One month later, a similar scene was unfolding on the giant oaks training yard. Ryan was once again facing another monkey, but this time the battle was much more intense. Ryan went in with a strong reverse punch to the monkey’s stomach and immediately went for the sweep, keeping the pressure on. The monkey flipped backwards onto the side of the tree and launched itself back at Ryan. He had been watching carefully, so he grabbed the monkey’s shoulders and placed his foot into its stomach while rolling backwards, delivering the aptly named monkey flip. The monkey landed on its feet and spun around with a roundhouse.
"Nice try," Ryan said with a smile, catching the monkey’s leg and going for a toss. However, monkeys have tails and this monkey wrapped its tail around Ryan’s arm. So when he tossed the monkey, he went along for the ride. The two of them both hit the floor and rolled, but the monkey was faster. It tackled Ryan back over and started trying to deliver shots to the face. Ryan grabbed both its arms and pulled it down into a head-butt. The monkey staggered back and Ryan stumbled to his feet, both of them feeling the effects of the head-butt. This time Ryan recovered first and kicked the monkey in the back. His opponent rolled out of the kick and spun around to see Ryan going for a straight punch to the face.
Only when he was committed to the attack did Ryan realize that it was a setup. The monkey jumped onto his arm and twisted, tossing Ryan head over heels onto his back. The monkey landed on its back with Ryan’s arm trapped in its grip. It wrenched the arm and agonizing pain shot through it, forcing Ryan to cry out. He fought it for as long as he could, but he was eventually forced to tap. The elder raised his hand to stop the match and the monkey with the arm bar let go, helping Ryan back to his feet.
"I must admit," the elder began as Ryan shook out the pain in his arm," that for training with us for just a month, you have shown exceptional growth and development."
"I'm a fast learner," Ryan grimaced, using his Ki to numb his arm a little. In the past month, he had practically mastered the basics of the style he was taught and had been proven to be skilled at ignoring pain and damage. He still couldn't control his Ki well enough to destroy stone, but he was improving. Throughout his training, he had learned (to a degree) how to fight on tree branches and how to traverse them more easily. His reflexes had improved as well and he was a lot more alert. All this he accomplished in a month.
"So, what's next on my training agenda?" he asked the elder, finally able to feel his arm again.
"You're done." Ryan slowly looked at the elder in confusion.
"What do mean I'm done? There are still many skills that I need to master and..." He was cut off when the elder raised his hand to silence him.
"We have given you a starting point, but now you must go and find your own path. If we were to show you where to go, it would not be your own path. Plus, Zecora sent us a message saying that she wished to continue your training herself."
"Of course she did," Ryan sighed. "So, does that mean I finally get my things back?"
"You are correct." Ryan let out a sigh of relief.
"Finally," he exhaled. The two went back inside and after a month of waiting, Ryan finally got his back pack and stun baton back. He slipped the backpack over his shoulder and held the weapon that had saved his life in his hands once again. He was so overjoyed that he had almost forgotten why he had come in the first place.
"If it's not too much trouble, can you give me some of that water from that fountain-looking thing?" The elder smiled and picked a small jar off the ground and filled it halfway with water. He handed it to Ryan and the two bowed to each other. After placing the jar in his bag, Ryan turned and started to leave. As he left, he heard the elder’s voice one last time.
"It has definitely been...an experience. If you ever need a refresher, you know where to find us."
"That I do."
He quickly descended down the inner branches and reached the area where he had fought the giant snake. He quickly traversed the branches that led to the place, making sure to avoid the ones with the downturned leaves, and found himself back in the Everfree Forest. He inhaled the scent of the forest and then ascended a nearby tree, leaping from branch to branch in a much more skilled manner as he headed for Zecora’s.
\/\/\/
/\/\/\
With the skills taught to him by the master, Ryan was easily able to move through the forest. He was amazed at how fast he could now move when he put his abilities to the test. He had grown tired of leaping from tree to tree and had decided to swing instead. There was something liberating about being able to move like that through the forest.
