Humble lessons: 11 To teach

(Late in the day Jasmine is walking to her dojo carrying a present with the card "We're glade your well" just as her hand reaches the doors a faint sensation comes over her, she hesitates for a moment then heads in the direction of the sensation which leads her to the back where a large shed resides, peering inside she finds her sensei preforming his Kata's soon ending with a blast of energy breaking the punching bag off its chain, mesmerized Jasmine doesn't notice that she has un-intentionally walked into the shed)

Sensei Yoake: Is there something I can help you with, Jasmine.

(Soon realizing that she has exposed herself Jasmine quickly bows)

Jasmine: I-I'm sorry Sensei, I didn't mean to interrupt your training, I was merely following a....

Sensei: ….Go on?

Jasmine: I was following a weird feeling and it brought me here.

Sensei: ….Is that right.

Jasmine: ….Sensei....

(Jasmine walks over to the punching bag and kneeling down she touches the surface of the where the blast made contact she then looks back towards her Sensei)

Jasmine: Teach me.

Sensei: ….Why do you wish to learn.

Jasmine: ….I'll admit that I don't have any "noble" reason for wanting to learn to do what you did, the only reason I want to learn this is because I had a run in with someone that was....

Sensei Yoake: Ralph, he beat you and you want revenge.

Jasmine: Damn right I want revenge, sir, but its more then that.

(A curious look comes across Sensei Yoake as he begins listening to his student)

Jasmine: He told me that I shouldn't be all that upset about losing to him, said that he was "on the other side of the river", sure I want to beat they guy down for what he did to you and I definitely would throw in a few licks for myself but above all....

(Jasmine raises to her feet turns towards her Sensei and bows)

Jasmine: I want to be on the other side of that river.

(A prideful smile comes across Sensei Yoake's face, in Shannon's back yard Bethony and he are sparring, Bethony launches a flurry of kicks at Shannon's guard only to have her leg eventually caught, Shannon, holding the advantage pushes Bethony back, recovering quickly from her fall she flips back onto her feet but just as she does Shannon charges towards her, Bethony slides towards his feet knocking him off balance but just before Shannon hits the ground with the support of his hands he quickly recovers and whilst hand-standing, kicks at Bethony forcing her off balance Shannon then follows up with another kick knocking her down, a moment passes and Bethony soon sits up, with a playfully annoyed expression on her face as Shannon jumps back onto his feet)

Bethony: You could try going a little easier on me.

Shannon: (Lite chuckle) I am, Yoake trained you well, maintaining a meditative state during a fight's not easy.

Bethony: (Chuckle) Yep, one of the first lessons I learned, that particular training was brutal, specking of which, when are we going to start?

Shannon: (Sigh) ….First lets go over what I've told you so far.

Bethony: (Grunt) Again?

Shannon: Humor me.

Bethony: Rage, Fear, Joy, (blush) and Love....

(Elsewhere as Jasmine is training on a punching bag Sensei Yoake begins to lecture)

Sensei Yoake: These emotions are the core of all other emotions.

Jasmine: What's that got to do with-

Sensei Yoake: Patience, I will teach you, all though these emotions are raw it is not them you should focus on, it is instead the sensations they give, when you feel fear, there is a cold sensation in the pit of your stomach, when you are in raged there is a burning sensation engulfing your chest, when you feel joy, there is a warm sensation encompassing your entire body, when you experience love there is a sensation of weightlessness that re-energizes your body.

(Back with Bethony and Shannon)

Bethony: But there is a fifth sensation, Nothingness or the meditative state, this puts your mind in a state of absolute awareness of your opponent and there movement.

Shannon: Very good, summoning these sensation or "energies" can give you different advantages such as moving faster, hitting harder, lasting longer, and dodging better.

Bethony: ….What what was that thing you did, the "Black hound howl".

Shannon: That was what I call a "meteor burst" its when you build-up all four sensations to there peek till it floods out of you.

Bethony: You mean that weird light the two of you where giving off.

Shannon: Yeah, that.

(Back with Sensei Yoake and Jasmine)

Jasmine: But what about that thing you did to the punching bag, how does any of that do ….that?

