GambolMuse

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"You two aren't getting what I'm saying are you? I'm not saying you'll just become nobles, I'm saying you'll earn it," Kabocha shot back with a roll of his eyes, as if it was the simplest distinction in the world. "You'll earn it for winning the war and getting rid of Yamate. Once he's gone anyone who backed him is going to lose their power, and people who were against him are going to take over, just watch. And since we're out here on the front lines, beating back his soldiers, I think we'll get some of the better positions." They were too stuck on how things used to work, having to come from a noble family or be born into a lineage. But there were other ways too, with someone in power losing their place anyone could fill in that void, nobility or not. Growing irritated by how the twins were incapable of understanding as much he narrowed his eyes when Choi took a shot at him, grumbling something incoherent before sneering at both of his friends.

"If you two stopped feeling sorry for yourselves long enough you could be something more. You're only destined to be what you let yourself be. Know my family's history at all? Think I've always been from a noble bloodline?" Shaking his head Kabocha scoffed and sat back, looking up at the ceiling as he folded one leg over another. "My father's grandfather wasn't nobility until he helped turn the tide of a great battle, and because of that my family was given the rank of a noble family. I'm living proof you can move up in society and you two can too. If I'm going to be taking some seat of power in the new Kortal I can't have some kitchen losers as my best friends, you'll have to step up too and make something of yourselves. Or jeez, just get out of the kitchens! That can't be what you want to be doing for the rest of your lives can it?"

Now was not the time to be doubting themselves, they were getting ready to go into battle and had to know where their allegiances lay. Yumi couldn't help but question if the rebels really were the better side here or if they were working against progress all this time. Why had Korian left exactly? Because he didn't agree with methods? She wasn't overly fond of how the Saiyans did things either, running around conscripting worlds, but they had been told why Yamate did it and that much she could understand. Were they and the rebels hurting the efforts to keep everyone safe? Maybe, or they could be giving everyone a better chance by letting them rebuild and empower themselves, she didn't know. Ears folding flat as she rubbed her arm uneasily Yumi turned her head and glanced over at Leto, frowning when she heard his quiet mutterings about what this world meant to him. It was his world, he'd probably not been here since being conscripted and now they were back, fighting to protect it. How hadn't Korian told him where they would be going? Leto looked shocked that they were coming here and Yumi couldn't help but feel a twinge of anger for the deceit.

"We should do what we think is right, whatever side we might fall on," Yumi said as she gripped her harness, the shuttle rumbling a bit before finally settling down and coasting through the sky, heading towards their landing zone. "People on these worlds should be able to decide for themselves who they join, it's not up to anyone but them to pick." Rebel or Saiyan it was an outside force working to lead someone they had no business with, someone who didn't see the people here as anything more than potential troops or hands during conflict. She couldn't let them keep going that route regardless of what their reasons for doing such a thing was. She had an idea then, something that would cause huge problems if anyone found out on Uuonoe but the risks were worth the potential pay off. Leaning closer to Viral she kept her voice low, her eyes carefully watching Leto and the pilots as she spoke. "Viral... Let's beat the Saiyans and then leave, don't tell them about the Rebels. I can't ask anymore people to fight for them."

Speed was lowered as she shuttle began its approach to its landing site, a stretch of open land outside of one of the cities. Going in was going to be a mess already as clear signs of battle were taking place in the city before them, buildings erupting in towers of smoke as skirmishes raged on. Trying to keep clear of the frenzy the pilot directed the shuttle further along, some ways from the designated spot to an area near a decline, sitting just above a wide river below. The vehicle didn't set down as the back bay door was opened and a light overhead flashed signaling it was safe to leave, the roar of the engines outside deafening most of the explosions. "Can't land, to dangerous! I'll circle around and find somewhere to set her!" the pilot shouted as everyone began to leave, Leto being the first to rush out of the ship, "Call if you need me!"

Leto hadn't heard much of what was said, out the shuttle and on his way to the city before the pilot had even finished speaking. With no Ki to use he couldn't fly but that hardly mattered as he ran with all his might, moving so quickly he might as well have taken flight. His own world under siege even after they had sworn loyalty to the Saiyans, after some of their best were killed and the remainder were conscripted, all to preserve Lioma. What had all of that been for if the Saiyans had come back anyway? Was this because of his defection to the Rebels? No more being made into a pawn by those people, he wouldn't allow his kin to suffer any longer. "Come my friends, battle awaits us!" Leto shouted back at the others, his frame a blur as he surged forward, tearing apart the ground with each deafening footfall, "Hold fast Lioma, your heroes have arrived!"

-----

"We've been certain to keep the tree from harm. No one is allowed to build near it, anyone whose home was destroyed when it sprouted was replaced elsewhere, it's become a rather nice place actually. You'll see when we get there." The tree was hugely beneficial to everyone within both cities and no one wanted to ruin that, even those who were still against the changing tides. Everyone finally understood just how crucial that tree and others like it were to their world and how important it was to maintain their natural resources, not exploit them. So much was in the works now and so much would change in the days to come and Yusef was positive it was all for the best. Of course some would resist change but they too would come to see how much better life could be. Sooner or later they would have to accept what had become obvious to him already: the world was bigger than they were and it would provide all they needed if they cared for it, turning their back on the world could only spell their destruction.

