The air was full of dust. He scuffled his bare feet across the dry wooden floor of his dojo. A sigh emitted from his breath as he opened the lid to his lunch. ?Ramen again?? he murmured to himself. He turned on his burner to ready the water. In the next room of the dojo, he took a seat on the vacant floor, next to the obscured picture of a dear departed someone. He looked up at the glared picture, bright as the man that he once was. ?Oh, father?? he softly said. His voice was not as lively as it usually was this day.
She was late. This time later than usual. He usually enjoyed her company by this time. His dojo had been quiet the past day she had been there. Without her, it had become a solemn, lifeless, vacant establishment. He heard a whistling back in the other room. It was the only sound in the room, apart from the sounds of busy Japanese life that lay outside its thin walls. Being so it brought a brief joy to him, especially to his growling stomach. Slowly he walked to the room and lethargically began to pour the boiling water to the Styrofoam bowl. The water reminded him of how fluid things used to be for him. Now they?ve become likened to pouring cement. ?Just another minute? he thought to himself. More waiting. More solitude. He proceeded back to the room once more and took a seat next the picture of his father once more. Another sigh came from him. He began to enjoy his midday meal.
Dan heard something. The door creaked, letting the bright noon sun shine in. Quickly he got up to close it, only to find the person responsible for his greatest joy and greatest misery. A young girl, about the age of sixteen, still in her seifu, stood before him.
?Good afternoon Hibiki-san! Did you miss me?? The sun shone behind her, but seemed dim to the brightness in her eyes.
?Sakura! Since when do you just barge in? You know better than that!?
She grinned. ?Sorry Hibiki-san. But you know me. I like surprises, don?t you??
He turned away. ?Well? you could at least knock.?
Another mischievous grin came to her young face.
?Why? Would I catch you doing something that you?re not supposed to??
?Ha, ha, that?s cute. Real cute. You?ve come at the wrong time. It?s time for my lunch. What brings you here now?? He began twirling his noodles.
?You must be getting old! I?ve come here to train silly!? She couldn?t resist teasing him for forgetting. How could he forget?
?Old? OLD? Just look at this face! Not a single wrinkle! The ladies love it!? He gave his signature smile.
Sakura rolled her eyes. ?Sure. Whatever you say old man.?
Dan held out his lunch and graciously offered to share his cheap meal. ?Want some noodles? It?s the beef kind.?
Sakura, just coming from home after eating her lunch, declined. ?Um, no thanks, I just ate? She patted her stomach. ?Plus if I eat right before I train, it makes me feel sick.?
?Well if you?re here to train, then let me finish this. A warrior never wastes his food. Food is fuel for the fire in a warrior, that helps him carry on. The source of power!? Dan was known to have an uncanny ability of connecting anything to being something warrior related.
?Okay. Whatever you say Hibiki-san!? Another one of her many smiles came to her tomboyish face.
After a brief lunch Dan stood up, dusting his knees. ?So Sakura, show me what you?ve been learning the past few weeks.? ?Sure!? Sakura said without hesitance. She too dusted her bare knees from the floor. ?I?ve been working on a new attack.? A sly smile came to her. She stood, twisting her hips, preparing her arms for flight. She propelled herself, a spun fluidly like a soft spring breeze before the rain, and her skirt unfurled like an umbrella quite prepared for it. After about three rotations, she landed straight, and launched herself once more, this time directly overhead, her hands together like holding an axe. She prepared to smash the imaginary opponent like volleyball. She landed and clumsily fell over.
?That?s not supposed to happen?? She laughed. ?That?s pretty clever Sakura, but can you actually use it?? Dan was rubbing his chin.
?I?m pretty sure I can.?
?Stand up then. Let?s go!?
Sakura stood, wiping more dust from her skirt. She presumed the pose of a fighter forever ingrained in her memory. She smiled. It was on.
Dan launched himself forward, fist tight as steel. Quickly she turned enough to dodge it, with her leg stretched to receive Dan?s feet. He fell face first. Spitting splinters from his mouth, he smiled. ?Good one. But are you ready for this?!? He outstretched his hand, palm open, with a pale blue light emitting from his palm. ?GADOKEN!? But no dice, Sakura had already taken to the air. Like an apparition, her presence was no more. Dan looked, only to find his apprentice behind him. Quickly she stooped to the ground and took the chance at another sweep kick. Quick to recover, he stood and laughed. ?The same trick won?t work on me twice!? He smiled again, unaware of the piece of wood stuck between his teeth. Rushing toward her, he was greeted with a red glove to his face, and paused his pursuit. Shortly thereafter he was once more greeted, this time with a spinning red Chuck Taylor to his face. After two revolving hits his chin received a welcoming split kick, and felt his teeth grind. He flew in the air to be accompanied by Sakura who smashed him with an axehandle threefold that somehow defied physics and launched him into the air even further with each hit. On his journey back to earth, Sakura stood, legs straddled. Her headband, hair, and skirt moved with an unnatural air. A bright blue light blinded him from her palms and struck him in the stomach.
Soon he saw nothing. He had been hit on the way down. His lip was bleeding. His head hurt. His stomach ached and was short of breath. The truth is, he never felt better.
End of Pt. 1