The Purified (Trunks vs Sayuri)

Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcsyzQFRB7g&feature=BFa&list=PLB55116A5FFBCDAC8&lf=BFp

Trunks padded through the soft snow, his new sword cutting arcs through the frigid mountain air. He bounded off trees, flipped, and twisted his body through the foliage. He was careful with his movements, not even stirring a leaf. With a burst of ki, he launched himself over massive boulder, doing a front flip, and landed in the soft snow beside a trickling stream.

His feet crunching, he walked over and knelt beside the stream, resting his sword on his lap. Cupping both hands, he dunked them into the icy waters, filling the small bowl he created with them. He drank the refreshing water and dried his hands off on his black slacks.

The snapping of a twig to his right brought his head reeling around. He saw a doe emerge behind two large pine trees, her long neck dopping down for a drink. A spotted fawn nuzzled her side. After a brief drink, she must have caught Trunks's scent, because her head snapped up, black eyes widening in fear.

Trunks grinned at the creature and vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing more than a swirl of snow. He re-appeared a short distance away atop of a wind blasted cliffside. His things were stashed beneath the boughs of a scraggly pine tree. Not that he had much, only jacket, travel bag and the sheath to his sword.

Ohkii-mizu's blacksmith, a stout man named Jhelen had crafted him the sword. It was made out of a secret alloy, the same used for the arrows the Keeper's used. Trunks had doubted Jhelen ability to forge a sword that could stand up to the sort of punishment a warrior of his caliber could dish out. But, Jhelen had proved him wrong, very wrong. The sword was sharper than any machined blade and the metal a hundred times stronger than steel.

Of course, being the techno-geek he was, Trunks had begged and begged Jhelen to teach him how to smelt the metal. Jhelen had said denied his approaches, claiming it to be a closely guarded family secret and that it required ancient magics that he wound never understand.

Trunks slipped on his jacket and sheathed the sword, clipping it across his torso, so the blade ran diagonal across his back. With his training now complete, he wondered if it was safe for him to return to Sayuri. It had been a long while since he had seen her and he hoped she was faring a bit better.

Reaching out, he tried to locate her ki signature, expanding the range of his senses outward several times. Panic struck him like a bolt of lightning to his heart. Sayuri, the woman he loved, was nowhere to be found. Closing his eyes he reached out as far as he could, feeling numerous large ki signatures across the planet, but none with her specific trace.

Where the hell are you?

Trunks hadn't taught Sayuri to mask her ki signature yet. He wondered if she had learned it somehow. If not masked, that meant... The lightning within his chest was now accompanied by the thunder of his heart beating. He found another, very powerful ki signature nearby. It was coming from the direction of Ohkii-mizu. He sensed no darkness within it, but such a presence still brought him a great concern. What if Kaide and Sayuri were in trouble?

What if she is dead?

His white aura enveloped him as he blasted off, cutting a white streak across the night sky. Within moments he came to a screeching halt above Kaide's hut. The mysterious ki signature was coming from inside.

Landing in front of the hut, he peeked in through the window, which had been opened a crack. He saw Kaide first, sitting at the kitchen table, and titled his head—spotting a silver haired woman across from her. He opened the door and stepped inside, resting his hands at his side. His reacquired Saiyan tail was twitching relentlessly behind him, a sign of his fear and frustration.

“Who are you?” Trunks said, surprised at venom in his own voice. “And, where is my Sayuri?”

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WC: 691

Sayuri took a long drink from her tea and savored the warmth that traveled through her body. It had been a long morning filled with conversations of Sayuri’s purification. She felt guilty for being mad at Kaide when the old woman had no clue what would happen.

Kaide had explained it was different for each keeper, and Sayuri was unlucky enough to be half demon. It made sense things would be harder with that amount of corruption coursing through her veins. She had to admit though, after a lot of thought, she would do it all over again. It felt good not to have that creeping darkness within her. She enjoyed the quiet, but that wasn’t going to be a luxury for long.

Sayuri sensed a great amount of power traveling quickly towards them. “Kaide,” she said suddenly with a panicked expression. “Trunks is here!”

Before Kaide could respond the front door opened harshly. Sayuri jumped as the door clattered open. Trunks large frame blocked out what little daylight that tried to shine through. His eyes were fierce as they locked on to Sayuri’s. He held no recognition for her whatsoever.