"Not at all! In fact we're sharing a lot of what we're discovering with our neighbors, for the betterment of our entire species. It's an incredible time to be alive right now my son, there are so many things in the works, so many changes happening. Quality of life will improve, we'll become more efficient, we'll be able to support ourselves and the need for war, for fighting over resources, will vanish. It's unbelievable really but I've seen it with my own eyes, it's coming and a new world will be here before long." Katas would lead their cities and many others in developing technologies to better Kaesstrians the world over, Eslaria was working with other kingdoms to help cease conflicts and to get everyone working towards the greater good and the amazing part was everything was working out. With a bemused smile Yusef folded his hands behind his back, letting out a chirping laugh as he glanced up at the sky. "I'll be out of a job if this keeps up... But I'm okay with that. My father was a soldier, and his father, and his father before him, back as far as I can remember. If we have a world where you won't have to spend your life fighting then I am okay with that."

-----

"It's um... Sort of like a ship, I guess? It's more like just a chair on a big wheel, you sit in the chair and they buckle you in, you ride it around the wheel." Sasha had never had to explain exactly what a ferris wheel was, everyone just knew and understood that they existed here, even those outside of Uuonoe. Shu really had come from some isolated place then if he'd never seen anything like them before. Feeling the young Saiyan's hand tighten nervously around her own as they neared the rides she looked back with a calming smile, directing them away from the ferris wheel for the time being. "You want some of the candied fruit first? We can get that then, the rides will be there later. I think I saw some stalls over here before..." Big difference from when they were out earlier in the morning, the suns barely rising above the peaks of the mountains and birds were singing their songs signaling the start of a new day. With the suns now sitting high overhead there were throngs of people out and about now, many of the stalls near invisible as crowds gathered to buy food and other goods. Being sure to keep a grip on Shu so she'd not lose him Sasha brought him to the first stall she could find, buying herself and him each a candied auran. "It's got a bit of a hard shell and its really sweet, you might have to lick it a bit first," Sasha explained, doing so before handing Shu his, "Try it, they're really good."

It was nice having someone else around to help with Shu and Takeshi hoped he'd continue to have a helping hand, at least until he had a better idea of what to do himself. Sasha was proving to be a lot like Yumi in regards to how she was with Shu, treating him like a little kid and doting on him. A reminder that people still seemed to be inevitably drawn to his little brother with a want to care for him, something the little guy didn't seem to mind too much. Everything would be just peachy right now if Ricken hadn't had to come along too, and while he got the reason he'd been brought he still had a hard time actually liking him. Watching Shu happily Takeshi frowned when someone grabbed his shoulder, turning his head slightly and shrugging off Ricken's hand in annoyance. "What? Hands off."

"Stop looking at my sister, you monkey. Don't even think about it," Ricken growled as he narrowed his eyes, "I saw that a second ago, it's disgusting. Do it again and I'll take your head."

Takeshi smiled innocently as he looked away, playing innocent as he shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea what you're talking about, you're imagining things." Maybe he had taken a quick look at Sasha, and who could blame him? When they'd first met he thought she was pretty too, heck a lot of people did, and now that it was just the four of them he could peek here and there. It wasn't as if he was doing anything either, just looking. In the corner of his eye he could still see Ricken tensing up, turning back to the other boy and grinning as he folded his hands behind his head. "You could be more like her, you know? At least she's fun to be around, Shu likes her already too, but you're still a pain in the ass. Then again it'd be kind of hard, seeing that you don't have a chest or anything..." That did it, Ricken had grabbed his shirt and was now lifting him off of his feet and Takeshi just smiled back at him, holding his arm as he raised an eyebrow. "What? I say something?"

"Ricken, Takeshi! Cut it out, both of you!" Sasha shouted when she noticed the argument going on, though having no idea what it was over. Her brother did as she asked promptly but pushed the Saiyan back before coming over to join her and Shu. "We're here to have fun today, so let's have some fun. There's plenty of other things to do other than fight with each other, right Shu? What do you think we should do next? Go and see some rides? Look at some of the animals? Maybe go listen to them play music?"

