Post by Deleted on May 20, 2013 18:46:27 GMT -5
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First Day After Death
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"... Ngah!" Kris Stephens gasped out, quickly rising to a sitting position and grabbing at his stomach. He was panting, and his heart raced. He looked around, trying to take in his surroundings as if he had just woken up from a bad dream. Really, it was a nightmare... Suki had arrived, and a grand battle was about to take place. Kris offered to buy just a little more time for his companions by standing up to the Icer, but the fight was short. Suki was ruthless, toying with Nehan for little more than five minutes before driving his tail into the boy's stomach, the same spot that now seemed to ache just from remembering the ordeal. Kris opened up his sleeveless white gi, looking down at a large scar that had formed where the appendage was thrust into him. It took several seconds for him to fall unconscious and eventually bleed out, obviously making for the most painful experience in his life. Now, everything was at peace. He was sitting in the middle of a wide, green field. Small patches of flowers littered the plains between large mountains. The cool, crisp grass underneath him swayed gently in the refreshing wind. It was... Quiet.
Kris took one last breath to calm himself down before standing up, tucking his gi back into his black pants and redoing his sash. He looked down at his hands and turned them a few times, curious about where he'd ended up. He was perfectly clean, free from all the blood he was stained with before death. His clothes were still torn slightly, but they lacked the dirt and grime collected over the course of the battle. His weighted shoulder pads were on, wrapped in an off-white cloth that draped off the back like a cape. The most interesting thing about his current state was a golden halo floating several inches above his head."Is this... Heaven?" he asked himself in thought, figuring it was the only explanation. He had heard various stories of the plane above his own, a mystical land filled with joy that was reserved for those of good nature. The exceptionally pure of heart were even allowed to keep their bodies, which must be the case for Kris. He breathed in another whiff of fresh, perfectly clean air, his thoughts soon returning to Earth. He wondered what was going on down there, and hoped that he had distracted Suki long enough for Kami to rally his defense.
Kami... The Guardian of Earth, an old Namekian that had taught Kris many great lessons about life. It was he who explained the truth of Kris' father, a Saiyan elite who had to give his life in order to stop an invasion from coming to Earth. Thanks to Kami's teachings, Kris no longer sought to become strong for the sake of revenge. Rather, he wanted to create a world of justice. He no longer hated evil, instead viewing it as a fact of life. There would always be evil, no matter what. Instead of despising those who took advantage of others, Kris learned to be gentle in his actions. Evil people were still people with thoughts and emotions. Sometimes those emotions can take control of a person, which is why violence rarely solved issues. Of course, there are always times where violence is necessary, but the result of resorting to death was a grim one. By sending an evil being to Hell, you've lost your chance of using their power for good through compassion and understanding. These were just a few things Kami Tenshu had taught Kris while they spent time together on the lookout.
Now, Kris was unsure if he would ever get to put those lessons to good use. He was stuck here in heaven, and though there were rumors of people having returned from the afterlife, he wasn't sure how such a thing was even possible. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, wondering what the best course of action would be. He always looked up to Kami as a wise source of advice and guidance, but without him, Kris just wasn't sure what to do. Then, he opened his eyes, a sudden realization filling his mind. He had always been naive and childish, and even though he knew Kami was proud of him, he had never quite adopted an adult-like manner of thinking. There was no Kami to show him the way, now. He had to find his own path. He had to break out of his shell of youth and emerge an independent man. With a single, confident step, the young man began his walk towards the tallest mountain he could find, planning on looking for any signs of someone that could help him.
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Second Day After Death
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Kris landed atop the mountain with a sigh, having flown for almost a day to reach the rocky border of the fields behind him. He had passed over a few groups of spirits - small blue wisps of energy that are remnant of a person's soul - that were happily frolicking about in the flowers and ponds down below. Heaven really was a cheerful place, but Kris wasn't interested in such antics. He was worried for the planet Earth, and for all his comrades down below. He feared that Touketsuki might have continued his rampage after ending the young man's life, only arriving to kill off the rest off Kami's Special Forces after a few minutes' delay. On the other hand, the Icer might have been satisfied with taking Nehan's life, choosing to move on and pester another planet. The possibilities were too many to consider, so the boy decided to try and get some rest. If he was stuck in another realm for an indefinite amount of time, he might as well try his best to stay fit and healthy. Depriving himself of sleep wasn't going to help Earth, so he laid down after removing his weighted armor, breathing deeply as he tried to relax...
... "Hello, boy!"
Kris' eyes shot open as he stared up, surprised at the sudden voice that disturbed his rest. It was odd that he didn't sense the person coming, but they didn't seem hostile. It was an old man, surprisingly tall and somewhat human-like in appearance. His hair was straggly and gray, though it had several locks up sky blue towards the front. He wore a simple cloth robe and a cross-shaped pendent on his chest that hung from a chain necklace. "Not often I get a visitor up here on the mountain!" he exclaimed with a wide grin. Kris sat up, a confused expression on his face. He didn't think anyone actually lived way up on the peak, but this strange old man apparently established it as his home. "Um, hello... Who are you?" Kris asked with a raised brow. The man cackled in amusement, the Kris missed the funny part in what he'd asked. "Ah, hahaha! No manners, eh? You gotta introduce yourself, first!" the man explained. Kris wore a puzzled look before simply going along with it, figuring there was nothing to gain from arguing. "My name is Kris Stephens. You may call me 'Nehan'." the young Half-Saiyan responded, figuring he would use the title given to him by Kami.
