Dragonball M, Chapter 2: Lighthouse! Across the Shores of Shattered Time!

[Yun Lao]

After getting over her initial surprise, Cyanna wraps her arms around his neck and leans into his chest with a smile on her face.

Once inside long enough for the others there to see her being carried, she gave Charco a kiss then leapt out of his arms. "That was fun, but your still recovering from your injuries. Maybe I should be the one to carry you?"

She then took Charco's hand and lead him to eh buffet, "If you have any questions about the food, just ask." Cyanna then took a closer look at the food laid out, "I may have to do the same. Who did the cooking? Half of these dishes I've never seen before."

Caught off guard by the kiss, it took him a moment to regain his bearings, by which at that point, Cyanna had taken his hand and was leading him towards the buffer. "Looks like they let Zaofan loose in the kitchen." He said, recognizing his teammate's cooking.

As if remember something, he quickly leaned over to her ear with a whisper "... if they offer you some strange water called Kava, don't take it."

[Tami]

Caught off guard by the kiss, it took him a moment to regain his bearings, by which at that point, Cyanna had taken his hand and was leading him towards the buffer. "Looks like they let Zaofan loose in the kitchen." He said, recognizing his teammate's cooking.

As if remember something, he quickly leaned over to her ear with a whisper "... if they offer you some strange water called Kava, don't take it."

"Oh....I'll have ot think on that." Cyanna then studied the food, "Tell you what, you try at least one new thing and I'll try at least one new thing. Just so long as it doesn't have flesh in it."

[Tami]

Meagan, sitting next to him, sighs slightly, "That's what I keep trying to tell him, Adam." She then motions to an empty seat, "Care to join us?"

Dash, having taken a plate of food, sat down next to Meagan, "I figger it's about time we got to know each other, for real. Cya talks about you a lot, but I can't tell how much of it is real and how much of it is just her imagination. "

She then looks up at Adam, "There is still plenty of room at the table, assuming you eat that is."

[Yun Lao]

"Oh....I'll have ot think on that." Cyanna then studied the food, "Tell you what, you try at least one new thing and I'll try at least one new thing. Just so long as it doesn't have flesh in it."

"No, you don't get it," Charco said, his voice resuming its normal volume. Suddenly, one could see the thousand-yard stare glazing over his eyes as he began to remember some very unpleasant things, "That water does things to you... terrifying things. It makes goddesses riot and turns the pious into hedonistic beasts... not even your sister could withstand its effects before succumbing to it."

Shutting his eyes with a small squeeze, he opened them once more, having shaken off the trauma. Approaching the tables lined with food, he numbly chose what dishes to pile his plate with.

[Tami]

"No, you don't get it," Charco said, his voice resuming its normal volume. Suddenly, one could see the thousand-yard stare glazing over his eyes as he began to remember some very unpleasant things, "That water does things to you... terrifying things. It makes goddesses riot and turns the pious into hedonistic beasts... not even your sister could withstand its effects before succumbing to it."

Shutting his eyes with a small squeeze, he opened them once more, having shaken off the trauma. Approaching the tables lined with food, he numbly chose what dishes to pile his plate with.

With a shrug, "I wasn't going to try any anyway, not that I figure your friend Zaofan would be crazy enough to serve it while children are here. You do trust him, right? Not even the adults would sink so low as to have baccania mead lying around where young children can find it. So lighten up and relax, we won, right?" she spoke as she placed food on her own plate.

[Yun Lao]

With a shrug, "I wasn't going to try any anyway, not that I figure your friend Zaofan would be crazy enough to serve it while children are here. You do trust him, right? Not even the adults would sink so low as to have baccania mead lying around where young children can find it. So lighten up and relax, we won, right?" she spoke as she placed food on her own plate.

"I just wanted to warn you." He replied, his tone of voice no longer gripped by the minor shell shock the kava event once held over him. "... but yeah, we won. Now comes the hard part of rebuilding."