Ricken glared at Takeshi for a moment as the Saiyan continued looking smug, an idea coming to him after a moment as a smirk replaced his frown. "I know, why don't we go and play a game, one that has prizes?" he suggested, forcing a smile as he leaned down towards Shu and placed a hand on his head as he'd seen Takeshi do. "They have a lot of different games you can play and compete in for all sorts of things, mostly toys. That seems like something a kid like you would enjoy right? Come on then, let's go try." If Sasha wanted him to try acting friendlier then fine, he'd give it a go. Though he'd make it no secret it was forced as he grabbed Shu by the shoulder and turned him around, a hand at the boy's back as he ushered him along, Sasha at his heels to be sure he wasn't too forceful. Now it was Takeshi's turn to glare as he had to watch someone he didn't care for try warming up to his brother. Good, let him sulk.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Do eeeeet :D Let's keep this gravy train chugging

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I've been too busy to notice x_x

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Kabocha earnestly did not understand why the twins were so put-off by nobility, it had great perks. Maybe just because they had never been nobility they couldn't appreciate how incredible it would be to have that, it was the only explanation he could think of. "Things will change when the war's over, including how nobility works," he pointed out with a smirk, "I'm telling you now, we'll be treated as heroes. You know as well as I do there's plenty of people who don't like Yamate, they just follow him because there's no other choice. If we beat him, put someone better in charge, don't you think we'll be given something?" Maybe not a position in whatever government was put in place of the king, Kabocha wasn't sure he wanted the headache of trying to actually lead. But they sure as hell deserved something once everything was said and done, a nice place on Kortal at the very least. And the whole business about being born into nobility or not? "Look at it this way: You know there's always going to be upper class and lower class, that's just life. It's true on Kortal, it was true on Earth, it's been true on most every world we went to. So if you've got a chance to move up then heck, take it! Who knows when another chance like that will come by, and unless you want to spend the rest of your lives as some kitchen boys you should think about it. Or jeez, think about how your father would be better off if you two moved up the social ladder a bit."

"Even if they have a reason it doesn't make it right," Yumi muttered in disdain, frowning as she crossed her arms. "Maybe a world does need policing, but that doesn't mean its up to the Saiyans to tell them how to do it. Its their world, they should be able to sort it out themselves." She could understand the other side of that too though, a world being unable to help itself and needing a hand. She and the others had gone to plenty of planets like that on the rebels behalf to free its people and in some weird way she could see a planet turning to the Saiyans for the same thing. But they didn't know what they were asking for, and once they did there was little they could do to stop it. "There's been something I've been thinking about though, it's been bothering me for a while now..." Yumi began again, setting her hands in her lap and folding them together, "So the Saiyans move into a world and take over, whatever their reason is. Maybe they make some people troops, maybe they use the world as a base, whatever they do. The rebels come in then and get rid of the Saiyans, but... Don't they do the same thing? Isn't it just changing who is in power?" Her hands clenched tight around themselves as she cast her glance at the floor, ears folding down in disappointment as she let out a sigh. "It's just... What if we haven't been helping? What if we're actually part of the problem?"

"We're approaching the atmosphere, everyone please be sure to be strapped in for entry," the pilot called back. The windows were covered by a sheet of heat-treated metal as they began to descend, the telltale rattling of the ship showing they had broken into the planet's orbit. As usual the turbulence increased briefly as their speed picked up and the world's gravity took hold of them, but within moments they had gotten through the worst of it and the ride became far more pleasant. Once they had reached a reasonable altitude the shields were pulled back and the windows uncovered to reveal a highly populated world below, one which even from their current height you could make out cities on the ground. For a planet that was supposed to be under attack by Saiyans it looked oddly peaceful, no signs that anything had been razed or was even in the process of being attacked. Yet Leto was quick to rise to his feet and move to one of the windows, his normally boisterous attitude turning somber as he pressed against the glass, his face paling noticeably.

"We're back on Lioma..."

Leto's homeworld Lioma, the place that had been taken by Saiyans early in their campaign before ultimately being abandoned once its strongest fighters had been recruited. It was supposed to be left alone in exchange for the service of its warriors, so why had the Saiyans returned? No wonder Korian hadn't told Leto where they were going.

-----

"Great, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by everything," Yusef said with a smile, gesturing for a servant to go and tell the Queen what they would be doing, "There's been a great deal of change, and thankfully most for the better." He didn't want to spoil anything and would leave it for T'charrl to see with his own eyes. Kaesstra had been left in a bit of a state after he'd left home, their kingdom still on the brink of another civil war even with General Garesh removed from power. But since that time everything was far better, and with luck things would continue to improve. Making way for the doors Yusef paused when his son asked about the tree, smiling and shaking his head to calm his concerns. "Nothing is wrong with the tree, quite the opposite in fact. And things could have been better since your last visit, and they have gotten better. Just wait, you'll see what I mean."

All of this talk of trees and wars was lost to Haku, he hadn't ever seen the former and knew very little of the latter. Just hearing that things were getting better though was good enough for him and made him wish at the same time their own stupid war could end soon. But that was neither here nor there and wishful thinking wouldn't suddenly make it end, they had to beat the King to make that happen. Keeping close to T'charrl as they departed the castle he took a bit of time to enjoy the sights, still amazed anyone could build a city like this beneath the surface. The glowing plants above were one of the most amazing things he'd seen yet, casting enough light down below that it almost looked like midday even this far beneath the surface. Haku wondered how they worked, whether they were on all the time or of they ever darkened, he'd have to remember to ask sometime. "Your kingdom really is nice... You're so lucky to get to live somewhere like this."

