Chapter 13 – Hope

Vegeta's beam continues to push against Zyxoiar. The chasm becomes a hole leading out of the island and into the icy waters. Fujitsu catches up to her and pulls her away. Knowing the dangers of letting the beam continue, he braces Zyxoiar in one arm and fires a ki wave, using most of his energy in the process, grabs Zyxoiar and swims for air.

The wave collides into Vegeta's, absorbing it before it explodes. He surfaces carrying Zyxoiar and starts to fly upward. Zyxoiar, cold and soaked, still has a ghostly complexion. She looks at her right arm, only to see her bloodstained gauntlet and part of his heart.

Zyxoiar: Ioni, do you know about the Guardian?

Fujitsu (confused): My Liege?

Zyxoiar glares at Fujitsu and telepathically allows the blood cells infesting Ioni's brain to sleep again. Ioni's eyes change back to normal. He looks around and notices that he is flying upward while carrying Zyxoiar in his arms and stops.

Ioni: Zyxoiar? This is what you become?

Zyxoiar (shamefully): Yes.

Ioni: I…I don't know what to say to you. You have done so many sickening things.

Zyxoiar (looking at the heart): I know…and right now, I could really use some of your guidance.

---
The others are still standing – this time, thinking of what they should do. Trunks' wings continue to grow dimmer. Tien approaches Trunks and bends down, looking for a pulse.

Tien: There is no pulse…but they're still moving…

Gohan: Here's an idea. We could use the Dragonballs--

Ioni and Zyxoiar come near the headland. Ioni lets Zyxoiar fly by herself and leaves her to join the others.

Ioni: Bad idea.

Goku: Zyxoiar! Fujitsu! What do the two of you want now?! You've killed him already!

Ioni: Settle down.

Goku (noticing the change of Ioni's tone): Ioni? How can you help?

Ioni walks to Trunks and Tien and kneels.

Ioni (to Tien): Can you please help me turn him around?

Tien (surprised at how civilly Ioni asked him): Y-yeah, sure.

As the two turn Trunks over, Zyxoiar walks to where the other part of her talisman lays. She picks it up and holds both pieces together, making it resemble one whole crest once more. Then she looks at Trunks. Her ghostly look returns and her face pales.

Zyxoiar (to herself): …It's like watching an angel die…

Both Ioni and Tien manage to turn Trunks over to his backside to a gruesome site. Ioni examines the condition of Trunks' brutalized body.

Ioni (gravely): My God. He is in worse shape than I thought. Severe blood loss, dislocated legs, compound fractures in both arms, an almost cracked skull, and an open chest with part of his heart missing to top it all off.

Tien: But ... what does any of this prove? He's already dead.

Ioni: Not completely.

Vegeta: What the hell do you mean by "not completely?"

Ioni: It is complicated to explain. Even though his body right now is destroyed, his wings are still alive. By now, all of you should know the wings of the Guardian of Life heal. Right now, they are trying to heal his body. Even though his body is now a corpse, his soul is still here in this world – it is in between the dimensions of life and death.
If that was not the case, then his wings would have lost their luster already. But, since it is, they are trying to revive him. By doing so, they are losing their own power and will die themselves if we do not intervene. Once they die, he dies

Yamcha : But why can't we have the dragon of New Namek resurrect him?

Ioni: We cannot wait until he dies. That would then be jeopardizing the vitality of both him and the wings. But if we bring him back, one of three things can happen. One, his wings will also be revived. Two, his wings would be there, but they would be powerless. Three, his wings would not be there at all. If that last scenario were to happen, there would be no way of telling what would happen to him physically, mentally, or psychiatrically.

Tien: So, how do we go about reviving Trunks?

Zyxoiar (approaching everyone): I want to be the source.

Goku: The source? What does she mean by that?

Ioni: We need another source, another bearer of wings, to revive him. (slightly agitated): Zyxoiar, we already had discussed this. You won that battle in the correct manner and now you must decide on the fate of this world.

Zyxoiar (glares): I've already decided. I want to be the source.

Ioni: Zyxoiar…

Zyxoiar: Listen to me. I'm the only one who can bring Trunks back to life... (holds both halves of the unseen emblem closer to her heart) I know all the risks involved and I know I can take it!

Vegeta: Why should we listen to you?! You're the one who killed him!

Zyxoiar glares viciously at Vegeta. She abruptly glides to him and continuously advances by pushing him back after saying each word.

Zyxoiar: If you don't listen to me, he will die!!

Vegeta (grabbing her wrists): Did you not want him dead?!

Zyxoiar (snatching her wrists back and hesitates): …things change…

---
The group takes Trunks into the Aurora, the laboratory of the Solstice. Like most facilities, lab equipment and medical supplies fill tables.

Ioni (looking around in awe): Zyxoiar…where did you get all of this equipment?

Unlike any other matrix, a huge jewel stands in the middle.

Ioni: The gem? You have the gem?

Piccolo: The gem?

Yamcha: Yeah, what about the gem.

Ioni: This is the only way we can effectively transfer energy from Zyxoiar to Trunks. Where did you get this?

Zyxoiar: You'd be surprised. We haven't any time to mess around.

---
Ioni: Zyxoiar, what do you have in your hands?

Zyxoiar takes the charm away from her body and bares it to Ioni. His face pales at the sight of it.

Ioni: Is that…Hope's Promise?

Zyxoiar nods.

Ioni: But…how did you get this?

Zyxoiar: From my mother. She gave it to me sometime before she was murdered.

Ioni: Do you know what it means if it has been split in two?

Zyxoiar: I have an idea, but I can't interpret legends as well as you.

Ioni: It means that the person who originally had it and whomever it was split for are meant to be together forever. The medallion will protect the two and try to keep them together for as long as it's power permits. If one should perish, the other will never find another love. The legend has made that part very clear. (reaches for the pendant) But nothing will happen unless it…

Ioni picks the medallion by one side; only half of it departs from Zyxoiar's palm. His face pales from seeing it split apart..

Ioni: Zyxoiar…who is this meant for?

Zyxoiar's eyes gravitate towards the ground and then seem to wander toward something. Ioni follows and turns around where Trunks' body lays still. He turns back to her.

Ioni: …him?

Zyxoiar, with her eyes still fixed on the corpse, responds with one deliberate nod. Ioni clenches half of Hope's Promise in one fist trying to confine his emotions with one word.

Ioni: Shit…

Zyxoiar: I still want to go through with this.

Vegeta eyes Zyxoiar's suspiciously, musing over why she changed her mind so suddenly.