[Tami]

"I just wanted to warn you." He replied, his tone of voice no longer gripped by the minor shell shock the kava event once held over him. "... but yeah, we won. Now comes the hard part of rebuilding."

"Don't worry about that. I mean, this building was a mess just a week ago, now look at it. One thing we Chromakai are good at is building stuff." She then leads him to a table with a couple of free chairs, "I can't wait to show you around after the work is done."

As she sat down, "I heard that some of the greatest builders and artists on Chroma at the time built Iris' Temple, and that is absolutely amazing. I never actually saw it myself, but anyone who talks about it says that it is incredibly beautiful."

[Tami]

Time passes and the warriors watch as the children finish their meals then are taken to the back of the building by members of the Sisterhood, back the area where the beds are set up and where they can clean up and get ready for sleep.

The beds for the children are packed tightly together, but some may have learned that this is only temporary. Starting tomorrow, work will begin on the second and third floors to create more living space for them as well as open areas for the adults to hold meetings and plan out the rebuilding of the city.

Once the children are put to bed, everyone else is free to use the facilities to wash up and use the beds to get some rest.

Between the area where the children will be sleeping and the adults is a partial wall, it is there that extra beds are available for the off-worlders and those who fought in the battle.

[Lord Falcon]

Time passes and the warriors watch as the children finish their meals then are taken to the back of the building by members of the Sisterhood, back the area where the beds are set up and where they can clean up and get ready for sleep.

The beds for the children are packed tightly together, but some may have learned that this is only temporary. Starting tomorrow, work will begin on the second and third floors to create more living space for them as well as open areas for the adults to hold meetings and plan out the rebuilding of the city.

Once the children are put to bed, everyone else is free to use the facilities to wash up and use the beds to get some rest.

Between the area where the children will be sleeping and the adults is a partial wall, it is there that extra beds are available for the off-worlders and those who fought in the battle.

Asha'rah found Meagan at a quiet time after the feast. Having walked with her fellows while they broke bread together, now she floated weightlessly through the corridors once again, her body of flesh as seemingly weightless as her robotic one. The time of happiness and celebration had been worth living in, worth enjoying for what it was. But now, in the afterglow while the embers were still cooling, she would divine Meagan's intentions.

"Meagan, may I speak with you outside for a few moments?"

[Tami]

Asha'rah found Meagan at a quiet time after the feast. Having walked with her fellows while they broke bread together, now she floated weightlessly through the corridors once again, her body of flesh as seemingly weightless as her robotic one. The time of happiness and celebration had been worth living in, worth enjoying for what it was. But now, in the afterglow while the embers were still cooling, she would divine Meagan's intentions.

"Meagan, may I speak with you outside for a few moments?"

"Alight." Meagan followed Asha'rah outside, "What do you want to talk about?"

[rhyvurg]

Jinzi looks a little embarrassed.

“Some Junjo showed up, alongside some dogs and ships and..., well, yeah, things were a bit messy. But I am in one piece, so that’s good. Have you begun analyzing the weird tech here?”

"I have, I should be able to break the programming on their nanotechnology and convert it into more mass for myself. If you die, Meagan would be very upset."

Meagan, sitting next to him, sighs slightly, "That's what I keep trying to tell him, Adam." She then motions to an empty seat, "Care to join us?"

Adam arches an eyebrow. "I have joined you, I am here."

Dash, having taken a plate of food, sat down next to Meagan, "I figger it's about time we got to know each other, for real. Cya talks about you a lot, but I can't tell how much of it is real and how much of it is just her imagination. "

She then looks up at Adam, "There is still plenty of room at the table, assuming you eat that is."

"I do not. You have strange hair."

Time passes and the warriors watch as the children finish their meals then are taken to the back of the building by members of the Sisterhood, back the area where the beds are set up and where they can clean up and get ready for sleep.

The beds for the children are packed tightly together, but some may have learned that this is only temporary. Starting tomorrow, work will begin on the second and third floors to create more living space for them as well as open areas for the adults to hold meetings and plan out the rebuilding of the city.

