Post by Hikaru on Mar 19, 2019 8:40:07 GMT
The frigid water of the waterfall chilled Hikaru deep into her bones. The blasting pressure and weight of several tons of water battering down on her threatened to crush her into the water and drown her mercilessly. But still she refused to relent. She held her focus with a fierce single minded determination, and blanked out everything else.
Hikaru sat on a water-slicked rocky outcropping beneath the cascade of Grania Falls. She had her legs crossed, and her hands folded in her lap. She had to contend not just with the pressure of the water, but also the weight of her training gear. And even that was made heavier by being water logged. All of this crushing weight dragged her down at her impossibly.
The battering Hikaru had taken from Peardian’s attacks had shown her just how much she needed to improve her core strengths. Peardian’s transformed state had surpassed Hikaru’s suppressed level. It had been an excellent test for what Hikaru had been concerned of. How well she would be able to stand up against those with an advantage in raw power.
Hikaru had been able to withstand Peardian’s attacks, but the effort had severely exhausted her. If- no. When Hikaru had to face an enemy with a higher power than her own, she wouldn’t be able to last in an extended bout. In a fight to the death, there was no way she would survive. She needed to compensate for that difference, and while she was on the right track with her ki defense, it simply wasn’t enough. No, she needed to strengthen it. Hikaru needed to make it more efficient so that she could last even longer against a superior opponent.
While Hikaru knew what she had needed to do, she hadn’t any ideas on how to go about pushing herself to that next level. She had reached a plateau simply practicing with the technique in the usual sparring match. Hikaru had even grown accustomed to keeping her ki defense activated for extended periods of time. She was now able to keep her ki defense on almost indefinitely, strengthening her body against sudden impacts. But it wasn’t enough.
It was one of the warriors of Tsuno Village that had told her of this method of water training. In a sparring match she had told him of her goal and her frustrating block. He was the one who shared with her this ancient training method. The people of Namek were closely tied to their planet and while Namek was considered beautiful and peaceful, it’s people also understood the brutality of nature. And the warriors of Namek taught themselves to train with their beautiful, ferocious home.
Grania Falls became the location for the warriors of old to train and strengthen their bodies. While living beings may tire, nature would not. The power of the waters cascading down was never ending. It’s crushing weight would never cease. A warrior could never hope to best the power of the falls, but they may stand against it, and hone their endurance with it’s help.
And so Hikaru joined the long line of martial artists who have traveled to Grania Falls to test themselves against its torrential downpour.
Hikaru traveled to Grania falls daily. It became a part of her regular training regimen. She altered the route in which she ran with Peardian, and the handful of other students who had joined the tuffle girl, to the falls. There she would set them to their forms and katas. Her students were required to repeat and practice the same motions for as long as Hikaru was able to remain under the falls. This encouraged both parties to strengthen their stamina.
In a way this made the two parties rivals, and encouraged them to push themselves. Hikaru didn’t just need to beat her best time under the falls. She also needed to last to push her students farther along. This was far more motivating in a way.
Some of the students asked if they could try the same training she was attempting. The ever energetic and enthusiastic Peardian was the first to ask, and also was the most persistent. Hikaru had bluntly told her that it was far outside any of their abilities. She had deflated a bit, but Hikaru told her that in the future, they could all attempt this training if they kept to their training. This emboldened many of them. Peardian especially, since she was Hikaru’s first student and she felt as though she had to set an example.
Hikaru remembered when she had first started this training. At first she hadn’t been able to channel her ki properly to keep a constant shield. She had always defended against separate impacts, not a single never ending pressure. Hikaru had struggled just to say under the waterfall. She had relied on her body’s physical strength at first, but eventually managed to figure out how to keep her ki defense on consistently. However, it was a wild strain on her energy and she could never hold it long.
Hikaru’s body also shivered violently under the cold. In the past she would be practically vibrating in her skin, her body desperate for warmth under the icy Grania Falls. That also sapped away at her strength and left her numb and weak. Eventually she learned to reach deeper inside herself for the wellspring of ki in her core. She drew upon it, not just for physical strength, but for warmth against the frigid chill.
