//------------------------------// // Book 1: Chapter 1: The beginning to a new Adventure! // Story: Life of a Sullen Warrior // by King Of The Below //------------------------------// Chapter 1: The beginning of a new Adventure! Book 1 Theme It has been several days since the start of this incredible journey, and Sazuka finds herself not only trapped but strangely drawn to this place. Despite her yearning to go back home, every new discovery in this forest ignites her warrior spirit with the thrill of upcoming battles. What really captivates her are the various forms of life she encounters, like the manticores, one of which she came across in a unique pair. Although she initially wanted to keep her distance, fate had other ideas as they saw her as a threat to their territory, causing the male to charge towards her. The male manticore unleashed its deadly snake tail, spewing a toxic venom towards Sazuka. With lightning speed, she dodged the attack using her ki energy. Seizing the moment, the creature lunged towards her chest, its movements too quick for even her sharp senses to follow. Reacting instantly, she infused her leg with ki energy, disappearing from view. Suddenly, she descended from above, striking the beast's head with all her might, aiming to knock it out in one blow. But before she could celebrate her victory, the creature's jaws clamped down on her leg, causing excruciating pain. Despite the agony, she absorbed the blow and allowed herself to be thrown backward, crashing onto the ground, momentarily dazed by the sheer force of the attack. The impact reverberated in her ears as blood trickled into her hand, blurring her vision as the monstrous creature loomed closer. With a mixture of agony and resolve, something within her shifted, transforming her serene demeanor into the ferocity of a beast. A dark, swirling aura enveloped her once pristine white energy, causing her hair to spike and her tail to lash freely. As the energy surged, the beast growled in defiance, recognizing the formidable opponent before him. Despite his intelligence, the male understood that retreating in the face of such a challenger was not an option. Her teeth clenched, the blood burnt away in the fury of an Oozaru's rage! The woman snarled and vanished from sight, reappearing at the beast's side and slamming a fist right into its gut, nearly tearing a hole through its flesh. The monster, barely able to hold itself together, was thrown several feet away, digging deep into the dirt as a tree slammed into its body from the impact, tearing it down effortlessly. The beast whimpered in pain as its three heads snarled to each other, speaking a language she could not understand. Vaguely, in this moment, her clarity returned, only for rage to overflow as the beast attempted to flee. With a growl, she released a burst of pure energy from her mouth in a stunning display. The mate in turn leaped to the aid of its own mate and while the beast raged in front of her the two mates spoke in tongues she could only vaguely make out "stop this" "not worth the fight" she could barely hear them and the pounding of her own heart and the roars of the beast within shouted for battle and to destroy those in her way. She panted with effort as she turned and dashed away as quick as she could, jumping from tree to tree trying to burn out the power as the tears brimmed in her eyes, her pupils slowly returning to the vibrant brown color they once beheld. As she entered her little hut she broke down, the pressure of this power, the failure she allowed on her own just because of a skirmish like this? how could she. For some time all she could was blankly look to the starry skies above as the afternoon turned to evening, her mind frought with more troubles than she ever hoped, what were those? what did they say? why did they attack? most of all, how could she allow that beast out again. The beast that had killed mother and father that night. All of that filling her mind with nothing but the guilt and shame she had tried to hide for a long time. Her mind was flooded with adrenaline as she felt the shiver run down her spine, the very same shiver that had haunted her since the night that claimed her mother and father years ago. It was the same shiver that overcame her every time she gazed upon the ethereal glow of the moon. The beating in her chest thumped back and forth as she forced herself to sleep, the pain of the moons glow on her back as the moon shined brilliantly above. She couldn't let this get her down yet nothing seemed right. The beast in the back of her mind clawed for freedom as sleep overtook her mind. Soon all she could see was black, then it. A massive beast covered head to toe in dark brown fur with a muzzle of the ape filled with teeth as it snarled at her **"Here I thought the mighty had fallen yet you continue to surprise me girl, why do you hold back from those beasts? if I hadn't stepped in you would've been killed and with no medicine around nor aid who knows what could have happened."