Once the children are put to bed, everyone else is free to use the facilities to wash up and use the beds to get some rest.

Between the area where the children will be sleeping and the adults is a partial wall, it is there that extra beds are available for the off-worlders and those who fought in the battle.

When the gathering begins to disperse, Adam returns to work. If it can decipher this technology, this planet will be much better equipped to defend itself after the android departed.

[Lord Falcon]

"Alight." Meagan followed Asha'rah outside, "What do you want to talk about?"

Asha'rah gazed up at the night sky, ruminating on the challenges to come as she gathered her thoughts. The night air was cool, but not unpleasantly so, and the stars shined brightly amidst the clouds of a battered world.

"You grew up fighting this war all your life. From the time you were born till just yesterday, the Nagadaar were an existential threat to you and your people. You set out to gather more power to fight your lifelong enemies with, and this you did, and gathered allies in the doing. Now you stand victorious, your world uncontested and free for the first time you have ever known. You have accomplished your task. How are you feeling? What do you mean to do now?"

It was not a question Meagan faced alone. Just about every Chromakai had been fighting to survive against invaders for so long. Most had never known any other life. At the end of such an epic struggle, it was common to feel lost. Old priorities faded away. New ones took their place - recovery, rebuilding, mourning, peacetime governance - but the mental momentum and habits acquired over decades of war did not just disappear overnight. Had it sunk in for Meagan, the new reality she faced?

[Tami]

Asha'rah gazed up at the night sky, ruminating on the challenges to come as she gathered her thoughts. The night air was cool, but not unpleasantly so, and the stars shined brightly amidst the clouds of a battered world.

"You grew up fighting this war all your life. From the time you were born till just yesterday, the Nagadaar were an existential threat to you and your people. You set out to gather more power to fight your lifelong enemies with, and this you did, and gathered allies in the doing. Now you stand victorious, your world uncontested and free for the first time you have ever known. You have accomplished your task. How are you feeling? What do you mean to do now?"

It was not a question Meagan faced alone. Just about every Chromakai had been fighting to survive against invaders for so long. Most had never known any other life. At the end of such an epic struggle, it was common to feel lost. Old priorities faded away. New ones took their place - recovery, rebuilding, mourning, peacetime governance - but the mental momentum and habits acquired over decades of war did not just disappear overnight. Had it sunk in for Meagan, the new reality she faced?

She too looked up at the night sky as she listened to Asha'rah speak, then looking towards her, "It is true that my dream of seeing my people once again free is like a breath of fresh air after living so long in the smog and stench of the Nagadarr's rule. Enjoying this is just a momentary respite for me, there is still much that needs to be done. There is the one who abducted Lady Iris and the other Guardians. My people have gone too long not knowing what happened to her."

She then looked down and shifted slightly before turning again to Ahas'rah, "I could just tell the elders what I know and be done with it, but I don't think that's fair to them. I might be giving them false hope at a time when they need to focus on rebuilding the cities and caring for the people. So, I am going to continue to investigate this and once I have more concrete information, then I will share it with my people. I have already spoken to them about the Chromakai that might still be slaves somewhere off world. For now, I will leave that to the leaders and to the Galaxy Police to deal with."

Glancing up at the sky before talking again, "Then there is Earth. A place that has become like a second home to me. If it is in danger and there is something I can do to help, I will. I am not so powerful, like my mentor, that I can easily travel the universe helping out everyone that needs help. Still, until I am certain that both Earth and Chromakai can exist in peace, only then, I guess, so will I."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

I'll remember that!

It was the most demonstrative Sarada had ever heard the Oni. There was something... ugh... cute -barf- about how she just randomly blurted out that she would remember that Sarada liked meat buns. At least, she assumed that was what she was talking about. Either way, it meant that Sarada had plenty of good food to look forward to, even if she wasn't around when Zaofan worked his magic in the kitchen.

"Hehe. Sounds like a good deal. Though, I guess I don't really have a favorite, so just make me whatever you like whenever you like. Odds are, I'll eat it." If her future delicacies were as good as these meat buns, then she had no doubt that she wouldn't be starving for food any time soon.