"Now that civil war isn't looming over us both cities are wonderful places to live," Yusef chimed in, glancing back at the two children, "Other kingdoms have begun speaking with us again now that the power struggle has ended as well, which means we're getting more goods in and out of our cities. Like I said, things are looking up for everyone here." That wasn't to say it was without problems but overall the situation was vastly better than it had been in months past. Those who lived above and those who lived below were getting on better, and while it would take time until they were truly equal at least one could walk in the other's city now without fear of attack. It was hard not to be optimistic about the future of their kingdom and Kaesstra as a whole. "We'll save the tree for last T'charrl, there is something different but it's... A good different. I want to save the best for last," Yusef said with a knowing smile to his son, "But first I want to show you something Katas developed for us. It's a wonderful technology from Earth, something that your friend Vegeta shared with us. I think you'll enjoy it."

-----

"So after breakfast then? Alright, that sounds just fine to me," Aito agreed with a nod, "And as for changes I'll put this as simply as I can. There are different ways for doctors to help people like you, different approaches to treatment. We'll try a few things right away and then take a different approach if that doesn't work, that's all. And regardless of what approach we take we'll take things slow, ease you into it so you don't feel overwhelmed or pressured. This is all about letting you get better at your own pace, we're just here to help you along the way, okay?" That should just about cover everything, today was just meant to lay out the plans and make sure Shu understood what they would be doing. Tomorrow they would begin in earnest and, depending on how receptive Shu was to the therapy, they would know where they would go next with his treatment. For now however... "That should do it for today, you should go out and enjoy the festival now," Aito added in, winking at Shu as he leaned back in his chair, "And when you go do try the candied auran. It's a fruit they have here on Uuonoe, I may have grabbed one myself on my way here. It's quite tasty, I think you'll enjoy it."

Takeshi felt relieved that they finally had something in place for Shu after all this time. He was also immensely relieved it wouldn't be all on him, he'd felt smothered and burdened having to come up with ways to help his brother all on his own. Not that he hadn't wanted to help but he hadn't known how, and naturally having to ask over and over for ways to help wasn't going to work. Too prideful, he'd reflected, kicking himself for being such an idiot. But now things should be getting better for them, or namely for Shu. "You heard the man, time to go out and have some fun buddy!" Trying to pep up his brother Takeshi put on a grin and jumped to his feet, reaching over and playfully prodding Shu's forehead as he was getting up. "There's gotta be loads of awesome games and stuff up there, we'll probably be busy all day. Come on, let's go see what's there!" Moving to grab hold of his brother and pull him along he frowned when Sasha instead took Shu's hand, giving her a puzzled look in turn.

"There's no rush, the festival isn't going anywhere. Besides we have all day, plenty of time to do everything," Sasha explained before looking to Shu and giving him a gentle smile. He was still just a little kid wasn't he? No matter how old he might be he carried himself the same as many of the children on Uuonoe, something she'd never really noticed until Aito had pointed it out. So she'd try to treat him like one, or at the very least be a little more patient and gentle with him. Thanking the doctors for their time she gently pulled Shu along as they left the building, stepping out into a beautiful clear day, not a pressure in the world. Even from where they were one could hear the music carrying over the city from the festivities, machinery looming over some of the smaller structures, rides for everyone to enjoy. Behind her Sasha could almost feel Ricken rolling his eyes as she led Shu alongside her, pointing to a tall ferris wheel up ahead. "Isn't that neat? You sit inside of the chairs and it picks you up and you ride it around and around. There's a lot of rides like those all over the city, would you want to try any?"

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

Kabocha was itching to fight, he was sick of sitting on the sidelines while the Princes and their friends did everything. How was he supposed to carry the family name after the war if he never accomplished anything? No one was going to care who he was before, he had to kick some serious butt now to earn himself and his parents a place in the new Kortal. That was foremost in his mind as they rode off to this fight, secondary being the actual job itself, saving whatever world they were heading to. "I doubt they care for any of us right now, noble or servant," Kabocha pointed out before leaning towards the twins, a grin plastered on his face, "But that's fine, because once the King loses this war we'll be at the top anyways. They can look down on us all they want now, things will turn around real quick when this is over. You guys won't have to cook for anyone anymore and my family and I will be back where we were, with some added perks. Hell, if you really wanted you could probably be nobility too! You should give it a try, its pretty nice." Having people do the things you didn't want to, getting a say - generally a say in what went on, sure beat being some help in the royal kitchens.

"Hey, whatever's on your mind don't worry about it, everything is going to work out just fine here," Yumi reassured with a smile, hoping to turn Viral's mood a bit before the fight. "We have Krom back on Uuonoe remember? And I doubt the king is down there so we're not dealing with someone that bad, I'm sure we can handle them. We've done this so many times now its basically second nature to us." That wasn't to say there was no risk involved, there was always going to be risk. But they were all capable, the rebels were capable, they'd done it before and so long as they were careful everything would be okay. Adjusting the padded braces on her wrists Yumi turned her head and glanced out the window, watching stars race by as their shuttle continued on its course to the planet. "If we win today maybe that will make them thing twice about attacking worlds again," Yumi muttered, daring to hope as she frowned, "I don't get why they do it, I really don't. With everything else going on they're still hurting everyone, they're really the worst sort of people."