** She tried to pay the beast no mind but knew better than to not respond "Then what? let you kill other innocents like you did mother and father? let them-" The beast snarled as it roared with a fierce bright glow of pure black and red shinning in its aura. "Those fools who pampered us? those who used us as some surrogate for their folly? They deserved no less than destruction for the humiliation we faced under them, our "parents" were nothing but a duo of failed farmers and a former martial artist grandfather who had minimal value, if anything I saved you from becoming what you are not, you're no hero, no goodie weakling, you're a warrior, a soldier and nothing more." She snarled as she charged forth and let loose a beam of pure energy at the beast, it merely swatted the blast away and slammed her into the ground below with her not even able to hold its massive fist back. "You're a weakling convinced of nothing but that you are a human, you're a bred soldier, a warrior fit for battle to stand atop all others and slay those in your path, not be a farmer, nor a pitiful excuse of a warrior who can't even kill a few beasts in her path!" She snarled with pure venom back at the monster, using her own power she lifted up pushing the fist off as a blazing aura of pure white shined around her frame "I am my mother's child, I am the daughter my father loved with all his pride and heart, I'm a cherished granddaughter who did her best to live up to the farmer they raised and do the best I can to honor their deaths, even if I may never forgive myself I can never...ever forgive you for their murders." The beast snarled once more in her direction, its aura of pure rage flooding her mind. Pain shot through her head as the beast glowered down at her. "You are weak, girl," it growled. "We may share this body, but don't think for a moment you have tamed me. You have done nothing! You are just as pathetic as you were then, even as you gain strength. So do I. You are nothing more than a facsimile of myself and our power." The words echoed in her mind, a chilling reminder of the darkness that lurked within. In a sudden, powerful surge, a dark and fiery aura enveloped her as a primal force awakened within her. Her eyes turned a haunting milky white as the beast inside her emerged, lunging forward with a ferocious intent. Despite her best efforts, the creature's grin remained unyielding as it effortlessly slammed her to the ground, its grip tightening around her in a merciless hold. The echoes of her anguished cries reverberated throughout the mindscape, a chilling testament to the raw power that had been unleashed. She growled fiercly and with a burst of pure aura, broke free before landing one blow on the creature this time directly at its eye and though she knew it cowardly the blow would hurt, the ape howled in pain as the beast simply chuckled clutching its eye "Here now you use my power and expect me to not be prepared? you're just a pathetic child with power you cannot control. You're foolish just like your miserable mistake of an upbringing, or those pampered fools you called our parents." The beast taunted with gusto while the eye was closed it cared not for her blows. From the shadows a third being took form, this time she looked....strange. A woman of untold beauty yet the ape snarled in her direction "What manner of freak are you woman? Another beast like the rest?" The ape snarled as she touched down, looking confused as she spoke towards not the beast but the young woman. "Young one may I ask who you are? It has been some time since I've seen such a new dream, lost to the moon I am not but to you I must be. You choose not to look upon thy moon, what is it that scares you so? do you hate my moon?" The woman was adorned in jewels with her attire more fitting for an actress than a regal royal. Upon her head laid a brilliant golden crown with onyx gems encrusted into it, her mane a flowing cascading color bright akin to a galaxy with her eyes a cat-like hue of blue with one slit for an eyeball, the woman looked upon Sazuka and while the young woman herself didn't know how to respond considering she had never seen such a beauty before she could only shake her head and try to speak. "I apologize ma'am I am new to this land, I am Sazuka, I understand if this is confusing but this is....myself and my inner beast. We share a mind even if he and I despise one another. Once more I apologize if I was intruding but I'm merely a traveler." The blushing young woman barely got the words out herself feeling rather embarrassed to be in her own mind and being invaded like this. The older woman looked curiously before nodding and looking to the Oozaru for a moment before her eyes fell on Sazuka once more "I see this troubles you young one, I apologize if I have intruded myself and allow me to welcome you to the land of Equestria, we may only meet this once but you are an interesting one miss Sazuka I do hope that your dreams are better now to aid you, begone beast." The ape snarled as it was thrust into the void screaming and glowing with energy as its fur changed tint to a semi-golden color slightly in pure rage for the brief moment it remained visible, a noticeable shiver running down Sazukas spine. She sighed in relief and turned to the woman only to be met with the thin air as if she were never there. "How strange, well at least I can just rest for a while..." She let her mind calm and let her spirit rest as the darkness overtook her thoughts and senses as sleep soon took over. *** As the sun shined above the land so did the gentle chirping of birds and the gentle running rivers amongst the forest. In the deep of the forest stood a woman hauling a massive fish back to her camp having finished off a good