He was maybe a few minutes away from Zecora’s when he heard a sound that was familiar to him. He heard Timberwolves growling. He looked around him, noting that they didn't seem to be after him this time. They must be hunting something else. Whatever it was, he felt sorry for it since he knew firsthand how nasty they were to fight. He was just about to leave when he heard another sound that sent chills up his spine. Someone was screaming.
Ryan changed course and headed to where he had heard the Timberwolves and the screaming, figuring the two would go together. When he arrived at the source in a small opening in the forest, an interesting sight met his eyes. A grey pony with yellow hair was surrounded by a swarm of Timberwolves, nearly TWENTY! He noted that the Pegasus had somehow gotten one of its wings trapped under a sizable rock. The poor thing didn't stand a chance. He wouldn't stand a prayer against ten wolves, let alone twenty. He shook his head sadly and turned to leave, when he was stopped by a plea.
"Some pony, any pony, HELP!" the pony cried out in fear. Ryan looked back, trying to reach a decision. He knew he should help the grey pony, but that number of Timberwolves would rip him apart--not to mention he was somewhat scared of them. He turned to leave one last time when his conscience took over. Barely a month ago, it had been Ryan in that situation and someone had come to his aid. While it may not be the same person that had saved him, it was time to return the favor. He flipped up his hood.
Ryan turned around and leapt from branch to branch until he was right on the edge of the clearing. He watched as the alpha of the pack went in for the kill right as he jumped into the air. Time seemed to slow down as the he slowly headed for the wolf. He watched as the pony closed its eyes, bracing for the end. The timberwolf, sensing victory, lunged for the neck.
Ryan had timed his jump perfectly. He had planned to land in front of the pony and turn the Timberwolves' focus on him. But due to the alpha's sudden lunge, he instead landed feet first on the wolf's head. The blow knocked the wolf out, but forced Ryan to roll to recover. The snarling and the screaming stopped as both the wolves and the pony looked at him in awe. He slowly rose to his full height and turned around. From under his hood, he glanced at the pony. Besides being scared out of her wits, she seemed alright. He pulled his baton out of his back pack and switched it on.
BBBBZZZZTTTT!
A smile creased his lips as the wolves and the pony jumped back in surprise while electricity crackled through the weapon. He watched as one of the dumber wolves growled and charged at him. He spun on his toes and caught it in the jaw with a kick. It stumbled back and shook its head before trying again. This time, Ryan finished the wolf with a powerful strike to the head with his baton. He looked up at the other wolves, eyeing them carefully. His initial shock factor had worn off and the wolves had begun to circle him. Before he got mauled to death, he had to help the pony. He quickly moved to its side and pushed the rock off of its wing. It looked at him in confusion.
"Um, thanks?" it weakly said.
"Leave. Now," he told it, turning back to the advancing Timberwolves.
"But-"
"Now." Ryan heard the sounds of wing beats and a moment later, he saw the pony flying overhead. The wolves didn't pay it any mind, their focus was on him. He watched as the second-in-command gave the signal and the wolves attacked. Ryan intercepted the first one's attack with a baton to the face. Another wolf lunged at him from the side, but he managed to catch that one on his shoulders and toss it over him. He saw another attacking from behind, so he spun and drove the baton into the wolf's mouth. Electricity flooded through the creature, knocking it out. As it fell over, Ryan got blindsided and knocked to the ground. The alpha wolf was back up and was mad. Its attack had put a small gash into his side, which was starting to bleed. He channeled his Ki to the wound and temporarily numbed it, hoping that it would buy him some time.
He slowly got to his feet, looking around at the twenty-some wolves that had surrounded him. He was in a very bad situation and to top it off, the wolves were getting smarter. When they attacked again, it was in teams of three. When one went for his throat, he knocked it away and swung the baton around to catch the second one in mid leap. The third got in close and bit into his ankle, restricting his movement. He kicked it off and used his teachings to deliver a punch twice as strong into the wolf's face. The wolves retreated, but three more took their place. He looked around slowly, noting that the alpha in the back was content with watching him suffer.