------

Haku was filled both with trepidation and excitement over the visit. It was wonderful on one hand to see a world as a peaceful visitor, rather than a combatant. There was no risk of Saiyans attacking here, they had no reason to, and the war between Kaesstrians had largely died down since T'charrl had last visited. If he didn't know about the fight at all he might even say there were no signs of anything wrong, save for the occasional group of soldiers maintaining order in the cities. It was even better for them that nothing serious was going on as they could focus on training and, hopefully, T'charrl getting better. People had been busy even while he was off planet and already plans were in place for helping him with his condition, plans which mostly consisted of some type of meditation and training. To Haku it almost seemed similar to how a Saiyan learned to control their Oozaru form, you only had to work your tail off until you were strong enough to keep the power from spiraling out of control... Easy. For some, there were plenty of Saiyans like him who hadn't been able to master it and, as a result, lost his tail. That wouldn't happen with T'charrl though as he'd definitely manage, he had to. Plus he didn't have a tail to lose.

"If you're ready to train now we can go. I'd understand if you want to spend the day resting though," Yusef said after the meal as servants cleaned the dining hall. Eslaria had since left for the upper city to overlook one of Katas' projects which left father and son to spend the afternoon together. Having a friend of T'charrl's along was still a touch unusual as he'd never quite had friends before but it was a nice change, there was a visible difference in how their child looked now that he had friends. Rising up from his chair he thanked the servants as they carried away the last of the dishes, moving to T'charrl's seat and pulling it out for him. "If you and your friend would prefer we could give him a tour of our city too. There's been some changes since you were last here, both above and below, and I think you'll like them a lot."

-----

"Yeah, we already talked about it and we'll start tomorrow. We don't want to rush into things and overwhelm you," Sasha explained, smiling at Shu's hesitation, "The festival is in the city, they're probably just about done setting it up by now. You'll see, it's really a lot of fun and it'll help get your mind off of things." Which in of itself was a sort of therapy, and as luck would have it Korian had given them the day in case Shu needed his support group meaning they had the entire day to enjoy it. Before they got going though they really should make sure there wasn't anything they were missing, things were going to be intense for Shu for a few days and it was best they don't overlook anything. "Aito, right? Is there anything you think we should avoid? We're not sure what his triggers are..."

"Loud noises for one, so if they happen to launch fireworks," Aito explained, pausing when he saw the perplexed looks on Ricken and Sasha's faces. Right, Earth things. "Er... If they are exploding anything for whatever reason keep him away from those. Enclosed spaces too, I believe our little friend here isn't fond of being inside anything small. Other than that I believe he should be fine." There were potentially other risks too but so long as they avoided any severe stimuli Shu shouldn't have an issue being out. Smiling at the young boy he leaned forward in his chair and pushed his glasses up the brim of his nose, mentally making a note of how tense he seemed before posing a question. "Shu? We'll start our sessions together tomorrow, just you and me. When do you want to start them? I can make time at any point in the day for you, you just tell me when. And while we can't have anyone else in the room we could have your older brother sit outside, if it would help. Basically what I'm saying is that I'll be leading our sessions, but be sure to speak up if you want to change anything, or if something isn't working. We're focusing on you here so whatever you need, tell us, understand?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

So that was it then, it was over just like that. Some slavers were still breathing and one even had been brave, or foolish enough, to try and fight back. Wyth was quick to stifle any would be attempts to keep their prisoners and with that they were effectively done here. Glad as Ethan was that Amuné was free he was shaking slightly himself, his stomach lurching uncomfortably; so many men were dead or maimed in some way here, they could have accomplished the rescue without any of that. How would they explain any of it to the guards? He just didn't understand why any of it had been necessary. Looking at Amuné hiding herself against Cecil he was reminded that they had to do it, maybe, in order to see her safe. That was the justification he tried to go with but even then it didn't stick, they could have done it differently still and gotten the same result.

It wasn't just Amuné that they had rescued though was it? There were yet more Ydrans released from the holding cell, all older than the girl but no less grateful to be freed. The readiness in which they took to weapons uneased Ethan and he loathed to think they would use them on their captors, something which while justified still unsettled him. He'd yet to use magic and though a last resort it would effectively rend any resistance useless on the slavers part, surely they'd want nothing to do with a Magi. Should he do that if they faced more resistance? Glancing down at the palm of his hand he entertained the idea only for a second before dismissing it with a shake of his head. Absolutely not, magic was not supposed to be used like that, as a tool to tout over those without, that was wrong. Cedric would have his rear if he'd ever found out, they had to try and refrain as much as they could.