“Who are you?” Trunks hissed with an anger that made her blood run cold. “And, where is my Sayuri?”

She felt a small amount of pride and anger towards him. Surely he knew her better than that. At least she thought he did. “I wasn’t aware I was one of your possessions Trunks Briefs,” she scolded. “It’s me, if you would put that twitching tail and all its feelings aside you might recognize me!”

Sayuri was on edge. This was not the first encounter she wanted with Trunks. She wanted to apologize to him for running away, wanted to explain what had happened. She expected a reaction from him, just not one like this.

“Won’t you calm down, child.” Kaide said warily coming in between Sayuri and the raging Saiyan. This was becoming a dangerous situation fast.

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WC:330

“I wasn’t aware I was one of your possessions Trunks Briefs,” the platinum haired stranger said. “It’s me, if you would put that twitching tail and all its feelings aside you might recognize me!”

Her voice... it was the same. Trunks's tail drooped at the sound, practically curling around his calf. The fierceness of his face also faded as his features relaxed. He gave this woman the once over. Confused, he took a few steps back towards the door.

Sayuri's hair was a completely different color--a stark white, shiny like platinum. Trunks could also see that so were her eyes, instead of being blue like the ocean, they were amber--the same color as honey.

Sure, her face had the same features, but faces could be deceiving. Sayuri could her dyed her hair, put in contacts, and have made thousands of alterations to her appearance. It wasn't necessarily the appearance part that concerned him the most. None of those things would have altered her ki.

Try as he might to find a bit similarities, this stranger had a completely different energy tha the Sayuri he remembered. She was also much more powerful than Sayuri had been. All of his martial arts masters had told him to never rely on his eyes and his ears, but to rely on his senses. He didn't know what to do in this case. His eyes and ears were telling him one thing, while his sixth sense was telling a whole different story.

“Won’t you calm down, child,” Kaide said as she placed herself between Sayuri and the raging Saiyan.

"Forgive my brashness," Trunks said before sighing. "I-I just was scared you might be in danger Keeper. I can see that she hasn't hurt you. I mean--she looks just like Sayuri, except a few minor details. But, her ki feels nothing like Sayuri's."

Trunks glanced over Kaide's shoulder, taking a second look at this strange Sayuri.

"People change dear," Kaide said.

He grimaced. "Yes, they do. But, you can't blame me for my suspicions. There are evil things out there, things that deceive and mock. You never know what might hunt me, and they could use Sayuri as a means to trick me and lure me into a trap."

Kaide gave him a warm smile. "You tormented man, jaded by bloodshed. What does your heart tell you?"

He knew that look though. It was pity, and made him feel small on the inside. My heart?

Trunks stood up straight, feeling a bit more confident. There was something he shared with Sayuri that no monster or person could steal. It was the one force in the universe that couldn't be touched by any sort of spell or sorcery--love.

"If you are Sayuri, show me then," Trunks said, a playful hint in his voice. "I trained Sayuri, taught her all the fighting moves she knows. I know her movements and her grace."

The truth is, we have a harmony that can't be replicated. If this is really her, I will see it.

Admittedly, Trunks was feeling a bit nervous about this. If it was Sayuri, she had come a long way power wise and would prove to be a good challenge. If it wasn't, he didn't know what he was up against. This being could be suppressing its ki and be far more powerful than he imagined. He led her outside of the house and to a small clearing in the woods.

While normally, being a teacher, he would get into his fighting stance and have Sayuri attack him. This time he was going to take a different approach. It was time for him to test her. He folded his arms, studying her. There was an awkwardness to her movement, like she felt an uncomfortable itch on her back.

“When you're ready,” Trunks said.

After the confirmation, he dashed across the clearing straight at her, ready to test out one of his new abilities. He projected an illusion of himself attacking head on with a high kick. However, in reality, vanished, appearing at her side with a swift knee aimed at her lower back. Using a burst of ki, he launched himself into the air. Two back flips later, he landed at the edge of the clearing. Thrusting his right hand out at her, he unleashed luminescent blue wave of ki in her direction, bathing the entire clearing in a bright glow.

WC: 742
TWC: 1,433

Trunks sighed as he spoke. “She looks just like Sayuri, but, her ki feels nothing like Sayuri's." Sayuri watched as Trunks seemed to scan her over Kaide's shoulder. He held a very skeptical expression which pained her to see. She was just happy she wasn’t home alone when he had suddenly appeared.