Sensei Yoake: That is a more directed concentration of the four sensations, it can be directed to any one focal point of your body but it is commonly focused through the hands, directing the four sensations there while your limbs are bent you continue to gather until you feel you have gathered enough then you release it by simply straightening your arms.

Jasmine: Huh, so in a way its kinda like increasing the water pressure of a hose.

Sensei Yoake: Crud, but not inaccurate however you should keep in mind that you can only draw upon so much of this energy, using more then you posses will only result in you fainting.

Jasmine: Yeah, I figured as much.

(Back with Bethony and Shannon)

Shannon: But just like any muscle you have to train it to do more.

Bethony: I think I get it.

(Bethony walks to the center of the back yard)

Bethony: Nothing left to do now except try it out.

Shannon: You want to try it now, its not going to be easy to just do.

Bethony: Well, its how I've always trained, if I mess up I'll just have to figure out what I did wrong and try again.

(Shannon walks over to one the new punching bags and sits in front of it)

Shannon: I suggest you attempt the "meteor burst" first, it'll make learning the other skill easier.

Bethony: Right.

(Bethony takes a moment as taking in all she and Shannon have discussed then, mimicing Shannon and Ralph's meteor burst stance, a moment passes)

Shannon: ….Like I said, its not going to be easy to just do it, you can-

Bethony: Shh, I need to concentrate.

(Shannon stays quiet and waits, a few moments pass then Bethony begins to take slow, steady deep breaths another moment passes and soon a faint almost un-noticable light radiates from her just before she kneels to the ground breathing heavily)

Bethony: (Heavy breathing) Whoa.

Shannon: (Excited chuckle) That's impressive, you actually did it on your first try.

(Shannon leaps to his feet and walks towards Bethony to help her)

Bethony: Like you said, Sensei Yoake was a good teacher.

(Bethony attempts to raise to her feet but falls on top of Shannon just as he reaches her)

Bethony: (Lite chuckle) Sorry about that, I'm feeling a little lite headed after that.

Shannon: (Lite chuckle) I can't blame you, lets get some food in you.

Bethony: Hold on, I want to stay like this for a little while.

(As they lay there Bethony moves closer to Shannon and kisses him, later that night as the two sit down to there meal a surprised expression comes across Bethony's face)

Shannon: Its good, right.

Bethony: You could've laid off on the vinegar.

Shannon: Really?

(Just then there's a knock at the door)

Shannon: It's not locked?

Bethony: What why?!

(Opening the door it's revealed to be Ralph, seeing him Bethony leers at him then goes to take another bite of her meal, attempting to hide her displeased expression of its flavor)

Ralph: So, too much salt or vinegar?

Bethony: ….Vinegar.

Ralph: HA, so anyway, I've come to a decision, It counts, I'm up by three.

Shannon: (Sarcasm) Really.

Ralph: Damn skippy, I've seen you take harder hits then that, you got distracted, you got sloppy, so its my win.

Shannon: First off, watch your mouth your in my house, secondly, rematch.

Ralph: Third?

Shannon: You hungry.

Bethony: WHAT?!

Ralph: ….Yeah, sure why not.

(Back with Sensei Yoake and Jasmine as she begins to leave Sensei Yoake stops her)

Sensei Yoake: Jasmine.

Jasmine: Yes sensei?

Sensei Yoake: The man named Ralph, in regards to my loss, you are not to seek out any form of vendetta.

(A curious expression comes across her face as Sensei Yoake explains himself)

Sensei Yoake: I lost to the man, it is as plain as that, if you wish to pursue him for your own personal reasons then let that be it.

(A moment passes between the two and soon Jasmines expression of confusion turns to understanding, she bows and leaves, back with Bethony, Shannon, and Ralph as the group sit down to there meals Ralph suddenly sneezes)

Ralph: Sorry about that.

Bethony: (Smug) What's wrong, the vinegar too much for you?

Ralph: Naw, I get the feeling its something else.

(Elsewhere in a home a man walks into a dark room, walking up to a switch turning on the light revealing it to be principle Lewis, as he scans the room he soon sees a chest, walking over to it he opens the chest and places his hand on the hilt of an object)

Principle Lewis: ….Soon.

Dismissed