"There's... There's more of us, they should have cleared the way," Ethan mumbled as he looked up at the Ydrans, "Just uh... Just follow us, we'll get you out." Before they could do any of that however he had to see Amuné, taking a knee beside the girl and rubbing her back to try and comfort her. It had been scary no doubt and there was no way of knowing what they had said to her, hopefully the fact they were here now made it a little better at least. "You're safe now Amuné, no one's going to hurt you anymore, okay?" Tears threatened to fall as they welled up in the corners of his eyes, and a quick wipe ensured she didn't have to see him cry. What a relief, he'd been so worried that even as hasty as they'd been they might have been too late.

They had to get going, the longer they hung around here the greater a chance something might go wrong. Hard to remain optimistic with a bunch of bloody people lying all around you, really brought down the mood. Making sure the slavers immediately nearby weren't going to come for them first Ethan led the way from the room, retracing his steps down the hall and doing his best to ignore the scene before them. Nymira and Asta were a little further ways ahead and both of them were clearly worse for wear after the fighting they had gone through, bloodied and beaten though nowhere near as much as some of them slavers. Wondering what lay behind them in the room Ethan only just peered around the corner of the door before quickly looking away, needing no closer look at the man laid face down in a pool of blood. They had killed too then, everyone had. He should feel fortunate they and the other captives were unharmed and free but all of the death left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Finally, I was beginning to wonder if you've gotten lost," Nymira commented, watching as Ethan shuffled forward without so much as a reply. His first time in a fight like this, she surmised, frowning at how defeated he looked. The sooner he accepted this as the reality of how things worked the easier it would become, doubtless it would be their last encounter. Looking back she saw Cecil carrying a very shaken but otherwise unharmed Amuné in his arms, smiling with relief at that fact. Beyond them still were more Ydrans, some armed and others not, all moving in a tight group and eager to be freed of this miserable place. As were they all, their work here was done and it was high time to be rid of the slavers den.

"We should do something about the building, it's become a grave for too many," the Dimuran said as she turned away, following after the group. All the men inside were either dead or severely injured, burning the structure down made the most sense to her. They would all likely die regardless from their wounds and letting any of them live was as much a crime as the kidnappings themselves. Yet she refrained, her hand lingering briefly on a wall before she pulled it away and let her magic settle. The guards would not care for her brand of justice, that much she had gathered, and even if they were to die it would likely be by execution, not by being burned alive. It was a distasteful act to leave such disgusting men alive and yet fitting in a way, their final moments would be spent crawling in the dirt like the worms they were. Wrinkling her face in loathing she glanced briefly at a fallen man just before the door, wondering how his head had come to be smashed in like that. Not a hint of sympathy, he'd chosen this life and paid the price, simple as that.

The guard was still waiting outside when they emerged, the man he'd been with bound and unconscious. Clearly what had happened inside hadn't gone entirely unnoticed as his expression was grim upon their exit, and seeing the state of Asta and Nymira hardly reassured him. He had said whatever they did inside that building would be off the record, he'd not enforce the laws, but now seeing the state of the children he almost regretted that. Without going inside he could guess what had become of the men inside and figured it was a fitting punishment regardless, they'd had been led to the gallows if they had not met justice at the travelers hands instead. The number of Ydrans that emerged, all clearly ragged and worn from their experience, made overlooking the bit of vigilante justice on their part much easier too.

"Some of the men yet live, I'd suggest you gather them up before they flee," Nymira spoke to the guard, gesturing back towards the building, "Others are in a less... Agreeable state. I'd suggest simply demolishing the building unless your people had a use for it. Judging by the deplorable state of this area however I'd assume not."

"You're not wrong, most of this part of town is run down. Generally the less well off live here, and that's the few that hadn't left," the guard pointed out, looking towards the building with a frown before nodding to himself, "I'll go and get some back up and we'll see what's left inside of there. You kids should head to a healer before you go, you've got some nasty wounds there. I wish I could reward you for your help-"

"We don't need a reward, we got what we came for," Nymira interrupted, referring of course to Amuné who was still clinging to Cecil as though her life depended on it. They had no need for a reward anyways, she still had some money left and healers were not generally expensive she'd found, and the only serious wounds belonged to her, Asta and Wyth. Enough time had been wasted in this town as it was too without being given some type of formal reward.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I'll get to it ASAP, work here in half an hour and then work all day tomorrow, so if I have time it's either tonight or some time Saturday.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I think it's me next, which means... I don't know, today or tomorrow. Work all day Friday so won't be then.

Dragon Ball: Legacy (Mogtaki and Vena Sera)

"It won't just go away though buddy... If it was that easy it'd be fixed by now. That's what I was hoping for, that it'd just fix itself. But it didn't." He'd hoped like hell it would just go away on its on like some rash or something, that maybe a week would make it just fade away. Not only had that not happened but it had gotten worse, and Takeshi knew he was solely responsible for that. Hearing Shu bring up the others he bit his lip before shaking his head, groaning as he ran a hand back through his hair. "It's not their fault Shu, it's not. It's mine, all mine. Aito wanted me to try helping you, Vegeta did too, and I told them I would," the older boy admitted, "But I didn't know what to do so I just... Waited, you know? I wanted to try and just let it work itself out and that never happened. It's my fault, not theirs and not yours. That's why this time I'm gonna do everything I can to help make it better. As soon as we get back that's what we're doing, okay? We'll get right to work and fix this thing you've got, then everything will be okay." He had to help Shu by now, he was selfish and lazy and as a result his brother was in worse shape than before: he owed this much to Shu.