morning of fishing she had her own massive haul, the massive fish was plopped onto the ground, above it a ki-blade in hand as the flesh was sliced into neat diced bits. Over a gentle fire the fish was strung by some loose vines and sticks just barely able to hold it up as the fish slowly cooked she could begin her own exercise, if she was going to be here for a while it might be best to try and learn to sense the life around. For the past few days, it has been troubling. The day before, she had nearly been ripped to shreds, forcing her to rely solely on her sense of sight. Never before had she felt such a strange sensation of being unable to sense ki. The energy it radiated seemed similar, yet distinctly different. Whatever it was, it bore traces of ki, albeit faintly detectable, albeit very fuzzy. Her first experiment involved fish and birds. She attempted to close her eyes and project her natural sense of energy outward, akin to a radar. However, all she received was a jolt and the faintest detection of the energy radiating from them. With that failure she tried several times on various other animals such as those strange wooden-wolves, she masked her own presence as best as she could and remained out of sight from them trying to best sense them although that didn't work to well although she was able to once more feel out that strange energy. The best test in her head was to try and sense out this new energy but it was to foreign even fuzzy on her mind, it felt like taking a taste of lime and cherry, just gross. Though not the most challenging of tests, she began to train herself once more, opting for a different approach than merely gathering food and evading predators. She carefully avoided drawing too much attention from the animals, wary of repeating the mishaps of yesterday or her childhood escapades back home in the woods. Her exercise was straightforward: allow them to catch a scent or glimpse of her, then rely solely on basic evasion tactics rather than tapping into her ki. In theory, it sounded effective, but in reality, it nearly led to injury, leaving her with a few bites on her legs as a reminder of the risks involved. For better or for worse, she understood the importance of seeking out civilization, if it indeed existed. It was preferable to facing the prospect of perishing alone in the wilderness. Summoning the necessary resolve, she embarked on her journey out of the forest. Unbeknownst to her, the Everfree Forest was unforgiving. Although she initially considered taking flight, she deemed it wiser to conserve her energy by walking, at least to a certain extent. Thus, she commenced her trek into the depths of the woods, prepared for the challenges that lay ahead. For quite a bit the forest itself seemed to bend and wrap around the world she had come to somewhat enjoy, it was peaceful and despite all the things that had transpired in the past few days to some degree, she felt bad she wasn't itching to run back home the first day. It felt wrong to even enjoy the time she had been given in such a beautiful land. Why wouldn't she want to go home? that thought would stick in her mind, in an attempt to get something akin to relief, her aura burst open as she soared into the air and soared directly north, the forest seemed to get smaller and smaller until landing near the edges of what looked like a small town of sorts. It looked like home, houses dotting the entire area, massive plantation up north for what looked like apples from up here though he couldn't be sure of what it was fully. Touching down softly near the forest's edge, she stumbled upon a quaint cabin. Though not one to pry, she understood the importance of respecting others' property. Quietly, she skirted around the cabin, feeling a bit uneasy about encountering new individuals. However, she recognized the folly of being overly suspicious and opted to don a green cloak, which partially concealed her face and body. Unfortunately, during the battle, the belt containing her tail had snapped, and the fabric had been torn in places, resembling a cat's scratch marks on a couch. The cloak itself had been made days prior upon her 3rd day, mainly to evade predators at night when hungry but now was as good as a time as any. Walking into town she wasn't so much shocked as utterly star-struck at the people er ponies. They had varying colors, wings, distinct butt marks and though she didn't know it herself she stuck out like a sore thumb especially with her brown tail moving about in the wind under her cloak. She made her way around kind of just going in any direction that she could see, a bit hard with the cloak but she knew better than to reveal herself now especially if they were hostile. Though unintended she came face to face with a bright and pink creature, the being stared her down and although she could make out some words her instincts kicked in! With a brief use of ki she dashed in what look like a blur around the pony and before the pony could get her once more she was out of sight, Leaving pinkie more excited and a bit confused how somepony could be that fast? *** We turn to the tale of a young Pegasus-unicorn hybrid, known as Mi Amore Cadenza, or simply Cadence. Born into a lineage of royalty with roots tracing back to the long-forgotten Crystal Empire, her family had long departed from that fallen realm. Recently, Cadence had taken pleasure in