Chapter 14 – Resurrection
Fujitsu stands over Trunks. Even though he knows nothing about surgery, he is ready to make an effort. In order for him to start the procedure, however, he rips away clothes intruding the wounds. As he is able to make the first shaky incision, Zyxoiar shoves him aside and jams the piece of heart back in place. She brings her head up and sees all of the startled and bewildered faces.
Zyxoiar: I know what I'm doing. His wings can repair all the damages.
She looks at Trunks' body on the table. Feeble tears streak down from her eyes. She wipes them from her cheek and watches the liquid dissipate on her hand.
---
Zyxoiar (to herself): …tears…?
Ioni: Zyxoiar, everything is in order. Are you ready?
She quickly composes herself and turns to Ioni.
Zyxoiar: Yes…let's get this done and over with.
She puts herself in a chamber that connects to the precious stone. The others move the gurney with Trunks under an overhead apparatus.
Goku: So, you know how to work this thing?
Ioni: I do not believe it…This board is an exact replica of the one I use.
Ioni starts to inputs the necessary data into the console. The precious stone glows softly.
Nothing happens to either of the two. The dim sparkle of Trunks' wings dies completely.
Vegeta: You fool! It didn't work! Now he's dead!
Ioni: Give it time…
The luster of Trunks' wings returns gradually. The glowing stops abruptly. He suddenly lets a groan, a small signal of life. This indication instantly transforms into unrestrained yelling; his muscles contract, unconsciously trying to break the restraints. His wings start to radiate again, only this time, the glow increases rapidly until it fills the room. The sharp increase in Trunks' energy level causes a whirlpool of wind to move about him. He starts to transform. Zyxoiar starts to scream from the unbearable pain of the torture.
Ioni: Damn! Zyxoiar's energy is being transferred too fast into Trunks!
Yamcha: Can't you just use the control panel?
Ioni: It is useless right now! The crystal must be destroyed!
Yamcha: That's all?
Yamcha begins to fire ki blasts at the crystal. All the blasts get repelled.
Ioni: Not that way! You do not realize how serious this is, do you?!
Ioni runs to the crystal, jumps into the air and kicks the rock. The transfer crystal glows black on impact, then shattering. Energy being transferred stops. Zyxoiar falls slightly, but catches herself and barely stands up winded. Trunks returns to his normal state – his yelling turning into gasps for air.
Ioni: Are you all right?
Zyxoiar stands, concentrating her energy to one specific place. Her wings glow lightly and then retract back in her. Trunks' wings also radiate softly before retracting back into their unconscious bearer. Ioni walks to Trunks, checking his vitals.
Ioni: His pulse is a little rapid, but will level out soon.
Zyxoiar walks to Trunks and, dropping her guard, lets out an ephemeral smile of relief. She puts on her façade before exiting, walking pass the fighters silently. Vegeta, wanting the last word, opens his mouth right after Zyxoiar passes him.
Vegeta: Some evil monarch you are. First you kill your opponent, then you revive him.
Zyxoiar abruptly stops in her tracks and, turning around, extends her arm. A torrent of wind attacks Vegeta, throwing him across the laboratory and into equipment..
Vegeta: --the hell?!
She turns to Ioni, indicating him to do something, and then exits the Aurora. Vegeta gets up and advances toward her. Ioni puts himself in between the two.
Vegeta: Get the hell out of my way, dammit!
Ioni: Let her be.
Vegeta throws a kick to Ioni's side, a strike that sails him clear across the lab. He gets up and staggers back to his place in between Vegeta and Zyxoiar.
Ioni: Just listen to me for a minute.
Vegeta settles down. The others pay attention.
Ioni: Hope's Promise is another legend that applies both Zyxoiar and Trunks. Its sole purpose is to protect the two people that split it in half.
Vegeta: A piece of metal? What the hell does that have to do with anything?!
Ioni: It is not that simple. This can override the fate of the two in most situations… and possibly the legend of the Guardian and Harbinger. These two, Zyxoiar and Trunks, are coeval. I do not know what happened in their pasts, but at one point they both split this apart. By doing so, they have activated its power, thus keeping them together. I did not know the two came from the same exact timeline – much less, knew each other…
Piccolo: But…didn't you say they were to be the two worse enemies and that one should die?
Ioni: Yes, but I did not know they had activated this…Damn…everything is becoming more complicated. I need more information, but I have to wait until Trunks wakes up. Tell you what; I want all of you to rest here. You must be famished and exhausted from the night's events.
Goku: But, how do we know to trust you?
The fighter speaks too soon. His stomach lets out a deep, long growl that could have been heard throughout the Solstice.
Ioni: Do not worry, I have no intentions of harming anyone. Before I became the tyrannical maniac you all told me about, I vowed to dedicate my life helping those in need. All of the food is safe. I will also show you were you can relax.