Kaide gave him a warm smile. "You tormented man, jaded by bloodshed. What does your heart tell you?" Kaide was skilled at chiding people in the nicest of ways.

"If you are Sayuri, show me then," Trunks said, a playful hint in his voice. It gave Sayuri a small hint of hope, though she knew this was going to be a difficult test. Trunks was still undecided and she was either going to have to give, or take a beating to prove herself.

"I trained Sayuri, taught her all the fighting moves she knows. I know her movements and her grace," Trunks said almost proudly.

Sayuri let out a small snort. “You sure we’re talking about the same me?”

“Hush child!” Kaide scolded.

“Fine,” Sayuri said with the attitude of a teenager forced to make up with a sibling after a fight. “Lead the way oh wise teacher,” she said sardonically.

She knew where he was headed before he even walked out of the house. There was a small clearing in the woods they used to spar since their arrival at Ohkii-mizu. Sayuri tried to keep her mind busy from worry by watching the almost comical way Trunks’ tail swished with each step.

When they finally reached the clearing Sayuri became undecided on how much she should reveal with this spar. This seemed to be a lot for Trunks to take in, how would he react to her wings? Which, by the way, were itching the hell out of her!

“When you're ready,” Trunks said.

That was a lie, barely giving Sayuri any time to prepare Trunks dashed towards her much like a bull towards a matador. This head on attack seemed unusual and she was right. She sensed his presence a moment too late, and though the tried to sidestep, Trunks’ knee caught her in the lower side quite hard. She let out a small grunt and focused for his next attack.

Being the overly egotistical fighter she knew (and sometimes loved) Trunks launced himself backwards by way of two powerful backflips. He landed at the edge of the clearing. Pushing his right hand out towards her. She saw a small wave of ki heading inn her direction, as the clearing was bathed in an eerie glow.

Instinct kicking in Sayuri felt her wings emerge from the alterations in her shirt. They wrapped around her body much like a caterpillars cocoon would. What would have been a searing heat was little more than a warm breath against them.

As they unwrapped she peered out much like a scared child for his reaction, but quickly decided against waiting for words. With two large flaps the felt herself rise into the air. “King Kong is more subtle with new moves than you are,” she shouted rolling her eyes.

She began to charge what looked like a small amount of ki in her hands. “You're more dense than a coconut!” she winked while pointing her fingers towards Trunks. Little orbs of ki on the tips of her fingers quickly turned into bright yellow beams, each headed for various parts of Trunks’ body. When she was finished with her small assault she gently hovered to the ground, crossed her arms, and waited.

“Well,” she said raising an eyebrow. “That all?”
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Wc: 600/930

Trunks watched his ki wave slam into its target. He immediately felt guilt. Sayuri would have dodged it, he had taught her at least that much. She had always been nimble on her feet. If this person was really, Sayuri, he feared she would be harmed.

The smoke cleared after the impact and he saw a white shield covering the figure. The shield unraveled, revealing that it was in fact a set of bird-like wings. He was awe inspired. They were truly beautiful, he never expected such a thing to come from her. In fact, it seemed they had materialized out of thin air.

“King Kong is more subtle with new moves than you are,” she said.

“You certainly are as feisty as the Sayuri I remember.”

With two mighty flaps, Sayuri took to the air. She brought her hand up, and Trunks saw little beads of ki appear at the tips of each of her fingers.

“You're more dense than a coconut!” she said, followed by a playful wink.

From the beads thin laser-like beams of ki shot forth. Trunks's vision was filled with golden light. He crossed his arms in front of him and let loose his ki, forming a sphere of jade-green energy around his form.

The beams collided with the sphere, the force behind it astounded him. He felt himself being pushed back until he was within the trees. Bolts of electricity spread out through the forest, a few so powerful they cleaved trees in two, the others carving deep smoking grooves in the ground. Flames began to leap up from the underbrush as sparks rained down all around.

Once her attack was finished, the only thing he could hear was the low buzzing of the energy surrounding him and the crackling of the fires. He dropped his barrier and sent out a pulse of ki that generated a shock wave of wind, which put out most of the fires before they spread. The last few embers he stomped out with his foot as he crossed the clearing, coming face to face with his white-haired opponent.

“Well,” she said raising an eyebrow. “That all?”