Returning to Earth seemed rather nice after all they had been through, it felt like years since they had been home. If they were to go back too she'd love to partake in the next tournament to have a little fun, and why not? They'd earned a bit of time to themselves and while this war might be going on it wasn't their responsibility to see it finished. "We wouldn't use Ki then, that solves that," Yumi answered with a smile, folding her hands together as she leaned towards Viral, "No one else there can probably use it either so using it would be cheating, and we won't cheat. It'll be fair and square, just regular martial arts like it should be! Though..." she paused, frowning as she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "If two people with Ki were to fight then I guess they could use it, since that would be fair... But other than that, no Ki! And we don't need the money or attention either, it'd just be for fun! We could test ourselves a little, maybe see who else on Earth is a good fighter while we're at it too. If I entered would you enter too?" She hoped so, it would be a shame for any of them to sit by and watch while they enjoyed themselves in the tournament.

"I m-mean... If someone knows anything about your power, it's g-got to be one of your people, right...? So we'll go there..." There had to be at least one person on Kaesstra that knew about what T'charrl was going through, someone that had answers for him and a way to master his abilities. Maybe it was rare but it couldn't be unheard of right? Plus being back home, getting to see his parents, that would make his friend happier too wouldn't it? Frowning when T'charrl mentioned getting permission Haku rose to his feet, standing before his friend and shaking his head angrily. "They don't own you! If you want to go then you go, that's all there is to it!" he said defiantly, his brief outrage quickly fading as he realized he'd shouted, lowering his voice again as he continued. "B-Besides, this war is technically on hold, so it's not l-like we'll be asked to go fight, and even if we were we can say no. You need to t-take care of yourself first, and they sh-should let you." It would be selfish to not let T'charrl go and get the help he needed especially after all he'd done today to help. Plus he missed his parents probably, and while not a sentiment Haku could share with his own he understood his friend would like to see them again.

---

T'charrl's return to Kaesstra hadn't gone unnoticed, and if they didn't know better one might thing their arrival had been announced beforehand. Since the last visit the city had seen a few great changes, the biggest of which was a newly constructed landing strip for ships to come and go. Upon setting down in their small vessel lent by a Uuonian Haku and T'charrl were greeted by a crowd of residents, both from above ground and down below, with the Queen and her husband at the forefront of the homecoming. It had doubtless been a rather sweet experience for the forlorn Prince who hadn't a chance to spend quality time with his family, and after landing they spent a handful of hours simply relaxing and recounting everything that had gone on as of late. Eslaria seemed very pleased if a little worried for her son's ventures: amusingly it was her husband, General Yusef that looked to fret more. Haku's first meeting with the royal family went off relatively well compared to the others' initial meeting, getting a warm welcome and even a gift upon arriving at the castle. The two opted to keep the exact details of how they met to themselves though, fearing if it got out then Eslaria was bound to have Haku's head as punishment.

The reason for their visit couldn't be avoided forever and T'charrl's parents had a right to know why they had come, if not just to see them. The response to their reason was a surprising one, promising even: the problem had been looked into. Word of their visit to another king last time had gotten back to Eslaria and, after some discussion, they had come up with a means of helping their son. It would be a little different than how those of days past got by but in essence things would work out the same: train oneself so that you had control of the spirit, not the other way around. The king had found that initially people like T'charrl underwent rigorous meditations and trials to help hone themselves, and while the nature of these were well recorded they were time consuming, far too time consuming for their likes. So training would have to suffice, they would do all they could and see if that was enough. Duties would be handled by Yusef largely and Katas, if the man could find enough time away from the many projects the city was undergoing. If need be Eslaria herself would step in and train her son, but her husband would be the primary trainer.

-----

Things on the war front should by all rights have calmed down by now. A ceasefire had effectively been called by both sides to combat the threat of the monsters appearing, neither side wanting to have to fight a battle on two fronts. Or so they had thought. Not long after returning to Uuonoe had news reached command of an attack by Saiyan troops on a nearby world. Krom had been immediately questioned and knew nothing of the attack, having nothing to offer nor no knowledge of who was carrying out the attacks. A second report revealed the one leading attacks to be a powerful Saiyan, evidently the replacement for Krom with the vacuum that his departure had caused. Clearly Yamate didn't respect the truce that had been called, either that or this was an action from a rogue group of Saiyans acting on their own. Either way it had to be handled, if they were allowed to run freely it would cause untold problems for everyone, Saiyans and Rebels alike. As quickly as they could muster a group was sent out to handle the problem, consisting of familiar faces as well as some new ones; 6 rebel soldiers, including Leto were dispatched along with Viral, Kai, Choi, Kabocha and Yumi, nearly a dozen troops in all to handle the attacks. Some would evacuate citizens while others focused on fighting, everyone had a part to play.