---
A few years have passed since Zyxoiar and Trunks first met. The sky transforms
into night. Clouds overhead start to pour out water, forming into droplets as it
falls to Earth. A young teenage Zyxoiar flies over a destroyed city, looking for
something. Her search ends – she lands in the remains of a building, in front of
the corpse of a middle-aged man lying on the bloodstained ground.
One of his legs is missing. Crispy-burnt skin hangs off from his arms and face. Parts of what used to be an intestine, a stomach, a heart, and lungs hang out of a cavity in his chest. The girl bends down to her dead protector, wrapping her arms around his neck, hysterically crying. She senses an intense power from nearby that starts to become stronger.
All of her grief and sorrow instantly turns into insane anger. Unable to control her rage, Zyxoiar takes to the sky to find who is doing this. Using her wings, she makes her way across the city and finds a boy trying to cope with his emotions. She lands several meters from him, not noticing the fissured ground under his fists or even seeing his body glowing.
Just before attempting to move toward him, she feels something go off in her head. The air around her becomes tainted with a sweet, hypnotic aroma.
Everything becomes dark.
She reawakens in a place that is familiar to her – in the middle of a forest. A large shadowy figure lurches near her.
Zyxoiar: You! Did you see any of what the androids did?! Did you hear me?!
VOICE: You're not thinking rationally. You can't fight them alone.
Her fury blinds her from any reasoning.
Zyxoiar: If you won't help, I'll get them myself!!
VOICE: You have no idea what you're up against.
Zyxoiar: I don't care!
VOICE: What will you do…when you find them?
Zyxoiar: What will I…(quietly) do?
The shadow holds up a glowing entity. Rays of light start to congregate, forming a sphere that rapidly grows in size, and is aimed at Zyxoiar. The beam charges straight for her. She remains still. Unconscious to her, the wings glow and spread out. Just before the beam hits, her wings create a force field that encase her body. The beam smashes up against the force field, splits apart, and flies into various directions.
VOICE: You didn't move at all. You are the true Harbinger of Death. I can help you…
---
A being starts to stir on a stretcher-like object. Unlike any of his usual slow
transitions from unconsciousness-to-consciousness, Trunks jumps into reality
from a dream state, startled. The "stranger" in the same room turns around.
Trunks: You--you're really Ioni, right?
Ioni: How did you know?
Trunks: I…I don't really know how…I-I just knew somehow…
Ioni: Never mind that now. Now Trunks, I want you to tell me something and I want you to think about it before you answer. Do you understand?
Trunks nods in response.
Ioni: Right now, you recall having met Zyxoiar when you two were children, right?
Trunks: Yes.
Ioni: And you did not remember before last night?
Trunks: Yes.
Ioni: That's all I need to know.
Trunks: Why do you need to know?
Ioni (hesitating): I needed more information to tell which legend is stronger.
Trunks: Which…legend?
Ioni: Yes. At first, I thought it would be of the Chosen. Hope's Promise, however, seems to be keeping both your and Zyxoiar's power impulses synchronized…but that might have something to do with her transferring energy to you…
Trunks: She what?!
Ioni: Let me put it this way; you died with your wings exfoliated. Zyxoiar was able to transfer her energy to you in effort to bring you back. The charm Hope's Promise may have aided her decision to do so.
Trunks: The medallion she gave me… (hesitates) Umm… can you please tell me what you mean by the Chosen?
Ioni: Have you ever heard of the Guardian of Life?
Trunks: That name…it seems like something I've heard only in dreams…along with another one…
Ioni: But other than that, you have never heard of it nor of the Harbinger of Death?
Trunks: That's the other one!
Ioni: And you have never heard of the legend of the two?
Trunks: No.
Ioni: This is getting too perplexed. Zyxoiar has not either. Yet, you two still carried out the legend's expectations. It was as if the whole battle was based upon pure instinct. As the legend goes, the Guardian and the Harbinger fight solemnly to kill one another. The only purpose of that battle you had with Zyxoiar was to stop her from turning Earth, as well as other worlds, into a mass of devastation. Technically, she won.
Trunks: And what about the earth? What happened?
Ioni: I am getting to that. Apparently, right before she killed you, part of Hope's Promise fell out of your pocket. You and she shared that charm. You may not realize how important Hope's Promise is, but it may have been the only thing keeping Zyxoiar from wreaking havoc. This small emblem protected the two of you from the truth. It must have sensed the other legend enrooted in you and tried to make you forget about that night, and about each other. I am not completely certain what happened, but you had talked to her like you remembered.
Trunks: I did. It all came back to me, just before I fought y-Fujitsu.
Ioni: There is something else you need to know. Since you two come from extremes of the legend, there is no telling what would become of her health.
Trunks: What do you mean?
Ioni: I hope this is only a theory, but she might die…She might know otherwise…
Trunks: There is no way to save her?!
Ioni: I cannot do anything else…but you can. Go and comfort her. It may be for the last time.