caring for her cousin, Twilight. Despite Twilight's independent nature, both their families and Cadence's parents remained concerned for the young unicorn. Consequently, Cadence was tasked with helping to guide her cousin, especially in managing her peculiarities and insatiable love for books. Recognizing the importance of this responsibility, Twilight was sent to Ponyville by the ruling Queens Celestia and Luna. Their intention was for Twilight to immerse herself in the community, learning firsthand the values of friendship and love that were integral to their teachings especially Celestia who on some level considered Twilight like a daughter. Today was no different and so with some effort she pushed the door open to her cousins room, filled on each side with stacks of books on various magical teachings from basic spells to even some higher level spells Cadence herself never thought of trying. "Come on, Twily, you know it's best to rise and shine if you want to learn about making friends... Twilight?" Cadence scanned the room, struggling to locate her cousin amidst the towering stack of books. With a gentle glow of magic, she shifted the pile, revealing the slumbering unicorn underneath. Chuckling softly to herself, Cadence lightly tapped Twilight's nose with a few pages, eliciting a startled yelp as the young prodigy awoke. Despite her grogginess, Twilight's dragon assistant, Spike, was already wide awake, ready to assist and support his pseudo-mother through the day. Spike had been discovered years earlier by a young Twilight, and the two had grown up together like siblings in the Sparkle household, where he was warmly accepted despite being an abandoned dragon. They were inseparable, their bond unbreakable. As the dragon glanced over at his sister, he rolled his bright eyes playfully, eliciting a mock glare from her in return. The two shared a light smile as the Unicorn rose up from her floor "Oh come on Cadence what can I really learn? I just don't see what I could learn from other, I have my books and teacher back in canterlot what else could I realistically need?" The unicorn felt a bit odd being thrown into this rinky-dink town. She didn't hate it, it certainly wasn't great but for all the work she had achieved in Canterlot she would've at least expected to be in a more promising town. The unicorn looked to her cousin for a moment before a slash of light shined into her senses "What in the world...what was that...Cadence did you feel that?" The pegasus-unicorn hybrid herself wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The energy she sensed wasn't typical magic by any means. If she were to hazard a guess, it might be as potent as Twilight's—there weren't many individuals she knew who could surpass someone with such a talent for magic. However, this energy felt distinctly peculiar, unlike anything she had encountered before. She noticed the look in Twilight's eyes and simply shook her head, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Hey, relax. I'm sure it was nothing. Let's just focus on breakfast for now. We can deal with whoever that strange magic signature belonged to later, okay?" Although the unicorn glanced at her cousin, prepared to say something, she wisely refrained from questioning Twilight's eerie, sadistic smile. Instead, she bit her tongue and huffed, her cousin giggling at the younger unicorn's curiosity. Little did she know how mistaken she would be. A blur of pure pink burst through the door, rushing past Spike, who simply waved at the bouncing pink mare. She bounded right up to the cousins, smiling widely, before leaning in close to Twilight's face. "Heytwilightimsogladyoureawakeisawsomethingreallyfreakytodaythatssocoolhuh?" The bouncy mare shouted, her words barely intelligible, before the Pegacorn gently nudged her back with one hoof. Twilight chuckled softly. "Hey there, Miss Pie. I understand your excitement, but could you please remember to knock next time? Also, what exactly do you mean by 'weird'? I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary, as far as I know." The pink mare obliged by rummaging through her mane before pulling out a ruler, a drawing board, and a spare pencil. With a burst of pure energy, she conjured up a puff of smoke and swiftly sketched what could only be described as a centaur—a figure with an athletic build, two legs, a tail, and towering height, draped in a leafy green cloak. Twilight appeared utterly bewildered. She struggled to find the right words to articulate her thoughts on the strange events unfolding before her, or the peculiar drawing in front of her. While she had heard tales of centaurs in old myths, she had always considered them to be nothing more than legends. After all, she was familiar with creatures like buffalo, dragons, yaks, and many others, but centaurs seemed to belong to a realm of fantasy she had never seriously entertained. *** Sazuka wasn't in the best of moods. Not only did that pony freak her out a bit, but she also felt rude for not really interacting with her. However, she couldn't change it now. Heading back into the Everfree Forest, she quickly made her way back to her little hut, having taken some spare apples from the farm in the town. Sure, she stole them, but she couldn't survive on fish forever. The little trick was making sure she wasn't followed, although she had more than enough ki to fly right