Mastering yourself

Stepping out of his house, Crono smiled happily. His right hand resting on his Katana's hilt as he strolled down the path way. The previous night's Taryaki beef had left him filled and proved to be a nice catalyst to a nice long deep slumber.The exams were coming up soon, and he didn't have the luxury of allowing himself to lose his sharp edge. Not if he wanted to compete. The guardia district was all cleaned up, different clansmen were going about their business walking to and fro around the square. Leading with his left foot he began to walk across the square to the Dojo, and the training grounds behind it. Crono passed by Onimaru's shop and could bearly make out the bulk elderly man already hard at work on another blade.

As he stepped up the steps of the dojo, he bowed respectively to one of the clansman at the entrance. He could see his former teacher meditating on the far side of the room. respecting his training, crono quietly passed across the room and walked around to the back of the school. The training grounds were quite extensive, along the 4 walls were multiple automated training dummies, wooden bokens leaning against the wall near each one. in the center of the grounds were a large marble arena that was raised up the ground by 4 feet. It was fifty feet wide and long, and the surface while smooth, was not slick nor sticky, but provided a nice even surface on which to fight. behind a gate on the north side of the grounds was a small archery range, with house arrows and a worn bow to help teach apprentices timing and patience.

Crono smiled as he walked up the beveled steps leading up to the central arena and the center of the platform. It was a nice morning, the dew was just starting to dry up and gave the morning wind a small bite when it brushed against the skin. Crono's head bowed down as he let his muscles relax. In an instant his eyes opened, his muscles tensed up. his right foot fell back while his left bent at the knee. His right hand griped the top of the saya and his left gripped the hilt. In a swift flash the blade was drawn from its sheeth, Crono's left arm held out at an angle almost completely inverse of its sheathe, his hand quickly drew the hilt of the blade back near his right ear, his right hand coming up and grabbing the end of the hilt for support. the blade was at a flat angle across his eyes. its mirrored edge giving him a view of objects behind him. while above the blade, he could see objects ahead of him. raising his arms above his head he drew the sword downward initiating a hard slice before flipping the blade into a reverse grip and slashing back upwards. His hand released the blade into the air causing it to spin above him. his left hand resting behind his back as the blade fell behind him, caught the hilt as he swung the blade in front of him delivering a heavy horizontal slash across him. Crono began to lose himself as he continued this kata, his body went through the motions even though he himself didn't need to think about them. His muscles reacting on instinct and reflex flowing from one motion into the other. To Crono this was less of a fight and more of a dance with his sword being his partner. Turning around he delivered one final slash across the X-axis. Enough of a warm up, he was here to train.  

Quickly returning the sword within it's saya, Crono began to preform a series of hand gestures. gathering and molding his chakra inside his body, each of his pressure points drawing from the others to create the proper balance. Gripping his blade he allowed the chakra to flow outwards from his hand and into his weapon. The weapon absorbing it, hungerly like a school of Parana attacking a dead carcass. Even from within it's sheathe it began to hum out in radiance of the power that was suddenly contained within it. "Guardia Style Battojutsu" crono began to announce, "Hi Rai Ryu!". His hand began to strangle the blade as it was thrust out, sparks from the blade arcing from the tip to the tsuba as it cleared the saya. In the same swift motion the blade was released from his grip, screaming out in as the thunderstruck weapon soared across the arena before exploding out in a shower of lumin essence in all directions as it pierced a training dummy; the resulting explosion creating an electrical barrier surging outwards from the blade, threatening to smite anyone who loomed too close. smoke began to rise from the dummy's body from the overload of electrical chakra before suddenly catching it on fire. Crono stood in awe as he approched his blade, the arcing lightning still threatening to strike him. He could release the jutsu, but the thought would not cross his mind. He was a samurai. He was ment to endure hardships, face the impossible, and he would enjoy it as he was destined to emerge unscathed.

Crono knew what approaching the blade would mean. It may have been his chakra, but that did not mean it would show him an ounce of prejudice. Should he not be able to tolerate the pain, he could be killed. But deep within him crono's inner fire burned as hot as any forge. A forge that continously tempered his will to be stronger then any sword, even his own. Short bursts of doubt and fear began to plague his mind as the first bolt of lightning took hold of him. He could feel his own muscles betray him, as he began to crouch in pain, taking smaller and smaller steps ever closer to the blade. From within the Dojo, Crono's former master stood watching his pupil as he continued to struggle.

He was a single yard in as a second bolt struck out from the blade and began to dance across Crono's body causing him to roar out in pain. Every nerve ending in his body began to shout out in agony. Though buried deep within him, the doubt and fear begain to rise to the surface. what if I couldnt make it, I should get out now, release the jutsu, it might be my only chance. the words would begin to echo in his mind as crono's knees buckled benethe him forcing him to kneel down. "I.... Cant... Give.... UP!!!" he yelled as he inched another yard closer to the blade.

BANG! the shot rang out as a third Bolt smashed into crono, knocking him flat against the ground. his skin scoldering under the intense electrical energy surging thoughout his body. His arm slowly moved out and gripped the crevices in the hardened stone pulling it's body behind him. Crono's head began to rise, viewing for the first time in what felt like an eternity, his blade. impaled not more then four feet from him, on a burning effigy that was once an archery dummy.

As crono approched the final yard from the blade, another surge of electricity burst out, joining the others in a massive explosion of power. the pain was intolerable and crono had two options. Black out from the pain, or endure. Roaring out in energy, Crono began to rise slowly from the ground, pushing back against the massive power against him for the first time. his brother's voice echoed in his head. "when you are being beaten... you can take it lying down... or you can take the fight back, and truly feel alive" at first crono didn't know what he ment... but now, laying prone on the ground, feeling the edge of darkness, he knew. slowly he rose up, picking his knees undernethe him he rose to a crouch before yelling out bearing his chest to the blade as it continued to strike him. his hand moved forward, gripping the hilt before slashing through the remaining target dummy and holding his blade skyward in triumph. the lightning from the blade now avoiding him completely. The energy field gradually shrinking before being absorbed into the blade and back into crono.

In an instant Crono dropped to his knees. extremely fatigued. his blade now resting on the ground near his hand, the life and soul it had shown before now dormant. faint footsteps began approaching from ahead of him. "You did well Crono-san." the extreme fatigue forced Crono to enter a zen trance to recover, however instead of resting... he blacked out into a Delta Trance.

The next day, Crono reawoke in his own bed. his Katana sheathed against his wall. A small not was left on his bed stand. As he read through the note, he realized it was his former master. "It is usually much later in a samurai's life, when a samurai shows enough conviction to overcome them self and emerge victorious. By defeating one's self, one realizes their true potential in the knowledge that they can set no limits to which they cannot surpass. One will forever remain limitless.  ~Mune"

Crono got up and checked himself against the mirror, he felt fully revitalized. there was no soreness, no brusing, no muscle strain. nothing. He was not sure exactly what had occurred, but the events of the previous day seemed like only moments ago. He must have accessed another trance. He felt great. any singeing or brusing from his trials completely gone. This new trance revitalized his body, and the praise from his master revitalized his spirit. There was no limits but those he gave himself. He now knew he could only grow stronger by defeating his own limitations. yet he also knew that no matter how high he set his own limits, they would never be high enough and so he would strive to go even further.

[1,679 8 stats, 16jp, Mastered hi rai ryu. discovered, delta trance]

Approved