"Ahhh, Nehan? Odd name. Mine's Jiyayi!" the elder exclaimed, bowing quickly with a grin. "So, what'cha doin' up here on my mountain?" he asked, not in a tone of irritation, but simple curiosity. After a short pause, Kris responded. "Well... I just got hear yesterday. I've been flying since then trying to find someone who might be able to tell me a little more about this place. This is Heaven, right?" Kris asked after explaining himself a little. "Ohhh, I see! Welcome to the afterlife, kid! This place is Heaven, alright! The nice breeze, the quiet rolling hills... Ahhh, it's paradise! Been this way ever since I got here, almost a hundred and fifty years ago!" Jiyayi said with a small laugh. Kris was interested that the old man had apparently lived in this world for such a long time, wondering just what sent him here. "It is pretty nice." Kris said plainly, looking back over the fields behind him.
"So, what did you in, huh?" Jiyayi asked bluntly, as if Kris' death was material for a casual conversation. The boy wasn't offended, just intrigued. "You look pretty young... Bad sickness, perhaps? Maybe an accident?" the man questioned inquisitively. Kris shook his head, opening up his top enough to reveal the circular scar put in place on his stomach. "No, I was involved in battle." he said, earning an interested look from Jiyayi. "Where I'm from, I was the student of a planetary Guardian, a wise man who worked hard to protect our home." he explained with a frown, unable to shake the fear of what might have happened to Kami. "Our enemy was very strong, I was killed while trying to buy my friends some time." he said, feeling somewhat ashamed for failing to last longer in the fight.
"Ahhh, interesting..." Jiyayi responded, his persona seeming much more calm and rational than the quirky old man he was just a moment ago. "So, you're a warrior?" he asked the boy. Kris nodded quickly, clarifying that he was indeed a fighter, even though he wouldn't quite classify himself as a 'warrior', perse. "In a manner of speaking, yes." he answered. The old man just thought to himself for a few short moments before speaking up again. "And now you're wondering if there's any way you might be able to return to your home planet, yes? To help your friends?" Jiyayi continued questioning. Kris was a bit surprised that the old man assumed that last bit so correctly, but he figured it wasn't very hard to piece together. "Yes. Are the rumors true? Is it possible to return to the realm of the living?" Kris asked.
"Hmmm... It's possible, yes. But not for you, not now." he said with a small smile, beginning an explanation that had Kris leaning forward with great interest. The old man sat down and crossed legs as he began speaking. "In this world, there are certain beings called 'Kais'. The Kais are our protectors, much like the Guardian of your 'Eath'. They watch over us, and are very wise and intelligent creatures." Jiyayi explained in a somewhat dramatic tone, as if he were telling a fantastic tale. "They are also quite powerful, possessing a wide variety of skills and techniques. Yes, they can return you to your former life." he said with a small smile. Kris nodded slowly, a grin on his own face at the possibility of making it back to Earth in time to stop Suki. Of course, his hopes diminished when he heard the next piece of information. "However, the Kais don't have time to grant life willy-nilly. No, you must prove your strength to them first. Become strong, and show that you are worthy with the gift of resurrection. Only then will they allow you to return." the man concluded.
Kris took all of this information in, realizing that he had to become much stronger if he wanted the Kais to recognize him as a candidate for receiving their gift. He supposed that the only thing to do next was to train as hard as he could on his own. "I see. So I should train myself as much as possible for a time, then what? How do I contact the Kais?" he asked. Jiyayi put on an amused grin, lifting his finger up with a chuckle. "Ahh, no one ever said you had to do it alone... Tell you what, boy-oh. Stick with me and I'll make sure you're more than ready to meet the Kais. As for contacting them, you just leave that to me." he said with a wink. Kris smiled, nodding his head eagerly. Jiyayi apparently knew about fighting and how to train one's body, and judging by his age, he had likely been fighting for a long time. "Ah, thank you! I didn't know you were a martial artist." the boy said happily. Jiyayi just laughed, waving his hands as if the boy was mistaken. "Ah, no! No, I'm not into all that violence... You see, the body is only effective as the mind in charge..." he said with a wink, pointing to his own head, as if to say that he had trained his mind to a very high level of skill. "... And the soul within." he finished, pointing at Kris' chest just over his heart. Jiyayi seemed to be much wiser than the boy anticipated, which was a good sign.
"I see. My old master taught me much about meditation, and I look forward to learning even more." Kris said, bowing deeply as he remained in a sitting position. Jiyayi just laughed, returning the bow with a crude one of his own. "Hahaha! Yeah, yeah. We'll get to training in the morning... Right now, you need some rest. The mind in charge, my boy! The mind in charge." the old man said, standing up and waving his hand passively as he walked away, stepping down a few moderately-size stones until he disappeared from the peak of the mountain. Kris' eyes followed the man, wondering if there was actually a proper place to rest. It seemed that the summit was suitable enough, so after a moment of thought, the boy laid down once again to sleep, his eyes shutting tight within a few minutes...
(( Completed, PL requested. Medium weights in effect, sorry that I forgot to add those when I revised my character. ))