back to the hut. But before she could finish the thought, a twig snapped. On her feet, she aimed a fully charged Ki ball at the person's face, only to find a smaller horse. With bright orange fur and two small, possibly defective wings, the girl didn't seem too fazed by the blast. Instead, she looked excited? "ここに来た理由を尋ねてもいいですか、子供さん？" or "May I ask why you're here kid?" in english, the filly looked a bit confused at the words but spoke up "Oh um....my name's Scootalo, or Scoots. May I ask who you are?" The little filly looked only in amazement as the energy sizzled out and vanished as the woman sighed, from the small filly's eyes this looked possibly even stronger than rainbowdash! She'd never seen anyone use magic in their hooves like that...or whatever those were called. From the moment the woman lowered her hand the thought raced in her head that she'd been caught before the filly spoke up "I'm sorry for following you it was just really cool seeing you move like that...I've never seen anyone move like that before even Rainbowdash and she's the fastest I've ever seen, its just....how did you do that?" "Miss, I don't want to crush your dreams, but learning Ki isn't as simple as riding a bike or even learning to ride a scooter. It takes years of discipline and practice to achieve mastery. However, if you wish, I can briefly demonstrate my full strength. But please understand, it won't be as glamorous as you might imagine." The woman, though not heartless, didn't want to give the poor kid any false hope of mastering something as complex as Ki. It had taken her until she was at least 14 to gain control over it, and who knows how long it might take someone her age. Though to her surprise the little filly seemed even more determined hearing that "Well I don't care! I just wanna see this for myself....if anything it may be able to help me fly." Despite feeling downtrodden by the comment, the little filly remained determined. Her wings, though a sore reminder of her struggle, were a symbol of her resilience. Despite being a pegasus, she knew she couldn't fly too well. But she was determined to defy that limitation. The woman nodded although she held firm in her own belief she released a massive implosion of energy coursing with blue electricity her energy rising higher and higher until like a flame it shined brightly in the sunlight as her clothes moved and shifted under the intense pressure, the filly although flung back a few feet looked on in astonishment, this wasn't just magic but whatever this was, in her mind it may be stronger than even the queens! Sazuka then just as quickly calmed her aura down with a bit of panting on top of that, she hadn't exerted herself like that in a long time if ever really. The look on the filly's face reminded her of herself, when she was younger she didn't think too bad of the power that brimmed within her body but even then she could recall her foolishness as the energy vanished she was a bit shocked to see the filly's starry gaze and rush right up to her leg, startling her a bit. "Wow miss! Um...sorry my name's Scootalo...what about you?" The woman although a bit weirded out smiled softly and responded "Sazuka, a human." The filly looked confused but nodded as she stepped back, feeling a bit embarrassed at how close she had bumped into the pony, or rather, the human's leg. "Well its nice to meet you miss Scootalo, although I'm a bit surprised you had followed me all the way here, I haven't found many who can even keep up with me, I do hope that next time we meet under less akward circumstances." The human chuckled a bit with the filly looking herself rather embarrassed at the words but nodded. "Yea I have a scooter and with my wings its hard to fly for long so I used it to push me along, although I got lucky my scooter here didn't break on the way. May I ask how you got that kind of magic? I've never heard of Ki, it sounds cool if you ask me." The filly smiled, bright although to Sazuka that was a bit odd, she had quite the drive to follow a stranger out here all alone. Looking to the scooter in question, although it was covered in scrapes it was well done and looked sturdy. In her mind the words played out "Well, I'm not sure what magic is, never really heard of it although back home I only knew magic as just as superstition nothing more than parlor tricks really although I suppose Ki could be a type of magic? Ki is life energy, all beings carry life energy although, if magic is the source here then I could wager that might be why I....." Then it hit her like a lightning bolt, that must be the energy she can't feel but if its similar to life-energy why can't she sense it? must be some sort of error on her part, in her mind that made most sense. Her internal thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the filly gently tapping her shoulder with her wing, fluttering like a bee. "I don't mean to bother you, but as you can see, my wings are... well, I've always wanted to fly like every other pegasus, but my wings have always been too small to sustain flight. Maybe you could help me out? Maybe this Ki stuff could help me?" The filly's desperation was palpable, tugging at her heartstrings. She couldn't bring herself to crush the kid's dreams, even though she didn't think of herself as the right teacher. But perhaps, just maybe, it could be beneficial. She hesitated briefly before