"Heh, some leader you are. Why don't you face me yourself?!" Ryan yelled out to the wolf. Without his knowing, he had challenged the leader of the pack to a fight. The other wolves backed off as the alpha slowly made its way over to Ryan. Ryan was grateful for the chance to rest, but he was not looking forward to what was to come. The leader was bigger than the rest of the wolves and was covered in scars, meaning it had survived some nasty fights. The other members of the pack formed a circle around the two.
The alpha made the first move. As Ryan had expected, it attacked like all the other wolves and rushed straight at him. When it lunged, Ryan ducked under it and drove his baton into the wolf's stomach. While the electricity didn't affect the wolf, since its skin was made of wood, it did knock the wolf out of the air and cause it to land on its back. The alpha quickly got up and snarled at Ryan, going back to circling him. Ryan had to finish the fight and fast. He was starting to get a little woozy from the loss of blood and a prolonged fight was something he couldn't afford.
This time it was Ryan who rushed the wolf, bringing his baton back as if to swing. The wolf dodged out of the way and went in for another killing blow. Now came the painful part. Ryan blocked the wolf's bite with his left arm, bracing himself for the pain. He ignored the agony the best he could when the fangs sank in and engaged the next part of his plan. While the timberwolf had its fangs in his arm, Ryan brought the baton back and rammed it into the wolf's slightly open mouth.
Ryan howled in agony along with the wolf as electricity coursed through the both of them. The wolf's jaw was shattered by the impact and it let go of him, howling in agony. Ryan Raised his baton over his head with his good arm and swung with all his might down upon the alpha's head. The wolf's head splintered under the impact and its body fell to the ground, quickly turning into twigs. Ryan slowly looked up at all the other Timberwolves, each of them looking at him with a new emotion: fear.
"That's right, I beat your leader! WHOSE NEXT?!" he yelled at them. The wolves looked at the twigs where their leader had fallen and then back to Ryan. Slowly, the first wolf turned and headed back into the forest. After the first one left, the others began to follow, until there were no wolves left in the clearing. Ryan looked around and raised his baton triumphantly into the air, before collapsing on his face unconscious.
/\/\/\/\
\/\/\/\/
Ryan awoke to the familiar image of the ceiling of Zecora's hut. He looked down at himself to find that once again his jacket was gone and he was covered in bandages. He knew that Zecora must have used some of her special medicine on him, because he didn’t feel any pain in the areas where he had suffered damage. He slowly sat up, attracting the attention of the other two occupants of the room.
"I see you're finally awake. What a troublesome guest you make," Zecora said to him with a smile, handing him his jacket. Ryan slipped it back on and noticed the pony that he had saved earlier looking at him with curious eyes. His eyes were curious as well. Neither of them faced forward, one faced up and the other looked down. Odd.
"What?" he eventually asked. He noted the pony's face turned red when it realized it had been staring.
"Oh, um, I-I'm sorry," she stammered. Ryan raised an eyebrow.
"What are you apologizing for?" The pony stuttered out something that Ryan couldn't make out, so he gave her another raised eyebrow.
"How long was I out?" he asked, turning to face Zecora.
"Only for a few hours this time. It's thanks to this pony that you're fine. She came and informed me of your plight. When we found you, you were quite a sight. Very few survive one timberwolf encounter, let alone three. Either you are very stubborn or very lucky."
"I'd say half-and-half. Also," Ryan began, turning towards the grey pony, "thank you."
"W-why are you thanking me? You saved my life," she asked.
"And in return you saved me. Which begs the question, why did you save me?" Ryan asked in confusion. He had come to believe that none of the ponies liked him, or they were afraid of him.
"W-well, you came to my rescue. Not only did I get trapped underneath that rock, but then those Timberwolves showed up. I was certain that I was going to die! But, then you showed up and saved me. You stayed behind and allowed me to get away, even though there were like...hundreds of them!"
"I think hundreds is a bit of an exaggeration, but what I meant was...why did you save ME? I'm a monster to you ponies, some sort of beast...I'm different."