Hikaru hadn’t realized how multi-faceted this training technique would be. She had severely underestimated its complexity. But that had only excited her more. Made her want to rise to the challenge that it presented to her.
Now, weeks into the practice, Hikaru was capable of channeling her ki throughout her body completely. It kept her strong against the constant press of the waterfall. It bolstered her against the chill. And it became second nature for her. She hardly needed to focus to keep the energy coursing through her body. Hikaru almost found it soothing. She entered an almost trance-like state now. Simply her, the drum of the water, and the river of her ki inside her. It was a lot like the meditation that Mollau had taught her.
It seemed this inner-peace was an integral part to the Namekian martial arts, if not to their way of life in general. The more she learned of these people, the more she saw their tranquility and strength. She admired it, and grew to love it in a way. It was beautiful. So different from the brute force and chaos that had been her life of conquest with the PTO. Hikaru had never been able to succumb to the mindless aggression and war-mongering mentality of the army. Instead she had been forced to shut it out. To shut it out, and shut herself down.
Hikaru no longer felt that way. And she thanked her months on Namek for it…
Hikaru let out a slow sigh as she pulled herself out from her trance. Carefully she floated out from under the falls, and over to the handful of students she had waiting for her. Hikaru landed on the blue grass in front of the group, water dripping from her soaked clothes. The group pulled out of their katas and stances.
“Good work everyone,” Hikaru said. She lifted up her wrist and the watch that she wore. She clicked a button on it, and her soaking wet training gear faded away into a different set of weighted clothing. This set was dry. While Hikaru’s skin was still damp, it was a large difference to be in dry clothes.
“Let’s head back,” and with that, Hikaru set off on a jog back to the village.
Word Count: 1,316
Heavy Training Weights: +75% PL
Wealthy: +10% Zenni
Training for:
[ST-2}Ki Defense
Hikaru channels her energy into a defensive aura, increasing her ability to block incoming damage. Resources needed to block attacks is 50% the strength of the attack.
Hikaru sat on a water-slicked rocky outcropping beneath the cascade of Grania Falls. She had her legs crossed, and her hands folded in her lap. She had to contend not just with the pressure of the water, but also the weight of her training gear. And even that was made heavier by being water logged. All of this crushing weight dragged her down at her impossibly.
The battering Hikaru had taken from Peardian’s attacks had shown her just how much she needed to improve her core strengths. Peardian’s transformed state had surpassed Hikaru’s suppressed level. It had been an excellent test for what Hikaru had been concerned of. How well she would be able to stand up against those with an advantage in raw power.
Hikaru had been able to withstand Peardian’s attacks, but the effort had severely exhausted her. If- no. When Hikaru had to face an enemy with a higher power than her own, she wouldn’t be able to last in an extended bout. In a fight to the death, there was no way she would survive. She needed to compensate for that difference, and while she was on the right track with her ki defense, it simply wasn’t enough. No, she needed to strengthen it. Hikaru needed to make it more efficient so that she could last even longer against a superior opponent.
While Hikaru knew what she had needed to do, she hadn’t any ideas on how to go about pushing herself to that next level. She had reached a plateau simply practicing with the technique in the usual sparring match. Hikaru had even grown accustomed to keeping her ki defense activated for extended periods of time. She was now able to keep her ki defense on almost indefinitely, strengthening her body against sudden impacts. But it wasn’t enough.
It was one of the warriors of Tsuno Village that had told her of this method of water training. In a sparring match she had told him of her goal and her frustrating block. He was the one who shared with her this ancient training method. The people of Namek were closely tied to their planet and while Namek was considered beautiful and peaceful, it’s people also understood the brutality of nature. And the warriors of Namek taught themselves to train with their beautiful, ferocious home.