nodding at the filly, her eyes lighting up with excitement at the sight of the young student. However, she raised a finger to emphasize the importance of setting some ground rules. "If you are going to be my student, there are a few guidelines that must be followed," she began. "First and foremost, discretion is key. I do not want you to disclose our training to anyone, and it is imperative that you do not allow yourself to be followed." "While I appreciate your eagerness to showcase your progress, it is essential to remember that not everyone will be as accepting or trusting as you may hope. Additionally, I must stress the importance of using your Ki responsibly. It is not a tool for showmanship, especially in public settings. Reserve its use for our training sessions only." "Lastly, it is crucial to understand that mastering Ki will require time and dedication. It is not a mere parlor trick or form of magic; it is a powerful force that must be wielded with caution. Losing control could have devastating consequences for both yourself and those you care about." "Finally, I urge you to approach your training with the utmost care and respect for the power you hold. Together, we can unlock your full potential, but it will require patience and diligence on your part." The filly nodded, although a bit confused herself. "Why can't I show it off, much less talk about you? You seem nice enough. I'm sure everyone would give you a chance if you were just a bit more open, right?" She may have been smart for her age, but in her mind their would be no real reason to hide someone so cool away. She smiled and shook her head at the kid "No, I agree there, Usually that would be the case but I'm brand new to this world and I have no knowings of how your kind are much less if the rest of them are kind enough to not attack me on sight, I can't be foolish to blindly trust fate to those choices. It may be tempting but I want you to promise me to not reveal your ki or myself, if you can do that I'll gladly take you on as a student." The filly nodded and with one grin she promised, that was all she needed to hear. Nodding the woman then looked over the filly before nodding "First off we're going to need to sharpen not only your body but your mind. You may not realize it but your mind and body are best in sync when you've trained them well. Utilizing them in all terms of battle and Ki especially will allow you to gain much more, your first exercise will be to carry these logs I've cut down recently from my camp to the top of the hill ahead. You need to pressure your body just right to get it under control." Although the filly herself looking upon the hill decided it was just stupid to think she could do anything like that...in her head then the though arose of those before she met sweetie and bloom, those who would make fun of her wings and call her a ditz, freak, weakling, all those thoughts nearly bringing a tear to her eye. The filly nodded and tried her best at first, putting them onto her back as instructed, the hard part was over. She did try her scooter but found that unlike what she expected she was much more weighed down and exerting herself a lot harder than normal. She wasn't even half way up the path before sweat dripped down her brow. Her teacher not far above watched with mirth in her eyes as the girl struggled, finding it interesting she hadn't given up by now. When she was old enough that was the hardest test she'd ever had from her grandfather. The filly huffed and felt the energy brim in her wings but trusted herself more. Hauling it was hard but the logs weighed her down further and further as her energy depleted then in her mind, she thought back to those days once more, finding the strength to make it atop that hill. The trek took time but just as she sat upon that hill she could find herself quickly losing strength as the logs fell down onto the ground she panted with exhaustion, her body having been exhausted, roughly spending an 1 hour and 30 minutes at least from Sazukas guess. She smiled at the filly and nodded "Good job kid, honestly I'm surprised. When I was starting out I couldn't do that until days passed nearly took me a month of trial and error but you pushed through and made it, count this as a good first day." The filly although tired looked confused up at her teacher. "First day? that's all? I'm not complaining mind you but I was expecting a bit more than just hauling logs, all I feel is tired more than anything." The fillys determination was something that Sazuka hadn't expect but she would have need to learn in time, hopefully she is a good teacher. Sazuka chuckled at the words and turned to face her "Well of course, you didn't expect this to be some sort of montage right? You need to strengthen both your body and mind, you've certainly pushed yourself but pushing yourself in one day doesn't mean we end, next we'll be focusing on some meditation and finding a balance. Your minds a bit worn out so lets go eat some lunch then we'll continue." The filly nodded and felt two hands lift her up and into them, the small filly couldn't help but just go limp in the woman's arms as they soared to her camp, once down the two sat down to have a good meal this was only some apples and fish although the pony looked a bit grossed out at the fish she didn't wish to annoy her teacher and tried some, to her astonishment it