"I'm getting so tired of the Saiyans always ruining things," Yumi grumbled, laying her head back into her seat of the shuttle, "They just can't leave anything alone can they? I hate them." Remembering their mixed company she looked over at the twins and Kabocha with a small smile, "No offense to you three," she added.

"Hey we hate them too. Just because we're the same doesn't mean we get along," Kabocha pointed out with a shrug, scowling as he thought about his kin, "A lot of good being nobility has done me in all this, they were quick to cast out me and my family. I've heard even some of our closest friends back on Kortal would sell us out now, no loyalty. It's disgusting..."

"Do not lose heart, dear Kabocha! There are still good men among your people! The Commander and Sayomi show us as much!" Leto interjected, flexing as he flashed a thumbs up to the group, "Maybe your OLD friends have forsaken you, but I'm positive there are many who applaud your efforts! When you finally return home you'll be celebrated as a hero, not a villain! Just you wait!"

Yumi laughed awkwardly at Leto's enthusiasm, looking at Viral after a moment and rolling her eyes. Optimism was good but he was laying it on a bit thick, or much too thick actually. No one thought that things would go over smoothly even once this whole mess was over with, not at this point. After the war ended there was probably going to be more fighting, people who refused to accept the change and wanted to stick to how things were. And even if they dealt with that there was always going to be something, the universe was plenty big enough to brew some kind of trouble as they had learned. "Maybe he'll figure out how to not yell every time he talks too," Yumi whispered to Viral with a small smirk.

-----

Awkward was a decent way to describe the situation right now. Ricken had never made it a secret as to how he felt about Saiyans, his despise of their general species as a whole for what they had done to him, Sasha and to their people. With rare exceptions he loathed the Saiyans and everything they stood for, their need for senseless bloodshed, their violent tendencies, everything about them. Aside from Korian and Sayomi he was still terribly hard pressed to like anyone from the warrior race and that still held true for Shu and Takeshi. And yet... Here he was, in a room with Aito, a Saiyan, Shu and Takeshi, his sister and a Uuonian doctor. All for the sake of helping the youngest one here with his issues, issues that stemmed from the very people he loathed. If nothing else he agreed to help because he knew what it was like to live with PTSD, to experience things so horrifying and traumatic that it haunted you for days on end, denying you peace of mind as long as you struggled. Even after being helped he still had rare moments of weakness but his life was better for it, and now it was time for him to repay the kindness done for him. That didn't mean he was happy to do it though.

"So you will have private therapy sessions with me Shu, then group sessions with Ricken and Sasha. I'll speak with Takeshi about everything that goes on so he is able to help you if you need it, and we'll meet once a week to see how things are going." This was the plan that Aito had laid out for the young boy and everything seemed reasonable, the sessions would be infrequent, yet frequent enough to make some difference. Nothing would be forced, Shu would be able to carry on as though little was changing and his brother would play a larger part in his recovery, or one would hope. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that this will be quick, because it won't be. In fact I can't tell you how long this will take at all. It could be a month, it could be two, it could be a year. But I can guarantee that as we move along it will get better, slowly at first, but it will get better."

Things would get better, that was all Takeshi needed to hear. Of course knowing it would take time probably hurt for Shu, someone who doubtless wanted to be better sooner than that. But at least they were finally getting down to the problem and having it taken care of. His brother would be back to his happy-go-lucky self again before long, he'd be able to sleep through the night, not be so afraid when it came to fighting, everything would be better. Even with his playing a part in the recovery it was a massive load off of his shoulders knowing he wasn't left to handle everything on his own now. Aito would handle therapy, as he should, and Ricken and Sasha could talk to Shu in ways he couldn't, they would be support for him when he was having a hard time. And he'd be there too for help, he would be in charge of making sure his brother didn't get bogged down by everything, he'd keep Shu going and make their days busy and fun, that much he could manage.

"Just remember that you're not alone through all of this. We'll be here to help you." Sasha knew how lonely and isolating everything felt when you went through these kinds of things. No one knew your pain, no one understood you, no one could without being there beside you. She'd been lucky to have Ricken there to empathize, though they still needed outside help to recover. Now it was their turn to be supportive of someone else in need, and unlike her brother she was more than happy to do it. "Since we're not starting today how about we do something fun, if you want to. I hear there's a little festival going on in the city, we could go and look at that," she added, looking to Takeshi as if asking permission. She didn't want to be overstepping her bounds but she knew it was important for Shu not to always focus on his problems too.

"Uh... Yeah, it could be fun buddy, we should go check it out!" Takeshi agreed with a grin, reaching out and ruffling Shu's hair playfully, "They've probably got all sorts of yummy food, you know? And games, probably loads of games! And maybe when we're done there we can go play a bit, how's that sound?"

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Oh you're right x_x I think I need bed.