate several times over by that point in time. SWS was dead, Inanna had been remade into the Goddess, and Cancer and her army of Frost Demons were all very much on Sakin's side. Those, however, likely weren't what he was getting at. Rather, it was the amalgamation of Sakin, Genesis, and Asha'rah. A being comprised of three gods would have more than enough power to destroy the universe. However, there was one thing that was keeping him from completing that quest - assuming that was even a part of his goal anymore.

"He called an audible. I think that vision was the result of this 'less violent path' he mentioned when he was just here posturing. He has our families as hostages and we have Asha'rah. We trade, then it all comes to an end. Now that we pissed him off, all that's off the table. Don't know if he still needs Asha'rah, but I'd rather not make that assumption."

As far as she was concerned, Koorimaru was right about one thing: the hostages' lives were forfeit. If Cancer hadn't already turned them, she very likely was getting ready to soon. All bets were off, after all. What better way to twist the knife than to turn their own loved ones against them? It meant there wasn't any more time left to waste.

"But sacrificing the few to save the many, tch. Easy for someone with no connection to those being held captive. But then, I guess that's why you implied you'd be willing. How noble of you. I'm overwhelmed." Her fists clenched until her knuckles popped. "It's not up for discussion. If there's a way to save those people, we take it. If there isn't, we make a way. Now about the moon..."