wasn't half bad. The woman chuckled at her eyes lighting up with joy as the two soon finished their meals not long after and entered a cut up path leading to a river with rocks covered in moss dotting the area. "You said meditation right? isn't that something people who practice faiths or who don't like material posessions do?" "Oh no, not all the time. Meditation in this case is more nuanced than that really, I find it relaxing to let your mind calm and not waver. If you want to learn then you'll have to excuse my odd methods scoots, We'll be meditating to be as calm and gentle as the river here, it flows and doesn't stop, for you to begin using ki your mind must not waver in your goal. I did mention earlier Ki is a dangerous tool, that remains true here, if I for example let loose and hurt others then my Ki would be all broken up and messy, lacking control and restraint." The woman sat gracefully on a rock, allowing a butterfly to land beside her. She crossed her legs, and the student followed suit. "In the practice of meditation, it is not simply a matter of believing that you are calm and collected; one must also learn to control the impulses that may arise. Just like a defensive animal, your Ki energy can unexpectedly lash out and harm those in your vicinity. I encourage you to close your eyes, take slow, deep breaths, and allow the gentle breeze to pass around you. It is important to calm not only your mind, but also your body, in order to discover the inner peace you seek." The woman herself closed her eyes, keeping her arms relaxed at her sides as her breathing gradually slowed. Scootaloo herself wasn't sure if she could ever do something like that, but she tried. As she let her mind wander back to those times, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the insults and brazen bullying from her peers. They would mock her, even going as far as trying to pluck her feathers from her wings, deeming her unworthy of being a flier. Her teachers in her hometown had also discouraged her, telling her that flying may not be the best option for her. Moving to Ponyville, away from her tormentors and even her own parents, was a frightening step. But she pushed through her fear and found solace in the friendship of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. They didn't judge her for her wings, as they too were without their cutie marks. Together, they supported each other without a hint of arrogance, never giving up on their quest to find their true purpose. As Scootaloo sat upon the rock, her wings no longer flexing and the breeze gently caressing her body, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. The sounds of the birds were drowned out by the beating hearts of her friends, their unity calming her troubled mind. In that moment, she knew that she was exactly where she was wanted and cared for. For a while her teacher watched, keeping watch of the kids aura and despite this magic thing still being so new she did have a tiny bit of Ki from her body although very faint and only appearing for a second. This kid had potential that much was clear, she hadn't even figured out how to manifest her aura till she was nearly out of high school. Though Sazuka still wished and yearned for her home she couldn't help but see herself in this kid, brimming with joy and eager to face the challenges of the world. After a while she tapped her student's shoulder as the filly let out a yelp and leaped forward crashing right into the river below, her teacher chuckling at this as the filly shook herelf of the wetness she nodded at her "Good job kiddo, you managed to calm your mind, although don't think we've even truly begun. This is only day one and now...it looks to be evening I'd not want you out here after dark kiddo its best you head home but for today, I'll guide you out. I don't want you getting lost or in trouble." She snickered, the filly herself a bit embarrassed at that but nodding. Picking up her scooter she quickly had the kid flown back in a moments notice with the sun lowly dimming she was lucky to be out without her cloak. Giving the kid a wave as she smiled and got on her scooter "Thanks Sazuka! really, thank you, I can't wait for the next session, everyone's gonna be so blown away when I'm done." The filly muttered the last part to herself as she rode off into town. Sazuka herself chuckled at the kid's words as she burst into the air and flew back to her camp, taking the logs from the training day and cutting them up laying them into the fresh fire pit, using her ki to heat up the wood and cause a burst of fire under the newly found night sky, despite the pain and her tail twitching she knew it best to eat to get her mind off of it. All things considered, being a teacher didn't sound half bad although next time she'll need to make sure this kid doesn't get into these woods again on her own. After enjoying a delicious meal of fish and the last of the apples, she lay beneath the chilly night sky, a smile playing on her lips. Despite missing home, she found joy in teaching and connecting with others. The child she was helping seemed happy, and that brought her immense satisfaction. As drowsiness crept in, her worries melted away, and she drifted off to sleep by the warm, crackling fire. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she welcomed the peaceful embrace of slumber. Book 1: Chapter 1, End.