Grania Falls became the location for the warriors of old to train and strengthen their bodies. While living beings may tire, nature would not. The power of the waters cascading down was never ending. It’s crushing weight would never cease. A warrior could never hope to best the power of the falls, but they may stand against it, and hone their endurance with it’s help.
And so Hikaru joined the long line of martial artists who have traveled to Grania Falls to test themselves against its torrential downpour.
Hikaru traveled to Grania falls daily. It became a part of her regular training regimen. She altered the route in which she ran with Peardian, and the handful of other students who had joined the tuffle girl, to the falls. There she would set them to their forms and katas. Her students were required to repeat and practice the same motions for as long as Hikaru was able to remain under the falls. This encouraged both parties to strengthen their stamina.
In a way this made the two parties rivals, and encouraged them to push themselves. Hikaru didn’t just need to beat her best time under the falls. She also needed to last to push her students farther along. This was far more motivating in a way.
Some of the students asked if they could try the same training she was attempting. The ever energetic and enthusiastic Peardian was the first to ask, and also was the most persistent. Hikaru had bluntly told her that it was far outside any of their abilities. She had deflated a bit, but Hikaru told her that in the future, they could all attempt this training if they kept to their training. This emboldened many of them. Peardian especially, since she was Hikaru’s first student and she felt as though she had to set an example.
Hikaru remembered when she had first started this training. At first she hadn’t been able to channel her ki properly to keep a constant shield. She had always defended against separate impacts, not a single never ending pressure. Hikaru had struggled just to say under the waterfall. She had relied on her body’s physical strength at first, but eventually managed to figure out how to keep her ki defense on consistently. However, it was a wild strain on her energy and she could never hold it long.
Hikaru’s body also shivered violently under the cold. In the past she would be practically vibrating in her skin, her body desperate for warmth under the icy Grania Falls. That also sapped away at her strength and left her numb and weak. Eventually she learned to reach deeper inside herself for the wellspring of ki in her core. She drew upon it, not just for physical strength, but for warmth against the frigid chill.
Hikaru hadn’t realized how multi-faceted this training technique would be. She had severely underestimated its complexity. But that had only excited her more. Made her want to rise to the challenge that it presented to her.
Now, weeks into the practice, Hikaru was capable of channeling her ki throughout her body completely. It kept her strong against the constant press of the waterfall. It bolstered her against the chill. And it became second nature for her. She hardly needed to focus to keep the energy coursing through her body. Hikaru almost found it soothing. She entered an almost trance-like state now. Simply her, the drum of the water, and the river of her ki inside her. It was a lot like the meditation that Mollau had taught her.
It seemed this inner-peace was an integral part to the Namekian martial arts, if not to their way of life in general. The more she learned of these people, the more she saw their tranquility and strength. She admired it, and grew to love it in a way. It was beautiful. So different from the brute force and chaos that had been her life of conquest with the PTO. Hikaru had never been able to succumb to the mindless aggression and war-mongering mentality of the army. Instead she had been forced to shut it out. To shut it out, and shut herself down.
Hikaru no longer felt that way. And she thanked her months on Namek for it…
Hikaru let out a slow sigh as she pulled herself out from her trance. Carefully she floated out from under the falls, and over to the handful of students she had waiting for her. Hikaru landed on the blue grass in front of the group, water dripping from her soaked clothes. The group pulled out of their katas and stances.
“Good work everyone,” Hikaru said. She lifted up her wrist and the watch that she wore. She clicked a button on it, and her soaking wet training gear faded away into a different set of weighted clothing. This set was dry. While Hikaru’s skin was still damp, it was a large difference to be in dry clothes.
“Let’s head back,” and with that, Hikaru set off on a jog back to the village.
Word Count: 1,316
Heavy Training Weights: +75% PL
Wealthy: +10% Zenni
Training for:
[ST-2}Ki Defense
Hikaru channels her energy into a defensive aura, increasing her ability to block incoming damage. Resources needed to block attacks is 50% the strength of the attack.