In an awkward and jerky shift of subject matter, Ishtar wished to learn of Sarada's three months on Vocado. She nodded; she was excited to tell her all about it. "For the most part, training and relaxing with friends. Totoma told me that his mother taught him that hard training combined with complete relaxation was the way she gained so much strength. That was how I managed to get so strong so quickly without training all that much. Much of my time was spent at the tribunal hall."

In hindsight, she was surprised she had the stomach to go through with it. Being that close to him, day in and day out, it was a nightmare. She had nightmares every day during the tribunal. Horrifyingly real dreams; they felt like she was back in his damned bedroom above his ice cream shop again, being subjected to every sick desire he could come up with. Not a night went by when she didn't jerk awake in the middle of the night, mouth yawned open by a soundless scream, face drenched with sweat. It was horrible. Not a morning went by when she didn't want to not just stay in bed, but stay as far away from the tribunal hall.

She didn't know how, but she nutted up and forced herself to attend every single day of the tribunal. She was glad she did; because of it, she made many friends after hearing the testimonies of so many just like her. And because of it, she got to witness Dashir's confidence melt away bit by agonizing bit, until there was nothing but a broken man serving a short sentence before his life would come to an end.

"The man who molested me," she started much more easily than she could months ago, "who dozens of other victims over the span of a decade. He had gotten careless and let his last one -- a six years old -- managed to escape and was found by her father. He was arrested, then the World Police asked us all to offer our testimonies at his tribunal. I was among those that did, along with over a hundred others. That was all the prosecutors needed to get a guilty verdict. A few days later, he was sentenced to death."

She grinned widely. With those words, her nightmare was finally over. No more being terrified of even thinking about the Meat Market, even if its horror had been reduced once slavery was eradicated. Her and 156 other young Saiyans could finally breathe and sleep more easily at night without worry if he was lurking in the shadows.

It was finally over.

"My eight year nightmare is finally over. The little girl I was eight years ago is dead, but she can finally rest in peace." She smiled tearfully, but didn't cry. The others were nearby, after all.

Last post curse

[Lord Falcon]

She too looked up at the night sky as she listened to Asha'rah speak, then looking towards her, "It is true that my dream of seeing my people once again free is like a breath of fresh air after living so long in the smog and stench of the Nagadarr's rule. Enjoying this is just a momentary respite for me, there is still much that needs to be done. There is the one who abducted Lady Iris and the other Guardians. My people have gone too long not knowing what happened to her."

She then looked down and shifted slightly before turning again to Ahas'rah, "I could just tell the elders what I know and be done with it, but I don't think that's fair to them. I might be giving them false hope at a time when they need to focus on rebuilding the cities and caring for the people. So, I am going to continue to investigate this and once I have more concrete information, then I will share it with my people. I have already spoken to them about the Chromakai that might still be slaves somewhere off world. For now, I will leave that to the leaders and to the Galaxy Police to deal with."

Glancing up at the sky before talking again, "Then there is Earth. A place that has become like a second home to me. If it is in danger and there is something I can do to help, I will. I am not so powerful, like my mentor, that I can easily travel the universe helping out everyone that needs help. Still, until I am certain that both Earth and Chromakai can exist in peace, only then, I guess, so will I."

Meagan had the resolve left to fight still. For the Kami, for her world, for Earth where her lover lived. She would need that for the fight ahead.

"If you have determined to walk this brave path, then you should know: The War in the Heavens, the war you saw me ignite through the visions in Evangeline's library, is not over. A third party worked behind the scenes, manipulating both sides to battle one another. The continued dismantling of the Kami system is but one symptom of the ongoing struggle with these traitors. The stakes are the fates of a half-dozen universes, ours among them. If we lose, Chromakai, Earth and everything we've ever built and loved will be wiped out. I mean to put a stop to this war. And I would have your aid in this endeavor after we secure Earth, Meagan Te'al."