The pony giggled and gave him a smile. "Yeah, you are different than other ponies. But then again...so am I," she smiled, pointing a hoof at her eyes. Ryan took a bit of interest in this pony. People on Earth had a hard time accepting one another, let alone an alien of sorts. Were all ponies this accepting?
"What's your name?" he asked her.
"Ditzy D. Doo," she replied with another smile.
"What's the D stand for?"
"Derpy."
"I should have known," he said with a sigh. This pony had a bubbly personality--probably why she had that tattoo on her flank. Zecora took this lull in the conversation to speak.
"I noticed that you found the monks of Everfree. Your skills must have grown exponentially. Their training is tough and only for the best. That reminds me, did you pick up my request?" Ryan just now remembered the water and went to his back pack to get it. He found his bag beside on table, with his guide lying beside it. He picked up the book, wondering how it could have gotten out.
"I flipped through it while you were 'catching Z's.' So you truly are afraid of me?" Ryan turned to face her with rage on his features.
"I did not say you could read this," he spat. Zecora simply shrugged her shoulders.
"You were out cold on my bed, unable to tell me that it could not be read." Ryan growled at the zebra’s logic, but he couldn't stay angry. She was right about him never telling her and plus she had once again saved his life. He dug the jar of water out and tossed it to her.
"So what's so special about this water," he asked. Zecora gave him a sly smile.
"It is water of the purest blue, helpful when making the perfect stew."
"WHAT!? You're telling me that I had to fight my way through giant snakes, death branches and Kung-Fu monkeys in order to get you water for a STEW?!" Ryan exploded, glaring daggers at the zebra. Ditzy backed up a bit, but Zecora simply laughed.
"You got some training as we agreed. I said my training doesn't come for free." Ryan couldn't even respond he was so furious. Zecora poured the perfect water into the water already in her massive pot and started to add ingredients.
"As for my stew, there is plenty for both of you. We can have a meal for three, if the both of you agree."
"Sounds great!" Ditzy said with a smile. Ryan growled as his answer. Zecora smiled and lit a fire underneath the pot.
"I hope we can be civilized. It would be bad if-"
CRASH!!
Zecora and Derpy both turned around to face Ryan, who had knocked over a shelf of Zecora's incidents.
"Have you gone mad?! Pick those up, you cad." When he didn't answer, Zecora looked into his eyes and was shocked when she saw pure fear. His eyes were unmoving, locked on to one sight. She followed his gaze and found he was staring at the fire. She quickly doused it. The moment the fire was out, Ryan blinked and seemed to come back to reality.
"What happened?" he asked the two. Zecora gave Dinky the signal to not say anything.
"You seemed to have gone a little haywire. Why did you not tell me you were afraid of fire?" Ryan gave her a look.
"I'm not afraid of fire. Don't know what you're thinking." Zecora looked into his eyes and found he was telling the truth.
'He does not know he is afraid. Very interesting.'
"Well, that was weird," Derpy said, trying to break the tension. Zecora shrugged and turned back to her stew.
"Soup's off, I'm afraid. You'll have to try it another day." Ryan shrugged and gathered up his things, preparing to leave.
"Wait, I never got your name!" Derpy exclaimed. Ryan looked over his shoulder at her.
"Name's Ryan," he eventually said. "Also can I ask a favor. Don't tell anyone else about me. I'd like to be left alone for a while."
"Okay, but if you need anything, feel free to ask. I am a mail carrier," Ditzy said with another smile. Ryan smiled back and walked over to the door.
"Then for now, I will say 'adieu.' Come back tomorrow and I will have something else for you."
"Maybe," he answered and headed out the door, starting his way back to the castle.
Derpy said farewell to Zecora and also headed for home. Zecora waved goodbye to her, but when she had left Zecora turned her attention back to the pot. Ryan's reaction had surprised her. It wasn't odd for some pony to be afraid of fire, but the fact that he didn't even know about his own fear interested her. Then, there were his eyes. His eyes had told her that he had witnessed something terrible, something that had forced him to repress his fear.
'What could have happened in your life before that would scar you to your very core?'