“Sayuri,” he said, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, maneuvering his arms around the wings. “It was like you disappeared. I was so afraid.” He held her out in front of him. “You ran off. Where did you go and what happened?”

WC: 385
TWC: 1,818

Sayuri watched nervously as Trunks took several long strides over to her. She braced ready for his next attack only to find herself pinned in a tight embrace.

“Sayuri,” Trunks said, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He gently maneuvered his arms around her bulky wings. “It was like you disappeared. I was so afraid.” Trunks held her out in front of him examining her face intently. “You ran off. Where did you go and what happened?”

“Welllll,” Sayuri said trailing the end of her last word out. She walked over to a large rock nearby and sat down on it. She patted the empty space next to her for Trunks to take a seat. When she was sure she had his undivided attention she continued.

“After our fight I went out to think for a while. When I came home you were gone so I went to sleep. Baba came to me in a dream. She talked to me about my corruption.” Sayuri let out a heavy sigh.

“You are ignorant. Go back to the cave, destroy the portal, and so shall you destroy your corruption.” Sayuri said putting her best Baba imitation to work.

“I went back to the cave where the dragon’s tear was. When I got into the room I saw how bad it had been. I saw all your blood on the wall and I lost it. Just felt so horrible for hurting you Trunks,”Sayuri said as her eyes brimmed with tears.

“One second I was shooting ki around, and maybe Kamehameha’d the portal, the next second the floor collapsed in and I fell into this freezing water into a room. I was too tired to fly out, so I managed a small fire and fell asleep. When I woke up there was a woman next to me.”

Sayuri remembered the vision of Meiko vividly. Her almost ethereal appearance both awed and frightener her. Now Sayuri wondered if she was the same way.

“Her name was Meiko, and she said she was there to purify my corruption. I know it was stupid to trust a stranger, but there was just something about her Trunks. I can’t explain it. She didn’t give me much time to think, she only said I had to die to be reborn. ”

Sayuri shuddered remembering being in Meiko’s grasp as she was pulled under the water. To this day she had trouble breathing whenever she remembered the feeling of the liquid rushing into her lungs. She chose her words carefully so as not to upset Trunks.

“Meiko took meunder the water for a long time, I had to breathe some of it in even. The next thing I know there is just this bright light coming from her. The whole place was lit up. We started rising out of the water and I felt this pricking sensation on my back.”

“Next thing I know I’ve got these.” Sayuri said placing her palms together as if in prayer and stretching her wings upwards in an overly dramatic angelic pose. After a brief moment she chuckled lightly. “I guess the wings aren’t a definite for everyone. Being demon added to the ambiance. I asked her if I was an angel and she told me I was a keeper.”

Sayuri sat in silence for a while letting Trunks take everything in. She didn’t like his silence one bit. “So,” she said nudging Trunks gently. “I guess in a way I did die, just the bad part. I don’t blame you for not believing it was me. I am sorry about everything.”
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WC: 600/1530

Trunks followed Sayuri over to the rock and set next to her. His fear and anxiety had simmered a bit and he let out a long sigh, pressing his hands into his face, as if he could push out all the bad feelings.

She told him a very long and detailed account of what happened to her. He was surprised at her bravery, venturing back into the cave and bewildered at her description of unleashing a barrage of ki blasts upon the chamber. He didn't blame her though, she had been frustrated and scared.

“Next thing I know I’ve got these,” Sayuri said, as she came to a close in her story. She placed her palms together as if in prayer and stretched her wings upward in an an angelic pose, chuckling. “I guess the wings aren’t a definite for everyone. Being demon added to the ambiance. I asked her if I was an angel and she told me I was a keeper.”

The tale about her meeting this mysterious Meiko and being reborn caught him as peculiar. Not that it happened, more so that she had been able to be cleansed of her demonic corruption. But, things started to make sense now. That was the part that had been missing when he tried to read her ki signature. She was pure now, no longer haunted by the darkness in her blood.

If only it was possible to cleanse the Saiyan out of me, Trunks thought to himself.

“So,” Sayuri said nudging Trunks. “I guess in a way I did die, just the bad part. I don’t blame you for not believing it was me. I am sorry about everything.”

"I am sorry for doubting you. I was confused, that's all,” Trunks said. “Come on, we should return to Kaide's. I'm sure the old woman is worried that we will have killed each other. Plus, I'm starving, she's bound to have something to eat.

WC: 329
TWC: 2,147